TW: Eating disorder mention, self harm mention, child abuse mention.
"Are you planning on telling her?" Lucius laid on his side as he kissed down his wife's bare neck and shoulder.
Narcissa rolled on to her back, clutching their silk sheets to keep her chest covered. Even after decades of marriage where they explored every inch of each other's bodies thousands of times, she always tried to regain her modesty after they made love by keeping herself covered. Lucius found the little act adorable as he had never met anyone who was more of a lady. "Telling who, what, my love?"
Lucius propped himself on one elbow and looked down at Narcissa, looking over the fine features of her face. "Are you going to tell Hermione about her memories being tampered with?"
Narcissa gave a small pout as she briefly thought about it again. "No. I don't see how anything positive would come out of it."
Lucius was surprised by the answer. "Would you not do the same for Draco if the roles were reversed?" He asked deciding to challenge her own demands on how they were to raise Hermione.
"No," She said without hesitation, proving she had thought about that already. She ran her hand through the hair that dangled in front of his face. "I would do the same. Or at least I wouldn't tell them anytime soon. Andromeda has reported that she's getting better, but Hermione is still fragile. She deserves to know, but we shouldn't bring it up to her if she isn't ready."
Narcissa's command was subtle, but he had not missed it. "I see." He kissed her fingers that still had his hair over them then sighed into her palm, thinking about all the work that still needed to be done with the gala being less than three months away. "I should go to the study, I still have to find an orchestra and reach out to several decorators." He sat up and Narcissa followed.
"You don't have to do that right now." She wrapped her arms around his waist and lightly bit him on the shoulder making him laugh.
"I'm restless. I said I would stop working for a few months to focus on Fudge and the Gala, but now I don't know what to do. I was always doing paper work, doing research or something."
"You forgot to mention bribing, black mailing, intimidating-"
"No, no, I mentioned all of those things just now. I simply used the politically correct terms." He gave her a playful smirk and she gave him a playful smack on his waist. He grabbed her hand and kissed it before getting up. Lucius did not share Narcissa's ideas of modesty when it came to his body and had no qualms about strutting in front of her. "The gala is hardly a challenge for me."
"Just wait until a week before the actual gala, then it will be challenging once everyone you hired starts to cancel. By the way, you speak of decorators, but you haven't even told me the theme you picked for the gala."
Lucius looked at her, grinning as he was proud of what he had decided on. "Hosting the gala is not just to fund raise for it, but to encourage others to open their homes to children, correct?"
Narcissa raised an eyebrow, curious that Lucius was repeating her points back to her. "Yes."
"And we are asking proud wizards to consider muggle born and muggle children correct?"
"All children, not just a specific group of children." She corrected.
Lucius nodded his understanding. "So then we must play to their egos: The theme is Gods and Goddesses. We make them feel like they have the power to change a life for the better."
Narcissa's eyebrows shot up. The idea was nearly ingenious as memories of socializing with Death Eaters resurfaced. She literally heard them refer to themselves as Gods and when she re-entered back into society after their trials were over, she realized over the years that pure bloods and blood supremacists had the tendency to adopt that same mentality. Narcissa assumed that Voldemort already knew this, and had made sure that all acts made by the Death Eaters were tragedies. If wizards were inclined to think they were untouchable then what better way to have everyone bow in fear than prove them wrong? "Do you think it'll work?"
"I know it will."
Narcissa grinned at excitement that was starting to fill her. "It's been ages since we hosted something and we're finally taking that bastard down."
Lucius laughed at her zeal and walked over to their closet to put on his favorite black silk robe. When he came back out, Narcissa had slipped into their bathroom.
Hearing him enter their bedroom again, Narcissa poked her head outside the bathroom door. "Are you sure you have to go right now? I was hoping you would join me." She nearly purred the last part and gave a coy smile.
Lucius' body was already reacting to her invitation before his feet moved towards their bathroom door. "I suppose bathing before working wouldn't hurt."
Hermione was in Ancient Runes on Wednesday, dating the top of her parchment, when she felt someone sit next to her. She looked up and was mildly surprised to see it was Blaise.
"Oh, hullo." Hermione moved her things over, glancing back to see Draco glaring at Blaise. Hermione's stomach dropped when she looked back at Blaise.
"Ciao, bella." Hermione watched out of the corner of her eye as Blaise took out parchment and quill along with his wand, placing it beside his parchment. It was something most students did, even when they did not have practical lesson, but Hermione now preferred to keep her wand holstered at all times. She waited for Professor Babbling to start the lesson, pretending she was not hyper aware of Blaise's presence.
