1 Week before Halloween
I was sitting in the Great Hall during lunch, sitting beside Draco to be exact, when I felt *the* stare. I'm sure everyone has at least felt it once in their lives - you know the stare that a guy or girl has before their going to ask somebody out?
Ick.
Gross.
Disgusting.
I think I just want to lean over and puke.
Well, I did lean over, but not to puke. I leaned over to Draco.
"Draco." I whispered. He looked at me, an elegant blonde eyebrow raised.
"Yeah?" He answered, just as soft.
"There's somebody *staring* at me!" I replied.
"Staring, Hecate? Lots of people stare at you and you've never complained about it before." Draco said in confusion. I groaned in frustration.
"Not that kind of staring, Draco, it's *the* stare!" I hissed rapidly.
"Ah." A knowing look appeared on Draco's face. "Tell me, dear cousin, are you attracted to men or women?"
I gave Draco a glare.
"Technically, I don't care what gender my chosen spouse would be, Draco." I snapped.
"So why does it bother you?" Draco asked.
I was stumped. I truly didn't know why I it bothered me. The most likely thing was that..
"I just don't want to get involved with anybody during the war, ya know? I don't want to hurt more people Draco. I would kill myself again if I left some person behind me while I go off to get myself killed."
Draco nodded sagely. "That's understandable." He grinned suddenly. "Do you want me to play the EXTREMELY overprotective cousin and save you from the big bad person who wants to ask you out on a date?"
"Yes!" I cheered, practically drawing everybody's attention to me in the Great Hall.
"Ummm..oops?" I said my hand behind my head. "Hehehehe.."
*******************************
I walked silently up to Prof. Dumbledore's office after lunch. I knew he would be there - besides me being able to sense him - I had scheduled a meeting with him about my schooling.
I walked into the office.
Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, staring intently at a piece of parchment that was in his hands. His brow was wrinkled in thought and a frown marred his normally cheerful expression.
I cleared my throat.
Dumbledore looked up at me and smiled tiredly.
"Hello dear. Please, sit down." He motioned to one of the stuffed, black leather chairs in front of his desk. Why is the damn furniture always changing anyway?
"Thank you sir." I sat down, smoothing out my black, pleated Hogwarts uniform skirt as I did. "Prof. Dumbledore, I came here to discuss my schooling here at Hogwarts' school. I'm just not getting challenged enough, if you will." I looked Dumbledore in the eyes, and I saw that they were twinkling.
"Yes, I know." Dumbledore nodded sagely. "I have discussed possible outcomes of sorts, and they have agreed to a solution." Dumbledore smiled reassuringly at me. "We have decided to give you the Seventh Year graduation exam and if you pass it, you will be considered a full fledged witch in the Wizarding world's eyes. Do you agree?"
I paused. "Witch, Headmaster?" I looked up at him, and I felt the hopelessness of ever getting out of my new female body fill me. "Will I ever get my *old* body back, Headmaster?"
"Oh Hecate." Dumbledore leaned over his desk and grasped my chin. "Everything will turn out all right in the end. We will be able to change the certificate later on if you do get your old body back, I promise."
I felt my angst on the subject lessen slightly. "You know, when you say it that way, you make my little quest sounds so hopeless." I raised an eyebrow at him.
Dumbledore only chuckled at me. ******************************
I was late for Potions, but I also had a note from Dumbledore explaining the situation. When I walked into the classroom, Snape gave me a slight glare as I handed him the note. Hehe..Snape must be happy today.
"Today, class, we'll be working on the Aging Potion. Please partner up and start. The directions are on the board." Snape muttered. I smiled cheerfully and paired myself up with Draco. About 15 minutes before class ended, we finished our potion, which was perfectly made.
Suddenly, there was an explosion. I quickly pulled Draco under our table just as the Aging Potion splashed over our heads. There was a scream of shock, and Draco and I popped our heads out from underneath the table to see.
I started to giggle as I walked over and stood in front of the commotion.
