Author's Note: Oh, thanks to everyone for reading my story! You are all very seriously cool! So...this chapter is actually my longest chapter yet. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. I had such a hard time writing it, because I SUCK at writing mushy scenes, especially where Draco is concerned (it's hard to make him act like anything other than an irritating git). Hopefully I did okay...
The trip to Hogsmeade that night was very awkward. Nobody spoke a word until they had finally arrived in front of the Three Broomsticks.
"So this is where you said you found them last night?" Snape asked his two students.
Harry nodded and pointed to the side of the building. "Yes, right over there. When we found them, they were kissing and -"
Snape's face twisted into a mortified expression. "I do not need details, Potter. In fact, I would appreciate it if you left all of the details out." He shuddered.
Harry nodded. He hated telling the details about as much as Snape hated hearing them.
When the three of them entered the Three Broomsticks - which surprisingly was very dead for this time of night - they were immediately greeted warmly by a young woman carrying a drink tray.
"Good evening, gentlemen." She glanced at Snape and grinned. "Professor Snape! Long time no see! What brings you to the Three Broomsticks tonight?"
"Miss Whittaker," Snape said blandly, acknowledging her with a short nod. "Actually, I came to talk to you."
Harry and Ron looked at each other. Who was this woman, why did Snape want to talk to her, and what did she have to do with Hermione and Malfoy?
"Oh," the young woman said, looking perplexed. "Well let me just go set this tray down and ask Markus if I can take a small break. Why don't you all take a seat over there," she said, pointing to a table over in the corner. "Can I get you guys anything?"
"We'll take two butterbeers," Harry replied, ignoring Snape's glare.
"Sure thing." The barmaid winked and disappeared into the back of the pub.
"If you don't mind us asking, sir," Ron said, "why are we here?"
"Patience is a virtue, Mr. Weasley," Snap growled. "You will find out in due time. Now please refrain from talking."
Ron mumbled a few choice words under his breath, but luckily Snape was oblivious to them. Less than a minute later, the barmaid returned with two butterbeers, which she placed in front of Harry and Ron, then she pulled up an empty chair and joined them at the table.
"So what can I do for you?" she asked tentatively.
"Well, I was hoping you could provide us with some information on a love potion. Two of my students -"
"I had nothing to do with that," she said defensively. "I did not spike those kids' drinks, if that's what you're thinking."
Snape narrowed his eyes at her. Both Harry and Ron recognized this expression as contempt. It was an expression he had used many times on them. "Actually, Miss Whittaker, that was not what I was thinking. But it is now."
Geniva blushed furiously. "I, erm, um..." She looked at Harry and Ron. "Would you boys like some more butterbeer?"
"They haven't even begun drinking the ones you just brought them," Snape barked. "So you're behind this? I should have known the minute these boys mentioned the Three Broomsticks."
Harry and Ron desperately wanted to chime in and ask what this woman had to do with anything, but decided instead to examine their mugs of butterbeer as if they were the most interesting things in the world.
"As I was saying," Snape continued, "two of my students who normally loathe each other more than life itself, have suddenly decided they are madly in love with one another. I assumed someone must have cast some sort of spell on them, or slipped them a love potion. Figuring it was the latter, I thought I would pay you a visit, to see if you could possibly create some sort of an anti-potion. I seem to recall love potions being your forte. And now that I know it was your love potion that has cursed them, this makes it all that much easier."
Geniva blushed a deeper shade of red. "Wow, Professor, I am flattered. I mean...a Potions professor coming to me for help? I don't know what to say!"
Snape sneered at her. "Say you will make us an anti-potion."
Geniva stared at him blankly. "Why would I do that?"
"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?" Snape bellowed. "Because you drugged two of my students against their will! Do you even know what horrible thing you have done? Those two kids you made fall in love – there is a lot more to this situation than just the fact that they hate each other. The boy, Draco Malfoy, is the son of Lucius Malfoy. Does that name ring a bell to you at all?" Geniva shook her head as Snape continued. "Lucius Malfoy is a sick, pureblood son of a bitch who hates everything and everyone Muggle. The girl you drugged, Hermione Granger, is about as Muggle as they come. She is what the Malfoys commonly like to call a mudblood, Miss Whittaker. Surely you remember that term from your days at Hogwarts?"
