Title: From the Heart
Author: Seiki
Rating: pg 15
A/N: Due to a st**id mistake, I had to repeat this all over again. So have pity on me and please review for my hard work! ^-^ Hope you enjoy!
She-who-must-not-be-named – I'm sure, that by the time I post this, you will know why I made this st**id mistake so, DON'T LAUGH. ^-^
Y. Kuang – Thanks for reviewing! I already read your story! (For those who haven't read, read 'Perfect Prefects . . .or Not!)
Ginnysgreat – Glad you like it!
Mr. Hyde – Thankkkkssssss Ameeeeegggggo. ^-^
Dr. Beaver – Yup. It's Madeline L' Engle's. Ambreon and Espeon are Pokemon, got those from my younger brother. (I think Ambreon is the Sunlight pokemon and Espeon is the Moonlight one. ^-^)
It's rolling!
Chapter 4 "Trouble in Transfiguration"
Hermione Granger woke up to find sunlight streaming on her, from an open window, which she forgot to close last night.
/What time is it?/ she thought.
She rolled over to check the time on the mini alarm she had been using ever since 5th year.
/Holy Flying Cows! It's 8:30! I'm gonna be late!/
She ran out of her room, grabbing her towel along the way, stumbling over a shoe, and hitting herself on the door. [A/N: I know it sounds kinda st**id, but . . .]
"Owowowowowowowowow!" she said out loud, then she resumed her trip to the bathroom, but this time, she hopped with her one foot.
Hermione finally got into the bathroom. She hastily jumped into the pool-like bathtub and swam (rather clumsily and slowly) to the other end of the pool, where the taps were located. After a few minutes of struggling in water [A/N: She isn't good at all in swimming ok?], she finally reached the taps, opened one, and bathed quickly. After that, she hurriedly dressed, not taking notice of her clothing (she wore the usual uniform) and left the bathroom. She crossed their common room, with the intention of going to her room to fix her bag.
"Nice view, Granger." a voice said.
***
Draco Malfoy sat on his bed, looking at ice-blue eyes, which seem to bore into his. He was shocked, truth to be told, when his Eagle owl, Lasagire, brought a package and a letter to him. Lasagire swooped down low on his bed and dropped the package gently, as if her child was inside. She hooted in a mellow tone, as if assuring the thing inside it that it would be okay. Malfoy gingerly took the package and gently shook it. Lasagire hooted again, but this time, as if in warning. She undid the ropes with her beak, causing the paper, which wrapped the cage, fall. That was when Draco Malfoy got the shock of his life.
"What in seven blazes is that?"
Staring back at him was a creature, kind of like a cat, whose silky fur was colored dark violet mixed with midnight blue, with a few stripes of golden yellow in it's belly. It had a medium lengthened tail, which had two golden yellow rings near the tip. What shocked him most about it were its' eyes. When he first looked at them (when Lasagire undid the ropes), he felt like he was falling down a waterfall. Its' eyes were literally ice blue, which darkened at the center.
"Who the hell sent me this?" he questioned himself.
Lasagire motioned to the letter beside him. He got the letter, tore the envelope open, and read:
My Dearest Brother,
How are you? I am fine. Voldemort still hasn't found us. So that means we are safe, for the time being. How is mother? Is father still beating her? How is Dobby? Where is he now? Oh, I'm sure, by now, knowing you, you have opened the package that I sent. I asked Lasagire to take special care of the package. That creature inside is of rare species. It was, and still is believed to have come from the mountain of angels, and no one managed to go up there yet, so I don't know how this little one got down. Take care of her. Treat her like you did with Nuggets [A/N: The doggie he had when he was still young.] Treat her with care. I did not send her as a replacement for Nuggets; he will always remain there in your heart, although you deny it. I will inform you of further happenings in the outside world, away from your protected one from time to time. Write to me too!
P.S. I already named her Espeon, and she answers to nothing else.
With lots of love,
Natty
/Espeon? She named her Espeon? Where did she get that?/
The cat-creature was now looking at its new surroundings. Its' wide eyes open, its' head turning around. It—or rather Espeon, was sniffing his pillow and was pawing it.
"Hey! Kitty!"
The cat didn't even move a hair. It continued to paw his pillow, ripping a part of it with its' semi-sharp claws. He remembered what his sister said in her letter. It won't answer to anything except Espeon.
"Hey, Espeon!"
The cat's head turned slightly but didn't move further. It now moved on to another new point of interest, his blankets.
"Hey, Espie! Kitty! Espie!"
The kitty's head jerked up, and she jumped and sat on the floor, turning her head up to look at him.
"Meow!"
Draco's heart was immediately taken. The kitty's eyes showed signs of being frightened, yet amazed at her new world, her new location.
"You're probably frightened aren't you, little kitty?" he said, while ruffling her hair.
The kitten just closed her eyes and let out a purr.
"Don't worry, my sister gave you to me, so, you're my responsibility."
"Meowrr. . ."
"Poor Espie, you're probably cold. I'll try to make you warm."
As he said those words, he concentrated on using his newfound power, [A/N: the one which he used on Mione.] to warm the kitten up. Slowly, he felt the room's temperature rise into a comforting warmth, which he also enjoyed.
"I'll leave you for a while, okay? Lasagire--" he paused and looked at his owl, "Make sure she doesn't get out. I shall go now."
Lasagire gave him a hoot of reassurance as an answer.
"Thanks, girl."
Draco Malfoy went out of his room and sat on the couch. He checked the clock that was on the mantel; it said 7:30.
