Chapter 8

"Draco! Oh Merlin, you gave me such a fright!" Hermione placed a hand on her chest.

"Why? What's wrong?" Draco looked legitimately confused.

"Ron always called me that, and when you said you weren't Harry..." Her voice broke off. "I thought it was Ron coming back again."

Draco moved to hug the girl. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you, Hermione."

"It's alright. I'm not going to be some weak little witch who goes crying at the sight of a spider." Her eyes widened a bit "A spider! Oh, Ron hated spiders; he'd always shriek and cry... his teddy bear... the twins... oh, Ron!" And with that, Hermione allowed the few tears she had been holding back to fall.

He guided her over to the couch in front of the fireplace and cast Incendio. He put one arm around her shoulders and leaned his head against hers. She flinched a bit, but allowed him to hold her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Why?"

"For doing this to you. I'm sure you'd rather be playing Quidditch, or wizards chess or something like that." Hermione wiped her eyes with the palms of her hands.

Draco turned her to face him. "There is nothing I'd rather do right now than sit here with you and listen."

They sat for several minutes in silence, staring at the flames.

"I... I still care for him. Even after that, I still love him. Is that so wrong of me?" Hermione said softly.

"Not at all. I understand how you would. I don't know what you see in him, but I understand. Now, with a dashing young man such as myself, I could understand your undying attraction," Draco said with mock seriousness.

Hermione sighed overdramatically. "It would be useless though, for me to be madly in love with you, seeing as I'm not a boy."

Draco looked at her in shock, wide-eyed. "What? Where did you hear that?"

"Oh, I didn't hear it anywhere. It's just so obvious."

"It is? But, I don't do anything that would suggest it, do I?" He looked worried.

"Oh, Draco, it's not obvious like that. It's clear, at least to me, that you and Harry, well... there's an obvious connection between you two. I don't have to study that ridiculous excuse for a class, Divination, to see it. You and Harry are so much closer than you and Pansy ever were, and, well, Harry and Ginny just... I think they were meant to stay as friends."

"Oh," was all he could say.

"Come off it, Draco, I'm not going to tell anyone."

"You promise? I'm as good as dead socially if anyone were to find out." He brought his hand to his mouth and was about to start on his fingernails, but held out his hand, looking at the perfectly manicured nails and decided against it.

Hermione laughed. "Your secret is safe with me."

"It's good to see you laugh again. Go get some sleep, okay?" Draco smiled at her as she stood up and stretched.

She exhaled sharply. "Arg! Double Potions first class tomorrow morning!" She shot him a pointed look "Maybe you and Harry should work together." Leaving him with that thought, she headed up the stairs to her room.

When she closed the door, she summoned Dobby.

"Dobby?"

He appeared with a loud pop.

"Yes, Miss Granger, how may Dobby serve the friend of Harry Potter?" He looked as though he were about to burst in anticipation of fulfilling her every request.

"Dobby, would you be so kind as to go fetch a book for me from the library?"

"Oh, yes, anything for a friend of Harry Potter! Dobby would be honored to serve Miss Hermione. What book shall Dobby get for Miss?"

"I'm looking for any book with sapor velieris in it."

"Yes, Miss, right away, Miss. Dobby will return!" He snapped his fingers.

It took a surprisingly rather long amount of time for Dobby to return with a few books. In fact, all he had were two. One was Moste Potente Potions and the other was A Healer's Bedside Guide.

"Only two?" She wasn't really expecting much more, but she had been hoping. The fewer books something was mentioned in, the more dangerous it probably was. She, Harry, and Ron had learned that when they found almost no books regarding Horcuxes in the library.

"Dobby is sorry, Miss Hermione! Dobby could not find more. Dobby has upset a friend of Harry Potter!" Dobby looked terribly distressed and immediately ran to her dresser and began banging his head against it.

She knelt on the floor beside him. "Dobby, please! Stop. There's no need to harm yourself. You have helped me very much, thank you."

