Author Notes: Hello again! Thank you so much for the alerts, favs and wonderful reviews! A very happy birthday to our favourite boy wizard, Harry Potter, and enjoy this chapter :)
Warnings: This is an experiment mixing my preference with my daughter's who is the co-author of this story. Hence, there are two OCs, some OOCness, some fluff and a general disregard for the more serious incidents in canon.
- Chapter Start -
The following evening found Severus in his favourite armchair with a small glass of cherry liqueur in his hand. The drink was Minerva's gift to him last Christmas, a whimsical detour from her usual bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey. Severus hadn't opened the tall slender bottle until now, suspecting it would be too sweet for his taste. He was right, but it seemed appropriate somehow to imbibe it while brooding over someone young enough to be - well, it seemed appropriate.
The drink, not the direction of his thoughts.
Damnit, Potter had no right to take up his precious free time, staying inside his head and distracting him like this! Huffing in exasperation, Severus took another gulp of the liqueur and grimaced.
"Meow?"
"Meow?"
As if sensing their master's agitation, Caramel and Velvet abandoned their much abused ball of pale green yarn - now resembling a seasick Pygmy Puff that had just been given the fright of its life - and jumped up onto his lap. They made themselves comfy there, lying on their backs, wriggling and displaying half closed eyes, smiling mouths and little tummies just begging to be tickled.
Severus' lips quirked at this shameless display, but he set his glass down on the coffee table anyway. Indulging his two kittens was a pleasant activity that needed no thinking, leaving his mind free to linger on yesterday's bathing incident while Caramel and Velvet purred under his skilled fingertips, playfully batting at each other with tiny paws.
Yes, it was a mistake to call Potter to his quarters yesterday, Severus acknowledged to himself. It was meant to be a simple detention that would take care of a bothersome task and he swore he had no idea who would earn it. Yet when he saw the shrivelfig Draco was aiming at Potter's cauldron, he had chosen to turn a blind eye.
Of course, Potter, being Potter, just had to turn a simple kitten bathing detention into something much more. Fussing over Caramel and Velvet before dashing inside his bedroom (so what if he himself had told Potter to get Velvet!), hugging his old nightshirt and sniffing at it (he should have thrown that rag out years ago!) and then falling across his bed with his face buried in his pillow, no doubt sniffing at it too as he lay there.
Severus turned five different shades of red - including the dreaded rose pink - just thinking about that. And then he himself had landed on his bed beside Potter! If the boy hadn't moved away... Severus ground his teeth and pushed down a tiny twinge of what felt unforgivably like regret. Granted, the whole thing was over in less than a minute and nothing happened and there were two four legged chaperones with them, but still...!
Exhaling loudly, Severus sat up straighter and squashed down the image of Potter cuddling his nightshirt with his nose buried in its sleeve. When another image popped up, he gnashed his teeth and squashed that one down as well. It was of Potter emerging from the bathroom in that clinging wet shirt - he might as well have not worn it - green eyes wide and guileless, cheeks pink from the steam...
Severus lurched forward and grabbed the glass on the coffee table, draining its contents in a single gulp. He grimaced at the taste, but poured himself another. He didn't see four curious eyes going from slitted satisfaction to rounded curiosity as they caught sight of the glass sailing overhead, Caramel and Velvet turning to watch its progression as it was put back on the coffee table and refilled.
"Meow?"
"Meow?"
Severus looked down and shook his head at the two expectant faces.
"Yes, it is a pretty colour and it is sweet, but it is also alcoholic. That means no. I will not have you two throwing up in my quarters," he told them sternly.
Leaning back, he closed his eyes, resolved not to call Potter to his quarters anymore even though his kittens liked him. It was too risky. He didn't see Caramel tilting her head at the glass while shooting Velvet a questioning look and Velvet giving an eager nod.
- o -
"Severus! Severus, are you there?"
Severus bolted upright and blinked owlishly at the anxious face in the fireplace. A quick glance at the clock on the above mantelpiece told him he must have dozed off for about half an hour, it was almost nine now. Another glance down at his lap showed Caramel and Velvet lifting their heads to peer sleepily at the fireplace before shaking their heads and settling down again.
"Not now, ladies." Severus lifted them off his lap and put them on the floor, ignoring their squirming protests. He got up and brushed off a couple of cat hairs from his robes as he moved to the fireplace.
