A/N: Hey y'all. Here's Chapter 7 of True Love's Locket, sorry it took awhile to update. My baby was being a clingy monster this weekend. Anyways, there's a lot of different point of views in this chapter, so please let me know if you get confused. I'll try to clean it up a bit. Anyways, I'm really happy with all the followers I've been getting and thank you for the reviews for those who have been. So, without further ado, happy reading! Please review/give feedback.
Disclaimer:I don't own Harry Potter. JKR does.
True Love's Locket
Chapter 7- The Heated Passion Explodes
Draco looked at his God father like he had gone mad. Just why in Merlin's name would the older man do that to him? He was like a son to him for crying out loud. When his silver eyes tried to make contact with his Professor's; the dark haired man turned his head to avoided him and walked into the middle of the classroom.
"You have your partners. Move."
The students scrambled to get their things together and figure out table arrangements. While he blinked lazily to her when her brown eyes stared at him expectantly. There was no way he was moving. The know-it-all can finally experience how it feels to sit in the back of the class, which was probably something she had never done before. To make his point even further; he gracefully perched his feet on the desk and leaned back with his hands on his head. When she gave him a look of disgust, he could only smirk back at her.
His smirk only grew deeper when she whirled her head away from looking at him. He watched her pack up her satchel, which Draco noticed looked good as new. Apparently the flight didn't do as much damage as he would have wanted, then he shook his head. Nothing could survive a fall like that, it was more than likely she fixed it. When her bag was packed, her head and chocolate eyes looked his way.
Something in his stomach didn't settle well when she gave him a smirk to rival his own. He was suspicious by nature, but there was something about her smirk that made him curious. Draco watched with the feeling of mild victory, as she slightly got up from her desk, then sat back down. Draco snorted out of surprise, while he was fighting a smile threatening to plaster on his face. Apparently she silently made her point that she wasn't going anywhere either.
Only two pairs of partners remained unmoved. One pair, was silently challenging each other, to see who was going be triumphant,Neither willing to stand down to defeat. The other but reluctant pair of partners just watched as their significant others stared at each other.
Ron, clenched his fist while fighting himself not to either snatch Hermione out of her daze or his wand, to hex Malfoy. Tremors of anger washed over him as he just sat there at their desk. He wouldn't let Malfoy have her, his own blue eyes could see the sparks so clearly. The wicked sparks growing stronger. His teeth bit his lip so hard that he swore loudly. Snape smacked him in the back of his head with a Potions book.
Rubbing his sore head, Ron rather hoped that his ordeal with the Professor would have snapped her out of the staring contest but it didn't. Instead, he didn't even get a glance. In his head, he swore again just to avoid getting hit by the Professor again. Ron knew that Snape enjoyed it. His angry hands began to pack up his things.
Her dark black eyes watched the side profile of Draco's face. Her stomach sadly churned as his silver eyes contained something that she had never seen before, a newly lit fire that only burned for 'Her.' Jealously flowed through her veins as she glowered at the chestnut curled women. How did she manage to instil heat to the coldest man she had ever known and came to love? Why couldn't it have been her?
Pansy's hatred for the Mudblood only grew further when she spotted his lips turn up slightly. He was smiling, only small traces of it which would be overlooked by those who didn't know him. She resisted the temptation of her wand that rested heavily in her school robe. In her head, she was thinking of every curse, every jinx that she knew. Pansy swore that she was going to make good on her threat.
Snape decided that Dumbledore had begun to lose his mind. His black eyes flickered between Granger and Draco. He saw nothing there but hatred. Each face was a glower, sneer or a hateful smirk. Dumbledore's words came floating back into his head from his memory, 'Hatred is a form of passion.' He shook his dark black hair while he instantly began to regret to help the Headmaster. This 'Passion', as the Professor gracefully said, was going to get on his nerves.
Digging his wand out of his robe, Snape stood menacingly in the middle of the class. Each student who was distracted by the nonverbal test of wills was now cowering before him. They were wasting his time. "Granger. Sit by your partner."
