A Sucker for Pain [Animagus One-shot]

[Deleted]

Spring 2024

Clodagh was on cloud nine. She was practically skipping back to her and Ophelia's apartment, an act that usually meant immediate danger and self injury for someone like her. And yes, she did, most definitely trip trying to skip up the stairs. BUT WHO CARED?! She was still giddy and happy and beaming ear to ear, an unusual sight for the young woman. Usually looks of sheer terror, confusion, or blue faced from lack of oxygen were the norm. Happy though? Giddy? Yeah, you'd think she was high on something. But no, she was totally and completely sober and sane (at least clinically). She was, just, legitimately so happy she couldn't help it! Why?

Because she had a date tomorrow morning! Well... was it a date? Could dates be in the morning? She didn't actually know, now that she thought about it... Oh well! She was still half skipping as she unlocked the apartment door, and entered. She couldn't see Ophelia, but she could hear her flatmate in an adjacent room. 

Clodagh was humming now as she took off her shoes, and her jacket. She didn't even care that the sun was about to set, marking the beginning of a very long night (but nights were always long). She had a date! With a man who was WAY outside her league. He was sooooo gorgeous, and handsome, and charming and... okay, that was definitely not proper English and the writer in her was now yelling at her internal dialogue. The fact remained. She was happy and nothing would change that. 

"I'll see you in the morning, Ophelia!" she called out, letting her flatmate know that she was heading into her room for the night, for obvious reasons. 

You see, the moment the sun set Clodagh would transform, quite unwillingly, into a mouse. And Clodagh's nemesis lived in the apartment: a cat. Now, Ophelia's cat was a sweet thing to everyone but Clodagh. It could sense her mousiness. But so far hadn't actually seen her as a mouse, so all was well. They just locked the cat out of Clodagh's room at night. She entered her room, and closed the door behind her. As she turned, she could feel her body begin to shift, bones shrinking and reshaping. 

Only she wasn't alone. 


There was the cat. Sitting on her bed. Waiting.

"Oh shiii-" Her voice cut off as her vocal chords changed. She squeaked and the cat lunged.