A cute little baby with a mop of red fuzz sat in the seat where Ron had been sitting before. He was draped in the robes he had been wearing. Baby Ron looked up at me and, his big, blue eyes filled with wonder and excitement. Little Ron opened his mouth in a wide, almost toothless grin and shouted..
"MOMMY!!!!!!!!!!!"
Oh shit.
******************************
As it happened, I was now Ron's new mother till he grew out of the potion.
Which wouldn't be till a week later.
Damn.
*******************************
3 days after the Potions incident.
Baby Ron had caused quite a stir in the Slytherin common room when I returned there that night. He also was the cause of 10 students in the Hospital Wing, half of them that wouldn't be out for a week or two (they had tortured the poor child by playing *shudder* dress up) and the other half had concussions and some slightly broken bones. I'm just to evil.
"McGonagall why are we here?" I asked impatiently, shuffling the baby Ron onto my hip for comfort.
Ron immediately grabbed a piece of my shiny, clean hair to chew on.
I chose to ignore the hair that I knew I would have to scrub later that night till all the saliva had been removed.
McGonagall sighed in exasperation.
"I've explained this to you many times, Ms. Black. This is going to be your personal rooms during holidays - Christmas, spring, summer, and any other holiday. This room specifically is to be used for training - weights, mats, and aerobic bars will be provided for you. We have also charmed a Muggle music sound system in the room, so you can play what ever you wish to play here." McGonagall explained once again.
"Okay, when do I get the stuff?" I asked calmly as I walked around the room.
"They will be arriving here shortly, Ms. Black." McGonagall replied. I turned around to look at her.
"You know, you *can* call me Hecate. It wouldn't kill you, you know." I said softly.
"I know that, Ms. Black. As a professor, I am not allowed to be that informal with my students unless they are family." McGonagall replied stiffly.
"Ah, come on grandma!" I chuckled when McGonagall glared at me. A knock came at the door.
"Come in, Severus!" McGonagall yelled at the door. The oak wood swung forward and Severus Snape walked through, mats of all sizes, weights, and bars and stands followed behind him lazily.
I barely resisted the urge to face vault.
"This is all for me?" I asked, my face going into that special look I save for all the stupid people in the world.
"Of course, Ms. Black. You will need a place to train until you can join the War." McGonagall said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. I glowered at the older woman.
"Well, I'll be off! Have fun dearie!" McGonagall smiled and practically bounced out of the room, leaving me and my least favorite uncle to stare at each other.
******************************
In the Slytherin Girl's 5th year bedrooms, two more pieces of the mirror fused together.
*******************************
"Why do you hate me?" I asked him softly. Snape raised an eyebrow and sat down on one of the machines that he had brought with him.
"I don't hate you, Ms. Black." Snape answered. "I do not even loath you. You are truly your own self, and that is the problem."
"What?"
"You act nothing like your parents, and most of us act strangely because we always find traits about the parents in the children in this castle. You are.different. Not in a bad way, just it is an unusual occurrence. Your father, Black, and I were part of an unusual family. We all have the same mother, but different fathers, as our last names show." Snape sighed, almost hesitant to continue. "Before Hogwarts, we were all close, and happy. Black and Potter were both surprised when I had been sorted into Slytherin. So was I, for that matter. And that was when we started to fall apart. Black made it worse for playing the prank on me in our 6th year, and Potter never helped by holding me to a Wizard's Debt either."
"What was the debt?" I asked curiously. Might as well find out everything in one sitting and while he's open enough to tell me himself.
"It was to protect *you*." Snape replied quietly. I felt a little stunned, but I had already guessed it a long time ago.
"Does it bother you so much to protect me?" I asked, feeling like I had just been repetitive.
"No." Snape looked at me. "Hecate, there are many thing you do not know, things that should have come from your parent's mouths and not mine or Black's or even Dumbledore's, but someday they will have to come out, and it will hurt and destroy a lot of people in the end."
"Why can't you tell me now?"
