I, ME, MY LOVE POTION EGGS!
by squidward
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've finally updated!!!!!! Woohoooo!!! Sorry if it took a long time, quite busy… I also managed to update my other fic *sigh*. Anyways, I'm very glad 'coz school is over and it's summertime!!!!!! I'm looking for summer jobs to earn some bucks and I think I can update more often now.
Thanks again to those who reviewed the previous chap: Line-from-Denmark (oh, thanks for reviewing again!), RussellGrl15 (I'll read your stories too!), CountessKathleen (thanks for reviewing again, and for the corrections^^), Marauder Angel (oh, thanks a million!), Dark Queen of Roses (I'm quite thankful for the love potion though coz I managed to make a story^^… I really love you gurl!) and airhead14 (thanks again, and I'm starting to love you too!^^)
DISCLAIMER: I own a pen. I own a paper. I own books. I own a DVD. But, what the heck, WHY IS IT THAT I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER?!?! JK Rowling does though….*sobs*
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I, ME, MY LOVE POTION EGGS!
Chapter IV: Sneaking Opportunities
Harry and Ron waited for Hermione in the common room before going down to breakfast. Ron was still in a bad mood because of last night's events. They had been waiting for fifteen minutes but there was still no sign of Hermione. They saw Ginny coming down and asked her where Hermione was.
"Oh, she went ahead. Lavender said she woke up early. She's already on the Great Hall."
"I see, Ron we should go down now, I'm starvi-, hey Ron!" Ron suddenly looked alert. Harry and Ginny looked at him.
"What happened to you Ron?" Ginny asked.
"Don't you see? She's trying to meet that git without us knowing! C'mon, we should get there before she does anything stupid!" He hurried out of the portrait hole and ran to the Great Hall. Harry didn't understand what Ron was saying but he followed. Ginny caught up with them.
"Ron you're overreacting! She just wanted an early breakfa-" but she stopped when she caught sight of something weird. They all came into a halt – their expressions stunned.
Ginny turned to her brother and Harry to check if they were also seeing what she was seeing. The two were also staring at the scene – Hermione was talking to Malfoy meekly. Her hair was braided and she was shyly staring at her shoes while talking sweetly to Malfoy who, on the other hand, was studying her. He looked confounded.
Hermione and Malfoy were starting to draw attention and students buzzed at their neighbors about Hermione's weird behavior. Ron, however, seemed to come to his senses and dragged Hermione unceremoniously out of Malfoy's sight. Harry and Ginny ran to Ron and helped him in pulling Hermione to the Gryffindor table. It was hard work to make Hermione sit with them. She was looking at them furiously as if they just did something incredulous.
"What do you think you're doing?!" she cried when Ron forced her to sit between him and Harry.
"We're going to ask you the same thing!" Ron snarled, "what do you think you're doing with that prat?!"
"Would you stop insulting him Ron!?" Hermione shrieked.
"Quit it!" Harry yelled. Hermione and Ron fell silent. "Hermione you don't realize what you're doing. It's better if you'll stop coming to Malfoy," Hermione opened her mouth to argue but Harry stopped her. "Listen, Malfoy is our enemy. He will harm you, I'm sure!"
Hermione ignored him and turned to her porridge instead. Ginny watched her worriedly. Ron ate angrily while Harry watched Malfoy from his seat. He was talking to his Slytherin friends and casting occasional glances at their table. He was sure that they were talking about Hermione.
"You must see Professor Flitwick quickly," Ginny told Ron, "we can't leave her like this."
"What are you telling him anyway?" Ron asked Hermione who was taken aback by his sudden interrogation.
"None of your business," she scowled.
"Don't tell me you planned to ambush him!" Ron accused and Hermione's cheeks turned pink.
"I didn't ambush him, I just wanted to talk to him! And you came pulling me out before I could tell him anything!"
"Why? Disappointed you weren't able to ask him to go out with you?!" Ron roared. Hermione turned redder and fell silent – it seemed like Ron hit the spot. Harry and Ginny watched Hermione, understanding that that was what she wanted to tell Malfoy. Ron, who just realized what happened, stared at Hermione, his mouth hanging open.
"Y-you, you are no-, y-you…"
"Yes, I was about to ask him that. So what?!" Hermione said quickly, her ears turning pink and her eyes not meeting Ron's.
"SO WHAT?!?" Ron bellowed and everybody was starting to watch them, "YOU'RE REALLY GETTING CRAZY ARE YOU!?"
"I don't know why you're acting like that Ron but I will not let you insult me - nor him," she glanced at the Slytherin table and glared at Ron before leaving the Great Hall. Ron glowered at her retreating figure and left too. Harry followed suit.
"Be easy on her, Ron," Harry said, "it's tiring to hear you two bickering all the time! It's not her fault that she's acting like that!"
"Can you believe it!?" Ron shouted, ignoring what Harry said, "She's actually asking Malfoy out! Good thing we were there, or else she made a fool of herself in front of that bloke!"
"I know that that's a close one. We should talk to Professor Flitwick now." He and Ron waited for Professor Flitwick outside the Great Hall. Their wait didn't last long because Professor Flitwick was already walking to their direction.
"Professor, do you have a minute?" asked Harry. Flitwick seemed to know what was their business and joined them.
"What is it Mr. Potter?"
"Sir, it's about that egg," Harry started, "can you do anything about it?"
"I told you there's no antidote."
"But Sir, there's got to be!" Ron demanded. "We can't leave Hermione like that forever!"
Flitwick smiled at Ron. Harry got the impression that their professor was not taking them seriously. Of course, he didn't really care about the effect because it was not really lethal. Hermione was in perfect health, though Harry believed that falling for Malfoy was more dangerous than any other disease. They would squeeze Professor Flitwick for information if they have to – literally or figuratively.
