I don't own Harry Potter. Thanks for all the reviews!
Blaise felt the girl stiffen in his arms as he continued to hug her. "Mione?" he asked in worry. "Hermione?" She didn't answer and her arms began to fall slowly until they lay at her side. "Hermione? Did you hear what I said?" She backed away from him, staring at him with wide eyes. "What's wro-"
"You what?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
He felt his heart plunge to the bottom of his stomach. He had finally come to terms with the idea of loving her. He even planned on going to Draco and ending the bet. Last time he checked, it was November 25th, their relationship going on for nearly a month. What was wrong in loving her? "I…I said I loved you…" He said slowly.
"But…we…we've only been going out for a month."
"I…I know, Hermione, but I've wanted to be with you since September" Okay so that was a bit of a lie, but it didn't change the fact that he loved her. "You know that I've wanted to be with you. It's only understandable that I would fall in-"
"Blaise," she said.
He looked down at his feet. "O…okay then. I'll just…I'll just be going." He turned and walked out of the door. When he heard it click shut, he leaned back on it for support. What was he thinking? Of course Hermione wouldn't love him back. He was about to move, but when he felt the door open behind him he let out a shocked cry and fell on his back.
"Oh, Blaise!" Hermione cried. She bent down and pulled him towards her in tight hug. "I may not love you right now Blaise, but if you give me time…" She said, implying that she would love him one day. "I really do feel strongly for you."
He grinned and rolled over so that he was on top. "You are one kind of crazy, Granger"
(December 10th)
Hermione rolled her eyes and tried to ignore the small kisses being pressed on her neck. "Stop that" She growled. "I'm reading"
"You know," Blaise murmured on her skin. "You sound more and more like Snape everyday"
"And you, for some unknown reason, like that" Hermione smirked behind her book as he jolted backwards.
"Don't ever say that again" he demanded in a shuddering breath. After giggling at his discomfort, she threw her book down and leaned into his touch. "Ball is coming soon" He mumbled. She nodded excitedly. "I see you're excited." Blaise rolled his eyes.
"Of course I am!" She told him. "I have a present for you"
"Really?" Blaise asked. "What is it?"
"Oh, nothing. Just know that I'm giving it to you tomorrow"
"Okay, fine. I can wait," He grumbled. She giggled and started packing her books up. "I'll see you later?" He asked.
"Yes, of course," She grinned. "But duty calls. I need to help Ginny with her hair, don't I?"
"I don't understand why you have to-"
"Blaise we spoke about this before"
"Okay! Bye"
"Love you!" She shouted over her shoulder as she rushed out of the room, scared that she might be late.
"Love you too!"
----
"No, no, no, no, no!" Pansy shouted as she picked up a discarded shoe and threw it at the mirror. The girls looked at her in shock and turned to Luna, wondering what she was going to say.
"Oh, you don't have to worry," Luna said softly. "I didn't like that shoe much anyway"
"It's gone so wrong! So horribly wrong!" Pansy shouted. "He called the bet off! He called it off!"
"Just now?" Millie asked. "I head Blaise and Hermione passing 'I love you's for a month! He just called it off now?"
"Yes!" Pansy cried. "He's been to busy with his tongue down her throat to even bother until now! What are we going to do?!"
"Calm down!" Susan yelled. The girls fell down to the floor, looking at her obediently. "Obviously, since he called off the bet, we can't continue with the first plan." Susan was right. The plan had been to show Pansy's memories during the Christmas Ball. That way, Hermione would break up with Blaise, making him loose the bet. "Without a bet, Blaise can't be dumped" She told them calmly. "But we can still make Draco and him outcasts. We can still get Hermione to leave him. We can still bring down their downfall!"
"Oh? And how?" Pansy asked in agitation.
"Well, we can always make a presentation." Susan told them slyly, more sly than a Hufflepuff should be. "A nice school presentation, on how to protect yourselves from heartbreakers. Of course, we have to ask Professor Dumbledore, but all we really have to say, is that we are going to teach everyone how to protect themselves"
"And when he asks what it is?"
"We say it's muggle" Susan told them. "We're obviously going to have to show Pansy's memories, but it has to develop"
"What do you mean by that?" Luna asked.
"Okay, here's the new plan"
Ginny and Hermione rolled their eyes as Ron sat on the couch with a pout. "She ran out!" He whined. "Again! Why does she keep doing this?!"
"Look," Hermione said calmly. "How about, when she comes back, you talk to her. Start with something that interests her before slowly easing in what you really want to say"
"Interests her?"
"Yea," Ginny told him. "You know, like…crumpled horn snorkacks or nargles"
"Oh, yea" Ron said with deep sarcasm. "Let me just research in my great big book of imaginary creatures and then I'll start up a fantastic conversation with her. How bloody brilliant!"
"We're just trying to help, Ronald!" Hermione told him. She looked at the clock. "I promised Severus that I would spend the day with him"
"And it's Harry's and my anniversary" Ginny put in.
"We have to go. Just try it, Ron. Reach deep into your mind and try to remember everything that she said about those creatures" They watched her walk out.
"Well, I'm going to go, big brother" Ginny kissed his forehead. "Good luck"
Minutes after the two left, Luna finally strolled into the common room. "You know," She started. "It truly is wonderful to know that password. That Fat Lady sure has a strong head" Ron stared at her. She sat down on his lap and nuzzled his neck lightly. He could feel her radish earrings brushing against his skin. "What's wrong, lovely?"
