Ginny unpacked quietly, Azrael sitting on her
bed watching her. She hung up her robes, put her books on the shelf and put her
family photos on her bureau. General
settling in stuff. Her new room wasn’t that different to her old one, maybe a
bit larger. Gary red and gold glaring from every surface and chattering girls
filling up every corner. Annoying, that’s what it was. Ginny clicked her tongue
at Azrael as she finished and he dropped off the bed fluidly to follow her as
she descended into the crowded Common Room where everyone was catching up on
what had gone on in the hols. She knew they whispered as she walked past, brown
eyes underlined with black, face almost death white, black covering pink lips,
hair teased and spiked and scruffed around her face. She sank down gracefully
into a spare armchair and curled up into it, Azrael jumping up to lay his head
by hers, chunky black boots exposed by her robes as he made a place for himself.
He hissed at another cat, and she tousled his ears. “Calm, my demon. Be nice.”
He mewed complainingly at her. He liked to be
known as the strong one once he’d recovered. He’d filled out, developed a cocky
self-assured arrogance as his coat began to shine. Beaten all the neighbourhood
cats to an inch of their nine lives, he was the one in control and they had
better not forget it. Ginny smiled slightly as Azrael purred and relaxed under
her soothing hand. He was marvellous in concentrating her magic as well. Quite
the helpful little kitten.
“Azrael, be a dear and get my cross, would you? I forgot it.” He opened an eye at her request, sniffed and then jumped off to do it. She watched him thread through the students legs, hoping none of them did anything to provoke him. Azrael soon came back, head held high and silver cross clenched between his teeth. He clambered back up onto her lap and placed the cross delicately into her hand. “Thank you, Azrael.” She placed the cross around her neck, fumbling slightly with the clasp and then Azrael noticed Harry. He laid his eyes flat against his skull and puffed up, mouth emitting warning hisses as Ron and Harry passed in front of them.
“Hey Ginny.” Harry nodded at her as if nothing
had happened. Ginny came to a decision and let go of Azrael, who immediately
threw himself in a whirlwind of hissing, spitting, clawing fury, voicing yowls
of anticipated triumph. “OW!” Ginny watched him calmly as Azrael swarmed over
him, never staying still long enough to be caught as Ron and Hermoine tried to
help Harry.
“Azrael, enough.” Ginny finally called him off
and Azrael flowed to the ground, carrying a scrap of Harry’s robes proudly in
his mouth. He gently deposited it in her hand, golden eyes begging for
approval. “Good boy.” He smiled at her, and she smiled back, pleased at the
faint tinge of pink on his teeth. “*Very* good boy.” She petted him and he
arched up into it, purring loudly.
“Ginny, are you going to apologise to Harry
now?” Ron asked impatiently, helping Hermoine restore some order to the shocked
and bleeding Harry. Ginny surveyed them coolly; personally, she thought Harry
looked better with bleeding scratches down his face.
“Why? Azrael is a good kitty, aren’t you, my
demon?” Ginny returned to patting the ecstatic Azrael. “He loves a fight, and
for some odd reason, loathes Harry. I think it was funny.”
“Virginia Weasley, apologise now,” Ron said
firmly.
“How about, uh, *hell* no? I can state it more
vehemently if you want.” She smiled nastily and then got to her feet. “Well,
I’m once more the resident freak show. Azrael, come.” She turned her back on
her brother and his friends, to be confronted by a room of silent, judging
Gryffindors. “Who will throw the first stone? Who among you be without sin? I
do confess that I am a witch, a bride of Satan, and that he has given unto me a
demon by the name of Azrael, who manifests in the form of a pure black cat with
golden eyes. What, never seen the Crucible? Let me pass.” They parted for her,
and she left for her room, head held high and Azrael slinking along at her
heels.