It's What's Inside That Counts

Chapter 2

Harry knew something wasn't right. He heard the voices of people he knew, and could smell their unique scent when they stood next to his bed. Why couldn't he just open his eyes and talk to them? Why couldn't he move? He felt so odd. One day he heard Hermione, McGonagall and Remus next to his bed.

"According to the instructions, the transformation should last a month at a time vice instead of the usual hour," Remus was heard saying. "It's a drop of his blood instead of a hair that makes it possible."

"I wonder how Snape came up with it?" Hermione asked.

WHAT??!! Harry thought.

"He's been working on it for years," Minerva said. "Now, are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, but I wish I had more time. How can I learn to be a bloke, much less Harry, in eight days?" Hermione asked.

Hermione, what are you doing??? Harry screamed.

"You're a smart girl, we'll help you as best we can," Remus said.

"Harry, you better wake up soon, I don't want to be a bloke for too long," Hermione said lightly then said "bottoms up."

"Eww, that was horrid," she choked and felt dizzy.

"Remus, get her on the bed, she's going to faint," was the last thing Hermione heard.

Hermione slowly opened her eyes and smacked her lips. She saw the concerned faces of McGonagall and Remus looking down at her.

"How are you feeling dear?" Minerva asked kindly, her lips twitching.

"Uh..fine," Hermione replied then covered her mouth with her hands.

Is that my voice?! she thought.

She startled the two when she suddenly hopped from the bed. She hurriedly felt her messy hair, the scar on her head, and her Adam's apple. She looked down and saw no breasts, big hands and big feet. Apparently, they had dressed her in Harry's clothes while she was asleep. She patted her torso and moved her hands to feel her bits, but quickly dropped them.

Damn, I'm a bloke for a minute and already feeling myself up! In front of them no less! She still felt the urgent need to adjust her crotch. She went to the mirror and gasped at the sight. She was looking at Harry's reflection.

"Holy shite," she muttered.

McGonagall patted her, well-his, shoulder. "Get some rest. We'll go over things in the morning. We'll ward the door, and whatever happens, don't open it unless it's me or Remus."

"Okay," she replied, again startling herself at the sound of her masculine voice.

"You'll get used to it," Remus said with a smile and they left the room.

She flopped down on the bed and looked at Harry. "Harry, what am I gonna do? I must have been out of my mind to think I could be you!"

She was awakened by knocking on the door and Remus saying, "Hermione, it's Remus, open up."

She had fallen asleep in her clothes. She yawned, stretched and stood up, feeling an ache in her crotch area. She absently scratched herself, opened the door to let Remus in, then went to the lavatory. Ahh, her first chore as a man. She unzipped her jeans, lowered them a bit then lowered the boxers, again startled when her erect penis sprung out.

"Shite," she said.

"Okay in there?" Remus called out.

"Uh, yeah," she said.

The urge to empty her bladder took over and urine sprayed all over the toilet, causing her to exclaim "shite" again until she took hold of her cock to direct the flow. She breathed a sigh of relief. She also felt the need to not only hold the cock, but to stroke and fondle it as well. This was embarrassing; Remus was feet away, just on the other side of the door.

"Umm..Remus, this is normal, right?" she asked.

"If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, then yes," Remus said. "Take a few minutes to tend to it, I'll be downstairs."

She waited until she heard the door shut then fisted her throbbing cock. This was normal??? She stroked once or twice, moaning at the feeling then stroked faster and harder. She started breathing heavily and felt an altogether different feeling in her balls, as if they were heavier and were drawing up into her. She felt an pleasant ache at he bottom of her stomach and before she knew it, an indescribably good feeling shot its way through her cock. She hunched over, shouted and was fascinated as semen shot out of her, still furiously stroking herself until the erection had subsided.

Wow! No wonder blokes toss off so much! she thought.

She showered quickly and jogged down the stairs. Remus was at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and tried not to grin at Harry's flushed face. He was humming.

"Have a seat," he said. Harry sat down (rather primly for a man) and crossed his legs.

"There's some things we need to cover before Minerva gets here," Remus said. "First things first. The morning erections are normal. Every male on the face of the Earth has them. We just don't talk about it and try to keep the handling of it, no pun intended, discreet. You'll also discover that it happens during the day as well."

"Got it," she replied.

"Second, try not to be so effeminate. We generally don't hum and wave our arms as we walk, and we don't cross our legs when we sit down. Blokes more or less sprawl."

Harry uncrossed his legs and adjusted his crotch.

"Third, try to keep those emotions in check. It's acceptable for women to be emotional, we rather expect it. For men, it's not. Silence, aggression, sullenness, and brooding is how men deal with their feelings. Understand?"

Harry nodded. The floo sounded and McGonagall stepped through.

"Oh! Good to see you awake. How are you feeling this morning?" she asked.

Remembering Remus' words, she answered with a short "Fine."

Remus stood and held a chair for Minerva. "Tea Minerva?"

