Chapter 12- Classes and 'Oh My God!'

Draco awoke early the next morning. Rolling sleepily out of bed, he quietly looked into Hermione's room, making sure she was still asleep. She was, and he got dressed quickly and went downstairs to bring her breakfast.

When he returned, Hermione was waiting downstairs on a couch. She had brought down a book to read, but hadn't found it of interest, and had left it sitting open on the arm of the couch. "Good morning Draco," she said, feeling much cheerier than she had in days. "Did you bring breakfast?"

"I see you're feeling better," Draco commented, seating himself next to her on the couch. "Careful," he warned, as he handed her a plate, "It's still a little hot."

"Thank you." Hermione eagerly took a bite. "Mmmm," she hummed. "It seems like forever since I've eaten food this good." She took another bite. "What are you staring at?"

Draco was watching her as he ate. "Nothing," he said. "I'm just happy that you're out of bed and eating something."

"I ate yesterday," Hermione insisted.

"No, you nibbled on a peach," Draco argued. "That isn't exactly eating."

"Whatever." Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes. She was feeling better than she had been, and she desperately wanted to leave the common room. After seeing practically nothing but the walls of her bedroom for three days, she was ready to leave. Not to mention, she wanted to continue in her classes. "What's your first class?" she asked.

"Potions, Double with Gryffindor," Draco replied. "After that I have Charms just Slytherins, and then Transfiguration after Lunch, with Gryffindors again."

"I want to go to class today," Hermione said.

"You do?" Draco asked. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. I can't stand being stuck in here all day by myself. And I swear if I have to, I'm going to strangle someone."

Draco scooted a couple inches away from her, making Hermione smile. "Anyway," she continued. "If we have Potions together first, then I probably have Herbology next, and then I'm back with you for Transfiguration, right?"

"I suppose so," Draco shrugged.

"I'm going to go get ready." Hermione stood up and cleaned off her plate with a Scorgify spell. She gave Draco a kiss, and then wandered upstairs.

Once she was in her room, she double-checked to make sure her curtains were pulled shut, and then shed her robe. She dressed in a simple dark blue shirt and a pair of black slacks. She pulled a pair of robes over her clothes, fastened the front, and grabbed her book bag and wand off the bedside table. Hermione applied a temporary spell on her face and neck to hide some of the yellowing bruises, but her face still was a bit red and puffy as she glanced in the mirror. "That will have to do," she said softly.

"Ready?" Draco asked when Hermione was downstairs. She nodded and he led the way out of the common room. She grabbed his hand as they walked through the crowed halls, making sure they weren't separated by the masses of students.

As the two of them walked into the Potions classroom together, Draco felt eyes behind him watching as the pair entered the classroom.

They sat down at one of the back tables, and Hermione tried not to draw attention to herself. She glanced quickly around the room, noticing immediately thata certain redheaded Gryffindorwasn't present, and smiling. She ignored Harry's questioning look towards her, and bent over her textbook. At least this would be a simple class; they were making a potion called 'Persephone's Slumber'.

"This potion was named for the Greek god Persephone, queen of the underworld," Snape explained, after his usual overdramatic entrance. "It will incase the drinker in a dreamless sleep. A simple potion, but if the ingredients are put in incorrectly, it can be fatal. I suggest you all follow the directions carefully." The professor glanced at the room, his eyes flickering briefly towards Harry and Neville's table.

He flicked his wand, and directions appeared on the board. "I expect all of you to have completed this by the end of class. Begin."

Hermione set to work, making certain her potion was stirred exactly eight times clockwise, six times counter-clockwise, and then four times clockwise. She hummed to herself as she added sixteen beetle eyes, and then a single drop of goat saliva. She had to read to directions over again when they asked for a hair from the overseer, if there happened to be one. She shrugged, not daring to ask the Professor Snape for one of his own, and then decided to pluck a hair from Draco's head. This earned her a glare from Draco as he rubbed his head sourly.

By the end of class, there were few students who had actually created a substance close to what it was supposed to be.

Hermione's, whose potion of course was flawless, was a deep sapphire blue and was giving off a small amount of grey smoke.

Draco's was a light watery blue and let off quite a bit of smoke.

Neville Longbottom's, on the other hand, was lime green and was omitting huge amounts of orange smoke, before it exploded with a bang, and landed him in the Hospital wing for the next few days.

"I'm glad I decided to come to class," Hermione said as she left the classroom with Draco. "It felt good to be back."

"I'm pretty certain that's the first time I've heard anyone say that," Draco joked.

Hermione ignored him. "I have Herbology next," she said. "Do you want to go to the hall afterwards for lunch, or do you want to meet back at the Common room?"

"The hall's fine," Draco said.

"Then, I guess we'll eat at our House tables, and then we could go walk around the grounds if you wanted?" Hermione asked.

"That's fine," Draco said. "But we are going to be late for class unless we leave right now."

"Oh no," Hermione said, glancing at her watch. "You're right!" She gave him a quick kiss and then sped off to the greenhouses.

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"Sorry professor," Hermione apologized as she entered Greenhouse Number Five.

"It's fine, Miss. Granger," Professor Sprout said. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better. Go ahead and join Mr. Potter and Mr. Thomas's group, dear." Hermione sat down with Harry and Dean. In front of them was a large plant, with red spotted leaves and a large purple flower near the top. The plant took up nearly the entire tabletop. It's flower sat with it's petals open, each petal looking suspiciously sharp, and revealing a blob of yellow seeds in the center.

