1

Why Malfoy? Of course he paired me up with Malfoy, it's a sick, twisted way of torture, thought Harry bitterly as he chopped magnolia roots for the Draught of Giddiness that they were supposed to be concocting. Of course, Draco was doing the actual work; all Harry had to do was chop and crush things. And he, for one, wasn't complaining about that little agreement. It suited him just fine.

Snape seemed to realize this. He swooped over to their table (overgrown bat that he was) and scowled down upon Harry. This did not bode well for the fifteen-year-old Gryffindor.

"Potter," said Snape very, very softly, his sallow face right up close to Harry's, "why is Mr. Malfoy the only one doing any…work at this table?"

"Erm…he told me he knew I'd screw the Potion up, sir – he said he's do it all so he could get a good grade."

"Hm. Very good reasoning, Draco. Based, I assume, upon Potter's previous disasters?"

Malfoy nodded, a malicious glint in his eyes.

"But, as well thought out that may be, it is not fair for one partner to be doing nothing while the other must do all. Potter, you take a turn at brewing – Draco, you can sit over here and help me grade the essays."

"Yes, Professor," chorused Harry and Malfoy together.

"Very good," said Snape silkily.

Harry inwardly cursed the batty Potions master as he stirred three times clockwise, three times counterclockwise as was instructed.

"Add half a pound of crushed Mandragora," he read in a monotonous tone. Still poring over the text, he grabbed where he had put the mandragora and dumped the beaker's contents into the cauldron. The potion began to fizz ominously, and Harry began to get nervous. He glanced over the ingredients still assembled on the desk – and saw the half-pound of crushed mandragora over to the left of the now-empty beaker which he had grabbed. He looked over them again and realized that the fire cat's hair was missing.

Oh sh-

BOOM!

Snape quickly waved away the dust and smoke and flames with his wand. He and Draco rushed over to where the Golden Boy had sat a moment before.

"Is he…?" Draco asked, turning to his Head of House, who had visibly paled.

"What did the stupid boy do?" Snape asked, almost to himself. "OW!" he yelled as something very akin to ten sharp needles buried themselves into his skin just above his ankle. "What the bloody…" He looked down and blinked.

A tiny "mew" came from near his feet Draco looked down and started. A midnight-black-and-snow-white striped, tiny kitten was sitting on the Potions professor's shoe, claws and paws entangled in the black trousers. Draco bent down and picked it up gingerly.

It looked at Draco with startled emerald eyes before reaching out a paw and batting Draco gently on the nose. Draco blinked and held in a laugh. It was adorable!

"Draco, put Potter down," commanded Snape tersely.

"Wh-what…?" Draco stammered. He lowered the kitten gently to the ground. It gave a mewl of discontent and clambered into Draco's hands, snuggling into the crook of the Slytherin's elbow.

Snape sighed. "Mr. Potter replaced the mandragora roots with fire cat hair. This cause an explosion and turned Potter into – ," Snape said, gesturing at the kitten in Draco's arms, "that."

"Ah," said Draco. He absent-mindedly scratched the kitten behind the ear. He felt its tiny body vibrate and heard a small purring sound coming from it. Am I…petting POTTER!

He dropped the kitten, which, true to its kind, landed on its feet. It gave an unsatisfied mew and leaped on Draco's shoe to play with the shoelaces. The bell rang.

"Draco, I shall inform Dumbledore of this. In the meantime…look after him, will you?"

Without waiting for an answer, Snape left, leaving Draco alone with the Kitten-Who-Was-A-Boy.

Oh, wouldn't Blaise get a kick out of this… 

2 

"And so, you see Headmaster, Potter is…rather…not himself," Snape finished. Dumbledore chuckled.

"He seems to have taken a liking to Mr. Malfoy here," the old man said, "quite opposite from previous, wouldn't you agree?"

"What kind of cat is he?" asked Ron, looking on with befuddlement as his best-friend turned kitten sat on Draco's head. The tiny cat tried to look into Draco's silver eyes and tumbled down onto the Slytherin's lap. It blinked its huge emerald eyes, once, twice, and mewed softly before clambering up Draco's arm again.

"He isn't a normal housecat, that's for sure," said Hermione, peering at Kitten-Harry with a mixture of curiosity, happiness, and befuddlement.

"Of course he is, Granger!" snapped Snape.

"Actually, Severus, Miss Granger is quite right."

All heads (excluding Harry's and Draco's – Harry was on Draco's head, and the blond (who was becoming strangely protective of the tiny animal) did not want to cause the kitten to fall) snapped to Dumbledore, whose blue eyes were twinkling wickedly.

"Harry has become a baby Bengal white tiger."

Draco blinked. "So this…kitten…is going to become…"

"A 200-pound tiger made of luscious, soft fur and hard, rippling muscle." Hermione really DID know everything…

"And…it likes me…why?"

At this, Snape stepped in. "I believe that the tiger – Harry – has inherited his last human memories, which would mainly be of you. Therefore, you have effectively taken the place of its mother."

"And Miss Granger? Though your definition of a Bengal tiger is correct for all normal situations, this is a bit different. Harry will, thanks to the effect of the partial Shrinking Solution in the base of the potion, grow until he is the size of an average cub. There he will stop," added Dumbledore. "He'll probably be in this state for a month or so."

"And you two," said Draco, de-attaching Harry from his robes (with a strange sense of reluctance), "will be housing him."

But no sooner had Ron touched the kitten then it went mad, becoming a tiny ball of claws and fury. "GAH!" cried Ron, trying to fend off the "flying demon" that was Harry as it went for his neck. Ron threw it against the wall – but before it could hit, Draco intercepted it, catching it gently in his arms. The Harry-kitten immediately was sedated and calm. It curled up and purred as Draco scratched a sensitive spot on his neck.

"And it would seem that he will be housing with YOU, Draco. Admit it, he's grown on you."

"If you hadn't left him alone with me for an hour, maybe that could have been prevented!" retorted Draco heatedly. Dumbledore chuckled.

"It very well could have. However, it was not, so here we have it. You will be Mr. Potter's caretaker for the next two months. I suggest you think up a name for him; you can't go around calling him Potter."

Draco looked down at the white-and-black-striped tiger with the huge, adorable green eyes. "I'm very tempted with Cerberus," he said, grinning as Dumbledore laughed and even Snape and Granger cracked a smile. Weasley, as usual, looked totally lost.

"But, seeing as he's not that evil…and Leo and Leon are out, seeing as he's a tiger…Lysander is too long…Mars?"

"Draco," chuckled Snape.

"Alright, alright. Let's see…okay, down to Prosper and Romero."

"And they mean?" asked Ron.

"Prosper means fortunate, or lucky, and Romero means famous. I would've thought there was a name for annoying, but hey…"

"I'd say Prosper, with the number of scrapes he's pulled himself out of," observed Dumbledore.

"My thoughts exactly," said Draco. He lifted the kitten to eye-level. "Well?"

It mewed and batted his nose again.

"We'll take that as a yes," Draco said. "Prosper around the school – because there is no way I'm leaving you in my dorm alone – and Potter in private. Can you remember that?"

The kitten mewed and clambered up his arm, onto his shoulder, to his head where he stayed for the rest of the hour-long meeting.

Notes - Cerberus is guardian of the river Styx (which is in Hell according to mythology :P), Lysander is liberator (aka savior), Mars is the god of war, Leo and Leon are lion.

3 

Draco yawned widely and stretched his hands up to shield his face from the non-existent morning sun. After all, they were in the dungeons. All sun was non-existent, morning or not. So why did he shield his face? No one will ever know.

He felt something tiny and warm nestled against him. He looked down and saw the tiny kitten, Prosper, stirring against him. Prosper stretched and yawned, making the tiniest possible sound. Draco bit back a smile, just in case Potter knew very well who he was and saw him smiling. Couldn't give him any blackmail leverage. Man, keeping up a front was hard sometimes…

He sat up, the blankets sliding down around him. He heard a tiny mew of protest and turned back to see tiny Harry/Prosper nearly completely buried in the green blankets. Only his tiny fuzzy head stuck out, his jade eyes gazing accusingly at Draco, who was the cause of the whole mess the tiny tiger found himself in. Which he was, of course.

This time, Draco couldn't hold back the small smile that crept onto his face. He picked up the kitten and stood up, being as quiet as he could, knowing that his roommates would not appreciate being woken rudely by noise. He entered the bathroom, closed the door, and set Harry – Prosper, he supposed, - down. He tugged off his pajamas and let them slide to the floor.

He stepped into a shower stall, drew the curtain, and turned on the water. He shivered as cold water pelted against him for a moment, then turned just the right heat. He pulled some shampoo off the rack and lathered his hair gently, massaging his scalp. He heard a tiny mew, barely audible over the shower, and felt two tiny padded paws pressing onto his feet. He looked down and prayed to every god he had ever heard of that Potter would remember nothing.

He leaned down and picked up the tiny kitten, now straggly and damp. "So…we want a shower too, huh? Fine…but I have a suspicion you won't enjoy it very much…"

Draco took his already sudsy hand and scrubbed the tiny kitten until a ball of soap bubbles stood where it had been. Only its eyes still remained. It blinked and mewed discontentedly.

"I did tell you, you know," he smiled at the kitten, who, in response, seemed to roll its eyes. Draco chuckled and turned off the shower. He wrapped a towel around his waist and enfolded the kitten in a fluffy handtowel. He dried himself off, setting Harry on the counter.

"Now, ready to be…dried…off…?" he asked, frowning as he looked around for the handtowel. It wasn't anywhere on the counter, or on Draco. He began to freak out. It wasn't in the bathroom. He was upset. Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door. Making sure the towel was securely fastened, he opened it.

"Yours?" asked a sleepy-looking Blaise, holding up Harry in the handtowel. God knew how he did it in kitten form, but Potter blushed and looked sheepish.

"How'd you spot him?"

"A moving handtowel? I'd have to be blind."

Draco snorted and took the towel (and with it the kitten. Obviously.). "Thanks, Zabini,"

"Mmm," said Blaise, already going back to bed.

Draco closed and locked the door again.

"What is wrong with you? Of course, there're quite a few answers to that question but…of course you're bloody brave, you're a bloody damn Gryffindor. Well, I have a suggestion: suppress your bravery. What if Crabbe of Goyle were to squash you?"

In response, Harry yawned and lazily toyed with a strand of Malfoy's blond hair. Malfoy snatched the strand away from the kitten's paws.

"Listen to me!"

In response, he squirmed out of Draco's arms, landed on all fours, and went to play in the puddles created by Draco's shower. Draco rolled his eyes, sighed, and gave up. One of the Gryffindor characteristics should be "head as hard as a rock".

Draco sat down at his usual place at the Slytherin table. Harry…Prosper…sat on his shoulder, batting away at his hair.

"OH! Drakie, it's so CUUUTE! I wanna hold it and squeeze it's LIFE OUT!"

Ah. Pansy. Joy.

