A/N- Here we are again. I won't bother blabbing, just give it a read and tell me what you think. Thank you for coming this far without yelling or cyber punching me.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE- Lavender's questions.
Praying silently that this would be as easy as he hoped, Draco opened the door to the Transfiguration classroom and walked in with his cauldron under his arm and his books sitting inside it on the top layer. He moved quickly, hoping to seat himself next to Pansy before McGonagall turned around. It seemed luck wasn't in his favor.
"Mr. Malfoy. What on earth are you doing with that in my classroom?" McGonagall demanded, causing the students who had already arrived to turn in their seats and stare. Hermione was among them. She bit her lip in apprehension.
"I was just using it, when I remembered I had to get to class." he lied, knowing it sounded as stupid to her as it did to him.
"So, why didn't you leave it where you were, and come to class?" She asked, pursing her lips.
"I didn't think of that." Draco tried.
"Yes well, that much was obvious, Mr. Malfoy." She sighed, as if lecturing such a student would be useless. "Put it on the ground next to your desk. Don't let it distract you."
Draco nodded, amazed that it had been so easy. He placed it next to the table, and sat down next to Pansy. Hermione's table was directly in front of his. He would have to make sure he didn't watch her. Pansy turned to him with a smile.
"Hey Draco. I see you've brought your favorite cauldron to class. Worrying, to think you can't even part with it for an hour." She teased him.
"Well, you know we don't like to be apart, Pansy." Draco told her. "Cauldie doesn't like to be left alone."
Pansy laughed, and Draco could have sworn a small chuckle came from Hermione, though she kept herself facing the front. The class started and Draco paid as much attention as he could, though he continued to check his watch every few minutes. Finally two thirty came. Draco had the small lavender colored leaves in his pocket. He just had to open the 'trapdoor' and get them in there without anyone's noticing.
He cleared his throat, now worried that Professor McGonagall would turn him into something nasty if she caught him making potions in her class. Suddenly, Hermione stood up and walked to the front of the class. McGonagall looked at her in surprise, because it seemed Hermione was going to ask a question, and Hermione didn't need to ask questions, because she knew everything already.
"Yes, Miss Granger?"
Hermione moved so she was standing directly in front of McGonagall's desk, blocking her view of the class. Draco smiled at her idea, and 'accidentally' knocked his quill off his desk and into the cauldron. Cursing softly under his breath for the benefit of Pansy, he reached down into the cauldron with a hand he had just extracted from the pocket of his robe.
Moving quickly, Draco opened up the base and dumped the leaves into the now liquefied Droysline roots. It was a thick liquid, but a liquid all the same. Draco then grabbed his dropped quill and used the end of it to stir the leaves in. He closed the trapdoor with a small snap, and sat up in his seat with the quill in his hand.
Pansy looked at him with a small quirk in the corner of her mouth and a raised eyebrow. "That took a while. Was it playing hide and seek?"
Draco glared at her. "Shut up. It kept rolling around, wouldn't keep still."
"Ah, yes. Quills and their nasty rolling habits." She said with a smile, then turned back to her work.
Draco glanced up to find Hermione casually looking over her shoulder. She made eye contact with him and he nodded very slightly. She turned back to where McGonagall was half way through explaining something to her.
"Oh right." She interrupted. "Now I get it. Thanks Professor." Hermione walked back to her seat, ignoring the peculiar look on McGonagall's face, and winking at Draco, though her face remained impassive.
When class was over, Draco lugged his cauldron down to the Slytherin common room and up to his dorm. He placed it beside his bed, as he was unable to shrink it while a potion was brewing or it may affect the potion. Standing next to it for a few minutes, he thought about what to do. He hadn't seen Hermione alone since Sunday, if he excluded the few minutes in Herbology the day before.
The cabin wouldn't be a bad place to head, perhaps Hermione would have the same idea. Listening for a few seconds to make sure Crabbe and Goyle weren't coming down the hall, Draco touched his amulet and pictured the cabin. Feeling his feet lift off the ground, Draco opened his eyes to find the cabin appearing around him. He sat on the couch and waited.
An hour can pass very slowly when someone doesn't have anything to do. Draco found himself tapping his fingers on the couch, staring dazed out the window and reading some of the books of magical history that were kept on the bookshelf. Finally he stood up and walked outside and in to the clearing. The sun was still shining, though it was moving steadily towards the horizon.
He removed his shoes, rolled his pants up and walked into the water a little. As he thought about taking his robe off and going for a real swim, he heard a voice behind him.
"You'll get cold feet. That water has a bad habit of being icy."
Draco turned with a smile to see Hermione standing on the shore close by, watching him. He said, "Then you'll just have to buy me some wooly socks." He moved out of the water and rolled his pants back down again. After he slipped his shoes back on, he leaned over and kissed Hermione warmly.
"I thought you might be here." She said, taking his hand and walking back to the cabin.
"Then why didn't you come sooner? I've been hanging around for ages hoping you were going to come." Draco told her, opening the door for her, and stepping aside so she could go in first.
Hermione smiled at him. Once they were seated on the couch with Draco's arm around Hermione's shoulders, she asked him about earlier that day. "Did you get the next ingredient in the potion?"
"Thanks to you." Draco said. "I was worried McGonagall would notice and throw me out or show me the wonders of living as a toad, but you covered that for me."
"No problem. She was a bit confused as to why I asked her a question about poltergeists in Transfiguration, but it was all I could think of on the spot." Hermione confessed.
They didn't have much to say, and were content to just sit together. They asked each other a few small questions. "How is your spell writing going?" Draco asked Hermione, referring to the spell they would say in their final meeting with Voldemort.
"Good. I'm nearly finished. I'm just trying to find a way to finish it off." She said. "I hope its good enough."
"It will be."
A few minutes of silence later, Hermione looked up at him, "When do you next add something to the Weakness potion?"
"Saturday morning. It's the last ingredient."
"There are only three ingredients?" Hermione asked incredulously. "That can hardly work."
"Do you doubt my potion making skills?" Draco asked her, raising his eyebrows.
"No. But three? Why so little?"
"I could probably make it out of only Droysline roots, because it's so strong. But I needed to make sure Credere could stay in control long enough. It'll weaken her too, you know."
"I know." Hermione said sadly. "I hope she manages. We're relying on her so much."
Draco squeezed her shoulder. "She'll be fine. You have to hand it to her, that animal has a lot of determination." Hermione nodded, but didn't say anything.
Hermione looked at her watch a while later, and made to stand up. "I'm going to go to dinner now, I think. Then I'll have a long shower and an early night. I can't wait."
Draco tried to keep his mischievous grin off his face. "I can't wait either. Have a good one." He kissed her on the cheek, and noticed she was frowning at him. "Off you go then, love." He said, hoping to avoid being warned to not 'visit' her in the bathroom.
She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, but didn't say anything. After a moment she was gone. Draco's grin widened, then he used his amulet to get back to the castle and get down to dinner to keep an eye on Hermione's progress.
