Okay, I'm sorry I'm a little later than I wanted to be. My goal is to update every 1 - 2 weeks. The good news is that this is my nano project, and if all goes well, I'll have the next 50k words done. Including this one, but whatever. In case you forgot, this is rated M. And Mrs. Ren likes her smut quite a bit. Sadly the smut isn't here yet, so think lime instead of lemon. ;)
"Sorry I'm late," Hermione muttered, tossing her bag onto the aging oak desk in the library. Theo's hand shot out to catch it as it nearly slid off the edge. . She winced, taking her seat carefully, and flipped g her spiral notebook open. "One of these days I'll learn that I should just take notes on my laptop like every other student instead of writing them by hand and then transcribing them."
He chuckled low under his breath. "Liar." At the arch of her eyebrow, he continued. "Come on, Hermione. We both know that will never happen. As you've told me several times, it's a process."
"A process that has worked splendidly thus far." She snorted, clicking her pen and settling into page six of her handwritten notes. Drawing another box for a set of bullet points, she barely glanced up when someone slid into the spot beside Theo.
It wasn't someone she knew, though she expected to see Ginny, or even Pansy staring back at her. No, it was the blonde she'd slammed into on her first day. What had Malfoy said her name was? Something Greengrass? Fully intending to ignore her, Hermione drummed her fingers against the smooth surface of the desk.
Of course, her plan was dashed the second the woman spoke. "Will Draco be meeting you here?"
"No." Hermione answered before Theo could open his mouth. At the silence, she realized her tone must have been harsh. Not that she particularly cared, but it was hard to focus with someone staring at her. Dropping the ballpoint pen, she leaned back in her seat, and took a good look at the blonde. "Malfoy never meets us in the library. If you're looking for him, he won't be back for few days." Hermione swallowed her instant dislike for the girl.
She didn't have a reason to not like Greengrass, nothing beyond the fact that her general demeanor irritated her. With the flashy rings on her fingers, and two positioned at her knuckles, it was clear that her ensemble cost more than her parent's mortgage - when they had still paid a mortgage.
"What do you mean? Where has he gone?"
Wanting to ask why it was any of her business, Hermione only just managed to stomp down the urge. "He's in Paris for Lucius," she answered, hoping that she wouldn't have to elaborate. When Malfoy had swept out of the manor last minute at three in the morning,he hadn't spared any details. She doubted he would have told her anything even if he'd had the time. "He'll be back Friday."
"Oh." Her shoulders fell."Do you know if he plans to go to Professor Slughorn's Christmas party next month?" Greengrass asked, folding her hands below the table in her lap.
Hermione nodded as she reached for her water bottle. "I'm sure he'll be there. Are you attending as well?" She asked, sipping her water. She'd long closed since her notebook, Theo doing the same with his textbook and laptop. It wasn't as if they would be getting anything done.
The tops of her cheeks grew red as she avoided an answer. "Well, I wasn't invited by Professor Slughorn, no." She admitted quietly, and Hermione swore that it took every ounce of self control she had not to snort. "Forgive me for being so rude, I'm Astoria Greengrass."
Hermione smiled, reaching across to shake her outstretched hand. "Hermione Granger. Nice to meet you, Astoria."
"Oh," Astoria laughed lightly. "I know who you are. Professor Slughorn adores you for some reason."
Ignoring that not-so-subtle insult, one that even had Theo's eyebrows shooting towards his hairline, Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "A fact that I assure you I had nothing to do with. He zeroed in on me nearly as soon as I got here. Perhaps Malfoy will ask you to the party." Hermione suggested with false kindness.
Not that the thought bothered her so much. There was nothing between them beyond a small crush that couldn't have been helped; not with Pansy, Luna, and Ginny whispering in her ear, and the times that he proved to be a good person.
Judging from the curve of Astoria's lips, it was exactly what she wanted to hear. "Well, if I can be honest, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."
"I know that," Hermione deadpanned, smirking when Astoria's triumphant smile slipped from her face. "Astoria, it wasn't hard to see where you were steering this conversation, and why you came over in the first place considering you've never sought me out in the few months I've been here."
