DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.

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Chapter 16: Potions

"Oho! 'One of my best friends is Muggle-born and she's the best in our year!' I'm assuming this is the very friend of whom you spoke, Harry?" -Horace Slughorn, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

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1992

(Cedric and Hermione's past)

"I'm telling you, Hermione. Potter's stealing glances at you. His face is as red as Weasley's hair," giggled Susan, sitting beside her. They were at the Hufflepuff table for dinner.

"I don't care. Stop teasing me," she turned to her friend with gritted teeth.

"So he's not your type, then?" teased Hannah from across Susan.

"Potter's a troublemaker," groaned Neville. "If he really likes Hermione, he should make Weasley stop from teasing her."

Hermione smiled at her Potions partner. "Thanks, Nev." Then, she glared at Susan who kept on laughing.

Hermione stopped her fork midair when three fourth-year Hufflepuff boys sat beside and across from her, looking extremely exhausted.

"Did you have your O.W.L.s already?" she asked Cedric, Ian, and Terrence.

"What's going on?" asked Susan who finally stopped giggling.

"The wrath of Professor Snape," quipped a fourth-year female, Madeline, who was sitting beside Ian.

"Why, what happened?" she asked, placing a comforting hand on Ced's shoulder.

"He's preparing us for O.W.L.s. He nearly gave everyone zero," replied Ced sadly.

"Ced, you'll have to help me perfect that Ageing Potion!" begged Terrence.

"He can't. He still has private sessions with him," whispered Ian.

"Then help me! I want to be an Auror!" Terrence said to Ian.

"You're barking at the wrong tree, mate. I've got zero today, too."

Hermione bit her lip and turned to Susan with hesitation. Susan smiled at her knowingly. "I know someone who's brewing advanced potions in the basement..." she said in a sing-song.

Hermione turned to her plate and toyed with the potatoes.

"Who?" asked Ian.

Susan didn't say anything. She just turned to her.

"But you're second-years!" exclaimed Madeline who was clearly listening to the conversation.

"But she's Hermione Granger and she's brilliant," said Susan. "She's the only one who ever gets full marks in Potions and the only one safe from Professor Snape's wrath."

"Yeah. She helps me, too... Professor Snape just stopped scolding me," commented Neville shyly.

"Oh, little bookworm! You didn't say you're a little Potioneer, too!" grinned Ian.

"Midget, you'll be the answer to my prayers!" Terrence declared merrily.

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"How long have you been brewing here?" Ced asked in an amused tone when she led them to her makeshift potions laboratory - an abandoned storage room in the basement. There were still barrels, so she made use of them as worktables.

"Erm, just this year. I found some interesting potions in a library book. Susan's been helping me."

Her friend gave her an appreciative look. At times like this, Hermione could forgive Susan for teasing her with Harry Potter. Clearly, her best friend had no idea that she was harbouring feelings for her cousin.

"You're already good at Potions! Why exert more effort?" asked Ian, inspecting her Potions ingredients. Terrence went to his side.

"Hang on, is this a..." Terrence gave her a surprised look.

Ian grinned again. "Out little midget bookworm is planning to brew Polyjuice Potion!"

"What?" Cedric exclaimed.

"Oh, she already has," said Susan contentedly, sitting on a stool.

Hermione turned away, her cheeks flushed, and pretended to inspect one of her cauldrons.

Suddenly, two pairs of arms pulled her gently and turned her around to face them. "What are you up to, Hermione?" asked Ian curiously with mirth in his eyes.

Hermione turned to her friend. "Nothing."

"Are we going to disguise as someone else and sneak into the Gryffindor Tower?" asked Terrence.

"What for?" she frowned. Then, her eyes searched for Cedric. Her favourite fourth-year was sitting on a stool beside a barrel she used as a work table, watching them with amusement.

"To know if Potter really likes you," replied Ian simply.

She scoffed, turning back to the wizards holding her. "Why would I do that?"

"She says she doesn't care if Potter likes her," quipped Susan from her stool.

"I didn't say that. Stop putting words into my mouth," she countered.

"Oh, so do you like the Boy Who Lived, too? Hmm?" teased Ian.

"No!" she shrieked. "I definitely do not have a crush on Harry Potter! Why are you suddenly interested in my love life?" She avoided turning to Cedric, afraid she might be disappointed by his reaction.

"Oh, do you have now? Love life?" asked Terrence, who still did not let go of her arm.

"No," she replied matter-of-factly. But deep inside, her heartbeat doubled.

