In the Shadow of the Forest…
By Utena_Anthy_Antics
Hello again! Thanks for the great reviews: they're egging me on! (Yeah yeah yeah, I know. Bad… ^_^)
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"Where were you?" Ron asked, eating an apple he had gotten from the House Elves in the kitchen, "You've been out for hours!"
Hermione just shook her head, walking past the redhead on her way through the Gryffindor common room. She kept her head down and eyes averted, her whole mind and thoughts distracted.
"Hey. What's up?" he asked again, stepping in front of her path to block her, "Why are you so quiet?" He took a big chunk out of the apple and started to chew, watching Hermione's expression.
She just looked at him and smiled. "Studying. Now let me pass…please?"
"Please…? Wow," Ron mumbled as he stepped back.
Hermione grinned and walked past. Turning, she patted his cheek, stuck out her tongue and left.
Ron stood there with his mouth open, and finally squeaked out, "You saw that, didn't you, Harry?"
Harry nodded, stepping out from the side. He joined Ron in watching her receding back as she walked up to her dorm room.
Hermione sighed as she heard their comments. After what she had seen and heard, one could NOT expect to be fine and not out of sorts. She threw her books onto the bed, having gotten them from the Library, reached for one, shook her head, and went down to the common room.
Ginny was there, studying for her report for Potions Class. Snape had assigned a 4 scroll essay on the different properties and usages of Multi-Colored Crab Grass: for ALL-years. Hermione was done with hers, so she headed over there to see if the young Weasley wanted any help.
Ginny looked up and smiled, brushing a bang away as she nibbled on the end of her quill.
Smiling at the younger girl, Hermione sat down next to her and asked teasingly, "Having fun?"
Ginny pushed down her scroll and rolled her eyes, "Ugh! No! Why does Snape have to assign so much on the 2nd week of school!? I mean, it's practically an abomination!"
"Well, that's Snape for you. Now, have you thought about mixing the different colors together…?"
"What…? Oh… Oh! I see! The different colors mixed have different usages. I thought Snape had only given us a hopeless essay." Ginny said, and continued writing. Pausing, she asked, "Does this sentence make sense?"
She awoke when something tapped the window close to her bed. Rolling over, she tried to forget the noise, but it tapped again. Finally sitting up, she yawned and grabbed her wand to illuminate the space close to her. Looking out of the window, she saw a small owl trying to get in. Her brow furrowing, she reached over and, with a tap of her wand, the window opened.
The owl swiftly flew in and perched on her pillow. With a blurring of shape, Usagi now lay sprawled on her bed, having fallen where she had tried to crouch on her feet. Righting herself, the Were-mage smiled lopsidedly and brushed herself off, "Uh, hi."
Hermione stared at her. "Hi."
They looked at each other for a second, Usagi's eyes big and innocent and Hermione's confused and hesitant. Finally Usagi laughed and whispered, "I bet you're wondering why I'm here, aren't you?"
Hermione nodded wordlessly.
"Well, I wanted to see what you're learning at Hogwarts. It's been a while since I've gone to school here, so I decided to come. And…if you decide to have me teach you, this way I'll know how advanced you are exactly." The silver-haired girl suddenly jumped as a dark shape twined around her shoulders. "Well hello there; you're a pretty cat," she scratched Crookshanks' chin, causing him to purr, "You remind me of someone, you know."
Crookshanks gave a low meow and lashed his tail around, shifting his footing on her shoulders.
Hermione watched this curiously, almost feeling a little bit jealous how Crookshanks was acting to the other's touch. Crookshanks, as if sensing her feelings, jumped down and pranced into her lap, settling down as if he owned her. Laughing softly, she gently rubbed his sensitive ears and played with his scruffy tail.
"I can tell he likes you," Usagi said, her eyes glowing a little in the light of Hermione's wand. It kind of disconcerted the witch a little bit. To have someone's eyes glowing at you, whatever the circumstance, would shock anyone a bit.
Usagi smirked and closed her eyes, turning away to study the wall.
Just then, someone yanked away the curtains surrounding her bed, and in a start, Hermione realized that it wasn't as early as she thought it was; the dark had been from the clouds that crowded the sky. She looked up into the surprised faces of Parvati and Lavender.
"I thought you were talking to someone…" Parvati explained. Lavender nodded behind her.
Taking a quick look behind her, Hermione was glad though slightly puzzled when she saw Usagi wasn't there. "What, like a boy or something?" she asked sarcastically, "I was talking to Crookshanks."
"Whatever," Parvati shrugged, calling over her shoulder, "Breakfast's in ten minutes. Better hurry up if you don't want to be late." Lavender followed her out, smiling at Hermione apologetically.
Hermione smiled back and waited until they disappeared to let out her sigh of relief. Turning, she reached to brush back her bushy hair and found a small squirrel looking at her. Crookshanks got up to sniff at the animal and then settled down next to it, purring contentedly.
"Usagi…?" Hermione asked.
"The one and only." The squirrel yawned a little and stretched its front legs, crawling over the striped tomcat to look at the girl in-between his ears. Usagi's coat was a reddish-brown color; her tail had a white streak down the middle. Once again her feet were wearing white socks.
Hermione couldn't help but stare.
"What?" the squirrel cocked its head (Hermione couldn't really call Usagi a her anymore) and surveyed her with its beady eyes.
