Only Time
Chapter 8 – Which side are you on?
"This is totally unfair!", complained Hermione, her face hard.
"And since when Snape is fair about anything?" asked Harry, more to himself than to his friends while Ron tried to say something as he looked at him.
"That's no excuse! No excuse! I didn't deserve a detention. I was just trying to pull them apart", she complained, pacing around. "It's your entire fault, Ronald Weasley!" she said, pointing at the red-haired.
"My fault?" Ron flared. "He's the one dating the transvestite!" he accused, pointing towards Harry, and that made Hermione step back, frowning.
"I really don't want to hear this", thought Hermione, covering her ears and stepping out further as she saw Harry's blood rushing to his face. "Not again – what?" she began, but stopped as she felt something covering her ears.
"How many times do I have to tell you she's not a transvestite?" angered Harry.
"And how can you be so sure?" asked Ron, and in watching Harry's embarrassed expression, he had an insight. "You checked it out as you studied Anatomy! Ew! How disguting! Right beside my bed... I'll never be able to sleep again, Harry!" he said, looking so disgusted that Harry laughed, relieving the tension in the air.
"How did you get there?", thought Hermione, getting off the muffler from her ears.
Meanwhile that, Draco struggled to match his Potion Master's footsteps, as he walked hurriedly throughout Hogwarts corridors, his robes billowing. Said robes were black as night. Snape was quite a smart dress. Black suited him well. And the light cloth, billowing at each of his steps, gave him a sinister look, his trade mark.
"I most certainly do not know what were you thinking!", snapped the teacher on his way to the far away door of the main tower's top floor. "Skirmishing with Gryffindors in broad day light? If you wanted that so much, you should have done it while no one was looking", he said, looking sharply at Draco, who couldn't match his glare and looked down. "Keep it up and you'll be Slytherin's disgrace!"
"I'm sorry, sir", said Draco, feeling a betrayer of her house.
"Trust me, you're not sorry enough", remarked Snape, making a shiver cover Draco from head to toe.
Few people had the ability to control her that way. Gracious gestures, implacable behavior and piercing looks. Those were seen by the unaware observer. But to Draco's astute look, who had been used from early childhood to see those minute detail in her own father's personality, the hidden messages in any of these gestures were plain to see.
And the message was plain. She had crossed her limits with her behavior, one that was totally unbefitting for a Slytherin. To help matters out, Ron Weasley couldn't help but make a dramatic exit straight to the hospital wing. She hadn't even hit him hard enough for him to pass out. Maybe if she fainted, too, she could get out of the detention. After all, it would be a waste of time. She could put the time in good use, studying for her O.W.L.s, since she wouldn't have the time for the habitual revision of her lessons for the exams, being on detention till the end of the semester (thanks to the damage to the Potions book from the library) and study group with Crabbe and Goyle. Her grades this year would surely be not as good as previous years, to her parents' supreme disgust. All because of that Gryffindork Weasel. Damn the Weasel! Damned Veela hormones!
"It was about time, Mr. Malfoy", said Professor McGonagall. "Your wand, please", she asked Draco without the least trace of patience.
Draco had surely made her bed.
"You heard her", said Snape in disgust.
And now she would have to lie down.
Meanwhile that…
"What's the matter, Mione?", asked Harry as he saw his friend's vacant look as she held something in her hands. "Where did it come from?"
"I don't know," she answered earnestly.
"Nice detention, huh? Old McGonagall must be losing her touch to leave us in this huge room just to kill time", said Ron in wonder, looking around at the room.
"If only I had my books to study", sighed Hermione dispiritedly as Harry tried to cheer her up.
But the words had barely left her lips and a stack of books appeared at her feet, surprising Hermione and Harry, who exchanged smiles.
"I mean detention should be a sort of punishment…" Rony started, but he was interrupted by a the door squeaking open. "McGonagall, you're a sadist!", he said in a whisper, watching Draco Malfoy coming in the huge room.
Draco almost went into shock when she saw the room's occupants. Said occupants would share with her the next five hours worth of detention. Five hours with the Gryffindors! Sure, one of them was her boyfriend. But that small detail was absolutely meaningless considering said boyfriend had his two best friends with him. Where were Crabbe and Goyle when you need them?
"Are you all right, Bele?", asked Harry filled with concern, after McGonagall closed the door and sealed them inside. "Did you hurt yourself in the fight? I'm sorry, I should have set the both of you apart sooner", he said, guilt all over his face as he held her in his arms, to Ron's complete undoing.
"Ew! Not to my face! First, there were pornography with the transvestite beside my sacred bed!", screamed Ron, who earned an incredulous look from Hermione. "Now there are pornography right in front of me! That's way too much! I'll be traumatized for the next five lifetimes!"
"What are you talking about, Weasel?", asked Draco, looking suspiciously at Ron, freeing herself from Harry's arms. "You told him!", she accused, without waiting for an answer from the redheaded.
"I had to. He was beating you!", Harry said in his defense. "What should have I done? Just look while you get all bruised?"
"Bruised? Are you blind?", Draco squeaked. "What an idiotic question! Of course you're blind. Otherwise, why would you wear such hideous glasses?" she said sarcastically. "Look at me and look at him! He's all bruised. Do I look like bruised to you?", she completed, indicating her body.
As a matter of fact, Harry was so distressed to see her well that he hadn't noticed that she hadn't a single mark on her body. Some scratches, perhaps, but nothing like Ron. He then looked at his friend, who had a black eye and a cut on the upper lip along with numerous scratches .
