-" Hey everybody! Are you liking the weekly updates? I am proud of myself! LOL So here is the REVAMPED chapter 21! PLEASE REVIEW AND MAKE MY DAY!"-
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It was Saturday and Hermione couldn't decide if that was good or bad. She was excited because she was spending the day with three of the four people she cared about the most, Harry, Ron and Draco. Velius was spending the day with Professor McGonagall while the four of them were at Hogsmeade. She was depressed because it was only seven days until her initiation, and she still hadn't found any symptoms and Draco had been having trouble casting the spell on her. They had already had two lessons attempting to place it on her and had been unsuccessful both times. Tonight would be the third attempt.
It was a beautiful winter day out. It was chilly and snow covered the ground but the sun was shining and made the snow glisten. The four of them made their way towards the village. Hermione was not surprised that they were talking about Quidditch.
"The Chudley Cannons, I think, have the best three chasers in the whole league. I'm surprised that they didn't make it to the World Cup last year," Ron said, as they walked down the path.
"See, Weasley, it's not the chasers that get you to the top, it's the seeker. Without a good seeker, you're in deep shit," Draco replied, proudly. "It all has to do with timing, which the seeker controls."
"I think that it is how well you work as a team that gets you to the top," Hermione said, tired of hearing them debate. Draco and Ron shook their heads at her.
"How much you have to learn, love," Draco said, wrapping his arm around her waist. Harry had decided to remain silent over the ordeal.
The group was going to go to shopping and then head over to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer before they split and Hermione went with Hannah to look for things for the dance. First on the list of places to go, was Honeydukes. They had gotten a new shipment of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco spent about half an hour looking at the new creations.
"Look at this!" Harry called out picking up a piece of candy shaped like a hexagon and the color of a toad. Harry read the sign above the barrel. "Watch your teachers be amazed as you preform every charm and spell perfectly, brew every potion accurately and write every essay without a flaw. Introducing The Teacher Deceptor."
"Cool!" Ron said grabbing a bunch. Hermione looked below the description to find the tiniest writing she had ever seen. She had to squint to read it.
"Ron," Hermione said, "you need to learn to read the small print," she said pointing to the writing.
Results last about ten minutes. Can cause forgetfulness.
"You'd have to buy ten of these just to get through one class period," but Ron didn't hear her, nor did he see the writing. He was already at the check out counter. Hermione shook her head at him. "Can you believe him?" she asked Harry.
"Yeah, I can," Harry replied with a smirk on his face. She later saw Harry sneak a couple onto the checkout counter and then into his bag before they left. She just giggled and shook her head.
Next on the list was Zonko's, where the boys restocked on the usual things to annoy Filch. It surprised Hermione how well the boys were getting along. They were joking and laughing, thinking up the next trick to play on Filch. They were acting like nothing had ever happened between them. Hermione even thought that she had heard Ron call Draco by his first name.
The four of them then made their way over to the Three Broomsticks. They found a table near the back and Rosmerta took their order, four butterbeers. After Rosmerta had brought them over Harry started the conversation.
"So, tell us more about the Christmas Ball," he said.
"Well, there is going to be an ice rink instead of a dance floor –," Hermione wanted to continue but was cut off.
"What's an ice rink?" Ron asked, taking a sip of his butterbeer.
"Are you ever going to take Muggle Studies, Ron?" Hermione spat at him. She was sick of him always interrupting her, making her answer these simple questions.
"Why do I need to when I have you to answer all of my questions?" Ron asked, smiling and then taking another sip of butterbeer. Hermione glared at him.
"I've never been ice skating before," Harry said, sensing an explosion on Hermione's part brewing and he wanted to prevent it.
"Really, Harry? Never?" she asked, taking a sip of butterbeer herself. As she said this her voice became smooth and gentle.
"Nope, the Dursleys have taken Dudley a couple of times but each time I was told to sit on the bench and watch.
"That is so cruel. That is just so sad. It's really fun. I'll teach you."
