Chapter 1: A Night Out

The Leaky Cauldron was bustling with its usual evening crowd, a warm glow emanating from the flickering candles and crackling fireplace. In a corner booth near the back, four friends gathered around a table, their faces lit up with excitement and pride.

Hermione leaned in with a warm smile. "Ginny, congratulations on becoming a permanent reporter at The Daily Prophet! That's such a huge achievement."

Ginny's face lit up with a mixture of pride and relief. "Thanks, Hermione. After retiring from Quidditch, I wasn't sure I'd be good at this. It feels like a big step."

Before Hermione could respond, a waiter arrived with a tray of Butterbeers. He placed one in front of Hermione, Harry, and Ginny. Ron's drink, however, was still missing, and he watched impatiently as the waiter left.

Ron looked at his empty spot and then at the others, frowning. "What's taking so long? I ordered a Firewhisky ages ago."

Harry took a sip of his Butterbeer and grinned. "That's what you get for ordering something stronger. Waiting is the price you pay."

Ginny added with a teasing smile, "Maybe if you hadn't gone for the Firewhisky, you'd have your drink by now."

Hermione, sipping her Butterbeer, giggled at her friends' antics.

As they continued to tease each other, Harry's gaze shifted to a table across the room. "Isn't that Draco Malfoy over there?"

Hermione looked up, following Harry's gaze. Malfoy was seated with his friends, Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson.

As they watched, one of Malfoy's friends nudged his plate toward him, smirking mischievously. Malfoy, distracted by the conversation, didn't notice that a small, fiery red pepper had slipped onto his plate.

Hermione's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen. "Oh no…"

But it was too late. Malfoy popped the pepper into his mouth, chewing casually for a moment—before his face contorted in shock. His pale skin flushed bright red as the heat hit him in full force.

Ron let out a bark of laughter, and even Harry couldn't suppress a grin as Malfoy fumbled for his glass of water. He drank quickly, but the liquid spilled down his chin, soaking his shirt.

"Serves him right," Ron chuckled. "Can't say he didn't deserve it."

Ginny giggled, and even Hermione found herself smiling despite her better judgment. Malfoy's desperation as he drained his glass was undeniably amusing.

But the situation took a sudden turn when Malfoy, finding his water gone, reached out and grabbed a drink from a passing waiter's tray. Without a second thought, he downed it in one gulp.

The waiter gave an apologetic look to Ron, who noticed immediately. Ron's laughter died in his throat, his face going pale. "No… no, no, no…"

Harry glanced at him, puzzled. "Ron? What's wrong?"

But Ron didn't answer. His eyes were locked on Malfoy, who was now looking around the pub with a slightly dazed expression. Ron suddenly surged to his feet.

"You bloody idiot!" Ron shouted, shoving his chair back so hard it nearly tipped over. He stormed toward Malfoy, fists clenched.

Malfoy barely had time to react before Ron grabbed him by the collar, shaking him violently. "That's my drink! You ruined everything!" Ron's voice was a mixture of fury and desperation, completely baffling everyone around him.

"Ron, what the hell?" Harry exclaimed, rushing over to pull him away. Ginny followed, trying to calm her brother, who was still glaring daggers at Malfoy.

Malfoy, disoriented and confused, stumbled back, his cold demeanor faltering. "What are you on about, Weasley?" he snapped, but there was an undercurrent of uncertainty in his voice.

"Ron, stop it!" Hermione shouted, moving closer as well. But as she did, her eyes met Malfoy's, and she froze. He looked different somehow—his features seemed sharper, more defined, and for a fleeting moment, Hermione found herself thinking that he actually looked… attractive.

Ron, still fuming, shoved Malfoy. Harry, noticing the situation escalating, tried to intervene. "Ron, stop!" he ordered firmly. He stepped between Ron and Malfoy, addressing Malfoy with a polite nod. "I'm really sorry about this."

"What was that about?" Harry asked, his voice low. "It was clear Malfoy didn't take the drink on purpose."

Ron, still seething, didn't answer immediately. He stared daggers at Malfoy, who was now looking bewildered. Harry's comment made Ron pause and reconsider his reaction.

"You know," Hermione said dreamily, "Malfoy actually looks quite… hot tonight."

Ginny raised an eyebrow, surprised by Hermione's bluntness. "You think so?"

Hermione nodded, her eyes fixed on Malfoy. "Yeah, I don't know why, but there's something about him tonight. He looks so… appealing."

Harry turned to look at her, eyes wide with disbelief. "What the hell?"

But Hermione didn't pay any attention to Harry. She was staring at Malfoy with an intensity that made her feel lightheaded. Malfoy, too, seemed to be having trouble looking away from her. Something was very, very wrong.

Harry's Auror instincts kicked in. He grabbed Ron by the arm, pulling him away from Malfoy. "Ron, what's going on? Why did you attack him?"

Ron tried to shake him off, avoiding Harry's eyes. "It's nothing. Just—just leave it."

"Leave it?" Harry's voice was sharp. "Ron, Hermione's acting strange, and so is Malfoy. What did you do?"

Ron hesitated, his guilt written all over his face. He opened his mouth to lie, but one look at Hermione—who was now edging closer to Malfoy—made him crack.

"I… I put a love potion in the drinks," Ron confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. "I thought… I thought it would help me get her back…"

"What?" Hermione snapped out of her daze, horrified. "Ron, how could you?"

Ginny's face flushed with anger. "Ron, you complete idiot! What were you thinking?"

"Using a love potion is not just irresponsible, it's dangerous," Ginny added, her voice sharp with anger. "You had no right to mess with someone's emotions like that. This isn't just a joke; it's an invasion of privacy."

Pansy stepped forward, crossing her arms. "Honestly, Weasley, do you have any idea how reckless and cruel this is? You've made a complete mess of things."

This time it was Blaise reprimanding Ron. "And now look where we are. You've not only caused chaos, but you've also involved people who didn't deserve to be dragged into your pathetic schemes."

Ron, looking increasingly flustered, tried to calm everyone down. "Okay, okay, I've got an antidote. I didn't mean for this to go so wrong. I'll get the antidote, and once Hermione and Malfoy take it, everything should go back to normal."

"Just keep them apart until I get back with the antidote," continued Ron, only to realize Hermione and Malfoy were nowhere to be found.

Panic began to set in. "Where are they?" Harry demanded, his voice laced with urgency. "We need to find them before things get even worse."

The group scattered to search the pub, their anxiety growing as they tried to locate Hermione and Malfoy, who had vanished into the night.