#self induldgement baybeeeee

[bloofinntoona]

A Whisker Away

Word Count: 4.4 k

Themes: major fluff, a lot of friendship, sebastian sallow x f!reader x ominis gaunt

Summary: your transfiguration spell had gone wrong - you were stuck as a cat for the day. it wasn't bad, after all you get to spend time with your friends in a new perspective - even you get to confess to the boys that you had been harboring feelings for.

So bright.

You blinked a few times, adjusting to the blinding sunlight shining through the trees in the courtyard. Everything was brighter and clearer. Your body felt significantly lighter and nimbler. The grounds felt rough and hot. The spell works! You tried to yell, but what came out from your mouth was a loud "Meow!"

"It's not a difficult spell, Y/N." Professor Weasley smiled, her motherly aura was always comforting. She was very patient in teaching you some basic spells that were already taught in the first four years of the Wizarding School. But alas, you only had a couple of years to catch up before your N.E.W.Ts.

A year passed after the Ranrok incident, you've aced your O.W.Ls, and you've made great friends along the way - especially your unbreakable bond with two infamous Slytherin boys. The three of you were inseparable, and the school knows that. However, on that specific day, Professor Weasley asked you to study the Transfiguration spell by yourself. Conveniently, Sebastian and Ominis also had to do their assignments.

You found yourself in the middle of an empty courtyard, wand ready in your grasp. You imagined a black feline cat, similar to a cat that your family had back home in London. With a gentle swish of your wand, a blue light sparked, surrounding you as you quickly shrank down, and soft black fur covered your whole body. 

At least it works, you thought, Now I just need to get back to my human form. To your horror, your head blanked - no memory of how to do so. You eyed your wand, raking your brain as to how to actually hold the stick and cast the Untransfiguration spell. You started to panic, especially after hearing a hoard of footsteps approaching the courtyard. You hesitantly bit the wand, strutting to a hidden spot just behind the bushes, and set your wand there. Hopeful that it would stay hidden until you transform back into a human. 

The experience wasn't as bad as you thought, you received a lot of compliments and pats from the students. You finished your class schedule for the day anyways, so no Professors would be worried about your whereabouts. 

In the corner of your eyes, you spotted a small girl, hunched by herself. Zenobia Noke! You thought. It was the girl that you helped finding gobstones all over the school. You felt bad, really, even though she was a bit odd, she didn't deserve to be ostracized for a mere game. You made your way to the girl, earning a sincere smile.

"Oh, hi kitty!" she beamed, patting your head. "Want to play with me?"

You meowed in response. It's not like anyone is looking for you at the moment. 

"Great!" Zenobia chuckled before going on about the game rules. You were slightly bewildered why this girl would go that far for a cat, but you shrug it off. You knew the rules obviously, being coerced to play by none other than Sebastian a while back. Somehow Zenobia wasn't suspicious that a cat was pretty deft playing the game, even winning once against her, spraying a God-awful stench towards the poor Ravenclaw.

"I've never had this much fun in a while," she giggled, even though she smelled horrendous, "I must say goodbye though, good cat. I need a shower."

As she left you, she shouted, "I'll see you again, Gobby!"

You were amused by the name, Zenobia was an odd girl after all, but she wasn't as bad as you thought. I guess I'm Gobby now. You chuckled to yourself.

As you were walking past the hallway, your nose picked up an interesting smell - a mix of marshmallows, grass, and burning rubber. Not long after, you heard a loud BANG!, followed by a massive purple smoke coming out from the male's lavatory. A few first-year students ran out of the premises, shouting as their bodies were covered in what seemed like purple dust. You shook your head, surely it was the fault of a certain Gryffindor boy. 

You marched into the bathroom, finding Garreth Weasley leaning against the bathroom wall, coughing his lungs out. You dimwit, what did you do this time? You wanted to say it out loud, but all you could do was utter another Meow. "Hello?!" he jumped, "Oh, it's just a cat." He laughed at himself, crouching down to pat your back, which was now littered with purple dust.

"You see, I'm in a predicament here." The redhead looked at what seemed like a destroyed toilet stall - or whatever was left of it. A cauldron filled with a sorry excuse of a potion was placed on top of the toilet, different rare ingredients (not sure where he got them from) scattered all over the floor. "I was testing my greatest invention. But you know what they say, there is no success without failure."

If you were in your human form, you most likely already had your face buried in your palms. You don't even remember the day when Garreth succeeded in his "inventions". As you were looking around for the cleaning supplies, the door bursted open, revealing another redhead - Leander Prewett stomped into the room, face red filled with anger.

