Y/N awoke early as usual the next morning, dressed and made his way down into the warm interior and roaring fire of the Gryffindor Common Room. He glanced out the window and was met by a frozen white wasteland. Snow had settled into the grounds overnight and it was so early it lay undisturbed, barring the odd massive footfalls where no doubt Hagrid had been attending to his duties.
Y/N loved seeing the grounds covered in snow, it had seemed almost story level of beautiful last year and this one was no different. It almost made him forget about everything as he stood at the window just gazing out across the grounds.
He was snapped out of it however as an arm wrapped around his and a head fell onto his shoulder.
'Beautiful, isn't it?' asked Hermione, following his gaze.
'Never seen anything like it, makes me want to just go jump into it and vanish.'
'Whilst I'd much rather you didn't do that; I can definitely see what you mean.'
'Wonder what Herbology is going to be like,' said Y/N, finally turning his eyes onto his bushy-haired best friend. 'Don't imagine the greenhouses are too good at keeping the cold out.'
'We're witches and wizards, Y/N, there are spells for that.'
'They certainly weren't on last year. You remember how much we were shivering during the Asphodel lessons?'
Hermione shivered a little, 'A little bit too vividly,' she grumbled before pulling Y/N over to one of the sofas, and the two of them set about doing their Transfiguration homework.
'You seen the notice board?' asked Ron as he sank into one of the chairs an hour and a half later, having finally woken up himself. Harry soon followed.
'Can't say I've looked,' said Y/N, raising his eyes to glance at it. 'What's up?'
'Herbology lesson is cancelled. Apparently Sprout wants to put socks on the Mandrakes.'
'Well that solves that issue,' says Y/N, turning back to his homework.
'Issue?' asked Ron.
'Me and 'Mione were talking about it this morning. Remember last year's Asphodel lessons?' and Ron also shivered.
'Still don't think I've ever gotten all the feeling back in my leg after that one.'
'You alright Harry?' asked Hermione, Harry had been staring off into space for a while and visibly jumped when addressed.
'Yeah… it's just… I feel like I should go talk to Justin. I want to explain what happened and tell him that I was trying to drag the snake away from him.'
'If you feel as though you need to mate, then go do it,' said Y/N as Hermione nodded alongside him.
'I'm sure Justin will appreciate you trying to smooth things out. It's not exactly like the snake hit him. And it did stop,' added Hermione reassuringly.
'Yeah, you're right,' said Harry, getting to his feet. 'I'll be back later.'
'What was that about?' asked Ron, looking at the two of them.
'Harry is in a really weird place right now Ron,' said Hermione sharply before Y/N could even open his mouth, 'none of us know what's going on, but he needs his friends, needs our reassurance, not us tiptoeing around him. Isn't that right Y/N?'
'Um. Yeah?' he said confused. Him and Ron shared a look before Ron pulled out his own Transfiguration homework. 'Here,' Y/N said, passing his essay over to Ron who looked as though Christmas had come early.
'Thanks Y/N,' he said, taking it from him and beginning to write. Y/N leant down towards Hermione.
'Wonder where you heard that one from.'
'Shut up.'
'How close are you to finishing?'
'I technically finished twenty minutes ago, I've just been adding stuff,' she said, looking up at him. 'Why?'
'Go bundle up, we're going for a walk.'
Hermione beamed and rolled up her parchment, getting to her feet and wandering off towards the girls dormitory.
'Me and 'Mione are gonna head down to the grounds for a bit. I'd offer you to come with us, but McGonagall wants that for tomorrow,' said Y/N, pointing at Ron's one-and-a-half-line essay, 'so if you finish it and we're still down there, feel free.'
'Don't like being the third wheel thanks,' said Ron, smirking at Y/N. 'I'll just wait for Harry to get back, don't imagine he'll be long.'
With a nod, Y/N turned and made his way up to his own dormitory. He threw on a few extra layers alongside his red and gold scarf and gloves before making his way back downstairs to find Hermione waiting by the portrait hole. She pushed it open as he approached and together, they set off down towards the grounds.
'I forgot, everyone else will still be in lesson won't they?' asked Hermione as their footsteps echoed through the empty corridors. Y/N nodded.
'Why do you think we're doing this now? Get there before everyone else does.'
