#familiar!remus

October Prompt #5: Rat.

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Remus the cat was never a fan of listening. Most familiars were obedient, well-behaved saps, and to Remus that sounded utterly boring. He would sometimes fetch the ingredients Deceit wanted, but there was also an equal chance that Remus would simply bat the containers onto the ground and watch them shatter, to the point that over time Deceit grew wise to the idea that he should fetch his own materials. 

Of course, Remus didn’t try to be unhelpful, rather he had no desire to be helpful in any capacity. He loved his witch, but as a feline Remus was independent enough to have his own thoughts on how the day should go. Remus was drawn to explore, stalking down wildlife that grew too close to the cottage and plopping them at Deceit’s feet as a show of devotion. It was Remus’ way of saying an almost apology, by replacing what he had broken with what he had gained. Of course rat tails were no substitute for torn fairy wings, but as a cat Remus knew next to nothing about the intricacies of potion making.

He wanted to know, though! Remus was very curious about Deceit’s practices, often sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. Any time a potion was bubbling Deceit had to keep a careful eye out lest Remus stick his entire head into the boiling mixture. At this point Remus’ whiskers seemed to be permanently singed, stunted in their growth from catching aflame one too many times by getting in the line of fire during wand practice. His black fur was so mangy and rumpled that on more than one occasion he was taken in by a kind-hearted family who wanted to rescue the ‘stray’.

“I apologize for him.” Deceit commented dryly, not looking particularly apologetic as he opened the door to a disheveled neighbor. The man was covered in scratches, and earned a few more as Remus leapt from his arms, curling around Deceit’s legs with a purr. 

“You- it- but-” The neighbor sounded nearly deranged, pointing at Remus accusingly. “You little monstrous rat! You double-timing, thieving-” 

“It’s only a cat.” Deceit reminded him, not bothering to inform the mortal that being a familiar, Remus most likely did possess the knowledge that his actions held moral consequences and just refused to care. 

“How can you put up with that thing?” The human hissed, looking afraid as he tucked into his chest to hide the claw marks. Remus never liked to be kept from Deceit for long, and seemed to physically punish those who kept them separated. Which often turned out to be ignorant villagers- a mistake that was only made once.

Deceit merely shrugged. “We have a weird relationship. He follows me around and I don’t tell him to go away most of the time.”

“Just… keep it indoors.” The neighbor advised. “You can’t let that thing get around children.”

“I will be sure to do just that.” Deceit planned to do no such thing. Without any more fanfare he shut the door, finding that his limit of dealing with tedious bystanders had been reached. He looked down at Remus with a glare. “You are nothing but trouble. I cannot have you underfoot while I work because you interfere, and it seems if I set you loose you just wreak havoc on the village- which seems to be my problem as well. You know I hate mortal affairs.” 

Remus, being a cat, simply meowed. The feline’s lips twitched in a way that resembled a smirk. 

“Perhaps I really should turn you into a rat.” Deceit threatened, crossing his arms. “You’d be more useful to me as potion fodder than an assistant, and you’re already as repulsive as one.”

Remus wouldn’t mind being a rat, in all honesty, but something in Deceit’s tone made the familiar pause. He meowed softer, wrapping himself again around Deceit’s legs and rubbing his matted tail along. 

“...I won’t.” Deceit finally sighed, crouching down to scratch behind Remus’ ears. “I could, though.”