"Harry, this is insane! Absolutely insane!" Hermione muttered furiously at Harry as they walked through the busy halls into the Great Hall for lunch.
His hand clutched a vial, "You still brewed it anyways, didn't you? So obviously it means you have doubts too."
Hermione paused, "Well to be fair, I brewed a Hate potion— completely different."
She couldn't believe what she was doing, especially to her own friend. But it took a lot of convincing from Harry, to the point she just had to give in. Luckily, she created another antidote in case things went wrong and to wear off the lasting effects. Hermione shuddered, her gut twisted with a feeling of guilt. She had a bad feeling.
"Wicked!" Ron said, "You think it'll make her hate Malfoy's guts for good?"
"Well if she is under a Love potion then a Hate potion would counter the effects."
"How do we know it worked?" Harry asked.
"For starters, she'd be really confused and embarrassed after she's off the Love potion. She'd remember everything. But if she's not under a Love potion, she'll see Malfoy for who he is. Cold, vile, loathsome, parasitic-"
"Woah Hermione, slow down there." Ron eased her, eyebrows raised, "You sure you're not under a Hate potion yourself?"
"Oh believe me Ron, I don't need a potion to see Malfoy for what he is." She remarked.
"Look, there she is." Harry said to them, pointing discreetly at Elia across the hall.
The girl sat her own table by herself, digging into her meal of the day with a side of strawberries. She was practically swinging like a child happily, oblivious to them watching her.
"Good, seems like Malfoy hasn't gotten here yet." Harry noted, "I'll go talk to her, and slip the potion in her drink when she's not looking. You two keep watch for Malfoy, if he shows up then someone needs to distract him long enough for me to give her the potion. Got it?"
"Just hurry up mate, if Malfoy catches you even near her he'll blow the roof off this place." Ron joked, but they all know Draco was capable of blowing up on him if he was with Elia. Draco and Harry loathed each other, more so now. The Slytherin made sure Harry didn't get any ideas of his Hufflepuff sweetheart.
"Go, hurry! Before Malfoy and his goons show up, or worse, Umbridge." said Hermione, urging Harry to Elia's side.
He quickly made his way to her, Elia lighting up at the sight of him.
"Harry, hi!" She greeted sweetly, "Nice to see you here early for lunch."
Not everyone had filed in yet, he was lucky he caught her at the Great Hall early.
"I haven't seen much of you since we got back." Harry said, sitting down beside her with one hand tucked away holding the potion. He needed to distract her.
"I know I'm sorry, a lot has happened. But this weekend if you'd like let's all have a sleepover in your common room and we can catch up." Elia grinned.
He nodded, "Yeah yeah, of course Elia. I can't wait. Say Elia, could you uh... cut me a piece of that pie over there? Our table doesn't have stuff as good as you Hufflepuffs do."
He pointed to the table next to where they sat, a pie sat in the center of the plates of food. It was the only excuse he could think of.
Elia agreed, "Of course Harry. Better get to it now before everyone else does."
She scooted to the table over and began to cut him a piece. Harry took this opportunity of her turned away from him to open the vial and pour the potion into her drink. As soon as she turned over to sit by him again, Harry quickly shoved the vial back into his robe pockets and sat nonchalantly.
Even though Elia didn't see it herself, someone did. That someone being Draco Malfoy who stormed his way over to Harry in a fit of rage. Ron and Hermione were trailing after him, their attempt to distract him long enough was futile. They only hoped that Harry had been quick enough.
The two caught Malfoy about to enter the Great Hall, Hermione's head rounded over a corner and she attempted to cast a hex at him but Draco was more observant than they thought. His eyes caught them and Hermione lowered her wand immediately or else she'd be dueling Malfoy in the middle of the hall.
He merely furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance, cursing at them and sensed that something was up. He rushed over to them to see what they were doing and why they were hiding. When he confronted them, Ron kept stuttering and Hermione trailed off too much, the two unable to make up anything.
