Russian Roulette

(Chapter Five: Falling Fast)

{We could be perfect one last night,

And die like star-crossed lovers when we fight;

And we could settle this affair,

If you would shed your yellow, take my hand...}

Hermione knew she was worrying too much. She knew none of this was any of her business, and she should just be sitting back and waiting for news, because Harry had gotten himself into this, and he had known exactly what he was getting himself into, and he was a big boy and could handle this by himself...

But somehow she couldn't convince herself of any of this. It was nine thirty on Saturday morning, and she was sitting in the Great Hall long after finishing breakfast, with her eyes fixated on the double doors that led into the room. The other early risers that she normally ate breakfast with on Saturdays had already left, and the second shift was slowly trickling inside. Harry was normally with the second shift, so every time the door opened, Hermione found herself tensing up incredibly, waiting to see if he entered with Malfoy looking pleased, or by himself looking miserable.

It was ten o'clock before Hermione caught sight of him. When the doors opened and she saw the familiar mess of black hair, her stomach jolted and she fought desperately to focus in on his facial expression so she could prepare something to say before he actually reached her. But, to her displeasure, a group of people crossed in front of him, and he wasn't the least bit visible until he got to the Gryffindor table.

Well, he sure as hell didn't look happy. His hair was messed up, he had dark circles under his eyes, and his clothes were incredibly rumpled. On top of that, his eyes were half closed, and he looked like a complete zombie. Hermione winced as he looked up at her, unsure of what to say.

"Wow, Harry," she started tentatively, "looks like you had a rough time last night. Do you want to talk about it?"

Harry shook his head jerkily, folding his arms and resting his head on top of them. "Oh," Hermione said sadly. "Well, that's okay. Let me know when you're ready..."

"Huh?" Harry said suddenly, his head snapping up. He blinked a few times and shook his head again as his eyes slid into focus. "Did you say something?"

"You didn't hear me," Hermione stated bluntly.

"No, I didn't hear you," Harry said, yawning.

"I said, it looks like you had a rough time last night. Are you okay?"

"A rough time? Nah, I'm just tired," Harry said, yawning again.

Hermione blinked, frustrated. "Well, aren't you going to tell me what happened?"

"Everything's fine," Harry said casually, helping himself to some scrambled eggs. "Nothing bad happened."

"What?" Hermione barked, making Harry wince.

"Not so loud," he groaned, holding his head.

Hermione ignored him. "If everything's fine, then where is Malfoy?"

"In the shower," Harry said, rubbing his eyes. "He takes such a bloody long time, and I wasn't about to wait for him. I'm hungry."

Hermione stared at Harry, eyes full of wonder. "Nothing's changed? You--you feel just like you did yesterday?"

Harry put down his fork and looked up at her. "Is it that hard to accept?" he said defiantly. "You think there's no way Draco could care for me without the aid of a Love Potion?"

"No, that's not what I meant at all, Harry, and you know it," Hermione said soothingly, patting his hand to placate him. Harry kept looking at her, waiting for her to continue. "Somebody must have taken those Potions that night, and all the evidence points towards the two of you. If you didn't take the Potion, then why hadn't you jumped Malfoy last year, or the year before that? It makes too much sense to be disregarded."

"I don't know why, Hermione, and frankly I don't care, because I'm happy now."

Hermione wasn't satisfied, but she let it go for the time being. Harry ate in silence for another few minutes while Hermione watched him, thinking. "Are you going to say something, because I don't like it when people stare at me while I'm trying to eat."

"Sorry, Harry," Hermione said quickly, followed by a slightly awkward pause.

"So," she said after a moment passed, "which one of you topped?"

Harry seemed to not register what she asked for a moment, for it took him a few seconds to react. He looked at her for a bit, seemingly thoughtful, when the meaning of her words caught up with his sleep-deprived mind.

And he promptly choked on his toast.

"Oh, Harry, I'm sorry, are you alright?" Hermione said frantically, handing him a napkin.

However, when Harry finally caught his breath, answering her latest question wasn't exactly on his mind. "Hermione, I am appalled!" he hissed, snatching the offered napkin from her and throwing it down on the table. He then looked around; making sure that nobody was listening. "This is so embarrassing, how could you ask me such a question?"

Hermione looked politely sheepish, however not completely deterred. "I was just curious, you know..." she said, blushing slightly.

"And another thing," Harry continued, apparently not done scolding her. "What kind of guy do you think I am? We've only been dating for two months, one of which I spent giving him the cold shoulder! And you thought we'd..." Harry trailed off, seeming to have lost his fire. Apparently, anger is short-lived when you're sleep deprived, as it takes too much energy.

"Well, yeah, wouldn't you think it, too? You're two seventeen-year-old boys, what was I supposed to think? And Malfoy put up such a fight when I didn't want him sleeping with you... I thought... And why are you so tired then?" she demanded.

Now Harry was the one to look embarrassed. "Well there are other ways to pass the time... I didn't say we didn't do anything..."

"Ooh, do tell, do tell!" Hermione said, brightening up significantly.

But, before Harry could berate her again, Draco arrived at the table, looking a lot better than Harry, surprisingly, although still sufficiently bedraggled. As soon as he was settled on the bench next to Harry, he turned to him and glared as effectively as he could with the amount of sleep (or lack thereof) he got.

"First you refuse to shower with me, then you run off while I'm in there!" he complained, pinching Harry's arm playfully.

"Ouch, Draco!" Harry snapped as enthusiastically as he could, rubbing the place Draco had pinched. "That bloody hurt!"

"Well you deserve it! I spend the night tending to your needs and you run off as soon as I'm not looking! How rude, hasn't anyone taught you how to treat a man the morning after?"

"You make it sound like I forced you into it! As I recall, you were a lot more eager than I was!"

"Stop talking so loud, you're making my head hurt! And you better watch what you say, Granger's listening, and she's practically drooling."

Harry looked at Hermione, saw that Draco was quite right, and then turned back to Draco. "Sorry, love..." Harry murmured.

"Don't call me that, it's revolting!" Draco snapped.

"Sorry, lo--Draco."

Hermione covered her mouth with her hand and quickly disguised her giggle as a cough.

"All right there, Granger?" Draco said without even looking at her. "Anyway," he said without waiting for a response, "now that the 'Potion' has relinquished its hold on us, are you going to quit watching our every move?"

"Sure Malfoy, whatever you say," Hermione said patronizingly, a smile on her face. She wasn't about to say it aloud, but the two of them were so cute.

Draco chose to ignore her tone of voice, even though under normal circumstances it would have infuriated him. "Harry," he said sweetly, turning to the green-eyed boy, who was currently trying hard to bring his goblet to his mouth (for he kept banging it into his nose instead).

"Whaissit?" Harry spoke into his goblet, keeping it at his mouth in fear of not being able to get it in the right position again.

Hermione chose this moment to interrupt. "Exactly what time did the two of you get to sleep last night?" she said suspiciously.

"I dunno, 'round six, maybe," said Harry, who had finished drinking by this time (although he didn't notice he had replaced his goblet on top of the butter dish).

"Harry, you weren't supposed to tell her that," Draco hissed, elbowing him under the table. "Now she's going to scold us whenever we sleep in the same room!"

Hermione ignored Draco's whispered warning. "Are you serious?" she said, seemingly torn between amusement and horror, her eyes wide. "You only got three hours of sleep?"

"Mmm..." Harry managed, his elbow slipping off the table.

"OKAY, that's it, the two of you better go get some sleep! I don't know what's wrong with you, if I were you I would have slept until noon at least!"

"NO! We don't want to go to sleep! There's a Hogsmeade trip today, and we were going to go together, right Harry?" Draco whined, prodding Harry's side with the tip of his finger.

"Nnnghh..." Harry's eyes were now drooping closed, and his head was getting closer and closer to the table.