His voice was calm in comparison to his visible veins popped on his temples, "I knew it was you again when I saw those poor first-years covered in purple dust!" he crossed his arms, "Do you know how many points had been taken out of Gryffindor because of you?!"

Garreth put his hand up and smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry?" He sighed loudly, "I'll clean it up before anyone else noticed. Really. Plus, this little cat here will help." Garreth winked at you.

You groaned internally, the sheer audacity of this man. "Oh, I didn't see you there." Leander flashed you a smile, also giving you a gentle pat on your head, "Sorry you had to see this, cat, but we need your help in saving Gryffindor's house points." He gave Garreth a vicious side-eye, "Would you help us sneak into Professor Sharp's storage room so I can steal a jar of Blatta Pulvereus?"

You nodded, forgetting that you should've acted like a normal cat: not understanding human gestures. The two Gryffindor students just shrugged, probably too deep into their plan of cleaning the mess before anyone else noticed. Garreth decided to stay and tidy up as best as he could, while Leander took you in his arms, striding towards the Potions class. "The plan is simple. I'll sneak you in through a small opening on the wall, and I shall tell Professor Sharp that my pet cat wandered into the room. He'll give me permission to go in," he grins mischievously, "Unlike Weasley, my records are squeaky clean."

Leander paused for a bit, the silence was a little awkward if you had to be honest. You never had the chance to talk to Leander a lot, your Slytherin friends often made unsavory remarks towards Prewett, and you weren't surprised since there was an unspoken tension between the two houses. "Since you're a cat, I'll be truly honest," his voice was low, almost inaudible, "I appreciate my friendship with Weasley. He's a menace and a serial troublemaker, but he always makes me laugh. He was the first person to say hi to me during our first year - and guess what? They thought I was a Weasley too!" he ended his confession with a laugh.

Leander and you arrived at the potions class in no time. He let you down, pointing towards a small hole leading into the storage room, perfectly fitting your nimble body. You gave him a meow and sneaked into the room. You overheard the brief conversation between Leander and Professor Sharp, the man was definitely too tired that he approved the request right away. In no time, the door clicked, and Leander winked at you. He grabbed the Blatta Pulvereus jar in a jiffy, stuffing it in his pocket, and scooped you up again in his arms. Leander thanked the Professor, who replied with an obviously annoyed grunt.

“Nice job, cat!” Leander grinned widely, “I think you deserve a name - Ginger!” He laughed at his own joke, “You might have black fur, but you can be the third member in our redhead trio.”

You meowed loudly in response, it’s definitely a better name that whatever Zenobia came up with earlier. The two of you practically ran back to the lavatory. “Just the people I wanted to see!” Garreth greeted with a toothy smile, “You took your sweet time… I had to pretend I had a terrible bowel sickness to make sure people stay away from the bathroom.”

Leander was visibly disgusted. “Whatever, here, work your magic.” He handed Garreth the ingredient. The Gryffindor boys quickly spray it all over the purple residue, promptly diminishing any proof of Weasley’s “failed” experiment. The boys high-fived each other, and they both gave you pats, “Welcome to the redhead trio, Ginger,” Leander and Garreth laughed, “You are more than welcome to join our, more legit, adventures next time.”

“Oh, I bet Ginger is hungry!” Garreth pulled out a black-ish jello from his satchel, “I made this super food that makes you not hungry for days- Wait!”

You walked away quickly from the two Gryffindor boys, I will definitely die if I eat that, you thought, shivering.

Garreth’s remark about food did make you realize you haven’t had anything since breakfast. Your stomach started to rumble, signaling that you need some substance if you have to continue your journey. You were busy thinking about how to find some sort of human food that you didn’t realize you’d bumped into a pair of legs. You looked up, Poppy Sweeting and Natty Onai! You were relieved to see your closest female friends.

“Such an adorable creature!” Natty mused, picking you up and hugging you close. You purred, Natty always gave the best hugs.

“Poor kitty,” Poppy added, patting your head, “I can hear your stomach grumbling! You must be hungry. I have some animal treats in my satchel if you want!”

You meowed loudly in protest, hissing at the Hufflepuff girl. She was taken aback. You felt sorry, but you were sure your good friend would understand if she knew the situation.

“Looks like our little friend wants something heartier and fancier,” Natty smiled,” We are planning to visit Hogsmeade for a little shopping spree. But looks like one of our friend forgot.”

