A/n: I can't believe how much progress I've had with the chapters!! I guess we're all making progress, Hermione and Draco and Me!! Yippee!! I already typed and uploaded the next chapter which I'm refusing to post until the number of reviews I get will satisfy me!! hahaha! I hope this'll teach you a lesson for not reviewing that consistently! I'm now currently typing chapter 14!! I'm hanging chapter 13 in front of your nose like a naughty person would with a very scrumptious cookie. hahahaha! I'm so evil, Maybe I should take over after Voldemort!!

A/n Update: Hey thanks for the head's up about the gender confusion thing melonoleum! I already edited that part! It's funny I haven't noticed that mistake before, hmmm. Anyway pstibbon, one of my reviewers, is serious in wanting the 13th chapter, she reviewed four times!! hahaha. But I'm still not that satisfied, I'm waiting for my regular reviewers to review, I won't mention any names, okay? Ashley-In-Wonderland, theknightofkonoha, whymuztitellu24myname, Punkindoodle!! I definitely won't mention any names!!


Chapter 12: Unwavering Progress

"Malfoy!" Hermione Granger called out after class. "I think the spell is finally showing some development. I reckon we might have something, here!"

"Wow, that's really wonderful news." Draco replied lazily.

"Why, aren't you thrilled?" Hermione asked him curiously.

"Ecstatic. Listen, I'm not that much fussy about this little project." He answered unenthusiastically, yet again.

"What are you talking about?!" Hermione retorted breathlessly. "We're going to make a spell that's bound to block the Cruciatus curse! That'll help thousands of people, if ever Voldemort gains power again."

"Whoa. Slow down will you?" Draco interjected. "First of all you're the one who's going to be able to make the spell. Second of all, I doubt it that Voldemort can ever return to power and curse the living daylights out of thousands of people seeing that the ministry is after his rotting arse."

"Are you trying to be modest, Malfoy? Because, trust me, it doesn't suit your slimy ferret of a face." Hermione snapped at him.

"No, I'm certainly not being modest. I'm just stating the obvious." He answered her coldly.

"If you know what's best for you, you'll just listen and do everything I say." Hermione stated deliberately.

"Yeah, Granger, as if that's ever going to happen." He scoffed and turned his back on her.

"Then let's go to the potions lab, which I was kindly permitted by Professor Slughorn to use to develop this marvelous spell, shall we?" she declared blatantly as she grabbed his arm, which Draco wouldn't have guessed she would ever do in a billion years, and dragged him to the dungeons.

Once inside the potions lab, a stench of burnt plastic mixed with rotten eggs filled Draco's nostrils.

"Is that your perfume, Granger?" Draco asked sardonically. He saw her scowl at him momentarily but, in his whole miserable life, Draco has never seen any woman smirk in the most evil possible way, which brought a whimper out of his mouth. Her spine-tingling gaze looked murderous that Draco was left utterly speechless.

"You know Malfoy, if you value your life; you had better not make any of those sick comments of yours, because I'm not the kind of person who hesitates a lot when it comes to cursing people to oblivion." She told him with a malevolent grin. "Back to business then."

They proceeded to a cauldron full of a bubbling, green stuff that looked like toxic vomit.

"What the bloody hell is that?!" he remarked disgustedly. "Did Slughorn eat a particularly nasty piece of contaminated dragon meat and threw up in this cauldron."

"I'd have you know that Professor Slughorn is a vegan activist. And no, it is not his vomit. It's a potion I made to measure the amount of magic needed for the spell we're about to make." She muttered matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, that's really obvious." Draco replied wryly. "And what is the evident action we must take to know this magnificent measurement?"

"You're supposed to stick your wand in the concoction and mutter the incantation of the spell." Hermione recited at top speed. Draco was hesitant in following her orders, but still did as he was told.

"Desino Cruciamentum." He mumbled as he stuck his wand inside the cauldron.

