Author note: this is a birthday story I wrote for a friend a while back. For privacy, I edited out real names, which means some people are out of character because I was just using their names. I re-stumbled upon it and decided to post it just because I can and someone might like it.

Anyways, pretend there is no battle of hogwarts and Luna is the same year as the trio. 'Kay?

"Hey Hermione, can you help me with something?" Luna asked her friend. The two were sitting in the library, 'reviewing' for their potions exam later that day. Truthfully, the books were lying abandoned on the table.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because anytime you ask for help, I get caught up in something dangerous."

"But Hermione…"

"Luna, I said no." Hermione was firm on this point. There was no way she wanted to get injured or in trouble on her birthday, which were usually side effects of being Luna's friend. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go celebrate before my mood is crushed by this potions test."

"Celebrate what?" Luna asked, frowning. She was often one to forget dates. Hermione sighed at her friend, opting to ignore the question and continue leaving the library. "Oy! Hermione! You left your potions book!"

Before Hermione had a chance to turn back and retrieve the textbook, said object came flying through the air to hit her in the back of the head. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, this was the exact moment Draco Malfoy decided to step around the corner to enter the library in front of Hermione. Driven forward by the blow to the back of the head, Hermione toppled onto Draco, sending them both tumbling to the floor.

Their eyes went wide in equal surprise as their lips met in an accidental kiss. A few students in the hall stopped and stared, along with one obnoxious catcall from Zachary Blaise. As soon as she regained her wits, Hermione pushed off of Draco to stand back up.

"Watch where you're going, Granger!" Draco said, scrambling up and away from Hermione with a face beet red.

"You ran into me!" Hermione argued, face equally as red. Draco seemed to be searching for an appropriate comeback, but after seeing the crowd his wits abandoned him.

"Wait til' my father hears about this!" He growled at her, storming off and muttering about stupid girls and their silly spared her a backwards glance, almost running into a wall before scurrying off. After watching him disappear, the students turned their eyes back to Hermione.

"Well?" Hermione glared at them. "Don't you have anything better to do? Shoo!" Quickly the crowd scattered, until all that was left was a sheepish Luna, holding out the potion's textbook.

"That right there...that was messed up." Luna commented, searching Hermione's face as she choose her words carefully.

"Yeah, it was." Hermione sent her a glare too as she grabbed the potion's textbook. "Thanks for that."

"I really am sorry!" Luna rapidly apologized. "I tried to levitate it over to you, but I flicked my wand just a little too hard…"

"Look, just forget about it, okay?" Hermione sighed. "I don't want to hear anything more about it. Let's just act like it didn't happen."

Unfortunately, that was not so easy. As she entered the great hall, already she heard the rumors spreading.

"Did you hear about Draco and Hermione?"

"I heard she made a move on him."

"Tackled him right to the ground, yeah?"

"I saw them in the library...they weren't studying the books."

Hermione groaned. After assuring over a dozen people that no, she did not 'make a move' on Draco and that they should mind their own business, her appetite was gone. Some birthday this was turning out to be. When she had made her birthday wish this morning for a first kiss, perhaps she should have wished for something more simple. Like world peace. Or at least for it not to be from Draco, who despite being incredibly good-looking and charming was by all means off-limits.

I mean, there was no way that was a kiss. Draco probably didn't think anything of it, so why should she? The two had known each other since they were first years, and barely interacted except to get on each other's nerves. Seriously, he was possibly the most annoying seventh year in the whole school. He was completely full of himself, and unfortunately for good reason. No one else could be so infuriatingly attractive.

"Are you feeling okay?" Luna asked as they began to walk to the Charms classroom. "You barely ate anything."

"It's fine." Hermione shrugged. "I've just got a weird feeling of confusion ever since the...incident earlier today."

"You mean when you toppled-" Luna was cut off by a sharp smack to the arm by Hermione.

"Yes, and I thought I told you I don't want to talk about it." Hermione reminded her.

"Ow!" Luna rubbed at the spot. "No need to get defensive." There was a pause before Lune carefully approached the subject. "You know, I had a similar feeling fifth year at the Three Broomsticks after you dared me to kiss Neville."

"Oh please." Hermione scoffed, sitting down in her seat once they arrived at the classroom. "I am not feeling some sort of longing to be with Draco." Liar.

"I'm just saying, that led to us going out to this very day. I never would have guessed it, but Neville's better than the guy I assumed he was." Luna said quietly as other students began to file in.

"Neville's not an annoying prick." Hermione whispered back. Luna said nothing due to Professor Flitwick beginning the lecture, but somehow Hermione's mind would not focus. Was she really falling for Draco Malfoy? Falling...ironic.

