Payback is a Witch

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 24 ~ Settling In

Hermione and Bagheera apparated to her home. The panther scrutinized the small neat yard, picket fence and flowers.

"It is small, but nice, " he commented to Hermione.

"I like it," Hermione said to him, then paused her eyes becoming troubled. "I used to feel safe here…"

"You will again. You have me now, witch, " Bagheera replied, bumping his head against Hermione's leg affectionately,
"and you don't have to answer me out loud. You can think your response. I will hear you as clearly as if you have spoken to me. "

"Like this? " Hermione thought.

"Yes, like that, " the panther said, purring. "Now I am anxious to explore my new home. "

Hermione walked up to the front door and opened it, letting Bagheera enter first then following. She bent and removed the leash from his collar. The panther sniffed about.

"No man, " he said, his golden eyes looking up at Hermione.

She shook her head.

"No. No man, " she replied.

Bagheera walked into the living room. "But there were men here. And fear…and anger. Lust too, " the panther remarked, his lip curling a bit.

"The robbers, the wizard who rescued me and Aurors, " Hermione answered.

Bagheera circled the living room, sniffing everything. He stopped by the hole in the floor behind the armchair.

"What is this?" he asked her. Hermione walked over.

"The hole the robbers used to get past my wards. I need to fix that," she said, pulling out her wand. She pointed it at the hole.

"Reparo," the witch said, and the hole repaired itself, the round piece of flooring rising from the lab and filling the space, then the seams disappearing. The floor looked good as new.

Bagheera padded down the hallway and turned into Hermione's bedroom. He leaped into her bed and sniffed about. The cat looked at the witch, who was standing in the doorway.

"I thought you said you have no man?" the beast said, his eyes narrowing.

Hermione flushed. The panther must smell Severus. She had washed all her bedding several times, but the panther's nose must be sensitive.

"Well, I have…er…been with a man…but he isn't my man," she said awkwardly.

"But I smell him in the living room too, " the cat said, lying down on her bed now. "A fresher scent than this one. And I smell you now. You desire him. "

Hermione scowled at the cat.

"I do not! " she seethed at Bagheera, who stretched his mouth in a wide cat smile for a moment.

"You have a man, " he said firmly, leaping off the bed and walking past her to examine the guest room.

Hermione frowned after the familiar. What did he know? Just because he smelled Severus didn't mean anything. She walked into the hall as Bagheera came back.

"I will need a door to go in and out, " the panther said to her.

Hermione looked a bit apprehensive about this. Bagheera couldn't prowl around the neighborhood. He'd scare her neighbors to death.

"Do you have any idea how big and smelly a litter box for a cat my size would be witch? " the panther asked her. "You'd have to change it daily. Maybe twice daily. "

Hermione looked at him.

"I'll make a door, " she said.

She could make a door attuned to the panther's signature. Nothing else could pass in or out of it.

Bagheera nodded and rubbed his long body against her leg in appreciation.

Hermione smiled at the cat.

"Are you hungry? " she asked him.

"Yes. I would like some meat, if you please, " Bagheera replied.

"Come with me, " Hermione said.

Bagheera followed her to the kitchen. Hermione reached into her robes pocket and pulled out some items she had received at the pound. One was a free introductory coupon for sixteen pounds of meat from the "Barrelston Butcher Shop: Specializing in Providing Foodstuffs for your Favorite Familiar." The other was a small panther-shaped statue. She simply had to invoke it and meat would be delivered directly to her cooler any time of the day or night and charged to her account. She had set up this delivery system at the pound. Bagheera ate about ten pounds of meat per day.

Hermione placed the little panther on top of the coupon.

"Delivery please," she said, and the panther flashed blue…the coupon disappearing.

After several moments, her cooler flashed blue. She looked at Bagheera.

"I believe din-din's here, " she said to the panther, who licked his lips expectantly as Hermione walked over to the cooler. 

She opened it and found two large brown packages wrapped with twine. She took one out and brought it over to the counter. Then she walked over to the cabinet above the sink and took out her largest platter. She sat this on the counter, pointed her wand at it and said, "Engorgio." It grew larger. She opened the package and looked at a large chunk of very bloody meat. Gingerly she dumped it on the platter. It landed with a squishy plop. The witch picked up the platter and set it on the floor. Bagheera immediately lit into his, his huge sabers tearing it easily.

"Ummm, so good, " the cat thought at the witch as he ate, "Much better than that ghastly panther chow they forced me to eat at the pound."

"Panther chow? " Hermione thought back at him.

"Yes. Ghastly little meat-flavored pellets that supposedly contained all the nutrition a cat like me needs. It was disgusting. This is much better. Thank you," Bagheera replied.