***
Hermione yawned hugely and stood up. Ron and Harry glanced up at her, and Harry said, "You tired, Hermione?" She nodded sleepily and told them that she was going to have a shower and go to bed.
"Ok, Hermione." Ron said, turning back to his dessert. "Have a good sleep."
She nodded again, and walked out of the Great Hall, unaware of Draco's gray eyes following her every step. When she got to her empty dorm, she grabbed her pajamas from under her pillow, and made her way into the bathroom.
Turning the water on, Hermione stripped her clothes off and stepped in, enjoying the warm water on her skin. She definitely needed to make more time for showers in her days. After washing her hair, she regretfully turned the water off and stepped out, wrapping a towel around herself.
As she was reaching for her clothes, she felt unexpectedly ill. Swaying slightly on the spot, Hermione grabbed the corner of the vanity to keep her balance. Hermione felt like retching, but kept her mouth firmly closed. Deciding to get to bed quickly, she removed her towel, glanced at her reflection briefly in the mirror and resolved her stomach looked bloated, then reached for her pajamas.
She was just about to pull her pants on, when she heard something that made her freeze.
'Oh crap.'
A thought slowly occurred to Hermione, and she realized why she felt so sick. A frown crossed her face and she turned away from the mirror abruptly. Pulling her pajamas on, she faced the mirror once more and looked into her eyes, knowing that she was looking into another set as she did so.
'Draco Malfoy, what do you think you are doing?' she demanded inside her head.
'Uh…nothing much.' He replied uncertainly. 'What's up?'
'Nothing much? Draco, you've appeared inside me. I thought we learnt about this when it happened in the Room of Requirement.' She snapped at him. 'You thought about my mind, didn't you?'
'Yes. I didn't mean to though.' He said softly in her mind. 'I forgot not to.'
'This also means that you were thinking about me. I told you not to come when I was having a shower. You know I didn't mean to when it happened the other day. I can't believe you!'
And as it happened last time, they could hear each other's thoughts. Draco began thinking quickly. 'Bugger. Now I've done it. I didn't intend on blotching this up. Just wanted to surprise her, that's all. She thinks I'm some kind of pervert now. Good job Draco. Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting the Biggest Dumb Ass of the Year. Tickets are free, line up now…Hey, I got to see Hermione nude without her knowing it. Her stomach didn't look bloated to me. Girls are so critical of themselves.'
'Draco.' Hermione interrupted. 'Shut up, will you? I'm trying to remember what we did last time to get out of this. Do you remember?'
Draco was suddenly aware of the fact that Hermione could hear what he was thinking. A bit of a dangerous situation, but he tried to think about the question. 'Didn't we just use the amulet, and at the point of disorientation, the other person thought of a different spot and pulled away?'
Hermione thought to him, 'Oh right, now I remember. We'll have to do that then.' But her private thoughts continued. 'I feel so sick, this is awful. Great, he saw my reflection in the mirror, which is kind of embarrassing. But he doesn't think I look bloated, that nice of him, I suppose. Now let's get this done…'You ready Draco?'
'Sure am.' He said. Hermione reached up to grab her amulet and pictured the spot by the door to the bathroom. She concentrated, and they felt their feet lift off the ground. At the point where the ceiling could have been anywhere, as could the ground, Draco pictured a different point in his mind and pulled away from Hermione.
Hermione appeared by the door, and suddenly felt better. She glanced around the bathroom, but couldn't see Draco. She had thought that he would have appeared somewhere in here, but obviously he thought it wise to go back to his dorm. She turned to go, then heard a sound from behind her.
Looking over her shoulder, she saw the shower door open and Draco stepped out looking a bit damp. "You left the shower dripping." He scolded her, glaring slightly.
Hermione laughed at him. "You can be such a prat sometimes."
He shrugged. "I've been told it's in my genes. You know, along with extreme sex appeal and a gorgeous smile."
"Of course it is." She patted him on the arm. He moved forward and wrapped her up in his arms, kissing her long and deep. When they broke apart, they kept their mouths close together, just enough so they could talk. Hermione whispered, "You said you wouldn't try find me when I was in the bathroom."
"I said nothing of the sort. You just trusted me too much." He replied gently.
She pulled back a bit and looked him in the eye. "Trusted you too much? Do you think I should stop trusting you?"
He shook his head and pulled her back towards him. "No at all. I'm sorry, I meant no harm by it. Do you forgive me, my beautiful, not bloated girlfriend?" he pouted, sticking his bottom lip out so it brushed against Hermione's.
She laughed at him, a sign of forgiveness in its self, then froze. Outside the door came Parvarti's voice, "Hermione, are you in there? I really need to use the toilet!"
Hermione and Draco broke apart, and Draco grabbed his amulet quickly. He smiled at her and disappeared within seconds. None too soon. The door burst open and Pavarti rushed in. She saw Hermione, and stopped, though she began bouncing on the spot.
"Oh, you are in here. Sorry" Her eyes darted to the toilet in the corner. "Do you mind if I hurried you along."
Hermione couldn't help smiling at her, and said, "Not at all. You go ahead." as she grabbed her dirty clothes and walked out of the bathroom. Pavarti closed the door behind her with a snap, and Hermione made her way over to her bed.
Lavender looked over at her from where she sat on the edge of her bed. "Hermione. Can I ask you a question?"
That's a dangerous opening line, Hermione thought dryly, but she said, "Sure. Go ahead." She pulled a hairbrush out of the trunk at the end of her bed, and began to brush her damp hair as she seated herself, facing Lavender.
"Well, I was just wondering about something." Lavender began.
"What? Do you need help with homework or something?" Hermione offered, grimacing when her hairbrush caught a tangle.
"No, no." Lavender laughed. "It's to do with Draco…" she left it hanging, waiting to see by Hermione's reaction whether she should continue. Hermione just raised her eyebrows and continued brushing her hair.
Lavender looked at Hermione closely. "Do you still like him?"
Hermione sat up straight in shock of the question. What was it with people asking her that? Was she so transparent? "Why do you ask that?" she asked carefully, trying not to give the answer away by her facial expression. Keep it calm, she told herself. That's what Draco does.
Lavender cleared her throat, and looked at the ground. "Well, you weren't going out for very long, so you can't have formed much of a bond. I mean, it was a disaster of a relationship, wasn't it?"
Hermione frowned. That wasn't what she was expecting. "Sorry?" she paused. "What are you getting at?"
Lavender looked at Hermione apprehensively. "Do you mind if I ask him out?"
That was almost too much for Hermione. She dropped her hairbrush off the side of the bed in shock, and leaned down to pick it up, allowing her hair to cover her laughing face. She tried desperately to keep her laughter silent, but a few little squeaks were the result of that. Hermione heard the bathroom door open and Parvarti walked out.
"Hermione, what are you doing down there?" she asked, in some concern.
"I think she's crying." Lavender said softly. "I asked her about Draco…"
"Oh, that." Parvarti said, sitting down next to Hermione, who was desperately trying to gain control. "Hermione, it's all right. Lavender won't ask him out if you don't want her to."
