strength & brains • hermione granger

| chapter five |

"Good morning, class." Greeted Professor Horace Slughorn, the head of the Slytherin house and teacher of the subject potions. A warm smile was plastered on his face as he walked to the front of the classroom. "How is everyone?" Mumbles of 'yes' and 'fine' chorused throughout the room.

The professor smiled warmly even every student in his class was bored, well mostly everyone. "Good! Today we shall brew a position named Amortentia also known as a love position."

"Professor." Called Mackenzie, catching al attention as she leant against the pillar of the room with her arms crossed her chest and a bored expression on her face. "Haven't we already learnt this?"

"Yes, we have, Penny." He nodded, still grinning.

"Then why are we learning it again." She asked.

"Well, today we'll be trying to find a cure for It, but before we do that, we'll have to create the position." Mackenzie rolled her eyes before getting up and going to her seat where Hermione sat with the equipment on the table.

'Go to mate!' The voices screamed, not wanting to be away from their mate.

'Shut up' she screamed back, shutting them up.

"I'll get the ingredients." The blonde muttered before swishing her wand to the side and, suddenly, all the ingredients appeared in front of them as well as a cheeky smile plastering itself on Mackenzie's face.

Hermione giggled, shaking her head but began to chop up the ingredients and placing it into the cauldron. Realising she was doing something wrong, Mackenzie grabbed her wrist gently and pulled her over.

"Let me." She presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth, shocking the brunette who then blushed immensely as one of her fingers went up to touch the spot where her lips were previously. Mackenzie began to press down on one of the ingredients, not bothering to follow the recipe.

'Mate! Mate! Mate!' They chanted, a headache forming as if the voices were bashing into the sides of her head.

"Mackenzie? I think you're doing it wrong." The blonde shrugged, not really caring since she already knew how to do this. Mackenzie let out a huff, slamming the knife head down on the table, catching everyone's attention.

"Mackenzie?" Asked Hermione, placing a hand on her arm, curious. The blonde physically relaxed, the voices in her head going quite but one of them spoke up, quietly, whispering;

'Kiss mate.'

Grabbing the brunette's waist, Mackenzie pulled her closer and slammed her lips onto hers. She kissed her, and the world fell away. It was slow and soft, comforting in ways that words would never be. Her hand rested below the brunette's ear, her thumb caressing her cheek as their breaths mingled. Hermione ran her fingers down her spine, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them and she could feel the beating of her heart against her chest.

Unexpectedly, Mackenzie's hand drifted to her hip. It settled there and pulled her closer. She inhaled sharply. She was against her warm chest, chiselled to perfection. Must she be so perfect? She splayed her hand against it, intending to push him away, but instead, she left it there. The blonde's breathing quickened as did hers. She began nuzzling her neck with delicate kisses. So faint, they were whispers.

She urged herself to push away, but couldn't. Her limp body began to tremble uncontrollably. Mackenzie's head was angled slightly to the side as her lips came closer and closer to hers. She was surprised to find her own lips parted. Their breaths mingled. Her heart fluttered inside her chest. At first, it was a delicate butterfly of a kiss. Then her arms encircled her. He drew her to him, so they were together, as one.

The Slytherin pulled away, her eyes swirling with lust and love; Hermione's eyes mirroring the blonde's.

"I love you." She whispered, her body warm and gaze soft. "And I have ever since the beginning. I love your personality, your laugh and smile. I love the way you carry yourself, the way we have so much in common yet we're so different."

As Mackenzie spoke about her love for her, Hermione had tears of happiness pooling in her eyes, her heart beating quickly.

"I love the way you make me feel, which is something I've never felt before. I love how beautiful you are, inside out." She brushed her thumb over the brunette's skin. "They just combine together and create a beauty that I've never seen before. And that's why I'm so captivated. It was your beauty that got my attention, but your personality stole my heart."

She pressed her lips against the brunette's, who had tears running down her cheeks. Both of them forgot where they and what they were doing before.

"And I love you too, Mackenzie." She whispered, going on the tip of her toes to press a chaste kiss on the girl. "I love your sarcasm, your possessiveness and I love the way you protect your friends." It was the blonde's turn to have tears pooled in her ocean blue eyes, her heart beating against her ribcage as her eyes widened, shocked and surprised. "You're amazing in so many ways, and you dance in my heart, a place where no one else can."

Mackenzie slammed her lips against the brunette's, pouring her love into it along with Hermione.

"I love you." They both muttered, their foreheads resting against each other's as they tried to catch their breaths.

"Forever and always."