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Sex Ed	By : Alcoholic_Rootbeer Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 39682 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I don't own the characters, the ideas, or the books. I just like to imagine in JK's world for a bit. I am not making a profit from this story.

Chapter List
- 27
- 28
- 29
Climactic chapter alert! You're going to feel a rollercoaster of emotions -it's alright. I promise it will all come out alright. Trust me. Ok? Ok.
Waymay had to put up with me bugging her for two days to perfect this chapter. Please, thank her for all of her hard work, and great suggestions. Without her, I'd be a puddle on the floor, still trying to figure out how best to go about this. XD THANK YOU WAYMAY.
To quote Ron Weasley: "You're gonna suffer... but you're going to be happy about it."
Sex Ed: Chapter 28: A Potion Gone Wrong
When we're together
I feel so grand
My heart goes tippity-tap-tap-tap
When I hold your hand
But I know there's another guy
You fancy more
So, even though
I'm not the one you adore
Why not...
Settle for me
"Settle For Me" from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
The time had come, in Hermione's eyes, to finally see the light. It happened somewhere between Fleur blowing out her birthday candles and Neville bragging about his 'astonishingly robust metabolism and stamina' when she realized: if she had to choose between Ron or Draco, the answer was simple.
It would be Draco.
Always Draco.
Not Ron, who nearly caused a cock-fight on Valentine's Day when he, himself, had been out with someone. Not Ron, who had shattered her heart into a thousand (what she thought was at the time) irreparable pieces. Not Ron, who couldn't last in bed more than ten minutes. Or cook eggs without burning them. Or accept the fact that she could move on to other men without turning red as an apple.
It was Draco, who handled Ron's angry words and challenge to fight with casual quips and confidence. Draco, who accepted her date with Neville and challenged it with one of his own. Draco, who somehow managed to find every shard Ron left on the floor and glued her heart back together time and time again, even when he, himself, dropped a few of them in the process. Draco, who encouraged the sexual goddess out of her, challenged her wit with his cunning, created an entire charity event just to appease her friend so that she could continue with some elaborate hoax for Ron's sake. Merlin, she was such a dim-witted witch! How could she let it get this far?
She needed to tell Ron. She had to come clean to everyone. If she didn't, she was sure she would burst.
"No, really, Molly," Neville was saying as the older witch cut him a slice, "It's amazing what sort of herbs can give your sexual drive a boost. Cinnamon, Damiana, Ginko, Ginseng, Maca…" he listed them off, unaware that he made nearly every Weasley in attendance blush, aside from George and Fleur. George took out a notepad to scribble on, and Fleur leaned across the table with interest, nodding at each suggestion. "….Oatstraw, Tribulus Terrestris-"
"The what now?" George threw up a hand. "Spell that for me."
"George," Arthur rolled his eyes.
"This could be good for the joke shop," replied George with a gleeful grin.
"Oh, sure, George." Neville nodded in agreement. "I've got loads of others. Hermione, in particular, enjoys a bit of vanilla extract…"
"Gin," Hermione whispered as Molly cut into Fleur's three tier birthday cake, "Outside. Now."
Ginny set down her fork, looked longingly over to the cake, and yet still nodded and politely excused herself and Hermione. She nearly made it out of the dining room before she promptly walked back to the table and grabbed up her plate of cake. They walked through the quaint living room of the Burrow and out the front door, where Hermione threw herself down onto the front steps and wrung her hands together.
"I've been so ridiculous," she confessed, her shoulders easing as Ginny sat down beside her and put an arm around her shoulders as she cradled her plate in her lap. "I love him, Ginny. I love Draco. What am I doing?"
"You're being Hermione," Ginny said, squeezing tightly. "I knew you'd catch up to your heart eventually."
"I've never needed to catch up to anything before," Hermione sighed, batting away a few tear drops at the edge of her lashes.
"I imagine having your nose in a book most of your life would do that to you," Ginny quipped, giggling at her friend's predispositioned scowl. "So you want to tell my brother now?"
Hermione nodded vigorously, laying her cheek on Ginny's shoulder. "I don't deserve this necklace, Gin. Draco gave it to me, apologizing. He has nothing to apologize for."
