Chapter One

"…upon returning to human form, and vice versa-"

Ding-Ding-Dong

"Alright Miss. Granger, times up," Professor McGonagall said standing to collect her papers, "You should be getting your theory results within the next few days."

Smiling, Hermione stood up from her desk, "Thank you Professor, actually I was glad that you were the one administering the test, it would have been hard to concentrate with someone up at the front with no first-hand knowledge. Plus, and I'm embarrassed to admit it, it made me feel like I was in school again. It feels nice to take a break from reality and just listen to a quill scratching against paper."

Professor McGonagall smiled, taking her papers, "Yes, well it was a pleasure to be your teacher again Miss. Granger. Oh, and I'd just like to say how proud I am that you want to go through with this, not many people aspire to be an animagus anymore. It seems people have just lost interest; since James and Sirius, you're the first I've heard of will this ambition."

"Well ever since you set the assignment a few years back, I've wanted to feel what it was like; to experience the rush you must feel every time you can just run, see the world from another point of view. I feel as though it will be amazing, every bone in my body just quivers with anticipation." Blushing, Hermione felt flushed just talking about it.

"Have a good day Miss. Granger." Professor McGonagall said in a kind but dismissive tone.

Feeling exhausted, Hermione left the room with a spring to her step. This is it, she thought, done theory, next step execution! Hermione had been working towards this step for a few months now, having always excelled in school she was progressing quicker than most applicants. Having just graduated from Hogwarts almost two years ago, Hermione was doing fairly well. She had her own condo, not far from where Harry and Ginny had moved in at Grimmauld Place, it was on the smaller side but it was just her and Crookshanks living there. She liked it because of the view; the bay window in the lounge opened up to the park that her building back up on, in the winter she could see kids building snow forts and having snowball fights, and in the summer she could see people walking their dogs and having picnics by the stream that ran through. It was a nice place, but she preferred to spend her time out side; most nights she'd fall asleep on the swing she put on her back deck, others she would spend in the forest in the park.

As she neared the apparation point she noticed Harry talking to Moody, he'd recently begun an internship with the auror department under him. Even though he just started Moody had him out doing all sorts of odd jobs; sometimes it was alleged Deatheater sightings, other times it was as simple as a kneazle trying to get into their garbage. Still, Harry was gone during all waking hours of the day, which left Ginny very lonely; sometimes she'd go to the Burrow, other times she went to Diagon Alley, but today Hermione decided she needed some girl time and with a *POP*, she left the Ministry.

It was a blustery day as Hermione climbed the old crumbling steps to 12 Grimmauld Place, holding her hair out of her eyes; the sun was high in the sky insinuating that it was close to noon. Stomach rumbling, Hermione knocked on the faded door.

She smiled as Ginny opened it and greeted her with a hug, "Hey, I just saw Harry at the Ministry, is he going to be home late again?" Hermione questioned.

"Yeah," Ginny sighed, inviting her in, "He's been on call all week, they've got him running around after complaints. You'd never know how they manage without him."

"Sounds like you need a distraction," declared Hermione, walking towards the kitchen, "With the amount of work they have him doing after just starting, you need any excuse to stop worrying." Hermione sat down at the kitchen, waving her wand towards the kettle. "I say we go to Diagon Alley, do some shopping and get some lunch."

As Ginny finished making the tea, Hermione could tell that she was pondering her reasonings, so Hermione took the opportunity to look around the kitchen; Harry and Ginny hadn't changed much since Molly's rampage back in fifth year, but they had painted the cabinets a soft white, and Hermione had to say looked much better than the dull yellow that was there before. The counters had also been scrubbed bare and they got a new table and chair set for the kitchen.

By the time Hermione finished her observations, Ginny had brought the tea over to the table, "Alright," Ginny finally said, "I'll go with you to Diagon Alley, but on one condition…We get the food first." Grinning, she sipped her tea. "Actually, I've been meaning to get some more owl treats for Hedwig for a few days now."

"Perfect! I need some food for Crookshanks too." Hermione decided, "I also wanted to stop by Flourish and Blotts, I wanted to pick up another book on Animagi Transformations."

"Oh yeah!" exclaimed Ginny, "How was your test, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot!"

"Oh no, it's fine," Hermione reassured her, "And it turned out Professor McGonagall was over-seeing it. Which, I thought was a relief because of own experience with the transformations. But question seventeen really did throw me loop." said Hermione, starting to worry.

"Oh Hermione," Cried Ginny, "You were top of your class; you have nothing to worry about." She smiled, "Now come on, we can go see Luna at Ollivanders. I heard she's been learning how to make wands now too!"

So Hermione helped Ginny gather up the dishes and magic them clean and away, walking towards the door Hermione brought up something she'd been thinking about for a while. "Say, Ginny, I know this is a personal question, but I've been wondering whether you and Harry have talked about kids yet." Blushing, Hermione rushed, "I mean; I know you've only been married for six months, but you to just could not keep your hands off each other that night."