"Quit it, you Albino Ferret! He was just trying to save you from a most painful death!", complained Ron.
"Painful death?" repeated Draco, turning her attention to the redheaded as Harry sneaked away near Hermione. "And who would be executioner? You?", she said smiling.
"You bet", said Ron, his chest out.
"And what would you do to me?", provoked Draco with a huge sardonic smile. "Throw your fleas at me? Or maybe you could find a way to pass on your poverty to me, then I'd die from starvation and hand-me-down clothes!", Draco giggled.
"Wow!", said Harry, tuning out from the argument and moving to Hermione. "A desk?"
"I needed a place to put the books," she smiled. "Why don't you try? I think that's gonna take a while anyway…" suggested Hermione, gesturing to those two that kept on barking at each other and receiving a grin in return.
With no hesitation, Harry took his friend's suggestion in.
"I think you're watching way too much TV, Harry", offered Hermione, disapprovingly.
"I've always wanted a chair like this one", said Harry with a smile as he stretched in his new lazy-boy chair, one identical to the one he had seen in the sitcom Friends. "Popcorn?", he offered, before turning his attention back to the two students, who were still engrossed in verbal abuse, completely unaware of the changes in the environment.
"I don't have your beloved father's pendant in referring to killing people, but you learn it as you do it," threatening Ron, charging towards Draco. "But perhaps I shouldn't even worry, for after all, when he finds out that her transvestite daughter has been studying anatomy in Gryffindor territory, he might kill you himself! And maybe this time he'll be sent to Azkaban and rot there!".
"So why don't you do that? Tell him! Tell him everything! Just don't forget to mention that I was with your beloved friend Harry Potter!", challenged Draco, her face totally red in anger, and her hair starting to waver.
"Hum… flying hair… bad sign. Very, very bad sign!", said Harry in a low voice, cringing in his armchair, in a vain effort to stay clear from Draco.
"Very bad sign?", asked Hermione, taking her eyes off the books and turning her attention to Harry and then to the room. "Strange. I didn't notice this room was so small before", she thought out loud.
"Yes… Look at her face", said Harry, meaning Draco's. "Her hair goes flying when she is very upset, and look at her eyes, they seem to be burning or something. It's really scary, Mione", he completed.
"What did you expect, Harry? She's Veela," she commented, ending the subject.
Three hours passed by. Hermione kept on studying at her desk, Harry ate popcorn while watching TV or practiced Quidditch while Ron and Draco kept on fighting without end.
During this time, however, something passed unnoticed by the room's three occupants, until something collided with Hermione's desk, making all her books fall down to the floor.
"Harry! Will you please stop pushing your chair over me? I'm trying to study here", Hermione started complaining, but stopped when she didn't see her friend on the chair. "But what's going on?", asked Hermione, grabbing Harry's attention. The boy was swimming in a very small pool.
"Something wrong, Mione?" asked Harry, coming out of the pool.
"The room is getting smaller, can't you see?" explained Hermione.
"Now that you've mentioned... indeed. My pool looks more like a tank!" complained Harry heartily.
"Good heavens, Harry! Could our wishes have made it?", pondered Hermione, getting rid of the books, as Harry did the same.
"Oh, dear. Just when we were having fun", mumbled Harry as he vanished with his popcorn, the pool, the Thunderbolt (world fastest broomstick) "Do I really need to get rid of this?", Harry asked his friend, pointing towards his wonderful armchair.
"Do I really need to answer?", spat Hermione, as she looked with a stricken expression to the room, which continued to shrink steadily.
"Say hi to Joey for me", said Harry, extremely unhappy, wishing the armchair away. "Done, Mione. Hum… is it me or the room is still shrinking?"
"It is, but I don't understand it. It's obviously a spell. Probably triggered by magic. But we don't have our wands and we're not using magic inside this room. There is no kind of magic here", thought Hermione aloud. "Unless…" She observed the fighting that raged on, regardless of what else was happening.
"So this is your plan, isn't it?", raged Ron. "You seduced Harry to deliver him to your dad. Why? So he could score a few point with You-Know-Who?"
"Just so you know, it was not my choice. And don't you talk about my father, you worm. You don't know him. You have no right to judge him!", spat Draco back, her hair trembling fiercely, as a fireball came out of her hand and straight to the ground.
"What did I tell you, Mione? Bad sign!", Harry whispered to his friend, as the room shrank even further.
"ENOUGH!", shrieked Hermnione, finally shutting both of them up, making them stop fighting for the first time in the last three hours. "Don't you grow tired? You've been going on for more than three hours, and have not reached any conclusion. And you know what? You never will! Thanks to both of you, Harry and I can't do our homework because the room shrinks as you argue".
"And I lost my armchair", said Harry, feeling indignant.
"Shut up, Harry", said Hermione, turning back to the duo. "So, it's time to a truce. I don't know about you, but I don't find it very appealing the idea of being crushed to death in a classroom", she said, pointing at the room, that seemed to be a 150 square-meter room, but now it was barely 30.
"I bet that were we to die in the library, you wouldn't be so angry", mumbled Rony, making Draco smirk. When she realized what she was doing, she stopped it. "I don't want a truce with the transvestite! I shouldn't be even talking to Harry in the first place", he said, looking at his friend. "I didn't cut him off completely because I know deep inside he's just a victim of this…. This.. this thing", he said, appointing at Draco. "He's probably under Imperius or something of the sort".
After hearing that, Hermione sighed heavily, took a deep breath and started to explain, in a tone that placed Ron as a three-year old kid.
