Disclaimer: I do not own anything it all belongs to J.K…you know. So on with the story.
This story was originally a super long one shot that I have divided into four. Just a little filler while i'm suffering from a severe case of writers block with my other stories.
Regarding Transfiguration…
Jamie Finnegan is failing Transfiguration.
It's not like I'm a bad student or anything. I really do try my best but Transfiguration is just so damn hard. There's something about it that confuses the crap out of me. Of course, it could be the fact that I have it first thing in the morning, and honestly who is awake then?
You know who is awake then? Oliver Wood is awake then. Oliver is the top of our class in Transfiguration. Of course it doesn't hurt that McGonagall is completely in love with him either. Maybe it's just the fact that she firmly believes that Oliver is going to lead Gryffindor to win the House Championship this year, but whatever way you look at it, Oliver is amazing at Transfiguration.
I've been trying to get this stupid frog to turn into a pillow for hours and nothing is happening. The frog does feel a little bit softer though. Or maybe it's because I've been holding it for two and a half hours. Admitting defeat is not something I like to do. Maybe it's time I go ask Oliver for some help. Seeing as I've only been his best friend for what, I don't know six years already he should be more than willing to help.
I began the familiar trek up the seventh year boys' dormitory stairs. Trisha Freitzel looked up from Witch Weekly and frowned at me as I began to take the stairs up one by one. It's not my fault my best friend happens to be a guy. She however, is convinced that I am a slut and the only reason Oliver Wood is friends with me is because I have him under a love potion. She stands by this belief firmly, even when I point out to her that if I had him under a love potion Oliver and I would be a lot more than friends. I reckon that's not something Trisha would like very much. She still glowered at me throughout the duration of my climb up to the boys' bedroom.
"I am getting Transfiguration help Trisha!" I call down to her showing the blonde crazy my frog.
"Sure you are Finnegan," Trisha replies nastily. It's not my fault she refuses to believe anything I say. On the other hand, it is her fault that I have a small amount of friends my gender though. She has them all convinced I am some sort of whore who goes up to the boy's dorm and sleeps with all their boyfriends. It's not my fault my best friend is a guy! I mentally curse Trisha and push open the door to the boys' dorm.
"Hiya Red!" calls out Fred, or George, I'm not quite sure, either way it was one of the Weasley twins. It's quite ironic that they have seen it fit to nickname me red when both of them have ginger colored hair as well. Although, as it has been frequently pointed out to me that my hair is the color of a fire truck; bright bright red.
"Why are you guys in the seventh year dorm?" I asked them curiously. The Weasley brothers had situated themselves on their brother Percy's bed and they were currently writing some sort of letter.
"Because Lee's tarantula has taken over our dorm," Fred began.
"And he hasn't been able to find it, as of three hours ago," George finished. My eyes widened in fear. Spiders I can deal with, tarantulas on the other hand…
"Don't worry Lee's sure it hasn't left our room," George said noticing my face.
"Well, he's pretty sure," Fred added. I shuddered pushing thoughts of Lee Jordon's pet spider out of my mind.
"Have either of you guys seen Oliver?" I asked.
"He's in the shower," Fred informed me.
"Should be out in a few minutes," George added.
"What's with the frog?" Fred asked noticing the animal in my hands.
"It's supposed to be a pillow," I informed the pair.
"That's unfortunate," George remarked.
"Frogs make awful pillows," Fred agreed. I rolled my eyes taking a seat on Oliver's bed. Talking to the Weasley twins made me dizzy sometimes. Those two could drive even Professor Snape insane. And that is a great feat seeing as he chooses to display no emotion or feeling other than pure hatred for anything that isn't evil or Slytherin. The twins had gone back to doing whatever it was that they were doing. I watched them pour over a piece of parchment. They were apparently working very hard, something I very rarely saw the pair of them do.