Hermione flinched when she snapped out of the hypnotizing stare of Malfoy. She grabbed her bag to make her way in the back of the classroom to follow Professor Snape's orders. Unhappiness grew in her stomach when he was smirking at her, but his silver eyes just stared at her with some unknown emotion in them. Her body reacted with a growing lump in her throat and shivers of warmth down her spine.
She sat down rigidly next to him while trying to ignore the fluttery pounding in her chest. Her body automatically licked her lips as she pulled her bag onto her lap to get her Potion supplies out. Hermione felt crazed; her body was hot and she was starting to sweat. Swallowing her lump again; Hermione tried to ignore her body while focusing on what Professor Snape was saying.
"In pairs, one of you will make the potion, while the other will make the cure. On the blackboard," the Professor's hand motioned to towards it, "You will find three potions you can choose from. When you decide as a team, you may began. Each pair will be individually graded. The worst potion will lose points."
The students started to whisper quietly until Professor Snape interrupted, "Any explosions," his dark eyes narrowed at Neville Longbottom, who was famous for Potion class mishaps, "Will result in detention."
Hermione felt sorry for Neville, knowing that the Professor's prediction will most likely become true. Then she turned her eyes to the blackboard and she muttered to herself, 'how could anyone see this?' while complaining about the distance. Professor Snape's handwriting was small and sloppy. She never once complained about it when she was sitting up front. Suddenly a piece of parchment slid in front of her, with his handwriting.
Three potions that Professor Snape had written on the board were now in front of her. She quickly glanced over them and the side note that Malfoy left beside each one,
-Beautification Potion (Don't even think about it, Granger. The last thing I need is to lose my lunch because Weasel couldn't keep his hands off of you.)
Her only response was to roll her eyes, then she read the next one.
-Draught of Peace (While we are making this one, we should do an Everlasting Elixer, I will need all the relief I can get this year.)
She snorted and looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. Malfoy was smirking her direction as she rolled her eyes again and continued with reading the last potion,
-Elixer to Induce Euphoria (No.)
It was tempting for her to say that she wanted to do the last one, just so she could see the reaction on Malfoy's face. Shaking her head instead of laughing, she glanced around the classroom. Students were finally getting their supplies together for the potions of their choice. The perfectionist streak in her decided that she was wasting too much time in arguing with Malfoy. If they disagreed the whole time about everything, they wouldn't have anything done.
Swallowing her lump in her throat, sometimes known as her pride, she got up from their shared desk and turned to Malfoy. "Fine, Draught of Peace then. You grab the cauldrons, I'll get the ingredients."
She grabbed her book off the table and walked to the ingredients cabinet, while leaving Malfoy do to his task. Her fingers quickly flickered through the book, glancing at the chalkboard for the page number 142. Hermione mentally kept count as the page numbers grew closer to the potion. Then when she turned the page of 140, her book skipped to 143. Panic hit her at once as she rapidly flipped her pages, willing her missing page to come back.
The sinking feeling in her stomach just made her stand there in shock until she spotted a book opened to the same potion right beside her. Buckets of relief spilled from her and she stepped closer to the owner of the book, who was uncertainly picking up ingredients with a confused look on his face.
"Neville, I can help with your ingredients. We are doing the same potion."
The desperate male looked at her with blinding gratitude written all over his face. Her fingertip skimmed over the list as Neville held his book for her. The potion to reverse the effects was listed right next to the original potion. Apparently, the cure had all the same things in it just in reverse order. She pulled out four times the amount, 'Moonstone', 'Syrup of Hellebore', 'Porcupine Quills' and 'Unicorn Hair.'
Hermione handed Neville his things and whispered, 'Good luck,' then she went back to her shared desk with Malfoy. They worked in silence as she turned her moonstone into a fine powder. She watched Malfoy grind his moonstone and was impressed that he knew what he was doing. Usually when she was partners with Ron, she would have consistently watch what he was doing or even just do everything herself.
Licking her lips again, she turned to Malfoy while avoiding his eyes, Hermione said,
"I'll need to borrow your book," then she twisted nervously again as she swallowed her anger at him because it was his fault that her book was missing potions from it, "I'm missing pages in mine."