Taking a steadying breath, Hermione sat up with a calm face, but laughter hiding inside, dying to escape. "It's not that. I just didn't expect Lavender to ask that."
"So you wouldn't mind?" Lavender asked nervously.
"No." Hermione replied, not knowing how to avoid this without hurting Lavender's feelings. "But, why do you think he'd say yes? Not to be rude or anything. But, has he paid you special attention or something?"
"Well, no." she answered. "But he never paid you any special attention, and he still went out with you. I know it's a Gryffindor/ Slytherin relationship. But he did go out with you, and you're the most Gryffindor one of us all, friends with Harry and everything. Sure it was only for a few days, but all the same. That's all I'd need."
"All you'd need for what?" Hermione asked, suddenly feeling herself getting angry. Keep calm. Think about Draco. Breathe in, breath out.
"You know…" Lavender said, raising her eyebrows and smiling mischievously.
"How did you arrive at that conclusion?" Hermione questioned, now frowning.
"I took the train." Lavender said seriously. Then she smiled, and said "Well, he just looks like the kind of guy that would only need a little bit of encouragement before…" Parvarti giggled and Hermione tried not to gag.
"You've obviously been looking at him from the wrong direction then." Hermione snapped. "Draco doesn't date lightly. I don't think he'd go out with you."
Lavender looked hurt, but determined to sort this out, resulting in her favor. "It's not for you to decide. Draco will. I'm just as attractive as you, maybe more so. I don't see any reason why he'd go out with you and not me."
"Not everything's about looks, Lavender." Hermione said.
"Not to you maybe, but I'm sure Draco appreciates a looker when one's offered."
Hermione concluded that this was a funny situation, not one requiring her to be angry or jealous. She sighed and thought that the only way to get this sorted was to let Lavender see that she was wrong. "You know what? I'm being selfish, not letting you have a try. Ask him, Lavender. I mean, you never know your luck. Maybe it'll work between you."
Lavender smiled in relief. "I knew you'd see it my way, Hermione. I'm sorry if this hurts you, but you know how sexy he is."
"So does he." Hermione muttered under her breath. "Thanks Lavender. Good luck." She smiled, said goodnight and pulled the bed curtain closed. Only then did she laugh into her pillow, imagining the look on Draco's face when she warned him about this tomorrow.
***
Thursday's classes went by slowly for Hermione, as she was unable to get Draco alone to warn him, therefore had to wait and watch apprehensively as Lavender 'stumbled' into him outside Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. She almost fell over right in front of Draco, an overused ploy, Hermione thought, to get his attention.
Draco glanced up when she bumped into him, slightly startled and Pansy narrowed her eyes curiously at Lavender. Obviously without thinking clearly, Draco reached out a hand to grab Lavender's arm to steady her. Going out with me is definitely making him soft, Hermione thought, working to keep the smile off her face as Lavender began shamelessly flirting with him.
Draco's mouth curved in to a smirk and he shot an incredulous glance at Pansy, who was biting her lip to stop the smile. Lavender didn't seem to notice, just touched his arm gently in thanks and moved away with an obvious sway to her hips.
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief that Lavender hadn't asked him out then. It would give her the chance to warn him about it, she'd just have to get him to go to the cabin. Damn, she thought, we need a 'visiting the cabin' schedule or something.
DADA went without event and after an evening of homework with Harry and Ron, Hermione made her way down to the Great Hall for dinner. There, she sat with Lavender and Parvarti, who were unsurprisingly talking about Draco.
"He was so sweet." Parvarti said. "He caught you without needing to think about it."
"I know." Lavender sighed happily. "I wonder if he has a secret crush on me, and that was a rare chance to touch me that he wasn't going to pass up."
"Or maybe," Hermione put in as she sat down and began dishing up her plate. "He caught you because you ran into him, and it was a reflex to stop you falling over. Personally Lavender, I don't think he even knew who you were. Maybe you should just let this go."
"No. I'll have to make him know who I am." She replied confidently.
Hermione smiled with raised eyebrows. "Or you could do that."
Hermione ate her dinner in silence, not trusting herself to speak in such a conversation. She would definitely hurt Lavender's feelings if she said too much more, so she bit her lip and ate her chicken. As she was finishing up, Ron and Harry joined her.
"Hey Hermione." Harry said. She smiled at them, and Ron looked at her empty plate.
"You finished already?" he asked her. She glanced over at the Slytherin table quickly and noticed a white haired guy standing up and moving towards the door.
She nodded and stood up. "Just leaving actually. I'll probably see you later on. Bye guys."
They said goodbye and turned to the food in front of them, and she walked quickly out of the hall. Spotting Draco moving across the Entrance Hall toward the stairs to the dungeons, she thought quickly of a way to get his attention. The problem was, Pansy was walking next to him.
She moved quickly over to them as they were passing a large staircase that lead up into the castle. She cleared her throat, and Pansy turned around at the noise. Draco obviously hadn't heard it. Pansy frowned at Hermione, not unfriendly, just sort of confused.
She poked Draco on the shoulder at pointed back at Hermione, who was now pretending to do up her shoelace. He glanced over his shoulder, and met eyes with Hermione. He smiled slightly but stopped when he noticed Pansy watching him.
"What?" he asked Pansy, as if wondering why she had pointed Hermione out to him.
Pansy smiled at him, and answered cryptically, "I'm not stupid."
"I never said you were." He answered.
She shook her head in disbelief, and faced Draco. "I'm going to the common room. Whether you come with me, or go...somewhere else, is up to you. I assume however, that I'll see you later." With that, she turned on her heel and walked down to the dungeons.
Draco looked after her, then turned back to Hermione who was now standing up and smiling at him. He frowned and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
"I need to tell you something." She grabbed his wrist and led him up the stairs quickly, making sure no one was watching in the process. When they reached a corridor that was empty, Hermione wrapped her fingers around her amulet and closed her eyes. Draco raised an eyebrow at her, wondering what could be so important.
A few seconds later they had appeared inside the cabin. Draco looked around and noticed that they were backed up against the door. Hermione opened her eyes and frowned when she saw how close she had been to making them appear inside the door. Draco raised his eyebrows at her, then cast a glance at the heavy piece of wood beside them.
"I'm a bit distracted, that's all." She said, leading him to the couch. "Wasn't concentrating properly."
"I see. What's this about?" he asked, sitting down next to her.
Hermione bit her lip to stop herself from smiling. "Well, last night I was asked by Lavender if," she laughed quietly, "If she could have my permission to ask you out."
Draco stared at her without expression. After a few moments he blinked. "Sorry?"
"Lavender wants to ask you out, believing that if you've gone out with one Gryffindor then you wouldn't have a problem going out with another. She'll probably try tomorrow. This is just a warning, to tell you that she is very determined and I doubt she'll believe you when you say no."
Draco looked over his shoulder as if expecting to find Lavender standing there. When he turned back around, Hermione noticed a sly smile spread across his face. "Lavender, you say. She's the hot one, isn't she? Chestnut hair falling down her back, hazel eyes, white teeth, pale complexion, perfect figure and a sultry gaze?"
