Majo Kon-ki The Marriage of Tanya the Witch
(The marriage chronicles of a witch)
Arc 1 - Philosopher's Stone – part 6
January, AD 1992, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
"Ignotus Peverell, wherever you are, I want you to know this: you are the best boss ever! Now, this is how you treat your employees, Being X could learn about business management with you!"
Tanya had been in a wonderful mood after finding the invisibility cloak. After just four months in Hogwarts, she found one of the hallows! If things proceed that fast, who knows, maybe she could find all of them before her second year is over!
"I wouldn't mind receiving the stone as an Easter gift! And maybe the wand by next Christmas! That would mean just another year to go home!"
Of course, there was the fact that she only found the cloak. She wasn't its owner yet. Tanya was not ashamed to admit that she considered stealing the cloak, but remembered the instructions Peverell left her for each hallow.
The particular trait of the invisible cloak was that it could not be stolen, since its allegiance was inherited. After the passing of the present owner, it would go to his or her heir. Another way to change the allegiance would be the owner giving it off, but it would need to be by his own volition. She didn't know what would happen with the cloak if it was taken by another, as she saw Ron Weasley turn invisible without Harry around. But the only way to become the master of death was for all hallows to be truly hers.
This means that Tanya had another reason to protect Harry Potter. For should he die now, the cloak would go for his closest relative, in this case, his aunt. Her only way to have it will be for Harry to give it up. She considered a few plans to convince him, but decided to put it on hold until finding the remaining two.
Still, even if she finds all the hallows now, there was the fact that Harry Potter was still too immature to fight for himself. Much less defeat a dark lord. Tanya had to start planning a training regime for him!
"That boy needs to be ready by the time I find all the hallows. But he wasn't studying DADA as I instructed (ordered).However, since the troll, school became a peaceful place again and it's highly improbable for something so dangerous to happen again. So, he can have his free year. Of course, in the next one he will know hell!"
Yes, next year she will worry. Now, it is time to celebrate!
She was skipping and dancing while walking the hall. Some children gave her weird stares and even laughed at her. On other occasions it would be embarrassing, but now she didn't give a damn. Life was finally good and she wanted to enjoy it. After all, it is normal for a 'sweet little girl' to behave like that! Also, she is now very respected in Hogwarts, the amount of points she earned make it almost certain that Gryffindor will win the house cup. Tanya felt like she owned the place, so she was free to act the way she wanted! To think that a simple homework meant to kill some time (and not to say, indulge her ego!) produced so many benefits!
Even Harry Potter was giving her a break, as he seemed busy with other things. Which means no annoying little boy following her around to take her hand.
"Oh! And speaking of an annoying little boy…" Tanya noticed Ron Weasley watching her.
"…"
"Huh? Does he want something?" He was just standing there and looking at her.
"Ah! Whatever!" She ignored him and danced, murmuring a song she remembered from her 'first' childhood.
"…" And Ron was still staring as she danced around, without saying anything.
"… alright! Now I am embarrassed."
"Want something from me, Ron?" Tanya asked, recomposing herself.
"…"
"Ron?"
"… eh? AH! Right!" He shook his head, like he was trying to dismiss something.
"Er, Tanya, can we talk? It's about Harry."
"What are you doing here, Harry?"
"Tanya?" Asked Harry surprised.
"Were you looking for me?"
"Ron Weasley asked me, but he didn't mention what you were doing. I noticed you have been leaving the dormitory every night in the last week and worried you were going to the third floor."
"Oh! No, no. I promised that I would not go back there, remember?"
"That's good to know." She nodded her approval.
"Can't have you risk your life. Even more now that you own the invisible cloak!"
Tanya looked at the boy just sitting on the floor doing nothing.
"But what are you doing here all by yourself?"
"Oh! That? Well…" Harry shifted his gaze to a large and old mirror in the room.
"It's faster if I show you." Harry then got up and motioned for her.
"Look here." Tanya drew closer to Harry and he pointed to the mirror.
"What do you see?"
"Huh? I only see my reflection-" Tanya's eyes widened, her mouth agape.
Reflecting in the mirror was not 'she' but 'he', the salaryman as he was before his death. He was showing a big grin of satisfaction, seated in an even larger desk than the one he used to work, and by the title in the name plate, he was promoted to department chief!
Tanya was staring so transfixed that she even forgot Harry was with her.
