Dedicated to PotterFreak_12
Transfiguration Homework - Lesson Two - Practical - Match into a Needle.
Word count: 1,034 words
Quill: Eagle feather quill.
Parchment: 1 roll.
Ink: Black ink.
(The word count does not include the words in or above these brackets)

---

"Incendio." The word left her lips before she even realized she was uttering it, the bitter taste of that word like dry ashes in her mouth as she flicked her wand over Mikael's shoulder. His shout filled the air, it's shocked tone resounding around the stone room while she straightened up, her whole being filling with a constant rush of adrenaline.

Flames licked the desk, their golden and auburn tongues as hungry as wolves, eating away at the wood that lay beneath them. "Aguamenti." The woman strode towards her, the thick black and dark green clothes that clad almost her entire body swaying from side to side with each stride. Her wand outstretched towards the scorched table, now doused in water, a stern look evident on her face. A single strand of thin grey hair fell from the tightly wound bun placed upon the top of her head as she stared, her cold grey eyes twinkling slightly, only slightly, with amusement, at the innocent expression on the young girl's face.

"Miss Kytherna, you are not supposed to know that spell yet. What on earth has Professor Flitwick been teaching you?" Her tone was stern, like always, but, as Lorelei looked, a well rehearsed 'innocent' look upon her face, at one of her many favourite professors, she saw a glimmer of admiration in the old woman's expression. Shrugging, she smiled sweetly, watching as the woman's face softened.
"He didn't. I just learnt it by myself." For a second, the whole class seemed to hold their breath, anxious to see what the professor was going to say to that.
"Miss Kytherna, please go and sit down. Focus on your task...please."

Lorelei nodded, blinking her eyes shut as she dipped her head, letting a cheeky smile flicker over her face. There was no use in arguing with the professor's exasperated tone and, plus, she didn't really want to anyway. She stretched, groaning as several joints in her body clicked in protest to her movement, then started to walk backwards, not realising what - or, more specifically, who - was behind her.

He gave no warning. His shoes, silent on the flagstoned floor and his breathing quietened down to the smallest puff of escaping air, he moved, unnoticed - at least, to her - until he was directly behind her retreating form. She jumped in surprise as, all of a sudden, a pair of hands clamped around her waist, drawing her closer into the shape of his body.

His head rested gently upon her's, the warmth from his entire being flooding into her, filling her veins with fire. "We told you, professor. It's not Miss Kytherna, it's Mrs Steele. We're married, aren't we babe? We're in love professor." He spoke, his beautiful accent filling every crevice of her mind, almost making her forget everything around her. Suddenly a gasp forced itself up her throat, emerging instantly into the cold air of the flag stoned classroom. He'd never actually said that they were in love to someone directly before...this was new.
"Mr Steele, please go back to your seat. You and your 'lovebird' can mingle after lesson. After all, we are trying to turn a match into a needle. If you do that, maybe it'll impress her."

L felt herself nod before her mind had even given her permission to do so. "Yeah, it'll impress me even if he can get the words right." A hurried laugh traveled around the classroom as he placed his hand on his chest in a gesture of mock hurt, backing away from her slightly. Instantly she missed the heat from his body and, reaching out to him, she interlocked her fingers with his. "Come on Rory, let's go and impress each other." Pulling his hand away from his chest, she gripped tight onto the frozen limb and started to walk.

"I can do that." He whispered, pulling her, once again, closer into the shape of his body, gracing her with the warmth of him. A tingle shot through her whole body as he brushed his lips across her cheek.
"Come on sweetie, I don't want to get told off." A twinkle sparked in the corner of his eyes as she turned and whispered delicately into his ear, pressing her hand cautiously upon his chest.
This time it was Rory who took the lead and, with a gentle but firm grip on her hand, he led her to her seat. With one last brief kiss, he left her on her wooden stool and made his way back to his own seat, ready to try the task at hand.

Once again sitting, staring incredulously at the match in front of her, Lorelei found herself fill up with doubt at her own ability. She could learn all the facts there was to know but, when it came to actually transforming an object into another thing, she suddenly wasn't sure she could do it. She could do all of these spells - Incendio, Lumos, Nox, Stupefy, Petrificus Totalus, Anteoculatia...and so many more. But the prospect of actually taking an object's molecular structure and rearranging it's particles to form something else, was really quite daunting.

"Miss Kytherna. That match won't turn itself into a needle with you just staring at it." The professors voice finally broke through to her preoccupied mind and, blushing slightly, Lorelei raised her wand, muttering the incantation under her breath. This was not going to work. She was going to fumble, or drop the wand or make the class explode or something. This was all going to go horribly wrong. Doubts raced through her, filling her with sharp, uncomfortable feelings of panic.

The shape started to transform first, the red, scratchy part of the match slimming down until it was just a point and the thick, beige part forming a small oval shaped hole through the centre. Then the colour started to change, the beige and red melting together, eventually turning into a perfect, glossy shade of silver. She looked on, stunned into silence, as the needle - formally a match - fell to the desk. "Hey, everybody look! Lorelei's done it!" Flashing a mock-grateful look to Dixxie next to her, Lorelei smiled. She had done it.