The Thing About Clothes…
Author's Note: Sorry about the last post, I put the unedited file up instead of this one. Hope you enjoy this fifth chapter of the one-shot I sort of planned. Sucked in to me! LOL. Disclaimer here, no money, no own, no character.
oo0oo
Harry Cat liked showers, and baths, as long as the water was not too hot nor too cold, and if he could play with bubbles or his floating ball. He wasn't too keen on washing his fur or his hair but Severus usually did that chore so he could just play and splash and roll around in the tub. Then there were towels to attack and kill, and toothbrushes to savage, and the toothpaste tube to spray around. Of course there was the brushing to endure but nothing was ever perfect, was it? However, today there was a new addition on the bathroom counter, a pile of things that looked like…
"Harry, today I want you to become full human and put on these clothes," Severus told him in a no-nonsense tone of voice.
Harry hissed slightly and Severus smacked his nose with the toothbrush. "Awww, No-o-o, don't do that!" Harry yowled indignantly, whacking the offending instrument of terror with claws extended.
Severus sniggered. "Stop being such a baby! Come on now, morph and get dressed. There are pants, tracksuit trousers and a plain tee-shirt; no shoes or socks. You do remember how to dress, don't you?"
Harry sniffed at the implied insult and glared as Severus exited the bathroom with an evil grin. Glaring further at the pile of clothes topped by the glasses Severus had transfigured from quills for him last time, Harry sighed. He supposed he was going to have to get dressed eventually but he really didn't want to. In a way, it was as if he would become more human if he gave in and chose to dress voluntarily, as if he lost some steps in some cosmic game of… whatever, played on him by… whoever. Still, Severus had spent a lot of time and money getting these things for him so he was almost behooven to actually try to wear them, wasn't he? Giving a very catty hiss and spit, instead of swearing, Harry morphed himself fully human, slid the glasses up his nose and began to get dressed.
oo0oo
The house-elves had outdone themselves in the way of 'Harry's Favourite Breakfast Foods': kippers, porridge, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, bacon, toast with jam, marmalade, honey and enough pumpkin juice to float a respectable sized boat! Severus shook his head, and sipped his black coffee as the bathroom door creaked open. Turning to glance over his shoulder, he smirked as the fully human Harry slunk into the room and slid into the chair placed beside his at their breakfast nook. Surveying the contents of the table, Harry Human sighed and glanced out the corner of his eyes at his friend and surrogate father.
"Happy?" he asked in disgruntled tones that made Severus hide a smile in his coffee cup.
"Nice to see you, too, on this bright, fine, sunshiny morning," Severus remarked making Harry snort a snigger.
"No windows, how do you know?"
"The Inner Eye sees all," Severus replied with a completely straight face making Harry giggle madly, bad mood banished.
Reaching out, Harry paused, then blinked and drew his hand back to examine it in a puzzled way before glancing at Severus. The Potions Master smiled wryly and handed over a pair of serving tongs. "Humans do not have claws, remember?" he offered gently and Harry sighed, grabbing a kipper by the tail and dragged it across the table onto his plate. Severus rolled his eyes. It seemed his cat needed some lessons in human etiquette.
Harry studied the kipper on his plate with an air of bafflement, then picked up the fork beside his plate and prodded the flat golden brown fish. He realised he had no idea of how to eat the wretched thing as a human, only as a cat, and it didn't smell so overwhelmingly delicious to his human nose, either. Giving a mournful mew, he pushed it away and sniffed, turning large damp, green, pleading eyes on his breakfast companion who raised an eyebrow in question. "I don't know how," he said hanging his head.
Severus sighed and stroked the wild black hair, automatically scratching behind his ear. "Would you like me to de-bone it for you?"
Harry sniffed and rubbed his eyes, dislodging his glasses and pressed into the comforting hand resting atop his head. With a mournful meep, he changed, shrinking and disappearing, the heap of clothes on the chair writhing wildly as a small, black nose pushed its way out of the neck of the tee-shirt and the long, lithe body flowed into Severus' lap. Little paws landed on his shoulders and an almost prehensile tail wrapped around his ribcage as his cat dropped a catty kiss on his nose and rubbed his cheek along Severus' jawline.
"Well, you lasted ten minutes longer than I thought you would, for a first effort," Severus commented, stroking down the long furry back. "So, breakfast first, then I really have to get to work. Raver-Puff first-years first thing on a Monday morning must mean Albus is pleased with me this term."