"!" And then she got an even bigger shock. The salaryman held a cup and a woman emerged and filled it with what she believed to be coffee. What was so shocking about the woman is that she is her former adjutant, Viktoriya Ivanovna 'Visha' Serebryakov!
Just as Tanya stared at Visha, the woman let out an innocent smile and hugged the salaryman.
"Tanya, you alright? You look flustered."
"Ah!" Tanya remembered Harry and he was also looking at the mirror! She tried to cover the mirror with her small body.
"T-this is… I mean! That was-"
"What did you see?"
"Huh? You can't see it?"
Harry shook his head.
"When Ron was here, he saw something completely different from me. He saw himself holding the Quidditch cup. In my case, I see my mum and dad."
"This mirror shows what we want to see?"
"That's what I think too. So, what did you see?"
Tanya looked again at the mirror and there was the salaryman with Visha. A future that would never come to be, as those two people lived in different worlds and different times.
"B-but why is she there? It's not like she meant anything to me in the first place! W-well, her coffee was delicious and she did save my life-"
Tanya shook her head. It was no use wasting time with silly thoughts.
"… I see my dream job."
"Eh? A job?!"
"Not just any job, Harry. I see my future. The future I am fighting to turn into reality."
"Only, without her coffee…" Tanya motioned her hand towards the mirror and Visha did the same, yet she only felt the cold surface of the glass.
"You have been coming here every day this last week just to look at this thing?"
"It's the only place I can see my parents now…" Harry gazed at the mirror. And the same way it was with Tanya, he forgot everything besides what he was seeing.
"This is a problem! Harry already owns a deathly hallow. What if he decides to become the master of death in the future in the hope of bringing his parents back to life?"
"Harry, do you trust me?"
"Huh? Of course I trust you! You are one of my best friends!"
Tanya improvised a quick plan. One to guarantee Harry Potter wouldn't become a rival in the pursuit of the hallows…
"Then let me say this: Forget about your parents."
"W-what are you saying?"
… and turn him into the obedient 'little brother' Tanya needed him to be.
"Your parents are dead! Get over it! You should be more like me and Ron. We both see things that we can reach. It's futile to wish for what you can never have!"
"…!" Harry's expression changed, he seemed quite angry.
"So, it would be alright if I see myself getting a job or winning the Quidditch cup?"
Even if sometimes it's hard to make people see reason.
"No! I-" Harry grabbed her so hard that she winced.
Fortunately, she anticipated an emotional outburst.
"Then, what would be alright- no, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SEE?"
"… me." Tanya answered in an uncharacteristic low voice.
Now she would use his own emotions in her favor.
"Wha-" Harry's anger immediately subsided.
"What did you say?"
"I want you to see me, to look at me like I look at you, as family." Tanya gave her best 'cute' expression.
If he wants a family, she shall become one for him.
"I am an orphan like you, Harry. I never knew love from my parents and the sisters at the orphanage see me as just a bother…"
"T-Tanya…"
"You are the only one- correction, you and professor Snape are the closest I have to family." Tanya let out a few tears to make it more convincing.
"Ugh! Such a cheesy line!" Tanya thought, fighting hard to not puke at her own words.
"You don't know how much I was suffering being far from you for almost two months! If you asked me to choose between you and professor Snape, it would sadden me, but I would give up on him and choose you!"
In trade, he will give her his very soul!
"I don't want to lose you to a mirror or to the memory of your parents! I know it's selfish! I know I am being a bother-"
"NO!" Harry took the little girl in his arms.
"Hey! I am not finished- Ah! Forget it!" She thought, disappointed that the big script she'd envisioned wouldn't be fully utilized.
"You are never a bother! You are the very first friend I ever had and the first person to ever care about me! You are like- no, you are definitely my family!"
"Great! The first step has been taken!" Tanya had to hide the smirk on her face. Her plan to turn Harry into a dependent and obedient boy was finally coming true!
"You feel so warm… your kindness… I wonder…"
It was a relief that Harry was still a child, because if he was older, he might see this situation as romantic in nature-
Harry caressed her cheek, and slowly lifted her chin.
"W-wait! What is he doing? C-could he have perceived this as something romantic after all?!"
She tried to distance herself, but he was holding her firm in place.
He slowly brought his face close to hers…
"S-shit! I can't walk away or this could ruin any relationship we have!" Tanya closed her eyes, afraid of what was coming. But in the end she only felt the small brush of Harry's lips in her forehead.
