Monday, October 12, 1998
Their antidote was almost finished. Soon, they would be testing it against the forgetfulness potion. The easy part was almost over, they had followed the instructions in existence and would soon verify that they had brewed the potion correctly.
Once it was confirmed to work as an antidote, they would need to start creating versions of the potion to work against the memory charm spells. This was where it would get complicated, this was where they would need to think outside the box.
Over the last two weeks, Hermione and Draco had fallen into a comfortable companionship while brewing the potion. The first few days after Hermione's drunken night, they were only meeting up to brew the potion. As the days went on, they both began to study in their common room more. Until over the last week they had been spending almost all waking hours together; studying, relaxing, laughing and enjoying each other's company. It was odd how natural it felt to be around each other. It was even helping Hermione to focus more - to have someone to bounce ideas off of while studying and to feel less alone in the silence.
Hermione actually considered Draco a close friend now. Once they were able to get over their differences, they were surprisingly similar. They had harmless banter which Hermione found comforting, it reminded her of the Draco and Hermione before the war. And even though she hadn't particularly liked that Draco Malfoy, they had always had a sort of chemistry in their banter, they could always keep up with each other. It was different now too, instead of making her want to cry, he could make her smile like no one else could. Hermione was feeling more like herself than she had felt in a long time.
Currently, Hermione was sitting in the Great Hall beside Ginny for breakfast before Potions class. It was a beautiful fall day, the sunlight brightening up the room with a warm glow. Just then, Erol the owl came swooping in, dropping a package in front of Hermione. Hermione looked over at Ginny and rolled her eyes.
"Another one?!" Ginny asked, brows raised.
"Apparently. I don't think he's getting the message that I don't want to talk to him yet." Hermione shrugged, passing the package to Ginny. "You can have whatever is in here. I don't want his gifts and I don't plan to read his apologies."
"Okay, I hope it's chocolate this time." Ginny smirked. "How is your potion going?"
"It's good. We're almost done with the antidote. Today we add the last of the ingredients and then tomorrow we can test it. I already have the forgetfulness potion ready to go."
"And then what? That's not all, right?" Ginny inquired.
"Once we know the antidote works, we start experimenting with adding properties of a memory potion until it can work against a memory charm." Hermione explained.
"How are you going to test that?"
"Draco has insisted I test on him instead of myself, since he's better at Occlumency so there is less risk. But, I think I'll test the antidote on myself first, and then I'll perform the memory charms on him, starting with weaker spells. I want to feel the effects of the antidote first so I can better understand it."
"I see. Well, be careful. This sounds a bit risky. Let me know if I can help." Ginny said.
"Thanks, Gin. How is your potion going?" Hermione asked.
"It's fine. Zacharias is a good partner. The Blood Replenishing Potion is quite challenging, we've had to start over once already." Ginny shrugged. "But we're on the right track now. We're getting to the next step in class today. Speaking of which, we should probably get going."
"Yeah, I have to go up and get our potion. Slughorn has been letting us brew it in our common room so far, but we need to show him our progress today. I'll see you there." Hermione said, getting up from the table.
Hermione went up to the common room to find Draco scarfing down a croissant and magically hovering the potion and ingredients, ready to go.
"Oh, hey. I can take over while you eat. Did you sleep at all?" Hermione asked, eyeing the bags under his eyes.
"Nope. What else is new. Want more coffee?" Draco inquired as magically poured coffee into one of the to-go cups.
"Of course." Hermione replied, and they exited the common room, Hermione hovering the potion and ingredients and Draco carrying their coffees.
Stares of surprise and confusion were directed their way as they made their way down together to the Dungeons and into the Potions classroom. It was a bit jarring for Hermione, she realized that her and Draco had not set foot outside of the common room together, except to occasionally go outside in the evening. This was a new view to others, their companionship.
They settled into a desk at the back of the classroom together. At least for the most part, their classmates had known they were working together. Though, when they did attend class, Hermione typically sat with Ginny. A few glances from classmates towards the back of the room were not-so-subtly directed at them.
"You're not being subtle, you know." Hermione snarked at them. Hermione glanced over at Draco. His face was ashen and he looked uncomfortable.
"You okay?" She whispered.
"I'm fine." He snipped back in response. She knew he was not fine, but didn't press the matter.
Slughorn entered the room in a timely fashion with a "Good Morning Class. Nice to see you all. I hope your potions have been going well. Most of you have been brewing in class, but for the few that have not been, I am looking forward to checking in on your progress today. I will come around to see." Slughorn briefed the class.
Hermione held her breath as Slughorn walked to their table and all eyes followed him. With a nod at her, he leaned forward to inspect their potion. "Ah, a bright purple and it smells right but you are missing one more ingredient, am I correct?" Slughorn inquired.
"Yes, sir." Hermione responded. "We are adding the Ashwagandha root in class and then we will verify that the antidote works against the forgetfulness potion. Then, as you know, we will start brewing different versions of the potion to test against memory charms."
"Excellent. Well we can have you test it in class. I have some forgetfulness potion brewed from the previous class over in the cupboards. I look forward to hearing your progress with the next steps." Slughorn nodded to them and moved onto the next group.
Hermione let out a breath. "Okay, do you want to add the root and I'll go over to get the fogetfulness potion?" Hermione inquired to Draco. She looked over and saw him nod.
Hermione walked through the classroom, luckily less eyes were on her now that Slughorn had begun the rest of his rounds. She found the potion and walked back over as Draco sprinkled the crushed up root into the cauldron. The contents of the cauldron bubbled and the colour changed to orange. Draco spooned a portion of the antidote into a measuring cup and Hermione did the same with the forgetfulness potion.
