Love Potions

NO, no one RECIEVES a love potion from anyone. Although, that is my next story. In this one, Hermione describes what a love potion is, and begins to tell us what she smells in it. FLASHBACK: why does she like peppermint toothpaste?

WARNING: This chapter contains exclusive info from the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie. It's COMPLETELY legal, I'm saying this now, so don't worry; you aren't involved in a illegal copyright thing. I just know what the script is in some parts of the movie, and I've put one of the scenes in here. Or…a few of them, actually.

DISCLAIMER: I have never and do not currently own and Harry Potter books or movies.

XX

"Excellent, excellent!" Professor Slughorn boomed as Hermione gave yet another answer to his question. There were three potions in the room: one clear, Veritaserum, one ugly and brown, Polyjuice Potion, and one pearl like substance…which no one had yet answered. "Now, this one here…" Hermione's hand shot up into the air, "yes, my dear?"

"It's Amortentia!"

"It is indeed. It seems almost foolish to ask," said Slughorn, who seemed mightily impressed, "but I assume you know what it does?"

"It's the most powerful love potion in the world!" said Hermione.

"Quite right! You recognized it, I suppose, by its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen?"

"And the steam rising in characteristic spirals," said Hermione enthusiastically, "and it's supposed to smell differently to all of us, according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and—"

But she turned slightly pink and did not complete her sentence.

"—and peppermint toothpaste."

XX

Everyone had become increasingly anxious as the daylight hours began to unfold. Harry, who was said to arrive sometime around mid-day, was not yet here, even though it was much later than midday. Everyone resided in their separate quarters, but everyone was almost abnormally aware of what went on in the house.

Just then, Hermione heard a scream. She had been reading a fairly large book, and it had fell from her hands and onto her feet. She grabbed her toes, rubbing them and trying not to yell out. It was Ginny who had screamed, from somewhere downstairs.

"Harry's here!" yelled Ginny. The pain in her toes was becoming increasingly frustrating, as she could now not get up to go and greet her best friend. "Mom! Why didn't you tell me?!"

She heard movement in the hallway, and saw through the crack in her door Mrs. Weasley lean over the railing. "Ginny, dear, Harry hasn't arrived yet."

"Then why is his stuff here?" Ginny says, somewhere from below the railing.

Just then, Ron bursts from his room, running to the railing and leaning over it like his mother. "Did someone say Harry? What about Harry?"

"Is he up there with you?" Ginny yells to Ron, with an increasingly aggravated voice.

"Well, you think I would know if my best mate was up with me…."

Hermione, the pain in her foot finally down to a dull throbbing, comes out into the hallway and looks at Mrs. Weasley and Ron, who were staring down at Ginny. "Is Harry here?"

"I told you all, Harry isn't here yet, Dumbledore said they would be arriving later—"

But just then, the front door burst open, and in stepped Harry. He had a wide grin on his face, which grew to a loud bark of laughter as he saw two of his friends anxiously leaning over the upstairs railing, along with Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny pointing to Harry's bags, which were at the foot of the stairs. "Waiting for me, were you?"

"Harry!" everyone said simultaneously. Ginny, having been on the bottom of the stairs, rushed forward and gave Harry a bone crushing hug. Ron reached him next, giving him a thump on the back and a "Good to see you, mate!" Hermione, like Ginny, ran up to him and hugged him as well. Mrs. Weasley waited politely until the group hug was over, and then hugged Harry for herself. The site was, if anything, quite amusing.

Moments later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were up in Ron and Harry's room, talking avidly about the private lessons that Harry was going to receive from Dumbledore.

"Private lessons from Dumbledore," said Ron for the fifth time. "Blimey, Harry, I don't believe it. And you're the chosen one! Ha!"

"Ron, stop it!" Hermione said scathingly. "Harry's got enough on his mind with out his biggest fan on his back!"

"What--? Me…what? What are you saying, I don't…I'm not…," spluttered Ron. Hermione glared.

Her expression turned soft again as she looked back at Harry. "So…Harry, how are you? What with…well, that."

He looked at Hermione for a moment. Sighing, he said, "I'm fine." His tone had an obvious sense of meaning, and Hermione immediately got the vibe that he didn't want to talk about it.

They were quiet for a while. Ron was staring at Hermione, his face looking confused and conflicted. Hermione, not meeting his eyes but knowing he was staring, was becoming squirmy under his gaze.

"Ron, what are you—"

"Hermione," Ron interrupted. He moved from his spot across the room from her to her side, very, very close to her face, "you have something on your cheek."

Blushing furiously, Hermione began to reach up to her cheek to wipe it off, but Ron beat her there. Wiping it off with the back of his hand, he backed off again, now bright red too.

"Um…," he muttered, staring unblinking into Hermione's eyes. "Toothpaste…." He smelt his hand. "Peppermint."

The next moment, everyone was laughing, even Harry, who had been extremely sad just moments ago.

Ron and Hermione seemed unusually friendly for the rest of the day.

XX

"May I ask your name, my dear?" said Slughorn, ignoring Hermione's embarrassment.

"Hermione Granger, sir."

Slughorn looked from Hermione to Harry, who was sitting next to her.

"Oho! 'One of my friends is Muggle-born, and she's the best in our year!' I'm assuming this is the very friend of whom you spoke, Harry?"

"Yes, sir," said Harry.

Hermione turned to Harry with a radiant expression and whispered, "Did you really tell him I'm the best in the year? Oh, Harry!"

"Well, what's so impressive about that?" whispered Ron, who for some reason looked annoyed. "You are the best in the year –I'd have told him so if he'd asked me!"

Hermione smiled, blushing profusely.