♕ thirty five

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"It's the Amortentia Draco, I swear, he's using her-"

"There's no way she's in love with that git, no way."

Draco sat, stony faced, in a cushy armchair in the Gryffindor Common Room, surrounded by his friends. Blaise, Luna, Harry, Ginny, Dean, and Seamus had all met the moment the news was out. Hermione and McLaggen were Hogwarts's newest couple.

And it hurt.

He couldn't help it. Even if something nefarious was going in, it tore at his gut and wrenched out his heart and made his lungs shriek to see the girl he loved kissing someone else. No matter how much his friends tried to comfort him, he sat in his cushion and didn't say a word. He wanted to take action, get this anger out of his system somehow. But he stayed silent and stationary. 

"Draco," Blaise whispered to him, as the rest of the group continued to rant in long strings of cusswords about their dislikes of Cormac McLaggen.

"Draco, please say something. We know that it's fake, just talk to her about i-"

"What if she just doesn't want me anymore?" Draco shouted, standing abruptly in his chair. Everyone fell silent. 

"What if she's not in love with me? And what if it the Amortentia? Did any of you think of that? What if she just likes kissing McLaggen?" Draco turned around and kicked the coffee table so hard the leg broke in two, causing the glass bowl on top of it to shatter. He sat down in his armchair and hung his head as his friends contemplated what to do. They'd never seen him this distressed before. 

"You don't understand," Draco said quietly, his voice muffled by his face in his hands. 

"I've ruined every relationship I've ever had. My father didn't love me, my mother did but couldn't show it. I'd never felt love my whole life until Hermione. I've been waiting for the moment that Hermione decided to leave me and now she has. No doubt I did something to screw it up."

Draco's back shuddered as he drew in a rattling breath. 

"Just let him be," Blaise whispered to the group. After solemn stares and sad sighs, people slowly made their separate ways out of the room and gave glum farewells, leaving one by one until it was only Ginny and Draco left in the room. 

Draco felt a heavy slap on the back of his neck and let out a cry of shock. 

"Ahh!" He turned to see Ginny holding a bulky Arithmancy book above his head. 

"What the bloody hell were you trying to accomplish with that?" he yelled. Ginny raised an eyebrow and didn't waver. 

"You, Draco Malfoy, are just about the stupidest person I have ever met."

She let the book drop and it thudded next to the broken glass bowl as Ginny began to pace in front of the fireplace. 

"How long have you known Hermione?" she asked him, folding her hands behind her back. Draco rubbed his sore head, confused. 

"What are you playing a-"

"Answer the question, Draco."

He gave a frustrated sigh. 

"Eight years," he said, leaning back in his chair and pressing his fingers to his temples, trying to erase all memories of Hermione. 

Ginny nodded. "And when did you two start becoming friends?"

Draco gritted his teeth. "About six months ago."

She stopped pacing abruptly and turned to Draco, holding his gaze with steely eyes. 

"And how long have you been in love with her?" she asked firmly. It was more a statement than a question. 

Draco stared her down. 

"Forever."

The silent stare off continued for a few more seconds until Ginny turned away, seemingly satisfied, and took a seat in the armchair across from Draco. 

"I have talked to Hermione," she began, crossing her legs. 

"She is every bit as in love with you as you are with her."

"Was," Draco mumbled halfheartedly. 

"ARE YOU MENTAL?" Ginny yelled suddenly, standing up. Draco jumped slightly. 

But he didn't have the energy. 

"She doesn't want me anymore, Ginny," he said, rubbing his eyes. Ginny leaped to her feet. 

"Draco, seriously, any person with half a brain can tell that she was madly in love with you. Every time you talk to her, she blushes! Every time we hang out, she can't keep her eyes off you, it's like she falls in love all over again just looking at you!

Draco shook his head. He didn't even have the will to respond. 

It took a moment for him to realize that Ginny had been silent for a very long time. His head whipped up. The redhdead was sitting straight up in her armchair, eyes wide, face pale. 

"What?" he exclaimed, slightly alarmed. 

Ginny's mouth parted slightly. 

"If infatuation is already at its capacity in a human heart, then Amortentia will only have effect on the person until said person lays eyes on their lover."

Draco frowned. 

"What are you saying?"

"Slughorn's lesson, Draco! He told us how to reverse Amortentia! Hermione hasn't laid eyes on you yet! So that's why she's still under the potion's influence!"

Draco's broken expression turned slightly hopeful. 

"You mean-"

"Yes," Ginny said breathlessly. "All Hermione has to do is look at you. Then the potion's effect will be broken and everything will be better, McLaggen will probably be expelled-"

"You're brilliant, Ginny!" Draco exclaimed, getting out of his chair. "We have to go down to the Great Hall right no-"

Suddenly, the portrait hole banged open and Neville burst in, sweating and breathing heavily. Both Ginny and Draco were startled. 

"What is it?" Ginny asked, concerned. He held up a finger and doubled over to catch his breath. 

"Spit it out!" she demanded. 

Neville gulped. 

"They've caught the thief."

Draco frowned. 

"What thief?"

Neville sat down in an armchair and shook his head in disbelief. 

"It was Zacharias Smith from Hufflepuff, all along, he... he was going to use it on Hannah Abbot-"

"Use what, Neville?" Ginny exclaimed, frustrated. 

"Use it on her," Neville said shakily. 

"The stolen vial of Amortentia."

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