"Are you kidding me? All of those years of torment and near-bloodshed? No. You take that necklace, Hermione Jean Granger. You take it, and you cherish it." The redhead patted her friend on the head, picked up her fork, and took a big bite of cake. "The only question left to answer is how you want to go about it."
"Go about what?" someone asked from behind, and Neville emerged from the front door, holding a plate of cake. He shouldered the door all the way open, shoved himself through, and let the screen slam behind him. "Hermione, have you been crying?"
"She wants to come clean," Ginny said discretely, motioning for Neville to shut the larger, thick door behind the screen one. He handed her the cake, did as requested, and turned back to the women.
"I sliced a piece for you," he said to Hermione, "I've already had two slices myself."
"Already?" Ginny gasped, staring down at the plates in her hands.
"When it comes to eating, I'm the king," Neville grinned. "Actually, I'm great at a lot of things. Herbology, sweater selection, gardening, clitoral stimulation-"
"Oh wow." Ginny cut him off. "That confidence potion has gone to your noggin. Neville, no offense, but please stop. I don't need to imagine-"
"Imagine? Gin, you and I both know you didn't complain at the Yule Ball when we-"
Ginny jumped up from the steps, nearly knocking the cake plates out of her hands as she screamed, "NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM IF YOU SAY ANOTHER WORD I WILL HEX YOUR BUM INTO OBLIVION!"
Hermione, eyes wide, glanced between her two friends as shock skittered over her skin. "You two? At the Yule Ball?" She gasped. "Ginerva Weasley!"
"It wasn't like that-" Ginny cut her off, brandishing her cake like a weapon. "-I had spilled some pumpkin juice on my dress later in the evening, and Neville tried to clean it up. It was strictly over the clothing, and completely by accident!"
"Which you confessed to me later that you enjoyed," Neville said, rubbing the back of his head leisurely.
"NEVILLE. SHUT UP."
Hermione burst into laughter, forgetting her stresses for but a moment. "Oh my goodness. Oh. My. Goodness."
"Hermione, I'm very well versed in a bat-bogey hex that I will gladly bestow on you should you say a word to anyone-"
"Not a word." Hermione brought her finger up to her lips. "I promise."
Ginny sighed, glaring at Neville, and shoved both plates of cake back into his hands. "I need a moment to calm down."
"Get all riled up on my account?" Neville raised an eyebrow, and Ginny, very nearly, slapped him across the face. Hermione sat down the cake, got to her feet, and caught her hand as it reared back and stopped the witch from making a poor decision.
"Confidence potion, remember?"
Ginny glared, red in the ears, and sighed. "Fine. -Neville, you're an arse. I just want to make that perfectly clear."
"But a sexy arse, yes?"
"Go," Hermione encouraged. "I'll handle him. His potion was, apparently, botched."
"Obviously." Ginny shoved shoulders against Neville as she retreated inside the house, adding, "Come find me when you straighten out this cod."
"Will do!" Hermione replied cheerily, waiting until the door shut behind Ginny before she turned her eyes to Neville and sat her hands on her hips. "Neville, you were completely out of line. We need to get you straightened out."
"Believe me, Hermione. I'm as straight as they come." He flashed her a devilish wink.
"Now you're beginning to sound like Draco," she muttered.
"Ha. That prat couldn't hold a candle to me." Neville crossed his arms.
Hermione bit down on her tongue to keep from shouting at him, opting instead to say, "Look, Neville. I appreciate all that you've done tonight-"
"-I have been the highlight of the evening, haven't I? Ron's completely out of his element around me. I think he's just jealous because he knows he's lost you, and he-"
"But-" she interjected, "I'm going to tell Ron about Draco. I'm going to tell everyone. And as soon as I'm done with that, we're going back to Hogwarts, and you-" she pressed a finger to his chest, "are going to sleep off this disastrous potion." She made to push past him, but Neville caught her around the arms and brought her back to stand in front of him.
"Disastrous? I feel fantastic, Hermione. Just brilliant. I never knew there was so much of me to love."
