A/N: This is my first posted fan fiction so be kind to me. I wrote this story to go along with HBP and I don't think there is anything else out there like it so enjoy. I would like to thank my sister for encouraging me to finish this and post it for the world to see. She also proof read this so if there are any spelling/grammar issues blame them on her! Please review and tell me what you think!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and if I did Hermione and Draco would be together forever, I would be with Fred Weasley and my dear sister could have Severus Snape as her slave(not in the hard labor kind either).
It was the class Hermione Granger felt both dread and curious about, NEWT level Potions. On normal occasions she would dread the class since her least favorite Professor, Severus Snape, taught potions for years but most recently the greasy haired hook nosed professor got his dream job teaching Defense against the Dark Arts. She was not a least bit happy on account of Defense against the Dark Arts being her favorite and most challenging subject and with Snape hating her it would only be more challenging and less enjoyable.
Wondering about the new teacher she followed her best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, to a table occupied by Ernie Macmillan, a Hufflepuff. Normally she wasn't extremely fond of him but better him than sitting a table full of arrogant Slytherins or snobby Ravenclaws. She gazed around the room to see some familiar faces Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott and the Slytherin she didn't recognize, but it didn't matter all Slytherins were the same, sly, annoying, arrogant and- Pureblood. She didn't know what it was with wizards and their pureblood nonsense but what worried her the most was that a war was being fought over it.
Her thought were interrupted when a wonderful, allicent fragrance entered her nose. It was…seductive, the most magnificent smell to ever grace her senses. She relaxed within the cold dungeon, drinking in the aroma. She began to recognize the scents well two of them, freshly mown grass and new parchment. Memories came rushing back to her…
She was 14 years old, lying on her back gazing at the fluffy clouds over head during her stay at the Burrow. She could smell the freshly mowed grass suddenly she felt warmth next to her she cast a glance sideways to see Ron.
"Hello," she murmured
"Hi," was his reply. She giggled slightly at his appearance, hair wet from an after-Quidditch shower and out of order, he had on a nice red t-shirt. She sat up next to him.
"So… Hermione," he said after an awkward silence, "what are doing you out here?"
"Watching the clouds roll by and enjoying the sunshine," she said absent mindedly playing with a blade of grass, "why are you here?"
"I don't-"he started, "oh hell with it." He leaned in closer and kissed her.
She felt a small smile tugged at her lips remembering that day but neither of the ever mentioned it again, but she didn't think he forgot about it either. Hermione had always been in love with Ron since her first year.
The third aroma was hard to detect what it was hard to name even though it was most prominent. Maybe it was cologne, defiantly cologne, spicy, sweet and… expensive. Who it belonged to was a challenge, she couldn't quite place it.
Suddenly the thought were interrupted but this time the interruption wasn't so pleasant, Slughorn's voice. She occupied the time he greeted Harry and Zabini then gave Harry and Ron their potion's book along with supplies, gazing at the other potions. The Slytherin table had a clear potion she recognized as Veritaserum, the Ravenclaw's a thick mud like potion which she knew from experience was Polyjuice potion then an amazing gold potion was on Slughorn's own desk. She had never seen it in person but only color was what gave it away, Felix Felicis "liquid luck."
Hermione then turned her attention to potion at her own potion, pearly sheen, wonderful fragrance, steam rising in spirals… Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world.
Slughorn after a few minutes asked about the potion on the Slytherin table and Hermione of course answered. After she identified the Polyjuice and the Amortentia, Slughorn asked her about the Amortentia.
"It's the most powerful love potion in the world!" She said.
"Quite right! You recognized it, I suppose, by its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen?"
"And the stream rising in characteristic spirals," said Hermione enthusiastically, "and it's supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and-" She turned slightly pink not being able to recognize the last one.
"May I ask your name, my dear?" Slughorn said, to her relief ignoring her embarrassment.
"Hermione Granger, sir." She replied.
"Granger? Granger? Can you possibly be related to Hector Dagworth-Granger, who founded the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers?"
"No, I don't think so, sir. I'm Muggle-born, you see." She watched in fury as Malfoy leaned over and whispered something to Nott, both sniggered.
