I always forget whether or not I've put a disclaimer up so it's not mine. I'm not getting profit from this! DON'T SUE
Snape left her at her door, with a promise to speak to Dumbledore and to request holding off their date until the next weekend. Hermione had only nodded and gone into her room.
Hermione sat on her bed, thinking back over the day. She wasn't tired, but she no longer wanted to attack her punching bag. Instead, she turned to her homework. She sat down to write her potions essay, for the first time, writing less than double the requested length.
It took her nearly two hours, and then she turned on her Transfiguration homework: turn yourself into an animal with the Metiforma spell. Hermione resisted the urge to give up when she couldn't get the wand motion right, because it was backwards, with her wand pointed at herself. She walked to her mirror, which said a polite, "Hello!"
"Can I reflect a spell off of you?" Hermione asked.
"Will it hurt?" the mirror asked.
"No, it should go right at me. I can't get the motion right backwards. I need to practice it forwards first," Hermione said.
"All right then, dearie," the mirror nodded, closing her eyes.
Hermione did the complicated wand motion saying clearly. "Metila Formatus Cumatic!" The bright spell hit the mirror and reflected onto Hermione. She felt herself shift and change until in front of the mirror stood a small black kitten with her brown eyes.
"What was the counter-spell?" Hermione thought panicking. "Damn it Hermione," she cursed herself, jumping up onto her chair and trying to read her book but she couldn't. Her eyes wouldn't focus on the words. Against all her principles, she ripped the page out of the book with her teeth and bounded to the door.
She slunk out of the room, after taking a long time opening the door, looking around the common room carefully. Draco wasn't there.
Hermione-kitten padded down the halls, dodging a group of students. She got to Professor McGonagall's office door which was closed. She let out a demure meow, and scratched lightly on the door. That got no reply so she backed up and jumped at the door. It made a small thump. She scowled as the magical wards hit back, throwing the normally graceful cat back. She growled at it, her human side losing grip over her feline instincts. "Find the funny man," her cat mind purred and she took off down the hallway, in search of Albus, and when in the hall she spotted Bill heading for her room, she stopped, her own mind taking over.
She hurried over and got in front of him. He jumped back, pulling out his wand at the unexpected flash of black. She rubbed against his legs, holding the paper in her mouth. He laughed. "Hermione is that you?" She purred at him, sheepishly.
"Couldn't quite get Gryffendor Lion right?" Bill teased. He took the paper, frowning. "I don't remember this spell."
"Mr. Weasley, I told you to go look after Miss Granger!" Snape's voice came from an adjoining corridor perpendicular to the one they were in. Hermione-kitten peeked around the corner and ducked back, embarrassed. "It wasn't a request. She is in danger and I thought you would know that. You know what happened to that young muggleborn girl."
"Severus, I-" Bill was cut off.
"Don't talk! I want you to check on her!" Snape growled.
"Well if you can bloody perform this counter-spell then we can both see her soon enough!" Bill snapped.
"What are you on about?" Snape came up to the corridor and saw the kitten trying to blend in with the shadows. "Botched a spell I see. What on earth were you thinking turning into that thing?" Snape said, frowning.
"Advanced NEWT transfiguration?" Bill's eyes went wide and he held it away from him. "That's scary."
"I haven't used advanced transfiguration since I was at Hogwarts," Snape said, frowning at the paper.
"You can't reverse it then, because I'm sure Hermione went to McGonagall before this. That's the direction she was heading from," Bill said.
"Minerva's in the headmaster's office," Snape said. Hermione's cat instincts came back and she jumped up, clinging with her little claws onto Snape's robes. He quickly moved his hands to hold her, as she let out a distressed meow and began to fall.
"You're only a baby Hermione, was that what you were aiming for?" Bill asked.
"Are you sure this is Hermione? It seems a bit dumb," Snape said. Hermione-kitten growled at him and gave him a glare, which told him it was her. She curled up in the crook of his arm and closed her eyes.
"Hermione's cat form seems to like you," Bill laughed. "It seems she can't get over her feline instincts."
"Hermione, I swear if you are doing this out of a joke, I will get you back for it," Snape told her. She meowed at him, jumping up onto his shoulder and sitting proudly there, trying to keep her balance, but she was so small that she tumbled and fell, but Bill caught her as she fell backwards, out of Snape's reach. He could easily hold her in one hand.
"This is really some ingenious transfigurations work," Bill complimented, looking over Hermione's kitten features. "Take a look, professor," Bill handed her to him. Snape held her much gentler than Bill had, but she still let out an indignant meow at being passed around like an inanimate object.
"Be more careful Weasley. This is still Miss Granger," Snape said, coldly, as Hermione-kitten curled up into the crook of his arm, purring.
