The characters, plot, and almost anything else you recognize before reading this story is J.K. Rowling's. The new, twisted stuff is mine.
"I can't believe this project is almost over. All we have is that presentation today, and then Draco and I no longer work together. It's so strange, really. I read back to the beginning of this journal, and I utterly despised him. Now, however, it's quite the opposite. I'm not so sure I can even imagine my life without him."
"Hey there, beautiful," came the familiar voice she had grown to love.
Smiling widely, she turned and kissed him. "Hey yourself," she replied.
A moment passed while they stood gazing at one another. Draco then took her hands and brought them close to him. "So, big day today, eh?" he commented.
"Something like that," she responded.
"Nervous?" His tone was serious, but his eyes held just a hint of a joking glimmer.
"We'll be fine," she replied confidently. "We have clearly done all the work we'll need to receive good marks."
"Even from Snape?" he countered, the joking scarcely masked at all.
Hermione pushed him playfully, muttering, "Oh, shove it."
He laughed in response.
"Ready?" he asked, taking her hand.
"Ready," she confirmed, following his lead out of the library.
The potions classroom was full of nervous excitement and panic as the students shuffled about in different states of readiness. Hermione and Draco went right to work arranging their notes and practicing their hologram spell.
"Hopefully you are all adequately prepared," came Snape's voice above the class. All movement promptly ceased. "Be seated," he ordered, and the class did as commanded. "Potter, Weasley, begin."
Caught more than a little off guard, the pair scrambled to gather their materials and make their way to the front under Snape's intense and disapproving glare.
"Well, er, this potion makes people brave," Ron stammered.
"Right," Harry joined in. "All of our ingredients come together to make whoever takes it more brave than they were before."
Hermione held back her smile as the boys continued painfully through their presentation.
"So," Ron concluded after what seemed like an hour but had likely been more like five minutes, "if you want to be brave and don't know how, take this potion."
"It works," Harry added.
Neither boy said anything for a moment, which Snape took as a sign their presentation was finished.
"I see," he responded, making marks on his parchment. "Be seated," he barked, and the two promptly found their seats, relieved.
After a time: "Longbottom, Finnigan, go."
Hermione's heart went out to Neville as he nearly dragged himself in front of the class. Once there, though, his and Seamus's presentation went remarkably smoothly.
I suppose that luck really held out, Hermione mused.
"Be seated," Snape barked, and the partners did as he said.
After a moment or so: "Parkinson, Zabini, your turn."
Hermione couldn't help the slight bit of anger that rose within her at Snape's obvious favoritism.
"So our potion," Blaise began, "makes people more sensitive to others."
"Right," Pansy said, "like how I really cared when that Longbottom boy almost got hurt by that bludger, even though he's a lousy wizard and a Gryffindor besides."
Hermione suppressed her groan and was relieved when the presentation was over.
"You may be seated," Snape said, and the pair did so.
After another moment of Snape considering with his parchment: "Crabbe, Goyle, next."
The two boys collected their materials and made their way to the front of the classroom.
"Our potion," Crabbe started, "increases intelligence in those who take it."
Hermione fought to keep her jaw shut. No matter the situation, she still couldn't get over intelligent words out of the mouth of a brute.
"These effects can be felt within 5 minutes to 1 hour of drinking it, depending on the body mass and natural intelligence of the given individual," Goyle added.
So it must've taken a week or so with these two, Hermione thought wryly.
She was again relieved when the presentation came to an end.
She was not, however, relieved at the words, "Malfoy, Granger, go."
Nevertheless, she and Draco stood and made their way to the front of the room.
"Our potion," Hermione began, "is a love potion."
Ignoring the snickers of the class, she continued. "Its effects are temporary, though they can last up to six months depending on the natural attraction between the individuals who drink it."
Whispering the spell for the hologram, Draco continued. "Here are the first few primary ingredients of our potion," he said. "First, we have hogroot." The hogroot within the hologram glowed a light pink as he discussed its effects. "Hogroot is a powerful aphrodesiac, which leads us to believe it may be the primary active ingredient."
"Then we have tetrakyst," Hermione continued, explaining the effects as it glowed.
Their presentation went exactly as planned. Each active ingredient glowed perfectly, each subsequent image of the ingredients in nature showed brightly, and each sentence they said was perfectly articulated. Even Snape wasn't overly harsh as he dismissed them to their seats.
Each presentation continued as the one before, and eventually the entire class had finished. Hermione couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief.
"I'll return," Snape said briskly, taking his parchment and standing. "You may leave the room for five minutes. I fully expect you to return not a second later. Dismissed."
At that, every student in the class took a necessary stretch break to walk the corridor.
"Great job, Love," Draco muttered to Hermione as they exited the room. He kissed her cheek softly, and she blushed in response.
"You too," she replied, beaming at him.
Soon enough, though, they were back in the classroom.
Snape immediately held up a vial of Placebase powder and brandished it to the class. "This," he said, smirking, "is Placebase." He paused for just a moment, before adding, "Can anyone tell me what this ingredient does?"
Hermione raised her hand high as usual. "Yes?" he demanded.
"It lets off a rose-like smell," she replied simply. She vaguely noticed a confused look cross between Ron and Harry, while Snape appeared far too content with her answer.
"Ronald Weasley," he said, sneering at the boy. "What do you say it does?"
Ron turned a bright crimson. "Well, er, in our potion, it made it smoke a bit."
"I see," he replied. "And Mr. Longbottom," he spat, "What did it do for your potion?"
Hermione could almost see the layer of sweat forming as Neville slid low in his chair. "Well, it, that is..." He sank even lower. His voice was soft and meek as he said, "It turned it a golden color."
"The point," the man snapped, flourishing the vial again, "is this ingredient is a very different one."
The room was so silent, Hermione heard a drop of water fall somewhere within the dungeon.
"Though masked as an inactive one so none of you would discover it while talking with others, this ingredient immediately and effectively neutralizes the capabilities of any potion."
Tension was so unbearably thick as his words sank in that Hermione could have sworn even that drop of water knew not to make any more noise. Snape's jaw set in a discontented fashion. "This was Dumbledore's idea, of course," he said. "Something about seeing how you'd react to just the idea of your potions. And I must say," he added, raising an eyebrow especially at Draco and Hermione, "he was quite right."
Hermione and Draco quickly and simultaneously looked down at their intertwined hands. A tense moment of hesitation passed between them. Then each threw the hand of the other promptly away in disgust, refusing to look again.
"Class dismissed," Snape barked. He immediately turned and left the room with a swish of his robes.
Astonished, the class slowly stood and left. "But I was so lucky..." Hermione heard Neville mutter as he walked through the door.
"And I was so brave..." Ron responded, shaking his head as he followed.
Hermione finally looked at Draco. They were the only remaining students in the classroom, and they both seemed unsure of what to say next. Hermione chewed her lip, and Draco stared intently at the floor.
"So..." Hermione finally said, her voice small and her eyes away from him.
"That bloody Dumbledore," Draco muttered harshly, standing. "Making me think I was... with a..." He shuddered, his face confused and disgusted. He left without looking back.
"Right then," Hermione muttered, standing quickly and trying desperately to ignore the tear that had formed in her eye.
A/N: Hey all, let me know what you think. Please don't hate me... And don't give up on the story either. There's a method to my madness; I promise!
Thanks!