Love Potions
Everyone's favourite green-eyed, bespectacled boy wizard was sweating away in a disused classroom, bent over cauldron after cauldron of sticky, smelly, gooey and otherwise unpleasant manner of items.
Ah, yes, Harry Potter was taking full advantage of the lack of being Potioneered by Professor Severus Snape, and actually being taught during the year, not insulted.
Harry would normally have his best friends Hermione Granger and Ron, Ron, Ron, Ron Weasley alongside him.
But certain events led to Harry's position, and can explain his current position in the world.
Harry, who had been thinking of Ginny, Draco-Malfoy-and-his-mission, Ginny, He-Who-Wants-to-Rule-the-World, Ginny, Quidditch, Snogging Ginny and Ginny for good measure was forced to shove all those thoughts aside when his best mate was poisoned. Harry, after saving Ron with a Bezoar shifted his attention to why Ron suffered such a hideous shade of blue.
Oh, yes, Romilda Vane. She was aiming for Harry, and would not stop because of the small matter of a poisoning. So, Harry, smirking schemingly, left a bewildered Hermione and a disinterested Ginny alone with a cheery call of "Goodbye ladies." And with a spring in his step, exited the common room and went over and obtained Potions ingredients from the students' cupboards, and settled down for a long evening of Potioneering.
Working feverishly, Harry made great strides in the art of Potion making – for his standards, and after three hours of solid sweating (Without Hermione to help, who can blame him) Harry had finally found out he was missing something.
Ginny.
Well, not all of her (yet) only a fingernail, or a strand of her soft, velvety, silky smooth, fiery red hair.
It was all he needed for a perfected Potion.
So, Harry pulled out the Marauders Map, and searched for Ginny's dot.
Harry spotted her,
Ginny was with Hermione and Luna Lovegood, and, as usual, they were arguing over whether Heliopaths were on the warpath or even existed, if Harry was suffering from Acterous Gromis, and if Crumple Horned Scornacks roamed the earth.
"Girls, I'm going to try and find Harry. It's been three hours and you know how that boy is when his mind is distracted." And they just ignore her. Typical.
And so Ginny set off to find the very person who was stalking her, quite literally.
Hidden under his invisibility cloak, Harry resisted – on numerous occasions - to start humming the Mission Impossible theme every time he passed someone, be they Ghost, Professor, Animal or Student.
And so, aided by Invisibility, the Marauders map and his magnetic attraction to Ginny, Harry soon found the girl of his dreams walking along a third floor corridor.
But how to get some of her hair? Harry hadn't thought of that. So, following Ginny (it was a nice view), Harry plotted to leave a follicle on Ginny's scalp unhaired.
"Ginny." Harry said, trying to ignore a horrible mix of Ernie Macmillian, Draco Malfoy and Percy Weasley his voice sounded like.
"Harry!" Ginny responded, seemingly startled by his sudden appearance.
"Ginny, I have a favour to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Umm...could I please, umm have one of your hairs? Please?"
"Why?" Ginny asked laughing.
"It's umm...kind of personal, I umm..."
"I don't remember my hairs being in 1001 Magical Herbs and Fungi, and" Harry noticed her hand move slightly. "I can't very well give my hair away you know."
"Oh, yes, it is very beautiful hair."
Ginny moved so swiftly it was like a blur, Harry was down, taking a stunner to the stomach and bats were flying out of his nostrils.
"Come on, Harry, off to Professor McGonagall we go, you nearly had me fooled –well, actually, you didn't, but beautiful hair? Me? As if Harry would think that, let alone say it." And so, Ginny grabbed Harry by the ear and dragged him down the corridor.
Shaking his head to free himself of the situation, Harry realised he was still under his cloak, and the encounter had not occurred.
And he was still hairless. Harry let Ginny get far ahead, and then silently slipped out of his cloak, Accioed a hair –"Ouch" Ginny said, rubbing her head and turning around just as Harry slipped down a side corridor.
Heart pounding, Harry waited as Ginny's footsteps died down, then breathed a sigh of relief, kissed the hair in his hand and giggled like a giddy schoolgirl with a poster of the latest pop star sensation.
Harry could've been forgiven for his momentary lapse in masculinity had Hermione, who left Luna and followed Ginny not seen the event.
Hermione tailed Harry right to the room where he had been working, and while he was distracted, slipped inside a cupboard where she could watch him.
Harry worked at a rate Hermione wished he did every day, and Hermione, being unable to instantly figure out what he was up to, turned her attention to a small phial, seemingly untouched, nestled on the table.
Hermione worked out instantly what it was.
Amortenia.
Now Hermione Granger figured herself as a very intelligent person, basing her judgements on observations and logic, and as School Prefect, not to mention Harry's pragmatic best friend, felt it was her duty to interfere before Harry made a very big mistake.
Harry resisted the urge to shout "Eureka!" as he made the final touches to his potion. Then, a table leg behind him scraped on the floor, and Harry spun around, and came face across table to Hermione.
"Hermione, how long have you been there for?" Harry noticed the open cupboard door. "Have you been spying on me?"
Hermione's eyes began to moisten, Harry glared at her. Her wand arm outstretched, she brandished her wand at Harry.
"Hermione! What are you doing?"
"Move out the way Harry, it's for your own good."
Harry refused to budge.
"Come on Harry!" Hermione begged, "Move, please!"
"There is a better way Harry, please, don't do this!" the tears flowed now, and Harry, totally bewildered, still didn't move.
"Harry." Harry detected some sign of up-turned-nose-in-your-face attitude from the tearful Hermione, "As school prefect, I order you to move aside...Reducto! Evanasco!"
Harry drew his wand with the speed of an 1880's movie gunslinger, and cast a nonverbal shield charm which sent Hermione's spells rocketing off in the room. Hermione wasn't finished.