"Huh? Did he kiss my forehead?"
She opened her eyes and saw Harry looking at her with tenderness in his eyes.
"I love you… I really do!" He was so earnest, that even Tanya couldn't avoid blushing.
"You are like… like…"
"YES! Say it! Say that I am like a sister to you!"
"… it's like I have a mother now!"
"Oh! I feel the- Eh? A mother?! You want me to be your mother?!" Tanya couldn't help feeling a little annoyed. It was already humiliating for her to become a 'sister' but… a mother?!
"Hum? Something wrong with it?"
"W-well, to tell the truth, I wanted you to be my-"
"Huh?"
"What?"
"My parents are starting to fade and something else is forming."
"What is it?"
"I think… It is… Professor Dumbledore?!"
"You are seeing the headmaster?"
"Mr Potter. Miss Degurechaff." A voice said from behind.
They turned to see the headmaster looking at them.
"Y-you don't need to do this every morning, you know!" Tanya pleaded as Hermione combed her hair.
"Nonsense! I am having fun!" Hermione said, humming in satisfaction.
"It's like I am brushing my doll's hair again."
"A doll?"
"Yeah, a doll I used to have. With your bright blue eyes, porcelain like skin and golden blonde hair you look so much like her!"
"…"
"Oh Sorry! Did I offend you?"
"Actually, I am starting to get used to it. Some nuns at the orphanage said the same thing!"
Ron Weasley watched the interaction between Hermione Granger and Tanya Degurechaff. This was becoming a sort of a morning tradition from what Parvati Patil mentioned.
Tanya was bad at waking up in the mornings, so Hermione offered to wake her every day with the condition that she could also brush her hair.
This particular morning, Tanya managed to wake earlier and escape the dormitory, but Hermione caught her in the common room. And that is how this came to be.
Ron was looking transfixed at Tanya. He was trying to understand why this girl makes him feel so uneasy.
He had to admit that she helped Harry. She always does. The incident with the mirror would have been solved thanks to the headmaster moving it somewhere else, but he had no doubt that Tanya had already convinced Harry.
But there was something off about her. Something that he first noticed when she 'killed' the chocolate frog in the train. She was very different from all the girls he knew, at least very different from how his sister behaved.
Or at least until he found her dancing in the hallway. For a moment, just a tiny moment, he had to admit that she looked… pretty.
"W-what I am thinking! How could she be pretty? Even Harry agreed with me that she can be temperamental, bossy, demanding and above all, scary!" Ron blinked at this thought.
"Hum? Didn't I just describe mum?!"
"Ronikins, why are you looking at Degurechaff like she is mum?" His brother Fred asked.
"What! No, I-"
"Oh? Then it's Granger who you want to turn into a mum?!" This time it was George who asked.
"NO! Listen, first, I was looking at Tanya-"
"HE ADMITS WANTING DEGURECHAFF TO BEAR HIM CHILDREN!" Fred yelled.
"WHAT?!" Ron shouted and looked in the girls' direction. Luckily, they didn't seem to have noticed anything.
"Shh! Knock it off. I was just-"
"Ohhh! His first love!" It seemed that his brothers could not listen as they were too busy making fun of him!
"How cute is that-! No, you are the cute one, lil' bro!"
"Afff! Do those blokes have to always besuch prats?!"
"Don't say that I am cute! I was just- Ah! Know what? Forget!" Ron replied with an annoyed tone.
His brothers walked away still laughing.
"What is up with those two?" Tanya asked in front of him.
"Oh, nothing-" Ron realized Tanya had a big white ribbon tied in her ponytail.
He looked behind to Hermione, to see the girl gesturing for him to be silent about it.
He had to admit, she looks very pretty.
"Err… You look cute today!"
"What?"
"W-why did I say that? Oh! Right. It was all Fred and George fault for putting the word in my head!"
"Hey! Don't say that I am cute!" She glared at him.
"…!" Her words made something snap into place in Ron's brain.
"Huh?" She looked at a close mirror and noticed her hair.
"Wha- Hermione!" Removing the ribbon from her hair, she ran after Hermione demanding satisfaction.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Err, Sorry! But I think this makes you look cuter! You look even more like my lost doll!"
"I am not cute!"
"There! Again!"
"Of course you are! And I think Harry would love to see you like that."
