Potter Spawn

Chapter 16

Minerva sagged into her chair and dragged her hand over her face. 

"Not again", she groaned. Why did Harry have to take after his father? Lily had been such a sweet girl and Harry had already inherited James' looks. Could he not have gotten a bit more of his mother's personality? 

Well, Harry was a Potter through and through and there was nothing she could do to change it. 

Minerva gave up. 

... 

In another part of the castle, a very different scene was playing out. 

"Owww!" 

"Hold still, Sirius!" 

"But you're pulliiing!" 

"Well it's neccecary! You look like a bristly old shoe brush, a haircut is long overdue." 

"Buuut!" 

"No buts!" 

"Hermioneeee! I like this length!" 

"Your ends are absolutely destroyed! I'm not giving you a buzzcut, so stop whining!" 

"Why do you have to brush it first? It was fine for ten years!" 

"Exactly!" 

"Harry! Nev-nev! Ron! Help!" 

Harry and Ron just smirked at him while Neville gave him an apologetic look. 

"OW!" 

"I'm almost done, not stop wiggling, you pussy!" 

"I - AM - NOT - A - CAT!" 

"That's nice." 

"Hermioneee!" 

"Oh be quiet, will you?" 

"No!" 

"Oh for God's sake!" 

"Her-" 

Snip. 

"NOOO!" 

The first few strands of black hair fell to the floor as Sirius howled, clutching his head. That, however, did not deter Hermione in the slightest and she carried on cutting, efficiently trimming Padfoot's shaggy, longer than waist-length hair to his shoulders while he wailed and begged. 

It was a good thing she did, because once she was done, Sirius looked like a whole other person. Of course he didn't suddenly look twenty-one again, but at least nobody would immediately recognise him as an Azkaban escapee. Hermione could see how he had once been considered one of the most handsome boys at school: as soon as she brushed it out, his hair fell in waves around his face, highliting his silver eyes, and his high cheekbones didn't make his face look quite as hollow anymore. He had a bit of a regal air about him, even though he managed to tune it down by wearing faded band t-shirts and worn jeans. Of course, Hermione knew he did that on purpose because he looked too much like the rest of the family for his liking - Harry had told her - but she could still appreciate her work. 

"You look much better", she told him. 

Still sniffling, Sirius pulled a mirror from this pocket - did that man siriusly carry a pocket mirror around? But when he saw his new look, he gave her a genuine beam and one of the crushing, dog - scented hugs she had become used to. 

On the sofa, Harry had adjusted his hairstyle so it fit his godfather's and ran over to leap on Sirius' back. 

"PadfootPadfootPadfoot!" Really, those two. Hermione would probably never get used to them.