Unwanted Repercussions - formerly consequences

disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!!

A/N not much happens in this chapter but its very relevant to the next one.

The next potions lesson began in less than half an hour and Severus Snape was making sure that he had sufficient ingredients for his Seventh year projects.

He had set Malfoy and Granger and extremely intricate potion, luckily they were the most competent students in his class otherwise he would worry about the prospect of failure.

A ghost of a smile graced his lips as he gracefully checked through the bottles; Longbottom and Weasley had been given the ingredients for a very simple yet powerful 24 hour lust potion.

The coming lessons should prove extremely entertaining indeed.

Hermione was the first person to turn up for potions and she heaved her bag onto her desk taking out her parchment and quills. Being pregnant had left her feeling lethargic and she only had three months until the due date. Doubts and worries had begun to invade her mind as of late, how was she supposed to tell Ron and Harry? And what about her mother? The thought of telling Mr and Mrs Malfoy, However, didn’t even enter her head. There was no way that they were to know. Ever. Besides Lucius was still locked up in Azkaban. Thank Merlin!

She looked up to see Snape sitting at his desk, evidently marking a poor essay from the exasperated scowl on his face. Suddenly Snapes head flew up and he caught Hermione\'s eye. ‘Was it me or did he just smirk at me?’ Hermione thought as a confused expression flitted across her face. She didn’t have a chance to wonder for long however because the rest of the class had just begun to file into the dungeon.

Ron walked dejectedly though the class room it wasn’t as if he didn’t like Neville but he wasn’t exactly a competent potions maker, in fact he wasn’t exactly a competent anything. Ron groaned inwardly as Neville proved this by tripping over his stool and landing face first on the floor. Helping him up Ron glanced around the class room as the rest of the students filed in; he flashed a sympathetic smile to Harry who had been partnered with Pansy Parkinson. At least Ron hadn’t been partnered with a Slytherin!

He turned his head in search of Hermione finally spotting her a couple of rows behind Harry, she looked tired. She had been behaving very oddly for the past few months as if she was burdened with something. Also she had been avoiding them. Ron mentally told reminded himself to confront her about it after class.

He noticed that Hermione didn’t seem to have a partner, maybe they hadn’t arrived yet. Suddenly the doors to flew open and in walked Malfoy an air of arrogance surrounding him as he sauntered into the class room and made his way to sit next to Hermione a full five minutes late! But Snape didn’t even bat and eyelid. Poor Hermione! Ron tried to catch her eye but to no avail and he hurriedly snapped his head around as Snape cleared his throat at the front of the class.

“I trust you still have your ingredients list.” Snape drawled to the students casting an amused eye over them as they blanched at his words searching for the parchment.

“You will find any ingredients you require at the front of the class room.” He continued silkily, “One person from each pair may retrieve the necessary items; I expect each potion to be completed by the end of the class ready for testing next week. Begin.”

Draco looked at Hermione as she struggled to get out of her seat to fetch the ingredients with an amused smirk on his face, but he gently stopped her with a wave of his hand.

“I’ll do it.”

Before she could respond Draco had stood up, gracefully making his way through the bustling throng of students. Hermione watched him wonder-struck as he retrieved the ingredients, an impassive look on his face.

Since when did Draco Malfoy do anything to help me? Hermione thought gently chewing her lower lip in confusion.

Draco took his seat next to Hermione placing the ingredients on the desk, he opened a jar of firefly wings and slowly began powder them in a pestle and mortar. He felt Hermione’s eyes boring into him and turned to face her cocking an eyebrow.

“May I help you?” he asked her smirking slightly, but there was no malice in his face and Hermione was startled a slow flush began to rise in her cheeks.


“Oh. Um…nothing!”

She reached over and began to chop the buttercup roots hiding her face with her hair.

From across the class room Snape smirked knowingly and continued with his work.

The lesson passed excruciatingly slowly and Draco and Hermione had worked in silence.

Draco turned towards Hermione to ask her to pass him an empty vial, he noticed a thin sheen of perspiration covering her face, her hair was in disarray, and she looked absolutely exhausted. It can’t be easy carrying two babies with her busy schedule he conceded making a mental note to meet with Dumbledore after the lesson.
Without speaking he walked around her and fetched the vial for himself, not knowing quite why he did so.

He plunged the empty vial into the cauldron of shimmering gold liquid and placed a stopper in the top. He and Hermione had finished their potion ten minutes early so he relaxed on his chair looking around the classroom lazily trying to see any potions that he recognised. Draco loved potions and could differentiate most by sight alone; he was quite surprised to find that he had never come across the one assigned to him and Granger.

He glanced at Crabbe and Goyle’s cauldron noticing that the potion inside was a bright canary yellow and emitting a light green smoke. Hiccoughing draught, he told himself.

Continuing he saw Potters and Pansys potion, Giggling solution, Blaise’s and Finnegans, Serum of elation, Lonbottoms and Weasley’s... what the? – Draco snorted loudly and was overwhelmed by fits of laughter.

Hermione looked at Draco incredulously did Malfoy just snort?? She watched him burst in to peels of laughter with a confused expression on her face.

“Er…Draco?”

Draco placed his hand on her shoulder moving his face dangerously close to hers and began to whisper in her ear, the feeling of his lips against her skin sent tingles down her spine, however by the time he had finished she too was spluttering and giggling with Malfoy.

Lust potion?!? For the first time ever Hermione was looking forward to her next potions lesson.

Snape looked up at the giggling students and raised an eyebrow, how un-Malfoy like, they were clutching each other tightly with tears rolling down their faces.

He wouldn’t let this spectacle continue for much longer.

“Miss Granger! Mr Malfoy! May I remind you that you are Heads of our school and as such you are to set an example to your peers and I implore you to remember that! Now if you have finished your potion please bring me a vial for marking and leave. I can’t have you disturbing the rest of my class with your ridiculous giggling!”

Once more Hermione flushed a dainty pink as Harry and Ron threw her questioning glares and she ran from the classroom clutching her sides.

Draco however had composed himself and he walked down the aisle ignoring the perplexed stares that followed him as he did so.

Placing the vial on Snape’s desk he openly smiled at his head of house before swooping out of the room in a blur of black, green and platinum blonde.