"Ron, she's Veela," she said kindly. "She chose Harry as her mate and there's nothing you or anybody can do about it".
"This just ain't right, Mione! He… she is a Malfoy! Do you know what it means? She's the devil reincarnated. By Merlin, her family is made of Death Eaters. Her father is a known assassin. Her mother probably has drinking problems. It's said they killed the rest of the family for the inheritance, and now their dead relatives hang there, haunting everything. You heard that Howler. Her granpa was flying, tormenting her dad. It must be a punishment! Damn it, Hermione, she's the devil. I tell you. Some people here at Hogwarts say she's not afraid of the Bloody Baron! That they're friends! By Merlin, which sane person would be friends with that crazed ghost? And there's also this thing about dressing her as a boy… That's sick! What sort of parents are those that cross-dress their own daughter?" he said quickly, becoming breathless in the process.
After a few minutes of awkward silence, a hysterical laughter filled the small room.
Draco had never had a greater laugh in her life. She was astounded as the small rumors about her family rapidly became legend. Malfoy, the macabre family. That's how they were known by many in the wizarding world. And all those ill-explained facts about her family fed this type of story. It all began when her grandfather on her dad's side died of a heart attack, when Lucius was a small boy. His death was considered a dishonor by the family and so was never properly explained to the newspapers at the time, originating several speculations about his death. After that, there had been her sister Julie's death, murdered by the Mudbloods that invaded the mansion. Finally, there was his father joining You-know-Who's Death Eaters, resulting in his imprisonment from 1979 to 1981. His arrest had been made by no other than Arthur Weasley, head of the wizard's Hillbillies.
Everyone stared at her. Hermione had a pensive face. Harry smirking calmly and Ron as if he was about to explode.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you've been spying on me all these years. Maybe you've sneaked into the mansion under Harry's invisibility cloak", said Draco laughing. "Some silverware has been missing. Are you sure you didn't sneak in?", she asked, a big smile on her face. "Maybe you Flooed over there? No, no… You'd died with the security detail of that room. His aim is perfect, and your forehead doesn't show any holes, so that was not how you went there", she continued, ignoring the strange looks she was receiving.
"I take back everything I said. She's only nuts. You can date her as you wish, my friend", said Ron to Harry, who was watching the blonde girl, that was walking and talking to herself.
"So is that a truce between you two?", asked Harry to Ron with a smile from ear to ear, making Draco pay attention to the both of them.
"No, it means that if she does anything, I'll report her to St. Mungo's", asked Ron, causing Draco more laughs.
After the pseudo-truce, the four occupants of the room spent their time with Muggle games, since they could not use magic inside the room, or it would get even smaller.
"STOP!", shouted Hermione with a winning smile. "Come on, stop writing, I said stop already!
"I did", Harry said. "Ei, Bele, stop cheating!" Harry complained when he saw Draco still writing on her sheet.
"I'm not cheating", said Draco indignant, earning suspicious looks from the others. "I had already started to write before she said it."
"You put the first letter ahead of every item. That's cheating!" retorted Ron, looking at the sheet he wrenched from Draco.
"I was just planning ahead, Weasel" said Draco nonplussed, making Harry chuckle.
"May we continue?" asked Hermione, and seeing the series of nods from each one, went on, "Name? Edward."
"Eric", said Harry.
"Edgard", Said Ron.
"Edgard Norton Manchester III", asked Draco, making everyone laugh. "What?", she asked, intrigued.
"Well, that will be 10 points to Harry and me, and five to each of you" said Hermione. "Magical creature? House Elf."
"Five? No way! Mine was much more complete than his, Granger!", said Draco heatedly.
"But it was just name, not family name, Isabele", answered Hermione in a reproachful tone, making Draco mutter under her breath.
"Essex elf", Harry said, going on with the game, in which he was followed by Ron, who had the same answer.
"Erumpent", Draco said with a sardonic smile. "That will be five points to Harry and to the Shame-of-the-Wizarding World Weasel, nothing for you, Granger and 15 to me, for my extreme originality" she completed with a triumphant smile, making Harry and Ron smile.
"Nothing? Nothing for me", asked Hermione, her jaw set and a killer glint in her eyes.
"Exactly. The item requested a magical creature, not a magical being, Granger", she retorted with an innocent smile, which gave her and angelical aura – enough to make Hermione jump a cliff.
"Oh-oh", was all Harry could say before Hermione jumped on Draco, trying to strangle her.
Hermione was out of her mind, and as hard as Harry would try, she couldn't get off Draco, who kept on saying things like "Where's your sense of fair play?", "The important thing is to compete, even if you embarrassingly lose to me", "Don't play if you can't stand the heat".
The cavalry, however, was on its way.
"Hello", said a cracked voice, after the door creaked open, startling the room's occupants.
"Hi, Dobby", said Hermione happily, forgetting about Draco and coming to the elf. "You have an excellent timing. Are you a magical creature or a magical being?"
After some moment of deep thoughtfulness, Dobby finally said, "Dobby isn't having idea, sir", and that left Hermione embarrassed, as Draco laughed out loud. "Good thing the teachers sent Dobby to let you all go. A few more time and you all was being squashed by the room, sirs!", it said, looking at the tiny room.
"It's all the transvestite's fault. It went hysterical, began to waft feathers and a little fire buy the hand", said Ron with a grumpy face, making Draco shoot him daggers as her hair began to flutter.
Seeing more manifestations on Draco, Hermione and Ron looked curiously, but Harry cringed, and Dobby fully panicked.
