Chapter Five

Class Is In Session

Evan reluctantly removed his hand from the small of Hermione's back as they crossed the entrance hall to the corridor that would lead them to Professor McGonagall's classroom. At the loss of contact, she looked up at him and though he wasn't certain, she looked almost regretful to have lost his touch. The quick way she opened and closed her mouth, as though stopping herself from speaking, had him raising his hand to put it back, a sharp shake of Severus's head being the only thing that stopped him. Meeting the eye of his friend who still somehow managed to keep his dour demeanor in place despite the pink purse he carried, he followed his gaze to see Black and two of the other three troublesome members that made up their pack following close behind. Catching his warning, he dropped his hand back to his side and flexed the growing agitation out of his fingers.

"What's the story with you and Black, Evan?" Hermione asked, looking up through her lashes at him. "For that matter," she added, facing Severus, "what's your story with him too?"

"Are you peeking around uninvited again?" Severus drawled, his brow quirking up as his eyes bore down on her.

Evan caught the quick hitch in her breath from becoming the sole focus of his friend's intense stare and smirked. She was commanding and imposing when she wanted to be, every bit worthy of being the heiress to Slytherin, and yet underneath that was a timid little doe he couldn't wait for him and his friends to coax out.

"No, but you shouldn't show your hand like that, Severus. Now I know his presence behind us is affecting you," she responded with a sharp analytical tease. "He's back there barking like a dog that's been forgotten outside and the louder he gets the more tense Evan is becoming. As for you, I got an earful from him and Potter yesterday on the train and I would like to know your side."

Walking into the classroom, Evan went to take his and Severus's customary seat in the back left corner only for Hermione to lead the charge to the front of the room. Reaching for her bag from Severus she deposited it on the four seater table and took one of the two center seats, nodding at them to join her.

"Thank you for carrying that. You didn't have to though. It has a really good featherlight charm on it," she said softly as she began to methodically unpack the things she thought she might need for class, primly laying her wand in the crevice at the front of the desk.

"I wanted to," was all Severus said in response before taking the seat to her right, leaving the second middle one open for when Eloise rushed in from the library.

Dropping his own bag onto the floor, Evan pulled his wand from the front pocket of his trousers and tossed it onto the desk. He watched with amusement as Hermione continued to tweak her things, arranging and rearranging the placement of her datebook, textbook, and black leather bound journal with Transfiguration scrawled diagonally across the cover in silver calligraphy. Her hands had to touch each item she had pulled out multiple times as she repeatedly checked it off of a mental list, her face scrunching up in displeasure.

"You're quill," he helpfully supplied as she continued to stare at her things with growing puzzlement.

Her hands dropped to the table with a faint groan as she muttered, "Of course," before reaching back into her purse.

"You won't need it though," he assured as she plucked it out.

"What do you mean?"

"It's Friday," Severus answered, quickly drawing her attention. "McGonagall won't have us do anything more than run through a series of exercises to be sure we haven't forgotten everything we've learned and go over the projection of lessons from now till Christmas."

With a huff, she went to pick up her books and repack them but her hands stuttered over them as she couldn't commit to the action. Pursing her lips, she dropped her hands into her lap instead and leaned back in the chair, making Evan laugh.

"Hush you," she admonished. "And I haven't forgotten that I asked you both a question."

Roughly running his thumb over the palm of his hand, he looked at Severus above her head as he tried to decide exactly how much to say. While the animosity between Severus and Black had started the moment they met and had only grown more volatile over the years, Evan had tried to remain indifferent. He had never liked Black, even as children, but he hadn't given him much cause for hatred until a year and a half ago, at which point he stopped remaining neutral during the fights that would break out between Severus, Potter, and Black.

Deciding it was too much to unpack in the spare minutes they had before class he said, "We'll talk about it tonight after dinner."

"Hello, Hermione," Lily Evans's voice rang out from the front of their table. "How are you settling into Hogwarts?" She asked with a sickly sweetness.

With a disgusted noise, Evan pushed back onto the hind legs of his chair and looked at a rigidly sitting Severus wondering yet again what he had seen in the vapid witch.

"Again I ask: This witch? Seriously?"

"Shut up," he growled, his eyes staying trained on Potter who stood right behind his girlfriend, his hand twitching towards his wand at Evan's remark.

Hermione gave the redhead an assessing smile as she delicately perched her chin on the back of her fingers and met the bright green stare of Gryffindor's Saint, Lily Evans, responding, "Brilliantly, thank you. Severus and Evan, along with his sister Eloise, have been most helpful."

Potter made a sharp tisk as he sneered, "Yeah I'm sure they have been. All your kind care about is gaining advantages."

"I'm not sure I know what you mean," Hermione said with feigned ignorance.