She rolled her eyes. "That's great, Neville. We've all been telling you that for years. Now, if you'll excuse me-"
"Hold on a tick, Herms." Neville squared his shoulders and puffed out his chest. "You might want to think it through before you go spilling the beans to everyone."
"What?" Hermione was completely baffled at Neville's statement. Hadn't he been the one, not hours before, to tell her to make a decision about coming clean? Even encouraged her to do so? This must be the confidence potion, warping his line of vision. "No. Nev. I'm going to do it. I have to. I love-"
"Love?" Neville sneered the word back at her, narrowing his eyes. "You don't love the man, Hermione. He's selfish. He's an arrogant twat, and you could do better than him."
She swatted him on the arm. "Watch it. We might be friends, but I'm not afraid to hex you, Neville Longbottom."
The front door opened again, revealing Ron, a drink in one hand and some foreign cigar in the other. Following him were Harry and George. "Hey, Mione." Ron looked between Neville and his ex. "Everything alright?"
Hermione bit back her anger, not wanting to instigate things any farther, and said with a sweet smile, "Of course, Ron. Everything's great. Neville and I were just having a chat."
"Looks like a tense one," Harry noted.
"Sexually tense," George teased. Both Hermione and Ron shot him deathly glares, and he stared into his cup, adding in a whisper, "Just saying what everyone else was thinking."
"Grow up, George," Ron and Hermione said together.
"Nope," he shook his head, "Never will, thank you very much."
"While I have you all here," Hermione said, thinking that the situation was less than ideal for a confession, but not wanting to pretend Neville was her boyfriend a moment longer, "There's something that I should tell all of you. -Especially you, Ron." She met his big, blue eyes and softened her face. "I've… I've been putting this off for some time, now, because I was afraid of how you'd react."
Ron blinked at her, a halo of pink bundling over the bridge of his nose. "Mione, you can tell me anything. You know that. You're still my closest friend, remember?" He tugged the side of his mouth upwards in a lopsided smile.
"One of your closest friends," Harry interjected, attempting to lighten the mood.
"Harry- could you go get Gin? I want her here for this," said Hermione, and Harry nodded with a curious face, retreating into the house as requested.
"Is everything alright?" Ron asked, looking between Hermione and Neville. "You're not…" he blanched, "pregnant or anything, are you?"
Hermione's mouth gaped in disbelief as Neville's eyebrows threw upwards, nearly touching his hairline.
"NO!" They both shouted at once.
"Oh." Ron let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, that's good then."
Neville managed a smile, however, adding, "Though I could see why you might come to that conclusion." He ribbed Ron in the sides. "She just can't get enough of me, you know. Especially considering how exceptional our lovemaking can get."
What was he doing!? Hermione shot eyes like daggers at Neville as Ron turned the color of a plum. "Neville. That's not something you share with the class."
"Oh, are we doing roleplay, now?" Neville winked. "Hermione loves it, you know. She also likes a bit of photography as well. You should have seen some of these pictures done of her, all tantalizing and biting her lip-"
'Oh, dear Lord! How did Neville know about those?'
Abort mission. Get Neville away from Ron before he exploded: new assignment. "NEVILLE. TENTS. NOW." Hermione grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and began to drag him across the lawn. "We'll only be a moment, Ron! Stay right there!" She jerked the Herbology professor all the way around the house, to the mini-tent-city set up in the backyard, and shoved him up against the side one of the tents, drawing her wand. "Neville Longbottom, I swear to Circe I will hex you right here and now!" She pointed the wand at the tip of his nose.
"Geez, Hermione! Settle down!" He put his hands up in the air, wearing a face of confusion. "I was just putting on for everyone!"
"Talking about our fake sexual trysts as if they were on display for everyone to see?"
"What?" he asked, confused. "But that's why I'm here, isn't it? As your boyfriend-"
"Fake boyfriend," she reminded him, pressing a finger to his chest, "And for a fake one, you've done a lousy job."
"S'cuse me?" His voice shifted into one of irritation. "You're the one who asked me to do this for you tonight, Hermione. Remember? And hey! I get it! You don't want Ron to know about Malfoy, okay. I'll gladly play along. I'm just trying to act the way Malfoy would -you seem to like him so much-"
"Draco would never say such things or make an absolute ass out of himself."
