Mama Kit
August 15, 1991
Severus apparated outside the bounds of muggle London before making his way to Little Surrey. He stood across the street from number 4 Privet Drive for the second week in a row. Why did he decide to do this? He had no idea. What he did know was that there was something off about this family. The whole time he had been spying on the muggle family, he rarely saw the Potter boy. He arrived just after the brat’s 11th birthday though he let Hagrid deliver the letter to him. When the half giant returned to him later that day, he told him how the family was out of the ordinary and there was something off about the boy. He was way too small for his age. In addition to that, the boy seemed a bit skittish, jumping at even the smallest of sounds. Hagrid mentioned how when he took the child to go get his school supplies the child flinched when he touched his shoulder.
When mentioned to the Headmaster, Albus seemed to shrug it off as being disciplined. Both Severus and Hagrid simply looked at each other, but it was then and there that the Potions Master promised himself that he would go back and really check on the child. Severus was well aware that Albus had a thing for sending abused children back to their abusers, so here he was standing outside the Dursley home watching every interaction. The things that he found made his stomach churn. The entire time he stood watching he noticed that the Potter boy hardly spent anytime inside. He had seen the child come out the back earlier this morning and relieved himself in the backyard like some barnyard animal before quickly cleaning himself and getting a drink of water from the hose out back.
He shifted into his Kayte form in order to cross the street and get a better look inside. Since he was fully matured he knew how to hide the horns and wings that he had. Anyone who saw him would think he was just an ordinary stray cat. He watched as Potter worked like a house elf the entire day. He cooked meals for the family meals with disconcerting ease and when his whale of a cousin caused him to trip and spill the eggs, he watched as Petunia screamed and slapped the boy hard across the face with one of the plates. It took every part of him not to storm into that house and curse the woman within an inch of her life because as much as he despised Potter, no one deserved to be treated that way. Severus watched as the horse-faced bitch went to work and her son leave for school. The boy’s uncle came down stairs and Severus could detect the look of pure fear in his eyes.
The man closed the curtains so he could not see through the windows, however with his hearing, he could hear the sound of laughing and crying. And when the man walked out of the house he was fixing his belt and had a satisfied smirk on his face. Severus felt his stomach turn and his heart begin to race. “No. No,no,no ” he thought to himself. “It can't be”. He raced to the back of the house where the child was tending the garden. He got closer and he forced himself not to vomit at the detectable smell of semen. He walked up to the boy and bumped him with his nose. The child looked into his eyes and something seemed to go off in Severus, but he couldn’t tell why that was.
“Hello,” the boy said while he gently pet him on his head. Severus let out a purr before he knew what he was doing. This caused the child to smile and scratch him under his chin. The Potions Masters rubbed against the child, letting him pet him to his heart’s desire. There was something about the child that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
Potter didn’t seem to be afraid of him. If anything the boy looked relieved to have someone or something that wouldn’t hurt him. He pranced around the child trying to get any reaction from him. He gave a small smile when he ran around him coming from either side of him. He took the end of his shirt and urged him to come play with him. Potter contemplated it for a moment, looking between the flowers he was tending to and him. Making up his mind, the boy got up, wincing as he did so. They ran around the backyard for hours with the child laughing and giggling when he, Severus, pawed at him or licked his face.
Still there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Taking a chance, he released his horns and wings for the boy to see. Instead of being scared the child looked at him curiously. He sat on his haunches and waited to see what he would do. They seemed to stare at each other for a few seconds before the boy suddenly morphed before his eyes.
Where there was a small boy now sat a kitten. But not just any kitten Severus noticed. The boy was a Kayte kitten. His small body was almost completely black save for patches of silver, one on his forehead where his scar was and all along his back. He had a very small horn in the center of his head and small black wings. If he didn’t know any better Severus would’ve thought that the boy looked like...him.
The revelation had him widening his eyes. He jumped back from the little one but that didn’t seem to deter him at all for the kitten thought he was playing a game. He pounced after him and Severus stopped to observe him.
Ma-ma-ma mama
Again Severus jumped back from the kit. He heard a little voice in his head. It was soft and scared, but it was definitely there. ‘It can’t be. I just can’t be.’ Was this his Hadrian? His baby?
He laid down on his stomach and let out a soft rumble that sounded like a mix between a purr and a coo. This caused Potter to walk up to him and bump his nose. Then he heard the voice in his head again
Mama. Mama
He reached out to the child through his mind and called out, “Kit”
The small Kayte walked up to him and nuzzled up to his side. Severus wasted no time and started grooming him. The little one mewed and purred. When he was done Severus curled protectively around the Kayte kitten who was slowly falling asleep. And if someone saw a tear slip out of the eyes of the big, winged cat’s eyes, well that was okay with him.