||Now It's Just Us||

Chapter 46

"You look worried."

She was worried.

Their first try at producing the potion had failed. Poppy and she had spent the entire afternoon working on it, being extraordinarily precise about the times, the stirring, the measurements. In the end, it had all ended up as a mess, in no way a cure. They had to start again from scratch.

The infirmary at Hogwarts was where Hermione spent every alternate afternoon. She and Poppy would dedicate their time to finding the cure, the right balances and whatnot. After the first few times, the students had stopped swarming her for her autographs. Occasionally Professor Slughorn would assist them.

Adding to that worry, her trial was tomorrow.

Did she need any other reason to be worried?

"I'm tired." It was true. She had spent the evening Christmas shopping.

Ginny raised her eyebrows so high Hermione was afraid they might fly away, "You know you can't lie to me."

Hermione worried her lower lip as Ginny flipped an omelette. It landed with a splat on the pan, and Ginny threw some grated cheese over it.

"Well," Hermione stifled a yawn and glanced at the wallclock. She'd have to get back to Draco soon. "Trial tomorrow."

"That can't be the only reason," Ginny said, beginning to chop up some carrots for salad, "it's about Malfoy, isn't it?"

Hermione sighed. Ginny just always knew, nothing got past her.

"Kind of," Hermione shrugged.

"What about him?"

That he's going to die if Hermione doesn't work out the cure. That she feels inexplicably happy with him. That he was hilarious and annoying. Honestly, what in her life at the moment wasn't about Draco?

"Has he been giving you any trouble?" Ginny slid the chopped carrots into a pot of steaming stew. The contents hissed and Ginny increased the flame with a flick of her wand.

"No, gods no," Hermione hastily shook her head, "he couldn't give me trouble."

"Oh?" Ginny smirked slyly at her, but Hermione didn't notice.

"He's been fretting over what the result of the trial is going to be for so long," Hermione said, leaning back in her chair, "and he's been there with me, constantly. We're even having fun, dare I say it. I mean, he recently accidentally burnt the kitchen wallpaper off while trying to cook. We even went out a few days back, to a part of muggle London, he said he had fun. He was dead scared of the camera fla-"

Hermione stopped, embarrassed. She had been rambling. To avert the conversation to another topic, she hastily cleared her throat, "How was practice?"

"It was amazing, as usual," Ginny said, nodding. She had some kind of satisfied smile on her face.

"That's great," Hermione said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

"Can I tell you something?" Ginny placed the omelette on a plate and cast a shield charm on it.

"Sure, anything," Hermione rested her head atop her hand.

"You're falling for him."

Hermione didn't understand, at first. But when she did, she turned away, her cheeks aflush, "That's not-"

"It is," Ginny pressed, "I can see it."

"See what?" Hermione asked, exasperated.

"You both, together," she said, her eyes shining, "it'll be good for both of you."