Disclaimer: I own nothing! …except Terran.
Sorry, the beginning few chapters are a little slow, but they'll speed up I promise! Something was brought to my attention regarding Terran's name, and I'll tell the reviewer I had no idea that's what "Terran Ferrik" meant, it was just a name I made up. I'm working to keep Terran from becoming a Mary-Sue. Now, read on and enjoy!
Terran nearly choked on her strawberry as Hermione recounted the event of her slapping Malfoy in anger. "I was so fuming mad—I mean, he had been so horrible to poor Hagrid, and he was so pleased with the prospect of killing the innocent creature I just lashed out at him." Hermione continued, grinning at Terran's reactions. She was a very good audience, laughing, gasping, and glowering at all the appropriate points, and Hermione was immensely enjoying her company. Terran had been trading stories with her all morning from her five previous years a Hogwarts as well, although she was much keener on hearing the stories than telling.
Hermione verbally admitted to enjoying Terran's company after a moment when she paused to take a sip of orange juice. "I mean, Ron and Harry are great, but it get annoying you know? Just being around guys all the time. Some feminine company is nice for once." Hermione confided in Terran, who smiled appreciatively.
" Are they going to be angry I kind of stole you away this morning?" Terran asked, a little anxious.
"Oh no," Hermione said, waving the very thought away with her hand. "They'd be pleased with the idea of having another girl in their company. Besides they're still sleeping."
"Who's still sleeping?" Harry asked as he slid into the vacant spot on the bench opposite Hermione and Terran, quickly followed by Ron.
"I thought you were, but I suppose I was wrong." Hermione gave a kind of 'oh well' glance to Terran, who grinned sheepishly, before taking another sip of Orange Juice. "Harry, Ron, this is my new friend Terran. Terran, this is Harry and Ron." Hermione introduced.
The boys stopped serving themselves breakfast to look up at Terran and grin. "It's nice to meet you." Terran said politely, looking pointedly at Ron, who gave the faintest sign of a blush and grinned back.
"Likewise." He said before scooping a forkful of eggs into his mouth. Harry nodded, as he was already chewing hungrily on a piece of toast.
Over the summer both boys had changed from what Terran remembered. Ron's flaming hair was now so long that he could effectively pull it back into a ponytail, something Terran admittedly favored about guys. Most of his baby-fat had been eaten away by a year of Quidditch practice, leaving his body lean and lithe from constant exercise and conditioning. He definitely looked better in clothes that fit him as well, jeans and a worn blue shirt that fit him nicely, just barely giving a hint at the muscle hidden beneath the cloth. Enough of a hint to peak Terran's interest anyway.
Harry on the other hand, looked much the same. He also now had clothes that weren't too big for him, a pair of khaki pants and a green shirt that matched amazingly well with his eyes were donned on his body today. His hair was as wild as ever, although slightly darker so it was closer to a midnight black, the strong contrast between it and his eyes made the brilliant green even more evident. His glasses had finally been abandoned for contacts, and Terran could in no way object to the change. She had nothing against a guy with glasses of course, but she always found them obtrusive when trying to look into a persons eyes, especially since light could catch on them and completely block out a persons eye as the light was reflected.
Hermione on the other hand, had changed quite a bit. Her hair was not nearly as bushy has it had been, but now settled for being curly, and spilled down her back beautifully and framed her face nicely. With the shrinking of her teeth a couple years ago her teeth were straight and, of course, quite white from good dental care. She wore a light yellow sweater over a white shirt and a summer French skirt decorated with the pattern of yellow sunflowers elegantly placed on the flowy-material.
"You have Transfiguration with us don't you?" Ron asked after swallowing lightly and grasping a flaggon of Pumping Juice.
Terran nodded after a moment, snapped form her thoughts and observations of the three around her. "I usually sit in the back, or around there."
"Why?" Harry asked. "I remember last year that you could transfigure just about anything before the end of the second day."
Terran blushed slightly. "Um, I don't like to draw attention to myself." She said a little uneasily, nibbling on a piece of cantaloupe.
"Huh." Ron said after a moment. "That's kind of strange. I thought all girls liked the focus being on them."
Hermione glowered at him, but he grinned. "Relax Mione'. You know I was joking." He turned to Terran. "So then I don't suppose you'd be keen on sitting with us during class would you?"
"Um—" Terran was quite taken aback by this invitation. She hadn't been expecting Ron to invite her to anything else. And even though Hermione had said she had enjoyed Terran's company she didn't think it would go much further than today. "Sure, why not?" She said after a moment.
"Oh wonderful!" Hermione said excitedly. "I was going to mention it to you, but Ron beat me to it." She turned to Terran with a smile, who grinned back almost shyly. She turned back to her food as Ron and Harry began discussing Quidditch and caught Ron's eye long enough for him to wink at her before Hermione indulged her in conversation again.
"Today we will be working with birds, transfiguring them into stones. The incantation is, 'Epopes Calculus', I expect you all to at least make some progress today. Now your birds' wings have been clipped, so you should not need to spend any time chasing them about the room. Come come now, get your birds—don't be silly Claire they're not going to hurt you."