Prosper looked very, very frightened. He dove underneath Draco's hair to settle next to Draco's neck. It's tiny body warmth soothed Draco, it's heartbeat going fast and furious.

"Pansy, if you squeeze the life out of it, it would be dead, and dead things aren't cute."

"…Oh."

"Yes. Oh."

Draco felt Prosper's muscles slowly, almost experimentally, untense. He suppressed a smile. He was doing that far too much these days. Damn Prosper and his cuteness. Damn him to hell.

Almost as though Prosper could read Draco's mind, he let out a mew that Draco later swore was self-satisfied.

"Stupid cat…" he muttered, reaching for a biscuit. He jumped slightly when Prosper took a bounding leap from his shoulder and landed next to his plate. Draco's eyes grew as big as saucers as he watched the tiny cat devour sixteen strips of bacon at least two inches bigger than Prosper himself.

"O…kay…all I can say is you'd better have a good metabolism," Draco muttered to the cat as he poured some cream into a saucer for the kitten. It, however, decided to move on to bigger and better things than cream. It decidedly clamped its tiny jaws around the orange juice jug – and actually began dragging the thing towards Draco, who raised an eyebrow.

"If you can drink it without falling in, Prosper, it's all yours," he said quietly, inwardly chuckling at the tiny cat's determination.

Prosper, using Draco's arms and shoulder as a ladder, scrambled up until he was precariously perched on the slim edge of the jug. He stared at his rippling, yellow/orange reflection for a moment before delicately lowering his muzzle into the jug. His nose (and consequently his whiskers) twitched slightly as he drank. Draco's mind began to form a very naughty idea.

He raised a hand and tapped Prosper with just enough force to send him tumbling into the jug. The kitten let out a squeak and scrambled to get out. Draco, taking pity, put his hand in. Prosper clung to it as it pulled up and out. He shook himself out and looked reproachfully up at Draco.

"Well, it was an invitation, practically," Draco defended himself. Prosper shot him a look that stated clearly, 'Yeah, right,' before scrambling onto Draco's head again.

This was promising to be an interesting two months.

4 

"And so some side effects of the Meta-Narum Complex are…Mr. Malfoy, you're fifteen points late, and there's a cat on your head…?"

Professor McGonagall paused, re-considered her own words, and spun around to face Draco again.

"Mr. Malfoy, there is a cat on your head."

Draco nodded. "Thanks, Professor. I'll inform him of where he is as soon as he stops playing with my hair."

Professor McGonagall stuttered and stammered for a few minutes before a look of comprehension dawned on her wrinkled face. "Ah…mandragora mix-up?"

"What is it with this school and secrets?" Draco grumbled, sinking down in his seat as everyone stared at Prosper, who had steadfastly refused to leave his head all day. Including Care of Magical Creatures. God was that a nightmare…

FLASHBACK

"Now then, today I'll be showin' yeh lot a group of summat that lives in packs deep in the forest. They're called forest wolves, real protective-like abou' their territory an' such. Kinda like tigers in a cer'ain way."

At this point Draco began to get a very bad feeling about this class.

"Here's one tha' I've trained, got 'im when he was nuthin bu' a pup…here, Aaron!"

A wolf-like creature, about waist high, with matted blue-black fur and red eyes trotted forward gently. Draco heard Prosper growl (but he also felt the cat back up in fright). Draco gently scratched Prosper behind his left ear, a good spot of his. This time, however, Prosper was territorial.

"Now, Malfoy, you be the firs' un' to come on up 'ere an' pet 'im!"

"Erm…that's not really a good idea…" Draco stammered.

"An' why no'?"

"Erm…" He couldn't very well say 'Because I have a pissed off baby Bengal tiger on my shoulder'.

"There ain't no reason t'all, yeh cowar'. Now, ge' up there an' pet 'im! Go on!"

Praying to whatever deity existed, Draco moved forward slowly. The wolf suddenly sensed Prosper and leaped at him. (He was located at Draco's neck, so it was more than a bit unnerving…) Prosper, in retaliation, leaped at the wolf and sunk his teeth into the dark cold wet nose. The wolf howled in pain and bucked around desperately, trying to throw the little kitten off.

Prosper finally let go and, in one bound, flew and landed on Draco's head. The wolf turned and high-tailed it back into the forest, probably to warn its pack about the dangers of tiny black-and-white things.

Hagrid just gave a sort of nod. "That'll be a tiger, Malfoy? Okay. Where's Harry now…?"

END FLASHBACK

Can you say 'fiasco'? Gar…this was getting old…

Draco reached up an began trying again, in vain, to pry Prosper from his skull/hair/stuff.

"Come…on…you…effing…stupid…cat…" he whispered as McGonagall droned on about some complex theory or another.

"Mr. Malfoy, is there something you would like to share with the class?"

"Erm…no…but…Prosper is hurting my skull…can I go see Madam Pomfrey?"

McGonagall sighed. "You're not going to go to the nurse, are you?"

"No, Professor."

"Fine, go on to your godfather, I won't stop you…" the professor sighed. "But you'll still have to complete the homework!" she yelled after him.

"Yes, Professor!" he yelled back, dashing down the corridors, skidding down stairs, and coming to a halt in front of his godfather's office.

"SEV!" he yelled, pounding on the door, "COME GET THIS BLOODY CAT OFF ME!"

He could have sworn he heard Snape laughing before the bolt slid back and the door creaked open. Sure enough, the Potions Master was chuckling as his godson walked into the room.

"Shut the bloody hell up and help me here," Draco snarled.

"Language, Draco," Snape admonished.

"Severus Ernest Snape, if you do not get this cat off my head then god so help me I will tell everyone that you think pink is a wonderful color and sleep up with a pink teddy bear at night."

Snape gulped at the seriousness of this threat. "Fine," he growled. "Why is attached to your head and why is it a problem?"

"Hmmm…maybe…because his claws are sticking into my SKULL?"

"Oh. Yes. That would be a problem, wouldn't it?" Draco scowled at Severus as the older man suppressed a snicker.

Harry, when he had taken Prosper's form, had apparently not forgotten that he did not like Snape. The Potions Master raised a hand to take him, and Harry sprung straight into Snape's face, hissing like fury taken bodily form. Snape yelled as he swung his hands wildly around to grab the kitten while Draco sat on the floor and laughed.

Several inventive curses (and not the type to be used with wands either…) and a few misfired jinxes (Draco ducked at least eight times to avoid ending up with an invisible arm or a few tentacles) later, Prosper and Snape appeared to have reached a tentative truce. The tiny kitten stood, swaying slightly (the site made Draco think that the kitten was drunk for one crazy moment), panting. Draco picked it up and found its little heart beating away, thump-thump-thump. The tiny animal stuck out an adorable (since when did Draco think ADORABLE! GAH! DAMN PROSPER!) tiny pink tongue and lay contentedly in Draco's arms for a few moments before clambering onto the Slytherin Prince's head again.

Draco sighed as Snape heaved himself to a chair, sat down, and performed some healing spells on the deeper cuts on his face. "Perhaps," he said finally, "you should take him to the new Defense teacher."

"Who's that?" asked Draco suspiciously.

"Remus Lupin has, sadly, come back to our staff," Snape sneered. Hearing this tone, and apparently gathering that Snape was insulting someone whom he was probably inclined to like, Prosper hissed. Snape flinched and hurriedly added, "Sadly, I mean, for all those other schools that will so miss his teaching experience."

Prosper relaxed and closed his eyes, curling up on the top of Draco's head again. Draco rolled his eyes and suppressed a grin at the cat's behavior. He had been doing that all day. He was the freaking Slytherin Ice Prince, for chrissakes, not…not…not a happy yet scary purple dinosaur who sang gooey love songs!

If such a thing existed. But Draco doubted it.

So he was to be found in the middle of lunchtime knocking on their new DA teacher's door to tell him his old best friend's son had been turned into a kitten and was practically scalping Draco. Not the usual situation.

"Who is it?"

"Erm…it's Draco Malfoy, Professor, and I've something to tell you about Ha-Potter." Draco cursed his treacherous tongue. He had thought of little Prosper as Harry in his mind all week, and now…. He could only pray that Lupin had noticed nothing.

If he had, he didn't comment upon it as he opened the door, letting Draco and, also, Harry, enter. Draco looked around the office. Well, it was very different from the other professors'.

McGonagall's was covered in diagrams and chalkboards and tacked-up papers and filing cabinets. It was orderly and strict, very uptight and unrelenting. Snape's office was dark, filled with…things…in jars and other such things which repulsed all save the Potions Master himself. Dumbledore's office was just…weird. It seemed as though each office reflected the person.

Lupin's was…. The walls were a pale yellow color that seemed to catch the afternoon sunlight just right. His desk was a dark mahogany piece, littered with parchment, quills, and the like. He had tack boards up on his walls, and Draco caught glimpses of pictures…there was one that caught his eyes especially.

It had four twenty-something men in it. One had smooth, silky midnight-black hair with big, deceptively innocent blue-silver eyes and pale skin. He had his arm looped around a man with light, almost caramel-colored hair and big, truly innocent and happy amber-and-green-flecked eyes with slightly paler skin than the first. To the other side of the first man was a man with hair like Potter's, a nose like Potter's, skin like Potter's, glasses, and hazel eyes. Harry's dad…. Next to him was a watery-eyed, fat little man that looked, truthfully, a bit like – okay, okay, a LOT like – a rat.

But what threw him off most were the two others in the picture. In front of Harry's father, with an arm wrapped around her waist, was a gorgeous, curly-haired, red-headed woman with tan skin and beautiful caring emerald eyes. And in her arms…a tiny baby looked out onto the viewer of the picture with a brilliant white smile, jet-black, messy hair, tan skin, and big jade eyes.

He looked at the professor, who looked around at the papers and such that littered his office. "Sorry about the mess. Now, Draco, what did you need to tell me about Harry?"

"Um…he's here to see you, sir."

"Where?"

Draco wordlessly gestured at his head. Lupin took one look at Prosper, threw back his head, and laughed until he cried.

5 

"So you're telling me that Harry has no idea who he is?"

"That's what it seems like," said Draco.

"What it seems like, yes. But there might be a way to tell." Professor Lupin looked thoughtfully at Harry. "I, as you know Draco, am a werewolf. Tigers are natural creatures and generally do not get along very well with creatures such as myself. If Harry remembers who he was, then he won't react as strongly as a normal tiger would."

"So in other words if he doesn't attack you and try to scar you for life he knows who he is?"

"Yes, and that would also mean that he knew what he was doing when he attacked Snape."

"But he attacked Weasel..y…" Draco said, tacking on the "y" at the end just in time. Lupin frowned.

"That is rather strange. When was this?"

"About an hour and fifteen minutes or so after the transformation."

"That would explain it."

"…You're seen this before?"

"God, yes. Sirius did it on purpose once with smoke squirrel hair – Christ, but wasn't that a trying two months…"

"Sirius?" Draco frowned. "As in Sirius Black? Convict…and my cousin?"