Oliver finally decided to be done with his shower. I heard the water go off and the shower curtains swing open. There was a few moments silence followed by a string of cursing. Fred and George looked up at the door and then rolled their eyes. Oliver probably tripped on his towel or something. Although, I thought to myself, that was highly unlikely because we would have heard a rather loud thump. Just then the door to the bathroom opened. Still clutching the frog I looked up about to tell Oliver that he had taken far too long in the shower when he walked into the room, completely naked.
To say that I handled the situation nicely would be an exaggeration. Upon seeing Oliver's "goodies" I screeched like a banshee. I then tried to get up and run away but I tripped on Oliver's towel which he had conveniently left outside by his bed. The towel twisted under my feet as I flew like superman across the room. I eventually landed facedown on the wooden floor. The frog startled by my insane screaming had jumped out of my arms and launched itself onto Percy's bed. Fred and George were crying with laughter as the frog croaked contently beside them.
All the while, Oliver just stood there watching me have a total spaz attack. Oh yeah, and he still wasn't wearing any clothes. I stood up my face currently the shade of my hair. I immediately fell back over upon realizing that Oliver still hadn't even tried to cover himself up. It wasn't my fault that my best friend was incredibly good looking and very "gifted" in certain areas. I couldn't control the fact that he was simply standing there in all his naked Scottish glory.
"Jamie when you are done falling on your face would you mind handing me my towel?" Oliver asked amusement clear in his voice. I got up for the second time with as much dignity as I could and handed Oliver his towel which he promptly fastened around his waist. Instead of asking me why I was here interrupting his shower Oliver focused on the frog which had hopped from Percy's bed into Oliver's.
"Why is there a frog in my bed?" Oliver asked curiously. I stared at him completely flabbergasted. I couldn't think straight when my best friend was currently standing half naked covered by an entirely too small towel. So instead of explaining that I needed some help turning the frog into a pillow which I knew full well Oliver had mastered last lesson I settled for shrieking like a crazy person. I was doing a lot of that today.
"Put some clothes on would you!" I exclaimed before bolting out of the room. I could faintly hear on of the twins telling Oliver that the frog was not a frog but in fact, a pillow that looked exactly like a frog. Trisha raised her eyebrows as I came speeding down the stairs.
"Where's your frog?" she asked me accusingly. I stopped in mid run. Between making a fool out of myself in front of my best friend, something I did just about everyday, or being questioned by the vicious Trisha I would take the acting like a fool any day. So I did what any sane person would do and I bolted right back up the stairs.
Oliver Wood is amazing at Transfiguration.
I stared at the Weasley twins in complete disbelief. I hadn't exactly planned on walking out of the shower to a full audience. It's not like being seen completely naked by my best friend didn't embarrass me but was all the shrieking really necessary? Just then Jamie stumbled back into my room.
"Why aren't you wearing clothes yet?" she demanded to know.
"Jamie relax!" I exclaimed pulling a shirt on over my head. This seemed to calm her down. Jamie was very prone to freaking out. She had a tendency to blow things out of proportion. Jamie seemed to have calmed herself down enough to pick up the frog pillow and sit down next to the twins. I climbed back into some pants and this seemed to relieve Jamie very much. It was as if she wasn't screaming like a banshee five minutes ago.
"I need some help," she said holding out the frog.
"I think you need a little bit more than some help," Fred remarked smirking. Jamie glared at him. I couldn't help but grin.
"Let me guess, that frog is supposed to be a pillow?" I offered.
"Yeah," Jamie sighed sounding very frustrated, "It was supposed to be a pillow two and a half hours ago."
"Alright," I said smiling. Jamie was pretty much awful at Transfiguration. "How about you make yourselves useful and leave?" I said addressing my beaters.
"Why? So Red can turn into a full on banshee and scream some more?" asked Fred.
"Funny," remarked Jamie glowering at them. Her cheeks, I observed, were still slightly flushed.
"We were just about to see ourselves out anyway," George announced.
"We are done here," Fred commented.
