How to say you're sorry
Suddenly Draco felt very aware of his current situation. He knew the potion's effects were coming to an end as he felt the confusion and euphoria leaving his body.
"What did you say?" he asked. Although he knew perfectly well what she had said.
"We need to stop. This has gone way too far. I didn't realize how, uninhibited that potion made you feel." she said, stuttering slightly and biting her lower lip.
His eyes, that were so warm just moments ago, so full of fire and passion, grew cold and distant as he sat up and reached for his discarded pajama bottoms. He pulled them on and stood up.
"You are a fucking tease." he said coldly.
"Look Draco…" she started as she made a mad reach for her clothing as well.
"Just shut the fuck up!" he shouted. "I don't know why I bother even trying to get along with you."
"WHY?" she yelled. "Because I won't shag you?"
"Hell no Granger!" he returned with such venom she was taken aback. "Because I knew that taking that potion was a bad idea. And when you were coming on to me in the water…"
Hermione huffed.
"Well you bloody well did!" He yelled. "I told you it was a bad idea, that it was just the potion. You said you didn't care. And now…"
"What?" she said, knowing full well that he was right at least about part of it.
"And now nothing. Just keep away from me." he said with such coldness Hermione shivered. And she was sure it had nothing to do with the water.
Draco stormed back to the cabin and stripped off his wet clothing before heading for the bathroom. He used his wand to heat the bath water (much easier than boiling fifty urns of water) and climbed into the tub. He was so furious that if he didn't manage to control his temper he just may murder her.
'How dare she!' he thought as he sat there soaking. 'She let me get that far and then stops just like that!'
She sat by the shoreline of the lagoon for a long while. Even after she put her clothing back on, her skin was covered in goose bumps. How could today have gone into the loo so quickly? They were getting along. They finished their homework without bickering even once. Then she just had to insist they take the potion. He told her he had taken it before, so he needn't have done so again. But no, she knew everything and had to be right all the bloody time. And the worst part was she had come on to him. And she wanted him to go further. And he knew it. How was she ever going to look at him again? She wiped her eyes and stood up to go back to the cabin. She dreaded what she would find there. But when she reached the doorway Malfoy was nowhere to be seen.
"Mal…Draco?" she asked circumspectly.
No answer.
She went over to sit at the table and look over some ancient runes scrolls that she had left earlier after taking the potion. She heard someone, presumably Draco, splashing around in the bathtub. She closed her eyes and tried to drown out the images of her stroking him in the water, and his fingers reaching into places she hadn't dreamed of letting anyone, let alone him, touch her. She tried to shake those images but they wouldn't let her head go. A few minutes later she heard the bathroom door open and watched him stroll out, wearing only his boxers and a white tank top. He didn't even look at her as he tossed his clothing into a pile that had been building for a while.
"Scourgify." he said lazily, pointing his wand at the mess. His clothing washed, dried and folded itself
"Let me explain please…" Hermione asked. Draco turned to look at her with cold eyes. He didn't say a word, but he turned from her and climbed into the bottom bunk.
"Will you just grow up and talk to me?" she shouted.
He stared at the top bunk, unmoving.
"You are so immature!" she said getting back to her books and huffing as she sat down.
"I'm immature?" he finally said aloud. "I am immature? You are the one who started something you had no intention of finishing. You are the one who behaves like a 12 year old girl. YOU! So don't you dare call me immature! I've had it with this whole situation! I just want to forget today ever happened."
"But it did. And I don't want to forget it." she said quietly.
"As far as I'm concerned it didn't." he said callously. "Now just leave me alone."
He turned over in his bunk and faced the wall. Hermione felt tears welling in her eyes. Something about the way he said those words hurt her more than she had felt in a long while. Even more than when Ron didn't ask her to the Yule ball. This had been her first 'real' sexual experience. Something she would remember for the rest of her life. And now those memories would forever be ruined by these tears. She climbed onto the top bunk and opened the diary. She needed Ginny now more than ever.
Ginny,
Things here are more miserable than ever. Certain things happened, I mean I let them happen, well really I made them happen and now we are not speaking to each other again. Thanks to you, (remind me to be mad at you later.) I can't resign. We have to stay here until we can get along. And right now that seems a lifetime away. And if we can't get along we won't graduate. I don't know what to do! Please write back as soon as you can. I feel so lonely.
Love,
Hermione
Several days passed by with Draco completely ignoring Hermione's presence. He worked on his homework alone and gathered food alone as well. He would respond in one word phrases only when completely necessary. Ginny wrote back a few days later.
Hermione,
Your letter made no sense. What happened? What did you make happen? Did you try a spell that backfired? I'm going crazy wondering what you did. And I know that you are a little mad about me going to Dumbledore, but it was for your own good. You'll thank me later. Write back quickly and tell me the details.
Ginny
When the diary glowed purple Hermione read over Ginny's words. She was so embarrassed to tell anyone what had happened.
Ginny,
I don't know how to tell you this. Ill give you the short version. Malfoy and I had to brew a potion, an elixir to induce euphoria. It was a difficult potion and Snape made us try it before sending it in. Malfoy had tried it before and warned me against it. But since I know everything (note the sarcasm) I insisted. Soon after taking it I felt like every inhibition, every common sense thing in my head was gone. We went swimming, well in the lagoon…I wore only my knickers and bra and he was in the buff. (Shut up Ginny) Well we started kissing and laughing and pretty soon it was getting too much for me. I told him to stop and he got mad and is not talking to me. You need to swear on all you hold dear that you will wipe this page and never speak of this to anyone, anytime, ever!
Write back and help!