"Keep away from me." Draco finally said through gritted teeth, walking towards the Great Hall entrance. He had no time nor the energy to spend it on them, he was already pissed and really wished to see his girlfriend to help him. Though the two Gryffindors went after him, stopping him.
"Uh-uh… Look Snape is asking for you! S-Says something about uh… your grades in Potions not doing so good." Ron made up poorly.
That was a lie. If Snape wanted to see Draco, he'd summon him himself or ask someone of his own House to alert him. Besides there was no way Draco was failing Potions, his grades were stupendous. Plus they just tried to hex him just for that? Draco rolled his eyes and ignored them.
Hermione slammed her fists down in frustration, "Damnit Ronald! Couldn't you have said something better?"
"Why didn't? Or better yet, hex him faster! You're the brains of the operation here!"
"Well the mastermind is in there and now we're done for!" Hermione groaned, "We should've thought of a better plan than just winging it."
"Had we had Fred and George in on this, they'd give him some chocolates to crap his pants at least. Let's just hope Harry's fast enough."
Draco stepped into the Great Hall, the room beginning to fill in slowly with students for dinner. He quickly caught glimpse of his lovely Hufflepuff at her table but a mess of black hair and round glasses beside her made his blood boil. As he got closer, about to demand that Potter leave her, Draco noticed Harry pour something in her drink. A vial in hand and he shoved it back in his pockets. Oh that did it. Draco nearly lost it and shoved Harry away from the table harshly.
"Draco!" Elia exclaimed in shock at his sudden aggression to Harry, a plate of pie in her hand which she meant to hand to her friend, "What are you doing?"
"Why don't you ask what he's doing?" Draco demanded, pointing at Harry. He then reached for his pockets to find that vial and Harry fought against him.
"Get your hands off me, Malfoy!" He shouted, gripping the vial harder as Draco began to pry it out of his hands.
"Guys, stop it!" Elia interfered.
"Get your hands off her! I saw you drugging her with some potion!"
"What are you saying?!" Elia gasped, hands over her mouth in shock at the display before her. At the point, Ron and Hermione had ran in once they saw Draco catch Harry. It was not good at all.
Soon, Mcgonagall and Snape towered over them at the table.
"What is the meaning of this?" Mcgonagall demanded, her face stern and Snape glared at them.
"You two are making a fool of yourselves, acting like children. Miss Barros, explain now." Snape ordered, but Draco managed to snatch the vial out of Harry's hand. Victorious, he shoved the empty glass into their professors' faces to see.
"Potter slipped a potion in Elia's drink. I saw him, he was hiding this." Draco accused.
Mcgonagall and Snape raised their eyebrows in surprise. Mcgonagall's eyes about to roll out at her star student's actions. Elia turned to look at Harry, her eyes looked shocked and hurt.
"You did what?!" She asked, Harry looking at her apologetically.
"Those are some serious accusations, Mr. Malfoy." Mcgonagall stated.
"Then have it written and sent to Umbridge. She'll handle it, I'll report it. He nearly drugged my girlfriend!" Draco said angrily.
Elia still had a hard time getting use to him calling her that now, everyone else did too.
"I didn't drug her, I'm trying to save her!" Harry argued.
Draco scoffed, "Yeah from what, Potter? Gave her a Sleeping Drought so she wouldn't have to hear you drone on?"
Harry glared at him but his look softened when Elia scooted away from him and closer to Malfoy. She couldn't believe Harry would do such thing to her, behind her back. Snape took the vial from Draco's hand along with Elia's cup.
"Have you drank from your cup yet, Miss Barros?" He asked, inspecting it.
"No, Professor."
"I'd rather not bother Dolores with something like this." Mcgonagall said, truthfully she just didn't want to deal with Umbridge, "Off to the Headmaster's office, all of you!"
She then pointed to Hermione and Ron, "That includes you two as well."
They attempted to argue back but she shut them up and they followed suit. Elia stayed by Draco's side the whole way, fraying from Harry at all times. Harry was saddened at the fact that Elia caught him, he genuinely thought he was saving her. He hoped she'd see it as he did.
They entered Dumbledore's office and sat before him, "What seems to be the problem, Professor Mcgonagall?"