Dobby smiled a huge grin. Hermione tried not to grimace. As the daughter of dentists, she couldn't help but think every person, or being, she met needed dental work. Especially house-elves.

"Will Miss Hermione be wanting any foods from the kitchen? Dobby is happy to go get this for Miss Hermione!"

"Hermione smiled and shook her head softly. "No, Dobby, thank you. This is all for tonight."

Dobby nodded and, with a snap, vanished.

Hermione picked up the two books he had rather unceremoniously dropped in his rush to punish himself and took them to her bed. She put them down and changed quickly into her nightclothes, eager to find out just what Professor Snape had made. There was nothing like studying to clear one's mind of thoughts of boys. She slid under the covers and opened A Healer's Bedside Guide. Flipping through, she found the potion. Snape had been putting two potions together, but why? She read further,

Sapor Velieris is a rather complex potion, often mistaken for a single ingredient, which can be added to most any other potion, provided the second is not boiling. If it is, the Sapor Velieris will not be effective. Only a few drops are needed. This potion will make any other potion tasteless and clear. It is especially helpful in cases such as administering Skele-Gro, due to its bitter taste, or Wolfsbane. Caution must be used to ensure the finished product is not mistaken for water, and one must always clearly label what the original potion is, so as not to confuse it. The St. Mungo's apothecary is sure to carry it, as will most major Wizarding hospitals.

Why was Snape using that? Maybe Madam Pomfrey had requested it? Hermione didn't think that was likely though. She remembered that when she had seen the original potion and smelled it, it wasn't anything she could identify from the hospital wing. She turned to Moste Potente Potions. What she found there explained Snape's behavior.

Sapor Velieris, also known as the "Unseen Death", is very useful in poisoning one's enemy. It will make any poison clear, tasteless, and undetectable. (This potion is also very useful when mixed with Polyjuice, a potion known to be nauseating.) No trace of Sapor Velieris can be found in the body after six hours. By this time, you should be able to cover your tracks and get an alibi in place. Do not use in boiling potions. Make sure you know where the poison is at all times as not to confuse it with your own drink. If you don't have a trustworthy Potions master on hand, you can use the Imperious on a Healer and have them get it from the apothecary at St. Mungo's or any other medical facility. For instructions on making the potion, see below. For ideas of poisons to use, refer to page 687.

Hermione was confused. Who would Severus... no, Professor Snape. Who would Professor Snape want to poison? Voldemort was gone, nobody was after the professor, and he wasn't mad at anyone she knew of. Well, except Ron, but Dumbledore had already taken care of that and surely wouldn't allow Snape to do anything. She was touched though, by how much Snape seemed to want to protect her. That was his duty as a teacher though, to protect his students. She fell asleep mulling over whom else Snape could possibly want to poison.

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When Ron awoke the next morning, he didn't realize anything out of the ordinary. He was in his dorm, Neville was draped half out of bed on one side of him while Seamus snored loudly on his other side, and as he had been every morning since fourth year, Ron was greeted at attention. There were no boils popping up all over him, he felt perfectly fine, and he wasn't sprouting whiskers or the like. Snape must not have put anything in his tea after all. Ron sighed and cast a silencing charm, closed his drapes, and got to work on his morning situation. Every time he did this, there was only one face he'd see: his 'Mione. As he worked himself to a climax, all he could imagine was her, and it was always her name that he cried out.

Today, though, his 'Mione didn't seem to be satisfying him. He had already rebounded from his first orgasm and was ready for another. He imagined her naked, moaning his name, pleasing him, being his forever, and with a grunt, came again. Ron stared down at his manhood in shock. He was still hard! His hands were so tired, but there was no way he could go to class like this! He was so sore, there was no way he could go another round. He figured he might well skip class that day, but then he remembered his Transfiguration test second period. And he couldn't very well skip Double Potions with Snape being so mad at him. But how was he supposed to go to class with this thing? Yet, if he didn't go to class, he'd never see his 'Mione, even if they now sat on separate sides of the classroom.

