The Smell of Apples…

A/N: Set in 6th year, this is just a wee bit of fun, no proper plotline or anything just fluff & humour!

The morning began as any other morning did for Hermione Granger. She got up, then got dressed and grabbed a book. Then she sat in the great hall and read said book while simultaneously eating breakfast and nodding thoughtfully at whatever Harry and Ron were saying to her.

Things began to get odd however in potions class. Professor Slughorn had them identifying potions, and Hermione was in her element because she knew what all of them were. She was chapping at the bit to show off just how much she knew about potions so when asked what one of them was her hand shot up and she spouted off an overly long and in-depth explanation as only Hermione could.

'Amortentia. It's the most powerful love potion in the world…it's supposed to smell differently to each person based on what attracts them…for example I smell apples, and parchment and French cologne…'

She trailed off with a bemused expression on her face, Ron was staring at her with narrow eyes and Harry, as usual, wasn't paying attention. Hermione put this to the back of her mind and got on with the class, who smelled of French cologne? Certainly not Ron, or Harry. Perhaps Viktor?

Hermione didn't connect the dots until the end of class when a blonde Slytherin smirked as she walked past her on the way out of the door. Hermione narrowed her eyes at the girl, she was called Greengrass, but Hermione didn't know her first name.

'Watch out,' the Greengrass girl whispered, 'his Father might hear about this.'

Hermione's eyes widened as Greengrass winked at her and walked away. The smell of apples, parchment and French cologne belonged to one person…Draco Malfoy.

After that Hermione's day got weird. At lunch Draco Malfoy stared at her, and Ron glared at Hermione.

'Hermione, Malfoy is staring at you.'

'No, he isn't,' Hermione said casually, she could feel Malfoy's eyes on the back of her neck, but she remained cool and collected.

'Harry,' Ron said, 'Malfoy's staring at Hermione.'

Harry pulled his eyes away from Ginny who was flirting with Dean further down the table, 'What?'

'Malfoy's staring at Hermione,' Ron said, sounding irritated.

Harry looked over to the Slytherin table and saw Malfoy talking quite casually to Theodore Nott, 'No he isn't.'

'Well he was 2 seconds ago!' Ron said, his ears going red.

'Right,' Harry said, looking back to Ginny once more.

Hermione sniggered slightly at Harry's behaviour then she felt Malfoy's eyes on the back of her neck once more. She rolled her eyes, this could get incredibly irritating if he kept it up.

At dinner, Malfoy continued to stare at Hermione, and it was now beginning to unnerve her slightly. So far she had avoided meeting his gaze, but she wouldn't be able to do that for much longer if he continued to stare at her all the frigging time.

'Hermione,' Ron practically growled, 'Malfoy is staring at you, again.'

'No, he isn't Ron,' Hermione said, her temper a little short at the moment.

'Harry!' Ron snapped, 'look! He's staring at Hermione again!'

Harry looked up and across the hall at the Slytherin table he saw Malfoy engaged in conversation with Blaise Zabini, 'No Ron, he isn't. Are you feeling alright?'

'I'm fine!' Ron snapped, stabbing a sausage on his plate violently.

The following morning at breakfast Hermione accidentally caught Malfoy's eye and he winked at her. Completely flustered she sat down at the Gryffindor table and stared resolutely at the wall.

'Malfoy is staring at you, Hermione,' Ginny said with a grin as she slipped in next to her.

'I know,' Hermione muttered, 'has he stopped yet?'

Ginny turned around, and caught Malfoy smirking, 'Nope,' she said as she turned back to Hermione.

Hermione groaned.

'Why exactly is Malfoy staring at you?' Ginny asked in amusement.

'I accidentally told him I find him attractive, or his smell at least,' Hermione said, wanting to hit her head off of the table very badly.

'That wasn't very clever,' Ginny said with a smirk.

'I couldn't help it, I gave an overly in-depth answer about Amortentia,' Hermione said, her cheeks very pink.

Ginny grinned, 'And it smells like what to you, exactly?'

'Parchment…apples…and French cologne,' Hermione mumbled.

Ginny laughed, 'Definitely Malfoy.'

'And he bloody well knows it,' Hermione said as Ron sat down across from them.

'Oh for crying out loud!' Ron exclaimed, 'Hermione, Malfoy's staring at you again!'

