Love Potion Number Nine

Chapter 2: The Book of Lurve

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Ginny's first class of the day was Defense Against the Dark Arts. This year, the teacher was a very musty, old, boring, and incredibly dense teacher named Professor Hagbags. As he was rambling on about some boring Dark creature, Ginny spent her time passing notes with Daphne Malfoy, Draco's younger sister, who was also a 6th year Gryffindor.

When Daphne's parents found out that she wasn't in Slytherin, they had cruelly disowned her. Daphne spent all her holidays at school, and during summer she went to a tiny little shack her parents had oh-so-kindly given to her. Draco never looked at, spoke to, or otherwise acknowledged that he had a sister, which was yet another reason Ginny tried to use on herself to argue against having a crush on HIM. Despite being a Malfoy, Daphne was really a very nice girl and Ginny was glad they were friends.

Daphne threw a crumpled up piece of paper from her seat to Ginny's, threw rows ahead and half a classroom away. Professor Hagbags didn't even glance up from the book he was reading out of in his wheezy voice. Ginny carefully unfolded the paper so it wouldn't rip and skimmed through what Daphne had written.

Ginny-

GUESS WHAT?!?!?!? You know that super hot, sexy, fine, incredibly good-looking 7th year from Ravenclaw I was telling you about? Rex? HE ASKED ME OUT! It happened this morning right before breakfast. He was really cute, all shy and nervous and blushing. We're going to meet at the Three Broomsticks during next week's Hogsmeade trip, and I have a feeling he's going to ask me to the Sweetheart's Dance.

I have a boyfriend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Isn't this SO exciting???!!!???!!!

-Daph

Ginny's heart fell. Now even Daphne, Malfoy The Ferret's look-alike, had a boyfriend! What did Daphne have that she didn't? She was a Malfoy! Her father was a Death Eater! Why would anyone want to date someone like that?

She shook her head, feeling foolish and very guilty. Daphne had nothing to do with her family anymore and made it clear to anyone who spoke to her that she did not condone her father's activities and hated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named just as much as the next person. Of course Daphne could get a boyfriend, she was pretty and nice and smart.

Ginny was happy for Daphne. She really was. She really, really was.

Or, at least she could pretendy to be really, really happy for Daphne.

After Defense Against the Dark Arts, the sixth year Gryffindors were supposed to have Herbology, but it was cancelled due to the blizzard that was still raging. They were given a free period instead. Daphne and Ginny went back to the common room together so they could relax in front of the warm fire.

"Rex is so sweet. He game me a rose this morning, one of those enchanted roses that only wilts if we break up. It's so pretty, and it smells just heavenly," Daphne said, sighing happily. "Rex smells really good, too. He has great taste in cologne. He told me I have pretty eyes, and he loves my smile. Do you think I should die my hair? His last girlfriend was Padma, he may have a thing for brunettes."

Daphne rambled on for a few minutes about her new boyfriend, with Ginny just nodding every once in awhile and saying things like, "Yeah... uh-huh... so true..."

On the inside she was screaming, "SHUT UP SHUT UP! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT I DON'T CARE?!?"

Finally, Daphne paused for breath, giving Ginny a strange look. "Are you okay, Ginny? You seem pretty quiet."

"Oh, yes, I'm just splendid, thanks. Absolutely fab. You have a gorgey boyfriend that has a marvy personality, Hermione and Harry are practically Hogwarts Couple of the Year, and the one guy I happen to like hates me and my family and my friends and everything that has to do with me!" Ginny spat vehemently before stomping upstairs to her dorm in a sudden burst of anger and frustration that surprised even herself.

Daphne sat in stunned silence for a minute, watching the stairway that Ginny had disappeared through. She had no idea that Ginny felt this way, and she felt horrible for rubbing it in Ginny's face that she had a boyfriend.

Upstairs, Ginny was writing furiously in her diary.

January 11

I can't believe this. I am ONLY girl in my year, probably in the whole damned SCHOOL, that doesn't have a boyfriend. Everywhere I look I see couples paired off, as if it's the newest trend or something. Worst of all, when I was walking to Defense class this morning, I saw Draco -I mean That One Hot Guy -snogging with some ugly third year girl in the corridor! Right there where everyone could see them!

Then Daphne told me that she has a boyfriend. A really hot seventh year Ravenclaw, with personality to boot. She was going on and on and on and ON about him earlier, and I just snapped. I yelled at her, and I'm sure my face was red as a tomato, which is NOT a flattering look on me. Now Daphne's probably mad at me.

WHY can't I get a boyfriend??? If I was really THAT desperate, I suppose Neville might go out with me but... uh, no. There's really only one guy I want, but he hates me...

Ack. Must go. Someone's knocking at the door.

-Ginny

"Ginny? Are you okay? Can I come in?" Daphne's voice said through the door to Ginny's room. Techinically the room belonged to Daphne as much as it did to Ginny, but Ginny had locked the door to avoid talking to anyone. Ginny didn't reply to the knock, she was too busy hiding her diary deep in her trunk.

"Ginny, I really don't want to force my way in the room, but if you don't answer, I will," Daphne warned.

"Please go away," Ginny called.

