The idea of this one came when was a still half-asleep. I hope I did justice to it. An Eight-Year fic. Harry has been in Love with Draco for a long time now. To what lengths will he go to impress the blond? Contains a reformed and alive Severus who also Mentors Harry and helps him every way possible. Enjoy!

THE ULTIMATE TRANSFORMATION

Severus came out of his lab, after stabilizing whatever potion he was brewing, when he felt his wards admitting someone in. Of course there were only a few who could bypass his wards like that. Sitting there, flopped on the couch in front of his living room fire place was none other than Harry Potter. Sometimes he questioned himself why he had given the brat so much of freedom. Sure their relationship had improved once the war was over. Harry had saved his life and fought for his emancipation and then convinced Headmistress McGonagall to reinstate him in the school as the resident Potions Master. She did not regret the decision of course. Now that the Dark Lord was gone, Severus did not have to be nasty all the time, just strict as the subject required.

Severus quietly came and sat opposite Harry, in an overstuffed armchair, one of the many gifts from Albus Dumbledore. The said man was himself sitting in his portrait above the fireplace, clearly pretending to be asleep, while keeping his ears open for gossip. When Severus had returned, emancipated and a war hero, Albus Dumbledore, in his portrait in the Headmistress' office, had demanded that a frame be put in Severus' quarters for him. He was seen more here than in the Headmistress' office. Finally, Harry spoke,

"I want to have a total complete transformation. I want to be the most handsome person in Hogwarts."

"Since when did you become so shallow?"

"I am not being shallow."

"Then what is it?"

"I want him to at least look at me. He doesn't even spare a glance at me. Always sticking to that Zabini. I mean of course Zabini is handsome and all. But…"

"Ah… Mr. Malfoy… But what?"

"But… I know him better, don't I? I knew in sixth year that he was not happy with whatever was going on. I knew while on the run, when we ended up caught and taken to his house, that he will not be handing us over, that he was equally scared of his mad aunt. It was me that his wand accepted as a second commander not Zabini. Then why? Why doesn't he look at me?"

"Maybe he thinks you will never like him that way? You were after all enemies for a long time."

"Not enemies, rivals. There's a difference."

"Yes, there is. But he doesn't know that your feelings have finally changed. I think you should convey that to him before going on this transformation spree. If still you need the change, I will be here."

"Okay… thank you Sev. You are a life saver."

"Don't call me that brat."

Harry only giggled and left in a few minutes, bidding his goodnight to his new friend and mentor. In the frame, Dumbledore smiled serenely. Things were looking up for his other favourite boy.

The very next day, Severus again had to put his precious potion on statis, to come and sit beside a weeping Potter. He just held the boy, rubbing soothing circles on his back, and let the boy cry everything out. When he had no more tears to cry, Harry said,

"I saw them kissing Severus. I don't stand a chance. He will never look at me like that ever." And with that a fresh stream of tears flowed, like a never ending rivulet.

Severus waited for him to calm down again, then said, "What were the changes you had in mind?"

"Doesn't matter. He is happy with Zabini. I will not disturb it." He said, between hiccups.

"Well, we will see to that. But you need the transformation for your own self-confidence, which I see is very low right now."

"I had thought if you could do something about the height, and eye sight correction and I want my hairs to be a little longer and manageable."

"Well the eye-sight and hair growth potion are easy enough, but the height is a little tricky. You see at 18, the height is almost set. To physically increase it is very painful. Do you want to do it?"

"Yes. It will help."

"Then let me start you on the vision correction one first. It is a three dose potion, to be taken one week apart. I would suggest the growth potion for Christmas break, which is only a month away. You will require rest after that."

"Okay… whatever you feel best. I trust you."

"Are you sure you trust the old dungeon bat?"

"Well bats are not evil creatures you know? Just misunderstood."

Now Severus did not have a reply to that, did he?

When Harry first came down without his glasses for the first time, after three weeks, every single person was looking at him. His beautiful emerald eyes shone even brighter without the ugly round glasses. Everyone noticed him, everyone that is except the one he wanted to be noticed by. Harry did not allow himself to be disheartened. He will wait till after Christmas to decide on anything. Unknown to him, the person had indeed noticed the change. Why wouldn't he? He had always noticed even the slightest of changes, everything that goes on with one Harry Potter. Severus noticed him noticing though. He smiled to himself. 'Just you wait Draco Malfoy, there is more to come. When you return after Christmas break, you will be drooling over the boy.'

Harry was one of the six students staying at Hogwarts for Christmas that year and the only one from Gryffindor. On the night everyone left, Severus gave him first the hair growth potion. He said it will grow his hair to about 16 inches long, which will come past his shoulders, almost to the back.

