Hermione stared at wonder of the creation in front of her. For a long month
she had slaved away and now she had finally completed it. It was a divine
beauty in its own sense. It seemed almost a shame to drink something that
so much time and care had been devoted to. However the urge was too much.
Hermione knew that she would end up drinking it sooner or later, and as she
heard a thump from across the landing she realised it was about to be the
former.
Her parents were awake! If they walked in here and saw that potion they would undoubtedly take it away. Whilst they might have been accepting of her experiment, it was mainly due to the fact that they didn't have any other choice. There was only one real option. Hermione would have to drink it. Right here. Right now. The whole lot. She wasn't sure of the exact dosage she was meant to have. That had been an unimportant factor up until now. As she heard her parent's door creak open she frantically grabbed the potion and gave it one good long look. Suddenly she began to wonder why she had needed to brew so much. Surely she couldn't drink all this. She would have to try however, if she didn't want to get told off by her parents. With one last attempt to swat away the doubt in her mind she raised the Cauldron to her lips
She opened her mouth and tilted her head back as the potion trickled down her throat. It certainly didn't taste nice, and yet at the same time it was pleasant in a completely different way. It tasted bitter. That was all it tasted of. Pure bitterness itself. The texture however was pleasant. It was cool in her mouth and yet as it reached her stomach it seemed warm like butter beer. It had a pleasantly oily feel and made her feel as if her whole mouth was being gently massaged by a team of thousands of tiny people. In a pleasant way of course.
She swallowed as quickly as she good in a frantic attempt to empty the cauldron. Damn why did it have to be a size three... it must have contained at least a litre and a half. She could feel her stomach protesting as she continued to drink it. Only a bit left now at the bottom of the potion. She could see the reflection of the moon in the liquid, although now it seemed to have lost its brilliance it had earlier when she saw it. With one last desperate gulp she emptied the remainder and threw the cauldron aside, just in time to see her bedroom door swing open.
Her parents were standing in the door way looking cautiously at her. They probably couldn't see much thought due to the fact it was so dark. All her thoughts though were suddenly snapped from this however, by something much more pressing. There was a dull pain in her stomach that quickly erupted into what felt like flaming daggers piercing her stomach and working its way up her through. She leapt up form her spot on the floor and charged towards the door where her parents were. They flicked on the light just in time to see a blur of Hermione charge towards them before she barged past them, down into the corridor where she locked herself into the bathroom.
She threw her head over the toilet and as soon as she opened her mouth she started vomiting. She continued for several minutes, as eventually all she was throwing up was bile. As the burning sensation inside her body and mouth gradually faded all she was left with was the unpleasant after taste of bile. After she could vomit no more she was just sat there with her muscles convulsing, leaving a dull ache throughout her body. "I will have to whip up a quick numbing potion in the morning if the pain hasn't faded." She thought to herself. This wasn't the main thought on her mind. No where in the book did it say something like this would happen. It never said that you would vomit after taking the potion. In fact thinking about it she couldn't recall any potions where immediate vomiting were side effects. It left only one other solution and it wasn't pleasant. The Potion had gone wrong!
Once she had gained control of her body and pulled herself to her feet she walked to the sink and washed out her mouth. The last thing she wanted to do at that moment was take another of those potions. If she had known it would be so nasty she would have seriously considered the worth of it. She was bought back to the real world by her parents knocking on the door asking worriedly if she was alright. "Just a second." She called to them as she flushed the toilet and pulled her hair back. Hermione slid open the lock and pulled open the door to find both her parents looking at her. There was a long silence in which no one talked. Hermione surveyed her parents who seemed to be surveying her back.
"What?" She asked eventually. It was bad enough having people stare at you when they think you can't see them but to have your parents do it. "Well it's just that..." Her mother began to say as she tried to find the right words. In theory everything was so simple, and yet in real life it was the exact opposite. "Well it's just that you appear to be a boy." Michael said lamely as he examined his daughter thoughtfully. Suddenly an intricate system started winding in Hermione's head as pistons started sliding and cogs slipped into place where they started turning. Eventually her mind wound back into its usual fast pace.
"One second." She said as she excitedly stepped back into the bathroom and closed the door. She took a few large steps until she came face to face with the wide mirror. She looked carefully at the reflection and what looked back wasn't what she expected. It wasn't that she was surprised to see a boy standing there. It was actually that the person looking back at her seemed to look a lot like she did all the time. She pushed her messy hair behind her ears and looked carefully at the face. Her nose actually touched the cold glass as she looked carefully. Her face was almost exactly the same as it was before. The only thing she seemed to be able to notice different was that her chin. Where before it had been a typical chin that belonged to her. Now she had a chin dimple that she recognised as belonging to people like Harry and Remus.
Eventually Hermione couldn't resist her urges and looked down. For the first time in a few years she could see her feet without having to lean forwards. Her hands quickly went under her satin pyjama top and she felt her chest. Flat! Plain! Just as the potion said it would be. "I guess it did work as it should have done after all." She said to herself as she finally stopped stroking her muscular chest. There was just one more thing to check. She had read about them but actually having one yourself. Now this was something she never thought about when she was younger. She carefully reached down and stretched out the elastic of her pyjama bottoms.
"Wow." Was all she could manage. So that is what one looked like. She had wondered for a long time. She had heard a few hushed discussions from some of the seventh year girls but she hadn't seen one before. Pavarti had bought in a naughty magazine once but Hermione wasn't the sort of girl to look at things like that. Hermione found herself wondering if all of them looked like that. It wasn't really important but if they were she felt she wouldn't be too disappointed in later life.
