When Living Ain\'t Easy

Chapter Twenty-Five: My Best Friend is a Talking Cat

The somber mood of their elders lifted by the time the group reached the local shopping centre.

Hermione, being more observant than her friend, was the first to notice how much more... relaxed her teacher looked. She added up a few tidbits of prior knowledge, coming to the conclusion that her professor and the older Malfoy had put away some old hurts. It was hardly her business, of course, but since these two men were involved with her best friend, she would continue to watch them. Nothing could happen to hurt Harry, nothing she might be able to prevent.

The wizard in question saw much the same as his friend. He wondered what had passed between his lovers behind their closed door, and worried that it might be his presence in their lives that was causing such discord. Only after catching Lucius\' questioning gaze did he feel lighter; the warmth of deep caring directed his way was free from any imagined wrongdoings. Harry returned a small smile, making sure to include Severus in the gesture. No lingering signs of upset remained on the Potions Master\'s face, and Harry breathed an internal sigh of relief.

Walking two steps behind the party, Draco rolled his eyes toward heaven. If the fate of the magical world was truly in the hands of this group, he would have to step in and make sure they didn\'t muck it up with their juvenile misunderstandings. Really, did no one speak their mind anymore? Before his rant took firm hold, the blond\'s eyes lit on the gentle sway of a certain Muggle-born\'s tush. Thoroughly distracted, he walked faster and placed himself at her side with a friendly grin on his face. He had no idea who the gods had in mind for his mate, but that didn\'t mean he couldn\'t enjoy an attractive young lady\'s presence in the meantime.

\"Real subtle, ferret.\" Harry\'s voice floated into his ear, so soft it wasn\'t heard by the others. \"If you hurt her, you won\'t have to worry about Snake Face\'s wrath.\" A sharp nod acknowledged the open threat.

As Draco engaged Hermione in inane conversation, the Gryffindor Seeker slowed his pace to join the older men. He slithered his arms around their waists, bringing them hip to hip as they walked down the street. \"And no, before either of you ask, I don\'t really care what anyone says about us. I refuse to be ashamed of whatever\'s happening between us.\" Cuddling against their solid bodies, Harry let himself soak in their obvious pleasure at his announcement.

The last remnants of doubt faded from Severus\' mind with his younger lover\'s reassurance. Such a new and strange sensation, the public acknowledgment of their status. His heart warmed more toward the young hero from such a simple act of acceptance. Long fingers gently stroked across the back of his neck, and he glanced at their owner -- Lucius was perceptive as ever, and silently offering a promise to follow their new lover\'s lead.

~ * ~

Their second visit to the mall began more solemn than the first. At least, it was until Draco caught sight of the new fall line in young ladies\' fashions that promised miles of leather and silk.

From that point, Hermione was often forced to recall her earlier statement of allowing the Malfoy men to do what they would with her. The wicked twinkle in silver eyes kept her off-balance and blushing. She wanted to respond to the blatant challenge, but had so little experience with flirtations that her laudable vocabulary hid in a back corner of her mind. Much to her disgust, Harry was no help in fielding the blond\'s open appreciation, even as he went so far as to join in the thorough (and very verbal) listing of her attributes. At least, she mentally muttered, Lucius wasn\'t adding to her embarassment. She threw a silent appeal toward the older men, but other than expressing opinions on this outfit or that, the dark wizards kept a safe distance between themselves and the trio of teen shoppers.

After the first hour, Harry joined his lovers on the sidelines. They took turns shrinking packages when no Muggles were watching, whispering comments and trailing soft touches to each other. Following a hyperspeed Draco and bewildered Hermione from one shop to the next, Harry had to appreciate the amount of patience Severus had shown on their previous trip. His feet ached just thinking how much more there was to endure.

The only snag in their plans happened when Hermione was dragged into the jewelry shop. She angrily hissed, \"There is no way you\'re going to spend so much on me, Harry Potter. The clothes and shoes are already too much, I refuse to allow you to go this far.\"

\"\'Mione, listen. There\'s loads of uses for this stuff-\"

\"No Harry, I won\'t let you do it.\"

Cutting the witch off, Draco placed a hand over her mouth, shivering slightly at the instant charge pouring through him at the simple touch. \"Hermione, we have already purchased a fair quantity of more masculine gems for some of our... projects. If we are to include you in these plans, you should permit at least a few baubles more appropriate for a beautiful young woman.\"

Six years of habit had her eyes flashing in temper before she witnessed the honest admiration on her classmate\'s face. In a heartbeat, Hermione\'s ire fled, although she still was not convinced. Before she could continue the argument, another voice broke in.