"Wouldn't he?" Neville rolled his eyes. "I grew up with the man, too. I know how obnoxious, how arrogant, how perpetually self-centered he can be-"
"-You're no better than him if you act this way."
"Of course, I am. I'm just better than Malfoy. So he's got money? So what! Is that why you like him so much, Hermione? Is that why you chose him over me?"
"What?" She asked, utterly befuddled. "What are you going on about?"
Neville pushed the tip of her wand out of his face and stared at her, pensive. His pupils were blown to the nines, a side effect of the high from his confidence potion. He squared his shoulders, clenched his jaw, and carried an absolute air of authority about him that Hermione had never seen from him, aside from the Battle of Hogwarts. "I just want to know why -why him? It's not like I'm not an excellent choice, Hermione. Need I remind you I was an Auror before I became a professor at Hogwarts. I'm an upstanding citizen. I floss. I might not have Malfoy's sophisticated upbringing or conventionally good looks, but I grew into my ears. Don't you see he doesn't deserve you? He's not worthy of you like I am."
"Worthy?" She squinted her face up at the word. "Alright, Neville. I think you need to have a lie-down."
"Answer the question, Hermione."
"I refuse to do this with you while you're in this state."
"What state? Clear headed?"
"Pig-headed, more like! Can't you see what this potion has done to you? It's turned you into an outright jerk!"
"I'm not a jerk! I'm looking out for you!"
"I don't need to be looked after, Neville! I'm a grown woman! I make my own decisions, and I'm perfectly capable of choosing who I want to date."
"And yet you hide your relationship with Malfoy every chance you get," he pointed out, slowly putting his hand over her wand hand and settling it down to her side. "But you're alright with telling Ron you're dating me. Because, deep down, you know I'm a better fit."
"Neville. Stop it. This is the potion talking, not you."
"Maybe," Neville said, tearing his eyes away for a moment as if to stop himself from saying what came next, but the potion kicked back into gear, and his eyes glazed over in arrogance and egotism. "But without it, I wouldn't be able to tell you how I feel about you, Hermione. I don't know why, but I can't get you out of my head. Every single time I see you two together, it eats at me. And it's not because I don't think you two aren't a good pair -because, frankly, you are. But you never gave me a chance! You took me up on a date and then dumped me the same night? How do you think I took that? With a smile?"
"No." She shook her head, saddened. "Of course not. But I didn't want to lead you on-"
"-Why him, Hermione? Why him? Over Ron? Or me? I would never hurt you, or make you cry day after day, the way Malfoy has. He's such an arse! You think he's changed, Hermione? Do you? Because, let me tell you, he hasn't. Not by a long shot. -Do you know what he said to me yesterday when I attempted to befriend him? He reminded me that my parents were in the loony bin."
Hermione scowled, disbelieving. "Draco… Draco wouldn't…"
"Oh, yes. He would. He did. Why would you want to stay with someone who talks to your friends that way? Or claims to care about you but can't even build up the bloody courage to tell his parents about you? Especially when you have a decent, kind bloke standing right in front of you!"
"Oh, Neville-" she faltered a moment, taken aback by his bluntness.
"I thought I was over it. I kept telling myself it wasn't a big deal that you moved on. But you never gave me a chance. And I thought -hey. That's fine. She just doesn't want to ruin our friendship. But then I saw those photos…" He bit his lower lip, eyes trailing down to her mouth. "I didn't mean to. I was just patrolling the Slytherin halls, and then Malfoy's door was open, and… Merlin, Hermione. You looked so beautiful in those, you know?"
"Those were private."
"Yeah? For Malfoy, right?" He scoffed. "As if Malfoy could actually appreciate you the way I do."
"Neville. Stop."
She watched, almost in slow motion, as Neville brought his face closer to hers, nose to nose. "I could make it good for you. Better than Malfoy. You like to roleplay? We could play. You could be the potted plant, and I'll water you, and prune you and-"
She shook her head, observing the paleness in his face, the quivering in his legs, the rasp in his voice. Something about that potion had taken a dangerous turn. Slowly, she backed away, slipping her hand out of his, wand still gripped tight. "Neville, we need to get you to St. Mungo's. You're not yourself."