A minute or so later the door slid open again and Hermione looked at her parents. "Yes I guess I am a boy." She said happily as she made to move past them and back to the bedroom. She was hoping to avoid a light night interrogation. As much as she was excited she had just been sick and it was the middle of the night, and few things seemed more enticing than the thought of going back to sleep. "Not quite yet young lady...man?" Michael said unsurely. "There are a few questions we have. For a start what was that loud bang? I don't remember you saying it would involve any explosions." Hermione stared at her father. Whilst he was highly educated in the matters that concerned muggles, he really didn't know anything about magic. This meant it would be very easy to lie to him.
"Honestly daddy." She said in a voice which was very similar to her usual, although perhaps a little bit lower. It was tough to tell if it was because of the potion or the fact that she had a saw thought form throwing up so much. "Haven't you ever seen the films? You know one minute things are like something, then there is a puff of smoke and poof! It's changed." Her parents exchanged curiously suspicious glances. "That wasn't a poof! It sounded more like a cannon going off." Hermione rolled her eyes so as to appear exasperated. She had an unnatural talent for hiding what she was truly thinking.
"Well I was asleep at the time. I didn't hear it so I can't tell you any differently. Anything else you want to ask?" "Yes actually. Why is it that you still seem so, Hermione like?" Her mother asked as she looked at Hermione, who was indeed the exact same height she normally was. "Honestly do I have to explain everything?" she said as she took the I'm- tired-of-explaining-things-to-you approach. "Well I suppose I only changed in the way that boys are. I guess being taller and stuff are just things that you only acquire form growing up as a boy. Anyway I am fine thanks so you needn't worry yourself. I will be going to bed now and I will be up early tomorrow morning so don't you to try and sleep late." She said. One of the rare pleasures she enjoyed was telling her parents what to do. Since she rarely did it, when she did they found that for some reason they didn't have the option to refuse.
Hermione awoke the next morning at seven o'clock as her digital alarm clock rang the horrible ring which is known and hated by so many people. It didn't get a chance to go on for long however, as her arm swung over and pressed down the off button before it could beep for a second time. She sat up in her bed and rubbed her eyes. Today was the day. Finally here. As she tried to get herself out of bed however she had a near overpowering urge to slump back, close her eyes, and mutter something about just a few more minutes. "Must be a boy thing" She thought to herself as she quickly climbed out of bed. She walked over and threw the curtains open. Just as she the weather had predicted. Great sunshine.
Just as she had hoped. Being heavy rain would hinder her plans somewhat. Her plans for the day consisted of going out. Going into town and buying a few things. Then with any luck she would go to the local swimming pool, followed by lunch and maybe doing a few other things if she thought of some during the day. Admittedly it would have been more fun to do these things with some friends, but there really was no one she could ask.
"Hey Harry want to go swimming?" "Sure I would love to." "But I won't be going." "Oh?" "It will just be you and some random boy you have never met before." "Oh sorry, I just remembered I have to wash my hair today."
Yes that is how it would go. Hermione couldn't ask him. Still she could perhaps meet up with a few of the guys from the local muggle school. Boys were like that weren't they? They sort of wafted together in an attempt that their combined intelligence would equal more than a piece of fruit.
Hermione carefully discarded her clothes and stood admiring herself for a few minutes. It might be a few years before she saw something like that again. At least that is how she had hoped. She looked at the wardrobe where her boy clothes carefully hung on hangers, looking like a two dimensional person with no hands or a head. She started off by putting some socks on. She tried to select the manliest ones she had, but realised that all her socks were pink, frilly, flowery, or knee high school ones. Why hadn't she noticed something like this before?
In the end she settled on a pair or white ones with not to many flowers on. They would have to do. Besides, her trousers were more than long enough. They would probably cover a fair bit of her battered trainers as well. There shouldn't really be any problem. She carefully pulled on her socks. In a way it was like a reverse strip tease, where being fully clothed was the desired effect. Next she took her white t shirt. She put her arms through it and then held them up so it slid down over her body. She had never been able to do that before!
Next was the good bit. She gingerly reached out and touched the fabric of the chequered boxer shorts. It was rougher than what she was used to and yet in her opinion it wouldn't be the same if it wasn't. They had a button on the front as she wondered to herself for a moment why things wouldn't fall out of the gap. It would probably make more sense to have a zip she thought to herself. Not being a boy she didn't know that a zip could be very painful if things got in the way.
Hermione carefully slid them on, holding them with the lightest touch as though they were made of crepe paper. Once she had pulled them up she stopped for a minute. "Dang this thing gets in the way." She said as she tried to find a correct place for it to go. "No wonder boys look uncomfortable all the time." She muttered to herself as she gave up and returned to the final item of clothing. The trousers. There was nothing amazing about putting these on. They seemed pretty similar to trousers she had won before, although it did take her several moments to master doing up the button since it was back-to- front.
Once she was clothed she sat down on the bed for a moment and crossed her legs. That didn't work either. "I'm going to do myself a mischief if in not careful." She said as she shifted uncomfortable. She tried for a few minutes to find an acceptable sitting position. Crossed legs? Nope. Knees touching? Nope. Eventually she found the one. The special position that was comfortable. It had been tried and tested. Hermione just sat there with her legs slightly spread apart. "So there is a reason why they sit like this and not just because they are uncultured pigs." She mused in mild surprise.
Quarter past seven. That seemed like a good time to be awake. In fact Hermione's parents would probably be angry if she let them sleep much longer. That's what she told her self. She walked out of her bedroom and sharply rapped on her parent's bedroom door. "Mum, Dad, Get up! It's late." She said as she leaned against the wall impatiently. She heard a loud groan and a minute later her father emerged looking groggily at her, rubbing his eyes. "I don't know what time you get up at school but this isn't late. It's an ungodly hour that is what it is."