"I refuse to let you leave this castle while he's like this, Malfoy!" Hermione scolded. "Apparently you can function on three hours of sleep, but Harry here can't! I suggest you take him up to his room, since it's your fault he's so tired. Let him sleep for a few hours, then you can go out into Hogsmeade. Plus, I doubt he'll be pleasant company like that." Hermione gestured towards Harry, who was now fully collapsed on the table.

"You've got a point there, you know," Draco said grudgingly, flicking Harry's ear to get his attention. "Potter!" Draco barked, but Harry still didn't show any signs of life. "Oh come on, that can't be very comfortable." Not able to think of any other way to get Harry's attention, Draco leaned down and licked the side of his neck, starting from the bottom and ending right under his ear.

"Mmm..." Harry groaned, turning his head to look at Draco. "Oh," he said, sounding somewhat disappointed as he realized why Draco had done what he did.

"Come on Harry, let's get you back to bed," Draco said resentfully, standing up from the table and grabbing a few rolls to eat once they got upstairs. Harry slowly got to his feet and followed Draco blindly out of the Great Hall. Hermione began to watch them leave, but then realized that since they were going, there was no reason for her to stay.

"Malfoy, wait! I'm coming with you!" she called, jumping up from the bench and following the other two. Draco had stopped to wait for her, but continued walking when she caught up.

They walked in silence for a few minutes (Harry leaning on Draco heavily without realizing it), but then Draco looked at Hermione suspiciously. "Hey, hold on a minute," he said slowly. "Were you waiting in there just so you could see us?"

Hermione blushed. "Well can you blame me? I wanted to find out if you'd dumped him, or if he dumped you, or if you dumped each other... or if you spent the night shagging."

Draco paused and turned to Hermione sharply, looking vaguely horrified. "Granger, I'm surprised at you!" he said, smirking slightly.

Hermione shrugged. "Can you blame me? It's more interesting than the other stuff that goes on around here."

Draco shook his head at her. "'Spent the night shagging...' honestly... Huh, I wish," he said, sending a half-hearted glare at Harry. Harry merely looked confusedly back at him, for he hadn't been listening.

By the time they had finished this exchange, they reached the Gryffindor Common Room, and the foot of the staircase leading to the boys' dorms.

"Well, see you, Granger," Draco said, beginning to mount the stairs while prodding Harry encouragingly, who didn't seem capable of coming up with his own thoughts at the moment.

"Hey, do you mind sending Ron down if he's still up there? He's so lazy, he's slept enough," Hermione said, settling into a chair.

"Sure thing," Draco said, grinning wickedly as he continued to climb.

"Okay, Harry," he said once they were standing in his room, "why don't you climb into bed and get some sleep?"

Harry smiled and nodded obligingly, already taking of his clothes so he could be more comfortable. "You coming?" he managed to articulate through a large yawn.

"Yes, one moment," Draco said, eyeing the bed that he knew was Ron's.

Draco slowly walked up to it, and sure enough, he heard deep, even breathing coming from behind the hangings. He smirked to himself as he approached it, deciding he'd have some fun. He quickly yanked open the hangings to reveal a sleeping Ron, with the covers draped over half of his bare chest. Draco wrinkled his nose in distaste, but leaned forward anyway so that his face was merely inches away from Ron's.

Draco reached forward and delivered a sharp poke to the center of Ron's forehead. "Weasley!" he bellowed right in Ron's face. "Get up!"

Ron awoke with a start, jumping as he realized who had awoken him. "Malfoy!" he cried, grabbing the covers and pulling them up to his chin self-consciously. "What're you doing here?"

"Your girlfriend told me to wake you up," Draco said simply, now backing away from Ron's bed, satisfied at the reaction he'd gotten.

Ron sighed and began to get out of bed. "What a rude awakening," Ron muttered to no one in particular. "I take it Harry hasn't dumped you then, eh? Pity."

Draco ignored him in favor of climbing into bed with Harry, who had already fallen asleep. He settled beneath the covers and began to close the hangings when Ron interrupted him.

"Hey, how come you get to sleep when Hermione made you wake me up?" he said resentfully.

"Because me and Harry were up all night doing things that you can't even imagine," Draco said in a bragging tone of voice.

"Wouldn't want to imagine, either," Ron said, his face turning a pasty color. "Goodbye, Malfoy." Ron left the room, closing the door behind him.

Draco took this opportunity to look at Harry. Things had changed a lot since two months ago, that first morning he had woken up in bed with him, and as much as he hated to admit it, Draco was glad. He was now pretty comfortable with the fact that he and Harry were together, and found that he was pretty much content, especially because now he knew it wouldn't go away at any given time. Actually, truth be told, Draco was the slightest bit disappointed when nothing happened after the Potion was supposed to wear off, because he had gotten so accustomed to blaming all of his strange feelings on it that now he didn't have a leg to stand on, and would just have to accept the fact that he was a romantic.

Draco sighed and settled back against Harry, enjoying the warmth that he was radiating as he slept. Although he kept telling himself (and Hermione) otherwise, Draco was indeed tired, so he closed his eyes, and sleep took him within minutes.

[//]

(The night before...)

12:00 AM

When the giant clock finished chiming, Harry and Draco remained in the same positions, with their eyes shut tightly as if they were being subjected to some sort of awful torture. They stayed like that for several minutes, each trying to sort out his feelings to see if he felt any different. But, once three minutes had passed, Harry relaxed his grip on Draco's hand and slowly opened his eyes, studying the other boy.

Draco felt Harry's eyes on him, so he opened his as well. "Well?" Draco said, trying to sound neutral in case something in Harry had changed.

Harry studied him for a few moments; both trying to understand what he was feeling and trying to read Draco's expression. "I don't feel any different," he said finally, looking pensive.

Draco's shoulders sagged with relief as he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Neither do I." Harry gave him a large smile, trying in vain to suppress it. "What does that mean, then?" Draco said, somewhat disoriented.

Harry looked down at his hands. "I don't know. Well, maybe we were the ones to get the Potion, and for whatever reason, what it was making us feel became our real emotions."

"Could be," Draco said.

"And maybe I really lo--" Harry stopped. He had clearly begun to say "maybe I really love you," but he wasn't sure how Draco would react. It was too early to be exchanging such sentiments, and he somehow suspected that Draco wouldn't be too enamored with his accidental confession. Besides, he wasn't even sure if it was completely true.

"Maybe what?" Draco said, raising an eyebrow at Harry's abrupt pause.

"Maybe I really like you... like that," Harry finished, blushing. It wasn't the same thing, but it was still somewhat embarrassing to say out loud.

Draco, suspecting what Harry had begun to say, but not entirely sure of his reason for stopping himself, gave Harry a rare smile. "Well, maybe I 'really like you like that' as well."

Harry knew that was about as sentimental as Draco got, so he was extremely touched by his admission, and let it show on his face. Draco leaned towards Harry slowly, and so they shared their first kiss as a genuine couple.

[//]

(Present time)

While Harry and Draco were sleeping, Hermione was in the Gryffindor common room waiting for Ron, somewhat impatiently. Every few minutes she would look at the clock and sigh, making the students around her more and more nervous as time wore on.

Finally, she heard footsteps on the staircase and looked up eagerly, to see Ron stomping down the stairs. "Finally!" she whined. "What took you so long?"

"Shut up," Ron said grumpily, "it's your fault I had to wake up like that. That was mean."

"What was?" Hermione said, genuinely confused.

Ron stared at her incredulously. "How could you tell Malfoy to wake me up and expect him to do it nicely?"

"Good point," Hermione said, closing her book and setting it down on the couch next to her. "Anyway, are you ready to get going?"

"Yes, one moment, I just have to get my cloak," Ron said, turning around and heading back up to the boys' dormitories.

"Honestly," Hermione chastised, "you were just up there, didn't you think you might need it?"

