Year 5 - Stockholm

Chapter 8

Reconnect

Hermione woke to a gentle paw placed against her nose. It was early. Light had yet to blare in golden shimmer from the curtains. She blinked once, then twice.

The pale body of Drogon sat in her direct vision. His large eyes, wide and ever watchful.

"Good morning," she greeted softly as she allowed her mind to acclimate to the waking state. It hurt to awaken from deep sleep so suddenly. Her palms dug into her eye sockets.

Drogon sat patiently, watching her ready herself in a clean outfit and other morning routines, with the onlooking observation that made her heart feel loved and self-conscious at the same time. It was a cat. He couldn't talk. But, the way his mind was enchanted smarter than the rest, it was not impossible for it to judge.

She made sure to brush her teeth for three and a half minutes rather than the standard three.

Just in case.

Hermione was considering what to do with her day when a cat meowed. It'd been so silent within the dorm that her hold on the bed faltered.

She smoothed the wrinkles out of her jumper. "I didn't realize you talked."

His head tilted slightly.

A thick band of black rhinestones rested against his neck. He sported it very proudly. His little cat chest pushed it out on display as she ran her fingertips along the edges of the jewels. Her mind, a mess of thoughts.

Draco was wealthy, extravagant for no purpose, and he loved to display the fact. It was possible that the jewels of the cat collar were real.

She toyed with the idea of removing it as it was completely ridiculous to have a cat adorned in priceless jewels when children starved and suffered in the world, except Drogon loved it. He was her cat. Her dependent. Removing the item would be a cruel punishment for the creature just to spite a wizard.

Another victory to Malfoy.

"Meow!" He said again.

She stared at him quizzically. "What are you saying?"

A princess's prerogative, conversations with animals, was not as easy as it seemed. Subtle moves meant significant features. A simple tail flick could mean irritation, a warning of danger, perhaps a sign of recognition as a makeshift wave.

There was so much guesswork since they hadn't really secured a code yet.

Hermione wringed her hands tirelessly. The cat was saying something. He wanted her to know.

But what was it?

He waited patiently as she guessed.

"Have I forgotten an assignment? Did Lavender step on you? Is it Harry? Ron? Ginny? Oh! The twins. They've hurt someone, haven't they?"

Drogon shook his head to each answer.

Finally, after much waiting, he started to claw at the edge of his collar. Aggressively. She watched the creature struggle with the thick collar at its neck like a noose, pulling it tighter and tighter against its neck with such force.

Perhaps he didn't like it...

She reached out to help Drogon when a little slip of parchment slipped from beneath it, and the cat moved back to sitting, looking down at the paper as if interested in what it read.

The author was Draco, no doubt.

"Did you go see him?"

Being suspicious of a cat was a very mixed emotion in itself. On one hand, it was a bloody cat. On the other was the fact that it was a highly intelligent animal capable of many unknown things. She had to proceed with caution.