Ginny turned around, 'No Ron…he's talking to Daphne Greengrass…'

'Well he was a… Oh never bloody mind!' Ron huffed.

Ginny sniggered and smirked in Harry's direction, Harry blushed, and Hermione rolled her eyes. She turned around very briefly and caught Malfoy give her a suggestive look, thankfully Ron didn't see.

At lunch, Malfoy was staring at her yet again and this time it was starting to get on Hermione's nerves. She got to her feet and stalked over to the Slytherin table, Malfoy following her with his eyes as she did so.

'Would you stop bloody staring at me, Malfoy!' Hermione exclaimed, crossing her arms when she reached him.

Malfoy raised an eyebrow at her, 'I have no idea what you are talking about, Granger.'

'You bloody well do,' Hermione raged, 'and it's getting really irritating now!'

Malfoy smirked at her as he picked up and apple and bit into it. Hermione practically growled in frustration and stormed out of the great hall.

Ron had watched this exchange in disbelief, 'Harry! Harry, look Hermione's talking to Malfoy!'

Harry looked up but saw Hermione leaving the hall, and Malfoy eating an apple, 'No she isn't.'

'Well she was! That's why she's leaving!' Ron exclaimed.

'Ron, have you hit your head?' Harry asked with a frown.

'Yeah Ron,' Ginny said, 'you look a little pale, are you feeling okay?'

'I'm fine!' Ron shouted as he got to his feet and left the hall.

At dinner, Hermione was hoping Malfoy would give up his whole staring thing, because it was getting really irritating. As she walked into the great hall he was talking to Blaise Zabini very loudly about how his Mother was sending him some of that French cologne he loved so much. She growled under her breath as she sat down heavily at the Gryffindor table.

'Where have you been all day Hermione?' Ron asked her with a frown.

'In the library,' Hermione replied, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling, oh come on!

'Alone?' Ron asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

Hermione glared at him, 'I was alone, but it's none of your business anyway!'

'Bloody hell,' Ron muttered, 'you're in a bad mood today.'

Well, maybe if Malfoy would stop staring at me! Hermione thought to herself, she turned around to see him grinning at her and his smugness was now really beginning to get on her nerves.

She had a sudden urge to punch him in the face, just like third year. She repressed it though, and tried to eat dinner but with Malfoy staring at her throughout her whole meal she didn't eat much and after about 10 minutes she got to her feet.

Ron narrowed his eyes at her, 'Where are you going?'

'To do something I should have done a long time ago,' Hermione muttered as she walked towards the Slytherin table.

'Harry!' Ron said, turning around to find that his best friend had vanished, 'what the…'

Hermione reached the Slytherin table, raising an eyebrow at Malfoy when she approached him, 'Are you going to stop or am I going to have to punch you in the face again?'

Greengrass choked on her food from laughing, 'She really punched you? I thought you said Crabbe and Goyle just made that up!'

'I really punched him, and if you watch closely I'm gonna do it again in a second,' Hermione said angrily.

Malfoy stood up and at his full height was quite a bit taller than her, 'You wouldn't punch me Granger. You don't want to mess up this face you find so attractive after all, do you?'

Hermione glared at him, 'I never said I found you attractive, Malfoy.'

'Not directly anyway,' Malfoy said smoothly, 'maybe we should test this…attraction.'

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him as he moved closer to her and Greengrass whistled.

'What are you doing?' She asked suspiciously.

'Testing it,' Malfoy whispered as he got about as close as he could to her and kissed her.

'HARRY!'

Ron shouted as he rushed down to the other end of the Gryffindor table where Harry was talking to Ginny. Why was he so interested in his little sister all of a sudden anyway?

Harry looked up, 'Oh, hey Ron.'

Meanwhile…

Hermione broke the kiss, and glared at Malfoy, 'You are despicable!' she said, slapping him across the face and storming from the great hall.

'HARRY! HERMIONE IS KISSING MALFOY!'

Harry looked across the hall, he frowned, 'Ron, Malfoy is just sitting there minding his own business.'

Ron spun around, his jaw dropped, 'But…he…I…'

'Come on Ron,' Harry said, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the door.

Ginny nodded, taking Ron's other arm, 'We're taking you to the hospital wing.'

'No!' Ron exclaimed as they dragged him from the room, 'they really did kiss! It happened! I'm not insane, I'm not!'

The End :)

Hehehehhee.