Ron rolled his eyes, choosing not to answer her.

"I'll meet you downstairs in the Entrance Hall, okay? There's something I've got to do," Hermione said, taking her cloak and heading towards the door.

"Sure, I'll see you in ten minutes," Ron said, disappearing up the staircase.

Hermione left the common room and began walking down the stairs. When she reached the ground floor, where the Entrance Hall was located, she didn't get off the staircase, but rather continued on to the Dungeons. The reason for this was that Hermione had gotten to thinking while she was waiting for Ron in the common room. She really hadn't had time to thoroughly consider Harry's situation before, because of all the talking that was going on, but now that she thought about it, she realized that something was certainly amiss.

There were definitely two Love Potions that night, both of which were definitely consumed--each by one of the ten people in the circle. Therefore, two people must have gotten the Love Potion. However, the only people that had been acting strangely, as far as Hermione knew, were Harry and Malfoy. Of course, she only knew the Gryffindor side of things, which was why she was currently heading for the Slytherin common room to seek out Pansy Parkinson.

But what if nobody in Slytherin had been acting strangely either? Hermione had put thought into this, and she came to the conclusion that if that were the case, Harry, Draco, or both must have taken the Potion, unless something strange happened that left the Potion useless. Hermione had done a lot of reading on Love Potions since that night, and she found out that it was very hard to trick them. The only way she could see that a Love Potion wouldn't make the drinker act strangely was if the drinker had looked at a person they already had feelings for upon consuming the Potion. However, if this happened, artificial feelings would still be instilled in said person, making them feel different than before, but not enough so to make them act strangely.

Hermione recalled the night the Potions were consumed, and remembered that the person sitting across from her was Goyle, and she most certainly didn't feel anything for him. If she remembered correctly, Goyle had been looking right back at her, and he hadn't been acting strange around her. However, if she ruled the two of them out, that still left six people, not including Harry and Draco. The only people present in that circle that were already in a relationship were herself and Ron, so the chances of one of the others taking the Potion, and not showing changes, were slim to none. Therefore, she concluded, the likelihood that neither Harry nor Draco took the Potion was nearly nonexistent. She had decided not to tell Harry this yet, however, because if she said that without sufficient evidence, he'd most likely hate her for even suggesting it. This all having been thought out, she decided she must visit Pansy.

When she reached the bare stretch of wall that was the concealed entrance to the Slytherin common room, she knocked on it has hard as she could without hurting her hand. After a few moments of persistent knocking, a fourth year came to the door, and was shocked to see her, a Gryffindor, standing there.

"What do you want?" the fourth year said somewhat menacingly.

Hermione wasn't the least bit phased. "Is Pansy Parkinson in there?" she asked politely. "I'd like to have a word. Tell her it's Hermione Granger."

The fourth year looked at her strangely, an eyebrow raised in inquiry, but he departed to get Pansy nonetheless.

A few moments later, Pansy emerged looking confused. "Granger?" she said, her tone laced with disbelief. "Is this about Draco?"

"Yes, sort of," Hermione said, beginning to walk and indicating that Pansy should follow her. "Is there anywhere we can go to talk? I don't want to be overheard."

"Yeah, there's a disused classroom down the hall that'd be good," Pansy said, leading the way.

Once they got in, Hermione shut the door and put a silencing ward around it, as Pansy made her way over to the dusty teachers desk, wiping it off and taking a seat. "So what happened last night? Did Potter tell you anything?"

"What, Malfoy hasn't told you?" Hermione said, surprised.

"No, he hasn't. I haven't seen him all day, come to think of it," she said thoughtfully, looking towards the door.

"Well, according to them, nothing happened," Hermione said matter-of-factly.

"What? Something must have happened. That's impossible," Pansy said, running her fingers through her short, dark hair.

"Those were my thoughts exactly," Hermione said, nodding in agreement. "That's why I wanted to talk to you. There has to be something we don't know about. Are you sure nobody in Slytherin other than Draco got the Potion? Has anybody been acting strange? Any weird relationships popping up out of nowhere?"

"No," Pansy said perplexedly. "Nothing in Gryffindor either?"

"Nothing," Hermione said. They lapsed into a thoughtful silence for a few moments, which Hermione broke. "Hey, do you mind telling me where you bought the Potions? I could try and contact them to see..."

"Yeah, it was in Hogsmeade. Not in the frequented areas, though, it's pretty far back, near the Hog's Head Pub."

"What's the name of the shop?" Hermione said.

"Er... it doesn't have a particular name. It's an old, seedy looking shop that just has the word 'Potions' written across the awning. I didn't really put much thought into what store I would buy the Potions from, it was more of an impulse thing..." Pansy explained sheepishly.

"That's alright, I'm sure I'll be able to find it. Thanks a lot, Pansy, you really were a great help," Hermione said truthfully, getting up to leave.

"Wait, Granger!" Pansy called as Hermione was about to exit the room.

"Hm?"

"Will you let me know what you find out? I'm just as concerned as you are, seeing as Draco's my friend and all."

"Sure, no problem. I don't think it's a good idea to let Harry and Malfoy know what I'm up to though... they might get mad."

"You're probably right. See you around, Granger."

[//]

Harry awoke to Draco leaning over him, a frown in place on his face. Harry blinked several times, rather disoriented; he didn't remember falling asleep in his dorm, but apparently that's where he was. He lay still for a few moments, and finally the memory of what had happened earlier that day (and the previous night) came back to him.

"Awake, are you?" Draco said somewhat irritably, beginning to slide off the bed. "I was beginning to believe you had somehow slipped into a coma."

"Yes..." Harry said, confused as to how he was supposed to answer Draco's question.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. Get yourself cleaned up, we're going to Hogsmeade!" Draco said, pulling his discarded shirt back on.

"Do we have to?" Harry managed through a yawn. "I'd much rather stay here..." He emphasized these words by hooking one of his fingers in the waist of Draco's pants and pulling suggestively.

Harry heard Draco's breath hitch slightly. "As tempting as that sounds," Draco began, gently removing Harry's hand from his pants, "I'd really like to go to Hogsmeade. I haven't been shopping in ages, and besides--we've never had a proper date."

Harry rolled his eyes at Draco's antics, but got out of bed anyway, shivering at the absence of warmth the covers had provided. Draco, noticing his shiver, hastened to get his shirt, tossing it over. "Thanks," Harry murmured, pulling the shirt over his head, and in the process thoroughly messing up his hair. Draco walked up to him and ran his fingers through it, helping it lay more properly. He then moved his hand down from Harry's hair to caress his cheek gently, urging him forward so he could kiss him.

Harry felt himself grow warm inside in response to this loving gesture; Draco was rarely the one to initiate contact, and if he was, it was never this tender. When Draco began to draw away from him, Harry stopped him by wrapping his arms around Draco's waist and pulling him even closer, their lips meeting again. Draco's hands went back up to Harry's face, his palms caressing Harry's cheeks and his wrists meeting under Harry's chin.

After a few moments of silent kissing, Draco reluctantly let go of Harry's face and took a step back. "We'd better get going," he muttered, not meeting Harry's eyes. Harry smiled; he saw the faint blush on Draco's cheeks and knew that he was probably mad at himself for showing emotion like that.

"All right, let's," Harry said, picking up his cloak from the floor and fastening it around his neck. He then gave Draco a spare one so they wouldn't have to go all the way down to Slytherin, and they exited.

[//]

"Hermione, where are we going?" Ron asked impatiently as his girlfriend dragged him along the streets of Hogsmeade.

"I've already told you," Hermione said with as much patience as she could muster, her teeth clenched together in restraint. Honestly, sometimes she just wanted to slap him. "We're going to the other side of town, in order to investigate the Love Potion situation."

"But Hermione, it's none of our business!" Ron moaned, wishing that for once he could just go on a normal date. "I don't know why you're so concerned about the whole thing, really."