"What does he have to do with anything?"
Ron held a rare thoughtful expression. It remained that way until Hermione came back a few minutes later.
"Ron! Do you know how hard it was to put-"
"Hermione! You look cute today!" He said suddenly.
"Wha-" Hermione blushed furiously at his unexpected compliment.
"O-oh! T-thank you! What have come over you-"
"Hey! Parvati, you look cute today!"
"Eh?" Hermione looked dumbfounded as Ron was now flirting with another girl.
"W-what? Err… Thank you?!" Just like with Hermione, Parvati also blushed.
"Ron what are you-"
"Johnson! You look cute today!"
"Ho? Grow up a bit, little boy, before hitting on me. Humpf!" Angelina Johnson shrugged, but also had a small blush in her face.
"RONALD WESLEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Hermione exploded after being ignored a second time.
"Oh! You are still here?"
"Why are you flirting with every girl passing in front of you-"
"Ah, you are right! I need a boy now."
"WHAT?!"
"Ah! There is Dean! Hey, Dean! You look cute today!" Dean looked at him like he grew a second head.
"Hey, mate! Don't joke like that!" He said glaring at the red-headed boy.
"Did you see that?"
"That is what I am trying to ask! What are you doing?"
"I think I got it."
"What is it?"
"I… I…!" Something was becoming clear in Ron's mind, an answer to a very important question.
"I… dunno!" Unfortunately, he forgot what it was.
Tanya's good mood didn't last as Harry taking advantage of their new status as 'family' made an outrageous request.
It all started when it was revealed professor Snape was going to referee the next quidditch game. Of course, the Gryffindor team reached the conclusion that he was doing this to either knock points off, threaten Harry's life or even both.
With that in mind, the first thing to do would be to remove Harry from this particular game. But it created another problem, who was going to play seeker for the team? That was when her name was mentioned. By now, Tanya was well known as the only Gryffindor that Snape didn't bully and seemed to genuinely care. If she took the seeker position, Harry would be safe and there was the chance that Snape might act fairly or maybe even take their side.
Tanya's first answer was a big 'no'. She even tried to reassure that she knew the professor and he would never harm a student. But it seemed that Harry Potter and his friends already decided that Severus Snape was the mastermind of a big scheme to kill the boy, steal whatever was being guarded on the third floor and, who knows, maybe even take over the school.
In the end, Tanya compromised to see how well she could play before answering. And that's how we came to this emergency quidditch practice as Oliver Wood called it.
"NO! NO! NO! YOU ARE DOING IT ALL WRONG!" Oliver Wood was yelling again and again.
"How many times do I have to say? You need to mount your broom! You can't fly by yourself just holding it!"
Tanya was almost losing her calm. She could fly perfectly well unsupported, so it was stupid to make her fly in a broom. No, a small correction, it was stupid to fly in brooms! It was too limiting! It's as if she is learning to fly from scratch!
"Am I having a dejavu? This is too similar to when I first tested the Elenium Type 95! And Wood is proving to be as infuriating as Schugel was!" At least, this time, her life was not in danger. Besides, she wouldn't end up having to pray every time she wanted to use magic.
"NO! COME ON! YOU ARE NOT EVEN TRYING!"
"THAT'S IT! I GIVE UP!" Tanya shouted, throwing the broom away.
"Wahhhh!" Harry immediately ran to intercept it before it hit the ground.
"T-Tanya please! You could've broken my Nimbus!"
"I am done here!"
"But you can't! If you give up I will have to play and Snape may kill me-"
"Professor Snape is not going to kill anyone! I already told you! This is a waste of my time!"
"Actually, this is a waste of my time too!" Oliver Wood wasn't hiding his irritation.
"B-but-"
Tanya took a deep breath to regain her calm.
"Harry, my style of flying is too incompatible with brooms. Maybe if we had more time I could adapt, but there is no way I can learn in time for the next game."
"O-oh…"
"Wait!" Hermione came holding a book.
"I was reading the rules of quidditch! Take a look at this!"
Hermione opened the book in a manner that Tanya, Harry and Oliver Wood could see.
"This part says: '… each player has to be mounting a broom…'"
"Yeah! This is the basic rule of quidditch-"
"Ah! I see what you mean!" Tanya was the only one, Harry and Oliver didn't get yet.
"Now, this might work!"
The day of the match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff arrived.
