I own none of the characters you recognize. If you recognize it, it's probably Joanne Rowling's. I make no profit from this.  Reviews are appreciated. Flames will either be used to toast marshmallows or thrown right back.  Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy.   – Ana E. Dimitrios

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On Being A Magical Person

Seventh year had been going well.  I had finally become comfortable with the school and my classmates to become good friends with many of them.  Even after three years I still tended to be a loner, teacher's pet, and bookworm.  Luckily I had as my best friend someone who was very similar, although for slightly different reasons.  Severus Snape was also a Slytherin and never really had many close friends.  Of course we were friends with our housemates, and dormitory fellows, but neither of us had many very close friends.  During my first year here, the middle of the fourth year of school, a month or two after my transfer from Beaux baton Academy, we had become fast friends.

            Well, as close as two outsiders can ever be.  He was tall, gawky, most boys at fifteen are, and always seemed like he needed a bath.  Of course this was caused by incessant studies, exploring in the most disgusting passages of the castle, and the brewing of many experimental potions, which tends to leave a person greasy and sweaty.  As I have said, I am ¾ veela and part Daoin Sidhe, with barely an ounce of human blood in me.  For my looks everyone told me I appeared above average, that some people were even intimidated by my appearance.  However I did not see it that way.  Wild dark brown hair, about waist length, and my obviously different ears, coupled with bouts of acne did nothing to improve my self-image. 

            Although neither of us really needed assistance in studying, we formed our own little study group, more about discussing the topics assigned than in other groups where most of what happened was "the grilling of the brain" also known as copying the smartest person's homework, if not verbatim than by having them re-teach what the professors had taught.  He and I had a friendly competition going to see who could get the highest marks on the work.  Neither of us were prefects, let alone head boy or girl.  I because I had transferred, not with a shining record, and he because he turned down the position.  Too much responsibility, or so he said.  We both had the highest marks in our house, indeed for most of the school, except for a handful of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws.

            Evidently my looks had changed without notifying me.  Acne had cleared up, my hair had actually decided to curl instead of puffing up like lamb's wool and my figure had become more adult.  I did not notice until a friend, Lucius Malfoy, the boyfriend of one of my roommates, Narcissa, started commenting on it.  He would walk up after class and tell me that he liked the way I was wearing my hair, or complemented my clothing on the weekends.  At first I was rather flattered, but then he became rather obsessive about it.   Even Severus noticed.  For so long had he and I worked together that neither of us really noticed the other, unless someone else brought something to our attention.  We had a sort of unstated relationship, not quite dating, but not just friends either.  That all changed two weeks after the Easter holidays.