Geniva paled slightly and whispered, "Oh." She glanced sheepishly at Harry and Ron, then back at Snape. "I didn't know, honestly. I just...I saw them sitting together last night and I thought they looked so cute together, what with all of their flirtatious bickering. I thought -"
"No, Miss Whittaker," Snape interrupted, "you didn't think, that is the problem. If you had, you would have realized that what happens between those two kids is none of your business. Feelings and emotions are not to be meddled with. I can't recall how many times I repeated that fact to you, every time I heard you discussing love potions with your friends."
"I know," Geniva said, nodding. "I know. That is exactly the reason why I came up with a love potion that was different than all others."
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Oh really. And what makes your potion different from any other love potion?"
Geniva's face lit up at Snape's curiosity, eager to explain her potion to anyone who would listen. "My love potion doesn't make just anyone fall in love, Professor. It only works for people who are already in love with each other."
"Why would you make a love potion for people who are already in love?" Ron butted in, scratching his head in confusion. Really, it made no sense to him.
"Well, you see," Geniva explained, "people fall madly in love with each other all the time. But in a lot of cases, over time, the intensity of that initial love sort of dissipates. The two people still love each other, but that spark is gone. My potion ignites that spark. In other words, my potion only enhances existing feelings...not invents them. As you can imagine, it is wildly popular with old married couples, wishing to rekindle their romance."
Snape acted like he hadn't heard a word she had said. "So how soon can you make the anti-potion?"
Geniva gaped at him. "Didn't you just hear a word I said? You are telling me that my potion worked on those two kids, which means that they already had feelings for each other before I spiked their drinks. And you just want to take those feelings away from them?"
"YES!" Harry and Ron cried out simultaneously.
The young barmaid stared at them. "And who are you two, exactly?"
"We are Hermione's best friends," Harry replied.
Geniva shook her head sadly. "You call yourselves her best friends, yet you want to take away her happiness and bliss? That doesn't sound like something best friends do."
"Maybe not," said Ron. "But best friends do look out for each other, and that is exactly what Harry and I are doing. Trust us when we say that Hermione would be a lot better off if these lovey dovey feelings she has for Malfoy were to suddenly disappear."
"That's what you think. But have you even thought to ask Hermione her opinion on this?" Geniva frowned.
"You mean like you asked her opinion before spiking her drink?" Snape said nastily. "Listen, Miss Whittaker, I'm sure your heart was in the right place. But if what you are saying about your potion is true, and that Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger in fact do have genuine feelings for each other, don't you think it would be best if they decide when and if they ever want to acknowledge those feelings?"
Geniva realized he had a good point. Feeling defeated, she stood up. "Fine," she grumbled. "I'll go whip up an anti-potion. But just to warn you, this anti-potion is not going to make their feelings go away. Sure, those two will go back to hating each other, but those feelings are still going to be there, deep down inside, just waiting to resurface."
Snape waved his hand. "Great. Wonderful. Whatever you say. Now these young gentlemen and I will stay here and wait for you to return with the anti-potion."
Geniva gave a short nod and disappeared into the back of the pub.
Once she was gone, Harry said, "So she was a student at Hogwarts?"
Snape sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling another headache coming on. "Yes. And as you could see, she was the Miss Granger of her day - an insufferable know-it-all. But I cannot deny that she was one of the best Potions students I ever had. Now," he said, getting up from the table, "I'm going to go get a drink. Preferably something a lot stronger than butterbeer. You two stay put." He sauntered off.
Harry and Ron sat there, digesting everything they had just heard. After a long moment of silence, Ron finally said, "Bloody hell."
"What?" asked Harry.
"Hermione's in love with Malfoy," Ron replied, looking crushed.
"But she doesn't realize it yet," Harry pointed out. "Well, I mean, she thinks she loves him right now, but after we give her the anti-potion, she won't realize that those feelings are still there. And we certainly won't tell her. With any luck, she will never realize it."
"Bloody hell," Ron reiterated.
"What?"
"Malfoy's in love with Hermione."
"But he doesn't realize it yet," Harry said. "And even if he does realize it someday, it's not like he would do anything about it. It's not as if he even could do anything about it, even if he wanted to. What, with his father and all..."
