J.K. Rowling's world, not mine (especially the parts taken directly from HBP).
Draco was convinced he was going mad. It'd be confirmed and a team of Healers would to have come to haul him off to Saint Mungo's, where, as his luck would have it, Draco would no doubt run into Gilderoy Lockhart. And it was all Slughorn's fault. Ever since his first Potions lesson.
He had walked into the dungeons that day with a lot on his mind. Draco knew the task that had been laid out before him. It was only a matter of getting the job done. He had spent the entire summer holiday preparing. It wasn't everyday the Dark Lord gave someone as young as Draco such an assignment. Of course, he had to make up for his father's shortcomings. The Malfoy name had been smudged, and it was up to Draco to fix it.
He should have been busy working. But where was he? Sitting in the dungeons with his fellow Slytherins, the Golden Trio, that pompous Macmillan, and a handful of Ravenclaws (he had no use knowing their names anyway). Something smelled funny when they walked in though. It had never smelled that way when Snape was teaching Potions, that was for sure. For once, there was something pleasant about the aroma coming from the dungeons.
He didn't have to wait long to find out what it was. The Mudblood began her usual sucking up to Slughorn immediately, and named every one of the potions he had set before them. Veritaserum was brewing. Polyjuice Potion. Draco made a mental note–Polyjuice Potion would definitely come in handy. He'd just take some while Slughorn was preoccupied kissing Blaise's rear end.
Then there was a third potion Draco didn't recognize. It had a mother-of-pearl sheen to it and the steam rose in spirals. He had never seen anything like it before. And it gave off the strangest odor. It seemed like a combination of the air when he rode his broom, sweets, his mother's perfume, Christmas Pudding, a fire burning . . . and something Draco couldn't recognize. It was fruity, but floral. Water lilies mixed with apricots mixed with guava mixed with vanilla. Was it perfume? Someone's perfume he didn't know? His mother's perfume smelled like Casablanca lilies, jasmine, and rose.
As he was trying to place the scent, he heard Granger's voice ringing in the background. Of course, she knew what it was.
"It's Amortentia!" Draco rolled his eyes at her enthusiasm. "It's the most powerful love potion in the world!" Love potion. Draco scoffed. Professor Snape would never teach love potions. Especially not on their first day back. He heard Granger, still babbling. "And it's supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and–"
"And weasels," Theodore Nott whispered to Draco. They both sniggered.
Ever since that class all Draco could smell was that scent, whatever it was. He didn't smell it all the time, of course. No, it would hit him when he least expected it. He would smell it in Potions if they weren't brewing anything. In the hallways between classes he might smell it occasionally. It was there in the mornings in the prefects' bathroom, and always in Defense Against the Dark Arts. One day in particular, Draco couldn't get his mind off of it.
"Malfoy!" Draco was snapped out of his daze as Blaise Zabini knocked him in the side. Class had yet to begin, but Professor Snape would let Draco get away with murder anyway.
"What?" Draco turned and asked Blaise.
"You seem out of it. What the hell's the matter with you?" Blaise asked him in hushed tones.
"Nothing," he said brushing Blaise off. But Blaise wasn't buying it, and continued to look at Draco as if he had Blast-Ended Skrewts growing out of his ears. Draco looked back at him and rolled his eyes, finally giving in to Zabini's stare. "Do you smell something, Zabini?" Blaise examined Draco for a second then looked around the room.
"Well, now that you mention it, Malfoy," he said, "I smell Mudblood." Blaise and Draco laughed together. One thing Draco had learned, was that Granger was not one to be messed with. She may be small, but she packs one hell of a smack.
"Looks like there's trouble in paradise, eh?" Blaise whispered to Draco. Indeed, Granger must have let the Weasel have it. She looked angry and soon enough, his ears matched his hair color. Draco and Blaise could only do one thing. They sat back and watched Granger let the Weasel have it. "I wonder what he did this time," Blaise snickered.
December was rough. Draco barely slept and hoped that no one would notice the dark circles under his eyes and the grayish tint to his normally pale and perfect skin. Aside from school and classes (not that he had been doing his work, it was enough that he was just showing up) his prefect duties (he had even quit the Quidditch team), he had to get that damn Vanishing Cabinet fixed. Get it done or die, was his motivation. And he still smelled the water lilies mixed with apricots mixed with guava mixed with vanilla.
All of his free time was spent in the Room of Requirement. He worked on the task at hand, but his mind inevitably would focus on that scent.
One evening close to the Christmas break, Draco got sidetracked by the aroma. He was taking a break from his work on the Vanishing Cabinet. Being cooped up in that room was too much and he just needed some air. A nice walk would do him good. At least that's what he thought. He didn't know where he was going, but Draco let his feet guide him. Soon he realized that scent was in the air again.
It was relatively quiet, as many of the students had gone back to their dormitories after dinner. Very faintly, Draco could hear footsteps coming from the end of the hall. He shook his head and collected himself and followed the noise. Right after Draco rounded the corner, he felt himself smack into something and landed right on the floor. The mystery scent was now overwhelming, but Draco was annoyed about winding up on the floor.
"Watch where the hell you're going, will you!" he yelled as he picked himself up.
"In case you were wondering, you're the one who ran into me, Malfoy!" And there she was. Mudblood Granger, gathering her spilled books and parchment. Draco was shocked to say the least, but hid it.
"Granger?" he said sniffing the air around her. She was still picking up her things.
"What?"she spat back at him. She was clearly annoyed. Draco was too tired to verbally spar with her tonight. When he didn't say anything she gave him a look and walked away.
"Hey Granger," he called out to her. She stopped but didn't answer him. Granger didn't even turn around. "Did you by any chance smell something fruity and floral?" She turned around and started walking back. She examined his face for a moment, probably waiting to see if an insult was coming. It never did.
"It's perfume, Malfoy," she said harshly. "Muggle perfume. Does it bother you and your Pureblooded nose?" Granger's perfume. He should panic about this but he couldn't. He was a Malfoy after all, Malfoy's never panicked.
"As a matter of fact, Mudblood, it does." Draco said it as coldly as he could. Granger gave him a nasty look and left, her head held high. Once she was out of sight Draco sprinted back to the Room of Requirement.
Once he was inside Draco assessed the situation. He smelt the Mudblood's perfume when Slughorn brewed the Amortentia. So that meant he was in love with Granger? He snorted to himself. Hardly. And to think, all this time he had been driving himself mad over that scent. It was Granger; the prefects meetings and bathroom, in Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Draco could do nothing but laugh. He was alone anyway and no one would hear him. "It was Granger! This whole time, I've been going out of my bloody mind!" He was doubled over as his laughter filled the room. Draco couldn't stop himself. He realized that if anyone saw him, they'd think he had gone completely mad. Granger. Her and that damn water lily, apricot, guava, vanilla perfume. It was all Granger's fault.
Author's Note – Just a little something I wanted to get out. This idea had been in my head for a while actually, ever since I had a conversation about what my Amortentia would smell like with a friend (my beta as well, thanks Urs). In case you were wondering, Hermione's wearing Vera Wang perfume. I think it smells very nice.
And for those of you wondering, yes, I will be getting back to writing Rendevous soon. I just needed a little break from it, but I should be back on track now. I know where it's going so no worries. Just bear with me–school and all. You guys know how it is. As always, thanks for reading!