"I'm just looking out for Harry!" Hermione snapped, tired of defending her reasoning.

"You're not his mother," Ron muttered resentfully, but not loud enough for her to hear.

Hermione abruptly stopped moving in front of a small shop; apparently they had reached their destination. It was exactly as Pansy had described it, Hermione realized--it looked as if it had been built from soggy pieces of cardboard. The awning appeared impossibly dusty, and Hermione could have sworn she saw cobwebs clinging to the doorknob. She grimaced at the thought of entering such a place, but nevertheless she tightened her grip on Ron's wrist and turned the dusty doorknob, stepping into the small shop.

The walls were covered in shelves, on which sat hundreds of small glass bottles. There were faded signs above the numerous shelves, saying things like Poisons, Antidotes, or Transfigurations. There was a small counter with an even smaller man behind it, seemingly asleep. He had a large bald patch on the top of his head, and a white bristly moustache that was twitching slightly as he slept. Hermione rolled her eyes in annoyance and walked up to him, prodding him reluctantly.

"Excuse me, Sir," she said politely, taking a step back.

The man grunted and nearly fell off the stool he had been sitting on. When he realized he had a customer, he smiled broadly revealing yellowed teeth and straightened his wire-rimmed spectacles.

"Why, hello Miss," he said in a low scratchy voice. "How may I help you this fine afternoon?"

Hermione decided to get straight to business. "I understand you carry Love Potions?"

Initially, the man's smile broadened, but he faltered slightly after a moment. His expression quickly turned nervous, and Hermione saw his moustache twitch slightly. "No, no Ma'am, no Love Potions here. Nope," he stuttered, folding his hands in an innocent fashion.

Hermione let out a small laugh. "No, I'm not trying to bust you. An acquaintance of mine purchased one in your shop a couple of months ago, and I was hoping to find some information about it."

"Well then, you've come to the right place," the man said, smiling lecherously. Ron huffed and pulled Hermione back protectively, wincing at the look on the man's face. "What do you know about this Potion?"

"Not much," Hermione said regretfully. "Apparently it confuses the drinker slightly, so they don't realize they've taken it."

"Well, that's a standard effect," the man explained, straightening his glasses again. "That's probably one of the reasons they're illegal. Do you know anything else?"

"It was supposed to last for exactly two months," Hermione said, looking hopeful.

The man frowned. "I don't think we carry any two-month Love Potions," he said, bending down and rummaging through a drawer in the counter. He emerged holding a large dusty book with the word Inventory printed on the cover. "Let's see, let's see..." he muttered, flipping through the book, running one of his stubby fingers down the page as he looked.

He looked up after a few minutes. "No," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Nothing in here about a two-month duration."

"But that's impossible!" Hermione snapped, snatching the book away from him to look herself. "My classmate swears she bought it here!"

"Well, this book only lists the things we have in stock," the man explained. "That's its point. If we're out of something, it erases itself from the book."

"Well that's not very helpful, is it?" Hermione complained, setting the book back on the counter.

"You don't happen to still have it, do you?" the man inquired. "If I can examine it, I'll be able to tell you its properties."

"No, it's been consumed," Hermione said bitterly.

"I see," the man said. "Well, I think that's all I can do for you, then. Terribly sorry."

"That's alright," Hermione said, not sounding like she meant it. "Say, do you mind if I jot down the information on that page?" she said, indicating the section on Love Potions.

"By all means, go ahead," the man said, handing the book to her.

Hermione withdrew a scroll of parchment and her wand from her pocket. She muttered a spell as she tapped her wand to the book, and muttered the same spell as she tapped the unrolled parchment. Instantly, the same writing appeared on her previously blank paper.

"Handy little charm you've got there," the man said, nodding his head approvingly. "Well, you best get going, unless I could interest you in some Potions?"

Hermione frowned, thinking about this. If she bought a few Love Potions, she might be able to determine if Harry had taken any of them...

"Say," she said suddenly, "how many different Love Potions do you carry?"

The man frowned, looking back at the book. "It says that there's five right here," he said, pointing at the page.

"Are there any antidotes?" she questioned.

"Yes, there's one generic one, it'll reverse all Love Potion effects."

"Any side effects?" Hermione drilled, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"No, not a one. Just reverses the effects," the man responded.

"Alright then. I'll take one dose of each Love Potion you carry, and five doses of antidote... make that six, just to be safe."

"Hermione, are you off your rocker?" Ron hissed, making himself known for the first time in a while. "Why are you buying Love Potions and antidotes? This is bound to cost a fortune!"

"Don't worry, Ron," Hermione said, patting his hand in a pacifying manner. "We're just going to run a few tests."

"I'm sure there are other ways to find out what's happened to Harry!" Ron complained, tugging on the sleeve of her cloak.

"Yes, there are, but if we can't figure it out by those means, this is our 'Plan B,' if you will."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Excuse me, Sir," he said, turning to the man at the counter, who was picking up his inventory book and beginning to shuffle to the other side of the small shop.

"Yes?" the man responded, not bothering to look back at Ron.

"Would you let us return these if we decide we don't want them?"

"Yes, of course," the man said. "As long as they're unopened."

"See, Ron?" Hermione snapped, following the man to the back of the shop.

When the man reached his destination, which appeared to be an old dusty bookshelf, he withdrew his wand and muttered a spell, tapping the frame. In an instant, the bookshelf slid aside and a whole other shelf of Potions was revealed. Hermione could only guess that they were all illegal.

The man scanned the shelves quickly, his eyes coming to a stop on a particular shelf with dozens of dusty bottles of varying sizes on it. He consulted the book, and then began to withdraw small bottles from the shelf, handing them to Hermione as he went. Once she was holding five bottles (and struggling to keep them balanced), the man moved to the other side of the shelf and withdrew two larger bottles, handing them to Ron.

They returned to the counter, and after they paid, the man began to bag their bottles. Just as they were about to leave, something occurred to Hermione. "Sir," she said, "no offense meant by this, but you don't really get that many customers, do you?"

"No," said the man, somewhat bitterly. "Not many people know about this little shop."

"Well, since not many people come in here, you should theoretically remember if my classmate came in here and bought a Love Potion a few months ago, right?"

The man frowned. "I suppose," he said slowly, "but there's another gentleman that works here as well. He might have been here when your friend came in."

"I see," Hermione said, somewhat crestfallen. "When does he work here?"

"Oh, we alternate days. What's today, the first?" Hermione nodded. "Well, for the most part, I work on odd days, and he works on even days. There are some exceptions, though. I suggest you stop by next time you come to Hogsmeade on an even day. You may be able to coax some information out of him."

"Alright, well, thanks Sir. Have a nice day," she said, exiting the shop.

Once they were outside, Ron turned to her. "I recall you mentioning something about these Potions being our 'Plan B.' May I inquire as to what our 'Plan A' is?"

Hermione looked at him incredulously. "You really haven't thought...? Oh Ron, Professor Slughorn, of course!"

"Of course," Ron said, rolling his eyes as he took her hand so they could continue with their day, which would hopefully be plot-free.

[//]

"So, where do you want to go?" Harry asked Draco once they entered Hogsmeade. The wind was blowing towards them, causing their faces to turn red and messing up their hair.

Draco shivered and drew his cloak tighter around himself, hunching his shoulders. "I want to go somewhere warm," he said, his teeth chattering slightly.

"Wow, you don't fare well in the cold, do you?" Harry said sympathetically, pulling Draco closer to him and wrapping an arm around his waist.

"Shut up," Draco said meekly, not bothering to push Harry away.

"Why don't we go to The Three Broomsticks first so we can warm up and plan the rest of our day?" Harry suggested, guiding Draco forward.

"Alright," Draco said, letting Harry lead him in the right direction.