After a very tired debate Hermione found her self downstairs in the kitchen bouncing excitedly as her parents slowly thumped down the stairs. "Come on stop wasting my time. I wasn't to go early so I can make the most of my day." She said as though this were an obvious fact. Once they were standing in front of her Hermione directed them each in turn. "You, cut my hair." She demanded as she pointed at her hair. "You, make me food." She added as she rounded on her mother. "You will never get a boyfriend if you are like that." Michelle said tartly as she walked into the kitchen and took out some cereals. "You managed." Michael said quietly, although not quietly enough. A swift elbow in the ribs later and he was panting slightly in the lounge.
"Just...Knocked...the...the... wind out of...me." He said as he went to get some hair cutting scissors and a chair. As Hermione sat down with an old shirt buttoned over her t shirt her father looked at her sceptically. "You sure you want me to cut your hair? What if the hair restoring potion doesn't work?" Hermione smiled. "The other potion worked fine." She said nonchalantly. "Yeah, I guess after something like that hair must be pretty east. Now how do you want your hair? Keep in mind I'm not a hairdresser. He said as he ran his fingers through her messy hair. "Well just something simple. Something boyish. She said calmly. After her father hesitated she said "Come on it can't be harder than fiddling with peoples teeth." At this thought he took a great hand full of hair and started cutting away.
Ten minutes later Hermione was standing, looking in the mirror at the reflection. What looked back at her was alien. With hair and some baggy clothing she could pass for regular Hermione. Now however a transformation had taken place. Her father had made up some story about how he needed to cut it reasonably short so that it wouldn't look bushy like it normally did. In fact he probably just made a mistake and had to change the plan half way in between. Now she carefully reached her had to where it normally would have been. There was just air and it seemed strange. It made her shoulders seem much more prominent now that they weren't competing with a large amount of hair.
She had a very rough spiky cut. Due to the lack of weight holding it down like usual, it now seemed to stick out in every direction. Whilst this was messy according to witch weekly, it was very fashionable. Hermione was almost certain her father wasn't aware of this fact. Unless of course he had been sneaking into her room late at night when she was asleep, and thumbing through her magazines in an attempt to position himself as a pinnacle of fashion. If that were the case then he had serious issues.
"Looking trendy?" Michael asked hopefully. Hermione turned to him for a minute and handed him the shirt with hairs all over it. "Dad, you wouldn't know trendy if it came up and bit you, which considering your line of work is quite likely." "You can't speak to your father like that young man." Said her mother who had appeared behind her. "I will have you know back when we were in school your father was..." "No, there is no point in lying. I was always unfashionable." Michael sulked. "Now haven't you got some breakfast to eat or something?" He added in an attempt to change the conversation. "I have poured you some coco flavoured puffs of rice." Her mother said as she went back to the kitchen with Hermione following behind her.
Hermione stepped out into the hot summer's morning. There was still a little dampness clinging to the air, but that would evaporate over the next half hour. She stretched out and let out a yawn as the sun shone in her eyes. It was about a miles walk into town so it would probably take her about twenty minutes. She set off with a backpack slung over her shoulder. Where normally it was full of books, now it contained a towl and some swim shorts. Nothing else. Just the towl and swim shorts. Not a bikini. Nope. Just shorts. Bare chests all the way!
The town was quite old. It had been there for a couple of hundred years and had sort of developed a atmospheric mould. All the newer things were built by the high street where the old post office and haberdasheries had been. Now there were just a few newsagents and a toy shop. There was still one of those clothing shops for fat people, but nobody went in there. The clothes didn't fit thin people and the fat people were too embarrassed. If they went in it was like admitting they knew they were fat. Hermione made her way past this shop and over to a newsagents. She wanted some chocolate and she knew exactly what kind. She walked in a searched for a minute before finding what she wanted. She carried the forbidden item carefully in her hands as he made her way up to the counter were a man was sitting, cooking in the sun that was shining through the glass. She put the chocolate bar down and put on a falsely deep voice. "Yorkie please mate!"
The man looked at her suspiciously for a minute. Hermione did her best to look manly, as if he would somehow look through and se her for what she really was. In the end he made his decision and punched in a few keys. "That'll be fourty-four p please. Hermione handed over the correct amount and Left a minute later, chocolate bar in hand, feeling very proud of herself. She wasn't really that hungry having only had breakfast half an hour ago, so she put it in her pocket for later.
Next she went to the pharmacy. She needed to pick up a few things. Whilst wizards knew lots of things, hair care wasn't one of them. The muggle stuff was the best. She walked over to the left hand side of the store and scouted round for her favourite brand. Eventually she found it. It was called Divine Essences. She liked it because it smelled of cinnamon. It was a girl's shampoo.
She looked round and picked up a few other things. As she approached the counter she noticed a boy that was probably about her age. Probably a summer job she thought to herself as she dropped all the stuff in front of him. He looked down at the items, then back up at Hermione. "You do realise this is girls stuff don't you?" He said as he eyed her up. Hermione blushed furiously as she realised it must look a bit weird. "Oh this stuff? Just picking it up for my girlfriend...You know?" She said eventually. That ought to be believable. Her father often bought stuff for her mother when he went out. What she didn't take into account was that she was sixteen and this wasn't typical behaviour.
"Why can't she get it herself?" The boy asked as he frowned at her? Oh damn what shall I say? Think Hermione, think! Say something believable. Quickly, he is looking at you! "Oh she is, er naked." There was a very intense silence that followed this as Hermione Mentally slapped herself. Oh crap. Now you have gone and done it. You big spastic you would have been better off saying nothing. To late now. You can't just stand there. You're gonna have to say something! She thought with a slight panic. The boy just sat looking at her with his eyebrows raised. Eventually Hermione managed to say the only thing she could think of. "You know. I'm gonna be joining her when I get back." He continued to stare. Hermione was nearing the point of a mental breakdown as she dug herself deeper with every word. "Cooooooooooooooor SEX!"
