The Potion
" This is not going to work."
" It has to. And I thought you said you were an expert at this."
" I am. But Ron's not stupid. He might taste this is his pumpkin juice."
" We'll just have to hope he doesn't. Are you sure this is strong enough?"
" It's the strongest form of love potion there is. It will assure the drinker to be madly in love with whoever the potion directs him to for twelve hours. It worked for you didn't it?"
Ginny looked up from pouring a pinky liquid into a beaker and smiled at Harry, who smiled back.
" Yeah," he said, " but I was really in love with you. I didn't need a potion."
" Oh yes you did," insisted Ginny, " You needed a little boost to make you realize your feelings. When the potion wore off, the feelings didn't. Which is what we want to happen to Ron. Hermione obviously loves him, so that won't be a problem. Come on let's go. We're running out of time."
Harry and Ginny stood up, left the common room, and walked down to the great hall. Luckily, they were the first ones there. The two of them walked over to Ron's usual seat. Ginny picked up a glass of pumpkin juice and poured the love potion into it. She sat down, placed the glass down in front of Ron's chair, and said, " There. All set."
" Morning Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter"
Hermione rolled her eyes and sat down at the breakfast table after Ron. " Ron!" she said, sounding quite annoyed. " They are not married, for the last time!"
Ron glared at her. " Why does that annoy you so much? I'm just having fun."
Hermione made a face at Ron and started eating. Ginny and Harry glanced at eachother nervously.
" This pumpkin juice tastes kinda..." Harry and Ginny whipped around to look at Ron, who was holding his goblet in his hand and had a blank look on his face. After a moment, the look faded and he put down the goblet. " Hermione," he said, turning to her, " Can I get you anything, Dear?"
Hermione stared at him for a moment, in which she must have pondered whether he was being serious or not, then (having decided he wasn't) snapped, " What are you on about Ron?"
Ron smiled dreamily. " You, my dearest Hermione. I love you."
Hermione stopped looking insanely angry. " I-I-I'm full. Bye!" She jumped up and dashed away leaving her almost full plate. Ron turned to Harry and Ginny with a pathetic look on his face. He looked suspiciously like a basset hound.
" She hates me!" he moaned. " I shall have to kill myself now." He picked up a butter knife and thrust it to his chest. " Oh cruel world!" he cried, falling to the floor and gaining the stares of everyone else in the great hall, " What is this pain that you bestow upon me? Away I fly to forever, where I shall wait for my beloved Hermione until she joins me in eternity! Goodbye, all!" and with a choking sound, Ron closed his eyes and pretended to die.
Harry rubbed his eyes with the flats of his hands. " Oh this is going to be a long day."
The Transfiguration class sat in silence, listening to Professor McGonnagal explain turning fruits into furniture. When she asked the class what piece of furniture an apple would become, a few hands shot into the air, including, of course, Hermione's.
" Finnigan?" said McGonagall, turning her head to look at Seamus. Ron, however was not satisfied with this.
" Um, Hello? Hermilove raised her hand, but did you call on her? I don't think so." Ron had stood up and was glaring at his professor. Harry moaned and hit his head on the desk a little.
" Weasley, just because I did not call on your girlfriend does not mean that you can talk that way to me. Five points from Gryffindor." McGonagall turned back to Seamus and Ron sat back down. He looked to Hermione and, with a smile, said, " I'd lose all the points in the world for you, fuzzy wuzzy buggy."
Hermione stared at him, took a deep breath and turned away, now very interested in McGonagall's desk. Ron turned to Harry and mouthed, " She's a little cranky. Probably having her you-know-what. Poor baby. I'll give her a tummy-rub later."
Harry stared, horror-struck, at Ron. He wondered why he'd let Ginny talk him into this.
" Ron! Gerrof me, Ron. Ron! Ron! STOP IT RON!"
Hermione shoved Ron so hard that he fell over onto the ground. Hermione was apparently so peeved at him that she just rolled her eyes and walked ahead of them onto the Hogwarts grounds. Harry held out a hand to help Ron up. As his love-struck friend managed to straighten himself, he said, " Tough love, eh, Harry? She's in one of her moods today. I'll cure with a dose of kisses." He ran after Hermione. Harry followed much more slowly.
By the time Harry caught up with the happy couple, Ron was sitting behind Hermione on the ground, braiding her hair while she read a book, distinctly red in the face. Harry sighed and joined them.
At dinner Ron decided that Hermione couldn't handle her food by herself.