"What is it, Poppy?" he asked, crouching in front of the fire.
"I need more Fever Reducer, the strongest one you have. Miss Brown is still burning up and the two Creevey brothers have just arrived, also feverish and with the same purple spots on their necks. All three are scratching like mad!"
Severus pursed his lips and nodded. "I will get the maximum strength Fever Reducer and some numbing salve and come right through."
"Thank you, Severus. I'll be wait- stop scratching, Mr Creevey, you'll only spread the spots! No, not you, I meant your brother... alright, you too as well!"
Severus got up and Accio'd the necessary items from his store cupboard before turning to his kittens, now curled up on his armchair. He made a mental note to Vanish the hairs they would undoubtedly leave on the seat as soon as he returned. Merlin forbid that he should walk around the school with a... well, a furry behind.
"I should be back in a few minutes, Caramel, Velvet. I suggest you two toddle off to your basket if you don't want me accidentally sitting on you when I return."
The offhanded twitch of one of Velvet's ears was the only reply he got. Shaking his head, Severus saw the bottle of cherry liqueur and filled glass on the coffee table. He waved his wand, sending the bottle back to his liquor cupboard before turning back to the fireplace. He would drain his glass later when he returned, he decided as he tossed a pinch of floo powder into the fireplace.
"Hogwarts Infirmary!"
As soon as the emerald flames died down, two pairs of eyes opened and two heads turned to each other. Not in the least bit sleepy now, Caramel and Velvet jumped lightly onto the coffee table where a glass of ruby red, sweet smelling liquid beckoned.
For the next ten minutes, they enjoyed themselves, taking turns to dip small pink tongues into the pretty liquid and smacking their lips. It tasted delightful - sweet and fruity - and left such a pleasant warmth in their little tummies. They lapped at the liqueur again and again, headbutting the other when two sly laps were taken instead of one.
By the time Caramel tipped the glass onto the side - purely by accident, of course - it was almost empty. The two kittens were starting to feel pleasantly muzzy and for some reason, couldn't seem to stop giggling.
"I don't think -hic- Severus is going to be too pleased about this," Velvet observed in a slurred tone.
Caramel attempted a cavalier shrug and almost toppled over.
"What he doesn't know won't -hic- hurt him," she declared in lofty tones, also slurred.
Velvet peered at the empty glass - for a moment, she thought she saw two of them - and then at her playmate. "Are you saying we shouldn't be here when he gets back?"
"That's exactly what I said," Caramel replied with a sage nod.
"You didn't say that at all," Velvet disagreed and turned to jump down from the coffee table, landing more heavily than usual. Strange, the floor was further down than it looked.
"Oof!" That was Caramel landing beside her, staggering sideways a bit.
The two kittens started walking towards the door which seemed both near and far. When they glanced at each other, they started giggling again at how much the other was swaying.
- o -
Half an hour later, Severus and Poppy still weren't sure what the students had contracted, but it was finally under control after two doses of strong Fever Reducer and three applications of numbing salve apiece. Severus was just about to leave the Infirmary when three more Gryffindors trooped in, clad in their pyjamas and scratching away at their spotty necks. He helped to administer more Fever Reducer and ignored the relief he felt that Potter wasn't amongst them.
Hoping it wasn't the start of an epidemic in Gryffindor Tower, he wished Poppy goodnight and flooed back to his rooms. He stepped out of the fireplace and went to take a hot shower at once... just in case those spots were contagious. The sight of all that frantic scratching hadn't helped with his comfort level at all.
After drying off, he put on a clean nightshirt. It was dark green in colour, but still succeeded in turning his thoughts back to that dratted brat, his own earlier brooding and finally the glass of cherry liqueur he had left on the coffee table.
The first thing Severus saw when he went back out was that his glass was empty and surrounded by three suspicious drops of cherry coloured liquid. The second thing he noted was that his armchair was now devoid of kittens.
"Caramel? Velvet? Did you two..." Trailing off, he looked around and realised he hadn't seen or heard either of them since returning about ten minutes ago. "Caramel! Velvet! Come out from wherever you are at once!"
Nothing. Not a tail... or an ear... or even a teeny tiny meow.
