He was headstrong, handsome and completely charming

Potions at 4 a.m.

He was headstrong, handsome and completely charming. With a strong jaw line, a straight nose, and arrestingly hazel eyes. His fine features were only enhanced by the scarring caused by a bloodthirsty maniac during battle. While some were afraid of him, she was only attracted to the argumentative wizard.

She couldn't ever admit it to him though; it would only make things between them awkward. She wasn't sure that the sexual tension she felt between them was felt by him; she wasn't keen on being turned down. They were close; they worked together, lived together, and did most things together.

Hermione hated repeating clichés but one rang somewhat true. She didn't want to be with him if it would eventually ruin their friendship. But, she mused, what if we stayed together forever? She scolded herself for thinking along those lines. She knew it probably wouldn't happen.

As if thinking of him had somehow summoned him, he walked shirtless out of his bedroom. She couldn't help staring and his statuesque body, while Ron had been tall and skinny, Bill was broad shouldered, muscles ran down his arms. His perfectly lined chest taunted her, teased her, invited her to touch him. She inwardly groaned, couldn't he have at least put on a shirt?

To stop this line of thinking, she moved her eyes away from his sculpted chest and looked, instead, at his legs. Big mistake. His legs were as muscled as his arms. Her gaze involuntarily rose to his blue boxers, and she immediately wished she hadn't looked. She was getting rather damp, and not enjoying it one bit.

Hermione focused her attention on the potion she was brewing for Bill; it was an advanced version of the wolf's bane potion. Since Hermione was now potion's professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she had many tools to use. The potion was her own invention, and it stopped Bill transforming into a wolf.

The only proof of Grayback's attack were the scars and that he preferred his meat raw. Oh, and that he growled when angry. But Hermione wasn't sure that that hadn't been like that before the attack. Bill was teaching Charms and was head of Gryffindor house.

The potion glowed a reddish gold, which meant that it was almost ready. She'd been up all night, fantasizing about Bill while brewing the potion. Bill had a deep voice that sounded like a growl, while his situation caused Fleur to ditch him; it only attracted Hermione to him more.

"Granger," he growled, and at that moment Hermione knew he was pissed, he only called her Granger when he was pissed. "Would you mind telling me why you're brewing my potion at 4 a.m. when the full moon was yesterday?"

She sighed, he really was good looking. His hair wasn't fiery red like Ron and Ginny's, it was more of a soft auburn colour. He let it grow to his shoulders and his hair was so soft that it practically invited her hands to run through it.

"Bill, I know you would have transformed yesterday, but I like to make things in advance. This stuff never expires, so it will be OK if you have it anytime."

He raised one eyebrow. "Yeah, fine, I know it never expires. I have been in the storage cupboard too; you're not the only one. I happened to see that there was enough of this stuff to last me a few months. Why are you making it again? At this time of night?"

Hermione thought on her feet, he couldn't know the real answer. She was making it because she was bored and because making it made her feel somewhat closer to Bill.

"Ermm… well, I need to teach it to my Advanced Potions class." She looked proud of herself at this brilliant invention. Bill chuckled. "Granger, you do know that school starts in September and we are now in July, don't you?"

She flushed a deep red. "I don't know. I had nothing better to do, so I made more. It never hurts."

Bill looked at her face wearily. "Hermione, you look exhausted. You really should get into bed."

Hermione knew that even if she did get into bed, she wouldn't have been able to sleep. Her mind was too busy thinking about the handsome wizard who was in the same dorm that she was in. Dumbledore had been one dormitory short, so he'd asked them if they minded sharing the same one. They both had different bedrooms but they had to share an enormous bathroom, living room and kitchen. Neither Hermione nor Bill had minded.

Bill sat down on the sofa beside her. She could feel the heat that his body was emitting; she longed to be engulfed in it. Bill seemed resigned to the fact that he couldn't get her into bed, so he got up to go to the kitchen. As he got up, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her up with him.

By accident or by design he pulled her into his body. Hermione wasn't exceptionally tall and she wasn't particularly wide either. Bill totally framed her body; Hermione could feel his heart those few moments when neither had been able to pull away. Hermione looked flushed but Bill just grinned.

"Enough." He said, grinning, "I don't want you to die of exhaustion; your students would hunt me down." Hermione was, by far, the best Potions professor that the students had ever had. She encouraged all the students, and if they couldn't grasp the concept, she wouldn't yell, she would calmly coax them encouragingly. No student of Hermione's was getting below an E in Potions.

