The day after Slytherin's victory over Ravenclaw, Tanwen was sat in the library with Clem who was helping her with her Potions homework.
"Don't you think it's weird how we're friends now?" Tanwen remarked finishing the last line to her essay, "I mean before we barely spoke and now we spend most of our time together."
"I guess," Clem replied, looking up from her work, before adding, "in a way we're both different people." She looked at Tanwen carefully watching her.
Tanwen sighed, "sometimes I think I would like to be a different person."
That was what she had been waiting for, "you know," Clem said artfully, "there is a way to do that."
"I didn't really mean-"
"Not permanent," Clem added hastily, "it lasts less than a day."
"You mean a polyjuice potion?" Tanwen asked doubtfully.
"No," Clem shook her head, "nothing as complicated as that. It's a pretty simple spell really. It allows you to swap bodies with someone for a short while, to walk in their shoes, to understand what it feels like to be them. Utterly harmless." She looked at Tanwen carefully, "we could try it."
"I'm not sure-" Tanwen began, frowning a little.
"Come on," Clem coaxed, "haven't you ever wanted to spend a few hours as someone else?"
"Sometimes," Tanwen answered honestly.
"Well why not give it a try? It's not as if anything bad can happen, you just get to be me and I get to be you for a few hours. Come on, try it, I'd like to know what it feels like to be you."
Tanwen looked at Clem's eager face and nodded slowly.
"Great!" Clem said, her eyes glittering, "let's go find an empty room and do it now."
"Now?"
"No time like the present," Clem replied cheerfully, grabbing Tanwen's hand and walking out the library before Tanwen had time to change her mind.
Pushing Tanwen into an empty class a few corridors down she drew out a piece of parchment and a crystal phial.
"I need a drop of your blood," Clem said as she pricked her own finger letting a drop spill into the open phial.
"I don't know," Tanwen replied hesitantly, "I thought that human blood was used mainly in dark spells."
Clem laughed, but her eyes remained cold, "and that's why I'm better at Potions than you." She took Tanwen's hand and pricked her finger, squeezing the wound until a drop fell into the phial. "Just think of it like this," Clem said as she shook the liquid up, "for the next few hours you can do whatever you like and no-one will know it was you."
Tanwen smiled, "but they would think it was you so that kinda limits me to what I can do, I don't want to get you in trouble."
As Clem looked up to see the friendly trust in Tanwen's eyes she almost put a stop to her plan, but she had invested too much effort in this. And besides, she was looking forward to it.
"Give me your hand," Clem asked holding out her own. Tanwen took it and Clem poured the potion over their clasped hands, letting it pool on the floor round their feet. Then she began to chant:
"The path I tread; the marks I make
Footprints left each step I take
As I swap my feet for yours
Let me experience your course."
There was a bright flash of light and Tanwen stared back at herself.
[A/N: The only one I'm ever doing in the middle of a story! It totally interrupts the flow. But to make the next bit easier to follow the first name of the two is who the person is inside and the second is who the look like so Clem/ Tanwen is Clem in Tanwen's body. Let me know in a review if you don't think this note needs to be here and I'll gladly take it out.]
Clem/Tanwen giggled, "I knew it would work, how does it feel to be me?"
Tanwen/Clem looked down at her hands, "odd." It was the weirdest experience to speak and hear someone else's voice come out of your mouth.
"Well, we have about an hour," Clem/Tanwen said, "you don't need to meet me to reverse the spell, just make sure you're alone in about one hour from now." She grinned cheekily and ran out the door.
Tanwen/Clem didn't know what to do. She glanced at her watch, which told her it was almost half five, then wandered out of the class and along the corridors.
"Clem!"
Remembering that's who she was supposed to be she turned to see Blair coming towards her.
"Hi Blair," she said.
"Hey, want to come see the bonfire out by Hagrid's, he still has it up for all those salamanders, I'm sure he'd appreciate some help."
"You want to help Hagrid?" she asked, slightly incredulous.
"Well not normally," he admitted with a grin, "but he's sending them back to wherever he got them from and you have to shoot them off the bonfire to catch them," he grinned wider, "sounds like brilliant fun if you ask me!"
She grinned too, "sure."
Together they walked off out towards Hagrid's hut.
Meanwhile Clem/Tanwen was looking for someone. She'd just spoken to Kilk Jeavon, a Hufflepuff and he'd agreed to make sure he saw. All she need now was- she saw him come round the corner and grinned, this was going to be so much fun!
"Hi Jon," she said, with a coy smile.
"Tanwen, hi," Jon said, surprised by her sudden friendliness, maybe she'd decided to start over.