Snape's eyes bared my soul flat out for him to see. "I will tell you a bit, mostly about why Voldemort wanted so desperately to destroy you." Snape looked down at his hands. "'Born of two worlds, the lily and the stag, yet so far apart from them. Alive to destroy an Empire, and to rebuild it again. Changed, but unchanged, from the trials she'll face, and struggles on.'" Snape looked at me again. "Prof. Trelawney, on the day of your birth."
I labored for breath. "The prophecy says.she?"
"Yes, we were all shocked when we found out you were male." Snape shrugged. "It still didn't change anything, though. You were still the child of the prophecy." He smirked. "And you are female now, don't forget."
I glowered at him. "You don't have to rub it in, ya know."
"It's part of my undeniable charm." Snape said sarcastically.
I laughed and Snape soon joined in.
"Well, we have made progress with out differences?" Snape asked after we had both calmed.
I nodded. "Yeah."
"Then I shall be going." Snape stood and turned towards the door.
"May I.call you Uncle Severus?" I asked hesitantly. I was afraid he'd reject my offer, to refuse to acknowledge my desperation to become part of his family, my real family.
Snape looked over his shoulder at me with a small smile.
"Just call me Sev for now, Hecate. We'll start with that and work or way up from there."
"Only if you call me Cate."
We smiled at each other for a moment, and then Sev turned and walked out if the training room.
Little Ron gurgled at my hip happily, but his eyes were a little confused.
I looked at Ron with a frown.
"I trust you Ron, and you better not say a word when you get older again." I said severely.
Ron only laughed, some saliva dripping from his mouth.
"Ugh, you are so sick child!" I snorted and hefted Ron onto my other hip for the meanwhile, plans for putting my hair in a bun tomorrow danced like sugarplum fairies through my head.
I smiled slightly.
Yeah, today had certainly been progressive, but it also had helped me better understand myself and Sev and Sirius so much better than before.
And my father.
Sigh.
Time to get "little" Ron a bath and changed into some comfy pajamas.
I was sitting in the Great Hall during lunch, sitting beside Draco to be exact, when I felt *the* stare. I'm sure everyone has at least felt it once in their lives - you know the stare that a guy or girl has before their going to ask somebody out?
Ick.
Gross.
Disgusting.
I think I just want to lean over and puke.
Well, I did lean over, but not to puke. I leaned over to Draco.
"Draco." I whispered. He looked at me, an elegant blonde eyebrow raised.
"Yeah?" He answered, just as soft.
"There's somebody *staring* at me!" I replied.
"Staring, Hecate? Lots of people stare at you and you've never complained about it before." Draco said in confusion. I groaned in frustration.
"Not that kind of staring, Draco, it's *the* stare!" I hissed rapidly.
"Ah." A knowing look appeared on Draco's face. "Tell me, dear cousin, are you attracted to men or women?"
I gave Draco a glare.
"Technically, I don't care what gender my chosen spouse would be, Draco." I snapped.
"So why does it bother you?" Draco asked.
I was stumped. I truly didn't know why I it bothered me. The most likely thing was that..
"I just don't want to get involved with anybody during the war, ya know? I don't want to hurt more people Draco. I would kill myself again if I left some person behind me while I go off to get myself killed."
Draco nodded sagely. "That's understandable." He grinned suddenly. "Do you want me to play the EXTREMELY overprotective cousin and save you from the big bad person who wants to ask you out on a date?"
"Yes!" I cheered, practically drawing everybody's attention to me in the Great Hall.
"Ummm..oops?" I said my hand behind my head. "Hehehehe.."
*******************************
I walked silently up to Prof. Dumbledore's office after lunch. I knew he would be there - besides me being able to sense him - I had scheduled a meeting with him about my schooling.
I walked into the office.
Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, staring intently at a piece of parchment that was in his hands. His brow was wrinkled in thought and a frown marred his normally cheerful expression.
I cleared my throat.
Dumbledore looked up at me and smiled tiredly.