Just as Hermione was about to leave her stuff and run a smile spread across. "Yeah. I know what you mean." He said smugly. Hermione grinned to herself. How despicably yet relieving shallow. It seemed she had survived her first encounter with a boy. "You're not bad you know, for a shorty. How old you?" He asked. "Sixteen. Hermione responded. "Hey how come I haven't seen you round school then? You a drop out or something?" Hermione was insulted by the prospect of someone thinking that she, Hermione Granger was a drop out. "No I go to a boarding school. Damn parents. I hate them so much." She said as she said things until he smiled, which signalled she had said the right thing. "Yeah I know what you mean. Parents can be such a drag sometimes. So what school do you go to?" Again Hermione racked her brains. For some reason saying Hogwarts didn't seem right. Instead she said the only other thing she could think of. "St Brutus's Secure Centre For Incurably Criminal Boys."
"Wow? Really? I have heard of that place before. Apparently it is the number one school for criminal boys. You need to be really bad to get sent there. What did you do?" He asked excitedly. Hermione racked her brains for something serious. She couldn't say she robbed a sweet shop or something, because by the sound of it this guy knew more than she did. "I um, set fire to an old lady." Did she take it too far? Was he about to tell her it was wrong and try and chuck her out of the shop? No. "Wow! Damn I wish you went to my school. My teacher could do with being set fire to. In fact he has such bad eyesight you could probably just sneak into class and do it and he wouldn't notice anything until he was half roasted."
"What's your name? It isn't everyday I meet a guy as cool as you." Hermione stammered for a few moments. The thought of a name had never really crossed her mind. She said the first thing that sprung to mind. "Alex...Um..." she tried to think up a sir name and spotted some plasters on a shelf to her right. "Special duro technology means they are durable and weather tight." It said in bold font. "Weather...Light." She finished finally. "Alex Weatherlight." "Hey Alex. I'm Max Aytrara. I finish work at twelve. I'm going down the pool with some of my friends. You want to come along? I'm sure they would like to meet you." He said coolly as he extended his hand over the counter. Hermione shook his hand. "Actually I was gonna go down there anyway. So yeah I will probably be there, although I do need to get back to my girlfriend now. You know I wouldn't want to keep her waiting." She said as she attempted to end the conversation. It was going so well that she knew if she kept talking for long she was going to mess up." "Oh right sorry. I forgot about that. Still if you want..." he said as he now lowered his voice despite the fact that other than them the store was deserted. "I can introduce you to some girls later! Anyway here's your stuff." He said as he packed it into a bag before she had time to protest that she wasn't that kind of girl, guy. She handed him the money and made her way out.
She emerged from the shop feeling thirsty. The shop had been very stuffy and as she hadn't realised how pleasant a breeze would be if there had been one. There wasn't. The air was still and as the sun was now high in the sky it was beaming down on her, and she regretted not having bought some suntan lotion. She couldn't have picked a better day really. She thought to herself. Normally she refused to go swimming because she felt very conscious of her body, but for some reason it was different as a guy. You could walk around without having half the population looking at you, or more accurately her chest. To be fair though there were some people who didn't do that. Harry and Ron didn't. Snape probably didn't even go that way, and she would have said Neville, but she had caught him looking once.
It was about nine thirty now and so there were still a few hours before Max and his friends would go swimming. Hermione didn't want to go, spend her time on her own, and end up leaving as soon as the "cool kids" got there. She wished she had planned better as she stood in the street wondering what to do. In the end she decided that she would actually go home and drop off the things she had bought. There was no need to take them with her. Also it would burn up about an hour or so, and she has hungry. It was strange, being hungry at half past nine after having breakfast. "Must be a boy thing she said to herself as she set back off down the street." She reached into her pocket and took out the Yorkie bar which had unfortunately turned into a Yorkie flavoured wallet of molten chocolate in the heat.
Half an hour later or so she walked into her house. Her parents were sitting in the back garden on deck chairs sunbathing! Sunbathing? In England?!?! They only noticed her when she walked over and cast a shadow over them. "What are you doing back so soon?" Asked Michael as he surveyed her over his sunglasses. "Is something wrong?" "No, nothings wrong. I just haven't got anything to do for a bit and I'm hungry." Hermione said as she plonked herself down on the grass, and in the process knocked over her father's glass of cider. Michelle looked up from a magazine she had been thumbing through at her daughter. She made some sort of noise that sounded like the word men, before looking back down.
"Woops." Said Hermione as she held up the glass for her father to see. He looked at her with annoyance for a minute before that faded, to be replaced with something else. "Oh Hermione can't you look what your doing? Honestly girl. Come on indoors and I can get a new one." Hermione wasn't exactly sure why she was required to help him get a new drink but she followed anyway. They walked into the kitchen and Hermione opened the fridge to take out the bottle of cider which she passed to her father. Next she had a quick look at what they had to eat. Her parents were both dentists and as such the only food seemed to consist of things that came out of the ground.
She reached forwards and was about to take out some lettuce when her fathers hand shot forward and grabbed her by the wrist. He lowered his hands and surveyed Hermione through his sunglasses. "It's time" he said "For me to tell you what I should have told you this morning, Hermione. Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything?" Hermione looked back at his with one eyebrow raised. "What?" Michael didn't reply, instead he walked over to a cupboard by the oven. Opened it and stuck his arm in. Then he leant forward a bit and his shoulder disappeared. With a disgruntled look his head followed. If someone had walked in at the moment it would appear that the cupboard had been magically charmed and was attempting to eat him. He emerged however, a minute later with something grasped in his hand. Hermione had to clasp her hands over her mouth to startle a little cry she would have let out. Cheesy Puffs!
