Growing Wings

"Kiss me."

Growing Wings

~~

The next morning, Hermione rolled over in her bed, recalling what she was told yesterday. Wings... dear, Wings! Madame Pomfrey's voice was still ringing in her head. Her eyes darted open and she twisted her arm to touch her shoulder blades. Yes, they were still there, and it wasn't a dream. She moved her arm back to her side when the voice of Professor McGonagall startled her and made her sit straight up.

"Miss Granger? Would you please come with me to Professor Dumbledore's office? There is something he wishes to discuss with you."

Hermione just slowly nodded and watched Professor McGonagall exit the dorm, giving Hermione just a few minutes to put on some clean robes and a decent face. She quickly scrambled into her clothes and stumbled down the steps of her dormitory to where McGonagall was waiting in the common room.

"Come, then," she said

Hermione followed McGonagall's brisk footsteps out the portrait hole and down the echoing stone corridors to Dumbledore's office.

"This is where I leave you, Miss Granger, the password is 'Sugar Quills.' Professor Dumbledore is expecting you," McGonagall said.

Hermione said nothing and nodded politely. And with that, McGonagall turned on her heel and walked down the halls in the direction of the Transfiguration classroom. Hermione let out a low sigh and said in a barely audible whisper, "Sugar Quills."

The gargoyle covering the entrance to the Headmaster's office sprang to life and jumped aside. The revolving escalators were starting to move upward and Hermione stepped onto the fourth step. It spun until it reached the office where Professor Dumbledore was sitting. Hermione stepped inside towards the Headmaster, and spoke in a soft, hoarse voice, "Professor McGonagall said that you wanted to see me, Headmaster?"

The old man's eyes were twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles, as they usually did.

"Yes, Miss Granger, I did. I have been informed by Madame Pomfrey that you seem to have abnormal sproutings on your back."

She looked down on the floor and nodded. She wasn't surprised that the Headmaster already knew of this.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of, Miss Granger. Now, if you will take a seat, I will explain to you what you need to know," he said as he pointed to a chair across from him. Hermione took a seat and resisted the urge to reach around and scratch.

"Now, to start, Miss Granger, I have noted that your real mother has indeed contacted you." Hermione looked up in amazement at how Dumbledore knew this. Well, of course, he's Dumbledore; of course he knows she thought. He continued, "Your mother's grandmother was what wizards call an alliptonite. Alliptonites were a very rare breed, a third Veela, third Faerie, and a third Pixie. They were merely humans with wings; with powers a little stronger then an ordinary wizard and all have a most insatiable thirst for knowledge. They were as a rule the most beautiful creatures anyone could have seen, if they'd have that privilege. Alliptonites were around the 1700's, when muggles were deathly afraid of magic. They kept any of the Alliptonites they found locked away in a storehouse and let them waste away there. But some escaped by luring men to their rescue with their beauty. Once an amount of them freed themselves, they sought to rebuild their populations, and over these centuries, the Alliptonite's have begun to look more "human" with the exception of the wings. If you need further information, Miss Granger, I suggest you look in the library. I'm sure we have a book on the topic."

Hermione was at loss for words. She merely gaped at Dumbledore open-mouthed, feeling the burning desire to know more. Then something else rather unsettling hit her. How is everyone going to react to me? I really don't want to recite what Dumbledore just said to everyone I meet. She blinked back a couple of tears and looked at the Headmaster with shiny eyes, and got up from her chair, turning to leave.

"Come see me if you have any further questions, Hermione." With her back still to him, she nodded and realized that this was the first time Dumbledore had called her "Hermione" and not "Miss Granger." It felt a little awkward to her, but she shrugged it off and climbed down the spiral staircase, but Dumbledore had told her where to find answers and she was going to go search them out. Her head was swarming with questions and burning from too much information. She started in the direction of the library when she spotted Harry walking towards her. She felt her heart sink and then even more light-headed. How am I going to tell him?

"Hermione, are you okay? Where were you? You missed breakfast! I was starting to worry, I..." He stopped, realizing he had said too much with just a few short sentences. Hermione gave him a coy smile and urged him on.

"What were you worrying about Harry?" she inquired. His cheeks were beginning to be a fetching crimson color.

"I was hoping you hadn't done anything... grave... or stupid." He said sheepishly with the color still rising in his cheeks.

"Grave, Harry?" She sent him a mock frown and then broke to a broad grin. "I know I'm growing wings, but I don't think I'll try flying just yet, thank you." Hermione felt a little better about what she would tell Harry. She continued, "Harry, come with me to the library, I need to go and find something."

"Something on what?" he asked curious, even though he knew she probably wanted to study for her O.W.L's. Leave it to Hermione to study even when things were dire, Harry thought with a sigh.

"I'll explain while we walk."

"But aren't you hungry?" She had to admit, her stomach was growling a little, but she had never wanted to go to the library this badly, ever, and that was saying something.

"Maybe I'll get something from the kitchens later, but come on! I don't think I'll be able to wait much longer," she exclaimed. She grabbed Harry's hand and half-pulled him with her until he was walking next to her. She had explained to Harry everything Dumbledore had told her by the time they got to the library.

"... And Dumbledore said I should look in the library for more information," she finished. Hermione hadn't realized that Harry was staring at her until she looked up at him meeting his green eyes with her cinnamon ones. Her heart rose to her throat and those familiar butterflies had returned to her stomach. She quickly looked away nervously and Harry smiled to himself. So she does feel the same way. He thought contently, and their search for the Alliptonite's in the library began.