"I feel fine, Hermione. You're just not listening to me." He stepped forward, and Hermione stepped back until her shoulder blades hit the wall of the house. Neville's shaky arms reached out and caged around her, boxing her in on both sides of her shoulders. "I can be like him. Better than him. Better than anyone." He leaned forward, attempting a kiss, but Hermione turned her face just in time so that his lips touched her cheek.
"I don't want to hurt you, Neville," she whispered, pointing her wand at his stomach. "But I will, if necessary. Now, get off of me."
Ron stared in the direction that Hermione and Neville had gone, feeling conflicted. The tents were all the way around back, so there wasn't a way to see them (thank Merlin). He didn't want to imagine what they could be doing right about now. Especially since Neville seemed revved up. All that talk about aphrodisiacs… not to mention the way Neville stared at Hermione all evening… it made his skin crawl. Of course, that could be because he was a jealous ex-boyfriend, but it still didn't sit right with him. Something about Neville was way off, and it made him concerned. He was just about to step off the porch to check on them when Molly Weasley popped her head out the front door, startling him.
"Everything alright, Ron?" she asked.
Ron turned his blue eyes up to his mum, shrugging. "I dunno… Neville seemed a bit off tonight, didn't he?"
"A tad forward, yes," Molly nodded her head, "But maybe he was nervous."
"Nervous?"
"Well, you and Hermione have a past, dear. Perhaps Neville thought he was laying claim to what's his? I remember Arthur doing relatively the same thing back at a family dinner we attended our seventh year. He was so nervous about meeting my parents, he spilled pumpkin juice all over my evening robes, confessed to my father that he was a bum man, and then proceeded to throw up all over my mother's kitchen spread."
"Blimey…" Ron scrunched his face up at the image. He didn't much care for vomit. Not since he puked up slugs at the expense of a wonky wand and Malfoy.
"I met Angelina's ex once and punched him square in the nose," George piped up, "I can't even explain it. Just socked him one."
"The point is, Ron," said Molly, "We all act a bit strange when we're nervous. Maybe this display is just Neville's way of coping with being around you?"
"Sure…" Ron nodded, but he wasn't convinced. Remembering he wanted to check up on the duo, he made his way off the front porch when a distinct crack rang through the air, out at the perimeter of the lawn. Instinctively, he reached for his wand. You could take the Auror out of the field, but you could never remove the Auror completely. Just then, Harry and Ginny emerged from the front door, Harry with his wand pulled as well.
"You hear that?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Yeah." Ron nodded. "Check it out?"
"Let's go."
The two set off at once across the lawn, followed quickly by Ginny.
"Gin, stay back."
"No way. I'm not missing out on a chance to see two Aurors in action!"
"It isn't a game, Gin," said Harry, but he did not dare attempt to reel his wife back.
As they approached, a shadowy figure stepped out of the field. "Oi!" Ron shouted, "Show yourself!"
He heard the distinct whisper of a 'lumos' spell and the tip of the stranger's wand lit to life. Harry's eyes focused before Ron's, and he heard his friend exclaim, "Malfoy?"
Draco stared into the eyes of his two childhood rivals, palm sweaty from anxiousness as he clutched his wand and extended it out to brighten the way as he stepped forward, into the light. Potter lowered his wand slightly, but Weasley wasn't convinced, narrowing his eyes and sneering, "What the bloody Hell are you doing here?"
Rolling his eyes, Draco 'nox'd his wand, stowed it away, and placed both arms down at his sides, proving he meant no harm. "Is that the way you greet all your guests, Weasley? You really should work on your manners."
"You're not a guest. You're a trespasser."
"Why are you here?" Potter asked. "This is a private event."
"Don't you have some charity event tonight to feed that ridiculously big ego of yours?" Weasley chided, and Draco was half-tempted to bring out his wand again.
He stifled the urge, replying, "I'd like to speak to Hermione." Both men stared blankly at him, and, once again, Draco rolled his eyes. "Hermione Granger. About ye high," he brought his hand up to his chest, "Unkempt hair. Brown eyes. Smells like parchment and ink most of the time? Ring a bell?"
