Title: Brewing Trouble
Rating: PG-13 (for mild language and slightly (im)mature themes)
Summary: Ron decides a love potion is the only way to make Hermione fall for him, and mayhem ensues when the effects of the potion go awry.
Disclaimer: The plot of this story is mine, but everything else belongs to JK Rowling. I appreciate the reviews so much, please keep the feedback coming!
Chapter 8 - Apologies
The rest of the day passed in a blur of ink and daydreams. They took notes in Transfiguration and History of Magic, and Ron couldn't remember a word of what he wrote. He scrawled half of what was said and spent most of the class time in a daze. Would the antidote work? How long would it take? What if some of the people that were affected didn't take the antidote? Ron's stomach began to ache as he followed the others to the Great Hall. He sat down beside Hermione and across from Harry. The tables were already covered with food, and Ron was very relieved to see that there was a bowl of steaming tomato soup at every place.
Please let Dobby have done his job, Ron thought as he picked up his spoon. He took a mouthful of soup and felt himself relax - he was positive he could taste a tiny hint of ginger.
"I would have preferred pea soup," Hermione said, pushing her bowl to the side and slicing herself a piece of bread from the loaf in the middle of the table. "I'm not too fond of tomato."
"It's very good!" Ron said, feeling himself break into a sweat. "You ought to try some. Right Harry?" He stared meaningfully at Harry.
"I love tomato soup," Harry said cheerily, slurping up a spoonful. He blinked.
"Then you can have mine if you like," Hermione said, buttering her bread. Ron reached over and spooned up a little soup from Hermione's bowl. He held the spoon at her lips and nodded encouragingly. "What are you doing?" Hermione asked, her brows knit.
"It's very good - you really ought to try it," Ron babbled nervously, his hand quivering.
"I don't want any soup." Hermione said stubbornly.
"Just try the soup." Ron growled. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him but finally opened her mouth. Ron fed her the spoonful of soup and quickly filled the spoon with more which Hermione reluctantly swallowed, watching Ron critically the entire time. When the bowl was half empty, Hermione looked away and cleared her throat, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
"That's enough of that," she muttered, fumbling for her knife. Ron, pleased, sat back in his chair as Harry finished the last of his soup. He happily noted that Ginny had eaten all of her soup and Lavender was nearly done with hers.
Better safe than sorry, thought Ron and drained the last of his soup.
The next morning, Ron awoke just before breakfast. He had fallen into an uneasy slumber around one o'clock in the morning and didn't feel particularly rested. Now he would see whether or not his work had paid off. He quickly dressed and hurried down to the Great Hall. It was buzzing with lively chatter, and one of the first things Ron noticed was that Parvati Patel, who had been sitting at the Slytherin table with Bole, was back in her usual place at the Gryffendor table and was talking animatedly with Lavender Brown. Lavender reddened when she saw Ron and quickly turned back to her conversation with Parvati.
Ron drew up a chair at the end of the table, away from the others, and helped himself to eggs and toast. He was just reaching for a piece of crisp bacon when a voice from behind him said, "Mind if I join you?"
Harry sat down across from Ron and reached for the plate of waffles. He kept his eyes on his plate as he began to eat but suddenly set his silverware down on the table and looked at Ron.
"Ron...I'm sorry," Harry said. "I've felt so strange the past few days, and when I woke up this morning it was like all the fog in my head had cleared and I...I reckon I haven't been a very good friend."
"You couldn't help it," Ron replied gruffly, stabbing a piece of scrambled egg.
"It was so odd," Harry continued. "I woke up the day after we made the potion and felt so cheery - and I got even happier when I saw Hermione coming out of the girl's dormitory. I knew in the back of my mind that you liked her, but I kind of...I didn't care. I thought I loved her. Can you forgive me?"
Ron paused. "There's one thing I need to know first, Harry," he said, "Was the potion completely to blame for the way you acted?"
"What?" said Harry.
"The night before last you told me that you'd been in love with Hermione since first year," Ron said uncomfortably, "And you seemed more clear-headed than you had been. And I wasn't sure whether or not that was just the potion or if you really felt that way."
"Ron," said Harry seriously, "Hermione is yours. I don't love her. I don't think of her as anything more than my friend. Actually," he continued, flushing, "there's someone else that I think I might have feelings for."
"Really?" Ron said interestedly. "Who?"
Before Harry could reply, Ginny Weasley, blushing brilliantly, came up to them. "Sorry to interrupt," she said meekly. "Harry, I - I just wanted to apologize for what happened that night at dinner - and then in the library...and then in the Tower..." she trailed off, blushing to the roots of her hair.
