Kit

Hello!

I wrote this a while ago, and a friend suggest that this be my first posting to this site. It can be found elsewhere in it's entirety, however I am editing this as I post it here. I apologize if there are too many or not enough warnings, I can't actually remember what all went on in this fic... I can't even remember how old Harry is. I think he's about 18 in it though.

I hope you enjoy this fic enough to leave a review. They are like chocolate covered chocolate filled chocolate! ;-)

Kit

Chapter 1

Harry woke slowly, relishing the heat that surrounded him. He was always cold and despite the warm weather he could never really get warm enough. His blankets at the Dursley’s were always thin and threadbare and when he was at school he never had time to relish in just being warm.

He rumbled in contentment as he stretched everything all at once, from the tips of his fingers to his toes. He stumbled to his feet and shook himself before turning in a circle and curling up on his other side.

The low rumble of a purr lulled him back to sleep.

Lately, though, it hadn’t been out of the ordinary since Crookshanks had taken to sleeping with him most nights.

=^.^=

The next time Harry woke he was flying through the air.

How had that happened?

Then the high pitched screeching reached his sensitive ears,

‘Get away from my precious kitty!’

Then a foot came at him and he tried to dodge it but he was caught up in his own legs because there were too many of them, and the foot caught him in his ribs sending him through the air again.

Harry landed with an indignant squawk and the stones bit into his flesh, even through the fur.

Wait. What? Fur!?!?!

 ‘That retched beast is probably ridden with fleas and diseases,’ the voice Harry vaguely recognized suddenly gave a pained howl.

A ball of ginger fur landed near Harry and positioned itself over Harry, hissing and growling at the human.

‘Petricifius-’

He spell was cut off by a smooth and too calm, ‘Miss Granger, surely not.’

Harry had never been so glad to Professor Snape in his life, except maybe that one time when Snape had been shirtless....

They, Harry and Snape, had managed to sort out their difference with a long night of talking –yelling things out; and while they weren’t exactly friends, they weren’t at each other’s throats like they had been.

‘Professor?’ Hermione actually looked afraid of the older man as she held her wand behind her back.

‘Really, I would have thought you would have had more sense than that,’ he drawled, ’75 points from Gryffindor, for the abuse of animals, mishandling of your familiar and for disrespecting your professor. You’ll also have detention for two months with Filch,’ he stated.

Hermione looked like she was going to protest or argue, or something, but the growling that came from her own cat behind her had her keeping silent.

‘I suggest you leave the feline alone,’ Snape stated when she reached for Crookshanks, who was poised to attack.

Hermione finally actually looked at her cat, and was surprised to see his fur had bristled, making him appear even larger than he was; his ears were back and his teeth were bared as he stood over the small white and black injured kitten that was huddled under him.

All the colour drained from her face as she realized what had happened, what she had done. She covered her mouth with a hand before fleeing into the castle.

Snape sighed and looked around; making sure no one was watching him. It wouldn’t do for the students to find out that he had a soft spot for injured animals.

The ginger ball had relaxed slightly when Hermione had run off but was still protective of the small kitten under him.

Snape thought it odd behaviour for the half kneazle but shrugged mentally. There was no explaining the behaviour of some animals.

‘Relax friend, I only want to help the little one. He looks like he’s hurt,’ Snape said softly as he crouched in front of the cat, holding his hand out for Crookshanks to sniff.

The ginger cat gave the dark man a hard look, studying him before revealing the small, injured kitten he had been protecting.

Snape was gentle in his examination of the small kitten, and he now knew why Granger had been so violent with the kitten. It was no excuse, but for someone who hadn’t ever seen a full blooded Kneazle it was a bit of a shock. They were actually quite cute; they had little tufts of fur on the tips of their ears and they looked like miniature lions with bushy manes and short body fur. Even their two tails had a tuft of fur on the end.

Though at the moment, the kitten didn’t have the full mane that an adult Kneazle had.

‘I don’t have anything for him on me, but I can help him in my lab,’ Snape spoke the large orange cat like he would to another person. It had been something he’s started as a boy and had never really grown out of.

Harry let Snape gently pet him, enjoying the massage, that was, of course, until Snape hit a very sore spot and he lashed out at the hand.

Harry flinched, he knew that Snape was only trying to help but it had hurt!

‘I’m sorry little one,’ Snape soothed, Harry gave a pitiful meow, and Crookshanks had batted at Snape’s hand, as if he wanted to say, “fine, help him” but there was also a low growl that told Severus he better not hurt the poor kitten anymore than he already was.

‘I only want to help,’ Severus repeated, as he carefully picked up the kitten and wrapped him in a large handkerchief to keep him warm.

If anyone thought that the well known Gryffindor feline following the surly potions master odd, they didn’t say anything about it.