"I wanted to talk to you," she said, "will you come?"
"Sure," Jon smiled trustingly.
Clem/ Tanwen smiled and took his hand leading him outside.
"Do we have to talk outside though, it's really cold," Jon asked as she walked along the corridor, acutely aware of her slim hand in his.
"It's nice outside," she replied, turning to smile prettily at him.
Outside she pulled him over to a bench and sat down, she crossed her legs the tip of her toe touched his leg.
"I wanted to apologise for the way I've been acting recently," Clem/ Tanwen said, repeating the carefully practised lines, "I've just been really confused and I needed some space."
"That's ok," Jon said forgivingly, "as long as you're alright now."
She smirked and raised an eyebrow and ran her foot along his leg, "Oh I'm definitely alright now."
He gulped nervously, "Tanwen?"
Clem/ Tanwen looked at him from under hooded lashes, "yes?"
"What are you doing?" he asked his voice wavering.
She knelt on the bench, "do you want me to stop?" she asked huskily, leaned close to him and putting a hand on his chest.
"I…" he swallowed hard.
She moved to straddle him and kissed him hard on the mouth.
He gasped and pulled back, "Tanwen!"
"Yes?" she licked her lips sensuously.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"Oh yes," Clem/Tanwen said, "I know exactly what I'm doing." She lent towards him and kissed him more gently, letting her lips linger on his before he responded to her touch and wrapped his arms round her. Clem/Tanwen's lips curved into a smile against his as he responded in kind.
Kilk led Cedric along the corridor, "I think I saw it out by the bench. You might have dropped it there on the way to Care of Magical Creatures."
"It's odd," Cedric replied, "I didn't even think it had gone missing."
Kilk shrugged and the two of them came out into the courtyard where Clem/Tanwen was sat astride Jon, passionately kissing him.
Cedric made a choking noise in his throat and clenched his fists, he whirled round and stormed off down the corridor, all thoughts of his 'lost' jumper forgotten.
Almost an hour later Tanwen/Clem walked back up to the castle, her face smeared with soot and her hair filled with the smell of smoke. Blair had been right, it had been an absolute riot shooting down the salamanders with a harmless blast of fire. They had jumped off onto the ground and you had to keep shooting the fire at them until they crawled into the large chest full of flames.
Humming to herself she wandered back into the common room and ran upstairs, an hour was almost up. She picked up some clothes and went to wash the smell of smoke out of her hair.
When she stepped out the shower and wiped the condensation from the mirror she was herself again.
Smiling she dried her hair and walked down into the common room. Mark, Cassie, Dave and Marcia were sat by the fire.
"Hello," she said smiling at them.
They looked up, surprised to see her, "hello."
Jon came in through the portrait hole, his eyes sparkling and his cheeks flushed.
"What are you looking so chirpy about?" Mark asked with a grin.
"Oh nothing," he said airly, grinning. Spotting Tanwen he walked over and wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened but didn't pull away, after all she wanted to smooth things over with them all. If Jon noticed her reaction he didn't do anything about it. Maybe he thought she was just a little uncomfortable with him in front of other people.
"Right, I'm hungry," announced Dom, motioning for Lou to get off his lap.
"Time for dinner," Marcia agreed.
"I swear you two time the day by your stomachs," Mark said, grinning as he too got to his feet.
Cassie grinned too and came over to Tanwen, "You coming?"
"Sure," Tanwen replied, "If the human creeper will consent to release me."
Jon let go and smiled at them both, "anything for milady," he replied with a theatrical bow.
Cassie rolled her eyes and took Tanwen's arm, following the others who had begun to make their way out of the portrait hole. Jon fell back to walk with Mark.
Mark looked at Jon, "anything you want to tell me?" he asked with a nod in Tanwen's direction.
Jon grinned, "Not just yet, I'd rather keep things to myself for a little longer."
"Things?" Mark raised an eyebrow.
"Honestly, you find innuendo in anything," Jon laughed.
As they walked into the Great Hall and passed the Hufflepuff table Cedric shot a black look at Tanwen as she passed. She started visibly and looked back with confusion, she was almost stopped but Cassie hurried her on to their table, unwilling to encourage a public argument between the two of them. From the way Cedric looked, he was spoiling for a fight.
A puzzled look on her face, Tanwen sat down between Cassie and Dave realising suddenly that she was ravenously hungry. As she tucked into the evening meal, a quick glance down the table told her that Clem was experiencing the same thing, and put it down to a side effect of the potion.
"Hungry?" Dom asked with a grin from across the table.