"Are you his date then?" Astoria asked flatly, her pointed, manicured nails dragging along the surface of the desk. "Slughorn is constantly vocal about his matchmaking skills, and well, forgive me, but I don't see it."
"Tori, that's -" Theo began, but was interrupted.
Hermione's voice cut across the quiet space of the library, no doubt being heard by Madam Pince, and any other bystanders. "And what is that supposed to mean, Greengrass?"
Astoria's eyes, hidden behind her styled bangs, widened. "I just meant that he would never be interested in you. You aren't his type." She defended, motioning with a delicate hand toward Hermione. "You're ridiculous. You're rough with the other boys, and I'm sorry to say that you're nothing like him."
"Well, wouldn't it be boring if he was dating a carbon copy of himself?" Hermione asked then, standing and leaning across the table. "Because if you're so sure that you're what his type is, I'm sure he would already be dating you."
The girl across from her gaped. It appeared Astoria had been stunned into silence, and she could only open and close her mouth in response.
"Theo, would you like to go to the Leaky with me? I don't think I'll be able to get any work done afterall." Hermione said, shoving her notes, and laptop into her bag before sliding it over her shoulder. "I was meant to meet Pansy there later, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind coming to get me if you're staying."
He stood from the table and nodded to her. "That's fine. I'm nearly done anyway since I don't handwrite and then type."
"Fuck off." She muttered. "I'd say it was nice talking to you Astoria, but I'd rather not lie. If you want Malfoy to ask you to Slughorn's party, you should just call him, and ask him yourself." Hermione said, waving a goodbye as she followed Theo out of the library.
With a raised eyebrow she took the cup from Theo's extended hand. While she didn't ask how exactly he'd known what to get her while she was in the bathroom, he offered the information voluntarily.
Theo cleared his throat and, with a slight tinge rising to his cheeks, he said, "I pay attention is all." He sat across from her, flicking through social media on his phone, and not looking up to see her reaction to his words at all.
Hermione smirked, waiting for him to work his way up to what he really wanted to say. The light dusting that covered his cheeks was adorable, and she looked away before he could catch her.
"So," he sighed, scratching the back of his head - a nervous tick she had noticed, "Astoria."
She glanced at him over the rim of her styrofoam cup as she took a sip, testing just how hot her coffee was. "Are you going to tell me I was too harsh?" Hermione asked, sliding her cup back and forth between her hands as she looked at him.
The corner of his mouth lifted as he shook his head. "No," he told her quietly. "Tori is a bitch; she deserved for someone to push her off her pedestal. I thought I would tell you that you sounded jealous."
She choked. "I'm sorry?"
He smirked. "I mean, it's none of my business if you have a thing with Draco, but -"
"I don't," she said, gritting her teeth. "She just got under my skin is all." Hermione replied, echoing his early words, sipping her coffee once more. On the side, Angelina had foregone her name, instead choosing to scribble H. She smiled to herself, glancing over at the packets of sugar - really, she was avoiding the gaze on Theo's face.
Until finally, he looked away from her and pulled his laptop from his bag. "We have a while until the others are here," he spoke quietly. "Maybe you should get back to typing up your notes, yeah?" There was a smirk twisting the corner of his mouth, and she kicked him under the table.
"You shouldn't give me such a hard time, Theo. You won't be laughing when I have higher marks than you." Hermione grinned, the tip of her shoe connecting with his shin when he - lightly - kicked her back.
Sitting at the edge of her bed, her legs crossed, Hermione flipped open her book. Of course she'd read it a hundred times, and most recently only a few weeks ago before babysitting, but a good book felt like coming home. And Hermione Granger missed home an awful bit that Saturday morning.
It wasn't the home she missed, she thought as tears burned the back of her eyes. Though anyone with a semblance of a brain would understand that she didn't miss the structure that she'd grown up in, nor the four walls of her bedroom. From the kitchen island where she remembered sitting as her mother fed her breakfast, and packed her lunch, to the rickety swingset in the backyard they had never taken down.
Slamming her copy of Pride and Prejudice closed, Hermione laid it behind her. She just wasn't able to pay attention for long enough to lose herself in the tale of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Grumbling to herself, she dug through the bottom of her closet, rifling through a box that was filled from top to bottom with keepsakes, she withdrew a photo album.
