Allergy
June, 1979
This was all Lily's fault
"Jaaaames," Lily had cooed, wrapped in a blanket and curled up against him with a cup of hot cocoa as they watched the fire.
"Yes love."
"You should get a cat."
"A cat?"
"A cat."
"A feline-type, fluffy, meowing cat?"
"Yes, James, a feline-type fluffy meowing cat."
James had paused and thought for a moment, resting his cheek against the top of her head. "Why?" he asked finally.
"Because! They're positively adorable, and this is really beginning to feel like home. The only thing missing is a cat."
James perked up. "If I get a cat, will you move in, then?"
Lily smiled and leaned forward, planting a gentle kiss on James' lips. "Perhaps."
So James got a cat. A feline-type, fluffy, meowing cat.
So far, James had had to replace the curtains, the bedspread, and was currently crouched in front of the sofa, surveying the damage. Lily was cradling the cat, cooing to it softly. "James, she has such beautiful markings. Where did you find her?"
"Hm?" He pretended not to pay attention and carried on pointedly scowling at the clawmarks on the sofa.
As far as Lily knew, James and Wendy (Lily's name choice, not his) were marvelous friends; and, as far as James knew, this fact was directly connected to the fact that Lily's drawer was rapidly becoming Lily's dresser, James' closet becoming Lily's closet, and that the rest of the house now held a significantly feminine air it hadn't even come close to since James' mother had bustled around it at all hours of the day.
So even though James frequently shouted at the cat when Lily was out, and even though the cat took a fresh attempt at destroying James' furniture on a daily basis, even Wendy seemed to understand the importance of Lily's presence, and actually behaved itself when she was home.
James sneezed.
"Do you still have that cold?" Lily asked with concern, walking slowly over to him, still holding the cat. James couldn't help but notice that the cat was making strangely purposeful motions with her tail such that it wagged under James' nose as Lily fussed over him. James leaned away as Lily placed a hand on his forehead.
"Yes," he said stubbornly, sneezing thrice more and finally standing up to walk away from the pair. "I think we'd best replace the sofa too, Lils."
"Oh, it's not so bad, is it Wendy?"
"Meow," said Wendy, and promptly began purring happily.
James stared at Lily in utter disbelief. "Are you looking at the same sofa I am? It's torn to ruddy shreds."
Lily pulled her attention away from the cat and frowned disapprovingly at James. "There's really no need to get terse."
James continued to stare. Lily continued to coo. Wendy continued to purr, all the while staring contentedly at James' aggravated expression.
James sneezed powerfully. He fell dramatically onto the ground in a heap and groaned.
"You know she has the most peculiar markings around her eyes, almost as though she's wearing glasses," Lily noted, ignoring James. "She's such a smart cat."
"That she is," came James' muffled and disgruntled response from the floor.
As the large grandfather clock in the corner struck one, Wendy struggled to remove herself from Lily's grip. Lily gingerly put the cat on the floor; the furry creature walked daintily over to the door and, pulling out her claws, began to paw at the door, creating shallow marks in the mahogany finish.
"All right then, off you go," Lily told Wendy as she pelted out into the yard and around the corner. Lily watched her fondly before quietly shutting the door, taking out her wand, and repairing all the destroyed furniture in the house, including the door.
James sputtered. "But… that's…"
"Far easier than buying new furniture every time she claws something up, isn't it?" Lily grinned, taking James' face in her hands and kissing him gently. "Thank you for putting up with her, James. I know it isn't easy with your allergies."
James gaped. "You know I'm allergic?"
"Of course, silly. It's hardly coincidence that you get a cold when Wendy's in the room and it miraculously disappears at all other times."
"Why did you just pretend as though you thought I had a cold?!" James asked, somewhat hysterically.
Lily smiled as she walked into the kitchen. "Well, we wouldn't want to make Wendy feel guilty for making you sneeze, now, would we?"
"No," James muttered, "we wouldn't want that." However, as Lily's sweet voice reached his ears as she began to sing while she made them lunch, James once again recalled how gloriously worth it having a cat was if it meant that he got to have Lily, too.
--
Minerva McGonagall knocked quietly upon the door before entering. Dumbledore sat at his desk, stroking a beautiful Fawkes with one hand and staring expectantly at the door with a smile as she entered. "Ah, Minerva, excellent. How are they faring?" he asked her.
"Quite well," she said. "They don't seem to be in any immediate danger… putting aside the fact that I suspect James is allergic to cats and that he's merely putting on a brave show to please Lily."
"Ah. Are we sure he isn't merely allergic to cats who tear up all his furniture?"
McGonagall's mouth twitched into a smile. "I daresay it's due penance for all the hair he caused me to tear out of my head over the years."
Dumbledore chuckled. "I imagine Lily repairs it when he's not looking."
McGonagall continued to smile as she sat down in front of Dumbledore's desk. "She tests every so often to see if James suspects; remarking on my glasses and so on. He seems quite oblivious."
Dumbledore nodded. "Well, it was you, not I, who supposed James would never accept the protection if he knew it was there."
McGonagall pursed her lips. "Let us hope he never finds out."
Dumbledore and Minerva fell silent, each staring contemplatively at the floor. Dumbledore chuckled suddenly. "There is one thing I always forget to ask you, Minerva: how did you have James find you specifically over any other cat?"
Minerva, now, chuckled with the memory. "I merely marched into the house one day when he'd opened the door and quickly made myself at home on the sofa. He stared at me for several minutes and eventually just shrugged, saying, 'well that saves me a bit of work now doesn't it?'"
Dumbledore smiled. "Ingenious. I'm sure Lily is comforted of your presence."
McGonagall's smile faded. "I doubt very much that my presence increases her sense of security, as my being there implies they require protection."
The pair exchanged a solemn look before Minerva got up and left the office without another word in order to return to James and Lily's residence as quickly as possible.