One Taste Was All It Took - Drarry

20

(Published: 3/29/17)

Hermione's POV:

I was glad I'd made Ron promise to slip Harry a sleeping potion. We needed all the time we could get alone with the members of the Order before he woke, just in case we need them. Not that I thought we would...
"We could always just stick with the other plan," she said, "and wait for it to wear off."
"Yes," I replied, "but knowing Draco, he's thought of something to prevent the potion from wearing off." I quickly got my truck from school and pulled out some potion brewing equipment.
Checking to see that I had everything I'd need, I told Ginny my plan on making an antidote for Harry tonight and giving it to him tomorrow when some more members of the Order would be here, that way I have backup.
"The potion," I explained, starting to add some ingredients to my small cauldron. "Won't do anything at all to Harry if these are his natural feelings. However, no matter how strong of a love potion it is, this antidote will be able to cure him."
Ginny nodded, and after a while, she went to bed, leaving me to finish the potion. This had to be right. It was a strong and complicated potion, and I really didn't want to find out the healed way what happened to someone who drank it when it wasn't exactly right.

Harry's POV:

I woke feeling groggy and slow. I still felt tired, and wanted to just lay there and drift back to sleep, but I remembered the guests we were expecting, so I sleepily pulled myself out of bed.
I got ready silently, as Ron had already left, and hoped I hadn't missed the Order member's arrival.
As far as I knew, it was still Moody, Tonks, and Lupin. I especially couldn't wait to see Lupin. We'd been writing, but that was nothing at all like seeing him in person.
I walked down the steps to find out three guests already here, with the Weasel's and Hermione. They were talking about vividly something, but Ginny noticed me and stopped the conversation by saying, "Hi Harry! Glad you're finally up!"
I rubbed my eyes sleepily, trying to wake myself up. "What time is it?" I asked.
"Almost noon." Hermione replied.
I turned to Ron. "Why didn't you wake me up?"
"I tried, but you didn't budge." He said with a shrug.
Tonks, Lupin and Mad-Eye were all looking at me by now, and a laughing Lupin greeted me with a bear hug, Tonks smiled, and Moody just nodded to me.
"It's great to see you all." I said, but something seemed off. "Hey-what were you guys talking about just now?" I asked.
"Well," Fred began, but Hermione interrupted.
"Harry, we have something to talk to you about." She said sternly.
"What is it?" I asked, growing a bit nervous at her tone.
"Harry, it's about Mal- Draco." Ron replied, speaking to me kindly for the first time in months. He seemed to be trying to be gentle, as though he could make up for everything by suddenly being nice. Or maybe I was reading him wrong. I'm not very good at reading anyone but Dray.
"What about him?" I asked, my tone suddenly defensive.
Ron gulped and looked to Ginny. Everyone was silent for a moment, before she answered. Ginny took a shaky breath. "Harry," she said gently. "What exactly happened the night before you broke up with me?" I was a bit taken aback by the question, and I could tell by her voice that she was still a bit hurt by what had happened.
I sighed, thinking back. "I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk." I replied. "Then I met Draco in an empty classroom and we got to talking. He asked me out, I said yes and that I'd break up with you the next day...." I'd slowed at that last part, wondering why it had never really bothered me before. Ginny and the others seemed to see my confusion at this.
"Anything else Harry?" Ginny asked.
I shrugged. "Why?" I asked.
Hermione took a deep breath. "Harry, we have reason to believe that you are under the influence of a very powerful love potion." She said.
At first, I didn't know how to react, then, I finally asked, "A love potion?"
Hermione nodded nervously. "Yeah."
I took s deep breath, trying to stay calm. I had to have known they'd think something like this. After all, none of them really trusted Draco Malfoy.
"And what made you think this?" I asked steadily. "Just the fact that it's Draco, or something else?"
"Of course there is something else!" Said Hermione quickly. "The way you just left Ginny so quickly and carelessly-"
"I wasn't careless." I protested. "I didn't want to hurt her - Ginny, you-you know that right?" I asked, turning towards the younger Gryffindor.
Ginny sighed. "Yes," she replied, "but Hermione's right. You were acting oddly when you did it and have been ever since. I thought we were rather happy."
I thought about that for a moment, and realized that it did make a little sense. Sighing, I hesitantly said, "Well, I'll admit that it is a bit strange..." I told them reluctantly.
Hermione beamed at me, taking this as a sign of cooperation.
"So," she said, "we have a plan to find out if we are right or not." Hermione then went on to explain about the she had made potion and what it did.
"Will you take it?" She asked eagerly.
I sighed, eyeing the vial she held wearily.
"And if I really do like Draco, it won't affect me, and you'll never bring this up again?"
Hermione nodded quickly, and I sighed again. "Fine." I said. "Give me the damn potion."