Harry

Harry, Maria, Hermione, and Ron walked to Transfiguration in silence. The tension between Ron and Hermione was so thick that not even a chainsaw could have cut through it. The entered the classroom, where McGonagall was sitting stiffly in her chair. They took their seats, now sitting four to a table.

"Today, we will be focusing an animagi." she said. The class murmered in excitement. "It is no easy task. To be an animagus, you must be registered with the ministry of magic, stating the animal you transform into and any special markings." she said, eyeing Harry suspiciously. Harry grinned up at her.

"Mr. Potter, this is no laughing matter. Terrible things have happened to wizard that weren't carefully supervised by qualified ministry officials." she said severely. Harry, managed to hide his grin, but when McGonagall turned around, the trio smirked at each other. Last year, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had become unregistered animagi, following in the Marauders' footsteps. Surprisingly, it had been Hermione's idea.

"Oh, it's just an idea! I'm sure we can do it, and it seems so...rebelious!" she had said, eyes shining.

Harry glanced sideways at Maria. She looked a bit smug too, but he couldn't figure out why. He felt his stomach clench at the soft smile that played upon her lips. Cho honestly had nothing on her...

"Mr. Potter! What did I just say?" McGonagall said, glaring at him. Harry blinked behind his circle glasses.

"Sorry Professor. I wasn't paying attention." he said, trying to look actually sorry. She gave him an icy stare before continuing. Harry pretended to listen for a while, then went back to casting sidelong looks at Maria. Her shiny brown hair was in braids, and she was taking notes quickly, her long lashes quivering as her eyes went back and forth across the page. Sensing that someone was watching her, she looked up. Harry caught a glimpse of her deep-golden brown eyes, before going a bit red and looking down at his paper.

"MR.POTTER! YOU HAVE NOT BEEN LISTENING TO A WORD I'VE BEEN SAYING! DETENTION!" McGonagall screamed. Maria winced, and Ron looked shocked. Hermione, on the other hand, looked like she was trying not to laugh.

"What was that about?" Harry asked, bemused after class. Hermione was giggling.

"Now Harry. You know what each girl goes between nine and sixteen, don't you?" she asked, still giggling. Harry and Ron went red, but Maria laughed. They walked into the great hall for lunch, and Hermione continued.

"Well, you also now that around Professor McGonagall's age, they have a thing called-"

"Merlin Hermione! You don't have to say it!" Ron groaned. Hermione just grinned.

"Menopause!" she said gleefully. "It has the same effects of PMS. You know what that is right? Pre-menstrual syndrome? Girls get all grumpy, bloaty, cranky..." she said, now laughing her head off at the looks of horror on the guys faces.

"Oh, it's a natural occurence you guys, grow up! It's just like... say... erections, or-" Maria said, really getting into it, but Harry and Ron both yelled at the same time, "NO!" and ran away.

"Honestly!" Ron said, but he was grinning. Harry, laughed a little then looked back at Maria. Dean and Seamus had gotten up and were talking to her, sneakily looking her up and down.

"Look at them! She's half their height and their already summing up how good she'd be in the sack!" Ron said, grinning. Harry tried to smile, but his stomach as clenching painfully. Besides that time in fifth year, when Seamus had thought he was a nutter, Harry rather liked Dean and Seamus, but at that moment he would have liked nothing better than to shove something up their-

"Harry? What..." Ron said, his eyes finally registering what Harry was seeing. Ron grinned evily.

"Oh...you...erm- fancy Maria?" he said, trying hard not to laugh. Harry felt very hot around the collar.

"Shut up Ron." he muttered, stuffing a couple of chips in his mouth. (A/N: Chips as in fries.) Ron looked as if he was restraining himself from laughing and popped a grape into his mouth.

"Hello, my squeamish little guys." Maria said, plunking herself down beside Harry. Ron grinned, then Hermione sat down beside him, making Harry smile.

"Wha?" Ron said thickly, a chunk of potato dangerously close to falling out of his mouth. Maria wrinkled her nose in mild digust, but Harry saw her eyes sparkling. Ron saw Harry looking again.

"So Harry, heard from Cho lately?" he asked impishly. "She still hot?" he added. Hermione scowled and pushed her food around with her fork. Harry squirmed uncomfortably, feeling his face growing hot. Ron smirked at him, his blue eyes twinkling.

"Who's she?" Maria asked off-handedly. Hermione immediately looked at her, a question in her eyes. Harry looked between them suspiciously. He cleared his throat.

"Er- no one. My ex." he said awkwardly. Maria smiled in a almost pained way.

"Oh. Was she pretty then?" she asked. Harry shrugged.