\"Miss Granger, it would be prudent to select no fewer than three pairs of earrings, four necklaces, and an equal number of rings. While I cannot recall you wearing much jewelry in the past, it would look odd for your new appearance if you did not complement it with the appropriate accesories.\"

\"Lucius, really, I can find costume jewelry for much less-\"

\"Take a moment to consider, Miss Granger. I believe you were informed of Harry\'s research, yes? The same applies to you.\" Severus waited for the witch\'s quick mind to fill in the blanks. When her eyes showed understanding, he put an end to the debate, \"As such, you shall need the items Lucius suggested -- or more -- with which to work. Between the four of us, today\'s receipts are hardly a trial on our resources. If you have further reservations, think on it as an... investment toward the upcoming tasks.\"

After her respected teacher\'s words soaked in, Hermione could no longer object as strenuously. She wandered over to the trays of loose gems, just as Harry had done only days ago, and began to match semi-precious stones. With her best friend offering suggestions, the Boy-Who-Lived motioned for the Malfoy men to find the best selection for his favorite girl\'s new look. She might be upset with him later, but Harry felt justified in his subterfuge; they were going to place as many enchantments as possible to safeguard his family for the war, whether she liked it or not.

~ * ~

\"Honestly, you four are worse than Lavendar and Parvarti! Don\'t you have any idea of how long it takes those bird-brained trollops to get dressed every morning? I refuse to join the ranks of boy-crazy, boy-chasing twits.\"

Draco rolled his eyes in exasperation. This tirade had been going on for the past hour, ever since the packmules had unloaded their pockets and enlarged the mountain of bags. In all his years of being dragged from one boutique to another by his mother (and later, assorted Slytherin girls in need of a chaperone), he had never encountered a female who protested so much over acquiring a new wardrobe. And yes, of course, women\'s fashions meant that they accumulated a much greater selection than men -- how could she compare her bounty to Harry\'s? Good Merlin, that witch had a set of lungs on her! That they were encased in such a delightful package was just icing on the cake.

\"Thanks for going off on a tangent, Malfoy,\" Harry nudged his rival none-too-gently in the ribs. \"If you can possibly look above her chest for a minute, we could use your help here.\"

\"Hmph! Is it my fault that Granger turned out so... alluring?\" A quick flip of his hair moved the silver fop out of his eye. \"And how exactly do you expect me to help out? She hasn\'t listened to you, her best friend.\"

\"Exactly. But you are her... creator, in a way, right?\"

Well. That was certainly an interesting thought.

\"Hermione,\" slithering toward the vibrating witch, Draco carefully caught her attention. \"There has always been an injustice between men\'s fashion and women\'s, yet no amount of complaints will alter the fact. If you truly do not wish to be burdened with this mess, we can take it all back. Your seventh and final year at Hogwarts will proceed as every year before, and you will be no worse for it.\" He didn\'t miss the sly expression of thought on Harry\'s face, glad that the Gryffindork wasn\'t *that* slow on the uptake. \"Absolutely nothing will change. But is that really what you want?\"

Bewildered at the change in tactics, Hermione could only stare at the blond for a long minute. His words wormed their way into her subconscious, teasing the feminine ego she had never paid attention to in the past.

\"This is a golden opportunity for you to disabuse the common mortals of your status in the world. How often are you taken for granted as being useful, but not date material? Such a fine mind, everyone wants your help with homework and revision... but they never see you as a person, do they. Without seeming forward, I must assure you that this new, improved Hermione Granger will be the shining star of Hogwarts. None can compare to how beautiful you are, when you bother spending a half hour on the simple charms I showed you, and one of the delicious outfits we found today. You\'ve already set records with your brilliant mind, Hermione -- no one doubts how intellegent you are. This is the perfect chance for you to burn your mark on the minds of everyone as more than the class bookworm.\"

Harry coughed, covering up his muttered comment, \"Suck-up.\"

Naturally, when the know-it-all was in fine form, nothing passed her attention. \"Thank you, Harry, for bringing home how outrageous this whole argument is.\" Hermione turned her full stare on the blond. \"And Draco, I do see what you\'re getting at, and I will promise to think it over. For now, just know that I am less than pleased that none of you listened when I said \'enough\', alright? Stampeding over my wishes is hardly going to get you brownie points. Even if your intentions were good.\"

She finished with a half-smile, and all three Slytherins breathed more easily. The tempest had calmed.

