Yep, J.K. Rowling's. Just saying.
"Wow. I never realized how utterly irresistible Draco is. He's just so attractive, and so sweet, and so incredibly likeable. I mean, he still has that temper and that ego, but somehow those make him all the more appealing to me. I'm so glad we were assigned to work together on this project. If we hadn't been, I might have never known him the way I do now. And, wow, the way he kisses... It's almost like we were just meant to kiss each other, and no one else. I've never felt this way about anyone."
"Hey there," came the familiar voice, as Draco came up behind her.
She shut the journal and muttered the password, turning and smiling widely at him.
He smiled back. "You know, Hermione, I already know the password of the week," he said matter-of-factly. "You know, the one that was so fitting for our project?"
He gave her a teasing look and reached for her hand. She blushed and allowed him to take it. She loved the way their hands felt together. In fact, she loved everything about him.
They gazed at one another for a long moment, each absorbed in the other's eyes.
"So," Hermione said after a bit, "did you need anything in particular?"
"Just you," he responded, not realizing how cliché he sounded.
Hermione smiled at his response, also oblivious to the cliché nature of his phrasing.
He leaned down and kissed her softly, running his thumb along the side of her face. Hermione sighed as they broke apart, nuzzling his hand slightly.
"Should we discuss the project?" she asked after a moment.
"I suppose it's necessary," he responded, the disappointment evident in his voice.
"Well what else is there to do?" she asked coyly.
"This," he responded, kissing her again.
"Sounds good," she murmured as they pulled away. She kissed him again, tentatively at first. When he responded by wrapping his arms tighter around her waist, she brought her hands to his neck and held him just as tightly.
They never did end up discussing the project.
That morning had certainly been one of those mornings where they met before Potions class. They walked close together, whispering softly to one another, until they entered the room. They were silent as they crossed the classroom, but then resumed their whispering as soon as they took their seats.
Hermione was vaguely aware of the strange looks they received from classmates, but she didn't care. The only thing she cared about in that moment was Draco. His voice was all she wanted to hear, and he was the only person she wanted to see. Hence, when Snape began speaking, he received quite the glare from the model student.
"I see I won't be deducting any house points for tardiness today," he snarled, glaring at Harry and Ron. "Though I'm sure you'll find something else to botch up that will end in the same manner." His beady eyes swept the class as he continued to speak. "I rather hope you have all gathered the entirety of your data, and you are well on your way to finding why your potions work the way they do. If you are not at that point, I suggest you get there. At our next class session, you will be required to complete your potion successfully, on your first and only official attempt. I suggest you practice if you have not yet done so. Today will be another work day. Begin."
"Well, we already completed our first attempt," Hermione said, turning to Draco. "And we know the potion works as it should."
"Right," Draco agreed, taking her hand without thinking.
Hermione ran her thumb along the length of his hand and continued. "So now I suppose we should just work on exactly how the effects work given our ingredients."
"Sounds good," Draco said, taking out a piece of parchment. He was careful to make sure her hand stayed in his while he did so.
Since Hermione's right hand was free, she took notes.
"Well, as we said earlier, we know what some of them do."
"Right," he said. "We went through several of them last time."
"So which do we have left?" she asked, turning her head toward him. He turned his toward her at the same time, and their eyes met in an intense moment. She blushed under his gaze, and he smiled a genuine smile. Eventually she turned away, blushing all the more, and he turned back to his notes.
"Cretalite, Tetrakyst, Tampramize, Lyrograss, Maulobine, and Placebase," he read.
"Well," she responded, wrinkling her forehead in thought. "I know what Cretalite, Tampramize, and Maulobine do."
"And I know Tetrakyst, Lyrograss, and I had Placebase," he added.
"Do you know what Placebase does?" she asked.
"Not exactly," he responded slowly.
"Okay, then we'll need to look that one up again," she responded matter-of-factly.
"And now we make sure we know the others?" he asked.
"Exactly," she responded.
"Cretaline?" he asked.
"It's a water-based soluble that helps different chemicals dissolve within any given solution," she responded.
Shaking his head and smiling, he said, "Okay then. Write that down."
She smiled in response and began writing.
That Potions class was the most pleasant they had ever experienced.
"It's amazing, Ginny," Hermione said excitedly, as she sat next to the redhead. "We actually do get along."
"Wow," Ginny responded, raising her eyebrows. "And how did you manage that?"
"I don't know," Hermione responded. "It just happened last night."
"Nice," Ginny said.
"Wait, last night?" Harry interrupted.
"Yeah," Hermione said. "Why?"
"Hermione, you didn't touch that potion, did you?" Harry asked,a concerned look on his face.
"Of course not," Hermione lied, refusing to look at him.
"You better not have," Ron interjected.
Hermione smiled at his concern. "I'm not stupid, Ronald," she responded matter-of-factly.
She turned to her food and ignored the feeling in the pit of her stomach. She hated lying to friends, but she knew they'd never understand. She knew she liked Draco. She knew she really, truly liked Draco. Sure, she had taken the potion, but so what? It just uncovered what she was really feeling anyway.
Draco caught her eye from across the Great Hall, and she couldn't help but blush and smile in return.
Ginny, catching the glance, eyed Hermione suspiciously. Something told her she'd need to have a talk with Hermione in private. And soon.
Before she could say anything, though, Hermione was already excusing herself and leaving the Great Hall. Ginny noticed Malfoy leave about a minute later, and then she was sure. She was definitely going to have to have a talk with that girl.
Hermione was only at her tree for a few minutes before Draco came to join her.
He came and sat next to her, immediately wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She cuddled closer to him, and she sighed as he began running his fingers along her arm. They leaned back against the tree while they cuddled, and neither spoke for a while. They could see the geese in the middle of the lake swimming close together and seemingly lost in their own little world.
After a while, Hermione spoke. "Draco?" she began. She looked up at him as he held her.
"Yes?" he responded.
She was silent for a moment, trying to form the right words. "How much do you think that potion had to do with our behavior today?"
He appeared lost in thought. "In what way, exactly?" he finally asked.
"Do you think the potion is why I like you so much?" she asked, immediately blushing after her words.
He gave her a mock surprise look. "You like me all that much?" he asked in return.
She pushed him playfully. "As long as you like me," she responded coyly.
He held her a little tighter. "Okay," he said. "Then you must like me a lot."
Hermione laughed in response. She cuddled just a little closer to him, before quietly asking, "So do you think the potion has anything to do with it?"
"I think," he responded, kissing her hair, "that that potion is just designed to let us relax."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Hermione," he said matter-of-factly. "Chances are I already liked you, and you already liked me."
Hermione didn't respond, so he added, "The potion just made us see it more clearly."
She nodded slowly, then said, "I suppose that makes sense."
"Of course it does," he responded.
She leaned up and kissed him, and at that moment, neither one really cared if the potion had anything to do with it. They were just content to spend the rest of the afternoon together.
They didn't stop holding one another until dinner.
A/N: Hey everyone, let me know what you think. A bit cheesy, yeah, but hey. The "romance" label didn't lie...