"She was, er-yeah, I guess so..." he said awkwardly. Ron was sniggering evily, and Hermione was looking quite fed up. "I don't fancy her anymore though!" Harry said quickly. Maria nodded aloofly, as though not quite sure she believed him.

"I think I'm quite done. I suppose I should go to the library. Maria?" Hermione said, getting up, looking at Maria with a significant look. Maria nodded and they left together, eyes following them across the room. Harry looked down moodily and noticed that Maria and Hermione had barely touched their plates.

"Thanks Ron." Harry said sulkily. Ron grinned.

"You could just tell her you know." he said. Harry shook his head.

"Since when are you the expert on girls?" Harry asked, feeling peeved. Ron leaned back nonchalently on his chair.

"The ladies love me Harry, what can I say?" he said cockily, then promptly fell off his chair.

"Smooth Ron. Real smooth." Harry said, no longer pissed at Ron, who was now bright red from the laughs around the hall. To add insult to injury, Ginny tripped over him when she passed, spilling a goblet of pumpkin juice all over him.

"GINNY!" he groaned. She glared at him indignantly.

"Well, if you hadn't fallen off your chair, that wouldn't have happened, would it?" she said cooly, and sat down with Dean at the other end of the table. Though they had broken up, they still remained on friendly speaking terms.

"Can we go?" Ron muttered, blinking the drink out of his eyes. Harry grinned.

"Go on ahead. I just need a word with McGonagall. We need a new chaser you know." he said. Ron nodded.

"Later, then." he said, and half sprinted out of the great hall. Harry down his last gulps of iced pumpkin juice and headed up to the staff table. On his way up, he had to pass the Slytherin table.

"Maria appears to fancy with me, can't blame her. Followed me around today, quite the stalker..." he heard Malfoy's voice ring in his ears. Harry tensed. And slowly turned to face Malfoy, now sitting with a much cooler crowd, Blaise, Terence, and Anthony. Malfoy was smirking at Harry, his pale blond hair glinting under the candle light.

"Shut up Malfoy. The day a girl like her follows a git like you around will be the day that I dream about snogging a guy." he growled, clutching his wand tightly, concealed under his robes.

"Bet you do every night, eh, Potter? The wet stuff on your sheets after doesn't mean that you wet your bed, by the way." he said. Blaise was now choking on his food from laughing so hard. Harry narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"Oh, honestly Potter, she might be a bit pretty, but she's not exactly hot... I don't want her." Malfoy said. Harry glared at Malfoy, but turned his back.

"Losing your touch Malfoy. Can't even provoke me anymore, can you." he said airily. He was about to start walking, when a flash of light whizzed past his face.

"You have terrible aim ferret." he said dangerously as he whipped around. He pulled out his wand-

"EXPELLIARMUS!" a voice said boredly. Harry's wand flew out of his hand, and landed near Snape, who was standing a foot away, a terrible smile on his pallid face. Harry noticed angrily that Malfoy was still holding his wand, though he looked a little annoyed that Snape had interfered.

"Potter! Fighting again? Why can't you get it through your thick skull that you-must-not-duel-when-you're-not-in-a-classroom?" McGonagall said angrily, running towards the commotion, her face contorted in rage.

"I was attacked first Professor!" Harry said hotly, glad that Dumbledore wasn't sitting at the staff table due to his sore throat, which actually had turned out to be the flu.

McGonagall was shaking with supressed rage, but Snape looked as if he had just been offered a special little treat.

"I say 30 points from Gryffindor, and a detention." Snape said quietly, eyes glinting maliciously. McGonagall nodded, and Harry felt his insides boil in anger.

"I already have detention!" he said loudly. Snape smiled unpleasantly.

"Fifty points then." he said, clearly enjoying the anger that Harry could not express. He looked at McGonagall, but didn't get any sympathy.

"I don't enjoy taking points from my own house, but I have no choice but to agree. Warnings don't seem to have any affect on you Mr. Potter. And Mr. Malfoy, detention for you as well, and 20 points from Slytherin. I saw you attack Mr. Potter when his back was turned. Honestly, didn't you learn your lesson in fourth year?" she asked. To Harry's amusement, McGonagall's mouth was twitching, as if trying to conceal a smile. Harry looked back at Malfoy, grinning widely at the look on the pale face.

"Alright, Professor." Harry said, feeling a lot more cheerful going into detention knowing that Malfoy was in trouble too.

"8:00 sharp in the Library. Both of you. Yes, Mr.Potter, both of you. I won't have you complaning Mr. Malfoy. Maria will be joining you. I don't know how such a nice girl could have gotten in trouble so soon, but you all did the crime, now you must do the time." she said, looking quite pleased with herself. Harry didn't even laugh at how pathetic his teacher was. He stormed out of the Great Hall angrily and headed to Gryffindor Tower.

A/N: Review, review, review! Thanks!