Title: Instinctive Behaviour

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: Harry gets cold waiting on the front porch of number 4 as a baby, so he does something to get warmer, which changes things immensely (Animagus young Harry, no living with the Dursleys)

A/N: There have been two recurring themes in the Reviews (three if you count how 'cute' or 'sweet' this story is). First is the constant guessing how quickly Harry is going to be outed as an Animagus. To stop that one, I say it will not be for a long time. He is stuck as a Lemur, so stop guessing. Please! The second theme is that Harry/Hermione are perverts as they shower together. They are 11 years old people. Hermione knows that Human Dream Harry is Lemur Harry, but they have been together since she was 2, so she does not think about it and Harry showering with her is just kind of how things are. For Lemur Harry, well he just enjoys warm water falling on him, and his Lemur instincts see Hermione as his primary provider and best friend.

Terrance Williams was not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was not the dumbest student at Hogwarts either. The current champion for that was Marcus Flint of Slytherin. In his Fifth year, the only reason Terrance was in Ravenclaw was he believed in the vital importance of information, though in his case the only information that was important was anything that confirmed he was the most important person around. If he was smarter, he would have recognised this attitude as Confirmation Bias.

Sitting in the Ravenclaw Common Room before the first day of classes, he saw two First Year Girls coming down the stairs, one a foreigner and the other a bushy haired girl with some kind of monkey on her shoulders. That got right under Terrance's skin, her blatant flouting of the rules, so he stood up to confront them.

"How the hell did you smuggle that Chimp in here, you little moron." Terrance demanded, standing over the bushy haired girl.

The monkey made some nonsensical chirps and gestures at Terrance.

"Firstly, his name is Harry." The bushy haired girl said. "And he said 'I am a Lemur, not a Chimp, because if I was you would be covered in shit.'"

"Either way, that thing is not allowed here." Terrance continued. "You can only have a Cat, an Owl or a Toad."

"Do you honestly think she smuggled it in?" The foreign girl said.

"Why you…!" Terrance began only to be interrupted by a voice behind him.

"Mister Williams." Professor Flitwick said. "You are not a Prefect, or in any position of authority, so you have no business at all telling anyone what to do. You will be serving detention for your bullying. For everyone's information, Miss Granger received a pet exemption, signed off by both Deputy Headmistress McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore, to allow her to bring her Lemur to school. As you yourself, Mister Williams, received in your First Year for your pet Turtle."

Terrance cowered back from the Professor, embarrassed.

"And by the way Harry, which is the Lemur's name, can both understand English and can speak Sign Language, which Miss Granger can understand." Professor Flitwick concluded.

Harry was roaming the halls of Hogwarts alone. Hermione was currently in Potions class, so Harry had left her to explore as he was never going into that classroom, just like he avoided the kitchen at Hemione's house when she was cooking with her mother. While he had not seen them, Susan and Hannah were in Potions Class with Hermione and Su. Making his way up from the Dungeons into the ground floor of the Castle. He could smell the various scents of the students. A few he recognised from the Ravenclaw Common Room, but two he recognised from the train. He followed the scent of Daphne and Tracy up one set of stairs and along a corridor into a classroom. They were busy in a class, so he let them be. A few minutes later he came across Mrs Norris, the Caretaker's cat, who hissed at him briefly before running off. A few more minutes of exploring, he found a Lemur's playground, the grand staircase of Hogwarts, seven full stories worth of a network of staircases, some of which randomly moved, all inside a single massive central shaft.

Harry spent almost an hour running along the hand-railings of the stairs and jumping some of the gaps from one railing to another. When students started exiting the classrooms, Harry knew that Potions class was over and it was time for lunch. Several of the students exclaimed in surprise as he scurried past them on the railing.

Once in the Great Hall, Harry slipped under the Ravenclaw Table. He let his nose guide him to Hermione, passing a few pet cats who were eating from small bowls by the feet of their owners. Reaching Hermione, he climbed up her legs into her lap before climbing up her chest and onto her shoulder.

"Hey Harry." Hermione greeted.

Su, who was sitting next to Hermione, offered Harry a piece of meat. Harry chirped his thanks as he grabbed the food and began eating it. There were a few shocked looks from the other tables at the Ring-Tailed Lemur sitting on Hermione's shoulders, but it was Hogwarts so in the grand scheme of things it was not all that weird, all things considered.

Hermione, Su, Susan, Hannah, Daphne and Tracey were sitting around a table in the Library, with Harry on Hermione's shoulder. They girls were doing homework and Harry was both reading the textbook that was open just to Hermione's left and what she was writing on her parchment. There was some idle conversation between the girls that was interrupted by a chirp from Harry. Quickly running down Hermione's arm when she stopped writing, Harry signed 'wrong' to Hermione pointing at something she had written and then pointing at a section of the textbook.

"Damn it. Thanks Harry." Hermione said and began correcting her homework.

It was at this point that the librarian, Madam Pince, approached with a disapproving look.

"What is that animal doing in here? It'll destroy the books." Madam Price scolded.

"Harry would never!" Su said scandalised.

"Harry's good." Hannah added.

Hermione held up her hand and the other girls quietened.

"Madam Pince, not only has Harry never destroyed any books in his life, he is completely literate in English and can read and understand some Latin as well." Hermione replied.

"Don't be ridiculous." Madam Pince snorted.

Harry signed something emphatically at the librarian.

"Harry!" Hermione scolded.

"I can't understand signs yet, but even I could tell that was not a complement." Su mused.

"Madam Pince, we all just saw Harry here help Hermione correct her homework by pointing something out in the textbook." Susan added.

"Test him." Hermione insisted.

The librarian was about to dismiss this as foolishness and throw all the girls out of the library, but their serious expression made her humour them. Going off to a book trolly, Madam Pince selected five books that all had almost identical covers and their titles were of similar length and similar styles. Returning to the table, she laid all five books out next to each other on the table.

"Please instruct this… him to select the transfiguration book." Madam Pince ordered.

Without a word or aid from the girls, in fact Hermione purposely turned away from the books so she could not see them, Harry moved forward and read the title of the first book, shuffled sideways to the second book and read that title. He continued this practice for all five books and then he walked back to Hermione and tapped her hand. Looking down at him, but not at the books, Hermione watched his signing for a while before turning to Madam Pince.

"Harry says none of them relate to transfiguration. Two are potions books, one is a History of Magic textbook, one is on plants and the last one is on medieval diseases." Hermione translated.

"How can you know that? You did not look at the books." Madam Pince said in astonishment.

"Harry told me." Hermione replied. "I taught him sign language. It is how many people who can't hear or speak due to medical issues communicate in the Muggle World. Plus, I can understand a lot of the vocalisations he makes for emphasis."

"Very well." Pince said, still shocked. "If he ever is disruptive, he will have to leave but until then…."

With that the librarian walked away leaving six girls and one Lemur to their studies.

TBC….