HEY YOOOUUU GUYS! (Quick, name that movie!)

Sweet squishy baby Jesus you all are amazing. Definitely a boost to my wee lil self-esteem.

And yeah, I totally cackle when I get email alerts. Then I shove my phone into my little sisters' face and because I was/am a Disney kid I start singing the Tarzan song re-mixed to fit the scenario. I'm a visual person...let me set the stage…..

Ash: Look at all these alerts, reviews, and favorites! WHOO!

Little Sister: (tapping on her own phone with complete disinterest) Uh huh. Great.

Ash: No, sister. Bad form. This is your part *ahem* I WANNA KNOOOOW! CAN YOU SHOW ME!

Little Sister: Um, I don't-

Ash flamboyantly does a spin and sings in sister's face: Then I go. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT STRANGERS LIKE MEEEEE! then points to herself dramatically.

Little Sister: You seriously need to stop.

Ash: Watch it, I'm your elder. You shut your mouth and respect all that is Phil Collins and men in loin cloths.

Little Sister: *sigh* Perverse thoughts in 3….2…..

Ash: MMMMMM - loin cloths. Hey, you could sing that song to them to get them to show you a little-

Little Sister: You're married. Stop it.

Ash. YOU stop it.

*end scene*

In public. It's amazing. I should sell tickets.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters But if I could have anything you know what I would want?! HERMIONE GRANGER...and a rocket ship. (Name that musical!)

And now - WE READ!

Chapter 4 –

"I'm no angel, but I've spread my wings a bit."

-Mae West

Hermione yawned and stretched her arms, coming into contact with a something warm that was most definitely not a bed. Rubbing her tired eyes she opened one eye and looked around.

She was on a sleeping Draco's lap, his arm's holding her against his chest. Harry and Ron were snoring on a gurney while she and Draco were in a…chair? They must be at St. Mungo's.

Merlin, what was going on? She tried to remember but there was a dense black fog in her head and she was getting just small flashes that she couldn't interpret.

She didn't remember anything of the previous evening and something had clearly happened. They were no longer in the cave and that awful red haze was no longer present in her vision. The room was in shambles and she was still sitting in Draco's lap, draped over him like a cat.

When she tried to carefully move off him, his arms wrapped around her tighter and she froze. Waiting a few precious seconds to assure herself he was still asleep. She tried again.

"Ssssh, it's alright. Go back to sleep."

"Draco?"

He started awake but still didn't release her, his already low voice roughened with sleep. "Hermione?"

She pushed against his chest but he didn't relent.

"I'm not letting you go until I know you won't attack anyone. Tell me your most embarrassing moment."

She rolled her eyes at sighed in annoyance, "I polyjuiced myself into a cat while at Hogwarts. No one knows that but you, Ron and Harry."

Immediately he relaxed and his arms fell loose. "Welcome back."

She frowned, "What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remembered?"

"I remember the forest, the blast, then bit's of the cave. But that's all," she became more concerned at Draco's frown. "What is it?"

He glanced up at the clock, "The Healer was supposed to be here hours ago. I was hoping he could explain what happened because I have no idea what just happened. Other than the fact your famous temper is on a trip wire that produces fangs, claws, and wings."

She swallowed and once again tried to find her way through the mental fog in her brain in attempt to remember what had happened. That ever present being was silent, almost as if it was sleeping. It wasn't harassing her to give into its lethal charms and to let loose her tight reigns of control just one time. It had never been this silent before. What had she done?

What exactly had she just let slip through? The possibilities were horrifying.

She flinched and he raised a pale eyebrow in question. "Is there something you're not telling me Hermione?"

She had been keeping her secret diligently for so long. She opened her mouth but nothing seemed to come out. How was she going to tell him? How were Harry and Ron going to react? They were going to be upset when she confessed, because she knew she was a possible danger, knew the risks, yet time and time again she put herself situations where she was almost guaranteed to fail.

Maybe the possibility of the danger had made her better. It created an iron-clad focus that she couldn't be lax in because of the internal threat she always carried with her. She had no cushion to catch her if she fell. It had made it easier to keep the thing the seemed to live in her very blood at bay as it sung to her in her dreams.

