Chapter One

The One with the Love Potion

Notes- This is the re-edited version of "Eros et L'Armour" although my French isn't perfect the title roughly translates as "lust and love" and it is meant to reflect a conflict between those who things, that's all I am saying. As always I own nothing except the plot all rights to JK Rowling and her publishers and the idea for the chapter titles came from "Friends". Love C.J.

"I don't care what your conscious says you stupid boy," Bellatrix Lestrange bawled at her nephew. "Do you think that any of the things that we would be counted moral by the ministry with it's blood traitors and mud bloods? We are authorized by the dark Lord who is above all their peddling laws."

"Okay I will go but I don't like it."

"You don't have to like it just do it!" she walked away muttering "idiot," under her breath.

"But do you trust Avery with this task?" Draco asked as she stood in the doorway about to leave the room.

"No," Bellatrix said "but he has Severus helping him even if it is from a distance but we need him somewhere else." She paused and looked straight at Draco with her dark piercing eyes. "The order nevertheless was from the dark lord himself and so you should count yourself lucky to be given a second chance after the last time." She said the last phrase rather darkly and Draco hung his head low. "You will go after midnight. Do you have the address?"

"Yes," Draco replied resigned to his fate.

"Draco," his aunt replied sternly "you have been given an opportunity to redeem yourself do you know how often that happens? She is only a mudblood. You are not even being asked to kill her." She swept away with a cloak swish worthy of Snape she stormed out the room.

"Draco," a dark voice said from the side of the room and mirroring Bellatrix, Avery walked slowly into the room "this is the potion your aunt asked for. It is dreadfully powerful you will only need a few drops." Draco smelt it before he corked the bottle the smell of coffee, citrus, new parchment and something that he couldn't quite place but that he really liked wafted through the room.

"Thank you," Draco replied dolefully.

"Malfoy I suggest you take this opportunity another one may not come along."

"I know," he said.

Draco had never gained is apparition license and it was something that annoyed him immensely he was dependent on broomsticks, and in this case a portkey.

The portkey was a book that Draco had seen several times in his library at home but never had the opportunity or inclination to read he looked at it now named "Metamorphoses" it was quite a thin book with a paper binding and a picture of a chubby infant flying over a ruined city with a bow and arrow in his hand. Draco realized mid way through staring at the book cover that he had disappeared from the manor to reappear on a dark alleyway in a big city. He hoped his was London he couldn't see any signs. He stumbled out of the alley blinded by the complete darkness when he saw a streetlight following it he could by it's dim flickering light make out the sign of Fishbone Alley.

The houses surrounding the alley were terraced houses from the late Victorian period that today where mostly modern flats. He located number 21 and using a knife is father had given him magically broken the lock. He quietly climbed the stairs heading towards flat D interrupted by a blonde girl at the door of flat C dropping her keys and swearing.

"Do you need a hand?" Draco asked in a kindly voice.

"No," she snapped back trying to disguise the tears on her face but only succeeding in smudging the mascara on her face further.

"Sorry," he said sarcastically "I was just trying to help."

"Well I don't need any help from you or any man," and with an effort she opens the door almost tripping over her high-heeled shoes piled on the other side of the door. The door of flat C slammed loudly and Draco found himself staring back toward the door of flat D. Using the knife again he slipped the door open and closed in slightly behind him he checked his pocket and felt the potion still there whispering a spell.

He felt a cold drip down himself as he camouflaged himself to the dark flat. He walked down the little corridor and saw doors on both sides he was unsure were Hermione's bedroom would be. The first door on the left found a large walk in wardrobe with just a few clothes in it. The next on the right was a bathroom then a kitchen and finally as he opened the door to the darkest room yet he heard the soft sounds of someone moving in their sleep.

"Lumos," he whispered and the light at the tip of his wand illuminated part of the room he saw the end of the large wooden bed and inching towards it Hermione came into view. Her brown bushy hair was loose on the pillow and she looked so peaceful asleep. At first he thought she had awakened because she shifted but it seemed a natural movement because her eyes never opened and her breathing continued deep and regular. He uncorked the bottle but as he went to place it to her lips he found he couldn't.

"I can't drug her," he thought "and make her fall in love with someone she doesn't truly love." I don't care about lost opportunities and the Dark Lord I won't do it. I love her." He looked at her soft hair, perfect features and the caramel eyes he knew where hid beneath her lids. Draco leaned it to her smelling that same smell the bottle had provided earlier that he hadn't quite been able to place but forgetting he was holding the potion he let it drop and it sounded with a loud smash on the bedroom floor.

"Nox," he whispered and the room slipped into complete darkness. Hermione awoke with a startle at the smashing sound and Draco took his chance she looked for perfect so vulnerable in that moment and although he knew he was invisible he felt her soft brown eyes bore into him.

"She can't know where I am," he thought but still she stared at him. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips softly at first and then more feverishly feeling her respond he pulled away and silently left the flat. Hearing the flick of a switch as he left the room he breathed a sigh of relief that he was invisible. Leaving the flat he rushed down the staircase only gazing upwards once to check if Hermione was following him. She wasn't.

The cold in the alley outside engulfed him as he swept into the London night. "Have you completed the task?" A cold voice asked from his left.

"Yes," he lied confidently.

"Good," came the reply from his aunt grabbing his hand they found them in the hallway of the cold manor. "I too have cursed her, an old ancient curse that they will struggle to find a cure to she will never find love. Many will admire her think her beautiful but none will fall in love with her."

Draco wondered why his aunt had not killed Hermione rather than toy with her but he dare not mention it in case she decided to do just that. His heart began to beat a little faster as the idea flew through his head. But his aunt walked away from him and Draco let out the breath he had not realized he had been holding.

"Perhaps the Dark Lord had decided to be merciful to you after the disaster on the end of last year."

"Disaster? You killed Dumbledore,"

"No," she snapped, "Snape killed Dumbledore and because of you our family name was dragged through the mud."

Eight months later Draco stood on that exact spot and watched his aunt die in front of his eyes. He made no attempt to help her indeed it was him who cast some of the spells the brought down the side of dark. He thought he actions had gone unnoticed but he was wrong one brown haired girl had seen him.