After the initial surge wore off, Hermione opened her eyes. Snape was gone
and the hand of the clock on her bedside table was barely visible above the
ravaged red box, but she could see it was pointing to "Late for Class".
Hermione had never taken Duplexplicis during the day, thus, she had never encountered this problem before. Her mind was foggy and still greatly under the influence, but she knew she had already missed Arithmancy and had just enough time to get to Defenses of the Dark Arts.
With a slight drug induced grin and glassy eyes, she walked down the corridors and leaned against the wall outside of the Defenses of the Dark Arts classroom. A mass of fourth years flooded out the doors, giggling to each other or talking about the upcoming quidditch game between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw- a few of the boys expressing their wishes to shag the infamous Cho Chang. One of the shorter raven haired girls stopped in front of Hermione.
"Hi Ms. Hermione" she chipped. This was Meghan Ravors, a professional brown- noser if she ever did see one. "Guess what! I was the only one to get an A on my Arithmancy exam in my whole class."
"That's good Meghan" Hermione replied, shedding her usual prim and proper exterior. She bent down and ruffled the top of the younger girl's hair like you would do a child who just managed to make his first "poopers" in the toilet. "You're so cute." She cooed in her intoxicated state.
The girl looked shocked, somewhat afraid and just scattered down the hallway. Hermione shrugged to herself and went back to her position against the stone wall, starring into space.
A hand grabbed her shoulder, shaking her to get her attention. "'Mione!" Harry yelled.
Hermione looked at him, trying to focus on his yes "Yes my dear?"
He pulled her down the hallway as all the passerby's including Ron and Lavender looked on. Harry shoved her into the trophy room and placed her in front of a chair she simply collapsed in.
"What is going on with you? One minute you look like you're going to barf, the next you're acting like your drunk. What the hell is going on?"
Hermione giggled "Whenever you're mad, your eyebrows get all tense and you do like this" she attempted to mock him by scrunching up her face in several ways trying to get it right.
Harry looked thoroughly concerned. He crouched down on his knees so he was eye to eye with one of the few people he would die to save. "Hermione, you just scarred that Rovers girl, everyone thinks you've gone mad"
"I haven't gone mad, per say- more like sanely disabled." With this she leaned her head back, her neck resting on the back of the chair and eyes closed.
Harry reached behind her and held her head up with his hands so that she had no choice but to look him in the eye.
"Are you drunk, 'Mione? I mean, if you are, it's okay. We all do it. You can just go back to your room and sleep it off." He tried getting closer to smell her clothes for the slightest trace of alcohol.
She playfully pushed him away "I told you I don't like to get pissed you silly boy."
"Then what are you on?"
"Nothing, I mean, unless you count that blue stuff."
"What blue stuff Hermione?" he demanded, she looked at him and the drug smiled. Before he could force her to say anymore, Ron's head had appeared around the corner. "Lupin is wondering where you guys are."
"Right, I'll be there in a minute." Harry responded.
"Me too, mate." She raised her hand and giggled.
He helped Hermione out of the chair. "Just go back to your room and sleep it off. We'll talk about it later." With that he motioned her toward the direction of Gryffindor tower with his hand on the middle of her back.
"I'll talk to you after class" he promised. Hermione swayed slowly up towards the stairs.
When Harry got into the class, Lupin was already giving a short lecture on the uses of the Unforgivables- something highly appropriate for the time of war that they were in.
"Now, let's say someone attacks you, what is the first spell you use to protect yourself?"
"Avada Kedavra?" some answered from the back of the class. Remus shook his head, "No, no, the first thing you do is disarm your opponent."
Meanwhile, Harry and Ron shared a table in the back of the room; their heads leaned down in a quiet whisper discussing Hermione.
"What should we do?" Ron asked.
"I don't know," Harry responded, "I asked her what she was on, she mentioned some blue stuff."
Meanwhile, in her room, Hermione was beginning to feel the panic and embarrassment from the afternoon's events crawl through her door of Duplexplicis induced satisfaction. She was ashamed for herself, and ashamed at the things she did for a fix. The nauseated feeling began in her throat and she felt like she was going to be sick. Then, she noticed the blue shimmer of a full glass vial left on the floor, obviously by the Potion's Professor.