Ron let out a calm breath. 'Remember, Ron. Interesting thing and then the question. Nargles and Snorkacks and then where she keeps going.' He smiled at hers softly before his face contorted in panic and he blurted out, "Where've you been?!"
"You're doing it wrong"
"No I am not"
"You are, I swear"
"Are you actually challenging me? A potions master?"
"But you're doing it wrong!" He slammed the spoon on the table, inches away from the flame that warmed the cauldron. "Oh, Severus!" Hermione cried. "That ladle wasn't supposed to touch anything but the potion! You're doing it all wrong!"
"Hermione Granger!"
"But you are! After every tenth counterclockwise stir, you have to add six clockwise stirs. Then, after the twelfth time you've done that, you have to add the half-teaspoon of melted silver. Finally, you have to make sure the ladle doesn't touch anything besides the potion, Severus! I've been researching it for a week!" Severus groaned.
"How would you know?!" He shouted, not letting go of his pride. She gave him an odd look.
"Severus, have you gone mad? I made the potion, didn't I?" He growled, but she completely ignored him, distraught with what happened. "Now look what you've done. We have to start it all over again!"
Would you mind explaining everything to me once more, Hermione" He asked in forced patience.
She shrugged. "Well, to start, the ladle shouldn't touch anything else because if something happened to stick onto it, even if it was dirt, it might cause an unwanted reaction to the potion"
"Continue. What I don't understand is how you are supposed to keep the human safe" Severus said. He had caught her, or so he thought.
"Well…I've researched for a while now, Severus. I've done some practice runs and the ingredients I used in this potion would be able to mix with one made for protection. It wouldn't be affected in a negative way. As that protects the human, the silver would be able to race in, find the lycanthropy that plagued him or her, and destroy it."
"And you're sure about this? Not even I have heard of such a theory"
"Severus" She said, her voice tired. "I've been researching this for so long. I've been preparing for a week. What more could you ask for?"
"Proof" he murmured.
"Which is why I have this" Hermione took a vial of red liquid out of her pocket. Severus' eyes widened.
"Is that blood?!" He whispered fervently. She nodded.
"Remus', to be exact"
"You extracted Lupin's blood without him noticing?"
"Oh, he noticed. I told him that uh, I has a serious illness and one of the things I needed for the potion to cure me was werewolf's blood."
"He couldn't have fallen for that"
"I know. That's why I made sure to cry and tell such a convincing story that he didn't even think twice about it" She smirked. Severus looked at her wearily.
"But how will we know that it worked?"
"Simple" She uncorked the vial and poured some onto her hand. She waved her wand and a magnified picture of the blood appeared in the air. Along with the red blood cells that everyone had, there were ones that shone a silvery blue, like the moon."
"How…That has never been seen before"
"I know," Hermione stated again. "Because I made a liquid that passed wasn't visible on the red blood cells, but on the other ones."
"What was it made of?" He asked in rare awe.
"A revealing potion and a buana flower."
He smirked in pride. "Of course. The flower that's only visible on full moons. Once you take them from the ground-"
"They can be seen and will last forever" Hermione finished with a bright smile. "As you know, it also turns from its usual blood red to the silvery blue color, like on those cells, when it makes contact with a werewolf."
"You are absolutely brilliant, child," He told her.
"Well you've been helping me as well, Severus. I owe much to you"
"How will we be sure that the protective potion will work?" He asked, avoiding the sentimental conversation.
"Of course, of course," Hermione answered. "So that it recognizes only human characteristics" She picked up the vial labeled P.P. and took a knife out. She stuck her hand out, ready to cut it, but at the last moment she grabbed Severus' and made an incision on his palm. He hissed in pain before letting out an infuriated shout. "Yes, okay, put the blood in the vial"
-----
"Careful, Severus," She whispered in child-like fear. Severus' hand shook as he squeezed the dropper gently and the potion fell on the blood. Hermione gave a small squeak as they looked up at the screen-like picture and watched as a purple barrier protected anything human. A silver stream flowed through, hitting the barriers in their way, before reaching their targets and destroying the other cells. Hermione gasped as Severus continued to watch in disbelief.
"What…" he started.
"I…" Hermione let a small smile appear on her face. "I…did it?"
Harry watched in distaste as Ron stuffed half of the pancake into his mouth. He shook his head in laughter and took a bite of his own meal. "Morning boys!" A voice said cheerfully. They turned and saw Hermione's smiling face looming over them. "It's so beautiful today!"
Ron and Harry looked at each other before glancing up at the enchanted sky. "Hermione," the red head started. "There's a foul storm out there and it's bloody freezing" What was wrong with her?
"Isn't it wonderful?" She asked happily.
Harry frowned. "What's wrong with-"
"Slow down, man!" They heard. Everyone turned to see Professor Snape enter the Great Hall with Remus on his tail. "What is the matter?" The tired werewolf asked. Snape ignored him and quickly walked up to Hermione. "Miss Granger?" Remus asked in sudden worry. "What happened? Did the potion not work?"
"What potion?" Harry asked in confusion.
"Why Miss Granger's! She's terribly ill! Didn't she tell you?"
"Hermione?" Ron asked. "Ill? She wouldn't be tongue wrestling with Blaise if she were sick, would she?" Hermione blushed and hit the boy over the head when everyone started laughing at the statement.
"They're right, Remus" Hermione sighed. "I wasn't ill when I took blood from you. I simply needed it for something"
He frowned. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't want you to get your hopes up" She whispered. "Remus, during that battle, you almost lost your life for me, and I made this" she pulled out a vial. "In gratitude"
"What is it?" Remus stared at it in suspicion.