Love Potion #?

Hermione slowly opened her eyes, her head pounding. She felt cold, wet and confused. She groaned, looking at the stone ceiling. I'm still in the dungeons, she thought. Oh great, Snape is going to tear me apart.

*"'Mione?" She blinked and Harry's worried face came into focus.

*"What happened?" she asked, trying to sit up.*"No, don't move," Ron's said as he loomed into view. "From the way it sounded, you cracked your head pretty hard."

*"Yeah," Harry agreed, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "How do you feel?"

*"Wet," she said. "Oh no!"

*Hermione shot up like a bullet, staring around her. The cauldron that her precious potion had been brewing in was on it's side about two feet away from her and the crystal vial was lying shattered next to her left hand.

*"My potion! What happened," she wailed, tears starting to run down her cheeks.

*"Well, we're not sure," Ron said, frowning. "But Snape took fifty points from Gryffindor and is taking Gavin and Jimmy to Dumbledore's office."

*Harry nodded in agreement. "They probably got into a fight or something. Honestly, you should hear them arguing in the dorm at night."

*"Yeah, something about some stupid robes," Ron said.

*"But I would have heard them if they got into a fight. Spin-- Gavin was right across the table from me," Hermione sobbed. "In the first potions class of the term, too!"

*"It's alright, 'Mione," Harry said, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Snape isn't going to fault you for this, or else he would have taken you to Dumbledore as well."

*"That's right," said Ron, kneeling infront of her and reaching into his pocket. "Here, have a chocolate frog."

*"Are sweets your solution to everything?" Hermione asked, laughing through her tears.

*"It worked, didn't it?" Ron said, grinning, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

*"Do you need to go see Madam Pomfrey?" Harry asked, glancing around at the back of her head. "You've got a nasty bump back there.

*"I've been through worse," Hermione said quitely. The three friends were silent for a moment as they remember their shared experiance at the Department of Mysteries only a few short months ago.

*"Yeah, I guess we all have," Ron replied.

*"C'mon you two! No use thinking about it all now. Let's go back to the common room. Ron and I can have a game of chess while you lay down, Hermione," Harry said, getting to his feet and pulling her with him.

"Ha! I win again!" Ron smirked across the table at Harry, who only shook his head.

*"Honesly, I don't even know why I try."

*"You're getting better," Ron said, re-setting the board. "It took me almost half an hour to beat you this time."

*"Oh, gee, I'm practically the King of Chess then," Harry said sarcastically. "Ginny, why don't you play him so I can salvage the bit of my ego that hasn't been crushed."

*"Sure," Ginny said happily, smiling brightly at Harry and moving to take his place across from Ron.

*"How's you're head, 'Mione?" Harry asked sitting down beside her on the couch.

*"Feels a bit bigger than I'm used to, but it's fine," she said, removing the icepack. "I think I'll go to the library now. I need to get a few Arithmancy reference books."

*"Are you sure you should go?" Ginny asked, looking up from one of her knights making his horse trample Ron's bishop.

**"Yeah, I'll be fine, Gin. I just won't lean my head against anything."

*"Alright then. Be careful-- hey!" Ginny shrilled as she turned back to the board to see one of Ron's pawns punching one of her's in the face.

Hermione sat burried under a pile of books, as usual. She decided since she was already here, she might as well do all of her homework instead of just Arithmancy. She had always loved the old library, ever since the first time she had set foot in it as a timid first year, completely new to the world of magic and very unsure of herself.

*"Hello, Granger." Hermione sighed, irritated at being interuppeted and looked up.

*"Hello, Miklechek," she said cooly. She fought the urge to roll her eyes. If there was a Slytherin in close contest to being as horried as Draco Malfoy, it was Paige Mikelchek.

*"I think we need to have a little talk," Paige said, sitting down and shifting aside a pile of books.

*"About what, exactly?" Hermione asked, putting her quill down and crossing her arms in front of her.

*"Care to take a guess?" Paige asked with a falsely sweet smile.

*"No," Hermione stated flatly.

*"We'll play it your way, then," she said, and looked around to make sure no one was listening. "Stay away from Spinner, Mudblood."

*"Excuse me?" Hermione asked, glaring at the Slytherin across from her.

*"You heard me, Muggle! He might be a fucking Gryffindor, but he's a cute Gryffindor and he's my boyfriend."

*Hermions snorted derisively. "I already know all this, Paige. I'm awfully smart, you know. Or have you fogotten that I ave higher marks than any Slytherin ever will?"

*"Oh yeah? Then why were you hugging him in Potions today? Don't think I didn't see you!"

*"I wasn't hugging him, it was just a hug. We got our potion correct and I was very happy about it. You see, unlike some certain Slytherins, I know that school is here for us to learn, not to use as a bloody dating service!" Hermione snapped.

*"Well!" Paige got up from her chair and stormed out of the library, running into Professor Snape on her way out. "Sorry, sir," she growled, and swept past him.

*Hermione threw herself back into the book she had been reading. She had the dreadful feeling that Snape was here to tell her off for making a mess out of his classroom.

*"Miss Granger," he said coldly. "May I have a word with you?"

*"Oh! Of -- of course, P -- Professor," she said, looking up. The was a faint silvery glow surrounding Snape.

*"The two miscreants who ruined your classwork have been give a week's detention."

*"Yes, sir," Hermione gulped. Here it comes, she thought.

*"And I realize that this occured through no fault of your own," Snape mumbled, as if it pained him to admit this, and it probably did. "You will have a chance to make it up. Friday, six o'clock, Potions room. Do not be late, or I will give you a failing grade."

*Before Hermione could evern stammer her thanks, he was gone.