"I've never been ice skating either!" Ron and Draco both exclaimed.
"But you haven't known that it existed your whole life and been told to sit and watch while other people enjoyed it," Hermione said.
"Exactly, we have been deprived of everything. We didn't even know that it existed. We were lied to. We should get sympathy too!" Ron said, putting a lot of emphasis on the word 'lied.' Hermione just looked at him for a moment.
"Anyways, "she said, finishing off her butterbeer and rising from her chair. "I have to go see Hannah so that we can get some stuff for the dance." She kissed Draco, Harry and Ron groaned and after telling them 'to get over it,' she walked out of the pub, back into the nippy air. Hermione now noticed that the sun had hidden behind some clouds and made the air seem colder than it was.
Hannah had told Hermione to meet her at some type of party store that she had never heard of. It was down the same way as Malanno Libro Campeggio, the book store she had found during her and Draco's Transfiguration project.
"Hermione!" Hannah called, waving Hermione over when she came into view.
"Hi, Hannah," Hermione said, as she walked up to her.
"You ready?"
"Yeah, let's go," she replied walking into the store.
Inside they found 'Instant Snowmen,' they looked like little statues and with one wave of a wand they were full size and talking. (Like Frosty the Snowman and his magic hat, Hermione thought.) They also found penguins that were similar. That was pretty much all they could find. There were the trees and other decorations already at the school.
They left the store and started down the street back towards the Three Broomsticks.
"So, how's Terry? How are you guys doing?" Hermione asked, through chattering teeth. It had to be thirty degrees out.
"We're great! How about you and Draco? Oh, wait, I don't even have to ask! You're always all over each other or missing, off doing God knows what!" she said smiling, her cheeks red from the wind.
"Speak for yourself! At least Draco and I have the decency to get a room, where you two just make out in the common room, anywhere really and don't care who see's! EVEN innocent child, a.k.a Velius!" Hermione said.
"Yeah ,whatever!" Hannah said, blushing, at least Hermione thought that she was blushing. She couldn't really tell because her cheeks were so red already.
"Uh huh," Hermione said.
"So, do you guys want to do something tonight? We haven't really hung out in a while," Hannah said.
"Sorry, Draco and I have to work on our Potions project," she lied. Hermione was looking forward to a night of researching! NOT!
She stopped walking as they passed Malanno Libro Campeggio. She stared at the dark window display of one book. Hannah didn't realize that Hermione had stopped until she was twenty feet ahead of her. Hermione stood their contemplating whether she should go in and try her luck.
"Hermione, you okay?"
"What?" Hermione said, the wind rushing in her ears. "Oh, yeah, you go ahead and I'll meet up with you in a little while. I'm going to stop in here."
"Okay, meet at the Three Broomsticks?"
"Yeah," she said before disappearing into the store, leaving Hannah alone on the street, except for the few students who were brave enough to venture out into the cold. Hannah couldn't help but wonder why Hermione was going into Quidditch supplies store.
Hermione thought that there might be something in here that might help her with Esprit Luttez. It had helped with Transfiguration, so why not give it a try. The old man that had 'helped' her last time was, once again, not behind the counter. Not knowing where to begin, she just went to the wall to her left, and started to read the titles on the bindings. She soon came across a book where the letters had worn off where the title had been, leaving it slightly discolored. She picked it up off the shelf and opened it. She let the pages slip through her fingers. The pages were yellow from age and ware. There were smears on the pages that she couldn't figure out what they were. She had a feeling it was blood. She looked for a title page but there wasn't one. So she opened to the table of contents and there it was.
Chapter 8 : Esprit Luttez... Pg. 231
Hermione quickly opened to page 231. There it was. Just what she needed. It gave a complete discription of the spell and the symptoms of different stages. She closed to book and walked up to the counter. She rang the bell and waited for the old man to come, but the guy that came out of the back room was young, not much older than her.