Slughorn then quoted what Harry had said about her being best witch in their year. She beamed at Harry as Slughorn gave 20 points to Gryffindor al because she answered a few question Snape would have never done that.
Ron who seemed slightly jealous of Harry to her satisfaction said ""What's so impressive about that? You are the best in the year- I'd've told him so if he asked me!"
She smiled at her friend then quieted him down as Slughorn began talking about Amortentia being the most powerful potion as Malfoy and Nott scoffed.
She forgot about the mystery ambrosia as the lesson went on, actually she forgot about it for a long time.
After the first Quidditch Match:
Hermione waited patiently for Ron in the Common Room, she decided to apologize not wanting a fight to ruin her chance with Ron as a friend or even more.
The party in the Common Room was as usual full of people she had a hard time finding him, she knew the team has arrived after seeing Harry looking uncomfortable with a large group of girls around him. She glanced over and her heart was shattered into about four million, 386 thousand 298.1 pieces.
Tears threaten to spill but she kept them in but for how long they would stay she didn't know. She watched silently as Lavender didn't pull away from Ron disgusted, as Hermione wished, but kissed back. Harry who Hermione could tell was looking for Ron watched with Ginny then for fleeting second looked at Hermione as she ran out of the common room.
The heartbroken young women ran to the nearest empty class room, she sat on the unoccupied desk and charmed small yellow birds to fly around her head.
She loved the little birds they reminded her of her Father's canary which lived in his dentist office. She always pull one out and stroke its head. The feeling of nostalgia evaporated and Harry Potter entered the room.
"Hermione?"
"Oh, hello Harry," she replied in a brittle voice, "I was just practicing," she lied.
"Yeah…they're- er -really good," Harry said, she could tell he was speaking the truth and that he had no clue what to say.
"Ron seems to be enjoying the celebrations." She said in an unnaturally high voice, she couldn't control since she was trying not to sob.
"Er…does he?" said Harry.
"Don't pretend you didn't see him," said Hermione, "He wasn't exactly hiding it, was-" She was cut off by the door which swung open and to the two teens horror Ron barged in, laughing and pulling Lavender by the hand.
"Oh," was all he could say when he saw Harry and Hermione.
"Oops!" said Lavender as she backed out giggling and shutting the door.
A silence settled over the room, Hermione was staring at Ron who refused to look at her but said "Hi, Harry! Wondered where you'd got to!"
That was it for Hermione she fuming as well as devastating, she slid off the desk still with her little golden companions.
"You shouldn't leave Lavender waiting outside," she said quietly. "She'll wonder where you've gone." Then very slowly and erectly walked towards the door, she didn't even look at Ron when she shrieked "Oppugno!"
The little birds sped towards Ron who yelped as the birds attacked, pecking and clawing at exposed skin. "Gerremoffme!" he yelled but Hermione gave him a look of vindictive fury then wrench opened the door.
Closing the door the tears that were threatening all night broke the dam and poured out. Sobs racked her body as she ran trying to get to the Common Room. In her attempt she ran into a solid hard figure.
"I'm so sorry," she choked, wiping her eyes embarrassed hoping it wasn't a staff member. She looked up so her almost relief it wasn't but it wasn't anyone better… Draco Malfoy.
He looked at her, she thought he was going to make a snide comment but he didn't. He just stared at her directly in the eyes, silver boring into chocolate. Not a great combination, then his expression changed to impassive. He drew in a breath and she held hers waiting for his reaction.
"It's alright," he sighed, she let her breath out and felt shock come over her. A Malfoy encounter that hadn't left her in tears. He nodded his head and brushed past her, that was when she noticed the cologne she smelled in the first potion's class. It was Draco Malfoy who attracted her.
She didn't know why but she was hot and trembling, maybe it was the discovery which came across or if it was Draco Malfoy himself. Either way she walked back to common room slow and dazed and the Ron ordeal forgotten completely.
She lay thinking that night about her new discovery and was very disturbed. It couldn't be possible she could not be attracted to Malfoy.
Well, she comforted herself, attraction and love are two different things. Ashe thought of Cedric and Lockhart, she didn't feel much better.