"Hello dear. Please, sit down." He motioned to one of the stuffed, black leather chairs in front of his desk. Why is the damn furniture always changing anyway?
"Thank you sir." I sat down, smoothing out my black, pleated Hogwarts uniform skirt as I did. "Prof. Dumbledore, I came here to discuss my schooling here at Hogwarts' school. I'm just not getting challenged enough, if you will." I looked Dumbledore in the eyes, and I saw that they were twinkling.
"Yes, I know." Dumbledore nodded sagely. "I have discussed possible outcomes of sorts, and they have agreed to a solution." Dumbledore smiled reassuringly at me. "We have decided to give you the Seventh Year graduation exam and if you pass it, you will be considered a full fledged witch in the Wizarding world's eyes. Do you agree?"
I paused. "Witch, Headmaster?" I looked up at him, and I felt the hopelessness of ever getting out of my new female body fill me. "Will I ever get my *old* body back, Headmaster?"
"Oh Hecate." Dumbledore leaned over his desk and grasped my chin. "Everything will turn out all right in the end. We will be able to change the certificate later on if you do get your old body back, I promise."
I felt my angst on the subject lessen slightly. "You know, when you say it that way, you make my little quest sounds so hopeless." I raised an eyebrow at him.
Dumbledore only chuckled at me. ******************************
I was late for Potions, but I also had a note from Dumbledore explaining the situation. When I walked into the classroom, Snape gave me a slight glare as I handed him the note. Hehe..Snape must be happy today.
"Today, class, we'll be working on the Aging Potion. Please partner up and start. The directions are on the board." Snape muttered. I smiled cheerfully and paired myself up with Draco. About 15 minutes before class ended, we finished our potion, which was perfectly made.
Suddenly, there was an explosion. I quickly pulled Draco under our table just as the Aging Potion splashed over our heads. There was a scream of shock, and Draco and I popped our heads out from underneath the table to see.
I started to giggle as I walked over and stood in front of the commotion.
A cute little baby with a mop of red fuzz sat in the seat where Ron had been sitting before. He was draped in the robes he had been wearing. Baby Ron looked up at me and, his big, blue eyes filled with wonder and excitement. Little Ron opened his mouth in a wide, almost toothless grin and shouted..
"MOMMY!!!!!!!!!!!"
Oh shit.
******************************
As it happened, I was now Ron's new mother till he grew out of the potion.
Which wouldn't be till a week later.
Damn.
*******************************
3 days after the Potions incident.
Baby Ron had caused quite a stir in the Slytherin common room when I returned there that night. He also was the cause of 10 students in the Hospital Wing, half of them that wouldn't be out for a week or two (they had tortured the poor child by playing *shudder* dress up) and the other half had concussions and some slightly broken bones. I'm just to evil.
"McGonagall why are we here?" I asked impatiently, shuffling the baby Ron onto my hip for comfort.
Ron immediately grabbed a piece of my shiny, clean hair to chew on.
I chose to ignore the hair that I knew I would have to scrub later that night till all the saliva had been removed.
McGonagall sighed in exasperation.
"I've explained this to you many times, Ms. Black. This is going to be your personal rooms during holidays - Christmas, spring, summer, and any other holiday. This room specifically is to be used for training - weights, mats, and aerobic bars will be provided for you. We have also charmed a Muggle music sound system in the room, so you can play what ever you wish to play here." McGonagall explained once again.
"Okay, when do I get the stuff?" I asked calmly as I walked around the room.
"They will be arriving here shortly, Ms. Black." McGonagall replied. I turned around to look at her.
"You know, you *can* call me Hecate. It wouldn't kill you, you know." I said softly.
"I know that, Ms. Black. As a professor, I am not allowed to be that informal with my students unless they are family." McGonagall replied stiffly.
"Ah, come on grandma!" I chuckled when McGonagall glared at me. A knock came at the door.
