Love Potion No. 9 ¾
Chapter 9:   It Which Has Yet to be Named
Sango-sama

Author's notes:  Finals are over with. I can't say when I've been much happier to finish a semester. Unfortunately, I came home and have been working 8.5 hours a day, so I haven't had much time to write. Which bugs me.

After talking with a number of people and reading the wonderful reviews I've gotten about this story, I found that nearly everyone wants to hear what Dear Ickle Ronniekins has said.  Imagine that!  ^_^*  I really had intended not to, because I enjoy the whole mystery of the thing and all, but in the giving spirit of the season I will tell once the review number hits a certain point....it won't be for some time, I figure, but it will be put in the story eventually.  I think it'd make a great last line.  ^_-  If by some miracle the story hits the magic number (which is the page number of one of my favorite HP quotes) before I finish writing, it will go in the chapter I'm working on and I'll make some announcement in the Author's notes.  If I don't get it until say June of next year (by which I'm figuring this will be done), well...I guess I'll have to have to write an epilogue.  Please Enjoy!

Dedication:  The story is dedicated to my Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin. 

Disclaimer:  I don't own anything. I'm just a poor college student who is finally getting a much needed vacation!

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The sun stretched lazily in through the thick pane of glass, crawling up over wrinkles in the bed sheets and onto the half-lidded, jade eyes of Harry Potter.

His sleep fuzzy mind searched for solid thoughts. He had been having a rather lovely dream about a certain ferret bouncing its merry way off the top of Griffyndor Tower, straight into a cauldron of one of Neville's own potions.

Needless to say, the Amazing Bouncing Ferret quickly had shifted through a whole scheme of transfigurations that would have done McGonagall proud.

Finally, Draco was left standing in a lovely pink dress and a tiara, shouting to all who could hear, "I am the princess. I am the princess! Bow before me, peasant!"

Harry had found in quite difficult from bursting into tears from laughter he was holding in. It was still quite early and he really hadn't wanted to wake anyone else up.

But the very image--Draco Malfoy, Pink Princess of Slytherin House, shouting and pouting for all the world to see--was simply too good to keep to himself.

The smirk that had wondered onto his face walked the fine line of becoming a fit of histerics.

He reached to the side table to put on his glasses, pulling a heavy sheet of parchment to the floor with a thwap.

Curious, Harry reached down and picked up the envelope. His name had been scrawled hastily on the front. His fingers found the red wax seal at the back, tearing it off so quickly he nearly ripped the letter inside.


Harry,

A friend and I have been helping Dumbledore outfit Hogsmeade with wards and charms to keep out Voldemort.

Keep a watch out for Snuffles. He's likely to be roaming the streets.

I'm sure we'll be seeing you very soon!

Remus


Harry was quickly dressed and had already rushed down to breakfast, the letter stuffed hastily into his pocket. Sirius was to make a brief appearance in Hogsmeade and nothing--not even Lord Voldemort himself--was going to keep Harry from spending time with his Godfather.

But until then, perhaps someone would be down in the common room. He simply had to tell someone about that dream.

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Neville shifted nervously from side to side, nearly tripping over his heavy shoes. "Are you guys sure there's no other way?"

Dean quirked his lips. "It's either this or the canary cremes again..."

Seamus shook his head wearily. "We didn't want to use this, Ron. Really, we didn't…."

"But you're not giving us any choice…." Dean finished, as the lot of them huddled around Ron's four-poster, holding a large, round object beneath one of their school robes.

The robe was tugged away quickly as four pairs of fingers covered four respective pairs of ears.

Pidgewidgeon popped out trilling shrilly, hooting and whooping up a storm, and all, quite painfully, into Ron's ears.

"Ack!" He was launched forwards, nearly throwing himself off of the his bed.

"Sorry, mate, but you sleep like the dead." Lee grinned, as did Seamus and Dean. Ron was finding it quite difficult to believe that any of them were actually sorry.

Ron was pulling at his hair, glaring at the tiny bird. "Noisy little bugger."

"Hurry up, Ron...you'll be late for the carriages!" Neville yelled over his shoulder as he stumbled out the door behind Seamus, Dean, and Lee.

Confusion crept over Ron's features. "Carriages?" he muttered to himself, as he quickly unbuttoned his sleep shirt. He moved to the wardrobe, throwing about his clothes in search of a matching pair of clean socks, but he kept coming up empty handed. "Guess I'll get another pair in Hogsmeade."

"Hogsmeade?" Realization struck with a vengence, leaving Ron to plop heavily onto the bed. "Ah, bloody hell. Hermione's gonna kill me."

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Sighing, Hermione looked out the window; her shaking fingers tracing gently over the slight, vial shaped bulge in her pants pocket. She had hoped to give Ron the vial before they departed, but he had been late.

She had wanted desparately to yell at him, but he had seemed so out of sorts the evening before, she had started to question whether or not he had actually heard her at all. Instead, she bought a few of Fred and George's new "candies", taking a good deal of satisfaction from the interesting shade of green Ron's face had become.

Harry had been quite active this morning, joyfully recounting a rather amusing dream. She chuckled at it, only half listening; her thoughts were more focused on Harry himself--or rather on the potion.

Harry definintely seemed far more open and happy this week than he had in few months. He had changed a good deal after he drank the first bit of the potion, but today he was far more...lively. She briefly wondered if they should hold off on administering him his next dose to watch him for the next few days, to see how his mood changed. She pushed the thought aside.

It would be difficult to give him the next dose whenever Harry was down at the breakfast table before either of them, which he had seemed to do quite often since the first dose. And even then, they would need to change where Harry would get the next dose, so he wouldn't grow suspicious.

That left little opportunity outside of rotating with Hogsmeade.

It's just a cheering potion, after all,' Hermione shrugged to herself. 'What harm could it possibly do to give him another dose?'

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Alright...plot stuff and romance (hints if nothing else) in the next chapter...really...I just needed to get through all this first! ^_^