They stepped out of the large front doors down into the grounds and wandered through the snow, slowing down now that they were out here. They spoke about anything they could think of, classes, personal life, old stories, the potion. They were each at the point of retelling old stories by this time but neither cared. They even had fun taking over each other's stories at parts they remembered clearly.
'Wonder how things went with Justin,' said Y/N finally around an hour later as the two wandered the outskirts of the forbidden forest.
'I hope it all went okay,' said Hermione softly. 'It really seemed to be bothering Harry.'
'I think everything is bothering all of us. That's probably what's affecting Justin too. He told us he was down for muggle school didn't he, and that they want a fully grown wizard in their family? I imagine he must be Muggleborn. He's probably worried about the monster as much as I am.'
'I'll be okay Y/N, don't worry,' said Hermione as she squeezed his hand.
'As much as I trust you 'Mione, I'm not prepared to take that risk until this monster is dealt with.'
'Well, I feel better knowing you're looking out for me,' she spoke softly, and she wrapped herself tighter around his arm.
'Believe me, I have enough worry in my body for both of us. Come on, we should probably head back.'
The two wandered slowly back towards the castle, still chatting though slightly more subdued, and climbed the steps towards the front door. Both used the hot air charm to dry themselves off and stepped through into the entrance hall-
-only to run almost face first into Harry and Ron who both looked terrified. Y/N's stomach twisted immediately.
'There's been another one,' said Harry quickly, turning them both around and pushing them back out into the grounds. 'A double this time.'
Y/N was infinitely grateful for his spur of the moment decision to drag Hermione down into the grounds.
'Who was it?' asked Hermione as they marched away from the castle.
'Justin and Nick.'
'Nick? As in Nearly Headless Nick?' asked Y/N, being snapped out of his thoughts.
'Yep,' said Harry.
'But how could a ghost- YN?' Hermione called after Y/N as he broke away from the trio and sprinted back up towards the castle. He slid in through the large wooden doors and sprinted down the corridor towards the Hospital Wing.
He gave a few short knocks on the door and a moment later it was opened to reveal Professor McGonagall.
'Y/N? What-?'
'I was hoping it'd be you; can I see them? Mostly Nick, I want to check something.'
She froze for half a moment, he could tell she didn't think she should, but a moment later she sighed and opened the door. As Y/N stepped over the threshold, he felt a dull pulse and pulled his journal out.
'Where are you?'
He quickly scribbled back 'Hospital Wing' before stepping over to where Nick was hovering immobile and horizontal near one of the beds. Several beds were completely covered, and he figured these must be holding Colin, Justin, and Mrs Norris.
Nick looked charred, almost as though he had been burnt, and a faint smoke was coming off him. A look of shock was frozen onto his face as he hovered. Y/N moved forward and closed his eyes, feeling forward.
'Nothing!' he yelled as he glared angrily at Nick as though the ghost could give him the answers he was after. 'He looks terrified, he definitely saw something happening. Something charred a ghost, and yet still no magic!'
He felt a hand place on his shoulder and his body relaxed, his anger faded, and instead he felt tears pushing their way forward though he didn't know why.
'I hardly expect you to have all the answers, Y/N. No one does. We don't know what's causing this. And the fact it can affect ghosts,' McGonagall sighed deeply before moving her arm further around him and pulling him into a hug. 'I just pray we can find out what's causing it before anyone else gets hurt.'
'It's a ghost…' muttered Y/N staring at Nick, 'what can hurt a ghost?'
A short while later and he made his way out into the corridor to be met with the trio waiting outside. They all looked at him excitedly, but he shook his head.
'Nick looks like a man made out of coal that's still burning, but no magic whatsoever. No trace, after effect, nothing. Maybe I'm not as good at this as I thought I was…' added Y/N quietly, but Hermione had heard him.
'It's not your fault Y/N, you aren't setting the monster on people. We'll get into the Slytherin common room and get some answers. Then we can find out what's really going on.'
The next week or so was pure pandemonium within the castle. Most students were so worried about the attack on Nick and Justin that they were trying to return home just to get out of the castle. So many in fact that Y/N hadn't yet been able to find someone to take his own hairs off. Eventually they agreed that Y/N would simply have to play lookout whilst Harry, Ron and Hermione did the interrogating.