"Boys, you don't have to worry. Ms. Granger only ate a small part of it. Very small indeed. And you have to take the entire egg to get the desired effect. So it means that the effect on Ms. Granger will wear off soon."
"Meaning she'll soon come back to herself?" Ron asked, his eyes shining.
"Absolutely," Professor Flitwick assured.
"But how long will it take?" asked Harry.
"I don't know myself. You have to calculate the amount she took and relate it to the time. You should ask Professor Snape since he got the uneaten part," Professor Flitwick explained. Harry didn't like the idea of asking Snape for information.
"Could you at least, er, give us an estimation?"
"Well, I suppose it could last for weeks, even months. But it'll certainly not last for a year," Flitwick said, "I was about to explain it to you yesterday but you two dashed out of the room," and he waved goodbye to the boys and went to his lesson.
"Now that's lucky," Harry sighed.
"Yeah, at least it's not forever," Ron nodded. He and Harry went down to the dungeons for their double Potions. "All we have to do is stop Hermione in every way we can."
"I think it will be hard though," Harry whispered worriedly. Harry stood rooted on his spot. Ron wondered what made Harry stop but what he saw made his eyes grew wide.Harry Hermione was marching to Malfoy's direction, holding a pink envelope sealed with a heart sticker. She was blushing as she approached the Slytherin's line.
"Hermione!" Ron ran and stopped her just in time. "And what are you going to do this time?!" he hissed.
"Hermione we're supposed to be with the Gryffindors, not with the Slytherins. Have you forgotten?" Harry murmured.
"Of course I don't!" Hermione barked. "I just wanted to give him… something…" she turned pink again and avoided her bestfriends' eyes. Ron shook his head incredulously. Harry took a deep breath before he started. "Hermione, that can wait, can't it. And please, don't do anything without us around!"
"Oh yeah, so I can do nothing! You're always dragging me out!" Hermione cried.
"Hermione aren't you listening to anything we're saying?!" Ron hissed angrily. "Malfoy is our enemy! You don't know how stupid you're acting now! He's dangerous, he will not take you seriously, get it!?"
Before Hermione could argue back Snape came out and commanded them to come in. He looked at Harry's direction and gave him the vicious glare he only saved for him. Harry tried to look innocent because he had a sneaking suspicion that Snape wanted to take points from him – even if he didn't do anything. He told Ron and Hermione to shut up and they came in and headed for their usual seats at the back.
"Settle down, settle down," said Snape as the Slytherins started filling in. "Today you are going to make a Discernment Potion. The ingredients-" the list of the ingredients appeared on the blackboard, "and the procedure," the steps appeared on the blackboard too.
"You'll have to do it by pairs. No, no" Snape smiled maliciously at Harry, Ron and Hermione who were already pairing themselves, "we must separate the 'Dream Teams'" Snape's smile grew wider and Malfoy sniggered loudly, "I'll assign the pairings. You will test the potion you made at your partner. Those who don't have the brain to do it properly will receive detention," he glanced at Neville who trembled slightly. "Potter, you'll be with Goyle. Weasley will be with Crabbe. And you Granger with Malfoy. Finnigan on with Bulstrode-" Snape ranted the pairings and the students started to move. Harry and Ron, however, didn't move. They looked at Hermione worriedly who was gazing at Malfoy's direction dreamily. Snape saw them and started twitching his lips.
"What's holding you now, you three," Snape said, "start getting a move or I'll take points from you for being lazy brat-"
"Professor, if you please," Ron stood up, "could I swap partners with Hermione?" Snape raised his brows and Hermione glared at him.
"Weasley I am the teacher here and I don't grant stupid requests. Now, MOVE!"
"Granger I will not move there. You should be the one moving here," Malfoy sneered. Hermione blushed whilst Harry and Ron glared at Malfoy. Hemione walked into Malfoy's table shyly with her lips smiling slightly. Malfoy, however, didn't notice her strange behavior.
"Trust Snape to mess things up," Harry hissed to Ron before moving to Crabbe's and Goyle's tables, which happen to be near at Malfoy's and Hermione's.
"You don't mind getting the ingredients, do you, Granger?" Malfoy growled. But to his surprise, Hermione nodded and beamed at him. He watched her ran to the ingredients cupboard with confusion on his face. Hermione came back in a minute.
"Here," Hermione said with a voice not hers. Malfoy looked at her suspiciously, thinking that Hermione was just pulling his leg.
"You're unnaturally shy now, you know," Malfoy remarked bitterly and Hermione's ears turned red.
"R-really?" Hermione asked sheepishly. "D-don't mind it. We should start doing the potion. I will do yours too… if you like," and with that her whole face turned crimson. Malfoy raised his brows, not really believing any of Hermione's words.
"Do you know what's this potion's for?" Malfoy asked.
"Yeah. It is used to distinguish the real emotion of the drinker. It's like the Truth serum, but it's the emotions that you will get, not facts," she responded in a tone like she was answering a teacher's question.
"Right. And I think we should do this faster. I wanted to know what's the reason to your weird behavior," Malfoy murmured threateningly.
"D-did I do anything wrong?" Hermione asked innocently.
"We'll answer that question later, Mudblood. I'm not really sure what you and Potter are playing at," he snapped, "Talking to me at the Great Hall this morning… and I saw you approaching me before we came in. I smell something fishy about it y'know. But you'll tell me everything later," Malfoy glared at Hermione and started working.
"By the way," Malfoy looked up, Hermione listened to him attentively, "your hair doesn't suit you; you look like a slug."
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