𝐂𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐄 | 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦

sixteen

"He...put something in your drink!" she said, out of breath from running halfway across the ballroom. They were attracting many stares, and Hermione felt her face warm in embarrassment at her friends, clutching at Ron's arm for reassurance.

"Pans, stop it. Ron would never do anything to hurt me," she said, scowling at her friend. Then, quieter, she said, "I know you don't like him, but I love him, okay? We talked about this."

"What did you do?" Ginny asked furiously, appearing at Pansy's other side just in time to hear the last thing that Hermione had said.

"Nothing!" Ron said, hands up.

"He didn't do anything, leave him alone!" Hermione said angrily, standing up. Her eyes flashed dangerously and Ginny flinched, backing down. Ginny didn't back down, but her best friend was one of the strongest witches of all time. 

"Are you alright?" An arm slipped around her waist and Hermione jumped up and slapped it away, rage in her eyes. Pansy winced.

"What the hell do you think you're playing at, Malfoy? I'm taken! You cannot just touch me like that!" Draco's eyes widened, and Ginny's mouth fell open. "I thought you were a good guy."

Pansy's wand was in her hand in five seconds flat, pointed at Ron. Hermione noticed this and turned up her nose in disgust at their poor conduct.

"Come on, Ron. Let's go," Hermione said, grabbing his hand and Apparating back to their house.

"What is going on?" McGonagall asked sternly, finally making her way to the source of the commotion.

"Ron put something in Hermione's drink, Professor," Ginny said quickly. Pansy put her wand away, looking enraged.

"Did he? Which drink did Miss Granger have?" McGonagall asked, quick and to the point. Pansy picked up Hermione's glass carefully and handed it to the Headmistress.

McGonagall sniffed it, something wistful flashing across her face. She briskly set it down and said, "Miss Granger has been given Amortentia."

Pansy shrieked in anger and Draco let out a breath. There was a cure for Amortentia, the only thing would be getting Hermione to drink it. Harry could give it to her, no problem.

"Luckily for you, I have a Hate Potion in stock," Professor Slughorn said at Draco's shoulder. He jumped. Unbeknownst to him, all of the Hogwarts professors had come down to the scene.

"Thank you, Horace. Would you mind getting that?"

"Sure thing," he said jovially, striding off.

"Someone will need to trick Miss Granger into drinking it. She will not take it if she knows that it will take her away from Mr. Weasely.

"I'll do it," Ginny and Pansy both said at once.

"She won't take it from you," Draco said. They both turned to him, confused.

"She knows that you're against her and Ron as a couple, based on your reactions earlier," he explained. "Harry?"

Harry nodded from where he stood with Cho, who looked absolutely bemused. "I'm going to kill Ron," he muttered.

McGonagall tsked. "None of that, Mr. Potter."

She raised her voice. "Everyone please return to the festivities! I apologize for this interruption."

As the chatter started up again, McGonagall said to them, "Please wait here for Professor Slughorn to return, and administer the potion to Miss Granger at the earliest possible opportunity." At that she left, her robes sweeping behind her.