Peeking his head out the curtains, he saw the other boys were beginning to get up and ready for the day. None of them seemed to have the same problem he did. He couldn't get out of bed though, not like this! Pulling his pajama bottoms up, Ron tried desperately to remember the Concealing Charm. His 'Mione was so good with charms, and he wished she were there to help him. Thinking about her only made his problem worse.

He waited until the other boys had left for breakfast then slipped out of bed and dressed hastily. Ron was glad they got to wear robes; otherwise, his persistent sign of arousal would be humiliating. The soft fabric of his boxers made him shiver with pleasure. Every little touch brought him to a higher plateau. He had to find something to get his mind off his swollen member and his craving for touch.

Ron came down to breakfast, trying to keep himself covered with his robes and his books. He sat gingerly, hating the way it compressed him. Harry leaned over.

"Ron, I'm still angry with you for what you did. It was inexcusable. Are you okay though? You don't look so good."

When Ron failed to answer, not knowing what to say, Harry thought he knew.

"It's because of her, isn't it? You feel guilty and horrible about what you did. Well you know what? I'm glad you feel that way. Maybe you'll finally learn your lesson."

Harry left, and Ron couldn't do anything about it. There was no way he was getting up in front of all these people. He ate slowly, waiting for everyone else to leave. When they had, he finally started heading to Potions.

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Snape was pleased, to say the least. The Weasley boy was in a state of obvious discomfort. If Snape were the type to, he would have laughed, but he wasn't. At least not in front of students, and Miss Granger had just slammed the door open.

"Can I help you, Miss Granger?" he asked, trying not to sound overly guilty.

"Yes, you bloody well can! Who is it, Professor Snape?" She stood akimbo, looking very upset.

Snape knew full well not to trifle with an angry witch, yet he couldn't help pushing her.

"Who is what, Miss Granger? Whatever do you mean?" He made a look of utter surprise.

"The Sapor Velieris Professor. Who was it for? What did you mix it with?" she demanded.

He pretended to come to a realization. "Oh, that..."

"Yes, that!" She took a step towards him.

"I felt a need to take someone's recent punishment, or lack thereof, into my own hands," he said with a smirk.

She was just about to retaliate when a flood of other students came in.

"I don't need you poisoning people on my behalf. Let me fight my own damn battles, Severus," she hissed and turned on her heel to take her seat.

She thinks I've poisoned him? She better not go to the Headmaster with this. Quick, how to deal with this... Then, he got an idea of how to subtly tell her what happened.

"You will not need your books today," he informed the class. Several puzzled faces looked up at him, while others relaxed, thinking this meant no brewing. "Instead, we will be brewing a potion often suggested to older wizards who wish to... regain their youth."

The class looked at him. "We're making a de-aging potion, Sir?" the insufferable Pansy Parkinson asked loudly.

"Five points from Slytherin for speaking out of turn, Miss Parkinson." The entire class stared at him in disbelief. Snape never took points from his own house!

" We are not making a de-aging potion. We are making a virility potion."

Hermione raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Sir, aren't we supposed to be continuing the section on healing potions? Why are we making this?"

Because I want you to know what I did to Mister Weasley. "Because, Miss Granger, St. Mungo's is out and you all should be aware of it, if you ever seem to fall into the unfortunate curse of marriage. For if you know the potion, you can surely make it's opposite. Now then, the Aevitas Opscaen is a potion that causes the drinker to enter a constant state of arousal." Severus heard a few of the students titter at the last word. "While the drinker is not only physically aroused, they are also highly sensitive to any contact to their erogenous zones. While under the effects of Aevitas Opscaen, the user will find that while self-pleasure can be gratifying, the potion will not wear off until twenty-four hours have passed." Or until they actually have intercourse, but no reason to tell them that part. "This potion has long been used in arranged marriages to ensure an heir and compatibility in the boudoir."