Luckily, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle had apparently decided that they too were staying at the castle for Christmas. Well, Malfoy had, Crabbe and Goyle just followed his lead like puppies.
'At this rate, we'll be the only ones left' Ron had said the week everyone else was due to leave 'Us, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. What a jolly holiday it's going to be.'
Fred and George had also taken to frog marching Harry up corridors announcing that he was indeed Slytherin's heir and was preparing for his next attack. Whilst many of them knew it was a joke, it rubbed a couple of people the wrong way, Y/N included. Mostly because he saw the way Ginny reacted when faced with it.
Apparently, Malfoy also didn't approve either, as his face grew increasingly angrier every time he saw them doing it.
'It's because he's bursting to say it's really him,' said Ron knowingly after one of these encounters. 'You know how he hates anyone beating him at anything, and you're getting all the credit for his dirty work.'
'Ron,' growled Y/N glaring at him and Ron immediately shut up.
'Well, if it is him, we'll have it out of him soon,' said Hermione, placing a hand on Y/N's shoulder, causing him to drag his eyes off Ron and back down to his 'Complex Jinxes' book. 'The Polyjuice Potion's nearly ready. We'll be getting something out of him any day now.'
'Thanks Hermione,' he heard Ron mutter and she scoffed at him.
Finally, the weekend hit and a silence so deep and complete fell over the castle. The rest of the Weasleys had chosen to stay at Hogwarts, much like the quartet, as they didn't want to go visit Bill in Egypt with their parents. This meant that the quartet, twins, and Ginny had free roam of the common room and could do anything they wished. Percy was also still at the school, however he did his best to not associate with the noise and chaos they were bringing.
Y/N was mostly just grateful for the distraction. It finally felt like they weren't in immediate threat of being attacked by the monster. As though they were fine until after Christmas had passed. Surely even the heir celebrated Christmas?
Y/N woke up Christmas morning to someone gently shaking him. His eyes fluttered open and through blurry vision he saw a girl beaming down at him with very lovely brown eyes.
'Morning 'Mione,' he said stretching, then suddenly it clicked. 'Hang on, what are you doing here?'
'Merry Christmas!' she said brightly, ignoring his question. 'I've got your present with me. I wanted to go check on the potion and was wondering if you wanted to come with me? I think it might be ready.'
'Yeah of course, just give me a moment,' said Y/N.
Hermione nodded and made her way out of the dormitory to wait for him. He dressed quietly and scooped up the package Ves had dropped off two days previously. He hoped she liked it, and then headed out after her.
Together, they made their way down to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and stepped inside. Hermione moved over to the stall and threw open the door, she stirred the cauldron a couple more times, adding more lacewings to the pot as she did, and Y/N watched as it almost seemed to unfog, the bubbling slowed and the liquid turned into a filthy looking mud brown.
'That matches!' cried Hermione happily snapping 'Moste Potente Potions' closed. 'It's done!'
'You are absolutely brilliant 'Mione,' said Y/N pulling her into a hug. 'Hopefully this is everything we need.
'Thanks Y/N,' she said pulling away and not really looking at him, she seemed to be fiddling with something on her robes for a few moments. But before he could ask, she turned back, beaming, with a package held out in front of her.
Y/N took it and swapped it with the one he was carrying, which he placed into Hermione's arms.
'You first,' she said happily, and Y/N opened the packaging.
''Mione,' Y/N gasped as he pulled the small glass orb from out of the wrapping.
'I remember seeing your face when you first saw it this year, before we went down for our walk. I thought it could help you remember both of those things.'
In Y/N's hand was a snow globe, however it was a snow globe of Hogwarts. Several miniscule owl figurines fluttered in circles around the towers and the snow drifted down, seeming to constantly flow and yet never fill the globe, which left what you could see of the grounds with the lovely untouched snow covering that he adored.
'Thank you 'Mione,' he said, leaning forward and hugging her again. She beamed at him and nuzzled her face gently against his chest before pulling away and opening the present he'd gotten for her.
'Oh my!' she called pulling what looked to be a light blue denim jacket from out of the wrapping. The inside was a burgundy protective layering, she slid it on over the top of her clothes and zipped it up. He thought it fit her perfectly and very much suited her. Hermione seemed to agree as she beamed at him.
