Chapter 2: Potions Class and the Second Entry

A knock awakened Draco. "Get up, Malfoy. We'll be late for class," the voice outside his door shouted. Irritated for such disturbance, he threw a pillow to hit the door – his usual response meaning "Bloody hell let me sleep for Merlin's sake!"

Hermione was finished taking a bath. She got dressed, went down to the kitchen and made breakfast. Toast and omelet's it was. She ate alone as usual, not that she cared. After eating, she heard a ruckus behind her, Malfoy was in the middle of putting his upper clothes on leaving Hermione the liberty to gaze (yes gaze, stare was a strong word, after all) at that.. that.. toned chest and abs and for a moment she was thinking, "Malfoy doesn't look THAT bad at all." She shook off the thought, mentally reprimanding herself when a smooth voice broke her trance,

"Like what you see, Granger?" he smirked, laughing at her reaction which was not appropriate for her. She just dropped the matter all together by getting her bag, walking past him, and without looking back, went out through the portrait exit.

"She bloody liked it," Draco smugly thought to himself and ate his part of the breakfast.

Hermione, on the other hand, was eager to forget the events this morning and she did it by distracting herself – participating in class, taking down notes, reading, and writing – which was her instant defense mechanism against such.. morbid thoughts.

She thought that she forgot all about it when while eating lunch and was cheerfully chatting with Harry, Ron, and Ginny, the latter asked if she could talk to the awfully cheerful witch, "In private," she added and she stared at the two wizards who had no idea what was it for but decided it was some "girl thing" so they went away.

"What is wrong with you, Mione?" she asked.

"Oh Ginny, it's.. nothing..," careful not to let anything give away.

"You're stalling! I know you, Hermione Jean Granger, you can't hide anything from me. I'm your best friend!"

She was trapped. "Ok fine, Just.. ugh.. please keep it as a secret?"

"Of course!" was the cheerful response of Ginny. "I swear to it. Now what's wrong?"

"Please don't be repulsed by me.." Hermione pleaded.

"Just say it!" Ginny was getting impatient, she didn't really like to be kept in suspense.

Hermione sighed, "Well, earlier.. I was eating breakfast when Malfoy suddenly walked in through the kitchen.. shirtless.."

Silence.

"Well, he had his shirt on but he hasn't buttoned it and.."

Silence.

"He.. he.. has a nice body, for someone with that kind of attitude," remembering exactly what she was trying to forget, "Merlin's beard! Why am I bothered with this? I shouldn't be.."

She noticed the silence of her best friend, too silent for Ginny Weasly. She was just staring at Hermione like she did the worst crime ever.

"Why are you so quiet, Ginny? Why aren't you reacting? Oh I knew you'd be disgusted! I'm sorry I brought the topic up, I shouldn't have –"

"Blimey Hermione! I would die to see if the rumors were true! So, was it well-built like they say?"

Dumbstruck by Ginny's sudden fan-girling, she flustered at the thought again and just said, "Uh.. well, yes.."

"You're so lucky! I would trade anything to be in your shoes!" she caught her best friend eyeing her weirdly, and as Ginny realized what she just said, she added, "Please.. uhm.. don't mention this to anyone, especially Harry and Ron, you know how they are." She looked down, ashamed for what she did.

"Of course I won't," Hermione said with a wink. And after talking with her best friend, she proceeded to her last class.

Malfoy was a tad to early for Potions class. Only Lavender Brown, Luna Lovegood, and Neville Longbottom were there. He couldn't careless, they left him alone in his corner anyway. That's the way it always was. But their chatter and laughter was infuriating, and just as he was about to shout at them, Hermione entered the room, looking distraught. He sat back in his seat and looked at her as she walked towards the chattering 3 musketeers.

He suddenly remembered the remnants of that morning, catching Granger staring at him – his body, actually. He couldn't help but laugh at her reaction, but why did he seem pleased by her reaction? "Bloody mudblood messing with my mind," he thought.

The rest of the students ran to their seats just in time before Prof. Severus Snape entered the class with that dark aura lingering around him as always, he was after all, an expert in Dark Arts and the Defense Against the Dark Arts but was assigned as Hogwarts' Potions professor. It was utterly boring for him, and he didn't hesitate to show it, especially his dislike and favor for his students.

He caught Ron Weasly chatting with Harry Potter, and hit him hard on the head. Draco snorted so loud everyone heard him. The class looked at him, fellow Slytherins smiled at him and the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs stared at him in annoyance. Draco defensively said, "What? It was funny. Admit it." shrugging as he innocently asked, with the Weasel looking at him like he was going to murder him, "If looks could kill," the phrase suddenly made sense, remembering the bumping incident with Granger yesterday. Before he could finish his reminiscing, to his and the other students' surprise, including Weasley's and Potter's bewildered reaction to Granger's laugh that echoed the whole room. She was red in the face, laughing so hard tears were coming out of her eyes.

"What in the bloody hell are you laughing at Hermione?" Ron asked.

Granger was composing herself and said, "Ehem. I'm so sorry. It's just that.. the scene and your reactions are so funny reminding me of the sitcoms I watch in our television.. Hahahaha!"

Silence.

"What's a television?"

"And what are sitcoms?"

Everyone in the class asked, including the Slytherin's. Malfoy was thinking differently though, how he liked the sound of Granger's laughter, and how beautiful she actually –

"ENOUGH!" Prof. Snape bellowed. The class was quiet in an instant. "30 points from Gryffindor, including Ms. Granger's inappropriate laughter and reminiscing in my class. Now turn your books to page 238 and quit chatting."

"Amorentia.." Hermione whispered to herself.

