Drarry Potions AU

Chapter Twelve

"Harry!" Ron was shouting at him the next morning when he woke up. "We have class today, mate! We missed breakfast! We have to go now!"

The day before, Monday, had been a magical holiday---honoring Merlin's date of death---so they didn't have classes. However, Harry and Ron had turned off their alarms so they could sleep in, and forgot to turn them back on before going to sleep the night before.

Rushing to class, ties askew and hair even more a mess than usual, they ran into potions ten minutes late.

"Ah, there you are boys!" Slughorn said, in the middle of showing the class how to brew their latest potion. "Take a seat---there are open ones next to Malfoy and Granger."

"Sir," Ron said as he shuffled over to Hermione, "why does the whole classroom smell like Hermione put on too much perfume this morning?"

The whole class laughed at him, but then went dead silent when Harry snorted and said, as he dropped his bag next to Draco's table, "Last time I checked, Ron, Hermione's perfume doesn't smell as terrible as Malfoy's way overpowering perfume. I could smell it across the room!"

Hermione gave him a shocked look, as did most the other students in the room, looking between the two, unsure of what to say.

Draco could no longer take it and bolted out of the room, yelling, "Lavatory, sir!" in his wake.

Finally, in the deafening sense that followed mixed with Harry and Ron's confusion, Hermione cleared her throat and said, rather carefully, "This is amortentia, Harry." Her voice was slow, cautious, as if not positive this was actually one of her best friends. "It gives off a smell of the things that most attract you."

The world stopped.

Oh, Merlin, help me, he thought, as he felt as though his mind warped while he processed the information, as though he was looking through a lens that was getting farther away from it while trying to zoom in at the same time.

"Excuse me, sir?" Harry said, just now realizing the lesson had been going on without him. Slughorn looked up. "I'm feeling a bit parched---could I go get some water?"

"Yes, yes, of course, Mr. Potter. Hurry back!"

Harry was out of the room before he'd finished speaking.