So, obviously, you clicked on the story, and that's already making me happy. Before you leave, why don't you read it?
Disclaimer: Nope, not J.K. Rowling.
Thanks to justwritting1moretime for being a great Beta Reader!
As all the tired sixth years shuffled into class, Professor Slughorn bounced in with a growing smile on his face.
"Welcome there, Gryffindors and Slytherins! Today is a very important class! As you can tell by this lovely cauldron here," he motioned to the small black pot on the middle table, "We will be brewing a potion today. No, not this potion. This potion is an experiment that another teacher and I have been planning to conduct."
Hearing that, the students moved to their spots. Hermione was next to Parvati Patil, with Harry and Ron in the table beside her. Slughorn moved around and handed them all a piece of parchment. Frowning, Hermione looked at him. He grinned and lifted the lid. Instantly, a wonderful smell filled the room. Everyone oohed, but stayed where they were.
"Now I will not tell you which potion this is. I want you to write down who or what you smell. You could smell a person as well as some other things. Write your name in the top left corner, and then the name of things you smell." he bumbled away to behind his desk.
"What a big waste of time," Draco muttered. What did he smell? Someone, for sure. Red... Brown...Flowery? There was also a hint of paper, like when you open an old book. The musky smell of...What! Hermione Granger. Hermione Granger? Opening his eyes frantically, Draco looked around. Blaise was looking at him with a weird expression.
"You ok, mate?" he asked. Draco nodded. Most of the students had already turned in their parchments, so he made a choice. Writing his name down on the top corner, he hesitated, and then wrote Hermione Granger. He also wrote down apples, dragon skin and pinewood.
"This is probably a stupid joke Slughorn's playing on us," he muttered, walking over to the desk to put his parchment on the pile. When the last person (Dean Thomas) had turned his parchment onto the pile on Slughorn's desk, the class begun.
"Today, we will be brewing Pepperup potion, for Madame Pomfrey. The student who brews the best potion will get this vial of Euphoria," Professor Slughorn instructed, placing the small vial in his pocket and sitting behind his desk.
Some students groaned, while others giggled with their hands in front of their mouths. The last time Slughorn had handed out Euphoria, Seamus Finnigan had poured it into Snape's goblet during lunch. Snape had been in a glorious mood the rest of the day, coming to class in orange robes and pink hats, conjuring flowers for Madame Pomfrey, and even giving Mcgonagall a kiss on the cheek. The day after that, Seamus had gotten detention for the rest of the month.
Hermione's hand shot into the air. "Professor, isn't Pepperup potion dangerous to create in large amounts?"
"Excellent question Ms. Granger. However, the ingredients list has been altered to be safer," Slughorn answered. With that, the students got to work. As Hermione started stirring, Parvati leaned over and whispered something to her.
"Malfoy's looking at you," she said out of the side of her mouth.
"Why are you looking at Malfoy?" Hermione asked. Parvati giggled.
"Don't be so condescending, Hermione. He's good-looking,"
"Yes, an adorable ferret,"
"Oh, shut up," Parvati murmured, as Harry passed by them to collect an ingredient from the storage cupboard.
"Oi, Hermione! What did you put down?" Harry whispered to her.
"I'm not telling," she said flatly. He frowned at her. She looked away and started measuring rattails, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.
"Class was almost over, and Harry Potter was bottling his vial of Euphoria in his pocket. Hermione was annoyed, and Draco was bored.
"How much longer?" Draco asked Pansy, not even bothering to lower his voice.
"Five minutes," she answered, doodling on a spare bit of parchment. Blaise leaned over to take a look.
"What are you drawing?" he asked. Pansy scowled at him, and covered it with her arm.
"None of your business," she snapped. Blaise was about to retort when Slughorn cleared his throat.
"Before you leave, I would like to return your papers that you gave in the beginning of the class," he said, before flipping his wand, and everyone's individual papers flew back to them.
"Parvati Patil raised her hand. "Professor, what potion did we smell?"
"Slughorn chuckled, and started pocketing his supplies into his big coat.
"My dear, you and your classmates smelled Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world. It is rumored to smell differently to each person, according to what, or who, attracts them," he said before leaving.
The class stood still, while everyone digested what Slughorn had said. Then the bell rang, and everyone ran out, avoiding contact. Draco looked down at his paper, where he had written Granger's name.
"I am NOT attracted to…. What the!...NO!" he snatched his paper away from Pansy's peering eyes. She scowled at him, and walked away.
Turning away, he made his way to the classroom door, when he noticed Hermione packing up her never-ending pile of books.
"Doesn't your arm get tired carrying around a truckload of books?" he asked scathingly.
She looked up at him with her dark eyes, and frowned.