Once they entered The Three Broomsticks, they found a booth near the back of the pub and seated themselves. Madam Rosmerta soon after took their orders, and came back moments later with two Butterbeers.

Draco sighed in relief and wrapped both his hands around the warm mug, letting the heat travel through the thick porcelain and into his freezing hands. He lifted the mug to his lips and took a deep gulp, the sudden warmth making him shiver pleasantly.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying their drinks, but Harry was beginning to get uncomfortable because of the lack of conversation.

Just as Draco was taking a drink, Harry decided to break the silence. "So, last night..." he started suggestively.

Draco choked slightly, but quickly raised his napkin to his lips to hide it, and the fact that he was turning red. "What?" Harry said defensively.

"Do we have to talk about this here?" Draco asked nervously.

"If not here, where?" Harry said, shrugging.

"I don't know, it's just... public place and all, you know," Draco said matter-of-factly.

"So what?" Harry said, setting his cup down. "I was just going to say that it was great for me. Was it great for you?"

Draco smirked. "What do you think?"

A moment of silence ensued, during which Harry swirled the liquid in his mug. "It's so difficult to have a conversation with you," he then mused, sounding more observant than frustrated.

"Yes, well I'm a difficult person. You of all people should know that."

"I'm certain I do. At least you can admit to the fact that you're difficult."

"Of course I can," Draco responded flirtatiously. "But then again, that's part of my charm."

"Of course it is," Harry said. He tried to sound as if he was just humoring Draco, but they both knew he really did mean it. He then reached across the table and took one of Draco's hands in his, looking at Draco affectionately. Draco attempted to avert his eyes, embarrassed by the fact that he was touched by the way Harry was treating him. Harry smiled at the look on Draco's face, marveling at the fact that he could make Draco blush so easily. He reached across the table with his unoccupied hand and gently cupped Draco's face in it, turning his head so their eyes would meet.

"I'm really glad I still have feelings for you, Draco," Harry said softly, maintaining eye contact.

"I am too. Really. And I'm not just saying that." Although it was strange to hear Draco say this, Harry still felt like it was something he would say. It was probably in the way he said it--his voice wasn't overflowing with sap, it sounded entirely neutral, yet entirely sincere.

Harry smiled, glad that Draco could admit this. He pulled Draco towards him as he leaned forward, and slowly let their lips meet in a relaxed kiss.

Meanwhile, the door of The Three Broomsticks was opening, this time admitting Ron and Hermione, who were occupied by bickering amongst themselves.

"Honestly, Hermione, I'm the man here, why won't you just let me pay for the drinks?"

The two of them were making their way to the back, as all the front tables were filled. "Really Ronald, we haven't even bought them yet and you're already insisting on paying! Besides, it's no problem, really!"

"But it's the least I could do!" There was a silence, during which Hermione seemed to be staring slack-jawed at something in the distance that Ron couldn't quite see. "Aren't you going to answer me?" Still Hermione remained silent, so Ron decided to investigate the situation. He walked in front of her and peered over one of the booths, following her line of vision... only to see his best friend making out with a certain blond ferret.

"Eurgh!" he said, looking away. "Harry! I didn't know you were here!" he called once he had recovered, certain that they'd stop kissing if they knew they had an audience.

Ron quickly realized this might have been a bad idea, as Hermione delivered a hard smack to his upper arm. "Ouch! What was that for?" Ron whined.

"For interrupting them! I was enjoying the eyeful I was getting, thanks!" she said, glaring at him angrily.

"Girls are so weird..." Ron muttered under his breath, making his way over to Harry, who was calling him over.

"Hey Ron, didn't think I'd be seeing you. Draco and I just got here," Harry said, getting up to sit next to Draco so Ron and Hermione could sit across from them.

Hermione then managed to get over to the table. "Hello Harry, Draco," she said cheerfully, sitting down and trying to manage her bags inconspicuously. She settled for putting them on her lap, trying not to let the Potions clink together. They did anyway, and quite loudly at that, making everyone at the table cringe.

"What've you got in there?" Draco asked, eyeing the bag suspiciously.

Hermione winced. This is just what she had been hoping wouldn't happen. "Oh, you know... Potions ingredients," she said, her voice going up slightly at the end of her sentence as if she had been asking a question. She had always been a lousy liar when it came to her friends.

The two sets of eyes observing her simultaneously narrowed. "In a brown paper bag? Doesn't the Apothecary here hand out bags with obscenely huge logos plastered all over them?" Draco inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"I suppose so, but I didn't buy them at that Apothecary. There are several, you know," she said matter-of-factly.

"Hermione, you're so bad at lying that you should just give up now. What's really in the bag?" Harry asked, exasperated.

"I don't see how it's any of your business," she said defensively. "There are plenty of things I buy without your knowledge, and I don't know why you have the sudden interest in what I choose to spend my money on!"

"Well, most things you buy don't make suspicious clinking noises when you set them down. Besides, you've been in our faces constantly for the past two months, so I think some payback is in order. Not to mention the fact that we have to know now, especially because you don't want to tell us," Harry said, crossing his arms.

Hermione closed her eyes in sheer annoyance, rubbing her temples. This stress was going to kill her someday very, very soon. "Alright. Fine. I bought some Potions for some... tests I want to run." There. Sufficiently vague, and boring-sounding, so they won't care.

Hermione looked at Harry and Draco, waiting for them to shrug and continue the conversation. However, to her surprise, they soon had twin looks of shock upon their faces. Draco's quickly turned to hysterical laughter (which was frightening in and of itself), while Harry looked at Ron accusingly, seemingly horror-stricken. "You've gotten her pregnant!" Harry exclaimed, nearly falling off his chair. "How could you be so careless?"

Hermione's expression quickly turned from bemused to frantic. "No, no! Harry, calm down. Not those kind of tests!" At these words, Draco started laughing even harder, hiding his face in his hands.

Harry looked at Hermione, quickly sobering. "Oh," he said, now completely composed. "Well that's a relief. I was afraid I'd have to kill Ron."

"No, no killing necessary," Hermione said, blushing in wake of the misunderstanding.

"Well that's disappointing," Draco said, now finished laughing. "I was looking forward to seeing Harry beat him up."

"Shut up, Draco," Harry said monotonously, not even looking at him. "Hermione, if it wasn't that kind of a test, what kind of test was it?"

Hermione sighed. "Love Potions, Harry. I'm doing some further research on Love Potions." Hermione watched as the expression on Harry's face turned from confusion to anger.

"What?" Harry snapped. "I thought we were through with this! You said you'd leave us alone once the two months were up! Is it that you can't stand to be proven wrong? Is that it?"

"No! It's just... I have a funny feeling about this. Just humor me, okay? I promise I won't bother you. Just let me do this, and if I find out that you're right, we can just forget this ever happened!"

"But what if you don't find out we're right? You'll just keep looking! You're obsessive like that! And you won't leave us alone, because you just can't. It's just the way you are. Now, if you want me to even begin to believe that you'll leave us alone, why don't you start now? We're leaving." At this, Harry began to get up from the table, taking Draco's hand and pulling him away.

"Wait! Harry, don't leave." When Harry didn't even turn around, Hermione began to get up too. "See! This is why I didn't want to tell you! I knew you'd be angry!"

"Yes, well, if you knew that, maybe you shouldn't have bought the Potions in the first place!" Harry snarled, storming across the pub.

Hermione ran forward (leaving Ron at the table, staring bemusedly after them), grabbing Harry's arm in an attempt to get him to listen. "Come on, don't leave. You were here before us. We'll leave."

"You're doing it again, Hermione! You said you'd leave us alone, why don't you go practice!" Harry wrenched the door open, pushed Draco outside, and then slammed it behind him, leaving Hermione standing in the doorway, slack-jawed, with the entire pub staring at her curiously. She turned beet red and began to make her way to the back, trying not to make eye contact with anyone who was staring at her. She slumped in her seat heavily, burying her face in her arms.