You blinked, Merlin’s balls! You totally forgot that you promised the girls for a little trip to Hogsmeade. You felt bad, truly, but no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t tell them that you were stuck in the body of a cat. You were sure Natty and Poppy would understand, but-

“I knew Y/N forgets about us!” Imelda barged in, face visibly grumpy. Oh no, Imelda will skin me alive for this. 

Poppy held her hands up, “Calm down, Imelda, I’m sure Y/N is just busy with her schoolwork. We’ll ask her why tomorrow.”

“I’m sure she’s busy with Sallow and Gaunt!” Imelda huffed, “It’s hard enough to get us together these days… I just wanted to spend time with my girls.” Now you felt worse. You had a lot of schoolwork, but you did spend more time with Sebastian and Ominis these days. The two boys were pretty much hogging your time. You made a mental note to hang out with your girlfriends more - after all, they were always there to listen to your worries and gave more compassionate advices compared to the boys.

“I agree with Poppy,” Natty smiled, “I’m sure Y/N has her reasons. Let’s go to Honeydukes anyways. Plus, we have a stand-in over here.” The Gryffindor girl held you up to Imelda, who greeted you with a head scratch.

“Fine. Let’s go!”

With you in Natty arms, the three girls grabbed a handful of floo powder and set their destination to Hogsmeade. A green flame enveloped the students as they immediately transported to the middle of the small town. The courtyard was bustling with vendors, students, and shoppers. They hurried off to Honeydukes, with Imelda leading the charge. She rushed to a quaint table next to the window, the group’s favorite spot. 

“A pumpkin pasty for me, raspberry cake for Natty, blueberry muffin for Imelda, and a meat pie for our new friend.” Poppy brought their orders to the table, setting the meat pie on the ground for you to eat. You gobbled up the pastry in no time, you knew you can depend on your girls.

Imelda poured tea for the three girls, while she set a cup of milk on the ground. “Well,” she cleared her throat, “There is a specific reason why I asked you all to meet me today.”

The other two girls looked at her intently. You jumped onto Poppy’s lap, I’m not missing this! You thought. To your dismay, Imelda’s face was blushing red. She leaned in as the other girls did the same, “Everett Clompton asked me to be his girlfriend!” Her voice gradually went higher as she finished her sentence.

There was a short pause as everyone processed the information. Your jaw hung low in shock. “Oh dear, I’m sorry- Ouch!” Poppy yelped as Natty pinched her side.

“...And I assume from your giddy reaction, you said yes?” Natty smiled widely.

Imelda slowly nodded, “Yes, I did.” she whispered.

The group erupted in cheer, as they got glares from other customers. The girls laughed. “Congratulations, Imelda, you’re the first one in our group to be in a relationship!” said Natty.

“Ha! And you don’t count whatever Y/N have with Sallow and Gaunt as a relationship?” Imelda laughed, sipping her tea. What do you mean?! You meowed, frustrated that you were the topic of the conversation, even though you can’t say anything to defend yourself. “They are inseparable these days. I tried to ask her for Quidditch tryouts, but Sallow was all up in her space.” Imelda added.

“It’s pretty amusing to see how she is so oblivious,” Natty giggled, “I swear I saw Gaunt’s smile disappeared completely whenever Y/N talks to other boys, except for Sallow, of course.”

You were flabbergasted. Were you that daft? Sure, you harbored special feelings towards your closest friends, but you were too scared to speak up. The friendship that you shared together was like a treasure that you held close to your heart. You would rather bury your romantic feelings deep in your heart to not spoil your friendship. 

“Our dear cat is tense,” Poppy hummed while she stroked your back, “Hush now, it will be alright.” You purred and leaned back against her hands. You really wished you could vent your frustrations to them right now.

“So, Poppy, Natty,” Imelda eyed her friends, “Any gossips from your ends?”

The other girls and you looked at each other. Natty took the lead and shook her head, “Not for me,” she laughed, “My mother will skin me alive if she even thinks that I’m in a relationship while I’m still in my studies. Plus, I’m not rushing anything.”

“Cheers to that.” Imelda held out her tea cup, clinking it against the others’ cups.

“I..” Poppy paused, blush crept up her face, “Samantha Dale was being really nice to me.”

Natty and Imelda grinned, and you meowed loudly, “Go on.” Imelda wiggled her eyebrows.

“She’s probably nice to everyone!” Poppy quickly added, voice louder than before, “Plus, she’s so focused on her studies, I don’t think she even thinks about these things…”

“I think she’s just a nerd.” Imelda joked, earning a kick on her shin from Natty, “I’m sorry! I was just joking!” she sighed, “You should go for it, Poppy, if you don’t stay true to your feelings now, you will regret it. I am very sure of that.”

