Pick Your Poison, Granger

Dramione One-Shot

By: Tea'n'Honey0807

Idiots. They're going to get themselves killed one of these days.

Hermione found herself walking to potions class alone. Yesterday had been the Gryffindor versus Slytherin quidditch game. It was a brutal match. Hermione could barely watch—she had her hands over her eyes for most of the game. Nearly half the members had been sent to the hospital wing, including Ron and Harry.

"The next time I see Malfoy," Ron had said, his voice sounding rather nasal due to the thick bandage on his nose, "I'll knock that smug little smile right off his ferret face."

Hermione sighed and fell in line with the crowd of students marching towards the potions classroom. She held her books snugly against her chest as she stepped into the congested space. With a quick glance around, Hermione deduced that she had no other friends present. Neville would be in Herbology. Ginny and Luna weren't in her level. Parvati, Lavender, Seamus, and Dean were huddled together in the back corner, but Hermione didn't care to join them. Instead, the young witch dragged her feet to an open spot at a table to her left. She heard more boisterous banter, and when Hermione turned to see where it was coming from, she watched as Draco Malfoy and his band of miscreants poured through the door. Vincent Crabbe was patting Draco on the shoulder, who clearly seemed to be enjoying the praise. His face was plastered with a sneer.

Hermione eyed them as they waltzed around a table and stopped in front of another group of students. Gregory Goyle sauntered up to the group and flared his nostrils at them. "Beat it," he growled. The group, not wanting any trouble, quickly shuffled away. Draco dropped his books carelessly onto the table—causing Hermione to wince. His grey eyes met hers and her cheeks flushed.

"Did Potter and Weaselby finally ditch you Granger?" he sniped.

"You know as well as any where they are, Malfoy," Hermione fired back. "Your team of savages put them in the hospital wing!"

Draco snickered.

The door creaked open, and Professor Slughorn wobbled in. "Well hello class!" he exclaimed in a merry voice. "I trust you have all your items ready?"

Hermione glanced down at her workspace. She prided herself on being optimally prepared. Her cauldron was set up. Her beaker was in place. Her ingredients were laid out. Her book was open to the proper page. Her quill was at the ready.

"I see Ms. Granger has things in order!" Slughorn chirped.

Somewhere off to her left, Hermione heard Draco mumble something and Blaise Zabini chuckled. Her ears reddened. Damn him.

Slughorn turned to begin writing on the board. "Today's potion is an extremely powerful mixture called—"

"Occultatum Sensum!" Hermione blurted out.

Slughorn laughed and said, "Correct Ms. Granger!"

Draco Malfoy rolled his eyes and scribbled something on his parchment. Hermione watched his quill move and she clenched her jaw.

Slughorn continued, "Occultatum Sensum was first produced by Theronia Hexidora in the year 1504. She was a very clever witch, and preferred to brew potions that were…on the stronger side." As the professor continued to mark his notes across the board, Hermione followed along diligently.

"Does anyone know the desired effect of the potion?"

Hermione's arm shot up.

"Ms. Granger?"

"Occultatum Sensum reveals the true nature of its taker. It works similar to that of Veritaserum. Only, it was put through more trials and was later approved as safe when inhaled or ingested in small amounts. The taker's thoughts become transparent, and they become unable to conceal their true feelings."

Slughorn clapped his hands together and announced, "Wonderful explanation! Ten points to Gryffindor!"

At his table, Draco turned to his cronies and mumbled, "They become unable to conceal their feelings," in a cheap imitation of Hermione's voice. He shot her a look and her nostrils flared in anger.

"Now," Professor Slughorn began, "I will assign you a partner and the duo with the most accurate depiction of the Occultatum Sensum potion will receive twenty points for each member's house."

Hermione glanced around. She wondered who she would be paired with. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil seemed to be clinging to one another in an attempt to coax Professor Slughorn into allowing them to remain together. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to be applying the same logic to Draco.

Slughorn began to call out names and students shuffled around to find their partners. "Loxley will be with Hanson. Zabini with Torrance. Brown with Patil—"

The girls turned happily to each other and scurried away excitedly.

"Deckhart with Vane. Granger with Malfoy—"

Hermione froze.

No. Absolutely not. Slughorn must have made a mistake. Hermione could feel her pulse in her temples. Her eyes fixated themselves on her cauldron, fearing that if she glanced over at him, she would combust and turn to ash. A book slammed on the table—awakening Hermione from her trance. She caught a quick glimpse of his pale hand flipping through the pages, and she swallowed nervously. Hermione busied herself with examining the ingredients in front of her. She smoothed her fingers over a mask that resembled something a muggle surgeon or dentist would wear. An image of her parents was brought to mind, tugging at the corners of her lips.