/Oh well, I'm way early for class, and I'm sure that there'll be nobody in the great hall at this time, so, I'll just stay for a while, I guess./
He was just getting comfortable in his seat when suddenly, the door of the Heads' bathroom burst open, revealing a newly bathed, frazzled Hermione Granger. She quickly walked to the direction of her room, obviously not noticing Draco. Actually, if she didn't turn around, he wouldn't have noticed anything. But she did. Draco saw that her skirt was uplifted [A/N: you know, when you are in a hurry and you don't notice that the back of your skirt is folded up or something?] and, or rather, which enabled him to see quite a part of her upper thighs. They were creamy in color, and not a blemish, pimple or scar was to be found. Draco smirked.
"Nice view, Granger." He commented.
Granger stopped in her tracks and looked at him.
"What did you say?" her voice full of icy scorn.
"I said, the view that's at your back is very nice. You should learn to fix your clothes properly, though."
Granger turned around and saw her skirt hitched up a bit at her back. She gave a gasp, turned red and fixed her skirt.
"Where are you planning to go off to in such a rush?"
"If you hadn't noticed, Malfoy, it's 8:30 in the morning, which makes me late for class." She said in a high, self-righteous voice.
"If you hadn't noticed, Granger, it's only 7:30 in the morning, which doesn't make me late for class. In the contrary, I'm quite positive that I'm not even late for breakfast." He mimicked her in the same tone she used.
"Why you, you, dirty scumbag! Don't mock me! You probably don't know the time! I bet you haven't checked the clock yet!"
"My dear, you'd better have a look." He said with a smirk, while motioning to the clock on the mantel.
She turned around, went to the fireplace, to get a closer look.
"So, am I right Granger?"
"Yes you are, Malfoy." She said in a still icy voice.
"So, where do you plan to go now?"
"None of your business."
"Really? How come? I'm Head Boy, which makes it my business too."
"For your information, Mr. Malfoy, I am going to my room now to fix my bag. There, happy?" she replied with a glare.
"Satisfied."
Granger turned to go to her room.
"Watch your back Granger, watch your back." He murmured.
***
/Oh that bloody idiotic prat! He's so full of himself that he might explode any moment from now! How dare he! /
She angrily stuffed her Transfiguration book in her bag.
/Oh what am I doing! I shouldn't be wasting my thought on that—that—ferret!/
She walked across her room to get her Potions book.
"Bloody hell!"
In the process of going to her desk, where her book was, she had unsettled a bottle of ink and caused a stain on the carpet. She hastily got out her wand and muttered the spell that would clean it up.
"Oh well, I'd better get going. I guess I already have everything in my bag. Stupid Malfoy."
She pushed open the door of her room, checked the back of her skirt, and walked out of their common room. She walked quickly to the direction of the Great Hall. There, in the Gryffindor table, she saw Harry conversing with someone from the next table, the Ravenclaw table. Walking closer, she saw that the person that Harry was talking to was Cassie. Cassandra was laughing and Harry looked sulky.
"Hey Cassie! Hi, Harry!"
"Hey Hermione! Enjoy your night?" Cassie said in a teasing voice.
"What do you mean, Cass?"
"Oh come on, Mione, everyone knows that Malfoy's handsome, and you spent your night sharing the same room with him and, you're the envy of the whole female population of Hogwarts!"
"The envy? Hah! I'd rather eat dirt!"
"Hey Harry," Cassandra said, turning her head to face Harry, "You owe me a Galleon for losing that bet."
"What bet?" Questioned Hermione.
"Last night, during the sorting, Harry bet that you weren't with Malfoy, and that Malfoy wasn't Head Boy. Unfortunately, he lost to me and owes me a Galleon." Cassandra gave Hermione a fake wicked grin.
Normally, Hermione would have been outraged at what they have done, but, seeing Cassandra's funny fake wicked face, and Harry's forlorn one, she burst out laughing.
"Serves you right, Harry! Never mind about that, Pay her up and lets eat!"
So Harry did exactly that. He paid Cassie up, and sat down to eat with Hermione. After a plate or two, and a good goblet of orange juice, Harry asked Hermione the question that she had been expecting ever since last night.
"Mione, answer me truthfully, did something happen with you and Malfoy last night? Did he hurt you or something?"
"Harry, even if he tried to, you know he couldn't have. I can protect myself. I'm not a baby bird who can't fly and use her wings. I have mine already. And I also have my wand." She said seriously.
Harry gave her a smile of trust. "I believe in you. After all, you do have your wand."
"Harry!" she said while attempting to hit his head with her goblet.
"Just joking!"
'THWACK!'
"Seriously, Herm! I'm just joking!"
'THWACK!"
"Ow!"
Breakfast ended 15 'THWACKS!' later, and Hermione, Harry and a still guffawing Ronald Weasley headed to their first class, Transfiguration. Contrary, again, to their usual tradition, the teachers told them that they would not know what house they would be partnering in their class until the class itself. So, things may change. It could be that you were partners with Slytherin with one day and Ravenclaw the other. Most of the students didn't like it, but to Hermione, it was fine. It meant that she would be able to spend lessons with Cass and Vicky and still be able to avoid the Slytherins.
They entered the Transfiguration room only to be faced with a surprise.
The Slytherins were there.