Her parents were awake! If they walked in here and saw that potion they would undoubtedly take it away. Whilst they might have been accepting of her experiment, it was mainly due to the fact that they didn't have any other choice. There was only one real option. Hermione would have to drink it. Right here. Right now. The whole lot. She wasn't sure of the exact dosage she was meant to have. That had been an unimportant factor up until now. As she heard her parent's door creak open she frantically grabbed the potion and gave it one good long look. Suddenly she began to wonder why she had needed to brew so much. Surely she couldn't drink all this. She would have to try however, if she didn't want to get told off by her parents. With one last attempt to swat away the doubt in her mind she raised the Cauldron to her lips
She opened her mouth and tilted her head back as the potion trickled down her throat. It certainly didn't taste nice, and yet at the same time it was pleasant in a completely different way. It tasted bitter. That was all it tasted of. Pure bitterness itself. The texture however was pleasant. It was cool in her mouth and yet as it reached her stomach it seemed warm like butter beer. It had a pleasantly oily feel and made her feel as if her whole mouth was being gently massaged by a team of thousands of tiny people. In a pleasant way of course.
She swallowed as quickly as she good in a frantic attempt to empty the cauldron. Damn why did it have to be a size three... it must have contained at least a litre and a half. She could feel her stomach protesting as she continued to drink it. Only a bit left now at the bottom of the potion. She could see the reflection of the moon in the liquid, although now it seemed to have lost its brilliance it had earlier when she saw it. With one last desperate gulp she emptied the remainder and threw the cauldron aside, just in time to see her bedroom door swing open.
Her parents were standing in the door way looking cautiously at her. They probably couldn't see much thought due to the fact it was so dark. All her thoughts though were suddenly snapped from this however, by something much more pressing. There was a dull pain in her stomach that quickly erupted into what felt like flaming daggers piercing her stomach and working its way up her through. She leapt up form her spot on the floor and charged towards the door where her parents were. They flicked on the light just in time to see a blur of Hermione charge towards them before she barged past them, down into the corridor where she locked herself into the bathroom.
She threw her head over the toilet and as soon as she opened her mouth she started vomiting. She continued for several minutes, as eventually all she was throwing up was bile. As the burning sensation inside her body and mouth gradually faded all she was left with was the unpleasant after taste of bile. After she could vomit no more she was just sat there with her muscles convulsing, leaving a dull ache throughout her body. "I will have to whip up a quick numbing potion in the morning if the pain hasn't faded." She thought to herself. This wasn't the main thought on her mind. No where in the book did it say something like this would happen. It never said that you would vomit after taking the potion. In fact thinking about it she couldn't recall any potions where immediate vomiting were side effects. It left only one other solution and it wasn't pleasant. The Potion had gone wrong!
Once she had gained control of her body and pulled herself to her feet she walked to the sink and washed out her mouth. The last thing she wanted to do at that moment was take another of those potions. If she had known it would be so nasty she would have seriously considered the worth of it. She was bought back to the real world by her parents knocking on the door asking worriedly if she was alright. "Just a second." She called to them as she flushed the toilet and pulled her hair back. Hermione slid open the lock and pulled open the door to find both her parents looking at her. There was a long silence in which no one talked. Hermione surveyed her parents who seemed to be surveying her back.
"What?" She asked eventually. It was bad enough having people stare at you when they think you can't see them but to have your parents do it. "Well it's just that..." Her mother began to say as she tried to find the right words. In theory everything was so simple, and yet in real life it was the exact opposite. "Well it's just that you appear to be a boy." Michael said lamely as he examined his daughter thoughtfully. Suddenly an intricate system started winding in Hermione's head as pistons started sliding and cogs slipped into place where they started turning. Eventually her mind wound back into its usual fast pace.
"One second." She said as she excitedly stepped back into the bathroom and closed the door. She took a few large steps until she came face to face with the wide mirror. She looked carefully at the reflection and what looked back wasn't what she expected. It wasn't that she was surprised to see a boy standing there. It was actually that the person looking back at her seemed to look a lot like she did all the time. She pushed her messy hair behind her ears and looked carefully at the face. Her nose actually touched the cold glass as she looked carefully. Her face was almost exactly the same as it was before. The only thing she seemed to be able to notice different was that her chin. Where before it had been a typical chin that belonged to her. Now she had a chin dimple that she recognised as belonging to people like Harry and Remus.
Eventually Hermione couldn't resist her urges and looked down. For the first time in a few years she could see her feet without having to lean forwards. Her hands quickly went under her satin pyjama top and she felt her chest. Flat! Plain! Just as the potion said it would be. "I guess it did work as it should have done after all." She said to herself as she finally stopped stroking her muscular chest. There was just one more thing to check. She had read about them but actually having one yourself. Now this was something she never thought about when she was younger. She carefully reached down and stretched out the elastic of her pyjama bottoms.
"Wow." Was all she could manage. So that is what one looked like. She had wondered for a long time. She had heard a few hushed discussions from some of the seventh year girls but she hadn't seen one before. Pavarti had bought in a naughty magazine once but Hermione wasn't the sort of girl to look at things like that. Hermione found herself wondering if all of them looked like that. It wasn't really important but if they were she felt she wouldn't be too disappointed in later life.
A minute or so later the door slid open again and Hermione looked at her parents. "Yes I guess I am a boy." She said happily as she made to move past them and back to the bedroom. She was hoping to avoid a light night interrogation. As much as she was excited she had just been sick and it was the middle of the night, and few things seemed more enticing than the thought of going back to sleep. "Not quite yet young lady...man?" Michael said unsurely. "There are a few questions we have. For a start what was that loud bang? I don't remember you saying it would involve any explosions." Hermione stared at her father. Whilst he was highly educated in the matters that concerned muggles, he really didn't know anything about magic. This meant it would be very easy to lie to him.