The last minute change of the Gryffindor seeker was met with great surprise as Harry is regarded as a talented player and because his substitute had shown on many occasions that she disliked both quidditch and brooms.
Harry at first was nervous, thinking that maybe Snape might decide to punish Tanya for taking his place. That was why he was with his Nimbus 2000, to intercede should anything happen.
But when she flew to the middle of the pitch Snape seemed genuinely astonished. He even delayed the start of the game to talk with her. They talked a little and then he just sighed and signed the start. For a moment he glared at the stands and Harry knew it was meant for him.
Again, Harry worried as he noted that Tanya was just fixed in the same spot since the start of the play. Sometimes she would move to dodge a bludger, but besides that, she was just immobile and with her eyes closed.
"Is Tanya sleeping?" Ron also noted.
"I hope not!"
"Did she have any time to practice at all?" Hermione asked this time.
"Yeah. After your suggestion, she played very well. She caught all the golf balls that Wood threw at her. He was so happy that he even apologized for being so impatient."
"At least Snape doesn't seem to be favoring Hufflepuff too much."
"That must be because professor Dumbledore is watching."
Harry felt himself calming down. If Dumbledore was watching, nothing bad would happen to Tanya. Everything was going to be-
"Ouch!"
Harry felt someone poke his head from behind. It was Malfoy.
"So Potter, are you so scared that you had to send Degurechaff in your place?"
"Shut up Malfoy!"
"Well, she is smarter than you. She knows she is going to lose and is not even trying."
"Uh! Could she be angry? Because I forced her to play?!"
"And what is with that broom? It looks like something you find in a dumpster or in Filch's closet."
Malfoy's guess was close to the mark. Tanya just couldn't fly in a broom, so the solution was for her to keep flying by herself on a regular broomstick. It was what Hermione found out: '… each player has to be mounting a broom…'. But it didn't specify that the broom has to be magical.
Then, they picked up a random broom and fastened it to her belt to make sure it wouldn't fall should she accidentally let go of it. Everything else was just a quick training to adapt her way of flying.
"This is not cheating, but it's best if no one finds out-"
"Pff. Is that girl so poor she can't even buy a proper broom?"
"I am warning you Malfoy! If you insult Tanya I am gonna hex you!" Harry warned, already picking his wand.
"Snape may be someone important to Tanya, but this git I can hate as much as I want!"
"Why? Don't tell me that you have the hots for Degurechaff. You are not planning to ask her to be your girlfriend, are you?"
"G-girlfriend?" Harry blushed at the remark.
"T-that's not it! She is my family now!" Harry tried to say, but suddenly felt very embarrassed.
"You are smart, you insult Tanya when she is not around to kick your arse!" Hermione finished giggling.
"Way to go Hermione!"
Malfoy was pissed off but couldn't deny what she said.
"… and I will let you know Malfoy. Harry and Tanya are practically dating!" Hermione declared, making a dreamy face.
"Ha! Take that- Wait… WHAT?!" Harry asked himself if he heard right.
"W-W-WE ARE?!" He yelled in surprise.
"Huh? What is this surprised look? You don't need to pretend in front of me Harry. I have been watching you two." Harry blinked.
"Watching what?"
"Come on! The two of you are almost always holding hands! And when you were on bad terms, it could be seen how miserable you both were for being so far from each other. Finally, after you made up with her, Tanya was so happy that sometimes I saw her skipping or dancing in the corridors! Also, she is always worried about your well being. Unless someone hired her to watch over you, it's obvious she fancies you!"
"T-Tanya fancies me? 'The' Tanya?!" Harry at first thought Hermione was crazy. But remembered their moment of closeness in the mirror room.
"No, impossible! Tanya said that she wanted to be my- wait! When I said that she was like a mother to me, she seemed displeased!"
'I want you to see me, to look at me like I look at you, as family.'
"She said she wanted us to be family but could it be as a married couple?!" Harry wondered if he didn't misunderstand at some moment.
"Ha-ha! Very funny! As if her father would allow her to date Potter!" Malfoy interrupted Harry's thoughts.
"Father? Tanya is an orphan." Ron asked, mirroring the confusion of his friends.
"Are you that stupid? It's pretty obvious that she is Snape's daughter."
"SNAPE IS TANYA'S FATHER?" Harry shouted without wanting to. First he discovers she fancies him, and now that she is the enemy's daughter?!