"That's all right," Harry said, his own cheeks still a little pink, "I've been acting a little strangely myself, Ginny; I think everyone has." He glanced at Ron. "Would you like to have breakfast with us?"
"Sure." Ginny sat down beside Harry and glanced shyly at him as she helped herself to a muffin. Just as the three were beginning to eat and chat about other things, Malfoy stormed into the Great Hall. His normally perfect blonde hair was messy and he had grayish circles under his eyes. When he walked past the Gryffendor table, he caught sight of Ginny and nearly tripped over his own feet.
"What are you staring at, Weasley?" he spat at Ginny. Ginny simply smiled as Malfoy stomped off.
"Yeah, things are back to normal," Harry laughed as Malfoy began to shout at Goyle, who had taken Malfoy's usual seat. Suddenly, Harry leaned forward. "Ron, what about Hermione? Have you seen her yet this morning?"
"I haven't," Ron replied, suddenly losing his appetite. "I thought she'd have come down for breakfast by now."
"I didn't see her in the bathroom this morning," Ginny said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. "I haven't seen her since last night. I really ought to apologize to her," she added, coloring.
"D'you think I should go look for her?" Ron asked. "What if she's sick?"
"I don't see why she'd be sick, but maybe we ought to find her anyway. In case the potion hasn't worked," Harry said.
"If you don't mind," said Ron, "I think I'll go alone." He rose from the table. "All right, Harry?" he asked quietly, looking back at his friend.
Harry broke into a smile. "All right," he replied, his eyes sparkling.
Relieved, Ron hurried from the Great Hall and up to Gryffendor Tower. The Common Room was deserted, and Ron had a feeling that Hermione wasn't in the library, although she had been known to skip a day's worth of meals in order to devote more time to her schoolwork.
"Hermione?" Ron called, one foot on the first step. There was no reply, so he slowly climbed the stairs to the girls' dormitories and came to a stop outside the door marked fifth-years. "Hermione?" he rapped his knuckles on the door. "Hermione?" He reached for the doorknob.
Suddenly, the door flew open and Ron found himself face to face with a wild-eyed Hermione, and she was madder than he'd ever seen her before.
A/N: One more chapter to go! Hope everyone enjoyed chapter 8!
Rating: PG-13 (for mild language and slightly (im)mature themes)
Summary: Ron decides a love potion is the only way to make Hermione fall for him, and mayhem ensues when the effects of the potion go awry.
Disclaimer: The plot of this story is mine, but everything else belongs to JK Rowling. I appreciate the reviews so much, please keep the feedback coming!
Chapter 8 - Apologies
The rest of the day passed in a blur of ink and daydreams. They took notes in Transfiguration and History of Magic, and Ron couldn't remember a word of what he wrote. He scrawled half of what was said and spent most of the class time in a daze. Would the antidote work? How long would it take? What if some of the people that were affected didn't take the antidote? Ron's stomach began to ache as he followed the others to the Great Hall. He sat down beside Hermione and across from Harry. The tables were already covered with food, and Ron was very relieved to see that there was a bowl of steaming tomato soup at every place.
Please let Dobby have done his job, Ron thought as he picked up his spoon. He took a mouthful of soup and felt himself relax - he was positive he could taste a tiny hint of ginger.
"I would have preferred pea soup," Hermione said, pushing her bowl to the side and slicing herself a piece of bread from the loaf in the middle of the table. "I'm not too fond of tomato."
"It's very good!" Ron said, feeling himself break into a sweat. "You ought to try some. Right Harry?" He stared meaningfully at Harry.
"I love tomato soup," Harry said cheerily, slurping up a spoonful. He blinked.
"Then you can have mine if you like," Hermione said, buttering her bread. Ron reached over and spooned up a little soup from Hermione's bowl. He held the spoon at her lips and nodded encouragingly. "What are you doing?" Hermione asked, her brows knit.
"It's very good - you really ought to try it," Ron babbled nervously, his hand quivering.
"I don't want any soup." Hermione said stubbornly.
"Just try the soup." Ron growled. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him but finally opened her mouth. Ron fed her the spoonful of soup and quickly filled the spoon with more which Hermione reluctantly swallowed, watching Ron critically the entire time. When the bowl was half empty, Hermione looked away and cleared her throat, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
"That's enough of that," she muttered, fumbling for her knife. Ron, pleased, sat back in his chair as Harry finished the last of his soup. He happily noted that Ginny had eaten all of her soup and Lavender was nearly done with hers.