Professor McGonagall came around with cage of birds, allowing students to reach in and choose their own victim. Hermione and Terran had taken a table of their own since there was usually only space for two people to sit. Harry and Ron had the table in front of them, each all ready trying to transfigure their bird.
"Epopes Calculus!" Was shouted around the room several times by a couple people while everyone else worked on screwing up their concentration and energy.
"Epopes Calculus." Hermione said after a moment, but nothing happened and the pigeon continued to bob its head as he walked around the table. "Oh, what a shame. I was so focused on being able to do it on my first try. But Transfiguration has always been one of my hardest courses. I only got a E for my O.W.L. last year." Hermione said, breaking off to try transfiguring her bird once more. He stopped walking for a moment, but then a second later continued his bobbing trail.
"Well that's all right isn't it? I mean, that's what you needed in order to get into this class right?" Terran tried comfortingly.
"Well, yes but I feel like I'm just as good as everyone else in here." Hermione said, irritated as she attempted the charm again.
"Well that's good though, isn't it? Now you have to really work hard to become better." Terran said. Hermione stopped for a moment and looked at her.
"Why aren't you trying to turn your bird?"
Terran sat up straighter, as though it hadn't occurred to her she wasn't fulfilling the days requirements. She looked to her raven. "I like to watch them for a while, get used to how they move. I find that sometimes that helps." She shrugged. "Besides, I don't much fancy turning this gorgeous bird—" He cawed appreciatively, "into a stone. It reminds me too much of Sleeping Beauty, you know, when the faeries turn the witches bird into stone? I always felt really bad for it."
Hermione giggled at the memory. "Yeah, but I always thought he got what he deserved." She took another jab at the spell and its toe nails turned to stone. "Oh good!" She looked to Terran. "Why don't you try now? Just so that McGonagall doesn't think you're slacking or anything."
Terran sighed. "All right." She picked up her wand with a lazy hand. "Epopes Calculus." She said, and when nothing happened she shrugged and turned back to Hermione.
"Oh please Terran, I know you weren't really trying on that. Do it again. Why are you holding back?"
Terran glanced at her uneasily for a moment. "You really want me to do it full-on?"
"Yes."
She sighed again. Closing her eyes for a moment she focused her energy, then opening them slowly she focused on her raven. "Sorry," She said quietly, he cawed respectively, then, in a much stronger voice, "Epopes Calculus!"
The bird froze, and for a moment Hermione thought it had been just like her first attempt, where nothing happened. But then she saw the feet turn gray, and watched it crawl up his body as though he were slowly being pushed into water, and she watched with amazement as it reached up to his wings and stopped halfway up his breast, so only his top half remained actual bird. Terran said the incantation once more and he turned fully to stone.
"Terran," Hermione said breathlessly.
"I couldn't just let him stay half-stone like that… I mean, he wouldn't be able to breathe properly." Terran said unhappily.
"Terran, how did you do that?" Hermione was staring at her.
"Um, I asked McGonagall what we were doing and she told me. So I went to the library and looked up the incantation. I found a mouse and practiced on it all night until I could do it. But mice are different from birds, so it took me longer…" Terran shifted uncomfortably.
"You must be really serious about whatever you're doing after school," Hermione began, but just then Harry turned around.
"Wow Hermione! You did it all ready!"
"No, it's Terran's." Hermione said, grinning at the girl next to her, who was blushing slightly.
"You turned yours into stone all ready?" Harry asked with a disbelieving tone. Terran nodded slightly and ducked her head down to fiddle with her fingers.
"Well done Ms. Ferrik. Twenty points to Gryffindor." McGonagall said with a slight smile to the blond.
"Thanks Professor." Terran said shyly. McGonagall then waved her wand, returning the bird to its original physic.
"Ms. Ferrik, might I see you up front?" Terran nodded, her brow creased as she stood up. "Back to work the rest of you." The class, who had all been watching McGonagall and Terran walk to the front of the class turned back to their birds and attempted to make them stone again.
Hermione, Harry, and Ron watched as they tried to make their birds stone. McGonagall was bent very low over her desk, speaking with a strict face to Terran, who made several hand gestures and nodded her head after the Professor had said something, then kept her head bent down as McGonagall continued speak. Her eyes moved past Terran to Harry, Hermione, and Ron and she said something else to Terran as the three worked to make it look as though they weren't watching the conversation.
Terran looked up at something McGonagall said and moved her head quickly in disagreement, but McGonagall raised a hand and spoke again. She looked at Terran with a steely gaze, and after a moment Terran nodded and returned to the table.
"What did she want?" Harry and Ron asked immediately upon her return.
Terran smiled slightly. "Just stuff like she doesn't want me holding back in class anymore. But she's not going to tell me what we're doing beforehand, because it might be seen as favoritism to some people," she shot a glance at Draco Malfoy who was three rows ahead of them, "Essentially that she wants me to keep trying just the same."
Hermione grinned. "That's great Terran." And they turned back to their birds.