She doesn't see it coming, though she should. They're having lunch in the Great Hall when it happens, and maybe Hermione is distracted by something that the Marauders are doing a little further down the table, so she does not notice the moment someone slips something into her glass of juice (orange, as pumpkin juice is foul, the sort of foul refreshment only uncreative purebloods could think of).

She rolls her eyes at the antics of the three men as Professor McGonagall doles out detention and docks points, and makes a mental calculation of how many points she has to raise to make up for this loss, if they want to win the House Cup.

If it could even be said that Gryffindor deserves it at this point, because it does not.

Then, distracted, she reaches for her juice and drinks, not detecting the sickeningly sweet scent of a love potion. They learned how to brew those with Slughorn just yester, though why, she has no bloody idea.

"Hey, Granger," someone calls to her right, while the potion takes effect, and she sneezes -

And foils their plans.

Her gaze lands on Lily Evans sitting across from her, and her heart does a wha-bump!, and she is left awe-struck.

"Lily," she sighs, full of longing. "Your hair is so beautiful."