Fated Lovers

Hermione was sitting in the Great Hall, alone. She was reading a book on Arithmancy while she drank a cup of peppermint tea. It was early, so no students were around for breakfast yet. She enjoyed those moments of peace and silence. 

While she read, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. As she turned around, the figure of Pansy Parkinson was standing there, looking at her with a mischievous smile.
“Parkinson?”, asked Granger intrigued. 
“Hello, Granger.”, she replied. She had a hint of superiority in her tone, as always. “Reading about Arithmancy, aren’t you?” 
Hermione nodded, quite confused at Pansy’s sudden interest in her readings. She placed down her book on the table, wondering what the Slytherin girl could possibly want. 
“Do you need anything, Parkinson?”, she asked. 
“I need to talk to you for a second.”, the girl sat down next to Hermione, “There’s something I wish to ask.”
“Go ahead”, encouraged Hermione.
“Do you really think you’ll succeed in life?”, she inquired. “A muggle-born like you?”
Hermione just looked at her. Pansy’s eyes were focused on Granger’s book, but her lips were closed with rage. “I mean… Do you really believe yourself to be the brightest witch of our age? That everyone in this school looks at you and admires you?”

“Hmm, no?”, said Hermione.
“Then why are you being so selfish?!”, she yelled. 
Hermione was shocked, she felt strangely attacked and at the same time, she didn’t know why. Pansy Parkinson was a good student, she wasn’t the best but she had good grades, she was pureblooded and came from a wealthy family, and she was gorgeous. 
“What do you mean?”, asked Hermione. 
Parkinson looked at her, a vein crossing the side of her temple. “You’ve always done it, always stealing the spotlight, you were always there, being the most intelligent witch, being beautiful and powerful, always top of the class, always… his number one.”

“I honestly have no idea what you mean, Parkinson.”, Hermione argued. “I’ve never competed with you, and it was never my intention to do so.”
“You stole him from me.”

Hermione looked at her, a part of her knowing what Pansy meant, and another wondering if she was actually being for real. “Stole who?”
“You filthy mudblood bitch.”, Pansy spitted between her teeth. “Playing dumb, as always.”
Hermione felt the threat on Parkinson’s voice, and quickly grasped for her wand. Pansy was already pointing hers at Granger, with a defiant look in her eyes. “Stop, now, Parkinson.”, said Granger. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, but it’s not worth fighting for it.”
“Yes it is, you bloody mudblood!”, yelled Parkinson. “You stole Draco from me. My Draco. He was supposed to be mine, to marry me. We were meant to be, I was meant to be his. I’m pure blooded, rich, and intelligent. And here you are, stealing him, making him interested in muggle shit, making him weak, contaminating him with your ideas.”

Hermione was silent. Was she really… stealing Draco Malfoy? Changing him? 
“You’re out of your mind Parkinson”, she argued back. “Leave me alone.”
“Do you like him?!”, Pansy yelled. “Answer! Do you like him, Granger?!”, she grabbed her by the robe and started to pull her.  
“Leave me alone!”, Hermione pleaded. 
“Answer, you filthy witch!”, Parkinson’s wand pressed against Granger’s forehead. 
Hermione’s hand tightened against her wand as she wondered what to do. “What do you want me to say?”
“Admit it.”, the witch answered. “Say you have a thing for Draco.”

Hermione breathed desperately, and suddenly a quick realisation went through her mind. Someone obsessed enough to use amortentia on a crush, someone who knew enough to mix it with a sleeping potion but not skilled enough to do it properly. Pansy Parkinson was the one who poisoned the muffin, she was the one who wanted Draco to fall for her and be as vulnerable as he could. She couldn’t hold her anger. 
“What if I do?”, said Granger. Her wand moved quickly enough to cast an Expelliarmus, disarming Parkinson instantly. Now she was in charge, she was the one with enough power to do so, “What if I do, hmm? What are you going to do, Parkinson? Hex me? Curse me? Poison me like you tried to do with him?”

Parkinson’s face grew dark, as if she never expected to be discovered. “Poison?”
“I ate the muffin.”, said Hermione with a winning smile. “Draco knows someone tried to poison him with amortentia, and now… well, it’s clear who did it.”
“I’ll kill you!”, yelled Pansy, falling onto the floor and trying to get her wand. As she reached it, she heard a voice behind her.