" Here, cutie, let me." Ron took Hermione's fork from her hand and began to swirl it around in a circle. " Here comes the plane! Brrrrrr! Brrrrrr!"
Ginny burst into laughter. " You had to deal with that all day? Ha!"
Harry glared at her. " Yeah," he said. " I had to deal with it because of you."
Ginny looked up at him and smiled. "Oh, honey. I'm sorry. Don't worry. This is almost over. It's nearly eight o clock."
Harry sighed. " Thank God."
" Ron! I can feed myself! Really!"
Harry and Ginny looked over to Ron and Hermione. Hermione was trying to dodge Ron's fork. Ron, oddly, put his fork down and took Hermione's hands. Looking into her eyes he said, " Look Hermione (this was strange because he hadn't called Hermione anything but pet names all day) I don't know what came over me today. All I know is that I was suddenly in love with you. Now that I think about it, actually, it wasn't sudden. I've loved you for a long time. I was just to stupid to realize it. I'm so sorry. I hope you can forgive me. It's taken all of my courage to admit this to you. I love you, Hermione."
Harry leaned back and rested his head on Ginny's chest. " What time is it?" he groaned.
Ginny smiled and looked at her watch. " It is... " she began, " eight o three?! What?"
Harry and Ginny looked up at Hermione and Ron. Hermione was looking at Ron with a new expression on her face. She looked down, blushing but smiling, then looked up, licked her lips and said, " You mean this don't you?"
Ron nodded. " I do. What happened today was... um, well... strange, but..."
" You seemed like you were acting on a potion," Hermione, ever ready with and explanation, said. Ron and Hermione both turned around to look at Harry and Ginny. " A love potion," Hermione finished.
Harry and Ginny looked in unison to the ceiling. " It's raining," Harry observed. They looked timidly back to Ron and Hermione.
" If I wasn't so grateful," said Hermione, " I would have to kill you. But..." she turned back to Ron, " I, well I love you too, Ron."
They smiled at eachother for a moment, then Hermione looked down and said,
" You could feed me now, if you wanted."
Ron laughed and picked up a fork. Harry and Ginny turned away.
" A job well done," smiled Harry. " You are an expert at love potions."
Ginny shrugged. " As I said: It worked for you. That's good enough for me."
" Yeah," said Harry, and bent down to kiss her.
" This is not going to work."
" It has to. And I thought you said you were an expert at this."
" I am. But Ron's not stupid. He might taste this is his pumpkin juice."
" We'll just have to hope he doesn't. Are you sure this is strong enough?"
" It's the strongest form of love potion there is. It will assure the drinker to be madly in love with whoever the potion directs him to for twelve hours. It worked for you didn't it?"
Ginny looked up from pouring a pinky liquid into a beaker and smiled at Harry, who smiled back.
" Yeah," he said, " but I was really in love with you. I didn't need a potion."
" Oh yes you did," insisted Ginny, " You needed a little boost to make you realize your feelings. When the potion wore off, the feelings didn't. Which is what we want to happen to Ron. Hermione obviously loves him, so that won't be a problem. Come on let's go. We're running out of time."
Harry and Ginny stood up, left the common room, and walked down to the great hall. Luckily, they were the first ones there. The two of them walked over to Ron's usual seat. Ginny picked up a glass of pumpkin juice and poured the love potion into it. She sat down, placed the glass down in front of Ron's chair, and said, " There. All set."
" Morning Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter"
Hermione rolled her eyes and sat down at the breakfast table after Ron. " Ron!" she said, sounding quite annoyed. " They are not married, for the last time!"
Ron glared at her. " Why does that annoy you so much? I'm just having fun."
Hermione made a face at Ron and started eating. Ginny and Harry glanced at eachother nervously.
" This pumpkin juice tastes kinda..." Harry and Ginny whipped around to look at Ron, who was holding his goblet in his hand and had a blank look on his face. After a moment, the look faded and he put down the goblet. " Hermione," he said, turning to her, " Can I get you anything, Dear?"
Hermione stared at him for a moment, in which she must have pondered whether he was being serious or not, then (having decided he wasn't) snapped, " What are you on about Ron?"
Ron smiled dreamily. " You, my dearest Hermione. I love you."
Hermione stopped looking insanely angry. " I-I-I'm full. Bye!" She jumped up and dashed away leaving her almost full plate. Ron turned to Harry and Ginny with a pathetic look on his face. He looked suspiciously like a basset hound.
