New Acquaintances

Chapter 3, New Acquaintances

Ron and Harry followed just behind Hermione and Draco. Once they had reached the Head dormitories and Hermione and Draco had gone in, Harry and Ron snuck up to the tapestry and said the password Hermione had provided. The tapestry rolled up and the boys' jaws dropped at what they saw.

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Hermione broke the kiss when she heard her two friends enter and put on a fake-innocent look. Ron barged in, shouting "FERRET, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU RIGHT--NOW!!!!!!!!"

"Oh, shut up, weasel. She isn't your girlfriend, so you've got no right to be angry!"

"Yea, Ron, I'm not. Now get out. As of now, I make my own choices."

Ron didn't budge.

"She said get out, weasel! So go!" Draco pushed Ron and Harry roughly out the door, closing the tapestry behind them.

"Thanks, Draco. I hope this wasn't a mistake."

"It wasn't a mistake. Don't worry, everything will be fine now."

Hermione smiled, then a gleam came into her eyes.

"Did you see their faces?!"

They both cracked up at that and collapsed to the floor.

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The next day, Hermione completely ignored Ron and Harry at breakfast. The two boys did the same to her, and Hermione began to doubt her decision. She was apprehensive about having used Draco to hurt her boys. It was the one thing they were both very touchy about, and she didn't know if they would ever be able to forgive her. The two sides of her were arguing in her head. One side told her it was for the best, that she had lost two pebbles and gained a diamond, but the other said that she had made the biggest mistake of her life. She finished her lunch and she and Draco stood to leave the Great Hall. She glanced over at Harry and Ron and saw them glaring at her, which hardened her heart immediately. She grabbed Draco's hand and they walked out of the room, leaving behind plenty of open mouths and jealous girls.

She and Draco went back to their common room to finish up the last bits of homework they had from the weekend. Hermione was just putting the finishing touches on her Charms essay when Draco spoke.

"Hermione, we need to talk."

She looked at him, surprised at his announcement.

"Um...ok," she said, wondering what he would need to talk to her about.

"Hermione, are we friends?"

"Of course, Draco!!!"

"Well then can I tell you something?"

"Yea, silly! What are friends for?"

"Promise you won't despise me after I tell you?"

"Promise"

"OK," he took a steadying breath, "This summer, The Dark Lord came to my house. He demanded that I receive the Dark Mark to prove my loyalty to him. My father sent for me and the servants brought me down from my room immediately. When I saw Him, I tried to run, but the servants held me down. My father burned the Mark on me forcefully. Afterwards, I spit at V-Voldemort and ran up to my room, where I locked myself in for a week. They made me get it, Hermione!!! But I don't want it."

Hermione stared at him and he saw what seemed like hundreds of emotions go through her eyes. He pushed onwards, "There are lots of potions that can reverse the effects, but all of them are too complicated to even begin to attempt. I have heard of one, though. No one is exactly sure that it exists, but that's why I need your help finding it. It's the potion that ancient wizards used to remove birthmarks and scars from their bodies. I think it's called the Redundus Potion, but like I said, no one is sure of he real name. Do you think you can help?"

Hermione swallowed uncomfortably and racked her brains. Redundus....Redundus...OH!

"I know which potion you're talking about! Professore Snape mentioned it a few times in Sixth Year, remember? I'm positive that I can find this potion for you. In fact, I'm going to begin right this second!"

Hermione gathered up her bag and positively bounced out the door. Draco sighed and followed her, even though he still needed to do his extra-credit essay for Professor Snape.

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Weeks later, Hermione still had not found the potion. The confidence she had had before was waning, Harry and Ron still refused to speak to her, and she was spiraling down further and further into a pit of depression with each passing hour. And, to top it all off, she was beginning to like Draco a whole lot more than she had ever intended to like him when she had first allied with him. Her frustrations surfaced and she slammed shut the book she was looking through as hard as she could. This proved to be a mistake, for Madam Pince bustled over and shrieked at Hermione.

"Get out!! Get out!!"

Hermione shoved her books into her bag and ran out of the library before the crazy librarian could cause her bodily harm. When she arrived in her room and unloaded her things, she noticed that she had an extra book with her. Apparently she had accidentally taken a library book with her in her rush to get away from Madam Pince. She examined the worn, ratty cover, barely making out the gold-embossed letters of the title. Potions of Purpose, it read. Hermione curiously opened it up to the index and scanned through it. R....Re.....Red......REDUNDUS!!!!!!!!! She had FINALLY found the mysterious potion. She flipped to the correct page and skimmed the instructions, then ran into Draco's room.

"Draco, Draco Draco!!! I found it! I FOUND IT!!!!!"

She hurled herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, nearly choking him. He froze, then the enormity of what she had just said hit him and he returned the hug while jumping up and down. After a moment, Hermione broke the embrace and grabbed his hand, leading her quickly into her room to show him the book. He looked at the page and nearly squealed in excitement before composing himself.

"Thank you so much Hermione! You're amazing!!"

She blushed and smiled shyly. Draco read each detail carefully as Hermione went out to their Common Room to warm up by the fire.

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From then on, she and Draco spent a great deal of their free time together, either preparing to make the potion or bonding. Hermine and Draco soon found that the Potion was very complicated and dangerous. Their plan was to begin brewing by the end of that month-November. They would buy all the ingredients on the upcoming Hogsmeade trip, which was just the next weekend. Hermione's involvement on the ived potion took her mind away from everything else, and Ron and Harry lived in the back of her subconscious. She frequently studied it just so she wouldn't think about them.

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