Office hours- Friday

[smartestone]

In between working on class for Monday, Hermione was trying to write a letter. In truth, she'd been trying to cohesively describe everything that had been happening for about a week now, and hadn't had much luck. You try explaining it.

So really, it wasn't so much that she was trying to take a break from class in order to write, but rather the other way around.

[Open. I'm going to stab myself in the hand so going to urgent care will give me something to do.]

Comments

[charming_thief]

In classic Caffrey style, Neal raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

Leave it to him to make a simple sentence like that into some kind of proof that she wanted him.

Sorry, Hermione.

[smartestone]

Aaaand that was met with an eyeroll. "To see how you were settling in," she clarified.

[charming_thief]

Suuuure, Hermione. Whatever helps you sleep at night.

"Think I'm doing okay," Neal said, giving that some actual thought. "Last week was... unusual, huh?"

[smartestone]

She paused. "That really all depends on your definition of unusual," she said finally.

[charming_thief]

Uh-huh.

"And your definition... wouldn't cover that?"

[smartestone]

"My definition's a bit skewed," she admitted. "That sort of thing happens here from time to time. Was it a little much for you?"

[charming_thief]

"Hey, whoa, I wouldn't say that," Neal laughed. So basically, yes. "But, uh, the mutated deer... that's gonna be a thing?"

[smartestone]

"I doubt it, since I assume that like everything else, the deer are returning to normal," Hermione told him. "But things do attack the island sometimes, or at least there will be general crises that take up all our attention for a week or so until we find a solution. Though people do transform into things quite often here, which is definitely a... thing."

So reassuring.

[charming_thief]

Peter hated him. There was no other explanation. He was here on this island, prone to attacks as it was, because Peter wanted him to suffer.

He couldn't blame him, really.

"Any idea when the next plane out of here is?" he asked lightly.

[smartestone]

Hermione actually smiled a little at that. "It isn't so bad. How many other islands do you know that allow you to see the world through different time periods?"

[charming_thief]

"Okay, yeah," Neal admitted. "Gotta admit, being able to walk right up to the National Gallery right when it was first built was a highlight. And until this week I hadn't been to the Louvre in years. Definitely didn't mind that."

Actually, he'd geeked out and spent hours sketching, nonstop. And, in the case of the National Gallery, maybe taken paint swabs.

"It's just the turning-into-things that kind of throws me for a loop."

[smartestone]

"It does take some getting used to," she conceded. "But it doesn't happen to everyone. Animal transformations are the most common and I've never turned into anything. "

[charming_thief]

Animal transformations.

That was definitely... different.

"How common are we talking, exactly?" he had to ask.

Little did he know that he was due for one in only a few short weeks. Poor, poor Neal.

[smartestone]

"I think it happens to just about everyone at some point or another," she replied. "If you're really worried about it, I could always turn you into something just to see what it's like."

She was mostly joking.

[charming_thief]

"Hey, I'm always up for a good time," Neal joked, because her being the hot girl version of Peter meant he just had to make cracks like that. "What've you got?"

Not that he really believed she could do anything...

[smartestone]

"Well, if you could be any animal, what would you want to be?" she asked, getting her wand out.

Sure about this, Neal?

[charming_thief]

Now Neal was starting to doubt himself juuuust a bit, but he couldn't very well back down, could he?

"Always liked cats," he said lightly, doing his best to keep the mild concern out of his voice.

[smartestone]

That did not mean Hermione wouldn't give him the chance to back down, though, as she was lame ethical that way.

"Are you sure?" she checked. "I could always not turn you into a cat."

[charming_thief]

"Nah, go for it," he said, waving a hand as if this kind of thing happened all the time. "I'm a curious guy. This should be interesting."

And now he was pretty much confident that she could turn him into something. That... sucked.

[smartestone]

"I'll change you right back," she promised.

And then she turned him into an adult housecat. Be so glad she didn't turn you into a weetiny kitten, Neal.

[charming_thief]

And... suddenly Neal was tiny. And staring at Hermione's shoes. Whiskers twitching, he looked up in alarm.

She had -- really just turned him into a cat, hadn't she? This island was weird.

[smartestone]

"See, it's not bad, is it?" said someone who'd never been a full animal. "Now hold still."

And then she turned him back. Luckily he'd have his clothes, unlike a Fandom transformation. She should probably warn him about that.

[charming_thief]

For the sake of the ladies of Fandom, maybe she shouldn't.

Neal was flabbergasted when all of a sudden he was human again, grabbing his hat from off the floor beside him and getting back to his feet.

"What -- what was that?!"

[smartestone]

"That was Transfiguration," she said. "Quite simple, really."

[charming_thief]

"Uh-huh." Okay, give him a second; Neal was definitely shaken from that encounter. It wasn't like he'd ever been turned into a cat before. "So people on this island can go ahead and just turn each other into cats, huh?"

...Not quite, sweetie.

[smartestone]

"Of course not everyone. I can, because I'm a witch." And then she started thinking back to their first meeting. "Did I not... mention that?"

[charming_thief]

Maaaybe? Neal couldn't remember because his player failed at such things that day had been kind of hectic, all things considered. Either way, he probably hadn't believed her the first time.

"Gotcha," he said after a minute, eyeing her curiously.

[smartestone]

She felt sort of bad now. Also, a little self-conscious. "What?" she asked, noting the eyeing.

[charming_thief]

And that was when Neal decided to turn on the charm. Well, more than before, anyway.

"Nothing," he said evasively. "You've got a lot of intel on this place, you know that?"

[smartestone]

"Of course I do," Hermione said. "I went here for two years, and what I don't know I've at least attempted to research. Was there more you wanted to know?"

[charming_thief]

"Nah, nah, I think I'm good," he said after a minute. And again with the devious eyeing. "Uh -- nice talking to you, Hermione."

Followed by the charming smile he saved for pretty girls. Hey, girl-Peter or not, she was still hot.