"Yes, thank you," she answered. "Now Herm-, I mean Harry. The Weasleys will be here this afternoon, so we must discuss Hermione's absence. As of now, the only people who know about you are myself and Remus. Unless absolutely necessary, that's how it will remain."

For the next two hours, they attempted to talk about every facet of Harry's life. Hermione was surprised to find out just how much they knew about Harry. Now she knew how Harry felt about his life being under scrutiny.

"There's just one last thing, a big thing," Remus said. "Quidditch."

"Shite," Harry mumbled.

"You're learning, but please watch the language," Minerva said with a smile.

"You're Hermione inside, but have the body of a male and everything that goes with it. You'll have to curb the hormonal urges and aggression just as any male would. We don't expect perfection, just the best gentlewizard you can be, the Harry we know," Minerva said kindly. Remus came back with a pot of steaming tea.

"We know it's a lot to take in, and even more to learn in just eight days, but you're smart Hermione, we know you'll do all right," Remus said, slapping him on the back.

Harry was sitting at the table tapping his foot when the Weasleys arrived.

"Oi mate! Glad to see no permanent damage from that spill the other day," Ron said, slapping his back. "You hit your head pretty hard."

What's with all the back slapping?

"I'm okay."

"Great! Where's Mione?"

How long is he going to call me Mione?

"Uh, there's something you need to know about her," Harry said. "We just found out yesterday."

"Is she all right?" Ron asked.

"Well-" Harry started but was rescued by McGonagall.

"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger will not be returning this term," she said quietly.

Ron jumped from his chair. "What!? Why? Where is she?"

The rest of the Weasleys came to the table. "What's this about Hermione?"

"As I said, she will not be returning this term. She has gone to stay with a distant relative in America."

Ron slumped back into his chair. Hermione so wanted to reach out to him, to comfort him.

"I guess she must have taken the deaths of her parents harder than anyone thought," Molly said sadly.

"She was going to be Head Girl, you know how much she wanted it, right Harry?" Ron asked. "What are we gonna do without her?"

Harry shrugged.

After lunch and a careful observation of male eating habits, Ron started to talk about Quidditch. She had to swallow her panic. He was the best flyer at Hogwarts, star seeker of his house team and she had no idea how shehe was going to play. She was silent as she listened carefully to Ron's explanation of a play he was planning to introduce to the team this term.

"What do you think?" Ron asked.

Harry shrugged.

"Still sad about Mione?" Ron asked.

"Yeah."

"Me too. Right about now, she'd would say I'm babbling."

Harry grinned at the thought.

"I'm gonna have to buckle down this term now that I won't have homework help," Ron said.

"There's more to her than just doing your work," Harry said irritably.

"I know, okay? God Harry, what crawled up your arse?" Ron asked.

Harry frowned, stood up and walked away.

"The poor dear, he's already lost so much," Molly said from across the room.

Late that night, Harry woke and saw that Ron wasn't in the bed across from him. He got up, put on a t-shirt and jeans and went downstairs. He heard mumbling and went in search of the sound. He found Ron in the parlor, drinking something from a bottle.

"Ron?" he asked.

Ron turned from the window, swayed on his feet and held the bottle to him. "Want some?" he slurred.

"Where did you get that?"

Ron pointed to a cabinet by the fireplace then turned back to the window.

"I want her back, Harry. She didn't even say goodbye," Ron said and sniffed.

Oh no, a drunk and weepy Ron.

"I miss her so much already. The way her soft hair brushed against me, the way her soft, small hands handled books, wishing they were handling me..."

Harry was flushed at this revealing bit of information. She had no idea.

"Her smile was brilliant, wasn't it?" he whispered and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "I loved when she brushed her quill across her lips...Harry, I was going to tell her how sorry I was for being such a git and how much I love her...but now I can't, she's gone!" Ron shouted and threw the bottle across the room, startling Harry with the smashing of glass.

Ron swayed on his feet and leaned on a chair, losing his grip. With speed and strength that surprised her, she got to Ron and lowered him to a nearby sofa and put a blanket over him.

Remus and Arthur appeared at the doorway with wands drawn. Harry saw them and said, "He got drunk and mad and threw the bottle."

"All right there Harry?" Remus asked pointedly.

"Yeah. I'm going back to bed."

Severus was listening to the drunken musing from the kitchen. He reluctantly felt for the boy. He had also come to admire Hermione the past months, Ron had her for years. He too took note of her amazing mane of hair and the way she slowly ran her quill across her lips. He loved how she absently caressed books while she read them. Did she know how alluring it was when she bit her adorably pouty bottom lip? Did she know how alluring her intelligence was to him? Gone was the know-it-all of the past. Now she was a young witch confident in herself and talents, so she found it unnecessary to be a walking encyclopedia. She was unassuming in her growing beauty, unaware of her charms that flustered the young wizards around her. She would be a force to be reckoned with when she came into her own. Some lucky young American would be with her when that time came. Damn.