"Daph? You okay?"

Daphne groaned, lifting her head up from the gloriously soft pages of her book to look across the table at her friend. "of course, why wouldn't I be?"

"oh, I dunno, maybe because you've been out of it all day." Tracey frowned. "you're insomnia is getting worse. What's going on?"

Scowling, Daphne ran a hand through her hair. She knew her best friend was right, but it wasn't like she could just come out and say what she wanted to..

' sorry Tracey. I've been spending my nights curled up in Harry Potters lap as he vents his horrific life story. And it's been giving me nightmares. Oh and to top it off, ever since that disaster of a dueling club a week ago he hasn't been back to our spot and I'm worried about him.. '

Yeah that would go over well.. not. So instead she just said "I'm just stressed. This' heir of Slytherin thing isn't helping me.."

Not a complete lie. It certainly hadn't helped Daphne. Of course that was just the icing in the cake. Her mind was always turning, now trying to process the truth to the many stories and tales of the golden boy of Gryffindor helped along by the vivid and horrific details provided by Harry himself.

Her dreams once so fluffy and nice had since become a jumbled chilling mess of horrors..

"if you say so.. You can talk to me, you know that, right?" try as she might, Daphne couldn't resist the smile, her fatigue leaving her briefly as she reached over to flick Tracey on the forehead.

"hey! What's that for?"

"you were being so serious. I'm the serious one here" Daphne giggled as her friend rubbed her stinging forehead.

"serious pain in the arse more like" grinning, Tracey continued. "just saying. I'm here if you need me, just let me know."

"sap. But I get it. Love you too." Daphne giggled.

"love? Hold on, who said I love you? Tolerate maybe, ever so slightly, that's as far as I'll go. I've heard you snore women. That noise alone loses you points."

"I do not snore. I'm a lady." she tried her best to go for a regal pose. But soon the pair gave in to their laughter.

"uh-huh sure. Just like you don't drool In your sleep" reaching over, Tracey snatched her open book from under her, turning it so Daphne could see the damp pages.

"Davis 1. Greengrass 0" she grinned as Daphne flushed in embarrassment..

When next they met, the rumours, whispers and accusations had come to a head. With Harry only becoming more isolated with each incident.

"I just don't get it!" Harry lamented, scratching her behind the ear.

"all I did was tell that snake to leave Justin alone, and now I'm an evil git. Even Ron and hermione are acting different.. I didn't do anything bad... *

Daphne, from her spot in his lap, was quietly seething on Harry's behalf. No he didn't do anything wrong, surprising? Yes but not evil. People truly were stupid, if they thought for a second that anything happening this year was Harry Potters fault..

Unable to hug him in her current form, Daphne instead uncurled herself, stretched, and then, placing her front paws on his chest, pushed herself up to nuzzle her head against his cheek, meowing softly.

Harry didn't know what he was supposed to do in this situation. He didn't have a clue what cats usually did, or how they acted beyond the sleeping and eating of Mr's Figgs brood of lazy cats.. And he had a feeling that her cats were abnormal anyways.

Still. Maybe this cat, similar to his own owl Hedwig was magical in some way. Could you get magic cats? Lightly shaking himself out of his stupor, Harry decided to just go with it. Gently yet firmly running his hand down the cats back as she rubbed against him

"you're a strange cat aren't you?" he smiled as her purring increased. "at least your my friend. And such a pretty lady aren't you?" he used to think people that talked to and cooed over their pets were mad. But as he sat talking to and cuddling a cat, one that seemed to understand and care about his feelings if the attention and affection his was getting was any clue.. Harry got it.

" you're the best cat ever. Yes you are, yes you are!" he giggled as she licked his cheek.

Things would get worse before they got better. But when Daphne crawled into bed a few hours later, all she could think of as she fell asleep, with a light blush on her cheeks was that she needed Harry to scratch her ears again as soon as possible..

'he thinks I'm the best cat ever! '

A/NSo.. This is late.. And really short. Apologies for that. Life has been kicking my butt this week. Plus writers block and insomnia. But hopefully I'll be able to get more out soon. Anyways hope you enjoyed the fluffNext update will probably be after chapter 5 of Godmother is uploaded.