Hermione stepped into her slippers, digging her toes into the warm plush. The corridor was drafty, and Crooks followed her with a soft meow as she slowly descended the stairs. At seven in the morning, she ought to have stayed asleep. Woken by dreams of her mother - not a nightmare, just a memory that left her nauseous - she found that sleep was impossible.
Her Keurig was already on and Narcissa sat at the table, sipping her coffee as she read that morning's edition of the Daily Prophet. "Good morning, sweetheart," she called, waving Hermione over. "Have a seat; let me make you a cup."
"I - alright," Hermione conceded, setting down the heavy photo album. Taking a look down, she regretted not changing out of her ratty pajamas with a hole in the knee, and wished she'd changed into something other than a shirt she'd had since she was thirteen.
"What's on your mind?" Narcissa asked, stretching up to reach one of the several mugs in the cupboard, the hem of her silk robe dragging along the tile. "You look unwell."
Her voice catching in the back of her throat, Hermione's eyes strayed to the book on the table. "It's -" she broke off pitifully, looking over to Narcissa while her lower lip trembled "- it's one of those days." Hermione admitted, her eyes filling with tears.
Narcissa left the cup, filled with coffee and steaming, on the counter as she rushed toward Hermione. "Oh, love," she murmured, kneeling in front of her, taking her hands in hers. "I wish I could tell you these days will stop one day."
Hermione nodded, as the first sob wrenched out of her throat; the sound was horribly loud against the backdrop of the kitchen. "I wonder if it will ever be easier. I mean, it's just -" she sobbed "- I can take a trip with my friends, or I can fill out this list like she told me I should, but it always comes back. This guilt that I shouldn't be happy when, when -"
Narcissa pulled her forward, quite literally picking her up out of the chair, and she brought Hermione onto the floor with her. Humming low in her ear, the mother cradled Hermione's head against her shoulder. "Did you know that I video chatted your mum?" A nod. "Hermione, I know that you don't need me to tell you how she would have wanted you to be happy, or that she would have never wanted you to feel guilty for pursuing happiness." Narcissa sunk her fingers into Hermione's curls, undoing the tangles that had knotted overnight.
"It's not fair." Hermione shook her head. "I haven't broke down since I left - not like I thought I should, and shouldn't I see her in everything I do?"
Narcissa shook her head. "You can't do that to yourself. Everyone grieves differently." Sucking in a breath, Hermione buried her face in her shoulder. "I lost my mum a few years ago," Narcissa told her. "And despite being into my late forties, it still broke me to what I thought was beyond repair."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Hermione murmured.
"You don't have to apologize," Narcissa said, squeezing her arms around Hermione's middle. "Let me tell you something about grief, little love and then we will look through those photos, okay?"
Hermione nodded, sitting up, and trying to take her weight off of the woman. She was still sick at times, Hermione reminded herself. "Please don't tell me that I have to accept it."
She snorted. "That wasn't funny at all, but please know I would never. Lucius told me that in a moment of callousness, and I nearly performed his vasectomy myself. No, Hermione, grief is...come to the table." Holding her hand out, she waited for Hermione to help her up. "Hand me that pen."
Hermione peered over her shoulder as she drew a circle that was six inches across on the newspaper. "Of course, this isn't what I would like to use since Lucius hasn't read it yet." She laughed to herself. "This circle is life right now," She told Hermione, motioning for her to come closer as she filled in the circle with ink, leaving no space open. "And this is your life while you grieve. So, as you don't need me to tell you, sometimes it touches everything, and that's okay. What you said about enjoying your life, and why you shouldn't, it struck a chord. I said something similar once when Lucius made reservations for the anniversary of our first date."
Hermione held her hand up. "Your anniversary, or -?"
Narcissa laughed. "Oh, no, December seventh is the first time I went out with him, and he took me to a film, and a dinner. We do the same thing every year."
"Oh, my God." Hermione grinned ear to ear, for a moment content to ignore the lesson in front of her. "Is he even real?"
Narcissa barked a laugh. "Find you a Lucius, Hermione. Don't be fooled," she remarked, tapping her on the nose with her pen. "He was a prat when I met him, but the man aged like fine wine, so who am I to complain?"