"Mistress Draco, sir! Shouldn't be doing that!", exclaimed Dobby, jumping on Draco, trying to get her hair down and holding her head. "Mistress Draco is only a child. Shouldn't fly hair!"
"By Merlin, Dobby! What is this non-sense?", said Draco, trying to get rid of the elf.
"It aren't non-sense, sir", apologized Draco, looking at her with tears in his eyes. "But old Mistress Narcissa asked Dobby to look after Mistress Draco", he went on, his ears falling, as if he were a dog being punished.
"Please don't act like this... I didn't mean to be rude", said Draco, so the other room's occupants couldn't hear it.
"Is everything fine with Young Mistress? She doesn't feel tired? Or anger? Or fever?", asked a concerned Dobby, putting his hand over Draco's forehead.
"I think I need to rest a bit, that's all", admitted Draco, tired.
Harry, Ron e Hermione kept looking at Draco when she and Dobby interacted. Ron e Hermione were extremely surprised to see that Draco hadn't kicked or threatened the poor elf to death. But they were even more surprised when Harry commented that Draco didn't have anything against house elves.
"Well, good night then, Mistress Draco", said a very happy Dobby before snap his little fingers, making Draco falls in deep sleep. "Professor McGonagall asked to warn you that you are free and that can go back to the tower now. And she also asked that this kind of thing should not happen any time soon. Bye bye", completed the elf, after disappearing with Draco, leaving three gryffindors with theirs mouths open.
Dobby, using the kind of magic that only house elves know, "apareted" at the fifth year's boys dormitory that Draco shared with her two friends Crabbe and Goyle.
Without delay, Dobby approached Draco's bed, and after certificated itself that its precious burden was safe and comfortable he left.
Meanwhile that, the Gryffindor trio was going to their common room, discussing the lasts events.
"I love Snape", said solemnly Hermione to the Fat Woman, whom laughed in return while opened the entrance of the tower.
"I still think it's too weird all of that", said Harry while entering the common room.
"I told you that Dobby and Malfoy were planning something together. I warned you!", complained Ron, being completed ignored by Harry.
"Shut up, Ron! And what is so strange, Harry? Didn't you said yourself that they get well?, asked Hermione, receiving a brief nod from Harry. "Dobby used to work for her family. And probably took care of Isabele trough all her life. I think it's natural that Dobby was preoccupied with her well being", concluded.
"I know, but we're talking about Dobby!", exclaimed Harry exasperate. "Maybe I should try to go the Slytherin's dungeons with my cloak, just to see if she is really ok – thought Harry out loud going to his dormitory to get his cloak.
"Don't you think you exaggerating? I know you love the travestite and all", pondered Ron with a disgusted expression. "But can't you wait until tomorrow so you can meet her in the breakfast? After all, what can change so drastically in one night?", completed Ron, looking anxious for his friend.
"I don't know", said Harry in doubt. "I have a bad feeling."
"I think you should listen Ron", commented Hermione sincerely, making Ron smile. "It's so rare he says something useful. You better use the advice, only God knows when will come another one", concluded Hermione, making the smile on Ron's face disappear entirely. "I'm going to sleep, good night", said going to the girl's dormitory.
Although the Slytherin's dungeons haven't a single window, Draco could swear that it was a very… hot… morning. Her skin was all sweaty and soaked in her pajamas and silk sheets. Her hair was also soaked in her forehead. And all dormitory felt like a sauna. She couldn't take anymore, and decided to get up to refresh herself.
In the way to the bathroom, she couldn't let notice that her friends were not in the dormitory anymore. And couldn't help smile, because now she'd have all the bathroom to herself. And with that happy thought, she entered the bathroom and opened up the shower. But before get wet, she decided to brush her teeth, because she really hated morning breath, including hers. And with a surreal calm, she put toothpaste on her toothbrush and started to clean her teeth, while the bathroom was fulfilled by the vapor of the shower. She was distracted with her thoughts when a voice called her attention.
"Your hair looks gorgeous that way", commented the mirror.
"Just the hair?" said Draco with her mouth full, giving a half smile while she curved down to spit.
"Long hair really suits you', continued the mirror making Draco choke.
Draco couldn't believe it. She touched her head, now adorned with long hair. Not satisfied, she approached her shaking hand to the misty mirror, cleaning it, trying to see the truth with her own eyes. It was not her mind playing tricks on her. It really had happened.
"My hair!", exclaimed horrified getting away from the mirror. "My beautiful little hair", murmured weakly until collided with the wall opposite the mirror, being splashed by the warm water that fell from the shower.
Fearing other changes in her body, Draco started to touché herself. And it was alleviated. She still had two legs and two arms…human legs and arms. And she didn't feel any brusque change in her height. At least not something that could make her fell weird and dislocated. Her face still looked normal. She breathed alleviated, and couldn't contain a small smile on her lips. But her smile disappeared when she looked to her breasts trough her wet pajamas. They were huge!
Not that she looked like a porn actress. They were not that big. On the contrary, they were smaller than the other girls of her age. What scarred Draco was not necessarily the size of them, but the fact that they were not there the night before. By the way, not even her hair was that long before she lay down last night. She didn't even remember how she got in the dungeons in the first place! All the she remembered was that she was with Dobby and the gryffindorks in that weird classroom, and that Dobby talked a lot of nonsense things about her being a child and that she wasn't supposed to do something. What "something" she had no clue. And she also had no clue why her body changed so drastically over the night. Her father already had informed her that her body was going to suffer some changes, even her had already read that in some books about veelas, but that was ridiculous.