"Whatever he said, he regrets it."
Hermione looked over at Blaise's parchment, but not up at him. "Sorry?"
"You know who I'm talking about." Hermione glanced back at Draco who had his arms crossed over his chest, still glaring at the back of Blaise's head.
"Then why hasn't he said anything to me?"
"Same reason you haven't said anything to him." Blaise gave her a cheeky smile that made both of the dimples in his cheeks appear. The dark-complexioned Italian had caught the eye of many from all houses. Even Parvati, who swore she would never befriend with a Slytherin, admitted she wouldn't mind making an exception for him.
Hermione, slightly affronted, glared at Blaise before turning back to the front of the classroom. "You don't know what you're talking about." Hermione had replayed the scene of her and Draco's last argument several times in her head over the past few days. She couldn't understand why Draco got so offensive, and while she was not on good terms with Ron and Harry, she wouldn't tolerate them being attacked. They didn't know they had trapped her in the bathroom with a troll in their first year and she never did their homework for them. She made them do their own work and helped them with corrections.
"Maybe not," Blaise's head rolled to the side as he waved a hand in the air as he spoke. "Maybe you can tell me? Draco is, ah, a bit reserved when it comes to what he is feeling." He gave her a small smile in an attempt to charm her. Hermione raised her eyebrows, considering giving in. Blaise had always always acted as if she had never existed until they had to work together this year. He was always kind and never gave a reason for her not to trust him. She opened her mouth to tell him 'no', when the Professor decided then was the time to start her lecture. Both Hermione and Blaise stopped and provided their undivided attention for the rest of the class, leaving Hermione to hope that Blaise would leave the topic dropped.
When the lesson was over, Hermione tried to rush to a deserted area to use the time-turner, but Blaise quickly caught up to her, much to her disappointment. "Why are you in such a hurry?"
"I really have to go-"
"There isn't another time for us to talk, and I really would like to see Draco in a better mood again. He hasn't stopped hexing the first years since Saturday-"
"WHAT?" Hermione stopped in her tracks, grabbing Blaise's arm to spin him around when he didn't stop next to her.
Blaise put his hands up in surrender, a small smile on his lips. "Kidding- He has been in a bad mood though and I had grown accustomed to him being in a better mood since you two had become friends. He was much easier to manage."
"Ugh," Hermione started to stomp off, but Blaise followed.
"Just tell me the quick version."
Hermione stopped exasperated. "Why are you so persistent?"
Blaise shrugged a shoulder, one palm up in the air. "Slytherins are determined."
She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. The comment briefly reminded her of a conversation with Dr. Augsen long ago. "Do you really believe your personality traits are set for the rest of your life at the age of eleven?" Blaise rubbed the back of his head being caught completely off guard by the question and did not know how to reply. "Forget it! I need to get to class, Blaise." Hermione waved her hands in front of her face and nearly ran off.
"We have the next class together!" Hermione was about to start running when she felt a hand close around her arm. She whirled around and saw it was Harry, who was currently being escorted to his next class by Fred, George, and Ron.
"Let go of me, Harry!" Hermione wrenched her arm away and Blaise caught up to her. Blaise approached her side and Ron took a step closer to Hermione, eyeing Blaise.
"Back off, Zabini." The red head nearly growled trying to intimidate the black haired boy.
Hermione, looping her arm around a surprised Blaise's arm, glared at Ron. Ron looked at their intertwined arms like he wanted to rip them off, but Hermione refused to move or shrink back. She knew they hadn't seen her trying to get away from Blaise and used that fact to her advantage. "Why are you telling my friend to back off?" All four Gryffindor boys looked at her as if she was talking speaking Greek and Blaise stiffened. She looked up at Blaise's face and saw that it betrayed nothing as it was fixed in an expression of mild annoyance at the Gryffindors before him.
"He's in Slytherin, Hermione. Our match- the quidditch final- is against them next Saturday." Harry spoke slowly, entirely confused by her actions. It almost sounded as if he was talking to a five-year old and it made her nails dig into her palms in anger.
"Funny you mention that," Hermione abandoned the hope of not having to use the time-turner more than she needed to. Instead, she decided to start her bit of revenge on Ron and Harry. Hermione, was grinning as she spoke, "Blaise and I were just talking about the upcoming game."