"You could say that," Tanwen replied, taking yet another helping of mashed potatoes.
Marcia beamed at her, "finally someone else with a healthy appetite!"
"You could do with fattening up a bit," Dave joked, poking her in the ribs.
Tanwen gave a muffled yelp and squirmed away, choking on her mouthful of food. Cassie pushed her drink towards her and patted her on the back as she drank, causing a trickle of juice to dribble down her chin.
"Thanks," Tanwen gasped, wiping away the juice.
"Well everyone," Dave announced, "we've discovered Tanwen's ticklish!"
Tanwen grabbed his hands as he moved in for another attack, "No touchy!" He twisted his hands out of hers and trapped both her hands in one of his. He then proceeded to tickle her furiously while she yelped and squirmed.
Jon, who was sat on Dave's other side and knew just how ticklish his own friend was, came to Tanwen's rescue with a well aimed pinch. Dave jumped rather too violently and toppled backwards, grabbing the tablecloth in a vain attempt to halt his fall. Unfortunately this pulled two jugs of pumpkin juice over, which washed over the table dripping onto Cassie and Tanwen's laps.
They both stood up and glowered at Dave, who was lying on his back laughing.
"David Bailey, just look at what you've done!" Cassie said, hands on hips
"Maybe next time Tanwen tells you not to do something you should listen," Jon added, grinning at Tanwen who smiled back.
"No touchy means no touchy," she informed Dave, resisting the urge to pour a jug of juice on top of him.
All around them other people were pointing and laughing. Professor McGonagall looked disapprovingly at them from the staff table.
Tanwen sat back down, trying to mop up the majority of the wetness with a napkin Jon handed to her, "I'm still hungry," she announced, sitting back down, "I'll just have to remain wet until I'm done."
***
The next day ended with Charms. Tanwen was sat near the back of the room with Clem, having just told her about the fun she'd had with Blair and Salamanders.
"What did you do?" Tanwen asked.
"Not much," Clem replied evasively, "I...practiced Quidditch a bit. Hopefully no-one saw me, wouldn't want them to think you had suddenly turned rubbish!"
Tanwen laughed.
"So are we on again for tonight?" Clem asked eagerly, "You can go with Blair again, I think he was planning on doing something mad again." She hadn't meant for him to find out, but Tanwen had obviously made a rubbish job of being her and he had questioned her about what had happened the night before. She had been cornered into telling him what they had done, obviously missing out the fun she'd had as Tanwen. For a Slytherin, he could spot a scheme like that a mile a way, but never wanted in on them. Odd, she thought, and somewhat annoyingly he had made her promise that if they ever did it again she'd send Tanwen in his direction. In her opinion, she belonged in Slytherin much more than he did.
"I don't know," Tanwen replied doubtfully, "I mean it was fun once but-"
"Oh go on, just once more! It was so nice to wander down to the pitch and not have anyone question me about why I wanted to practice when I wasn't even in the team," Clem pleaded, thinking that the lie she had invented was turning out quiet well.
"I guess once more wouldn't hurt," Tanwen conceded, "what's Blair going to be up to?"
"I think he was going to organise a game of paintball, one of his friend's from Ravenclaw mentioned Muggles play it and he wanted to see if he could organise a wizarding version."
"Wicked!" Tanwen grinned, "I'm in."
Clem smiled broadly and nodded, "we'll do it after dinner then."
As soon as the potion kicked in Clem and Tanwen went their own ways. As Tanwen/Clem rounded the corner she found to her surprise that Blair was sat milling around in the corridor. Of course she had no idea that Clem had told him to wait there after dinner for her to appear.
"Hi," Tanwen/Clem said with a smile.
"Hey," Blair answered, "want to come and join us in a game I'm trying out? It promises to be an absolute riot!"
She grinned, "definitely!"
"Come on then."
Together they wandered along the corridor, Tanwen/Clem chatting away much more candidly than Clem herself ever would have done. Blair listened with an amused smile on his face, it was so odd to see Clem being so candid and friendly. Although there was no way that any of the others would buy this, they'd know immediately something was up.
"You know, this just won't do," he said at last, stopping her.
"Huh?" she looked up at him in confusion.
"Tanwen you're so unconvincing," he told her, shaking his head.
"What? Tanwen, I'm Clem," she returned nervously, "I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Come off it, Clem told me what you two are up to. I don't think it's a brilliant idea but since it's really none of my business I'll just have to settle for damage control."
"Oh...well what do you want me to do?"