He tapped the board, and instructions appeared. "Get started. All the necessary ingredients are in the storage room."

When Ron Weasley didn't get up to get ingredients, Snape came over to him.

"Something wrong, Mister Weasley?" he asked with false concern.

"You bastard," was all Ron could say.

"No need to bring lineage into this. Get to work."

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As they worked, Snape could hear several pairs of students daring each other to try it.

"If I see any of you even attempt to take a taste, you will be out of this classroom faster than you can say 'but Professor', do you understand me?"

"Yes, Professor," they all replied.

Severus made his way over to where Hermione was looking at the potion with a sense of recognition.

"Smell familiar, Miss Granger?"

She turned to him. "You didn't. Oh , please tell me you didn't!"

"Didn't do what?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"You idiot. You're such a bloody idiot. Damn you, Snape, damn you to hell," she said only loud enough for him to hear.

She left Neville to the potion and stomped out of the room, banging the door hard behind her.

"Miss Granger!" He exited the classroom to find her.

She was waiting right outside his door, arms crossed, fuming.

"You. Are. An. Idiot," she said vehemently.

"What is wrong with you? It's a harmless little potion that will only embarrass him. Nothing compared to having one's pants off while hanging upside down."

"You and I know full well that twenty-four hours isn't the only way to get rid of it. I should have recognized it when I saw you brewing it before."

"You've had this? Used it?" He looked at her strangely.

"Books," she said by way of explanation.

"Of course." Leave it to the Gryffindor brains to study everything about everything. The girl really should have been in Ravenclaw.

"This is Ron we're talking about. As if he isn't wound up on hormones enough as is? You know he's going to be looking everywhere for a shag tonight. Who the hell do you think he's going to try to find first? I thought you were supposed to protect me!" Tears flowed evenly as she turned and fled for her rooms.

It will be alright, Severus his inner mantra began, Weasley isn't foolish enough to try something else. At least I hope not

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To say the least, Ron's Transfiguration test went miserably. He couldn't concentrate on anything except sex and how badly he wanted it, and how much he wanted to kill Snape. He ached, he craved, and he squirmed. He needed sex, and he needed it now. There was no way he could wait the full twenty-four hours. He needed Hermione. He needed His 'Mione; he needed her hot, wet flesh around him. He needed her writhing underneath him. Oh, Circe, he just made it worse thinking like that. He couldn't take it any longer. He hadn't seen her all day since Potions, and now he needed her. Screw Dumbledore's 'stay away' rule. He needed this.

After lunch Ron went to find Ginny.

"Ginny, I need you to take these to Draco. Tell him to give them to Hermione. Say they're from you, and you want to apologize and have your friend back." He handed her a box of chocolates.

"Are these the Amortentia ones?"

"With a hint, okay, a good dousing, of lust." He winked.

Oh, Ron, you're so Slytherin. I'll go do that right now."

Ron went to take a bath. He needed to be inside warm and wet and tight, and he supposed a hot bath and his hand would have to settle for now.

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"Ginny, I don't know how much Hermione wants to see you right now. I'll give her the chocolates though." Draco leaned against the picture frame to their room, holding the box.

"Thank you, Draco. Please, tell her to read the card. It tells her how sorry I am for my brother being a prat."

"Yeah, will do," Draco muttered as he stepped back inside.

He took them up to her and knocked on the door to her room.

"Hermione? Ginny brought something by for you."

She opened the door slowly and peeked her head out of it. "What is it?"

"Chocolates and a note. She said she's very sorry about what a prat Ron has been and that she's sorry for not siding with you sooner. Anyways, I've got to go patrol. Will you be okay here by yourself?" he asked her, concerned.

"Yeah, only you, the professors, and I can get in here. All's safe, thanks, Draco. Have fun patrolling!" She laughed half-heartedly.

"I'm going to tell Harry to stop by later and check on you. I'll give him the password to get in to our common room, okay? Stay in here."

"Okay, thanks, Draco." She closed her door.