Fred and George exchanged a look. Hermione had already told most of her third year class, along with the Gryffindor quidditch team, what she planned and had gotten their promise of silence. A lot of her house, the twins included, were inclined to help her as they didn't agree with Harry and Ron on the episodes they witnessed in the common room.
"Why would you be talking about the game with a Slytherin for?" Ron asked. His eyes darted from Blaise to Hermione, completely confused.
"I can talk to my friends, about anything I want to." She copied the same tone he did when he had said 'Slytherin.' "It's nothing regarding strategy- not that I would know anything anyway, since I've been kept out of the loop for so long." Hermione had a flippant tone which seemed to make her words sting more. "I'm just going to be cheering for them in the upcoming game and wanted to ask Blaise to lend me a flag or a noisemaker to show my support." She turned to Blaise who had a question in his eyes but said nothing. "Perhaps a flag since we are nearing summer."
Blaise played along, "That would be a better choice."
Harry immediately looked hurt and Ron turned a violent shade of red. Hermione tucked a stray lock behind her ear looking at them as Blaise placed a hand in his pocket, where Hermione observed from class earlier, was the pocket that he kept his wand in. George leaned in to Ron's ear and said something that convinced the younger Weasley to leave without another word. "Harry, we ought to get to class." George tried, nodding at the nearly deserted hallway, but Harry glanced from Blaise to Hermione again.
"Hermione, we should have been there for you. It was wrong of us to -"
Hermione could feel the signs of her resolve starting to weaken and her determination soften, but she ignored it. Looking at her watch, she spoke over Harry as if he had not started speaking in the first place. "We're late for our lecture, Blaise. I'll see you around, Harry, yeah?" She pulled Blaise away from Harry and the twins. She was thankful that Blaise did not object and stayed silent until they were out of ear shot.
"Do you always push people away?" His voice was full of curiosity and when she glanced at him he was giving her an oddly serious look. In the short time she had interacted with Blaise he was never so serious and it caught her off guard.
"I don't push people away." Hermione she felt completely defensive at his accusation.
"Draco... Might have told me about what happened Saturday." Hermione whirled around, gritting her teeth in anger at his confession and stopped to look at him. "He also told me that they," Blaise pointed a thumb over his shoulder where they had left Harry, "have not talked to you for months, yet you aren't accepting their apologies. While I know Draco is not someone you have always gotten along with," Hermione almost wanted to snort at the understatement, but respected Blaise enough not to. "He's making an attempt to get along well with you."
"Why are you so concerned about Draco and I getting along?"
Blaise was silent for a moment, pondering what he should say next before deciding on a vague truth. "I consider him to be a good friend. He was one of the few who accepted me for who I am." Hermione wanted to say she was surprised to hear something like that, but she wasn't. He had shown her there was more to the bully he had been since they first met. "He puts a front, but he needs friends just like anyone else."
"Then maybe he should be told that." Hermione crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one side. Feeling uncomfortable that Blaise was pointing out things that she was trying to ignore. "I don't appreciate him speaking so negatively of my friends who I am working on sorting out right now."
Blaise tutted like an older lady who spent her days gossiping to anyone who would listen. "I can't be the social compass for both of you." Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but he held up a finger. "I don't usually get involved in things. It's not my style, but tell me, you're an only child, right?"
Hermione looked Blaise up and down at his choice of words. "I was."
"Were you any good at sharing things?"
"I didn't have to share... anything." Hermione nearly paused towards the end of the sentence, realizing what Blaise was trying to say and guilt settled in. "Are you saying that Draco is jealous?"
"Incredibly so. He doesn't like sharing, he never had to share and he enjoys having you as a friend, especially one who returns to the manor with him. You make him feel less alone, but if I had to guess, he reacted poorly because having to share anything with the golden boy who gets everything was intimidating. Especially after the risk he took with the announcement he made to all the Slytherins in the beginning of the year."
"Golden boy? Do you mean Harry? And what announcement? Did Draco tell you all of this?"
Blaise shrugged his both of his shoulders with both palms up this time as if to say he didn't know. "You should ask Draco."
"You know what, even if he did, that is his personal problem." Blaise raised his eyebrows as she crossed her arms over her chest. She didn't meet his eyes, not wanting to see a less than cheerful Blaise. Hermione could see that she now had the habit of either freezing or becoming offensive when threatened with this time being no different. She felt like she was being guilt tripped and wanted the conversation to end.
