Cats and Dogs

Severus gave Sirius a dubious frown. "An Animagus?" he asked as he crossed his arms and leaned back against the tree they were beneath.

"Yeah!" exclaimed Sirius. He leaned forward, smiled in an encouraging way, and said, "It's just kind of useful, you know?"

"Useful?" replied Severus, wrinkling his nose. For all the trouble that one had to go through to become one, the applications of an Animagus form were few. Of the scenarios he could imagine using an Animagus form, Severus was also able to think of several other options he could use that did not require him to go to so much trouble now.

Sirius laughed. "Well, I guess I shouldn't say that yet," he amended as he flopped onto his back and stared up at the spotty canopy above them (the fall weather was finally starting to thin the leaves and soon, it would cull them all from the tree). "You could end up being a sardine or a hippo or something," he joked. "Being a fish would be impractical if there's no water nearby and a hippo isn't exactly a discreet thing to become."

Severus rolled his eyes. Yet another reason why it was just a waste of time to try. "I'm not doing it," he declared.

Sirius looked at him with a stubborn set to his brows. "But if you're an animagus, you can hang out with Remus and Joan when they're—"

"—I will never spend a second around a transformed werewolf again if I can help it," he cut in fast and sharp. His hairs were raised on his arms (not that Sirius could see) and his heart was already beating faster than it should be.

For a moment, Sirius stared at him. Finally, his brows drooped and his expression grew apologetic. "…I am sorry about all that," he murmured. He reached out and squeezed Severus's ankle. "I'd never do that to you or anyone now."

Severus believed him. It was a bit stunning that he did. Especially since this time last year they were worse than rivals, worse than enemies, they were nemeses. Now…

He might call Sirius his best friend.

Severus accepted he was not likely held in the same regard by Sirius. However, he also knew he was still of some value. Sirius had gone to greater lengths than many others in Severus's life to show him they wanted to not only be a part of it but improve it.

It was a fact he decided to use to his advantage. What had happened in their fifth year had not been spoken of between them for some time. Now, with where they were in their relationship, Severus felt confident he might get an answer he'd wanted to know all along.

"Were you trying to kill me then?" he asked.

Sirius reeled back. "What!"

"It's something I've always wanted to know," he explained in a rush to his friend, hoping he'd hear him over his shock. "I didn't ever believe you'd tell me before recently," admitted Severus. As Sirius continued to stare at him with wide, hurt eyes, he prodded, voice barely more than a whisper, "What about now?"

Sirius didn't answer immediately. Instead, he swallowed and turned his eyes to the grass beneath them. His expression was shamed as he mumbled, "It was horrible of me to do and you could have been killed." He looked up but still didn't meet Severus's gaze. "I do recognize that now." He sighed. "But no, I wasn't trying to murder you," he answered, staring Severus in the eyes.

He lifted a hand and grasped at the air. "I just wanted…" Sirius trailed off and shook his head. "I don't even really know anymore," he admitted. He snorted to himself. "To scare you? Put you in your place? Once and for all end you being a nosy prick?" His expression was dark as he said, "Probably a little of all three." A sheepish edge came to his tone as he remarked, "I'd kind of forgotten in a way how deadly Remus is when transformed because of, well, being an Animagus."

Severus took his time and absorbed Sirius's answer. His friend squirmed as he did, but he didn't care. Honestly, Sirius deserved it a bit. He'd been a damn idiot.

"Those are some bloody stupid reasons to put a person in a deadly situation," he said.

"Yeah," agreed Sirius, contrite and without argument.

He felt lighter. While it would never change what Sirius had done, understanding his motives did make him feel more secure. Initially, after the incident, he'd been convinced Sirius had wanted to murder him. Later, he'd begun to have some doubts. As low as his opinion was of Sirius at the time, it just didn't make sense that the other boy would want to murder him then. Not when it would threaten his and his mates' futures so completely.

