Chapter III – Seeking Solace
Hermione walked in a quick but slightly wobbly pace away from the dark corridor that Peeves was now cackling in. Her brain it seemed had stopped producing thoughts. Maybe she would stay in this dumbstruck state for the rest of her life, she didn't know. Hermione hadn't realized where her feet were going until she turned a corner and saw the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy facing her. She was on the seventh floor corridor standing just a few feet away from where she knew the door of the Room of Requirement to be. Craving some solitude and time to process what just happened, she tried to make her mind work to figure out what to ask the room to become for her.
Closing her eyes she thought the phrase I need a calming place where I can be alone and think things through every time she passed the spot on the wall where she knew the door to be. As she passed it for the third time, she heard the familiar clink as the door materialized into existence. She opened her eyes and pushed the door open. With a little gasp, she looked inside and her eyes began taking in all the elements of the room. It looked like a little hideaway corner, like something one might find behind a hidden door in some important room. It was a small, cozy alcove of a room with a canopied day bed in the Gryffindor colors of crimson and gold, two packed bookshelves with what looked like all her favorites, a small mahogany bedside table, two squishy arm chairs and a fireplace reminiscent of the one in her common room. It was a splendid site; the Room had really outdone itself. Hermione walked over to the window near the daybed and peered around the thick curtains, wondering what view she would have of the Hogwarts grounds. From where she was, Hermione saw that she could see the black lake and in the far distance Hagrid's hut. She then sat down on the daybed, pulled out her wand and lit the fire which warmed the room, instantly giving off merry crackles. She pulled off her shoes, socks and the rest of her clothes so that she was just wearing her underwear and bra and burrowed down under the daybed's duvet. Then, the thoughts which had driven her to this place finally began to trickle into her mind. Malfoy.
What had happened? She had to admit that she had noticed that Malfoy was quite good looking; she had overheard a lot of gossip about him in the girl's toilets and she wasn't the only one who found his clear grey eyes and sleek blond hair attractive. In addition, his seeker's body and height only added to his attractiveness. She let her mind mull over what had occurred between them in the dungeons corridor.
Hmm… he was the one who kissed me first… and it seemed as though he wanted to say something…but he hates me! Why did he kiss me?
Then she remembered Neville asking her to Slughorn's party and everyone looking at her in the hallways as though she had sprouted another head.
The perfume… Madame Sultry's Alluring Aroma... I wonder…
But before Hermione finished her thought, a small square box appeared on the wooden bedside table. She quickly picked it up. It was, of course, the box containing the perfume. She saw the perfume's name etched into the mother of pearl exterior. Hermione noted that this wasn't the one she had upstairs in her dormitory, this one was brand new. She lifted the lid of the box and saw that in addition to the perfume there was a small piece of folded paper. Before she could take the paper out of the box, the paper flew out of the box and began speaking in a crisp clear feminine voice.
Thank you for purchasing this Madame Sultry beauty item. This magical perfume allows the wearer to experience 12 hours of unexpected fun! Just a couple of sprays of this perfume will reveal to the wearer all those who have pre-existing romantic feelings towards her! But be warned, this item creates sexual confidence in the user and the user may experience a loss of inhibition. In addition, the perfume becomes more potent over time. Madame Sultry is not responsible for damages, whether mental or physical to the user. Perfume is used at user's own discretion.
The sheet of paper flew back into the box refolding itself along the way. Hermione just stared at the box's contents. Indignation poured off her as phrases flew into her mind… pre-existing romantic feelings… sexual confidence… loss of inhibition… She didn't know what to think. Truth be told, she wasn't nearly as angry with Ginny as she thought she should be, all things considered, though she didn't like the feeling of being manipulated. She supposed that Ginny had done this not as a prank, but as some sort of way to boost her confidence and it had worked… to an extent. Hermione kept thinking about Draco and now it seemed as though that was part of the perfume's magic. Hermione briefly wondered where he was, if he was prowling the corridors or sulking in his dormitory. As the thought hit her, she was reminded of an object which would verify his whereabouts quite easily. Hermione stated in a clear voice to the room, 'I would like to see Harry Potter's Marauder's Map of Hogwarts'. To her great surprise, the map appeared on the bedside table like the box had before. Hermione tapped the map, said the necessary 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good' and began peering over the map to find Malfoy. She checked the Slytherin common room, but only found Crabbe and Parkinson there. In the Great Hall she only spotted Zabini and Nott. Where was Malfoy? She hunted for his name until she found it. He seemed to be alone in the Owlery up in the West Tower, which was not far from where she was now.
Getting up and pulling on her clothes she decided to walk by the tower and maybe accidently-on-purpose bump into him. She quickly asked the Room for a quill and parchment and scribbled a letter to her parents just to have something in her hands as an excuse for being up near the Owlery. She also took Harry's map and stuffed it into her bag; she would talk to him later about the Room's ability to access it.
Hermione was again reminded of the perfume's magic as the scene in her mind's eye began to illustrate the feelings produced when Malfoy had pressed his lean body against her own in that dimly lit corridor only a couple of hours ago. Until Hermione talked to Malfoy, she doubted she could get what happened between them out of her mind.
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