"Honestly daddy." She said in a voice which was very similar to her usual, although perhaps a little bit lower. It was tough to tell if it was because of the potion or the fact that she had a saw thought form throwing up so much. "Haven't you ever seen the films? You know one minute things are like something, then there is a puff of smoke and poof! It's changed." Her parents exchanged curiously suspicious glances. "That wasn't a poof! It sounded more like a cannon going off." Hermione rolled her eyes so as to appear exasperated. She had an unnatural talent for hiding what she was truly thinking.
"Well I was asleep at the time. I didn't hear it so I can't tell you any differently. Anything else you want to ask?" "Yes actually. Why is it that you still seem so, Hermione like?" Her mother asked as she looked at Hermione, who was indeed the exact same height she normally was. "Honestly do I have to explain everything?" she said as she took the I'm- tired-of-explaining-things-to-you approach. "Well I suppose I only changed in the way that boys are. I guess being taller and stuff are just things that you only acquire form growing up as a boy. Anyway I am fine thanks so you needn't worry yourself. I will be going to bed now and I will be up early tomorrow morning so don't you to try and sleep late." She said. One of the rare pleasures she enjoyed was telling her parents what to do. Since she rarely did it, when she did they found that for some reason they didn't have the option to refuse.
Hermione awoke the next morning at seven o'clock as her digital alarm clock rang the horrible ring which is known and hated by so many people. It didn't get a chance to go on for long however, as her arm swung over and pressed down the off button before it could beep for a second time. She sat up in her bed and rubbed her eyes. Today was the day. Finally here. As she tried to get herself out of bed however she had a near overpowering urge to slump back, close her eyes, and mutter something about just a few more minutes. "Must be a boy thing" She thought to herself as she quickly climbed out of bed. She walked over and threw the curtains open. Just as she the weather had predicted. Great sunshine.
Just as she had hoped. Being heavy rain would hinder her plans somewhat. Her plans for the day consisted of going out. Going into town and buying a few things. Then with any luck she would go to the local swimming pool, followed by lunch and maybe doing a few other things if she thought of some during the day. Admittedly it would have been more fun to do these things with some friends, but there really was no one she could ask.
"Hey Harry want to go swimming?" "Sure I would love to." "But I won't be going." "Oh?" "It will just be you and some random boy you have never met before." "Oh sorry, I just remembered I have to wash my hair today."
Yes that is how it would go. Hermione couldn't ask him. Still she could perhaps meet up with a few of the guys from the local muggle school. Boys were like that weren't they? They sort of wafted together in an attempt that their combined intelligence would equal more than a piece of fruit.
Hermione carefully discarded her clothes and stood admiring herself for a few minutes. It might be a few years before she saw something like that again. At least that is how she had hoped. She looked at the wardrobe where her boy clothes carefully hung on hangers, looking like a two dimensional person with no hands or a head. She started off by putting some socks on. She tried to select the manliest ones she had, but realised that all her socks were pink, frilly, flowery, or knee high school ones. Why hadn't she noticed something like this before?
In the end she settled on a pair or white ones with not to many flowers on. They would have to do. Besides, her trousers were more than long enough. They would probably cover a fair bit of her battered trainers as well. There shouldn't really be any problem. She carefully pulled on her socks. In a way it was like a reverse strip tease, where being fully clothed was the desired effect. Next she took her white t shirt. She put her arms through it and then held them up so it slid down over her body. She had never been able to do that before!
Next was the good bit. She gingerly reached out and touched the fabric of the chequered boxer shorts. It was rougher than what she was used to and yet in her opinion it wouldn't be the same if it wasn't. They had a button on the front as she wondered to herself for a moment why things wouldn't fall out of the gap. It would probably make more sense to have a zip she thought to herself. Not being a boy she didn't know that a zip could be very painful if things got in the way.
Hermione carefully slid them on, holding them with the lightest touch as though they were made of crepe paper. Once she had pulled them up she stopped for a minute. "Dang this thing gets in the way." She said as she tried to find a correct place for it to go. "No wonder boys look uncomfortable all the time." She muttered to herself as she gave up and returned to the final item of clothing. The trousers. There was nothing amazing about putting these on. They seemed pretty similar to trousers she had won before, although it did take her several moments to master doing up the button since it was back-to- front.
Once she was clothed she sat down on the bed for a moment and crossed her legs. That didn't work either. "I'm going to do myself a mischief if in not careful." She said as she shifted uncomfortable. She tried for a few minutes to find an acceptable sitting position. Crossed legs? Nope. Knees touching? Nope. Eventually she found the one. The special position that was comfortable. It had been tried and tested. Hermione just sat there with her legs slightly spread apart. "So there is a reason why they sit like this and not just because they are uncultured pigs." She mused in mild surprise.
Quarter past seven. That seemed like a good time to be awake. In fact Hermione's parents would probably be angry if she let them sleep much longer. That's what she told her self. She walked out of her bedroom and sharply rapped on her parent's bedroom door. "Mum, Dad, Get up! It's late." She said as she leaned against the wall impatiently. She heard a loud groan and a minute later her father emerged looking groggily at her, rubbing his eyes. "I don't know what time you get up at school but this isn't late. It's an ungodly hour that is what it is."
