hey hey, i'm getting better about the speed right? slaps myslef mumbles 'dont jinx it!' but anyways. thanks to my reviewers, im slowly gettin up there. yay. well, onwards to the chappy!

disclaimer: its mine! whats not j.k.'s anyways...sigh wish i could have thought of them.

Chapter 19- School & stress: they don't mix well

My skin was itchy, like rubbing a dog the wrong way. My hand shot up to my cheek, and it felt bristly.

"Oh!" I let out a quiet cry and rubbed my face again. It felt normal, like the bristles had melted into my skin.

"Must have been a dream, must have been a dream..." I whispered to myself.

"No, I heard it too" I heard Hermione say. I jumped at the sound of her voice, I was shaking.

"You did? Are you sure?" I asked unsteadily.

"I wouldn't have known what you were talking about if I hadn't. Its ok, I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will have it taken care of in moments time." She yawned and strained to look at me. "Go to sleep. You don't look well. Actually, your eyes look really bright, its kind of unnerving really." She turned over in her bed. "Goodnight."

"Night 'mione." I whispered, curling up tight in my sheets, burying my head in the pillow. I felt my face over one last time, just to make sure I wasn't going crazy. 'Wow, that was strange...I cant really be a panther at night can I? Is the moon full? Am I a werepanther? Or a werecat? Is that even a real thing? Maybe...oh my gosh! I've got it! Its gotta be that when Alyssa touched my necklace, when it burned her, it left something with the locket, and since I'm its true owner, it transferred to me, and now we're connected. We shared a dream and she got scared. And screamed. Has to be it, has to be..." I rambled away possibilities in my mind till I fell asleep.

I woke up the next morning still shaken. I did things more out of routine than thought, and nearly walked out with my blouse on backwards. Hermione was dumbfounded at how I had gotten it buttoned, but helped me anyways. We rushed down to breakfast where Oliver and the bunch were eating.

"What took you so long?" Oliver asked playfully.

"Woke up late," I said blandly. At this he gave me further inspection.

"You ok? You look kind of pale." he asked, concern in his beautiful brown eyes.

"Didn't sleep well." I replied, mindlessly munching on some toast.

"Did you guys hear?" Robyn said, coming up from behind us and squeezing between Harry and I.

"Pansy, a slytherin girl, said that last night Alyssa started screaming and had a fit. Once Madam Pomfrey got her to swallow some calming potion she kept rambling something about 'big yellow eyes, those evil yellow eyes...'. None of the girls saw anything, but when Pansy asked her who's eyes, Alyssa grabbed her and whispered 'the invisible cat, such a big cat' before passing out."

"Oh my god..." I whispered.

"Oh I know! But it gets better. When her mum came and got her, she told Madam Pomfrey that Alyssa had gatophobia.A really bad case too, she goes into seizures and stuff."

"Well that sucks." Fred broke the serious tone. I looked up at him and caught George staring at me thoughtfully. I was about to tell him that I would not try one of his ridiculous candies when he asked to speak privately with me.

We walked out of the dining hall into the main hallway and he pulled me to the side. I looked at him expectantly.

"You've got to teach me." He commanded quietly.

"Teach you what?"

"How to be a cat! I saw you last night, leaving the dorm and run off out of the common room."

"How do you know it was me?" idemanded nervously.

"I checked the beds. Yours was empty." He shrugged.

"I'm not that cat! I have no idea how to turn into a black panther, honest... how'd you get into the girls dorms?" I asked defensively.

"How'd you know it was a black panther?" whoops. "We've both got a couple tricks don't we?" he sighed. "It doesn't matter. If you really don't know how you did it, we need to find out so you can control it. Look, class starts soon, but meet me tonight in the common room around ten thirty ok? I gotta go, but don't forget." I stood there staring as he walked away. That was the most serious I'd ever seen him act. I had always thought he was more composed than Fred, but that had been scary. I shook my head and went for class.

"Ello ello. How was that walk to class today, hmm? Lonely?" Oliver mused. He was leaning up against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, waiting for my session to let out.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! George was talking to me and when he left for class, so did I. I wasn't even thinking about it! Forgive me." I explained and pouted.

" Done." He grinned that boyish melt-your-heart grin ad I heard a few girls sigh. "For a price."

"Oh really? And what would that price be?" I asked flirtatiously as he wrapped his hands around my waist, pulling me close.

"Just...this." He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around him. He kissed me and then began swaggering down the hall. He stopped after a bit and smacked a boy in the forehead, snapping him out of his daze.

"No ogling of my most prized possession is allowed." The boy shook his head, looked kind of stunned, and looked at the floor.

"Ms.Fischer...g-g-get off that b-b-b-boy , or I'll b-be forced t-t-to g-give you a d-d-detention." Professor Quirrel stuttered. It sounded more like a request than a command.

"Yes sir." I climbed down and studied my shoes. I felt bad for him; no one ever gave him any respect as a teacher or a person.

"Th-thank you Amy. I'll s-see you th-third hour, yes?" and with that he walked away. "why do you act like that with him?" Oliver questioned.

"Because he needs someone who'll listen to him."

"Your to soft. Leave that to Hermione. Listen, I've got an extra couple hours of quidditch captain duties tonight, so don't wait up, alright?"

"Alright, kiss me for later?" I looked up at him expectantly.

He pecked my lips.

"One for now..." then he wrapped one arm around my lower back, one hand behind my neck, tipped me back and kissed me pasionatly. He popped me back up like he'd done nothing.

"And that was for later. I'll miss you." He grinned and walked away.