A pale hand pulled the piece of parchment that she read earlier away from her. His hand was quick with a reply when his hand slid back her direction with the parchment underhand.
"We'll share."
A brief jump of her heart was her only reply as Malfoy moved his book into the middle of the desk. Her throat gulped again when she smelled something that made her insides twist. At the same time, they both huddled over the single book. As she glanced over her directions, she tried her best to ignore the strands of silky blond hair playing on her face. Evidently, Malfoy's hair was as soft as it looked.
"I'll do the potion," was the only thing Hermione said to Malfoy as she added the powered moonstone to the cauldron without giving him a choice in the matter. Her hand carefully stirred the potion both seven times clockwise and counter clock wise. As her potion had to simmer for a short bit; Hermione decided to prepare her Porcupine Quills for the next step. Just as she was about to grab half from the pile on their desk, her hand met his larger one.
For moments, her breathing stopped and her chocolate eyes met his silver ones. His eyes changed to a heavier darkness that made her cheeks blush when his gaze went to their hands. The erratic pounding of her chest increased when his own hand slightly trembled under hers. She bit her lip as she pulled her hand away and grabbed the other half laying abandoned on the table.
While still biting her lip, Hermione mindlessly powered her Porcupine Quills and set them aside to tend to her newly blue potion. She added more moonstone and stirred the routine number of stirs again. After following her advanced potion directions, she was finally on her last step; she turned the flame down to let it simmer and wait for her potion to turn orange.
Hermione looked down for more Porcupine Quills and her eyes found nothing. She didn't dare to tempt fate to ask Malfoy if he had extras on his side of the desk. No, she wouldn't dare it. So she decided to get her own and powder the Porcupine Quills herself, once more. One last check on her potion, she got up and walked to the ingredients cabinet for more while carefully admiring everybody else's work.
Draco watched her as she walked away, his fingers still trembled from where she touched him. His mind played with him as he replayed her blushing cheeks on repeat in his head. He was adding his powdered moonstone when arms wrapped around him from behind. A pair of lips caressed his ear but when the familiar scent of her perfume hit his nose, he knew the owner of the arms was Pansy.
Pansy couldn't resist this perfect opportunity to get revenge on the Mudblood. Her dark eyes kept a consist watch on her while she was busy herself. Apparently the red headed Weasel had no idea how to make a Beautification Potion. So, as she barked orders at him to prepare the ingredients correctly; she executed the potion to perfect completion. She enjoyed Potions, it was an easy class especially when that potion was surprisingly simple.
She quietly left her things and walked around the classroom the longer way so she wouldn't be spotted by Draco. Her hands reached around him so she could press every inch of her body against his. Pansy was hoping that Draco would get the hint of sexual frustration. Her mouth purred by his ear as her revenge plan played in her head,
"Draco, watch this. This is what she gets for being a filthy Mudblood."
Confused was the only emotion he felt when Pansy remove herself from his body to scoop up leftover Unicorn Hair and dropped it in their potion. He jumped up immediately, pushed Pansy aside and watched as the potion quickly devoured the extra ingredients. Draco whirled his silver eyes to Pansy's direction, getting ready to yell at her when 'She' came back. Her chocolate brown eyes looked at him quizzically then slightly pushed him aside so she was in front of the potion.
His hand whipped out in slow motion as her own hand hovered over the potion with Porcupine Quills. Draco's larger hand covered hers and her brown eyes only narrowed in his direction. He shook his head 'no' and hoped that she would understand. Instead, her eyes grew darker and narrowed more, "Malfoy, What do you think you're doing?"
Each word was slightly darker than the next, he could taste the menacing tone on the back of his throat. This time he shook his head again and mouthed the word, 'no'. While she was staring at him angrily; Draco frantically dug at his school robes for his wand. He was going to write with his wand when he felt her hand open underneath his own hand. His silver eyes watched the Porcupine Quills float on top of the potion, then disappeared.
Draco faced 'Her' again and was greeted with a smug smirk so similar to his own, "I don't know what you were doing but you're not going to get a better grade than me by tampering with my potion."
