THC - Round 7 - Ravenclaw - Potions - Drabble - Prompt: [Action] Uncontrollable Sneezing.

THC - Challenge #3 - One's love for animals can be greater than their love for people.

Word Count: 784

Betas: CupCakeyyy, Bea Weasley.

Those damn mini-humans always got in her way. They didn't care that this was her home all year round. They simply took over as if they owned the place - but they didn't! Hopefully, her owner would get rid of all of the small humans.

Mrs Norris' paws patted against the rough and cold concrete floor of the courtyard and effectively dodged the new first years. All they wanted to do was pet her! Soon, though, they'd discover that touching her was a very, very bad idea. Whenever they did catch her and decided to show their 'love and affection' but holding her too close. She constantly found herself riddled with uncontrollable sneezes. Half the time this made them want to hug her more - she hated that. Her owner would ensure they were locked in a room or cleaning pots until their fingers fell off.

The only good human out there was her beloved Flitch. He took care of her, fed her, and made her feel welcomed after rescuing her from one of those mini humans who forced her into this once horrid place. She'd always remember that dreadful time as she was transported into her new home in a trunk.

Each meow to be released from her confines went unheard as they lowered in volume but heightened in urgency. Each breath began to sting her throat as the lack of oxygen began to make it difficult to not take a nap.

The air around her was thick and dusty. One sneeze. Then another. And another. Each one making her feel more and more suffocated. Sending her further and further into the cramped corner. Every sneeze blew out a bit of the remaining air she had left in her lungs, she couldn't control it. She felt her body contract with sneezes until her eyes shut and darkness took over.

That was until the light was restored and a man gave her breath once more.

She never did see her short-haired female owner again, though, she did meet Flitch. He took her into his arms and refused to let the 'foolish little girl' take her back.

However, since then, Mrs Norris found herself sneezing when she was afraid.

Since then, she had been loyal to her saviour and hated mini-humans with the strongest passion she could.

When she had been let free to roam the castle without the supervision of her new owner, or in the company of the cat-human, Minerva, she targeted those mini humans who would likely treat other animals like herself wrongly. Mrs Norris scratched their legs when they wore skirts, pushed over their belongings, and searched through their bags for food. Most of them carried something or other around with them. They didn't need it, though, she had quickly decided after finding the delicious scent of a liver sausage sandwich in one of the little human's bags. It was delicious. Better than any mouse she could find in her home.

Well, maybe not better than any mouse she could find because there had been this one time when she had spent most of her night hunting one rather big rodent through dozens of corridors until it had died from exhaustion. She would never eat it - ew. Shrews were disgusting, but it was the hunt that caused the thrill and excitement that was way better than any liver sausage sandwich she would ever be able to steal out of a stupid human's bag.

Over time, and over many complaints, she became more sneaky and stopped directly attacking the insolent little humans, but instead stole their belongings and hid them.

Mrs Norris felt truly accomplished as her stash grew and grew with each moon. However, that didn't compare to when she began to make friends with other cats like her. They too would help her to collect interesting things that the humans brought in.

One in particular, who had brought her a rat-man, was Crookshanks. Her owner was another one of those young humans - however, this one seemed to take care of their animal. Though Mrs Norris knew this mini human, she had seen her enter into restricted areas and had to alert her owner a few times.

But maybe, just maybe, not all humans were bad. After all, her Flitch was a good one, he might not be the only one out there.

She mewled softly as she set her yellow eyes on two humans whispering before they ran off together. Crookshanks' human and her own were the only decent ones walking this earth, she figured, as she silently followed her prey, never alerting them to the small, fluffy shadow following their every step.

Not until it was too late.

For them.