Creating Fog

A white mist hazed her vision and everything in the room started to spin out of control. She could feel the floor shaking beneath her.

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"Did you study for potions, Harry?" asked Ron. Harry gave him a disbelieving look.

"When do I ever study for potions, Ron," he said laughing, "besides yesterday we had Quidditch, remember?" Ron gave a sigh of relief. At least, he wouldn't be the only one failing the test.

Where's Hermione?" asked Ron.

"I don't know, haven't seen her the whole day, she didn't even come to breakfast."

"She was probably up in the common room cramming," Ron said laughing. "I mean, I don't even know why she bothers, if I had brains like her I wouldn't waste my free time studying, and I definitely wouldn't skip breakfast cramming."

"For your information, I wasn't cramming, I had a meeting with Professor McGonagall," said a voice behind Ron.

Ron spun around and saw Hermione Granger leaning against the wall behind him, shuffling through her book bag.

"Just in time, Hermione," Harry said as Professor Snape appeared at the entrance of the dungeons. Without a word, he opened the door and walked to the front of the class and began writing on the board. Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest of the Gryffindors hurried to their usual seats at the back of the class.

A few minutes later, the Slytherins walked in late along with a few stray Gryffindors. Snape ignored the Slytherin latecomers but made sure to take points off the Gryffindors.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Longbottom," Snape sneered. Neville Longbottom's face turned red and he half ran to where the Gryffindors were sitting.

"Today, you will be making a love potion and its remedy," Snape drawled. The announcement caused a few people to groan and Lavender and Parvati to giggle.

"The instructions are on the board, I advise you to not taste your potions," he added, glaring in the general direction of the Gryffindors. "Begin."

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"Gosh, stop complaining Hermione. This is a whole lot better than doing a test."

"Do you reckon Snape forgot about it?" Ron added, while cutting up his ingredients.

"I can't believe it, I mean aren't these potions illegal? Why would we have to make them in class?" Hermione said confused.

"Perhaps, Snape was thinking of the occasion," Harry replied causing the Gryffindors surrounding them to burst out laughing.

"Honestly Harry, I doubt Snape gives a newt's tail about Valentine's Day," Hermione said. Valentine's Day was in a week and the castle had been decorated in banners of red, pink and white for the occasion. "Maybe Dumbledore made him do it, you know? I wouldn't put it past him," Ron said.

"Yes, but why? Does he want all the students to go around acting lovesick?"

"I don't know, I bet Dumbledore has anything do with it, Snape just wants to torture us."

"I agree. Love potion are real complicated, Snape just wants to give us a hard time," said a frustrated Harry who's potion had turned a pale blue when it was supposed to be a dark red.

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BLAST! The dungeon shook with the impact of the blast and cauldrons and ingredients were flying everywhere. In the mist of it all, stood a disheveled Neville Longbottom standing near a sizzling cauldron with smoke coming out of it and a reddish liquid.

"LONGBOTTOM, 50 points from Gryffindor, no make it 100 and detention for the rest of the week," shouted Professor Snape. Neville turned even paler and almost collapsed when he looked down on the floor. Amidst the mess upon the floor, was Hermione Granger sprawled upon the floor with the red liquid from the potion spilled on her face and dripping from her clothes. He gasped and pointed towards the floor. "H-Hermione's hurt," he said meekly.

A collective gasp run through the Gryffindors as they looked to where Neville was pointing. "Call the nurse," shouted Harry who along with Ron, were immediately beside her.

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"What happened?" said Hermione. She had just awoken from her deep slumber in the hospital wing and was in a state of utter confusion.

"Nothing dear, it was just a potions accident, you'll be fine, just drink this and rest," replied Madam Pomfrey before forcing a spoonful of disgusting fluid down Hermione's throat.

"What?! D-Did the potion get inside me," asked Hermione suddenly remembering the lesson.

"No dear, you're fine, nothing to worry about," the nurse replied smiling.

Hermione sighed. For a second there, she had been worried sick. She looked outside through the white drawn curtains and could see that the sun was rising. It must be morning, she thought to herself that meant she had spent the entire night in the hospital wing. She wondered if Harry and Ron had come to visit her. She looked at her nightable and wasn't surprised to see a few cases of chocolates, from Ron she presumed. There were also flowers, her favorite kind of roses, obviously from Ginny, who had the best taste. She knew her friends must be real worried, she couldn't really remember what had happened, it all happened way too fast. One minute she was stirring her potion and the next moment, she's practically skyrocketed in the air by the force of a blast and everything goes blank. Evidently, something had knocked her out, perhaps the flying debris and she had fallen unconscious. Hermione promised herself that next time, she would make sure not to work beside Neville in potions. He was a magnet for disaster in that class, and pretty much every other class except Herbology, where his marks rivaled her own.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a gasp from Madame Pomfrey. Apparently someone else had entered the hospital wing. She could hear scraps of the conversation as Madame Pomfrey and the newcomer entered the room.