Long gone was her shy countenance from when Rabastan kissed her cheek or when he had touched her back. Sitting beside him now was the sharp witted witch from the night before, her reemergence leaving him to question where her self assurance went when interacting with him and his friends.

"Well then let me spell it out for you-"

"James," the redhead warned, bringing her rabid dog to heel. "That's very... gracious of them but if you find yourself in need of a reliable friend who isn't self-serving, I would maybe suggest looking elsewhere. Until then, would you mind moving? You three are at our table."

"Oh, is it assigned seating? I didn't know that, did you two know that?" Hermione asked, baiting the growing pack of lions before them when she looked between himself and Severus with a parody of embarrassment.

Evan could see the other witch's jaw begin to grind as she reluctantly answered, "Not strictly speaking, however-"

"Lovely!" Hermione cheered, clapping her hands together, making him and Severus both snort. "Then you won't mind if we stay. After all, we were here first since you were busy snogging your boyfriend, among other things, in the empty classroom next door. Not really a good example as Head Girl, breaking at least four school rules that I can think of off the top of my head, now is it, Lily? By the way, I would either heal your neck or put a glamour in place," she stage whispered. Pointing to the mirroring spot on herself she added, "Just there."

Evan erupted into righteous laughter at the angry flush that spread across the witch's face, its deep color nearly matching her hair. In a flash, Potter stepped out from behind her and crowded into Hermione's space on the table. The sudden movement made his laughter instantly die off and the legs of his chair slam back onto the flagstone floor while Severus grabbed Hermione's seat and yanked her back.

For her part she remained completely unfazed by the threatening stance, her face impassive as she met his hard blue speckled gaze between the slight gap that was left between him and Severus.

"Choose your next actions carefully, Potter," Evan hissed. "It would be a shame if you set a new precedent by going after our witch."

Potter reluctantly tore his eyes away from Hermione as he met Evan's steely stare instead. The two remained in a standoff with Black sizing up Severus, the seconds ticking by as they waited each other out. Finally, he pushed off the desk and stepped back, his jaw tight as he looked back at Hermione.

"You leave Lily alone," he warned, throwing a possessive arm around her shoulders as he started to guide her to another open section of tables further back in the classroom.

When Black joined them, Evan and Severus slowly retook their seats with Severus changing out his end seat for the second middle to flank Hermione.

"By the way James, your fly is down," Eloise announced airily from behind them as she glided up the aisle between the desks with McGonagall right on her clicking heels.

"Miss Rosier, you are cutting it close. Take your seat quickly please," Professor McGonagall chided as the bell tower began to sound out the hour and the start of class. "As for you two, Miss Evans and Mister Potter, ten points each from Gryffindor for your infractions and another fifteen each for decorum that is unbecoming of your status as Head Girl and Boy."

Eloise smirked as she circled the front of their table, her eyebrows raising in taunt to where the others were sitting to the side and several rows behind them. She placed her bag on the top of the table and positioned herself to be canted towards Severus as well as the front.

Leaning over his friend, she whispered, "What, you two arseholes couldn't stop pissing your territory like a hippogriff for one class so I could sit beside her? Typical."

Hermione covered her mouth and turned her face into her shoulder as she tried to smother the sound of her laughter. The honey flecks in her brown eyes sparkled as she met his gaze, her smile growing before she regained her composure and turned back to the front.

Like most brothers, Evan often found himself annoyed or embarrassed by Eloise's antics. She regularly spoke without a filter, had a tendency to meddle where she wasn't wanted, kept after the four of them like a second mother, him more so than the others, and over the last year had taken to meeting up with any and every wizard who caught her fancy, which kept him far too busy with putting the fear of his wrath into each of them. She was happy though, her effervescent spirit having finally returned after their fifth year. Because of how far she had gotten from herself that year, he took it all in stride not wanting to ever lose his twin like that again. And if it meant he routinely lost a fair amount of house points, had battered knuckles more often than not, and sat beside Severus in detention more frequently because a majority of the wizards they went to school with thought they had a right to her and her body after what happened, then it was a price worth paying.

However, for how outgoing she was, she had become extremely reserved in her personal life. She had isolated herself to only him and his friends along with her three roommates though not as closely. The other girls had stuck it out when things had been bad but he and Eloise knew that a lot of friendships with witches couldn't withstand the whispers that now followed her. On the surface they were friends but beneath it, there was a distance that had arisen from mistrust that had made them become shallow with each other. This was why the moment she had conscripted Hermione into friendship the night before, Evan had known she was worth whatever effort would be needed to earn her affection.

While she was beautiful, undeniably intelligent and gifted, and had the most faceted personality he had ever encountered, the way Eloise was at ease with her, and vice versa, told him she was it. He didn't need any further proof that she fit perfectly into his life. All he needed was to show her how he, Severus, Rabastan, and Regulus fit just as perfectly into hers.