Ron buried his face in his hands. "Bloody hell, Harry," he said solemnly. "Just...bloody hell."
________________________
About an hour earlier...
The winding stairs leading up to the Astronomy Tower seemed to go on forever, but Hermione dutifully climbed up each and every step, hoping she wouldn't get too exhausted in the process.
Please be there Draco, she thought to herself. The thought of him changing his mind about his feelings for her scared the living daylights out of her. She knew she shouldn't even think about it, but it was just so hard to push it out of her thoughts. Hermione never had much confidence when it came to boys; mainly because only one boy had ever liked her, and that was Viktor Krum. For some strange reason, despite the fact that he could have had any girl he wanted, he had set his sights on her. What could he have possibly wanted with a bushy-haired, buck-toothed, plain-Jane bookworm? What would any guy want with a girl like her? And most importantly, what would Draco want with a girl like her?
Hermione sighed. She had finally reached the Astronomy Tower, and her hands were shaking uncontrollably. Calm down, Granger, she scolded herself. She closed her eyes and counted to ten, then pushed open the door.
When she finally opened her eyes, the sight that greeted her took her breath away: the room was aglow with floating red candles everywhere, and rose petals were scattered all over the floor. She barely had time to blink before a pair of hands gently covered her eyes.
"Surprise," a voice whispered in her ear.
The feel of Draco's breath against the side of her neck sent chills down her spine. She grinned and spun around to face him.
"You're early," he stated.
Hermione frowned slightly. "I know. I'm sorry. I -"
Draco chuckled. "Oh, don't apologize. I was actually getting quite anxious waiting for you. I'm happy you're here." He reached out his hand and gently caressed her cheek.
Those chills Hermione had felt moments ago now multiplied. She could feel heat rising to the spot where he had touched her. Quickly, she cleared her throat and backed up slightly. "The place looks beautiful," she whispered.
Draco grinned at her compliment. "Thanks. It's not much, really, but it was the best I could do."
"Well you did a great job," she assured him. She glanced down at the floor. "You know, I thought...I thought maybe you wouldn't show up."
Draco raised an eyebrow. "Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this little rendezvous for the world." He took a step closer to her and gazed deeply into her eyes. "So...we're alone at last. What would you like to do?"
Hermione's mind short-circuited. If it was possible for her to stutter in her thoughts, she was doing it right now. But then, without warning, she proceeded to do it out loud. "I – uh – um – er – I don't – um – how about – um – we could – or – uh –"
Luckily, Draco chose this moment to silence her with a kiss. It was soft, sweet and gentle, and too short in Hermione's opinion. When he pulled away only a few seconds later, he smiled and said, "You're so cute when you stumble on your words."
Hermione giggled. "And you're so cute when you -" But she was once again cut off by Draco's lips.
This is more like it, Hermione thought as she sighed into the kiss. She wrapped her arms around the back of his neck as he pulled her closer. Kissing Draco Malfoy certainly was an experience...like no other experience she had ever experienced. And it was a good experience...even though she was inexperienced. Yes, Draco was the first boy Hermione had ever kissed. Contrary to popular belief, she had never snogged Viktor Krum, although she was sure he had wanted to snog that night at the Yule Ball during her fourth year. However, she avoided any sort of intimate physical contact with him that night, since she wasn't even sure exactly how she felt about him. She had always dreamt of what her first kiss would be like, and with whom, and she wasn't about to waste it on just anyone. And right now she was so glad she hadn't.
"What are you smiling about?" Draco asked, pulling away from her slightly. Hermione hadn't even realized she had been smiling.
"Nothing," she replied, beaming. "It's just...I feel so happy right now."
"Me too," said Draco. He took her hand and led her over to the window. "There's something I've been wanting to give you. I wanted to wait until we were alone, for obvious reasons."
Hermione chuckled. "Our friends aren't exactly thrilled about us, are they?"
"Not at all. They think we are bloody mad. But we know different, don't we, luv?" He winked at her.
"We certainly do," Hermione replied.
Draco reached inside his robes and pulled out a small jewelry box. Hermione gasped at the sight of it. It was about the size of a ring box. He isn't...I mean, he wouldn't...he's not going to ask me to...no...that can't be it...can it?
