A/N :: This chapter was written a few weeks ago, inspired by something that happened to me, which by chance also happened today! So thanks to that boy. (o:

Chapter Eleven || Chemicals React

Hermione's POV ::

I'm not too much into signs and messages from the Other Side, but here I was with Draco again. I took my seat in the third row as Snape rattled off more names and students dragged their feet to the assigned tables.

Snape was infamous for his seating charts and his love for pairing his most opposite students together, as if throwing them together to see which one would survive. I pulled my potions textbook onto the lab desk and wondered if Snape was betting on me to survive, or Draco.

"Granger." Draco greeted me before sliding into the seat next to me. He threw his materials onto the table before leaning back in his chair, two of the legs off the ground, hands folded comfortably behind his head. I tried not to gag as his white oxford collared shirt rose the tiniest bit above his leather belt, revealing a sliver of pale –

"For today's lesson," Snape's voice pulled my attention violently from Malfoy to his class. The professor was perched on the tip of his desk, arms crossed against his chest. "I will give you all the simple task of brewing me a calming potion. The best draft will be awarded one glass flask to keep their potion. The ingredients and instructions for preparation can be found on page three hundred and ninety four."

We sat still, waiting for more instruction. "You have one hour. If you do not complete one brew, your house will lose fifty points." His dark eyes flashed.

Tables sprang to life, scurrying and tearing at their textbooks to open them fast enough, read the recipe, and fetch the items. I turned to Draco, tilting my head. He hadn't budged from his position. I reached for my potions book, turning to the page.

"C'mon Draco, I'm not going to make this all by myself." I attempted to encourage him. He replied with a groan and returned four chair legs to the ground.

"Can you read it? I'll just sit here with my eyes closed and imagine the ingredients." Draco folded his arms on the desk and laid his head across them, resting against one cheek so that his face was turned towards me. His eyes met mine.

I felt my face flush for an unknown reason. "Alright, I can do that," I tried to keep my voice from wavering. "Calming Potion :: how to brew a successful draft. This potion is used as a gentle sedative. It's purposes are generally for – "

"Hey! That's perfect! You're gonna have a human being shoot out of your – " Draco interrupted, sitting up.

"AH, Draco shut up," I grinned, shaking my head. "Stop right there!"

He smirked. "Okay, okay, I'll stop there. But you may continue reading."

I scanned the page. "Um, okay 'Ingredients.' One liter of unicorn tears, two tablespoons of clover, a handful of moonbeams, two and a half rainbows, a capsule of cloud essence, and seven white rose petals."

"Wait a minute. Back up, did you say 'two and a half rainbows'?" Draco repeated me. I stifled a giggle, nodding.

"You're joking?" A trademark smirk slowly spread across his face as he watched me crack up. "Damn girl, if you think that's funny you need more humor in your life." He added, standing up to get the ingredients.

Draco returned with the five ingredients and a cauldron. I lit the flame under it and we got to work.

Draco's POV::

"First," I traced the writing with my finger as I read the instructions. "Pour the liter of unicorn tears into your cauldron and let simmer for three minutes." I reached for the tears and tipped the flask into the cauldron. Hermione fiddled at the base of the cauldron with her wand, focusing the fire into a fierce blue flame, with and orange-yellow base.

"While you wait for the unicorn tears to simmer, tear off seven petals off of your white rose. That sounds kind of dirty." I read, the words painting a promiscuous picture in my mind. I saw Hermione roll her eyes. She took the rose and began to remove the petals.

"What's your preferred rose color?" I asked, curious. She gave me a look.

"Are you really asking me that?" Hermione questioned, as if I was joking.

I shrugged. "We have a truce. Can't I make a little small talk? Unless you prefer to slice your ingredients in silence."

"I like pink roses." Hermione answered, taking a second to look at me. I nodded.

"Very interesting. Are three minutes up yet?" I was becoming impatient.

"Draco, we still have two minutes." Hermione countered me with a tone she'd probably use on a child.

"After the petals have been added, stir in the moonbeams. Add the ground clover and the cloud essence. Hey, what do you think 'cloud essence' is?" I read from the textbook, picking up the small glass capsule of cloud essence. Swirling around inside were tiny fog clouds, droplets of condensation sticking to the glass.

"Check this out, 'Mione, it actually looks like a cloud!" I held out the case for her to inspect. As she admired it, I pressed rewind in my head.

Did I just give Hermione a nickname? I need time away from this girl. Those prats Potter and Weasley probably call her 'Mione. Maybe I'll call her Hermione Jean because it annoys her.

"Time to add the other parts," Hermione took the pod from me. She placed in the petals, poured in the moonbeams, pushed in the clover, and dropped the cloud essence into the potion. As she stirred, I peered over her shoulder into the cauldron. Each ingredient swirled with the current for a moment before the all seemed to sink to the bottom, disappearing from sight. The silvery liquid faded to white, then to a pale mint green.

"Green is a very calming color you know," Hermione spoke softly as she stirred. I was transfixed by her rhythmic churning of the potion. "A lot of couples paint their nursery this color to create a peaceful environment."

"I feel calmer just looking at it." I stared into the mixture. Hermione removed the ladle just as Snape made his rounds to our table. He glanced in the cauldron briefly before moving onto the next group. Hermione seemed to deflate a little when the professor didn't scream and shout and proclaim her the princess potion master, the best student he has ever taught, sorry for always treating you like scum.

"I think it looks right." I put forth a compliment but it didn't do any good. She sat in her seat.

Snape sat on his desk. "Your sixty minutes is up. The best draft is –"

A small bang came from the left side of the room. Smoke rose from Alice Tolipan and Seamus Finnegan's table, their faces covered with soot. The class all whipped their heads to the source of the commotion, erupting in giggles as Seamus wiped the black mess from his eyes.

"You never fail to let me down, Mr. Finnegan. Somehow, you always blow something up." Snape dismissed the mishap with a stern monotone. "The best potion was brewed by Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger. You may take two flasks' worth."

I swear Hermione let out a squeak, grinning. I sat still with nonchalance. We reached for the rewarded flasks and ladled us each a few ounces.

"You two may leave now. The rest of the class must remain and clean up."