"Mr. Malfoy has accused Mr. Potter of attempting to administer a potion to Miss Barros without her knowledge."
"In other words, he tried drugging her! Poisoning her!" Draco said.
"Mr. Malfoy, mind yourself!" Snape snapped.
Dumbledore looked on in surprise, "Is this true, Mr. Potter?"
"I wasn't trying to hurt her!"
"Then why were you sneaking her a potion in her drink?!" Draco barked back.
"Enough." said Mcgonagall.
Elia cowered in her chair, confused and hurt at the whole ordeal. She didn't know what to say. Dumbledore took notice.
"Miss Barros, please explain what happened. What you saw."
"I…" Elia trailed off, fidgeting with her nails. She was honest, nothing hurt from being honest. Though she was afraid of making somebody the bad guy, but she was almost drugged!
"I was eating and Harry comes over to talk to me. He then asked me to cut him some pie over at the table next to us. You know, we Hufflepuffs have pretty good food and all-"
"Get on with it." Snape demanded, making her jump.
That's right, she was saying nonsense. She had to focus. Ron leaned over to Hermione and whispered.
"Why didn't I get a slice too?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, mouthing 'not the time'.
"So I go to cut him a slice and when I come back, Draco is suddenly so mad and fighting Harry for that bottle. Saying that he slipped me a potion."
Elia pointed at the vial in Snape's hand. In the other, he held her cup from her meal. Snape then sniffed the cup and then uncorked the vial to smell that too, looking in at the remnants of the potion used. It looked to have clicked in his mind what it was.
"It seems to me that Mr. Potter planned to break up these two by using a Hate potion. How pitiful, the use of such potion over a squabble of love." Snape sneered.
"A what?!" Elia cried, spinning towards Harry, jaw dropped, "You tried to give me a Hate potion?!"
"It's only to help you! Malfoy put you on a potion didn't he?" Harry accused.
Draco arched an eyebrow, "What are you going on about now, Potter?"
"Draco put Elia under a Love potion! I saw him!"
Everyone looked at him bewildered.
"What're you talking about?" Elia asked.
"Harry, just be quiet." Hermione urged.
"That's why she's been all over him since we got back! I saw them on the train, he made her take a potion." Harry said.
Draco almost burst out laughing at his accusation, realizing what he saw.
"You're a complete idiot, Potter. If you paid attention in Potions, you'd know what I gave her." Draco stated, "I gave her a Pepperup potion."
Harry then sat back in his seat as he realized that Malfoy could be right. Hermione and Ron sat back defeated, Hermione cursing at herself for being so gullible.
"If you don't know, it cures common colds and flus." Snape added.
"Over the break, I got sick." Elia confirmed, "I heard the symptoms of the potion, steam out of the ears? I wasn't up for it. But I just got worse and Draco gave me the potion to help. I was good as new by the time we arrived at school. You honestly believed I was on a Love potion?"
Harry was silent.
"Then you thought a Hate potion would help?! What the hell?!"
"Miss Barros, language!" Mcgonagall corrected.
"Hate potions can cause the drinker to see the flaws of someone, ultimately discouraging a relationship." Snape explained, "However, it seems that Mr. Potter intended to counteract said 'Love potion' he believed Miss Barros was on— another use of Hate potion. The question is, who brewed it?"
He eyed Hermione, the only one knowledgeable enough to do it. She stuttered.
"'Mione? How could you?" Elia's hurt tone made Hermione feel worse.
"I'm sorry." She said to Elia, "But we had to be sure. It's Malfoy after all."
"Enough of this, continue your quarrel elsewhere!" Snape said, "Right now, a punishment must be implemented for the actions against Miss Barros. Headmaster?"
Dumbledore snapped from thought, "Yes, yes of course. It was all a misunderstanding but Harry, you and your friends must be held accountable. Trying to administer a potion to a fellow friend without permission? I'd say let Miss Barros think of their punishment considering the situation. What'll it be?"
Everyone looked at her for answer. Snape and Draco looked at her, telling her to not hold back. Mcgonagall and her friends stared at her, pleading that she'd forgive them. Dumbledore waited for her answer.
