All day, I've forced myself to focus on Professor Sprout's homework about rare plants, but the words blur and swirl in front of me like smoke.

I can't concentrate. It's as if the world is muffled, drowned out by the constant thrum in my chest. Every flicker of thought, every beat of my heart, is drawn back to him.

The potion is supposed to work by dinner time. That's what Fred and George promised, and I want to believe them. I want to believe that by tonight, I will be free of this feeling.

The ache, the longing, the pull toward Draco that has refused to let go of me for far too long.

But as I sit there, trying to make sense of the plants in front of me, I wonder... what if it doesn't work? What if this ache inside of me stays, stubborn and persistent, forever? What if I never get the chance to feel this way again?

But then, another thought comes to me: What if the potion does work?

What if, by dinner time, I'm free? Free of him. Free of the pain and the constant ache in my heart. Free of the part of me that wants him so badly it makes my chest tighten every time I think about him.

That's what I should want, isn't it? I should want to be free of him. I should want to move on. This is what everyone expects of me.

But the truth is... I don't want it to work.

The part of me that wants him. The part that still dreams of him when I close my eyes, the part that holds onto every memory of the moments we shared, is terrified of what will happen when I drink this potion.

When it finally takes hold, will I forget him? Will I forget the way his voice made me feel, the way his eyes once softened when they looked at me?

I try to push the thought away, but it lingers in the back of my mind. What if it works? And then he's just... gone?

I don't know if I can handle that.

"Hermione?" Ginny's voice cuts through my thoughts. "Are you coming to dinner?"

I blink, startled. "Can I?"

Ginny tilts her head, a knowing look in her eyes. "Fred and George said the potion will work by dinner time. They're confident."

I feel a sudden tightness in my throat. Confident. It's what I should be, too, right? Confident that this is what I want? Confident that the potion will set me free?

But deep down, I'm not so sure.

"Besides," Ginny continues, her voice light but teasing. "We need to see if it's really working, don't we? I need to know if you'll stop drooling over Draco Malfoy the moment you see him."

I laugh, but it sounds dry. It feels forced. A week ago, I would have denied it, would have laughed, and called Ginny ridiculous. But now... I can't deny it.

I would drool over him. I would fall into his arms the second he stepped into the room.

"I... yeah, we need to prove it." The words feel foreign in my mouth. What do I want to prove? It's clear as day that I will go crazy when I see him again.

We head to the Great Hall with my heart beating faster as we enter.

The warmth, the chatter, the familiar clink of silverware, and the scent of food... it should comfort me. It should be enough to make me forget everything else. But I can't.

I find myself scanning the Slytherin table, desperately hoping to see him, even though a part of me wishes I wouldn't.

But Draco isn't there. Neither Crabbe nor Goyle. The ache in my chest deepens, and I try to tell myself that this is a relief. That I'm free, at least for tonight. But the emptiness lingers, gnawing at me.

I sit down at the Gryffindor table, pushing my food around on my plate, trying to look normal. But inside, everything is a mess.

"Hermione, I thought you were still sick?" Parvati's voice pulls me back into the present.

"I'm better now," I reply automatically, but even as I say it, the words feel like a lie.

"Glad to hear it." Parvati leans in, concern flickering in her eyes. "I heard you were crying this morning. Are you okay now?"

I freeze. The blood drains from my face.

"You heard?" My voice trembles despite myself.

Parvati smiles softly, squeezing my hand. "Don't worry, I didn't tell Lavender. I was the one who told Ginny to check on you. You know... I still think you and Ron would make a better couple than he and Lavender."

Ron? Ron and I couple?

My thoughts are tangled in a fog of confusion. It's not about Ron, all I can think about is Draco.

Dinner goes by in a blur, the voices around me fading into the background as my mind drifts, pulling me back to the question that has haunted me all day.

Will Draco be here tonight?

Will the potion work?

Will it finally rid me of the ache?

Will it take away the constant pull I feel toward him, the way my heart races when I think about him?

Will I finally be able to breathe again?

Minutes pass, stretching into eternity. My eyes are fixed on the entrance, willing him to appear, even though I know that part of me doesn't want him to.

And then... nothing.

No sign of him.

No Draco.

A sharp pang shoots through my chest, and I force myself to swallow it, to force my face into neutrality. I should feel relieved. But instead, I feel empty. The ache is still there. It's still pulling at me, and I can't shake it.

I push my chair back suddenly, unable to sit still any longer.

"I need some air," I murmur, more to myself than anyone else.

Ginny frowns. "Hermione..."

"I just need a minute," I cut her off, already standing and moving away before she can stop me.

The Great Hall fades behind me as I step into the cold corridor, the silence pressing in like a heavy, suffocating blanket. The chill here cuts deeper, and somehow, it feels more real, more honest than the bustling warmth of the hall.

I take a shaky breath, hoping to steady myself, but my heart is still thundering in my chest, each beat louder than the last. My eyes are drawn to the shadows ahead, the flicker of movement in the distance.

And then I see them.

Draco.

Walking beside her.

Astoria.

Inside, everything turned into chaos.

All I can see is them... Draco and Astoria, so perfect, so effortless together. I hate how they fit. I hate how natural it feels for them to be near each other. I want to look away, but my body refuses to listen. My eyes are locked on them, and something inside me snaps.

My heart aches, like it's being torn apart, but I don't know what else to do. I don't know how to stop this, how to stop feeling this way. Everything feels so overwhelming, and then, without thinking, I'm moving. I'm walking toward him.

I reach out, grasping his sleeve, and before I can stop myself, I pull him closer. My body is trembling, my thoughts scattered.

I just need him to see me, to notice me, truly notice me.

He's never looked at me like he looks at her, but maybe, just maybe, if I do this, he will.

Before I know it, my lips crash against his. It's frantic, desperate.

My heart is pounding, my chest tight with every breath, and his lips...it's cold, firm, so very different from what I imagined. It's not like I thought it would be. There's no warmth, no tenderness. It's just… wrong.

I don't even know why I'm still kissing him. But I can't stop. I need him to feel something, anything, even if it's just the burn of this kiss.

Something stirs inside me, a strange sensation, like a current running through my veins. It's not right. I can feel something shift, but I can't make sense of it. The world around me feels distant, blurry. I pull away, gasping for breath, my hands still shaking as they fall away from him.

Draco stares at me, his eyes wide, his expression unreadable. But there's something else in his gaze, something that flickers, something… different. I can't place it. Is he confused? Surprised? His lips part, but he doesn't speak. He doesn't move, and I just stand there, staring at him, trying to understand what just happened.

And then I feel it again. That strange shift, that sensation deep within me, pulling me in a way I can't explain. It's like the air has changed. But what is it? What's happening to me?

Before I can gather my thoughts, everything tilts. My vision swims, and my legs buckle beneath me. I can't hold on anymore. The floor comes up too fast, and with a rush of panic, everything fades to black.