It Could Have Gone That Way; A Harmione Fanfiction

Chapter 62: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

"Harry, Hermione?" Ron said uncomfortably,"I was wondering if you two wanted to come round mine for Christmas. I mean, we spent it together last year, and that was pretty fun. I get it if you don't want to, though." He added quickly.

Harry and Hermione shared a conferring glance before Harry turned back and said,"Of course we'll come."

Ron beamed,"Awesome!"

It was the final evening before the students were due to go home for the Christmas holidays, and the trio were in the library. Harry was showing Ron some things he had found in the Half-Blood Prince's book, but Hermione was reading to herself, ignoring them.

"Oh!" Lavender Brown peered around the cored of a nearby bookshelf, giggling,"Ron, there you are. Come on, I have something to ask you."

Looking a little nervous, Ron stood up and followed Lavender out of the library. Hermione was watching Harry closely.

"What?" Harry asked.

"You need to be careful."

"For the last time," Harry whispered,"I am not giving back this book. I've learned more from the Half-Blood Prince than Snape or Slughorn have taught me in-"

"I'm not talking about your stupid book." Hermione glared at the open pages of scribbled writing,"I went into the girls' bathroom just before I came in here and there were about a dozen girls in there, including Romilda Vane, trying to decide how to slip you a love potion. They've bought the potions from Fred and George, so I'm afraid to say they will probably work."

"Hang on a moment," Harry said slowly,"I thought Filch had banned anything bought at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes."

"And when has anyone ever paid any attention to what Filch has banned?" Hermione closed her book to look at Harry properly.

"What about his Secrecy Sensor things?"

Hermione sighed,"Love potions aren't Dark or dangerous. Even if they are being hidden in different bottles."

"Easy for you to say." Harry grumbled,"You haven't got a dozen raging lunatics plotting to smuggle you one."

"That's a bit of an overstatement, Harry. Although, it would be down to Filch to to realise the potions in the bottles aren't actually what the labels say they are. Frankly, I doubt he can tell one potion from-"

"The library is now closed." Madam Pince said angrily, moving into view from behind the bookshelf. She had - it seemed - been hiding there. "Mind you return anything you have borrowed to the correct - what have you done to that book, you depraved boy?"

"It's not the library's, it's mine!" Harry stuffed his copy of Advanced Potion-Making into his school bag. Madam Pince looked like she might have a seizure.

Hermione seized Harry by the arm and frogmarched him out. "She'll ban you from there if you're not careful."

"It's not my fault she's barking mad, Hermione." Harry protested,"Or d'you reckon she overheard you being rude about Filch? I've always thought there might be something going on between them."

"Oh, ha, ha..."

Harry and Hermione spent the remainder of the walk back to the common room arguing about whether or not Filch and Madam Pince were secretly in love with each other.