"Expulso!"
The shield held. Harry thought feverishly, trying to figure out what could've caused Hermione to turn on him – maybe Ron said something daft in his sleep – he wasn't immune, and Hermione was spending a lot of time with him, despite his unconscious state.
Still, Harry thought, that doesn't fully explain Hermione's reaction.
Watching Hermione closely, Harry spotted a weakness in her stance, and waving his non-wand wielding hand, muttered, "Expelliarmus!"
Hermione's wand flew out of her hand, and Harry deftly caught it before pocketing it alongside his own, and rushing to embrace Hermione who was now sobbing into his shoulder.
"I'm sorry for attacking you Harry." Hermione was sniffling, clearly trying to stop herself from crying, "You're making a mistake Harry, and I..." at this, Hermione succumbed to a fresh onslaught of tears.
Harry pulled Hermione closer to him, hugging her as tight as he could, whispering in Hermione's ear. "It's okay, I've got you. I've got you."
Harry and Hermione stayed like that for five minutes of eternity, before the door creaked open and Ginny entered the room.
Ginny spotted Harry and Hermione ran off screaming like a banshee about how Harry never loves her and how Hermione betrayed her and Harry charged after her like a bull rhinoceros and told her it was her he always loved and they cried and they kissed and they lived happily ever after.
No, Ginny saw Hermione upset, and moved next to Harry and Hermione, tenderly placing her arm around Hermione whilst simultaneously exchanging in a nonverbal conversation with Harry, who was as clearly stumped as she was.
"Hermione, honey, what's the matter?" Ginny asked gently, "Ron again?"
Hermione shook her head ever so slightly. She was saved from elaborating when the door flew open, and a hideous shaped composed and curtained with pure Darkness blocked out the firelight from the corridor outside.
"Well Potter, I've got you now!" Our greasy-haired, resident DADA Professor, Severus Snape stood in the doorway, casting an imposing shadow on the room's occupants.
"What do you mean Professor? It's not curfew, and I have a special permission slip from Professor McGonagall, allowing me use of the classroom." Harry smirked at Snape, holding out a piece of parchment. Snape read it, and was unsatisfactorily satisfied that it was genuine, and that Harry had every right to be there.
But Snape, being the vindictive being he is, couldn't leave without ruining someone's evening.
And so he turned to the Puffy eyed Hermione, who was clutching onto Ginny.
"Miss Granger, everyone has a bad day. A score of Exceeds Expectations on your Defence against the Dark Arts essay is not the end of the world. At least you apply yourself in an attempt to mask daftness – unlike others..." Snape's lip curved upwards as he looked at Harry.
"Oh shut it Snape, stop acting like a petulant child and grow up." Ginny said, hugging Hermione.
"Miss Weasley, I'm your teacher and elder, and as such I deserve to be treated with respect, and will be by the likes of you!" Snape moved closer and closer to Ginny until he was pressed up against Hermione, nose to nose with Ginny.
"I don't care what Professor Dumbledore thinks of you Snape, you'll always be a greasy haired git to me."
"That's it! Detention Weasley! Potter, Granger, clear up this mess and be back in your common room if you don't want to join her!"
So, Snape walked out the door, cloak billowing behind him. Ginny followed and turned and mouthed "Totally worth it." At Harry who gave her two thumbs up. The door closed with a bang, leaving Harry and Hermione alone once more.
"Hermione, I should-"
"Harry, there is no need to explain, I should've trusted you."
"You were just looking out for me."
Harry felt a huge push of inertia send him stumbling backwards as Hermione flung herself upon him.
"Harry! You really are a great friend!" Hermione said, pulling away.
"Hermione, let me show you something."
"Harry, it's really none of my business."
"No, you're the smartest girl – smartest person – I've ever met, you'll have figured this out. I've tried to conceal it. Reckon it worked on the most part – but no hope against you."
Hermione moved with interest over to the table where Harry was standing.
Harry handed her a glass phial. "Can you tell me what is in here?" Harry asked.
"Amortenia."
"Exactly. Could you place one of your hairs in there, please?"
Hermione looked puzzled, but obliged. The potion fizzled and bubbled until it settled with a beige colour. Harry, smirking, dropped a portion of Ginny's hair in.
Hermione gasped. The potion returned to normal.
"So thhatts what yoouuu wwwanted?" Hermione stuttered.
"Ginny's hair is the only person's who will effect potions like that – but only if I put it in."
"Why? Ginny's hair doesn't have special qualities? I'm so disappointed in you Harry; I thought you had made a major scientific breakthrough."
"Ginny's hair is very special, the way it glints in the firelight-"
Harry stopped talking when he saw Hermione sniggering.
"Oh, very funny Hermione. Let me put it in simple terms. Ginny's hair works for me the same way Ron's hair would work for you."
"Harry Potter!"
"Shoes on the other foot now, isn't it Granger?" Harry asked, smirking.
"That's not fair!"
"What's fair for me is fair for you, right?"
Hermione growled and Harry chuckled.
"How does it feel?" Hermione asked.
"Like I've lost the best thing that never happened to me, sometimes I feel like running into a brick wall."
"Sometimes we don't realise what we have until it is gone."
Harry moved around the room, retaining the potions he wanted and vanishing whatever he did not, then he and Hermione walked out the door.
"You'd want me to keep tight lipped about what happened in there, right?"
"Yes please." Harry nodded. "And I'll also respect your privacy – though I don't know why, everyone knows anyway."
Hermione glared at Harry who put his arm around her shoulders.
"Well, all will be revealed in due time. Just don't expect me to say-" Romilda Vane appeared, undetected at this moment. "I'm Harry Potter, and this here is my girlfriend!"