"You'll notice the masks placed on each table," Slughorn hummed. "Do we know why such a thing must be worn while brewing this particular potion?"

Again, Hermione's arm was in the air. Draco rolled his eyes.

"It's under the same class as Amortentia, making its scent a power in and of itself."

"Excellent! Excellent! Another ten points to Gryffindor."

Hermione beamed and felt her spirits begin to rise, until a voice beside her murmured, "The only thing I smell is 'know-it-all'." She ignored Draco's little comment and began sorting her materials. The first step called for two vials of gilly water. Hermione reached for the glass tubes, her knuckles brushing against another's. Draco snatched his hand away in one swift movement—Hermione's fingers still lingering by the vials.

"Watch it Granger!" he hissed.

Hermione poured the gilly water into the cauldron and ran her finger over her notes to find the next ingredient. When she turned to collect four toad warts, she was surprised to find that Draco was already dropping them into the mixture. He reached for a poppy flower and began to pluck the petals. With five in his palm, he stretched his hand over the cauldron, preparing to drop them in.

"No! Wait!" Hermione gasped, reaching to stop him. Draco drew back before she could touch him and grumbled, "What?" Hermione exhaled forcefully through her nose and held up her parchment. "It says here that only four poppy petals are required. You have five."

"I think I know how to count, Granger."

Hermione scoffed. "Obviously not, as you have the wrong amount in your hand."

"It's five petals. I'm certain of it."

Hermione felt her cheeks grow warm and she shook her head, tossing her large curls for side-to-side. "No! No it isn't! I can assure you Malfoy—"

Draco lifted his hand and dropped the petals into the cauldron, his eyes glaring down on Hermione. With a huff, Hermione turned back to the ingredients. If he's willing to make an ass of himself, so be it, she thought. If the potion doesn't work, it'll be his fault!

She collected the next piece and dropped it carefully into the mixture—which was now beginning to give off a certain aroma. Securing her mask, Hermione grabbed the ladle to stir the potion. Draco watched her meticulously and didn't bother to spare her his thoughts on her technique. Several long minutes passed, and Hermione found herself constantly wondering when class would end, and she could run out of the room and relieve herself from the tightness in her chest. Draco scribbled something on his parchment and dropped a sugar bean into the cauldron. With a final stir, their potion was complete. Slughorn ambled around to each pair and examined the contents of their cauldron. So far, only a couple were given a nod of adequacy. Slughorn approached Draco and Hermione.

"Ah, Ms. Granger! Mr. Malfoy! Let us see how you've done! I expect great work from two of my smartest pupils!"

He leaned over the table and eyed their potion. After a minute or so of testing it out, Slughorn chuckled and exclaimed, "Perfect! Truly perfect! Class, come around and examine Granger and Malfoy's work!"

There was a sudden loud noise as dozens of feet made their way over and crowded around the table. Draco sneered at his success, and Hermione realized that he had been right about the poppy petals. Slughorn opened his mouth to speak, when the door opened and a young student peaked his head inside. "Preston!" the professor gasped, "What can I help you with?"

Preston, realizing that he now had the attention of the entire class, cleared his throat nervously and stuttered, "Er—sorry sir…but Pro-Professor Dumbledore needs to speak with you. He says it's a priority." Slughorn's smile dropped momentarily, but then he laughed anxiously and replied, "Of course! Of course! I'll be right with him!" He turned back to his students and said, "I'll only be gone for a moment. While I'm away…Ms. Granger!"

Hermione snapped her eyes to him. "Sir?"

"Would you mind explaining to the class the steps you and Mr. Malfoy took to properly brew your mixture?"

"Oh! Y-yes! Of course, sir."

Slughorn nodded gratefully and turned to follow Preston out of the room. The door clicked shut and Hermione faced her classmates. "The first step—"

"Shut it Granger!" Gregory Goyle snapped. "No one wants to hear your explanation." His lip curled and he nudged Crabbe, who snickered. "I say we play a game," Zabini announced. "Whoever inhales their potion first, gets twenty sickles!" There was a clamor of approval, and students reached for their masks, until Hermione shrieked, "No! That could be dangerous!"

"C'mon Granger," Zabini whined, "Live a little."