Laughing, Hermione nodded. "Okay, well, I'll be on the lookout for my Lucius," she murmured, bracing her hands against the back of the chair.
"They're sometimes closer than you think," Narcissa said. "Lucius was a close childhood friend of mine. Back to this though - grief is in every part of your life, and some people say that it gets easier because the grief grows smaller, but that simply isn't true."
Hermione paled as she went on.
"Grief doesn't get smaller. Your life expands around it," Narcissa told her, drawing another larger circle around the shaded in one. "This is where you find the strength to keep going. For me it was different things - going to lunch with my son everyday because it was all he could do to get me out of bed, or maybe it was smaller, trivial things like Lucius handing me his credit card. Hermione, being happy doesn't mean you loved her any less, or that you miss her any less."
Her eyes welled with tears, and she looked up at the squeaking against the tile. "Malfoy?" She gasped, taking in his frozen stance as her cheeks heated with embarrassment; of all the people to witness her at her lowest..."I - would you please leave?" she asked politely, gnawing at her bottom lip.
He nodded, his eyes softening as he grabbed his suitcase, and stepped out of the room.
"Forgive him, I'm sure he feels worse than you do for barging in like that. Jean knew exactly what she was doing when she helped you make that list. She was helping you make enough happiness to accompany the sadness." Narcissa brushed Hermione's hair from her forehead. "So fill out the list, okay? And when you have a bad day, come to me, and I will carry the worst of it." She smiled, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
And Hermione felt incredibly small, and fragile when she whispered, "Why?"
And there was a breathy laugh from Narcissa as she crushed Hermione to her chest. "Because that's what mothers do, Hermione, and yours was kind enough to entrust me with you. I love you, little adventurer, and you are half my heart."
Malfoy had met her in the hallway shortly after, and while the interaction had been short, it was still weighing on her mind. Standing against the ornate door trim of his own bedroom, his arms were folded across his chest. He hadn't changed out of his suit, which he'd buttoned at the middle when he saw her coming.
Hermione's mouth dried as she took him in. There was just something about a man in a suit that made them so much more appealing. "I thought you were meant to be back yesterday." She offered, rubbing her eyes with the bottoms of her palms. They were surely still red, and puffy. "I just have to grab something," she muttered, rushing into her bedroom.
He followed, his footsteps soft behind her as she dug through the box of albums. "That was wishful thinking. I took a flight out this morning. Are you alright?"
She froze, save for her fingers clenching the leather bound photo album. It wasn't as if she could plaster a smile on her face, and say of course she was alright, not when he'd already witnessed her breaking apart in the kitchen. Heaving a sigh, Hermione stood up and faced him. "Not really," she admitted, and much like a dam breaking, the tears came again. "This isn't something I would have talked about with you. I just - some days are harder than others, and you walked in at a bad time."
He nodded, a sort of tense movement, his jaw clenched as he stepped toward her. "I understand." He watched her closely and reached for her as she gave him a weak smile. "I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything," Hermione said, tilting her head to the side. "What are you -?"
"I'm going to hug you," he murmured, and she couldn't help the way she burst into laughter.
Still giggling at the offended look on his face, she grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him closer. "Draco, you don't have to warn me if you're going to hug me." She laughed into the pressed fabric of his suit. Wishing she didn't have the album in hand so she would be able to give him a full hug, she settled for wrapping both arms around his neck, albeit awkwardly.
His chest was warm, and his fingers ran along her spine, but only for a moment. "I'm sorry," he whispered next to her ear, his arms giving her a final squeeze before he let go.
Hermione's smile was bright as she scrambled to let go so he wouldn't think she'd been content to hold on, and she nodded. "I appreciate that. We're going through photo albums downstairs if you're not too tired to join us. Narcissa went to find some, and I'm greatly looking forward to seeing your baby pictures." She grinned.
Malfoy clearly knew how to be on his best behavior, so when it came time to their varying morning routines, she knew he was being a prick just to be a prick. In the months since she'd been there, Hermione had picked up on a couple of things.
