A/N: This is just a random Dramione one-shot idea that popped into my head, set in Harry's second year after the Chamber of Secrets was opened.
Polyjuice Potion
"Harry? Ron?" a familiar voice called out to Harry and his best friend, Ron, as they walked down the hallway. It was lunchtime, and Harry had suggested that he and Ron could enjoy a walk outside. Ron had happily agreed, and they two had accidentally forgotten about their other best friend, Hermione, as they had begun talking about Quidditch.
The two boys turned around to find a breathless but happy Hermione. "The potion's ready," she gasped with a happy smile. Harry remained confused for a moment, but quickly came around as he realized his best friend was talking about the Polyjuice Potion the trio had prepared to spy on Draco Malfoy, whom Harry suspected was behind the recent opening of the Chamber of Secrets.
The three sprinted to the girl's bathroom in which Moaning Myrtle resided, where a green, lumpy potion was bubbling. Harry gagged and saw Ron's naturally pale face fade into an even paler green. "Disgusting, isn't it?" Hermione commented, wrinkling her nose. "But," she added brightly, "Now comes the fun."
"So spending an hour with the world's biggest git is what you call fun?" Ron inquired jokingly.
Harry swore he could see a faint blush tint Hermione's cheeks, but it could have just been a trick of the light. Shaking his head, Harry asked, changing the subject as it was obviously awkward for Hermione, "But where will we get the hairs?"
"Now that is what I call fun," Hermione replied with a glint in her eye. "I considered two methods to get Crabbe and Goyle's hairs. One, we find two girls to distract them for an hour or so while we talk to Draco."
Both Harry and Ron laughed at this, neither of them noticing that Hermione had called their arch nemesis by his first name. They also didn't notice she hadn't mentioned herself in the plan. They just laughed, until Ron managed to choke out, "Go on."
Sighing, Hermione continued. "I decided that would be highly unreliable, and that it would be absolutely impossible to even find girls willing to distract Crabbe and Goyle." More laughter ensued at this comment, but Hermione diplomatically continued, "So, I made these," she held up two cupcakes frosted pink and blue, "They're filled with a sleeping potion. It'll knock Crabbe and Goyle out for a couple hours, so you'll have time for a getaway."
Harry and Ron nodded dumbly, not noticing Hermione's strangely diplomatic nature. She was normally lighthearted when it came to these things, but something about this plan had made her unusually uptight.
"So, you two need to get these to Crabbe and Goyle, then pull out some hairs and hide the bodies. You can then come back here. I've got two glasses of Polyjuice already poured for you guys."
"Wait..." Ron replied. "You haven't included yourself in this plan."
Hermione blushed furiously at this, confirming Harry's previous suspicions about the girl. Realizing her motive for staying behind, he whispered just as loud as he could, which wasn't very loud seeing as he was nearly shocked into silence at what he was witnessing. "Hermione, how? He's only been horrible..." Harry's voice trailed off. What did he know? The two could have been dating for ages and Harry would have never known. Or it was just Hermione being an idiot. It was a hot day, after all.
Of course, Ron remained oblivious to the whole thing. Hermione, being her perceptive self and noticing Ron's ignorance, just ignored Harry's comments and began to stir the potion absentmindedly.
Noticing the awkward silence, one of the few things Ron could actually notice, he cleared his throat. "Uh, Hermione, when should we get the cupcakes to Crabbe and Goyle?"
"Draco'll return to his common room around seven. It's six-forty now, so you two should get going. Use the excuse that you were trying to find a place to hide the many desserts you stole from the Great Hall. Of course, only answer when asked and act like the good little henchmen you are." Hermione began to stir the cauldron furiously. Harry worried she might alter the potion itself at the rate she was stirring it. But Hermione seemed unfazed by the strange looks both Harry and Ron were giving her, and continued, "The password to the common room is 'supremity'. Big surprise." Hermione laughed an awkward laugh, at which Harry suggested he and Ron should leave. Hermione nodded vigorously and continued stirring the cauldron as Harry and Ron left the room.
If Harry wasn't mistaken, Hermione Granger, his best friend, had a crush on Draco Malfoy, his arch enemy.
Ron led the way as the two headed towards the Great Hall. Harry followed, in a sort of trance. His mind was muddled with ways to kill Draco Malfoy and ways to talk sense into his temporarily insane friend. He just hoped her feelings weren't reciprocated by Malfoy, or worse, that the two were dating.
Thankfully, Harry was provided with a distraction from his thoughts as Crabbe and Goyle walked into view, thankfully alone and with arms stuffed with so many sweets Harry didn't think they could see. Ron yanked Harry behind a suit of armor and began levitating the cupcakes in front of Malfoy's two lackeys. Harry continued to contemplate ways to kill Malfoy as Crabbe or Goyle. He figured he'd have easy access to Malfoy at any time, so he could attack whenever. Harry hoped Hermione would leave some extra Polyjuice Potion for him after she finished stirring.
Somehow, Crabbe and Goyle managed to see the floating cupcakes, eagerly grabbed them out of thin air and stuffing them in their faces. They, of course, immediately fell to the ground. "How thick can you get?" Ron wondered aloud as he grabbed one of the bodies and dragged it into a nearby classroom, Harry following suit in his stupor.