"Why so long?"

"Well I have decided to get it styled for you, for which you need it to be a little longer so that they can cut it to an appropriate length while styling."

"You are enjoying this aren't you?"

"You have no idea."

In two days' time, Harry had shoulder length wavy hair. His naturally pitch black hair now had red and midnight blue highlights which did not look girly or out of place, rather looked dashing if you asked the former headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. He kept it in a half bun. He looked quiet manly in a man's bun. While they were visiting Diagon-Alley to fix his hair, Severus took him shopping. Now he had a full new wardrobe of wizarding as well as muggle clothing and shoes. That night he took the growth potion. He had three days to Christmas Eve. He just hoped he would not have to cancel Christmas dinner at the Borrow. Molly will not be happy.

By the time it was time to head for the Burrow, Harry was mostly fine, just a little sore. He was still trying to work the coordination between his longer limbs. He had gained good 3 inches height. It was unexpected. Severus had expected an inch or two. Now Harry stood almost equal to Ron and only about an inch short of Draco. Everyone at the Burrow was astonished at the sudden transformation. As an explanation, he said, "I was fed up of being the shortest always." After the dinner, the Weasley boys and Ginny pulled Harry out for a late evening game of tag on their brooms. They said it would help Harry get comfortable with his height faster as he was a natural flyer. It did help.

The rest of the vacation, Harry spent exercising with Severus. The height was no use if there was no grace accompanying it. All these efforts will finally pay off if the one Harry wanted will notice him. Though Harry had partially given up, at some corner of his heart, he still harboured the hope that someday Draco would see him for himself, even love him perhaps. 'Wishful thinking' he thought to himself.

At the feast when school re-opened, everyone looked up when an unknown but very handsome boy walked in with Weasley and Granger, laughing at something Weasley was saying. It took them sometime to realize that the boy with a man's bun and impressive height and grace had emerald eyes exactly like one Harry Potter. There were murmurs all around and the gossip mill of Hogwarts came alive. Every one of them was looking at him, including a certain Slytherin. Eyes followed Harry everywhere. You would think he would enjoy it but he did not. He did not like such attention. He had learnt to ignore and enjoy though. Things came to an abrupt halt when one Wednesday his dream guy, Draco Malfoy approached him.

"Po…Harry, would you like to go to Hogsmead with me this weekend?"

"No" he said. You would think he would be ecstatic. But he had had time to think over it.

"Why?" Draco asked astonished. Inside he was cursing himself for his own weakness. 'I told you, you bloody fool. He doesn't like you. Why would he go out with someone like you? An ex-Death Eater?'

"I have liked you for a very long time now, but you never noticed me. I was just a random short guy with dorky glasses for you, wasn't I? Now that I have transformed myself into this and people are clamouring to go out with me, you ditch your boyfriend and ask me out?"

"I don't have a boyfriend." Draco said, indignantly. So caught up was he on the boyfriend comment that he did not catch on the first statement. Everyone else did though.

"Then what is Blaise Zabini to you?" Draco was astonished to hear that. Eyes bulging out like a house elf, he just stared. The both of them did not even notice that they had already gathered a huge crowd.

"He is not my boyfriend."

"Then why were you kissing each other?"

"I just wanted to distract myself from you because I knew you would never want to go out with me or like me that way. You don't even look at me, even when I groom myself for two hours each day." Draco's voice was almost choked, as if he wanted to cry. Admitting that hurt.

"If that is the case, why did you wait so long to ask me out? Harry asked suspiciously.

"I got jealous okay. I thought I could handle it but I could not. Earlier people only wished to go out with you from afar. Now they are all trying to climb all over you. I got jealous. I could not take it anymore. So I stupidly came and asked you, to be rejected yet again."

"Ah…Draco..." Blaise piped up from behind. "I think you did not hear him properly. He said he has liked you for a long time now."

"He did?" Draco asked Blaise, without turning around to look at Blaise, eyes transfixed on the emerald gaze.

"I did. Though I never expected you would reciprocate the feeling. What with me being a half-blood and all."

"Shut up you prat. I let go of all that shit a long time ago if you remember."

"Yeah I do remember. So what do we do now?"

Without a word, Draco pulled Harry towards him and kissed him soundly, in front of half the school which was gathered around him. When they came up for air, Harry was blushing scarlet.

Draco whispered in his ears, "Why are you blushing like a virgin love?"

"Because I am a Virgin?" Harry whispered back.

"Not for long." said Draco, with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"I hope not." If Harry was scarlet before, he was positively crimson now. Nobody else needed to know why though.

THE END.