Draco's crystalline stare narrowed as he leaned closer to her, demanding with his presence that she looked him directly in the eyes. "Hermione, tell me now."

The door burst open with a very loud, "Good Morning Ravens!" Harry and Ron started awake. Ron tumbled off the side of the hospital bed in surprise.

A healer waltzed in; his beady eyes focused directly on Hermione while a demure dark haired woman walked into the room and quietly positioned herself in an empty corner.

"Welcome back Auror Granger! How are you feeling?"

She frowned and this overly excited Healer. "I'm sorry, have we met?"

He chuckled, "Ah, that's right. You weren't exactly in the frame of mind to chat with me during our first meeting. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Healer Richards. I am the head of the Department of Magical Anthropology and Cryptozoology here at St. Mungo's. This," he motioned to the woman in the corner, "is Clara. She's going to be assisting me this morning."

She inclined her head politely at Clara, who had returned the gesture but did not speak. She felt the need to keep track of the exact location of the woman so she would know instantly if she made any sudden moves.

"Nice to meet you Healer Richards, can you please explain to me why the Director of the Department of Magical Anthropology and Cyrptozoology is overseeing my care?"

The Healer practically beamed at her. "Well my dear, you seem to have had a peculiar incident during your last mission. What do you recall of the last twenty-four hours?"

She quickly recounted the same thing she had told Draco earlier.

Healer Richards looked over to Clara as they seemed to have a silent conversation with each other. When that odd exchange was completed he turned back to resume speaking with Hermione.

"I'm not sure what Auror Malfoy has informed you of so we'll start at the beginning. Are you aware that during your recent mission you went into a rage that caused you to develop black eyes, fangs that replaced your normal canines, claws instead of your normal human fingernails and if that weren't enough." He clapped his hands in excitement. "You have wings! WINGS! It's fantastic!"

He looked around the room and drooped a bit at the apparent lack of enthusiasm. But he quickly perked up again.

"Are you also aware that you single-handedly mutilated 10 Death Eaters in less than three minutes?"

Scenes of blood and violence came to the forefront of her memory as she watched her own slim hands reach out and claw the head of one Death Eater clean off. These were not her first kills, not all missions ended with trips to Azkaban, but these were certainly her most brutal. She had ended lives with her bare hands and reveled in it.

She clutched her rolling stomach, launching herself from Draco's lap. She found the nearest trashcan and wretched for all she was worth. Draco had followed her and was holding her hair back.

"Explain to me why that was necessary?" He sounded furious.

"I simply had to ascertain whether she had been fully functioning when she attacked, clearly she was not."

"Clearly." He growled as he led Hermione back to their chair and tugged her against him as he sat down. She didn't fight him.

Harry was running his fingers through hair, which by now as alarmingly askew, as he paced. "Do you know what's going on, sir?"

Healer Richards clapped his hands and smiled again. "Indeed I do!"

Ron grumbled from the gurney he back to laying on, "Well don't leave us in suspense, what is wrong with Hermione!"

This seemed to be the queue he was waiting for as his speech picked up rapidly as he gave his explanation.

"After four separate trials, the results were definite. Very little room for error, I had my suspicions, but science doesn't allow for that sort of thing -"

Ron rolled his eyes.

"All the genetic markers are present along with the easily observed physical manifestations. It seems Auror Granger here is not of pure Muggle descent."

"What exactly are you saying Healer Richards?" Her voice had taken an unnaturally high pitch.

"Congratulations! You my dear are a Harpy."

Hermione again flew off Draco's lap in shock. Draco remained seated but placed a supporting hand on her lower back.

"EXCUSE ME!?" Hermione screeched in indignation. Everyone in the room seemed to tense except for this Clara woman who still had not said a word.

The Healer chuckled, "Oh my apologies, wasn't implying you act like one - on the contrary, you are one."

He looked around the room at the bowled over looks on the Ravens faces. "Oh come now, it can't have been that big of a surprise, surely. Hermione, may I call you Hermione? Hermione must have shown signs before this. Moments of aggression and fits of irritability?"