Hermione put the chocolates on her desk and opened the card that had come with it.

Hermione, I really am sorry about how Ron has been acting. I know how much you love chocolates, and even though they won't fix this, maybe they can help you to forgive me? I should have realized just what happened between you guys and understood how it wasn't your fault. I'm sorry.

Ginny

Hermione smiled a bit. Yes, she did love chocolates, and as soon as she had finished reading the card, the box seemed to be calling to her, making her want to taste the chocolates within. She opened it and began to eat them, as if in a trance. They were so good, and she couldn't stop. They tasted of chocolate, of cinnamon, of vanilla, of happiness, of goodness, and love. There was so much love. She loved the box, she loved her room, and she loved her door. She loved her bed, she loved her books, she loved her everything. Ron. She loved her Ron. She needed her Ron. Warmth swept through her body, and aching filled her core as she realized how much she needed him and how much she wanted him. She had to find him.

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Ron waited by the entrance to the Head's common room. Undoubtedly Hermione would be coming out soon, wet and aching and madly in love with him. The potions in the chocolates didn't act for very long, so he had to get her as soon as he could.

He saw her leave and close the painting behind her. He stepped out in front of her and asked, "Looking for someone?"

For his answer, he got a deep kiss and an, "Oh, yes...", and that was good enough for him!

He didn't want to stop kissing her and feeling her arms wrapped around him, but they needed to move somewhere more private.

"Come, Room of Requirement, now."

She followed him quickly, anxious to have him inside.

As soon as they stepped in, she dropped her robe. "Please, Ron, I need you, I need this. Please, now!"

He hastily undressed them both and pulled her with him onto the bed that the room had so thoughtfully provided. Oh, yes, he needed this. He took her bra off, tossing it on the floor. Barely stopping to kiss her breasts, he took his hands and ran them down her body. He hooked his thumbs inside her knickers and pulled them off. She ran her hand along his hard cock. Oh, Mother! He grabbed her head and shoved her face down to his cock. He jerked his hips up. Oh, God, this was just how he imagined it. She sucked him up and down a few times, and he almost came to that, he was so aroused.

"Stop." He gasped. "Need... you... now..." he said, panting. He flipped her on her back and spread her legs apart. He took one finger and slid it gently inside her, feeling her tense up. Oh, sweet Merlin, His 'Mione was still a virgin! Oh, but not for long. He couldn't control himself any longer, and he thrust into her, hard. As he broke her maidenhead, she screamed and a small tear fell down her cheek. He didn't have the time to worry about that though. He only had a limited amount of time before the potions wore off, and he had to use it well.

She was so wet, so hot, so tight. He wanted it to go on forever, but he couldn't... couldn't stop... too good. He thrust once more and spilled himself deep inside her. "My 'Mione, mine!" He bit softly on her neck and sucked to leave his mark. All of a sudden he started hearing screaming and felt her squirming beneath him, her hands hitting his back. These damn potions wear off too quickly!

"Stop! Oh God, Ron stop please! Please don't do this! Ron, please!" she cried fruitlessly. It was too late. The act was done. She wept openly as she grabbed at her wand.

"Confundus," he said simply, pointing his own at her.

The hex she was about to cast died on her lips.

"What? Where are we? Ron? What the hell is going on?" She looked around the room wildly. Noticing their clothes were on the floor, she looked at him in horror. "Oh, God, no. I wouldn't have. You... you... I'm going to ki..."

He mentally sighed. Here we go again...

"Petrificus Totalus" He smiled wickedly at her. "Can't have you killing me, my dear. I'd hate to have you in Azkaban." He grabbed her wand. "Finite Incantatum."

Hermione felt sick. He had just... she couldn't bring herself to even think it, and now he had her wand. She looked at him in terror.

He walked to the door, and just before leaving, he again looked at her and said smoothly, "You know you wanted it." Then he rolled her wand at her and left. She'd come back to him eventually.

