From One Feline to another - alternate version
When I first sent this fic into be posted at hpfic_contest, I did so without adding in most of the tags in the story. Now, thankfully, it's been edited, and the tags are in place. The original version of the fic can be found here. Enjoy! ^__^
Title: From One Feline to another
Rating: G
Character/Pairings: Professor McGonagall (Harry Potter) and Shihouin Youruichi (Bleach)
Warnings/Spoilers: HBP for Harry Potter and episode 41 for Bleach
Word Count: 1,132
“Hm…” she said with a frown, crossing her arms over her chest, which strained against the fabric of her catsuit. The corner of her mouth twitched downward as she surveyed the school grounds beneath her. They spilled out from the monstrosity of a building she crouched atop now, its students milling about, if atypically slowly.
Curiosity gathering in her golden eyes, she leapt from the tower she had until then stood on, and she became no more than a black blur streaking across the clear blue sky.
“So there has been a death here recently…”
And with those words, she touched down on the grass without pain or scratch.
This shouldn’t have surprised anyone.
Cats always land on four paws after falling, after all.
-
She stumbled across the tabby at five-thirty, when most of the students had retired from the grounds due to the darkening sky. The tabby stalked about as though guarding something, her back held stiff and her tail swishing from side to side rhythmically.
“Hmph. I never knew that British cats were so rigid.”
The tabby hissed and whipped around. “Did you say something, intruder?”
“Oh?” The black cat blinked at her grey-brown counterpart, and she sat to indicate that she did not wish to initiate violent action. “Did I say that aloud?”
“Who are you, intruder?” The tabby stalked closer, her eyes lowered, the speed of her tail’s movements increasing.
“Well, if you’re going to be so curious…” If a cat could smirk, the black cat was certainly doing it now. “…you may just call me Youruichi.”
The tabby stopped moving, though she kept her eyes locked firmly on Youruichi’s. “What is your business here?”
“Glad you asked. Though I’d much rather conduct business with you if we’re both human.” And as easily as if she’d been batting a piece of string, Youruichi flicked her tail and transformed. No longer was there a black cat standing before the shocked tabby. Now, a dark-skinned woman knelt, naked, heavily-lashed lids masking her golden eyes. She opened them, and now her smirk revealed half a canine peeking out from her mouth. “And now you… Professor McGonagall.”
-
“You never answered me before,” the new headmistress said, adjusting her green robes and spectacles. As before, her eyes never left the now-clothed Youruichi’s, and as before, Youruichi continued smiling in a way that McGonagall knew was condescending. “What is your business here?”
Youruichi folded her hands, the supposedly ever-present quirky of her lips vanishing. “I have no technical business,” she said, her voice solemn and smooth. “I’d sensed and continue to sense that there are a multitude of ghosts in this building-” She here gestured to the walls of the great hall about her. “-that need to be purified, but it is not my responsibility to rid their spirits of this place. What I want to know… is what occurred here one week ago.”
Something caught in the headmistress’ throat. Youruichi, taking this as a sign that McGonagall knew what had happened, continued. “Exactly seven days ago today, one Albus Dumbledore died suddenly, in such a way that none of the Gotei Thirteen could fathom. His spirit has since arrived in Rukongai, though the means of his death are still unknown. I came here to put my own curiosity to rest, hoping that you could shed some light on what happened last week. And so, Professor McGonagall…” Youruichi raised her eyes to the professor, who, she noticed, was struggling to keep her face neutral. “…I ask you to tell me all you know.”
McGonagall swallowed. It mattered not that this Youruichi woman knew that the former head of Hogwarts had perished; it was who she was that mystified her beyond belief. Gotei Thirteen? Rukongai? What do those mean, and how did they relate to Albus’ death? “Youruichi… how do you know what you do?”
“I have a contact in the Karakura district of Japan that possesses connections with the realm of the dead - Soul Society.” Something clicked in McGonagall’s head; she’d heard of Soul Society, read about it in a text book once, though nothing had been done to prove its existence. It was an entirely western concept… so then why did this foreign animagus know of it?
“Prove it to me, then,” McGonagall said, voice stern and eyes still. “Prove to me that he is there.”
