Harry Potter and The Vanished Slytherin Prince

Chapter 3

Harry returns to Malfoy's bookshop with Draco

~~~

"Am I meant to give you a bath?" Harry realizes belatedly. "I suppose one doesn't typically invite a strange cat into one's home without bathing them or checking for fleas."

Draco gives him a somehow affronted look before returning to the licking of his paws.

"I'm sure you take very good care of yourself, but there are plenty of ways you could've picked up something during your adventures." Harry says, leaning closer like he would be able to see the fleas if he tries hard enough.

Draco meows, staring back at Harry in challenge.

"That settles it, I'm giving you a bath whether or not you like it." Harry says, scooping up the cat before he can try running away.

Draco sort of squawks in discontent, and Harry brings him into his bathroom, shutting the door securely before he puts Draco down on top of the toilet tank.

"I will be minimally invasive, I promise. I just don't want an infestation in my home, it would be very hard to explain to the muggle pest control why I've got such a strange house."

Harry turns on the water to a nice warm bath temperature, then plugs the drain.

"I reckon I'll have to use my shampoo on you. It's meant for curly hair, or that's what Hermione tells me at least, but I don't think it'll change anything about your fur."

Harry is mostly talking to himself as he sets things up. Then he's tasked with getting Draco into the water.

"If you work with me here, it'll be much quicker and easier for us both." Harry tells him, approaching slowly. Draco hisses, backing away until he's on the edge of the tank.

Harry picks him up, ignoring the meow of protest and attempts at scratching to lower him slowly into the water.

"It's not that bad, Draco." Harry tells him, holding his body so only his legs are wet while Draco flails and splashes Harry as much as possible. "Merlin, you're really going to make this as difficult as possible aren't you."

Harry puts Draco back down on the rug, letting him dash off to the sink as a refuge.

"You git, you've soaked me." Harry complains, pulling his wet shirt off. Draco seems distracted by the movement, so Harry takes the opportunity to turn on the sink faucet, which is thankfully warm from the tub heating up, and soaking Draco's back end while he leaps away from the water with a loud meow of betrayal.

Harry catches him easily, and holds him against his chest for a moment, hoping to soothe him.

"This is for your own good, Draco. You'll thank me later. Well, actually probably not. But I'll thank myself to not have fleas."

He strokes Draco's back, sitting on the rug next to the tub.

"I'm putting you back in now, I'd thank you to cooperate." Harry says. Draco meows unhappily, but not as aggressively as earlier.

He still puts up a token resistance, but finally stands sadly in the shallow water. Harry makes a sympathetic noise at the waterlogged cat glowering at him.

"You look so sad." Harry says with a smile, scooping water in his hand over Draco's back. Once Draco's sufficiently soaked, Harry grabs his shampoo.

"Here, smell." He offers, holding his hand out with the glob. Draco sniffs it curiously, and his eyes blink slowly. "See? Not bad at all."

He scrubs the shampoo into Draco's fur gently until Draco's purring beneath his touch. Harry smiles, noting that Draco stops once he's seen Harry's face.