You took Imelda’s words. Their conversation seemed to drawned out by the thoughts in your head. Maybe Imelda was right, you should have stayed true to your own feelings and confess to Sebastian and Ominis. Will they think it’s weird for you to have a crush on two people at the same time? You raked your brains, not realizing that it was time for the group to head back to Hogwarts.

They returned to Hogwarts with another handful of floo powder. The girls bid their goodbyes as they took turn patting your head. “You’re a part of the coolest group in Hogwarts now,” Imelda laughed, “We’ll call you… Chamomile. Just like the delicious tea we had earlier.”

“I still wished Y/N was here.” Natty and Poppy sighed.

“Don’t worry, I’ll give her a good smack when she’s back!” Imelda nodded her head, smiling mischievously. 

You laid down on your back at the astronomy tower, looking at the array of stars decorating the night. The tower was the place that you often went if you wanted to find an empty spot to think. It was always cold, but you had never gotten tired of the beautiful night sky. The conversations you had with the girls were echoing in your head. You barely saw Sebastian and Ominis that day. Are they worried that you’re not around? Do they not care about you anymore? The two Slytherin boys plagued your mind. Maybe it was better for you to stay as a cat so you didn’t have to deal with your urge to be more than friends with them.

Suddenly, a pain from your tail shot up throughout your body. You let out a loud shriek, your body instinctively jumped back, fur stood up, and you hissed at the boy who accidentally stepped on your tail. 

“Merlin’s beard! I’m so very sorry!” Amit dropped his scrolls, repeatedly apologizing for stepping on you.

Apology accepted, you meowed. You purred against his leg to show him that it was fine, and you understood that it was a mistake. He sighed and crouched down, patting your back.

“I’m sorry, kitty, I’m usually alone here.” Amit gathered his belongings and set down his books and scrolls on the table with a loud Thud!

You looked at him in awe. Amit was a diligent student, but you had never thought that he would stay up late to study. You jumped on the table, sitting down next to him as you scanned the books - all of them related to astrology.

“You don’t mind if I study here, don’t you?” Amit laughed, scratching your chin. You meowed in response, as if you were trying to say it’s alright.

“Well, even if you don’t understand, It’s nice to have a study mate.” He smiled, pointing at a cluster of star in the sky, “That’s Ursa Major, and that one is Draco… wait no, that is a Leo minor! And that one on the far right is Pollux.”

He sighed, “Do you know why I like stars, kitty?” he leaned back against his chair, setting his telescope down, “They are always in groups. Even if in reality they are far apart from each other, from our perspective, they look like they are never alone.” 

The Ravenclaw student smiled bitterly, “I missed my family,” he whispered, “It was hard for me to move here alone. My parents and siblings are currently living in India, so it’s so difficult to see them during breaks.”

“I tried to make friends, but they are hard to come by,” He sighed, but his smile came back again, looking at you, “But you are a good company and listener.”

You are my friend, Amit! You screamed out, resulting in a series of loud meows. He chuckled, “You are a smart one, aren’t you?” he tapped his chin, “I’ll call you Taara - it means ‘Star’ in Hindi.”

You meowed gleefuly, it was the prettiest name anyone in the school had given you so far. “I bet not a lot of students will understand that,” Amit chuckled, “It’ll be our little secret!”

Before he could continue, the doors opened. “I think it’s Professor Shah,” Amit said as he picked you up, striding down the tower and put you down in front of the classroom, “Sorry, Taara, Professor Shah isn’t too fond of animals in the Astronomy tower,” he frowned, “I’ll see you again soon!” 

Amit waved his hand as he retreated back to the tower.

Gobby, Ginger, Chamomile, and Taara.

Today was beyond eventful. It was almost time for the night curfew, and you were still stuck as a cat. Your limbs were tired from walking around the castle. A big part of you were grateful of this mishap, as you were able to get to know your schoolmates better. Although you spent your day with other students, you haven’t met the two people you were looking for.

“Ah, such a pretty cat.” You were startled at the sudden complement. You jumped back, eyes wide as you stared at a boy clad in shirt and long pants, a green Slytherin tie adorned on his chest. His auburn hair kept tousled. A huge smile formed on his freckled face. Sebastian! It’s me! You yelled on top of your lungs, still resulting in meows.

“A loud one, for sure.” A chuckle left another boy behind Sebastian. His eyes were light grey, as they were reflecting a cloudy storm. His hair was still neatly combed. The tip of his wand glowed, casting a beautiful red light against your black fur. 