Harry purred and watched as his human deftly de-boned and cut his kipper into neat, even, bite-sized pieces, added exactly one and a half teaspoons of scrambled egg and the soft yolk from one fried egg before placing the plate in Harry's place at the table. A small bowl of pumpkin juice was set down beside his breakfast and the cat jumped over onto his own chair to eat his breakfast in quiet contentment.
oo0oo
The Potions Classroom exploded, as roiling gouts of smoke and flame licked the ceiling and singed the desk whilst the remains of the cauldron peeled outward like the petals of a particularly odd flower. The last dribbles of potion leaked out onto the bench with a hiss and began dissolving the wood. Severus pinched his nose as he stared down at the odd sculpture now occupying one of his desks, then glanced at the shocked, soot blackened child who stared up at him with wide, black, terrified eyes. Sighing deeply, Severus glanced sideways at the next table and pursed his lips before he spoke in a low, hissing tone. "Mis-ter Cathcart, please explain to me why you thought the addition of two bat spleens to Miss Snape's cauldron would be a good idea?" he asked in a soft, silky purr that boded no good for the miscreant.
The boy blinked, then cringed a little, realising that he had been caught and was about to pay the penalty for the trick he and his friends had decided to play on the stupid girl. "I-I…" he stammered, shrinking a little as the Potions Master loomed.
"Well?" The loud bark made him jump and, shame of shames, he wet himself. The Potions Master sniffed delicately, a look of sheer disgust making his mouth twist even tighter. "Ten points from Ravenclaw for disgracing yourself. Ten points for destroying another student's property, and detention until you manage to remove all the smoke damage from my classroom. Now get out and go change yourself!"
The boy fled, his friends shooting Adamantia Lucretia Snape a vicious look, full of retribution. The girl cringed as her teacher turned to pin her to the desk with a glare, too. "As for you, Miss Snape, ten points from Ravenclaw for allowing your cauldron to be destroyed, and detention tomorrow night at seven pm. I want a foot-long essay on the effect of bat spleen when added to Healing paste and how you would counteract the explosive effect, if your brain was working quickly enough, that is. Class, finish your potions and hand in a sample immediately."
Adamantia cringed as he spun away, robes flaring wildly. It wasn't fair! No, it was just not fair that she was a target for all the hatred her cousin engendered and he didn't even know who she was or anything about her. In fact, she had never really heard of Severus Snape except as a vaguely evil monster whom her father said would cut her up for potions ingredients if she wasn't a very good girl. To find out he really was an evil git who would cut her up for potions ingredients had come as a rude shock to the system. Even worse, her fellow first-years had decided that she was the perfect scapegoat they could use to retaliate against Snape when he gave them a hard time. Oh, but she wanted to go home, how she wanted to go home! Unfortunately, going home was not an option. Her father would just wallop her backside and send her right back again even if she did make it all the way to Cheshire.
Packing away her ingredients and books, she stared at her exploded cauldron and bit her lip. This mess was going to get her into real trouble with her father… again. He was not going to be happy when she wrote home and asked for a new cauldron only one month into term, not happy at all. Maybe she should just run away and get eaten by a monster in the Forbidden Forest, which would solve everything, wouldn't it? Feet dragging, she slumped her way out of the potions classroom and headed for her next lesson. Transfiguration was awful, her wand work was appallingly bad and she could not do the spells for love nor money which made everyone laugh at her even more. God, she hated her life! Scrubbing away the threatened tears, she sniffed hard and continued on her way.
oo0oo
Harry was curled up on his favourite windowsill in the alcove near the Ravenclaw common room. It was always warm and the sun always shone in that particular alcove even on the coldest, dullest winter day. In early October, it was beautiful, the yellow light making him drowsy and content. Something disturbed him, breaking in on his contentment, making him sit up and sniff the air, the smell of jinx magic almost making him sneeze. Someone was running, others chasing, then the quarry stumbled and fell, the scrape of cloth on stone and the sound of angry, excited voices drew closer. Harry hopped down from the windowsill and stuck his head out of his hiding place, his lip beginning to curl.
Three older students, two Gryffindors and a Ravenclaw, were stalking the child who had fallen to the ground and was attempting to scoot backwards on her rump. The two girls and a boy had their wands out and were tossing stinging little curses at the girl's hands and feet, laughing at her as she squeaked in pain and fear. Harry's lips drew back in a snarl as he leaped silently out and faced the trio who had not seen him appear. Summoning his magic, the cat was suddenly as big as a lion, his gleaming white fangs startling against his black fur, red lips curling as he snarled. With great deliberation, he shot his claws out and drew his paw over the flagstones, the diamond hard nails screeching like chalk on a blackboard.
