My Life As A Cat

Part 3

"Crookshanks, let go of him!", Hermione sighs. I press my lips together stubbornly and hiss. Of course I feel sorry about that, but she'll understand.
"He really likes you", Ron says to Sirius with a shrug.
"He's trying to comfort you", Harry grins sheepishly.
Sirius shrugs. "Not that much of a problem."
"You've been close friends", Hermione resigns. "He's a smart animal. If he's not letting go, maybe he wants you to take him."
"Can we take him?", Harry asks.
"Why not", she says with another sigh. "He's not stupid."
How very observant of her. Thank you, Hermione, I'm flattered.
I meow happily and snuggle up to Sirius's neck.
"Can we apparate with an animal?", Harry wants to know.
"People apparate with their pets on them all the time", Hermione explains. "Not to mention all the bacteria and insects -"
"We've got your point", Ron cuts her off.
"Fine", Hermione nods, smiling at Sirius wearily. "You're going to be okay?"
"Sure", he says. "Crookshanks is taking care of me."
I meow triumphantly.
Harry and Sirius go outside into the chaotic garden (Mother would have suffered a stroke at the sight of it) with me on Sirius's shoulders. I dig my claws deeper into his robes as he takes Harry's elbow and they whirl around and I try to help them apparate even though I'm just a cat with no wand on me.
We arrived safely. I recognise the setting instantly; it hasn't changed. There's the boat, which Harry calls. I feel Sirius swallow, and they enter it. I'm not leaving Sirius's immediate proximity, as, I admit, I'm a bit traumatised and therefore scared. I also don't like water. Cats don't like water.
There's the little island in the middle. They leave the boat, and I jump off Sirius to examine my surroundings. I know my brother needs me, but I need my wand. I hope I'll be able to find it.
I hear Harry showing Sirius the potion, explaining it to him, telling him about Dumbledore when Dumbledore drank it.
"So what do you think - Regulus saw - when he drank it?", Sirius breathes out huskily.
"I don't know."
What do you think I saw, idiot? I saw you dying, for fuck's sake. If I was human, I would have cried. But then again, if I was human I wouldn't be here because Sirius wouldn't have wanted to come because I would've been alive and yeah.
I can sense it now. My wand, it has to be somewhere around.
I get closer to the lake, pacing around.
I can see it. It's on the ground. It's lying there, partly covered in disgusting green stuff, but I know it's still working. It's a wand, after all, a magical object. And it's clearly my wand, silver lime, unicorn hair, twelve inches, unyielding. I remember the way it felt holding it in my hand, even though the memory of what having hands feels like is rather blurry itself.
I meow.
They ignore me.
I start wailing.
Still, no response besides a funny look.
I'm growing increasingly impatient. My wand is right there and if this fucking git doesn't notice I'll die a not so attractive cat. (What I did to deserve such an optically unappealing animagus form is beyond my understanding.) And my brother will die believing I died. Which, still, is less ridiculous and embarrassing than what actually happened, but it'd be worth it.
I hiss at him and start attacking his ankles.
"Crookshanks!", Harry frowns.
"I think he's trying to tell me something", Sirius realises.
No shit, Sherlock.
I keep wailing, pointing down into the water.
"I know, that's where it happened", Sirius bends down and pets me, "the little bastard. I was such a horrible brother in the end. I'd give anything if I could tell him I loved him, you know. He was so small. And so soft. Far too soft for this cruel world."
Soft? I'll shove soft up your stinking arse.
As soon as I've got my wand back.
Priorities.
I continue pointing at it.
He doesn't get it.
Idiot, as I said.
If only there was a way to communicate.
Harry's bent down, too.
And it occurs to me.
Dust.
I stick out my right front paw and draw a line onto the dirty floor.
And another one, and another one, and a final one.
"What's he doing?", Harry asks.
"Looks like - he's writing something. Look."
What an astute observation, Sirius.
Wand.
The word is clearly and legibly written into the dust.
I add an arrow pointing to the exact position of the wand.
"He's - he's found Reg's wand", Sirius whispers. "Look."
"Yeah, I can see it", Harry confirms.
Accio, I write.
Why didn't I come up with this sooner?
Oh, right. I was supposed to be a cat.
"Are you sure?", Sirius wants to know. He's asking me.
I nod.
"You really are a smart cat", he smiles at me.
Come on, are you really that oblivious?
Just like Harry.
Both of them wouldn't recognise the obvious if it sat right in front of them, writing stuff into the dust, and had a pansy face.
Wait.
Sirius exhales shakily and nods, drawing his wand.
"Accio, Reg's wand", he whispers.
The wand listens to him. It comes closer, whirling up mud, and pops above the surface. I catch it with my mouth.
Mine, I write.
I begin licking it clean.
"Wait, what?", Harry frowns. He's still got no clue. As I'm saying, oblivious as hell. Same with my brother.
"What do you mean, yours?", he asks me in bewilderment.
It's me, I write.
"Reg?"
I nod and smirk, then continue cleaning my wand. I'm almost done.
"What?", Harry blurts.
"You're an animagus?"
I nod. The wand is clean. It stinks a bit, but that's going to wear off. I pick it up with my mouth.
"Did you - fake your own death? And you lost your wand?"
I nod. Embarrassing, but true.
"That's why you wanted to come here!"
"Wait", Harry interrupts. "Sirius, is this cat your brother?"
"Of course. Sly little beast. He looks nothing like that, though. Except for his deadly glares. Did you see the way he looks at Fleur?"
Is Fleur the annoying blonde Frenchwoman? Who thinks I'm adorable? Probably. I conclude I don't particularly like Fleur.
"So being an unregistered Animagus runs in the family, doesn't it?", Harry winks.
"Seems so", Sirius says with a lopsided grin, but his breath is shaking.