Lupin nodded. "Soon to be ex-convict, actually. The centaurs witnessed certain events, and enough of them are testifying that they must be taken into account. With Hermione and Ron's accounts – "

"But what about you and Potter? You were there, weren't you?"

Lupin smiled sadly. "Yes, I was, but seeing as Sirius was – is – one of my best...friends, they will not allow me trial."

"It's not just that, is it?" asked Draco, surprised at his own daring. Lupin gave a small smile.

"No, it's not. Prejudices are often involved in politics, no matter how hard we try to keep them out. And Harry cannot testify, seeing as he is not only Sirius's best friend's son but also Sirius's godson – "

"He's my cousin's godson?"

"That is correct. And, if I'm not mistaken, he is also related, in part, to two of the founders of this school. However, that is something to be discussed when he regains human form if he so chooses to tell you."

"…Potter? Related to two of the founders? Pfft. Not surprising. Should've seen it coming."

"Yes, he does have rather a knack for being abnormal," nodded Remus with a small smile on his face. "Now, if I could take him off your head…?"

"God yes." Remus chuckled at Draco's words but did not comment. He reached for the tiny kitten, who hesitated for a moment, trembling at the strange new werewolf scent. Then, tentatively, he stepped onto Remus's outstretched hands. Smiling, Remus picked Harry up and set him on his desk, where the tiny kitten began playing with the quills.

"So he's aware of his surroundings, who he is, and his past – but whether or not he can communicate shouldn't be obvious for another week or so. I'd say he couldn't judging from his state."

"Why's that?"

"Well, the fire cat's hair has some strange properties, one of which is to depress psychic or telepathic powers. So unless Harry was able to perform telepathy to at least some extent before his transformation, his chance of communication is practically non-existent."

"Always that little ray of sunshine, huh Moony?"

Remus jerked back and jumped up. "Padfoot!"

Malfoy looked back and saw a handsome, pale (if rather skinny), tall man with dark black shaggy hair that had the air of being recently cut. He wore some Muggle jeans and a t-shirt reading "Rolling Stones", whatever that was.

"I am so lost right now…" he muttered, staring at the stranger. There was something oddly familiar about him. A loud mew from the desk caught his attention and he turned. Catching sight of Prosper's predicament, he couldn't contain his laughter. The kitten had gotten one tiny, completely white paw stuck in the black ink jar. Prosper tried in vain to life the jar, but the glass and ink combined were too heavy and his strength failed.

The man in the doorway looked down at the tiny kitten and let loose a bark-like laugh. Draco frowned. He knew that laugh, had heard it maybe once before, when he was very, very young – not a snowball's chance in hell was this who he thought it was…!

"Sirius?" he choked out. The man squinted at him.

"I know you? You look kinda familiar, if I think about it…"

"Who are you kidding, Padders, who looks pretty near exactly like you 'cept for the coloring."

"Well, so he does. I thought I was the last Black…"

"I'm a Malfoy," put in Draco."

"So you're Cissy's kiddie! I saw you on your…first birthday, I believe?"

"That would explain why your laugh sounds familiar."

"Yeah. So…that your kitten?"

"Sirius, that's your godson."

"Ehehe, I'm sorry, I thought you just said that that was Harry."

"You remember Potions in fifth year when we were making that one with the mandragora roots and you made yourself a squirrel?"

"Aw, shit…but…he's…he's like the freaking EPITOME of ADORABLE-NESS!"

"Pads, that's not even a word."

"It is now," said Sirius stubbornly, tugging Prosper's paw out of the ink jar. The tiny cat mewed his thanks and rubbed up against Sirius's hand, purring contentedly. Sirius laughed again and picked up Prosper and put him back on Draco's head.

And the tiny tiger was showing no signs of getting off again anytime soon…

6

Draco sighed in annoyance as he felt Prosper stirring on his head from his hour-long nap. He turned to his newly-re-discovered cousin who was playing poker with Remus.

"Ha! I win!" Sirius crowed excitedly. Remus groaned.

"Siri, you KNOW that I suck at poker…"

"No duh, that's why I picked it…"

Draco gave a snort of laughter. On his head, Prosper mewed and leaped onto Sirius's lap. The last Black smiled and scratched Prosper behind the ears. The tiny cat mewed softly and purred. Draco felt a strange feeling in his chest. Surely not jealousy? It was POTTER, after all…

Oh yes, he was jealous. He felt almost like growling and snatching Prosper away from Sirius when the man laughed and tickled Prosper along the stomach.

"Siri, do you remember when you turned yourself into a squirrel?"

Sirius gave a bark-like laugh. "Christ, yeah."

"What happened?" asked Draco curiously.

Remus chuckled. "Well, he didn't waste any time once he was a squirrel – he knew what his mission was. He shot out – I mean, really, really fast – right at Snape…which, in all honesty, was not the smartest thing to do, seeing as Snape knew more Dark hexes than the teachers."

"Yeah, yeah, Dark hexes my foot. He turned my lime green!" cried Sirius in indignation.

"Yes, well, you were asking for it, Padders. You know you were. When you told us what you were going to do, I TOLD you that it wasn't the smartest idea, to attack Slughorn or Crabbe instead, but nooooo…it had to be Snape."

"Yeah, well, Harry pulled it off," Draco put in. Remus raised an eyebrow and Sirius punched the air with a fist.

"YEAH! How'd he do it? I demand details!" laughed Sirius excitedly. Remus shook his head at his friend's antics, but Draco knew that he was masking a grin – Draco did that as well.

"Well, it was a few minutes before I came to see you, Professor, and I had asked to go see him because he's my godfather and he could probably help me, and so –"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on a sec, SNIVILLUS is a GODFATHER?" demanded Sirius.

"Yeah, apparently. Anyway, he laughed at me and wasn't helping get Ha-POTTER here off my head, so I threatened him – it's sometimes so pathetically easy to blackmail Sev…you wouldn't believe… – and he tried to pull Prosper off my head, and…well, it wasn't too pretty."

Sirius cracked up with Remus, who broke out a smile at last.

"Oh, I know how easy Snape is to blackmail – I did it many times back when I was here. Speaking of, lunch is almost over and I'm HUNGRY. Therefore, we'll be going down to see everyone! Oh, Re, is Minnie still here?"

Remus laughed and nodded. Draco raised an eyebrow. "Minnie?"

"His nickname for Professor McGonagall."

"Yeah! I haven't seen ol' Minnie in…almost…hmm…fifteen years."

"Wouldn't it be nineteen, seeing as how you graduated nineteen years ago?"

"No, Re, I saw her…yeah, you remember the…the Halloween it happened?"

"No, Sirius, I'd forgotten. What night is that again?" said Remus sarcastically.

"Shut up. Anyways. You were sick that night and I have no idea where Pete was, so James and I got Lily to perform a De-Aging Charm…but it wore off after a while…and we went trick-or-treating and saw McGonagall dressed up in her school robes and hat and handing out candy to little Muggle kids."

Remus laughed. "The parents probably wondered at how authentic her costume was…"

Draco chuckled. The thought of his strict, uptight Transfiguration teacher handing out candy was almost too much.

"C'mon, Re, Draco," whined Sirius, "I'M HUNGRY!"

And without waiting for a reply he raced down the corridor. Draco heard a THUNK behind him and turned to see Professor Lupin laying face-down on the desk, his hair eagle-spread. "It's okay, Draco," he called in a rather muffled voice. "I just thought I'd give myself a headache now and save Sirius the trouble of doing it."

"Gaze, my children, into the shimmering depths of the crystal…and tell me…what your eyes see…"

Draco rolled his eyes. Prosper, on the desk, tilted his head adorably (GAH! NOT ADORABLY! MALFOYS DID NOT SAY ADORABLE! But you said ADORABLY, commented a voice in the back of his head. He told the voice to shut up.) to one side and blinked, staring at the crystal ball. He gave a small mew and smacked the ball with his paw, wanting to move it.

"Good luck," said Draco quietly. Prosper turned to him and swatted his nose one time and then once again for good riddance before going back to examining the crystal ball. He wrinkled his tiny black nose, twitched his whiskers, and head butted the ball. He stumbled back, blinked, and fell over. Looking confused, he stood again and, deciding that safety lay on Draco's head, clambered back up.

"Oh no you don't," Draco whispered. "I spent almost all of Charms getting ink out of my hair." He reached up and took the little animal in his hand and cuddled it close to him. Prosper yawned and stretched, giving a soft, quiet mew before drifting off.

"Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco jumped, carefully though. He didn't want to awaken Prosper. Wait, wait…since when had he gone out of his way to take care of Potter? He blew it off and tuned into Trelawney.

"What do you see in your crystal?"

Draco wrinkled his nose as Prosper had done a few minutes ago and squinted down at the sphere.

"Erm…I…I'm seeing something…I see…the Grim! Death shall visit here…and…and…take away many! Ooooh!" said Draco in what he hoped was a spooky voice.

It seemed to be so, judging by the way Trelawney paled. "My dear boy – you obviously have The Sight! The…The Grim, you say?"

Draco nodded, fighting hard to keep his face oracle-like.

"I…I fear that – "

The effect was disrupted by the bell, thank god. Draco immediately seized his bag, made sure he had a good hold on Prosper, and dashed out of the classroom.

"Wait! My dear! Would you like to continue reading on Saturday?"

"No!" he yelled back. "Thanks, though!" Not.

He leaped down the stairs until he got to the dungeons. Screw dinner, he thought. I want a bath.

He snatched up some robes and boxers and set off again, leaving his bag. (He always took his wand, though – EVERYWHERE.)

He reached the Prefects' Bathroom.

"Absolvo Atis," he said. The door unlocked and open and he slipped inside, locking it and casting a few wards (just to be on the safe side).

He set the now-awake Prosper down on the tiled floor and turned on the water. He added some bubbles – one was so thick that he decided that once he was in the water he would put Prosper on it and see if it held.

Finally, the tub filled, Draco stripped down and laid his clothes to the side. He felt something press gently on his shin and saw Prosper, looking up at him with big puppy-dog eyes. He smiled. "Fine," he said.

He picked up the kitten and slid into the tub, keeping Prosper above the water until he could test his theory. He let himself float over to one of the foam-like, seemingly dense group of bubbles. He took Prosper (after placing a hand underneath the bubbles just in case) and placed him on the blue bubbles. The kitten stayed aloft for a few moments before sinking. Draco pulled him up just before his head went completely under.

Draco pulled the kitten up just in time to see the wet nose, covered in blue bubbles, twitch before Prosper sneezed and tumbled out of his hands. He caught hold of him just after he went completely under and brought him back up, chuckling at the startled and befuddled expression on his face.

He lifted Prosper up to face-level and looked into the emerald eyes. Prosper mewed and licked Draco's nose gently. Draco blinked.

Lupin said he knew who he was and his past – but he just "kissed" me…in his own fashion, but still…

He shivered. "Listen, I…I'm confused…and…here…soap."