Both girls screamed and the boy yelped, as they turned and fled, the small firstie almost sobbing in fear as she slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder. There was nothing there but a small, black cat sitting quietly, licking his claws, his tail curled demurely around his toes. Eyes darting wildly, the girl used both hands to scrub the tears from her cheeks before she sniffed juicily and let out a shuddering sigh.
"Hello again, little cat," she managed with a shaky smile. "I wonder what scared them away. It's nice to see you again."
Harry Cat carefully looked behind him then sauntered over and climbed into the little girl's lap, kneading her legs through the thick school robes. He was careful to keep his claws well sheathed as the child petted and stroked his sleek fur. Finally she struggled to stand up, the cat still clutched in her skinny arms as she began to make her way to the stone bust that guarded the Ravenclaw common room.
Harry had never been inside before and was quite content to allow his little pet to take him in. He was quickly surrounded by other small females, often squealing and giggling as they stroked him and asked his pet all about him. She seemed quite surprised at all the attention she was receiving but basked in it until the mantle clock chimed eight thirty and a Sixth-year prefect came to send them all to bed.
Apart from the bed curtains being blue, the lay-out of the dorm was not so different to that of the Gryffindor dorm Harry had occupied for seven years. He lounged on the bed where the girl had carefully placed him while she scrambled into pyjamas and jumped under the covers. Harry purred loudly as she gathered him up and laid him down with his head on the pillow and snuggled the blankets up to their chins.
"Goodnight, Cat, and thank you for making me popular tonight. It was a nice change," she whispered in his ear, dropping a soft kiss on the back of his head.
Harry sighed, and kept still until the child's breathing settled into the slow rhythms of sleep before he oozed out from under her suddenly heavy arms and flowed off the bed, a darker patch of darkness in the still of the night. Hogwarts obligingly manifested a cat door to let him out of Ravenclaw and he trotted down the darkened corridors, avoiding the odd hurrying sixth or seventh-former trying to get back to their common rooms before the final curfew passed.
Slinking into Severus' apartment, Harry cantered over and jumped lightly onto the copy of Potions Today lying open on Severus' lap, purring luxuriously as a long, thin hand lifted him up and removed the magazine before replacing him.
"So where have you been, you stop-out? You smell like a boudoir," the Potions Master murmured lazily, moving his journal to one side so he could continue reading while his cat sprawled out over his lap.
Harry didn't answer, remaining smugly silent as his favourite person began to read the trade journal aloud.
oo0oo
Clothes were waiting for him next morning, neatly folded on the bathroom counter, his glasses perched on top of the pile. Severus gave him a knowing look as he sailed out the bathroom, head held high. No word passed between them but it was a dare all the same. Poking the green and black pile with a finger, Harry Halfway morphed into full human with a dismal sigh. The mirror made encouraging noises as he put on the glasses and picked up the pants and tee-shirt, holding them out and comparing the fabric. Both were green, of the same hue, the pants with little golden snitches zipping and bobbing all over them, the long sleeved tee-shirt soft and thick with a single golden snitch embroidered on the top of the pocket.
Meeting his own eyes in the mirror, he realised the clothing was the exact match for his startlingly green eyes. His hair was longer now, down past his shoulders and cut into layers that curled and waved rather than sat straight up. It was darker too, the same jet black of his cat fur and just as shiny, thanks to the care and potions Severus always used on him. The face was not quite so round and childish now, his jaw a little stronger, and the famous scar faded and almost gone at last. He was clean-shaven, a chore he didn't have to perform any more thanks to Professor Flitwick who had taught all the boys a hair stopping charm in fourth-year. It had been a pain to cast as it only affected a small bit of skin, but it meant that cancelling the charm on just his upper lip could let him have a moustache. He pulled a long strand of hair over his top lip and studied the effect with a grin that made the lock slide away again. If he really wanted to, later in life, he could remove all the charms and grow a beard as long as Dumbledore's. Trying to imagine himself with a beard made him giggle, his reflection mirroring the expression.
Although he was happy, his eyes still looked sad and old, reflecting the soul inside his body. Harry noticed this and his expression sobered as he studied himself even more closely. He didn't look bad or evil. There was nothing on the outside to show he had killed a man, or put down a monster as Severus insisted. In fact, if he was honest, he looked rather handsome, not evil at all.
"So did Tom Riddle in second year and you remember how he treated Ginny?" that little voice in the back of his head jeered nastily, sounding just like Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia in chorus.
"I'm not like him!" Harry murmured softly, trying to drive away the ugly thought.
"No, of course you are not, he was a powerful, dark wizard, and what are you? A freak! A useless burden! A monster!"
"No! I'm Harry! I'm Harry! I'm just Harry!"
