Till The End | h.p

not a chance

In the morning, Sam rolls over and takes her potion, like she does every morning, but when she sits up, realization hits her like a truck. Hermione sits up in her own bed and looks at Sam expectantly.

"Please tell me that was all a dream," Sam begs.

Hermione gives her a pitying smile in response.

Sam closes her eyes and lets her head fall into her hands, "Oh, no. How angry is he?"

Hermione furrows her brows, "Who?"

Sam looks up, "Harry."

"Oh. At you? Not at all. He's angry with whoever did this," she reassures, "But we need to know all the details so we can figure out who planned this."

"Details?" Sam asks curiously.

"Why did you go to Malfoy?"

"I- uh- I don't really know. I just felt like I needed to be wherever he was and then when I saw him... it was like he was all I ever wanted," Sam explains.

"So he smuggled you a Love Potion," Hermione rationalizes.

Sam shakes her head, "No, no, I don't think it was him. He didn't seem to know what was going on at all, he pushed me away."

Hermione looks out the window, deep in thought, "It wasn't enough to make you and Harry break up, someone wanted to push you towards Malfoy. So if it wasn't him, then who?"

"Well," Sam begins, "Someone swapped my potions and spiked Harry's drink, so they had to be proficient with potions or at least know someone who was. Lots of people would want to break us up, but very few would want to push me to Draco..."

Sam stops to think until something finally clicks, "Oh my God! Of course!"

Hermione startles and gets out of bed, "What?"

"If Draco really is a Death Eater, that would mean he's working for Voldemort, right? He tried to break us up last year so that I would join his side. He wants me on his team because he knows he'd win. But if it wasn't Draco, who else in Hogwarts has Death Eater parents and is close enough with Draco to know that he and I have had a connection before?"

Hermione's eyes widen, "Goyle! Oh my God, it was Goyle all along!"

"He probably stole the ingredients from Snape's supply closet or from Slughorn," Sam continues, "It all adds up."

"Just breaking you and Harry up wouldn't be enough, you'd still love him and be on his side. But if you were in love with Malfoy," Hermione adds, "he could convince you to switch sides."

"If it was Amortentia, he wouldn't have to convince me at all," Sam concludes, "He didn't even need to know that I was under a spell."

"But he did," Hermione notes.

"Yeah, he caught on fairly quickly that something wasn't right... Godric, I feel terrible. I know he's not the greatest guy around, but playing off of his emotions like that is so cruel."

Hermione nods in understanding, "Just to be safe, we might want to start making your potions ourselves."

Sam sighs deeply, "I think you might be right, who's to say that Snape wasn't in on it."

Hermione pulls Sam out of bed, "We have to tell Ron and Harry."

Sam sits back down, "Harry must be so hurt after what I did yesterday."

"It wasn't you, Sam. He knows that. It's not like you have feelings for Malfoy, right?"

Sam hesitates, "I care about him, I really do. I know it seems ridiculous and horrible considering everything he's done, but for some reason I really do worry about him and I want him to be happy. But I don't love him. I just want Harry."