Cat Among Serpents

There was a cat sitting in the corridor when Draco stepped out of the Slytherin common room to go to breakfast.

Draco wrinkled his nose. There hadn't been any of these creatures back home; his mother had always said that they would bring all kinds of disgusting things into the house and ruin the furniture. He had never wanted a cat, anyway.

It was a black cat. Jet-black all over, and rather scrubby.

Draco paused.

The cat's eyes were green.

And it had a scratch or something above one of those glowing eyes.

Well, well. For a fleeting second, Draco was impressed - which, in turn, immediately made his temper flare.

"Expect me to fall for this? How stupid do you think I am? "

Stupid enough to talk to a cat, the Voice of Reason in the back of his head pointed out. Draco ignored it. There was no way in hell he would ever be ambushed by a perfectly normal stray cat which just happened to be black-furred, green-eyed and scarred.

"Still not famous enough, huh? Boy Who Bloody Lived, Parselmouth and Youngest Seeker Since The Last Ice Age wouldn't do, so you had to become an animagus on top of everything!?"

The cat, of course, did not answer; it just gave him the unwavering stare cats are so good at. Aaaaargh!

Draco lifted his foot to kick it. Which turned out to be a mistake.

"Draco!!" That was Pansy's voice, perfectly scandalized. "What ARE you doing?"

Why had the bloody girl been born with the ability to sound exactly like his mother? Draco swore under his breath. He wasn't going to advertise Potter's latest achievement to anyone if he could help it.

"Mind your own business, Parkinson", he snapped, giving her his best Icy Malfoy Glare. Pansy, who had spent her life on the receiving end of that glare since they had both been three, wasn't particularly intimidated.

"You were going to kick a cat."

Draco tried the Glare again. "So what?"

Pansy, still unimpressed, shook her head. "Draco, I know that Slytherins are supposed to be cruel, heartless bastards, but I get the feeling you're trying too hard. Usually, boys outgrow the need to assault furry animals once they turn twelve."

She bent down to scratch the cat behind its ears. The cat rubbed against her legs and started to purr.

Draco was torn between revulsion and glee as he tried to imagine Pansy's face if she ever found out that she'd been petting Potter.

He'd make sure to take a good look when he told her. He wouldn't have to worry about spreading Potter's animagus fame then because they'd only be able to put it on his headstone.

Pansy, as yet oblivious, picked the cat up. "How about coming to breakfast with me, kitty?"

Somehow, he should have guessed that Pansy would be a cat person. Now she was actually stroking it.

Draco fell into step beside her, carefully keeping his face blank. This was going to be interesting.

He was still imagining different scenarios of Pansy murdering Potter, cat-shaped or not, when he bumped into someone who was rushing round the corner.

A bespectacled boy with messy, jet-black hair, green eyes and a scar on his forehead.

"Watch where you're going!" Harry Potter barked.

Draco only stared in return.

Potter's face changed from annoyance to puzzlement. "What is it, Malfoy? Cat got your tongue?"

That brought Draco out of his stupor.

He turned and saw Pansy enter the Great Hall with the black cat looking back over her shoulder.

The cat grinned at him.

It shouldn't have been able to do that. It still did.

Draco was learning something about the nature of cats.

He was beginning to see the attraction.