"I screwed up again, didn't I?" she said sadly.

"Is this the part where I agree with you, or am I supposed to try to make you feel better with some bullshit?" Ron said.

"Forget it," Hermione muttered, lifting her head up and rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands.

"Actually, I think I've figured out what I'm supposed to say," Ron said thoughtfully.

"What's that?"

"'I told you so.' Sound familiar?"

Hermione hit him playfully. "I told you, I'm just doing this out of concern. Can you blame me?"

"Hm, let me think about that for a moment..." Ron said in a mock-pensive voice. "Yes, I can blame you. I mean, I'm sure I love Harry just as much as you do... but you really need to stop interfering."

"Well it's a bit late for that," Hermione said, patting the bag to make her point. "But promise me that the next time I start to do something like this, you'll give me a good smack and remind me of this."

"I'm looking forward to it," Ron said, smiling. His expression quickly turned to worry. "I just hope Harry's not mad at me, too."

"Why would he be mad at you? You had absolutely nothing to do with it. You even discouraged me."

"Point taken," Ron sighed. "Wow, for once I'm going to have to be the mediator. Wicked."

[//]

When late afternoon came around, Harry and Draco could be found in a teashop, all finished with their shopping, and taking a few minutes to relax. They weren't speaking; more like observing. Harry noted the way that Draco sat--his back straight, but not unnaturally so; one of his arms casually resting in his lap, and the other on the table, with one finger resting on the handle of his teacup. The way his head was turned to the side slightly, staring out the window, deep in thought.

The light of the setting sun was reflecting off his blond hair, and lighting his eyes in a strange way that made them almost seem like another color; like a cross between hazel and pale blue. His mouth was closed, and the sneer that was usually found on his lips was nowhere to be seen. The corners of his mouth were relaxed, and his lips occasionally parted slightly as his eyes flicked slightly to one side or the other, but they always closed again shortly after.

Harry slowly reached across the table and covered Draco's hand with his own, making the other boy jump slightly. Draco's eyes quickly flicked over to where Harry was sitting, and his face instantly lost the open, vulnerable quality that Harry had been enjoying watching. Draco smiled slightly, turning his hand so it was now palm up, and threading his fingers with Harry's.

"What were you looking at?" Harry said, deciding it was time to break the silence.

"Nothing really, although the sunset's quite nice," Draco answered quietly, still somewhat detached. "Mostly just thinking."

"About what?" Harry asked, genuinely curious.

"You," Draco said immediately, but then getting embarrassed. "What I mean is, I want to take you somewhere, and I was trying to decide whether or not to do it."

"What?"

One of the sides of Draco's mouth curved upwards in a half-smile. "Why don't I show you?"

Harry smiled, leaving five sickles on the table to pay for their tea, and following Draco out the door. "So where are you taking me?" Harry asked, taking Draco's hand.

"It's not too far away. Nothing too special either... well, you'll see."

They walked in silence for several minutes, leaving Hogsmeade and re-entering the Hogwarts grounds, only to go off towards the Forbidden Forest rather than the castle. As they got closer and closer to the Forest, Harry got more and more nervous. Is that where they were going? Draco must realize how risky that was, especially at night.

They did wind up entering the Forest, and that's when Harry decided to question. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, shivering slightly. "There are all sorts of nasty things running around at night."

"Don't worry," Draco said calmly, "I've been here dozens of times and nothing's ever happened to me."

They continued walking for what seemed like a very long time, but Draco seemed to know where he was going. The sun had almost completely disappeared beneath the horizon, and the trees were thickening as they got deeper into the Forest, so before long they were almost completely enveloped in darkness. Right when Harry was about to protest, Draco stopped; they had reached their destination.

They were in a small clearing; the trees formed a circle, in the center of which there was a patch of dead grass (as it was wintertime) and a few tree stumps. It was nothing too extraordinary, but Harry knew Draco must have had a reason for taking him here. Draco released Harry's hand and walked over to one of the trees, sitting down underneath it on the grass. He looked over at Harry expectantly, patting the ground next to him. Harry went over to him and took the offered seat, staring up at the sky, which was pink in the wake of the sun.

"It's really beautiful," Harry said, now looking at Draco, "but I don't completely understand why you took me here."

Draco continued to gaze skyward, his expression not changing. "Last year, I used to disappear a lot," he said, his breath forming clouds in the cold air. "Sometimes it was in the Room of Requirement, with that cabinet I was working on. But other times, I needed to go somewhere, where not even my friends knew where I was. I needed to think, you know? I had a lot of pressure on me, and no real way of relieving it. So one day, I was wandering outside after hours, and I came across this little clearing." Draco smiled, almost reminiscently. "It was just what I needed. Nobody knew where I went, and truth be told, nobody cared where I went. But just to be safe, I charmed it so it'd be impossible to plot. I came across that handy little spell in one of the books I had been consulting for my... assignment." Draco visibly flinched at the memory, but then continued on. "I came here fairly often, and I'd just sit here, and think. A few times I considered going deeper into the Forest and seeing how far I could go before I came across something, or got eaten by something... but I was always too afraid to go past here." He patted the ground. "But this place was comforting. To be honest, I think that you're in need of comfort," he said, turning to Harry for the first time since they arrived. "I wanted to share this with you, even though I've never shared it with anyone else. I've never even told anyone else about it. I think you might need it in the future."

Harry was really touched by all that Draco was saying. It was honestly the most selfless thing he had ever seen Draco do. His hand found Draco's again. "Thank you," he said sincerely, squeezing his hand. "I really do like it here. But why do you say you think I'll need it?"

Draco shrugged. "I just get the feeling you're going to. I can't say my reasons for taking you here weren't the least bit selfish, though. All those times I came here seeking solitude... well, the solitude was nice, but sometimes I'd get so lonely. Not just for anybody though--if I had been lonely for anybody, I'd have just went back to the school and found somebody to hang around with. At that point, I honestly didn't have any idea about what I wanted. But I think I do now." Draco took a deep breath and let it leave through his mouth, sending a stream of vapor out into the air. Then he looked at Harry again. "All those times I was out here, most of what I thought about was you. Not the way I think of you now obviously; it was more like how much I hated you, or how much I was jealous of you, or how I was dreading having to face you in battle, because at that point I knew that if I didn't change my allegiance, that's what would happen. So, that all being said, I think it's ironic yet fitting that you're the only one I wound up taking here. And, like I said before, now that I know what I want--" Draco stopped abruptly, seeming to change his mind about what he was going to say. "In any case... I'm glad I waited to take someone up here, because now that I think about it, you're the only one I'd ever want to take."

Harry sat in silence for several minutes. He felt like he should say something, but at the same time, he knew that doing so would cheapen the moment. Instead he moved over so that he and Draco were sitting as close as they could, and he used one of his hands to turn Draco's head towards him gently. Draco attempted to avoid his eyes again, but Harry wouldn't let him. When their eyes met, Harry instantly saw that Draco felt completely exposed, and was waiting to see Harry's reaction.

Harry tilted Draco's head, and slowly began to close the distance between them--but they didn't kiss. They stayed like that, eyes closed, lips slightly parted, hovering centimeters away from one another, feeling one another's breath ghost across their faces as their breathing became more and more erratic. Finally, Harry leaned forward that extra little bit and allowed his lips to touch Draco's. The kiss was gentle at first, and very innocent, but before long Harry felt Draco's tongue in his mouth. Draco was soon knocked onto his back with Harry leaning over him, both their hands intertwined.

Night had completely fallen, but all thoughts of returning to the castle were long gone from their minds.

