CHAPTER SEVEN: THE POLYJUICE POTION
"You know your body is insane," Draco said to Hermione. Two days had passed and the pair was back in the forest, taking breaks from snogging to watch over the Polyjuice potion.
Hermione laughed, "Oh, Draco, you do flatter me," she said, mockingly fluttering her eyelashes. The two of them were on the grass near the picnic bench, Draco's head in Hermione's lap with their cauldron beside them. Draco got up and sat beside Hermione, and held her hand.
"Listen," he said so softly Hermione looked up at him, "Do you think, well, that you and I should-"
"No," Hermione said kindly, "Draco, I know you're a bit different now but it's only been the first week of school. I mean, maybe we should see how things go when we're done being partners for Potions and just…take it from there."
Draco felt as if someone had knocked the wind out of him. He would never expect Hermione to put down the offer of being something more, especially after Saturday evening. Instead he only nodded and grinned, "Have it your way, Granger."
IIIII
The weeks went by and the end of the month approached, with the potion being due in a couple of days. Hermione and Draco had not been together again as they had the first Saturday of the month. Hermione had often tried to hint at it, or touch him suggestively every now and then, but Draco was still suffering from the blow to the heart, as well as the ego, and declined all of her advances, sometimes to the point of being cold. They would still kiss or hold hands, but Hermione often seemed hurt that Draco acted distant.
Hermione sat in the common room the night before the Polyjuice potion was due, facing the fireplace. It was about midnight and she could not help but think about Draco, wondering if she had done something to anger him. He probably wants nothing to do with me, she thought. He used me. Her eyes blurred with hot tears. She heard the portrait hole open and quickly rubbed her eyes. It was Harry.
"Oh, hello Harry," Hermione said in a small voice.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked, and came up to sit with her by the fire. When she did not answer he prodded, "Hermione is this about…Draco?" She gasped softly.
"I see the way you look at him," Harry said quietly. "Did something happen while you two were working on the potion?"
At once Hermione began to sob, shaking uncontrollably, "Oh Harry, it was horrible. He's such a prat." Hermione tried to steady herself.
"Do you know," she said, now almost screaming, "that I almost saw something in him? He's disgusting. He's vile. I've never hated anyone so much, this whole month, it was torture," she finished. They sat silent for a moment.
"Hermione, do you want to try to fix things?" he asked curiously, his hand on her shoulder.
"No," Hermione said flatly. "He'll never be anything more than a stupid little boy." She saw Harry's mouth tighten.
"I have to go," he said abruptly, and got up.
"What? Harry, no! You're not going to go looking for him, are you?"
"No, Hermione," Harry said, and walked out of the portrait hole. Outside in the corridor Draco took a few steps away from the portrait of the Fat Lady, his body squirming as his appearance changed from Harry's back into his own.