A/N: For the dailyhpfanfictionprompt fic exchange on tumblr. This prompt was given to me by wandofhawthorn, a rather wonderful young woman called Elizabeth, who incidentally ran the exchange. Elizabeth, I hope this fluff makes your day a little fluffier.
AU: Slytherin!Hermione makes a bet with Pansy – who can make the ever stoic Theodore Nott crack first? (Not necessarily smut. Bonus points if Draco's in on it.)
Looking back, Hermione thinks it started in Diagon Alley. Her muggle parents had not been able to enter the magical place, so a terse older man with greasy black hair was her guide, and it was he who directed her to the shops where she could buy her school things for Hogwarts. He was sort of scary, at first, but she soon realised that it was a façade. He was actually being quite kind to her. As the first magical person she had ever properly met, Professor Snape certainly made an impression.
They stopped at the Potions supplies store and she listened while Professor Snape talked to the shop keeper behind the counter. Her eyes were wide as she listened to their rapid fire discussion about a new potion that Professor Snape was working on. It sounded similar to alchemy, and a glance around the store did not contradict this notion.
Curiosity rose to the surface, and Hermione looked at the ingredients on a shelf behind the counter, reading the labels.
Horned slugs? Phoenix tears? Ashwinder eggs?
It all sounded so exotic and so completely out of her realm of expertise. There was so much to learn, and once again Hermione pinched herself, hardly believing that this was happening to her. A witch!
Professor Snape seemed to come to an accord with the man, and made a few purchases. Now carrying a brown bag, the professor ushered her from the store.
As they exited the shop, they came across an incredibly beautiful blonde woman, who immediately struck up a friendly conversation with Professor Snape. With her were three children, all roughly the same age as Hermione. One was a weedy looking boy with the same pale blonde hair as the woman, probably her son. He gave her an appraising look, which Hermione ignored. She looked over his two companions, one of which was a slender girl with straight brown hair and an upturned nose, and the other was a taller boy, with neat black hair and a thin face.
Professor Snape paused in his conversation with the blonde and looked at Hermione.
'Miss Granger, I would like to introduce you to Mrs Malfoy, a friend of mine. This is her son, Draco, who is also my godson. He will be starting at Hogwarts this year as well,' Professor Snape said. Hermione, remembering her manners, smiled at Mrs Malfoy.
'It's nice to meet you, Mrs Malfoy,' she said shyly. The woman nodded at her, giving her a kind smile in return. Professor Snape gave Draco a meaningful look, and the boy stepped forward, offering her his hand.
'I'm Draco,' he said, smirking at her. She offered him her hand, but instead of shaking it, he brought it to his mouth and kissed her on the back of her hand.
'Hermione,' she said, blushing and wondering whether or not it would be considered impolite to pull her hand away from him. Thankfully, he released it quite quickly, basking in the approving looks given to him by both his mother and his godfather. Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He was obviously a bit of a suck up. The pretty brunette was introduced as Pansy, who gave her a beaming smile, and the other boy as Theodore. He nodded and didn't attempt to shake or kiss her hand, and that was enough to make Hermione like him more. She smiled at Theodore, and then looked back to Professor Snape, who was inviting the woman to lunch with them.
She felt so out of place here, in this secret magical world, but knowing that she would be spending some more time with these three made her happy. They made a very attractive trio and Hermione felt butterflies in her stomach as she considered whether or not these three children would be her first magical friends.
They had spent all lunch bragging about their magical families, and about how they would all be in the Slytherin house. Pansy told her about all the new cosmetic spells she had learnt from Witch Weekly, and promised to demonstrate them for her when they got to Hogwarts.
Draco had regaled her with stories of Quidditch, a popular wizarding sport where they flew around on brooms and threw a red ball through a hoop. It sort of sounded like basketball but in the air and far more violent. She decided that it probably wasn't for her.
Theo seemed to realise that she felt out of depth, being muggleborn, and so told her about the big library at Hogwarts, which immediately intrigued her. He had no doubt that she would be able to catch up with the purebloods and half-bloods quite quickly if she spent some time studying, as well as learning wizarding customs from the three of them.
So when the time came, and the Sorting Hat was placed on her head, Hermione was sorted into Slytherin, joined shortly by Draco, Theo and Pansy, as well as a number of other students she hadn't been introduced to yet. Pansy hugged her and laughed, pleased to be making a new friend, and from then on they had been nigh on inseparable. Draco ignored her, whispering to two large, dim-witted looking boys called Crabbe and Goyle. Theo had sit down opposite her, and this time when she beamed at him, he offered a small smile in return.
