Lillith's Father [2]

Lillith's Father: Chapter Ten:

Chapter Ten:

I massaged my temples as I smiled victoriously.  It had taken a while, but I had finally gotten the hang of Occlumency and though it gave me a vicious headache, I was actually good at it.  I was actually good at something.  

"Good. Now go to McGonagall, you'll work with her," I twitched in irritation as my father ordered me about, grumbling almost silently as I stood out of the straight backed chair he had had me sitting in. Why did all the chairs in Hogwarts need to be as uncomfortable as possible?  

"It's my weekend away from school and you're still going to make me work all day?" I questioned him, raising my eyebrows as I folded my arms over my chest in mimicry of him.  I fought not to smile as I tapped my foot, staring back into this eyes almost challengingly, though I knew he could see the humor that danced in them, it had to be impossible not to.

"Go before I get Filch to escort you." His voice was as calm, emotionless as always and his face showed absolutely nothing, but I could have sworn that in his eyes, just for a moment, I saw a bit of amusement.  

"Aye aye, Cap'n," I grinned, dashing out of my father's room.  I'd gotten more comfortable with him lately, he was training me relentlessly but for some reason I felt more calm around him, it felt easier to come out of my shell.  

It wasn't just around him either, I realized.  Lately I'd become more playful and fun, until what was happening came crashing around my shoulders.  Still, I took that bit of happiness, and I clung to it with all the strength I had in me.  No matter what, having that bit of happiness seemed to make everything worth it.  

I knocked upon Professor McGonagall's solid oak door, grimacing slightly as it hurt my knuckles but tucking that pain away as if I felt nothing.  A bit of knuckle pain was the least of my worries.   

Tonight was the night.

I'd learned last night what would happen.  I'd always assumed that becoming an Animagi required a potion or somesuch, but instead it was a spell.  Afterwards I would need a lot of training in order to be able to actually transform but I knew that this was serious. I'd do my best to learn everything and retain all the knowledge I knew.  

"Miss Deacon, good afternoon," I smiled automatically as I heard the professor's voice, and the creaking of her unoiled door hinges.  

"Good afternoon, Professor," I replied, walking in as she stepped back, shutting the door behind us with a solid thunk reverberating around the wall.  

*_*_*_*_*_*

"Are you ready?"  I stood by the wall, trying to relax my tensed muscles as I nodded.  This was it.  I rolled my shoulders, wincing as one of my shoulder blades seemed to crackle.  "Close your eyes," McGonagall commanded softly and I did just as I was told.  I stopped moving, relaxing my body and took a deep breath as she said an incantation that I didn't recognize.  

Suddenly my body felt warm, light streamed through my closed eyelids as my skin seemed to tighten around my muscles and bones.  It got warmer, and warmer until suddenly I felt as if my skin were being burned right off my body, but I couldn't scream.  My mouth wouldn't open, my lips felt glued together.  

I tried not to panic.  McGonagall had told me all of this would happen.  My attempts to take in deep breaths and relax didn't go well, my lungs felt contracted and full of holes, unable to hold oxygen.  I was going to pass out if I didn't find a way to start breathing.

Then, suddenly, it was over.

It was dark, the light didn't penetrate my eyelids and my body still felt warm, but not overly so.  I opened my eyes, blinking as I tried to adjust my eyesight, but everything looked odd and out of whack. Where before I could see perfectly well, I seemed to have blurred vision now, I looked towards the professor and screamed, running to duck under a desk.  

It was then I realized what I had just done.  I could fit under a desk.  I had ran on four legs.  Not two.  McGonagall looked like a giant.  So either I was tiny, or she had grown considerably larger.  I peeked out at her as she knelt down, scrunching my nose as I smelt her perfume.  I hadn't even known she'd worn it before but now the scent seemed to envelope me.  Did she take a bath in that stuff?  

"Lillith, come out so I can see you properly," she said, and her voice boomed, making me squeak and try to cover my ears.  My arms were too short.  Looking down at myself, I saw fur covered tiny paws.  

Don't freak out.  You're an animagus. You're an animal.  You can transform back.  

But what was I?

Obviously something tiny, something with four legs and fur.  I tried to stand on my two legs but my body seemed to refuse, my back wouldn't straighten up and instead my two front paws jumped up but came crashing back down.  

'What am I?' I tried to ask her, but all that came out of my mouth was a jumble of sweaks that reminded me much of a rat.  Was I rat?  

Rats could stand on two legs however and I could not.  

I watched as McGonagall stood up from her crouched position and she made her way towards her desk.  She picked up something small and rectangular before coming back and placing it in front of me.

A mirror.  

I stared at myself, horrified yet oddly intrigued.  I was definitely rodent sized.  I reminded myself of a gerbil.  But I wasn't, I knew the difference, but I still had no idea what animal I was.  What was my animagus form?

"You're a lemming, dear." It was like she could read my mind as she said that, and I looked up at her from the corner of my eye before coming out and sitting next to her.   

I wanted to be human again.  

I closed my eyes, grunting and squeaking as I tried to concentrate on morphing back, I knew how in theory, but putting that to the test was rather difficult.  I imagined my body, too thin with black hair that went to my shoulder blades, blue eyes the colour of the sky with golden flecks, pale skin that looked sickly and unhealthy.  I imagined my rodent-like body becoming that person.

I felt myself stretch and contort slightly though it was relatively painless besides the odd pinching feeling and suddenly I was sat beside McGonagall with my clothes on and unruffled but my face was sweaty and in all honestly I felt like I had just run a marathon.  

"A lemming?"

"An arctic rodent, for the most part," she nodded before continuing. "It was quite impressive for you to change back to your human counterpart so easily on the first try, Miss Deacon."  

"Thank you professor, but I just did what you told me to."  

I stood up, groaning slightly as my back straightened and smiled at McGonagall as she also stood up, clasping my shoulder and smiling down at me.  "Your father will be very proud, why dont you go tell him all about our training."

I hesitated, knowing that even if he was proud of me, he wouldn't show it, but after a moment I decided that that was all right with me.  He didn't have to tell me how proud he was, but I really did want to tell him what I could transform into. 

At least it wasn't a snake.

[[A/N: To the right is a picture of a lemming, in case nobody knows what they are :D  This was a hard chapter to write, mostly because I had to do a ton of research on it.  I wanted to find an animal that suited Lillith, and though Lemmings aren't exactly suited towards her, they do have their strong points.  I chose them because they were small, which Lillith is and because they're solitary creatures and only get around other lemmings in order to mate.  They have bad eyesight, which is why Lillith had a hard time with hers once she was transformed also.  Also, I had to do research on the process of becoming an animagi, and all i found was that it took years to do with no training and trying to figure everything out by yourself, and that it required a wand.  So i came up with the rest on my own.  I hope you like this chapter.  I'll be writing on Lillith's father constantly (it's the only book i'll be updating) until it is finished.  So expect quicker updates!!!  As long as i dont get sidetracked by pokemon....again.]]