His friends might tease that he was high maintenance, but she didn't believe he was. No, he simply enjoyed long, hot showers that used all of the hot water. Being winter, Hermione usually got around this issue by showering at night.
In this instance, however, she'd foregone that decision the night before when she got home at two A.M with Pansy. While Pansy had left to go home and shower, Hermione was left to stand in the hallway. WIth her bathrobe - courtesy of Narcissa, the woman had everything embroidered - draped over her shoulders, and a towel slung over her arm for her hair, she was left waiting impatiently for Malfoy to finish. Something that he surely wouldn't do until there was absolutely no hot water. And she was not going to arrive at a school that she'd been given the gift of attending while smelling like the cheap vodka Neville had spilled over her.
Knocking once, and then twice, there was no response from the blond on the other side of the door, so she ambled down the stairs in a hurry. There was only forty five minutes until they had to leave, and blow drying her hair would take the most of it.
Fucking curls, she thought to herself. Everyone wants them, but no one sees what an utter pain in the arse they are.
Narcissa and Lucius' bedroom was across the manor, and up another flight of stairs that she nearly fell while running up. Holding the hem of the robe, she hurried on, and as she finally came to their bedroom door, she rapped her knuckles lightly against the white wood.
No one answered, but judging from the faint sound of running water, and the giggling - both male and female - her pseudo-parents were showering together. And who was she to cut that short?
Grumbling, she stormed back to the bathroom she typically used, and took a deep breath before pounding on the door angrily. "Malfoy! You need to hurry the fuck up!" Hermione barked, tapping her foot against the floor impatiently.
"No, you can use the other bathroom," he called back, and she could just imagine the stupid smirk on his face. "This bathroom is mine in the mornings."
"Well, your parents are showering together in the other bathroom, so I would say that one is taken. Come on, it doesn't take a half hour to shower!" At the silence, she groaned, and banged on the door again. "Malfoy, I smell like a pit stop diner -" if said diner also had copious amounts of booze, which they might "- so if you don't hurry up, I'll -"
"You'll what?" He laughed over the running water. "You'll join me, Granger?"
Her eyes narrowed, as she stormed right back into her room, and put on her bra, and knickers before slipping back into her robe. If he wanted to be sarcastic, then fine. Surely, he would bolt anyway.
Malfoy never locked the door, something she'd realized when she walked into the bathroom while he was showering once, but she couldn't have seen anything through the fogged up curtain. And over the water, he didn't hear the door open. Biting her lip, and glancing at herself in the mirror, Hermione reminded herself that she had time to back out of this.
Nevermind that, she was down to thirty minutes, and she desperately needed a shower. She hung her robe on the rack next to the shower, and didn't look at her reflection again as she reached for the curtain. Hermione pulled the curtain back on the opposite side he stood on, and stepped in. "Could you step out of the way so I can wash my hair please?" she asked, somehow keeping a straight face.
Malfoy's eyes shot open, and he made it no secret as his gaze raked her up and down. "Granger?" he spluttered. "What the fuck are you doing?"
Pressing past him, and certainly not looking down, her back slid against his torso as she made her way under the stream. "Joining you?" She offered sarcastically. "No, I needed a shower before class, and would you want to take a cold shower?" Hermione asked, tipping her head back and running her fingers through the thick strands in an effort to detangle them.
"I might have to." She would have sworn he muttered it, but she couldn't be sure with the sound of rushing water in her ears. "I need to rinse my hair out," he rasped, reaching to pull her to the side by her shoulder, her skin slippery against his touch. "Just give me a minute, and I'll get out of the shower."
Hermione shrugged, grabbing the shampoo and working the product into her hair. In a hurry as well, she took the chance to scrub her body, paying no mind to how she shouldn't have worn white of all colors. It was a plain bra -semi plain - she corrected since it had a lace trim. "I won't be long," she told him as he moved to step out of the shower.
Malfoy stepped out with his back to her, the realization of why would strike her later.
Hermione resisted the urge to reach out and run her fingers down his back, along the intricate tattoos that made up a solitary back piece. Biting her lip to stop a humiliating whimper from escaping her mouth, Hermione watched his back muscles contract as he reached for a towel, and then the curtain was closed.
And she wasn't sure why she hadn't stolen a glimpse at his arse while his back was turned.