'You're the best Y/N! Thank you!'
'Hopefully it should last for a while as well,' said Y/N. 'It's got an extension charm on it, I asked Twilfitt and Tattings to do it especially, so it should grow with you as we grow. Don't know how long it'll last, enchantments don't tend to manage more than a year or two, but for a while.'
Hermione was nodding excitedly as she looked at it. It truly was wonderful to see her so happy.
'Come on, we'd best go wake the other two.'
'Suppose so,' said Y/N as he followed her back upstairs into the Gryffindor common room. He walked over to his bedside table in his room and placed the snow globe down on it, watching it fondly as Hermione swept around the room waking up the other two.
'Wake up!' she called, waving her wand at the curtains causing them to fly open. Y/N sat back down on his bed.
'Hermione, you're not supposed to be in here,' said Ron groggily as he shielded his eyes.
'Merry Christmas to you too,' she said as she threw his present at him. 'Me and Y/N have been up for nearly an hour adding lacewings to the potions. It's ready.'
'Are you sure?' Harry asked, bolting straight upright in his bed.
'Positive,' said Hermione, plonking herself down next to Y/N. 'If we're going to do it, I reckon it should be tonight.'
Hedwig swooped in through the window and hooted dolefully at them all at that moment and Harry's face lit up.
'Hello!' he called happily. 'Are you speaking to me again?'
'Why was she even angry at you?' asked Y/N.
'The car trip, she almost got flattened by the willow.'
'Can't say I blame her,' muttered Hermione darkly and Y/N laughed.
Y/N opened the rest of his presents. He had received a large box of owl treats for Ves off his mum, several different sweet sets off Ron and Harry and had even received a present from Hagrid, which he gazed at with wonder once he unwrapped it.
''The Bestial Bestiary of Magical Beasts across the globe',' he said aloud.
'What's that?' asked Hermione.
'Christmas present off Hagrid,' said Y/N brightly, holding it up. 'I guess mum told him how excited I am for Care of Magical Creatures,' he opened the book eagerly and flicked through some of the pages. 'Bowtruckles, Nifflers, Acromantula, there's all sorts in here,' he said excitedly.
He tucked Vesper's owl treats away so that she couldn't find them and together the quarter made their way down to the Great Hall for the Christmas Feast.
It was covered in dozens of frost-covered Christmas trees and streams of holly and mistletoe travelled overhead. Y/N had his wand under the table muttering incantations under his breath to send the mistletoe away. Unbeknownst to him, Hermione was doing the same alongside him but to bring it closer.
Dumbledore led them through several carols and Hagrid sang along happily, getting steadily louder and louder which in turn meant it was getting tougher for Y/N to keep a straight face.
'Pretty sure he could drag dust off the ceiling if he yelled,' muttered Y/N, earning himself an elbow in the side from Hermione.
Y/N couldn't help himself from hearing Malfoy's comments echoing across the Great Hall, he knew the other three were doing their best to ignore him, but Y/N couldn't stop listening. His hatred for the boy was mounting with each passing day. He had a feeling he'd snap soon.
Eventually, Harry and Ron finished their third helpings and together, Y/N and Hermione dragged the two out of the Great Hall.
'We still need a bit of the people you're changing into,' Hermione said as they dragged Harry and Ron along, 'and obviously it'll be best if you can get something of Crabbe and Goyle's. Malfoy'll tell them anything. And we need to make sure they don't interrupt us interrogating him.'
Ron and Harry both looked stunned causing Y/N to shake his head.
'Guys, it's 'Mione. She's already crushed it,' he said. Hermione blushed slightly but pushed on.
'I've got it all worked out,' and she held up the two small cupcakes. 'Y/N made a sleeping draught for me and filled these with it. All you have to do is make sure Crabbe and Goyle eat them. You know how greedy they are. Just don't give it to them yourselves. Too suspicious. Once they're asleep, pull out a few of their hairs then hide them in a broom closet.'
'And lock the door,' added Y/N. 'Don't think either of them know Alohomora yet, should buy you all a few more minutes if they wake up early. But if I've got it right, they should be out for about three hours with those doses.'