He fought with his face not to look flabbergasted as he turned to the dark haired girl lurking in the classroom shadows. For once, he couldn't yell at Pansy for her sheer stupidity, but the urge to at least shake her senseless was there. Then something turned terribly wrong; he could smell it in the air or maybe that was the vile green smoke wafting out of the cauldron. Mentally cringing while turning around, he spotted two faces that looked extremely unhappy with him. One face sent shivers down his spine and it wasn't his god father's.
"MALFOY! WHAT DID YOU DO?!"
Draco only froze when she came up to his chest and poked him viciously with her finger with her every word. He looked towards Professor Snape, desperately willing to get his attention so he could have help taming the enraged curly haired Gryffindor. Instead, the Professor arched a dark bow at him in question. Draco was in mid reach for his communication supplies when their potion started to bubble and hissed angrily.
For a split second, Draco lost all control of gross motor skills or that was the lie he told himself, while he grabbed the furious woman into his arms. He quickly turned his own back to the vile potion right in time to avoid catastrophic explosion of ingredients. His own body plunged his face into the chestnut curls belonging to 'Her.' Trying to ignore the way she smelled heavenly or the throbbing of his body; Draco looked up to see now, two very unhappy males looking at him.
His godfather only shook his head in surprised bewilderment. Mostly surprised about Draco's actions to protect Granger. Snape tried to swallow the surprise quickly and got back to teaching. Getting back to teaching, meant punishment. The next surprise was his two best students caused the explosion, not the worst. In the deep crevice inside his head, he admit that maybe the headmaster was right. Maybe, being the optional word. He wasn't going to hold his breath. Six years of hatred doesn't disappear over night.
When Ron heard his girlfriend's angry voice yelling at Malfoy; he whipped his head around while fishing his wand from his robe. When he saw green smoke oozing from the cauldron on the table, Ron assumed that Malfoy was trying to hurt her, just like he's done before in the past. He stalked angrily towards the back of the classroom and was right in time to witness Malfoy snatching Hermione into his arms to protect her from the bubbling potion.
Ron didn't flinch when the potion exploded and splashed all over his face. Instead, the warmth of the potion only added to his anger. His wand twitched in his hand as Malfoy's face scanned over to him with contentment in his eyes. Narrowing his dark blue eyes towards the other male, Ron pointed his wand at Malfoy without hesitation.
The mild heat of the potion hung heavily on Draco's back. Meanwhile, the front of his body was swimming in pleasure every time 'She' breathed into his clothes. Her perfume still tickled his nose from when he ducked his head. Draco fought every tremble of his body as he just stared at Weasel's wand pointing at him with his blond eyebrow raised.
"Let her go Malfoy."
Hermione was enjoying herself maybe a bit too much. The scent of his skin with his cologne made her insides twist again. Her own body shivered when she felt his body tremble. Goosebumps danced up and down her body as she was pressed hard and firm against his. With her brown eyes closed, enjoying the heat from him, she had completely forgotten where she was until she heard Ron's angry voice.
Her hands gently pushed against Malfoy's chest to break clasp of his hands resting on her back. Hermione's chocolate eyes flickered to Ron then they slightly widened when she made sense of the scene before her. She removed herself out of Malfoy's arms and stepped into the distance between them. Hermione made her voice as calm as she could then opened her mouth to speak to the red head, "Ron, what are you doing?"
She only watched as Ron's mouth opened and closed like a fish before speaking, "Don't ever touch her again! Got that Ferret?"
Crossing her arms to her chest, she glared at the red head ignoring her question. Her brown eyes flickered over to Malfoy, who looked as smug as possible with a smirk playing on his mouth. Hermione swallowed her throat when she didn't even have to look at Ron to know his reaction. She didn't know why Malfoy was teasing Ron but it wasn't helping the situation any.
The sound of his frustrated growling could be heard around silent classroom. Apparently, their little scene was attracting a growing crowd. Which none of it matter when she was caught into those intoxicating silver eyes just staring. Hermione was lost in the silence in her own head that she completely tuned out Ron yelling a spell.