Now it was Hermione's turn to stare. "Shit Draco. You make her sound like a goddess."
"Just a lonely man's observation." He said.
"Lonely? Do I have a tendency to turn into a hippo, waddle off and leave you alone?" Hermione asked, prodding him in the stomach.
"Yes, hippo woman. And it drives me crazy." Draco said with feigned frustration.
"Hippo woman. That's a pet name I never thought I'd hear." Hermione commented dryly.
Draco smiled, "And its here to stay." He cleared his throat and shook his head. "Anyway, Lavender. She's the brunette right?"
Hermione nodded. "The one who fell for you today. She was very excited that you caught her."
Frowning, Draco said, "That was Lavender? Oh, right." He paused. "What was I supposed to do, let her fall over? That's not very gentleman-like."
"Since when have you ever acted gentleman-like?" Hermione asked. "I swear, I have been influencing you without your notice."
"Awful, isn't it?" he commented, then he thought about the problem with Lavender. "So what am I supposed to do about this?"
Hermione frowned at him. "You could always say no."
Draco rolled his eyes at her. "Duh. I meant, how. Maybe I could just avoid her."
Hermione smiled. "I doubt that would work. We do have classes together, and she's very determined."
"Bugger her."
"I don't think she would appreciate that line." Hermione informed him.
"I don't care what she appreciates." Draco said firmly. "She has no place with me. There's only room for you in my arms."
Hermione smiled at him. "You're so romantic."
"Why thanks, babe." He ran a hand through his hair and smirked at her. "You're not too bad yourself. Especially nude in front of a mirror."
Hermione suddenly whacked him on the arm, and blushed slightly at the incident the night before. "Draco! That completely ruined the moment."
"Sorry." He grinned, then as his arm snaked around her waist his tone went serious. "Tell me, had it been a week yet?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "Since when?"
"Since you got your…" he struggled, determined not to say anything in exact terms. "Since you became uncomfortable doing certain things…with me."
Hermione blushed slightly, catching his drift. "Not as yet, Draco. Sorry." She kissed him when he slumped slightly. "Kissing will have to do for you. Now, what will you say to Lavender?"
"I'm not known for being nice. I'll just say 'no'. Surely that'll be enough for her." Draco said, and at that moment he truly believed it.
Hermione thought for a second. "I doubt it. I hate to be rude about one of my friends, but when she has her mind set she doesn't take no for an answer."
"She'll have to learn to. There's no choice in the matter."
"Make sure you don't look at me, when she asks you." Hermione told him.
"Why not?" Draco asked her curiously.
"I'll be laughing so hard, I'm sure it'll be distracting." She told him, her voice quaking with premature laughter.
"That's not helpful. I mean, she's your friend. That makes this your fault. You could have talked her out of this." Draco said, clearly not impressed.
"Actually no, I couldn't have. I tried, but she wouldn't accept that fact that you might say no."
"Why not?"
"She said that if you went out with me, then there's no way you wouldn't go out with her. She's quite sure of herself, that one." Hermione said lightly, but curious to see what Draco would say to that.
Draco looked a bit angry. "How dare she say that!" Hermione was pleased with this reaction, until he added, "I'd pick brains over beauty any day."
She didn't respond immediately. She narrowed her eyes dangerously then said quietly, "So you're saying she's more attractive than me?"
Draco started at this, then realized the mess he'd just got himself into. "Oh. I fucked that one up didn't I?"
Hermione nodded with an eyebrow raised.
"Well," Draco began. "That's not what I meant. You know I think you're the most beautiful creature I've ever seen. And the smartest. So don't be stupid and start acting like those girls who take every unintended comment and turn it around so it's insulting."
Hermione now wore a shameful smile. "So now you're calling me stupid? For heaven's sake Draco, make up your mind."
"All right. You are intelligent and beautiful, but are clearly trying to avoid helping me out here. I mean, sure I appreciate the warning so at least I won't scream or laugh in her face, but give me some advice."
"Just say 'no, sorry.' And leave it at that."
Draco sighed. "Fine. But don't expect me to be nice and tiptoe around her 'personal feelings' just because she's your friend."
"I don't expect that." She told him. "The only thing I expect is that you don't say yes."
"But she's so hot…"
"Draco, don't start that again." Hermione reprimanded him.
"Anything you say." Draco said, kissing her on the cheek.
"Naturally." She sighed, and rested her head on his shoulder. Draco just shook his head in disappointment.
"Hermione, Hermione. That's something I'd say. Then you'd comment on my large ego. I think I'm starting to rub off on you."
Hermione smiled and rolled her eyes slightly. "Heaven forbid."
Draco raised an eyebrow. "That's not to say you're not rubbing off on me, though. I looked in the mirror last night and noticed I was definitely a bit bloated around the middle."
Hermione laughed and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I love you."
"And I love you, my bloated witch."
***
Hermione found herself more then amused through classes on Friday. Lavender certainly doesn't have much subtlety, she concluded. In Potions, she worked on a bench opposite Draco's, and 'accidentally' dropped her ingredients at least five times so she had to bend over to pick them up.
When she brushed her Glowing Oak bark on to the floor for a sixth time, Draco decided that was enough. He reached down and grabbed it for her, and when he handed it across to her, he said "Stop being so clumsy."
She giggled and said, "I can be silly sometimes, but today I'm finding something too distracting for me to concentrate." She gave him a direct stare, then lowered her eyelashes. Draco turned to Pansy with a smirk, then pointed a finger inside his mouth in a gagging motion.
Pansy laughed and rolled her eyes in agreement. Hermione laughed from the other side of the room, receiving an odd look from Ron, but she stopped laughing when Pansy glanced over at her. Pansy raised her eyebrows at her and smiled faintly, then turned back to her work.
In Transfiguration, Lavender sat as close to Draco as she could, and asked Professor McGonagall many questions, hoping to sound smart and interested, but ended up portraying the fact that she hadn't listened the class before. When Lavender tried the done-to-death dropping her quill off the side of her table, Draco cast her a look of concern.
"Excuse me, but have you got some condition that makes you drop your belongings on the floor constantly?" This caused Pansy to laugh so hard that she had to hold her stomach, and after she claimed he gave her a cramp.
Lavender blushed faintly, not sure if this was a bad sign. "I don't think so."
"Well, you might want to look into it. Get some potions for it or something." Draco told her quite seriously.
At that moment, McGonagall turned around and noticed Lavender getting out of her seat to retrieve her quill, which had rolled forward so it was under Hermione's seat, in the row in front of them. "What are you doing, Miss Brown?"
"I just dropped my quill, Professor. Sorry." She apologized. Hermione glanced at Lavender and picked up the quill for her.
As she handed it over, she said "Quills and their nasty rolling habits."
This most definitely caused a look from Pansy, who was getting surer of her theory every passing moment. She hid her smile from Draco, and watched Lavender return to her seat. Draco kept his face impassive, so she was unable to tell if he had picked up on Hermione's comment as well.