'Hermione I don't think-' began Ron.
'That could go seriously wrong-' continued Harry.
But they both paled at the looks on Y/N and Hermione's faces.
'The potion will be useless without their hair,' Hermione said.
'Unless you really want to drink those toenails,' said Y/N.
'You do want to investigate Malfoy don't you?' finished Hermione.
'Oh all right, all right' said Harry. 'Whose hair are you ripping out?' he asked Hermione.
'You two really don't listen do you?' said Y/N as Hermione pulled a stoppered bottle out of her robes.
'I've already got mine. I think her name was Millicent Bulstrode? Y/N pointed her out during the duelling club. She's gone home for Christmas so I'll just have to tell them I've decided to come back. Come on Y/N.'
She grabbed Y/N's arm and lead him away from the two dumbstruck looking boys and together they made their way back towards the bathroom.
'How long have you guys got?' he asked as they swept inside.
'About an hour,' said Hermione. 'Hopefully that'll be enough, but as long as we're careful I think we'll be okay. The main issue will be getting into the common room. I don't know where it is.'
'I do! Hang on-'
'How do you-?'
'I jumped Malfoy outside of it last year remember? The night you guys took Norbert out of the castle. I followed a group of Slytherins down there.'
He quickly described the location to Hermione and she nodded excitedly.
'Well, that's the worst part done. Thanks Y/N.'
'I'll leave you to the potion,' he said and he ducked out of the stall as Hermione got to work. 'Time to test,' he muttered, and he waved his wand around himself as if binding himself with ropes muttering the incantation under his breath.
A moment later and he looked down to see… nothing. He was completely blending into the background around him. He wooped and Hermione's head poked out the stall.
'Y/N? You okay?' she called, glancing straight over where he was.
'Yeah, look!' he said walking forward and taking her hand. She jumped at first, but then her mouth fell open as she realised what he'd done.
'A disillusionment charm! You did it?'
'Barely,' muttered Y/N looking around at himself 'Almost lost it once or twice but yeah, I pulled it off. This'll make keeping watch much easier.'
Hermione nodded excitedly and ducked back away into the stall which soon began to emit a faint trail of black smoke. A while later and Harry and Ron came running through the door and made their way over to the stall, they appeared to have not noticed Y/N which gave him an idea.
'Hermione?' asked Harry, knocking on the stall and Hermione opened it for them.
'Did you get them?' she asked and Harry held up the hair. 'Good! I sneaked these spare robes out of the laundry,' she said, holding up a bag that must have been hidden in the stall. 'You'll need bigger sizes if you're going to be Crabbe and Goyle.'
Y/N swept past and tugged gently on Ron's robes. Ron jumped and span around as Y/N pressed himself against the stall wall.
'What's up?' Harry asked him, glancing around. Hermione did too, but then her eyes fell on Y/N and she smirked.
'Felt something tug on my robes' said Ron, he sounded unsure. 'Could have sworn…'
'Where's Y/N anyway?' asked Harry.
'Doing a quick sweep of the nearby corridors,' said Hermione at once. 'Making sure there's no one nearby for when we leave.'
'Good thinking,' said Ron, turning back towards her whilst Hermione began to place the potion into vials.
Y/N swept past and this time poked Harry hard in the back. Harry now jumped and span around drawing his wand but was once again faced with an apparently empty bathroom.
'I felt it that time,' he said, his eyes wandering straight over and past Y/N.
Ron too drew his wand as Hermione looked away from them to hide her smile. Y/N pointed his own wand at Harry and muttered 'Expelliarmus.' The jet of red light gave him away for a moment as it hit Harry and his wand went flying out of his hand.
'Expelliarmus!' yelled Ron, but instead of the spell flying at Y/N, the jet of red light flew backwards at Ron and his own wand simply went spiralling out of his hand. This was too much for Y/N and Hermione as both burst out laughing. Ron went very red as Harry angrily stomped over and picked up his wand.
'Very funny,' growled Ron, glaring at Hermione as he couldn't see Y/N.
'Where did you even get the cloak from?' said Harry, his face was breaking into a smile despite his best attempts to look angry.
