||Rain's Storm||The Chamber of Secrets||Year 2||

Chapter Ten: Transforming

As the term drew to a close, and Christmas drew closer, Rain found herself at an all time low. Sabrina, like usual, was heading home for the holiday, as was much of the rest of the school. Only a few students were remaining after all of the attacks. Sadly, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were among the Slytherins staying. Rain wished they were leaving. 

Christmas morning was cold and white. Rain remained still in her bed long after she had awaken, watching the sun rise from her window. She was the only girl who had remained, but she didn't mind. It meant it was quiet in the girls' dormitory. Finally growing bored of laying there, she sat up. She smiled at the handful of packages at the end of her bed. She could already guess who had given them to her.

Rain took her leisure in opening them. The first was a book about Potions. The other was a wool scarf from Hagrid, earning a chuckle from her. The third was a set of new quills from Hermione(honestly, how many did she need?), and the last was a box of chocolates from Ron and Harry(Ron's mother had also sent a sweater, bless the woman).

Deciding she better get dressed before breakfast, Rain quickly got out of bed and slipped on some warm, casual cloths. She then headed downstairs to the common room. Seeing it was still empty, she plopped down on the couch with her new book in hand, and began to read. 

Fifteen minutes later, Rain glanced up as Draco came down from the boys' dormitory. She did a double take; he was alone. Crabbe and Goyle were no where in sight. She looked back at her book as Draco looked her way, not wanting to meet his gaze. To her great surprise, he came over to her.

"I was hoping I would fine you alone," Draco said, sounding nervous. Deciding to be polite, Rain closed her book and looked up at him.

"Why is that?" she asked, wondering if she sounded just as nervous as he did. 

Draco rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I, I have something...something I wanted to give you," he muttered. Without looking at her, he held out a small box. Confused, Rain slowly took it. She opened it, and gasped in surprise.

Resting inside the black box was a charm bracelet. It was silver in color, with a pale green, four-petaled flower. Part of the charm was a silver snake, connecting both ends. There were a few smaller white and clear beads. Rain had never seen anything as beautiful besides her own necklace.

"Oh Draco, thank you!" Rain stood up, and before she knew what she was doing, she threw her arms around him in a hug. Draco was stunned, but he hugged her back slowly after a minute. They parted a moment later, both of them blushing. 

"Let's get down to breakfast, shall we?" Draco muttered. Rain nodded, smiling.

*

The Christmas dinner feast was amazing. The Great Hall was decorated with a dozen frost-covered Christmas trees and thick streamers of holly and mistletoe crisscrossed the ceiling. Snow, warm and dry, fell from the ceiling. Rain ate her food slowly, savoring each and every bite. She listened in amusement as Draco talked to Crabbe and Goyle about what all he had gotten from his parents. 

Rain noticed Hermione talking to Ron and Harry at the Gryffindor table. She knew what they were planning, and she had agreed to help. Not even Draco's recent act of unbelievable kindness could make her backtrack the promise, but she wished she could. She no longer believed him to be the Heir, but she didn't have the faintest clue who it could be.

*

Rain was already in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom by the time Ron and Harry appeared. She was leaned against the wall, watching as Hermione fretted over the potion. She couldn't blame her; she would be nervous too if she was having to drink the stuff. It looked disgusting.

"Did you get the hairs?" Hermione asked.

Harry held up Goyle's hair.

"Good." Hermione turned back to the cauldron. She scooped out the potion into three separate glasses. "Now, just add the hairs." She dropped her hairs into one, and picked the glass up. Her face showed her disgust.

Ron and Harry added the hairs to a glass each, and picked them up. "On three," Rain sang. They all glared at her, causing her to chuckle. "One-two-three!" Ron, Hermione, and Harry each took a gulp of the potion. Ron ran to a stall first, dropping the glass in his wake. It shattered. A moment later, Hermione too ran to a stall. Only Harry remained. He wiped his mouth.

"Your skin is bubbling," Rain noted worriedly. Before her eyes, Harry turned into Goyle. She stared at him, finding it hard to believe her eyes. "You look just like him. If I didn't know better, I would think you were him."

"That's the point, isn't it?" Harry/Goyle asked. Rain shrugged. A minute later, Ron came out of the stall, looking like Crabbe. Rain had to blink a few times.

"We'd better get going," Harry said. "Come on, Hermione."

"I-I don't think I'm going. You go on without me," she called from her stall.

"Hermione," Ron whined.

"Go! You're wasting time!"

Harry shook his head, giving up. Rain looked between them. "Go down to the corridor near the kitchens. There's a stone wall there that's always damp. Go up to it, and say 'pure-blood'. A stone door should open," she told them. They stared at her. "I didn't choose the password. Now go."

"You're not going?" Ron asked nervously. Rain shook her head.

"I have other business to attend to."

*

Rain left Hermione alone in the bathroom, not sure why she wouldn't come out. Making sure the dairy was tightly ducked under her arm, she kept to the shadows as she made her way through the castle. She went to the highest tower, the Astronomy Tower, and climb to the top. She smiled at the sight of the golden ball at the center of the platform. Enjoying the open space, she went over to the railing and sat down. She removed the diary.

Opening it to the first page, she skimmed over the part she had already read with Ron, Hermione, and Harry. She found the spot, and began to read once more by the light of the moon and stars.

"I want you to know you are very special. You have a heavy burden you must bare, but it is to keep you safe. The locket upon your neck, the silver one with a red stone, must never be taken off. Not until you are sure of who you are. Once you remove it, there will be no going back." Rain's hand wander to the charm, and she held it gently.

"I suppose you must be wondering who I am. My name is-"

"Rain!"

Rain's head jerked up, and she slammed the book close. Snape stood before her, a dark shadow against the blackness. He walked slowly towards her.

"What are you doing up here?" he demanded.

"Malfoy was talking rather loudly with Crabbe and Goyle in the common room. I couldn't comprehend what I was reading," Rain lied smoothly. It was frightening how good she was getting at it.

Snape narrowed his eyes. "Regardless, you are out past curfew. Return to the common room, now." Rain got up quickly, and under Snape's fierce eye, scampered back inside. Making sure she had left him behind, she quickly went back to the bathroom. She had been a fool to go up to that tower.

She entered the bathroom the same time as Ron and Harry did. Ron went straight to the stall Hermione was still in, and hammered on it. 

"Hermione, come out! We've got loads to tell you-"

"Go away!" Hermione squeaked.

"Ooooh, wait till you see," Moaning Myrtle said cheerfully, sliding through the door. "It's awful."

Harry pushed the door open. "Hermione?"

Hermione's face was covered in black fur. Her eyes had turned yellow, and there was long, pointed ears poking through her hair.

"It was cat hair," Hermione whispered. "I look awful."

"You have a tail!" Ron said brightly. Rain punched him in the arm. "Ouch! What was that for?" Rain rolled her eyes, not bothering to answer. Boys.