Prosper sneezed again and curled up around Draco's neck. Draco had just gotten over his shock when he felt a little warm tongue nip at his neck.

Damn. 

7 

Draco poked the mass of fluff standing on the edge of the tub. Said mass of fluff was previously known as Prosper/Potter/Harry, but as of five minutes ago it was newly christened 'Fluffy'. Hm. This would make good blackmail. If only he had a camera.

All that showed that the tiny, incredibly soft ball of fluff was Prosper at all were the two huge adorable emerald eyes which blinked out at Draco in confusion, as if to ask what the bloody hell the Slytherin had done with his body and tell him that he would prefer less fluff, thank-you-very-much.

All he had done was cast an Insta-Dry spell on the kitten…and voila!

Hehe. He's have to do this again sometime…maybe on Sev's hair…hmmm…now that was a good idea…

He filed it away as he picked up 'Fluffy'. "Hehehe…Fluffy…" he laughed quietly to himself. He heard Prosper give an angry-sounding growl from his hand which quickly turned to a purr as Draco scratched tenderly behind his left ear. The Fluff of Doom ™ leaped out of Draco's hand, scrabbled up his chest, leaped off his shoulder, and landed on his head, where he mewed contentedly.

Draco felt the cat going around and around in circles before settling down on his head to sleep. He rolled his silver-blue eyes and sighed at the tiny tiger's behavior. Figures. He wasn't getting rid of this kitty that easily.

He made his way down to the Slytherin common room, praying, praying, praying that…

"Drakey-poo!"

Sigh. Once again his prayers went unheard.

"Hello Pansy."

"Ooooh, look at the adorable little kitty! He's so cute and sweet and lovable, yes he is!" She reached up and tried to pet Prosper/Harry/Fluffy. The little furball went nuts.

It could be said that at this point Draco doubled up in laughter and waited for a good five minutes before scooping up The Fluff of Doom™ and heading up to his dorm – but as there were no witnesses save the victim, that cannot be proved for sure.

Ahem.

Moving on.

The next morning found Draco sitting grumpily in Professor Dumbledore's office with a considerably larger Prosper in his lap. He sniffed the coffee the Headmaster offered to him suspiciously before carefully taking a sip. He choked on it.

"Sweet Jesus!" he said with a strangled cry. "Have you never heard of creamer? Or milk and sugar, for that matter!"

"In fact, Mr. Malfoy, I have. However, it has served my purpose quite well –my purpose being, of course, to have you fully awake and attentive."

Draco glared at the headmaster. He muttered, "Awake? Maybe. Attentive? Pfft, yeah right."

"Now, Draco, you have experienced the first of a few changes in size. Harry, as stated before, will only be the size of a cub, which is perhaps a tad bigger than your average housecat. Now, instead of being able to fit in your hand, he is a little bit longer than both of your hands, correct?"

Draco nodded. Once again, the old man had dashing displayed his talent for pointing out the obvious.

"The next size change will have him as long as your forearm and up to just below your knees. That change will happen in two weeks or so, and will last for the remainder of the two-month period."

Draco suppressed a yawn of boredom with great difficulty. Yeah, yeah, big deal, so what?

"Now here is the big news."

Draco blinked.

"Since the recently acquitted Mr. Black is staying with us, he has taken it upon himself to give his godson company."

Draco groaned aloud.

"You know, that was my reaction too?" said a familiar voice. He turned and saw a tired-looking Remus sitting in an armchair facing the fire.

"You have him Remus?"

"He just fell asleep…Christ…Headmaster?"

"Yes?"

"Remind me to never, EVER, buy a puppy."

Dumbledore chuckled. Draco looked confused. A tiny, high bark sounded and Remus groaned. "No, no, no, you stupid dog! Sleep! PLEASE!"

A small puppy with silky shaggy black fur sat on the armrest of the chair. Its tiny pink tongue was hanging out and its tail was wagging furiously. It barked at Prosper joyously. The not-s-small kitten mewed out a reply and leaped the five foot gap with ease, landing gracefully on the arm of the chair. He nudged the puppy off onto the floor, where he soon joined it.

Draco, Remus, and Dumbledore watched, in various states of confusion, resignment, and amusement, for a few moments before Dumbledore saw fit to explain.

"Sirius, Draco, is an Animagus. His form is a rather large black dog that looks remarkably like the Grim."

Draco chuckled.

"Amusing, yes. Anyway, last night he snuck into the Potions lab, mixed a De-Aging Potion set for four weeks – the amount of time Prosper has left – and poured it into a bowl on the floor. He then transformed and drank his fill."

"…Joy to the world, the dog has come."

8 

Draco yawned as he reached for a biscuit at breakfast. Prosper was staring at his reflection in the bronze goblet, intent on catching it, apparently. His tail twitched and his eyes narrowed before he – POUNCED!

Draco rolled his eyes and sighed as Prosper splashed around in his pumpkin juice. "I thought you were supposed to REMEMBER who you were. Or are you just happy at the chance to act un-mature?"

Prosper shot him a look which clearly stated, 'What do you think?'

Draco was about to respon when suddenly they heard, "NO, YOU IDIOT DOG, GET BACK HERE!"

Draco raised a slender pale eyebrow as a tiny black puppy, barking joyously, dashed into the hall. It bounded onto a bench then onto the Slytherin table, where it made a beeline for Harry and Draco. It barked something and Prosper looked like he would laugh – or as close as a kitten could get to laugh.

Suddenly, the emerald eyes got very wide. With a huge leap, Prosper jumped onto Draco's head just as Sirius skidded in the butter and crashed into the crystal gallon of pumpkin juice, which consequentially spilled all over the table.

The poor little puppy just sat there for a minute, looking confused. Draco wondered for a split second whether the impact had knocked him out. However, the puppy was on his feet again and barking happily in a flash. It sampled some of the pumpkin juice and ate some bacon.

"Sirius…I will kill you," panted Remus, coming to a skidding halt beside Draco. He sat down on the bench, breathing heavily. "Right after I remember how to breathe."

Draco chuckled and looked back down the puppy, which was gently licking Remus's hand. Maybe it hadn't been unconscious, but it may have suffered brain-damage…

Remus groaned and sank down into the armchair by the fire in his quarters. He didn't know where Sirius-the-puppy was, and, at this point, he didn't really care. All he knew was that he was rid of the puppy – or that he was being quiet. Shit. It was too quiet.

Damn, it sounded like some Muggle horror movie.

Remus chuckled at this thought and decided to find the puppy, who was being to quiet for his (or anyone else's) own good. He cursed colorfully and inventively as he saw the door to the rest of the castle wide open.

Why!

Gah.

He hurried out of the door and to the Gryffindor portrait hole, where, luckily, he met up with Ron.

"Ron!" he panted. The redhead cast him a look. "Need…map…please…"

"O…kay…I'll be right back, then," said the youngest Weasley boy, entering the portrait hole. Remus leaned up against a wall and fought to catch his breath. He just had it back under control when Ron came back out.

"Here," he said, handing it to him. "What d'you need it for, Professor?"

"Sirius is missing."

Ron laughed. "Good luck," he called before going back to the common room.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Remus chanted mechanically. The map opened for him and a wave of painful memories hit him. He swept these aside and gazed down at the yellowed parchment. He searched for a dot labeled Sirius…

Oh…this was not good.

Sirius was in Snape's Potions supply cupboard.

Remus once again made use of his wide, colorful variety of curses.

"So…explain this to me one more time," said Draco.

"I used the Marauder's Map, made by me and a few friends, to track down puppy-Sirius.I saw him in Snape's store cupboard. Snape has a lesson going no right now and I need to get Sirius out without being seen. Poof goes my job if I am. So I'm asking you and Harry to create a distraction."

"You," Draco said, pointing at Remus, "are asking me and him," he continued, pointing at himself and Harry, "to directly sabotage my godfather's class?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"…Okay?"

"That's what I said. What, don't want me to do it anymore?"

"Well, aren't we the little turncoat…"

"Professor, I'm a Slytherin. We look after ourselves first. And I can feel Prosper threatening to sink his claws so deep into my skull he can slice and dice my brain if I don't agree, so…"

"Wait, you can hear him? Telepathically?"

"Not actual words. Just kinda…emotions, pictures."

"Ah. So instead of completely wiping it out, the potion wiped out word usage…which means that Harry would have studied some form of telepathy. I'll have to remember to ask him about that…"

"Um, hello? My cousin is stuck in a closet…and I need to interrupt Sev's lesson."

"Okay. You know what you're going to do?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Three…two…one…GO!"

Draco knocked on the classroom door as Remus threw Harry's stolen Invisibility Cloak over himself. Snape opened the door.

"…Yes?"

"Listen…Sev…I know that this might be a bad time, but…erm…I have a rather…embarrassing question and I need to ask someone I can trust, and…"

"Oh, flaming dragon balls…" Snape muttered, running a hand over his face. He turned back to the dungeon, now full of muttering students. Before he could say anything, Prosper leaped into the room and tipped over three cauldrons and dashed around and around. Snape stumbled after him in blind fury.

Draco, meanwhile, pulled a small sack holding about fifteen Galleons out of his pocket along with a few Filibuster Fireworks. He sidled up to a table where two smart, brass-looking first year Slytherins and a small, timid-looking, adorable Gryffindor sat. He showed it to them.

"I'll give you fifteen Galleons if you light these fireworks and chuck them into the cauldron on the far side of the room…"

The two Slytherins were petrified. The book-wormy, nerdy kinda looking girl with the big innocent face sighed impatiently, threw down her spoon, seized the fireworks, prodded them with her wand, and chucked them in a high, flawless arc across the room, where they landed perfectly on target in the aforementioned cauldron. She then smartly sat down, picked up her book, and began to simultaneously to read and stir her potion. Draco and the two stunned Slytherins blinked at her. She looked up at them and smirked before going back to her book.

BOOM went the cauldron, SPLOOSH went the potion, "EEK!" went the student, and the Potions Master tore his hair out.

9 

Remus groaned as he finally spotted Sirius on the top shelf of the cupboard. The tiny puppy was ramming his little black head against a glass bottle, apparently trying to push it over the edge to break it. He cursed himself for forgetting his wand outside and glanced back up at Sirius. Luckily, he wasn't succeeding…yet.

Remus sighed.

Never mind…

The stoppered glass beaker crashed to the ground and shattered. Luckily, at the same time a loud BOOM followed by a SPLOOSH and an "EEK!" came from the classroom, covering the noise. Remus winced as the stone dungeon floor dissolved because of the acid in the beaker. He glanced around for a ladder of some sort.

Nothing.

Sigh.

He hadn't done this since he was seventeen – it had been this store cupboard, too! He grabbed the third shelf and jumped, pulling himself up. He began climbing the wooden shelves which began to creak ominously.

"How the hell did you get up there, anyway?" he panted at Sirius, who tilted his head to once side endearingly, tongue hanging out. "Idiot mutt."