"How may I help you?" he asked, smiling at her. He was cute. He had short dirty dishwater blonde hair and blue eyes. A slightly crooked nose, like it had been broken once or twice, but overall very handsome.
"Um...," Hermione just looked at him, thinking about how cute he was. After realizing that she had a boyfriend and closing her mouth she held up the book. "How much?"
"Fifteen galleons."
"Fifteen?"
"Yep," as he said this, Hermione wondered if it was worth it. She could just sit here and copy down the symptoms, but it might come in handy later though. "I can let you have it for ten though," the guy said, seeing her hesitate.
"Okay, I'll take it," she said. Ten was more reasonable. She handed the guy ten galleons and he put it in a bag. She thanked him and practically ran towards the Three Broomsticks, excited to tell Draco. She burst through the doors and immediately felt the warm air surround her. She went to the table to find that Draco wasn't there.
"Hermione!" Harry called, half laughing.
"Hello!" shouted Ron.
Hannah, Terry, Ginny, Neville and Dean, were all laughing and she assumed that someone had just finished telling a joke.
"Hey guys. Where's Draco?" she asked.
"He went back to the school," Harry answered.
"Oh, well, I have to talk to him, so, I'll see you guys later," she said, before turning and running out the door back into the cold. She wrapped her cloak tighter around herself as she ran up the path to the castle. She ran to the common room to find Owen sitting on the couch reading.
"You're back too? I thought today was going to be a quiet day, where I could just sit and read and now everyone keeps bursting in on me!"
"Where's Draco?" she asked trying to regain her breath.
"He just came back, grabbed his broom and left without saying a word to me," Owen said, looking offended.
"Thanks!" she shouted over her shoulder, running out of the portrait hole.
"Bye!"
She ran outside, once more, into the bitter cold. It was getting late and the sun was starting to fall behind the trees of the Forbidden Forest, in rays of orange and pink.
Once inside the Quidditch pitch, she slowed to a walk. Draco was doing laps on his broom with the occasional loop. She climbed the stands and sat down about half way up and watched him. It only took a few moments before he saw her and flew over. She got up to greet him and as he hopped of his broom, he wrapped his arms so tightly around her, she had to gasp for air.
"Draco, are you okay?" she asked with what little air she had. He didn't answer. She waited a moment and held on to him. "Draco, look at me," she demanded and he let go of her. He looked her in the eyes. "What's wrong," she asked resting her hands on his forearms. "I thought you were going to wait for me at the Three Broomsticks."
"It was just to overwhelming! I had to get out of there!"
"What was overwhelming?" she asked a little taken aback.
"Potter made a comment about the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Quidditch match on Saturday, the 5th," he said. So far Hermione was not following. "And it got me thinking that Saturday is the day that I present you to The Bastard, my new name for him, and we have nothing really done. I got worried. I don't want to lose someone else I love," he said tears welling in his eyes. This alone made Hermione want to start crying. "What did I get you into?" he asked in a whisper, looking at the ground.
"We got into this together, Draco, and we'll get through it together. I am not about to leave you. I promise," she said pulling him into a hug, silent tears running down her cheek.
"Don't' make promises you can't keep. My mother used to do that!" Hermione didn't know what to say to this. There they stood, in each others arms, until Hermione remembered the book.
"Draco, look what I found!" she said remembering her excitement. She pulled out the book and opened it to page 231 and handed it to Draco. He quickly skimmed through it and his eyes widened as he read it.
"Where did you get this?" he asked in shock.
"The same place I got the Transfiguration book!" she said. Draco grabbed Hermione's neck and pulled her towards him. He kissed her so hard, she pulled away with her lips numb.
"Do you know how great this is?" he asked, laughing.
"Yeah!" she said, smiling at his excitement. He kissed her again and then picked her up and twirled her around.
"We have to find Snape!" he said putting her down.
"Draco we can tell him at our lesson, after dinner! Let's calm down a little."
"Hermione," he said before pausing. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her body to his. He looked right in her eyes. "I love you!"