A loud startled yell followed by a big thud jerked Hermione back into the Potions Classroom. Her eyes confusedly glanced around at the other students, who were all turned towards the front of the classroom. She spotted a very angry and hostile Ron, tied to his desk chair. His mouth was flapping open but no sound was coming out.
Professor Snape stepped out of the sea of students. His dark black eyes landed on hers then looked over her head to someone else. Hermione could only have one guess on who it was: Malfoy.
Hermione only stared as the moody Professor walked her way and stopped in the space between her and Malfoy. "Who's responsible for this?"
Her eyes followed the Professor's pale hand pointing to the remains of her potion. She sighed as she mentally battled herself about the blame. It was her potion and if she blamed Malfoy on tampering with it; she might risk more points taken away from Gryffindor.
With one last glance at the beckon of red hair in the sea of students, Hermione opened her mouth to admit it was her fault. Malfoy had tried to stop her from adding the Porcupine Quills and yet, she didn't listen. She looked over to her side where she spotted movement, Malfoy was there, staring at the potion master.
"Professor, the explosion was my fault."
Swishing of a wand, made Hermione turn her head to the noise. Malfoy had his wand in the air, writing in fiery red cursive. He only wrote four words, but those four words made something in Hermione's chest beat crazily.
"It was my fault."
"Professor, the potion was mine. I must have missed something."
Hermione had no control over her mouth or any of the words that escaped from it. Why she couldn't let Malfoy take the blame for sometime that he obviously did, was beyond her. That need again, the same need that made her stand up to Professor Greenwood; her need to defend him. Swishing of a wand caught her attention as Malfoy quickly wrote in scarlet words.
"She's lying."
Her mouth dropped down to the floor and she whirled onto Malfoy,
"I'm not lying Malfoy. Don't tell him that," then she looked to Professor Snape, who had both of his dark eyebrows raised at her, "Professor, it was my fault. So there's no need to get him," Hermione pointed to Malfoy, "Involved."
The only responses from Malfoy was a snort and swishing of his wand, "I'm not lying Granger. I put extra Unicorn Hair in your potion. I couldn't stand the idea of you besting me in Potions again."
Hermione crossed her arms, "Then why did you try to stop me from adding the Porcupine Quills?"
Then she watched as he paused for a brief second like she had caught him off guard; just like that night after Dumbledore's meeting. Hermione made an effort to connect with his eyes, which mirrored startled surprised before shutting down to pure smugness.
"I didn't want an explosion."
"I don't believe that."
Those words slipped from her mouth before she could control them. She had to laugh and she would of, if the situation wasn't the way it was, from hearing those familiar words from her lips. After all, she had heard the same ones yesterday from the man accusing her of lying. Now, she was doing the same to him.
"Mr. Granger and Mr. Malfoy, I see that I won't be getting either of you to admit anything. So, you both leave me with no choice. The both of you will be having detention with me tonight."
Hermione slightly flinched, just what she needed, another detention. She didn't dare look at the blond next to her as she interjected, "I have detention with Professor Greenwood tonight."
She watched as the Professor raised his dark eyebrows at her again, "Following in Potter's footstep are we, Ms. Granger?"
She didn't reply on the fact that she didn't know what was going to come out of her mouth. Her wand hand twitched angrily but she bit her lip. Hermione wasn't going to attack the same teacher as she did in her third year. Even if Professor Snape was being a greasy git, as the Marauder's map eloquently stated.
The professor continued, "I'll talk with Professor Greenwood today before dinner. I have no doubts that she would be grateful to me by taking you off her hands. I will send note later."
Many different voices of pity sailed in Hermione's direction and she only stood there in shock. Her talent of seventh year was, apparently, getting detentions at Malfoy's dispense. Professor Snape broke up the crowd with his usual ten seconds to clean or else threat. All the students broke away and quickly tidied; not wanting to take the chance on Professor Snape's 'or else' threat, not after what they had seen with Ron.
With a quick wave of her wand, the cauldron and the evidence of the explosion was gone. She made a hard effort to ignore the blond shadow sitting down at their desk. When everyone was finished; Professor Snape dropped a surprise essay on 'What are the kinds of reactions from a potion with too much or too little ingredients.' Hermione had to wonder if that assignment was inspired by something recent.