He swung himself onto the wide upper shelf, his feet sticking out over the edge. He tried to sit up and bit his tongue to stop himself from cursing as his head collided rather painfully with the hard stone ceiling. He growled as Sirius cheerfully barked and pranced to the other end of the shelf.

"God damn you dog…man, imagine if a dyslexic said that sentence…" he muttered to himself, shuffling along on his knees in the cramped space to reach the puppy.

Sirius barked cheerfully again and scampered over to Remus's outstretched hand. He snuggled up against Remus's chest and looked very contented and adorable.

"Looking cute won't get you out of trouble with me, Sirius Lee Black," he muttered, scooping up the puppy into one hand.

Now how to get back down…?

Wasn't that the million-dollar-question.

He hadn't done this since he was seventeen either, but it was that or stay here till Snape found him.

He jumped to the floor, landing safely. He silently thanked whoever was up there for his good reflexes and slipped on the invisibility cloak. He looked Sirius in the eye.

"Okay, dog, listen up. You've one rule to follow in that classroom, and that one rule has only two words." Remus held up two fingers. "Only two. Think you can handle that?"

Sirius nodded his little head.

"Shut. Up."

He looked at the lycanthrope as though to say, 'I hate you.'

"I love you too, Siri," he chuckled quietly, tucking the dog into his coat pocket. He gently opened the door and slid out. He bit back a laugh at the chaotic scene before him. If there was one thing Draco knew how to do, it was cause discord.

Draco appeared to be trying to comfort a red-in-the-face Snape, who held two large chunks of black, greasy hair in his hands. At one of the back tables, two large Slytherins were staring, apparently stunned, at a small, innocent Gryffindor girl with a book in her hand and glasses. One student's hair was sticking up and his face and torso were blacked by soot, apparently from an explosion. Purple goop dripped down him, along with the children surrounding him.

Remus shook his head and continued to the dungeon door, which was open. He took one glance back at an exclamation from Snape to find Prosper sitting on Snape's head, his head bent over as he stared directly into the Potion Master's black eyes. Remus chuckled and picked up his wand.

He made his way up to his rooms, keeping a firm hold on Sirius. He entered, closed the door and locked it firmly behind him. He then – and only then – put the puppy down. Sirius hit the door with his paw experimentally, barking in disapproval when it remained firmly shut. Remus rolled his eyes.

"Not a frozen snowball's chance in hell am I unlocking the door for you, Sirius. You're smart enough to know you pee in the shower."

The puppy sniffed in disapproval but "said" nothing. He trotted over to Remus's bed and jumped onto a chair, onto the nightstand, and into the king.

"No way. You and I are NOT sleeping in the same bed." Remus was firm about this.

Sirius yipped and dug a little tunnel under the comforter.

"Nu-uh."

The tiny puppy whined piteously as Remus reached his hand into the tunnel and dragged him out. He held him up to eyes level. Sirius barked and licked him nose. Remus sighed.

"All right, all right…fine…but only for tonight!" said Remus, knowing that it would be every night for the two weeks. Sirius barked happily.

Remus lay on his side, looking down at a sleeping Sirius. He cradled the tiny puppy in his two hands. He felt the little heart flutter against his finger.

Did Sirius…

No. Remus shook his head. His mind would not go down that path. Sirius was straight, whereas Remus…

The lycanthrope sighed and let his eyes close. He would worry about that in the morning…

Draco patted Sev on the shoulder, biting his lip to keep from bursting into laughter. He glanced up to look at the table inthe back where the two Slytherins were now bombarding the tiny girl with questions. He chuckled inwardly as she rolled her eyes, slammed her book shut, and moved to another table. He barely held in his laughter as the two Slytherins followed her and asked more. She slammed her book shut once more, threw it into her bag, said something to the two boys, and left the room just three minutes before the bell rang.

The two Slytherins left, followed by the rest of the class, the majority of which were covered in purple goop and soot.

"Whyyy?" moaned Snape. "Out of all of the teachers in this thrice-damned school, why do the gods have to hate ME!"

"...because you're an easy target?"

Snape looked up and glared at Draco. When the Potions Master looked forward again, he leaped backwards in shock. Prosper's large jade eyes stared at him as the kitten perched on his head. The kitten blinked, mewed, and whacked the Potions Master on the nose before leaping onto Draco's head once more. Draco heard his neck crack and winced.

"You're getting to big for this, Prosper," he muttered, taking the not-so-tiny kitten off his head. Prosper mewed in protest but did not get back on, instead content to snuggled up on Draco's lap. Draco absentmindedly scratched Prosper behind his left ear and the kitten closed his eyes and purred.

Snape glared at the cat, as though silently cursing it for daring to PURR in HIS presence.

"Well," said Draco, taking Prosper into his arms and standing, "nothing I can do here. Best of luck cleaning up the Sticking Solution...adieu, dear godfather!" he laughed, making his way out of the classroom at breakneck speed.

"GET BACK HERE DRACO CAMINUS MALFOY!"

Laughing, Draco continued his path to his dorm.

Draco lay on his back infront of the fireplace in the deserted common room. The plush green carpet beneath him was thickand comfortable. Prosper sat on his chest, playing with a feather. It swung back and forth in the air and the kitten - cat? - was busily swatting at it and constantly missing.

"How on earth you played Seeker and beat me I shall never know," Draco commented, watching him. Prosper flashed him a mental picture of the finger and Draco grinned. "Bad, bad kitty."

10 

Draco sneezed. He shivered and snuggled deeper into his blanket beside the fire in the Hospital Wing, glaring at a satisfied-looking Prosper.

"I want to kill you," he hissed at the cat. (Draco swore he grinned. He KNEW that cat GRINNED at him!)

He stuck out his tongue and crossed his eyes. Childish, yes – and yet it made him feel so much better. Shaking his head at his own stupidity, Draco barely registered when Prosper crept up beside him and snuggled close. He absent-mindedly scratched the cat, who purred contentedly.

He sneezed again and suppressed a curse. Damn that cat…

FLASHBACK

"Prosper? Pro-osper…where are you?" Draco called, looking around the Entrance Hall. No sign of the tiny kitten. The thunderstorm raged outside in full fury, lightning flashing and thunder crashing.

"Prosper? Where are you? C'mon, you stupid cat, it's almost dinnertime!"

He looked around the hall again before registering the crack in the doorway. Not large enough for a full-grown cat, but for a half-sized kitten…

Draco cursed creatively before opening the doors and dashing off into the raging winds and the icy rain.

"Prosper! PROSPER!" he screamed. He had been out here for half an hour now, with no sign of the kitten. He was frantic. Harry wouldn't be stupid enough to go to the Forbidden Forest, would he? Damn these grounds and damn that kitten!

"PROSPER!" he cried again, his voice cracking from the strain. He collapsed in the mud on the road. He tasted salt and bitterly noted that he was crying. "God dammit, Prosper, you idiot!"

He struggled to his feet, forcing his way forward through the gale. "COME HERE NOW! PROSPER!" he yelled. He froze. A mental image…?

Yes! There! Prosper was sending him an image – it was weak, but it was there! He stood perfectly still and waited…until…

Ha!

He set off at a run, the wind now pushing him forward, to find the tiny kitten.

He finally reached the spot. The kitten huddled in the mud beneath bushes stripped of their leaves by the storm. He shivered wildly, eyes wide and full of fear.

Draco tenderly picked him up and hugged him close, trying to share what little warmth he had with Harry. He knew that cats were more delicate than humans and more susceptible to certain illnesses – and he didn't want to be called "Murderer-of-the-Boy-Who-Lived-As-A-Cat".

He fought his way back through the storm, taking comfort in Prosper's closeness.

END FLASHBACK

Draco sneezed again. Idiotic cat.

He felt something soft and warm nuzzle his cheek gently. Prosper pressed his cheek against Draco's and tenderly licked the Slytherin's cheek. Draco fought down a blush and cuddled the kitten closer.

This was actually kinda nice…

Sneeze.

Nice moment gone. This sucked.

"Why isn't anyone asking about Harry?"

Remus looked up from his papers, glasses low on his nose. "What was that, Draco?"

The Slytherin boy settled into a chair across from the DADA professor. "Harry's been a kitten for five weeks now, and not one person has asked where he is."

"Ah, yes," said Remus, pulling off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "I believe Dumbledore told them he was going to visit a wizarding school in America and whatnot – something about 'Foreign affairs to do with the war' – that kind of crap."

"Ah." Draco idly toyed with Prosper's ears. "And Sirius?"

"Well, barely anyone knew that he was here in the first place. Those who did simple assumed he had left – excluding Dumbledore, you, me, Harry, and Snape, of course. You've gotten over your cold, then?"

"God, that woman gave me so much Pepper-Up potion I was likely to burst into flame at any given moment!"

Remus chuckled and replaced his glasses on his nose. "Yes, Poppy does tend to fuss a bit too much over her patients sometimes. Aren't the Christmas holidays nearing?"

Draco paused, then nodded. "I'm not going home this year," he decided then and there, voicing the thought aloud.

"Really? Why not?"

"You-Kn – Voldemort. I'm afraid he'll take advantage of Harry while he's in the state."

Prosper looked at Draco as if to say, 'Dude, he couldn't beat me, even as a kitten. He's that pathetic.'

Draco rolled his eyes. He was getting way too good at reading Potter's emotions.

"Draco?"

He looked up, startled. Remus chuckled. "I asked you a question. I said, do you know the exact date when Harry will change back?"

"Um…well, he changed on September 25…I guess he'll change back on…aw, man! He changes back on Christmas!"

Remus chuckled. "Yes, I thought so. Wasn't too sure, but still…"

"Aw, man. This ruins my holiday plans."

"…What exactly were your holiday plans?"

"Eat, sleep, and open presents."

Remus chuckled. "Yes, I can see how pissed off you are at him interrupting your oh-so-important schedule."

"Yes! Finally, someone who understands!"

11  

Remus groaned as something small and warm collided with his stomach.

"G'way…" he muttered, turning over to his other side. "Sleepin'."

The tiny warm thing made a small noise and rammed itself into the small of Remus's back. When this evoked no response from the sleepy lycanthrope, Sirius (a.k.a. tiny warm thing) clambered over Remus's side. He pranced up the bed to Remus's face, barked happily, and licked the werewolf on the nose.

Remus opened one amber eye and blinked blearily at the puppy. "Whayawan'?"

Sirius barked.

Remus groaned. "G'way…wanna sleep."

Sirius rolled his eyes. He bit down hard on the blankets covering the werewolf and began to pull them off, tugging insistently. He growled as the man pulled back, dragging him back forward the precious few inches the puppy had somehow managed to gain. He let go of the covers and crawled over to Remus's head.

He lay down, burying his face into the crook of Remus's neck. Remus looked down at him as best he could and found the puppy-Sirius fast asleep, tiny paws pressed gently against Remus's throat, head on Remus's neck. Remus chuckled and gently placed the puppy beside him on the pillow before closing his eyes and drifting off once more.