That was probably the moment she had decided that she would marry Theodore Nott one day.
They were now in their sixth year, and Hermione and Pansy were in the common room, scheming. The subject of their whispering was none other than the stoic Theodore Nott, who was sitting by the window with a faraway look on his face.
Ever since she had first time she had met him, the boy had intrigued her. He was quiet, and even all these years later, Hermione knew little about him beyond his studying habits and what types of subjects he was interested in. Most conversations she had with him were academic, as they debated some topic or another.
While their friendship was precious to Hermione, she wanted more, but it was impossible to get a read on Theo. Despite her best efforts, she had no notion of how he felt about her romantically, and this frustrated her to no end.
However, she had decided that this was time to change. Other girls were beginning to notice how handsome he had become. Even Pansy had stopped mooning after Draco long enough to notice, which is what had led to this current scheme.
Through lowered lashes, the two girls observed Theodore Nott. Hermione stared at his lips, wondering what it would be like to kiss Theo. She had kissed a few boys. Draco had been her first kiss. It had been sloppy and sort of weird and they decided not to do it again.
Earlier in the year she had hooked up with Blaise after a Quidditch match celebration, but he was quite rude about it afterwards so she hadn't repeated that experience either. Following that had been a dalliance with a seventh year Ravenclaw boy called Sean, but that ended as well as it was too hard to meet up regularly. It had been fun though, and their split had been mutual.
Hermione could not help but feel that Theo was the one for her. It was a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that grew stronger the longer it went on. He was intelligent, respectful, fun in a sneaky sort of way, and in Hermione's daydreams at least, a fabulous kisser.
To her knowledge, no one had yet had the privilege of finding this out, which was the main reason for their determination to find out. To Pansy, it was just a game, Theo was attractive and a bit mysterious, a puzzle to solve. It was more than that to Hermione, but she had never confided her feelings for Theo to anyone. To say something now would be to acknowledge Pansy as a threat, and Hermione wouldn't give her the satisfaction.
'So,' Pansy said quietly, her excitement lacing her tone, 'first one to get him to crack gets bragging rights for the rest of the year.'
'You're on,' Hermione shot back, tossing her hair and giving her friend a confident smile.
She spent the rest of the evening considering the enigma that was Theodore Nott. He had never shown any indication that he was he was interested in her, or in anyone else for that matter. They seemed to be compatible intellectually, so it must be her physical form that he found unattractive. Sitting in front of the mirror in her dorm, Hermione considered her looks.
Years of beauty tips and spells from Pansy had helped to tame her hair into dark brown curls that she often charmed to sit in perfect arrangement around her face. She wore make-up quite often, particularly foundation, as she disliked the handful of freckles that at across her nose.
Hermione had always been quite petite, and the onset of puberty had done little to change that. Her hips were a little wider, and her breasts were more of a handful, yet she still paled in comparison to the far more curvaceous Pansy.
Theo struck her as a boy of simple tastes, who valued the mental above the physical. Perhaps she could use that to her advantage.
The Hermione that stepped out of the girl's dormitory the next day was fresh faced, wearing a dark green headband to hold her riotous curls back from her face and a simple silver pendant around her neck. Surprisingly, Hermione thought the look suited her better than the pristine make-up, immaculately curled hair and expensive jewellery that had become the calling cards of her look over the years. She looked younger, and more honest in a way.
Squaring her shoulders, Hermione walked down to breakfast and sat opposite Theo and Pansy, resolutely ignoring them as she poured herself a cup of tea. After a minute or two had passed, and the hot tea and calmed some of the butterflies in her stomach, Hermione looked up.
In Pansy's eyes was a combination of curiousity and amusement. Changing her look so drastically was an inspired move, and from the interest in Theo's eyes, a far more effective one than Pansy's rather unsubtle brand of flirting.
Pansy moved away from Theo, acknowledging the victory with a small nod. Score one to Hermione Granger. The two girls struck up a conversation about their classes for the day, effectively ignoring Theo. One of Pansy's favourite adages was 'treat them mean, keep them keen,' a muggle saying she had picked up on during one of her shopping trips to muggle London.