"Je dois contacter papa aussitôt que possible ", she thought out loud while she took off her soaked pajamas and get for once in the shower.
After get her shower, she went back to her dormitory, and without knowing exactly the words of the glamour charm, which masqueraded her body changes, she optioned to wear her most heavy winter uniform for school that day.
"I think we should have woke up the boss", commented Crabbe with his mouth full. "Its almost time for the first class and he didn't showed up yet."
"Are you mad? He stayed until late of the night in that detention yesterday", said Goyle exasperated. "I don't wanna be a target for his bad morning humor. You saw Weasel's face! Not even Madam Pomfrey could fix that marks", completed pointing to the red head who was sitting at the Gryffindor table.
"I hadn't thought about it", admitted while his friend lifts his hands to the sky, shaking his head. "Hey, look! Boss is coming.", said pointing to Draco who was entering the Great Hall.
As soon Draco put his feet inside the Great hall, she felt the stares of almost boys on her. And this made her uncomfortable. Not that she wasn't aware of that kind of look in her direction. It's just that normally that kind of stare where from silly girls who dreamed to be the perfect pair for the Slytherin prince.
Without knowing what to do, she looked at Harry searching for support. But something very disturbing called her attention : Weasel was looking at her with a dreaming expression! She couldn't take anymore, so she ran faster than she could to the classroom, forgetting completely that she needed to speak with her father.
She ran, and ran. And when she was almost out of breath, she finally arrived at the DADA's classroom. But didn't take too long for the others students arrive too.
The girls looked at her unimpressed, all but one. Milicente Bullstrode looked at her with a dreamy expression. Draco always thought that girl was kind of weird.
"What are you looking at, bulldog face? – yelled Draco, making Bullstrode smile disappear for an instant.
Draco continued insulting her, in vain. Nothing that she speaked had effect against that hideous and pathetic expression in Bullstrode's face. On the contrary, it was calling more attention to the situation in hand. Draco started to fell a little deperate with almost all the classroom around her. It didn't take long for her to be trapped in the corner of the room.
"EVERYONE TO YOUR SEATS!", ordered Lupin with a threaten tone, which made everyone obey with out a question.
Draco looked shocked the professor while went to her seat. Never n her life she was so happy to see the werewolf. He didn't even appear affected by her looks. Tripping, she didn't noticed a figure suddenly getting up from the chair she was walking by, taking her lips with need.
It was so quick that she didn't even saw the person, she could even discern what the others were saying. The only thing that she could possibly think was that it was right, it was not what she want. She disliked the weight and flavor of those lips on yours. And just to make things worse, she absolutely hated that scent that invaded her nose, making it burn like fire. It was giving her nauseas. These sensations were consuming her until she couldn't take it any more, not even for an instant, she pushed the being who dare to touched her without her permission.
She felt a huge anger. No, it wasn't anger. It was infuriated like she never felt before. And that feeling spread for all her body. And she felt her power increasing. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw the person who kissed shrinking from her visible scared.
Neville was beyond scared, and didn't understand a thing. One minute he was with the most beautiful being in the world in his arms, and in the other he was brutally thrown on the floor. And just to make it better, now he was facing a horrible monster with huge black wings, claws and a weird face and wild hair, which also had two enormous angry red eyes looking directly at him.
"You better run, if you wanna live", said Draco, throwing a fire ball at his direction.
Without thinking twice, Neville ran away from the class, followed by Draco. Everyone was shocked. They never saw Neville so agile.
"Wait, Harry", asked Mione trying to catch her friend who was leaving the Great Hall in a hurry.
"Not now, Mione. There's something wrong. You saw her face", said Harry walking faster.
"I didn't see anything wrong with her. She looks really hot in that uniform," commented Ron with a smile on his face, making Harry stop and face him.
But when Harry prepared himself to give a answer not so polite to his friend, Neville passed by them, almost making them fall, and locked himself in the Murtle's bathroom. They barely had time to put themselves together, and were almost hit by someone who was flying looking for Neville.
"What the hell was that?", asked Ron astonished.
"Isabele", answered Harry before running at the bathroom's direction.
Ad while Ron and Hermione changed a glance, they were reached by some students companied by Professor Lupin.
"Did you see Mr. Malfoy passing by?", asked Lupin, without a breath, resting his hand on his knees.
"He went that way", stuttered Hermione before seeing Crabbe and Goyle running in the opposite direction, while Lupin took an object from his robes rung at the bathroom.
Harry didn't know what to do. Neville was trying to hide behind one door, while Draco destroyed everything that was in her way. He never saw her so angry like that before.
And when Draco finally found Neville, she dragged him by his feet to the middle of the bathroom, while the door violently opened, calling the attention of it's occupants.
Lupin approach Draco's direction firmly holding a… mirror?
"Look what you become, Mr Malfoy", said Lupin trying to reach Draco who was ignoring him.
"If you don't want to be with that horrendous appearance, you better calm yourself", completed, a meter away from her.
Hearing that, Draco let Neville go and brusquely took the mirror from Lupin's hand. Neville seeing his chance, ran away from there as fast as he could.
Harry watched with wide eyes his beloved one looking at the mirror aghast. And if it wasn't for his seeker's reflexions, he wouldn't have veered from the shards that flyed when Draco hurled the mirror against the wall.
Crabbe and Goyle ran as fast as could their legs could take them to the owls. And in short time they reach their destiny, but not without running by some students on the way.
"Finally! I'm gonna take an owl, and you write a note to boss' dad – ordered Goyle going looking for an owl clever enough to get through the mansion.