His grey eyes, curious and composed, bore into her own. "You ready?" Draco asked.
"Yes." Hermione replied and gulped back the forgetfulness potion. The amount they had measured would be enough to remove her memory of the morning thus far. She blinked as her vision blurred and her brain began to feel foggy.
Hermione's eyes refocused and she noticed that she was sitting in the potion's classroom. "Oh. Is it that time already?" She looked at Draco and noticed the cauldron and put together what had just happened, though she had no memory of getting to the classroom or even waking up this morning. It was a bit disorienting to suddenly come to consciousness somewhere. "Did it work then?" She asked him.
"Seems like it. Here." Draco responded and passed her the antidote.
Hermione gulped it back and her eyes went fuzzy again. She closed them and felt the memories come flooding back in of her conversation at breakfast with Ginny, the letter from Ron, and then coffee on the way to the classroom with Draco. "Okay, the antidote is successful. I remember this morning." She smiled and opened her eyes.
"Great. So the first trial ingredients you want to start with are the Gotu Kola and Saffron, right?" Draco looked at her with slight apprehension.
"Yes. I think we can start the first experimental batch today with those ingredients to enhance the antidote. Then in a few days we can try it against the memory charm. It needs to be strong enough to combat the effects of whichever specific events the charm will eliminate from the memory. So instead of the potion eliminating just one hour of my morning, the memory charm can eliminate all my breakfasts this week from my memory, let's say. These different memories stored can affect the brain differently."
"Makes sense. I'll grab the ingredients then." Draco got up to head to the cupboard.
They spent the rest of the class time adding the additional ingredients to the potion. Hermione focused her apprehension on diligently cutting and crushing the Gotu Kola. Now that they were done with this part of the trial, she knew her anxiety would increase with each new test of the potion.
Slughorn's voice echoed through the classroom as he announced, "Alright, time is up for today. Clean up your station and I will see you Wednesday."
Draco looked over at her, running his hand through his white blonde hair. "Granger, I'm heading to the Manor this afternoon for lunch with my mother…. I just, uh, wanted to let you know where I am." He smirked a bit nervously at her.
Hermione appreciated Draco telling her. They had spent almost every waking moment together over the last week, and it was still very new for them. It's not that he owed her an explanation - but they had grown used to each other's company lately. It was also not missed on Hermione that Draco likely knew that she was a bit anxious. Had he always been this observant?
"Oh- thanks for letting me know. Have a good lunch. I'll see you later this evening then….?"Hermione hated how insecure she sounded.
"Yes. See you then." He responded with a nod and headed out of the classroom.
"Draco, darling, I asked you a question." His mother's sharp voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Draco and Narcissa were sitting at the large dining table at the Manor, though the room looked quite different from when he had been here weeks ago and Pansy had shown up. His mother was making quick work on the renovations. He had been avoiding returning to the Manor after that particular outburst, which he felt a bit guilty about. He knew she was trying her best to support him despite everything.
"Yes, mother. Can you repeat the question?" Draco looked over to her and met her eyes filled with concern.
"I asked if you had heard from any of your friends lately. I know it has been a hard couple of months but sometimes people need a bit of time to collect themselves."
Draco sighed and rubbed at his temples. She must know this is not the kind of question he responds well to. Especially after Pansy's visit. She was testing his patience.
"If you're referring to Pansy, I burnt the letter she sent me. If you're referring to Goyle, he died at the Battle of Hogwarts. If you're referring to Crabbe, he's in Azkaban. But you already knew all this." He sighed, keeping control over his frustration.
"I'm referring to your oldest friends, Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini. Surely it is worth reconnecting. You need your friends, Draco." She gave him her piercing stare.
There was no point in arguing with her. He knew she just wanted the best for him. But Blaise managed to stay out of the war and Theo had been on the list to take the mark before the year's end, but that was before Voldemort's defeat. Draco didn't know where he stood with his friends, especially now that so much had changed. Neither of them had reached out to him but he had noticed Theo at his trial. He wasn't sure whether Blaise would want anything to do with him, but maybe Theo would understand. He was never sure how much Theo really cared about the whole blood issue, but Nott Sr. had been a Death Eater like Lucius.
"No, I haven't heard from them, alright? But I'll send them a letter if it'll make you happy." Draco snapped back at her. He hated being convinced to do something.
Narcissa smiled at him with relief. "Yes, and invite them over here. I hardly get enough visitors and you know how I love to entertain."
Conniving witch. "While we are on the topic of friends, I should let you know that I made a new one. Her name is Hermione Granger." Draco hadn't been planning to tell Narcissa just yet but he was going for the shock factor. Let her have a taste of her own medicine in starting conversations that the other person does not want to be involved in.
Narcissa's composure was rock solid. But he knew his mother well enough to notice the tiniest eyebrow raise. "The war heroine. I did hear she was returning to Hogwarts. I will have to invite her over to meet her."
"You've met her before, Mother." Draco was in uncharted waters with this conversation. He knew he shouldn't push his mother, but she was so adamant that life should move forward and this was exactly the type of thing that demonstrated how challenging such a proposition was.
"Draco, darling, do not be so cruel. You know as well as I do that that is an unfair statement. If Miss Granger is willing, I would be delighted to meet her in a civilized manner. Please let me know when I can owl her with an invitation."
Damn it, now he would have to bring it up to Hermione. He felt a tinge of satisfaction that the cat was out of the bag and it wasn't as bad as he imagined. Draco was sure if Lucius was here, it would be as bad as he imagined…
"Alright Mother, I will." He smiled at her.
"And Draco - do make sure to treat her right."