Sebastian gently picked you up, holding you close in his arms. You hoped that he couldn’t hear how fast your heart was thumping. Surely, they don’t know about your situation, right? You inhaled his scent - cinnamon, musk, and a tinge of burning wood. You shamelessly curled up to him, purring as you did so. You felt Sebastian’s chuckled, “Looks like this cat is tired.” He gently stroked your back.

“Let’s bring it back to the common room,” Ominous replied, closing in to Sebastian as he slowly moved his hand, tracing your soft fur, “We have cozy fireplace and warm milk for our little friend.”

You heard the sound of fire crackling and warmth against your skin. You contorted your body as you found a comfortable position the pillow. As you blinked your eyes open, you were laying down on a pillow on top of Ominis’ lap. The two Slytherin boys were sitting on the sofa next to the fireplace. Sebastian was lounging with a book on his hand. Suddenly you were washed with sadness. You never felt safer than this moment, just with Sebastian and Ominis, the two boys that you cared for the most. You closed your eyes again, too cozy to wake up.

“You know, I haven’t seen Y/N today,” Sebastian muttered, eyes still glued to the book. Your ears perked up as they started to mention your name.

Ominis sighed, “I know, I’ve been worried sick. I hope nothing happened to her.” You found it hard to rest as your heart was beating faster. They were worried about me! you thought.

“I think she will be fine,” Sebastian hummed, “Y/N is smart, and strong to boot. I know she’ll be alright no matter what opponents or tasks she’s facing.”

“I agree. That’s why I find her so… beautiful.” Ominis added. With that sentence, you jolted up. Your heart and mind were in a jumble.

Ominis’ fingers caressed your head, “Sebastian, the cat is awake.”

Sebastian sighed in content as he closed his book, tossing it to the side. He walked closer to you, scratching your chin, “Did you have a good rest?”

You instinctively purred. Sebastian and Ominis chuckled at your reaction, “So adorable.” said the auburn haired boy.

“You know, Sebastian,” Ominis added, still stroking your back, “Since this cat wil probably stay with us for a while, should we name her?”

Sebastian nodded, smirking, “I have a name in mind…” He crouched down to meet your gaze, “How does Y/N sound?”

You stood up, meowing loudly. They knew?! Your emotions were mixed up; panic, embarrassment, and a bit of anger for not helping you earlier. 

“Hold on now,” Sebastian laughed, “I’ll help you.” He took out his wand and gently tapped your head. The same blue light reappeared around you as you turned back into human in a split second. You examined your fur-less fingers and grabbed onto your uniform, “I’m back!!” you shouted, pumpking your fist as if you’ve won a match. Realization sinked in as you heard the boys snickered. Your face immediately went tomato red as you felt Ominis squirmed underneath you. You scrambled away from his lap, curling in the corner of the sofa and hiding your face behind a pillow.

“...Just let me disappear.” Your voice was muffled behind the pillow.

Ominis was the one who stopped laughing first, “I’m so sorry, Y/N, I genuinely thought it was too adorable to see you as a feline.”

Sebastian rubbed the tears from his eyes, “Oh, I agree, as much as I felt bad, I was enjoying it.”

You tossed the pillow at Sebastian, “you could’ve helped me earlier!”

Sebastian caught the pillow, setting it aside, “I’m sorry! Truly. But I did get you back, didn’t I?” he winked.

“How did you both know it was me?” You asked, still hitting Sebastian and Ominis with whatever pillow you could find.

“Y/N…” Ominis impressively dodged the hits, “We’ve spent everyday together, how could I not feel your aura even if you’re not human?”

“Oh, and here you go.” Sebastian handed your wand back, “Did the professor not tell you to keep it safe?”

You huffed as you calmed down, “Thank you. I mean it. I was scared I was going to cough up hairballs at some point.” You twiddled your thumb, blush spreading your cheeks, “Were you both… Looking for me?”

Ominis let out another laugh, “We were panicking around the castle,” he coughed, “Well, Sebastian panicked around the castle. He almost asked the Headmaster for a search party if I didn’t hold on to his collars. On the other hand, I am searching for you calm and collected.”

“Lies. He almost cried.”

Ominis’ face turned sour as you laughed at their antics. You held out your arms and hugged the two close, “Thank you, again, you both are always there for me.”

“It’s because we love you, Y/N.” Sebastian sighed in content as he stroked your hair.

Ominis placed his hand on your back gently, “You are the most important person in our lives.” A gentle smile plastered on his face.

You looked up at them. Their confessions were stern and confident, but your heart leapt as you saw how red their faces are - sincerity evident in their expressions. You hugged them even tighter, “I love you both so much.”