Hatchetfield.

Holly (the Cat) and Holly (the Human)

"Did you name your cat after me?" Miss Holloway had been stroking the fluffy orange cat who was currently curled up in her lap, purring happily. She pointed towards the food bowl, which had "Holly" scrolled across it in large letters, poking out from the bag full of supplies Duke had brought over.

Duke flushed. "Uh, yeah. Sorry if that's weird. She just reminded me of you." Duke rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"No, I like it. She's feisty." At her cue, the cat leapt up, batting at one of Holloway's earrings. She laughed, carefully detangling the two and distracting her with a toy.

"Yeah, I had a crush on you for so long, I guess it was the first name that came to mind." Duke sat next to her, scritching under the cat's chin.

Miss Holloway rolled her eyes. "I know that, Duke. You aren't very good at hiding it. How long did it take you to ask me out again?"

Duke blushed again and quickly changed the topic. "Well, I hope she doesn't inconvenience you. It's only for a few nights."

Holloway waved him off. "It'll be fine, Duke. I'm more than happy to take care of her. Go to your conference."

"You're still welcome to come. I know the conference will be boring, but the town is nice," Duke offered once again.

Holloway shook her head. "Sorry, Duke, but I'm tied down to Hatchetfield. Couldn't leave if I wanted." That was a lot more true than he knew. "Besides, someone needs to look after this troublemaker," she said, patting the fluffy kitty on the head and earning a short chirp.

"Alright," he conceded. "You two get along. Call me if you need anything."

Later, Holloway waved Duke off at the tiny airport. Why Hatchetfield had bothered to build one, she didn't know. Probably just so the citizens don't have to use Clivesdale's now that she thought about it.

That afternoon, she keyed open her door and was met with a plaintive meow. The orange-fur ball was sitting by her empty food bowl, staring straight at Miss Holloway.

"Yeah, yeah, I know I'm late." She walked over to the table and set her bag down before kicking her shoes off. The cat meowed again. "You're not going to starve, just give me a minute." Holloway spared a glance at the kitty, who placed a paw against the edge of the food bowl and pushed slightly. "Don't you dare," the two Holly's made eye contact in a silent battle of wills. The bowl was pushed further towards the lip of the table. It tipped, wobbling dangerously. The cat gave one last shove, forcing it off the edge. But the dish didn't fall. It hovered mid-air, caught in Miss Holloway's mental grasp.

Miss Holloway smirked. "I won this round, cat." She walked over to the table and released her hold on the bowl. She caught it and placed it back in the center of the desk before reaching for the cat food. The feline watched her disdainfully the entire time.

When Holloway set the food in front of her, the cat didn't move. Holloway crossed her arms. "So now you don't want it?" The cat turned and leapt off the table. Holloway sighed. She shook the bowl a few times as Holly looked up at her from the floor. Sighing, she placed the dish on the ground.

Miss Holloway was awoken in the middle of the night by a loud crash. She bolted upright, reaching for the Book instinctively, before a loud yowl reached her ears. She sighed, flicked on the lights, and ventured into the hallway. The cat was perched on the top of a bookcase. Her tail was puffed up, and her back was arched, hissing at the jar she had knocked from the shelf. The glass shards were the least of her problems, however, as the ghost she had caught a few years ago floated in the center of the living room.

"It had to be that one, didn't it?" Miss Holloway asked the cat. "How did you even get up there?" She'd been sure to place all the spell components on the highest shelf, but it evidently wasn't enough to deter the adventurous cat. The kitty in question was still hissing at the incorporeal being and swinging her paw stiffly in front of her.