Hermione
She read over the letter a few times and then closed the diary to send it off. Just then Draco walked back into the cabin, dripping wet from swimming alone again. Hermione opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. And even if it had, he wouldn't have listened. His mind was set.
Again it took a few days for Ginny to respond. Hermione was going out of her mind with loneliness and boredom. When the diary glowed purple she nearly jumped up out of her skin to go read it.
Hermione,
I can't believe what I'm hearing from you! You and Malfoy? Kissing? I nearly fell over. What you have to understand about boys is that telling him to stop (no matter how good of an idea it was) is an ego killer to them. And I'm assuming since Malfoy always thought that you weren't good enough for him it hit him doubly hard. I mean Draco freaking Malfoy getting rejected by you? No offense or anything, I can just see how that would make him mad. There's only one thing you can do in this situation. Especially if you want to get off that island and back to Hogwarts anytime soon. Apologize and explain why you did what you did. You have to be the bigger person, because believe me when it comes to men's egos, they will never take that higher road. Write back soon and let me know what happens.
Ginny
Hermione bit her lip nervously. She just didn't know if she could look him in the eye and admit that everything that happened, aside from the snogging, was her first time. And that it scared her. And it had nothing to do with him. She sighed heavily. She would just have to do it. As soon as he got back from wherever he went, she would apologize to him and ask to start over for the millionth time.
A few hours later Draco returned, still not looking at her. Still ignoring her presence. Hermione jumped off of the top bunk and sat down next to him on the sofa. He scooted down as far away from her as he could get until he ran out of room. Then he just turned his head and stared out the window.
"Will you just stop?" she asked. "I have something to say and it's not easy."
He didn't turn to look at her.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I insisted you take the potion, I'm sorry I gave you the wrong impression of me down at the lagoon. That was the first time I…well…" she blushed. "When you told me it was a bad idea I should have listened."
"Caught on have you?" he said quietly. Still not looking at her.
"That's all I wanted to say. Now we can continue to walk around here like we are alone, or we can start over, yet again, and try to get back to Hogwarts." she told him.
He turned towards her, his eyes still cold grey.
"Why? Why try again?" he asked in a low voice. "We have no chance to get along."
"I think we do." she half smiled.
"I don't know…" he said reluctantly.
"We can't possibly screw up worse than we already have."
"True." he half smiled back.
"So am I forgiven?"
"We'll see." he smirked.
But getting along was proving more and more difficult. They could manage for a few hours but would end up bickering about one thing or another in the end. And both of them still had unresolved feelings about what had happened between them in a potion induced state. Hermione was embarrassed beyond belief. She never intended letting him see her undone like that. And he felt resentful that he had tended to her needs and he still had needs of his own. But they agreed not to speak of it again. They agreed that it was the potion that made them lose their heads briefly. About a week and a half after the potion incident the school owl arrived bringing them fresh clothing, potion ingredients, homework assignments and the grades for their previous homework.
Hermione scanned the grades and grinned from ear to ear.
"I take it we did well?" Draco asked looking over her shoulder at the paper.
"Very well. All 'O's'. And professor Snape included a note." she said handing the note to Draco. Tiny cramped writing that was instantly recognizable as Snape's scrawled over the page.
Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger,
I was pleased and somewhat shocked at the wonderful example of Euphoria that you provided for me. It was nearly perfect. I have no idea what plans Dumbledore has for you but it seems to be improving your potion making skills Miss Granger. No doubt Mr. Malfoy had a hand in that as well but whatever the reason I hope the next potion lives up to these new higher standards.
Professor Severus Snape
"What's the next potion?" He asked looking through the papers and ingredients.
"It's a wound healing potion." she said showing him the page in the textbook that corresponds.
"I've never tried that one." he said glumly. His reputation for potions was going to be tested.
"Here are the ingredients; three thinly sliced roots of Asphodel, ten shredded daisy roots, a pinch of Fluxweed, two thimbles of Hellebore, one unicorn tail hair and two squished Shrivelfigs." Hermione said.
Draco prepared all the ingredients on the small table as Hermione put their small cauldron over the brightly burning fire. By the time the cauldron was red hot Draco had managed to slice the roots of Asphodel as precisely as she had ever seen.
"Nice." she smiled, still avoiding any direct eye contact with him. He half-smiled back and continued to slice.
"It says to add these first. But it also said you need three liters of water in the cauldron when it is red hot, so you had better get it in." he said motioning toward the glowing cauldron. Hermione went to the tub spout and put three liters of water into their urn and carried it carefully into the room where they were working. The cauldron steamed and hissed as she poured the water in.
"Should I add these now?" she asked.
"Yes, then stir five times clockwise, then five counterclockwise. Repeat that every ten minutes for an hour." he told her.
They both sat on the sofa, watching the cauldron bubble and steam. Every ten minutes one of them would stir the potion as directed, but in between the stirring the room was uncomfortably quiet. It seemed to be the longest hour ever. When it was over Hermione broke the silence.
"Now what?"
"Add the daisy roots and one of the thimbles of Hellebore." he directed her. She did and the potion turned a violent shade of red. It fizzed and hissed at her. "You have to let it simmer again for another five minutes."
Again, the five minutes seemed to take forever in the silence of the room.
"Now the pinch of Fluxweed and the squished Shrivelfigs. Then the last thimble of Hellebore."
She added the required ingredients and watched the slow simmer turn to a rolling boil. The color changed from red to orange.
"Now take the cauldron off the fire," Draco read aloud. "And when it is room temperature we add the unicorn hair." he said satisfied.
They waited for it to cool and added the hair. The potion turned instantly purple. Hermione and Draco had satisfied looks on their faces.
"Done!" Hermione exclaimed. She couldn't contain the grin on her face. And to her surprise Draco smiled back.