[//]

If one had to use a single word to describe Ron Weasley at this particular moment, that word would have to be "agitated." The youth in question was sitting in the Gryffindor common room trying to do homework and failing miserably. It wasn't his fault, however; he did have a lot on his mind. His girlfriend had just gone off on some mission as a self-appointed vigilante, and he hadn't seen hide or hair of his best friend since the fight earlier that day. Ron ran one of his long-fingered hands through his red hair, messing it up even worse than it had been.

The common room was surprisingly empty for this early on a Saturday--most of the older students were spending time in the dormitories, or meeting in secret throughout the school. The younger students had already gone to bed, but there were some third- and fourth-years still hanging around, with a few from other years as well.

Just as Ron was setting the tip of his quill on the parchment he was supposed to be writing on, the door to the common room opened, making him break the quill in his jittery state. Upon looking up, he realized that the newcomer was Harry; alone, yet looking thoroughly snogged. Their eyes met instantly, and Ron quickly got nervous.

However, he didn't have much to worry about. "Ron!" Harry called, walking over to his friend and sitting down next to him.

"You're not mad at me, then?" Ron said, bemused.

"No, why would I be mad at you?" Harry said, taking off his cloak and setting it on the chair next to him.

Ron shrugged, deciding not to push his luck. "You look like you had a nice time," he remarked, again taking in Harry's bedraggled appearance.

"Do I look that bad?" Harry said, hastening to fix his hair, which was perhaps the most unkempt part of his visage.

"Nah, forget it. But it's so obvious what you've been doing."

Harry smirked, not bothering to deny it. Then he looked around the room suspiciously. "Where's Hermione?"

Ron groaned. "You don't want to know, believe me. Still mad?"

"Of course," Harry said, his eyes narrowing. "But really, where is she?"

"Just left. She went to talk to Slughorn," Ron muttered, his ears turning red.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I bet I can guess why."

"I bet you can," Ron replied, setting his broken quill down. "Where's Malfoy? Not that I'm complaining or anything."

"He went to bed. I tried to get him to come back here, but he would hear none of it. Something about me tiring him out..." Harry smirked at Ron's horrified expression.

"That's just too much information, Harry."

[//]

Meanwhile, Hermione was making her way to the dungeons, headed for Professor Slughorn's office. She was slightly nervous, as she wasn't sure if eight-thirty was too late to be calling on him on a Saturday, but regardless she walked on.

She soon reached the door that led into Slughorn's office, and lifted one fist to knock tentatively. It was silent for several moments, but finally she heard him say "Enter."

She opened the door slowly, peering in before she opened it all the way. "Professor Slughorn?" she said, stepping into the room.

"Oh, hello there Ms. Granger," he said, coming out of a back room. "What brings you here?"

"I had a few questions concerning some side research I'm doing," she said carefully, taking the seat he had offered her in front of his desk. "I remembered the time last year when you mentioned the Amorentia potion, and I decided I'd like to do some research on Love Potions in general. They're really fascinating, you know."

"Yes, yes I do know," Slughorn said, looking excited by the fact that she had been interested by his lesson. "So what's the problem?"

"Well, I was having trouble finding out a particular bit of information. Several, actually, and I was hoping that you could help me out if it's not too much trouble."

"Of course I can! That's what I'm here for, after all," Slughorn said, his walrus-like moustache quivering.

"Thank you, Sir," Hermione said, relieved that she was going to get her questions answered. "The first thing I'd like to know is if there's a generic period of duration. I know that some Potions can only be reversed if a specific antidote is brewed, but aren't there others that wear off on their own?"

Slughorn appeared pensive for a moment. "Yes, I suppose that's true. The Amorentia potion I showed you last year was one of those permanent ones, but yes, there are some that wear off. If I recall correctly, most last for three months. Some longer--it depends on how weakly or strongly it's brewed."

"Three months?" Hermione said suspiciously. That's the same answer she got in the Potion shop. Could Pansy have been mistaken?

"Yes, that is the general amount of time. I don't think I've ever come across one that lasted shorter than that. But there are many different varieties of Love Potions; so many that I couldn't say for sure off the top of my head." Hermione looked at him for a few moments longer, remaining silent. "Ms. Granger, is there something wrong?"

"No, not at all, Professor," she said, composing herself.

"Please excuse me for being nosy, but it seems to me like this may mean a little more to you that some side research. As long as you're not planning on brewing one... I suppose I wouldn't tell anyone if you were to share your predicament with me. It may help me pinpoint the problem."

Hermione cringed. Was she being that obvious? "Oh, it's nothing too serious. I'm just trying to do some damage control for a friend of mine."

Slughorn raised one of his bushy eyebrows, but seeing that she didn't want to elaborate, he decided not to press her for information. "Alright, well as I said before, my memory's a little rusty, and I wouldn't want to give you any misinformation. Why don't I give you permission to retrieve a few books from the Restricted Section?"

Hermione smiled. This was perfect! Under normal circumstances, if she needed a book from the Restricted Section, she'd just borrow Harry's Invisibility Cloak, but seeing as he was mad at her... yes, this worked out very nicely. "Thank you so much, Professor, that would be really helpful."

"Just glad I can help. Tell me if you need anything else," he said, writing out the note and handing it to her. She took it, and got up from the chair she had been sitting in.

"Good night, Professor, and thanks again," Hermione said, leaving the room and closing the door behind her, beginning to make her way back up to Gryffindor (as the Library was probably closed by then).

When she was halfway down the corridor, a door opened and suddenly Hermione was face to face with Pansy Parkinson. Upon seeing Hermione, Pansy stopped in her tracks and turned to her. "Granger," she said, inclining her head slightly.

"Oh, hello Pansy," Hermione said, her too stopping. "Actually, I meant to see you about something." Pansy raised one eyebrow, and shifted her weight to her other foot. "It's about the Love Potion. I went to the shop you say you bought it at today, and the man there said that they didn't have any Potions that lasted two months there."

Pansy's eyes widened. "But that's impossible!" she said defensively. "I was telling you the truth when I said I bought it there, why would I lie?"

"I'm not saying you lied," Hermione said quickly, not wanting to upset Pansy. "I'm just suggesting that you may have been mistaken about the kind of Potion you bought. Is this possible?"

"No, it's not," Pansy said firmly. "I asked for the weakest Love Potion they had, and the man behind the counter assured me it would only last for two months. I must have asked him four times, and every time he told me 'two months.'"

"Well... that's pretty strange. Somebody here must have been mistaken--but not you, I'm sure," Hermione reassured Pansy. "Maybe one of the men that work at the shop made a mistake with something... I have a list of all the Love Potions they have in stock on this parchment, if you want to take a look..."

Hermione reached into her pocket and showed Pansy the list she had gotten earlier that day. Pansy looked over it carefully, shaking her head slightly as she went down the list. "None of these look the least bit familiar. I don't remember what the guy said the Potion was called, but I'd recognize it if I saw it."

"Do you remember anything else he might have told you about it?" Hermione asked, looking Pansy right in the eye.

Pansy stopped before answering and really thought. Two month duration... includes confusion Potion... and...

Suddenly it came to her. "I think he might have said something about it having strange effects on certain people... but he did say that it only happened under very rare circumstances. He told me that the chances of it working differently were so small that I shouldn't worry about it."

"And he didn't tell you what the circumstances were?" Hermione pressed.

"No, I asked but he said it was really difficult to explain, and more so to understand. He did tell me that on the off-chance that the strange quality was activated, it would not harm the drinker..."

"Well, this sounds promising," Hermione said grimly. "Strange things are always happening around Harry, after all."

[//]

The rest of the month passed without much incident. Hermione managed to retrieve the books from the Restricted Section, but had not made much progress. Since NEWTs were coming up, she spent a lot of her time studying, and much less reading. However, out of the four books she took out, she read one and was halfway through the second. Some were thicker than others, so she decided to read the thinner ones first, in hopes of finding what she was looking for before she got to the thicker ones. However, things weren't looking good so far.