The last class of the day, DADA with Professor Snape, proved to be a disappointment on Lavender's behalf. When they were told to get into pairs to practice their stunning spells and other hexes, Lavender moved quickly to Draco's side and smiled at him. He looked at her coolly, and didn't say anything.
Snape glanced at the pairs, and paused when he noticed Lavender next to Draco, and Draco's sour expression. Snape's mouth curved into a sneer and he said, "I think I might rearrange a few of these pairs. You have to be on the same level to compete against each other, and I don't think Miss. Brown, you would be fit to take you NEWT's in a few weeks if you were unconscious in the hospital wing.
Lavender blushed, and waited to see who she would be paired with. Snape continued, "Go back to your usual partner, Miss. Patil. And Miss. Granger, please come over here to match your skills with Mr. Malfoy's."
Hermione glanced at Lavender as she passed her, and received a look of jealousy. She reached Draco and they moved off to a corner of the classroom where they could hex each other in peace. Hermione smirked, "How are you coping with the giggling affections of the hot Miss Brown?"
"What, you mean the quill dropper? I think it's amusing." He replied raising his wand. "I don't want to hurt you, but I do at the same time."
"Try your hardest, young sir, but none can beat me." Hermione replied wickedly, and she muttered a spell under her breath, while pointing her wand at him. Draco suddenly found he couldn't move, and he fell to the floor like a frozen log.
"Ever the master of 'Pertrificus Totalus.'" She told him smoothly, removing the spell so he could stand and face her again.
"If you show no mercy, then neither shall I." He said, raising his wand quickly and shouting, "Stupefy!"
Hermione flicked her wrist and muttered a few words, which quickly deflected the spell. Draco narrowed his eyes and hit her with a jelly-legs charm. She started wobbling around, and he laughed at how stupid she looked. Without waiting for him to remove the spell, she threw an aging spell at him.
Suddenly Draco was growing long white hair and a long beard. His skin grew wrinkled and he began hunching over. He glared at her and removed the jelly-legs, and she waited a few moments before countering the aging spell.
"You look good with facial hair." She commented. "But I'd stick with stubble. It's much more attractive."
Draco smirked at her, and muttered a ditz spell towards her. Hermione began giggling and curling her hair between her fingers. She sighed and began talking about how much she loved shopping and lip-gloss. Raising his eyebrows, Draco stood back to watch a Hermione without a brain.
She began looking at other pairs and staring with admiration. "They're so cool. I wish I had a robe like Lavender's, it makes her look so pretty. Pansy has nice hair today, wouldn't you say Draco?"
When she started wondering what shade of foundation would suit Draco's complexion, he quickly reversed the spell. Hermione took a deep breath and glared at him. "That was the most evil thing you've ever made me experience. I just kept saying stupid things without being able to stop myself."
"What's new?" he asked, and ducked as she aimed her wand at him with a dangerous glint in her eye.
The class finished many spells, hexes and injuries later. Snape appeared unimpressed with the result, but he always did. The students filed out of the classroom, and began walking down the corridor. Suddenly Hermione had a feeling that Lavender wouldn't put off her question for much longer, and she turned around to find her suspicions confirmed.
Stopping on the spot, she saw not four paces behind her, Draco and Pansy staring at Lavender with equally shocked expressions. Hermione moved over to them without really thinking and stood beside Pansy who cast Hermione an odd glance but couldn't help smiling.
Lavender looked at Hermione for a brief moment, before turning her attention back to Draco. "Here she is now. Hermione Granger, your partner from today. She's so good with spells and hexes, and you deflected as least half of them." She said this as if it would be something new to Draco. Almost as if Draco didn't know who Hermione was.
"That's a exaggeration." He replied coldly. "I only stopped three of the twenty four. I don't know who you were watching, but it wasn't us."
Unaware that her statement hadn't complimented Draco, Lavender continued. "So you must be very smart. And I thought it was really sweet of you to pick up my bark in Potions this morning. I was just so distracted with…someone." She looked at him from under her lashes, to make no room for uncertainty that she meant him.
"Yeah…have you got pills for that?" he asked her bluntly, causing Pansy to laugh, and Hermione try extremely hard to keep her mirth in.
"For what?" Lavender said blankly.
"Never mind." He said, then he turned to leave with Pansy.
"Wait, Draco." Lavender said, and he turned back as if surprised that she had said his name.
"What do you want now? You haven't dropped something else, have you?" he looked down at the ground searchingly.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Didn't really give me a choice there, did you?" he replied, raising an eyebrow.
Lavender looked slightly confused, but continued with confidence, "Would you like to go out with me?"
Pansy began laughing in such mirth, that she had to lean on Hermione's shoulder for support. This didn't help Hermione at all, as she was trying to look compassionate towards Lavender when Draco answered. But then she glanced at Draco's face and couldn't hold it in anymore. His face was a mixture of amusement and shock at her question, as if he hadn't been warned of this in advance at all.
"Would I like to?" he asked, trying to make sure he understood her question properly. She nodded, and he replied, after the two girls laughing had quieted down slightly, "I don't think I would like that, no."
Lavender's face fell, but she held his eyes. "Why not? You went out with her." she pointed at Hermione, who was now leaning on Pansy in her weakened state. Draco glanced over and remembered the warning Hermione had given him the night before. 'Don't look at me, I'll be laughing so hard you'll find it distracting.' Well, he certainly found it distracting.
"So?" he asked, turning his attention back to the girl in front of him.
"Well, look at her. Not to be rude Hermione," she said towards one of the two girls who were now lying in a laughing heap on the floor, "but surely this would be considered a step up for you?"
Draco's face lost all mirth it had held, and hardened dangerously. Lavender noticed this change and realized that she had probably gone to far. "What did you say?" he demanded quietly.
Lavender swallowed, but didn't answer immediately. Hermione stopped laughing, and looked at Lavender with worry, knowing that she was too silly to realize how insulting she had just been, but knowing that Draco wouldn't have approved. Pansy also gained control and looked at Draco curiously.
"I just said that it wouldn't be a bad idea if we were to go out." Lavender tried.
"That's not what you said. You said that you were better then Hermione. Do you actually believe that?" he asked quietly. "You look at her. The smartest thing since the school was opened and surely the most beautiful. I couldn't find a single flaw with her while we were going out, yet already I've already got plenty on you."
Lavender looked at Hermione, who with Pansy's help, was getting to her feet. She frowned, and asked, "You don't still like her do you?"
Draco's face resumed his undecipherable expression. "Of course not." He snapped. "But I like you less. You have the nerve, no, the stupidity, to insult my ex-girlfriend, who I chose above all others. We have broken up, but for a time we did have respect for each other, and that doesn't just go away. I don't think I can ever respect you."
Lavender looked slightly mortified, but kept her composure. "I'll take that as a no then?"
"That would be wise." Draco responded icily, giving Pansy a glance and walking away with her directly behind him.
Lavender stood where she was, a devastated expression on her face. Hermione walked over and wrapped her arm about her shoulder comfortingly. "It's alright, Lav. There'll be others."