At the front of the classroom, McGonagall had charmed a piece of chalk to begin writing out the day's instructions on the board. True to his and Severus's words, she was going to run them through a series of exercises starting with first year transfiguration techniques through the completion of their summer assignments.

"Right then, good morning everyone," she greeted, sending the stack of parchment on her desk to float down the aisles, handing out a copy of the course outline to each of them as they parroted back a good morning to her as well.

"As this is your final year of study, it will be your most demanding yet. Not only will your workload be intense but the pressure of sitting your NEWTs will be equally heavy. This applies not only to Transfiguration but to all your classes this term. Historically a student's final year at Hogwarts is their most difficult one, often resulting in many students dropping courses as the year progresses due to falling behind.

"I say this merely as a warning to you all, that now more than ever, a healthy dose of discipline and dedication will be needed to see you successfully through the year," Professor McGonagall said, the thick stack that made up a single copy of the syllabus emphasizing her words.

The professor's tight face relaxed after delivering her foreboding opening, an almost excited look gracing her features as she continued, "Now that each of you is of age, you will also be allowed to begin the difficult task of learning your spirit animal and becoming one with it so that you may potentially unlock the mastery of a full animagus transformation. In two months' time, any who are interested may take a modified apprenticeship with me and begin the journey. While it is not a requirement for the class, I will be giving extra credit to those who participate in the capacity of one additional mark of Outstanding per month of successful progression to your testing and practical scoring. And for any who may master it before sitting their NEWTs, you should be aware that it qualifies you for an automatic Outstanding on your Ministry mandated exams.

"Please begin the day's lessons and I will be walking around assessing your skills. Today's markings will be pass or fail only, with true instruction beginning on Monday," she concluded, dismissing them to their work.

Picking up his wand, Evan turned to look at Hermione and asked, "How does this compare to your private tutoring?"

She gave a distracted look over her shoulder at the rest of the classroom, watching them each begin their paces for a moment before replying.

"It's a little too early to tell, but it is definitely going to be an adjustment having so much going on around me," she said, her attention swiftly being stolen away as Pettigrew began an obnoxious titter. "With the obvious exception of Defensive and Offensive Dark Arts, I was generally left alone with my tutors. Exempting Rodolphus and Bellatrix, I haven't had contact with anyone close to my own age since I met Antonin when I was twelve and again briefly this summer, so this..." she explained gesturing behind her, "...is a lot to take in."

Evan could feel his brow furrowing and eyes squinting as he replayed her words in his head. He was confused by what she had said, his mind taking an inordinately long time to process what was left beneath the surface unsaid. The moment things began clicking into place for him, he felt his eyes go wide and his mouth part as he looked at Severus who had been silently observing them, his face reflecting the same enlightening shock he felt.

She couldn't possibly have that little of experience with anyone, let alone wizards, Evan thought. Then again, she is rather skittish with our attention...

His mouth gaped for a moment while his still slow functioning mind tried to formulate words, it finally settling on a fumbling mess of, "Are you... Do you mean that you've-"

"Messrs Rosier and Snape and Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall chided from above them, her severe face contorting as she added, "Riddle," to her address of Hermione. "I do believe the assignment I set for the morning does not involve a social hour. You all should get to it, especially you Miss Granger-Riddle."

Hermione's briefly chastised expression melted away under the thinly veiled insinuation that her education had been inferior to that of what was offered at Hogwarts. The way her head slowly rotated from looking at him to meeting the stern eyes of their professor chillingly reminded him of a snake sizing up an unknown species as it determined who was prey and predator. In a flash, the look was gone and in its place was the same sweet and demure demeanor she had exhibited the night before.

"Professor," she addressed, "you mentioned that mastery of an animagus form resulted in an automatic mark of Outstanding on the NEWT exam correct?"

Professor McGonagall went to answer her, but Hermione quickly interrupted, carrying on with her leading questions.

"And you did say that going through the process with you would earn us extra marks. So would I be correct in assuming that by your standards, as well as that of the Ministry's, that part of a mastery in Transfiguration is dependent upon completing a full transition from witch or wizard to animal?"

McGonagall's eyes were shrewd as she openly appraised Hermione before answering with a slow, "Yes."

"Splendid," Hermione exclaimed, with the same small clap of her hands she had used on Lily Evans earlier.

Evan was confused as she pushed her chair back and gracefully rose from her seat to walk behind him and into the aisle. She casually gauged the space around her and with a short nod of her head deemed it acceptable for whatever she was about to do. She took a deep breath and then cut herself off as she turned back to look at Evan.