Severus leaned forward and placed a hand on Sirius's shoulder. His forlorn expression grew hopeful when Severus offered him a smirk. "I'd like to learn to be an Animagus," he said. He squeezed Sirius's shoulder. "I know you'd never place me in the path of a transformed werewolf again, but who is to say it will never happen again?"

He'd not heard good things about Greyback's ability to let things go. They had not only gotten away in the forest, but killed one of his pack members, stolen another, maimed the last, and humiliated Greyback himself. Severus was certain if he, Joan, or Sirius ever ran into the werewolf again he would attempt to murder them. Having a secret skill up his sleeve could end up being the difference between life or death again.

"Really!" cried Sirius, gaping at him. Sirius's arms shot out and wrapped around him briefly in a tight embrace Severus could not have avoided even if he had wanted to. "You're not going to regret this, Severus," promised his friend before he released him.

"I hope you're right," he replied.

Smiling, Sirius informed him, "You'll be happy to know you're not the only one learning to become an Animagus right now! James has Lily learning too."

"Does he?" asked Severus. Well. If Lily thought this was a good idea, he probably was making the right choice. She usually did have more sense when it came to questionable situations like these.

"It's mostly as a precaution, like for you," continued Sirius. "I mean I think Lily would join us on a romp with Remus or Joan if we invited her, but that's not why James wanted to teach her."

Severus raised his eyebrows, prompting Sirius to explain further.

"He thinks it could be useful when we're all officially in the Order," said Sirius, watching him. "Which I think you know we're all joining."

"Yes," he replied.

Severus did know. He was not sure how he felt about it either. It just seemed risky to him. Being an Order member didn't guarantee one much. Yes, their ranks got to feel they were fighting for the right side of history. If they succeeded, they'd probably earn prestige and people would go out of their way to offer them opportunities that could secure them for life. While Severus would like those things, it was the "if" that stopped him from committing to the Order like Sirius and the others.

Before, when he'd been thinking of following his housemates' lead and joining the Death-Eaters, there had been no question in his mind it would benefit him. Voldemort was offering incentives for just being a member of the Death-Eaters. Jobs, education opportunities, connections to people who could get things one needed to succeed in their endeavors…

If he was made to pick a group, Severus knew he would join the Order now. They were right about more things than they were wrong about. However, until then, he was happier to not engage with either side until forced. It was better that way. He could help Sirius and the rest through small actions, while also being "neutral", and therefore able to work with anyone who could help him in his future goals. Not just Order members or Death-Eaters.

His friend sighed, apparently realizing Severus was not going to say more in regards to his and the others' plans for after graduation. "Either she can use it to hide if that need arises or as a way to escape quickly," said Sirius.

He felt a smirk rise on his lips. "What about attacking someone if she doesn't have a wand?" asked Severus after a beat, recalling their time in the woods.

Sirius laughed. "If we're lucky, she'll have an Animagus with the teeth for it!"

-o-O-o-

The faint roll of thunder reverberated through the walls of the Room of Requirement. Currently, the room was a large, empty space with tall narrow windows at the back that gave them a perfect view of the sky outside. Rain pitter-pattered against the panes and eagerly, they all watched for lighting. Finally, lighting cut across the sky once, then, not a minute later, a second time.

It was not just Sirius who hollered at this, Remus and Joan cheered along with him as James and Lily embraced in their delight. Once the couple separated a few moments later, Sirius gave a loud, booming clap of his hands. "Okay, it's finally time." Lily and Severus both looked over at him, potions clutched in their hands. He flashed a grin at them. "Are you two ready?" he asked.

Severus's eyes grew determined while Lily nodded her head. They then glanced at one another and put the tips of their wands to their hearts. "Amato Animo Animato Animagus," they chanted before uncorking their potions and drinking them down. Once the vials left their lips, Sirius yelled:

"Transform!"

Lighting flashed again outside, obscuring Lily and Severus' forms for a moment. When it was over, where the two teenagers had been were now two animals.