Groaning, Ginny stopped, "Well actually we have. We were at the Burrow a few weeks ago; Bill was there too, with Phlegm and all the Phlegm Juniors, and well, turns out she's pregnant again. With her fourth one! So I guess Mum must have been a little annoyed, because of course she's only warmed up to Phlegm a bit since the grandkids started popping up; so she turned to me and asked me if me and Harry were planning on having any kids soon. And that got Harry going, Dad wasn't home, and Bill had conveniently went to make tea, so there I was, everyone putting me one the spot. I panicked! I didn't know what to do…I sat there, my face getting redder and redder. So what did I do; I bolted. Oh Merlin, I still can't believe I did that. I just ran, ran out to the corn fields, and didn't stop until I reached the old Quidditch pitch."

"Merlin, Ginny are you okay?" said Hermione, now looking directly at her friend.

"Yeah," sighed Ginny, "I'm fine…Harry found me a little after that, and we talked; it was just that they were all staring at me, I felt like I was a child again. But no, it was okay, we talked and I calmed down. We will eventually have kids, just not when he's working so many hours."

"GINNY!" squealed Hermione, "That's awesome! I'm so happy for you, I mean; I know you're not having kids now, but still! This is cause for a celebration, everything we do today is on me-"

"Hermione I can't-"

"Yes you can," cut off Hermione, "I don't want to hear it. Come on, let's go." And with that Hermione continued down the hall to the door.

Ginny sighed, but followed her down the hall none the less. They piled on hats and scarves, pulled on some coats and gloves and stepped outside into the chilling May air. Hermione held her coat around her at the first tug of wind, grabbed Ginny's arm and disapparated with the distinctive *POP*.

As they were leaving Hermione set aside all doubts from her test, and all thoughts of future ones. Though, little could be said the same for the blond haired man just sitting down to his final principles test.

Draco Malfoy had just started writing his final test in the process of becoming an animagus, and already his hand was cramping and his eyes blurred as he skimmed over the same question for what must have been the seventh time.

Sighing, Draco put his quill down and ran his hand through his hair; how was he supposed to remember the difference between an animagus and a werewolf, he learned that back in third year. Then it clicked, Snape, he had been the one to teach that class, stupid page three hundred and ninety-four, no need to remember that, just prissy, know-it-all Hermione Granger's condescending answer. And with that he had the answer.

"Please, sir. An animagus is a wizard who elects into an animal. A werewolf has no choice in the matter…"

There that wasn't so hard, just twenty-nine more questions to go, Draco was growling with impatience. There was still two hours until the test was over, and he'd been staring at all the questions with the same blank look on his face. These people were crazy, there was no way he could know the answers to some of these questions, let alone actually need to. With another glance at the questions, stalling, he noticed one farther down the page. Now that's just ridiculous, why, in Merlin's name, would we need to know what happens when mating in animagus form? Seriously, Draco thought, this is just getting weird.

The rest of the test passed by in a similar fashion; Draco criticizing the necessities of the questions then reluctantly scribbling down half-hearted answers, knowing that the test was just a formality and didn't count for anything, at least for him, what with his father administering it.

"Now Draco, it's family legacy that all Malfoy's have this skill. I cannot tell you the sheer number of times this has come in handy. But just remember son, being a Malfoy isn't just a name, it's also how you act. We don't care what your animal is, as long as you keep up the pureblood façade."

"Yes, father." Draco accepted

"I don't want you to feel as though you need to hide it. I, for one, am a raven, but your mother's a lion."

"Thank you father." Draco replied.

"Now go, study, tomorrow you write your test."

Draco ran a hand through his hair as Lucius took his papers. "I'll have them marked and ready for dinner, go wash up. I don't want to see you covered in ink at the table."

Draco hastily left his father's study; he walked down the dim hallway reflecting on what his father told him. He had only heard about this legacy a month ago, but that was the first time he had heard his father talk about his own transformation. Narcissa had told him about her own from while she was helping him study for one of his theory test; his aunt Bellatrix had been there too, but all she talked about was how rushed he was to complete his training. The other pureblood families started to train their children after they completed their third year of school, either Hogwarts or Durmstrang, whereas Draco didn't start his training until he graduated. Bella blamed his mother for that, she said she was too soft, that's why she was a lion; Bella was a snake, just like The Dark Lord. Narcissa had said that she didn't want anything to go wrong, or for Draco to get mutated or maimed; Lucius didn't care, he only wanted his son to be the best, and he figured if Draco could master the art in led time then it took the other children, he would be.

Draco knew what his father had said, yet he couldn't help but think that Lucius really would get mad if his animagi form didn't meet his father's expectations; and with Draco's twentieth birthday just a week away, he didn't know if he'd be ready in time. Part of the this legacy was that the animal you transform into cannot be revealed until the night of your twentieth birthday, so Draco was feeling nervous; all the kids he's grown up with have been practicing for years, they know what to do, Draco felt like he was going into his apparation examination without knowing the three D's, Destination, Determination and Deliberation.