"Just leave them."
"You're going to go easy on them?!" Draco questioned Elia's decision.
"I appreciate your kindness Miss Barros, but a punishment must be set forward. Fifty points from each of you." Dumbledore pointed at Harry, Hermione and Ron. Their jaws dropped.
"But, Professor!" Harry exclaimed.
"You tried to slip a potion to a student without their permission." Snape reminded him, "Arguing against it is useless when all the evidence is here. End of discussion."
"I'd say detention is in order." Dumbledore suggested, "Shall I inform your older sister Tanya of the ordeal?"
Harry, Hermione, and Ron shook their heads vigorously.
"No!"
Detention and house points they could handle. But Tanya Barros? No one wanted to get on her bad side. And her finding out her friends trying to give her little sister a potion without her knowledge? They might as well lock themselves underground until her reign of terror was over.
"No." Elia answered calmly, "Can I go now please?"
"Yes, you and Mr. Malfoy are dismissed. The three of you, I wish to speak to further." Dumbledore referred to Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
Elia left with Draco, holding onto his arm as he pulled her out of the office. She glanced over her shoulder at the trio, her gaze was saddening and they felt terrible. How could they? She thought.
Draco held her close to him as they walked out, unnerved that Potter and his friends tried to give Elia a Hate potion… He could've lost Elia, just by her realizing his flaws, faults, and then give up on their relationship. He clenched his jaw in anger that they tried to meddle, insulted that they thought Elia wasn't his willingly. But he knew better, Elia did want him.
He looked at her and saw how upset she looked, a hurtful look on her face as she stared off into space. Surrounded only by her never ending thoughts, she was hurt by her friends. They didn't trust Draco obviously but their actions made her see that they didn't trust her either. They didn't trust her judgement. It hurt her.
"Elia?" Draco asked, concerned, "Are you alright?"
She was silent, unable to find the words after what happened. Confused and upset, she didn't know what to say.
"You're hungry aren't you? Damn that Potter…" He muttered, "Come on, if we hurry we might just have some time to eat before classes start again."
"I'm not hungry." She croaked out.
He turned to look at her in surprise, "What're you talking about? You hardly ate, then you get sick and mad when you are hungry. Come on."
When she didn't budge from her steps, Draco walked back to her. Something was wrong, more than food. His scowl softened.
"Fuck 'em," He spat, "Fuck the whole lot of them. They tried to hurt you."
"The potion wouldn't have hurt me." She replied softly, avoiding his gaze.
"It would have to me!" Draco shouted, gripping Elia harder and pulling him closer to him to look at him. The look in his eyes were wild and possessive, scanning over her eyes and expression. Elia gazed up at him in surprise waiting for him to continue.
"To lose you…" He said, "They tried to do that, to take you from me. Potter and his gang of freaks tried to make you see me as-"
Draco cut himself off as he realized what he was about to say.
As myself, as I truly am...
He was acting like a fool after all, a terrified fool. His expression was pained, and Elia understood. She brought her hand up to touch his face, bringing him back up to look at her. He melted at the sight of her eyes and the touch of her hand.
"I see you, for all that you are and all that you will be." She said to him, "I see you as how you are with me, and not the world. They don't understand, but I do. It surprises me because I see you like this."
Elia gestured to the space between them, which was little considering that he nearly embraced her.
"But they don't see you as I see you. They don't see how you really are, with me."
Draco grimaced, "It's better this way."
"And that's for you to decide. But it's for me to decide that I want to be with you and I really do want this. I guess what hurts me about all this is that it was my friends that tried to do this. They didn't trust my judgement, and tried to trick me to see you as they do." Elia's gaze lowered in sadness but then smiled at Draco as she told him, "The simple truth is that the truth does not exist; it all depends on a person's point of view."
Draco chuckled, "Of course, you'd say that."
He kissed her after, to make her feel better after the whole ordeal. Her friends practically betrayed her, to prove a point. He didn't know the feeling, all his friends either feared him, tolerated him, or idolized him. Elia had real friends, or so she thought. He pulled away and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.
