Disclaimers:
This
story uses the universe and characters created by J.K. Rowling. I'm
just playing around, no profit made.
The description of dormitories in
the Slytherin dungeon has been borrowed from story "Flight of the
Thestrals" by GD-7.
The
idea of how magical gender change works was first noted in story "Home's
the Farthest Way" by ReeraTheRed.
This story was
inspired by art "The Other Side" by Lylith (hence the title!
Green stands for color of Harry's eyes, not Slytherin robes).
Search artisticalley dot org
Chapter 2
The Investigators
"So, let's see if we can find a pattern. Professor Slughorn wants to see us tomorrow and he expects some conclusions. He also said that he will give us a list of psychological questions to work on. So, first the physical changes: as a boy you were taller than average…"
"I am now shorter
than I used to be, and lighter. It will get some time getting used to
riding my Nimbus. This is very uncomfortable; I actually had to ask
Zabini to reach a book from my top shelf. I'll ask the house elves
to shift it down."
"That's because
women are on average shorter and lighter than men. But you are still
taller than an average girl"
"That would explain
why this skirt is shorter on me than it is on Pansy. It's quite
annoying making sure the hem doesn't ride up to show my knickers."
"Right."
It has been a week since the "transformation" and they were walking along one of the deserted corridors on the second floor. They have been holding their daily "investigator meetings" in a hospital wing as they needed a place with no ears. But since Hufflepuff's latest Quidditch practice, it was no longer empty and they therefore needed a different room.
"Do your recon we
could use the library?" Draco broke the silence. It seemed like
change of subject was in order.
"Nah, Madame Pince
would have a fit if we disrupted her precious silence and, besides, anyone
could listen in. What about that corridor on the third floor? I recon
it's been deserted since first year."
"Urgh, it's filthy.
What about one of the classrooms?"
"We could ask
Slughorn to get us a pass. They can't be using all classrooms at
all times, although we'll have to stick to this hour." He glanced
out the window. "It's nice out"
Draco had to do a double take. It really was nice out.
"Let's go outside, then.
Everyone is in class, it will be empty." The words just seemed to
spring from Draco's mouth before having enough time to consider the
idea. Perhaps it was one of the drawbacks of living in the dungeons,
but even as a boy Draco could never pass up the opportunity to lounge
on the school lawn. And now, to a girl, the sun was even more
tempting.
"Alright".
They reached the marble
staircase and descended in silence. When Harry Potter reached the
front doors, he pulled the right side open and stood aside to let
Draco pass.
Draco froze.
"What are you doing?"
Draco asked incredulously.
"Er,.. holding the
door for you?"
"What for?"
"Well, it's only
polite, see. Has no one taught you manners, Malfoy?" And he had
this little smile on his face that was almost like a smirk, but
somehow, a playful one. "After you, Miss Malfoy" and he gestured
towards the open door while giving a slight bow.
It all happened in a flash and Draco's wand was pressing against his co-investigator's Adam's apple.
"Don't you dare mock me" he hissed.
"Relax", Harry
Potter took a step back and raised his hands in a placating gesture.
"I wasn't mocking you. You are a girl, and you are a Malfoy, so I
called you Miss Malfoy. What's the fuss?"
"Oh".
It was really all Draco
could say to that. He felt utterly embarrassed. He pushed his wand
back into the pocket and stalked out the door.
"It's rather
interesting, don't you think?" Potter has caught up with him.
"You look like a girl, but do you still view yourself as a boy?"
"I … " it wasn't
becoming of Malfoy to stall, but then his professional side kicked in. It was for the sake of the research, really. "I guess it's a bit confusing. I'm
just used to certain things, so it's hard to tell if it's my
whole being or just the habit"
"Probably so"
"Erm, sorry for
attacking you back there"
"Don't mention it.
Just, don't do it again", and he flashed another playful
half-smirk.
