A/N Here's part one of my response to the kitten challenge. It was issued, I believe, by Manders. I thank her for giving me the
excuse to write this cause it's fun! I'm kind of just throwing this together, so let me know if you want me to continue.




Title: Minnaloushe: A Snape Challenge fic

Rating: G, at least for now

Disclaimer: The only character in here that's mine is Evil Miss Kitty. Everyone else belongs to JK Rowling.





"I have it." Ron murmured quietly to Harry and Hermione as they exited another grueling potions class with
the Slytherins.

"Have what?" Hermione snapped. She was having a bad day. No matter how hard she tried in Professor Snape's
class, she still got chastised. Sometimes she felt like she could do nothing right in that class. Ron and Harry looked
surprise at her outburst. Hermione returned their gaze for a moment and then sighed resignedly. "Sorry. Guess
I'm a little stressed."

"A little?" Harry questioned, dubiously.

"Never mind that now. I have just the thing to cheer you up. " Ron spoke with the familiar twinkle of mischief in his
eye that everyone recognized. That look was invented by his older twin brothers; the founders of Weasley Wizard
Wheezes, Fred and George.

"It'll cheer up you, Neville, and every other Gryffindor that has to suffer through potions class."
Ron's two best friends stopped in the hallway, now looking at him with keen interest. Ron smiled and looked over his
shoulders conspiratorially. "We can't talk here. The walls have ears. Meet me at the lake after lunch." He chuckled to
himself. "Oh this is going to be brilliant!" and then ran off.
Harry and Hermione just looked at each other. "What do you think he's on about?" Harry asked.

"Who knows?" Hermione stalked off towards the great hall. "Lets go, I'm starving!"

**********


After lunch, Harry and Hermione took a walk down to the lake, just like Ron had asked. It was a chilly October afternoon,
and their breath came out in little white puffs, but other than that, it was a beautiful day. They found Ron sitting by the lake,
his attention focused on something on his lap. When they got closer, they recognized it as a little gray kitten.

"Oh how sweet!" Hermione squealed. She sat down next to Ron and began to play with the kitten. "Does she have a
name?"

"Er..." Ron seemed very aware of Hermione's closeness to him. Though he usually enjoyed her company, he had recently
become less sure of himself when he was around her; especially when she was this close.

"No, she doesn't have a name yet. I guess that'll be up to Professor Snape."

"What?" both Harry and Hermione turned sharply toward Ron. Hermione jumped to her feet, tumbling the little kitten out
of her lap. "You can't possibly mean to say that this is Snape's cat?"

"Well..." Ron grinned. He was obviously enjoying the little drama he was creating with his friends. "It will be soon.
This kitten is what's going to make potions class a little more bearable from now on. Well, the kitten and this." He pulled
out a small glass bottle from his robes. "It's a love potion."

"Are you crazy?" Hermione was now very serious. "You're going to make Snape fall in love with that animal? You
can't do that Ron. It's wrong on so many levels. If you do they'll catch you and then they'll expel you, and...and..."

"Relax! This potion isn't nearly strong enough to do that. George and Fred make this one. It's supposed to create three
hour puppy crushes, but on a kitten it will be a much stronger reaction."

Ron was rewarded with two confused stares. "Do I have to spell it out? I'm going to make the kitten fall in love with Snape."
Still, his friends looked at him like he had ears growing out of his forehead. "You don't see the humor in the situation? Just
imagine Snape coming to class with Miss Whiskers here following behind. He won't be able to go to the bathroom without
this cute little ball of fluff purring at his feet. I don't think even Neville will be intimidated by Snape and his evil pet kitten."

Realization slowly dawned on the two teens' faces. They looked at each other with wicked grins on their faces, and then looked
back at Ron.

"When do we get started?"