"You're welcome, " Hermione replied. "I'm going to take off my work robes. "

The cat nodded and Hermione left him in the kitchen.

As she walked down the hallway, Hermione realized she really did feel safer with the panther here. And since he was so intelligent, she would have someone to talk to. But he seemed quite opinionated. Imagine, saying she had a man. A wizard.

She walked into her room and began undressing. She was down to her bra and knickers when she got a strange feeling. She looked in the doorway and Bagheera was sitting there, his tail lashing and eyes narrowed, watching her.

"You are very beautiful, " the cat said, walking in and rubbing slowly against her thigh with his soft fur, purring.

Hermione looked down at the cat.

"Are you sure you're a panther, Bagheera? Appreciating the female human body isn't very cat-like, " she said to him as he leaped up on the bed and crossed his front paws.

"I assure you I am a panther…now, " the cat replied. "Though once I was a shapeshifter. "

Hermione stared at him.

"You…you were a man? " she asked him, suddenly feeling the urge to cover up.

"No, I was a shapeshifter. I had a human and animal form. Not quite a man but not quite a beast either. I was cursed and my human form taken from me by a powerful Brahmin whose daughter I seduced. I visited her in panther form one night and changed into a man. I did not have the sabers then but looked like a true panther. I was quite handsome as well as persuasive and she could not resist me. But I should not have touched her…still…she was so beautiful. I had to have her. Her name was Selene."

A faraway look came to the panther's eyes for a moment. His tail flicked and he continued.

"When her father discovered what I had done, he had the gods curse me and take away my man form and give me sabers so others would know I was not natural. But my mind remained and my ability to communicate. I did not like life out in the wild and found my mistress bathing in a stream close to her home and spoke to her. At first she was frightened, but I soothed her fears and she took me in…until she married. You know the rest."

The panther looked at Hermione with a half-lidded gaze.

"Can't you get your powers back?" Hermione asked him. The panther shook its head.

"No. When one is cursed by the gods, he is cursed all his days. I have come to terms with it," Bagheera replied, yawning and rolling on his back, his paws in the air, looking at Hermione upside down.

So Bagheera was no common familiar, but a cursed shapeshifter. That explained a lot. Hermione still felt a bit awkward in front of him.

"There is no need to be ashamed to be naked in front of me, witch. I am a panther and have no designs on you. Now, if you were a feline… " he thought at her, grinning with all his teeth. "I just still happen to appreciate a pretty human form. That is as far as it goes."

Hermione looked at him, then finished undressing, flushing a bit as the panther rolled back over, its golden eyes on her. But he didn't say anything.

"I'm going to take a shower, " Hermione said, walking into the bathroom.

Bagheera lay on her bed for a few moments, until he heard the shower start. Then he leapt off the bed and walked into the bathroom. Hermione was in the shower, the translucent door pulled closed. The cat watched her wash for a moment, then walked over to the sunken tub. It was nowhere near as large as the tub at his mistress' home but it would have to do. He reached down with his paw and flicked up the little handle that closed the drain. Then he pushed the lever that turned on the water and watched as the tub filled.

Hermione heard the water running and pulled back the shower door.

"What are you doing? " she asked the panther, amazed he was filling the tub.

"I like water, " he said, watching the faucet a moment, then splashing the stream with his paw. 

When the tub was almost filled, he pushed the handle so the water stopped running, then slipped into the tub, purring loudly, immersed up to his chin, his ears laid back with pleasure. The water magically mixed and the temperature was just right. Bagheera closed his eyes and ducked his head beneath the water for a moment, then emerged, water running down his face. 

Hermione finished her shower and exited the stall, looking down at Bagheera as she retrieved a towel and dried off.

"You're going to make a mess when you get out of there, " she said to the cat, smiling despite herself at the animal's obvious pleasure. She wrapped another towel around herself and leaned back against the vanity.

Bagheera opened one eye and looked up at her.

"You can dry me with magic, " he replied, "but not all the way. It makes my fur frizzy. "

Hermione laughed.

"All right. Just call me when you are ready to get out, " she said, leaving the bathroom to dress in something more comfortable.

Bagheera soaked for a while. Being in the pound, he had no access to water other than what he was given to drink, so he was enjoying this…even if he couldn't swim. Finally he mentally called Hermione, letting the water out of the tub with his paw. She appeared in the doorway with her wand, and dried him…leaving just a touch of dampness. The panther sprang out of the tub lightly, walked over to the witch and bumped his head against her legs so she petted him between the ears, the cat rolling his head appreciatively. Then they both exited the bathroom and the bedroom, heading for the living room.