The rest of the day was no less confusing. It really wasn't that easy being a girl, Draco thought on his way from the library just before curfew. You've got to worry about your skirt riding up, or being blown up by the wind. You need to crouch down rather than bend to pick things up. The book bag seemed heavier, the watch was loose, and there was also the barely concealed terror that Draco Malfoy was going to face menses in no less than three weeks. Oh, yes, Pansy went into fit of giggles when they had their educational meeting about that. But it wasn't all that bad, Draco mused. The doors were held open, and more than once he caught boys' eyes following the hem of his skirt. Quite a few attractive boys at that, even a few from seventh year. Wait a second. Draco stopped.
I notice attractive
boys.
I never used to notice
that boys were attractive.
Well, of course I knew
who was better looking and who needed to be taunted about their
messed up hair (that would be Potter, of course), but it was more in
the competitive sort of way. But now Draco was actually noticing if a
boy was attractive. 'I need to write this down.' Draco thought.
It was way after the curfew when Draco finally stood up and closed the journal. Her right ankle was sore from crouching and her right wrist sore from holding a quill. This new revelation was just too much. 'Must discuss this with Potter before we meet Slughorn tomorrow. This is mind boggling'. And she shook her head as if to clear it.
But when Draco reached the Slytherin common room there was a surprise waiting. Crabbe and Goyle, who didn't quite know how to behave around this new Draco Malfoy for the last week, were sitting around a table nearest to the entrance, their heads together as if in deep conversation. At the sight of Draco entering they jumped up and came to him. For a moment Draco panicked. Crabbe and Goyle were always bigger than him as a boy, being gorilla-like and thick-boned. But now, to a girl, they seemed even more impressive and even intimidating. No wonder everyone was scared of them, standing up behind Draco Malfoy they made quite an impressive sight.
"If Potter is
bothering you, you just need to say a word". Goyle started in low growl.Crabbe grunted and
nodded, scratching his knuckles lovingly.
"Snape told us you
have to meet him an hour a day, and he has no right to hold you past
curfew"
Another grunt from
Crabbe.
"We'll take care of
him tomorrow and he will no longer be able to walk and drag you outside
like his lackey lover girl".
This time Crabbe
eminated something that was reminiscent of a growl.
"Wait just a minute!
What are you two talking about?" Draco interrupted the tirrade. "I wasn't late because of Harry. I
had other business to attend to and it is not your place to know what
it is!"
Crabbe and Goyle
exchanged a worried glance and had identical stunned expressions.
"What?""You just called
Potter 'Harry'".
"Well, that's his
name, isn't it? And we've got to be civil if we want this stupid
investigation to work".
At that Draco turned on
her heal and went to her room.
Did she really call him "Harry"? Surely not. They must have overheard. But her musings were cut short when she rounded a corner and met with Theodore Nott slumped against a door into her room.
"Fancy seeing you, Draco dearest. Were you out for a midnight stroll? You know," –and he moved away from a wall in a suggestive way –"I would be very happy to accompany such a lovely lady out for moonlight walk any day".
Before Draco even had a
chance to realize what was going on, Nott came very close to her,
almost touching her shoulder and she instinctively backed away. Theo
Nott was taller than Draco as a boy, and now being a girl, she
stood almost half foot shorter and somehow didn't feel very safe."What do you want?"
Draco said hastily, while trying to step around Nott in the direction
of her room.
"Oh, don't be such
a coy, Draco, dearest", Theo smiled and touched her shoulder at which
she flinched involuntary, "I hear they will turn you back into a boy
before too long. Wouldn't it be wonderful to experience all joys of
this body with someone you can trust?" And he gave her an appreciative look-over.
He was tracing tiny
circles on Draco's shoulder, and the effect was far from being soothing.
"I'll think about
it. And now, if you don't mind, I would like to go to bed. Alone."
Back in the safely of her own room, it finally hit Draco. He may still consider himself a boy out of habit, but others certainly viewed him as a girl, and subsequently, as a target. She will need to find a way to protect herself from unwanted suggestions. But right now, it was too late for that. A good night rest would surely help.