"I'll give you a bell to ring," muttered Weasley.
To his surprise, a third member of the greeting party pushed her way between the two, and said, "Stay your wands, gentlemen." Her blue eyes roamed over Draco's attire. "I think you might be overdressed for the occasion, but she won't mind." She didn't need to say more than that for the Slytherin to catch her meaning. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I have to," Draco said, nodding firmly.
"Alright." Ginny Weasley motioned towards the house. "She's around back."
"What?" Her elder brother's voice cracked, glaring at his best friend. "No way! He's not stepping foot on my property!"
"It's your Mum's house, Ron," Potter stated, following his wife's direction and lowering his wand to his side.
"And frankly, it might not be your business," Ginny chimed in.
"Business?" He looked between Ginny and Draco and then shot a puzzling glare to his friend. "Harry, come on!" When Potter didn't move or say much of anything actually (merely wearing a look of skepticism), Weasley turned his attention back to Draco. "No. She's busy right now -with her boyfriend."
Draco couldn't help but snigger at that. "Oh? Is that so?" This would be a truth bomb he couldn't help but enjoy immensely. "Tell me, Weasley, how can that be when I'm standing right here?" He didn't wait for the bent-spoke cogs to turn in Weasley's thick head, instead turning to Ginny and saying, very cordially, "So… around back, then?"
Ron's face blared with heat as he started to follow Malfoy, but Ginny caught him by the arm and stopped him. "No, Ron. You need to give them a moment."
"Why should I? What aren't you telling me, Gin?"
"Are you that thick you can't figure it out?" Ginny sighed, looking to Harry for support. "Well, if he can't figure it out, I'm sure as Hell not telling him."
"Neville! GET OFF," Hermione demanded, not wanting to hurt her friend but being pushed to the edge of her patience as Neville attempted to kiss her neck with sloppy precision.
Apparently, all Neville heard was 'get off', and in the wrong meaning, because he said, "I can get you off, Hermione. Here. I'll be a honey bee, and you can be the beautiful rosebud that I'll pollinate. See? I'm wonderful at intimate talk as well."
"You have five seconds to get off of me before I hurt you."
"Not creative enough?" Neville whispered in her ear.
"Too creative," sneered a cool, definitive voice as a hand came out and grabbed Neville by the scruff of his shirt, pulling him off of Hermione.
"Draco?" Hermione gasped. She watched, partially horrified and partially stunned as Draco's fist came in in connection with Neville's jaw, sending the brunette toppling over sideways to the ground and out cold. When Draco pulled out his wand, ready to curse the dazed professor, she stepped in. "Draco, stop! It's a botched potion! He's not in his right mind!"
"Botched…" His eyebrows furrowed together, and he turned to her -really seeing her for the first time tonight between his rage. His eyes softened the moment they connected with hers, and he asked, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she insisted, "Really. You're overreacting. We should get Neville to an infirmary. He's-"
"An infirmary? Are you taking the piss? The man just had his mitts all over you! He's lucky I don't avada his sorry arse."
"Ok. Listen." Hermione stepped forward, resting her hand on his own -the one that held his wand. "I had it under control, I promise you. Neville's under the effects of a confidence potion, but he must have brewed it himself, because he wasn't thinking clearly."
"Confidence potion," Draco repeated, looking down to Neville. "Confidence…" He stepped back, withdrawing his wand. "Shit."
"What the Hell do you think you're doing, Malfoy?" Ron Weasley emerged from the side of the house, Harry and Ginny on his coattails. His face was beet red, but, thanks to Ginny, he was rendered wandless. "Are you alright, Hermione?"
"I'm fine," she said at once, "I had it handled."
"Handled?" He shouted. "That hardly looked handled to me!"
"Hey! Don't you shout at her!" Draco yelled as Ron approached the scene, looking between Draco, Hermione, and then down to Neville.
"Blimey -What'd you do to him!?"
"Would everyone just calm down?" Hermione said, stepping between Ron and Draco.
"Calm down!? One moment, Malfoy shows up, demanding to see you, and the next Neville is on the ground!"
"I'm sure Malfoy had a reason, Ron," Harry tried to reason, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Settle down. You're not helping any."