Professor Snape walked through the classroom to check the cleanliness and made Neville faint of fright when his table was not clean enough to the Professor's taste. After the inspection, the whole room was dismissed. As she was packing her things, her ears would hear more rumors for the rumor mill. All Hermione could do was shake her head; the more she denied the 'love triangle' between Malfoy, Ron and herself, it made people assume more.
When she packed her bag; Hermione made a bee line to the infirmary, not particularly in the mood for Ron's antics. She needed to vent to someone who wouldn't judge her or at least, right now, couldn't. At last, when she sat in the chair by Harry's bedside, Hermione was able relax.
Her elbow hit the small table beside Harry's bed and she heard a small clack of something hitting the floor. Hermione bent over to grab the fallen object, her fingertips hit skinny cold metal and pinched it between her fingers. Harry's circular glasses were balancing between her fingertips. She smiled sadly and spoke to the seemingly sleeping Harry while taking his larger hand into her smaller one after placing his glasses back where they belonged,
"Hi, Harry. Sorry I didn't come in this morning. You have to know I would have loved to see you but Professor Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey were here," Hermione paused, reflecting back on the Headmaster's conversation with the Medi-witch that morning. One Death Eater caused his comatose state. Then she continued,
"I know that you heard them this morning. I wish you could tell us who did this to you so we could fix it. All of us miss you, Ginny especially. It seems that seventh year is going to be blandly interesting since Voldemort isn't attacking you here anymore."
Silence engulfed the room when she continued talking to him,
"I'm feeling rather silly at the moment, you probably can't hear me. I wish you were here to talk some sense into Ron. His extreme jealously is driving me insane. Also, it seems like I'm going to be the troublemaker this year instead of you. I got two detentions in the first two day of classes on Malfoy's behalf."
Some small laughter bubbled from her throat as her mind imagined a befuddled Harry, "It's not what you think Harry. I-" Hermione paused for several seconds, debating on telling him about everything. The sound in the hallway grew louder and her stomach growled from the scent of food. She decided that Malfoy's kind deed would have to wait for another story time.
"Dumbledore ordered me to help him. Apparently he got cursed by a locket that takes away a person's ability to speak. I know that these detentions are my fault for defending him but on the first two days of school? It's quite unbelievable."
Hermione was going to say more just when Madame Pomfrey walked in with a surprised look on her face. "Ms. Granger, you scared me," said the Medi-witch as she slapped a hand to her bosom.
She smiled at the older witch as she got up from the chair at Harry's bedside. Hermione gathered her satchel in her arms as she walked next to the Medi-witch, "I'm sorry Madame Pomfrey. I just wanted to stop by and see Harry before my detention tonight."
When Madame Pomfrey's eyes grew as large as dinner plates, Hermione let on a small chime of laughter. She held up her hand to stop the shocked look on the older witch's face, "I know. There's no need to say anything."
Hermione walked to the door and cracked it open when the older witch called back to her, "Ms. Granger, is your head feeling better? Hopefully waking up every three hours wasn't too difficult."
Just before she walked out the door, she smiled over her shoulder to the Medi-witch, "My head feels great. Thank you again," which wasn't a lie.
Her head did feel better this morning. Then she walked out before admitting that she didn't have anyone wake her up. That Ginny having an emotional breakdown was more of concern to her. Hermione walked to the Great Hall to join the others for dinner.
She walked through the noisy hall and sat down beside Ginny, who looked her with a curious expression. In a deadpan voice, Hermione asked,
"Ron told you?"
Ginny only nodded her head in response but the woman's eyes said differently. The attitude swimming underneath Ginny's eyes, insisted silently that they were going to talk later. Hermione only sighed in defeat and then slightly jumped from warm contact on her hand that was resting on the table. Her brown eyes followed the hand over hers and met with Ron's blue ones. For a brief second, she thought she saw silver.
A/N: Hope you liked it. Please look forward to the next chapter and review/leave feedback.