"Miss you too." I called after him, averting all the glances I was receiving for having snogfest mid-passing period in the middle of the hallway. I blushed and walked hurriedly to my next class.

"George! Your ten minutes late! I hate sitting by myself, you know that." I whispered huffily. He sighed.

"Sorry, Fred kept trying to follow me."

"Its alright, I'm just a little tense. I'm still trying to deny that it's me." It was my turn to sigh. "I'm not sure if I want it to be." He sat down on the floor and motioned for me to do the same across from him.

"Do you have any idea how you did it?" he asked.

"Not a clue."

"Alright, well...how were you feeling?"

"Hm? Oh, I was pissed. And tired. And sulky. The usual angry emotions."

"Mhm. Did you find yourself...wishing you were someone else maybe? So you could act on those feelings? I was thinking about that a little bit." He asked patiently. It felt kind of strange, like talking to a shrink or something.

"I...I guess so. I'm not sure. It was like if someone took everything out of me, and then put just those emotions inside. I...I don't know exactly." I tried to think of how I had felt. That sounded about right.

"Ok, well, lets try this. Lay back and clear your mind." He paused, waiting for me to do as he asked. I did as he instructed.

"Ok" I said, feeling pretty empty.

"Clear? No thinking right?"

"Right."

"Alright. Now, get really angry. Think of..." he stopped in thought. "Alyssa. She slapped you in the face. Sat on Oliver's lap. And started snogging him senseless. She took off his shirt and started rubbing his chest...in front...of...everyone. And you couldn't do a thing about it." The images flashed through my mind over and over.

"Now go to sleep. Sleepy sleepy."

I opened my eyes groggily. "Huh?" I sat halfway up on my elbows.

"Night night." I saw him lift his hand and blow something in my face and I fell over into a deep sleep.

"Stop it!" I growled. Something was poking me in the side.

"Whoa, now. Good kitty." I heard George say. I blinked my eyes. Oh crap. My vision was better than perfect. And I can smell the fluoride on his breath. I looked down ad saw the black furry paws that were both familiar and frightening. 'God no!' I backed up into the corner, trying to escape the horrid body that was now mine. It wasn't working very well.

"Whoa, here kitty, er, Amy, c'mon over here, it's ok." He patted his lap, sitting Indian style on the floor.

"I'm not a stupid animal!" I hissed.

"Ok, I get that your angry. But I didn't get any of that. C'mere, lay your head in my lap. Its ok." He said reassuringly. I wasn't sure what else to do, plus, walking felt better, it came naturally graceful. I paced around in a circle before settling in his lap.

"There we go." He stoked my head and scratched behind my ears. Without meaning too, I purred, which made him laugh. I didn't care though; purring made me feel safe and warm inside.

"Oh Amy, you should have seen it, it was awesome! After about fifteen minutes, you started sprouting black hair, it was everywhere! And then your hands and feet turned to paws, and you got ears, and oh, it was so sick, I could hear your bones crunching and saw you shrink. Then there was this funny 'schloop' noise, and poof! There was a tail! It was bloody brilliant!" he said excitedly. I didn't think growing fur and crunching bones sounded too fascinating to me, but he seemed happy enough.

"Now how do I turn back?" I mewed. Dang, it really sucked not being able to talk. He just looked at me with both confusion and concern on his face.

"I didn't quite catch that, I'm sorry." He said apologetically. I sat up and cocked my head to the side.

"Charades?" he suggested. I bobbed my head up and down happily. He was such a clever boy. I sat for a minute thinking.

I placed my paw under my eye.

"Cheek? Slap in the face? Um... when Alyssa slapped you right?" he guessed. I shook my head. I turned my head and put my eye close to his.

"Oh, Eye? OH! I! Ok, I get it...next?"

I spun around in circles.

"Spinning? Twirling?" I stopped, dizzily shaking my head.

"Dizzy? Are you dizzy?" I shook my head again. I turned more slowly in wider circles.

"I don't...spinning? Turning? Uh..." my tail shot straight up and I looked at him happily. "Your turning? Back? Or into something else?" I went behind him and nudged his spine. "Turning back? Oh, you know how?" he asked somewhat dumbfounded. I looked at him and shook my head sadly.

"Oh, come here." He patted his lap. I slumped over to him and laid down, resting my head on his leg. "Well if intense emotions change you into a cat, get real mellow and maybe it'll change you back." He offered. I tried to relax but couldn't get comfortable. "Here, lay with me." He noticed my hesitation. "C'mon, I don't bite. And I would fondle a giant black cat." He winked. "Promise." He laid back, stretching out his arms.

I crept up against his side, laying my neck in the crevice of his arm, putting my head on his shoulder and an arm around his chest. He stroked my belly and I began to feel soothed, it was almost like being with Oliver. After about ten minutes, I felt myself drifting off to sleep, but I also felt a faint itching on my skin. My ears pricked and I sat up slowly. My organs squished sickeningly inside me, and my bones rearranged, crunching and growing. I was waiting for the pain that never came. I looked at George who was staring wide-eyed. I stood up and looked at myself. I had a human body, my hair, my ears, my tail, and I was still covered in fur. The pelt slowly melted away and my ears pulled back in. I pet my tail before it sucked inside me with a 'schloop'.

"Wow, that was..." George started.

"The most incredibly awesome thing I've ever seen." Someone called from the stairwell. George and I jerked our heads at the sound.

"Oh, no..." I whispered, hanging my head and shaking it sadly.

better? ooh, the suspense! who is it? Ollie? Mcgonagall? Draco? you'll just have to wait and see! (b/c i'm sure myself...ok, maybe i have an idea...)