Dramione: An Impossible Fantasy [Being Edited]

Chapter Twelve: You Call This a Mistake? [unedited]

HERMIONE

I narrow my eyes at Angela, watching her as we walk into Potions. Harry 'accidentally' left his stuff behind in the Gryffindor common room so he left, telling me to help her. I've always been good at reading people, and my heart tells me to trust her.

My head, however, screams that you can never trust a Death Eater and that we should kick her out on the spot.

I'm not sure which one is right.

I glare at Harry when he pops up ten minutes later, holding hands with Ginny. "I thought you had forgotten something?" I ask.

"Yes, I did," Harry says. "I forgot her." He looks at Ginny, and she giggles. Ron looks as if he's going to puke, and in that moment, I'm glad that Ron rarely expresses his feelings, just so we never sound sappy or corny.

Angela smiles sweetly. "I think he's cute," she remarks to me. After talking to us during breakfast, she's relaxed immensely. Now her eyes are calm and her hands have stopped shaking.

"Who?" I ask absentmindedly. "Harry?"

"Yeah," she laughs. "He sounds so affectionate." I gape at her, but then shrug to myself. It is a free country, after all - or at least now that Voldemort was defeated, I think to myself.

Then, Professor Slughorn bustles in, and I devote my attention to him. He briefly makes his introductions before briskly starting a lesson.

"Like last year, we briefly talked about the potion Amortenia. As you are either seventh years or seventh years retaking their final year, we will focus on brewing it today. Be warned - it is an intensely difficult potion, and only by working together will you make a good potion."

I roll my eyes as Harry nods enthusiastically. Two years ago, Proffesor Dumbledore asked Harry to 'get to know' Proffesor Slughorn, and now, as he doesn't have his Potion's book for the Half-Blood Prince - which, I now know, was Snape - it looks like he's going to keep acting like the teacher's pet, in hopes of getting a good grade.

And Ron and Harry call me a suck-up.

Harry continues to pay attention to Professor Slughorn's every word- or it looks like he does. I catch him passing notes to Ron over six times.

When Professor Slughorn says, "I'll now be matching partners for two to a table for the rest of the year," Harry finally looks up.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley can share one," he says, and both Harry and Ron visibly deflate - it's painfully obvious they both want me as a partner. I shrug to them as they pull their chairs to a table.

"Ms. Lovegood and Ms. Weasley." He nods at the two, who are sitting together already.

Weirdly enough, he never seems to call my name. Finally, after even Angela is paired with a Ravenclaw, I raise my hand. "Sir?" I say tentatively. "Sir?"

Harry rolls his eyes at me and I glare back, quickly putting a smile on my face as Professor Slughorn turns.

"It's just that - I haven't been paired yet, Professor," I say.

"No?" He says in evident surprise. "Oh, well, is there anyone who I haven't picked yet?"

No hands go up. I see Harry and Ron look at each other hopefully, obviously wondering if I'll be paired with them. Then, he says, "Ah, then maybe, Ms. Granger, you - "

"I wasn't paired up yet," someone drawls.

I blink several times in horror.

Not him.