"It's nothing. I was just playing Quidditch. I dove for the snitch and slipped from my broom," said a male voice.

"You were playing Qudditch? Before the break of dawn? I'll be sure to tell the headmaster about this. Do you have no respect for curfew rules? You're not even supposed to be in great hall at this hour let alone be playing Quidditch on the grounds."

"I have permission though, Professor Snape…"

"Permission? I'll see about that. Sit down here young man. I need to go get your potion ready so wait right here."

Madame Pomfrey rushed past Hermione's bed to her private office to gather whatever supplies she needed to treat the boy. Hermione wondered who on earth would be stupid enough to be playing Quidditch at 5 in the morning anyways.

She didn't have to wonder for long as the new patient walked into the room. Hermione moaned, catching one glimpse of the familiar blond head before closing her eyes and pretending to sleep. She could hear Madame Pomfrey rummaging through the drawers in her office and wished she would hurry up.

She sensed Malfoy sitting on the next bed beside her as he let out a groan probably from pain.

"I know you're awake, Granger," he said coldly. There was no use pretending so Hermione rolled onto her side, the side away from Malfoy that is, and opened her eyes.

"It's a shame really, I thought Longbottom's latest disaster would have done more than just knock you unconscious," Malfoy said. She was sure he was smirking as he said it.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you," Hermione said, her words dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh well, there's always next class," he said laughing, "maybe I'll be fifteenth time lucky." Hermione sighed, Malfoy was such a twit.

"Sod off, fall off another broomstick or something," she retorted.

"Eavesdropping is not nice, Mudblood," he drawled.

Curiosity got the better of Hermione and she turned around to see why Malfoy was in the hospital wing, anyways. She gasped when she saw him sitting on the bed, staring at her coldly, and clutching his left arm which was all bloody, elbow down. She hated the sight of blood; it made her sick to her stomach.

Malfoy smirked at her expression. "Take some, it's free," he said looking at the blood pumping out of his arm, "who knows, maybe it'll make some of your blood less filthy."

It took a moment for Hermione to register what he had just said but when she did, her face went red. She looked up to meet his gaze and was shocked. A white mist hazed her vision and everything in the room started to spin out of control. She could feel the floor shaking beneath her. She couldn't see Malfoy although she was sure he was still right in front of her. The mist vanished as suddenly as it had come, and she was able to look at Malfoy's face.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Malfoy asked.

"The fog, didn't you see it?" Hermione asked him. She had goose bumps all over her arm and was shaking.

Malfoy didn't answer her as Madame Pomfrey walked in and started performing some healing spells on his arm. Madame Pomfrey gave a fleeting look at Hermione and stopped short of giving Malfoy a spoonful of potion.

"What's wrong, dear?" she asked, looking intently at Hermione.

"I don't know, there was a white fog and then everything started spinning."

"Oh dearie, you just need some rest. Wait a minute, let me go back to my office and get you a sleeping drought." Malfoy gave a groan of protest as she left again.

"You did it! You did something," Hermione said angrily to Malfoy.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about Granger," he said haughtily, "and I wouldn't do something as lame as create fog, I have all sorts of nasty things I rather do to you."

Hermione ignored him. Obviously, Malfoy thought it would be hilarious to freak her out like that.

The sleeping drought caused unnatural asleep to overwhelm Hermione and she woke up the morning after. She saw the nightable beside her with yet more chocolates and flowers. Someone added a 'Get Well' balloon, upon closer examination she saw that it was from Neville. Clearly, he felt guilty. Abruptly, Hermione remembered the morning before and looked around the hospital wing. She was relieved to see no Malfoy.

"Looking for me?" said a familiar voice. Hermione sighed ready to play another insult game. Fortunately and to her surprise, the awful Slytherin wasn't there, instead a raven-haired boy with smiling green eyes stood in his place.

"Harry!" It seemed like ages when she had seen her best friend but in reality it was only two days. Ron came rushing in as well along with Ginny and Neville. They seemed delighted to see her awake.

"We were all so worried, Hermione," cried Ginny as she engulfed Hermione in a hug. Hermione struggled to get up, she was aching all over. "Madame Pomfrey said she can release you today if you feel alright," Ron said. "Are you feeling OK?" he asked. "Yeah, I feel fine. I should have just left yesterday when I woke up but Madame Pomfrey gave me a sleeping drought."

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After spending the entire day at the hospital wing, Draco Malfoy had been released in the late evening and was sent immediately to his common room. To his great disappointment, Malfoy couldn't find Blaise Zabini anywhere who had been the reason he had hurt his arm in the first place. Whatever the nurse had done to it had definitely helped though, as he felt much better but he had a perfect reason to beat Zabini up and he wasn't going to let the chance go to waste.

Author's Note: Leave a Review, so I know if this is worth updating....dot, dot, dot.