"We have no more use for your company," George added.
"Oh shut up!" Jamie said sounding genuinely annoyed.
"Relax banshee girl!" Fred said as he and George left laughing.
"One day I'm just going to snap. And then Gryffindor will be down two beaters," Jamie remarked at their retreating backs. My eyes widened in fear. Jamie was completely horrible at Transfiguration but not Charms; creative hexes and jinxes were her specialty.
"No way are you killing those two until the final is over," I said firmly.
"Fine," Jamie agreed, "as long as you help me make this stupid frog a pillow."
"You try. I have to see what you're doing wrong," I instructed. And so began the transformation of the frog. For almost as long as I've known her Jamie has come to me whenever she needed help. Not just with Transfiguration but with everything. When we first met it was sort of a mutual agreement. We helped each other out but we wouldn't exactly call ourselves friends. Somewhere along the line I really began to rely on Jamie and the other way around. It wasn't until after my mum died did I realize how much I truly needed Jamie. She helped me through my mum's death and the after affects. That was in fourth year, and ever since we've been inseparable.
"You're doing the motion wrong," I pointed out watching Jamie flourish her wand at the frog. I demonstrated the correct movement. Jamie mimicked the movement first without the words and then adding in the spell. Unfortunately, the frog remained a frog.
"Stupid frog," she muttered, "If McGonagall wasn't going to check work I would just bring in this pillow and hex the damn thing into oblivion."
"I don't think that would work out too well," I pointed out. Jamie wrinkled her nose. "You're doing everything right you just need to concentrate a little bit more," I observed after five more minutes of fruitless wand waving.
"I am concentrating!" Jamie exclaimed clearly very frustrated. Although, she was yet to resort to banshee like screaming.
"No you weren't. Unless concentrating is remembering our dear captain in all his Scottish glory," Fred remarked appearing out of nowhere. Jamie and I both shrieked. Jamie shot at least five feet into the air and I tumbled off of my bed sideways.
"That was graceful," George laughed.
"You screamed like a girl," Jamie laughed.
"So did you!" I pointed out in retaliation.
"As opposed to what?" Jamie asked as I realized the shear stupidity of my comeback.
"A banshee," Fred offered.
"Fred Weasley I swear to Merlin above I will" Jamie began.
"No hexing my beaters until after the cup!" I reminded Jamie.
"Down banshee girl," Fred said relishing in torturing my friend.
"I forgot my quill and we wanted to see what you kids were up to," George explained their presence as he retrieved his writing implement from Percy's bed.
"I suggest you both leave before banshee girl decides to unleash her wrath," Jamie said.
"Actually I'm having some fun staying here," George said smiling.
"I can still schedule that dawn practice I was thinking about," I threatened. This sent the twins running. Oh how I loved being the captain. But now that I'm thinking about it another practice couldn't hurt...
"Oliver how many dawn practices are you going to have before you realize that getting up that early will give you premature wrinkles!" Jamie exclaimed, "Not to mention those hideous black bags under your eyes."
"I don't care if my team ages before their time as long as we win that cup," I told Jamie for what seemed like the hundredth time. Jamie sighed. Honestly, you would think that after six years of knowing me she would realize Quidditch is the single most important thing in my life right now. But oh no, according to her I should be worrying about bags under my eyes and premature wrinkles. I laughed at the absurdity of her statement there was no way waking up early would give me premature wrinkles.
"Oh it's about time!" Jamie exclaimed her voice full of relief. I looked over at her. She was now proudly holding a pillow that was a rather ugly shade of green. I heard the pillow give a faint croak but Jamie didn't seem to notice. Maybe I was imaging things. Maybe Jamie's insanity was rubbing off on me.
"Maybe you should keep your thoughts to yourself," Jamie suggested laughing.
"Did I say that out loud?" I asked frowning.
"Yep," Jamie replied hopping off my bed clutching her frog pillow. "See you tomorrow!"