Sirius stepped forward to awe over his friend. "You're a cat?" he said as he took in Severus's appearance. "Of bloody course," he grumbled beneath his breath. Severus being a cat had not been his first guess. Or one of his guesses at all, for that matter, but it fit.

And explained a lot.

What was that saying Muggles liked to describe people who angrily fight each other? They fight like cats and dogs? They were obviously on to something since Sirius was a dog and Severus was a cat Animagus.

What did not fit Sirius realized as Severus inspected his gray-brown paws was the type of cat his mate was. Shouldn't he be a slinky black cat? That seemed more like Severus's type to him. He was not allowed to brood on this discrepancy for long as Severus turned himself in a circle, trying to capture a glimpse of the rest of himself. Sirius chuckled when Severus's eyes narrowed and he reached out, batting at the blacktip of his tail.

Lost in his observing of Severus, Sirius had all but forgotten Lily also had transformed into her Animagus. However, that was rectified when Joan brushed past him and crouched right down in front of the other girl. "Oh, look at you, Lily!" she gushed. "You're beautiful."

Sirius, taking Lily in, had to agree. She was a swan, he thought. All white with a pretty long neck and bright orange beak.

"Is she a goose?" asked Peter, a little off to the right, and scratching his head as he squinted at her.

Lily's feathers ruffled with indignation as James, who'd been mooning over her in much the same way Joan was, whipped his head around and snapped at their friend, "No!" Putting a hand on Lily's back, James said, "Lily is a swan." With his other hand, he pointed at the little black growth at the base of her beak. "You can tell by the knob here by her beak."

Peter, sheepish, looked to his toes. "Sorry…"

Sirius walked over and sat next to Severus, who watched him with narrowed green-yellow eyes. "Ah, don't worry," he advised the stout boy. "They do look a bit alike at a glance."

He put a hand on Severus's back, wanting to feel if his fur was as soft as it looked. He quickly paid for his choice when Severus sank his teeth into his hand.

"Ouch, Severus!" he cried, yanking his hand away from his friend.

Severus only puffed out his coat and hissed at him.

"You deserve that, Sirius," chided Remus, crossing his arms and glaring down his nose at him. "You shouldn't have tried to just pet him," he said. "He's not a real cat."

Then, to prove his point, Remus offered his hand to Severus. Staring right at him, Severus walked over to Remus's open palm and let him run a hand over the top of his head. He pouted at both and whined, "I just wanted to see how soft his fur is!"

"Asking can go a long way," replied Remus, now running his hand down Severus's back.

He scowled at Severus, who managed to pull off looking smug even with his stupid cat features. "You suck, Severus," he grumbled.

Lightly, he was thumped on the back of his shoulder. He turned to see Joan rolling her eyes at him. "It's your own fault," she chided. She then put an arm around his waist and he put one on her upper back. "You know, he looks a bit like the cats I sometimes saw in the woods by my grandparents' home when I was little," she remarked. With a laugh and grin, she said, "My mum told me they were wildcats."

Sirius rubbed his chin with his free hand. "So not only are you a cat, you're a feral cat?" he said, squinting his eyes at Severus. "Makes sense," he proclaimed after a bit more deliberation. Severus was a little rough around the edges. In a sense, even as a human, he came off a little wild.

Thankfully, Severus didn't appear put off by his comment. He simply stared at him before walking away from Remus's hand and to Lily, who was in the midst of testing out the full range of her wings.

"Lily, I think you're the kind of swan that belongs to the queen," Remus noted as he looked more closely at her face.

James startled at that. "The queen has swans?"

"…You've never heard she owns all unmarked swans in England?" asked Remus after a tentative pause where he appeared to be trying to gauge the sincerity of his words.

"What!" he said, eyes giant behind his glasses.

Remus smirked at him. "The royal family has owned them all for centuries."

James's shock turned to disgust. "That's ridiculous."

