Author's note: I hope you all are enjoying the story so far. ^-^ If not, give me a review so I can *make* it better! If you found the first chapter a tad boring, don't worry. Things will be heating up relatively quick. But enough blabbing, on with Chapter Two!



"So…" said Ginny.

"So…" said Ron.

"Nice weather we're having."

"Splendid."

"I'm quite glad it's the weekend, so we can enjoy it."

"Me too."

"Right good weather, if you ask me."

"Couldn't be better."

There was a pause.

"So…" Ginny said, for the sixth time in the past half hour.

This time, Ron didn't make the usual "so…" reply. He was probably as tired as Ginny was at attempting to make conversation, failing, and slipping back into nervous silence. He decided to let the mechanical thunks of the train fill in the awkward gaps. He didn't know what was up, why the view out of the window that they had seen countless times before was now so entirely absorbing to Harry and Hermione.

So, the four Hogwarts students sat silently in the gold and gauche-lined train car aboard the Hogwarts Express. The lush, dark green countryside, which Hermione had always likened to Harry's deep emerald eyes, rolled endlessly by the window. Her brown eyes sought out the face sitting directly across her in the rhythmically wavering train car. Harry's spectacled eyes roved dazedly along the hills. The gentle rocking of the car had seemingly lured him into a trance and he took no notice of the girl's gaze.

Should she say something? But what? From the perplexing look on Ron's face, she discerned that Harry hadn't informed him of the… encounter… the two had the night before. But what if someone else, like Ginny, had walked in instead? Would things have been different? Would they have been able to just laugh it off? Why couldn't it have been that way last night? Things had been so simple when they were kids. Now… now things had become more… complicated. Complicated in ways which Hermione *didn't* want to be complicated.

Hermione's eyes continued to stare listlessly out the window, the trees and meadows and other greenery dissolving into one verdant blur. Its alluring serenity and the motherly rocking of the car was slowing drawing her consciousness farther and farther away from reality, settling her into a deep daydream of jade and gold. Invisible fingers rolled along her eyelids, pushing them halfway closed. It was because of this, that Hermione didn't notice the sharpening outlines of the trees and hills, nor the slow replacement of the rocking by a lurching feeling.

The shrill squeal of the brakes being put on wrenched Hermione from her daydream, but too late. With one final lurch, the train stopped and Hermione flew from her seat. She blinked away the remainder of her reverie and looked up to discover that she had oh-so gracefully landed on the floor… between the knees of Harry. They shared a wide-eyed glance; Hermione remained frozen on the floor, her hands resting on his legs, while Harry remained frozen on the seat, his hands resting in his lap. She could feel the now-familiar burning tingle creeping up her face. Her brain struggled for words to put together but her thoughts were so jumbled that nothing could reach her lips.

"Tsk, tsk Potter…" From the doorway, came the ever-sly, ever-cunning, ever- malicious voice of a certain blond-haired Slytherin. The four occupants of the train car swiveled their heads to look at him; disgust on the faces of Ron and Ginny, disbelief on Harry and Hermione's. "Not only in public, but in front of your best friend *and* his little sister?" Malfoy turned his sneering face to look at the two oafish goonies called Crabbe and Goyle. "Back in my day, you kept that sort of thing behind closed doors." With a humiliating and victorious cackle, the three Slytherins joined the rest of the students who were making their way off the train.

Harry, whose absolute hate of Malfoy seemed to stir circulation back into his muscles, began to stand up. He grasped hold of the now-quivering girl at his feet under the arms, lifting her up as well. "All right there, Hermione?" he asked, trying to force out a small laugh. He held on to her for a moment, afraid that if he let go she would dissolve into a heap on the floor again.

"Hm?" her voice cracked with embarrassment. "Oh… um…" She brushed a stray hair from her face. "I'm fine. Yes… quite fine. Sorry about that…" She added the last part in a nervous whisper.

"Quite alright, quite alright," he replied quickly letting go of her to brush off her shoulders.

"Don't you think we ought to get a jump-start on our shopping?" Ginny burst in, taking hold of the other girl's arm. "We've got an awful lot to do today!" She gave her friend's arm a gentle tug, trying to lead Hermione away as she had fallen into another trance.

"Oh, yes…" she said slowly, her eyes transfixed upon those green eyes.

"We'll see you back on the train! Come *along*, 'Mione!" Upon the word "along," Ginny gave a final, definite tug, breaking the two's locked gaze.

The girls disappeared into the rush of students leaving a confused Ron and an embarrassed Harry alone in the compartment. Ron stared at the door a moment before turning to his friend. "What was that all about?"

"Why me?" Hermione whined once again to her red-haired friend, her head hung low. Ginny was trying to pull Hermione along quickly through the scuttling crowds that filled the streets of Hogsmeade. But the older girl had sunk so deep into misery that she could barely lift her feet from the ground. "Why is it always me? Why can't this happen to… to… to someone *else* for a change?"

Ginny gave her a small, comfort-pat on the back. "The ride home will be quite a thrill, hm?" she joked.

Hermione's eyebrows flew up indignantly. "There will be no ride home! I'm not getting back on that blasted train! I'm never going back to Hogwarts *period*." Her lip pouted slightly. "And you can't make me either."

Ginny put on a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Once we get what we need for you, things'll start working out a lot better."

Hermione, her curiosity momentarily over-running her melancholy, asked, "Just what is it that we're getting?"