"Ok", answered Crabbe taking a parchment, a feather and ink from his backpack.
It didn't take too long to Goyle return with the owl, the beautiful white owl of Harry, Hedwig.
"Done. Here it is", said Crabbe rolling the parchment on Hedwig's foot.
"Go fast, got it? It's a matter of life and death!", warned Goyle sending Hedwig, "I just hope that Satan don't destroy her before she deliver the note", murmured seeing the owl disappearing from his eye of vision.
"We better look for Boss now", suggested Crabbe, and the two of them ran to Murtle's bathroom.
Draco looked and touched his body, denying that something like that could've happened to her. Minutes ago she was normal. And now she looked like one of those horrible vela that she saw at the Quidditch Cup. It was too horrible. Her hand looked like claws, her hair was all crazy and moved wildly. Her face resembled a bird. And she had huge wings on her back. Not knowing what to do, she cringed against the wall and cried, without worrying who was watching her.
Harry couldn't control himself anymore. He got rid of Lupin, who was trying to shield him after he gave the mirror to Draco. He ran and tried to hold Draco, who repelled him, threatening to throw fire balls if he got any closer. But Harry didn't care, and hug her anyway.
"I said once, and I'll say again 'I don't care if you are a boy, a girl or a troll'. I don't give a shit for your looks, but let me stay here", murmured in Draco's ear, who after some resistance relaxed in his arms, returning to her normal appearance.
Lupin felt a little uneasy watching the scene, and didn't noticed when Crabbe, Goyle, Hermione and Ron arrived.
"Is there something you wish to tell me?", asked the professor, red in the face, looking to the couple on the bathroom's floor.
"I think it's obvious enough, don't you think?", said Goyle sarcastically, "And I thought I was dummy", mumbled reaching Draco, leaving all the presents with their mouths open, "Are you o.k. boss?", asked looking Draco who was crying her heart out, with her face hidden on Harry's shoulder.
"She is so beautiful when she is sad" , Ron thought out loud, gaining a poke on his ribs from Hermione, 'What was that for, Mione?", asked leaving the transe.
"You just said that Mr. Malfoy is beautiful when he's sad", answered Lupin trying not to laugh.
"Ohhhhhh", babbled Ron before throwing up.
Crabbe, who followed Goyle to Draco, after e brief examination, said:
"I think he's not fine", said earning a incredulous look from Goyle and Harry, " I mean it. I don't see him like that since we turned the water of his pool into jello when he was inside of it.
"Did you changed the water into jello while he was in the pool?", asked Harry, holding Draco harder, in a protective gesture.
"Fuck off, Potter! We were four, and we were hungry, ok?" , said Goyle exasperated trying to touch Draco.
"I really think that we should take Mr. Malfoy to the hospital wing, maybe there he takes something and calm down a bit", suggested Lupin, "I just hope that there's not so many people out there to see the show", mumbled.
"We kicked some of them out already, professor. And I believe that Mr. Filch took care of the rest", said Hermione.
They all went to the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey gave a calming potion to Draco, who slept almost instantly. And while the three gryffindors and the two slytherins watched her sleep, Lupin was telling what happened at the classroom.
After heard the entire story, Madame Pomfrey shooed Lupin, who decided return to his class, taking with him the five students. Madame Pomfrey decided to examine Draco more carefully, because she had several excoriations thanks to the destruction that she made in her persecution.
She closed the curtains around the bed, and after removing Draco's heavy winter uniform, she had quite a surprise. Still astonished with her discovery, she didn't even notice the arrival of the headmaster.
"Absurd…that's totally absurd!", thought out loud, closing the curtain.
"Is there any problem concerning Mr. Malfoy, Poppy?", asked Dumbledore, with a worried expression.
"No problem at all, except for the fact that would be more wise calling her Mrs. Malfoy", answered serious.
Lucius Malfoy was at home, having his breakfast when an owl, white as snow, passed throught the large neo classic window, calmingly landing in front of him.
"How did you get here in one piece?", smiled taking the parchment.
The owl then took a little from Lucius' food, drank a little bit of water and left as soon as it could.
"What a charming bird", sarcastically commented seeing the owl left through the same window the it entered before.
"Is there a problem, chéri?", asked Narcisa, interested.
"Just a note", answered in a low tone, reading what it said:
"Mister Maufoi,
The boss were not too goodie last time I saw him. He was flying around and throwing fire balls.
V. Crabbe"
After reading and re-reading the note, Lucius exclaimed:
"That's it! I'm going to transfer her to Durmstrang right now!", said to his wife, before returning to his breakfast.
"What was so horrible in that note that makes you want to let her far away form us?", inquired Narcisa, taking the parchment.
"It's the spelling and grammar errors! I don't want my daughter in a place that a fifth year student writes like that", mumbled filling his mouth with cereal and milk.
"For Merlin' sake, Lucius. It says that she's not alright", said Narcisa altered after reading the note, "You have to go there to see what happened".
"I know that woman. I'm just thinking an excuse to enter there. I can't simply show up from nowhere. That's a boarding school!", said back Lucius while a huge red bird arrived in the room, leaving a parchment on his lap leaving as soon as it arrived, "What a hell?", complained taking the parchment and reading it.
"Dear Mr. Lucius Malfoy,
I've come through this letter request your presence today in my office.
Please, come as soon as you can. I'ts an urgent matter that concerns you.
Albus Dumbledore,
Headmaster"
"So?", asked Narcisa signalizing for him to continue.
