XXX

Love Potion Number Nine

Hermione stared into the lightly simmering cauldron as the steam wafted gently up towards her face. The scent was intoxicating and despite all the eyes on her, she found herself drifting off into a memory.

"It's the most powerful love potion in the world," she said softly. "It's supposed to smell differently to each person according to what attracts us most. I smell freshly mown grass, new parchment and the sweet—"

She broke off suddenly and blushed at her misstep. A quick glance at her classmates revealed that she had, indeed, been caught. One grin in the crowd was particularly gleeful.

"The sweet scent of what?" Draco asked, his voice deceptively innocent.

"Nothing," she mumbled, stepping back hastily and trying to blend in with the other students.

Of course, he would have none of that.

Prick.

"Nothing?" he echoed, purposefully playing dumb. The small smirk tugging at his lips defeated the effect but that didn't matter since everyone was hanging on his every word. "Perhaps you were thinking of the sweet scent of ripe apples?"

She blushed furiously and ground her teeth together as she tried to set him on fire with her stare alone.

"No," she ground out.

"No?" He was positively jubilant. "It wasn't? Strange, I thought that you had once said—"

Before she could think rationally about what she was doing her wand was up and sealing his mouth magically shut—the way he should have been born, if she was being honest. His eyes widened in surprise momentarily before his body began to shake with silent laughter.

"Miss Granger!" Slughorn sounded absolutely scandalized but his eyes were bugging out of his head in that unattractive manner that he got when he was eyeing the greenhouses. "15 points from Gryffindor and detention this evening! You do not attack a student in my dungeons, young lady!"

She glared daggers at Draco. He was in so much trouble. He had no idea.

Not only had he gotten her a detention and caused her to lose House points but he had come dangerously close to revealing their secret to anyone with half a brain; despite popular belief, Ron and Harry weren't as thick as they came off.

Oh yes. Draco Malfoy was in so much trouble. The only problem was that he looked positively gleeful about it.

XXX