Thankfully, Blaise was done with the conversation. "You want to push me away, that's fine. I won't chase you like the others, though." He started walking without waiting for a reply, whistling a muggle song that was popular at the time. After he walked a few meters, where he didn't hear her footsteps behind him, he looked back to see Hermione has disappeared, as if she vanished into thin air.
Hermione walked into McGonagall's office a week later where Dr. Augsen was already waiting for their Wednesday session.
"Hello Hermione, how are yo-"
Hermione slammed the door behind her and interrupted her healer. "Why am I like this?"
Dr. Augsen tilted her head to the side. "Why are you like what?" Andromeda studied the girl closely. Something was bothering Hermione to the point she was acting differently. Each session Hermione seemed more awake, more aware, more alive. Not on, what muggles would call, autopilot all the time. Andromeda acknowledged that this could be both a good thing or a bad thing depending on how it was handled.
"This," Hermione gestured to her body like all the qualities she hated about herself would appear in the air between them. Hermione acted as if Blaise's words hadn't affected her all week and she hadn't brought it up to Dr. Augsen on Saturday. She hadn't been ready to accept that she was partially in the wrong- if not completely in the wrong with Draco. "I love Harry and Ron to death. They're friends I would die for and all because they hurt me, I decided to ignore them?" Dr. Augsen blinked, and sat even more straight in her chair. "I was miserable because I was alone, but now that they're trying to make amends I push them away? And then when I make new friends, I decide that oh- their feelings don't matter, so what if they try to put our past behind them, I'm just going to disregard their feelings because I feel like shite so he should too!"
"Hermione!" Dr. Augsen gasped. The gasp was more out of surprise than anger as she was off guard by what the young Gryffindor was saying.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have any other way to describe how I feel in a few words!" Hermione paced in front of the chair she had not bothered to sit in. Hermione had made time to try out meditation over the week, but it ended up with her thoughts filling her head rather than clearing out of her mind. It started as introspection which turned into replaying her arguments and over analyzing them. It was something that caused a fresh type of panic as she felt her brain was shaking a fog she had been in for months. "What is wrong with me?" Hermione placed one hand on her head and another on her hip. "I should be-" Hermione didn't know what she should be, and it infuriated her. She had few resources, but they only seemed to help so much in what she should do. She wished she still had calming draught so she could forget about the problems, even for a little bit. "I should not be doing this. Why am I doing this?"
"Control."
"What?- I mean, sorry?" Hermione slowed her pacing for a second as she looked at Dr. Augsen.
"You're wanting control. Even if it's something that hurts you. Usually people do this by means of disordered eating or self harm, but you seem to try and do it emotionally."
Hermione came to a full stop at that and finally sat down. Of course.
"Well, I should say that you think you do have control, you just had not realized it. Relationships are a two-way street and it seems you have been trying to prove that to yourself." Dr. Augsen had a sad look on her face, choosing to be more open with Hermione as she was on the verge of an episode. Hermione was someone who relied on close relationships, something she had been depriving herself of.
"I'm an idiot." Her voice warbled and the tears started to flow. "I'm so incredibly stupid." Hermione covered her face with her hands and wept into them.
"Ooh," Dr. Augsen cooed as she kneeled in front of Hermione, placing one hand on the girl's knee. "Hermione, don't ever say that about yourself. You are not just intelligent, but you are strong."
"That's absolute poppycock." Hermione angrily swiped at her face. "No smart person sabotages their friendships and relationships with people who she calls her brothers. I told Harry and Ron I was rooting for Slytherin in the upcoming game! When Harry couldn't be at the funeral with me, he sent Hedwig! When Snape had made me look like an idiot in front of the class, Ron was the one who stood up to him and happily served his detention for it. Harry asked Mr. Weasley to-" Hermione started to hyperventilate as she rambled do to her not allowing herself to breath. Dr. Augsen had placed her hands over Hermione's bringing her attention to her sense of touch instead and away from her worsening thoughts.
"But hurt people do and that isn't your fault. Sometimes our brains play tricks on us by making us defend ourselves against a threat that isn't there." Hermione looked at Dr. Augsen with doubtful brown eyes and it made Andromeda think of her own daughter. "Small children often imagine their parents as gods when they're younger, so they don't consider that they will one day die. Over time we grow out of this, but it's slow, and takes literal years. At your age, you may have realized it would one day happen, but it's usually not a serious consideration unless a parent is ill. You did not even have the chance to mentally prepare yourself before you were forced to say goodbye. Loosing parents at any age is hard, Hermione, but you have it more than twice as hard for any adult considering how it happened, too. I'm sure your parents raised you to be practical too, but trauma will cause you to behave irrationally." Dr. Augsen tucked a lock of hair behind Hermione's ear. "That's why I'm here. To help you not just to adjust, but to find that balance in life you had lost."