"I think I've already have my excuse", said getting up, "It shouldn't take long", said before aparating.
"He always do that", Narcisa though out loud, "Don't worry, Julie. Isabele must be just fine", assured when she saw that the girl next to him looked worried.
"Sure", said the little translucent girl who had several scorch on her face and arms, before disappearing.
Lucius desaparated at the closest place to the school, the Ville of Hogsmead, and without wasting more time he went to the check in to take a stagecoach.
"May I help you, sir?", said the boy in charge of the place, "Do you want a stagecoach to Hogwarts?".
"Nah. I just came to see the landscape and to enjoy your company", Lucius said sarcastically, "It obvious that I want one"!, he finally answered when he saw the smile that boy gave him.
"I'm afraid that there's none, sir. The trips to Hogsmead are over, and that's why the school don't send any more stagecoach nowadays", meekly explained the boy.
"What a delight", mumbled Lucius taking a small broomstick from his pocket, "Engorgio!", said pointing his wand, making the object return to it's normal size, "Thanks for nothing", said, flying on his Nimbus 2001 to the castle.
In less than twenty minutes Lucius arrived to his destiny.
"Draco I. Malfoy", said watching an object that resembled a compass, that he took from his other pocket, "Hummm…hospital wing?"
Almost running, Lucius took some short ways to get there fast, and he was alarmed to see the damage that now decorated the halls. Burned frames and scratches everywhere. It was obvious that something wasn't right. Who ever made this was not in his right mind.
"Where is Draco?", asked invading the hospital wing.
"How dare you enter here like this?", said Madame Pomfrey, "I believe that you have an appointment with the headmaster now", said trying to shoo Lucius out of there.
"Anything that I'll have to do can wait", said back Lucius, examining the beds looking for his daughter.
"Your daughter is fine, Mr. Malfoy", commented Madame Pomfrey, in a extremely serious tone, getting closer to one one the beds wich have the curtains closed.
The words that Madame Pomfrey said had a bombastic effect in Lucius. He observed the nurse block his passage to that particularly bed. And without think twice, he sniffed the air. Yes, that bed had his daughter scent. How dare she try to keep them apart!
"I think that I prefer to see that for myself", said with an assassin glint in his eyes.
"She's sleeping now. You are only going to disturb her", said the old lady, holding Lucius arms, trying in vain to keep him away.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you", said still feeling Pomfrey's hand on his arms, "It could be…", he looked to the nurse, "…fatal", he concluded with a fury expression, at the same time that a pair of wings came out from his back, his eyes burned like fire, and his hair moved wildly.
The nurse, scared for her life, ran away as fast as she could.
"It always work", thought out loud, opening the bed curtain, getting close to his daughter, "What the hell happened to you?", asked exasperated seeing her now long hair, waken her up.
"Papa, c'est toi?", she blinked a few times trying to adjust them to light in the room.
"It's me, sweet", answered, but before he could said anything, he was interrupted by his daughter.
"Merci Merlin! J'étais si effrayé. Je me suis réveillé et mes cheveux étaient longs... et quand je suis entré dans la Grande Salle, tout le monde m'a regardé, avec des visages souriant.. et alors ce Longbottom m'a embrassé et s'est enfui. Et des ailes ont poussé dans mon dos, et mes cheveux étaient totalement ébouriffés, et je lançais des boules de feu sur lui. Et alors j'ai regardé dans le miroir...et mon visage était horrible! Je ressemblais à un poulet",told Draco, in a hurry, throwing herself in her dad's arms crying.
A/N - Translation: Thanks Merlin! I was so scared. When I woke up my hair was long… and when I entered the Great Hall, everybody was staring at me, with stupid smiles on their faces… and then Longbottom kissed me and ran away. And wings grew on my back, and my hair was all wild, and I shoot fire balls at him. And then I looedk in the mirror… and my face was horrible! I looked like a chicken.
"It's o.k. now. Calm down, o.k.?", said Lucius making circle moves on his daughter back, "I don't get it…this was not supposed to happen now…it should have been in two years. After all, you are still a child", he thought out loud.
"What's that supposed to mean?, asked Draco sniffing.
"Veelas only passed through that kind of transformation when….well…when they are big. You know what I mean, right?", he said looking to a desk beside the bed, which at me seemed extremely appealing.
"No", answered Draco, confused, making Lucius pay attention to her again.
"I should have brought your mother. She is much better at this than me", he mumbled, "look, I don't know how it works with female veelas, o.k.? Your grandma never told me. The information that I have I took from books, that I believe that you already read them", said nervous, "And, of course, what your grandpa told me. And you know him, so I don't think that I have to say any further on that", completed, putting his hand on his daughter forehead.
"What are you doing?", Draco inquired, curious.
"I'm trying to pass the information to you through osmosis", he answered making Draco smile, "Without any success I'm afraid", mumbled taking off his hand form her head, which made Draco laugh, "Yeah, that's right. Laugh at your father", he said, no too pleased.
"Spill it out, dad", said Draco seeing his dad non-stop mumble.
"Oh yeah. Of course. Well, usually vela transform when they arereadytomate", he said in a hurry, his face all red.
"Speak more clearly… I can't understand a thing you just said", asked Draco.
"O.K.", he took a deep breath, "Veela only manifest all their power when they are close to find their lifetime mates. Are you following me so far?", asked, getting a nod from his daughter, "So, veela use their 'charms' to conquer their mate. And in here, you can insert all that story of mates chosen by scent and yada yada yada. When your chosen one accept you everything ends well. When not…well, that's another story", he said with a yellow smile.