\"Don\'t think that I\'ll forget anytime soon though.\"

Leaning in for a none-too-subtle whisper at his lovers, Harry voiced what all three were thinking. \"And this is reason number one on why gay men go grey later than heterosexuals.\"

~ * ~

Another wardrobe, magically enhanced to hold and sort and catagorize anything it held, was added to the household. It looked a bit out of place in the parlor, but without a proper guest room they had little choice. Confining movents thanks to the transfigured bed, the group had determined that any meeting should be held in the study where all their supplies were stored.

Grinning self-consciously, Harry joked, \"Well, if my magic explodes again, maybe I should try to enlarge the house. Uh... after everyone gets out of it first.\"

\"Let us hope that you are not provoked in such a manner again, Harry,\" Severus scolded even as he opened his arms for his younger lover. \"However beneficial such an undertaking might be, I would not wish you to endure the emotional drain that begins the cycle.\"

\"Quite right. And before we divert to yet another distraction, shall we begin the research now?\" Despite his proper suggestion, Lucius\' arrival at his lovers\' side prompted both brunets to jump in surprise. Aristocratic hands worked much the same as anyone else\'s when they groped arse cheeks, after all.

\"Honestly, my mother was so right. Boys never really grow up -- they just get bigger, have larger eating capacities, and desire more expensive toys.\"

Harry glanced guiltily at his friend, and a terrible thought hit him. Expensive toys... wouldn\'t that qualify him?

A sharp smack to the back of his head forced the Gryffindor to break his train of thought. \"Don\'t try it, Potter. That sort of \'toy\' is used for an easy shag in some cheap hotel. As far as I can tell, you are neither easy nor cheap, unless you\'ve managed to remember silencing charms for the shagging part.\"

\"Right, thanks Dray.\"

\"Dray? What sort of name is that?\"

\"A better nickname than Draco or ferret-boy. Unless you want me to tell Hermione what your full name is?\"

\"Erk, no need for that, Harry. My father\'s been telling tales again, has he?\"

\"Well yeah, but that\'s a story for later. Right now, we\'ve been summoned to crack open old moldy books for hours of meaningful study into methods of torturing a certain Dark Lard-Arse.\"

\"uh...\"

Their sniping banter was broken by Hermione\'s presence. \"Alright boys, enough playing around. Let\'s join the old folks now, and maybe we can make some use of my special project from last year.\"

\"Special project? Is that where you disappeared during Quidditch practice?\"

\"Yes, and any other time I could steal away from Gryffindor Tower.\"

\"This should be good. Draco, you might be the ultimate Slytherin, but my best girl\'s got a mind more devious than any of your housemates.\"

Flushing from the compliment, Hermione pushed her arms through both young wizards\' and led them to their destination. They found the elder men already surrounded by ancient tomes and mounds of parchment, barely looking up when the chattering trio of students entered the room.

\"Professor Snape, before we get too far, perhaps now is a good time to test my potion?\"

Severus started at his title being used in this informal setting. He quickly recalled the hours of labor spent monitoring Granger\'s experiment, and his eventual approval of its effectiveness. \"Actually, Hermione,\" he began, stressing her given name, \"I believe it to be the perfect time. We had briefly discussed adding the topic to this summer\'s training.\"

With a grin, Hermione reached deep into her bottomless satchel and pulled out a bottle of murky brown liquid. She looked around the room before settling on a few scraps of paper, transfiguring them into shot glasses. Five glasses, to be precise. The arched eyebrows of the older men prompted a rather wicked giggle from the witch, and she poured out the suggested amounts. \"Alright everyone, bottoms up!\"

Harry looked at the... sludge. It didn\'t look back, but that was precious little encouragement. \"You want us to drink *that*? Bloody hell, \'Mione, what\'re you trying to do to us this time?\"

In reply, she glared at her friend and slugged back the shot of potion. Seconds later, a large golden lynx sat in her place. All four wizards found their mouths on the floor (although Severus knew he should not have been surprised that the smartest witch of her generation had succeeded where many others had failed).

Harry bounced in place when he figured out what his wonderfully bright friend had done, then tossed his hair away from his mouth and slurped his own dose of Animagus Revealing potion. His stomach felt like he had swallowed slivers of ice, and the freezing sensation filled his blood. His eyes swam out of focus as if someone had knocked his glasses off his face, and his center of gravity went... wonky. Three gasps of surprise sounded from high above him, and he swiveled his head to look at the... massive humans.