"It's the only explanation. He treats her as if she is a Slytherin!" Draco sounded as if it was the most unfair thing in the world.
"I reckon he had an affair with a muggle and when she was born he thought the child was a squib. And when he found out she was a witch, he had to pretend they are not related to save face."
"This is ridiculous!"
"I don't know, it kinda makes sense to me." Contrary to Hermione, Ron wasn't so skeptical.
"'… kinda…'? This makes perfect sense! Who else that insensible sod would like if not his own child? And she fancies me? Ugh! This is too much for my head to handle!"
"Humpf! To think that the head of the Slytherin house would take the side of a half-blood bastard!"
"!" Harry snapped, now he had a good excuse to hex this prat to death!
Malfoy seemed to realize his mistake as he cowered under Harry's furious glare.
"I warned you Malfoy now-"
"YES! WE WON!"
They heard Neville yell and at the same time, the stands erupted.
"Eh? Harry faced the pitch and there was Tanya holding the snitch with a neutral look in her face, that turned into annoyance when she was almost crushed by the group hug the other six members of the team gave her.
"A-anyone saw anything?" Harry, Ron and Hermione shared the same frustrated look. Tanya had just won the game and they didn't see it.
"It was brilliant! Diggory was almost catching the snitch. Then she flew so fast that it seemed like the ball had disappeared with her! And the dive she did! I never knew brooms could fly like that!" Neville answered excitedly.
They looked over and saw Cedric Diggory with a look of utter confusion. As if he didn't know why he lost.
"Well, now you two are even. She lost your game and you lost hers." Ron offered this consolation.
And to make things worse, Malfoy took advantage of the situation to run away before his deserving punishment.
"I will apologize to her. Hope she doesn't get too angry." Harry sighed.
"Don't worry. It was Malfoy's fault. We will tell her."
"Sure! But I let him- Huh?" Harry noticed Snape flying in the direction of the forbidden forest.
"You two, wait here!" Harry mounted his broom and flew after the professor.
"… I saw Snape pressuring Quirrel. Tanya will finally agree-"
"I think Tanya is with Snape in this." Ron cut in.
"Come on Ron…" Hermione interceded.
"You still believe the rubbish Malfoy said? There is no way those two are father and daughter. They are too different!"
"That's not a problem for magic. Snape is a potions master, he could've made a potion to change her appearance."
"You mean polyjuice?"
"Yeah, with something like that she could… she could… she-" Ron took a thoughtful look. He spent a few seconds like that and then widened his eyes.
"That's- That's it! I know the truth! Degureachaff is not a kid! Bloody hell! She is not even a girl!"
"R-Ron?"
"That's it. She is an adult man!"
Harry and Hermione shared a look. They were asking each other: 'how'd he come to this absurd conclusion?'
"Please Ron-"
"No! She is very smart! People keep saying that she is so smart she could be a teacher. And she was so cranky about quidditch just like an old man."
"Are you insinuating that only men can be smart-"
"Oh! And you were there! I said that she was cute and she reacted like a boy! Just to make sure, I said the same thing to other girls and they all blushed. Dean was the only one to react like her, a boy!"
"Ah? Is that why you keep complimenting those girls and Thomas? To compare their reactions? Why didn't you say anything?"
"W-well, I kinda forgot why I was doing that in the first place…"
Harry and Hermione looked at him like he was the stupidest person in the world.
"Did it occur to you that she simply didn't like being complimented by you?"
"Eh? Y-you think so?" Ron actually had the look of a boy that just got dumped by the girl he fancied.
"Remember when we met? She killed a frog in such a barbaric way-"
"That was just chocolate."
"Y-yeah but- Ah! Remember when you saw her naked?"
"W-w-what? No! I don't want to remember that!" Truth be told, Harry still doesn't understand what the fuss is at seeing a girl naked. But afterwards Hermione kept pestering him saying that it was very shameful.
"I don't care if I never get it. I just don't want Tanya angry with me!"
"Think of what she said. That she wasn't worried about her breast size-"
"Ronald Weasley! Do you have anything against girls with small breasts?" Hermione crossed her arms while glaring at him.
"What? No! What I mean is-" Hermione glare was so hard now, that Ron wisely dropped this comment.
"W-what about you brushing her hair? Don't girls like that? And didn't she forbid you of doing that again?"
"Only because you told her about the ribbon!"