And suddenly, the smirk on Youruichi’s face was back. “I knew you would ask that.” Reaching inside a fold of her catsuit, Youruichi produced a slim, foil-wrapped packet. If McGonagall squinted, she could just make out the yellow text emblazoned on its side. “They’re…”
“…lemon drops,” Youruichi finished, satisfied. “They’ve become quite a commodity in Soul Society since your Albus has arrived. My friend in Karakura received a shipment of them a few days ago; he can’t get enough of them.” She shook her head here, as if to say that Urahara is hopeless. “So, is that proof enough for you?”
McGonagall swallowed and sighed. While losing a battle of wills was never something she rather enjoyed, she knew that she was beaten. “I suppose so. I… I will tell you now.” And Youruichi remained silent as the professor spoke of curses and half-blood princes.
“Avada Kedavra?” Youruichi inquired, quirking her eyebrow. “That was the incantation that killed him?”
“That’s correct.” Now that McGonagall was done, her voice had gone back to being stern.
“I see.” The dark-skinned woman stood and brushed and invisible piece of dust from her catsuit. “Well, now that that’s over with…”
“So you’re leaving then?”
Youruichi turned toward the headmistress, a smile flickering briefly on her face, like a candle beneath her bright yellow eyes. “Yes. My friend in Karakura asked me to return quickly, and now that my business here has been take care of, I’ve no further reason to stay.” Only silence greeted this. Youruichi closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, then, after she let it out, spoke a final time. “You’ll see him again, your Albus. When your time comes to pass on, you’ll transcend to Soul Society. And he’ll be there… waiting for you.”
McGonagall’s form relaxed visibly at this. Youruichi watched as bespectacled woman smiled, reassured that Dumbledore was gone but not gone, and before she could stop herself, Youruichi felt a catlike smile bloom on her own face.
“Thank you very much… Youruichi.”
Youruichi chuckled shortly. Her body fell away as she transformed back into a feline. A dark blur streaked toward the window as the transfiguration ended, and if the headmistress strained her ears, she thought she heard her speak but once more.
“No problem… Professor McGonagall.”
And in seconds, the black cat had gone, leaving only a packet of lemon drops behind to show that she had ever been there at all.
Title: From One Feline to another
Rating: G
Character/Pairings: Professor McGonagall (Harry Potter) and Shihouin Youruichi (Bleach)
Warnings/Spoilers: HBP for Harry Potter and episode 41 for Bleach
Word Count: 1,132
“Hm…” she said with a frown, crossing her arms over her chest, which strained against the fabric of her catsuit. The corner of her mouth twitched downward as she surveyed the school grounds beneath her. They spilled out from the monstrosity of a building she crouched atop now, its students milling about, if atypically slowly.
Curiosity gathering in her golden eyes, she leapt from the tower she had until then stood on, and she became no more than a black blur streaking across the clear blue sky.
“So there has been a death here recently…”
And with those words, she touched down on the grass without pain or scratch.
This shouldn’t have surprised anyone.
Cats always land on four paws after falling, after all.
-
She stumbled across the tabby at five-thirty, when most of the students had retired from the grounds due to the darkening sky. The tabby stalked about as though guarding something, her back held stiff and her tail swishing from side to side rhythmically.
“Hmph. I never knew that British cats were so rigid.”
The tabby hissed and whipped around. “Did you say something, intruder?”
“Oh?” The black cat blinked at her grey-brown counterpart, and she sat to indicate that she did not wish to initiate violent action. “Did I say that aloud?”
“Who are you, intruder?” The tabby stalked closer, her eyes lowered, the speed of her tail’s movements increasing.
“Well, if you’re going to be so curious…” If a cat could smirk, the black cat was certainly doing it now. “…you may just call me Youruichi.”
The tabby stopped moving, though she kept her eyes locked firmly on Youruichi’s. “What is your business here?”
“Glad you asked. Though I’d much rather conduct business with you if we’re both human.” And as easily as if she’d been batting a piece of string, Youruichi flicked her tail and transformed. No longer was there a black cat standing before the shocked tabby. Now, a dark-skinned woman knelt, naked, heavily-lashed lids masking her golden eyes. She opened them, and now her smirk revealed half a canine peeking out from her mouth. “And now you… Professor McGonagall.”
