My girlfriend is a what? Challenge
Cat-naps and Daydreams
01
ISDH
Dec. 20, 1992, afternoon.
Hospital Wing, Hogwarts
Hermione coughed, the last potion had tasted rather nasty. Her ears flicked about as her tail twitched. She could hear the nurse whispering with her Head of House across the room.
"It is not just a cosmetic change, as is with most Potion based shifts, but it is altering her on a Core Level." The Nurse hissed.
"Meaning?" the Scot growled back.
"This time tomorrow, she will no longer be classified as Human." Hermione stopped licking her paw… "already She is showing signs of being something more, and her Core has shifted." the Nurse looked at the witchling in her care, "Anything we do at this point will only retard the process and hold her back in her learning. The best option for my patient is to allow the Transformation to continue, and teach her the animagius skills to look human around those not in the know."
The Transfiguration Mistress sighed. "I will bring the first books by in the morning. In the meantime she will need to get to know herself again, and Mr. Potter is waiting outside, worried sick about her." her frown flickered to a sad grin before returning, "Better let him in before he hurts himself, just to see how she is doing."
"That boy will be the death of us." the Nurase flicked her wand at the doors, allowing them to swing free. "Get in here Mr Potter. You have until Dinner to comfort Ms. Granger." Sighing as the youngling scurried to do as bid, bobbing his head at the elder witches, he pulled up a stool next to the furry's bed.
"Hey Herms," he smiled his crooked grin at her, "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"
"Harry!" she hissed as she swatted his arm, "Not funny!" but her ears were up and while her tail was moving, it was more of a sway than a twitch. "And don't call me Herms!"
He grinned wider as he reached up and scratched behind her left ear. "Is my little Pussy upset? No need for a hissy fit."
"Don't call me 'Pussy'!" she growled, as she leaned into his hand as a purring sound grew in her chest. 'He called me 'mine'!' "And I not having a hissy fit!"
12321
Sept. 1, 1994
Platform 9 ¾, Hogwarts Express, last car, third compartment
Best Friends Harry Potter and Hermione Granger had settled into opposing benches, both with a book, while they waited for the Weasleys to finish running around and climb aboard. Hermione was facing forward, as the sun warmed her causing her to hum to herself.
"May I ride here with you?" a soft voice asked from the door. "I would prefer to avoid certain people if possible."
Hermione just tucked her feet under herself and a wisp of hair behind a very human ear. Harry being an adept at reading her signs, grinned at the new girl, "Welcome. Harry Potter, fourth year Gyff." he offered his hand to shake to the blond.
"Thank you." she took his hand in hers, " Luna Lovegood, third year Raven."
"Snakes bothering you?" Harry stood to leverage her trunk into the overhead racks. Hedwig barked from her cage before worrying the door with her beak. Harry grunted and popped the door. The owl hopped out, stretched her wings, ruffled her feathers, and began preening.
"What a beautiful bird." Luna's voice had a dreamy tone to it. As she sat beside the older witch. "No, the Snakes are not bothering me, I am a pureblood, so I am not in their range of view." her pixie mouth puckered and twisted, causing her nose to wrinkle. "No, those i wish to avoid are from my own House."
"Why are your Housemates bothering you?" Harry frowned.
Luna's eyes went foggy, her voice had a sleepy caidance "The House of Ravenclaw and Luna Lovegood differ on opinions on Crypto-Magi-Zoology." the blond blinked twice, her eyes clearing up.
"Crypto-magi-zoology?" Harry spit out, tying his tongue in knots in the process.
"Where did you hear that word?" Luna's voice was totally different than a minute ago.
"You just spoke it, just before I did." Harry frowned.
The Silver eyes widened in fear. "Oh no! And now you're going to think I am a freak!' She tried to bolt from the compartment, only for Harry's seeker reflexes to snag her about the wrist, pulling her into a hug.
"One, you were the one to say Freak, not us." Harry stroked her hair as he held the shaking witchling. "Two, I have been call Freak for the last thirteen years by my Relatives, in fact, I thought it was my name until I went to Muggle School." her shaking calmed in his arms. "And Last, Welcome the Freak Collection." He grinned at her as she peered up at him. "I have Faced the greatest Dark Lord of our time, three times and I still live. I have walked through Fire, slain thousand year old snakes, swatted soul sucking shades, and faced down a werewolf. I have spit balls of gold, ridden on the Wings of the Wind, and tamed a Grim. I am Harry Potter. Some call me the Boy-who-lived, but they are but mewling Sheep."
He set her beside him, tucking his left arm over her shoulders. "They see us as something different from them." his grin widened, "And we are. We are above them. I am skilled for my Year, more powerful than anyone in my spellclass." he pointed the witch catnapping in the sun beam, "She is the Smartest Witch in our age, knows all of our textbooks by rote, able to cast most of the spells up to fifth year, and she is in the House of the Brave rather the House of the Wise, why do you think that is?"
"Ahh…" the younger witch drew a blank.