"I love you too, Draco!" she managed to get out before Draco kissed her again.
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After dinner the pair made their way towards Dumbledore's private library, a little quicker than usual. They came to the statue of the old headmaster, whispered the password in his ear and walked in to find Snape waiting for them. Draco decided to just cut to the chase.
"Professor, Hermione found a book that describes the spell and lists the symptoms of Esprit Luttez," he said, handing the book over so Snape could look at it. Snape took the book from him and skimmed through the contents.
"Where did you find this?" Snape asked, with the same look of shock Draco had had.
"In a shop at Hogsmeade called Malanno Libro Campeggio," Hermione said, with a look of triumph on her face.
"Ah, I know that place well," was all he said for a moment. "You read up and Draco and I can practice on this gnome until we attempt it on you again."
Hermione took her seat at her desk and started to read. She had only been reading a short time when she found what she was looking for.
"Here, listen," she said interrupting them. "Like all complicated spells, Esprit Luttez has certain side effects. Victims have been known to have periods of forgetfulness. They will not remember what they did for a certain amount of time, lasting from one minute to a day. Fainting is also common when just put under the spell. Fatigue is prompted by the lose of memory, not remembering what happened for a certain amount of time, gives the illusion that the person was sleeping. This in turn, makes them think they can stay awake for hours. Mood changes are also common. A person could go from being extremely happy to being extremely depressed, in a matter of seconds."
"Well," was all Draco could get out when she finished. "That solves that problem."
"Doesn't seem too bad," Hermione said, looking at Snape.
"No it doesn't," Snape said. He paused and stared into the fire, thinking.
"Something wrong, Professor?"
"No," he said looking back at them. "Why don't you come over here now and we'll try again."
"I still don't get why if Draco isn't really going to put the spell on me, he has to actually be able to do it."
"Because, Ms. Granger, if you happen to 'freak out' and he is asked to make you do something, then he will really have to make you do it."
"But –."
"No but's, Ms. Granger, just get over here," he said. So, Hermione rose from the chair and stood in between Snape and Draco.
"Alright, Draco, concentrate hard on what you want to make her do," Snape said. Draco gave Hermione a smirk and she glared back. Draco hesitated before casting the spell.
"Esprit Luttez!" he said. Hermione fainted on the spot and Snape caught her and gently laid her on the ground. "Oh, my God! I killed! I killed her!" Draco shouted, as he ran towards her limp body. He knelt down.
Snape bent over her, checking for a pulse when Hermione started to laugh. She opened her eyes to look into Draco's. He wasn't laughing, neither was Snape. She sat up right, resting her weight on her hands.
"Good acting, huh?" she said smiling.
"Not funny, Hermione!" Draco shouted.
"Hey, if I fooled you, I can fool Voldemort, sorry, Professor, the Dark Lord."
"Good, but let's try this again without acting," Snape said, pulling Hermione to her feet.
So they all took their places again. Draco took a moment to gather his thoughts and then looked up at Hermione and smiled. "I have told you before, love, payback is a bitch! Esprit Luttez!" And this time Draco nailed it. Hermione got a look of confusion on her face and it slowly turned to seduction. Hermione turned around to face her Professor and Draco kept his wand pointed at her back. Hermione wrapped her arms around Snape's neck and then kissed him. Snape tried to push her off but she was strong. Draco stood there, laughing. Snape grabbed her arms and threw them off of him and yelled at Draco to stop. Hermione's face went back to confusion and she fell to the floor feeling weak. Hermione couldn't really remember what she had just done but she felt like she liked Snape a little more. Like he wasn't so annoying. Draco was rolling on the floor laughing. After a moment Hermione realized what had happened.
"Professor, I thought this spell was supposed to change your mind slowly, over time. Why did I just kiss you when you piss me off so much, or ... or you used to?" Hermione asked putting her hands on her head and closing her eyes. She started to rub her temples.
