Author Notes: Hello again, thank you for the alerts, favs and wonderful reviews! 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.
Mention: A very happy birthday to Schattengestalt - wonderful person, good friend and talented Snarry writer. I hope you have a wonderful celebration, my dear! *reminds Severus that he owes her a present*
- Chapter Start -
Helping two kittens recover from their first hangover was not as simple a process as Harry had thought, nor a quick one as he had feared.
Snape did have some Hangover Potion on hand, but it was formulated for human adults and could only be administered to Caramel and Velvet in tiny doses. That meant exactly three drops each, dispensed from a rubber tipped dropper at ten minute intervals so as not to further stress tender little tummies.
Harry didn't mind the wait at all. It gave him a valid reason to remain in Snape's quarters sans the threat of detention since the two invalids refused to leave the comfortable crooks of his elbows, uttering loud querulous meows each time their master tried to lift them out.
With Caramel nestled in Harry's left arm and Velvet in Harry's right, Snape was forced to sit beside him on the sofa to administer the potion. As if the close proximity wasn't enough to make Harry's heart trip over itself, the Potions Master also had to bend very close to him to insert the dropper into the kittens' little mouths, long black hair brushing the backs of Harry's hands and once, his cheek. Harry inhaled carefully each time, pulling the man's scent deep into his lungs and ignoring the perplexed, suspicious glares that followed.
In the few minutes between one dose and the next, Snape ignored him in favour of tearing into the stack of essays he had summoned onto the coffee table, the almost vicious slashing of his quill and resultant spattering of red ink on one particular parchment making Harry pray it wasn't his. He sat there in uncharacteristic silence, feeling a little awkward, but content to turn his head right and left to take in the spartan furnishings around him while absently stroking Caramel and Velvet's little heads. The poor things looked utterly woebegone now, draped over his arms and uttering trembling, frail meows as if life could get no worse for them.
Harry had a sneaking suspicion they were milking every ounce of sympathy from him, but he indulged them all the same, uttering soft, soothing noises that made Snape grade those essays even more viciously than before. Still, Harry told himself it was a good thing Hermione had refused to let him or Ron to leave the library until the last possible minute.
Flashback to an hour earlier...
The three of them were amongst the last few students Madam Pince had to evict from the library, declaring she needed her sleep even if others didn't. It was only ten minutes to curfew then so everyone hurried off to their respective common rooms.
Harry, Ron and Hermione soon came upon a crowd of chattering students at the bottom of the sixth floor staircase leading up to the portrait of the Fat Lady. Following the direction of the many pointing fingers, Harry spotted Caramel and Velvet walking along the stone balustrade of the seventh floor corridor. The sight of those two kittens gathering a crowd with their playful antics was no longer an uncommon sight after a month, but something seemed a bit... off tonight. Neither feline looked very steady on their paws and they were swaying a little.
"Caramel, Velvet," Harry called, pushing his way through the crowd. The two kittens turned to him and meowed, each lifting a front paw to wave a happy greeting to him and wobbling even more on three paws.
"You little rascals! If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, get down from there!" The Fat Lady cried out, shaking a plump, beringed finger at the two felines. "You'll give me a heart attack one of these days!"
No one paid her any heed, certainly not the two felines who had reached the newel post connecting the balustrade to the left handrail of the staircase. The crowd, mostly Gryffindors, knew what was coming by now and took a step back in anticipation, someone's heel coming down painfully on Harry's right foot.
Carefully putting her two front paws on the handrail and then her back ones, Caramel allowed gravity to pull her forward and started sliding down the polished marble.
"Meeeeeeeeeeee-oooooooooo-uuuuuuuuuuu!" she sang out happily in a a 'Hey, look at me!' tone while three feet behind her, Velvet did the same.
"Caramel! Velvet!" Harry exclaimed in exasperation. He had seen them do this a few times before, but it never failed to make his heart lurch each time. They were so tiny and they were six floors up! He pulled his foot out from that someone's heel and pushed forward, instinct guiding his movements.