"Each plant in front of you has five very sharp petals," Professor Sprout said, holding up her own and pointing to the purple petals. "Their main purpose is to protect the yellow seeds in the center which, if removed, the plant will defend itself by attacking whatever it believes has taken it's seeds. It has no nerves in any other part except for the flower, so if a leaf or root is touched, it will not react. Your job however, is to retrieve the yellow seeds. I suggest you use your dragon-hide gloves, as each cut the plant inflicts will raise up and itch terribly."

"What a pleasant task," Harry said quietly. "Really, taking the prized possession of a plant nearly as big as I am." Dean snorted loudly, and then tried to cover it as a cough. All he succeeded in doing was making an even louder noise, and causing their professor to glare at their group disapprovingly.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Can we please start?" she asked.

"Sure 'Mione," Harry said. He motioned for Dean to go ahead. "Where have you been anyway?"

"Sick," she answered quietly. She backed away from the table as Dean pulled out his wand and proceeded to poke the plants leaves. Nothing happened. He raised it to the purple flower. "Don't!" Hermione warned him, but it was without need.

The entire class watched as the plant lunged at Dean, knocked Harry off his stool, and sent Dean flailing off his own stool. The purple flower whizzed around, leaving cuts all along Deans arm.

"Imobilulous!" Hermione shouted, leaping to her feet and brandishing her wand at the plant. The plant froze eerily. She reached down and ripped the plant off her partner, being careful not to touch any part of the flower.

"Lovely job Dean, just lovely," she muttered as she helped Dean to his feet. "Weren't you paying attention? Professor Sprout said specifically not to touch the petals!"

"Oww," Dean said, itching at a cut on his arm. "Damn plant."

"You are lucky Miss. Granger was here, Mr. Thomas," the Professor scolded, making her way over to the scratching boy. "Ten points from Gryffindor. But," she added, "Thanks to Miss. Granger's quick thinking, I'll add twenty points."

"Good job, 'Mione," Harry said, standing up and dusting off the dirt from his own robes.

"Now, will someone please escort Mr. Thomas to the Hospital wing. Thank you Miss. Brown," the professor said as Lavender left with Dean. "Everyone, please clean your areas, I think we've had quite enough excitement for today. We will continue next class."

"Can't wait," Harry commented as he set his and Dean's stools upright.

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"Mione!" Ginny called from the Gryffindor table. Hermione saw her and waved, before seating herself across the table from Ginny.

"Hey Gin," Hermione said, beginning to fill her plate with food.

"So you're feeling better?" Ginny asked.

"Tons. And I couldn't stand to be in the common room alone, so I went to class this morning."

"Good. So, have you been-"

They were interrupted by the entrance of a surly redheaded Gryffindor, being practically dragged in the hall by Harry. Hermione let a frightened gaze fall upon him, and then froze in her seat.

Harry dragged Ron over to where they were sitting. "Sit down," he ordered quietly.

"Can't I just-" Ron started, seeing Hermione.

"No," Harry answered. "You're eating here, cause I'm tired of bring you meals." Ron plopped down unwillingly into a seat next to his sister.

Hermione shoved her plate away from her and walked quickly out of the hall, without speaking or looking at anyone.

Harry looked at Ginny. "What exactly…?"

"I'm on it," she sighed, and then ran after Hermione.

Ginny chased Hermione out of the Hall and outside. She found her leaning against a tree trunk, her head in her hands.

"What was that about?" she asked. She knelt next to Hermione and allowed her friend to cry into her shoulder.

Ron came running up then. He stopped a few feet away from his friends, watching Hermione cry into his sisters shoulder. "Err…Ginny?" he said awkwardly.

"What Ron?" Ginny asked, patting Hermione on the back. She had suddenly become rigid and began to cry harder.

"I need to talk to Hermione. Just talk," he added, watching Hermione cry. "Alone, Ginny."

"You're not speaking to me alone," Hermione said, suddenly finding courage. A red tinge appeared on her tearstained face. "Go away."

"Please Ginny, just for a minute," Ron pleaded.

"No Ronald. Go away," Hermione said.

"Ron, please," Ginny asked, looking strangely at Hermione. "Could you just go? We were talking, and-"

"No, I need to talk to her alone, and I'm not leaving until I do," Ron insisted.

"You will never get me alone!" Hermione said loudly. "Now, get the hell away from me."

"Hermione, what the hell…?" Ginny said, wondering why her friend was treating her brother this way.

"I'm not going to talk to him, Ginny," Hermione said, glaring at Ron.

"Hermione, shut up and listen to me!" Ron shouted.

"I listened to enough the last time you paid me a visit!" Hermione shouted, and then clapped her hand over her mouth. Ginny's big, brown eyes were wide and thinking. He couldn't have…

"No," Ginny said. "No, Ron, you didn't…"

Ron turned red, but didn't deny anything.

"You did this to her?" she said quietly, confirming her accusation. "YOU did this to her?"

"Hermione," she turned to her friend, "tell me he didn't do this…" Hermione was silent.

"You sick bastard," Ginny whispered. "You sick fucking bastard." She leapt from Hermione's side, and slapped Ron, right across his cheek. Her hand left a bright red patch. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Ron shoved his sister away from him and took off, back to the castle.

"Oh my god, Hermione," Ginny said, leaning back down to hug her. "Oh my god."

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Ooh... Ginny knows... I wonder what this could develop into... more importantly, what ever will Ron's mommy think?

Alright, chapter twleve! I know, im terrible and I can't keep my updating promises. But, my teachers are being evil and forcing me to do actual homework, I know, completely bizzare. I'm starting the next one as I speak (or type), so it shouldn't be too terrible a wait. Im gone all this weekend (Winter Camp, Woo Hoo!), so the next one will probably be up early next week, hopefully...

Review cause I know you're all cool like that!

Hugs,
Emma