There are people all around me, which I don't appreciate.
"Sirius, are you sure?", Hermione asks in concern.
Alright, actually it's just Ron, her, Harry, and Sirius. But that's enough for me.
"He found it and wrote things, like I said. I'm telling you."
"It would make sense, you know", Ron shrugs. "Because he helped you with Scabbers - I mean, Pettigrew. - Hermione?"
"Yeah?"
His expression is filled to the brim with glee. "I'm not the only one whose pet wasn't actually a pet. Just saying."
"Maybe", Hermione replies without missing a beat. "But mine's a hero."
Sirius beams at that. My heart races. The words are resonating within it. Me, Regulus Black, a hero. Feels good.
"Regulus?", he asks softly. "Will you transfigure back?"
I let my gaze wander between the four faces. One belongs to my brother. The others, even Ron's, have become friendly to me.
We're at home. Grimmauld Place.
And my wand, still in my mouth, warms up softly.
I think it's time.

My hair is long and untidy, my robes too tight, exposing my white shins and knuckles, the shoes long gone, I got rid of them before I transfigured into a cat for the first and only time in my life.
While I'm still sat on the wooden floor, Sirius attacks me with a hug instantly, and I hit him as hard as I can. His body produces a hollow thud.
"OW!", he yells. "What was that for, you fucking arsehole?!"
"I am not soft", I smirk. "I hope you understood."
"I did", he snaps, rubbing his lower back.
I hug him again. "Alright then. Brother."
"Alright then, little shit. Get up already."
And I do. I give Harry, Ron and Hermione a shy look, and they smile.
"Nice to meet you", Hermione says politely.
"And you", I answer.
Harry grins, and I nod at him.
Sirius has convinced me to come to the kitchen and eat - I'm hungry, obviously, and I might meet Kreacher.
"Could you please admit now that you did stick your tongue out at me in Australia?", Ron hisses as we walk through the door.
"Why would I commit such an infantile act?", I say innocently, pretending to be shocked at the insinuation.
"You were a cat."
"Alright, perhaps my cat self was a little bit childish -"
"Hermione!", Ron yells. "He admitted it! He admitted he stuck his tongue out at me -"
I can't help it, I just have to laugh at him.
Hermione joins in.
"Serves you right", says Harry with a smirk.
"Why did you do that!", Ron exclaims. "You're supposed to be a grown man!"
"Because he's an idiot", Sirius smiles. "My little idiot brother. Right, Reggie?"
I frown, a smug look on my face. "I think I'm taller than you."
"You're still little."
I snort.
"Love you, Sirius", I whisper, only for him to be heard.
"Love you, too, Regulus."

Being me again does feel good. But having my brother back after all this time feels best.