Lavender sniffed slightly. "But I wanted him."
"Apparently, you can't have him." Hermione reminded her firmly, beginning to lead her down the corridor to the Gryffindor common room. Hermione glanced over her shoulder at the retreating figures of Draco and Pansy. They both looked over their shoulders at the same time. Draco didn't notice Pansy watching them, and winked at Hermione. Hermione quickly turned around, so she didn't see Pansy whisper something in Draco's ear while made him shake his head in protest.
Delivering Lavender to Parvarti's arms, Hermione went and sat down on the common room couch and pulled out her Herbology homework. As she picked up her quill it slipped out of her hand, and fell to the floor. As she picked it up, she muttered, "I must get my hands on some of those pills."
***
Saturday passed uneventfully, and Sunday morning at breakfast, Hermione received an owl at breakfast. Once she unfolded the parchment, she noticed the handwriting was neat and precise. She scanned it and realized it was from Dumbledore.
'Miss Granger,
I am prepared to do the transfiguration this morning if it suits Mr. Malfoy and yourself. All is arranged and I have confidence that this will work. We will meet you at the Astronomy Tower in an hour. I have sent a message to Mr. Malfoy also, so you don't have to worry about passing this message on.
Albus Dumbledore'
Hermione glanced up and met eyes with Draco's across the hall. He held a letter in his hands also. She nodded at him and he winked in reply. They would do the animal transfiguration this morning with Credere.
Finding she couldn't concentrate on anything, even for an hour, Hermione walked up to the Astronomy Tower to sit and wait. She leaned against the banister, looking out across the forbidden forest, which could be seen for miles from a point so high up. Her mind wandered on to whether the transformation would actually work, and Hermione began doubting the plan Draco and herself had created.
"Seems I'm not the only apprehensive one." Draco voice spoke from directly behind her. Hermione jumped and spun around, to find him standing only a pace or two away.
"Why do you say that?" she asked.
"Usually you would have heard me, but it seems you were too distracted in your thoughts to pay attention to my manly footsteps approaching."
Hermione smiled and took his hand in her own. "Yes. Your footsteps are undoubtedly manly." He smirked and leaned on the banister next to her. They waited for Dumbledore in silence, taking comfort in each others touch, and after a half-hour of worrying, Hermione heard the door open.
Springing away from Draco incase it was someone they didn't want to see them together, she noticed with some relief that it was Dumbledore. He smiled at the both of them and his blue eyes were clear and confident. But he wasn't alone.
"Professor McGonagall?" Hermione said, in some shock. "What are you doing here?"
McGonagall looked between Hermione and Draco, but didn't reply instantly. Before she got the chance, Dumbledore replied, "Minerva has been kind enough to agree in assisting me today. She is, after all, the expert of the Transfiguration department. I believe even I may need a little guidance in a transformation such as this."
Hermione smiled and looked at what they held. It was very little. Dumbledore held two pieces of parchment, and his wand. McGonagall held a small vial filled with a green liquid, and her wand. Draco had also noticed what they had brought with them. "What's the potion?" he asked curiously.
"A complex concoction developed by Professor Snape for this purpose." McGonagall replied, not really answering the question at all.
"Professor Snape?" Hermione questioned Dumbledore incredulously. "Headmaster, how many of the Professors know of this? I thought it was meant to be secret."
"It is, Miss Granger. All of the Professors who know can be trusted." He told her. "It is only those whose help have been required. That's Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, Professor Sprout and obviously myself. The secret is still safe."
Hermione glanced at Draco, who was frowning. He looked back at her with question in his eyes. "What's the matter?" she asked him.
"Well," he started. "We are here. Yet, Credere is out there. How is this going to work? She can't come up to the Astronomy Tower. I mean, that's a lot of stairs for a poor Unicorn."
"Then we'll have to go to her." Hermione said simply. "The clearing."
Draco nodded and moved over to stand by McGonagall, and Hermione stood by Dumbledore. "We'll go by the lake." Draco told her, causing McGonagall to frown slightly. "You keep to the tree line."
Nodding, Hermione turned to Dumbledore who was smiling expectantly. "If you wouldn't mind, please close your eyes. This'll feel odd, and it's not uncommon to feel ill afterwards."
He obeyed her instructions, and McGonagall followed suit. Raising one hand to their amulets, and the other to hold their selective Professor's hand, Hermione and Draco smiled at each other, then disappeared from the Tower with in a few seconds.
Appearing in separate spots in the clearing, Hermione and Draco opened their eyes, let go of their teacher's hands, and moved towards each other. Dumbledore and McGonagall both looked slightly pale, dizzy and a bit confused. Draco put an arm around Hermione's shoulders and said quietly, "Wait for it. My bet's on McGonagall. She'll definitely be first."
Hermione shushed him for speaking like that about their Professors, but couldn't help agreeing with him. McGonagall blanched faintly, and she made a run for the trees. Draco grinned, muttered, "See. I told you," and watched Dumbledore follow her a few seconds later.
Hermione covered her mouth in sympathy for the two of them. Not long later, McGonagall and Dumbledore emerged from the trees, wiping their mouths on their sleeves. Hermione smiled at them apologetically, and Draco said, "The only way to travel."
"Indeed." Was McGonagall's response, as she looked around the clearing in curiosity. "I've never been this far into the forest before. Or at least not this far into the Glowing Oaks. Quite lovely." She commented, glancing at the clear lake.
"Miss Granger." Dumbledore said. "Could I ask you to find this Unicorn for us? I don't believe we can start until she is present, as we may as well get it done as soon as we can."
Hermione nodded. "Of course. Just give me a few minutes." Draco pulled his arm from her and took a few steps away from her. She grinned at him, then closed her eyes. Picturing the Unicorn in her mind, she felt the changes begin. Keeping the picture still in her mind with concentration, she soon felt herself standing on all fours, and felt the urge to run. So she did, directly into the trees across the lake.
She called to the young Unicorn, 'Credere! We are ready for you!' Hermione continued calling as she ran through the forest, enjoying the freedom of this form gave her. Soon enough, she heard a reply to her calls.
'Hermione? I am here.' Hermione turned around to find Credere standing behind her. 'Are you ready now?'
'Yes. The people who will complete the transformation are waiting in the clearing for you. I'll be there to comfort you, and so will Draco. You remember him, don't you?'
'I think so. His hair is similar to my coat in color?' Credere asked as they trotted back towards the clearing.
'Yep, that's him.' Hermione said as they emerged from the trees and walked across the lake to join the three that waited for them. 'I'm going to change back to my form now, but I'll still speak to you. Just try to stay calm. Neither of the males will hurt you, so try to be at ease with Draco being close by.'
'I will try.'
Hermione pictured herself, and less than a minute later, she was back as herself. She saw the slightly awed look on McGonagall's face as she looked at the now fully silver Unicorn standing so close to Hermione. She then looked at Hermione with pride over the fact that her top student was a successful Animagus. Credere took a few steps backwards as Draco approached slowly. Hermione laid a hand on her neck to calm her down. "It's ok. You know he won't hurt you." She murmured.