'No cloak mate,' said Y/N, walking forward. 'Disillusionment charm. It essentially lets me blend in with what I'm stood in front of. Kind of like a chameleon. This is the first time I've pulled it off.'
Harry's eyes were wandering his general area before he watched them focus in on his face and he seemed to see him properly.
'Oh wow,' said Harry moving forward and beginning to walk around him. It was at this point that Ron noticed and glared angrily at him instead.
'It's how I'm going to keep watch for you, but I thought it'd be fun to mess with you first. Go get your potion,' he said, and Harry moved back off towards the stall as Hermione stepped out handing each of them a vial.
They each dropped their hairs into the bottles. Hermione's turned a horrible sickly yellow. Ron's turned a very deep murky brown and Harry's changed to an odd Khaki colour.
'Charming,' said Hermione, looking disgusted at her own vial. She raised her arm to drink it and so did Ron before Harry stopped them.
'Hang on. We'd better not all drink them in here, we won't all fit once we transform. Crabbe and Goyle are big enough and I doubt Millicent is a pixie.'
'Good thinking,' said Ron. 'We'll take separate cells.'
'I'm going to step outside. Best of luck guys,' called Y/N. The three nodded in his general direction and Y/N slipped outside into the corridor. He glanced up and down and saw no one moving along.
He was waiting there for a couple of minutes before Crabbe and Goyle poked their heads out of the bathroom door.
'Clear,' said Y/N, 'but you've still got glasses on Harry. Where's 'Mione?' he asked as Harry pulled them off.
'Said she wasn't coming,' said Ron.
'Just go, see what you can find. I'll talk to her,' said Y/N, and the two nodded in the general direction his voice before sweeping off. Y/N kept his eyes on the duo until they were out of sight, then ducked back inside the bathroom. He had time before they had to return, he didn't need to watch the corridor right now. Not when Hermione needed him.
He moved over to the stall he'd seen her take and he could have sworn he heard crying on the other side. He knocked and heard a small yelp.
'Occupied!' came Hermione's voice, which was odd. Ron and Harry had sounded like Crabbe and Goyle.
'I'm aware,' said Y/N, 'that's why I'm knocking.'
'Y/N?'
'What's up 'Mione? Ron said you told them you weren't going.'
'It's fine, don't worry, it's nothing.'
'Hermione I can unlock the door easily, don't force me to.'
She was silent for a few moments before he heard the click of the door unlocking and he slipped inside. Hermione wasn't Hermione at all. Her face was now covered in black fur, her eyes had turned yellow and she had long pointed cat ears poking through her hair.
'It was a cat hair!' she wailed, throwing herself at Y/N. 'Millicent must have a cat! That's the hair I got.'
'We were halfway through a term! How had that not washed off?' he asked confused, but Hermione was no longer listening. She was sobbing intensely against Y/N's chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her, running his hand through her hair. Slowly, she began to calm down and he broke apart from her.
'I have to keep an eye out for Harry and Ron coming back, but-'
He traced his wand in a similar movement to earlier and tapped Hermione's head, she shivered as her body began to change and blend into the background.
'Thought so, read that that's how we use it on others. Stay in here, once they're back we'll take you up to the Hospital Wing.'
'Thanks Y/N,' she sniffed. He could hear the appreciation in her voice, even if he couldn't see it, and he stepped outside.
He closed the stall door and muttered, 'Colloportus,' before stepping back out into the corridor. He was out there for an agonisingly long time. He just wanted to reassure Hermione, make sure she was okay, but he knew he had to make sure Harry and Ron got back.
Finally, after what felt like an age, the two came racing around the corner speaking animatedly to each other. Y/N threw the door to the bathroom open as they approached and he followed them inside. Y/N twirled his wand around himself as though unbinding himself and, with a weird feeling of something hot trickling down his neck, he watched his body reappear.
'Well, it wasn't a complete waste of time,' Ron panted, closing the bathroom door behind them. 'I know we still haven't found out who's doing the attacks, but I'm going to write to Dad tomorrow and tell him to check under the Malfoys' drawing room.'
'Malfoy had nothing?' asked Y/N angrily as Harry went to check his reflection.
'Not quite,' said Ron. 'Grab Hermione, we've got loads to tell you.'
