Chapter Fourteen: Amortentia

Hermione was up early the next morning, even though she couldn't seem to get a wink of sleep. She headed to the Great Hall for some breakfast before Tom even came out of his bedroom. It was Monday morning, and she and Tom had potions class again.

She remembered how much it had annoyed him Friday when she had answered all the questions, but she was determined that she'd do so again, if at all possible. After all, she wasn't about to try to keep him happy if it meant making herself miserable trying. Who was she, anyway, if not the know-it-all everyone said she was?

She was sitting at the front of the class in the seat she'd been assigned, with one desk between her and Tom, who had come in and cast her a look that clearly said he was annoyed not to have gotten to walk her there. She simply smiled innocently back, and then busied herself with trying not to look at him every five seconds while they waited for Slughorn to come in.

Abraxis Malfoy's desk just happened to be right beside Hermione's in potions class, and when he came to sit down he smiled warmly at her, making Tom scowl when the two began to talk.

"How was your weekend?" he asked cheerfully.

"Oh, it was fine," she said. "I spent most of it in the library studying."

"Oh, you didn't spend it with Riddle?" he chuckled, glancing over at him.

"Not all of it," she hedged, blushing slightly.

"Tom, what have you been about that's making our new Head Girl blush so much?" Abraxis wanted to know as he turned a cagey smile in his direction.

"Oh, I'm sure Hermione is perfectly capable of telling you herself," he answered. "Though I do have it on good authority that she doesn't like to kiss and tell."

Hermione would have made some kind of comment to this, except that Professor Slughorn stepped in and all talking ceased as he came to the head of his class. He cast everyone a friendly smile before he said, "Good morning. Would you all please hand in your assignments from the weekend?"

Most of the students sent their papers to his desk by charming them to fly there. However, Abraxis grabbed Hermione's papers as he brought his own up manually, and Tom's paper hit him in the back of his head as he went. Hermione, seeing this, cast him a quelling glance, to which he responded with an innocent shrug.

"So, today we're going to be making some Amortentia," Slughorn announced with a placid grin as Abraxas sat down again, casting Riddle an annoyed glance. "As many of you know, it is one of the most powerful love potions anyone has yet invented. Can anyone here tell me what ingredients go into this potion that cause it to be so effective?"

Hermione's hand flew up just as quickly as Tom's, and of course Slughorn could not help but pick her. "Sir, one of the chief ingredients of most love potions is ashwinder eggs, of course, but what really sets apart Amortentia from the rest is the use of unicorn parts. The blood is the most preferred, but it will work almost as well with hair from a unicorn's tail."

"Very good, Miss Granger," he said. "That's ten points for Slytherin. Is there anything you can add to this, Tom?"

"I think I'd add a dollop of peppermint, sir," Tom said jokingly.

"Ah, that's very amusing, Tom," Slughorn agreed. "Amusing, yes, but true nevertheless. You see, class, one of the effects of the Amortentia potion is euphoria, which can be controlled slightly with the use of peppermint. A most inventive additive, Tom. I'll give Slytherin another ten points for it."

"Thank you, sir," he said with a pleased smile. Hermione glanced over at him with a slight smirk, and he smirked back.

"And, since the two of you seem to be the most exuberant on the topic, I'd like you to prepare a draft of Amortentia so the class can see how it looks when done correctly," Slughorn added. "Up, up, you may use the lab beside my desk. The rest of you, I'd like you to study your texts while they work. And do try not to fall madly in love with each other during class. It might distract the other students."

"Oh, ha ha," Hermione scoffed over her shoulder as she followed behind Tom up to the front. At this, he stopped short so she'd run into him, and Hermione turned and pushed on his back, trying to get him to move.

"That's not a bad idea," he teased over his shoulder before he turned and placed his hands on her shoulders to place her in front of him, not letting go as the continued on their way.

"What isn't," she asked, surprised by the throaty quality of her voice.

"Making you fall in love with me," he whispered in her ear. "Maybe then you'd come see my nice, soft bed?"

"Shut up, Riddle, do you want them to hear you?" Hermione whispered back.

Tom laughed as he moved closer to her ear and asked, "Are you afraid they will?"

"Of course not," Hermione lied. "Now, where does Slughorn keep the ingredients? The shelves are not organized like they are later."

"I'll get them," Tom offered, running a hand down her back and arse before he moved away.

"Those two look like they've been imbibing the stuff all ready," Abraxas commented dryly, but when Slughorn turned to see what he meant Tom was at the shelf and Hermione was busily setting a pot and other implements out.

Slughorn cast Abraxas a confused smile and returned to his desk to read. He did not bother to look up often for the remainder of the time it took them to finish.

"Ah, it's perfect, just as I suspected," said Slughorn with a satisfied smile. Hermione sniffed deeply, the smell of fresh strawberries almost overpowering her senses.

"What do you smell when you are faced with the draught, Riddle?" Slughorn asked him curiously.

"Strawberries," Tom said with a slight glance at Hermione. "Definitely strawberries."

"And you, Miss Granger?"

"I-I really couldn't say," she answered, blushing furiously.

"Ah, well," said the Professor with a wistful smile as he called the others to have a look.

In her ear, Tom whispered, "Liar. I know exactly what you smell."

"Do you?" she inquired innocently, and deftly sidestepped his caress as she returned to her desk.

"I do," he told her as he returned to his own, his lips almost grazing her earlobe as he went.

Hermione sat there blushing and trying not to look at him for the rest of class.