She watched as Draco, Ron and Harry shared a look and it was Harry who spoke. "Hermione has always been known to be passionate about things, but nothing to this magnitude."

This seemed to surprise the Healer and Clara both, "Really? This has never happened before? That shows extraordinary control. It's brilliant."

Hermione had enough and smacked Draco's hands away as he reached for her when he felt her stiffen.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not in the room. I have no idea what you are talking about and there's no way I can be a-a...Harpy. That's preposterous Healer Richards, I myself have tracked my families lineage back two hundred years. Nothing but Muggles, I am the first in a very, very long time to show any magical ability."

The Healer actually snorted when she said that. "Hermione, with your noted intelligence surely you know that magic doesn't genetically appear out of thin air. It has to come from somewhere or you would never have even been able to manifest your ability. It's a matter of recessed genetics. Your magic must have been the catalyst that allowed the transformation to begin."

"Transformation?" All four Ravens seemed to bellow at once. Draco stood up from his chair and had pushed Hermione behind him as if he could shield her from this with just his body.

Shuffling around Draco she was momentarily horrified at the possibility of what this transformation would mean. Greek and Roman mythology pictured Harpy's as horrifying hybrids of bird and woman with three breasts. Three horrible looking bare breasts attached to a torso with a vulture like head.

Internally, something began to stir awake at her distress then actually chuckled at the mental image she had conjured of herself then rolled over and fell back asleep.

The Healer seemed to know what she had thought as she wrapped her arms over her chest and had laughed so hard he had slapped both of his knees.

"You should know better young lady! After all, do witches have green skin and long noses? Do they cook newborn babes in the moonlight? Of course not!"

Clara cleared her throat and it seemed to reign the exuberant Healer in. "Right, well, how have you been feeling lately Hermione?"

She donned her neutral mask that was as familiar to her as her first name. "I've been fine."

The Healers eyebrows rose, "Really? No dreams, subconscious urges, thoughts of violence?"

She shook her head slowly. "No, sir."

Clara's pleasant voice sounded from her corner. "Why would you lie about this Auror Granger?"

Hermione felt the hair on the back of her neck raise as her head snapped to glare at the woman. Was she challenging her? She had no right!

Clara looked smug, "Your eyes are turning. Are you upset Auror Granger?"

Draco's warm hand gripped her shoulder giving it a warning squeeze, "Hermione."

Clara eyed Draco a bit too long for Hermione's liking. "Your man here is certainly attractive, I can understand why you're protective of him."

She did her breathing exercises, slow deep inhales and controlled exhales that lasted five seconds each. She was not going to get upset, she was not going to-

Clara shot Draco a heated look and struck a flirtatious pose. "You are a delicious one, care to share a bite?" The bitch had actually licked her lips!

Her palms hurt and she looked down at her hands to see moon shape cuts already welling blood from the sharp tips that had protruded over her fingernails.

Draco had stepped in front of her again. "What game are you playing woman? Cease this immediately."

Clara's throaty laugh made her growl as Draco walked backwards, crowding her into the counter.

That's when Healer Richards stepped in. "Enough Clara, thank you for your assistance. Hermione? You still with us?"

"Make her leave, now."

That voice did not belong to her, was this what had happened before? She squeezed her eyes shut and ground her teeth together, desperately attempting to calm herself. But she could feel the changes within her, her hearing became more acute. Draco's heartbeat, sounding like a rhythmic bomb going off. Harry was shifting his weight from foot to foot and Ron was doing that odd tick he had where he would rub his thumb and middle finger together in a soft snap.

The clock ticking was almost overwhelming.

She could hear the Healer's robes moving as he must have shaken his head. "I'm sorry, but Clara is not leaving. Trust me on this, you need her."

It looked like red was bleeding into her vision and she fought to remain coherent, it wasn't just red she realized – this was some type of infrared. She was picking up heat signatures, the four humans in the room glowing white against the burgundy background.