Better safe than sorry, thought Ron and drained the last of his soup.
The next morning, Ron awoke just before breakfast. He had fallen into an uneasy slumber around one o'clock in the morning and didn't feel particularly rested. Now he would see whether or not his work had paid off. He quickly dressed and hurried down to the Great Hall. It was buzzing with lively chatter, and one of the first things Ron noticed was that Parvati Patel, who had been sitting at the Slytherin table with Bole, was back in her usual place at the Gryffendor table and was talking animatedly with Lavender Brown. Lavender reddened when she saw Ron and quickly turned back to her conversation with Parvati.
Ron drew up a chair at the end of the table, away from the others, and helped himself to eggs and toast. He was just reaching for a piece of crisp bacon when a voice from behind him said, "Mind if I join you?"
Harry sat down across from Ron and reached for the plate of waffles. He kept his eyes on his plate as he began to eat but suddenly set his silverware down on the table and looked at Ron.
"Ron...I'm sorry," Harry said. "I've felt so strange the past few days, and when I woke up this morning it was like all the fog in my head had cleared and I...I reckon I haven't been a very good friend."
"You couldn't help it," Ron replied gruffly, stabbing a piece of scrambled egg.
"It was so odd," Harry continued. "I woke up the day after we made the potion and felt so cheery - and I got even happier when I saw Hermione coming out of the girl's dormitory. I knew in the back of my mind that you liked her, but I kind of...I didn't care. I thought I loved her. Can you forgive me?"
Ron paused. "There's one thing I need to know first, Harry," he said, "Was the potion completely to blame for the way you acted?"
"What?" said Harry.
"The night before last you told me that you'd been in love with Hermione since first year," Ron said uncomfortably, "And you seemed more clear-headed than you had been. And I wasn't sure whether or not that was just the potion or if you really felt that way."
"Ron," said Harry seriously, "Hermione is yours. I don't love her. I don't think of her as anything more than my friend. Actually," he continued, flushing, "there's someone else that I think I might have feelings for."
"Really?" Ron said interestedly. "Who?"
Before Harry could reply, Ginny Weasley, blushing brilliantly, came up to them. "Sorry to interrupt," she said meekly. "Harry, I - I just wanted to apologize for what happened that night at dinner - and then in the library...and then in the Tower..." she trailed off, blushing to the roots of her hair.
"That's all right," Harry said, his own cheeks still a little pink, "I've been acting a little strangely myself, Ginny; I think everyone has." He glanced at Ron. "Would you like to have breakfast with us?"
"Sure." Ginny sat down beside Harry and glanced shyly at him as she helped herself to a muffin. Just as the three were beginning to eat and chat about other things, Malfoy stormed into the Great Hall. His normally perfect blonde hair was messy and he had grayish circles under his eyes. When he walked past the Gryffendor table, he caught sight of Ginny and nearly tripped over his own feet.
"What are you staring at, Weasley?" he spat at Ginny. Ginny simply smiled as Malfoy stomped off.
"Yeah, things are back to normal," Harry laughed as Malfoy began to shout at Goyle, who had taken Malfoy's usual seat. Suddenly, Harry leaned forward. "Ron, what about Hermione? Have you seen her yet this morning?"
"I haven't," Ron replied, suddenly losing his appetite. "I thought she'd have come down for breakfast by now."
"I didn't see her in the bathroom this morning," Ginny said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. "I haven't seen her since last night. I really ought to apologize to her," she added, coloring.
"D'you think I should go look for her?" Ron asked. "What if she's sick?"
"I don't see why she'd be sick, but maybe we ought to find her anyway. In case the potion hasn't worked," Harry said.
"If you don't mind," said Ron, "I think I'll go alone." He rose from the table. "All right, Harry?" he asked quietly, looking back at his friend.
Harry broke into a smile. "All right," he replied, his eyes sparkling.
Relieved, Ron hurried from the Great Hall and up to Gryffendor Tower. The Common Room was deserted, and Ron had a feeling that Hermione wasn't in the library, although she had been known to skip a day's worth of meals in order to devote more time to her schoolwork.
"Hermione?" Ron called, one foot on the first step. There was no reply, so he slowly climbed the stairs to the girls' dormitories and came to a stop outside the door marked fifth-years. "Hermione?" he rapped his knuckles on the door. "Hermione?" He reached for the doorknob.
Suddenly, the door flew open and Ron found himself face to face with a wild-eyed Hermione, and she was madder than he'd ever seen her before.
A/N: One more chapter to go! Hope everyone enjoyed chapter 8!