Ginny didn't respond. "We're here!" was all that she proclaimed. The brown- haired girl looked up. They were standing in front of a very ancient- looking shop, with heavy and musty curtains hanging in the windows. On the rickety door hung a fading sign, bearing a single, carved, cursive word: "Open." On the over-hang, another sign, apparent with age, swung gently without a breeze. This one read: "Madame Brewilla's Potions. Varieties of potions since 1685."

Before Hermione could even think of protesting, she was being dragged up the wooden, creaking steps and beyond the aged door. The two girls found themselves in a warm room, dimly lit with tall candles. The stuffy air was filled with the heavy, drowsy scent of incenses. Large, elaborately colored scarves were draped everywhere, and beyond the counter, hanging in the doorway separating the shop from the back room, was an orange and purple beaded curtain.

They stood there a moment, not seeing any bell to ring for service, and wanting to avoid breathing the air as much as possible. Hermione was ready to suggest they go, when a woman appeared in the beaded curtain. For a second Hermione thought she was seeing Professor Trelawney. She was wearing quite a few scarves herself, along with various, large amulets around her neck and at least a dozen rings on her fingers. Behind her, through the parted curtain, they saw shelves and shelves of various potions.

"Aah!" the strange women exclaimed excitedly, clasping her hands together and taking a few steps forward. "Such beautiful young girls in my shop! Yes, come tell Madame Brewilla what she can do for these lovely ladies today." Hesitantly, Hermione and Ginny approached the counter. They both stood there, not sure what to say. Hermione nudged the other girl, jerking her head with a meaningful glance towards Madame Brewilla.

"Oh… um…" Ginny started nervously. "Well, I need a potion for my friend here." She motioned to Hermione.

The woman put on a face of extravagant surprise. "And what in the world would such a perfect girl need? She does not need a love potion or a beauty potion or a smart potion, no?"

"Well, I…" Ginny looked at her friend, nervously. "I think she needs a confidence potion." Hermione's face exploded into shock.

Seeing this, Madame Brewilla waved her hands in the air dismissively. "There is nothing to be ashamed of! Madame Brewilla gets this sort of request everyday. I will return." And with a twirl of scarves and beads, she disappeared into the back.

"Ginny-!" Hermione started, through her clenched teeth.

Ginny raised a hand to quiet her. "Trust me! I'm your friend, Hermione. I wouldn't steer you wrong." The girls didn't have time to continue their argument because a small explosion had issued from the back room.

"Everything is alright! Madame Brewilla will take care of it! No need for worry!"

A few moments later, Madame Brewilla returned, her scarves flapping about as she waved some drifting smoke from the air. Upon the counter, she set down a small glass bottle containing a bluish liquid. She leaned close to the two girls as she spoke. "Each night, put a drop of this in a glass of water and drink. The next morning you wake up a new woman, yes?" They nodded. Ginny's hand moved towards the bottle, but the Madame Trelawney look-a-like quickly held her hand out. "You pay twenty sickles, yes?" Ginny, looking slightly startled, began to fish the money out of her robes. However, Hermione, who seemed to have taken no notice of the red-haired girl's efforts had already produced twenty sickles and exchanged it for the bottle.

The two girls were quite relieved to be out of the dark, dingy shop and in the sunlight and fresh air. As they walked along the crowded streets they examined the bottle. "Do you really think I need this?" Hermione was still dubious of the whole plot and it showed quite clearly in her features.

"We'll try it out one day and see what happens. If you don't like it, we'll chuck the stuff, alright?" Ginny proposed.

"Well… I suppose it won't hurt to see what happens."

Nighttime had fallen on the castle at Hogwarts. The House Prefects were all trying, with little success, to usher their respective houses to bed. But it was Saturday night and the students refused to exchange their chattering in the Common Room for the dull silence of their bedrooms. Many of the first and second years were eagerly gathered around the older students who were showing what they had bought in Hogsmeade that day.

Hermione and Ginny had taken this opportunity to sneak off into the bathroom to try out the Confidence Potion. Ginny perched herself on the sink, a glass of water beside her, as Hermione held up the small vial peering at it through the light. Ginny watched her quietly, anxiously swinging her legs. She desperately wanted to see what was going to result, but Hermione kept examining the bottle, turning it this way and that.

Ginny could take it no longer. "What *are* you trying to do?" she exclaimed finally, her voice heavy with exasperation. "Find out its chemical composition?!"

Hermione heaved a sigh and lowered the bottle. "No, its just that…" she paused, searching for the right words. "I don't think I really need this. I like myself the way I am, Ginny."

At that, Ginny gave a small huff, her shoulders giving a slight sag. "But what if you like yourself *better* afterwards? Just give it a try, alright?" Her hand found Hermione's shoulder. "I'm only asking you to do this for your own sake. Give yourself a little boost. Try it *once* is all I ask."

Hermione looked hesitantly from the bottle to Ginny back to the bottle. She gave another sigh before saying in a relinquished voice, "Hand me the glass." The younger girl's face immediately brightened and she happily handed over the water that sat beside her. Hermione uncapped the bottle and held up the glass and vial. She titled the bottle gently, allowing a single drop of the blue tonic to fall into the water. It slowly diffused through the water, turning it a shade of blue before returning to its normal clarity.

She took a deep breath to settle herself before lifting the glass to Ginny.

"Cheers."