DRAMIONE - STAND BY YOU

AMORTENTIA

Hermione sat beside Harry in the potions classroom which was filled with insults being thrown back and forth between the Griffindors and Slytherins, who had started the whole argument by insulting Ron's hair. Hermione found it confusing, how such a small thing can escalate into something big whether it be a rumour or a rude look exchanged between enemies. Hermione risked looking at Draco, who was sat on the other side of the room smirking at her, his hair slightly messy, giving him a younger look. His cheeks were pink and lips slightly swollen. Pansy. Jealousy flared through Hermione, though she quickly masked it when Draco's eyes met hers. She didn't understand why she was jealous, it was Draco Malfoy for God's sake, though even Hermione had to admit that he was gorgeous. 'Stop!' She mentally yelled at herself. Just then, the noise dramatically paused and Hermione saw why when she turned her head to see professor Slughorn enter the room. Despite the clear bad behaviour between the two rival houses, his usual smile remained plastered on his aged face. Hermione couldn't help but think he was a brilliant teacher. Until......
"So class, to encourage house unity I have put you all into pairs with someone from a different house therefore gryffindors and slytherins will be paired together this lesson and we will be exploring the effects of amortentia," he announced, receiving multiple groans and objections from the class which he ignored.
"Harry and Blaise-"
"What!",  The two boys yelled at the same time, Slughorn still faking obliviousness.
"Ron and Pansy," the professor continued.
"No way am I partnering up with that blood traitor!" Pansy complained whilst Ron sighed dramatically.
"Lavender and Theo"
"Astoria and Neville"
Hermione thought this pairing was acceptible, seeing as Astoria was often too nice for a slytherin that Hermione wondered how she had got in there in the first place.
The names were read out, time dragging on and protests being fired too and fro. Until there was only Hermione and Malfoy left. Draco put up a fake protest, but Hermione could see the relief clear in his grey orbs, knowing that he was happy he wasn't put with Ron or Harry, both of which were glaring at him, fire threatening to shoot out of their eyes and knock Draco to the floor, though Hermione put them in their place with her own glare.
"Granger", he said as he reached her, nodding in a subtle manner due to the fact that the slytherins would go mental if they found out they were friends.
"Malfoy,"Hermione replied stiffly, keeping up the pretense. A steaming pot of amortentia sat in front of them at the desk, and Hermione knew as soon as she leaned over, Draco would see her reaction to the luscious, tempting smell and record it down. The thought embarrassed her but she pushed it away quickly, focusing on keeping a straight face. She leaned forward, the smell of freshly mown grass, new parchment and spearmint toothpaste drawing her in, attracting her senses. But there was something else, something more dominant than all the other smells, something new. Cologne, men's cologne, and peppermint. The smell was all too familiar to Hermione, who darted back from the pot in shock, not wanting to believe what the smell meant. It was a luscious scent, almost impossible not to love. It opened up her mind and made her feel comforted. The smell belonged to someone whom she had once loathed. The smell belonged to Draco Malfoy.

Draco watched Hermione intently. A stray piece of hair came out from behind her ear and he had to fight the urge to reach out and push it back, so he dug his fingers into his palms, fighting against it. He didn't understand why he was having these thoughts about her, and quite frankly,he refused to believe they meant anything. Hermione was nothing more to him than a friend. As she smelt the potion, her expression went from calm to pure shock, which she quickly masked but Draco was watching her so carefully that he had noticed. A desire to know what she had smelt came over him. It must have changed since their 6th year. Hermione stepped back nervously, giving him a slight nod to let him know that it was his turn. Draco stepped forward and smelt the amortentia, a wave of comfort spreading through him at the scent of library books, Autumn leaves, chocolate frogs and ........Lavender?! Draco knew who that scent belonged to, lavender tinged with fresh rose. He smelt it everyday when she walked past him, he could smell it just a meter behind him now. The scent was overwhelming, threatening to clutch him into its teasing waters. The scent was no other than Hermione Granger's, and it terrified him.