Chapter 14: Uh-Oh! I Slipped!
Suddenly, Draco snapped out of his dreamy state and realized what he's been saying. The effect of the drink was so powerful, but the effect of what he just said was even more powerful. He looked very uneasily at Hermione and realized she had a different expression; amusement and shock.
They looked at each other, bemused, and at the silver goblet in front of them. They chased each other at the bar and demanded the same question.
"What the bloody hell was in that drink?!" they chorused together. Madam Rosmerta, the curvy barmaid, stared at them with an annoyed look and clutched her chest.
"Not again! You know, I've told Mimsy that drink was a bad idea from the start!" she told them with a great sigh. "Half a dozen people complaining in just one day!"
"So you knew that this drink had this effect on people?" Hermione asked irately.
"Well, yes actually. But it only just came out this morning." Madam Rosmerta hesitantly replied.
"Er, what exactly is the effect of it, anyway?" Draco questioned her as he raised an eyebrow.
"Um, it makes you extremely drunk of course and gives you excessive recklessness that you can't control. It might even lead to sexual arousal when too strong."
"I think I'm going to be sick!" Hermione blurted out, turning green and running to the rest room. After 5 minutes, Hermione came out of the rest room and discerned Draco's tall frame from the crowd.
"Why did you even order me that drink?"
"I thought it had an interesting name!! Honest! I had no other intentions!" Draco said this all too fast out of his nervousness.
"Oh, puh-lease, Malfoy! Don't act like you're all innocent and, and you don't know anything!" Hermione turned red after remembering what he said a while ago about whom he fancies.
"Well, I didn't know the effects, okay! Don't blame me for that!" Malfoy bellowed at her, seeming taller.
"Do you really like me?" Hermione half-whispered.
"What?" Draco asked, for he clearly didn't hear.
"I said, if you really fancy me or what?!" Hermione said this rather loudly, for the whole bar was eyeing them curiously. They both turned scarlet and Draco pulled her by the arm outside.
"Why did you have to say that at the top of your voice, huh?" he demanded.
"Well, seeing as you're deaf and can't-," Hermione was cut off by Draco, suddenly.
"I was not deaf! Okay, and now everyone knows I fancy you, for goodness sake!!"
"You really do? And you're serious, no pranks that'll humiliate me or anything." Hermione asked imploringly.
"Yes." Draco sighed breathlessly. "Now you happy? You've just discovered the thing I've been hiding from you for so long!" Hermione giggled girlishly, which Draco never knew she was capable of.
"Actually," she muttered between a fit of giggles. "I already knew. You're sister tipped you off. She said you'd never tell it to me so she did. But I never expected you to admit it to my face."
"That insufferable, backstabbing little bi-,"
"You know, cursing your only relative in the world that loves and looks out for you is not a very nice thing to do." Hermione advised him gently.
"Don't lecture me about whom to curse, Granger. And what makes you think she's 'looking after' me?" Draco ranted.
"Well, she does seem to finish the tasks you can't. Like telling me you like me, for instance. Setting you up with me, doing your laundry-,"
"Aha! I knew it! She set me up with you! She's been denying that for so long!" Draco cried out hysterically.
"Sooo…you fancy me. Why?"
"Shut up."
"Tell me why. I want to know!!"
"Oh stop acting like an immature brat, Granger!"
"Am not! Just tell me why!"
"You know, on second thought; I don't think I fancy you anymore!"
"You're acting as juvenile as I am, Malfoy."
"What? That was just a crush I had on you, it wasn't like I was in love with you or something. Anybody can change their crushes you know."
"And exactly what was the reason you had a crush on me?"
"Why would I tell you that?"
"If you won't, I'll figure it out myself!"
All the way to the castle, Hermione's been muttering to herself and Draco felt like his eyeballs would pop out if he rolled his eyes once more.
"Well, a crush means admiration, right. So what was it you admired about me, anyway? My amazingly incredible intellectual skills?" Hermione said mockingly.
"Hah! I think it was your unbelievable modesty." Draco scoffed.
"Liar!" they laughed at how they found a friendship simply because of a stupid drink loaded with gallons of alcohol and a body with rising hormones.
