Hermione eyed the two boughs of mistletoe hanging from the dungeon ceiling with apprehension as she followed Harry and Ron into potions. Some unknown perpetrator had placed an abundance of the cursed plant at various locations around the castle, and not one of the teachers, nor Dumbledore himself, seemed to be able to remove the new decorations. Though Hermione suspected that Dumbledore hadn't tried very hard, as she'd seen McGonagall inform him of the situation and noticed the amused glint that appeared in his eyes. Yes, it was, in fact, a cursed plant, holding any two people who happened to walk under it at the same time hostage until they obliged tradition and kissed. The night before, while consoling a traumatized Ginny Weasley after the redhead was forced into a liplock with some scowling Slytherin first year, Hermione had decided that this mistletoe culprit had a very twisted sense of Christmas spirit.

Everyone was careful to avoid the botanical danger as they made their way to their seats, except for Parvati Patil and Seamus Finnigan, who hadn't been able to keep their hands off each other for the past month anyway. They tried to pass it off as an accident, but Snape, though an evil git, could not be called stupid, and deducted thirty points from Gryffindor. After this incident was settled, Snape stalked to the front of the room and scribbled some instructions on the board.

"Today, you incompetent idiots will be attempting to make an antidote for a hippogriff bite. The instructions are on page 153. Try not to blow up the castle. Get started already, then."

Hermione, Ron, and Harry grimaced at each other; Snape was in an even more foul mood than usual. Hermione began shredding ginger root. At one point, Ron spilled an entire cup of murtlap essence on himself, and Hermione giggled. At the sound, Snape whipped around.

"Miss Granger! Is it too much to ask to not disturb the entire class with your noise? Ten points from Gryffindor! Another sound out of you and it'll be detention!"

Hermione scowled and clenched her hand around the ginger root, imagining wistfully that it was Snape's neck. She managed a smile at Ron, who patted her on the back in sympathy as he cleaned himself up, and carefully measured out a cup of ginger root and poured it into her cauldron. Adding a cup of murtlap essence, three dead spiders, and various other ingredients, she began mixing the antidote.

As Hermione was giving her antidote a final stir, she heard Draco Malfoy laughing raucously at something one of his Slytherin cohorts had said. She glanced at Snape, but of course he ignored it as he continued to demand of Neville Longbottom why the boy's potion was a brilliant shade of aquamarine rather than the correct dark blue. Angry bile rose up in Hermione's throat, and her pulse quickened. Damn that Draco Malfoy! He thought he could get away with anything just because he was a Slytherin with a power-hungry bastard for a father! Snape had deducted points from her for a tiny giggle, and deliberately ignored it when Malfoy really was creating a disturbance. She hoped Malfoy would laugh so hard he'd choke himself to death. That it was really only Snape's fault for being a hypocrite Hermione chose to ignore, as she bottled a sample of her antidote and simmered with fury towards the smug blonde.

As the bell finally rang, Hermione gave a sigh of relief as she packed up her things and she, Ron, and Harry practically ran towards the door. She was so intent on getting out of that dungeon that she didn't notice Harry stopping abruptly until she heard his cry of horror. She spun around, her mouth dropping open and a whimper escaping her mouth. Harry was trapped under the mistletoe with Millicent Bulstrode. The large Slytherin girl wore a similar expression of disgusted disbelief. Whispers and giggles broke out here and there among the throng of students, all of whom had stopped to watch the scene unfolding under the cursed plant. Harry uttered a word which caused Snape to snap, "Language, Potter!" and deduct yet another ten points from Gryffindor. Hermione continued to gape in horror, overflowing with sympathy for Harry. Both Harry and Millicent were struggling futilely to break from the plant's invisible grip. Finally Snape erupted,"Oh, for crying out loud. You both know what that infernal plant wants you to do. Just get on with it and get out of my classroom!"

Neither of the mistletoe's victims obliged, as they continued to eye each other as one might look upon a particularly filthy garden gnome. Then, a sneering voice caused Hermione to tear her eyes away from her friend's predicament for the first time.

"Yeah, Potter", Draco Malfoy cackled, his voice trembling with cruel mirth. "You should be thrilled at this opportunity; it's probably the only kiss you're ever going to get."

Hermione balled her fists and snarled. She'd had enough of that Slytherin's tricks. Her fervent desire at this moment was to wipe that smug, infuriating smirk off his face, and this was the only thought going through her mind as she charged at him and shoved him under the other mistletoe plant. A collective gasp issued from every Gryffindor and every Slytherin mouth in the room. Even Harry and Millicent seemed to have forgotten about their own situation, as they and everyone else gaped at Hermione in utter shock. Hermione shook her head dazedly. What had she just done? A foot across from her, Malfoy was slack-jawed, breathing in shallow heaves, his flashing silver eyes bulging out of his head as he stared at her with even more horror than anyone else.

"Are…you…bloody…MENTAL!" Malfoy started the sentence on a disbelieving whisper and roared the last word so loudly even Snape flinched. For the first time in her life, Hermione was inclined to agree with Draco Malfoy. Surely she was bloody mental.