He turned away and slid the pants up his legs, tossing the tee-shirt over his head so he didn't have to meet his old, old eyes in the mirror again. The soft black track-pants completed the outfit and he dashed out of the bathroom and into the company of the man who would keep him safe from monsters and himself.
Severus looked up from his breakfast as Harry burst into the room and almost skidded to a stop beside him. Cocking his head slightly, Severus waited but Harry just shook his head and smiled a little as he walked more sedately to the second chair and sat down. There on his plate was his preferred breakfast: a kipper carefully dissected, scrambled eggs sprinkled over the top of that and egg yolk drizzled over the top of it all. He blinked, unbidden tears of gratitude stinging his eyes and glanced at the man beside him who was carefully and precisely buttering a slice of toast.
"Thank you," he murmured, a bare breath above silent, but Severus heard and half smiled.
"Eat, you skinny brat, while it is still vaguely warm. Did you have any trouble with the clothing? It fits well, and so it should, at Malkin's prices."
Harry allowed the soft stream of scolding chatter to wash over him as he picked up a fork and reacquainted himself with the art of eating in a civilised manner. A long, thin hand placed a glass of pumpkin juice at the side of his placemat and he smiled, glancing out the corner of his eyes. It was nice, this almost silent meal, the food well cooked, the room warm and the company perfectly compatible with their mood. Soon full, Harry pushed his plate aside and leaned back in his chair, the glass of juice cradled in his hands. Severus was in a similar pose, a cup of coffee, black as tar and probably as thick, in a mug big enough to drown a firstie in, cradled in his hands.
"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Harry asked, taking a sip and wrinkling his nose at the tang of potions in his juice.
Severus caught the grimace and smiled evilly, noting his charge did not spit it out but drank the juice in careful sips. "Just the usual round of Potions for Dunderheads and mixed explosions," he replied with a half shrug. "Shouldn't be too bad, only upper classes today; what about you?"
"Oh, you know, butterflies to terrorise, gnomes to stalk, usual stuff."
Severus laughed, finished his coffee and rose smoothly to ruffle Harry's hair. "Perhaps you should practice morphing and taking your clothes with you," he said teasingly as he turned away from the table.
"Like this?" Harry laughed back and morphed down into his cat form. The tee-shirt began to pouch up around him when he suddenly let out an unearthly scream, making Severus jump and whirl, his wand out in a millisecond.
Stuck between Harry Halfway and Harry Cat, his charge writhed and mewled, the tee-shirt material billowing around him except where one sleeve had merged with his fur. Severus grabbed the half-morphed creature and held him still as he studied the situation, a hand automatically stroking Harry's fur to calm him. Blind panic would not help the problem in the least! It looked as if a portion of the tee-shirt material had become a part of Harry, literally. Accio-ing a pair of scissors, Severus held Harry still and began to snip the material.
Harry screamed again, his claws burying into Severus' hand while the green tee-shirt began to bleed. Dropping the scissors, Severus said a word he usually never used and pressed onto the snip he had made, the pressure stopping the bleeding as he bit his lip. "Hush now, Harry, it's alright, son, I'll sort this out, it's alright," he muttered, stroking the distressed animal as he studied the little animal, bigger than a housecat but smaller than a puma. "I'm going to cast Feather-Light on you and take you up to the infirmary, alright? Nod if you understand me, Harry."
Harry shuddered and managed a small nod which was rewarded by his owner, master, father, gathering him and the evil tee-shirt up and holding him close to his chest. The Potions Master swept out of the dungeons and up to the infirmary, ignoring everyone in his way. Anyone not quick enough to move was bowled down, student and teacher alike, as the great bat of the dungeon hurried onward.
Madam Pomfrey jumped as the doors to the infirmary almost exploded off their hinges. Before she could scold, Severus laid his burden down gently on the nearest bed and pinned her with a glare. "Harry is hurt."
"Oh dear, not again. What have you been doing with yourself this time?" she asked rhetorically, hurrying over and shaking her head as she began to unwind the green material only to find it was actually part of the cat creature. "Oh. I see. Perhaps we need Minerva and Filius, do you think?"
Severus spun away and grabbed Floo powder, calling for the two teachers before hurrying back to his charge who was mewling piteously while Madam Pomfrey cleaned the sluggishly bleeding cut in the material. She had never seen anything like it before and was at a loss on how to proceed. Trust Harry and Severus to bring her something completely baffling to treat; they were a baffling pair!
Minerva hurried into the infirmary, Filius sprinting to keep up with the tall woman, both arriving at the only occupied bed at the same time. Severus glanced up at his colleagues briefly while trying to keep the patient quiet but the patient had other ideas, mewling and hissing in constant complaint. One of Minerva's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the string of kitty swearing and moaning her small counterpart was indulging in.
