A/N: This is what I originally meant to do with "School Spirit" but I somehow managed going in a different direction with it. Actually, I know how I screwed it up. One, I will forever constantly change my mind about stuff, and two, I didn't set the story up correctly. This one, however, I did.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the storyline.


It Couldn't Kill You...

Chapter One: When Potions go B-A-D.

"No, we don't put the dragon scales in the yet, Malfoy!" Hermione Granger snapped as her Potions partner, none other than Draco Malfoy, made to dump the glass jar containing said ingredient into the cauldron set between the two. Draco shot her a nasty death glare, which she ignored as she further contradicted him. "You put those in after the potion turns light blue. Does that look like a light blue to you?"

A few eavesdroppers, mainly Gryffindors, sniggered as Draco looked into the cauldron. Inside was purple bubbling goop. No, it didn't look like any kind of blue. But, it didn't look like any kind of potion either. It just looked like purple mud. Snape had to be completely out of his tree to make anyone drink this, Sleeping Drought or not. Well, an advanced Sleeping Drought. Realizing he had been quiet way to long, and now looked dense, he withdrew his hand from the cauldron and shot Hermione another death glare as she smirked back at him.

Across the room, Snape took a seat at his desk and started massaging his temples as he closed his eyes. He was now seriously beginning to regret ever pairing the Slytherins with the Gryffindors just for his own amusement of watching them suffer. Because not only were the students suffering, but also now he was suffering with a headache caused by Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger's rather loud discussions on potions. He was also beginning to regret assigning them the advanced Sleeping Drought, because if it was made incorrectly, well it wouldn't put the drinker into a coma, but it did have some very unusual side affects. None of which he knew, because it was a simple enough potion and no one ever made it wrong, but with all the distraction... it would be a very interesting day. One Madame Pomfrey might be very busy with.

Snape winced as something exploded nearby. He didn't have to open his eyes to know it had something to do with Neville Longbottom.

And so it begins...' Snape thought miserably.

But Neville's was only the first. Soon afterwards, Seamus screwed up, followed by Ron and then, not surprisingly, Harry did too.

"Well I see those remedial potion classes didn't help you, Potter," Draco taunted. From her seat, Hemione rolled her eyes. Her honey brown eyes darted back and forth between her potions book, Potions through the Ages, Grade Seven, and the cauldron, which was now brewing a dark blue liquid. She heard Harry give a sarcastic retort, but she was too wrapped up in getting her potion to be perfect to take any notice. She didn't even notice when Draco got up from his seat.

"HARRY- BE CARE- MALFOY, NO!"

Professor Snape opened his eyes just in time to see the catastrophe unravel before him. Draco and Harry were duking it out with hand-to-hand combat, wands abandoned on the floor. Hermione had jumped out of her seat causing it to tip over, but she didn't care, because at that moment Draco slammed Harry into the side of the desk and their cauldron was now wobbling dangerously. Hermione almost had it settled when suddenly Draco fell into his empty seat, bumping the edge of the table with just enough force that it knocked the cauldron over, and it's dark blue contents spilled on both Hermione and Draco.

The last thing that either of them remembered was Professor Snape shouting something, but neither could understand him, and then it all went black.

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"She's gonna be okay, right?"

"I don't know, Ron. You heard Snape, if it wasn't made correctly..."

"Oh for Heaven's sake, Harry, she isn't dead or dying!"

"Ooh, I'm gonna kill Malfoy!"

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them and attempted to sit up. Bad idea. Her head felt like it had been run over with an eighteen-wheeler; actually, her entire body ached. But that didn't make sense, seeing as she hadn't done anything but attend classes all day. Groaning, Hermione forced herself to sit up; she had some questions to ask her friends. She had barely opened her mouth before her three best friends noticed that she had woken and all jumped to hug her.

"Oh, oh, don't touch, don't touch." Hermione said weakly. The three apologized and returned to their seats around her bed. Hermione squinted and raised her hand to keep the light out of her eyes. The afternoon sun was reflecting off of the white, white walls of the hospital wings and it was positively blinding her.

There was a moment's silence and then there was a sudden outburst.

"Do you remember anything?"

"Are you okay?"

"Want me to kill Malfoy?"

Hermione groaned and rubbed her forehead. It was taking forever for her brain to register the questions, but once she did she thought about them. Did she remember anything? Uh... well... she could answer the second one.

"I'm sore all over," Hermione said, turning her attention briefly to Ron. His grim look deepened, and Hermione regretted saying anything at all. She looked at Ginny. "I don't think killing ferret boy would help anything." Ginny sighed. Last but not least, Harry's question. Exactly what did she remember? Well, arguing with Malfoy, then Harry and Malfoy fighting and then... nothing. She told them as much. They all exchanged looks with each other, hoping that the other had an answer. Unfortunately, none did. But they were saved from having to say anything at all when Madame Pomfrey came bustling out of her office.

"Oh, Miss Granger, you awake!" She exclaimed and hustled over to her. "We thought you'd be out until dark- oh, I see Mr. is still lying about."

At this comment, Hermione looked around the Hospital Wing, and sure enough, Malfoy was conked out on the bed next to her with one arm draped over his eyes and the other on his stomach. Hermione wasn't surprised in the least when she thought about it. Whatever spilled on her, went on him too, so it was only to be assumed that they both be knocked out. But she had this feeling that he wasn't asleep, unconscious, or whatever you wanted to call it. She also had a weird feeling of security, as if nothing bad could ever happen to her. She groaned and rubbed her forehead.

"Drink this, deary," Madame Pomfrey said, holding out a glass filled nearly to the brim with a clear liquid. Hermione took the glass from her, being careful not to spill and gulped it down without a question. If Madame Pomfrey supplied it, it was good for her health. Plus, she didn't want to know exactly what it was because it was possibly the most vile thing she had ever tasted- and that included the Poly Juice Potion.

Draco smirked, although no one could see because the sleeve of his robes, as he heard Granger gulp down the potion with a barely audible "yuck". Having taken the same potion half an hour ago, he could sympathize with her. It truly was some nasty stuff, though his reaction wasn't quite the same. His reaction was a few choice words to Madame Pomfrey, which she chose to ignore. Fair enough. She probably went through that sort of thing a hundred times over each week if not day.

"Feeling better?" He heard Boy-Weasel ask Hermione as Madame Pomfrey went back into her office.

"Much." she replied, and Draco heard the office door open again.

"Well, I suppose if you're feeling better you may leave," Pomfrey said, and a second later Draco heard the bed and chairs shift. Taking this as his queue, he sat up, swung his legs over the side of the bed and followed the troublesome foursome out of the hospital wing, not bothering to see if Madame Promfrey objected. Not that he'd care if she did. He was a Malfoy, and Malfoy's always did as they pleased. No matter what.


A/N: Review and thou shall be rewarded. With, like, cookies or maybe another chapter? I dunno. You decide.