"Does it ever get easier?" Hermione nearly choked on her sob and she forcibly cleared her throat to continue. "I miss them, every-day- and I just wish they were still here." Hermione collapsed into herself and cried into her lap as Dr. Augsen rubbed her back.
Dr. Augsen didn't say anything until Hermione had calmed down to almost quiet blubbering. "We adjust, we never stop missing them, but we do move on. We have to. Life stops for no one and we wouldn't be serving their memories any justice if we just gave up." Dr. Augsen thought back to a month ago when she heard Hermione had fell off of the astronomy tower. "Your friends won't be mad at you, I'm sure. I believe they are genuinely sorry for how they had treated you. I doubt they would let something so small come between you two again."
Hermione nodded into her lap before lifting her head. Dr. Augsen conjured a box of tissues for Hermione, and Hermione took one, blowing her nose in a way that even she winced at how gross it sounded.
Dr. Augsen reached out to grab the ring on Hermione's necklace. "Remember that you are loved Hermione. They didn't just want you to do great things, but they wanted you to want those great things for yourself, too. It's obvious you're ambitious, too so please, don't give up on yourself. If you have a problem, we can work through it together."
Hermione nodded and grabbed Dr. Augsen, pulling her into a hug. Hermione had not realized how much she missed the contact, but she knew immediately that while a hug from anyone was nice, what she really needed was several from a true friend. Harry, Ron, and Draco.
When Hermione eventually made it back to the hall the Gryffindor common room was located in, Oliver Wood, the quidditch team Captain, had exited the portrait.
"I've been meaning to talk to you all week-" Wood had put a finger in Hermione's face, and she immediately smacked it away.
"How rude-"
"Rude?! I'm not the one who is sabotaging my house's chances of winning by psyching out the seeker!" Wood's face was completely twisted in anger and Hermione thought to herself about the rumors she had about Wood being absolutely barmy over quidditch. She had decided at the beginning of the school year that all had to be true and was slightly leery with being on the receiving end of his anger.
"Well, if you'd get out of my way, I'd be able to talk to him about that." She attempted to side step him, but he mirrored her movement.
"And make him feel worse?"
Hermione huffed as she straightened her posture. It was Wood's last year at Hogwarts so it was almost understandable why he had been strict with the team- it was his final chance to win the cup and it was no secret he was wanting to sign with a professional team after the school year ended. "I want to make up with Harry and I won't be able to undo any 'damage' you think I've done unless you allow me to talk to him, Wood."
Both of them ended up staring each other down, not moving or saying another word until the portrait door swung open, revealing a Harry and Ron who were on their way to dinner. Hermione immediately ran past Wood and threw her arms around her two friends, making them both stumble back into the fat lady and gnomes that were stationed to guard her portrait after Black's last break in. Ignoring the grumbles from the magical creatures and portrait, she nearly broke down completely for a second time that day.
"I've been so stupid! I never want us to fight again! I'm not cheering for Slytherin, I just knew how much you both love quidditch and I wanted you two to know-"
"Hermione, calm down." Harry pulled his neck free from her arm and she pulled both of her hands back and placed them on her face, as if hiding her face would hide the guilt she felt.
"I was wrong, Harry-"
"No, you weren't- we were wrong." Harry had a sorry look on his face and he glanced at Ron.
Ron had his head down, and was hiding behind his bangs. "'Mione, I'm sorry about accusing Crookshanks for eating Scabbers."
"Oh, Ron!" Hermione was so overcome with joy that she nearly knocked Ron over when she gave him a hug. He slowly wrapped his arms around her and Hermione thought the hug felt a little different than the others she had with him, but decided it was her imagination from not having a hug in so long.
"Harry, there was something else I wanted to remind you about the gam-"
"Not now, Oliver." Harry glanced over at Wood then looked back at Hermione. "Can we head to the Great Hall before he starts another rant?"
Hermione was grinning ear to ear as they walked to dinner, overjoyed that there would be no more turmoil between, her, Harry, and Ron. When they got to the Great Hall, she immediately glanced over at the Slytherin table for Draco.