Summoning a full-length mirror, Draco placed it in easy reach for both Gryffindors. Hermione beat her friend by brute force, shoving him out of the way to see what animal she would become. A deep, rumbling purr of satisfaction rolled through the room when she saw her reflection. Her tail lashed, nearly knocking over the other non-human in his efforts to share the mirror with her. A very primal urge to pounce flashed through her mind before she could control it, and she pounced.

Danger! Blind instinct forced Harry into motion before razor-sharp claws reached him. One, two, three mighty thrusts of air beneath his wings took him out of mortal peril, a piercing cry of challenge quick to follow. His target in sight, Harry\'s body tensed in preparation for combat... and he froze. The crouched feline was his best friend, Hermione, not some wild beast. Still, better to err on the side of caution, he landed on the back of the tall wingback chair across the room from her.

\"Well, that was certainly an inspired act. What say we wait until these two have regained their human forms before we take our turns?\" Draco looked slightly shaken, eyes dancing between the large wildcat and almost as big bird of prey. \"What sort of bird is he, Father?\"

\"I couldn\'t say, Draco. Some sort of hunting hawk, from his size, but I was never much on the sport.\"

After about fifteen minutes, both Gryffindors changed back to themselves. Hermione immediately threw herself at her best friend, sobbing apologies. Harry stiffened for a moment, then made an attempt to comfort the witch. \"It\'s alright, \'Mione. Just instinct, nothing we can\'t learn to control, right? And wow! You\'re just as beautiful in your Animagus form, all long and lean and golden. Have you gotten the paperwork together to patent your potion yet? I\'m sure Severus knows how to file that sort of thing.\"

Leaving Hermione in calm hands, Draco stepped forward to take his turn, muttering, \"If I turn into any sort of rodent, I shan\'t join the class in this study.\" So swearing, he slung his head back, grimacing as the nasty fluid slithered down his throat...

Admiring comments followed him as the young wizard trotted over to the summoned mirror. He took note almost at once that he could only see in black and white, figuring himself to be of the canine family. At least he wasn\'t a *shudder* ferret. His reflection showed pointy ears with tufts of fluffy fur edging them, a sharp snout with sharper teeth, and lean muscles encased in a white (or at least light-coloured) pelt. A fox, one of the larger varieties if he wasn\'t mistaken. He might just be able to deal with that. Certainly, the cunning and stealth of a fox was much more dignified that a smelly rodent. During his quarter hour of animal time, Draco pranced and preened around the room, sniffing everything that was within reach.

\"If you are quite through, dear son, you can remove your nose from my pocket now.\" Lucius grabbed his heir by the scruff of the neck -- ignorning the very human yelp of outrage. \"It would seem to be my turn, hmm?\" With no further fanfare, he downed the potion and waited, shifting gracefully into his own coat of pure white fur. A deep growl echoed loudly throughout the room, replacing memory of his son\'s sharp yips. The power beneath his coat thrummed, beseeching him to run outdoors, to hunt and howl and be free of the confines of civilization. Pale eyes full of intellegence met his first glance in the mirror, and he inclined his silky head. A white Northern Timberwolf, very satisfactory. Unlike the young people, Lucius contented himself on sitting still; a testament to his strong will, when the call of the outdoors begged him to *run*.

\"It\'s not fair,\" sulked the younger Malfoy. \"Father\'s form is powerful and big enough to overtake a grown man. Hermione\'s too, and Harry\'s able to fly. And what\'s mine? Might as well be one of those nancy lapdogs.\"

\"Oh hush, Malfoy, at least you aren\'t a ferret.\"

Even as the older blond was regaining his human body, Severus drank down his dose. A dark blur, low to the ground, caught everyone\'s attention, but before they could identify the species he had hidden behind the bookshelves. Sparkling black eyes glittered back at them, and a chittering sound mocked their efforts at flushing him out of his burrow. Mere seconds before his induced time in animal form ran out, he made a mad dash for the mirror to verify his suspicions. The deceptively smooth fur would be water-repelent, of course. His shape was made for lurking and hiding, getting through spaces few others would fit. Quite a good Animagus form for someone in his line of espionage.

\"I\'ll be dipped in chocolate and called BonBon.\"

\"That can be arranged.\"

\"Well, at least I\'m not the rodent around here.\"

\"A mongoose! How very uesful, Professor.\"