Sitting in Hermione's seat was Draco Malfoy [A/N: You know, the seat and table where two people can sit down on it?]. Hermione looked around at her classmates and saw hat most of them had similar looks on their faces. Harry was going to sit with Pansy Parkinson, who didn't look as if she liked the seating arrangements as well. Ron was going to sit with a pretty Slytherin girl, whom she didn't know (Ron looked pleased though, when he saw who he was sitting with.) but looked as if she was kinder than most of the lot. Lavander was going to sit with Crabbe, while Parvati was assigned to Goyle. Both of them, when they saw who they were going to sit with, possessed equal, and twin looks of disgust and horror (although Crabbe and Goyle were grinning stupidly {as usual}).
/Oh bloody cow! What could be worse than this?/ [A/N: Hermione would find something much, much worse later, although she doesn't know it yet. ;) ]
The Professor, seeing the looks on their faces, looked at Malfoy, then at her, Hermione, meaningfully. The Professor didn't have to do say anything though. They both understood what she meant. Hermione looked at Malfoy in a challenging way, her aura clearly saying, 'you first.' Malfoy's face dawned with comprehension at what she was trying to say to him. His next move caught her off-guard.
Malfoy stood up, quite dramatically, and at the same time pushing his chair hard, to make a loud sound, to attract the students' attention. Everyone forgot his or her thoughts at the sound of the chair scraping the ground. The sound, which would normally seem loud only when the room is as quiet as a tomb, was magnified. He walked three paces towards her and dropped to the ground on his knees, saying,
"Granny Hermione, would you please grant me the honor of pul- eh I mean- escorting you to sit beside me?''
/GRANNY! The little b*****d dare call me GRANNY! /
But since she couldn't possibly shout at him in front of Professor McGonagall, she just smiled at him with very fake sweetness and said,
"Of course, dear bas- ehrm- Head Boy, we must set a good example after all."
Malfoy pulled a chair out beside his on her table and motioned for her to sit down.
"Ladies First."
Hermione sat down on the chair that Draco offered her, and he sat down on the other one. The Professor gave them both a small smile.
The whole class and room were silent, maybe shocked at the exchange of words and actions they just saw. After all, this wasn't typical Hermione and Malfoy behavior.
Hermione turned around to face their classmates.
"Well, aren't you going to sit down?"
***
Harry was in a mild shock. He felt like he couldn't move, but in reality, he could. He felt as if he wasn't breathing, but he was.
Guess why he was shocked.
Guessed it? Right. He was shocked at the exchange he saw between Hermione and Malfoy.
That was not typical behavior.
He remembered what Ron said before : "The day Malfoy and Mione work together in Harmony is the day Neville will ace a Potions exam."
Well they were working in harmony now, although it was a little bit forced.
Hermione turned around to face them and said,
"Well? Aren't you going to sit down?"
Most of the class just nodded their heads, including the Slytherins.
Harry looked at his partner.
Pansy? / Ewww./
But he had to do it, anyway.
"Uh, hi Parkinson."
"Speak for yourself, Potter." She replied in an icy tone.
/Neville better ace that test soon./
***
Ron, although shocked, was looking forward to sitting next to the pretty Slytherin girl. She looked nicer than most Slytherin girls, and seemed more polite.
"Um, hi! I'm Ron. What's your name?" he addressed the girl.
"Hi Ron! I'm Jaime, a sixth year."
"Really? Then why are you here?"
"In our school, the standard of our sixth year is the same as your seventh. But my dad got transferred here, and he wanted to continue my level as sixth year. So I have to take 7th year twice."
"Oh."
"Can you show me around the school sometime, Ron?"
"Sure!"
***
"Now class, we will be studying Human – Animal Transfiguration. If you remember, we have been working on transfiguring things into animals last year. And I think that you are ready for a more difficult task. You will transfigure your partner into an animal."
Murmurs were heard throughout the classroom.
"You must concentrate on what animal you want your partner to be. Your mind must not wander around like some lost ghost, or tragic results may arise. For those who plan to mess up purposely, please bear in mind that this will also be like a test. I will grade the quality of the animal that you have transfigured. No animal should be the same, unless, there are some people here who think that their classmates are all the same animals. Now, all the people on the right are the ones to be transfigured in this session."
Hermione felt Malfoy look at her.
"What?"
"Do you realize that I have to transfigure you into something?"
"Yes. Poor me though, you'd probably mess up. I don't think that you're that good a student."
"Really? And if I succeed?"
"I'm going to. . .do your Astronomy homework." She replied.
"Really? It's a deal!"
"Now, the spell to say is 'Transfigura Anima'. Please repeat after me, without wands."
"Transfigura Anima!" the whole class chanted.
"Now, it is time to work with your partners. Please face each other-- " Malfoy and Hermione faced each other, Hermione with hidden anxiety (that Malfoy might do something wrong and she might end up in the hospital wing again, just like in the second year.) Malfoy, with a hidden smirk (thinking of what animal he will transfigure Hermione into.), "--and concentrate."
Hermione saw Malfoy's knit his eyebrows. She didn't know if it was to concentrate, or for some other purpose.
"Now, say the spell!"
"Transfigura Anima!" the whole class chanted again, but this time, with wands.
There was a flash of fluorescent pink, and Hermione felt kind of dizzy. Her vision blurred, she couldn't breathe (for a few seconds), her body was shrinking, and suddenly, it all stopped.
/That's funny, I didn't feel any pain./
She heard a really loud voice, which made her head ache, and then, she felt dizzy all over again. Someone was bringing her somewhere, but she still had her eyes closed. She felt that someone place her on the table. She took a few dizzy steps. Swaying and staggering because of some foreign weight that was on her. She tripped and fell down.