"How about this Saturday, I take you to Hogsmeade and buy you whatever you want?"
Elia scoffed, smiling, "I'd prefer a hot meal, I can't afford to get sick again."
"There's always warming charms to help." He remarked.
Elia grinned, agreeing so long as they make time to study for their O.W.L.s she told him. She was stressing about them already and Draco wanted to help her. Considering how eventful it's been for her, they both were excited to go out again and focus on things other than school. After all, her boyfriend just asked her on another date, how could she refuse? Though this time, their world would get to see them as a couple publicly. She had yet to prepare herself.
When news got out that Harry Potter and his two best friends tried to slip a Hate potion to their own friend, Elia Barros— tension filled at Hogwarts. Snape warded his potions and ingredients heavily, giving the trio their assigned ingredients by hand and watched them carefully. They had detention for a month with Mcgonagall or Snape. Sprout kept an eye on her Prefect, giving a disappointing look at the three when she saw them. Then there were the students.
Nasty comments were made about them, some praising the trio for trying to break up Draco and Elia, one of them being Pansy. While some were upset that they even tried to break them up. Ginny especially was livid, nearly swinging at Harry and Ron at the common room. Neville cowered behind her as the twins held her flinging body back.
"Merlin's beard, Ginny! This is worse than the time Percy tried to take away your broom when we was kids!" Fred said, remembering how temperamental Ginny was at the time. She was a child after all, and her quidditch broom was almost as important to her as her wand.
"Quit it!" George called, the both of them finally planting Ginny's feet to the ground, blocking her way from Harry, Ron and Hermione at the couch.
"Ginny, calm down before Professor Mcgonagall catches you." Neville warned fearfully.
"You idiot!" Ginny called out to them, pointing, "If you had just asked her! Or asked me! She told me! She told me they were dating and that she was happy!"
They looked away ashamed.
"Well it's not our faults!" Ron argued.
"Look Ginny, it was just a misunderstanding on our part." Hermione added, "We should apologize."
"Apologize?! She should be thanking us for trying to set her mind straight! She's with Malfoy!" Ron said, which angered Ginny more.
"Shut it, mate!" Fred said before Ginny could curse him.
"Eat slugs!" She cried, raising her wand at Ron but both Fred and George grabbed her arm in time before she could finish the full wand motion. Ron ducked in case it would fire.
"I taught you that!"
"Enough!" Harry said, standing to his feet, "Look, we're sorry Ginny. We really are!"
"Don't tell that to me! Tell that to her!" Ginny said, "She's still upset about what you guys did. I can't believe you, to Elia? To Elia?!"
They flinched at her words. Ginny was right, they hurt Elia. Even though Draco ruined their plans, they realized they were wrong to make assumptions about Elia. She was their dearest friend, and they might've ruined that along with her trust.
"We'll apologize." Harry stated, "Tonight at the D.A. meeting, we have to make this right. Hermione, make sure the coins have the exact time, Elia has to see them."
Each member was given an enchanted galleon, courtesy of Hermione. When they weren't around each other, the coins numerals would then inform all members the time and date of next meeting. Harry hoped Elia would see it and show up.
"Pssh, good luck with that mate." Fred commented.
Harry questioned his notion, frowning in confusion.
George then added, "I wouldn't put it past Elia if she doesn't show up. You guys messed up, and I thought Freddie and I here were the mess of the bunch."
"It's not funny." Ron grumbled.
"Well, she did say we'd have a sleepover here so we can catch up." Harry remembered but Ginny and the twins shook their heads.
"You don't get it, mate."
"We are having the sleepover." Ginny said while pointing to herself, Neville and the twins, "You guys are out of it, given the circumstances."
Hermione stood, "If she's not going to show up, then we go to her."
She bolted to the door but was stopped when the twins said, "You can't."
"Oh, what now?!" Hermione yelled in frustration.
"Mcgonagall said she's going to keep an eye on you three after your stunt." said Fred.
