Beautiful red hair, brilliant and flaming, whipped with the wind. She was an angel, she was magic. Her emerald eyes glittered with joy as she twisted in the barley field. I would capture the memory of her on my sketch pad. When I copied her every feature I gazed easily at the creature before me. She was a mudblood. The thought shook me to my core, but I didn't care. I wanted her. I would have her. I watched Malfoy torture the new mudblood. Her hair was wild, but her Amber eyes held a fire. She drew back and smacked the pale haired boy across the face. Lily noticed, she was stopped twirling and went to help. Ever the Gryffindor. Slowly, I rose. This Malfoy character was a menace. I'd kept her out of his way so far, but she was charging at him. I needed to protect her from him. He glared down at the both of them, a sneer was permanently ironed onto his pointed face.
"Oh look it's a convention. Two mudbloods and a half blood."
"Don't call her that," I demanded. I brandished my wand at him and he pointed his right back.
"I'll do whatever I want, half-blood."
I flinched, I was bluffing I couldn't curse him, but he wouldn't hesitate.
"Balck off Malfoy," Granger snapped, "you being on your period doesn't warrant an emergency in our world. Go change your pad and eat some ice cream or something." This Granger girl had guts.
"Do you think I won't curse that nest off of your head, mudblood?"
"Do you think I care? Go kiss your sister you inbred abomination." She flipped her hair over her shoulder. Lily laughed at her joke, my concentration faltered. He felt it. He cursed me easily, my nose grew heavier until I was unable to hold it up.
"It had to have been a dub," Tom wailed, "I don't see a bit of difference." Granger drew her wand in defense. Her easy posture was gone. Malfoy gulped. Lily returned my nose to normal and smiled encouragingly at me. I blushed.
"Think it's funny hexing people do you? I think I fancy a try."
"Take a joke," he squeaked, "it's not like I did anything to one of your stupid Gryffindors. Severus is a Slytherin, what's he mean to you."
"Plenty," Lily piped in, "now go on and apologize before I help Miss. Granger curse you."
"You wouldn't curse the fly in DADA." Malfoy sneered. With a silent curse spiders began crawling along his robes. He shrieked.
"Granger, get her!" He yelled. The spiders went in his robes, crawling up his slacks.
"Apologize and she'll stop."
"Fine, fine! I'm sorry!" The spiders disappeared, leaving him an angry mess. Professor McGonagall approached then. Her chestnut hAir cascaded around her shoulders and she had a thick Scottish brogue.
"What is the meaning of this! Detention!"
"But Professor McGonagall," Granger began, "Malfoy was bullying Severus! Lily and I were only trying to help."
"Is that before or after you slapped me?" Malfoy sneered.
"Is that before or after you called her a mudblood?"
Professor McGonagall went red in the face as her sharp eyes fell on Malfoy. She worked herself into a tizzy before fixing us all with a month long detention. Granger for slapping, Lily for cursing, Malfoy for enlarging my nose, and me for just being in the general vicinity.
Granger rolled her eyes as the ever dramatic Malfoy went on and on about how his father would hear about his endless woe.
"I'm Hermione Granger, sixth year Gryffindor," she extended her hand to me with a bright smile.
"Severus." I shook her hand, but didn't say much else. She shrugged and turned to Lily.
"You didn't tell me you were dating an older man," Granger laughed. Lily laughed with her, it was tinkly, not cruel.
"Because I'm not. We're just friends, besides...he's not that much older, just a year."
"Not very talkative," she commented, giving me a small smile.
"He's shy. If you're around enough he'll open up to you. People bully him, so I've got to watch out for him."
"I can watch after myself, Lily." I muttered. She smiled up at me.
"Of course, but I enjoy doing it. You will let me continue won't you?"
"While I appreciate you asking, you and I both know you will do as you please." I murmured.
"Right as rain you are." Granger had gone and class was about to begin, so I dropped off Lily and her books and made my way to transfiguration. I kept my head done as I went, but my lanky figure made me stick out.
"Move it Severus!" Potter shouted as he, his third year cousin, and the youngest Weasley boy came barreling through the hall. I nearly sidestepped the stampede and ducked into my class. I checked my seat for thumbtacks and other enchantments before sitting. I sat alone, refusing to let anyone sit beside me. My books went tumbling to the floor as none other than Draco Malfoy sat beside me.