"I guess try not to talk so much, Clem never bothers to reveal anything about herself to anyone. Except Rak, her and him have an on off relationship. Oh and Spinnet I suppose, they get on ok too. Your best bet is to keep quiet and stick by me," he said.
"Ok," Tanwen agreed, "whatever you say Captain," she grinned and gave him a mock salute.
"You have no idea how odd it is to see 'Clem' behaving like that," he said, grinning.
Five minutes later they joined a group of waiting people in a long, disused dungeon room. Around the room several objects were scattered, such as tables turned on their side like mini fortresses or barricades of chairs stacked randomly. She recognised most of them by sight, but only two or three did she know by name, Eliot Valero and Tim Mannering, both Ravenclaws who were in her Ancient Runes class and Ryan Gilbert a Slytherin in her year. She assumed the others were just in the older years.
"Ok, now that everyone's here listen up," Blair said, leaning against a table up against the wall, "these are the rules. Everyone has to wear a pair of these," he gestured to several pair of safety glasses on the desk next to him, "I'm not having heads of houses coming and complaining to me because their students have gone blind in one eye," there were a few laughs, "secondly the only spell you're allowed to use is to shoot small shots of paint at one another, no hexes or curses. Thirdly no teams, it's every man- or woman, for themselves. Fourth, everyone shoots only in one colour, check the goggles to see which it is, otherwise we won't have any idea of who won. And last but by no means least, when I say stop, everyone stops immediately, we check everyone's appearance and the colour that's the most evident overall shows who won. Understood?"
A murmur or assent went round the room.
"Any questions? Good, grab a pair or goggles and let's go!" Blair picked up a pair or purple marked goggles and put them on, handing a pair to Tanwen/Clem, marked red.
Once everyone was ready Blair started the count down and people scattered about the room, shouting noisily. As soon as he got to zero bullets of paint exploded out of the end of wands all round the room. Ducking and diving the students ran round the room, yelling out as they got hit and roaring with triumph when they got someone else. Soon the students were covered in various hues of paint from head to toe.
Tanwen/Clem crouched behind a table and peaked round the corner, wiping dripping wet yellow paint off her goggles to see. Eliot ran out firing at another boy who had jumped out and she took the opportunity to shoot both of them. They rounded on her and she fled to the opposite side of the room, throwing herself over the top of a table as paint was fired at her from all sides. She landed on top of Blair who pushed her off him, grinning at her and covered her with purple splodges of paint. She yelled and spitting paint out her mouth, shot back.
"Stop!" yelled Blair, grabbing her hand and pushing it upwards so the red paint splattered up and to their right, showering the person hid behind a ground of chairs.
Laughing, they all emerged and congregated in the middle of the room, as goggles were removed clean strips of skin were finally visible. Barely anyone among them had uniforms were a large patch of black could be seen, although only Tanwen/Clem and Blair were covered in paint.
Blair looked at them all and grinned, his teeth stained red, "I'd say that me and her win by default, I can't see such large patches of any other colour anywhere!"
Wiping her face with a handkerchief, Tanwen/Clem headed back to the common room to shower, thanking Blair for a brilliant game. She stopped in the nearest girls bathroom to wash her face properly and wipe off some of the paint she was leaving dripping behind her. As she looked up into the mirror and saw Clem's face she started and then grinned. It was so easy to forget that she was in someone else's body. But even weirder to see yourself looking out of someone else's eyes.
Meanwhile Clem/Tanwen had been playing her usual game with Jon. The two were sat on a window sill together, kissing, when Cedric came walking along in the other direction with Kilk.
"...You'll find it in the library," he was saying to Kilk, "I found it a big help when I was doing shrinking potions." He stopped and stared as the corridor he had been walking along joined up with the one Jon and Clem/Tanwen were in.
Jon saw him and stood up, staring defiantly at him. "Can I help you?" he asked stiffly.
Cedric clenched his fists and advanced towards Jon, "Aren't you always the one who helps yourself to anything you want? Anything from expensive clothes to other people's girlfriends," Cedric growled.
"What did you say?" Jon snarled, walking so they were only a few hand spans apart.
Clem/Tanwen backed off to where a small set of steps descended into the corridor, a smug satisfied look on her face.
"What's the matter Contay? The truth sound dishonourable to your Gryffindor ears?"
"Shut it!" Jon snapped, "I'd never do that!"
"Adding lying to your list of ignominious behaviour?" Cedric retorted angrily.
SMACK. Jon punched Cedric in the face.
He staggered back a step and stared mutinously at Jon before launching himself at him, throwing a heavy punch that landed solidly in Jon's stomach. As Clem/Tanwen watched gleefully the two boys grappled with one another, all their pent up animosity coming to a head in an aggressive brawl.