/Ow!/
She sat down and rubbed her eyes. She heard coos of 'how cute!' in her north. When she opened them, her vision was not so clear, but after a few blinks, she thought that she was in the wrong room.
There were a bunch of people WITH ANIMALS. She could see Harry with a baby pig which tail was colored yellow, she could see Ron's partner with an orange kitten, she could see Lavander with an indistinguishable 'thing' that, as she thought, was supposed to be Crabbe. Goyle also has a feathered, scaled thing with a cream cake on top of it that, as she thought again was supposed to be Parvati. She looked to her right and saw the Professor; she looked to the left and saw Malfoy.
"You stinking slimy git! Did you do something wrong?" she shouted at him.
To her great surprise, all that emitted from her was a high-pitched squeak.
The Professor, commenting on how good Malfoy's work was, and saying that he had a perfect score, handed a mirror to her.
She just stood there, frozen, with her mouth open.
***
She's gonna lose her bet. That's for sure.
He began to concentrate on what he would turn Granger into. His mother taught him about Transfiguration even before he started Hogwarts. She told him that this subject was immensely complicated. Any loss of concentration will make the spell backfire. He thought of turning her into a beaver.
/Nah. Her teeth got smaller, so no use of turning her into a big toothed one again. How's bout I turn her into a tiger? Nah. Trash that idea. She'll probably eat me alive after I transfigure her. Aha!/
He'll transfigure her into a flying squirrel! Flying squirrels were cute, and so was she so he didn't have to imagine her out, they were small, and they can't eat humans.
/Wait—Granger? And Cute? On the same sentence? Okay, I'll change it, Granger was like a flying squirrel. Because they were both cute. That was better!/
He shifted all his energies now into concentration. When McGonagall told them to face each other, all he saw in her face was cool calmness. But she couldn't fool him. He could feel in her aura that she was full of anxiety. He knitted his eyebrows together in concentration (again) and formed a picture of a flying squirrel.
"Transfigura Anima!" he chanted, along with the other students in the room.
There was a flash of fluorescent pink, and she changed into a squirrel. She was cuter as an animal, actually. Her fur was silky and brown, so were her eyes, she had a white line of fur at her back. He brought her to the table, at McGonagall's request and put her on the table. She tried taking a few steps but fell. There were coos of 'oh! How cute!' from the female students. She rubbed her eyes (another chorus of Oh! How Cute!) and opened them.
"Very good Mr. Malfoy! Perfect marks!" McGonagall said.
She (Granger) emitted a loud squeal. Weird, though, he seemed to understand what she was saying. Something about a stinking slimy git and doing something wrong.
"Mr. Malfoy? Chant the reversal spell, 'Transfgura Humana' so that Ms. Granger might return to her original form. Please take your seat now. Next! Mr. Potter and the Pig!"
He returned to his seat and said the reversal spell. There was a hideous shade of orange, then, the squirrel turned into Hermione. The spell must have had an effect on her because she turned a bright shade of red.
"Why are you angry?"
"Why did you transfigure me into a squirrel?" her voice full of silent anger.
"Lucky I didn't transfigure you into a pig--" motioning his head to Potter, "or a lumpful thing--" motioning to Lavender.
"Well—you have a point." She admitted.
"Looks like you're gonna have extra homework to do." He said with a smirk.
"Don't mention it."
"And I'll have another load off my back."
"Don't mention that too."
***
Hermione sighed. Here she was, after Transfiguration class, and was really tired. She had to do all his Astronomy homework, and he was being insufferable.
"Better head for the washroom."
She was alone. No Harry and Ron to accompany her. They were assigned to bring those who have 'not been transformed and returned properly' to the hospital wing.
"Lucky no one's here."
She used the bathroom, and then proceeded to their common room. She went in the corridor, then, stopped at one painting. This was the painting of a child, about 7-8 years old. The child was playing in the grass, when suddenly the clouds darkened (there was weather in paintings?!) and the it started to rain. Out of nowhere, another child appeared, but this time it was a boy, the same age as the other child, who handed her an umbrella, and they walked hand in hand away from the raining painting to find a sunny one.
She was reminded of someone, somehow, but she couldn't place it.
"Hermione, dearest, why so deep in thought?"
She looked up and saw Mary Lu Vont, smiling, in a concerned way at her.
"Oh, it's nothing. Where's Jaq?"
"He's gone to fetch Jack and Jill."
"Jack and Jill? Didn't they come from a rhyme?"
"Yes. We named them Jack and Jill because we found them tumbling down Violet's staircase, and Jack broke his plastic crown."
"Oh." She (Hermione) gave a small chuckle.
"Password?"
"Proginoskes."
The portrait swung open and Hermione went inside. She dropped the bag and sat on the armchair, which had the letter H engraved on it.
"Ah. Rest and—EEEEEKKKK!"
Something was squiggling in her chair. She leaned in for a closer look. There was a creature there, a fat black caterpillar, or it seemed to be.
"Oh, how cute! Here, don't be—YECHH!"
The caterpillar had squirted something on her robes, which turned them bright green.
"WHO PUT THIS THING ON MY CHAIR!" she screamed out loud.
She heard laughter from the other room.
"MALFOY!"
She only heard him laugh louder.
"This is WAR!"
Further A/N: man! It took me two weeks to write this!