"What happens when he does not accept you?", meekly asked Draco.
"How can I say that without shocking you?", he thought out loud, making Draco shrinking in her bed, "You die!", but seeing her lack of reaction, he completed, "You know… you turn worm's food, when you go to a better place, kick the bucket…"
"I get that part", admitted Draco, making her dad stop with his explanations and synonyms, "But what happens until there? I mean, will everybody still look funny at me?"
"Oh, yeah. There's nothing you can do about that. But think for the good side. Only potential targets are affected. Then you don't have the risk to have an old crazy fool like Dumbledore running after you. And well, you can always go Berseker when someone upset you too much".
"Berseker?", she asked.
"Yeah. Well, your chicken form as you said", he said laughing his head off, "Anyway…that's the spirit. But you can always use 'My father will know about that'", he said still laughing, "But I have to ask you something".
"Shoot", se said smiling.
"You future mate is not Longbottom fellow you've mentioned before, right? Don't get me wrong, but hat boy is practically an abortion. And for the good of our family name, I would have to kill you before you could mix our blood with his", he explained serious, "Nothing personal, dear. But you understand, right? You could…procreate! Then, after all things considered, it would be a favor to you. And to me, of course…because I'm too young to become a grandfather! I'm only 41!", he exclaimed exasperated.
"Get a hold of yourself, father! Longbottom and I? You don't have to worry, you wouldn't have to kill me…because I would kill myself first!, she confessed, pretending she was throwing up, "But I already knows who he is", she said, with a little smile.
"Hummm…there is frog in my little princess' life. Am I right?", asked Lucius playing with a lock of her long hair.
"You could say so", answered Draco, completely red in the face, avoiding look at her father.
"And what is the name of my future ex-son-in-law?", he inquired, "Do you really think that I'd let someone who intend to take away my daughter leave in peace and with good health?
"Dad!", she censored him, "You can't kill him".
"Can I beaten him till comma? Technically he won't be dead", offered Lucius trying to look innocent, "Can I rend an arm?", he said and Draco crossed her arms, "What? He would still have the other one! O.k., o.k. Hummmm…a finger then? Gods…you're a tough one", he constated seeing how she looked horrified, " Broke his legs? Think well before answering me that's my last offer", he concluded at the same time that the nurse re-entered the room.
"Poppy told me that you've arrived", said de Headmaster, making Lucius turn away from his daughter.
"I was just having a little chat with Draco. I was on my way to your office", he answered, getting up and winking at his daughter, who smiled in return.
"You wouldn't have know about a veela terrorizing the hospital wing, would you?", asked the headmaster to Lucius who was coming after him.
"Of course not, headmaster Dumbledore. Maybe Madame Pomfrey was a little too impressed by the state Draco was in, or maybe she's just working too much", he suggested with a fake smile while observed the nurse hiding behind the old man.
"Maybe. I believe it's wise if we talked in my office", said the headmaster motioning the door for Lucius.
"After you, sir", Lucius said politely, making way for the headmaster leave, "Draco, be nice and don't kill the nurse", he asked serious before leaving for the horror of Madame Pomfrey.
It didn't take that long to them arrive at Dumbledore's office. To Lucuis horror, the password was a muggle candy.
"So, what is the urgent matter you've mentioned earlier?", asked Lucius, breaking the silence.
"I think you perfectly know what this is about. But I'll try to be strait as I can, Lucius. Poppy told me today about you daughter Draco", he said, but seeing none reaction from the blonde, he continued, "I'm not judging te motives that made you hide her, in a way, from general knowledge".
"Oh", mumbled Lucius, with a neutral expression.
"And I can guarantee that there's no safe place than this school. However, I can't guarantee her safety out of Hogwarts terrains. But I believe that you already know that, as I'm sure that you also know that secrets don't tend to last here. In a few or more days, someone can discover, and that someone can tell another one, who tells another one…and I think you know what I mean."
"How could I not understand such a clear threat like this?", Lucius said sarcastically.
"Threat? Never, Lucius", the old man said smiling, "I'm just saying that we are in the middle of a war, and that wouldn't want to be on the wrong side", said kindly, "That's why I'm asking: Which side are you on?", asked seriously, making Lucius eyes burn like fire.
End of chapter 8
AN - This is the english version of the fic that I originally wrote in portuguese. English is not my first language, and all I know of grammar is the basic. I don't have a beta or anyone to translate it for me, so if you find any error please let me know so I can correct them.
Translations:
chéri - darling
Je dois contacter papa aussitôt que possible – I must contact dad as soon as possible.
Papa, c'est toi? – Dad, is that you?
Merci Merlin! J'étais si effrayé. Je me suis réveillé et mes cheveux étaient longs... et quand je suis entré dans la Grande Salle, tout le monde m'a regardé, avec des visages souriant.. et alors ce Longbottom m'a embrassé et s'est enfui. Et des ailes ont poussé dans mon dos, et mes cheveux étaient totalement ébouriffés, et je lançais des boules de feu sur lui. Et alors j'ai regardé dans le miroir...et mon visage était horrible! Je ressemblais à un poulet - Thanks Merlin! I was so scared. When I woke up my hair was long… and when I entered the Great Hall, everybody was staring at me, with stupid smiles on their faces… and then Longbottom kissed me and ran away. And wings grow on my back, and my hair was all wild, and I shoot fire balls at him. And then I look in the mirror… and my face was horrible! I looked like a chicken.
Thank you all for reading and sending me reviews ^^