“I’d suggest you not to try that, Pansy.”, Malfoy was standing right behind her, a wand in his hand, pointing straight at her. “It’s nice to finally see who was trying to poison me.”
“I- I wasn’t trying-”, argued Pansy.
“You did.”, Malfoy cut her off. “You gave me poisoned food, to get me under the influence of amortentia and a sleeping potion, hoping what? that I would marry you?”, his tone was degrading, he sounded like old Draco Malfoy, the one who actually despised people. 

Pansy was scared. She was completely lost now that Draco had unmasked her true self.
“I don’t want to see your face ever again, Parkinson.”, said Malfoy. He got closer to her and kneeled down, grabbing her by her robe. “And if you were actually wondering if I liked Granger, I believe, if you aren’t stupid enough, you’ll already have your answer.”, he whispered into her ear, as soft as he could so Granger wouldn’t hear.

As he let her robe go, Pansy Parkinson got up and ran out of the hall, as fast as she could. Draco looked at Granger, he had heard her saying ‘what if I do?’, and it was quite difficult for him not to make a comment on that matter.

“So… were you trying to provoke her?, he said sitting by her side of the bench. “Or were you actually admitting that you find me likeable, Granger?”
“Shut up”, she said, brushing him off with her hand. “Your fangirl almost kills me and you’re making jokes about it.”
“Touché”, he answered.
“At least now we know Ronald isn’t the only crazy ex out there.”, continued Granger.
“She’s not my ex.”, Draco argued. “We’ve never been, anything.”
“Really?”, asked Granger intrigued. “I’ve always thought you were something…”
“Interested in my love life, aren’t you.. Granger?”, he said with a grin. 
“Shut up, Malfoy.”

They left the hall and went to infirmary to talk to Madame Pomfrey on their new discovery. Now they were actually safe, feeling way more relaxed than before. The woman was pleased to finally know that it was Parkinson behind that mixture, and she gave Draco a specific potion, like a prevention antidote, prepared by professor Slughorn himself, to prevent any romantic potions from affecting him in the near future. 

Flashback | Sixth Year
Slughorn Dinner

Professor Slughorn was a man of many pleasures. He enjoyed celebrating grand dinners with his favourite students, full of delicious meals and a lot, lot of alcohol. It was a bit controversial, to say the least, and those parties had the fame of ending up in a disaster, with some students throwing up and others making out in different corners of the castle. Since he was a teacher, he organised events primarily for his own students.

So when he invited Hermione and Harry to dinner, they happily obliged. They ate a delicious roasted turkey with caramel butter beer. As for dessert, Slughorn presented an enormous cup of chocolate ice cream. Other students were also present, although they were only the ones who excelled at potions. Cormac McLaggen, Marcus Belby, Blaise Zabini, Flora and Hestia Carrow, Melinda Bobbin, Draco Malfoy, Harry, Ginny and Hermione were in the club.

Dinner wasn’t uncomfortable, except for the fact that McLaggen couldn’t stop licking his own fingers when he ate ice cream, looking lavishly at a disgusted Hermione Granger. She knew Cormac liked her, Ron had told her and she wasn’t that much of a fool to not realise it, but McLaggen was just way too much. He was a seventh grader with airs of superiority who just wanted to get in the knickers of the ‘brightest witch’ once and brag about it. Hermione knew there was nothing she liked about an empty headed quidditch player, and at the same time, Ron was that kind of guy too. An empty headed quidditch player. 

But Ron was now dating Lavender and Hermione couldn’t stand the sight of those two making out in every corner. She needed to survive as long as that awful relationship lasted.

“So.. Miss Granger.”, asked professor Slughorn. “What do your parents do… in the muggle world, I mean?”
Hermione knew beforehand, she would also be submitted to the typical questionnaire. She cleared her throat with a bit of water. “They’re dentists, sir.”, she explained, she continued then, as she realised no one in the room knew what a dentist was. “They look after people’s teeth.”

“Oh, marvellous!”, exclaimed Slughorn. “And is that considered a dangerous job?”
“Well, no”, she said, “Although, one boy, Robbie Fenwick, did bite my father once. He needed ten stitches.”