Draco yawned loudly and stretched. He climbed out of bed, wondering where Prosper was. He knew it had snowed last night – the dungeon was several degrees colder than was decent. Draco was glad everyone was gone for the Christmas holidays – he could be as loud and lazy as he wanted. He was the ONLY Slytherin staying, actually…hm.

Prosper apparently agreed with Draco's "loud and lazy" theory. The cat leaped out of whatever bed he had been hiding in and pranced around Draco, giving him a good-morning "kiss" on the cheek.

"Morning to you too, Prosper," Draco chuckled, scratching the kitten behind the left ear. He purred contentedly before clambering into Draco's lap. It was only then that Draco noticed the size change in the kitten – only two weeks until Potter was a person again.

Draco was momentarily stunned out of movement when he realized that he would MISS Prosper. Sure, the kitten was annoying sometimes, yet he was undeniably adorable and an endless source of amusement. But he had softened Draco up! But did Draco want to be the ice-bastard his father was? It was the Malfoy name! The Malfoy way! Well, what if Draco wanted to rebel?

It took him a few seconds to realize he was fighting with himself again.

Sighing, he shook his head. Shoving Prosper gently out of his lap (the kitten protested) he stood and stretched again before heading to the showers. He turned back in the doorway and looked at the cat sprawled on his bed. Prosper raised his head lazily and looked at Draco.

"Coming?" he asked.

Prosper flashed him a mental 'Yes' before standing, arching his back, and leaping halfway to the door before padding inside the bathroom. Draco rolled his eyes. "Show-off."

Prosper smirked.

That just wasn't RIGHT. Cats did not SMIRK at people. Cats COULDN'T smirk at people. They were CATS.

He sighed again, wondering just how stupid hanging around Potter was making him, and followed the tiger cat into the bathroom.

Prosper sat in the stall, watching Draco expectantly. The tail twitched back and forth, as if in anticipation of something. Wondering what the cat was watching him for, Draco stripped down. He stepped into the shower and turned it on. It was then he remembered that Potter knew just who he was.

"Ah, god dammit."

Remus yawned for the umpteenth time and poured himself another cup of coffee to have with his early-morning toast in the kitchens. Sirius sat on the counter beside the still-unopened newspaper, munching happily away on some bacon.

He heard the portrait-door swing open. He turned and waved at Draco as the Slytherin climbed through. Draco grinned and waved back. He came to sit on the stool next to Remus.

"Where's Harry?" asked Remus, glancing around.

"He's coming."

Sure enough, the tiger cat Boy Wonder leaped through the doorway not a minute later. Sirius barked a greeting, and Harry mewed back. He paused before the counter, weaving back and forth hesitantly, before leaping onto the counter with a single bound. He flashed a mental grin to Draco, who shook his head and ordered some sausages and orange juice for Harry from a house elf. To another, he instructed it to bring him coffee and some creamer with eggs sunny-side-up. The elf bowed so low that its long nose touched the floor before scurrying off into some obscure corner of the high-ceilinged room to prepare it. Just at that moment, a house-elf arrived with a plate of sausages and a goblet of orange juice.

"Mind if I use your saucer?" Draco asked, pointing to the curved dish beneath Remus's coffee cup.

"Not at all," said Remus, lifting his mug and allowing Draco to take the dish.

"Thanks."

Draco carefully poured some orange juice from the goblet into the shallow curved dish and pushed it towards Prosper, who sent him a Look.

"Yes, Prosper, you are to drink from a saucer."

After another Look, Prosper sauntered over to the goblet, stood on his hind legs, and drank deeply. He pulled up, stuck his small pink tongue out at Draco in triumph, and went back to his sausages. As soon as the cat's back was turned, Draco crossed his eyes, stuck out his tongue, and pulled his nose tip up with his thumb. Remus choked on his coffee.

"Hey, Kitty. Whatcha got?"

Prosper sent Draco a look which stated 'Call me Kitty one more time and your brain is gone' before dropping a note on the floor. Draco picked it up.

Draco –

You numbskull. You didn't even tell your father you wouldn't be going home! He yelled at ME! Said it was MY fault! God!

-Sev

Draco chuckled. He picked up a quill, dipped it into an inkpot, and scribbled on the reverse side of the note,

Sev –

If I'm a numbskull, then you're a twit/nitwit. Of course I didn't tell my father, he would have found some way to get me on that train. And it's your own fault. As my godfather, you have responsibility. Maybe that word has too many syllables and you can't wrap your tiny brain around it.

-Draco

He gave it to Prosper, who spat it out. He glared at Draco, who sighed. "Fine, make me use magic. Stupid cat."

Prosper playfully batted his leg with his paw before leaping onto the Slytherin's lap. After charming the note to return to Sev, Draco just sat on the couch before the fire in the Slytherin Common room, petting Prosper gently.

An hour later – though it seemed a good deal longer – Draco spoke.

"I'm hoping you're asleep right now. I think you are, but who can tell? Let me tell you something, cat. You may be an idiot, a twit, a complete lame brain, and a Gryffindork at that – but you know…you're not that bad. I mean, I've certainly had more fun since you've been around. I don't know about you, but I've actually been…dare I say it…enjoying myself. Gah.

"Anyway, I just…well, I guess I don't want you to be a human again. We've – well, I've – become so close…I don't want to let you go now." He cuddled Prosper a little bit closer as he continued. "You were so…different than the Boy-Who-Lived I knew and hated. You had a sense of humor, a bright streak, and a surprising bit of intelligence here and there. You were just…human, for once, strange as it sounds. I always saw that mask, and now…

"Geez, I'm getting…sentimental. Heaven forbid. See what you do to me, cat? This is all your fault," Draco teased. He buried his face in Prosper's fur. "I'm going to miss you," he whispered.

12 

Draco yawned and stretched. Wiggling his toes, he rolled over in his bed and found Prosper cuddling up to him. Smiling, he tickled the tiger cat under the chin, watching with amusement as the cat slowly woke up. After spending a good five minutes glaring at the Slytherin boy who DARED to wake the ALMIGHTY PROSPER, the kitten sat up. He gave a tiny little yawn, exposing his pink tongue and sharp white teeth, before laying down and cuddling up to Draco once more.

The moment of peace, sweetness, and adorable-ness was broken as the dorm door was thrown open. Draco found himself and Prosper being gathered into slim, pale arms, with gossamer strands of silky blond hair blowing in their faces.

"Oh, my baby, I couldn't spend Christmas without you, so I simply had to come here – your father was in absolute FITS when I told him, but I was firm – I couldn't spend a Christmas without my little baby boy…"

"Hi to you too, Mum," Draco managed to choke out.

Narcissa pulled away, positively beaming at her son. Prosper let out a discontented mew as Narcissa accidentally squeezed him. She gasped.

"Oh, sweetie, you didn't tell us you got a PET! And such a pretty kitty, yes he is," she said, gently scratching Prosper under the chin. He mewed, rubbed his head once or twice against Nacissa's arm, and leaped onto Draco's lap. He curled up there and watched Narcissa, his green eyes intent.

"So Dad didn't come?"

"No, no, he's having a busy time – visiting the Minister, working on his Occlumency – and that trip to France didn't exactly help."

"Oh, so Father's building up his skills again?"

"Well, he hasn't used them in quite a few years, and Voldemort trusts him – he can't have the Dark Lord figuring out he's a spy, now can he? Anyway…Draco?"

"Yes, Mum?"

"The cat…he looks positively shocked. Do you think he saw something?"

Draco looked down at Harry and bit back a laugh. The kitten was blinking, apparently still in shock as he slowly came to the realization that Draco's father wasn't the "all-around-bad-guy". He gently cuddled him, almost subconsciously, closer to him.

"I dunno. Maybe he's afraid of mice?"

Prosper twisted around to glare at him as Narcissa chuckled. "I don't know…anyway, he was so busy he was barely at home, and I didn't want to spend Christmas alone…so I came here!"

"Okay. Anyone else?"

Narcissa pursed her lips in annoyance. "Yes, that dreadful woman who I'm ashamed to call my sister – Andromeda – showed up with her daughter, Nymphadora. I can't believe she let the girl color her hair pink! Of all colors! And those earrings…" Narcissa shook her head. Draco noticed Prosper taking offense and quickly said,

"But maybe they're different now. I mean, you haven't spoken to her in what – twenty years?"

"Eighteen, Draco. And yes, I suppose she might have changed…but she's married to that Muggle…"

Draco shrugged. "She's your sister. Talk to her."

"Well…alright…see you at breakfast, honey…"

Narcissa gave Prosper a scratch, Draco one last hug, and she stood. She left the room, waving goodbye.

"Yeah…sorry about that…my mum doesn't know…"

Prosper rolled his eyes and flipped onto his back. Absentmindedly, Draco rubbed Prosper's belly, deep in thought.

Prosper brought him out of his reverie with a gentle lick on the base of Draco's neck. Draco blinked once or twice before smiling down at the cat.

"Shower time?"

'Yes' flashed in Draco's mind as Prosper stood up, arched his back, and leaped to the door. He jumped up again and batted the door handle, ramming the door open with his body. Draco shook his head.

"You could just wait for me, but nooo…you're too good for that, aren't you?"

Prosper flashed him the word 'Damn' and a sign with a right arrow on it before turning and trotting into the shower stall to wait for the other.

Remus heard a knocking on his study door. "Come in!" he called, turning an essay over. He really needed to get these finished before the holidays were over…

"Remus, you are no fun at all."

Remus looked up, glasses sliding to the tip of his nose. He smiled widely and leapt up, striding around the desk to give a big hug to Andromeda and Tonks.

"Hey, you two! I didn't know you'd be here! Why the surprise?"

Andromeda grimaced. "Well, you see, Ted and I had something of a…disagreement."

Tonks snorted. "Yeah…disagreement. Call it that all you like, Mum, but that was a full-out fist fight, complete with pokers from the fireplace." She turned to Remus. "Okay, there are two versions to this story: long or short. Pick."

"Long. More details. Oh, you'd better sit."

Andromeda, Tonks, and Remus all took seats around the fireplace. Just as Andromeda opened her mouth, light, playful barks came from Remus's bedroom.

"Oh, a puppy!" cried Tonks. "And you're keeping it locked up in your room?"

"It's punishment," Remus grinned, amber eyes sparkling. "He dragged a plate of greasy sausages into my bed this morning – for the third time."

"Hmmm. When did you get this puppy, Re?" asked Andromeda, chuckling.

"Well, you see…Sirius did it again."

Andromeda laughed. "Figures. Only puppy instead of squirrel. But why?"

"Harry accidentally turned himself into a kitten for two months."

This time both Tonks and Andromeda burst out laughing.

"That's rich!" cried Andromeda, wiping tears from her eyes. "Who's the caretaker, then?"

"Draco Malfoy."

Tonks blinked. "No, seriously, who's the caretaker?"

"No, seriously, it's Draco Malfoy."

