Room 308, Saturday afternoon

[smartestone]

Crookshanks had left the room late last night and hasn't been back, but Hermione isn't too worried. She's just been looking through some books she'd gotten last time she went home, kind of wishing she had a real class to deal with.

However, when a middle-aged man pushed the door the rest of the way open with his head and proceeded to walk in like he owned the place, that was enough to get Hermione to look up. "...Can I help you?" Who knew? It was Fandom, maybe this was normal.

He didn't answer, but turned around once or twice in the middle of the floor like he was looking for the perfect spot, and then settled into a sitting position.

"Excuse me," Hermione says. "This is my room."

He looks back, wondering why he can't whap his tail against anything. "Food?" he asks.

"You can get your own food," frowns Hermione. "Elsewhere!"

He got up again, kicking lightly at the empty food bowl near the foot of Hermione's bed.

And then Hermione remembers that it is Fandom. "...Oh my god."

Comments

[the_merriest]

Rikku bounced back from her meeting completely coincidental encounter with people at Luke's. "Hermione! Hey! How've y--"

There was a middle-aged man standing in their room, kicking Crookshanks's food bowl.

Her roommate looked about as surprised as she felt.

This ... this was weird, even for Fandom.

"Wh-- what the --"

[smartestone]

"I think he's my cat," Hermione explains, still looking at Crookshanks.

Crookshanks has by the way completely ignored the arrival of another person into the room.

[the_merriest]

Rikku looked at the man, then at Hermione. Then at the man, then at Hermione again.

"Okay, something is seriously wrong with this island, okay!?"

[smartestone]

"I've noticed!" Hermione says, a little more loudly than she'd meant.

Crookshanks looks up at them both, then starts watching a spider crawl across the floor. It's more interesting.

"This is going to wear off, right?" asks Hermione.

[the_merriest]

"Totally!" Rikku said, nodding hopefully. "It has to! Everything else does, right? I mean Jude was a kitty, and then --"

She covered her mouth, giggling madly.

When she could talk again, she managed, "I'm so glad he has clothes."

[smartestone]

"...Oh my god," Hermione says again.

Crookshanks jumps forward, trying to catch the spider with his feet. Unfortunately, not used to these feet, he smushed it. When he sees this, he frowns, and walks back to the dish. "Food?"

[the_merriest]

Rikku couldn't stop laughing. "Hey, Crookshanks! You can talk! Hi!"

Then flailed a little. "Dude! Hermione! You can ask him all kinds of questions now! Like 'why are you so weird' and 'why are you grumpy all of the time' and 'am I a good pet owner' and that!"

[smartestone]

"I'm not asking him those things!" Hermione protests. "Crookshanks, you probably shouldn't be eating cat food right now."

Crookshanks ignores her.

"The weird things usually skip me," Hermione realizes. "Can I go back to it skipping me?"

[the_merriest]

Rikku walked over to Crookshanks, then held her hand out to let him sniff it. "Do you still want me to scritch your ears?"

And laughed to Hermione. "Then I think you're about due. These things usually wear off at the end of the weekend. Besides, it's kinda funny."

[smartestone]

"This is disturbing," Hermione says.

Which might be more or less obvious when Crookshanks sniffs Rikku's hand, and holds out his neck like he's expecting- no, demanding- to be petted.

[the_merriest]

Rikku giggled and scritched Crookshanks's neck accordingly. "Awwww. Who's a good kitty. And I think it's cute. You're totally missing out, here."

[smartestone]

"You have no idea what this looks like from here," Hemione says slowly.

[the_merriest]

Rikku looked over. "What? He's a good kitty."

[smartestone]

Crookshanks tries to nuzzle her hand, then gets bored and goes to sit cross-legged by the food bowl.

Hermione sighs. "Do you have anything that isn't... kibble?"

[the_merriest]

Rikku thought for a minute. "Like, snacks and stuff? I have some chips and crackers, but not anything, like, a meal?"

[smartestone]

Crookshanks gives an approving nod at that.

"I think he's good with that," Hermione says, and a moment later she looks down at her hand, and finds Crookshanks now sitting right next to her, sniffing her hand before licking it. "Okay, Crookshanks, you can't do that right now," she says quickly.

[the_merriest]

Rikku dug out her snack supply and handed a couple of boxes to Hermione. "That's cute! And kinda ... not so cute, as much. Wow. I see what you mean about, uh, disturbing."

[smartestone]

Hermione takes the boxes, nodding a lot. "Um, Crookshanks, I'm not going to feed you. You have hands. You can use them."

Crookshanks looks at her, completely understanding and silently saying Or you'll feed me.

[the_merriest]

"I dunno, Hermione," said Rikku lightly. "If he won't feed himself, I guess he's just not that hungry. I'll have to take my crackers back."

[smartestone]

Crookshanks frowns at her. "Food," he insists. "Food."

"Crookshanks, you can't eat from a bowl," Hermione countered. "You're human at the moment."

He snifs and tries to look like he's fine with this arrangement, but if they don't feed him he'll be bugging them again in five minutes.