After a very tired debate Hermione found her self downstairs in the kitchen bouncing excitedly as her parents slowly thumped down the stairs. "Come on stop wasting my time. I wasn't to go early so I can make the most of my day." She said as though this were an obvious fact. Once they were standing in front of her Hermione directed them each in turn. "You, cut my hair." She demanded as she pointed at her hair. "You, make me food." She added as she rounded on her mother. "You will never get a boyfriend if you are like that." Michelle said tartly as she walked into the kitchen and took out some cereals. "You managed." Michael said quietly, although not quietly enough. A swift elbow in the ribs later and he was panting slightly in the lounge.
"Just...Knocked...the...the... wind out of...me." He said as he went to get some hair cutting scissors and a chair. As Hermione sat down with an old shirt buttoned over her t shirt her father looked at her sceptically. "You sure you want me to cut your hair? What if the hair restoring potion doesn't work?" Hermione smiled. "The other potion worked fine." She said nonchalantly. "Yeah, I guess after something like that hair must be pretty east. Now how do you want your hair? Keep in mind I'm not a hairdresser. He said as he ran his fingers through her messy hair. "Well just something simple. Something boyish. She said calmly. After her father hesitated she said "Come on it can't be harder than fiddling with peoples teeth." At this thought he took a great hand full of hair and started cutting away.
Ten minutes later Hermione was standing, looking in the mirror at the reflection. What looked back at her was alien. With hair and some baggy clothing she could pass for regular Hermione. Now however a transformation had taken place. Her father had made up some story about how he needed to cut it reasonably short so that it wouldn't look bushy like it normally did. In fact he probably just made a mistake and had to change the plan half way in between. Now she carefully reached her had to where it normally would have been. There was just air and it seemed strange. It made her shoulders seem much more prominent now that they weren't competing with a large amount of hair.
She had a very rough spiky cut. Due to the lack of weight holding it down like usual, it now seemed to stick out in every direction. Whilst this was messy according to witch weekly, it was very fashionable. Hermione was almost certain her father wasn't aware of this fact. Unless of course he had been sneaking into her room late at night when she was asleep, and thumbing through her magazines in an attempt to position himself as a pinnacle of fashion. If that were the case then he had serious issues.
"Looking trendy?" Michael asked hopefully. Hermione turned to him for a minute and handed him the shirt with hairs all over it. "Dad, you wouldn't know trendy if it came up and bit you, which considering your line of work is quite likely." "You can't speak to your father like that young man." Said her mother who had appeared behind her. "I will have you know back when we were in school your father was..." "No, there is no point in lying. I was always unfashionable." Michael sulked. "Now haven't you got some breakfast to eat or something?" He added in an attempt to change the conversation. "I have poured you some coco flavoured puffs of rice." Her mother said as she went back to the kitchen with Hermione following behind her.
Hermione stepped out into the hot summer's morning. There was still a little dampness clinging to the air, but that would evaporate over the next half hour. She stretched out and let out a yawn as the sun shone in her eyes. It was about a miles walk into town so it would probably take her about twenty minutes. She set off with a backpack slung over her shoulder. Where normally it was full of books, now it contained a towl and some swim shorts. Nothing else. Just the towl and swim shorts. Not a bikini. Nope. Just shorts. Bare chests all the way!
The town was quite old. It had been there for a couple of hundred years and had sort of developed a atmospheric mould. All the newer things were built by the high street where the old post office and haberdasheries had been. Now there were just a few newsagents and a toy shop. There was still one of those clothing shops for fat people, but nobody went in there. The clothes didn't fit thin people and the fat people were too embarrassed. If they went in it was like admitting they knew they were fat. Hermione made her way past this shop and over to a newsagents. She wanted some chocolate and she knew exactly what kind. She walked in a searched for a minute before finding what she wanted. She carried the forbidden item carefully in her hands as he made her way up to the counter were a man was sitting, cooking in the sun that was shining through the glass. She put the chocolate bar down and put on a falsely deep voice. "Yorkie please mate!"
The man looked at her suspiciously for a minute. Hermione did her best to look manly, as if he would somehow look through and se her for what she really was. In the end he made his decision and punched in a few keys. "That'll be fourty-four p please. Hermione handed over the correct amount and Left a minute later, chocolate bar in hand, feeling very proud of herself. She wasn't really that hungry having only had breakfast half an hour ago, so she put it in her pocket for later.
Next she went to the pharmacy. She needed to pick up a few things. Whilst wizards knew lots of things, hair care wasn't one of them. The muggle stuff was the best. She walked over to the left hand side of the store and scouted round for her favourite brand. Eventually she found it. It was called Divine Essences. She liked it because it smelled of cinnamon. It was a girl's shampoo.
She looked round and picked up a few other things. As she approached the counter she noticed a boy that was probably about her age. Probably a summer job she thought to herself as she dropped all the stuff in front of him. He looked down at the items, then back up at Hermione. "You do realise this is girls stuff don't you?" He said as he eyed her up. Hermione blushed furiously as she realised it must look a bit weird. "Oh this stuff? Just picking it up for my girlfriend...You know?" She said eventually. That ought to be believable. Her father often bought stuff for her mother when he went out. What she didn't take into account was that she was sixteen and this wasn't typical behaviour.
"Why can't she get it herself?" The boy asked as he frowned at her? Oh damn what shall I say? Think Hermione, think! Say something believable. Quickly, he is looking at you! "Oh she is, er naked." There was a very intense silence that followed this as Hermione Mentally slapped herself. Oh crap. Now you have gone and done it. You big spastic you would have been better off saying nothing. To late now. You can't just stand there. You're gonna have to say something! She thought with a slight panic. The boy just sat looking at her with his eyebrows raised. Eventually Hermione managed to say the only thing she could think of. "You know. I'm gonna be joining her when I get back." He continued to stare. Hermione was nearing the point of a mental breakdown as she dug herself deeper with every word. "Cooooooooooooooor SEX!"