They reached the gargoyle and Snape said, "Ginger Giggles." Hermione-kitten let out a meow that sounded eerily like a laugh at Snape saying the name of such a sweet.
"Miss Granger seems to like you a lot, then, sir," Bill said, using the same tone that Snape had.
Hermione-kitten meowed in confirmation, purring louder. Snape looked at her in shock.
As they reached the top of the stairs, Bill pounded loudly on the door.
Snape then knocked, harder with his right fist, with Hermione-kitten in his other arm.
"Come in!" a voice called.
"Found a new friend, have you, Severus? I never thought you a cat person, but…" Dumbledore shrugged.
"This, Albus, is not a familiar, but she may be familiar to you, once Minerva fixes what Miss Granger has done," Snape said, scowling.
"Botched spell then?" McGonagall asked, standing and coming to take Hermione-kitten. Hermione-kitten curled deeper into Snape's robes. Bill started laughing… hard. He grabbed his side, and sat down, tears of mirth streaming down his face, as Hermione-kitten burrowed in the inside pocket of Snape's robes beside his quill.
Albus also chuckled, as Minerva tried to pull her out of the pocket and got a little bite on the finger.
"Hermione, control yourself," Snape said, in a commanding voice.
"She's lost control over her form. That's what happens when you try such complicated magic. The animal she turned into is too young and it's emotions are too overwhelming. She clings to whomever she feels closest to at the time, which appears to be you, though I'm sure it would have been Misters Potter or Weasley if they were here," Minerva explained.
"Great, so I have a… kitten attached to me," Snape said, trying to reach into his pocket to get her, but she batted his hand playfully with her paw, claws not extended.
"Hermione, come out now," he ordered. Hermione-kitten peeked her nose out from the fold of cloth that was his pocket and he put his palm open beside the pocket. She stepped onto it and he pushed her into Minerva's hands. Hermione-kitten meowed loudly in protest, and jumped out of McGonagall's arms, running to Dumbledore and hiding behind his beard. Albus chuckled, heartily, picking her up and holding her out to McGonagall, who quickly performed the spell. Hermione-kitten turned into Hermione again, standing on Dumbledore's desk. She squeaked, apologetically and took Snape's help to get down. He grabbed her waist and lowered her to the ground.
"What on earth were you thinking?" he demanded.
"I was doing my homework!" Hermione said, softly.
"First you're crying you eyes out then you're a cat and hiding in my pocket!" Snape exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air, and going to sit beside Bill, exhaustedly.
"Well, Severus, that's what happens when you go for a woman of transfiguration," Albus smiled, coyly at him.
"You close your mouth, old man," Snape snapped.
"What?" Hermione looked confused. "I hid in your pocket?"
"She wouldn't remember it, Severus. That's the difference between this spell and being an animagus. When you're an animagus, it's a part of you. You keep your same instincts and remember when you become that. I was trying to show the students the downside of this form of transfiguration. This was something they were supposed to do in partners so that something like this wouldn't occur," McGonagall said.
"I couldn't wait for Harry!" Hermione said, embarrassed. "I didn't quite think it through."
"Obviously," Snape muttered, but Bill and Dumbledore only laughed.
"I hid in Severus' pocket?" Hermione inquired, incredulously.
"You bit me when I tried to get you out," McGonagall said. "What's the last thing you remember?"
"Being mad at Bill. When he picked me up he hurt me, but after that… nothing," Hermione shrugged.
"That must have been when your cat side took over," McGonagall offered.
"Sorry Mya," Bill laughed. "I was complimenting your work though."
Hermione just huffed, looking away, remembering that she had to talk to Bill.
"Sorry, professors for the trouble. Bill, stop laughing. I have to talk to you," she insisted.
Wait, Miss Granger. Severus said you were crying," McGonagall interrupted, stepping towards her and placing a hand on her arm. "Why?"
Hermione blushed. "I'd rather not discuss it. I'm quite content with only Sev- Professor Snape knowing," Hermione said.
Albus smiled, delightedly at that answer, his eyes twinkling.
"Bill, if you will," she said, nodding for him to follow her. He did, his bright smile turning into a frown of concern.
"It's about Fleur," Hermione said. "I believe I know how to help you," she said once they were in the corridor. He gaped at her in shock, but she continued walking, expecting him to catch up.
Sorry, flurry of Hermione emotions, but I thought I needed a chapter to kind of lesson the effect of the dark plot, before it goes into the date, which should be in the next update or so…
I'm not answering reviews today, but I really do appreciate them
Also, if anyone knows anything about the test to get into the military that proves that you don't have asthma, I would be extremely grateful if you explained it to me.
Review please!