Outside, Hermione had just ascended the stairs. "What's the matter?" she asked Daphne, who was pounding angrily on the door to the sixth year girl's dorm.

"Ginny's a bit ticked off and she won't let me in," Daphne replied.

"What is it? Boys, school, family, or friends?" Hermione asked with a knowing look.

"Boys mainly, but friends, too. At least, I think so. She won't talk to me. Can you help?" Daphne asked hopefully.

Hermione knocked gently on the door. "Ginny, please open the door. Daphne and I only want to talk to you."

"Well I don't want to talk to you," Ginny answered, sounding a little meaner than she had meant to.

Hermione sighed, pulling out her wand. "Sorry, Ginny, but I have to do this. Alohamora!" The door sprang open, allowing Hermione and Daphne to enter.

Hermione and Daphne sat on Ginny's bed, one girl on either side of the forlorn redhead. Hermione put her arm around Ginny comfortingly.

"What's the matter, sweetie? You know you can tell Daph and I anything."

"Hermione, how long did you have a crush on Harry before you actually started going out?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, I don't know. I suppose I've always liked him, but it really became evident in our sixth year. I don't know what happened, but when he came back from summer vacation, he suddenly became a whole lot better-looking. Viktor and I had already agreed that we were just friends, and I began to look at Harry in a whole different light. Why do you ask? Do you have a crush on a friend?" Hermione asked coyly.

"No. Well, not exactly. He's not a friend. More like an enemy. But I do like him. I know I shouldn't, he hates me, and he's really a horrible person. But I just feel like if I could just get to know him he wouldn't be so horrible," Ginny explained.

"Do I know this guy?" Daphne asked, although she was pretty sure she already knew who Ginny was talking about.

"Quite well, actually. Well, not so well anymore, but... yes, you know him."

"Ginny, do you have a crush on Draco Malfoy?" Hermione, never one for beating around the bush, asked.

Ginny bit her lip and nodded sadly. "Okay, go ahead, make fun of me. Just don't tell Ron, he'd murder me."

"Oh, no, Ginny, we won't make fun of you. Actually... I have an idea..." Hermione looked off in the distance, formulating a plan in her head. "I have to get something, I'll only be gone a minute."

And she was. When she returned, she was carrying a large and rather old book of spells. Hermione made sure the door was shut firmly behind her and then muttered a spell, pointing her wand at the door.

"I just sealed off the room. No one can get in or hear anything that happens in here. Ginny, I think I have a way for you to get Draco." Hermione put the book on Ginny's bed. The other two girls gasped when they read the title: Madam Cupid's Book of Lurve.

"Lurve? What's lurve?" Daphne inquired, one eyebrow raised in question.

"The cutesy way of spelling 'love.' This is a book of love potions," Hermione explained.

"Hermione! I'm surprised! What would people say if they knew Hogwarts' Head Girl had a book of illegal love potions?" Ginny asked.

"Not anything good, which is why this conversation never leaves this room. Now, most of these spells are amazingly complex, and some of the simpler ones aren't guaranteed to work without some rather unpleasant side effects. But there are a few that I think we could pull off," Hermione said, flicking through the pages of the thick volume.

"Hermione, have you ever used any of these potions? On, for example, a skinny, green-eyed Seeker, perhaps?" Daphne wondered.

"No, of course not. I've never actually tried any of these. My mother gave this book to me as a sort of joke, after Ron broke up with me," Hermione answered.

"Wait, whoa, hold it, stop the presses. YOU WENT OUT WITH RON?!" Ginny screeched, completely taken off guard by this piece of information.

Hermione turned slightly pink. "Oops. I wasn't supposed to say that. Erm, well, Ginny, you see, we went out, very briefly, at the end of fifth year. He broke it off during the summer. He didn't want you to know, because, well, you're his little sister and he doesn't want you to know about his love life."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me! Hermione, how could you keep something like this from me?" Ginny cried, indignant.

"I'm so sorry, Ginny, but I promised Ron," Hermione apologized.

"Come on, stop fighting, it's not important anyway. Come on, Hermione, which potion should we try first?" Daphne asked excitedly.

Hermione pursed her lips, looking at different recipes until she found one of the simpler ones.

"Hmmm... this one may work... it'll take about a week to get all the ingredients... we may have to steal some, others we can get in Hogsmeade... then only an hour or so to make... yes, this one will do."

"Hermione, why are you agreeing to help me, anyway? You hate Draco," Ginny pointed out.

"Well, Ginny, the only reason I really hate Draco is because he's Harry's enemy, and as I'm Harry's friend, that makes Draco my enemy as well. But lately their rivalry has been getting a little too intense, and I'm afraid if they don't call a truce, someday one of them might end up dead, especially if Draco follows his father's footsteps. So maybe, if you and Draco become a little friendlier, things might smooth out between Draco and Harry," Hermione explained.

"One more question... what happens if we get caught?" Daphne asked worriedly.

"We get expelled and I commit suicide."

"Oh. Righty-oh, then, let's get to it."

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A/N: Fairy-Queen770, SamiJo, and Slytherin Rogue: Thank you SO MUCH for reviewing!!! I'm glad there are people reading my story!!