Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the lovely JK Rowling.
AN: This is translated from a Chinese fic, I do not own its credits except the translation. And only the translation.
Original written by: 寒星漪 All credits of the work belongs to her entirely.
1.A Mistaken Encounter
Something has to be wrong. He thought.
When that great, great, great Harry Potter stood before him – with an amiable smile on his face – and carrying a tray filled with Hogwarts' (Hogwarts, the grand magic school that our protagonist attends) most favorable breakfast, presented in front of him, and asking him if he have had breakfast yet, Draco was beginning to regret that last time when he passed some muggle church and had been a bit rude to that man – Jesus – who hang on that Cross.
But he swear, it was only a bit. He didn't even show it out front, only mentally and softly – really just very slightly – snorted.
Then, is that great God really was this petty (oh, dear Jesus Christ, please forgive his rudeness once more, after all, he was only a kid), just because of that, does He really have the heart to let the most proud heir of the Malfoy (Malfoy, Draco's family name) family suffer a punishment that is this severe?
But no matter what he is thinking at the moment, punishment really came now.
Actually, he was supposed to be happy, satisfied, even proud. After all, that Potter who he really really really hated – Saint Harry Potter is holding that breakfast tray with both hands, right now, purposely came from Gryffindor (Gryffindor, Harry's sorted House), under every single eye of the school, walked to Slytherin (Slytherin, Draco's sorted Hourse), appearing before him with low profile, smiling and asking him if he'd like to have any. In the past three years of school life nothing like this ever happened, no matter to whom it was for.
And now what he was supposed to do, perhaps disdain, perhaps sneer, just like what he always wanted to do. But he didn't – this of course also surprised every housemate, but compared to Harry's behaviour, that really wasn't something.
Look at that, that poor penniless Ron Weasel, that Mudblood Hermione Granger (Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry's best friends), and including his mates – Goyle and Crabbe (Goyle and Crabbe, Draco's sworn followers), the bread they were holding dropped at the same time... oh, and their jaws as well.
Even Dumbledore (Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts Magic School of Witchcraft and Wizardry) has to admit, in his life of holding a significant position in the school, the Great Hall was never this quiet.
- and not one single class would have all the students being this attentive, halted their works completely, their gaze focusing on those two, never moved.
He probably could take the advantage and swagger around in front of everyone... but he didn't.
He could fool anyone, but he cannot fool himself – that Draco Malfoy who was ever so arrogant, is now immersed in extreme guilt.
Oh... he could swear with his life, with his family pride, with his great ancestors, that this is an absolute mistake.
Why is it Potter? That damn disgusting Harry Potter?
The one standing in front of him wasn't supposed to be this person! The one coming from Gryffindor, with a smiling face, respectfully bringing him breakfast... was supposed to be the one sitting there, with dropped bread and jaw, eyes widened, with perfect scores and a bloody proud mudblood – Hermione Granger!
His right hand kept shoved in his pocket, gripping his wand tightly, and one small paper wrap that contains unknown dust.
That was supposed to be a potion. A potion that was non-significant, but to him was the greatest invention in centuries.
It was really simple, only was just some sort of love potion. Even though not many people really gotten its formula.
In Hogsmeade (Hogsmeade, the only magical town that was pure), there are a lot of this kind of potions, it maybe difficult to get, but it is not rare. And Draco was indeed under a very surprising situation to which he obtained the formula, it was only when he went to Knockturn Alley (of course he was with his father), out of curiosity he purchased this from someone who was holding a bunch of magic notes with pranks. It was very cheap, didn't even have to use one Sickle, but surprisingly gotten him this formula.
- Of course, if a mischievous child wanted to pull a prank, then what would be considered first?
Its effects?
Oh, no, no. That proves you aren't a very naughty, indeed professional mischievous kid. The first thing that has to be considered – is after that you pulled a prank, how to not let others discover that you did it. That is the right one.
Our dear Draco Malfoy probably cannot count as one professional, but the note he bought was made by the hands of a professional – from the fact that this person appears in Knockturn Alley is enough to state that.
The formula in there was slightly complicated than normal potion pranks. But that was not because of its effects, but because after processing this little magic, not one single trace would be left, even the greatest wizard won't see any fracture.
The effect of the potion is one year. To Draco, that is an very suitable number – it could allow him be very content in one whole year, and also would stop before any trouble or annoyance was caused.
His intended target, was the one we previously mentioned, that smart and beautiful, but disturbing mudblood, Hermione Granger.
She was from a muggle family, her parents both cannot do magic. That, in Draco's mind, or to say in every Malfoys' minds was the most low classed sort, the ones that cannot be entitled to learn magic. But that long-haired girl have such beauty and cleverness, the books she has read probably exceeded one-fifth of the Library, not even some professors could compete with the knowledge that contained in that small brain, she was only in third year, but has already learned so much magic – and what Draco hated most was that mouth of hers, not only that in Professor Snape's Potion class she often answers the questions that he was speechless of, but also interpose with tips when he and Harry was bickering – you have to know, that was the help that Ron Weasel, Goyle, Crabbe and even with Harry add up together could not defeat against.
And so he – the respectable Draco Malfoy – have to bow that honorable head of his in front of Professor Snape and Harry Potter over and over again.
That was a serious crime!
Only a year – that was light for her!
When he put in the last ingredient, the muddy substance that he could not imagine anyone would drink, changed itself in a flash – rose red, a very very beautiful rose red shade, deep, and transparent, and emanating the most superior scent.