'Yeah, not that easy,' said Y/N, moving over to Hermione's stall and knocking gently. ''Mione, it's me.'
The door opened a fraction and he slipped inside. A moment later and something connected with his chest again.
'Swear you hug harder when I can't see you,' said Y/N, patting her head gently. 'Come on, let's get you up to the Hospital Wing.'
'No!' she cried, sounding frightened. 'I can't let her see me!'
'What's the other option 'Mione? You stay as a cat? Harry and Ron are already back to normal so it's clearly already working differently for you.'
'I think I can feel it doing something,' she muttered unconvincingly.
'And I'm pretty sure I just felt a tail,' said Y/N as something whisked along his leg, 'which definitely wasn't there before. Come on or I'll carry you. And that'll look weird with you being invisible.'
Hermione grumbled but had clearly run out of counterarguments and so followed Y/N out of the stall, wrapping her paw in his hand.
'Where's Hermione,' asked Harry as Y/N stepped out. As an answer, Y/N held up his hand.
'Disillusionment charm. The hair in her potion was a cat hair so… well, you can guess the rest. We need to get her to the Hospital Wing.'
The two boys nodded and they swept out of the bathroom, dragging Hermione downstairs with them. They arrived outside the doors and Y/N knocked, Madam Pomfrey opened the door.
'Not you again,' she said immediately looking at Y/N, but he immediately shook his head.
'No, not me Madam Pomfrey. Can we come in?' She nodded and stood back, but Ron and Harry stayed behind.
'We'll head back up to the common room, Y/N. Give her some space,' Y/N smiled appreciatively at Ron as he and Harry made their way off.
Y/N drew his wand and performed the counter charm for Hermione's disillusionment.
Madam Pomfrey tutted loudly as Hermione came into full view and swept forward. The hair on her face had gotten darker and her pupils narrower. It was definitely getting worse.
'You'll be staying here whilst I tend to you,' said Madam Pomfrey, examining Hermione's ears and tail. 'I can reverse it, but it will be a slow process. You'll be in here for a few weeks.'
'You'll visit me, won't you?' Hermione asked Y/N, immediately turning to him.
'Visit you? The only times I won't be in here are when I'm in class, I'll bring you all the homework and even stay here if Madam Pomfrey will let me.'
The matron looked disapproving at first but then sighed.
'I don't see why not; it won't do her any harm. But not every night, L/N.'
She swept Hermione over to one of the beds and began poking around her with her wand. Y/N sank into a chair alongside the bed.
'Feels weird being on this side of the bed,' he said, smirking up at her. Hermione shook her head but smiled too.
Madam Pomfrey swept over and handed Hermione a potion of some variety.
'Drink all of this and get used to it. This is going to be a daily thing from now on.' Hermione took it and grimaced though didn't complain. Madam Pomfrey now pointed at Y/N and said, 'Out.'
Y/N stood up and walked a few paces away. Madam Pomfrey waved her wand and a set of clothes appeared on Hermione's bed, another wave and the curtains drew themselves around her.
A few moments later and a quiet, 'It's okay Y/N,' came through the curtains and he stepped through to find Hermione changed and back in bed. Y/N sank back onto his chair and grabbed her hand. 'One amazing Christmas isn't it?' she asked him bitterly.
'A memorable one,' he said. 'Hopefully you'll be better before term starts.'
'Did you mean what you said?'
'Which bit, I talk a lot 'Mione.'
'About bringing me the work and visiting as often as you can, even sleeping here?'
'Did you do the same for me when I was injured?' he asked. 'Of course I am, I'm not leaving you to this alone.'
'Come here,' she said. Y/N stood up and moved over to her, she pulled him down and gave his cheek the same fierce kiss she had the day of the Duelling club. Y/N felt his face flush aggressively again and he gazed down at her.
''Mione?' he asked, she sighed and the next time she spoke it was very quiet.
'I have something to ask you. But I know you're stressed, and this year isn't exactly looking up. It doesn't feel right at the moment, but once it is I'm going to ask you. And I want you to think about it before you answer, okay?'
'Yeah, of course,' said Y/N still confused, and Hermione smiled at him, an honest smile that made his stomach do that now familiar flutter.
'Now do me a favour and go get me some books or something or I'm going to go crazy in here'
