Chpt15: Hipolito.
// Not any cats indeed! // Perhaps if Hermione had not been concentrating so hard on not running up to him and snogging him senseless, she might have been angry, or even vaguely anxious at the fact that Snape seemed to know exactly what had happened during her second year. Who would have thought that everything could have changed so drastically since then. A dopey grin settling on her face, she began to methodically slice the lacewings, her mind wandering into the world of daisies and fluffy white clouds that had pink elephants in tutus floating in between. This in itself was an unusual occurrence for Hermione, who tended to reprove daydreaming and lack of concentration. Neville gaped at her worriedly as she smiled into the cauldron, wondering what on earth had possessed her to make her so absurdly happy during a potions lesson. He, it seemed, was not the only one. "Hey, Hermione!" Ron was poking her in the back with his ruler again. "Yes?" Maybe she should scold him.Trying to look serious, she gave her best attempt at a glare. "I am trying to concentrate, Ron, stop distracting me!" Ron blushed slightly and leaned forward again. "I didn't know that it was possible to concentrate while you're on Cloud Nine." Oh. Oops. So they had noticed.
"Cloud Nine, Ron? Please, I just love to study." Turning around before he could answer, she scooped up some more of the lacewings and handed them to Neville.
"Here," she muttered, "weigh these." Neville nearly passed out at the thought of Hermione actually entrusting him with such a colossal task.
"Er. Hermione?" He paused; his eyes so wide that they could easily have popped out and rolled across the floor. "Mmmhmm?" she scooped up the ingredients that he was holding half-wittedly in his hands, and happily dropped them into the now simmering cauldron. Surprisingly, it didn't explode. Neville stared up at her, his eyes still bulging, with the new addition of eyebrows that reached beyond his hairline and a jaw that had fallen towards the floor. Hermione continued to hum away as she stirred the pot, not taking any notice, but behind her, Harry and Ron were gaping in shock. "Cor, Neville! It worked!" Harry gasped, leaning forwards to see past Hermione. "Blimey. Who'd've thought it, Neville Longbottom got Polyjuice Potion right!" "Mister Longbottom," the barely audible hiss came from behind them, and the tight knot of Gryffindors quickly spun around - Hermione included. Sneering, Snape continued. "I do suggest that you pick your chin up from the ground." He swept forwards and leaned towards the cauldron, sniffing the porous gas that emanated from it with disdain. Then, taking the thick wooden ladle from Hermione's hand as she tried not to squeal from the touch, he stirred the mixture evenly before glancing at the contents. "For now, the base for this potion is at a." he smirked, "satisfactory level. I will expect the final result to be equally satisfactory or four extremely unpleasant detentions will be handed out."
Watching his expression carefully, only Hermione saw the look of gratification that passed momentarily over his features as the grins that the boys had been trying to conceal at the "compliment" diminished. "Have I made myself crystal clear?" Not waiting for a reply, he began to move away. "Good."
// Not any cats indeed! // Perhaps if Hermione had not been concentrating so hard on not running up to him and snogging him senseless, she might have been angry, or even vaguely anxious at the fact that Snape seemed to know exactly what had happened during her second year. Who would have thought that everything could have changed so drastically since then. A dopey grin settling on her face, she began to methodically slice the lacewings, her mind wandering into the world of daisies and fluffy white clouds that had pink elephants in tutus floating in between. This in itself was an unusual occurrence for Hermione, who tended to reprove daydreaming and lack of concentration. Neville gaped at her worriedly as she smiled into the cauldron, wondering what on earth had possessed her to make her so absurdly happy during a potions lesson. He, it seemed, was not the only one. "Hey, Hermione!" Ron was poking her in the back with his ruler again. "Yes?" Maybe she should scold him.Trying to look serious, she gave her best attempt at a glare. "I am trying to concentrate, Ron, stop distracting me!" Ron blushed slightly and leaned forward again. "I didn't know that it was possible to concentrate while you're on Cloud Nine." Oh. Oops. So they had noticed.
"Cloud Nine, Ron? Please, I just love to study." Turning around before he could answer, she scooped up some more of the lacewings and handed them to Neville.
"Here," she muttered, "weigh these." Neville nearly passed out at the thought of Hermione actually entrusting him with such a colossal task.
"Er. Hermione?" He paused; his eyes so wide that they could easily have popped out and rolled across the floor. "Mmmhmm?" she scooped up the ingredients that he was holding half-wittedly in his hands, and happily dropped them into the now simmering cauldron. Surprisingly, it didn't explode. Neville stared up at her, his eyes still bulging, with the new addition of eyebrows that reached beyond his hairline and a jaw that had fallen towards the floor. Hermione continued to hum away as she stirred the pot, not taking any notice, but behind her, Harry and Ron were gaping in shock. "Cor, Neville! It worked!" Harry gasped, leaning forwards to see past Hermione. "Blimey. Who'd've thought it, Neville Longbottom got Polyjuice Potion right!" "Mister Longbottom," the barely audible hiss came from behind them, and the tight knot of Gryffindors quickly spun around - Hermione included. Sneering, Snape continued. "I do suggest that you pick your chin up from the ground." He swept forwards and leaned towards the cauldron, sniffing the porous gas that emanated from it with disdain. Then, taking the thick wooden ladle from Hermione's hand as she tried not to squeal from the touch, he stirred the mixture evenly before glancing at the contents. "For now, the base for this potion is at a." he smirked, "satisfactory level. I will expect the final result to be equally satisfactory or four extremely unpleasant detentions will be handed out."
Watching his expression carefully, only Hermione saw the look of gratification that passed momentarily over his features as the grins that the boys had been trying to conceal at the "compliment" diminished. "Have I made myself crystal clear?" Not waiting for a reply, he began to move away. "Good."