"Ms. Granger, there is an initial rush, if you will, where the feeling or thought is complete, it is in full swing and then it stops. Then the feeling comes slowly, over time. This explains why you like me a little more than you used to. Mr. Malfoy," he said turning to face Draco and his tone changing with his body. "You will serve one weeks detention for the little stunt," Draco just kept on laughing
"It was totally worth it! You should have seen your face," he said, pointing to Snape and imitating his look of shock and terror, continuing to laugh.
At this point, Dumbledore walked in. "What is going on?" he asked, surveying the situation.
"Draco made me kiss Snape!" Hermione said, now finally realizing what had really happened and wiping her mouth.
"Excuse me?" Dumbledore asked confused.
"With Esprit Luttez, Headmaster," Snape informed him.
"So, he mastered the spell?" Dumbledore said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, sir," Draco replied, trying his hardest to stop laughing.
"He still needs practice," Snape said, glaring at him. "Get up!"
"Not on me, he doesn't!" Hermione said. Draco did as he was told and he then helped Hermione to her feet. She pushed his hand away and got up herself.
"Ah, so is Ms. Granger ready?" Dumbledore asked turning to face her.
"Ready for what?" She asked looking at each of them in turn, a nervous feeling conquering her stomach.
"Relax. I am just going to put a spell on you. It's just a spell to protect you. If you are ever in danger, all the members of the Order will be informed, immediately and come to your aid," Dumbledore explained.
"Oh, okay," she said the nervous feeling not entirely leaving her stomach.
"Stand there, and it's best if you close your eyes. You will get dizzy."
"Great!" she said sarcastically, as she closed her eyes. Dumbledore raised his wand to her eye level.
"Adjuratio Dimicellus!" Hermione felt like she was spinning and her head began to hurt. She closed her eyes tight waiting for it to stop. It all stopped abruptly and she stumbled and Draco grabbed on to her, giving her balance. "Mr. Malfoy, help her back to bed will you?"
"Yes, sir," Draco said leading her to the door. She tried to shake him off but tripped and had to grab onto the door frame. He grabbed her arm again.
"See you all tomorrow," Dumbledore called after them.
"Good night, Professors," they said together and left the room.
They didn't speak most of the way to the common room. When they turned down the final hallway, Draco looked at Hermione, one hand on the small of her back and the other on her arm. "You okay, love?"
"Yeah," she said casually. Little did he know what she had in store for him.
They walked into the common room, where Katie, Hannah, Owen, Terry and Velius, Terry had picked him up from Professor McGonagall, were sitting on the couches, talking. Velius was in Hannah's lap. Hermione and Draco sat down and they all talked for a little while before Hermione decided to go to bed.
"Night guys!" she said, getting up.
"Night, Hermione!" they all chimed.
"Night, Herminniny!" Velius said.
"Night, baby," she said kissing him on the head. She turned to Draco and he stood up. She put her arms on his shoulders and said, "Good night, Draco LEPIDUS Malfoy!"
"HERMIONE!" He shouted. She turned and started to climb the stairs.
"Your middle name is Lepidus?" Terry asked a smirk forming on his face.
"Lepitatus! Lepitatus!" Velius shouted laughing.
"You said you wouldn't tell anyone!" Draco shouted to Hermione.
"IF you didn't pull anything to make me look stupid, which you DID!" The four others looked at each other in confusion.
"Your middle name is Lepidus?" Terry said laughing now, along with the others.
"See what you did, Hermione?" Draco shouted up the stairs.
"Lepidus! That is great!" Terry said, rolling on the ground, tears streaming down his face. "That is great! GREAT!"
"In the words of Draco Lepidus Malfoy," Hermione shouted over the balcony, "Payback is a bitch!"
"HERMIONE!"
"In the words of Hermione Elizabeth Granger," Hermione continued..
"Oh, Elizabeth, that's a sweet middle name and it fits so well!" Hannah said. Draco gave her a death glare. She froze.
"Revenge, sure is sweet!" She said turning and going to bed.
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