"Yes, Ms. Granger. I assume you know what it does, I assume right, right?" Snape asked.

The rest of the class nodded.

"Well, as a twist, I will group you in pairs. This is by random chance," as he checked his class record. "Finigan, Zabini. Potter, Lovegood. Weasley, Longbottom. Lavender, Patil.. not you, the other one.." and it went on and on, Snape looking up and down, saying pairs, until he said, "And last but not the least, Granger, Malfoy."

There was yet again another silence.

Draco could feel every eye on them as they Hermione walked towards his table, seeing as he hasn't the slightest intention of moving.

"Malfoy," acknowledging the presence of her partner.

"Granger," Draco said in response.

"As you can see, the ingredients you need are around you. I trust that you know what to do as mature seventh years, that means no explosions," a slight look at Seamus' direction and the latter put his head down. "I will leave the room for a moment, and I expect everyone will be done as I return. Is that understood?"

"Yes professor," the class answered in chorus, and started doing their assigned potion for that day.

"So a little bit of this, a little bit of that," Hermione babbled as she set to work. Leaving Draco baffled at her carefree like attitude, as if he wasn't there.

"Ahem," coughing a bit to catch Granger's attention.

She spun around, surprised. "Oh Malfoy, you're there! I thought you wouldn't want to be part of this and oh will you look at the time Prof. Snape will be coming any minute now so I –"

"Will you quit babbling, Granger? What in Merlin's name are you up to?"

"What are you saying? I'm just doing the Amorentia potion –"

"You're.. you're not acting Granger like! It's.. scary," he cringed while looking at the witch in front of him.

She stayed still for a moment. "I.. Malfoy, uh, can I ask a favor?"

Caught off guard with the sudden change of tone, "Uhm, sure."

"Can you," she started blushing mad, "Forget whatever happened earlier?"

'Let's have a little fun with Granger here,' he thought. "What is it about? I can't seem to remember." He asked nonchalantly.

"The uh.. at breakfast when you.." He was enjoying Granger's discomfort and decided to taunt her a little more.

"Enlighten me," he said and he stepped closer to Hermione.

He could feel her breath, being a few inches away from her. He could see up close her chocolate brown eyes, her petite face framed by her once bushy chestnut colored hair, and those lips.. those bloody small lips. Curiously, he was about to lean down and she wasn't moving, much to his delight when suddenly, he found himself slamming on the ingredients cabinet with a loud THUD and CRASH followed after.

Draco looked up to see the culprit of breaking the moment between him and – not that, he meant breaking his.. dignity and some bones.

"What's your problem Weaselbee?" he directed at the Ron, in a defensive position in front of Hermione who was still taking in the events that transpired in less than a minute.

"What were you about to do to her?" Ron shouted.

"I..," he was stalling, ugh, how he hated that. "I was merely asking her a question about what it is that I did that she wants me to forget." He added a smirk to Hermione.

"What in Merlin's name is he talking about Mione?"

"I.. uh.. well.."

"Come on, Granger, spit it out. Oh! I think I remembered it already.."

He saw Hermione's eyes widen, horror all over her face. But she thought quickly.

"It was nothing, Ronald. Now put your wand down, he won't hurt me, and Malfoy, you better get serious with this potion or else we'll fail."

Draco stood up. Ron still eyeing him.

"Like she said, Weasel, I won't hurt her. Move it. We have a potion to finish."

Ron went back to his seat with his partner but he was still looking at the two who seemed to have an awkward air going around them, and Neville got his attention by spilling the potion, which means they had to redo it all over again. Not his day, really.

Snape went to class just in time for Draco and Hermione to finish their Amorentia potion, who worked in uncomfortable silence. They passed it to Snape and headed back to the dorms. They walked together, keeping a relatively close distance as silence was noticeably washing over them.

They reached the portrait entrance and said the password in unison, to the surprise of both of them. Draco let Hermione enter first, another surprise, and went to their separate rooms, to early to sleep, but the events of today both wore them off, mentally.

Hermione, lying down on her bed, kept thinking about what would have happened if Ron didn't interfere. Would they have..? She shook her head. The thought was absurd. He of all people wouldn't do that to her, a muggle born, as often as he pointed out. But logically thinking, that was what was supposed to happen. And she thought of how annoying it was when Ron hexed him away from her. "Ugh.." she hated that feeling of confusion, and she just closed her eyes trying to forget his mesmerizing blue eyes, his soft looking lips, and his scent that smelled like aftershave yet oddly, she liked it. An innocent smile played on her lips as she fell into slumber.

Draco on the other hand was sitting on his desk, doing his homework's, and trying hard to forget the past events. But what if, he thought, "What if Weasel didn't hex me?" Thoughts and scenarios were playing with his mind. "That does it." He shoved his books and parchment into his bag and got his journal. "I hope it really does help me."

June 6

Granger saw me halfway getting dressed. Her reaction was amusing. Classes were boring as usual, with the exception of Potion's class. We were tasked to make Amorentia, a love potion. Tsk. Granger was my partner. She tried asking me a favor, which she failed to deliver with her face red as cherries. I taunted her a bit to say that I forgot what it is she wanted me to forget. I took a step closer and just for a moment, time stood still. We were facing each other, not a centimeter away from each other. Her eyes, those pink lips, and that intoxicating smell of hers. She smelled like strawberry. Ugh. I was about to lean forward (out of curiosity) when Weasel hexed me and I crashed into the cabinet of ingredients. Stupid half-blood. Stupid Weaselbee. But why am I even bothered by this? Ugh. Might as well sleep and forget the whole thing.

Draco M.

A/N: Meh. I hurried this chapter up since I'll be busy next week. But I hope you still liked it. :)