Cheshire cats

I could barely contain my excitement as mom produced the brightly colored container. The flower shaped receptacle in and of itself was a wonder. Splashes of every color mixed and swirled over its petals, while its crystal handles shone brilliantly in the light. Strong white spellpaper was plastered along the opening, its red ink scriptures still wet and dripping. Seals in every language, an adamantine lock and no doubt countless other spells protected the wonders inside. The object hummed with ancient energy.

"Mom, Dad! Are they in there? Can we really have them?" I asked excitedly. I couldn't resist staring at the box, knowing what was inside. This was going to be so much fun!

"Vivian did say they were for you didn't she? Enjoy your late birthday present Al."

After months of waiting I couldn't believe Mom and Dad were finally letting me keep them! It was like a dream come true. I believe this makes us the youngest wizards to ever be chosen. The honor was spectacular.

"Dad this is going to be so cool! Come see Scor! Vivian wrote me about them. She told me one was for you!"

Scor's curiosity was written plainly about his silly face. Clearly, this was one mystery that the Malfoy heir had not been prepared for. I grabbed the box from mom and carried it over to the idiot blond.

"Al you've given us enough, I don't think I could accept another thing. My father will hand the item down to me one day and I'll know it was you who returned it to us. I am quite content with that."

Sometimes he is such an idiot. "Well that was for your Father, I had to get you something too you dolt! Besides, Vivian says I should know why there are two 'birthday presents'" I returned grinning madly. I wasn't so much giving this to Scor as it was already his by right. I had another present for Scor tucked away for later.

"Why is this Vivian giving us birthday presents over christmas?" Scor asked curiously. "Why is she giving me anything at all?" It was strange that he hadn't recognized Vivian's name. The deputy of the DoM worked more closely with Draco than she did with her boss Hermione.

"She couldn't ship these to Hogwarts until we'd met them of course. Oh but never mind that now you twit. Come on!" I shouted, watching his face contort at my use of the word twit.

"Met?" What do you mean, met?" he whined. I grabbed his hand and pulled it towards the central square of spellpaper.

"Ok Al. Remove the seals to let them out. Just be careful not to-"

SPOV

Before Mrs. Potter had had a chance to finish her sentence, two colorful blurs zoomed out of the box. Nothing could have prepared me for the surprise that awaited within. I suddenly found myself being licked furiously by one of the creatures...

"Ooooh what are they? Aunt Hermione, what did Vivian get Al and Scor?" The little Lily asked, pointing to the feline creatures draped around Al and I. My mind had come to a complete stop.

"Cheshire Cats? Al, how on earth did you get ahold of Cheshires?" I asked astounded.

The baby Cheshire that had climbed up and into my robes was a beautiful tapestry of shifting purples, swirling silvers and sparkling grays. Its eyes however, were a mossy green that were eery clones of Al's.

"Not just Cheshires Scor! They were born in the depths of the department of mysteries. Viv says they are the most ancient creatures ever documented. They're the Eyes of the Goddess. The first of the Cheshires. She wrote that they can change shape and color, that they can grow to be smarter than humans AND can perform advanced magic on their own."

"Wow thats amazing... and you are sure this one is for me?" I asked cautiously, looking from Mr. & Mrs. Potter to Hermione and finally to Al. It was hard to believe these creatures were capable of what Al claimed, harder still to believe one was being given to me.

"Allie is being silly! Look, he won't stop licking Scorpius." Interrupted little Lily.

"What are you on about Lils?" James asked.

"Well. Al's Cheshire has blue eyes like Scorpius, and Scorpius's Cheshire has green eyes like Al's. They need names don't they?"

"But Lils that will get too confusing." Al said as his new pet curled up gracefully in his lap, turning a deep midnight with a light sprinkling of twinkling stars across its fur.

"Fine Allie. What would you call them?"

"I guess Hyperion would work for mine?" Al offered tentatively. He was silly sometimes.

"Why my middle name?"

"Cause of the shiny golden tassels on his ears. Besides... we need to appease Lily."

"Ok... that doesn't really work... but I guess its fine." I offered resignedly, petting the half invisible Cheshire. It wouldn't stop licking me. Its eyes seemed to glow as it performed its magic.

"Hyperion Potter for yours and Mercury Severus Malfoy for mine." I offered finally, rubbing the silvery hairs of Mercury's tassels. The motion elicited a deep satisfied rumble from the creature.

For some reason i couldn't tear my eyes away from the glowing purple jewel subtly encrusted in the fur of Mercury's forehead. Hyperion had one exactly like it. The goddesses eyes...

"Thanks Al, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. This is really an amazing present." It was beyond comprehensible.

"Don't thank us Scor. A Cheshire enters the world on its masters birthday. We are the only two wizards to be born on the seventh in a thousand years and Vivian found these as babies on the seventh. Mercury was meant for you and Hyperion for me."

"Um well I…I... don't know... what to say... I..." A Malfoy doesn't stutter I heard in the back of my mind. "Well again my gratitude all the same." i managed.

"I was all too surprised when Vivian brought them to me, claiming they belonged to my favorite nephew." Hermione looked strangely at the two of us as she spoke. Al's entire family was looking at us. We always received stares. Everywhere we ever go. "We thought cheshires had left this world like the light elves. To find the goddesses tears themselves. You are beyond blessed. You must be very careful with them."

"We will" I promised.

Mercury finally stopped his playful ministrations when he'd noticed that his counterpart had lazily closed his eyes for a nap. The silly little green eyed marvel flew lithely off of me to stalk its way slowly towards Al, its colors shifting brilliantly as he prepared to pounce.

Lily began to giggle when she realized what was happening, while I could only look on quietly as the creature leapt onto Hyperion. Both Cheshires rolled off of Al's lap in a swirling mass of color and fur, Hyperion managing to pin Mercury despite the green eyed cheshire's covert head start.

"Haha Mercury's lost."

My silly new companion merely looked up with those strange mossy eyes and placed a playful lick on his captor's cheek. The blue eyed Potter merely purred his content, leaning down to nuzzle its prisoner gently.

LPOV

Nobody could see it. The two beautiful felines were Al and Scor personified. My two cousins were part of something. Something immense that would reshape the world as we knew it. They were oblivious to how intricately inextricable they were from each other.

I watched as Al moved next to Scor, knocking gently into his shoulder with a radiant smile. Everyone seemed to be smiling at the two playful balls of fur.

"They're adorable aren't they?" asked Lily calmly. She had this way of being either entirely too serious or entirely too silly.

"Of course they are. But then again you could say the same about most baby animals."

"Louis... I meant them of course." she amended. I turned sharply to meet Lily's stare. "Oh don't pretend like you haven't noticed. Allie hasn't been this happy since... i can't even remember how long. I think they look amazing together."

"Don't tell James that."

"Don't worry I won't repeat it again. Maybe if we all pretend that whats in front of us is a dream, i'll get Scor to myself."

"You know Lily sometimes I wonder about you. You are just too good at pretending. Sneaky as ever."

"Oh I know, its stressful being so outlandishly devious."

"You know you remind me entirely too much of my best friend."

"Thats why i'll end up Slytherin like Al."

"Don't let James hear that either."

"Besides is Rori really just your best friend though?"

"See, there you go with the sneakiness again. You always seem to know much more than you should."

"Hey Scor, can I play with Mercury for a bit? He's so adorable."

"Sure Lily." Scorpius offered, patting the area of carpet next to him. She moved to sit beside Scorpius, as close as physically possible. I watched as Lils turned back to give me a covert wink. She really was a strange witch, like aunt Luna.

I wish Aurora could be here, I missed her.