"That and Elia is being heavily guarded now by Malfoy and Professor Sprout." George rolled his eyes at the mention of Malfoy, continuing, "You won't be able to get to her."
Hermione groaned and paced the floor, Neville then piped up.
"Uh… Harry? Since that happened, does that mean the D.A. is over?"
They looked at him oddly, "Why is that?"
"Because, now that everyone's watching you guys and Elia— it'll be easier to get caught…"
They never thought about that, the trio were even more concerned now. Harry acted out of hand without thinking, dragging his friends into it out of whim. All for nothing and now Umbridge would catch them if they weren't more careful.
Harry shook his head with his coin in hand, "No. We continue the meetings no matter what. We just have to be more careful."
"But what about next week's lesson? Elia has the copies for us to read." Ron reminded him, "How are we going to get them now?"
"It's simple." Hermione said, "We have to apologize, explain ourselves. We have tea with Hagrid soon, I know she's going. She can't refuse that."
Draco did as promised to Elia, like the good boyfriend he wanted to be to her and he took her out to Hogsmeade. He made sure she was wrapped in layers and layers of clothing, her ridiculous acorn beanie to top her all off. Though, he'd never get tired of how adorable and amusing she looked in that thing. Then she was wrapped in a Hufflepuff scarf— the scarf of her best friend.
Draco didn't know if it was right to be feeling jealous of Cedric Diggory's scarf wrapped around his girlfriend, but he knew it was wrong to tell her. It was her best friend after all and he was not about to ruin their first date at Hogsmeade over a tinge of jealousy over a dead man. Her dead best friend, a brother. No he would not bring Elia into that depressive state ever again.
Though he would have loved to see how Elia looked in Slytherin colors.
Draco casted warming charms one after the other, until Elia told him to stop worrying before he cooked her thoroughly. They went hand in hand into Hogsmeade, her boots trudging through the thin snow.
"I don't know why you've got me like this, wrapped up like a burrito. It's not that cold anymore, spring is almost here." She said with a grin.
He chuckled at her, adjusting her jacket and looking over her once more.
"Just making sure you don't get sick again, now let's go." Draco said, taking her hand and leading her to the Three Broomsticks for that hot meal he promised her.
The stares they received were worse than at Hogwarts, every adult looked at them and made comments. Draco even saw some familiar faces from sacred twenty eight families. He knew word would get around quickly to his family. Did he care? Not so much.
His father's approval use to mean the world to him. In fact, he wanted to be just like his father. But then Elia became a priority in his life, made him question everything just by loving her. Then the way his father reacted and treated him, how he treated Elia. Draco would never forget that, he wouldn't forget that night when the pedestal he saw his father on completely crash down. His father didn't accept him, neither did his mother. No one did.
What mattered to him though, was her. Seeing that smile, hearing that laugh, and keeping her safe. That's what mattered to Draco Malfoy, to be hers and she his. For however long and whatever way possible, he'd do it.
They spent their Saturday afternoon laughing their hearts out and sitting beside each other at the Three Broomsticks. They ran errands together around Hogsmeade and Draco just followed his overjoyed Hufflepuff around. He didn't mind what they did or where they went so long she was happy and she was with him. Elia needed a good date and Draco was happy to provide it, given what had happened. It took her mind off of her friends and on their first date at Hogsmeade.
All while Harry, Hermione, and Ron spent their Saturday scrubbing cauldrons in Snape's classroom miserably. They were forced into silence by Snape, shushing them if they even breathed too loudly. Even he didn't want to spend his Saturday with these three but he had papers to grade and detention to give.
Elia indeed had skipped out on practice with the D.A. which upset them. Luckily, Neville was able to get the copies from her for everyone to study. Elia was their friend and a key ally to their operation, loyal and kind to the very core. And the trio hurt her. So if scrubbing cauldrons and dusting off chalkboards for the entire month was necessary then so be it. But an apology mattered more.
However they never expected a howler to fly into the classroom, floating in front of them. Snape immediately stepped out upon seeing it. Hermione was the first to touch it, flipping it to see who sent it.
Tanya Barros
"Oh no."