Apparently all sorts of desperate people had invented their own Love Potions, so the number just kept growing. Many of the ones she came across weren't even available anymore, but she had to sift through all of it in order to come to anything of substance. She had book-marked several pages in the books, and was planning on going back and analyzing all of the possible choices once she finished. However, nothing had really grabbed her yet.

Her and Harry were still not on the best of terms, but they were at least being civil. They no longer started yelling at each other randomly, but Harry was still somewhat cold towards her, which was paining her deeply. She just had to keep reminding herself that this was all for his good.

It was apparent to anyone who spent enough time with Harry and Draco that their relationship was progressing spectacularly. They began spending more and more time together, being affectionate in public, and communicating better overall. They bickered constantly, but everyone understood that was just the way they operated. Their fights became less driven by anger, and more driven by affection for one another; they would always start by playfully teasing each other, and it rarely went past that point.

At the end of each week, they would go off somewhere and have some "private time"; a fact that Ron tried hard to ignore, and Hermione tried hard to get the details of. Each time they did this, however, Harry would notice that something seemed to be pressing on Draco's mind. He would always look somewhat troubled and thoughtful for the first half hour that they were alone, but after that time, he would forget all about whatever he had been thinking. This concerned Harry, but not to the point that he pressed the matter. It did seem somewhat strange, though.

In any case, it was February the twenty-ninth, the day before their three-month anniversary, and Draco was acting even more strangely. At breakfast he had looked very distant, and Harry even went out on a limb to say he may have been avoiding him. However, by dinnertime, he was able to confront Draco about this.

"What's been going on?" Harry said as soon as Draco greeted him.

Draco moved back, slightly affronted. "Nothing, why do you ask?"

"Come on, you've been acting weird."

Draco hesitated for a moment, but then decided he'd tell. "Alright, well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." He looked somewhat nervous, and kept looking around to see if anyone was eavesdropping. "I know we don't usually do this, but it is our anniversary, if that's what you want to call it..." Harry narrowed his eyes, clearly communicating that he wanted Draco to get to the point. "What do you say we find somewhere to be alone tomorrow night? There's something I wanted to show you."

Harry shrugged, trying to hide his excitement. "Sounds fine to me. We'll be tired on Sunday, though," he said suggestively.

"Yes, I know... but I'm pretty sure it'll be worth it."

[//]

The following night, the two boys could be found wandering the deserted corridors under the cover of Harry's Invisibility Cloak in search of an empty classroom that they could use. One would think this wouldn't be too hard, but most of the rooms were locked with charms beyond their abilities to break, so they had gotten to the point where the first room they could enter would be the one they spent the night in.

Eventually, the knob belonging to a solid wooden door turned, admitting them. It wasn't the most comfortable looking room, but they would make due. Draco turned to the teacher's desk and transfigured it into a large, comfortable looking bed; Harry pushed one of the smaller desks next to it and transfigured it into a night table. Before long they had a nice couch, several candles to light the room, and a clock on the wall so they could keep track of the time and try to avoid complete sleep depravation.

Once they were done making the room more comfortable, Harry and Draco stood in the middle of the room, facing each other. Harry looked at Draco expectantly, waiting for him to say something since all this was his idea. He looked really nervous, and Harry got the distinct idea that this was going to be an important night for the both of them.

"Er... why don't we sit down?" Draco said finally, gesturing towards the couch. Harry complied, and moments later Draco followed him, sitting facing Harry with one leg curled under him.

Draco took a deep breath and let it out slowly, making his hair float away from his face and fall back down gently. "Before I say anything," he started, fidgeting uncomfortably, "I don't want to scare you. I'm not asking you to marry me, or anything like that... I was just hoping we might get a little more serious. I know we never really discussed how far we were going to go with this, and you never expressed any desire to date anyone else... but I thought if it was okay with you, we should commit ourselves to this. Do you agree?"

Harry nodded. "We don't even have to talk about that, I don't want to be with anyone else right now."

Draco sighed. "Good." He paused uncomfortably for a moment, as if deciding what to say next. "Look, I'm not good at things like this so..." his voice trailed off as he reached into the pocket of his robes and withdrew a small box, presenting it to Harry. Harry raised an eyebrow as he took the box, inspecting it without opening it. "It's not an engagement ring, don't worry. Just... open it, will you?"

Harry grasped the front of the velvet-covered box and pulled up, and the hinge slowly opened, revealing what appeared to be a silver pendant hanging from a woven chain. "Wow," Harry breathed, taking it out of the box. As soon as he touched it, he felt the magic radiating from it. "What is it?"

"Just what it looks like," Draco said, looking relieved because Harry appeared to like it. "I'd like for you to wear it... I did some tests on it, and it turns out it has some very strong protective charms on it. I know you don't want to think about it right now, and neither do I... but you're going to need as much protection as you can get not too long from now."

Harry examined the necklace in his hands for a few moments, but then undid the catch so he could fasten it around his neck. He leaned forward and took Draco in his arms, holding him tightly. "Thank you," he said softly, moving back so he could kiss him. When they broke apart, Harry fingered the chain quietly. "I wish I had something to give you... I feel like an idiot now."

"No, it's really alright," Draco said, shaking his head. "I didn't expect you to give me anything. It's just something I wanted you to have. I found it in the Manor over the Christmas break, and even though we had been fighting at that point, I thought of you. Besides... I can think of something much more valuable that you could give me." As he said this, Draco snaked one of his hands under Harry's robe, caressing the bare skin of his back.

Harry smiled broadly and got up from the couch, leading Draco over to the bed. Draco removed his robe to reveal his button-down shirt and slacks, and Harry followed suit, casting a strong locking charm on the door. He climbed on top of Draco and kissed him while un-tucking his shirt. Draco could feel Harry becoming hesitant after a few minutes, and just as he was about to speed things up a little, Harry broke away. He sat back on his heels and looked at Draco's disheveled appearance warily. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, his eyebrows drawn together out of concern.

Draco didn't say anything, but merely smiled, removing Harry's glasses, and then slowly untying the knot of Harry's tie. Once he was done, he pulled on the longer side until the tie fell in a heap next to him. "Yes, I'm sure," he said firmly, reaching up and grabbing Harry's shoulders, pulling him back on top of him.

It was eleven o'clock.

[//]

{One last goodnight,

With this painted picture in our minds,

The voice inside that sings tonight...}

Some time later, Harry lay quietly on the bed, listening to Draco's even breathing. It was getting late, and Harry knew he should probably be sleeping, but something he couldn't quite place was keeping him awake.

Draco stirred slightly, and wrapped his arms more tightly around Harry. Harry smiled, thinking Draco was sleeping. However, he soon found out he was mistaken, as Draco moved his head so it was resting on Harry's shoulder and began to kiss his neck. Harry moaned and tilted Draco's head up so he could kiss his lips. When they broke apart, Draco got even closer and buried his face in the crook of Harry's neck. Harry could feel the other boy's breath ghosting across his ear as he lay there, feeling more and more sleepy as the minutes ticked by.

Draco shifted, so that his mouth was right next to Harry's ear. "I love you."

Harry started slightly, turning his head to look at Draco, who didn't seem to be too concerned with what he just said; on the contrary, he seemed seconds away from sleep. Harry tried not to be too happy with what he just heard; there was a pretty good possibility that in his normal state, Draco would neither say nor mean that. However, Harry couldn't help but feel his hopes soar.

"I love you, too," Harry said softly. Draco didn't react, as he was now indeed asleep, but Harry could have sworn he saw a smile creep across his lover's otherwise still face.

Harry could consciously feel his body slowing down as he gave into sleep that night. He was about to slip under, when he felt an odd shifting somewhere in the recesses of his mind. It disoriented him for a moment, but by the time he could register it, he decided he didn't care, and fell into a deep sleep...

Just as a far off clock finished chiming midnight.

(End Of Chapter Five)