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The morning air around Hogwarts Castle tickled the grass as it gently blew over the grounds. Garnet had been up since early that morning, restless about the return trip home and all that entails. The homesickness they had struggled with the entire year was replaced with a weight of apprehension at being away from the castle for the summer. Anthony, Garnet's brother, had been so cross when she left and hadn't answered any of her letters for the entire school year. The idea of her brother ignoring her all summer when she was physically there made her heart hurt.
The sun rose quietly as Garnet trapsed across the grounds toward the Black Lake, the morning dew collecting in droplets in her shoes. It was a beautiful start to the day, in stark contrast to Garnet's mood.
Taking a seat under a tree near the lake, Garnet removed their Charms textbook, intending to finish an assignment due later that day. They were putting quill to parchment when they heard a small sound. They looked around, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Shrugging, Garnet wrote the first answer down, her handwriting still messy due to her unfamiliarity with quills and ink. Then they heard it again, a quiet mewling sound that made Garnet look around. The sound only got louder and, after a few moments, Garnet realized it was coming from above.
They looked up, at first only seeing emerald leaves until the sound came again. A small flash of grey caught their eye and, looking closer, Garnet saw a small kitten clinging to a branch about ten feet up.
"Oh, you poor thing!" they exclaimed, quickly getting to their feet. "How did you get up there?"
Judging the distance, Garnet began to climb, and after a few minutes of struggle, made it to the branch the kitten clung to. Garnet beckoned to the small creature, who hesitantly moved closer. Scooping up the tiny cat, they gently slipped it into her shirt and began walking. When their feet finally hit the ground, Garnet took the kitten out of its resting place and looked the poor thing over. She must have only been a few months old, her silver-striped fur shining gently in the morning sun.
"No collar... Are you a stray?" The kitten meowed, nuzzling into Garnet's hands, clearly content. Deciding they couldn't just leave the defenseless baby so close to the Forbidden Forest, Garnet put the cat back into their shirt before heading back to the castle. "I'll tell my Head of House about you, just in case you already belong to someone." The kitten purred contentedly in the warmth of their shirt.
A few hours later, it was confirmed that the poor thing was indeed a stray. A stray that had become quite attached to the young wizard. Shr stayed with Garnet through her whole day, nestled safely in Garnet's shirt, sleeping without a care. It became obvious to Garnet that she was their cat.
"Looks like I have a letter to write to my parents. Im sure they will let me keep you, though." they said quietly when they were winding down in the common room. The little ball of fur meowed in response, as if understanding exactly what Garnet said. They wrote the letter quickly and sent it out that evening after dinner.
They had to wait three days, anxious about what their parents would say, until the letter finally arrived. Garnet ripped it open, the kittens' golden eyes following their excited movements. They unfolded the letter and read it. A smile appeared on their face. Looking down at the kitten, they scooped her up and gave her a gentle hug before holding her out in front of themself.
"Looks like you're a Gem, now! All that's left is to figure out a fitting name for you."
Garnet spent a few days mulling over a name, trying some out without much success, until a spark of genius hit them.
"How about Smoky Quartz, Smoky for short. Your fur is the color of a smoky quartz crystal, and I'm Garnet. I think it's only fitting to give you a gemstone as a name." The kitten meowed in what seemed like approval, and Garnet pet Quartz on the head.
"Quartz it is! Welcome to the family, Quartz!"
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