Chapter 19:
Over the next few days, Fred at every possible moment kept apologizing to me until finally I told him if he kept apologizing to me I was going to have to kill him, or the more likely one prank him. That shut him up because Fred knew of some of my more embarrassing pranks, and the prankster couldn't bare to get out pranked by anyone else.
Since we needed a teachers signature in order to get the book we decided to ask Lockhart since he was the only thick enough to fall for it. After the horrible pixie incident, Lockhart luckily resorted to just acting out scenes of live creatures instead of bringing them in. Lockhart always had Harry act out the parts, he tried to get me to do it but I refused saying that I don't do crap like that. Lockhart was too embarrassed about getting stood up by a student that he didn't punish me, so Harry was doomed to do the acting all alone.
After class one day, when Harry that particular class had to act like a wolf, Hermione took up the request sheet to Lockhart for the book. "Excuse me Professor? Could you please sign this for me as an autograph?" Hermione said acting embarrassed. She had covered the rest of the paper with the book and only showed the signature line. "Of course! Why don't I just sign the book?" Professor Lockhart said. "Oh, no you can't ruin the book!" I said covering for Hermione, "she hates when people write in books." Hermione pretended to agree and just nodded. "Okay." Lockhart said shrugging. He just signed it and than handed it back. "Thanks!" Hermione said breathlessly than we both turned and ran out the classroom to Harry and Ron. "Did he sign it?" Harry asked. "Yup." I said smirking, "we just asked for an autograph." "What a self-absorbed shit head." Ron muttered making us all laugh.
Just a few minutes we had arrived in the library breathless from our run there, in our eagerness to get the book and get started on the potion. When we handed the note to Madam Pince, she inspected for a least five minutes, with us holding out breath the whole time, before she finally huffed and got the book. We tried to leave as quickly as possible without looking guilty.
We decided the best place to make the potion was the girls bathroom, much to Ron's dismay. "So, have you decided what your going to do yet?" Harry asked me while Hermione was looking through the book for the potion. I knew exactly what he was talking about but I was still unsure. "I don't know." I answered. He just shook his head at me, "Well you know how I feel." "Yes I do." I answered. "What are you two talking about?" Ron asked. "Honestly Ron keep up. They're talking about George." Hermione said loftily. "Oh." Ron responded. "What are you leaning towards than?" Harry asked. "Honestly?" He nodded. I sat down and thought. "Making a potion that makes everyone forget about all of it?" Harry just shook his head.
"Arrington!" Hermione said shocked, "it's not funny." "You think I'm trying to be funny, if it was a thing I would do it!" I said, "I honestly have no idea what to do! Either way people get hurt!" "You know that's not true." Harry said. "Well I've already ruled your way out." I answered. "Wait a second," Hermione said, "you've already decided that your not going to try haven't you!" I nodded and commented to Harry "I expected you would tell them." "We have to have some secrets." He said shrugging in response. "True." I said. "No, no you can't do that! Arrington! And Harry shame on you for not telling us!" Hermione said outraged. "It's too late I've already made my choice I just have to decide how to tell him."
"No you can't! You have to try it out! C'mon Harry, Ron back me up here!" She said still mad. "You think I haven't tried she was going to talk to him the day she decided, until I asked her what she was going to say." "I was going to just wing it. I wish I just went with it before I lost my courage." I muttered glaring at Harry. He just shrugged, "I've told you my opinion and it wouldn't hurt him, it would make him happy." "Exactly!" Hermione said. "But it would if it didn't work out." I replied. "But what if it did?" Hermione asked, "do you want that?" "Yes but-" "No no buts that's your answer right there." Hermione said.
"It's my decision Hermione! I will give it more time just for you, but it won't change!" I said trying to just placate her for now. "Thank you." Hermione said. She then looked down at the potion book and started reading it. "This is the most difficult potion I've seen." Hermione said her eyes wide. "Let me see." I said and she handed me the book, "Hermione we can get some of the stuff from the student cupboards, but the rest we will have to steal." "I know." She said. "But you realize we will be breaking about a thousand school rules-" Harry started but Hermione cut him off, "Fine if you don't want it figure out if Malfoy is the heir of Syltherin so be it. Than chicken out and I'll do it myself." "With me of course." I chimed in, "I think I can help with getting the ingredients, and making part of the potion, I'm not as good as you but-" "Arrington your fine at potions it will work out. But what's your idea for getting the ingredients?" "I'll have to talk to Fred about it." Hermione got a worried look in her eye at the mention of Fred, because nothing we ever did together turned out perfect or was on a small scale.
"How long does it take to make?" Ron asked. Me and Hermione looked at each other and grimaced, "About a month." I answered. "Oh no, Malfoy could attack half of the muggle-borns in the school by then!" Harry said worried. "I know but it's the best plan we have." Hermione said in reply.