Hermione stayed with her parents that holiday break, she was actually glad she hadn't gone to the Burrow she wouldn't have been able to deal with Ron. Holiday was relaxing and she enjoyed spending time with her parents and muggle family being able to forget her troubles but not about the particular Slytherin.
She got back to Hogwarts and had a lovely visit with Hagrid and Witherwings (formerly Buckbeak). Soon after she ran into Harry and Ginny once Ginny left to be with Dean, Harry launched into what he had overheard at the Slug Club Christmas party between Snape and Malfoy. Her stomach gave a jolt when she heard Malfoy's name.
Her heart sank as Harry filled her in on the details, she hated to hear him criticized since the collision in the corridor. She refused to believe he was a Death Eater and tried to get Harry to think different but he was relentless.
It's Voldemort's fault anyway, Hermione thought to herself, and Voldemort's- favorite-Death-Eater of a father, Lucius Malfoy.
Ron almost died on his birthday; it reminded her that she still loved him. Harry saved his life because of that Potion's book. She didn't trust the book but still it saved Ron maybe it was growing on her, like Draco Malfoy.
She starting to become obsessed with him, Harry was also becoming obsessed but for different reasons. He would check the Marauder's Map throughout the day to check where Malfoy was. He was dead set on catching him in the act of doing something horrible. Hermione believed Malfoy smart enough to not be caught.
Spring filled the castle with joy and the promise of warm weather. Ron broke up with Lavender and for some reason Hermione was not as happy as she thought she would be. A saying she once read came into her head, successore novo vincitur omnis amor, 'every love dies when a new one comes along.' She realized it was true and she didn't love Ron anymore; Draco Malfoy had taken over her.
She loved the way his silver blonde hair would fall into his amazing silver eyes. She still remembered that moment as they bored into hers. His face was as pale as ever but it suited him.
Without Hermione's notice, Harry located Draco Malfoy on Marauder's Map in Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom. Harry had found Malfoy in there crying about his family and about them being threatened by The Dark Lord, her friend later told her. When Harry entered Malfoy was going to Crucio him but Harry retaliated. Out of all the spells he could have used, he used one from that book, the Half Blood Prince's book. She now despised that book it contained a spell of dark magic, Sectumsempra. The spell cut Draco across the face and chest, it could have killed him.
Hermione didn't know what she would have done if he died. He didn't thankfully and when Hermione was unsure if Malfoy was going to live, she wanted to die.
She fantasized about going to the Hospital Wing to visit him and tell him that she loved him. Then he would confess his own feelings and they would live happily ever after. She knew this wouldn't happen and didn't visit him.
Harry and Ginny were going out after that incident, she didn't like Ginny that much because she thought she was a little on the slutty side. Harry was happy so she didn't care and Ron was much happier now that he wasn't connected to Lav-Lav. Draco Malfoy got out of the Hospital Wing.
One night Harry came to Hermione and Ron, he told them that was leaving to fetch a horcrux with Dumbledore.
Hermione was terribly worried about Harry she headed to the library, she felt safe in there like nothing could hurt her. She read for a while, three hours to be exact.
On her way back to the Common Room to anxiously wait for Harry, she walked in a daze. She felt a strong hand grab her arm and swing her around. She was looking into silver eyes. She gasped.
"Weren't expecting me… eh Granger?" He smirked.
"Let me go," she said her voice shaking, she really wished it wasn't.
"This is for your own good," she was sadly enjoying his hand on her arm, it was cool against her slowly warming body.
"What do you want?" she asked softly.
"Be careful tonight," he dropped his voice and put his mouth to her ear, "can you keep a secret?" She nodded she could keep a secret for him most defiantly. "Hogwarts is to have a few unwanted visitors but it's not my fault" he added hastily. "I'm sorry Hermione." He dropped her arm. She was inhaling his sent not noticing his face nearing hers. She was shocked when he kissed her. Hard and passionate, she kissed back but soon he pulled away. "Good bye Granger." He whispered sadly.
"Good bye…Draco" she whispered also as she turned around and continued down the hallway dazed and confused, his taste on her tongue and scent in her nose.