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The hand moving over him was light and comforting but it did little to calm his nerves. He had never felt this way before, not once in his entire life. His heart was somehow beating steadily, matching the tick tock of the clock in the room. His stomach clenched in anticipation; no one had come to get them, there wasn’t any news, and he’d been waiting for hours .
He rolled over onto his back and stared up at the girl he’d come to love. She smiled down at him, brown eyes sparkling, and cooed his name. He reached up and caught her wrist, pulling it to his tummy. His head tilted as she spoke.
“I know you’re worried, but you needn’t be.” Her voice was soft and sweet. “You’re going to be brilliant with the little ones.”
“Mrow?”
She moved a finger up to boop his nose. “Don’t think I’m not still disappointed in you, Crooksies. Honestly. Filch has gone mad that you’ve gotten his precious Mrs. Norris pregnant!”
“Moooooowwwww,” he let out in a long wail.
“Oh, you’re in love, are you?” She lifted him up from her lap and cradled him in her arms. He batted her nose lightly with his two front paws. She couldn’t help but chuckle. “Alright, alright! You love her!”
“Mrow.”
A commotion from the boys’ staircase disrupted the moment between cat and owner, and both looked over to see Ron and Harry playfully shoving each other as they made their way into the Common Room. Ron saw them first and gave the cat a bit of a sneer. In response, Crookshanks gave a loud warning hiss .
“Oi! What’s wrong with ‘im? Tell your bloody cat to bugger off, ‘Mione!”
“We were here first, Ronald. And he is about to become a father! He’s allowed to be worried.”
“Still can’t believe he went and did Mrs. Norris like that.” Ron snickered.
“MROOOOOWWWWLLLLLL.”
“Sh, shhh,” Hermione tried to hold onto Crookshanks as he spun and jumped out of her arms. He stood on the coffee table, back arched, hair standing on end. Facing Ron, he continued to snarl and hiss. “Crooksies, it’s alright. Just ignore him.”
“Your cat is cra –”
The door to the Common Room opened to reveal Professor McGonagall. She glanced around the room and shook her head at the young Weasley boy before she walked to Hermione and her cat. “Miss Granger, Mr. Filch has given word that Mrs. Norris has had a litter of kittens. There are five.”
Crookshanks ran as fast as he could out of the Common Room door, following his senses to find his mate. Hurried footsteps sounded behind him but he paid no mind to them. Down staircases, through hallways, and around corners, he dodged multiple legs and swishing robes.
“Crookshanks!”
He ignored his familiar, though it pained him to do so. There was a hint of worry in her voice. Though not quite sure how , she caught up to him and scooped him into her arms.
“Yooooooowwwwwlllllll.”
“You stop that,” Hermione scolded. “I’ll take you to her, but you have to be patient.”
Though unhappy at the turn of events, he settled into her arms and merely scowled at every other human they passed. Time passed - more than he liked - but finally they stood in front of a weathered door. Crookshanks turned his nose up and scented his mate through the door. He attempted to leap from the arms that held him, but Hermione held on tight.
The door opened after a knock from the older witch who had followed them. The old man who took care of Mrs. Norris looked disheveled, a cloud of sadness covering his features. Crookshanks’ hair ruffled and he let out a pitiful, “Meow.”
“Four kittens, ma’am,” he said in a trembling voice. He held out a bundle of cloth to the older witch. “One of them didn’t…”
“Mrooooow.”
Crookshanks’ mourning meow matched the gasp that escaped Hermione’s mouth. She set him down and took the bundle from Filch before Professor McGonagall could. Despite wanting to see his four children, this one deserved Crookshanks’ attention first.
“I’m sorry, Miss Granger.”
Hermione fell to her knees slowly, still holding the wrapped kitten in the palm of her hand. Crookshanks placed his two front paws on her thighs and nudged his smushed nose against the fabric. He could smell his baby.
“I’m so sorry, Crooks,” Hermione said quietly. She lifted a hand to the top of his head, scratched the space between his ears. The bonded pair stayed there, frozen, sad for the kitten, until Hermione tilted her head. “I wonder…”
Crookshanks’ ears perked up when Hermione slowly began rubbing the cloth against the kitten. Professor McGonagall asked her what she was doing, but the young witch ignored her for once, instead continuing to rub the tiny kitten between her hands, hoping to infuse warmth and circulation back into its little body. It took half a minute but then she gasped and looked up at the two adults with a smile.
A tiny nose peeked out from the folds of the towel with the softest, “Mew?”
As Crookshanks licked the nose and snuffled his way into the fabric to grab the kitten with his mouth, Filch could be heard letting out a sob. “Five! We’re back to five kittens!”
With the kitten safely - and breathing - in his jaws, Crookshanks turned and walked into the office, flicking his tail affectionately over Hermione’s legs and a bit aggressively at the old caretaker. After all, the man dared to keep him away from his mate.
He found her in a corner, tired and a bit unruly from her ordeal of birthing five babies. Crookshanks slunk over to her and dropped the kitten in front of the cardboard box with a wall missing. The grey cat lifted her head from where it rested on folds of fabric, eyes widening and glowing at the sight of what she believed was a stillborn kitten.
“Mrow?”
Crookshanks licked a stripe up Mrs. Norris’ cheek. “Meoooow.”
The tiny kitten made its way slowly to its siblings, helped by Crookshanks’ nudging nose. As soon as it settled, Crookshanks sat near Mrs. Norris’ head. A stern “Mrowl!” had him lying down. Their noses touched before two pink tongues reached out toward each other.
“You know, Crookshanks, that’s what got you into this mess to begin with.”
Mrs. Norris narrowed her eyes at the young witch standing in the doorway, but Crookshanks plopped his chin atop hers. He sent an admonishing look toward his human.
“Sorry,” she said with a smile. She walked slowly toward them and once more, got onto her knees and leaned back onto her feet. Slowly, she reached out a hand and when neither cat moved to swipe at her, she stroked the backs of the newborn kittens. “They’re beautiful.”
With one more lick over Mrs. Norris’ ear, Crookshanks stood and padded over to Hermione. He maneuvered his way under her arm and sat between her and the kittens.
“Meow.”
Hermione smiled and moved to pick him up. She held him beneath his front limbs, making the majority of his body dangle in the air. He let out an annoyed “Mrewww” and lifted his hind legs to press the pads of his feet against her chest.
“Oof,” she let out in a sigh. “Don’t worry, Crooksies. I still love you most of all.”