Greetings! I hope everyone is doing well. It's super hot here in Texas, but what's new? We have been under a heat advisory with the heat index in triple digits. It made suiting up in my bee suite pretty gross. I was in dire need of a shower after only fifteen minutes out there.
I'll let you get to the chapter or I'll nerd out and ramble about bees.
I hope you enjoy the chapter! And sorry.. j may not have mentioned this before, but I'm going for a slow burn.
...
Hermione was dumbfounded. Here she was sitting in front of Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Prince, on a conjured chair.. alone. And to top it off he'd given her a genuine apology. Maybe she had mistaken him before. It's hard to see someone from a different angle when all they've ever been to you is mean. But it was just in her nature to give people second chances if they were asking for it.
To break the awkward ice, she asked him if he'd like to still run a couple of laps. Her anxiety was building since she'd lost two days of class and homework and today was brewing day for their bond class. They ran in silence before parting ways to get ready for their busy day.
...
"We meet again. It's so lovely to see that no one has dropped the class thus far." McGonagall said with a bright smile. "If you would all transfigure your stations around the room, we can start the brewing of your amortentia. I have cleared everyone's schedule for the rest of the day so that you can brew without interruptions or having to come in between classes."
Everyone but Hermione was delighted.
"I swear, you're the only one I've ever met that gets upset about missing class, Hermione."
Theo said after hearing her sigh.
"Yes, well I'm the only one to have ever been given a time turner to make it to classes that were happening at the same time."
Theo sat there with his mouth agape. "When the hell did you do that?"
She smirked. "Third year."
"Yeah. I bet we'd all be number one in the class if we'd had a time turner." Draco chimed in as if he'd been a part of their banter all along.
"I didn't need the time turner to make top marks, Malfoy. I just needed it so that I could make room for more."
Theo laughed. "Didn't I warn you she was feisty?"
Blaise and Draco set up their stations next to Hermione and Theo. "I'll go get the dry ingredients from the cupboard, and you can chop." Hermione instructed Theo.
Draco and Blaise had the same dynamic going on. He was picky about the quality of the ingredients and doesn't trust Blaise to pick out the best. Not realizing Hermione was already in there he stepped in the small space. She was in the zone and moved back accidentally bumping into him. He grabbed her by the shoulders with both hands to steady her while getting a face full of hair. Heliotrope. She smelled of heliotrope and it was delightful.
Nope. No it wasn't. It was Granger. Not delightful. "Sorry. Didn't see you there, Malfoy."
"Clearly." He clipped.
She turned before rolling her eyes. He's such a girl sometimes with his mood swings.
Back at the station, and a few hours later, Hermione and Theo were nearly done. "Okay, Theo. Add the poppy petals and then we can let it simmer for an hour.
"It has to simmer for two." Draco said overhearing their conversation.
"Not if you counter the stirs by two for every ten." She defended.
He raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "You're barmy. But by all means, go ahead and ruin your potion. You and Theo will end up being bonded with a chimaera." He scoffed and went back to work with Blaise.
"Whatever. Theo, poppy petals, please?"
At at exactly one hour Hermione tested the potion. Perfect. It was done and it was perfect. She put on the most smug smile she could manage and shot her look towards Draco who looked as sour as a bag of lemons.
Raising her hand she called for professor McGonagall to come and inspect. "Well done. I'll see you on Monday for the next class. Since amortentia can be potentially dangerous in the wrong hands, I will store it here in the classroom. You're dismissed."
"Thank you, professor." Hermione smiled.
Theo and Hermione collected their belongings and left the classroom. Not really sure what to do with this free time, besides study of course, she asked Theo's opinion.
"Well, since we are done early, what would you like to do?"
"Funny you should ask.. I've been dying to go fly. Quidditch practice starts next week for us and I haven't flown in ages."
"Okay. Have fun. I'll catch up with you later." She smiled, not at all bothered that he wanted to do something she wasn't interested in.
"You don't want to come with me?"
"No. I don't fly. We can meet up later though."
Theo grabbed her hand and started dragging her towards the stairs.
"Let go!" She shrieked, but he only just laughed. "I'm serious, Theo!"
"Live a little."
"I have. I do. And I hate flying." She looked as if she was on the brink of tears.
"Alright, Alright. But will you come hang out while I fly then?"
"I guess I could do that, but don't force me on a broom."
On the way down the the quidditch pitch Theo took this alone time as an opportunity to further his platonic relationship with Hermione.
"Your parents must be proud of you. After what you did for the wizarding world, and for the muggles, too. Who knows where the world would be if it wasn't for you and your lot."
"They.. would be proud." Hermione said quietly.
"Would?" He questioned drawing his eyebrows together in confusion.
Hermione sighed. "They don't even know who I am." She slowed her pace. "I erased their memories in case I didn't make it through so that they wouldn't have to mourn the loss of their only child. But the spell messed up and the healers can't figure out how to fix them."