There was a glint in his eye that made Hermione's stomach twirl. He raised an eyebrow and declared, "Better yet, let's make it twenty galleons!"

A frenzy broke out as everyone yanked off their masks and pushed and shoved to inhale the bubbling potion in Hermione and Draco's cauldron. Hermione was shoved to the outside and she watched in horror as every student was suddenly overcome by the intensity of the contents. At first, there was only silence, and everyone stepped away from the table. Then, in an instant, the atmosphere changed. The once peaceful potions class erupted into chaos as people turned on one another.

Fists began to fly. Girls cried in the corner. Couples ran their fingers provocatively over each other.

People screamed, argued, kissed, fought—

Hermione stumbled forward and felt a wave of dizziness almost knock her off her feet. The room spun and she brought her hands to her head to stabilize herself. What—what's happening? She glanced up and found Draco Malfoy swaying as well. He grabbed the ends of the table and nearly tripped trying to walk around it. When his eyes met hers, his entire face flushed.

"Gr-Granger!" he slurred. "I—I have a bone to pick with you!"

Hermione gasped when she realized he was no longer wearing his mask. She reached her fingers up to her cheeks and was horrified to find that her mask had somehow been removed too. Meaning…she had absentmindedly inhaled the potion.

Her mind swam, and Hermione struggled to push back the word vomit that was climbing up her throat. "I—I could say the same about you, Malfoy!" Her body grew heavy from the spell she was under. Her legs forced themselves forward and Hermione poked a finger into Draco's sternum. "I—I have some things to say about you!"

Draco wobbled and said, "Let me have it Granger!"

"You—" another wave of dizziness hit Hermione, "You're so…"

Frustrating. Rude. Ignorant. Vile.

"Pretty."

What the hell?

She had most certainly not meant to say that.

Draco blew his pale blonde hair out of his eyes and mumbled, "Well…you're so…so clever. And you—you always smell nice. You just—" he flailed his arms about and said, "take up the room whenever you're in it!"

"Oh! Do I?"

"Yeah! You do!"

Draco took a large step towards her, and Hermione's heart began to race.

This is wrong. Something is definitely wrong.

Her mind screamed for answers, but her lips moved without question.

"You know what Malfoy?"

"What Granger?"

"I—"

Don't say it! Don't say it! Don't say it!

"I lo—" Hermione took another step and yelped when she felt a burst of pain crackle up her spine. Someone, in the midst of a fight, elbowed her in the back—sending her crashing forward against Draco. Draco lost his footing and the duo tumbled to the ground.

Hermione blinked and stared at the two glassy grey eyes that were gazing up at her. Her hands were planted on either side of Draco's head, and the young witch became incredibly aware that she had fallen on top of him. Her body tingled when she felt his fingers graze her thighs. Her heart pounded in her chest and her insides twisted at the sight of him running his tongue along his lips. The storm of fighting around them seemed to be drowned out by the sound of Hermione's pulse in her ears. Her chest heaved, and Hermione felt her body betray her sober mind as she leaned down—closer to Draco. His wide eyes were dancing over her face. Hermione's lips parted and she could feel Draco's hot breath against her skin. Her eyelids shut and all reason disappeared as their mouths crashed together.

In an instant, Draco's hands were on her waist—keeping her in place. His lips tore across hers and a moan echoed in her throat. Hermione felt something wet and her stomach fluttered when she identified Draco's tongue forcing its way into her mouth. Their heads turned in synch with one another as their sinful lips dined on the other's sweet taste. Their rhythm slowed, and Hermione began to draw away. Draco leaned in for one last kiss before gazing deeply into her starry eyes.

Heavy breaths of air mingled between them, when suddenly, reality seemed to strike them over the head. The daze lifted, and the Gryffindor and the Slytherin scrambled to get off of one another. Draco pushed himself back and slammed against the leg of a table, wiping the back of his hand shamefully across his mouth. Hermione tried to push herself up onto her knees, but trembled so much that she tilted and was on the ground again. The duo were painfully aware that the noise of the class' chaos had become deafeningly silent, and as they glanced around the room, they were overcome with horror.

Every eye was on them. They had seen it all. Draco's hands on her hips. Hermione's mouth on his. Their tongues rolling against each other. Their moans.

The door opened and Slughorn walked breezily in. He paused when he saw the shocked state his students were in. His curious gaze dropped to the floor—where Hermione and Draco were still frozen in place.

"Oh dear…have I interrupted something?"

~End