"A lot of stuff with the royals is," replied Peter, shrugging at James. "At least that's just funny. Do you know why we have the Church of England?"

James furrowed his brows. Sirius suspected he did not know. When his mate looked at him, he could only shake his head. He was just as clueless. James sighed and asked Remus and Peter, "Does the library have any books on them you think?"

They were quiet a moment, deliberating. Finally, Remus answered for the pair. "Yes, at least a few," he said. "They have been involved in magical society and history now and again."

Sirius did know that. In fact, he was going to mention the rumor about a Malfoy ancestor jinxing one of England's queens, however, before he could, James flapped his arm and cried out:

"Oh!"

"Sorry to surprise you," said Lily, now herself again. Smoothing down her hair and then adjusting her clothes, she said, "That was fun and all, but I'd like to do that again in front of a mirror I think. See what I look like for myself."

"No, you should transform outside!" argued Joan. She gave a dreamy sigh. "You've got wings, Lily. You could fly."

Lily's gaze turned starry. "You're right!" she gushed. Eyes going to the windows which showed the stormy world outside, Lily worried her lip. "Oh, I hope it's not hard!"

"I'm sure you'll manage it with a bit of practice," said Severus, making Sirius jump.

When had he transformed back? He glanced at the other to see him smirking at him. Sirius scowled. He was not happy he caught him off guard like that.

"Thanks, Sev," said Lily, apparently at ease with him abruptly being human again.

"You've got a wicked Animagus form, Severus," praised Remus, clapping the cat-Animagus's shoulder. It was Sirius's turn to smile then. If Severus's hard blink was any indication, he had not been prepared for the possibility Remus would be so familiar with him. "You can sneak around most places as a cat and no one will ever look twice at you."

"You can hang out with us in our common room!" cried Sirius, delighted. He'd been trying to find a way to bring Severus into Gryffindor's Tower without starting a war and now he had his answer.

Severus's expression turned incredulous. "As a cat?"

"Yeah!" he enthused.

He scoffed. "Cats can't talk, Sirius."

Sirius scratched his head. He hadn't thought of that. "We could make up some signals?" he suggested. "Or, like, you could very obviously read our minds and talk about stuff that way?"

"You read minds?" yelped James as Severus made a snarling expression at him and Sirius.

"Legilimency is not mind-reading!" he snapped. "And thanks for telling everyone I know how, Sirius!"

He winced. "Are people not supposed to know?"

Severus huffed and crossed his arms. "I hadn't decided," he admitted.

"We won't say anything," promised Joan, her grip on Sirius's waist tightening.

He nodded. "Thank you," replied Severus. "I'm not sure it'd work while I am a cat," he said.

"Signals it is!" proclaimed Sirius, knowing, in his own way, Severus was agreeing to hang out in Gryffindor's common room with them.

Remus, who seemed the most amused out of everyone in the room, said, "He will need a nickname too." He chuckled. "Especially if we're going to have him around the common room."

"Don't forget Lily!" joined in James. "She deserves one too." This declaration earned him a peck to the cheek from Lily; she was happy he wanted to include her.

Everyone murmured their agreement and, soon after, Peter scrunched up his face. Sirius leaned in, knowing it was going to be good when his mate looked over at Severus.

"Whiskers?" he offered.

Severus's expression, which had been set in its typical slight frown, turned hilariously affronted. "Absolutely not!" he cried.

Sirius laughed and leaned into Joan. She hummed and snuggled closer. Sirius flashed her a smirk, he bet she knew they were going to be here for a bit too. Severus was not going to agree to just any nickname. There was Lily to help too. While she probably wouldn't be half as choosy, James wouldn't let her settle for just anything either.

Ah, if only they'd realized they would need sofas before they came into the Room today.

I was thinking about what Severus's Animagus form might be if he was one and this idea came to me. I felt it would make for a fun little addition to this series.

I hope everyone enjoyed it and thank you for reading :)