Dumbledore smiled at Hermione. "Is she ready for us to start? It will only take a few minutes, but in that time, we can't be interrupted. Minerva and I will recite a spell that needs to be said clearly and fluently. One of you must hold her, because she will feel strange, and this may cause her to run."
"You can do that." Draco told Hermione. "She prefers females, and I don't think a Unicorn horn through the chest would be all that comfortable." He paused. "Or any horn for that matter."
Hermione winced at the thought, then moved forward to wrap a comforting arm over Credere's back. McGonagall stepped forward with the potion bottle still in her hand. "Can you give her this after we've finished? It will take away any pain that she would experience when changing her form, and allow her to change into you. There is an entire cauldron full of this in the potion storeroom. You are free to collect more when you need it. The unicorn must drink it whenever she is going to change, or else the pain would probably kill her."
"I don't have to drink anything as an Animagus." Hermione said with a frown.
"Yes, but this isn't making the unicorn an Animagus. It's just giving her the ability to change her form. The potion holds a part of you, I believe it was a few strands of hair. But if she took the same potion with a part of someone else, then she would change into them."
"So," Hermione said, trying to get things clear. "The spell you're going to say is just giving her the ability to change. Whereas the potion will decide who she changes into?"
"Exactly right, Miss Granger." McGonagall replied. Then she smiled slightly. "As usual."
"Ok. So, you'll say the spell first. Then I'll get her to drink this. Then she will change. Is that right?" Hermione asked.
McGonagall nodded and moved so she was standing beside Dumbledore. They were beginning to look slightly nervous, but their faces were set, knowing they had to do this. Even if it was illegal, and had a tendency to kill the subject of transformation. They looked at each other, held the parchment with the spell written on it out in front of them, then Dumbledore said, "Keep as quiet as you can, and Credere as calm as you can."
Draco and Hermione nodded. Draco moved so he was standing on the opposite side of Credere as Hermione. She looked worried and her hand was shaking slightly were it lay on Credere's back.
"It'll be ok." Draco whispered. "They know what they're doing."
She smiled at him, then turned her attention to the wizard and witch in front of them, who had began muttering under their breaths. Neither Draco nor Hermione could understand what they were saying, possibly because they were speaking too quiet to be heard, or because the words were in a language they couldn't understand.
Credere suddenly began to tremble under Hermione's arm, and she began to speak soft words of reassurance, before she noticed Draco fiercely shaking his head at her. He mouthed, 'You're too loud.' Then his eyes glazed over. 'Let me do it.' He spoke inside Hermione's head, suddenly reminding her of his strength in the powers of the mind. 'I'll speak to her, mind to mind. I'll try take her thoughts off what she's feeling.'
Hermione silently agreed with a nod of the head. She watched Draco close his eyes, and after only a few moments, Credere stopped shaking. Hermione glanced at Dumbledore and McGonagall, who were speaking continuously under their breaths. Hermione listened hard to hear a point where they paused to draw in air, but never did.
Hermione felt Credere slump slightly, and turned back to her. Draco's eyes were still closed, as he concentrated on the world in his mind, not the world outside it. Feeling useless for the moment, Hermione waited while the spell continued, though she could tell by the way they were getting louder, it was nearly complete.
Credere began shaking again, and her legs went weak, causing her to fall to her knees. Draco's forehead creased in concentration, then he opened his eyes slowly to look at Hermione. He shook his head and mouthed, 'It's no use. She's scared shitless.'
Hermione couldn't help smiling at his choice of words, but knelt down beside the frightened Unicorn. Resting both her hands on her back, Hermione murmured in her ear. "It's ok. They're nearly finished. Then you'll be able to change your form. Just stay calm."
Looking up to Dumbledore and McGonagall, he saw them both staring at Credere, obviously on the last stretch of the spell. Their voices grew more confident, then abruptly they stopped.
Complete silence filled the clearing. Dumbledore's gaze then turned to Hermione, and he nodded at her. She pulled the stopper off the vial, and spoke to Credere, who was resolutely standing up again. "You have to drink this to make the change possible. It might taste disgusting, I don't actually know. I'll pour it down your throat. Can you tip your head back a bit?"
'Yes.' Credere raised her head with her mouth open slightly. Hermione tipped the green liquid into her mouth and Credere allowed it to run down her throat. When she lowered her head again, she said 'That was the worse water I've ever tasted. But if it was necessary.'
Hermione smiled and said, "The change will start now. It begins as soon as you've swallowed the potion. But you can change back to your Unicorn self whenever you want to. Just think about returning, and you will. Do you understand?"
'Yes.' She paused. 'It's happening now, isn't it?'
Hermione looked closely and saw her mane slowly turning brown. "Yes it is. Here's what you have to do. Staying calm is the most important thing. Breathing is probably the next important. I don't want you forgetting about that. Ignore any pain you feel though you shouldn't feel any. Don't get scared. We are all here to help you."
By the time Hermione had finished saying those few things, Credere's change was almost half-complete. Hermione looked in amazement at what looked like her stepping out of the melting body of a Unicorn. Well, technically it was her. When Credere's back legs disappeared, she began to fall backwards. Hermione and Draco moved forwards and grabbed her. Continuing to hold her upright, they waited until the change was complete, before lowering her to the ground so she was lying flat on her back.
"There." Draco said, standing up straight again. "No chance of her falling down from there. That is to say, unless we just laid her on the top of a large hole and just didn't notice."
"I believe we're safe with her there." Hermione said. Then she turned her attention back to Credere, whose face was expressionless but she was breathing heavily. Dumbledore and McGonagall quickly made their way over.
Dumbledore crouched next to Credere and looked into her eyes. "How are you feeling?"
Credere's mouth moved, but the only sound that came out was a small questioning mumble. Draco said with a frown, "I doubt she can answer you. She probably doesn't know how to speak." He paused, then said, "Hold on. I'll find out."
He closed his eyes again, and after a few moments, Credere's astonished eyes, glazed over as she concentrated on Draco's voice in her mind. When Draco opened his eyes, a massive grin spread across his face. "She said she's never felt better. The awe and excitement of the change has filled her with incredible determination to get used to this body. She's very upset that she doesn't know how to speak as an instinct. Quite upset she was when I told her we had to learn how to make intelligible sounds."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and McGonagall smiled, which was a very rare sight for the two students.
Hermione laughed in delight and grabbed Credere's hands in her own and looked into her eyes. "We will teach you to speak, don't worry. But I think teaching you to walk, or at least stand will come first. You can communicate with Draco until then. Now, you promise you're feeling all right?"
She nodded, knowing this was an affirmative reply from watching Hermione and Draco do it before. "That's wonderful." McGonagall said, clasping her hands together. "But I'll never teach students that an animal transfiguration is illegal the same again, knowing that I've performed one and it was successful."
Hermione smiled and stood up. Then she turned to Dumbledore in curiosity. "Sir, did you happen to find anything that could counteract the eternal powers of Unicorn blood?"