"Why would you do that? What's going on? Someone better bloody explain!"
Hermione sighed. "Neville's not my boyfriend, alright?"
Ron's face fell into one of confusion, and then understanding, and then concern. "What?"
"He's… he's not my boyfriend. Draco is." She reached over, taking Draco's hand in hers. "Neville took a confidence potion to lie to you all tonight, because I was too much of a coward to tell you the truth. -That same confidence potion turned Neville into a hyper-sexual arsehole. Draco was simply coming to my defense."
"So… Malfoy's… you two are…?" Ron digested her words, his balled fists uncurling as he glanced back between Harry and Ginny. "Did you know?"
"I did." Ginny nodded. "It's my fault she didn't come clean to you, Ron. I told her to watch out for your temper." The redhead looked to Hermione, pained. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. If I had known this would all end up this way, I would have never given you that advice to begin with."
"No." Hermione shook her head. "Don't blame yourself. I should have…" She turned her eyes to Draco, who seemed focused on Neville's unconscious form on the ground.
"No," he said, clearing his throat, "This… this is my fault." He glanced around the group before shaking his head and closing his eyes. "I must have put too much essence of dittany in when I…"
"Hold on a moment." Hermione frowned. "You brewed the potion?" Completely lost, she pulled her hand out of his and stared, bewildered, at him. "Why would you…? What would possess you to…?"
Draco's hands shook as he stowed his wand away, his face growing colder by the moment.
"You did this to Neville?" Ron gestured towards the unconscious friend. "I knew you were a rotten git, but this takes the cake."
"It was an accident," Draco insisted. "I wasn't in my right mind when he came in demanding it. I said some awful things about his parents, and my head wasn't screwed on straight…"
"Has it ever been?" Ron sneered.
"Hey! If you weren't such a pig-headed asshat, Hermione wouldn't have felt the need to hide our relationship from you!" Draco stepped forward, sizing Ron up.
"Stop it. Both of you." Hermione said, snapping them both out of their cock-strut. "Let's just get Neville in a tent before someone sees."
"We've got it," said Harry, nudging Ron in the arm and motioning down to Neville. "Come on, mate. Let's get Neville in a tent and give these two some privacy."
Ron shot dagger eyes at Draco, but agreed that getting away from the situation was probably best until he could calm down. Ginny, still carrying Ron's wand, levitated Neville, and the three of them headed round to a nearby tent. When they were out of earshot, Hermione sighed, crossing her arms. "You didn't need to hit him. I had it under control."
"Control?" Draco scoffed, eyes staring at the ground. "Is that what you call it when you're shoved up against a house against your will?"
"I was completely safe- Neville wouldn't have-"
"Neville wasn't Neville, Hermione. Quit defending the dolt!"
"Well, someone has to! Especially since he was under the influence of some intensely inaccurate potion. How could you give him it?"
"You think I would have given him it if I knew it was wonky? You think I would have put you in harm's way had I known?" He ran a hand through his blonde tresses, ruining the style and allowing a few strands to fall over his face.
Of course she didn't, but admitting that out loud -well, Hermione couldn't bring herself to do it. Her nerves were shot, her head felt like lead, and all she wanted to do was have a lie-down and cry herself silly for what a disastrous evening this turned out to be. "Why are you here, Draco?"
"I told them," he said quietly, clenching and unclenching his hands. "My parents. The press. I told everyone about us."
Astonished, Hermione reached out and touched her arm. "What? Why- why would you…? You didn't have to…"
With a sense of urgency, he broke the space between them, cupping her face in his hands, desperation in his voice as he whispered, "I had to do it. I couldn't look you in the eyes and tell that I… if I couldn't…" He looked determined in that moment.
"Tell me what?"
The pad of his thumb brushed against her cheekbone. "That I love you, you infuriating woman."
The ground felt like it shifted out from underneath her -but maybe that was just her quaking knees as his words seeped into the crevices of her heart. "You love me?"
