A/N: Sorry for the wait. But... *drum roll* this is the first day of summer holidays, which means a lot more writing! Oh, and the Dragon's Blood Powder will be explained... later.
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Part Three, "Shock, horror, and... poetry?"
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**
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"I can't believe it," Harry moaned. It was nearly midnight, and he Ron and Hermione were sitting in the Common Room. Harry was still in shock.
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"I kissed Malfoy!" he spluttered, pulling a tissue from his pocket and attempting to scrub his tongue with it. The tissue disintegrated, as tissues are apt to do, and he was left pulling shards of paper from his mouth.
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"Well, you were under a spell," Hermione said briskly. "Now, shut up for as bit and let me concentrate."
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She was flicking through a book, muttering to herself. Ron was staring at Harry in something like a cross between revulsion and pity.
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"You - kissed - Malfoy," Ron repeated blankly.
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"Yes, I did, no thanks to you," Harry said bitterly. "Where were you when I very much needed to be knocked out?"
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"Um, talking to Ginny," Ron said sheepishly.
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Harry shook his head. He refused to think about just how igood/i a kisser Malfoy was, and instead leant over Hermione to see what she was doing.
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"I don't even know if there iis/i an antidote in here." She shut iCommon Magical Ailments and Afflictions/i and picked up the next book. "We might have to look in the book Malfoy read."
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"But that's in the Restricted Section, surely," protested Ron.
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"Yes," Hermione said grimly. "And if it is, I'd like to know how we'd get at it."
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"Same way Malfoy did," Ron suggested. "He must have had a note."
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"How do you think we're going to get a note?" Harry asked sharply. "Malfoy probably went to Snape. He also happens to be Teacher's Pet. There's no chance of us getting it, without looking like we want to icast/i the spell. "
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"We could just tell McGonagall the truth," Hermione suggested half-heartedly. "Though she'd ave to be insane to believ us. Any teacher would."
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"Sorry, we lost Lockhart a couple of years ago, Hermione," Ron said, and Harry laughed. Hermione frowned and opened her mouth. "We know," Ron continued, "you didn't like him ithat/i way, and you don't like people just because they're ihandsome/i."
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"Unlike this other Hermione we know," Harry said, and both boys sniggered.
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"You two are so horrible sometimes!" Hermione protested. "Maybe I should leave Harry like this!"
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Harry knew he'd gone too far. He also knew that he should apologise if he wanted to be free of Malfoy.
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Harry and Ronn muttered apologies, and Hermione opened the book she'd slammed shut. "He'd have to be a really good potions student," Hermione said. "Maybe it wasn't just Snape giving him good grades."
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"Why?" asked Ron, disbelieving.
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"Because this potion is so fragile, from what I've read of it," Hermione said. Harry, recognising the signes of an inevitable lecture, made himself comfortable.
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"This reason this spell is so hard is that everything needs to be done iexactly/i right," Hermione said. "I think, that if you're even a few seconds late in lifting the potion from the fire, or something like that, the potion is useless. I'd hate to think what other potions Malfoy could brew, if he pulled this one off."
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"Great," Harry said shortly. "Just find the antidote."
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"There's something else," Hermione said. "What are we going to do next? You can't keep jumping Malfoy, and once we find the antidote, you'll probably never want to see him again - I've got it!" she almost shouted.
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"Keep your voice down, Hermione," Ron said, checking his watch. "What have you got?"
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"Poetry!" she hissed.
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"Poet- oh, no," Harry said, understanding. "No. No way."
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"It's logical," Hermione said. "Think about it. Now, what can we write?"
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"Hermione, are you deaf or ignorant? I refuse to write poetry to Malfoy." Harry looked at Ron desperately. He shoook his head.
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"Then I'll do it," Hermione said, standing up. "I've got some really good stuff. It's a song, not poetry, but it'll do."
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"Hermione - you, oh, whatever," Harry gave in. "But what is it?" he asked.
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"Hermione I thought you hated Malfoy," Ron said. "Why are you writing poetry?"
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"I do hate Malfoy, but we need to do this."
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"Hermione, i what are you writing/i?" Harry asked desperately. There was something about the way she was smiling...
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Her grin grew wider. "Nick Carter."
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"NO!" Harry shouted. Ron held a finger to his lips. "No," Harry said quietly, but no less forcefully.
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"Who?" Ron asked curiously.
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"A Muggle singer," Harry said despairingly. "I think he's the biggest idiot in the world, but Hermione loves him."
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"Do you have anything better?" Hermione asked. Mutely, both boys shook their heads. "Fine. I'll do it."
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"No, don't," Harry tried a last time.
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"Watch me."
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Draco was mooning over last night and the kiss at the breakfast table the next day. He thought about Harry, and how he'd run off after they'd kissed. Shouldn't the potion have kept him in place?
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He looked down at the page he'd ripped out of the book, the one he always kept in his robes now. It said that there would be small sessions of consciousness, which would gradually fade as the potion took over.
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He looked down. One of the school owls was standing respectfully near his plate, holding a letter in its beak. Draco took it with a funny feeling in his gut.
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He opened it.
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iBoy I love to watch you
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Your like candy to my eyes.
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Like a movie that you see
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But gotta watch just one more time.
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But that smile you're wearing
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It's a beautiful disguise.
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Just something you put on to hide the emptiness inside.
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And you seem so lonely
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But you don't have to anymore.
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You're a heart without a home
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A rebel without a cause
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if you feel as though you're always stranded on the shore
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Like a thief in the night
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I'll come and steal your heart away
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Baby if a reason's what you're looking for I'll be yours.
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You need a new sensation
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One you've never had before
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I get a feeling if i gave you some /i(Draco swallowed hard)i
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You'd probably want some more.
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Did you know that baby you're the bluebird in my sky
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I only wanna make you happy 'cause I love to see you fly./i
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Draco had had poetry before. In fact, it was nearly a regular occourance. But this time, something about it stirred something inside him. He raised his head and saw Harry looking straight at him. He blushed and ducked his head.
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After he'd watched Draco, Harry turned uncomfortably to Hermione. "I cannot believe we did that," he said.
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"Who cares? He's softening, that's the best part," Hermione said, reaching for the pumpkin juice. "We'll get to him soon."
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Harry severely hoped that what he was feeling right now was the potion.
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A/N: Well, I heard of this thing, it's called a review button... and it gives you space to write a review. Try it out!