Draco sat facing the Gryffindor table and caught Hermione's eye when she walked in, but not before he noticed the body language between her, Harry and Ron. He turned his eyes down to his food, suddenly feeling his anger from their argument returning. If she wants to surround herself with a couple of twats, fine.
"You good there, mate?" Theo smirked as he ate a bite of the lemon chicken Hogwarts served that night. "Nervous about the game this Saturday?" His eyes drifted to where Hermione and her friends had sat before snapping back to Draco. "Or is our favorite charity case upsetting you again?"
"I don't like that name." Blaise said with a scrunched up face. His back was to Hermione but Theo had recycled the same insult over the last week and half. "It's insulting."
"Congratulations, Blaise- it's supposed to be and that's exactly what she is." Theo turned to Draco with an arrogant look on his face. "I told you not to trust the mudblood. Her kind can't be trusted-"
Draco felt disgusted at the word being used, but said nothing as he zoned out as Theo got into a heated argument with Blaise again. I'm always being told to do something. Draco had thought about arranging to meet with Hermione again, but truth of the matter was he was not just hurt, but prideful. It was a mix of emotions he didn't understand and trying to draw a reasonable reaction from his prior experiences only made him feel worse. No one in Slytherin dared to disrespect him on purpose. If it was an accident, they were set as an example and the issues never happened again. He had given Hermione 'free reign' as Theo had put it, and it back fired. Draco wouldn't entertain what his father would do anymore as he decided his father was way too harsh to his liking. Lucius provided results, but Draco did not feel that violence was always necessary. His mother was a mystery; she had never objected to Lucius' teachings and seemed to agree with them unless it regarded Hermione. Draco found that to be hypocritical as he tried to look at things in black and white. If one mudblood was as bad as Lucius and Theo had said, then they all had to be bad, right? However, even Lucius seemed to turn his cheek with Hermione. Draco recalled the memory of finding them laughing together on the staircase- Draco was too shocked at the sight of his father having a genuine laugh with Hermione to even be jealous of the scene.
"Draco, tell this idiotic pouf that-"
"Pouf?" It took Draco a second to recognize that Blaise repeated the insult Theo just hurled at him as is accent had came in so thick. Blaise went into a rant in Italian that would have made even a lady as rough as Madam Hooch blush.
"I'm leaving." Draco stood up, grabbing a chicken leg from the table and made his way out of the great hall. He glanced at Hermione to see Persephone had delivered a package to her. He briefly wondered what it was that she asked his mother for, but told himself he didn't care to know. Hermione decided at that second to look at him again and her smiled faltered as she watched him leave.
Hermione thought about chasing after Draco, but gripped the package in her hands. She was impulsive by nature which she realized was fine with Harry and Ron, but Draco was different. He had been raised differently, and she had to make her amends differently. Remembering that him and his mother only accepted actions over words, she gripped the package Narcissa sent to her tighter, hoping it was enough.
Draco woke Friday morning with a heavy weight on his chest. It was a weird feeling he had never experienced before, and when he finally opened his eyes, he did not expect to see a pair of yellow cat eyes to greet him. He jumped and flailed his arms, causing Crookshanks to jump back and give an unmistakably disgruntled mew before dropping the parchment he had in his mouth. "Did she send you as payback?" The question came to mind as he thought back to him frightening Hermione in the infirmary before he could remember he was trying not to think about her.
It wasn't the first time that Crookshanks had made it into the Slytherin common rooms so Draco wasn't surprised to see the cat there, but Draco had always been under the impression that Crookshanks visited at his own volition. Crookshanks never had a letter, until now, and Draco was almost equally as surprised to see it was from Hermione.
Draco immediately crumpled up her request to meet later as she was the last person he wanted to see. He even made it a point to sit with his back to the Gryffindor tables for all three meals yesterday so he didn't have to see her bushy head unless it was in class. In his mind he felt like she made a decision. There was no way she would want to be friends with Harry, Ron and him. Harry and Ron wouldn't accept her being friends with Draco and she made it clear how much she valued them.
Draco ignored the nagging part of him saying that he should at least send a note back to decline her invitation while he got dressed, and headed to class. Draco had decided that he would do what he always did when he got overwhelmed with decisions, and let someone else make the decision for him. This time, it wasn't his parents he listened to, but Theo.
