Chapter 6
It's been a few days since they arrived. The sun shone through the window, waking the girl from a sweet dream. Today should definitely be a good day, because it's the first Potions class in the morning. Professor Slughorn was an old friend of Dumbledore's. According to rumors, the director had to persuade him to teach this year.
After a quick shower, Hermione put on a white blouse, a black skirt, a green-gray tie and a robe. She wasn't straightening her hair right now, and after that reception at the manor, she certainly wouldn't be blonde anymore.
"Why are you so early today?" Pansy, who had just come out of the shower, asked.
"Good morning to you too. I can't sleep. There are potions today."
"That's right, the new professor ..." Parkinson threw the towel on the bed and immediately began to pack, hiding behind the closet door.
Putting her silver snake bracelet with emerald eyes on her arm, Hermione picked up her bag and left the room. She met her brother near the entrance to the living room. He was standing against the wall, and Astoria was literally hanging on him. She can't go to breakfast without him. She promised her mother that she would be with him everywhere, that they would protect each other.
As soon as Draco saw Hermione, he immediately pushed Astoria away from him and, approaching the girl, took her by the hand and led her to the exit from the dungeons.
"Draco, aren't you tired?"
"She stuck to me by herself. I have nothing to do with it. You know how it sticks," he grinned and suddenly stopped. "Are you jealous?"
"Who?"
"Me," he approached her and gave her a little hug, and then something happened that Hermione did not expect at all. He bit into her lips. Insistently and demanding. It seemed that every cell of her body was giving itself to him, when suddenly a wave of anger swept over the girl.
"What are you doing?!"
"Don't tell me you didn't like it," Draco smiled.
"They might see us and... I don't know what you're talking about," Hermione quickened her pace and walked forward.
Draco just laughed and followed her, quickening his pace. You don't need to be late for the potion.
***
After a short acquaintance, Professor Slughorn began a lecture, but was interrupted by Potter and Weasley. If Hermione's not mistaken, Ronald shouldn't be here at all. Apparently a friend brought it.
"As I said, I have prepared several mixtures today," the professor continued the lecture. He inspected the potion cauldrons several times before addressing the students. "Who's to say what kind of potions they might be?"
Hermione's hand shot up immediately. Draco also knew the consistency and smell, but conceded the answer to his sister.
"Yes, miss.?"
"Malfoy, sir," the girl approached each cauldron and easily said their name. "There's a truth serum in that cauldron. There's a polyjuice potion here, it's terribly difficult to make. And this is amortensia, the most powerful love potion. It smells different for everyone, depending on what they like. For example, I can smell mown grass, new parchment, pine needles and green apples…"
Draco smiled for a moment, and the girl was embarrassed. Needles are one of Malfoy's perfumes. As well as green apples. He just loves them.
"Amortensia cannot create love. It's impossible. But it does cause a strong infatuation or obsession. And that's why it's probably the most dangerous potion in this room," Slughorn closed all the cauldrons, and then moved on to the main thing. A small vial with some contents was a little further away from the others.
"Here, ladies and gentlemen, is a very interesting potion. It's called Felix Felicis. It is also known as…"
"Liquid luck!" Hermione replied and immediately looked at Draco. He was also looking at the girl. They seem to be thinking the same thing.
The task in the lesson was to prepare amortensia and get Felix. Hermione was working hard, and Draco was serving her ingredients and slicing them for her and for himself. One of the ingredients did not respond to both in any way. The beans had to be sliced, and they were very dodgy. Therefore, the potion was prepared for a long time.
"Let me hold it, and you cut it?" Draco said.
"Yes, and then I'll cut off your fingers."
The Malfoys failed, and there was less and less time until the end of the lesson. Until Potter raised his hand, calling for the professor to come over. It was as if he knew that Harry had done it.
"Put down your ingredients, put out the fire and get back in your seats," said Slughorn and went to Potter's cauldron and conjured a small leaf, which he immediately dipped into the potion. "It's perfect!"
Potter completed the task and Felix was with him. Hermione took Draco's hand, she already knew how disappointed and angry he was feeling right now.
She did not know her brother's plans and tried not to bother him once again. Draco used the Rescue Room every night to fix the vanishing cupboard there. There was exactly the same one in Lyutny Lane. All that remained was to fix the school one, establish a connection between it and the one in Lyutny Lane, and a passage was ready for the rest of the Eaters.
***
Hermione was busy studying all the time, learning new spells and potions. She did not think or speculate about possible murders.
Winter came, and he and Draco spent Christmas at home with their mother. We decorated a huge Christmas tree in the hall ourselves. Mulled Wine was prepared. In general, these are all the duties of the housekeepers, but their task for Christmas was only to cook dinner and decorate the rest of the house.
The family just wanted to feel the atmosphere of the holiday and at least for a little bit forget about the horrors that haunted them and I will continue to haunt them after.
After the holidays, they immediately went to Hogwarts, where they had a lot of things to do. Draco has a closet, she has lessons.
On Valentine's Day, everyone was going to go to Hogsmeade. The Slytherins also decided to go. The Malfoys, Pansy and Blaze were sitting in the Three Brooms pub, eating ice cream and drinking butterbeer. There were Gryffindors in the same pub. Hermione noticed out of the corner of her eye that a girl had gone into the bathroom.
"I'm going to step back for a second," Draco said, interrupting Zabini's fascinating story.
"Draco," Hermione took his hand. "Is everything okay?"
He gently withdrew his hand. "It's okay, sit down."
Everyone had a strange feeling. Draco did not take long to wait and immediately came, asking Blaze to continue.
The rest of the time he sat there, kind of twitchy, thoughtful. Hermione decided that she would ask about it later, so as not to spoil everyone's holiday mood.
We didn't sit for long. Pansy argued that she still needed to go buy a new robe. Everyone agreed, because desserts and beer were already over.
Already on the way to the store, they heard screams. Draco immediately took his sister's hand and pulled her closer to him. Where someone was shouting, there were Potter, Weasley and Hagrid with some girl in their arms. I think Hermione saw her in the pub. They will have a conversation in the evening.
***
"Draco, did you use the Imperius spell?!" Hermione tried to keep her voice down, but in the Help-out Room, you don't have to worry about being heard.
"What was I supposed to do?" It's already winter, and this damn old man is still alive," he crazily threw back the heavy cloth from the closet and opened it, putting green apples there.
"What if something had happened to you?" These are not easy spells. They are not only unforgivable, but also difficult. How did you even learn to use them?" The girl came closer and knelt down next to him.
"I've learned. I had to learn. I need to protect you and my mother. I don't have to be afraid of anything anymore. You're the only one I have left. There was no hope for my father anyway…"
Hermione hugged him to her, otherwise Draco would get more and more angry.
It didn't work out, he tried to pull away, but the girl's grip was stronger. Is he that weak from nerves? Malfoy began to cry. I couldn't stand it. In general, he rarely cried, but as he grew older, he allowed himself to cry only in front of her. Not even in front of Mom.
"I'm not fucking doing anything, I don't know what to do. I can't go to him like that and leave Avada. Can't."
"And you don't need to, Draco ..." the girl kissed him on the temple, gently stroking his hair. When will it end?