the_debt_of_time

"I'll take it, and you can wait and see if I die. Then one of you can take it to test and
make sure I'm not lying," Draco offered, his jaw set tight, his eyes glaring at Ron. "Agreed?
Honestly, we shouldn't be dawdling here."
"Give it to him," Harry said and watched as Sirius stood to hand the phial over.
Draco unstoppered the container and used the accompanying eyedropper to place
a drop on his tongue. He clearly knew better than to use more. He might have been willing
to prove his allegiance but it would be stupid to let the truth serum stay in his system long
enough for his former rivals to take advantage of the situation.
"Only Black can ask questions," he insisted, handing the phial back.
"Now, one of us.. ." Harry muttered, snatching the phial from Sirius.
Hermione took it away from him and scowled at her friend. "Are you out of your
mind? You're worth too much to risk."
Before anyone could stop her, Hermione placed one drop of the potion on her
tongue. Sirius gaped at her, angry about the risk she had taken.
She waited a few seconds and then nodded. "All right, is someone going to ask me
something?"
"What happened second year when you messed up the Polyjuice Potion?" Ron
asked before anyone had a chance to think of a question to verify the potion.
Hermione turned and gave him the most heinous glare possible.
Harry immediately averted his gaze as he awaited the answer.
"The potion wasn't messed up," she said, the words flying out of her mouth against
her will. All too familiar with the effects of Veritaserum, Sirius did not envy her. "But I
accidentally took a cat hair instead of a human hair and ended up turning myself into a cat.
You're dead to me, Ronald Weasley!"
"She turned into a cat?" Sirius chuckled, looking at Harry, who bobbed his head as
he stifled his own laughter.
Ron snorted in amusement. "Well, it's really Veritaserum. She wouldn't willingly
repeat that story to anyone outside the two of us."
"Why were you three brewing Polyjuice Potion in second year?" Draco asked,
seeming eager to take what little advantage of the situation he could, knowing that
Hermione was still under the influence of the Truth Serum.