Either way, Hermione was too nervous to talk to Theo and gauge his reaction. Still, Pansy noticed the subtle way Theo watched the petite brunette throughout the meal, his brow furrowed in thought. Hermione's nervous laughter had not escaped her notice either. How interesting.
Pansy observed the nervous dance between the two during lessons for the rest of the day. She had never seen Hermione act so shy and unsure of herself, but somehow, along with her fresh faced appearance, this vulnerability had caught Theo's attention in a way that no girl ever had before. They seemed to naturally gravitate together, and Pansy sensed a deep connection forming every time their eyes met.
Hermione had been keeping secrets, the naughty girl. Pansy thought that perhaps a little punishment was in order, though she had no real intentions of trying to steal Theo out from underneath Hermione. Still, she deserved a bit of uncertainty for failing to keep her apprised of her romantic feelings for the quiet Slytherin.
Pansy would lose this bet, but she'd make Hermione Granger work hard for the victory.
At dinner that night, Draco sidled over to her, his eyes dancing wickedly. As usual, Draco Malfoy had sniffed out the potential gossip and come to her for confirmation.
'Granger looks hot,' he said in a low voice, 'What are the odds on her doing a naughty striptease for me a bit later on.' His leer was exaggerated and obviously fake but Pansy still felt a little jealousy flare up inside of her.
'I'd ask Theo for permission if I were you,' she purred back, smug in her victory. Pansy had always been a little afraid that Hermione might be after Draco. They were both highly intelligent, and their constant bickering could have been a front for something far less innocent. No, she was thankful that her friend had placed her eyes firmly on Theodore Nott.
'Hermione Nott,' Draco mused. 'It has a ring to it I suppose.'
Their shared smile was almost sinful, and as they turned to look at their friends, Pansy felt safe in the knowledge that everyone would win in the end.
Feeling buoyed by her success, Hermione wondered what the next step was. Theo had seemed to appreciate her fresh faced image, and had stuck to her close all day, even staying up late to talk to her in the common room. It seemed that Theodore Nott had finally taken notice of her.
Hermione decided that throwing herself at Theo in such a matter as she had yesterday was probably inadvisable. She could be more devious than that. Pansy had always suggested that the best way to determine a boy's feelings was to try and make him jealous and see how he reacted. If it didn't faze him that she was with another guy, then he probably didn't care.
The coming Saturday was a Hogsmeade weekend and Hermione considered this the best time to put this theory into practice.
The two girls dressed warmly in their best clothes and waited in the Entrance Hall for Draco and Theo. Hermione didn't share her plan with Pansy, afraid that her crafty friend would steal it and use it to her own advantage.
As the four friends walked through Hogsmeade, Hermione waited for the perfect time.
'I could use a nice cup of tea,' she said, coming to a halt next to Madame Puddifoots. Her hopeful look at Theo went unnoticed as Pansy put two and two together and immediately latched onto Theo's arm.
'What a lovely idea,' Pansy crooned. 'Shall we, Theo?'
Both Hermione and Draco watched on as Pansy all but dragged Theo to the door. He sent a desperate glance back at his friends as he was pulled inside, and even Hermione's mouthed twitched in amusement, despite her disappointment.
Still, Pansy had played right into her hands. She knew from talking to Draco one night that Pansy went crazy over the cutesy tea shop and would probably talk Theo's ear off the entire time. She hoped that Theo would weigh up the two women and find Pansy wanting.
Draco held her back from entering for a moment, putting his hand on her arm.
'I would hate to think that you and Pansy were leaving me out of all the fun,' he said in a faux upset tone, his grey eyes fixed unwaveringly on hers. It was typical Draco. Pretend to be annoyed while actually studying you intently for clues.
Hermione considered how much to tell him, knowing that he could be a useful ally, yet he was also an insufferable gossip. Telling him could mean it would be around the entire school by the time they sat down to dinner that night. However, what chance did she really have without Draco on her side?
'Oh, it's just a little bet,' she said, giving him a smirk. 'First one to get Theo to crack wins.'
Draco raised an eyebrow as he considered her and what she had said. She had a feeling that her defensive posture had told him more than she would probably like.
'Well then,' he said, offering her his arm after a few moments of scrutiny, 'Shall we?' Hermione took his arm with a smile and they walked into Madame Puddifoots, smiling and laughing together at some hidden joke. Draco commanded her complete attention, pulling out the Malfoy charm just for her, encouraging her to completely ignore the table where Pansy and Theo were sitting.