They each pulled out a few hairs, Ron turning green once more and Harry mindlessly holding them out in front of him. Ron wrinkled his nose and looked away as he removed the boys' clothing, handing one set of robes to Harry. The two walked back to Myrtle's bathroom, Harry again mindlessly staring ahead of him. "Mate," Ron glanced at Harry worriedly, "What's up?"
Harry was knocked out of his stupor and replied, a bit too quickly, "Huh? Oh, nothing." Ron looked at him quizzically but said no more. The two entered the bathroom in silence, but then realized Hermione had gone, leaving a note. Ron snatched it from the table, obviously annoyed their friend had left them. He read the note aloud, a hint of anger dusting his otherwise calm voice, "Take the potion. I've measured doses for you guys. You'll have exactly an hour to interrogate. Make sure Draco doesn't see you transform back into your normal selves. Don't worry about me. I've just got to do something quickly. Love, Hermione."
"What's she mean, 'got to do something quickly?'" Ron asked innocently, again oblivious to the fact that Malfoy had been called by his first name. Harry thought he knew very well what Hermione was up to, especially since she had used Draco in her letter, but he just shrugged. "I suppose we'd just better get going." Ron nodded and the two changed into their new Slytherin robes and plopped their respective hairs into their cups. "Bottoms up," Ron grumbled, his face grass-green. Harry nodded and downed his in one gulp. Immediately the potion's effects came into action. Harry dropped the cup onto the ground with a smash, and he gasped in pain as his limbs contorted to form Goyle. Finally he looked up into the bathroom mirror, and seeing Goyle, went looking for Ron. "Ron?" he called out, his voice unnaturally low.
A voice drifted to him from across the bathroom. "Mate? I'm here. We'd better get going," Crabbe's voice called out, and Harry nodded, heading for the door. "What was the password? 'Supremity'?"
"Beats me, mate," Ron replied. Harry suddenly realized: Malfoy would notice the way they talk, the way they sit, and would know they were fake. "Ron, stop saying 'mate', Malfoy'll realize."
"Gotcha." The two remained silent once more until they reached the Slytherin common room, when Harry spoke, "Supremity," and the snake in the picture nodded in assent. The portrait swung open and Harry and Ron found themselves in their rival house's common room, with nowhere to go. That is, until a very familiar voice called them over. "Oi! Crabbe! Goyle! Come over here!"
Confused at such a warm welcome, Harry and Ron walked skeptically over to Malfoy, who was lounging on the largest couch. He motioned to two nearby armchairs, so Harry and Ron sat down. Awkwardly, but they managed. Malfoy leaned in closer to them. "So. Ideas?"
"On what?" Ron asked, clearly confused. However, Harry's heart was pounding as he realized what their conversation was going to be about. "Romantic advice," he murmured, his anger boiling inside him as he imagined just how many ways he could kill Malfoy.
"Precisely," Malfoy replied, leaning back on the couch. "Crabbe, I honestly can't believe you're that stupid. In case your stupid brain didn't process, I want ideas. On how to ask Hermione out."
Ron sat there in total shocked silence, partially looking as though he has seen a ghost and partly that he wanted to destroy the next thing that walked into his path. Harry, noticing Malfoy's suspicious look, fumbled for ideas. "Um, knock down her books so you can talk to her?" Harry feebly suggested.
Malfoy's eyes narrowed as he replied, "No one is that stupid, Goyle. And I thought your brain had started to expand, if only a little bit. Harry began to stutter a reply when Ron interrupted, "You're Malfoy of all people! Just drag her into your bed and tell her to date you!" Ron was still in the process of rolling his eyes, not noticing Malfoy's threatening position above him. "Never. Insult. Hermione and me. Like. That," he growled, and lifted Ron by the scruff of his collar. But the process was stopped as another familiar voice wafted in. "Draco?"
Dropping Ron, Malfoy turned around, only to see Hermione. He blushed scarlet and immediately started casually leaning against the couch. Hermione looked down at the floor, then managed to finally find words. "There's-something-I need to tell you," Hermione began, tears beginning to pool in her eyes. "I know you hate me, that I'm a mudblood, whatever. The point is, the feeling isn't-mutual." Hermione finished with her voice cracking, and Harry could easily tell how hard she was trying not to cry. Malfoy's face, however, was one filled with sympathy and-could Harry believe what he was seeing?-love. Before Harry could act, to do both the things he'd meant to do when he found out about Hermione's feelings, Malfoy rushed forward and pressed his lips to Hermione's.
Harry and Ron stood there, not believing their eyes, as they returned to their normal forms. They didn't notice the transformation, as they were just as stunned as the rest of the Slytherins spectating the scene. As the kiss escalated and Hermione and Draco toppled back onto the couch, both Harry and Ron turned and ran, both furious at their friend's betrayal. They knew Hermione and Draco were, as of that moment, officially dating, and they were anything but accepting. But over in the Slytherin common room, Hermione didn't even think of her friends and what would happen between them later as she explored Draco's lips and body.
The End