Everyone was silent. Hermione felt a bit uncomfortable, but someone laughed. Blaise Zabini forged an evil smile, “Can they fix buck teeth?”
Hermione remembered a moment of their first year, where Malfoy had made her teeth grow. Malfoy kept silent as she gave Zabini a deathly stare. 

“You surely remember that, don’t you… Draco?”, asked Zabini.
“I do, and I regret it terribly.”, the blond replied. “Snape almost killed me for it.”
“You deserved it.” Hermione mumbled. “You never said sorry.”
“Well, sorry then.”, he said. It was weird to see Draco Malfoy saying sorry, and everyone there was as shocked as Hermione Granger was.

Professor Slughorn went on with the conversation asking Belby about his family, and sooner than later, dinner had finished. Before they left the room, Slughorn announced his Christmas party, and said that everyone should bring a date. 

Hermione left wondering who she could get to the party. 
She spent the next week trying to get over the fact that Ron was still dating Lavender Brown and she would be forever alone. She finally came up with a stupid but maybe useful idea. Hermione Granger invited Cormac McLaggen as his date to the party.

“I thought since we’re both single, we could join in our disgrace and go to the party together.”, said Harry one day.
“I’m so stupid!”, yelled Hermione at herself. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
So Harry ended up asking Luna Lovegood. 

That night, the party was amazing. Slughorn had made sure everyone could choose food and drinks according to their preferences, and he had placed many potions of different types, so people could experience different sensations of happiness and comfort. 
Hermione was not having the best time. In the first hour of the party she had to come up with at least three excuses to get away from McLaggen’s arms. That guy was desperate to kiss her and Hermione was incredibly displeased at his whole attitude. 

While she hid behind a curtain, someone touched her shoulder. She turned away, frightened, and saw Draco Malfoy standing there, with a curious look.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Granger.”, he said with a grin. 
She shushed him, “Don’t say my name!”. 
Draco was intrigued… He was about to ask but he soon realised why Granger was hiding.
“You’re getting away from McLaggen.”

Hermione let out the most annoyed sigh ever. “I left him under the mistletoe.”
Malfoy laughed. “Why did you choose him in the first place?”
“It’s none of your business," Hermione replied. “And I didn’t know he was that touchy!”
“Is he?”, asked Malfoy intrigued. 
“He’s got more tentacles than a Snarfalump plant!”, she explained, exhausted. 
Draco Malfoy kept his composure, a part of him wanted to kill McLaggen, and another one felt this was a unique opportunity to mess up with Granger a bit. He smirked. 
“Oh, looks like your prince is coming!”, he said, opening the curtain a bit. 
“Please!”, she begged. “You haven’t seen me.”

She made his way through the back and hid behind a table, just as Cormac McLaggen opened the curtain. “Oh, Malfoy.”, he said, displeased. 
“McLaggen.”, the blond replied with an uninterested look.
“Have you seen my girl?”, Cormac asked while looking around, trying to see Granger.
“Your girl…”, Malfoy raised his eyebrow. “Who’s that?”
Draco was thinking about giving Granger’s location, so he could see her annoyed and hateful, or better, see her straight-forward rejecting McLaggen.
“Granger.”, said Cormac proudly. “Well, she’s not actually my girl, but I hope tonight she’ll be mine… if you know what I mean.”

That sentence struck Malfoy. Now, he didn’t want Cormac to be near Granger, he felt disgusted by him and the mere thought of him sharing her bed. 
“Oh..”, Malfoy feigned surprise. “If you’re looking for Granger… I think she left a few minutes ago, I heard Potter saying she was feeling unwell. You’ll find her in your common room.”
Cormac McLaggen’s face lit up with enthusiasm. “Thanks mate!”, he exclaimed, giving Draco two annoying pats on the shoulder. “I’ll make her feel better.”, and he immediately left. 

Hermione Granger came out from behind the curtain. “Oh for Merlin’s sake, he’s unstoppable.”, she sighed again. “Thank you so much, Malfoy.”
He just limited himself to nodding. 
“I mean it”, she added. “You saved me.”
A waiter passed by, offering some drinks, and Draco grabbed one and gave another to Granger. He toasted, said “You’re welcome.”, and left.