(A.N. Oh my Loki, we're already on chapter 7! Ooh, I'm excited. Ready? Oh yeah, and I don't own Harry Potter. Or Draco Malfoy, disappointingly :'( Anyway! On with the story! :{D [Yes, the smiley has a moustache...])

*Contains Harry angsting*

Hermione wasn't in Potions.

That alone was terrifying. What was worse was that her usual partner, Malfoy, was working alone, looking incredibly guilty; fidgeting about and knocking his quill onto the floor. He always was a twitchy little ferret; I'd never realised how accurate that description really was. What's he done to Hermione...? I wrinkle my brow. Pushing my glasses up my nose, I turn back to my (definitely not by choice) partner Pugface Parkinson. She simpers at me sickeningly. I give her a wary smile and she just about faints. I swear; that girl has a crush on any boy that looks once at her! Pansy flicks her bangs out of her eyes and tips the unicorn hairs into our cauldron. Thankfully, the potion doesn't explode in our faces. Pansy isn't terrible at Potions, I suppose, she's better than Ron, and me for that matter, but that isn't that hard to achieve. I peer into the cauldron. The liquid bubbles a curious shimmering rust colour. I gaze at the textbook. Pansy's almost finished. "Do you, um, want me to help?" She smiles eagerly at me. "No, no, Ha- uh, Potter! You just relax. I'm almost done!" She gushes. I return the smile. After all, she has done the entire potion by herself, as my mind has been focused on other... More important... issues. I sigh inwardly. Hermione... Why couldn't she notice me? It had always been Ron, Ron, Ron. And then Krum. How was I supposed to compete with a bloody international superstar?! I guess in a way, I'm an international superstar. But who wants to date a guy who's famous for accidentally killing the Dark Lord as a baby?! Not Hermione, obviously. Something must have shown on my face, because Pansy gently touched my arm. "Harry- uh, I mean, Potter... The potion's done." She beams at me, craving praise. "Oh, er, thanks Pansy. You can call me Harry, you know..." I stare into the dark substance. It swirls like blood in the bottom of the cauldron. I bite back bile at the thought. I offered her a weak smile. "Uh, I'm sorry, what does it do again?" Pansy giggled. It wasn't as annoying as I had previously remembered. "It's an Anti-Stress Draught, Harry. Remember?" I didn't. Snape reentered the room, looking more than ever like an overgrown bat. I scowled down into the dark red liquid as Pansy produced two glass vials. She carefully ladled the draught into the clear tubes, not spilling a drop, just like Hermione would have. She passed one to me. "Cheers!" She laughed brightly, tossing her dark hair out of her face. I tipped the glass towards her. "Cheers, Parkinson." Her face fell. "Please don't call me that." "Er, alright, Pansy?" The smile returned to her face. I tipped the glass towards her awkwardly. She returned the gesture, beaming delightedly. The liquid tasted salty and metallic on my tongue, just like blood. I grimaced. As soon as it slid down my throat, I felt the tension slipping from my limbs. Next to me, Pansy sighed blissfully, in a similar state. "You're brilliant, Pansy..." I slurred drowsily. She smiled and nodded slowly, clinking her glass against mine. As I was about to take another swallow, I found my glass plucked from my fingers. I turned slowly to see Snape. Glaring, he drawled, "The best potion... Potter and Parkinson. Everyone else will remain to clear up. Dismissed." He flapped his hands at us to get out. I picked up my things and slowly walked out. My head felt weird. In a good way, but still weird. Pansy scampered after me. "Wait, Harry!" I stopped. "Yes, Pansy?" "Thanks for being my partner!" I grinned at her and she blushed. "S'fine." I walked on as she scurried away. Now, more importantly, where was Hermione?

-*Hermione*

I walked into Charms fifteen minutes late. Professor Flitwick fell off his stack of spellbooks in shock. I was never late. Looking around "casually", I ignored my frantically waving best friends and took the empty place next to Luna, spreading my books out onto the table. "Sorry I'm late." I said in a small voice, unnaturally loud in the echo of the otherwise silent room. Flitwick managed to re-climb his textbook tower. "Oh, that's quite alright, Miss Granger. Don't do it again." Flitwick looked puzzled that he was even having to tell me this. I smiled awkwardly, bending my head over my work so that my hair hid my face. Luna turned to face me, long dirty blonde hair swishing around her shoulders. "Hermione!" She whispered, voice dreamy as always. I looked at her. "Ronald is staring at you again... What are you going to do about Draco?" A chill ran through my veins. I had avoided thinking about Malfoy as best as I could. I shrugged. "He obviously didn't really like me, anyway. He was just using me. I mean, did you see him with Pansy?" I spat out the girl's name with contempt. Luna gave me a sympathetic smile. "You know, people do things for different reasons than you first think... Take Ronald for example. He is quite besotted with you. Hated seeing you with Krum..." My heart jumped painfully in my chest. Damn. I'd forgotten about Viktor... He must think I'm so rude... Immediately the perfect strategy leaped into view. How to irritate both Dra- uh, Malfoy AND Ron? I'd just have to brush up on flirting. Parvati and Lavender will be sure to know how... I'll ask Krum to help with my revenge plan... "What are you thinking about, Hermione? You have a very Slytherin look on your face..." Luna sounded more alarmed than serene for once... I attempted an evil laugh which ended as a coughing fit. Luna patted me on the back carefully, as if she were afraid to set me off again. "Oh, no, no, nothing..." I rasped, throat dry as sandpaper. "Nothing at all..."

(Poor Harry... Poor Pansy... Poor Draco... Poor R- NO! Not poor Ron. Everything's his fault! *sobs dramatically*)

Review my little chickens! O_o

Sorry, I'm in a weird mood...