A week later

Charging into the potions lab at Grimauld Place I quickly scaled the table leg, and then once on the table top, clambered up a nearby pile of books, anxious to get as high as possible.

My movements attracted the attention of Severus whom was involved in a discussion with Granger. The two had formed a sort of truce over the past week, I knew that Severus was enjoying discussing and challenging theories with someone who would understand and debate with him.

"Alright Sophie?" he asked turning away from Hermione to face me, causing the girl to also notice me.

"That bloody house elf!" I yelled, fur still bristling from my close encounter with the psychotic elf.

"What's wrong with her?" piped up the girl, to which my Master informed her of my source of distress "Don't take it personally Sophia, Kreacher is just a bit protective of the Black house"

"Don't take it personally! That insane house elf is still trying to get rid of me, thinks I'm some sort of pest, he's a god damn menace!" I ranted pacing on the limited surface of the book. Severus began sniggering at my speech, to which I promptly told him what I thought of him and his views on house elves.

"What is she saying?" asked Hermione, I was completely prepared to reveal my feelings for insane house elves as well sniggering potions masters despite her long held views (yes I had heard of her campaign, something like HURL or SPIT or some such nonsense) however was stopped when Severus said "I don't think you really want to know Miss Granger" to which they both began laughing.

I was pleased to see them both getting on so well, however because they were laughing at me I deigned not to inform them of my emotions and decided to ignore both of them for the remainder of the day. It being mid-morning I hoped that they would get the message. However despite several superior sniffs and lashes of my tail, the two completely ignored and went back to debating whether gillyweed or armadillo scales would be better in a regenerative potion than the current use of powdered fairy eggs. To say I was pissed off would be an understatement. I had no qualms about sharing Severus' affection (well not with everyone but as I said before I thought that Hermione and Severus were well suited so it was an exception) I do not take kindly to being ignored when in distress and obviously in need of a very good scratching in that special place behind my ear. My musings were interrupted when a large ball (wait ball is too small think… cannon ball) charged into the lab and proceeded to climb onto the table much as I did, though of course I did it with more grace. However the arrival of what I now identified to be Crookshanks caused the pile of books I was sitting on to become unstable, causing me to leap from my perch back onto the table so as to avoid falling off, to land besides the panting ginger cat. I was a bit surprised that the humans hadn't noticed this drama unfolding, who knew gillyweed was so fascinating!

"What's wrong Crookshanks?" asked I, ever the concerned friend.

"It's that deranged elf" he panted obviously not used to moving faster than a snails pace. I made a sympathetic noise, ever since feline and ferret had moved in Kreacher had taken a personal dislike to us, I think he was just jealous that we received more attention from the humans than he did, whether it was a good or bad reaction (Potter would leap away from me whenever I came near him, much like his deceased God father, and so my fun continued).

Our attention soon turned back to our Master and Mistress, who had begun to raise their voices as they came to a topic that they disagreed on.

"I wish they would just mate and move on" commented Crookshanks. I nearly fell over in shock.

"What!"

"Well Mistress is always talking to me about him" he confided "I think she quite fancies him"

I could only stare at him in shock, well who would have thought, though I had said in the past that I thought they would be good together I never thought that anything would come of it. Thinking about it though whenever I mentioned the girl Severus would quickly change the topic; I could sense his emotions were in turmoil whenever we discussed her as well.

"I think you might be onto something" I replied "but surely you know that it's not just a matter of humans mating."

"What more is there?"

"Well there is the whole dating thing, falling in love, marriage, and sometimes children; I'm sure Hermione wants children."

"Since when do you call her Hermione?" That had me stumped; I can only assume that as Severus had started to develop feelings for her, I had been influenced also. Or I just liked her.

"I don't know, but now I am."

"Anyway why would Mistress definitely want kittens?"

"Children you furball not kittens! And she's female most females want children, its natural."

"But your female"

"Well noticed"

"So does that mean that you want kittens?" I couldn't help but be filled with a great sense of yearning at his words. In wizard animal years I was just entering full adulthood, the past years had been my teens, therefore the urge to have a litter of ferret kits was strong, but you don't see many ferrets running around Hogwarts and I had my paws full looking after Severus (yes he may be a grown man but he still acts like a child!).

"Perhaps one day and what about you ever thought of having a litter of ginger kittens?"

"I don't know, the other cats don't seem to like me that much" Well that was true, they found him a bit dim witted, but then again I did too I just, put up with him (alright he was a good friend but I would never tell him that).

"Hey do you think that a ferret and a cat could…" he trailed off, edging a little closer to me.

The yowl of pain that filled the room finally grasped the attention of the humans; a large ginger shape flew out of the room at great speed. As both humans looked at me in shock I calmly retracted my claws and settled my fur, I could only hope that the holes I had no doubt made in Crookshanks' hide would remain long enough for him to remember to never even think about a circumstance like that ever again. I shuddered slightly at the thought and leaving my Master and his friend still looking at me in surprise I leaped from the table and went to go and find Professor McGonagall, I was in the mood for shortbread.