Not a moment too soon.
Caramel started listing to her right. One second she was whizzing down on her haunches with her green eyes glowing with mischief; the next, her back right paw had slid off the rail... and then her front right paw... and then her shocked face followed by the rest of her which wasn't very much to begin with.
Every Gryffindor watching in growing horror swore they would get nightmares for the next two months while in her portrait, the Fat Lady fainted clean away, landing with a solid thump on the stout chaise lounge painted behind her. Several wands whipped into sight and gaping mouths reshaped to voice cushioning or summoning charms, but Harry was faster, simply throwing himself against the left handrail and flinging his left arm out.
"Got you!" He snatched Caramel from midair just as she flew off into orbit, yowling in fright with her four limbs windmilling like crazy. There was another panicked screech as Velvet shot off the balustrade behind her. Harry twisted his upper body to the left, the joints in his spine popping as he caught Velvet with his right hand in a backhanded move.
For a moment, there was absolute silence... and then pandemonium erupted, rousing the Fat Lady from her swoon and several nearby portraits from their sleep.
"Yay! Go, Harry!"
"You saved Snape's familiars!"
"Merlin, that was scary!"
"Good show, Potter!"
The back slapping, cheers and laughter only died down when the Fat Lady - still bleating about nonexistent heart palpitations- swung to the side to allow two annoyed Gryffindor prefects to climb out. They started chivvying the excited Gryffindors inside the portrait hole and telling the other students to return to their respective common rooms at once.
By then, Caramel and Velvet had recovered from their scare and were happily nestled in Harry's arms. They nodded agreeably when he told them he was going return them to Snape. Despite Hermione's disapproving look combined with prediction of lost points for breaking curfew, Ron's incredulous look and prediction of nasty detentions for the same, Harry just smiled at them and set off for the dungeons.
End of flashback...
Almost an hour had gone by.
Caramel was the first to recover, climbing out from the cook of Harry's left elbow and stretching herself luxuriously on his lap as if awakening from a wonderful nap. She tapped Velvet's paw to get her attention and tipped her head to the side when the gray kitten just yawned and ignored her. She tapped Velvet's paw again.
"Meow?" (What?)
"Meow?" (Aren't you feeling any better?)
"Meow." (Only a little.)
"Meow." (Really? I feel great now! Trust our master to brew nothing but the best Hangover Potion! Tasted nasty though.)
"Meowr." (It does, but I don't mind if it means Harry gets to stay here a little longer.)
"Meow?" (What? Are you telling me you're pretending to still be sick? It's late and Harry has to go back to his dorm!)
"Meo-" (But he's enjoying himself here, I know it! I caught him sniffing Severus' hair each time...)
"Meow!" (He was not!)
"Meow!" (Was too!)
"Meow!" (Was not!)
"Meow!" (Too!)
"Meow!" (Not!)
Green eyes glared at golden and they glared right back.
"Meow!" (In any case, They don't belong together!)
"Meow!" (Yes, they do!)
Harry looked down in bewilderment as the two kittens' meows grew in both volume and annoyance, and they started glaring at each other. He looked up to see Snape, quill held in one hand, looking at his kittens with one eyebrow raised.
"What is the matter now, ladies?"
Both kittens immediately stopped quarreling and looked at him and then at Harry. Caramel sniffed and went to sit on Harry's left knee, pouting, while Velvet snuggled even deeper into Harry's arms, looking smug.
Snape sighed and put down his quill.
"Well, it looks like you two have recovered," he observed. He glanced at the clock on the mantlepiece and shot to his feet.
"Merlin, it's eleven already! Up you get, Potter!"
Harry blinked and glanced at the clock as well. By the time he stood up with a kitten in each hand, Snape had swept to the door of his quarters - imposing even in his dressing gown - and was standing there with a dismissive look on his face.
With reluctant steps, Harry rounded the sofa and went to him.