Draco wouldn't of had let anyone else get away with what he let Hermione get away with, even if it was Blaise or Theo. Draco knew it was in part because he was trying with her more than he did with others, but if she did not want to give him credit for it, he decided he would no longer bother. Draco scowled into the stairwell leading into his common room. I shouldn't have let so many walls down. She already forgot how bad I can actually be. A shrill sound that was supposed to be giggling caught his attention, and Draco looked in the direction it came from to see it was Pansy. Having a female around was a different pace he happened to like and wondered if he actually gave Pansy the time of day, if she would calm down and offer the same tranquility that Hermione did.
He must have been staring because when he pulled himself from his thoughts, Pansy and Millicent were staring back at him. Pansy gave a small wave as the realization dawned on his face. "Earth to Draco." She giggled again and Draco ignored the nails on chalkboard feeling she gave him.
"Walk with me, Pans." He looked ahead of him as he continued his way out of the common room, but could see her whisper excitedly to Millicent before joining his side.
Hermione discovered after sending Crookshanks off that the ring her parents gave her had fit her. It was almost a comfortable fit though so she wrapped a piece of silver thread around it to make up for the lack of finger it needed. She twirled it nervously as she glanced several times from her book to the Slytherin table at breakfast, waiting for Draco to appear, and get some sign on if he would be meeting her later in the music room.
"Yeew auff right?" Hermione looked over at Ron who was speaking with his mouth full again.
"Ron, please." Hermione was trying not to smile through her grimace, but she couldn't help it. She had missed his annoying habits, too- At least until she got used to them again. "That's so gross."
He took the time to swallow his food and cleared his throat. "Are you all right? You're fidgeting."
Hermione stopped twirling the ring on her finger and immediately glanced over at the Slytherin table to see Draco had arrived with an arm around Pansy Parkinson. She frowned, but replied to Ron anyway, "I'm nervous about the game tomorrow." It wasn't exactly a lie, but she had not meant it how Ron was going to take it.
Ron snorted which caused him to choke. Hermione slapped his back several times and he coughed up another piece of egg. Hermione had the feeling she was all ready over missing his annoying habits. Ron's eyes watered as he waved a hand for her to stop. "Harry's got a Firebolt, 'Mione."
Hermione opened her mouth to reply that Draco did too, but stopped. The school didn't know about Draco's Firebolt as the few who knew about Draco saving her, thought that he chased off a dementor, not that he ran away from the dementor on his new broom. Hermione thought about telling Ron so Harry would know and even out the literal playing field, but telling them felt like betraying Draco. "You're right." Plus, there was still the fact that an almost immature part of her was still bitter.
Ron smiled and shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'I know.' Hermione's eyes drifted back to Draco as she ate her pancakes. She hadn't missed that he sat with his back to her all day yesterday or how he and Pansy sat facing them today. And I'm the one he doesn't find to be subtle? She rolled her eyes and continued eating her food while reading the etiquette book she had propped up on a milk pitcher. She tried to stay focused on the book, but every so often she would find her eyes drifting over to where Draco was, hoping that she didn't completely burn her barely built bridge with him.
Don't go to the music room. Don't leave Pansy. You don't want to be her friend.
"I don't get it, Drakey." Pansy pouted as she placed her chin in her hands. He was trying to teach her how to play Wizard's Chest except despite her reassurances that she wanted to learn, she was acting the complete opposite. "And they keep yelling at me! I can't think!" Draco stopped rubbing his temples at that. She was right, nearly all of her pieces had turned to face her, all shouting for her to listen to Draco as he was genuinely trying to teach her. One rook had even gotten off the chair he was supposed to be sitting on, and waved it at her threateningly.
"Don't call me that- just." He rubbed his face and looked at her. Hermione is literally more fun to be around than Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy, even on days she's just studying instead of talking to me. "Ugh!" He raked a hand through his hair and gripped it. With his other hand he motioned to the chess pieces. "Let's do something else." Draco had been watching the clock anxiously, almost against his will. Hermione knew he wasn't going to be available after classes due to his last quidditch practice of the season, and asked for him to meet her after dinner. Now it was an hour until curfew, and while he was determined to stay his ground, underground in his common room, he was internally trying to fight off the interest he had in what she had to say.
"No, I can do this." Pansy feigned concentration for the twentieth time and Draco let his head fall into his hands while she pretended to think about the different strategies he had went through. With how much he had been pulling at his hair, the gel he used to keep it in place had worn off. Allowing his hair to curl softly towards the ends.
You don't care. She's a spoiled brat. You shouldn't have even tried in the first place.
