Ouroboros || harry potter

Chapter Twenty-four

(Harry)

A hiss escaped Salazar as tiny needle-like claws caught his fingers. The tiny kitten hissed back, kitten-blue eyes glared at him as he handled the little male. Omorose chuffed up at him as she arranged the other six kittens within the basket.

It had taken the last weeks of school to convince her that it was safe to move them into his suite. Now, just in time for Godric and him to leave for the holidays, she showed up with her demands to move. The books had explained that kneazle kittens grew slowly and the mother barely left them during the first month. So it technically wasn't a surprise. Salazar just hadn't planned to do this before dawn the day he was supposed to take the train back to London.

Hogwarts thrummed excitedly at his side, curls bouncing with her ill-restrained motion. "Isn't he the cutest cutie every papa?" She leaned over to reach eye level with the kitten. "Hello, cutie-pie! I'm going to name you Mer–"

"Don't!" Salazar tried to interrupt the child.

"–lin!"

Salazar sent a flat look at Hogwarts. "What did I say about naming them? One's for Gregory once he starts talking to me again."

The little girl just beamed and held out cupped hands. "Not to but I'll only name this one, papa! Merlin is too cute not to be named." He reluctantly relinquished the kitten. She cuddled the little dark-brown kitten to her chest and made little cute sounds at the poor kitten. Unlike with him, little Merlin happily cuddled up against Hogwarts.

"That's my little Merlie," muttered Hogwarts, "You're going to be my fierce warrior mage like Papa Rie but like books and cat-naps like Papa Sally, and be pretty as your mama Rosie."

Salazar studiously ignored his school's mutterings as he finished setting up the cozy little space in his bedroom. (He was entirely unsurprised that she created nicknames, not just claimed the ones Godric had made up an age ago. This was clearly Godric's fault.)

His room now had a large bed, chest-a-drawers, and an end table but, ignoring the piles of books he needed to either return to the library or put on proper shelves, there was plenty of space for Omorose and the latest litter. More likely than not, Mipsy or one of the other House elves would take his absence as an excuse to set up the study and shelve all the books there.

"There," he muttered to his kneazle, stroking her sleek fur as she purred in acceptance. "Take care of yourself and the little ones. And don't let Hogwarts name any more of them. She cannot have all of them. Your progeny would take over the enter school if that was the case.— Which we don't want. "

Omorose purred louder at the idea and Salazar rolled his eyes at her. He would miss her presence over the holidays. She would have been handy to have during his meeting with the Black Pater too.

He glanced at his watch and made a face at the time. Being very awake, the founder left the cats and child in his bedroom—Hogwarts didn't notice him leave and Omorose was busy—and headed down the long hall into the kitchens.

There were no House elves about. Helga's domain was dark, the usual roaring fire just cinders. He stood at the side and took in the dark shadows and the strange silence. It reminded him of sleepless nights and how he would sometimes wander down here for a cup of tea.

An alert would inform Helga, no matter that he always attempted to avoid triggering it, and she would join him. He started to make her tea in anticipation of her joining him. She had never failed to do so. Neither of them often spoke during the dark of night. They would just sit together with warm beverages heating them through.

His socked feet padded against the worn stone as he traced those well-trodden paths, found mugs where mugs had always been and found a selection of teas, coffees, and hot chocolate mixes where once had only been jars of herbs for tea. He reached for his usual mint flavor but paused. Helga would have loved hot chocolate.