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this chapter. I own the animals though! I own the diskette…I don't own the time…hmm… ;)
Author: Seiki
Rating: pg 15
A/N: Due to a st**id mistake, I had to repeat this all over again. So have pity on me and please review for my hard work! ^-^ Hope you enjoy!
She-who-must-not-be-named – I'm sure, that by the time I post this, you will know why I made this st**id mistake so, DON'T LAUGH. ^-^
Y. Kuang – Thanks for reviewing! I already read your story! (For those who haven't read, read 'Perfect Prefects . . .or Not!)
Ginnysgreat – Glad you like it!
Mr. Hyde – Thankkkkssssss Ameeeeegggggo. ^-^
Dr. Beaver – Yup. It's Madeline L' Engle's. Ambreon and Espeon are Pokemon, got those from my younger brother. (I think Ambreon is the Sunlight pokemon and Espeon is the Moonlight one. ^-^)
It's rolling!
Chapter 4 "Trouble in Transfiguration"
Hermione Granger woke up to find sunlight streaming on her, from an open window, which she forgot to close last night.
/What time is it?/ she thought.
She rolled over to check the time on the mini alarm she had been using ever since 5th year.
/Holy Flying Cows! It's 8:30! I'm gonna be late!/
She ran out of her room, grabbing her towel along the way, stumbling over a shoe, and hitting herself on the door. [A/N: I know it sounds kinda st**id, but . . .]
"Owowowowowowowowow!" she said out loud, then she resumed her trip to the bathroom, but this time, she hopped with her one foot.
Hermione finally got into the bathroom. She hastily jumped into the pool-like bathtub and swam (rather clumsily and slowly) to the other end of the pool, where the taps were located. After a few minutes of struggling in water [A/N: She isn't good at all in swimming ok?], she finally reached the taps, opened one, and bathed quickly. After that, she hurriedly dressed, not taking notice of her clothing (she wore the usual uniform) and left the bathroom. She crossed their common room, with the intention of going to her room to fix her bag.
"Nice view, Granger." a voice said.
***
Draco Malfoy sat on his bed, looking at ice-blue eyes, which seem to bore into his. He was shocked, truth to be told, when his Eagle owl, Lasagire, brought a package and a letter to him. Lasagire swooped down low on his bed and dropped the package gently, as if her child was inside. She hooted in a mellow tone, as if assuring the thing inside it that it would be okay. Malfoy gingerly took the package and gently shook it. Lasagire hooted again, but this time, as if in warning. She undid the ropes with her beak, causing the paper, which wrapped the cage, fall. That was when Draco Malfoy got the shock of his life.
"What in seven blazes is that?"
Staring back at him was a creature, kind of like a cat, whose silky fur was colored dark violet mixed with midnight blue, with a few stripes of golden yellow in it's belly. It had a medium lengthened tail, which had two golden yellow rings near the tip. What shocked him most about it were its' eyes. When he first looked at them (when Lasagire undid the ropes), he felt like he was falling down a waterfall. Its' eyes were literally ice blue, which darkened at the center.
"Who the hell sent me this?" he questioned himself.
Lasagire motioned to the letter beside him. He got the letter, tore the envelope open, and read:
My Dearest Brother,
How are you? I am fine. Voldemort still hasn't found us. So that means we are safe, for the time being. How is mother? Is father still beating her? How is Dobby? Where is he now? Oh, I'm sure, by now, knowing you, you have opened the package that I sent. I asked Lasagire to take special care of the package. That creature inside is of rare species. It was, and still is believed to have come from the mountain of angels, and no one managed to go up there yet, so I don't know how this little one got down. Take care of her. Treat her like you did with Nuggets [A/N: The doggie he had when he was still young.] Treat her with care. I did not send her as a replacement for Nuggets; he will always remain there in your heart, although you deny it. I will inform you of further happenings in the outside world, away from your protected one from time to time. Write to me too!
P.S. I already named her Espeon, and she answers to nothing else.
With lots of love,
Natty
/Espeon? She named her Espeon? Where did she get that?/
The cat-creature was now looking at its new surroundings. Its' wide eyes open, its' head turning around. It—or rather Espeon, was sniffing his pillow and was pawing it.
"Hey! Kitty!"
The cat didn't even move a hair. It continued to paw his pillow, ripping a part of it with its' semi-sharp claws. He remembered what his sister said in her letter. It won't answer to anything except Espeon.
"Hey, Espeon!"
The cat's head turned slightly but didn't move further. It now moved on to another new point of interest, his blankets.
"Hey, Espie! Kitty! Espie!"
The kitty's head jerked up, and she jumped and sat on the floor, turning her head up to look at him.
"Meow!"
Draco's heart was immediately taken. The kitty's eyes showed signs of being frightened, yet amazed at her new world, her new location.
"You're probably frightened aren't you, little kitty?" he said, while ruffling her hair.
The kitten just closed her eyes and let out a purr.
"Don't worry, my sister gave you to me, so, you're my responsibility."
"Meowrr. . ."
"Poor Espie, you're probably cold. I'll try to make you warm."
As he said those words, he concentrated on using his newfound power, [A/N: the one which he used on Mione.] to warm the kitten up. Slowly, he felt the room's temperature rise into a comforting warmth, which he also enjoyed.
"I'll leave you for a while, okay? Lasagire--" he paused and looked at his owl, "Make sure she doesn't get out. I shall go now."
Lasagire gave him a hoot of reassurance as an answer.
"Thanks, girl."
Draco Malfoy went out of his room and sat on the couch. He checked the clock that was on the mantel; it said 7:30.