"Hand them over," Snape said for the third time tonight.
Harry nodded, wishing he was still ensconced on the comfortable sofa in front of the blazing fire. He held out his hands on which Caramel and Velvet sat like twin offerings on his cupped palms, tails hanging over his thumbs.
He told himself he wasn't looking forward to having Snape take the two kittens from him.
He wasn't looking forward to feeling those long pale fingers brush over his own.
And he wasn't in the least bit disappointed when Caramel leapt up to Snape's shoulder and wobbled around to watch from her vantage point. Velvet immediately took the opportunity to sprawl listlessly across Harry's palms as if lacking the energy to make that small jump. Her action wasn't lost on Snape who pressed his lips together.
Mentally thanking Velvet, Harry held his breath as the Potions Master stepped closer to him. The feel of those cool fingertips and short fingernails gliding over his palms to curl under Velvet caused a delightful shiver to course from his hands, up his arms, and all the way down to his toes, scrunched up tight inside his shoes. He thought his gasp was soundless, but sharp black eyes cut to him and then Snape scowled and snatched up a seemingly boneless Velvet.
When a cross looking Caramel meowed to her, Velvet meowed smugly back. Snape plucked Caramel off his shoulder and held her in his other palm, looking at the mini hissing spat happening before him with a baffled frown.
Harry fisted his slightly trembling hands by his sides, squashing down a nonsensical wish of not wanting to wash them for the next day or so.
"Get back to your common room now, Potter," Snape ordered. "I have a good mind to deduc-"
At once, Caramel and Velvet stopped hissing at each other and glared up at him, shaking their heads. Snape glared back, ignoring Potter's surprised smile. The staring contest went on for almost half a minute before Snape sighed and shook his head.
"You two will be the death of me one day," he bit out and transferred his glare to Potter. "Go before I change my mind."
"Yes, sir. Er... goodnight."
Not expecting an answer again, Harry opened the door and stepped out. The corridor outside was drafty and cold and he gave a sudden, almost violent shiver. He scratched absently at his neck, digging his fingers past his robe and shirt collar. He had never been allergic to cats, but for some reason...
"What's wrong with your neck?" Snape barked behind him.
Harry turned around, still scratching. "It's itchy all of a sudden. I don't know why."
"Get back here, close the door and remove your robes," Snape ordered. Sitting on his right shoulder, Caramel looked absolutely shocked while on his left shoulder, Velvet looked utterly delighted.
Harry just blinked, green eyes widening. "What?"
"I said, get back in here and take off your robes!"
Harry gaped up at him, his mouth a perfect 'o' of shock as he wondered if he were hallucinating. "What?"
"Oh, for Merlin's sake!" For the second time tonight, Snape grabbed his arm and pulled him inside before pushing the door shut. "Now - disrobe!"
Gulping, Harry started to unbutton his robe. He was torn between nervousness and excitement, his mind gibbering at him and his fingers fumbling at the mind boggling implication of Snape's order.
"Hurry up, Potter, I haven't got all night!" Snape growled, looking as if he were forcibly holding back from completing the task himself. As soon as Harry had unbuttoned his robe and the top two buttons of his school shirt, Snape pushed his hands aside and yanked apart his collar with unnecessary force, popping the third button and making Harry squeak in surprise.
Caramel and Velvet both squeaked as well, almost tumbling right off Snape's shoulders at his unexpected action.
"Damnit!" Snape snarled as the two kittens' eyes went round in belated realisation.
"What?" Harry asked for the third time. His neck was now unbearably itchy and he couldn't seem to stop shivering. His breath hitched when the Potions Master took another step closer and pressed the back of one cool hand to his forehead.
"You are burning up," Snape finally said, looking both vexed and resigned. "And don't scratch your neck anymore, Potter, you will only spread the spots."
To be continued...
A/N: Oh, why does every small story I write turn out to be multi-chaptered?! Anyway, thank you for reading... please review?