Theo stopped walking and pulled her into a gentle hug. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. I had no idea." The only response she could give were the sobs she was trying to hold back. This
caused him to hold her even tighter.
"I don't know what that's like, but I do know what it's like to be an orphan. If you ever want or need to talk, Hermione. I'm here."
He could feel the nod of her head letting him know she had heard him. Releasing herself from his hold she hooked her arm in his like she'd done so many times these past couple of weeks and continued towards the pitch.
...
Hermione was in the Gryffindor common room when Ginny came through the portrait hole.
"Hi there, 'Mione. How's is going?"
"Fair. Just reading a book on meditating."
"Okay? I didn't know you were religious."
"Well, I'm sort of religious, but that's not what I'm reading it for. In our bond class, McGonagall said we have to focus our magical energy for The Prick. I figured meditation would be the best route for me."
"Oh, well that makes sense. When do you think you'll do it? Surly it won't take all of term, will it?"
"No, definitely not. It seems that we can do it at our own pace and she's guiding us along. We brewed our potion yesterday. On Monday we will start the next step which involves taking the rose and pricking our finger to sacrifice a few drops of blood in the Goblet of Eros. Once we do that it's a matter of casting our patronus, and that will give us the name of our soul mate."
"Wow. That sounds.. so romantic in a way. And kind of quick. My mum and dad are bonded. Did you know that?"
Hermione rose her eyebrows up in surprise. "No. I had no idea."
"Yes. And professor McGonagall also taught the class back then. Only my mum took it though. She told my dad that he was her soulmate and he was ecstatic. He'd just so happened to have a crush on her, but didn't want to stop her from taking the class in case he ended up not being her soul mate."
"That is so sweet. No wonder they were paired." She smiled. "Well, what's new with you?"
"Not much. Just been trying to prepare for Quidditch. Getting into the groove of studying. You know, the norm." Ginny shrugged. "There's a Hogsmeade weekend coming up. Would you like to grab a drink with me?"
"Of course. I need to go pick up some supplies while I'm there. And Theo owes me a couple of butter beers so I'll need to hold him to it."
Ginny perked up a little bit. "Speaking of Theo, how sweet of him for bringing you those roses. They were beautiful."
"They weren't from him."
"Are you sure? I mean, I just assumed."
"Well, when I asked him to stay behind while I was in the hospital wing he and I didn't find a card with them and he acted like he didn't know who they were from."
"That's strange. Maybe you have a secret admirer." Ginny smirked. "And yes, I know. Now is a terrible time. But it's still romantic to think someone might fancy you. You are one of the hottest and smartest witches in the school, no, entire wizarding world."
"Oh, hush, Gin. You're making me lose my appetite. I was just about to ask if you wanted to go to the great hall and grab some food. Never mind." She fake gagged.
...,.
Sometime later in the great hall Hermione, Ginny, Harry, Neville, Seamus and quite a few of the regular Gryffindors were at their table enjoying a relaxed weekend meal.
As usual, the other houses were at their respectable tables. Nothing was out of the norm until a certain Slytherin decided to change things up. The talk dark headed young man bid his classmates farewell with notice that he would like to share dessert with his newfound friend.
Theo rose from his table and instead of heading towards the exit of the great hall, he walked over to what would normally be his rival house and took a seat next to Hermione.
"Hello beautiful." He smiled. "Harry, Red. Good to see you." Both Ginny and Harry bid him a hello."
Neville was a bit shocked, but chose not to say anything knowing that Hermione was a big girl and could handle herself if needed. He was more surprised when Hermione greeted him back and looked happy.
"Hi Theo. What brings you over to the lions den?"
"Oh, you know. Just stirring up commotion as usual. I wanted to bring you this lovely key lime pie that's served over at the Slytherin table. I noticed they didn't send any up over here. Would you like some?"
The chatter around the hall went off like fireworks. It wasn't news that Hermione and Theo had a friendship going, but him leaving his fellow snakes to join the lions seemed to cause an uproar among the other students. The calm conversation between the two did the opposite for Neville though. He was still watching out of concern but quickly realized he may not have anything to worry about after all.
"That looks delicious. We have apple pie. I'll trade you." She smiled at him.
"Great." He grinned at her as they exchanged desserts. "I actually came to talk to you about next weekend as well. It's hogsmeade and I owe you a few drinks. Would you like to go with me? Not as a date, of course."
"Yes, I'd love to. Gin and I were going to meet up. We can all just go together."
"Err.. I .. uh. I invited Draco and Blaise as well."
Ginny turned her head at the mention of the blonde ferrets name and chimed into their conversation. "Has he found his marbles yet? I think he owes Hermione a decent apology after that shite one he gave her."
Hermione completely forgot to tell Ginny earlier when they were catching up that Draco had actually given her a decent apology. "Oh, sorry. I forgot to fill you on that. He did apologize. I'll tell you later."
"Okay. Well, as long as he behaves then I don't mind us all going as a group."
This made Theo smile. "Does that settle it then, Hermione?"
"Ugh. Only for you." She teased playfully.