He locked his bedroom door behind him, his teeth digging into his bottom lip until he was sure he would draw blood.
Fucking Granger. Hermione, he corrected himself in private, but calling her Granger riled her up, and fuck - he enjoyed her ten times more when she was riled up. She'd been smirking when he turned to face her, her eyes lit up with mischief.
Being the good girl she was, he knew she hadn't looked down, hadn't looked at his hard cock that he'd already wrapped his fingers around. He sat at the edge of his bed, still reeling from what had just happened. Of course he'd been teasing her by saying she could join him. He hadn't bloody expected her to do it, and the flimsy knickers she'd worn hadn't done much to protect her modesty.
No, with the water cascading over her body, the material had revealed more than it had hidden. It was the sight of her cunt outlined by translucent knickers that had done him in, or maybe it was how she leaned her head back, and droplets splashed against her chest. Or, he hazarded a guess, it could have been her nipples stiffening against the fabric - dusky pink, and he wanted her.
She wouldn't have gotten in the shower if she didn't find him attractive. He should have kissed her, should have pinned her to the wall with his body, his hand sliding down her stomach, and toying with the edge of her knickers. Groaning softly, he stroked his cock, his mind still focused on the thought that he hadn't locked to door.
It would be so easy to step into the bathroom once more, to tilt her face up and kiss her before picking her up. It was a clear, explicit image that Malfoy thought of - picking her up at her waist, her legs wrapping around his hips as he slid into her, a cry bubbling up on her lips as he took her whimpers for himself.
And as he spilled into his hand - it hadn't taken much, only a few pumps - Hermione knocked on the door. She called out, "Draco, we need to leave, or we'll be late."
Growling low under his breath, he grabbed a towel, and wiped his hand clean. He was fucked.
Hermione told Pansy about how she'd up and jumped into the shower with Draco Malfoy, who told Luna, who in turn told Ginny, and her day imploded at that point.
In whisper-style screams at the corner of the quad, Ginny's eyes were wide, bright, and far too mischevious for anyone's sake. "Did you look at his dick?" Ginny asked, point blank, and she didn't even flinch.
Pansy howled with laughter, drawing the attention of the rest of the group - which, while they were far away, Hermione was certain they had heard that little question. "What the fuck kind of question is that?" Hermione choked on her water, and it burned as it came out her nose. "Jesus Christ, you bitch, he definitely heard that."
Ginny shrugged. "So what if he did? It's not like he forgot you merrily hopped into the shower with him. And with as red as your cheeks are, I'm wondering if you're having some obscene thoughts about it." The redhead smirked, tugging the sleeves of her crimson jumper over her hands. Her sweater had a golden G sewn into the front, and God help anyone who chose to comment on it.
"Like what?" Hermione hissed. "It was a shower, and only because he would have used all of the hot water," she muttered, pushing the tab of her travel mug back. "Plus he got out nearly as soon as I got in, so it's a moot point really."
Pansy snorted, clutching her sides. "Oh, my God. Hermione, just walk me through what happened, would you?"
Rolling her eyes, she leaned against the column and glared at her friends. "I said, 'Malfoy, I smell like a pit stop diner. Get out of the shower, or else.' Or something along those lines. I don't know, Pansy! I was distracted by the fact of what have I done? Why would I just get in the shower?" She rambled, throwing her hands up in the air, and she caught a glimpse of Malfoy's smirk over her friend's shoulder.
"Yes, why would you?" Luna smiled ear to ear as she asked.
"Because like the cheeky son of a bitch he is, Malfoy goes -" dropping her voice into an awful imitation, "- 'or what, Granger? You'll join me?' So I did, and I guarantee he won't make that mistake again."
The three girls exchanged a look. And Ginny broke the silence. "Yeah, okay, Hermione. That's what's going to happen."
"What?" Hermione muttered, taking a drink of her coffee. "And in the end, I still didn't finish drying my hair."
Ginny shot Hermione a knowing look, but changed the subject even though Pansy was rallying to ask for a detailed description of Malfoy's body. "I was talking with Malfoy, and the others earlier. We should go ice skating this weekend. They've just renovated." Ginny spoke, her gaze falling to Hermione when the other two had already agreed.
