Disclaimer: Potterverse is still not mine.

Chapter 4 – Thelonious and Richy

The rest of her morning had gone by in a blur. She'd been scanned by a very nice but overly chatty older Healer who'd insisted on being called Maggie. Then she'd been shooed back to Healer Rhys' office to be told that indeed she should have been a Harold or whatever her parents would have called her, who then send her to Healer Owain to discuss her options.

When they finally left the hospital she was exhausted physically and mentally and eternally grateful that Harry hadn't left her side all day. He had patiently waited on his bench, then followed her around only to wait some more and she hadn't even told him what was going on. She just felt so overwhelmed by all the information that she hadn't said a single word to him.

"So? Are you going to tell me what happened?" He asked a bit worried as they walked away from Purge and Dowse, Ltd.

"Hermione?"

"I'm sorry, I... Can we go somewhere? Have lunch, or coffee? Maybe Diagonally? I'll tell you everything there, I promise!", she pleaded.

"Alright... Let's go to the leaky cauldron then. On three?"

Harry still looked at her suspiciously when they apparated behind the Leaky Cauldron. They entered through the back door and greeted Tom, then they sat in Harrys usual corner.

"So? Spill!"

"I don't even know where to start... First the healer kinda freaked and I got scared and wanted to leave, but then he explained, that this type of thing usually doesn't happen in the wizarding world because they test newborns for this as standard procedure. Anyway... So they did the test on me and turns out I was right! I am a guy, Harry!"

"Wow... So it's official... Both my best mates are guys. Ron's gonna go berserk."

Hermione looked like she was going to be violently ill and Harry looked at her apologetically.

"Sorry... Go on."

"Right... Where was I?... So then I got sent to this other healer. He's the one who does the sex reasignment spells on newborns and he told me that it was a little more complicated than a simple spell with adults. You sure you want all the gory details?"

Harry just gave her a look.

"Right... So IF I decided to do this, I'd have to take potions. They probably work like a testosterone replacement therapy. The potions would slowly change my voice, give me a little growth spurt and facial hair. That would probably take around 3 Months."

Harry kind of smirked.

"And the other stuff? Neville might look at you weird if you come into the boy's showers with a beard and lady parts"

Hermione blushed.

"Yeah... That stuff... Well apparently it will take some major spell work. They'll need several healers so it'll take a couple of months to get an appointment. He said it could take several hours and I would have to stay at St. Mungo's for at least a week for recovery."

"So you'll actually have a real working dick?", he asked stunned.

"Yeah, I guess..."

"What is it 'Moine? You look upset somehow. I thought this is great news."

Hermione sighed.

"It is... I just... I have no idea how to explain this to everyone. To Ron... You said it yourself. He won't take it well and things were finally going well between us... I don't want to loose that."

"So you DO like him that way? Because if you're a guy and he's a guy and you like him that way... Wouldn't that make you, you know..."

"Gay? God, Harry I don't know... I mean I do find girls attractive and stuff, but what I feel for Ron... It's just different, you know? He means the world to me and I know that I have to figure this out now because when I tell him about me being a guy he'll have questions and I owe him the answers."

"Look... You literally just found out yourself that you have the chance to be a normal guy. Cut yourself some slack. You need time to think about your feelings and talk to your parents, maybe read a book. Doesn't that always help you?"

"I suppose you're right... It's not like there's someone standing behind me with a gun. I have all the time in the world to figure this out now." She said, a smile slowly creeping over her face now.

"Besides..." Harry said with a smirk. "We have more important stuff to figure out right now! I mean now that I know, I can't keep walking around calling my mate 'Hermione'! It feels wrong! And you should probably start to get used to male pronouns as well."

Hermione laughed.

"What's so funny?", Harry asked with a confused smile.

"Nothing really… I don't know. I just feel silly right now. It's so surreal. Thinking about choosing your own name. I used to always sit in front of the TV thinking 'I wish MY name was whatever the character was called!' "

"Well I don't think that's specifically a trans thing.", Harry laughed right back. "For some reason I went through this phase where I really wanted to be called Richy…", he said shaking his head.

"I don't know. Shouldn't I ask my parents when I tell them? Who knows? Maybe they had a boy's name picked out, just in case. And if I absolutely hate it I can still think of something myself…"

"Tell you what: Why don't we make a list of names you like and I approve of; and yes you need my approval because there's no way I'll walk around calling you Thelonious or something like that for the rest of my life; and that way you can make some suggestions to them as well."

"That sounds like a solid plan!"

With that a waitress came by and took their late lunch order.

Over Shepherd's Pie and Fish and Chips they discussed and discarded several names. In the end one being more hideous than the next.

It was the nicest and most care free evening they had spend together since… Well they couldn't quite remember and it seemed that worrying about whether Hermione was going to be called Nate, Carl or possibly Rufus was a most welcome distraction.

When it was time to say their goodbyes in that little dirty backyard behind the Pub Harry went to hug Hermione as he always did. Hermione hesitated.

"Is this gonna be weird from now on? I mean Ron's your best mate but you guys hardly ever touch or anything…"

"No, I don't think anything's gonna change between us in that regard. I don't know, it's not really cuz' Ron's a bloke and all. It's just the way our friendship is. Neither of us really feels the need for contact. I feel different with you. Hugging you and stuff… It's comforting. I don't think that's gonna change just cuz' you'll get a new set o' private parts."

"Good, because I'd hate for us to change. You're my best friend in the world and I'd be devastated if you were uncomfortable around me."

"Don't worry so much about things. You'll see… Everything's gonna be just fine."

Harry then smiled turned around and disappeared with a loud plop.

Hermione just stood there for a while and looked at the familiar brick wall. It felt like she just started a new chapter in her life. One that was a little bit scary, but more "adventure scary", not "death and destruction scary".

She decided she could deal with this new kind of scary. And then too disapparated into the night with a smile on her face.