"Actually… I do. Very much." He waited for response, but Hermione's brain short-circuited, momentarily, rendering her speechless. Gone was the cool, collected Draco- taking it as a sign of rejection, he quickly stumbled out, "But it's alright if you don't feel the same -I know we've only been seeing each other a handful of months, and-"
She pressed a finger to his lips. "Stop." Her face lit up in a smile, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her eye level. "I love you, too."
"Yeah?" His face beamed with instant pride, and he smiled a genuine smile.
"Yeah." She nodded, jerking him down into a kiss that nearly knocked him off of his feet.
By the time Neville awoke, he found himself laying across a sunken in couch, head swimming and a bitter taste in his mouth. He attempted to sit up, trying to recall the how he had managed to pass out on the Weasley's sofa, when nausea overwhelmed him, and he barreled over the edge, upchucking into a conveniently placed trash-bin. There was an ache in his jaw, and upon further examination, he found it sore to the touch. "Bloody Hell…" he muttered, eyes focusing. The first person the came into view was Ginny as she applied a cold washcloth to his forehead, her face stoic.
"Hey," she said, "How you feeling, Neville?"
"Like I've been hit by a bludger," he replied as another wave of nausea overtook him, and he barely made it into the bin this time. He wiped away his vomit with the back of his hand, looking past Ginny to the deplorable glares of Ron, Harry, and the entire Weasley family. "Um… everything alright?"
"You don't remember?"
"Remember what?"
"That's a common side-effect," came a familiar voice from behind, and Neville turned his head upwards to find Malfoy standing behind the sofa, arms crossed, Hermione at his side. "Hello, Longbottom. How's the jaw?"
"It hurts."
Malfoy smirked. "Good."
"I'm sorry, but-" Neville glanced around the room, "What happened? The last thing I remember was scafing down two pieces of cake in one go... " His stomach gurgled, as if the memory of the cake would make him vomit a third time. He put his hand on his abdomen and scrunched up his face. "Why is everyone looking at me that way?"
"Well, Neville, sweetheart," began Molly, wringing her hands together as she approached to stand beside Ginny, "You… you weren't in your right mind this evening."
"The confidence potion," Hermione jumped in, "It messed with your head."
"More than messed with your head," he heard Ron mutter, "You were a downright tosser."
"What?" Neville turned his eyes to Hermione. "What did I do?"
"To put it in terms you'd understand, Longbottom, you tried to pollinate my flower." Malfoy curled an arm around Hermione's shoulders and pulled her tight to him. Hermione's face was a mixture of concern and disgust, and she averted her gaze. What? What could Malfoy possibly…?
"Oh." Neville jerked upright, feeling the strain of his body, and fell right back down again. "Oh, no. Hermione -tell me I didn't-"
"You didn't," she said, assuring him. "As I've reminded everyone, I had the situation under control." Neville opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "-It's alright, Neville. You weren't in your right mind. No one blames you."
"Hmph," scoffed Ron, and Hermione shot him an incredulous glare.
"I am so sorry, Hermione."
"On the bright side," chimed in George, "You gave me some wicked ideas for the joke shop. Think I could pick your brain sometime on all of those aphrodisiacal herbs?"
"George," Molly scolded, "This is hardly the time."
Neville glanced between Hermione and Draco, and finally pieced it together. "You hit me, didn't you?"
"Damn straight I did." Malfoy gave a hearty smirk.
Neville nodded. "Thanks."
He watched the blonde's face turn to one of surprise, but he shrugged it off and muttered, "Yeah, yeah. Someone's got to keep that big head of yours in line. -Just remember, Longbottom, if you ever decide to pull a stunt like that again, you'll be walking out of St. Mungo's with your testicles wrapped around your throat."
Neville gulped. "Duly noted."
Alright. So -to be clear. Everyone is going to have to take a moment to process this. Yes, Neville was bang out of line. But Hermione had her wand, and if she felt as if the situation wasn't under control, we all know she would have cast a full body-binding curse on him. I am, in no way, making light of forced sex, nor am I trying to glorify the act. With that in mind, reviews are most welcome. Flames? Eh, not so much. It all worked out in the end, and the next chapter will touch more on Neville's lament. Please, remember, he had no memory of his actions, and we'll delve more into why the potion made him act this way next chapter. Cool? Cool.
~A.
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Sex Ed