/Oh well, I'm way early for class, and I'm sure that there'll be nobody in the great hall at this time, so, I'll just stay for a while, I guess./
He was just getting comfortable in his seat when suddenly, the door of the Heads' bathroom burst open, revealing a newly bathed, frazzled Hermione Granger. She quickly walked to the direction of her room, obviously not noticing Draco. Actually, if she didn't turn around, he wouldn't have noticed anything. But she did. Draco saw that her skirt was uplifted [A/N: you know, when you are in a hurry and you don't notice that the back of your skirt is folded up or something?] and, or rather, which enabled him to see quite a part of her upper thighs. They were creamy in color, and not a blemish, pimple or scar was to be found. Draco smirked.
"Nice view, Granger." He commented.
Granger stopped in her tracks and looked at him.
"What did you say?" her voice full of icy scorn.
"I said, the view that's at your back is very nice. You should learn to fix your clothes properly, though."
Granger turned around and saw her skirt hitched up a bit at her back. She gave a gasp, turned red and fixed her skirt.
"Where are you planning to go off to in such a rush?"
"If you hadn't noticed, Malfoy, it's 8:30 in the morning, which makes me late for class." She said in a high, self-righteous voice.
"If you hadn't noticed, Granger, it's only 7:30 in the morning, which doesn't make me late for class. In the contrary, I'm quite positive that I'm not even late for breakfast." He mimicked her in the same tone she used.
"Why you, you, dirty scumbag! Don't mock me! You probably don't know the time! I bet you haven't checked the clock yet!"
"My dear, you'd better have a look." He said with a smirk, while motioning to the clock on the mantel.
She turned around, went to the fireplace, to get a closer look.
"So, am I right Granger?"
"Yes you are, Malfoy." She said in a still icy voice.
"So, where do you plan to go now?"
"None of your business."
"Really? How come? I'm Head Boy, which makes it my business too."
"For your information, Mr. Malfoy, I am going to my room now to fix my bag. There, happy?" she replied with a glare.
"Satisfied."
Granger turned to go to her room.
"Watch your back Granger, watch your back." He murmured.
***
/Oh that bloody idiotic prat! He's so full of himself that he might explode any moment from now! How dare he! /
She angrily stuffed her Transfiguration book in her bag.
/Oh what am I doing! I shouldn't be wasting my thought on that—that—ferret!/
She walked across her room to get her Potions book.
"Bloody hell!"
In the process of going to her desk, where her book was, she had unsettled a bottle of ink and caused a stain on the carpet. She hastily got out her wand and muttered the spell that would clean it up.
"Oh well, I'd better get going. I guess I already have everything in my bag. Stupid Malfoy."
She pushed open the door of her room, checked the back of her skirt, and walked out of their common room. She walked quickly to the direction of the Great Hall. There, in the Gryffindor table, she saw Harry conversing with someone from the next table, the Ravenclaw table. Walking closer, she saw that the person that Harry was talking to was Cassie. Cassandra was laughing and Harry looked sulky.
"Hey Cassie! Hi, Harry!"
"Hey Hermione! Enjoy your night?" Cassie said in a teasing voice.
"What do you mean, Cass?"
"Oh come on, Mione, everyone knows that Malfoy's handsome, and you spent your night sharing the same room with him and, you're the envy of the whole female population of Hogwarts!"
"The envy? Hah! I'd rather eat dirt!"
"Hey Harry," Cassandra said, turning her head to face Harry, "You owe me a Galleon for losing that bet."
"What bet?" Questioned Hermione.
"Last night, during the sorting, Harry bet that you weren't with Malfoy, and that Malfoy wasn't Head Boy. Unfortunately, he lost to me and owes me a Galleon." Cassandra gave Hermione a fake wicked grin.
Normally, Hermione would have been outraged at what they have done, but, seeing Cassandra's funny fake wicked face, and Harry's forlorn one, she burst out laughing.
"Serves you right, Harry! Never mind about that, Pay her up and lets eat!"
So Harry did exactly that. He paid Cassie up, and sat down to eat with Hermione. After a plate or two, and a good goblet of orange juice, Harry asked Hermione the question that she had been expecting ever since last night.
"Mione, answer me truthfully, did something happen with you and Malfoy last night? Did he hurt you or something?"
"Harry, even if he tried to, you know he couldn't have. I can protect myself. I'm not a baby bird who can't fly and use her wings. I have mine already. And I also have my wand." She said seriously.
Harry gave her a smile of trust. "I believe in you. After all, you do have your wand."
"Harry!" she said while attempting to hit his head with her goblet.
"Just joking!"
'THWACK!'
"Seriously, Herm! I'm just joking!"
'THWACK!"
"Ow!"
Breakfast ended 15 'THWACKS!' later, and Hermione, Harry and a still guffawing Ronald Weasley headed to their first class, Transfiguration. Contrary, again, to their usual tradition, the teachers told them that they would not know what house they would be partnering in their class until the class itself. So, things may change. It could be that you were partners with Slytherin with one day and Ravenclaw the other. Most of the students didn't like it, but to Hermione, it was fine. It meant that she would be able to spend lessons with Cass and Vicky and still be able to avoid the Slytherins.
They entered the Transfiguration room only to be faced with a surprise.
The Slytherins were there.
