Disclaimer: Don't own it.

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Chapter Thirty-One: Problems in Paradise

Hope was lying out by the lake with Harry and Hermione, when Draco came over and sat down.

"Mind if I sit here?" He asked the group cautiously.

Hermione and Harry shrugged and Hope smiled at her brother before continuing her studying with Harry.

"So a burn-healing potion is a potion that heals burns and is a thick yellow paste, whereas a bruise-healing potion is an orange potion that heals bruises?" She asked Harry, watching as Ron sat down next to Hermione.

Hermione opened her mouth to object as Harry nodded. "You're not even reading that Harry. What are you staring at?" Hermione asked, following his gaze across the field to where a group of Slytherin boys were standing.

"Sorry…" He muttered, looking back at the book. "But I think you were right…"

"No, she was wrong." Hermione frustratedly explained.

"How?" Hope exclaimed, looking defeated. "I'm never going to learn this."

Draco snorted. "Bruise-Healing Paste is not orange, but is a thick yellow substance that automatically lessons the severity of the bruise that it is placed on. A Burn-Healing Paste is the orange one, and it does the same thing with burns."

"Well, at least someone else pays attention!!" Hermione muttered.

"But it's Malfoy. Why's he even over here?" Ron asked with a glare toward the blonde teen.

"Because he's my brother and I said he could," Hope replied, leafing through her book again. "Have a problem with it, Ron?"

"As a matter of fact, I do!" He yelled, standing up with a red face. "He's been a git to us for the past five and a half years, and now we're just supposed to treat him as if he's our best friend? I don't think so!"

Hope stood and walked over to the red head. "He saved my life!" She yelled at him. "If it were not for him, right now I would be dead and then Harry would stand no chance of winning this war, and he would not be happy. Is that what you want for your best friend? Because if it is, then you are a horrible prat."

He opened his mouth to speak and was stopped by her hand.

"Leave, I'm done speaking to you, Ronald."

He looked at Hermione who shrugged, as if to tell him that it was his fault, before turning and storming off in a huff.

Hope was lounging in Severus' quarters on the couch while studying as he walked in from a detention. He immediately went to work with Draco in the potion's lab, just passing Hope by, causing her to become a little upset.

She shrugged it off and began studying again until it ate away at her. Twenty minutes later, she stood and went to the lab and saw them talking while working.

"Can I help?" She asked quietly. Both turned to her a raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you have a test to be studying for?" Severus asked.

Hope shrugged. "I can study later. I'd rather help you."

"From the girl who thought a burn-healing paste was a potion that you drank and was yellow?" Draco asked sarcastically.

Severus hid his grimace at that before addressing Hope again. "I think maybe you should study instead. I know of finals coming up in the next week that you can't afford to mess up on."

Hope sighed as her face fell noticeably. "Okay, I guess I'll go up to the Slytherin common room and study."

Severus watched her go, trying to figure out what was up with her new willingness to brew potions.

Hope was up until two in the morning studying, so she overslept and was late to breakfast. She sat down beside Blaise and across from Draco, rubbing her eyes.

"How late did you end up staying up?" Blaise asked her as she buttered up a piece of toast.

"Until about two. Finals are coming up," she said with a shrug, missing the look that crossed Draco's face.

She turned to discuss something with Blaise before taking another sip of her pumpkin juice and making a face. It tasted differently than it had, she would swear. She sighed, thinking it was from lack of sleep, and continued drinking it before standing up.

"Well, I'm going to say hi to Hermione and Harry. Later!" She yelled, as she started across the great hall. She reached her friends, and sat down between the two and began talking.

After a few minutes, everyone got up and left to go to their first class of the day, Potions. Hope yawned as she walked hand in hand down the hallway with Harry and a rambling Hermione.

Hope was sitting next to Draco in DADA when he passed her a note. Professor Selena was teaching them about various blocks which she already knew from training with Severus and Dumbledore, so she opened the note to read the contents of it.

Look over at Harry and Weasley.

Hope did as he asked before writing back.

Ronald sleeps during every class - explaining why he's not in Potions. He copies off of Hermione. Harry already knows this from our training, so is rather bored and trying to keep himself entertained.

By spelling Weasley's hair different colors? As pathetic a red head he is…pink is not his color either.

Hope laughed before replying.

True. I guess I should listen to her incase she says something that I don't know for the test. I'll be by tonight after dinner. Are you guys going to be working on another potion?

Hope watched as he nodded his head before letting her face drop again. So tonight would be another night of studying. When would she be able to learn enough to make him pleased enough to spend time with her?

Hope sighed and listened to the lecture until the end of class when she met up with Harry and linked hands before walking down to dinner.

Hope was awoke by the portrait to Severus' quarters slamming shut. She jerked up and rubbed her eyes tiredly, causing Severus to look at her worriedly.

"Why were you sleeping at six?"

"Up late last night. Brewing anything tonight?" She asked as he put down a bunch of papers.

He nodded. "A couple potions actually. Seems Poppy is short on supply."

Hope rubbed her head from the headache coming on. "Do you want some help?"

"I think we should be fine. Why don't you go ahead and get some sleep?" He replied back softly.

"I'm okay now. Really. Can I at least watch?"

Severus sighed. "Hope, we'll be fine really. We've done this many times before. Go back up to the tower and catch up with your friends or something."

Hope watched sadly as Severus walked into the lab.

"I thought you wanted me, it doesn't seem like it anymore…" She whispered as she turned and left, going up to Gryffindor Tower.

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A/N: Here's your chapter for tonight, Got to get off her for school tomorrow. Love ya'll, Kayla.