Tanwen/Clem wandered happily along the corridors, humming to herself. She heard odd noises coming from up ahead and paused in puzzlement. Curious she hurried on down the corridor. As she reached the top of the small steps leading down to where Clem/Tanwen watched she gasped and ran the remaining way down.
"What's going on?" she demanded of Clem/Tanwen, horrified. She blinked as her own face blurred in front of her eyes.
"I don't know," Clem lied, a concerned look slipping over her features as her eyes glittered maliciously, watching the tortured look on her own face, showing the pain Tanwen was feeling.
Spinning to face the boys she said, "we've got to do something!"
"What? I don't know how to stop them."
There was a sickening crack as Cedric's fist connected with Jon's jaw, they both stepped back. Jon clutching his face and Cedric cradling his hand, but neither of them showed any sign of wanting this to end.
Tanwen threw a desparate glance at Clem, not noticing that she was herself once more and ran towards the two boys. She put herself in front of Cedric, pushing him backwards just as Jon's fist came flying towards him. It glance off the side of her head and she gasped, staggering forward into Cedric.
"Tanwen! I'm so sorry!" Jon exclaimed in horror.
Cedric let go of Tanwen, letting her fall to the floor, she held a hand to the side of her head and looked up at him, blinking tears from her eyes as her head pounded. He gave her one torturous glance and turned and walked awkwardly away back the way he had come.
She gulped and looked down, her eyes filled with tears not just from physical pain now. He didn't care about her anymore. He really didn't care at all.
"Tanwen are you alright? I'm so sorry, but you shouldn't have got in the way," Jon said bending down beside her, wincing as he did so.
She pushed him away, "Don't- I'm ok." Getting to her feet unsteadily she wiped her eyes.
"Tanwen?" Jon frowned worriedly, "you're not angry at me are you? I would never hurt you intentionally-what can I say?"
"No, it's alright I'm not angry because you hit me," she replied as she walked away from him.
"Wait! Come back!" he called, "Tanwen?"
She broke into a run and pelted along the corridors towards Gryffindor tower. Ignoring the looks and questions of people as she entered she headed straight up to her dorm, she know Jon wouldn't be that far behind her and she didn't want to talk to him about it yet.
Seconds later Jon came running into the common room.
"Jon! What happened to your face?" Cassie gasped.
"You've been fighting haven't you?" Marcia accused him.
"Who won?" Dom asked, grinning.
"Neither of us," Jon replied shortly, "we both lost."
"Who was it?"
"Diggory. Did Tanwen come in here?"
"She ran straight up to her room, why?"
Jon rubbed the back of his neck, "I accidentally hit her, I just wanted to know she was alright."
"You what?!!"
He winced, "I didn't mean to! She just threw herself in between me and Diggory!"
Lou and Marcia headed up the stairs immediately, Cassie followed pausing to say, "you guys take him to the Hospital Wing now!"
"But I don't-"
"Yes you do," she interrupted. "You," she pointed to Mark, "make sure he goes!"
"Yes Ma'am," Mark grinned. As Cassie disappeared up the stairs he walked over to Jon, "we'd better do as she says."
Jon made a face and then grimaced in pain, "ok, fine. But I'm coming straight back, I think Tanwen's mad at me."
"Tanwen?" Lou inquired gently as she opened the door.
Tanwen raised a tear-streaked head from the bed.
Cassie hissed in sympathy as she saw the large bruise beginning to develop on the right side of Tanwen's head, just above her cheekbone. "Marcia, go get a cold towel, Lou a basin of water."
As the other two scurried away to do as she asked Cassie walked over to sit next to Tanwen, "Jon told us what happened."
Tanwen nodded, "It was just an accident, he didn't mean it. It was all my fault."
*****************************
A/N: Yes, yes it was all your fault naïve and trusting Tanwen. Hehehe. Soo fights hey, that was soo coming don't you think? Man, I feel bad for Jon, I love him so much, but still, when the Muse commands…
Anyway, as for who Tanwen ends up with, or well who she ends up with next is a secret, and maybe you'll like it and maybe you'll think she should be with someone different, but it is her choice (ok, technically mine, but still) and so well, you get the picture. I have no idea why I had to say this here, but now I have soo…yeah…umm…Oh what about the author's note in the middle? Can I take it out? I really don't like having them in the middle of the story, despite the temptation I have to comment about things to you guys, it really interrupts the flow.
Well, I welcome anything you'd like to tell me, but flames will be laughed at ;)