The Potions class they waited for took place in one of the large dungeons on a Friday Afternoon and the lesson was proceeding as usual.
Twenty Cauldrons stood steaming between the wooden desks, on which stood brass scales and jars of ingredients.
Snape prowled through the fumes, and stopped at Lucifer's Cauldron.
He had tasked them with making a Swelling Solution for the two hour period, and Lucifer, as usual, had a flawless brew thus far.
And, for whatever reason Snape did reward Lucifer's house Gryffindor points last year, he stopped doing it now.
Maybe he's just bitter about losing the cup, Hermione figured.
Even if he didn't reward Gryffindor for Lucifer's potion-making skills, he also couldn't take them away.
Hermione figured it was because Snape would be betraying his own High Standard by faulting a flawless brew or Potion with Point loss.
Of course, he never took points off of Slytherin, even though Crabbe and Goyle were literal idiots and had no idea how to even use the scales properly.
Lucifer eyed Goyle from across the room, seeing him haphazardly adding ingredients, but they were all, miraculously, the right ones.
He discreetly pulled his wand out and rested it on his lap.
He looked at Hermione, whom he was paired with, and nodded.
Then, looked back at Goyle and saw that he was dangerously dangling an ingredient over the Cauldron that, in that quantity, was devastating to the brew, causing an explosive outcome.
Lucifer, having read his Potions book cover-to-cover many times, knew the side effects of every Potion, and you were only supposed to add half the amount Goyle had.
He whispered, "Diffindo," and cut the ingredients at their roots, making them all to drop into the Cauldron.
Hermione stealthily got off her chair and a few seconds later, pandemonium happened.
The Swelling Solution exploded everywhere, hitting many students.
Hermione was already at the private storeroom door when the explosion happened, so she was in the clear.
In the chaos, she snuck in and out before Snape realized what had happened.
While she was in the storeroom, people were screaming and panicking, and Snape was trying to restore order to his classroom.
"Silence! SILENCE!" He roared in extreme anger.
"Anyone who has been splashed, come here for a Deflating Draught," he said and then eyed all of them.
Since Lucifer wasn't obviously hit, he continued on as though nothing had happened.
It made Snape's eyes stop on him a moment before looking back to Goyle, "Useless," he said, causing a few to laugh through the pain of enlarged mouths or stomachs.
As expected, Snape did not deduct points from Slytherin.
Hermione quietly snuck back out, her robes bulging with the ingredients.
She quickly snuck back to Lucifer and gave him a devious smirk.
The bell rang ten minutes later, and as expected, Lucifer and Hermione were the only two to have a perfect Potion by the end of class.
They all hurried back to Myrtle's bathroom and Hermione dropped in the ingredients, and Lucifer began to stir in the cauldron feverishly, "Alright, this bad boy will be ready in about two weeks. Would've been sooner had we gotten the Bicorn Horn and Boomslang Skin earlier, but I digress."
The Potion frothed and bubbled in a dull manner as it was stirred.
"Do you think Snape knew it was you?" Ron asked him.
"I saw Snape's eyes linger on you, before he called Goyle 'useless'," Harry couldn't stop the snicker.
"He actually said that about Goyle?!"
Hermione was quite shocked, when she heard that.
"Yeah, it was actually the best thing about the class period!" Ron said with a smirk.
"He doesn't know," Lucifer tried to reassure her.
"I hope you're right," she said, fearing for his safety.
__________
Hermione stared out into the blackness of her room. She was eager to see Lucifer again. What would he do to her when she went back?
The next two days are off, meaning enough time to revive her body from death.
Rolling to her side, she saw the light under one of the blankets. Lavender was still awake, writing in her diary.
Normally, Hermione'd just go out, and leave the room, but she couldn't face any more of her questions or scrutinizing stares.
She would figure out something if she wasn't careful.
Closing her eyes, Hermione did the only thing that helped her sleep-fantasize about Lucifer.
___________
Hermione knocked on Lucifer's bedroom door five minutes early, unable to wait any longer.
He pulled it open, peering down at her, "You're early," he yawned a bit.
"My watch must be fast."
'Liar....' He ushered her inside and shut the door, without making a huge noise.
"Did you tell Patil, about placing an order for the healing balms?"
"Yeah, It will come around on Sunday, but I still have enough to use for 2 more times...."
"Good, I will deal with the cost."
"Bu-"
"No, butts... it's a direct order"
"I understand, sir....bu-um there's one question, I wanted to ask?" Hermione gulped down the knot, which started to build up, pulling curtains around from all sides.
"Mm-hm" Lucifer nodded, turned around to look at her face.
"What else did Parvati say?"
Holding back a snicker, he replied, "That you looked as if you'd been played with to hell and back."
Eyeing the stone floor. "Was that all she said?" Hermione suddenly realized a terrific outcome.
"What else should Patil have told me?" Lucifer asked, forcing up her chin with one hand.
Her gaze stayed glued to his throat. "Nothing."
"Hermione, look me in the eye, or this ends right now."
Biting the inside of her lips, she reluctantly met his penetrating stare.
Lucifer slid into her head with ease and immediately saw what she was hiding. "Dammit, Hermione! What were you thinking? Were you thinking at all?"
"I couldn't walk! I could barely move! It took me five minutes just to sit up in bed. What was I supposed to do?"
"Send me an owl. I would have cured those hamstrings. You can't be this naïve!"
"She didn't see much; I told her not to look. Besides, Parvati's promised not to tell anyone."
"Don't be an idiot-of course she looked. And, who knows, if she starts to blabber her mouth or not...." Lucifer grabbed her by the arm and dragged her near the corner of the room, ranting the whole way.
"I didn't think I needed to tell you not to let anyone see the marks I leave on you. I don't care what your excuses are, both you, and me, would be in a very ugly situation right now, if Patil even told one soul."
Lucifer spun her away from him and gripped the back of her neck, aiming her nose into the corner. "If you need something, you tell me. Is that clear?"
"Y-yes, sir," Hermione answered, while her body shook violently, into the stone wall, very afraid.
"Do not let Patil or anyone else in the girls dorm see your marks again, Is that also clear?!"
"Y-yes, I am really sorry, sir!"
"Bloody hell! You have to be more careful."
"I k-know, sir."
"Stay," Lucifer snarled at her, marching his way towards the bedside.
Hermione shook with shame and indignation. Of course she knew it wasn't the brightest idea having Parvati help her, but she didn't really have too many choices.
Asking Lucifer for help hadn't even occurred to her. But perhaps she should have?
She didn't know for sure.
His footsteps paced across the room, and she heard glasses clinking. 'Great, I've driven him to drink....'
Lucifer slammed the empty water glass down on the mantle, then sat on the bed looking outside the window, and started to think.
Hermione had forgone her school uniform for jeans and a tight T-shirt.
Too tight. 'Did she really walk through the corridor like that?'
Immediately, he stood and stormed up behind her. "Hands on your head."
__________
Author's Note
New Month! 🥳
If you want to Read 32+ Advanced Chapters ahead of everyone. Support this novel, join me on Patreon!
Link - patreon.com/SmutDxddy
We have a stockpile upto Chapter 170 for you to binge-read!
(Hogsmeade Date and more spicy content just waiting for you to Unlock on Patreon!)
___________
It's alright, we got so close to reaching the Goal....but I am sure this week Target of 150 Power Stone's can be achieved with enough Support from you Readers! 😉
Pust that Vote button with everything you've got and dominate the Rankings! 🎉🔥
Check out my Patreon for Reading Ahead!