"Hermione!" Luna said, snapping her fingers in front of her friend. "You zoned out. Class is over."

"Huh?" Hermione blinked, shaking her head to try and snap out of it. It wasn't like her to stop paying attention for entire classes.

"Boy, you really were hit hard." Luna shook her head. "C'mon, our Advanced Potions Exam awaits."

"Joy." Hermione said, gathering her books.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Luna said, grabbing something out of her bag and handing it to Hermione. "Happy Birthday!" It was a cupcake decorated with red frosting and the face of a lion, in theme with Hermione's house colors.

"Aw, you did remember!" Hermione said, mood instantly lightening.

"Uh, sure!" Luna said as Hermione took the cupcake and began eating. "Or, more like Patil reminded me of the date. I've been saving this idea for a while." Luna gave her a sheepish grin. Hermione rolled her eyes, focusing on the taste.

"This is really good, Luna." Hermione said. "Almost...too good." A strange, good feeling had begun to spread over her. Her aura was positively glowing.

"I may have added a little liquid luck to the batter." Luna grinned. Luna was one of the best students in Advanced potions, which was a blessing due to the fact that her wand magic was often lacking (as evident by the flying textbook). Hermione stopped chewing.

"Isn't it illegal to have that for an exam?" Hermione asked, squinting suspiciously.

"I don't think so." Luna shrugged. "Or at least, it shouldn't help you much in potions enough to matter."

"You are going to get me in trouble one day." Hermione lectured. "Again." Still, she finished off the cupcake just as they entered the dungeon classroom. Due to it being an elective, advanced potions was a class made up of students of all houses. The upside to this was Hermione got to share another class with Luna. The downside to this was Hermione had to share another class with Draco.

Advanced Potions exams are different than other examinations. You have to work in pairs, due to a lack of materials. Then the grade is split equally between the two people. This is why Hermione always made sure to partner up with Luna. Unfortunately, her liquid luck seemed dysfunctional. The groans heard throughout the classroom could only mean one thing: Snape had assigned the examination partners.

Sure enough, the list was written on the board. Luna was the only one with no partner, because there was an odd number of students. After feverishly searching, Hermione found her own name at the bottom:

Hermione Granger - Draco Malfoy

Surely the universe was out to get her. As soon as Draco saw the list, he paled. Immediately he went to complain to Snape, but Snape seemed to be expecting this.

"Professor-!" A frantic Malfoy approached Professor Snape into the classroom.

"Partner assignments are final, Mr. Malfoy." Snape sneered, causing the class to go silent. "Now if you would all kindly find a seat next to your partner I can begin the examination." Draco wanted to say more, but he knew any words now would only serve to cancel his exam. He took the seat next to Hermione, trying very hard to avoid eye contact.

"Looks like Malfoy didn't want to sit next to his girlfriend." Someone called out.

"Thank you for voiding your test, Mr. Finnegan." Snape said. "Please escort yourself and your partner out of my classroom. Now, for this examination I want each partnership to produce the best version of Amortentia, the love potion, as you can. You have one hour. Begin." At the mention of a love potion, both Hermione and Draco turned a slight shade of pink.

The two began carefully preparing ingredients as nearby Luna was halfway through her potion. The silence between them was incredibly tense.

"Hey." Hermione spoke up. "I'm, uh, sorry for what happened earlier."

"Whatever." Draco muttered. "It's fine."

"I didn't mean anything by it." Hermione continued. "Luna just banged me in the back of the head with a textbook at the wrong moment." Draco gave her a confused look, so she awkwardly coughed and decided to change the subject. "And anyway, I didn't want you to hear the rumors and think I was interested in you or anything. I don't date Slytherins."

"That's incredibly stereotypical of you." Draco argued. "Slytherins are a house of cunning and ambition, meaning we can achieve great things. Gryffindor is a house of courage, which is a kind way of saying stupid."

"You're stupid." Hermione retorted. She wrinkled her nose as a strong smell reminding her of Draco hit her nostrils. "And seriously, your fragrance is way too strong . What is it with guys and massive amounts of cologne?"

"I don't wear cologne." Draco retorted. "And what about your sickly amounts of perfume? It's keeping me from concentrating!"

"I'm not wearing perfume today." Hermione said, looking confused. Suddenly a cough could be heard, and the two looked over to see Luna pointing at her finished Amortentia, the love potion that gives off a smell of the things you love. In embarassment, Draco and Hermione turned to face one another.

"Oh."