"I told you she saw it in a mirror! And she doesn't like dresses. What girl doesn't like dresses? Take my sister as an example. If it was up to her, Ginny would wear a dress all the time."
"There are lots of girls that don't like dresses. Is that your last evidence?"
"Y-yeah, but, but-"
"Didn't you see her dancing in the hallways? Wasn't that 'girly' enough for you?"
"She could be doing that to, err,… take away any suspicion?"
"If it was the case, she wouldn't do that when she doesn't know if people are looking! Like in the dormitory-"
"Ah! How is she around the girls in your dormitory?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Like, what does she do when you girls are changing?"
"Now that you brought this up, she leaves the room when we are changing and avoids taking her clothes off in front of us. And she never showers… with us… could it be… No! No! That's absurd! She probably is shy! And why would someone go to such lengths?"
"I reckon 'she' is an old man. He wants the stone to live more."
"You mean Snape is actually working for Tanya?!" Hermione sounded like she was starting to consider this story.
"THAT IS A LIE!" Harry yell seemed to make Hermione regain her sense.
"H-Harry is right!. This is too fantastic of a story! To change one's body so much, no one would do something like that!"
"Oh! Do you think so? Then let me tell a story that my dad once told me…" Ron cleared his throat.
"This happened four years ago, give or take. Dad noticed some ruckus at the department of Magical Law Enforcement and went there to see what it was about. When he got there, he saw a group of hit wizards being treated by healers. Dad couldn't tell if they were hurt because they were all covered in some web-like stuff."
"A web? Like a spiderweb?"
"Exact like a spiderweb. And those were not just any hit wizards, they were a special team of hit wizards handpicked by the minister to fight against dark wizards! And yet, dad swears to this day that they were scared-shit and crying as if they were little girls!"
"What happened to them?"
"No one knows. Dad only heard one repeating between sobs: 'It may look like a girl, but it is an acromantula! She stole my wand!'"
"Y-you mean that someone transfigured an acromantula to look like a child?!" Hermione sounded very frightened.
"What is an acromantula?" Harry asked, not familiar with the term.
"I-it's a magical giant spider. A-and what happened after that?"
"Later, dad found out that all hit wizards were transferred. The ministry never gave a formal statement."
Harry grimaced at the dubious veracity of this tale.
"What's the point of this story? You think Tanya is a giant spider now?"
"What? No! My point is that if even an acromantula could pass up as a kid, then there are some old wizards out there that could do the same!"
"That's rubbish! Don't you agree, Hermione?"
"W-what a scary story-"
"Hermione?"
"A-anyway, Ron has a point."
"Rah!" Ron shouted, happy that he finally proved his point.
"What? You think that Tanya is a grown up man?"
"No! That part is ridiculous! Nonetheless, there is no denying that Tanya and Snape are close. Regardless of she being an adult or even a man, there is a chance she could be helping him."
"B-but she is our friend!"
"We must consider the possibility she is deceiving us. Maybe we should at least keep her in the dark of our suspicions-"
"No, no! I don't believe it!"
"Harry…"
"If she is lying to me… after I… I said that I l-loved her…"
"Wait, what?!"
"I told her that I love her-"
Hermione took a really big breath.
"OH MY GOD! YOU TWO ARE ALREADY TOGETHER?!" She shouted very excitedly with the news.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"I-it's not like that!" Harry took a step back, a little frightened by Hermione's sudden excitement.
"We decided to be each other's family. She is like a sibling or even a mother to me." Harry explained what happened between the two of them in the room with the mirror. At the end of the story, Hermione had a thoughtful look.
"I may have figured Tanya Degurechaff out!" She said, full of confidence.
"You also reckon she is an old man, right?"
"What? NO! I already said that is rubbish!"
"What! Rubbish?! How could you-"
"Ron! Give me a second, okay?" Hermione turned to Harry.
"What I am about to say is mostly assumptions using details I saw and heard, and some information Tanya told me about herself and what you just said. There is a chance that I may be mistaken but heard me out."
Harry nodded his head.
"Tanya is not that hard to figure, and no, I don't believe she is a man. She is a fragile girl that had to grow up very fast because her guardians wouldn't care about her. Having a tough life, she had to look strong and things like dolls and dresses became weaknesses that she was not allowed to have. But deep down, she earns for love and a caring family. And I think when she saw how alike the two of you are, she reached out to help you, only to eventually fall in love.