"But…but…but…WHY?"

"I have…no clue. Anyway, moving on, what was this about a fist-fight with pokers?"

"Oh, it was NOT that bad…"

"NOT THAT BAD! YOU THREW A BLOODY HOT COAL AT HIM, MUM!"

Andromeda chuckled to herself as she thought of the puppy Sirius. She took a deep breath and winced – she had forgotten about where Ted had hit her with the poker last night. Stupid Muggle, hitting her with a poker than kicking her and her daughter out.

After the ache settled down once more, she continued her journey to the Slytherin common room to visit Harry and…her nephew. Strange that she had never seen the boy since his first birthday party…she wondered what he looked like.

She rounded the corner and felt her mouth drop open. Remus hadn't exaggerated: the boy was a carbon-copy of a teenage Sirius, although his paler skin, fair hair, and silver eyes added something that Sirius had not had.

"Erm…who are you?" he asked, looking at her. Andromeda heard a loud mew. Looking down, she saw a black and white striped cat on the floor beside Draco, tail twitching. She smiled.

"Looks like Harry's done a right job on himself, hasn't he?" She smiled and held out her hand to Draco. "I'm your Aunt Andromeda – but please don't call me Aunt, it makes me feel old."

Draco smiled. "Alright."

"Oh, you've not met Tonks, have you?"

Draco blinked confusedly.

"Well, her birth name is Nymphadora, but she hates it."

"Oooh…."

"Yeah. Well, she'll be in to breakfast in a bit…I s'pose you'll see her there. Well, it was nice to meet you, Draco – oh, Harry, Tonks says wotcher."

Harry mewed contentedly, rubbed Andromeda's legs with his head, and pranced back to Draco looking happy. Draco smiled down at him, scooped him up, and hugged him close to his chest.

Andromeda, unnoticed now, smiled softly at the sudden display of affection between the two. She slipped away to the great hall, a plan forming in her devious mind…

Draco idly toyed with Prosper's ears. "I suppose we should be getting to lunch?"

Prosper mewed. As if in response, both of their stomachs rumbled at the same time. Chuckling, Draco scooped up Prosper and stood up off the couch. He headed towards the Great Hall, the cat in his arms batting away at a feather from a couch pillow.

He grinned at the antics. "Once again, I have to ask: How did YOU ever beat ME!"

Prosper gave Draco the Death Glare of Doom™ before leaping out of his arms and dashing the next ten feet to the table set up by Dumbledore in the Great Hall.

Draco glanced at the table's occupants. Dumbledore and Flitwick were deep in conversation. McGonagall was watching Trelawney with distaste, as the batty Divination teacher sipped her tea, her bug-eyes closed for the moment. Remus was talking with a young, happy-looking woman with pale skin and bright pink hair, Sirius adding a bark now and then. And there, at the very end of the table, sat his newly-met Aunt Andromeda, talking quietly with his mother.

Prosper sat in the seat next to them, head cocked ever so slightly in their direction. Draco picked him up gently and sat. He went unnoticed by the two women, who continued their discussion.

"…and then he kicked us out," finished Andromeda.

"Oh, Andii, I had no idea – he hit you? With things?"

Andromeda nodded miserably.

"I am so sorry…why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I didn't want to split up the family because of Nymphadora…but when she told me she knew that he was hurting me, I stood up to him when he tried…she was there too…he hit me with the poker. I panicked and threw the coals at him, and he kicked us out. Oh, Cissy, I just don't know what I'm going to do!" Andromeda looked to be on the verge of a breakdown.

Draco hid a smile as his mother and his aunt hugged. He looked down at Prosper, who seemed to be smiling with his eyes at the two women. If such a thing were possible.

Narcissa suddenly took notice of her son. She whirled around to face him. "Why didn't you tell me your cat was Harry Potter?" she hissed.

Draco paused and cracked up. Narcissa blinked.

"Think…think over that sentence…one more time…" he panted between fits of laughter. Narcissa smiled.

"Okay, okay…but why didn't you tell me?"

Draco calmed down. "I don't know…I just…whatever."

"You never were very good with words."

Draco stuck his tongue out and instantly regretted it as his mother whacked him between the eyes with a spoon.

13 

Draco felt Prosper burrow deeper into the blankets surrounding Draco and him in the Slytherin's bed on the morning of December 24. Draco smiled and tugged back the covers. The cat hissed at the lack of warmth, stretched, and lazily clambered into Draco's lap, where it curled up into a tiny ball.

"So…" said Draco softly, almost to himself, as he petted Prosper's fur softly, "this is the last day we'll have together like this, huh?"

Prosper was strangely still and silent, and Draco couldn't help but wonder whether the cat was relieved or sad to leave him. But he shouldn't be worrying about others' feelings – lord only knew his were giving him enough trouble!

He was confused. He was upset that the kitten would be a human again soon, but he shouldn't of even been attached to it in the first place. He was wondering if Harry perhaps liked him, even just as a friend. And he was wondering when the hell he had grown so fond of the Gryffindor.

Fond of Gryffindor's Golden Boy. What a shocking revelation.

So shocking, in fact, that he had spent a whole day mulling over it before finally accepting the HORRIBLE, TERRIBLE truth.

He fancied Potter.

He seemed to recall himself moaning and repeatedly banging his head against a nearby wall. He also remembered said wall being stone, and thus being quite hard. As hard as Draco's head was, it was no match for that wall just yet.

Sighing at the thought of the toll of dead brain cells now littered his head, Draco threw aside the blankets and stood, gathering Prosper gently in his arms. He subconsciously cuddled the kitten closer and Prosper began to purr softly as Draco carried him downstairs to lounge by the fire.

Narcissa blinked her turquoise eyes at her sister, who was grinning deviously.

"You think Draco…my son…is in love…with Harry Potter?"

Andromeda nodded.

"…" Narcissa blinked. "Are you sure?"

"Cissa, I said 'I think', not 'I know'. If I knew I wouldn't be asking for your help. I just thought that you would know the way your own son swings, so – "

"I do know! He's bi, if you must know." Narcissa resisted, with great difficulty, the urge to imitate Draco from lunch yesterday and stick out her tongue. Andromeda's grin grew larger and Narcissa began having a fear for her son.

"What are you planning, Andii?"

"Well…apparently neither boy is too sure about it. But I know from Tonks who got it from Remus who got it from Sirius who got it from Harry himself that he's gay. So, if Draco is bi, and they like each other, than we need to get them together!"

Narcissa raised an elegant eyebrow. "…Need?"

Andromeda sighed. "If you have to know, I'm terribly bored and playing matchmaker is a strange hobby of mine. Now leave me and my now un-boredom-ness in peace to plot if you're not going to help."

"Very well," sighed Narcissa, "it is my son you're plotting to do evil to, so I may as well help."

"'Atta girl!" cheered Andromeda, laughing as she and her sister began plotting Operation: Lovebirds.

Remus sighed exasperatedly, but smiled lovingly down at the tiny black puppy nestled in his arms. Sirius' pink tongue hung out, his head cocked to one side, his ears flopping this way and that.

"Don't play innocent with me, Black," chuckled Remus, ruffling the dog's head. "I had a whole entire hamburger on that table when I went to the bathroom and now you're sitting in front of me with sesame seeds in your fur."

Sirius barked happily and licked Remus's nose before squirming out of Remus' grasp to go play with the extra tinsel from the decoration of the castle. Remus smiled at him.

He had grown up with only his friends for stability, his family all avoiding him for what he was. Sirius had been the one to find out, been the one to suggest Animagi, the one who had gotten it first through sheer willpower. All for Remus. And he loved him.

But as more than a friend.

But what about Sirius? He was a line, while Remus was a circle: straight and …not so straight. Sirius was always the ladies' man, even now.

So Remus, with his premature grayness, laugh lines around his eyes, wearing glasses, and very skinny, had absolutely no chance with Sirius. He had no chance with any gay guy, even. So it was completely out of the question that Sirius would return the feelings.

Remus sighed as he saw Sirius sitting there, confused, tinsel wrapped tightly around him. Remus wove it off gently before turning back to his essays.

Draco sat on the window seat in the middle of the third floor corridor, staring out into the snow-cloud darkened sky. Little white flakes were already coming down lightly upon the already-snow laden grounds. Prosper mewed and pawed at the window, shying away as his paw came into contact with the freezing glass.

He leaped onto Draco's lap, gently playing with the ties on his jacket. Grinning, Draco dangled them over the cat's head, while the feline playfully pawed at them.

"Talentless," teased Draco lightly, scratching Prosper behind the left ear. It was becoming an odd habit of his.

The cat loved it, though, and purred loudly and satisfactorily, ignoring the playful jab at his Quidditch skills. Draco laughed as the cat yawned and stretched up to play with Draco's white-blond bangs.

He stared thoughtfully at the cat.

Will he even remember this afterward? Will he consider us friends? Or will we be back in our roles? Can we ever be something more than friends?

I want to be something more.

Does he?

A gentle nip on his ear brought him back to the real world. He grinned at the cat. "Hungry?"

Prosper nodded and leapt down to the floor and headed towards the Great Hall, Draco close behind.

"Okay. So, Cissa, you know what you have to do?"

Narcissa nodded. It was her job to get Draco and Prosper to fall asleep in the same relatively close space and stay that way until Prosper/Harry transformed back.

"And I'm going to make sure they do SOMETHING. Talking is good, it's progress…blushing is VERY good."

Narcissa rolled her eyes. Her sister was an idiot. But a loveable idiot.

Remus sighed as Sirius splashed around in what had once been Remus's pumpkin juice. Now it was an orange doggie puddle to play in. Sigh. He had wanted that juice too.

"Remus?"

"Oh, hey Tonks."

"…That's Sirius, huh?"

"Uh-huh."

"…You're in love with him."

"W-what? No, of course not."

"You're a crappy liar, Remus."

"Damn."

"So you DO fancy him!"

"Yes, NYMPHADORA, I do."

"Don't call me that, Remus John Lupin."

"Whatever."

"You did not just stick your tongue out at me."

"I believe, dear NYMPHADORA, that I did."

"GARGH!"

Remus squeaked in shock as Tonks tackled him, shooting curses left and right. "Take it easy!"

"NEVAAAA!"

Remus decided that next time he insulted Tonks, she would be well away from her wand.

Draco yawned as he sat next to his mother on the sofa in front of the Slytherin common room fire.

"Tired?" she asked. He nodded in mid-yawn.

"Why don't you sleep down here on the sofa?" she suggested quietly.

"Okay. Night, Mum."

"Night, hon."

She laid a quick kiss on his table, transferred Prosper so that the cat's back was against the sofa, his feet against Draco's chest, and walked away to report to Andromeda.

DECEMBER 25, 7:00 A.M.

Draco yawned. He looked down to see silky, if messy, black hair. Smiling gently, he ran a hand through it and closed his eyes.

Then it registered. Hair, not fur. Hair, not fur. Oh crap.