Sitting in Hermione's seat was Draco Malfoy [A/N: You know, the seat and table where two people can sit down on it?]. Hermione looked around at her classmates and saw hat most of them had similar looks on their faces. Harry was going to sit with Pansy Parkinson, who didn't look as if she liked the seating arrangements as well. Ron was going to sit with a pretty Slytherin girl, whom she didn't know (Ron looked pleased though, when he saw who he was sitting with.) but looked as if she was kinder than most of the lot. Lavander was going to sit with Crabbe, while Parvati was assigned to Goyle. Both of them, when they saw who they were going to sit with, possessed equal, and twin looks of disgust and horror (although Crabbe and Goyle were grinning stupidly {as usual}).
/Oh bloody cow! What could be worse than this?/ [A/N: Hermione would find something much, much worse later, although she doesn't know it yet. ;) ]
The Professor, seeing the looks on their faces, looked at Malfoy, then at her, Hermione, meaningfully. The Professor didn't have to do say anything though. They both understood what she meant. Hermione looked at Malfoy in a challenging way, her aura clearly saying, 'you first.' Malfoy's face dawned with comprehension at what she was trying to say to him. His next move caught her off-guard.
Malfoy stood up, quite dramatically, and at the same time pushing his chair hard, to make a loud sound, to attract the students' attention. Everyone forgot his or her thoughts at the sound of the chair scraping the ground. The sound, which would normally seem loud only when the room is as quiet as a tomb, was magnified. He walked three paces towards her and dropped to the ground on his knees, saying,
"Granny Hermione, would you please grant me the honor of pul- eh I mean- escorting you to sit beside me?''
/GRANNY! The little b*****d dare call me GRANNY! /
But since she couldn't possibly shout at him in front of Professor McGonagall, she just smiled at him with very fake sweetness and said,
"Of course, dear bas- ehrm- Head Boy, we must set a good example after all."
Malfoy pulled a chair out beside his on her table and motioned for her to sit down.
"Ladies First."
Hermione sat down on the chair that Draco offered her, and he sat down on the other one. The Professor gave them both a small smile.
The whole class and room were silent, maybe shocked at the exchange of words and actions they just saw. After all, this wasn't typical Hermione and Malfoy behavior.
Hermione turned around to face their classmates.
"Well, aren't you going to sit down?"
***
Harry was in a mild shock. He felt like he couldn't move, but in reality, he could. He felt as if he wasn't breathing, but he was.
Guess why he was shocked.
Guessed it? Right. He was shocked at the exchange he saw between Hermione and Malfoy.
That was not typical behavior.
He remembered what Ron said before : "The day Malfoy and Mione work together in Harmony is the day Neville will ace a Potions exam."
Well they were working in harmony now, although it was a little bit forced.
Hermione turned around to face them and said,
"Well? Aren't you going to sit down?"
Most of the class just nodded their heads, including the Slytherins.
Harry looked at his partner.
Pansy? / Ewww./
But he had to do it, anyway.
"Uh, hi Parkinson."
"Speak for yourself, Potter." She replied in an icy tone.
/Neville better ace that test soon./
***
Ron, although shocked, was looking forward to sitting next to the pretty Slytherin girl. She looked nicer than most Slytherin girls, and seemed more polite.
"Um, hi! I'm Ron. What's your name?" he addressed the girl.
"Hi Ron! I'm Jaime, a sixth year."
"Really? Then why are you here?"
"In our school, the standard of our sixth year is the same as your seventh. But my dad got transferred here, and he wanted to continue my level as sixth year. So I have to take 7th year twice."
"Oh."
"Can you show me around the school sometime, Ron?"
"Sure!"
***
"Now class, we will be studying Human – Animal Transfiguration. If you remember, we have been working on transfiguring things into animals last year. And I think that you are ready for a more difficult task. You will transfigure your partner into an animal."
Murmurs were heard throughout the classroom.
"You must concentrate on what animal you want your partner to be. Your mind must not wander around like some lost ghost, or tragic results may arise. For those who plan to mess up purposely, please bear in mind that this will also be like a test. I will grade the quality of the animal that you have transfigured. No animal should be the same, unless, there are some people here who think that their classmates are all the same animals. Now, all the people on the right are the ones to be transfigured in this session."
Hermione felt Malfoy look at her.
"What?"
"Do you realize that I have to transfigure you into something?"
"Yes. Poor me though, you'd probably mess up. I don't think that you're that good a student."
"Really? And if I succeed?"
"I'm going to. . .do your Astronomy homework." She replied.
"Really? It's a deal!"
"Now, the spell to say is 'Transfigura Anima'. Please repeat after me, without wands."
"Transfigura Anima!" the whole class chanted.
"Now, it is time to work with your partners. Please face each other-- " Malfoy and Hermione faced each other, Hermione with hidden anxiety (that Malfoy might do something wrong and she might end up in the hospital wing again, just like in the second year.) Malfoy, with a hidden smirk (thinking of what animal he will transfigure Hermione into.), "--and concentrate."
Hermione saw Malfoy's knit his eyebrows. She didn't know if it was to concentrate, or for some other purpose.
"Now, say the spell!"
"Transfigura Anima!" the whole class chanted again, but this time, with wands.
There was a flash of fluorescent pink, and Hermione felt kind of dizzy. Her vision blurred, she couldn't breathe (for a few seconds), her body was shrinking, and suddenly, it all stopped.
/That's funny, I didn't feel any pain./
She heard a really loud voice, which made her head ache, and then, she felt dizzy all over again. Someone was bringing her somewhere, but she still had her eyes closed. She felt that someone place her on the table. She took a few dizzy steps. Swaying and staggering because of some foreign weight that was on her. She tripped and fell down.