"F-fall in love?! B-but like a sister or a mum right?!"
"Harry, Tanya doesn't want to be your mum! She may be very mature but not to the point of 'adopting' you. She is looking for someone to always be with her. To protect, to love, to have children with one day."
At the mention of 'have children with one day' Harry paled.
"I know how bad it feels to be lonely but I don't want a girlfriend or a wife! I really don't see her like THAT!"
"It's okay Harry, you don't need to make any decision now. You two are still too young but keep your mind open and remember she may not wait forever."
"Huh? What you mean?"
"Aff! Do you hear yourself? What are you going to say next? ' You two need to go all 'smooch', 'smooch' and have babies forever and ever'? Bah! Girls!"
"Ron! This is a serious matter! Don't joke about it!"
"You are the one who is joking saying all this rubbish-!"
"GAHHHH! You are all driving me nuts! Tanya says she wants to be my family… Malfoy says she is Snape's daughter…! Hermione says she fancies me… Ron that she is actually a man… And the only part you two agree on is that I should lie to her?!"
"Not lie, Harry. We just don't tell her the truth."
"Yeah mate, calm down!"
"Harry, I believe Ron is wrong and I kept what I said: she fancies you. But I think that either Snape is lying to her or she knows and is torn between you two."
"Ah! She said that she would choose me! If I ask, she will choose me over-"
"Do you really want to force her to choose? Snape may be the closest she ever had to a father. Can you turn her into an orphan again?"
Harry braced himself. In any case, he was going to make Tanya sad.
"Let's watch for now. And when this is all over, we tell her everything. Until then, this remains a secret between only the three of us."
"I-I… Okay."
Harry was feeling pretty down. He was so happy when he and Tanya got closer. Now he was going to keep things from her, maybe even lie! And if Hermione was right, she was fancying him! What should he do? He really doesn't want to hurt her! Also, what if Malfoy or Ron were the ones right? In both cases, they would never be together again!
"Ahhhh! I feel so… so- what was the word again? Oh yeah! Screwed!"
AN: I am very happy with this chapter, I finished it in record time! Could this means that I am finally getting the hang of this writing thing?
And many thanks to everyone that is adding this story to their favorites. It just reached the one hundred favs!
My only regret is that I wanted to show a bit of Cedric Diggory in this chapter. But if I showed him, I would need to give more details with the game and that would made this chapter too long. Maybe in the next arc…
Tanya skipping and dancing in the corridors is based in two scenes, one from the manga and the other from the movie. In the manga, she is skipping and whistling in one panel, in the next she is walking normal and saluting someone, and in the next she is skipping and whistling again. In the movie, close to the end, she is dancing and laughing because she thinks that she finally got her job in the hear and goes to a church to brag to Being X.
About Ron figuring the truth. I am thinking of making him a 'new Rerugen'. Someone that realizes a few truths about her and is very afraid. Unfortunately for him, since he is usually stupid, people will dismiss his worries. Oh! And there will be later another character that will also realize Tanya's original gender… Can you guys guess who?
Hermione talk with Harry will reverberate for years in his life. When he gets married to Tanya, he will remember this moment and realizes this was the starting point to their 'love life'. Unfortunately for Tanya, when she learns of this, it will be already too late…
And one last thing. I am considering making an 'interlude' chapter showing Harry and Tanya's life years after the marriage. It would be an 'earlier epilogue'. It would be posted after the end of this arc, but it would mean more time until the next arc starts. What you guys think about this?
Next chapter: Tanya meets Voldemort and… finds the second deathly hallow?!
Reviews:
To Venator77: I already told and I will tell again: Loria didn't rape Tanya. But, Tanya believes that he did rape her and Loria himself died thinking he had her… But let me say this: depending of the point of view, something even worse may have happened with her during that time (but nothing of a sexual nature).
To Lubber: Thanks for reviewing, but I didn't understand what you mean…
To wedgegeck: Thank you. Just like in the original book, Hermione will be very important in this story. A funny thing is that later, Tanya will see that Hermione and Harry's relationship was the one she wanted to herself and Harry.
To duked: Thank you. Character development can be hard. I am, sometimes, afraid that as the quantity of chapters grow, I may forget what I did and did not with them. Next chapter, Tanya will make a big misunderstanding with the philosopher's stone… Like only she is capable of doing.