His eyes snapped open and he would have fallen off the couch, had Harry's arm not been looped around his waist. The Gryffindor boy, slightly smaller than Draco, snuggled up closer to him. Draco blushed and tried to get away again.

Harry's big emerald eyes fluttered open and stared straight into Draco's silver one. The Slytherin Prince froze.

"Draco?"

14 

"Draco?"

Draco felt something catch in his throat as bright emerald-green eyes stared up at him. Breathe, Draco, breathe, he coached himself silently. C'mon, you've been doing it all your life, it's not that hard…

"H-hey," he stammered. Since when do I stammer?

"Hey. Um…look…I don't know what happened, and I'm really confused, but maybe you could get off of me now…"

Draco felt something snag his heart, but he pushed it away. "Whatever," he said, lifting himself off of the couch. He moved over to a chair beside the sofa and surveyed the emerald-eyed boy as he slowly sat up. He wore a loose pair of black pants and …and no shirt. Oh my…

Draco shook those thoughts from his head. They wouldn't do him any good, now would they?

"Um…" said Harry, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "You wouldn't happen to know where my glasses are, would you?"

"Yeah. Se- Snape gave me your robes and things from the…incident. They're up in my trunk, I'll go get them…"

He left the room hurriedly, worrying about Harry's reaction, completely oblivious to the joyous, longing stare from a pair of certain emerald eyes.

Remus stirred slightly, cuddling up against the soft yet firm warm thing along side him. The thing chuckled, vibrating gently.

"Rather comfortable, aren't we?" said a vaguely familiar voice warmly.

"Mmm…"

"I keep forgetting that you're not the most articulate morning person."

"Mm."

Another chuckle. "I can't say that I mind waking up like this, actually. I haven't seen you this relaxed in a long time, Re."

"Mm."

"Ever think about expanding your vocabulary?"

"No."

"It speaks!" teased the familiar voice.

Remus stuck out his tongue, meeting with the warm thing. It shivered. "Okay, no more teasing. Really…look at me, Re."

Remus looked up and comprehension (and a growing sense of horror) overtook the morning daze.

He leapt out of the bed, stumbling over nothing, turning rapidly to face Sirius. "U-um, Siri, I didn't know…sorry, I…um…you…"

Sirius chuckled, sitting up, blankets pooling around his waist, revealing the waistband of a black pair of pants. His tanned, toned chest, fleshed out since Azkaban, shone in a patch of golden sunlight.

"Stumbling out of bed and over words. What is it with you in the mornings?"

He stood and stepped towards a positively terrified Remus.

"What's wrong, Rem? What are you afraid of?"

"Of what I want," whispered the horrified Remus before grabbing a robe a fleeing the scene.

Harry took the round glasses offered to him by Draco with a nod of thanks. He gave a sigh of relief as everything came into focus as the lenses slid over his eyes.

"Now," he said, turning to Draco, "I…um…have something to say."

Draco held up a hand. "So do I, I finally got the guts to say it, interrupt me and I'll sic Pansy on you."

He had a certain satisfaction in seeing Harry pale.

"Look. I didn't mean for what happened to happen, but it did. And what happened was me falling in love with you. Well," he went on, going faster, "I think it's love, but I don't really know, y'know? I mean, there's love, and then there's infatuation, and then there's just like, or a crush, but I don't know. I mean, we're what, sixteen? How are we supposed to know who we love? But," he said, taking a deep breath, "I think I do. Love you, I mean."

There was silence in the room for a moment, Draco staring resolutely at the stone floor as though it was the most interesting thing in the world, and Harry staring at Draco with softened eyes.

There was a soft noise of feet on tile and a pair of tanned feet came into Draco's vision. He glanced up and his eyes snapped onto Harry's and refused to let go.

"I'm confused too, you idiot. Hell, I was a cat. But…I've felt strongly about this…for a very long time. And maybe it wasn't fair, because I knew a little telepathy, that after the initial kitten-mother bonding, I used some mind-games to strengthen it into something more…but I couldn't have done it if you hadn't wanted it somehow. I know that much.

"I've liked you for a long time. A really, really, long time. But I was afraid, too afraid to stick myself out and get shot down. Plus my entire house is a nest of homophobes, save a few. But this was like a blessing to me, and I had to use it, because others wouldn't hold me responsible for my actions. So…basically, Draco…I think I do, too. Love you, I mean," he teased lightly, his hand on Draco's shoulder.

They didn't...talk...much after that.

Sirius trotted up yet another winding set of stairs. He hadn't been able to find (or Summon, for that matter) the Marauder's Map, so he was forced to search the old-fashioned way.

He literally searched from top to bottom, starting with the dungeons. No room was overlooked (though he did recall smirking at a certain scene involving a certain Slytherin and a certain Gryffindor in a certain common room). Next was the main floor. Not in the Great Hall, or the Entrance Hall, or the broom closets. Nothing on the third through eighteenth floor.

His feet hurt.

Finally, he had narrowed it down: the Forbidden Forest, or the Astronomy Tower.

Remus's favorite spot in the entire castle.

In retrospect, it seemed really stupid not to have checked there first.

And so he clambered up the steep twisting staircase, ending in a solid oaken door which he swung open silently.

The sun was now almost completely over the treetops of the Forbidden forest, long dark shadows streaming across the green grass of the grounds. The lake glimmered a strange mixture of green, blue, and silver, with a dark shape in it which Sirius was fairly sure was the Giant Squid.

Clouds were tinged pink, red, and a strange indigo, the morning sky a clear cerulean. It shone down brightly upon the lone figure sitting on the outer edge of the wall as he had when Sirius had first seen him here when they were both only thirteen.

He was barely touched by time in that moment, Sirius thought. Yes, a little taller, yes, a little more silver glimmering in caramel-colored hair, but what did that matter?

He surveyed him silently for a moment.

His profile was tall and straight, proud and strong. Sirius smiled. His skin appeared to glow in the sunlight, his hair radiant, wind-ruffled. He felt something catch in his throat as he went and stood beside him.

"I'm afraid you're going to fall, y'know," he said quietly, echoing the ghost of his thirteen-year-old self.

"I know," replied Remus, thirteen for yet another moment.

"Will you get down?"

"No."

Funny how history always repeated itself. Funny.

Sirius sighed then, as he always had. "For me?"

And Remus veered from the past echoes. "Not this time, Siri. Not this time."

"Re…Moony…Rem…Remus!" Sirius snapped finally. "Look at me!"

He bit his lip as Remus turned his face.

He had been crying at thirteen, too.

He touched the stream of silver liquid gently. "Rem, why'd you run?"

Remus swatted away his hand impatiently. "Because I'm doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Wanting something I can't have!" he snapped. "And I can never have it because it's so damn unattainable! Especially to me. Because we're friends, and because I'm so different, and because of what I am, and because of my looks…my god, I'm hopeless! And I've wanted it for so long, but there were too many complications, and I'm just tired of dancing around the issue! Sirius, 'it' is you!"

Sirius felt something freeze.

"It's always been you Sirius, and I have no hope, because I'm aging and a monster and you're horribly, painfully straight, alright? Are you satisfied now?"

Sirius took his hand and looked straight into honeysuckle eyes.

"Whoever said I was straight?

15 

"Harry...Ha-ary-y..."

"Mrnrmphl."

"...I'm sorry, I don't speak Troll."

Reproachful green eyes glared teasingly up at one Draco Malfoy, the lower half of his lover's face buried in the silver silk of the Slytherin boy's pillow.

"And don't give me that look," the blonde sighed, allowing one of the emerald-eyed boy's arms to drag him back down onto his mattress. He felt Harry snuggle close up to his body, as though he longed to absorb the body heat which Draco was giving off. He sighed.

"Harry...it's the last day of school, love...we're going to miss breakfast..."

"I know some house elves, we'll be fine."

"So you do have some level of intelligence in the a.m. hours," teased Draco lightly, poking Harry in the head.

"Define this intelligence of which you speak," Harry retorted, forcing himself to sit up, the silken sheets pooling in his lap. Draco draped his arms around him and pulled his Gryffindor lover back against his chest. He gently bit the lobe of Harry's ear, causing the Boy Who Lived to smile slightly. "You don't seem so worried about missing breakfast."

"Well, I have a toy now. Food can wait."

"Brat," Harry smiled, poking his lover in the side.

"You love me that way."

"True as that may be," sighed Harry, pulling himself out of Draco's arms, however reluctantly, "We really do need to get going. Sirius and Remus will be worried."

"Oh please," Draco said, rolling his eyes. "They're so wrapped up in each other that they wouldn't notice if You-Know-Who himself was sitting at the table, much less that you're not there."

"Hey," said Harry, good-naturedly tossing a dirty shirt at Draco's head, "They are my family. Be nice."

"Yeah, yeah," Draco sighed, twirling the shirt's material between his fingers. "In-laws are so pesky."

The library was quiet, nearly completely deserted. Golden shafts of light fell from the windows, dust swirling about in the bright beams. The silence was warm and comforting, not awkward and heavy as silence usually was. Remus sighed, closing his book gently, his thoughts inadvertantly running to his black-haired lover.

Lover.

Remus still loved the taste of that once-forbidden word upon his tongue, and he rolled it around a few more times, losing himself briefly in the joy that came from having someone to call his own.

"Hey there," whispered a gentle voice as strong, soft arms encircled his waist. He was gently lifted and then reseated upon something softer than the chair. He sighed and leaned contentedly against the strong chest.

"Hey, Padders," he sighed, curling Sirius's hair around his fingers. He felt, rather than heard, his friend chuckle.

"You remind me of a little kid sometimes," he said.

"Thirty going on three," Remus said lightly, a smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

"But of course."

They lapsed into silence for a few moments, content simply to be in the others presence. Finally, Sirius leaned forward and claimed Remus's mouth with his own. "Love you," he said as they pulled tenderly apart.

"I...I love you too," Remus sighed, letting himself drift into a light slumber as he rested on Sirius's lap.

The Hogwarts Express slowed to a stop at Platform 9 and 3/4, and Harry nearly groaned aloud. Draco sensed his lover's distress and smiled tenderly at him.

"I know you don't want to go back home, love."

"I've never wanted to less," conceded Harry, sighing as he clambered onto Draco's lap.

"...Look. I swear to you that I will get you out of there before the summer is over. Does that make you feel any better?" Draco asked, taking Harry's chin into his hands and turning his lover's face to face his own. Green eyes met blue and Harry nodded.

"Yeah..." he sighed. Draco smiled slightly, leaning forward so that his lips brushed gently over Harry's.

"You won't forget me?" Harry asked, filled with doubt as he and Draco finally stood beside the barrier.

"I never could," Draco responded, crushing his mouth to Harry's.

"Oi!" shouted the worker at the barrier. "Break it up, lovebirds, Mr. Potter's up next."

"Bye, love," Draco whispered. "I'll come for you, I swear it."

Harry walked through the barrier, more confident then even before. He had a feeling that this would be one of the best summers of his lifetime.

16