"I made your door for you, " she said to the cat. "The back door in the kitchen foyer will let you out into the
backyard. "

"Thank you, " Bagheera said, padding into the kitchen and outside.

Hermione followed and watched as the cat went into a corner and dug a hole. He did his business then covered the hole neatly. Well, that was good. There wouldn't be panther shit all over her backyard. Bagheera returned.

"What do we do now? " he asked her.

"I usually read in the evenings until it is time for bed, " Hermione said, "Though sometimes I go to my lab to work. I feel like relaxing and reading tonight. "

"Quiet time is good, " Bagheera said, following Hermione into the living room. The witch picked up a magazine and sat on the sofa. Bagheera joined her, stretching his long body across the couch, including her
lap.

"How am I supposed to read like this, Bagheera? " she asked the panther who was purring steadily. He looked up at her.

"Maybe you could sit at the end. That way I can put my head in your lap, " he replied.

Hermione looked at the panther, who hopped off the sofa and looked at the witch. Hermione sighed and moved to the end of the sofa. Bagheera rejoined her, resting his head on her lap and sighing contentedly. Hermione absently stroked his fur as she read the magazine. This suited Bagheera just fine. He was a very affectionate animal, and obviously Hermione was affectionate as well. They would make a good team.

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After about an hour, Hermione heard her name called. Bagheera sat straight up with a growl, sniffing the air, his ears pricking forward. Who was here? He didn't smell anyone.

Hermione picked up the two-way mirror on the coffee table.

"Relax, Bagheera…I have a call," she said out loud to the cat, who relaxed and looked at the mirror with interest. There was a very ugly, pale wizard in it with stringy black hair..

"Hello Severus," Hermione said, giving the wizard a small smile.

"Who were you talking to?" Severus demanded. His belly was tight with jealousy. This threw him. He had never been jealous of a witch before.

"Bagheera. My familiar," she said.

Severus' severe look relaxed.

"Oh, you took my advice then," he said.

Hermione nodded.

"Yes I did. And he is wonderful," Hermione said.

Bagheera rubbed his muzzle against Hermione's face at her comment. He thought she was wonderful too.

"What the hell was that?" Severus exclaimed as he saw a huge black something push the witch aside for a moment.

"Bagheera," she said, tilting the mirror toward the panther, who gave the wizard an absolutely blood-curdling snarl.

"Shit," Severus thought, looking at the saber-toothed panther.

"Bagheera, stop that!" Hermione chided the panther, who looked at her with his ears laid back apologetically. 

The panther noted though that the wizard in the glass hadn't flinched or looked frightened. Simply surprised. That was good. He suspected the ugly wizard might be Hermione's man. Bagheera didn't like cowards. They were no good to have around. It seemed this wizard wasn't one however.

"He certainly is large. Didn't they have any weredogs?" the Potions Master asked the witch.

Bagheera snarled again, but quieted when Hermione frowned at him. A weredog? Wait until he came over here.

"Yes. But I wanted him," Hermione said. "He's beautiful."

Yes, the cat was beautiful, but gods…those teeth.

"You're going to need quite a large litter box," the wizard said. 

"He is housebroken and goes in the backyard. He is very sanitary," Hermione replied, "And he won't let anyone hurt me."

Severus watched as a large paw snagged Hermione's body protectively before the witch pushed it off. The panther seemed very protective all right. Maybe too much so. It also seemed to be responding to their conversation. It must be intelligent.

Severus wondered if the cat was intelligent enough to know the difference between hurting a witch and fucking the shit out of her.

"Are we still on for Friday?" Hermione asked the wizard.

"Yes," Severus replied.

"Good. You can meet Bagheera then," she said, petting the panther, who rolled his head against her hand again, his golden eyes half-lidded with pleasure.

Severus watched the animal respond to the witch. It certainly seemed to like her.

"I look forward to it," Severus replied evenly. 

The cat stared straight at him, licking its lips suggestively. If Severus didn't know better, he might suspect it was trying to frighten him off. Well it would take more than a big pussy to keep him from seeing Hermione.

"I'll see you Friday then," he said.

"Bye Severus," Hermione replied. The mirror cleared, showing her and Bagheera.

The cat looked at her.

"He certainly is ugly. I've seen smaller noses on elephants, " the panther commented, making a choking sound like chuckling.

"He…he has other qualities…I suppose, " she said, wondering why she was trying to defend Severus to the cat.

"I bet he does, " the panther replied, sinking down to the couch and staring at Hermione. "With a nose like that, his lingam must be enormous. "

Hermione colored.

"Ah, I see it is, " Bagheera said, purring and rolling on his back luxuriously.

Hermione couldn't say a word.

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A/N: Sorry about the length of time it took to post. Not a good day but I got it out. Please review.