"The answer he is looking for…" Hermione turned her head towards her travel mates, her eyes yellow and slitted like a cat's, "is that I am a freak. I have taken the first spot in every class but two, Potions where Snape favors his House, and Herbology where Longbottom beats me every year." She grinned as she offered her hand, "I also follow this bonehead into trouble, and usually lead him out, unless he just lucks his way out."
"I am two for three," Harry puffed up like Hedwig.
"Try three for nine." before wrinkling her nose, "But then again, I'm only three for eight myself.
"Name them." Harry challenged.
"Okay then; Troll, Snake, and the Dementors last year." Hermione counted on the fingers one hand, before switching to the other. "Fluffy and the trials, Norbert, falling from the dementors, Aragog and kin, Weasley's car into the Willow, and Dobby."
"You can't count Dobby." rebuked Harry.
"Great Wizard Harry Potter Sir call Dobby?" a voice at his knee squeaked.
Looking down the three younglings noticed the elf gazing fondly at Harry. Unhanging his arm from about the fairy blond, he grabbed the elf under the arms and set the small creature beside him opposite the witches. "Hello Dobby. Do you know my friends, Luna and Hermione?"
"Oh yes, Miss Lunie often visits the Kitchens at Hogwarts, for night time cocoa and cookies, and the odd helping of pudding. Miss Kitty is known for her orange Beastie." Dobby bounced on his toes. Hermione's face shadowed. "Can Dobby get youse anything?"
"Three hot ham and cheddar sandwiches two bottles of butterbeer, warm and a bottle of warm cream." Luna smiled at Dobby.
"Back in a second.' the elf popped away.
"How can you...that is slavery." 'Miss Kitty' hissed.
"Yes and no." Luna shook her hair as she moved to sit by Hermione, "Yes, Elves when bound to a family, have little say in how they are treated. Yes, they take no money from the family for their service. And the Family can trade and sell them at their pleasure." She laid her hand on the other girl's arm, "But they gain so much from the Bond. They feed off the magic we witches and wizards leak as we breathe, cast spells and move about. The Bond to a family increases this feeding process. It is a contract that the wizards will protect and guard the elves, while the elves care for the Wizards. Most Dark families have forgotten that they are to protect the elves."
"That is why Dobby wanted to be free of the Malfoy's." Harry spoke up. "But Winky was upset about being freed."
"A free elf is a hurting elf." Luna settled back into bench, "An elf free too long is a dead elf."
"So how do you know if the Elf is under a good master?" Hermione asked.
"You ask them." Harry shifted so his back was to the window. "If they are happy, You are happy. If they are not Happy, then you do something."
"What about sick days and the like?"
"No need." Luna took up, "Barring accidents, an Elf's magic prevents illness, and most damage. In fact those who are damaged are serving Dark families to begin with, and want to break the bond themselves."
"As to accidents, we have magic." Harry finished, just as the whistle sounded, causing the last of the students to bolt for the train, including a mess of redheads.
As the car jerked into motion the door slid open. "What is Loony doing here?"
Ronald Weasley had arrived.
Before either of the two gryffs could respond to their dormmates snippie salutation, "Luna Lovegood was invited to join Harry Potter and Hermione Granger in the 'Freaks compartment'."
"Who you calling…" Ron flushed as he puffed up in anger.
"Ron. chill. She was invited, and her trick of answering thing is why I labeled us freaks. So that she would not be alone."
"Oh?" Ron glared at the blond."How does Harry have a normal year?"
Luna's eye went foggy, "First, Harry Potter gives Ronald Weasley three gold. Second, Ronald Weasley goes and buys three gold worth of sweets from the trolley witch…" the compartment door boomed shut as Ron ran off too do as he was told, the gold in his fist, "Third, Harry Potter ignores Ronald Weasley's absence for the train ride and cuts Dumbledore's spy from his life. And Last, reforge the Bond of Brothers Alliance with Scion Longbottom."
Dec. 21, 1992
Harry sat at the end of the Table nearest the Doors, rather than the mid of table like usual, where Ron was stuffing hs gob. As soon as he had finished the quick meal, and knowing that Hermione would have been served breakfast in the Wing, he bolted out of the Hall as quickly as he could.
Up the Stairs he ran, twisting and turning through the halls that lay between the Great Hall and the Medical Wing. He hit the Doors a dead run, coming to a complete stop three steps inside. Three deep breaths, and his breathing was back to normal, his heart was still beating fast, but it was slowing quickly.
Harry need not have rushed to the Wing… The Kitty witch was curled up on the bed, lounging in the pillows, sipping a cup of milk as she read a book..purring as her tail swayed about lazily.
"I hurry here, desperate to help my dear friend relieve the boredom that is this Hell, and I find you, Litarily, curled up with a book." Harry huffed.
Hermione looked up, first shocked (her ears straight up, stiff), then downcast (her ears drooping forward and to the sides), before Harry started to chuckle. "Never change Herms, never change." He reached out and scratched behind her left ear again. "I know that my Pussy likes books second only me and Family."
"I was just reading about the Animagus Transformation." Hermione flashed the spine of the book, before a frown splashed over her muzzled face. "Don't call me Herms or Pussy!" she swatted his arm that was not scratching her ear, but her tail swayed in the air behind her. 'He called me 'Mine' again.'