" She hates me!" he moaned. " I shall have to kill myself now." He picked up a butter knife and thrust it to his chest. " Oh cruel world!" he cried, falling to the floor and gaining the stares of everyone else in the great hall, " What is this pain that you bestow upon me? Away I fly to forever, where I shall wait for my beloved Hermione until she joins me in eternity! Goodbye, all!" and with a choking sound, Ron closed his eyes and pretended to die.
Harry rubbed his eyes with the flats of his hands. " Oh this is going to be a long day."
The Transfiguration class sat in silence, listening to Professor McGonnagal explain turning fruits into furniture. When she asked the class what piece of furniture an apple would become, a few hands shot into the air, including, of course, Hermione's.
" Finnigan?" said McGonagall, turning her head to look at Seamus. Ron, however was not satisfied with this.
" Um, Hello? Hermilove raised her hand, but did you call on her? I don't think so." Ron had stood up and was glaring at his professor. Harry moaned and hit his head on the desk a little.
" Weasley, just because I did not call on your girlfriend does not mean that you can talk that way to me. Five points from Gryffindor." McGonagall turned back to Seamus and Ron sat back down. He looked to Hermione and, with a smile, said, " I'd lose all the points in the world for you, fuzzy wuzzy buggy."
Hermione stared at him, took a deep breath and turned away, now very interested in McGonagall's desk. Ron turned to Harry and mouthed, " She's a little cranky. Probably having her you-know-what. Poor baby. I'll give her a tummy-rub later."
Harry stared, horror-struck, at Ron. He wondered why he'd let Ginny talk him into this.
" Ron! Gerrof me, Ron. Ron! Ron! STOP IT RON!"
Hermione shoved Ron so hard that he fell over onto the ground. Hermione was apparently so peeved at him that she just rolled her eyes and walked ahead of them onto the Hogwarts grounds. Harry held out a hand to help Ron up. As his love-struck friend managed to straighten himself, he said, " Tough love, eh, Harry? She's in one of her moods today. I'll cure with a dose of kisses." He ran after Hermione. Harry followed much more slowly.
By the time Harry caught up with the happy couple, Ron was sitting behind Hermione on the ground, braiding her hair while she read a book, distinctly red in the face. Harry sighed and joined them.
At dinner Ron decided that Hermione couldn't handle her food by herself.
" Here, cutie, let me." Ron took Hermione's fork from her hand and began to swirl it around in a circle. " Here comes the plane! Brrrrrr! Brrrrrr!"
Ginny burst into laughter. " You had to deal with that all day? Ha!"
Harry glared at her. " Yeah," he said. " I had to deal with it because of you."
Ginny looked up at him and smiled. "Oh, honey. I'm sorry. Don't worry. This is almost over. It's nearly eight o clock."
Harry sighed. " Thank God."
" Ron! I can feed myself! Really!"
Harry and Ginny looked over to Ron and Hermione. Hermione was trying to dodge Ron's fork. Ron, oddly, put his fork down and took Hermione's hands. Looking into her eyes he said, " Look Hermione (this was strange because he hadn't called Hermione anything but pet names all day) I don't know what came over me today. All I know is that I was suddenly in love with you. Now that I think about it, actually, it wasn't sudden. I've loved you for a long time. I was just to stupid to realize it. I'm so sorry. I hope you can forgive me. It's taken all of my courage to admit this to you. I love you, Hermione."
Harry leaned back and rested his head on Ginny's chest. " What time is it?" he groaned.
Ginny smiled and looked at her watch. " It is... " she began, " eight o three?! What?"
Harry and Ginny looked up at Hermione and Ron. Hermione was looking at Ron with a new expression on her face. She looked down, blushing but smiling, then looked up, licked her lips and said, " You mean this don't you?"
Ron nodded. " I do. What happened today was... um, well... strange, but..."
" You seemed like you were acting on a potion," Hermione, ever ready with and explanation, said. Ron and Hermione both turned around to look at Harry and Ginny. " A love potion," Hermione finished.
Harry and Ginny looked in unison to the ceiling. " It's raining," Harry observed. They looked timidly back to Ron and Hermione.
" If I wasn't so grateful," said Hermione, " I would have to kill you. But..." she turned back to Ron, " I, well I love you too, Ron."
They smiled at eachother for a moment, then Hermione looked down and said,
" You could feed me now, if you wanted."
Ron laughed and picked up a fork. Harry and Ginny turned away.
" A job well done," smiled Harry. " You are an expert at love potions."
Ginny shrugged. " As I said: It worked for you. That's good enough for me."
" Yeah," said Harry, and bent down to kiss her.