Just as Hermione was about to leave her stuff and run a smile spread across. "Yeah. I know what you mean." He said smugly. Hermione grinned to herself. How despicably yet relieving shallow. It seemed she had survived her first encounter with a boy. "You're not bad you know, for a shorty. How old you?" He asked. "Sixteen. Hermione responded. "Hey how come I haven't seen you round school then? You a drop out or something?" Hermione was insulted by the prospect of someone thinking that she, Hermione Granger was a drop out. "No I go to a boarding school. Damn parents. I hate them so much." She said as she said things until he smiled, which signalled she had said the right thing. "Yeah I know what you mean. Parents can be such a drag sometimes. So what school do you go to?" Again Hermione racked her brains. For some reason saying Hogwarts didn't seem right. Instead she said the only other thing she could think of. "St Brutus's Secure Centre For Incurably Criminal Boys."
"Wow? Really? I have heard of that place before. Apparently it is the number one school for criminal boys. You need to be really bad to get sent there. What did you do?" He asked excitedly. Hermione racked her brains for something serious. She couldn't say she robbed a sweet shop or something, because by the sound of it this guy knew more than she did. "I um, set fire to an old lady." Did she take it too far? Was he about to tell her it was wrong and try and chuck her out of the shop? No. "Wow! Damn I wish you went to my school. My teacher could do with being set fire to. In fact he has such bad eyesight you could probably just sneak into class and do it and he wouldn't notice anything until he was half roasted."
"What's your name? It isn't everyday I meet a guy as cool as you." Hermione stammered for a few moments. The thought of a name had never really crossed her mind. She said the first thing that sprung to mind. "Alex...Um..." she tried to think up a sir name and spotted some plasters on a shelf to her right. "Special duro technology means they are durable and weather tight." It said in bold font. "Weather...Light." She finished finally. "Alex Weatherlight." "Hey Alex. I'm Max Aytrara. I finish work at twelve. I'm going down the pool with some of my friends. You want to come along? I'm sure they would like to meet you." He said coolly as he extended his hand over the counter. Hermione shook his hand. "Actually I was gonna go down there anyway. So yeah I will probably be there, although I do need to get back to my girlfriend now. You know I wouldn't want to keep her waiting." She said as she attempted to end the conversation. It was going so well that she knew if she kept talking for long she was going to mess up." "Oh right sorry. I forgot about that. Still if you want..." he said as he now lowered his voice despite the fact that other than them the store was deserted. "I can introduce you to some girls later! Anyway here's your stuff." He said as he packed it into a bag before she had time to protest that she wasn't that kind of girl, guy. She handed him the money and made her way out.
She emerged from the shop feeling thirsty. The shop had been very stuffy and as she hadn't realised how pleasant a breeze would be if there had been one. There wasn't. The air was still and as the sun was now high in the sky it was beaming down on her, and she regretted not having bought some suntan lotion. She couldn't have picked a better day really. She thought to herself. Normally she refused to go swimming because she felt very conscious of her body, but for some reason it was different as a guy. You could walk around without having half the population looking at you, or more accurately her chest. To be fair though there were some people who didn't do that. Harry and Ron didn't. Snape probably didn't even go that way, and she would have said Neville, but she had caught him looking once.
It was about nine thirty now and so there were still a few hours before Max and his friends would go swimming. Hermione didn't want to go, spend her time on her own, and end up leaving as soon as the "cool kids" got there. She wished she had planned better as she stood in the street wondering what to do. In the end she decided that she would actually go home and drop off the things she had bought. There was no need to take them with her. Also it would burn up about an hour or so, and she has hungry. It was strange, being hungry at half past nine after having breakfast. "Must be a boy thing she said to herself as she set back off down the street." She reached into her pocket and took out the Yorkie bar which had unfortunately turned into a Yorkie flavoured wallet of molten chocolate in the heat.
Half an hour later or so she walked into her house. Her parents were sitting in the back garden on deck chairs sunbathing! Sunbathing? In England?!?! They only noticed her when she walked over and cast a shadow over them. "What are you doing back so soon?" Asked Michael as he surveyed her over his sunglasses. "Is something wrong?" "No, nothings wrong. I just haven't got anything to do for a bit and I'm hungry." Hermione said as she plonked herself down on the grass, and in the process knocked over her father's glass of cider. Michelle looked up from a magazine she had been thumbing through at her daughter. She made some sort of noise that sounded like the word men, before looking back down.
"Woops." Said Hermione as she held up the glass for her father to see. He looked at her with annoyance for a minute before that faded, to be replaced with something else. "Oh Hermione can't you look what your doing? Honestly girl. Come on indoors and I can get a new one." Hermione wasn't exactly sure why she was required to help him get a new drink but she followed anyway. They walked into the kitchen and Hermione opened the fridge to take out the bottle of cider which she passed to her father. Next she had a quick look at what they had to eat. Her parents were both dentists and as such the only food seemed to consist of things that came out of the ground.
She reached forwards and was about to take out some lettuce when her fathers hand shot forward and grabbed her by the wrist. He lowered his hands and surveyed Hermione through his sunglasses. "It's time" he said "For me to tell you what I should have told you this morning, Hermione. Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything?" Hermione looked back at his with one eyebrow raised. "What?" Michael didn't reply, instead he walked over to a cupboard by the oven. Opened it and stuck his arm in. Then he leant forward a bit and his shoulder disappeared. With a disgruntled look his head followed. If someone had walked in at the moment it would appear that the cupboard had been magically charmed and was attempting to eat him. He emerged however, a minute later with something grasped in his hand. Hermione had to clasp her hands over her mouth to startle a little cry she would have let out. Cheesy Puffs!