"I hope this doesn't terrify you," she warned, further piquing his curiosity. "Ironically the first time Rodolphus witnessed it, it terrified him. It was actually rather comical although laughing like this made it worse for him. I guess it sounds more menacing than amusing."

"How?" He asked slowly, not liking just how close the two of them seemed to be.

All she gave him in response was a devious smile that instantly set his mind to wishing he could see that same smile looking up at him from between his legs. As soon as the thought entered his mind he locked it down, sighing in relief that she had already turned away from him and appeared to be focused on whatever she was about to demonstrate.

More than the slightly alarming idea that she could so easily look inside them for the truths they may not want to share, he didn't want to scare her off with such an overt sexual attraction if she was in fact as inexperienced as he was beginning to believe.

Evan's eyes, along with those of everyone else in the class, were fixated on Hermione's back, each second ticking by slower than the one before as they awaited what she was about to do. Then from one breath to the next, her body arched back as her arms wrapped around herself, her body bending till her head passed through her legs, as she reformed into a snake.

"Holy fuck..." Evan breathed in awe as he leaned forward in his chair to get a better look at her. "You're stunning."

Slowly reaching towards the floor where she was coiled up with her tail swishing back and forth, he went to stroke the top of her head with his fingers, stopping just before he touched her.

"May I?"

A soft hiss sounded from her in conjunction with her head bobbing. Running his fingers over her flat head and down the first few vertebrae of her back he was surprised to find out how soft she was. Running his fingers back up, her body worked to unwind itself and slither over his palm and circle up his forearm as she made her way onto the desk. The soft constriction as she coiled around him in purposefully slow movements had her black scales catching the light, illuminating their iridescent quality as shades of blue, green, yellow, and red refracted off of her.

"Marvelous Miss Granger-Riddle. Truly magnificent," Professor McGonagall praised as Hermione finished her trip onto the desk. "Twenty-five points for such an enthralling display."

As fluidly as she had changed, her body reverted back with her perched on the edge of the desk, her sun colored thigh on display to him as her skirt rode up.

"Thank you, Professor," she replied primly. "As I am sure you are aware since it was a part of the forms we had to fill out per my enrollment, for the last six years I studied Transfiguration under Mistress Agatha Shendorri. I know that you, along with most every other professor here, believe that my education couldn't possibly compare with the more traditional teaching methods that Hogwarts employees, but I assure you if you each re-read my file and examine my test scores without prejudice, you will see that your assumptions are unfounded. After all, had the Ministry not mandated my attendance prior to allowing me to sit for my qualifications, I would not be here subjecting myself to the open hostility that has been displayed by those of your house."

Evan couldn't help the proud smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth. Hermione had effortlessly walked the line between respect and reprimand when talking to McGonagall and he could see in their professor's eyes that her own estimation of Hermione had gone up as well. She was soft but she wasn't a pushover and everyone would do well to remember it.

She hopped off the desk and retook her seat beside him, leaving him a little wistful at the loss of having her perched directly above him.

Clearing her throat, McGonagall offered, "Miss Granger-Riddle, I would like to schedule a meeting with you before the end of next week so we can discuss in greater detail the bench markers you have surpassed. Then, if you are amicable, I would like to offer you an expanded lesson plan for the year to keep you challenged and doing more than reviewing what you have already mastered."

Hermione lit up under the praise and extension of furthering her education, her head nodding eagerly as she agreed and offered up a copy of her schedule to McGonagall so that she could arrange a time that was beneficial to them both.

Handing over the duplicated parchment with the added days and times Eloise had secured their carousel for, she whispered for only them to hear, "I really look forward to working privately with you, Professor. When it was determined my attendance would be compulsory I was initially disappointed until I found out you were the Transfiguration Mistress Hogwarts employed.

"I don't know any of what happened and it probably doesn't mean much all these years later, but you should know, Dorian speaks very highly of you and still keeps your picture in his pocket watch."

Evan's brows shot up at her words as he quickly looked from her to McGonagall to see her reaction. Their professor stood frozen, blinking several times before she finally cleared her throat.

Choking on her words, she deflected by saying, "Well I'll look this over and let you know at dinner what days would work best," before hastily turning around and heading for another table of students.

"What was that about?" Eloise hissed, her face excited.

"Later," Hermione teased, setting to work on the exercises she didn't need to do for the class.

Evan watched her for several moments as she became absorbed in her task, occasionally trying her spells out silently or without her wand. She was utterly magnificent and he couldn't wait to further explore each of her layers, he just needed to wait for the opportunity to present itself and seize it. With any luck, she would quickly return his, and the other three's, infatuation. Then hopefully come around just as quickly to the idea of being with all four of them long before the holiday so they could have time to shape and reform their individual relationships with her into a second, larger relationship where she would be comfortable with more than one on one dynamics with each of them.