"I suppose it could be fun." Hermione bit out.
It could be fun, Hermione thought, for someone who could ice skate, or someone who didn't possess two left feet. Sure, ice skating would be fun for them. At the entrance, she stood to the side of Pansy, cutting Harry off from holding his girlfriend's hand.
And as if to drive a point, Pansy grabbed Hermione's hand, and swung it as they waited for skates to be handed to them in their size. "You'll be fine." Pansy reassured her. "There's nothing to it once you get used to it."
Shaking her head, Hermione took the pair the clerk handed to her. "That's assuming I can get the hang of it."
"Oh, no doubt you'll fall on your arse a few times, but you'll just get back up," Pansy sang, leading her down a hallway.
The rink itself was massive. Completely renovated from one end to the other, Hermione couldn't help but think of how she might get stuck on the other side where there was no opening and she'd have to crawl to the nearest way off the ice. Shoving that particular train of thought away, she fell into a seat, and kicked her converse off.
Pansy sat in front of her with Harry, laughing at something he'd whispered in her ear.
"You've never ice skated?" Malfoy asked, taking the seat beside her, and kicking his boots off. "It's not hard."
Hermione shook her head. "No, I haven't. And somehow I think this is like the time you told me that getting a tattoo doesn't really hurt, but it actually hurts like hell." She snorted, drawing the laces of the white skates tight as she tied the first one.
"Well," he breathed, "if that's the case, I suppose you'll have to hold my hand again."
Hermione's head whipped to the side, her eyes widened. "You jerk, stop teasing me about that. It was one time." She laughed lacing up the second shoe.
"No." He shrugged. "I don't think I will." As he donned his skates, Pansy held her hand out, and nodded towards the ice. "Go on, Granger." He nudged her.
Sliding onto the ice awkwardly, her legs spreading farther apart than they really should, Hermione gripped the railing to keep herself from landing in an awkward split. "This was a terrible idea." She hissed to Pansy, and she wouldn't let go of the railing no matter how her friend tried to tug her father onto the ice. "I'm awful at this."
"How would you know?" Pansy laughed. "You haven't even tried."
Shavings of the ice shot onto Hermione's skates, and she looked up to see Theo standing in front of her. "Come on, take my hand," he urged her, and Hermione shook her head quickly. "It's really not that bad. So what if you fall a few times?"
"I'm worried about pulling my hamstring." Hermione snorted, but he didn't leave her much choice as he pulled her off the wall.
Theo's hand was warm against hers, his fingers sliding through the gaps of her own. "There's nothing to it," he told her, a wide smile splitting his face. Hermione glanced down at his feet, watching the way he managed to skate backwards while pulling her along with him. "Think you can do it on your own?"
"Fuck no." She laughed, letting him swing her around, but gripping onto his hands as hard as she could. "I don't even know where I would start with trying to skate."
"Perhaps by putting one foot in front of the other?" Harry said, skating past her, and nearly knocking her over. "Better hold onto Theo tighter there, Granger Danger!" He snorted, grabbing his girlfriend's hand, and joining her for a lap around the rink.
Redness pooled in her cheeks. "You know you don't have to stay with me, right?" Hermione pointed out, glancing up at Theo. His cheeks were flushed, probably from the cold inside the building, and she paid it little mind as he skated slowly with her. "Really, I'll figure this out eventually."
He rolled his eyes. "I don't mind. I can't think of anything more entertaining than watching you try to ice skate." Theo laughed, drawing her close, and spinning her - but still slowly.
Not that it mattered, considering the way her screech echoed throughout the rink. The ice was hard below her as she took them both down, an ill-timed moved of trying to skate and her foot sliding the opposite direction. "Fuck." Hermione gasped as her head hit the ice, and her fingers slid over the sore spot. "That hurt," she muttered, her arse already freezing through her jeans.
"Give me your hands." Theo smiled, standing and pulling her up. "Alright, why don't we go over there so you can use the railing to keep your balance?"
Looking over at the spot where several small children were learning to skate, she crinkled her nose. "While it says 'practice zone', I think it's for children that are under this height." Hermione giggled, holding her arm up to her midriff.