"Does it matter to you if my arm hurts?" she replied.
"If it does, tell me, I'll give you more," he smirked. She scowled at him, and turned away. Draco couldn't help but think she looked gorgeous when she was angry. What in Merlin's name was wrong with him?
"Who did you put down on your paper?" he asked, picking the parchment up and trying to read it. Hermione flicked her wand, and it flew back to her. She slammed it on the table so hard, the desk shook.
"None of your business, ferret,"
"Low blow, bookworm,"
"Bookworm? What happened to beaver, know-it-all, bushy-haired, mudblood?" she snapped, before pulling her bag on her shoulder and stalking out. He was about to leave too, when he noticed something.
"Hermione had left her paper on the desk.
"Draco waited until the bell rang, and his free period started, before grabbing the paper and scanning it quickly. He nearly dropped it. Her name was printed in the corner, and then she had made a list of five:
'Freshly Mown Grass
New Parchment
Citrus
The forest, right after it rains
Draco Malfoy
Someone walked into the room. He quickly lifted his eyes, to meet the ones of Hermione Granger. Her eyes flickered from the paper in his hands to his gray eyes. Without a word, she turned and dashed off.
Stuffing the paper in his bag, he grabbed his own and dashed after her.
"Potter! Potter! POTTER! WEASLEY!" Malfoy called, as he ran after them. They turned in shock, drawing their wands out.
"What do you want?" Weasley asked, raising an eyebrow. He ignored him, and turned to Potter.
"Where's Granger?" he asked. Potter frowned.
"What do you want with her?"
"Where is she?" he repeated impatiently.
"Don't you ever think about-" Draco cut on off.
"For Merlin's Sake, where is she?" he demanded.
"Probably on the balcony on sixth floor, but why? Hey!" Harry called, as Draco pushed past them.
"Should we follow him?" Ginny asked, coming up next to Harry.
"I don't know,"
"Harry, that's Malfoy you're talking about,"
"I know, Ron!"
"Come on, Ron. Harry, let's go." Ginny said, pulling them impatiently to the common room.
Hermione was sitting on the balcony, her legs dangling off the side. Her bag was strewn on the floor, and she was doodling absentmindedly on a spare bit of parchment, trying to get her mind off Malfoy.
"Granger!" someone called behind her, and she jumped slightly, and grasped the bars.
"Don't do that! I nearly fell - What do you want, Malfoy?" Hermione snapped, turning around, and standing up.
"So the Mudblood is attracted to me. Makes sense after all," he smirked.
"Shut your mouth, ferret," Hermione spat.
"You like me,"
"I do not!" she burst angrily. He leaned against a pillar.
"You do,"
"Why are you bothering me all of a sudden?"
"I have found a secret of yours, and I'm going to use it to my advantage,"
"You are a rotten person,"
"Nope, I'm not,"
"You're going to blackmail me into doing all your homework-"
"Granger," Malfoy interrupted, "I'm not Weasley. I don't need help with school. I said, I'm going to use it to my advantage,"
"What does that mean then?" Hermione challenged.
"Wait," he instructed, before reaching into his bag and handing a piece of parchment to her.
"I don't want to see it," she snapped, turning away. He grabbed her arm. "What are you doing?"
"Just look at it," he said impatiently. She picked it up gingerly, and scanned it.
"This isn't mine, wait…." she looked up at him, "This is yours!"
"For Merlin's sake, I know! Will you please just read it?"
As she read the parchment, her eyes widened. Hermione looked up at him, her mouth open.
"Happy now?" he asked, pulling the paper out of her hands.
"Why should I be happy?" she asked bitterly.
"It's your advantage too,"
"My advantage? What are you talk-" she was cut off by his lips pressing against hers.
"Minerva?" Slughorn knocked on her door.
"Yes? Horace, good to see you! Any progress?" Professor McGonagall invited him in.
A smile blossomed on Slughorn's face. "Our star students,"
"Ms. Granger? Who… Mr. Malfoy?
"Exactly,"
"Wonderful! The boy got lucky,"
"Who said Ms. Granger didn't get lucky?" Horace chuckled, pouring some butterbeer for himself and McGonagall.
"A toast to Inter-House unity! And to Ms. Granger and !" Slughorn announced proudly.
"And good luck to Mr. Weasley and Ms. Parkinson for when they find out," McGonagall laughed.
Professor Slughorn raised an eyebrow.
"Did I not tell you who they put on their parchment?"
Thanks for spending your time to read this! A review is happily appreciated :)
And thanks again to my lovely beta reader and friend justwritting1moretime for always being helpful and kind. Go check out her profile for some great stories!
-Slytherclaw101