"Imagine if you died, and the students had to learn from Snape again. They wouldn't be happy at all. They would hunt me down like a dog." Hermione giggled, actually giggled. Bill's eyes brightened at the sound.

They were having something almost like a moment when they heard a knock at their portrait door. Hermione went to get it. "Who is it?" She called out. "It's Draco, Hermione, open up."

Her eyebrows furrowed together as she opened up the portrait to let him in. She was dressed in a baggy t-shirt and short shorts, and didn't usually greet people in dressed like that, but it was 4 a.m. and she really couldn't care less.

Draco barged in, like he owned the place. "Hey, Bill, why are you guys up so late?" His eyes shot between them and he seemed to make a connection. His mouth made an almost comical 'O' shape. "Are you guys doing it?" He asked them. Hermione flushed a deep red, but Bill chuckled and came to the rescue.

"You know, man, I wish we were, but no such luck. I think she only sticks with me because she enjoys outsmarting me." His tone was teasing, but his eyes, when they met Hermione's own were intense, as if he was evaluating the effect of his words on Hermione.

Draco merely shrugged. "I only came to talk to Bill about some rowdy Gryffindors who seem to have attacked my students." Hermione and Bill grinned. "I do hope that none of your students were hurt too badly." Bill's tone was teasing.

Draco was grinning too, "No, they weren't, but one can't speak without farting and the other pisses himself when he sees grass. I easily reversed these curse, but I promised some very influential parents that I'd make sure those who did that to them were punished."

"I'm sure your students weren't completely blameless, though, were they?" Bill asked.

"They weren't, and I've given them detention with Granger," He turned to face Hermione, "I know you were pissed when I went through all your supplies and messed them up, so I decided to give you some snobby kids to help you straighten them out."

Hermione merely rolled her eyes. Bill asked Draco, "Do you know who cursed them? I know the 'piss when he sees grass' curse came from, I taught it to him myself." Bill looked proud. "That's Ginny and Neville's kid, Terry. I can reasonably bet that the 'fart when he talks' is Lavender and Ron's kid, Sarah. Was there anyone else involved?"

Draco looked impressed that Bill had known all this, "No, it was just them. The Slytherins that I gave to Hermione are Pansy Parkinson and Gregory Goyle's kid, Tom, and Millicent Bulstrode and Theodore Nott's kid, Avery." Hermione groaned.

"I know I'm not supposed to have favorites, but those two are my least favorite fifth year's around." Draco winked at her, "You know I always try and please you." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh, very mature, Granger, is that what you do to your students? No wonder they think you're such fun. By the way, I walked in on a Slytherin jacking off the other day, guess whose picture it was to? Yours, my dear Hermione, care to know who it was?" Hermione looked almost green, Draco continued shamelessly, "It was Joel Lestrange" Draco giggled. He'd been going in to the bathroom to jack off himself and was extremely disturbed to see the arrogantly handsome seventh year in there. Draco had walked out, pretending he hadn't seen anything, but Joel had been giving Draco some very odd looks.

"Well, while I'm here, I might as well stay till morning. You were in the kitchen when I came in, Bill, can you make whatever you were making for me too?" Hermione and Bill shared an exasperated look, but neither minded, Draco was a hilarious guest, and if he left Hermione might not be able to keep her attraction to Bill a secret. Bill grinned that heart-melting grin of his, and went to the kitchen to make some more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Draco took Bill's unoccupied seat on the couch; he looked interestedly at the potion. "I thought the full moon was yesterday." Hermione sighed and looked at her best friend. "I know, but I needed to take my mind off of stuff…" She trailed off and looked at Bill, almost longingly.

"You obviously like him, I can see that. I mean, he's totally gorgeous, if he wasn't so obviously into you I would try to nab him for myself." Hermione sighed again, "Draco, he's as into me as he is to you. Basically, not much. I know you want to make me feel better but it's OK, I can accept it."

"Granger, he is into you, anyone can see that. Even someone who isn't as brilliantly perspective as I am." She only rolled her eyes at him. "Ever so modest, Drakie." She deliberately used the nickname she knew he hated.

He was spared from answering because Bill walked into the room, tray floating in front of him, laden with sandwiches.

He looked gorgeous, as always, Hermione groaned, it was going to be a long night.