However, Pansy and Theo were watching them.
'They seem quite friendly all of a sudden,' Theo noted, his voice tight with disapproval. Pansy looked at him, and she realised that despite her intentions, Hermione had bested her once again.
'I'm sure it doesn't mean anything,' she said in a soothing voice. Pansy knew deep in her heart that Hermione had never showed even a modicum of interest in Draco ever since she had met him. Still, she was fairly insecure when it came to the blonde boy, and so she watched them just as carefully as Theo did.
When they all left the tea shop, the atmosphere between the four friends was much frostier than it had been previously.
This frostiness continued into the next week, and Hermione was becoming frustrated with the way Theo kept brushing her off. After a few more days of being ignored, her frustration turned to hurt, and Hermione realised that her plan to make Theo jealous had backfired on her badly. Instead of confronting her and demanding for her to be his forever, he had completely retreated from her, not even sitting next to her in classes or at meals.
It was a dejected Hermione that walked down to breakfast on Saturday morning. Pansy, who had long since thrown her hands up in defeat at her behaviour, just slid her cup of tea towards her and continued chatting with Daphne. Moping was not the Slytherin way, and Pansy refused to acknowledge it.
Draco, on the other hand, refused to let her mope, and soon had her smiling again. Pansy noticed Theo watching them with a look of disgust and just shook her head. Theo and Hermione were like a bunch of bumbling Gryffindors. It was up to her to set it right so that Draco would stop fawning over Hermione all the bloody time.
It was simple and clichéd, yet executed perfectly. At lunch, Theo received an owl with instructions to be on the Quidditch pitch after dinner. Hermione received a note from a first year at dinner to be on the Quidditch pitch after dinner. Seeing that Pansy had Draco distracted, Hermione slipped out immediately and ran all the way there. Theo, who had skipped dinner entirely, was already sitting in the Slytherin stands.
When Theo saw her running towards the pitch, he sighed. He knew that he would have to stop ignoring her eventually, but she was just so bloody confusing and frustrating.
First, she had stopped putting on makeup and dressing differently. He had thought maybe she was too ill or tired or upset to put an effort into her looks, and so he had been especially nice to her to cheer her up a bit. This had seemed to work, and she had been very friendly and happy.
Then when they all went to Hogsmeade together, she spent the whole time flirting with Draco, not even sparing him a glance. He had thought maybe she had liked him before, but seeing her fall all over Draco had made him feel like a fool.
So he had ignored her, tried to distance himself from her to quash his feelings of hurt and disappointment. Only, the longer it went on, the more upset she seemed. That morning she had looked drawn and pale, obviously having had very little sleep the night before. His heart had ached to see her looking so listless, and he had nearly given in when Draco sidled over to her and started laying on the charm. After a few minutes she had been smiling and looking happier, but it had made Theo angry that it was Draco who had cheered her up and not him.
By the time Hermione reached him, Theo had worked himself up. He was the victim here. He had tried to be friendly only to have her throw it in his face. She had been playing him against Draco, wrapping both of them firmly around her little finger. Well, he would not dance to her tune, he would-
A very undignified noise came out of Theo's mouth as Hermione barrelled into him. She clung to him, sniffling quietly and whispering into his chest.
He caught his breath after a few moments, and awkwardly wrapped his arms around her. As he leaned a little closer, he could hear what she was saying.
'-so sorry. Theo, I'm so sorry. Forgive me, please.'
Theo pulled back slightly, and Hermione's hands dropped to her sides in defeat. Her face was turned away from him, but he could see her tears dripping down onto the ground in front of her.
'Hermione,' he said forcefully.
This seemed to shock her, and her head whipped up, her eyes wide and searching his. Only a moment later, her eyes fluttered shut as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her with all the passion he could muster.
Hermione gave into the kiss immediately, surrendering her lips, her mouth, and her tongue to his explorations. As his lips moved insistently over hers, Hermione felt an ache sweep through her whole body, a sweet yet searing pain.
Theodore Nott had finally cracked, but she felt like she had been the one irrevocably changed.
As her hands went around his neck and his hands burrowed themselves firmly in her hair, all she felt was the erratic beating of his heart where their chests were firmly pressed together.
Here, finally, was the belonging that she had been seeking all those years ago. Here was love and the knowledge that in the arms of Theodore Nott, she, Hermione Granger had found home.