"I'm sorry. Just seeing a talking squirrel is kind of…" she trailed off, not too sure she could pick a suitable word that would express what she was feeling.
Without saying anything, Usagi blurred and once again was in her human form. "What would you prefer?" she asked, crossing her legs as she sat on the edge of the bed. When Hermione didn't answer, she tapped her fingers on her thigh and asked again, "I'm serious now. I'm interested in what kind of animals you like.
"Oh, and if you are wondering, Little Sparrow, that's so I can get a picture of what creatures you would be able to shift into easily." She brushed away some silver bangs and asked innocently, "Does Snape still teach here?"
Hermione, in the process of brushing her hair and smoothing down her robe, replied absently, "I don't know. A cat would be easy, but I already have one, and if Professor McGonnagal spotted you, she might realize you weren't real. She has her way with cats you know. Any big animal is out…oh! I know!"
She swung on her feet, her eyes shining as she gestured wildly with her hairbrush.
Usagi sat there impassively, a barely concealed grin on her face.
"I read once that in the old days students were allowed to have another familiar, a servant of sorts. Though they had their own will, these creatures were used to help a witch or wizard if they were interested in more advanced studies. They were sort of like a-a- Oh I don't know! Like a chaperone to make sure that they didn't do anything wrong. They also helped carry extra magic supplies."
Usagi nodded, "Yes. I hadn't thought of that. Little Sparrow, you are exactly correct." Standing up, the Were-mage started circling Hermione, one hand to her chin as she 'hmmed' and squinted.
"Wha-what are you doing?" Hermione asked, craning her head to follow Usagi's movements.
"I thought you had read up on this? No," she offered Hermione a wry grin, "I'm just kidding. I need to graph out your aura to see what animal most relates to you. If I turn into something wrong, any wizard worth their wands could tell I wasn't a true familiar.
"For instance," she continued, seeing Hermione's curious look, "let me expound on that theory. Hagrid has Fang, correct? And that baby dragon?" At Hermione's nod, she continued, "Each familiar either shares characteristics, attitudes or mannerisms of their owners. Fang is big and sweet, though sometimes bumbles, and he has a big heart. After watching Hagrid, I can see how they are suited for each other. With the baby dragon, both of them were strong and had restrained power. But the dragon was vicious by nature, and Hagrid had learned to keep his rage and urges under control because he was half-human. The dragon could not have learned, so that familiar bond was doomed from the start."
She turned back to Hermione and smiled. "You and Crookshanks are perfect for each other. Both of you have similar personalities, and, as an added bonus, you have the same color hair – or fur."
Hermione grimaced, self-consciously patting down her hair.
"Relax," Usagi put a hand on her shoulder and leaned in somewhat conspiratorially, "It makes you distinguishing and unique. And, to tell you the truth, Crookshanks' a pretty handsome tom. The bite out of the ear just helps the image."
The named cat purred and stretched out his legs, resettling himself on the bed.
Shaking her head, Usagi smiled and clapped her hands. "Tell me," she started, "What do you want to do after you graduate from Hogwarts?"
Hermione's eyes widened and she started to open her mouth with a readied answer, but stopped. Frowning, she racked her brain, trying to figure out why she didn't answer.
But just then, the bell signaling that it was time for breakfast rang and Hermione's heart dropped out of the bottom of her stomach. Hurriedly grabbing her books so she could read through breakfast, she turned to Usagi and apologized furiously that she had to go. She started towards the door…and stopped.
"What are you going to be when I see you? You are going to be following me, aren't you…?"
Usagi nodded, smiling brightly. "Of course you'll see me! I need to check out the school anyhow. Now go on! You don't want to be late, do you?"
"But what will you be?" Hermione asked again.
"Oh, you'll know me when you see me. What would be the fun of telling you? Now shoo! Shoo!" Usagi effectively ushered her out of the door of her dorm room.
"Hermione, you're acting weird," Ron said matter-of-factly.
"What? What am I doing?"
"You're nervously glancing around at everything. And the fact that you actually brought Crookshanks with you to the breakfast table IS abnormal."
"What…?" Hermione looked down at her lap to where Ron pointed. Seeing her cat with her, she shook her head, not remembering that she had taken him at all. Suddenly, Crookshanks shot up, pouncing onto the table, scattering Hermione's untouched food as he accidentally hit her spoon.
"Crookshanks! What are you doing??" she cried, wiping some oatmeal off of her face. Harry, next to her, didn't fare as well. He took off his glasses and wiped at them with the collar of his robe.
Ignoring her, the striped cat took off down the table, jumping over various dishes and glasses as best as he could. In pursuit of SOMETHING, he leaped…and landed onto the table in front of Dumbledore. Dumbledore, having been eating soup for breakfast, suddenly found a hissing cat sitting in his bowl, angrily shaking soup out of its fur, glaring at something over his shoulder.
All the blood drained out of Hermione's face, and she felt like hiding.
The headmaster cleared his throat, grabbed Crookshanks by the scruff of his neck, and stood up. Dangling the angry cat over the stage, he asked quietly in the silent hall, "I believe this belongs to someone…?"
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Here's the next chapter. Basically, I'm setting up the scene for something – a kind of confrontation between two old friends. Oh, and if you were wondering, yes, that really WAS Crookshanks. Okay, gotta go; see you later. Please review (that would be nice ^_^).
Thanks again. Bye!