Filius Flitwick caught his breath and watched in fascination as the cat tried to lift a paw that was an integral part of a tee-shirt, or the tee-shirt was an integral part of the cat. The magic surges in the infirmary were like nothing he had ever felt before and he had been around for a very long time. Before he could comment, Minerva transformed into her Animagus form and hopped up onto the bed, albeit rather arthritically these days. The beautifully-marked tabby padded forward and miaowed at the shiny black cat who turned his head to glare at her, hissing something back. The tabby sat down abruptly and showed a fang for a second. In reply, the Abyssinian took a swipe at her head with long white claws.
As fast as an adder, Severus grabbed the offending paw and held it firmly an inch away from the old woman's whiskery nose. "Manners, Mr Potter," he drawled, the soft, silky words containing their own threat.
The black cat froze and glanced up at him, then seemed to shake himself all over before he sank down flat onto the mattress, a picture of perfect abject misery.
"You need to make him calm down," Filius said to his younger friend, reaching out to stroke the black furred head as it lay on Severus' wrist. "Not just physically but emotionally and magically. Can't you feel the power in the air? It's taking all of the infirmary's security and containment spells to stop him blowing things up."
Cocking his head, Severus realised the small Charms Master was correct and began to centre himself, realising his magic was also wavering in sympathy with Harry's. Filius nodded encouragement as he bent his own formidable talents to projecting calmness at the small being he loved like a grandson. Seeing everything was beginning to settle down, Poppy Pomfrey nodded happily and drew her wand, ready to help in any way.
Harry felt the waves of love and support coming from the adults around him, supporting him and quieting him. Well he knew the deep calm that Severus often projected, especially when reading to Harry in their rooms at night. He knew the feel of Professor Flitwick's magic, having stood shoulder to shoulder with him in the face of Death Eater attacks, and across a classroom on even more occasions. As his own magic stopped beating like a terrified bird against the distortion represented by the tee-shirt, he felt Madam Pomfrey's smaller, lighter motherly presence supporting and calming him. Finally, he realised that Minerva Tabby was speaking to him as both cat and human, her words making sense rather than as a challenge to an injured lesser being as his catform had thought earlier in his blind fight/flight panic.
"That's better, Youngling; rather than completing the change, you need to reverse it, go more human, rather than less."
"It hurts and it… I can't get it off and it hurts me," he mewled pitifully, turning his head to bite at the shirt only to find Severus was holding his head gently, but firmly, to stop him.
"Yes, it does hurt and that is why so many of us cannot make the full transformation. If something goes wrong, it does hurt and our animal selves cannot deal with that. Our superimposed brains are not equipped to use logic or to see further than the next action; only humans do that."
Harry paused, then seemed to shiver all over, pulling his magic back into his body. Severus let out a sigh of relief as the small creature began to grow and change, wincing as various bones moved under his hands. Harry Halfway glanced down at his forearm and shuddered to see the tee-shirt had begun to leave his flesh but was still attached to him. He sniffled and buried his head in Severus' lap as long fingers petted him comfortingly. "A bit more, Harry, just a bit more human, child," he encouraged, stroking the black hair-fur.
Minerva flowed into her human form and stepped up to the bed to carefully move the clothing away from the boy's still black-furred form. Poppy helped her disentangle sweatpants and boxers, leaving the offending green tee-shirt for Filius to pull off over the cat boy's head, then down his arm until only the sleeve band remained attached to Harry's forearm. "A bit more," Minerva encouraged, and Harry took a deep breath, surging quickly into full human in a fraction of a second. Filius whipped the rest of the garment off his arm and Harry yelped, grabbed a handful of Severus' shirt and was instantly a small black cat once again, burrowing into the deep folds of Severus' teaching robes, finding the darkest, most familiar smelling hideout he could.
Severus slumped, not realising how tense and terrified he had been while his Harry had been in trouble. Minerva patted Severus' shoulder and stroked his hair much as he had done to comfort Harry. "There now, all done," she murmured as Poppy quickly folded Harry's discarded clothes and Filius busied himself with some small task, giving the old friends a little privacy while the Potions Master managed to compose himself.
"I think I shall kill Molly Weasley," Severus muttered darkly, the non-sequitur seeming to come out of nowhere, but Minerva merely smiled indulgently.
"There is a trick to morphing with clothes, Severus. How about you and Harry pay me a visit this evening and we'll have us a few lessons?"
Glancing up at her through a rather familiar curtain of hair, Severus nodded once, willing to try anything that would ease his Harry Cat's burden in life. After all, what were parents for?