Wait, humans? She was referring to the others in the room as if they weren't her own kind. She let out a growl of confusion that was quickly turning to fear.

Draco reached back and placed his big warm palm against her stomach, pinning her against the counter in an attempt to simultaneously provide comfort and keep her still. She tried to embrace that warmth and how good it felt, but even that was fleeting.

He took a deep breath; she heard the air fill his lungs and his heartbeat remained strong and steady. "Can you not see how you are causing her distress?"

Harry and Ron spoke up as well, but their combined voices crashed into her already battered ears. She went into full sensory overload.

She felt the acid burning in her veins and began to pant as she fought against it. She could control this, she was not a mindless killer, she was civilized and her brain was her most valuable weapon. But she couldn't get her thoughts under control! They tilted and danced away from her as she tried to organize them, white strobes against the sea of red and the strong vibrations of raised voices wanting to shake out her very bones.

Lost to the overwhelming sensations, she covered her face with her hands and did something she hadn't done since the funerals after the war.

Hermione began to cry.

***

Draco felt her trembling against his palm and fought valiantly against his anger. He had to remain in control, if they both went off there would be no saving the Healer and his assistant.

Ron and Harry were reprimanding Healer Richards as Clara watched the chaos around her with complete disinterest.

Everyone stilled when they all heard the sob from behind him. Harry and Ron looking at him with an expression of panic, a look he was sure have on his face. Both took a step towards him to get closer to Hermione.

"Don't! Please, don't come any closer!" Her shaking voice pleaded.

Turning around, he gently grasped her wrists and pulled her hands away from her face. She wouldn't look at him.

He easily grasped both of her wrists in just one of his hands and used the other to tip her chin up to force her to look at him. And what he saw broke his heart.

Her eyes were doing an odd flicker from black to brown but that wasn't what bothered him, it was tears streaming down her cheeks. Dressed in the hospital gown, hair out of her usual braid, she looked so small and forlorn. Completely lost.

Hermione never cried. Ever. They had seen some pretty horrific things and for a while the emotional aftermath of the war caught them all up at times. But while Hermione grieved and she expressed sadness, she never shed a tear.

It astounded him as much as it infuriated him. Picking her up, he sat her down on the counter so that she was closer to his height and she was also easier to see from the rest of the rooms inhabitants. Harry and Ron each sucked in a breath of surprise before Ron turned on the Healer. He noticed Hermione flinch as Ron started to bellow.

"I demand to know what you have done! What game is this? We've been here for twelve hours and all you've managed to do is put her in this state."

Harry didn't have to raise his voice to the level of Ron's to get his point across. "If you have caused her any intentional harm, I will personally hold you two responsible. Protocols don't apply to the Ravens."

Healer Richards decided to speak up. "Now see here boys, this will all make sense if we could just –"

The arguing started all over again and Hermione seemed to curl into herself, rocking back and forth as she cried harder. He then realized what was going on then released Hermione's hands and pressed his own against her ears.

He regretted raising his voice, but it had to be done. "Everyone stop!" Hermione was shaking so much he could feel it in his palms.

They all froze as he sent his patented glare to each of them. "Arguing is doing nothing more than upsetting her further. If you must, take this out in the hallway. Better yet, I want all of you to leave. Now."

Healer Richards attempted to protest but Ron and Harry were already crowding him towards the door. Clara glided out as easily as she had walked in. Ron and Harry stared at Hermione wide-eyed as she continued to cry. Harry then physically pushed Ron out, murmuring to Draco, "Send your Patronus when she's ready."

He looked back at the sniffling witch and sighed. Releasing her head, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her against his chest. This position was starting to become second nature. Unfortunately she didn't show any signs of calming and her shudders were turning into tremors of acute distress and she was breathing too quickly.

Running his fingers through her silky hair, he decided talking might help. "Will you tell me what has you so upset?"

She choked on another sob and he shushed her gently. "Hermione, I can help, I promise. You just have to tell me what's wrong."

She took a deep breath and then mumbled incoherently into his chest. "Sorry, what was that again?"

"I'm a monster."