Severus groaned, knowing he would have to go find two very possibly inebriated kittens or he would not sleep a wink tonight. Hoping they hadn't run into Mrs. Norris - they took great delight in tormenting the older feline - he took one step towards his bedroom to change his clothes when a tentative knock sounded at the door. Summoning his dressing gown from the bedroom, he shrugged into it before going over to yank open his door.
"Good evening, sir."
"Mr. Potter."
Straight out of his imagination and standing at his front door, only he was in his school uniform and not a transparent wet shirt. Severus folded his arms and glared down at him.
"Isn't it curfew already, Mr. Potter?"
"Yes, but-"
"Me-oou-wr?"
"Me-oou-wr?"
Looking further down, Severus saw Caramel and Velvet cradled in Potter's arms. He hid the relief he felt as they happily waved up at him, sporting toothy smiles and glazed, somewhat crossed eyes.
"You two are in very serious trouble," he told them before glaring at Potter again.
"Where did you find them?"
"On the way back to Gryffindor Tower, sir."
"And why were you not inside your common room yet?"
"Ron, Hermione and I were on our way there from the library. We found a crowd of people blocking the way and... er... " Potter hesitated.
Severus raised an eyebrow at the two kittens who glanced at each other and suddenly decided Potter's fingers deserved their utmost, undivided attention.
"And what were Caramel and Velvet doing there?" he questioned in his most forbidding voice.
"Oh, nothing much. Just parading... eh, catwalking - heh, uh, I mean walking up and down."
Severus' eyebrow went higher. "Is that so?"
"Yes. I picked them up and brought them back here since... well, I was the only one they would allow to carry."
The unmistakable note of pride in Potter's voice drew Severus' eyebrows down into a ferocious scowl.
"Ten points from Gryffindor for breaking curfew," he said curtly.
Potter's green eyes went wide.
"But I brought them back to you!" he protested.
"I did not ask you to!" Severus snapped back. Really, did Potter expect a reward each time he found his errant kittens?
"Get back to your common room before I deduct another ten," he ordered. "You are breaking curfew as it is."
Looking indignant, Potter opened his mouth only to be interrupted again.
"Meowr!"
"Meowr!"
Severus looked down once more to see his two kittens glaring cross eyed up at him. The effect made his lips twitch.
"No," he told them. "Potter has broken curfew and you two are in enough trouble as it is."
Caramel and Velvet shook their heads adamantly, turning slightly green with the effort.
"Stop that. You two are in no shape to argue," Severus told them, but they meowed and stubbornly shook their heads again, turning greener still.
Closing his eyes, Severus sighed before looking at Potter who had no reason to look hopeful at all.
"Ten points to Gryffindor for finding my kittens," he muttered. "Now go before I change-"
Two ominous gurgling sounds made both of them look down, just in time to see Caramel and Velvet rear their heads and heave. Twin splotches of pink vomit appeared on Potter's school robes, a revolting combination of the grilled fish served at dinner, now half digested, and some incriminating cherry coloured liquid.
Severus took a couple of seconds to smirk at Potter who didn't look so smug now before drawing his wand and Vanishing the mess. He had to cast the spell a second time when Caramel and Velvet screwed up their little faces and barfed again. They then draped themselves over Potter's arms like wet laundry, shivering and mewling in a pitiful manner.
When Potter looked enquiringly up at him, nose still wrinkled from the sour smell in the air, Severus thinned his lips and cast a Freshening Charm.
"Hand them over now," he ordered.
Potter nodded and obligingly extended his arms. He winced when Caramel and Velvet meowed their protests, likely digging their tiny claws into him.
Severus exhaled. He was just about to grab his kittens, green faces or no, when the faint sound of approaching footsteps in the corridor outside made him freeze. As they grew louder and sounded nearer, he swore, grabbed hold of Potter's arm and yanked him inside before shutting the door. It was only when the locks clicked into place that he realised Potter was once again in his rooms.
At his behest. Damnit!
"I hope you have a Hangover Potion for Caramel and Velvet, sir," the brat had the cheek to inform him. "I don't think they're feeling too good right now."
Severus watched in disbelief as a pleased looking Potter walked towards his couch and sat down, cradling his two sick kittens like the precious things they were not and looking like he wasn't going to go anywhere soon.
Oh. This was not good.
To be continued...
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