Instantly, the concoction exploded on his face, so he was spattered from head to toe by the greenish goo, smelling like burnt plastic and rotten eggs.

"Oh dear." Hermione exclaimed in a fit of giggles.

"Granger?" Draco inquired pleasantly.

"Yes?" Hermione said, still suppressing her giggles.

"This potion definitely not toxic?"

"Er- surely not. I haven't read anything about it being poisonous or anything." Hermione muttered still fighting the urge to laugh.

"Great then." Draco threw himself onto Hermione and smeared the glop onto her face. He grabbed her by the waist and started smothering her with the cursed concoction.

"Draco Malfoy, you let go of me!" she managed to say as she struggled out of Draco's arms.

"Thought it was pretty funny then, to drape me with this repulsive potion?" Draco bellowed at her.

"I didn't know, alright!" she panted as she writhed out of Draco's firm grasp. "I did not do that on purpose, Malfoy! Let go of me before I hex you!"

"How would you?" Draco asked with a sneer on his face. Then Hermione noticed that her wand was on the far end of the table next to them.

"Oh, crap!" she exclaimed as she looked fearfully at Draco. "Now be reasonable, Malfoy. What will you achieve in hexing me?"

"I must tell you, I will attain a great deal of satisfaction."

"Malfoy, re-remember y-your s-s-sister, she w-wouldn't l-like this!!" Hermione stuttered as Draco pointed his wand at her.

"Why would I care if she'll be all sad when you're gone? Trust me; I will have no hesitation in Avada-ing your know-it-all arse, Granger!" Draco whispered in a deadly voice.

"You wouldn't!!" Hermione said in a high-pitched voice.

"Avada-," Hermione closed her eyes waiting for the next line, but it never came. Instead he heard Draco laughing like a hyena. "I never thought it would be that easy to scare you off, Granger!"

"You did that on purpose!" Hermione pounded her fist into his chest. "I hate you! Hmpf! Now if you don't mind I'm going to clean myself now!"

She was about to walk past Draco when she slipped over the concoction and had no choice but to hold onto Draco's neck for support. She looked up at his face which was mere inches from hers and if she moved a little more, her lips would've touched his, she was relieved it didn't.

"What hap-," Professor Slughorn suddenly entered and noticed the two, covered in goo, and gazing into each other's eyes. "Am I, er, interrupting something?"

Hermione and Draco realized the presence of the Professor and suddenly let go of each other, feeling mightily humiliated and blushing a dark shade of scarlet all the same.

"Uh, the potion exploded." Draco whispered shamefully.

"We'll tidy up, Professor." Hermione added.

"I certainly hope you do, it smells like the contents of a garbage can were deposited here." Professor Slughorn grinned at them and strode away.

After professor Slughorn exited the room, an awkward silence filled the dungeons until Draco broke it.

"Let's tidy up."

"Uh, yes, great idea."

"Scourgify." Both of them bellowed and the room was spotlessly clean.

Once again the awkward silence surrounded the room. And it was Hermione's turn to break the silence.

"Sorry."

"Feeling's mutual."

"Same here."

"Um, we better go."


"Hello there, dear Vivien."

"To what do I owe this pleasure of meeting you tonight, Horace?"

"Well, I just thought, that this little piece of information I've gathered upon checking on your little brother and Ms. Hermione Granger in the Potions lab a while ago would interest you." Professor Vivien gasped at Professor Slughorn's words.

"Is it PG 13 Horace?"

"Goodness, no! It's nothing like that, Vivien." Professor Vivien looked crestfallen but still a look of interest lingered on her face.

"Spill."

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After talking for 10 whole minutes, Professor Vivien was giggling uncontrollably, and so was Professor Slughorn (A/n: Wait, Slughorn? Giggling? That can't be right!").

"Do you think they'll have a chance?"

"Hmm, I must confess Vivien; they're the least likely people to ever fall in love with each other." Professor Vivien sighed sadly at Professor Slughorn's remark.

"But you must admit that they make a very cute couple."