Dumbledore smiled and stood up. "Yes indeed, Miss Granger. An odd combination of substances if I ever saw one. There are only two, that when combined together perform this task. The first is actually sap from a Glowing Oak tree."
Draco raised his eyebrows and was impressed that one of the ingredients could be so easily accessible. Ignoring the annoying fact that the trees would no doubt scream when he forced it out of them. He listened to Dumbledore as he told Hermione the second ingredient.
"You may be surprised to learn that it is muggle detergent." Dumbledore said, still wearing a trace of his smile.
Hermione looked at him almost blankly. "Did you say detergent? What magical potency does detergent have?" she asked incredulously.
Draco had expected to have a similar reaction to Hermione, but all he felt was confusion. Scratching his head, he asked, "What's detergent?"
Dumbledore answered Hermione's question. "Glowing Oak sap contains the correct magic, and the detergent, apparently contains the correct chemicals. Odd, I know."
"Is it dangerous?" Draco queried. "I mean, is it known to have hurt someone?"
Dumbledore reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle, full of a thin greenish liquid. He handed it to Hermione, who read then label then laughed. "What is this? No Name brand? You can't expect that to work, Dumbledore."
He nodded his head, and said, "I have it on the best authority." He paused. "I actually had the pleasure of going into a muggle supermarket yesterday to get that for you. An experience I always love."
Hermione was about to make a comment back, when Draco interrupted, "Is that detergent?" he pointed to the bottle Hermione held in her hand. "Is it poisonous? Will someone answer me, please?"
McGonagall turned to him. "Well I can't really ignore the first 'please' that I've ever heard come out of your mouth, Mr. Malfoy. Detergent's a muggle liquid used to clean dishes when mixed with hot water. You can touch it and not have it harm you in any way, but it is not recommended to consume it."
"Right." Draco looked reasonably relieved. Then he asked, "Professor McGonagall? If you knew about this thing that Hermione and I are working on, why did you take points away from Slytherin because I had my cauldron in your class?"
"Mr. Malfoy. I don't care why you brought it in. You still had a cauldron in my classroom." She answered him.
Draco sighed at her harshness, then looked down at Credere, who was watching them all and making sounds, but not having them form words. "Oops! Sorry Credere." He quickly closed his eyes and slipped into her mind. 'Is everything all right?'
'Yes it is. But I feel very helpless with you all looming above me. Can I change back now?' She replied.
'Of course. Just concentrate on changing back, and you will.' Draco slipped back out of her mind, and warned the others that she was about to change. Hermione and Draco bent down and pulled Credere to her feet, holding her upright and the other two stepped out of the way.
It took less than a minute for her to complete the change. Hermione and Draco pulled their arms away from her shiny silver coat, and Hermione said with a large smile, "It worked. We'll start teaching you how to act like a human soon. How about you meet us here tomorrow evening? We can start then."
'I will be here.' Credere said. 'Thank you for this. I am happy beyond words.' She then turned and trotted back into the forest and was gone from sight within seconds.
Dumbledore spoke, "Well Minerva, we should be getting back to the castle."
Draco offered, "We'll take you back." He indicated to the amulet at his neck.
The two Professors shared a look. "No, I think it would be more enjoyable if we walked back." Dumbledore declined. "Considering we aren't used to that mode of travel as yet, we prefer exercise to illness, thank you."
Hermione smiled and watched them walk in to the trees. She then looked at Draco and held up the detergent. "I'll go put this in the cabin. Store it somewhere safe."
Draco followed her there, and sat down on the couch as she opened a drawer and placed it inside. Sitting next to him, she said, "Draco. We'll need more of the potion for Credere. If she needs to take it every time she changes, then we should just bring the whole cauldron full out here. I'm sure Snape has no use for it."
"You never know." Draco replied. "He may want to change into you some time."
Hermione's eyes widened, then she shuddered. "That's really creepy. Look," she extends her arm in front of his nose and points to it. "I've got goosebumps. That's what thinking about Snape in my body does." There was a moment's silence, in which Draco raised an eyebrow, slightly alarmed at the visual that had just popped into his head. Hermione made a sound of utter disgust. "Ok, I did not mean for it to sound as if he was inside me because we were…gross! Nightmares will definitely come tonight."
Draco smiled and continued answered her previous statement. "Then its best if we remove it from his grasp and leave it here, where only semi-suicidal unicorns can use it."
Hermione frowned, "When you put it like that, it doesn't sound much better."
"So, when will you get the potion? When you get back this afternoon?" Draco asked, putting an arm about her shoulders casually.
Hermione didn't answer immediately. She just blinked at him, then asked, "What do you mean?"
Draco frowned, "Sorry? What do you mean? Because I mean exactly what I said. When are you going to get the potion? Not all that difficult to understand."
Hermione scratched her cheek. "I thought you would get it."
"Why did you think that?"
"Well, considering Snape actually likes you. At least more then he does me." she replied.
"So? All you're doing is getting a potion from the storeroom. You won't even see Snape." Draco told her.
"But why take the risk?" Hermione asked, now beginning to pout at him.
"Don't be stupid. He's only a wizard." Draco said, using his index finger to push her lip back in.
"You mean, he's only a wizard who hates me." Hermione retorted.
"I don't like him either, Hermione."
"Please?" she begged.
"No." he said firmly. "I think it's time you moved on. Face your fears." He leaned in close and whispered, "Get the potion."
Hermione looked around, hoping to find some inspiration. "But it might be too heavy." She tried. "Do you want a girlfriend with a broken back, knowing you could have prevented it?"
"Of course not. But I don't want one myself." Draco said, causing her to slump when she sat. He decided to change the conversation around. He pointed to his seemingly empty cauldron that stood in the corner. "I had to get up bloody early yesterday to put the last ingredient in the weakness potion. You should be feeling sorry for me."
"How early?" Hermione asked.
"Ten." He replied. She just laughed at him, then questioned, "So, it's finished now?"
"Yep. But the longer it sits, the stronger it will be." He stated.
Hermione nodded, then stood up. "I think I should go get the potion now then." she looked at him closely. "Unless you were going to get it? I forget whether you wanted me to have a broken back, or have me love you? Which one was it?"
"Both." He said with a grin. She glared at him mockingly, then kissed him on the forehead.
"Fine. I'll go get it now. I'll probably see you tomorrow in classes. Don't forget to come here just after dinner. We'll have to start helping Credere to walk and talk and stuff. Oh crap," she groaned. "How hard will that be?"
"It'll be fine." He assured her. "Off you go."
She sighed and touched her amulet, and a few brief moments later she was gone.
***
A/N- Thanks for your amazing response to my last chapter and the questions I asked. It was great to hear from you all, as it always is. As you've already figured out this was chapter twenty-one, and I'm still going. Not too long now, but I have to make sure everything is organized for the final meeting between good and evil. I can't believe how many reviews I have. Every time I check my hotmail account, I'm ecstatic when I see reviews there.
I hope this one was all right. Let me know what you think, as you are so good at doing.
Thanks.