"Come in, Severus!" McGonagall yelled at the door. The oak wood swung forward and Severus Snape walked through, mats of all sizes, weights, and bars and stands followed behind him lazily.
I barely resisted the urge to face vault.
"This is all for me?" I asked, my face going into that special look I save for all the stupid people in the world.
"Of course, Ms. Black. You will need a place to train until you can join the War." McGonagall said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. I glowered at the older woman.
"Well, I'll be off! Have fun dearie!" McGonagall smiled and practically bounced out of the room, leaving me and my least favorite uncle to stare at each other.
******************************
In the Slytherin Girl's 5th year bedrooms, two more pieces of the mirror fused together.
*******************************
"Why do you hate me?" I asked him softly. Snape raised an eyebrow and sat down on one of the machines that he had brought with him.
"I don't hate you, Ms. Black." Snape answered. "I do not even loath you. You are truly your own self, and that is the problem."
"What?"
"You act nothing like your parents, and most of us act strangely because we always find traits about the parents in the children in this castle. You are.different. Not in a bad way, just it is an unusual occurrence. Your father, Black, and I were part of an unusual family. We all have the same mother, but different fathers, as our last names show." Snape sighed, almost hesitant to continue. "Before Hogwarts, we were all close, and happy. Black and Potter were both surprised when I had been sorted into Slytherin. So was I, for that matter. And that was when we started to fall apart. Black made it worse for playing the prank on me in our 6th year, and Potter never helped by holding me to a Wizard's Debt either."
"What was the debt?" I asked curiously. Might as well find out everything in one sitting and while he's open enough to tell me himself.
"It was to protect *you*." Snape replied quietly. I felt a little stunned, but I had already guessed it a long time ago.
"Does it bother you so much to protect me?" I asked, feeling like I had just been repetitive.
"No." Snape looked at me. "Hecate, there are many thing you do not know, things that should have come from your parent's mouths and not mine or Black's or even Dumbledore's, but someday they will have to come out, and it will hurt and destroy a lot of people in the end."
"Why can't you tell me now?"
Snape's eyes bared my soul flat out for him to see. "I will tell you a bit, mostly about why Voldemort wanted so desperately to destroy you." Snape looked down at his hands. "'Born of two worlds, the lily and the stag, yet so far apart from them. Alive to destroy an Empire, and to rebuild it again. Changed, but unchanged, from the trials she'll face, and struggles on.'" Snape looked at me again. "Prof. Trelawney, on the day of your birth."
I labored for breath. "The prophecy says.she?"
"Yes, we were all shocked when we found out you were male." Snape shrugged. "It still didn't change anything, though. You were still the child of the prophecy." He smirked. "And you are female now, don't forget."
I glowered at him. "You don't have to rub it in, ya know."
"It's part of my undeniable charm." Snape said sarcastically.
I laughed and Snape soon joined in.
"Well, we have made progress with out differences?" Snape asked after we had both calmed.
I nodded. "Yeah."
"Then I shall be going." Snape stood and turned towards the door.
"May I.call you Uncle Severus?" I asked hesitantly. I was afraid he'd reject my offer, to refuse to acknowledge my desperation to become part of his family, my real family.
Snape looked over his shoulder at me with a small smile.
"Just call me Sev for now, Hecate. We'll start with that and work or way up from there."
"Only if you call me Cate."
We smiled at each other for a moment, and then Sev turned and walked out if the training room.
Little Ron gurgled at my hip happily, but his eyes were a little confused.
I looked at Ron with a frown.
"I trust you Ron, and you better not say a word when you get older again." I said severely.
Ron only laughed, some saliva dripping from his mouth.
"Ugh, you are so sick child!" I snorted and hefted Ron onto my other hip for the meanwhile, plans for putting my hair in a bun tomorrow danced like sugarplum fairies through my head.
I smiled slightly.
Yeah, today had certainly been progressive, but it also had helped me better understand myself and Sev and Sirius so much better than before.
And my father.
Sigh.
Time to get "little" Ron a bath and changed into some comfy pajamas.