He rolled his eyes. "Fine, use the railing on the sides then," Theo told her, yelling hello to Luna, and Ginny while he whisked Hermione to the side of the rink.
Hermione grabbed onto the railing, nearly toppling over once more when he let go of her. "This is awful." She cringed, testing herself as she slid one foot forward. And then there was a high pitched laugh that caught her attention. Her head snapping up, she recognized the blonde standing in front of Malfoy. "That's Astoria, right?"
Theo nodded, giving her room to move along the wall. "Looks like it; maybe she asked him to Slughorn's party."
She looked at them, at how comfortable the blonde obviously seemed in laying her hand on Malfoy's shoulder, or carding her fingers through his hair. "Doubt it." Hermione shrugged. "Go out there," she told Theo, testing herself a bit more. "I'm going to see if I can skate to you, sound good?"
Already skating backwards - the bloody show off - Theo nodded with a grin. "You're sure?"
"You'll catch me if I fall face first?" She ventured, grimacing. Glancing around, she noticed all of the other visitors had clearly done this before, and then there was Luna. Who was in the middle of the rink, performing some kind of fucking trick where she jumped and spun. Shaking her head, Hermione agreed before she could talk herself out of it. "This is just doing this exact same thing," she murmured, showing how she could skate, but only two steps, baby steps, "consecutively. Surely I can do it if that four year old over there can do it!"
It didn't go badly, quite the opposite if she were honest. While she almost ate ice, Hermione increased her momentum to keep herself upright. Yet Theo kept skating backward so she'd have to go farther to get to him.
He must have done it for twenty feet before she got irritated with the way she was hobbling on the ice,and with Astoria's howling laugh that echoed in the room, Hermione was now glaring at Theo. Gritting her teeth, she took off, smirking at the surprised look on his face.
Her issue was that she couldn't stop, and he had to catch her when she slammed into him. Theo gripped her shoulders, swaying as he straightened her. "Good -"
"I did it!" She squealed, a sound that was far higher than she had ever sounded, and she was positively beaming. Pleased with herself, Hermione tested sliding backwards. "Okay, I'm not as good at that." She winced when she fell backward.
She wasn't paying attention to anything beyond not falling. So she didn't notice Theo staring over the top of her head, or the withering glare Malfoy had cast their way. Nor did she notice the worried look on Pansy's face, and when Hermione looked back, she would realize -
This was the moment.
Theo caught her by the crook of her elbow, a broad smile on his face. "Don't lose your balance." He whispered in her ear, and spun her, his palm landing against her waist to steady her.
Determined to be as good as anyone else, she glanced at Luna once more, and attempted to spin on her own, something that had Theo scrambling to catch her before she fell.
"Just let me do it." He said, laughing, twirling her, and it was mid turn.
Mid turn that someone's arm slid around her waist effortlessly, and she was swept away from Theo and into the middle of the ice skating rink.
"What-?" Hermione looked up, and at first all she saw was the blur of blond hair, but then she was spinning, and being led around the rink.
Malfoy's fingers were cold, a rosy tint having colored his cheeks, and he spun her again. "I needed an excuse to get away from Astoria," Draco murmured, this time spinning with her, and Hermione found herself flattened against him.
Swallowing roughly while looking at their skates so he wouldn't see, Hermione nodded. "Okay. Well, it was a bit rude to rip me away from Theo, don't you think?"
"Nah." Draco smirked. "I'm a much better ice skater than he is."
"Right, because Malfoys are great at everything. Regardless, you'll make her think we're dating." Hermione laughed, letting go of him.
"Hermione!" Pansy called out, coming up to her side. "I'm going to the loo. Mind coming with me?" she asked, her eyes flicking from Hermione to Draco.
She shook her head as she slid her hand into Pansy's. As they neared the edge, out of earshot of everyone, Hermione murmured, "I didn't imagine that, did I?"
Pansy slowly shook her head, her eyes widening. "You definitely did not."
I'm finally amping up to one of the big things, and I am equal parts nervous and excited. Let me know what you think of this chapter, and what you think is going to happen in the upcoming ones! Crazy to think we still have sixteen chapters left, and so much is yet to come.