-
“You never answered me before,” the new headmistress said, adjusting her green robes and spectacles. As before, her eyes never left the now-clothed Youruichi’s, and as before, Youruichi continued smiling in a way that McGonagall knew was condescending. “What is your business here?”
Youruichi folded her hands, the supposedly ever-present quirky of her lips vanishing. “I have no technical business,” she said, her voice solemn and smooth. “I’d sensed and continue to sense that there are a multitude of ghosts in this building-” She here gestured to the walls of the great hall about her. “-that need to be purified, but it is not my responsibility to rid their spirits of this place. What I want to know… is what occurred here one week ago.”
Something caught in the headmistress’ throat. Youruichi, taking this as a sign that McGonagall knew what had happened, continued. “Exactly seven days ago today, one Albus Dumbledore died suddenly, in such a way that none of the Gotei Thirteen could fathom. His spirit has since arrived in Rukongai, though the means of his death are still unknown. I came here to put my own curiosity to rest, hoping that you could shed some light on what happened last week. And so, Professor McGonagall…” Youruichi raised her eyes to the professor, who, she noticed, was struggling to keep her face neutral. “…I ask you to tell me all you know.”
McGonagall swallowed. It mattered not that this Youruichi woman knew that the former head of Hogwarts had perished; it was who she was that mystified her beyond belief. Gotei Thirteen? Rukongai? What do those mean, and how did they relate to Albus’ death? “Youruichi… how do you know what you do?”
“I have a contact in the Karakura district of Japan that possesses connections with the realm of the dead - Soul Society.” Something clicked in McGonagall’s head; she’d heard of Soul Society, read about it in a text book once, though nothing had been done to prove its existence. It was an entirely western concept… so then why did this foreign animagus know of it?
“Prove it to me, then,” McGonagall said, voice stern and eyes still. “Prove to me that he is there.”
And suddenly, the smirk on Youruichi’s face was back. “I knew you would ask that.” Reaching inside a fold of her catsuit, Youruichi produced a slim, foil-wrapped packet. If McGonagall squinted, she could just make out the yellow text emblazoned on its side. “They’re…”
“…lemon drops,” Youruichi finished, satisfied. “They’ve become quite a commodity in Soul Society since your Albus has arrived. My friend in Karakura received a shipment of them a few days ago; he can’t get enough of them.” She shook her head here, as if to say that Urahara is hopeless. “So, is that proof enough for you?”
McGonagall swallowed and sighed. While losing a battle of wills was never something she rather enjoyed, she knew that she was beaten. “I suppose so. I… I will tell you now.” And Youruichi remained silent as the professor spoke of curses and half-blood princes.
“Avada Kedavra?” Youruichi inquired, quirking her eyebrow. “That was the incantation that killed him?”
“That’s correct.” Now that McGonagall was done, her voice had gone back to being stern.
“I see.” The dark-skinned woman stood and brushed and invisible piece of dust from her catsuit. “Well, now that that’s over with…”
“So you’re leaving then?”
Youruichi turned toward the headmistress, a smile flickering briefly on her face, like a candle beneath her bright yellow eyes. “Yes. My friend in Karakura asked me to return quickly, and now that my business here has been take care of, I’ve no further reason to stay.” Only silence greeted this. Youruichi closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, then, after she let it out, spoke a final time. “You’ll see him again, your Albus. When your time comes to pass on, you’ll transcend to Soul Society. And he’ll be there… waiting for you.”
McGonagall’s form relaxed visibly at this. Youruichi watched as bespectacled woman smiled, reassured that Dumbledore was gone but not gone, and before she could stop herself, Youruichi felt a catlike smile bloom on her own face.
“Thank you very much… Youruichi.”
Youruichi chuckled shortly. Her body fell away as she transformed back into a feline. A dark blur streaked toward the window as the transfiguration ended, and if the headmistress strained her ears, she thought she heard her speak but once more.
“No problem… Professor McGonagall.”
And in seconds, the black cat had gone, leaving only a packet of lemon drops behind to show that she had ever been there at all.