/Ow!/
She sat down and rubbed her eyes. She heard coos of 'how cute!' in her north. When she opened them, her vision was not so clear, but after a few blinks, she thought that she was in the wrong room.
There were a bunch of people WITH ANIMALS. She could see Harry with a baby pig which tail was colored yellow, she could see Ron's partner with an orange kitten, she could see Lavander with an indistinguishable 'thing' that, as she thought, was supposed to be Crabbe. Goyle also has a feathered, scaled thing with a cream cake on top of it that, as she thought again was supposed to be Parvati. She looked to her right and saw the Professor; she looked to the left and saw Malfoy.
"You stinking slimy git! Did you do something wrong?" she shouted at him.
To her great surprise, all that emitted from her was a high-pitched squeak.
The Professor, commenting on how good Malfoy's work was, and saying that he had a perfect score, handed a mirror to her.
She just stood there, frozen, with her mouth open.
***
She's gonna lose her bet. That's for sure.
He began to concentrate on what he would turn Granger into. His mother taught him about Transfiguration even before he started Hogwarts. She told him that this subject was immensely complicated. Any loss of concentration will make the spell backfire. He thought of turning her into a beaver.
/Nah. Her teeth got smaller, so no use of turning her into a big toothed one again. How's bout I turn her into a tiger? Nah. Trash that idea. She'll probably eat me alive after I transfigure her. Aha!/
He'll transfigure her into a flying squirrel! Flying squirrels were cute, and so was she so he didn't have to imagine her out, they were small, and they can't eat humans.
/Wait—Granger? And Cute? On the same sentence? Okay, I'll change it, Granger was like a flying squirrel. Because they were both cute. That was better!/
He shifted all his energies now into concentration. When McGonagall told them to face each other, all he saw in her face was cool calmness. But she couldn't fool him. He could feel in her aura that she was full of anxiety. He knitted his eyebrows together in concentration (again) and formed a picture of a flying squirrel.
"Transfigura Anima!" he chanted, along with the other students in the room.
There was a flash of fluorescent pink, and she changed into a squirrel. She was cuter as an animal, actually. Her fur was silky and brown, so were her eyes, she had a white line of fur at her back. He brought her to the table, at McGonagall's request and put her on the table. She tried taking a few steps but fell. There were coos of 'oh! How cute!' from the female students. She rubbed her eyes (another chorus of Oh! How Cute!) and opened them.
"Very good Mr. Malfoy! Perfect marks!" McGonagall said.
She (Granger) emitted a loud squeal. Weird, though, he seemed to understand what she was saying. Something about a stinking slimy git and doing something wrong.
"Mr. Malfoy? Chant the reversal spell, 'Transfgura Humana' so that Ms. Granger might return to her original form. Please take your seat now. Next! Mr. Potter and the Pig!"
He returned to his seat and said the reversal spell. There was a hideous shade of orange, then, the squirrel turned into Hermione. The spell must have had an effect on her because she turned a bright shade of red.
"Why are you angry?"
"Why did you transfigure me into a squirrel?" her voice full of silent anger.
"Lucky I didn't transfigure you into a pig--" motioning his head to Potter, "or a lumpful thing--" motioning to Lavender.
"Well—you have a point." She admitted.
"Looks like you're gonna have extra homework to do." He said with a smirk.
"Don't mention it."
"And I'll have another load off my back."
"Don't mention that too."
***
Hermione sighed. Here she was, after Transfiguration class, and was really tired. She had to do all his Astronomy homework, and he was being insufferable.
"Better head for the washroom."
She was alone. No Harry and Ron to accompany her. They were assigned to bring those who have 'not been transformed and returned properly' to the hospital wing.
"Lucky no one's here."
She used the bathroom, and then proceeded to their common room. She went in the corridor, then, stopped at one painting. This was the painting of a child, about 7-8 years old. The child was playing in the grass, when suddenly the clouds darkened (there was weather in paintings?!) and the it started to rain. Out of nowhere, another child appeared, but this time it was a boy, the same age as the other child, who handed her an umbrella, and they walked hand in hand away from the raining painting to find a sunny one.
She was reminded of someone, somehow, but she couldn't place it.
"Hermione, dearest, why so deep in thought?"
She looked up and saw Mary Lu Vont, smiling, in a concerned way at her.
"Oh, it's nothing. Where's Jaq?"
"He's gone to fetch Jack and Jill."
"Jack and Jill? Didn't they come from a rhyme?"
"Yes. We named them Jack and Jill because we found them tumbling down Violet's staircase, and Jack broke his plastic crown."
"Oh." She (Hermione) gave a small chuckle.
"Password?"
"Proginoskes."
The portrait swung open and Hermione went inside. She dropped the bag and sat on the armchair, which had the letter H engraved on it.
"Ah. Rest and—EEEEEKKKK!"
Something was squiggling in her chair. She leaned in for a closer look. There was a creature there, a fat black caterpillar, or it seemed to be.
"Oh, how cute! Here, don't be—YECHH!"
The caterpillar had squirted something on her robes, which turned them bright green.
"WHO PUT THIS THING ON MY CHAIR!" she screamed out loud.
She heard laughter from the other room.
"MALFOY!"
She only heard him laugh louder.
"This is WAR!"
Further A/N: man! It took me two weeks to write this!
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this chapter. I own the animals though! I own the diskette…I don't own the time…hmm… ;)