Hermione's thoughts began to run wild. Draco watched her panic expression with amusement and grinned. "No, I'm not going to pop the question, if that's what you're thinking."
"Oh," Hermione said, sighing in relief. She was way too young to think about getting married, let alone to a guy she'd been in love with for only one day.
Draco held the box out to her, and with unsteady hands she reached out and took it. Slowly, she undid the red ribbon that had been neatly tied around it and opened it up.
"Oh my!" she gasped. Inside the box was a ring – white gold with a pear-shaped sapphire gem, with intricate carvings all around the band. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever laid eyes on. "Wow...this is so...beautiful," she breathed.
Draco smiled. "Sapphire is your birthstone, isn't it?"
Dumbfounded, Hermione nodded. She couldn't believe he was aware of what her birthstone was. "I don't know what to say, Draco. Thank you so much, but...I - I can't accept this."
"Yes you can," Draco said, taking the box out of her hand. He took out the ring and gently slipped it on to her right middle finger. "This ring belonged to my mother. It has been passed down from generation to generation, from mother to daughter for the past century or so. Of course, me being an only child and a male, my mother had no daughter to pass it on to. So, she gave it to me and told me to promise to one day give it to the woman I love. And that woman would be you, Hermione. So you can and will accept it. See?" He glanced down at her hand, which was still in his. "It's a perfect fit." He paused for a moment, and then whispered, "We are a perfect fit."
Hermione could feel tears of happiness forming in her eyes. She couldn't think of a thing to say. She knew if she tried to speak, her words would come out jumbled anyway. So, she just gave him a hug instead and sobbed into his shoulder.
Draco caressed her back softly and closed his eyes. He never knew before this moment what pure bliss felt like, but now that he did, he never wanted to let that feeling go. Caught up in a sudden rush of intense feelings, Draco blurted out the very next thing that came to his mind: "I love you, Hermione."
Hermione's eyes flew open in shock. Did he just say...he loved her? That was indeed what she had heard, and when she realized it, she pulled away from him slightly and without even hesitating replied, "I love you, too." And with that, she proceeded to passionately snog the living daylights out of him.
Approximately ten minutes later, when their snog session had come to a close, they both pulled apart and attempted to catch their breath.
"It's getting late," Hermione whispered finally. "If I don't get back soon, Harry and Ron might come looking for me," she said, forgetting all about their detention with Snape.
"Yeah," Draco agreed. "I'm sure Pansy is having a fit right now. Why don't you leave first, so that people don't see us together?"
"Sounds like a plan." Hermione planted a chaste kiss on Draco's lips before whispering her goodbye. She turned around and without a glance back, she exited the Astronomy Tower, feeling Draco's gaze following her out. She glanced down at her ring as she bounced down the stairs. She suddenly felt as though she could float back to her dorm room, that's how unbelievably happy she was. Draco Malfoy had told her that he loved her. No guy had ever said those words to her before, nor had she ever said them to any guy before.
When she got back to her dorm, she flitted past everyone in the common room, including a very curious Ginny, and headed straight for bed. She could not wait to dream about Draco Malfoy. And as she drifted off to sleep that night, his words "We are a perfect fit" echoed in her head, and she fell asleep with a smile on her face.
_________________________
"So you two know what to do, right?" Snape asked for the fifteenth time since they had left the Three Broomsticks earlier. "Do not screw this up."
Ron made a face. "Don't worry, Professor. We know what to do. How bloody complicated could it be to spike their drinks?"
Snape shoved the flask into Harry's hands. "Knowing you, Mr. Weasley, probably incredibly bloody complicated." He glowered at them, turning on his heel and stomping off, leaving the two boys standing by themselves in the dark hallway.
"Probably incredibly bloody complicated," Ron mimicked. "I tell you, Harry, I have never seen anyone with a bigger stick up their arse."
Harry grinned and patted Ron on the back. "Cheer up, Ron. Just think – this time tomorrow, Hermione will back to her old self again."
Ron sneered. "What's so cheerful about that? Hermione is annoying whether or not she is in love with Malfoy. Having her back to her old self again won't make all that much difference."
Harry ignored Ron as they began their trek back to the common room. He held up the flask filled with the anti-potion and stared into it intently. "Don't worry, Hermione," he muttered in his best superhero voice. "We'll save you."