Hermione shook her head and looked around. What the bloody hell just happened? There was nothing she could do but cry.

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"Draco! Draco, where are you?" Harry ran wildly through the halls. "Draco!"

"Calm down, I'm right here. What, is there an angry Doxy after you?"

"Hermione..." Harry stopped and tried to catch his breath.

"There's an angry Hermione after you?" Draco laughed. "Yeah, that's a reason to run. What'd you do?"

"No, no. Hermione, she's missing. I went to the room, just like you said, and I knocked and she's not there. The painting said she had left. Why would she leave? She knows Ron likes to hang out around here at night!"

"I think we have to find Professor Snape."

As the two boys hurried down to the dungeons, they ran past the Room of Requirement. Harry and Draco were so focused on getting to Snape that they almost didn't notice a girl sitting outside the room, her knees pulled up to her chest, hair messed and unruly, staring out at nothing.

"Hermione?" Draco stepped towards her slowly.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, wondering what she was doing there instead of her room.

She didn't answer. Just stared ahead, her eyes unfocused.

Draco kneeled in front of her. "Hermione, what happened?" He tried to get her to look at him, but she just turned her head away from him. He looked up at Harry, quizzically.

Draco put a hand on her arm. She flinched and looked at him in terror. He stared back at her, and she took the moment to run, as fast as she could, back to her room.

Harry and Draco just looked at each other. "Ron." They said at the same time.

"Should we go to her?" Harry asked.

"No. You saw how she reacted. Let's go find Professor Snape."

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"Hermione, please open the door." Severus Snape's patience was growing thin. He wasn't a man for begging, and an emotional witch wasn't really his thing. When again she didn't answer, he gave a final warning. "Miss Granger, open this door this instant or I shall have to force it open!"

She still didn't open it, and he did the only thing he knew how to do when Alohamora didn't work. He broke the door.

She was lying on the bed, turned away from him. "Miss Granger?" He walked over to her other side. He eyes were glassy and unfocused, and she was completely still, other than the soft sound of her shallow breath. "Ennervate" he said, pointing his wand at her.

"Miss Granger, stunning oneself is not effective in mental healing."

She blinked and looked up to see him standing over her with his wand in her face and screamed. "No! No, no, no!" She scrambled to the far side of the room away from him. "Please, no."

What was with the girl? Had she gone mad?

He took a step back. "Hermione." He said, trying her name out. "Hermione, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm putting my wand away." He slowly put it back into his robes. "What has happened? Are you hurt?" His face, for the first time in many years, showed compassion and worry for another's sake.

He had a sick feeling in his stomach that he knew exactly what had happened, and he was to blame.

She was silent for a while, then said one word, accusingly: "You."

"Me?"

"You said you'd protect me. You promised." She let herself sink to the floor and began rocking back and forth. Her body shook in tiny shivers.

"Hermione, I'm going to give you something to make this better, okay? It wont hurt you. I promise." He pulled a small vial out of his pocket.

"You promised before." She turned her head away from him as hot bitter tears fell again. She didn't even feel them run down her face. She couldn't feel anything.

"Take it. It's Dreamless Sleep. You need it."

"No potions."

"Hermione, it's for your own good. Please." He uncorked it and held it out to her.

She looked at him for a split second before accepting the bottle and smelling it. When she was satisfied he wasn't poisoning her, she drank it and held out the vial to him with a shaking arm.

"Go to the bed, you'll..."

"No! Not the bed! No, please..." Her argument was useless. The potion was already beginning to take effect.

"... Be asleep soon," he finished.

Her head began to fall, and her eyes were closing softly.

"Mobilicorpus" he whispered quietly and moved the sleeping girl to her bed. He covered her with the blankets, extinguished all the candles in her room, and cast Reparo on her door before leaving.

He sat down on the stairs outside her room, covered his face with his hands and let one single tear fall down his cheek. What have I done?.

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Loads of thanks to RobisonRocket, my wonderful beta!