"You're blushing! Do you have a crush on Professor Lockhart, then?" teased Ian.

"I do not have a crush on Harry Potter and Professor Lockhart! I like someone else, all right!" she yelled in annoyance.

Suddenly, the two boys let go of her and laughed. "Gotcha, Hermione!" laughed Ian.

Hermione sighed and turned to her cauldron again. "Boys. I hate you," she replied casually. "I'm not going to tutor you."

"Oh, Hermione! We just want to know everything about our resident bookworm and Potioneer," laughed Terrence who placed an arm around her shoulders.

She wouldn't mind his gesture if he didn't tease her. But this time, she was so annoyed, so with all of her strength, she elbowed him on the ribs.

"Ouch!"

She made a face when she turned to him.

"So who's the lucky wizard?" asked Ian happily.

She shook her head, eyes on her cauldron. "I'm not telling you."

"Quit annoying her," called Cedric, sounding pleased.

Hermione, no longer blushing, turned to him. "Hey, would you teach me Defence while they're brewing?" she asked with a smile.

Cedric flashed the crooked smile that attracted her the most. "Of course."

Hermione wasn't sure why, but Ced's smile and tone made her feel relieved.

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July 2020

(the present)

"So, you, Miss Bones, Mr. Fawley, and Mr. O'Brien were Aunt Hermione's best friends in school?"

Cedric smiled at the boy sitting across from him. "Yeah. We were always together - studying, hanging out, experimenting, well, mostly that was Hermione... But we stick together."

Albus frowned. "But Profess- I mean, Mr. Longbottom called himself her best friend..."

He grinned. "Oh, yes. The other day. They were good friends in school. But when Hermione cured his parents, he declared they're best friends."

Albus smiled. "He was my godfather, you know."

He nodded kindly. "And was a Gryffindor, I guess."

"How did aunt Mione work with... him? He... loathed her," he asked after a few seconds, his eyes on a particular Chocolate Frog complimentary card.

He shook his head in amusement. "Funny, isn't it? He's our family friend here. He's even Hugo's godfather."

"Why not pick one of your best friends? That's how my parents did it..." The boy looked curious... and confused.

"Susan is Rose's godmother. Ian and Terrence, well, they said they aren't responsible enough," he laughed. "And that, there's no need to choose between them because we're brothers in all but blood. They will always be there for our children. So, we decided to pick another friend who's more willing to fulfill the duties of a godparent."

"Is he... nice?" Albus asked carefully.

"Oh, yeah. He's a good person; a great wizard."

Albus nodded again. "And my Dad and Aunt Hermione were never friends?"

"Well, you'd have to ask her that... if there was a time she and Harry Potter became friends," he replied sincerely.

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1992

(Hermione and Cedric's past)

"Draw an inverted V like this," instructed Cedric, holding her hand, standing behind her. "And say it clearly: Expelliarmus!"

"Expelliarmus!" she repeated.

"Good!" he praised her. "Now, try it on Ian."

Their other friend was standing ten feet away, a wand in his hand, positioned to aim a spell on her.

"Expelliarmus!"

Ian's wand flew in the air, out of his grasp.

"Well done, little pod!" Cedric whispered and chuckled to her ear.

Hermione grinned, though she could feel her cheeks blushing because of his endearment. She never stopped wearing the vanilla perfume her mother gave her. Ced liked it, so she liked it, too.

"That's a second-year spell. I thought you're advanced, Hermione," said Ian as he picked up his wand.

"Professor Lockhart never taught us," she sneered.

"Next, we'll practice even more so that you can catch your opponent's wand."

"Why not now?" she asked Ced.

"We don't want to blow Terrence's potions," he grinned at her and stepped towards Terrence's bubbling cauldron of... "Brown potion?" he frowned.

Hermione raised an eyebrow and went to see the potion. "When did you add the banana peelings?"

Terrence's eyes widened. "I didn't."

"That explains why it's not green," she scrunched her face. "You'll have to repeat that."

"Oh, Merlin. are you serious?" asked Terrence exasperatedly. "Can't I just add the peelings?"

"No," she replied and eyed the banana peelings on the table. "And you haven't diced them yet."

Ian placed a comforting hand on Terrence's shoulder. "Mate, be thankful it's not Snape who's bossing you around right now."

"I want to sleep. I don't want to brew anymore."

"Sleep is good, but being an Auror is better," Susan, who was reading a book in the corner, said in an attempt to cheer him up.