He may have squeezed her to him a little too hard, but he no longer cared. "You are not a monster. Never say that."

"How can you say that? I ripped those men apart. I have wings sprouting out of my back. I have fucking claws!" He kept running his fingers through her hair, root to tip, as she cried softly against him.

"You know those men would have killed us and celebrated afterwards. You did not attack Hermione, you defended. And quite brilliantly too, set a new record." He chuckled at his own joke.

"As far as your new…..attributes, well, they aren't really that bad. It was a bit creepy at first, but we'll get used to it. But you need to stay calm, until we know exactly what we are dealing with. I know nothing about Harpies and clearly Ron and Harry don't either. I know you won't be content until you have every single bit of information stored in your abnormally massive brain."

She snorted. "Since when are you so calm and collected?"

"Well," he drawled, "Normally we both are an even match for our more impulsive duo. Why did Clara make you upset?"

She shrugged as she sniffled. "I don't know. She was just there and I instantly hated it."

"But you seemed to deal with it until she said you were lying." He stopped caressing her as he thought. "She wasn't right was she? You weren't lying to us, were you? Before all this I was trying to get you to talk to me."

She pushed away from him and he let her go, she quickly wiped at her wet cheeks. Her claws, still present, made her hands appear more dainty. Odd thought.

"I-I may have not been completely forthcoming to Healer Richards. B-but it doesn't m-matter, I can control it." Her black eyes flicked to his, "I p-promise."

He getting all sorts of insights to her today, so he just let his instinct go with it. "How long have you had to control 'it' Hermione?"

She looked down and picked at the white hospital gown with her claws.

"Stop stalling Hermione, how long?"

His stern tone must have surprised her because she was meeting his gaze again, trapping her trembling lip under one white fang. "You're going to be very upset with me."

He took a deep breath to ready himself. "How long?"

"Since after the final battle."

He would love to stop having this feeling that the floor was disappearing from under him. He had far too much experience with it in the last two days.

"Eight years. You've been struggling with this for eight years."

She nodded and another tear slipped down her cheek. He wiped it away with the backs of his fingers, "Why didn't you tell us. Hermione we could have helped, do you not trust any of us?"

She began to cry again, "No! It's not that at all, I just -"

"Just what?"

"I didn't trust me!" She slammed her fist down on the counter, not noticing the small dent and crack left on the surface.

"I knew what it was capable of if I let it loose, I knew it would ruin me. I can't be like that, a mindless animal with it's own sense of superiority and justice. I had to learn how to beat it back and I had to do it by myself. I couldn't have you all hovering over me like worried hens every time I slipped."

He shook his head in disbelief. Eight. Years. Merlin….

"Now you hate me don't you? I'm some sort of biological abomination." She covered her face again.

He grabbed her to him again, sternly reminding himself that this wasn't about him. "I could never hate you. Neither could Ron or Harry, you mean the world to us Hermione and we will do whatever we have to to help you."

He just held her as she cried herself out, chastising himself in his head. He just assumed those tired bruises under her eyes were just signs of being overworked or staying up late researching or reading. That it wasn't any attempt at relaxation when she sometimes would go so silent she barely seemed to breathe. How could they have missed this?

Her soft voice interrupted his thoughts. "Draco?"

"Hmm?"

"What's going to happen to me?"

He closed his eyes tightly and made a vow to her in his heart, he would do everything in his power for her. Their little witch who had fought more battles than any of them combined.

"I don't know sweetheart, but we'll figure it out. Together."

I think I somehow channeled David Tennant's speech patterns as The Doctor when writing Healer Richards dialogue. Oh well.

Just a quick reminder: I've borrowed some of the Harpy background and lore from Gena Showalter's amazing Lords of the Underworld series (I should probably note she is an adult (note: not teen) romance author who is brilliant).

I know you've been singing the Tarzan song in your head this whole time, BUSTED. I wish I could blame my antics on my age or something easy like that. But I'm in my late twenty's. I'm just weirdly awesome. You can't make meds for that.

Have yourselves an ass slappin' good time as you go out and about in your corners of the world!

~Ash