Hermione had never taken Duplexplicis during the day, thus, she had never encountered this problem before. Her mind was foggy and still greatly under the influence, but she knew she had already missed Arithmancy and had just enough time to get to Defenses of the Dark Arts.
With a slight drug induced grin and glassy eyes, she walked down the corridors and leaned against the wall outside of the Defenses of the Dark Arts classroom. A mass of fourth years flooded out the doors, giggling to each other or talking about the upcoming quidditch game between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw- a few of the boys expressing their wishes to shag the infamous Cho Chang. One of the shorter raven haired girls stopped in front of Hermione.
"Hi Ms. Hermione" she chipped. This was Meghan Ravors, a professional brown- noser if she ever did see one. "Guess what! I was the only one to get an A on my Arithmancy exam in my whole class."
"That's good Meghan" Hermione replied, shedding her usual prim and proper exterior. She bent down and ruffled the top of the younger girl's hair like you would do a child who just managed to make his first "poopers" in the toilet. "You're so cute." She cooed in her intoxicated state.
The girl looked shocked, somewhat afraid and just scattered down the hallway. Hermione shrugged to herself and went back to her position against the stone wall, starring into space.
A hand grabbed her shoulder, shaking her to get her attention. "'Mione!" Harry yelled.
Hermione looked at him, trying to focus on his yes "Yes my dear?"
He pulled her down the hallway as all the passerby's including Ron and Lavender looked on. Harry shoved her into the trophy room and placed her in front of a chair she simply collapsed in.
"What is going on with you? One minute you look like you're going to barf, the next you're acting like your drunk. What the hell is going on?"
Hermione giggled "Whenever you're mad, your eyebrows get all tense and you do like this" she attempted to mock him by scrunching up her face in several ways trying to get it right.
Harry looked thoroughly concerned. He crouched down on his knees so he was eye to eye with one of the few people he would die to save. "Hermione, you just scarred that Rovers girl, everyone thinks you've gone mad"
"I haven't gone mad, per say- more like sanely disabled." With this she leaned her head back, her neck resting on the back of the chair and eyes closed.
Harry reached behind her and held her head up with his hands so that she had no choice but to look him in the eye.
"Are you drunk, 'Mione? I mean, if you are, it's okay. We all do it. You can just go back to your room and sleep it off." He tried getting closer to smell her clothes for the slightest trace of alcohol.
She playfully pushed him away "I told you I don't like to get pissed you silly boy."
"Then what are you on?"
"Nothing, I mean, unless you count that blue stuff."
"What blue stuff Hermione?" he demanded, she looked at him and the drug smiled. Before he could force her to say anymore, Ron's head had appeared around the corner. "Lupin is wondering where you guys are."
"Right, I'll be there in a minute." Harry responded.
"Me too, mate." She raised her hand and giggled.
He helped Hermione out of the chair. "Just go back to your room and sleep it off. We'll talk about it later." With that he motioned her toward the direction of Gryffindor tower with his hand on the middle of her back.
"I'll talk to you after class" he promised. Hermione swayed slowly up towards the stairs.
When Harry got into the class, Lupin was already giving a short lecture on the uses of the Unforgivables- something highly appropriate for the time of war that they were in.
"Now, let's say someone attacks you, what is the first spell you use to protect yourself?"
"Avada Kedavra?" some answered from the back of the class. Remus shook his head, "No, no, the first thing you do is disarm your opponent."
Meanwhile, Harry and Ron shared a table in the back of the room; their heads leaned down in a quiet whisper discussing Hermione.
"What should we do?" Ron asked.
"I don't know," Harry responded, "I asked her what she was on, she mentioned some blue stuff."
Meanwhile, in her room, Hermione was beginning to feel the panic and embarrassment from the afternoon's events crawl through her door of Duplexplicis induced satisfaction. She was ashamed for herself, and ashamed at the things she did for a fix. The nauseated feeling began in her throat and she felt like she was going to be sick. Then, she noticed the blue shimmer of a full glass vial left on the floor, obviously by the Potion's Professor.