Lady Love
Harry squished the cat's tiny little face between his hands, very gently, and bent down until they were eye-level.
"I love you," he said, "but you're really fucking annoying."
She blinked at him, placid and unbothered.
Deep laughter startled him, but Harry relaxed when he realised who it was. The cat squirmed out of his grip while he watched Kingsley take off his shoes, his bag and coat tucking themselves away in the ottoman.
"I didn't hear you come home," Harry said, trying not to look shifty. So what if Kingsley caught him talking to the cat? It would hardly be the first time. And for such a dignified, reserved gentleman, Kingsley was hardly innocent when it came to strange behaviour around the house. He folded and colour-coordinated his underpants, for Christ's sake.
"I didn't want to interrupt a serious conversation," Kingsley said, as he loosened his tie and strolled forward, already looking homely and warm and like something Harry could lean on. "How's my baby?"
Harry frowned. "Are you talking to me or the beast?"
"Is that any way to talk to a Lady?"
"I know you think that's clever because you named her Lady, but it's not," Harry said flatly. "You should have called her Demon, or Hippogriff, or Hell-Creature."
"What did she do this time?" Kingsley grinned, scooping Lady carefully into his arms. It was quite a sight, someone so tall and broad holding this elegant line of fluff like it was a precious string of pearls, but Harry wasn't moved.
Alright, he was a little moved. But it was impossible not to be, considering the view.
"She ate my bagel," Harry said, completely unamused. "Dragged half of it across the counter and when I went to grab it, she ran off with the other half."
"Clever girl," Kingsley said, very amused, scratching Lady's ear while she melted and purred all over him. Harry nudged him gently in the shin with a socked foot and tried to scowl, but it came out sideways. That only made Kingsley laugh again. "What will it take for you to forgive us?"
"Another bagel. One without teeth-marks in."
Kingsley laughed harder, the noise deep and warm. "Deal."
"And a kiss," Harry said, since he wasn't above bribery and extortion to get what he wanted, and Kingsley was definitely on the list of 'what he wanted.' He had a permanent place, in fact. Right there at the top.
Underneath 'refund on the cat.'
"You never have to ask," Kingsley said, and pulled him into a kiss, sandwiching the cat between them. She tolerated it for about three seconds before squirming away, and Harry could only vaguely think that it just went to show; cats had terrible taste.
[Word Count: 455]
