Sparks (A Dramione One Shot)

This is my first time doing anything Dramione, hope you enjoy it :)

Beautiful cover made by the amazing @Diagonas :) 

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Running a hand through her hair in frustration Hermione Granger stared into the violet bubbling liquid that stubbornly refused to change colour; with a sigh she chanced a glance towards Harry's potion. Perfect. Of course she knew that it was neither by chance nor talent that Harry's potion had turned out far better than her own. It was all that book. That stupid book. It irked her that such a book even existed; she would have handed it in immediately. Yet Harry evidently had no intentions of doing so.

Harry Potter was completely oblivious to the effect that the book had on Hermione and merely continued using it, knowing that it would provide him with the perfect path into the Slug Club, even though it was unlikely that Slughorn would have refused him in the first place. Slughorn was like an ambitious collector and the Boy Who Lived would be no less than his crown jewel. Harry knew that Hermione would certainly make the Slug Club too, she was by far the most intelligent person in his year or perhaps even the school. It felt good for him to be better than her at something; granted it was chance that put him there but nonetheless it made him feel good.

Harry was not the only person who had enthusiasm for the Prince's book, Ron too poured over it, following its instructions with eager anticipation. Though unfortunately for him his potion never seemed to turn out as well as Harry's so instead he spent the majority of potions swearing and complaining about the quality of his textbook.

When the class ended the two bade Hermione goodbye and left for the common room while she remained, as she would some evenings, trying to perfect her potion. Perhaps it was her competitive spirit that drove her or the slight twinge of jealousy she felt whenever she glanced towards Harry's potion but lately she had become even more of a perfectionist than before.

However tonight was not like any other night that she had spent in the dungeons. To her annoyance she did not have the room to herself as Malfoy sat there sulking, evidently having been granted detention. For what Hermione did not know, nor did she particularly care.

"Still here, eh Granger?" Slughorn chuckled, making his way over to his cluttered desk, carefully he attempted to shift some of it to clear a space in which he could work. 

"I just wanted to finish this, Professor," Hermione answered, gesturing to her still bubbling cauldron. 

"Of course, of course, take your time," the professor mumbled, fighting to suppress a yawn.

Hermione smiled, realising that Slughorn would probably be asleep in about ten minutes if he had the opportunity; in a way it puzzled her that Dumbledore had even hired the man, sure he was an adequate teacher but he had little more motivation than the students themselves. Rolling her eyes she glanced back towards her stubborn potion which had now turned a rather pretty pale pink.

A peaceful silence ensued as Hermione carefully brewed the potion, Slughorn sat at his desk, writing something on a piece of parchment in the small area that he had cleared.

Some people may think that he had organised his desk but in fact that was rather the oposite, Slughorn hadn't actually tidied his desk but rather moved the mess to somewhere else: the floor. As for Draco, he was quiet. What he was doing held no interest for Hermione so she simply ignored him.

She had almost finished when a tiny Hufflepuff first year knocked on the door. The sound echoed through the silent room, drawing the attention of all three occupants. The girl looked expectantly towards Slughorn.