And then he started to believe and relief, that this kind of potion, no matter where it was settled, would attract people to take, and drink, or spray it like perfume.
Someone just has to do that, and he'd succeed.
The potion's effect, is that once someone drank it or got some onto his or her body, even if it was just the slightest, would let that person to fall in love with someone deeply within one year – that someone who applied the last drops in the cauldron onto his or her heart, or something.
The proud Hermione Granger in one full year, would fall in love with some disgusting creature – like a slug or something – or just be that great Professor Snape! That would be a scene so interesting and exciting – that Draco had snickered so many times while in the progress of brewing.
But he finally decided, better let that lady fall in love with him – the Draco Malfoy that undoubtedly being loved by everyone. A pathetic mudblood fell in love with the high and noble pureblooded prince! Nothing was more merited or better than this! And that also means at least in one year, that lady, even her friends – Ron and Harry would be bowing their heads in front of him. That would be such a wonderful situation!
Maybe he was too excited, but he didn't forget after pouring out the potion he collected the small clotting of dust at the base of the cauldron. After the last bits of that dust fell into that small paper wrap in his hand, his hands even shook a little – then, he spread those dust onto his chest the spot of his heart. It was magical, when that grayish powder touched the pale skin, it was immediately adsorbed, not one single bit was left, not even a trace.
Carefully folding up the remains, after settling it into his pocket, Draco started to think about the biggest problem.
How to make sure that this potion was applied onto that mudblood, and not anyone else?
It was actually pretty easy, just pretend it to be an accident, just like how he normally done in class. But if it was done that way, once Hermione started to have any kinds of unusual behaviour, anyone would suspect him first. Of course he was not that stupid.
Was there something that only the mudblood would touch? Handkerchief? Comb? Books?
After a long moment of consideration, Draco's gaze suddenly lay upon his own wand.
- Bingo!
Wand! Everyone has one, and because the suitability was different, taking others' wand sometimes would cause consequences that are very serious, so the wand normally would only appear in its owner's hands!
The corner of his mouth twitched upwards, some kind of sly expression slowly crossed his handsome face under the moonlight.
Putting the potion onto a wand – that was actually very easy, at least easier than he imagined. Different to the Slytherins, Gryffindors are always so careless.
Oh, our Draco probably was brainwashed by that unknown victory. Well, even though most of the Gryffindors are often bold and courageous and loyal and – careless, but that last one, does not include our dear Miss Hermione Granger. Otherwise, she would not achieved top in every year and remembered the spells that so many professors did not teach.
Wands normally would only appear in its owner's hands... after all that was only under 'usual' situations, doesn't mean that no special condition would come up. And if one did not wave it in his or her hands, even if that was not his or her own wand, it is believed that it would not cause any problem. But young mister Draco cannot remember the features of everyone's wands, and did not realize that wand Hermione has put on the table does not belong to her.
At dinner the Great Hall was a bit dim. When he saw that mudblood has put the wand on the table, his heart nearly leaped out of him. Of course his appearance was as same as his usual self, the honorable and arrogant oneself, walking down long tables accompanied by his two friends.
When he sat down at the Slytherin table, a victorious smile flashed onto his face.
He was certain and believed that no one saw how he had done it, how he used perfume spray to spray a bit of that potion onto that wand. That fine potion sparkled slightly under the candle lights, but if one did not look carefully, you absolutely cannot see it.
Now, just wait for that smooth hand to grab onto it!
When he waited with rejoice and excitement, a huge mistake happened!
He widened his eyes at the mistake, and knocked a whole cup of drink onto his thighs, though he did not even notice.
- What was he seeing?
Why is that damn, damn, damn Harry Potter walking towards them (meaning Hermione and Ron), and took that wand?
He was smiling, picked up the wand and studied a little, and looked down to say something to Hermione. Looking at the mouthing shape, probably was something like 'Thanks' sorts.
That was Harry Potter's wand?
Until the end of dinner, Draco still did not recover from that enormous shock. Afterward, his friends told him, they have called him at least ten times within an hour, because he ate a whole plate of spinach that he normally would not even touch, and water kept on dripping from his thighs, though he never noticed.
Oh, god!
He doesn't know what else he could say now except this!
He started to hope from the bottom of his heart – that that potion has failed. Because even until dinner had ended Potter didn't show any signs of unusual, wasn't he?
That must have failed, must have.
Even though in his heart he knew that the brewing progress of the potion was perfect. But something that was bought from Knockturn Alley was not supposed to be believable wasn't it? He comforted himself with this, forgetting that before dinner he still had faith in that thing.
Gingerly he spent the night, Draco didn't know when he had fallen asleep. Outside of the window that bloody crow seems to be laughing at him, crying continuously.
Then, he was late at the breakfast the next day. After he sat down onto his seat, he found that a few of the popular dishes were almost gone.
Shit. He cursed under his breath.
Do not forget that our dear mister Malfoy was still a child after all, he has slight obsession towards foods that he likes to eat.
"You haven't had breakfast yet? Do you want to eat some of these?"
An extremely tender voice came. In the three years in Hogwarts, Draco had never heard such tender voice.
Just in that moment, his brain was like a grandfather clock that was too old, it stopped, he got this stupid expression on his face, and feeling deeply terrified by the thing that appeared before his eyes.
That was a plate of a very rich breakfast – nearly everything is what Draco loved to eat most – and one person that he most does not wanted to see – Harry Potter.