"Oops." He gave me a challenging smirk, "you'll want to pick those up now won't you?"
I tried kicking them back to me, to no avail. "Well...go on now. Class is about to begin." He shoved me out of the chair when the professors back was turned. I clenched my jaw, but didn't retaliate. I gathered up my books and sat back down, cursing myself for being careless when a thumbtack stabbed me in the arse. I bit my tongue to keep from yelping and yanked the thumbtack out.
It didn't end there. Big Potter kept shooting chewed up spit wads at my head, while little Potter kept peeping at me with those wide innocent eyes of his.
"Why do you reckon his nose is so big?" Weasley asked, "was he cursed."
"Nah," big Potter muttered, "just really unlucky." I sunk a bit in my seat, trying to cover the hook of my nose. We were told to work in groups of six and I immediately sought out anyone who wouldn't try to kill me. I caught Granger's eye and she bounced over.
"He's my partner, Granger." Malfoy said, putting his arm around me.
"Groups of six mean he can be your partner and mine as well, Malfoy. Do learn to count." She sighed. She perched herself on my desk, her creamy legs obstructing my view. The only girl who'd ever been this close to me was Lily.
"Oi, Hermione! Come back here with us," The younger Potter called.
"You come to me, I'm comfortable." They did as she asked, bringing James Potter with them. Desks were shifted and chairs were moved before we went on about our project.
"Harry's the smallest so he should try first." Granger decided. The project was to become an animal. He nodded and handed her his glasses. He concentrated, but his small frame remained small.
"Oh come on Harry," James said, "try a bit harder. Imagine your animal and just go for it."
His face quivered with magic, before he let it fall.
"Well nice try for your first time. I'll go next." Granger said. She hopped off of her spot on my desk. She clenched her fists as the magic surrounded her. Then, much to anyone's surprise and pair of rabbit ears sprouted atop her head.
"Well done Miss. Granger!" The professor commended, "ten points to Gryffindor." She went back to normal and it was Weasley next. He farted out completely, but James nearly did it completely.
"You're up Malfoy," Granger announced.
"I'm taller than Severus," he insisted. She rolled her eyes.
"No you aren't, he's the same height as you, but he's older therefore you're next."
"Prove it," she rolled her eyes and pointed her wand lazily. My height and age appeared above my head. Severus Snape: Jan. 9, 1980. 6'
She did it to him next. Draco Malfoy: Jun. 5, 1980. 6'
"Therefore you're up." She said smartly. He rolled his eyes but stood.
His nose and mouth area turned first, white fur sprouted along his arms and face. Then, with a pop, he was a ferret. Granger's eyes widened and she picked him up.
"Oh look at him, he's kind of cute." She stroked his fur, despite his mad wriggling.
"I want to keep him," she announced. "So long as I hold him he can't change back right?" The ferret struggled in her grasp, but to no avail. She stroked his fur and motioned for me to go. I felt my self shrinking as the magic pulled me closer to the ground. My nose melted and curved until it turned into a large beak. I stretched my arms to see that they were now large, black feathered wings.
"We've got two full transformations, Professor McGonagall!" Granger called. She was still stroking the, now limp, ferret.
"Oh! Miss. Granger, do put Mr. Malfoy back on the ground so he can transform back." With a sad sigh she placed him on the desk. He turned back, just as I was uncurling from my crouching position.
"Who gave you permission to touch me?" He snarled.
"Ferrets are cute. You should have turned into something else." She said haughtily, "every time you turn into a ferret know that I will catch you and I will pet you." He looked disgusted at the thought.
Class ended and Granger joined her Gryffindor friends, leaving me to find my way back to Lily.
"Don't touch Hermione," the jagged wall behind me dug into my back as I looked down at James Potter.
"I don't recall touching her," I said quietly.
"I saw how you were looking at her." I blushed, since when was admiring a girls legs a crime? It was nature, "one touch and I will break that beak of yours. Are we clear?"
"Crystal," he shoved me back a bit and went on about his business. Frustrated I stomped off to find Lily. She was surrounded when I did find her, she was dating James. I knew that, but I hated it. Why him? I would never say I deserved her, because I didn't. She was as innocent and as pure as they came, but his deserving level was lower than mine. She waved me over to where she talked to the Potters, Granger, and Weasley, but I declined.
"I'll see you after next class," I told her. She nodded and I was gone.
A.N::/ five reviews and I'll be back with chapter two.