"You know, I thought you would have gave in by now." Theo said in such a thoughtful manner while he worked on his Arithmancy homework, that Draco would have thought Theo was talking to himself if he hadn't already been thinking about Hermione and the music room.
"He should have given in by now." Blaise gave a sigh, dropping the book he had. "She apologized to me-"
"Pansy," Draco emphasized the name as a signal for his two friends to stop talking about Hermione. "Is trying to think. Can you two stop talking?"
Theo turned back to his school work with a smug expression while Blaise turned to lay on his stomach. Laying on the couch that way, he was facing Draco and Pansy, allowing him to stare at Draco with a hard expression.
"I think I'm going to move- this one?" Pansy pointed to a bishop, but it did not move.
"You have to say it without question and how many places you want to move it, Pans." Draco glanced at the clock again. A little over five minutes had passed. He told himself he would stay in the common room until curfew, but Pansy was not grasping the concept of the game, and Draco's patience was nearly gone.
"I wonder if Potter knows about the Firebolt." Blaise said nonchalantly. Draco froze, staring at the chess set, slowly watching the Bishop move as Pansy said her command. The move took out one of his pawns, but he hardly noticed or cared as he thought of what that meant if Hermione had informed her team that Draco had a Firebolt. It would change everything if Gryffindor knew. He would never admit it out loud, but they had a rather good team. "Word does spread pretty fast around here." Draco knew what Blaise really meant with the last statement: She could have told them by now, you should check.
Why did I not think of that before? If I was Hermione, I would have told my house team.
"It doesn't really matter now anyway- the game is tomorrow. If they know, they know. We can't change how we're going to play in one night after months of practice." Theo said, glancing up at Draco to meet his eyes.
Draco knew Theo was right. However, when Draco looked from Theo to Blaise and locked eyes, Draco knew that he was taking the bait the Italian had laid out. "I need to go for a walk."
"But the game! We're not done!" Pansy looked up at Draco as he stood, her eyes pleading with him to stay.
"We're both tired and I'm anxious about the game tomorrow. We can finish this another time."
Pansy gave a thoughtful look before deciding to accept his promise of them hanging out another day. "Okay." She smiled and walked off towards the girls' dorm.
Theo sat back into his chair. "It's not worth it. Why be friends with someone of her caliber when-"
"Is that what I sound like?" Draco said almost absentmindedly.
"That's exactly what you sound like." Blaise replied without looking up from his book.
Draco chuckled as Theo's stare hardened. "Relax, I just want to know if she told them anything- if she's still there." Draco felt stupid for waiting until the final hour to decide to go. There was a very high chance that she wasn't in the room anymore.
"Sure." Theo rolled his eyes and gathered his things to go back to the dorm. "Just be back before Filch has the chance to catch you. It'd be nice to get the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup this year."
Draco left the commons without another word, knowing that he was practically going to have to run to the music room and back if he wanted to beat the curfew.
Theo looked down at Blaise who was currently stretching and yawning on the couch. "What was that?"
Blaise took his time finishing his yawn before sitting up on the couch. "Hmm?"
"Why, are you so hell-bent on them being friends? Granger is-"
"Different." Blaise finished for him. "That is the same mentality that caused other people to bully me and look down at me, Theo." He paused, waiting to see if Theo would say anything. When he didn't Blaise continued. "I don't want them to be friends, but if he decides she's not worth it, I rather it be from who she is and not what she is."
Theo scoffed. "'Neutral' my arse. You're a hypocrite."
Blaise grinned as he stood and stretched again before letting his hands flop on his thighs. "Maybe, but at least I am a free thinker." Blaise walked over to Theo and leaned in his ear, whispering as if someone would over hear them. "I never had a dad to tell me what to think and how to think. It's an experience I highly recommend."
Blaise winked as Theo drew back, completely offended, before turning to retreat into the boys dorm. Theo tried not to think too hard about what Blaise said. Especially since it was too late to question his father with Nott Sr. had planned for summer.
Hermione glanced down at her watch. Thirty minutes till curfew ends. She knew Filch was already in the hallway, trying to scare off any stragglers wandering around. Hermione grabbed the present she had off the piano seat she was sitting on, and started to make her way to the door. She was disappointed that he didn't come, but she didn't blame him for not wanting to see her.
Hermione was thinking about how early she would need to wake so Persephone could deliver the gift before the game tomorrow, and without anyone noticing she had disappeared when Draco walked into the room. They both froze, neither of them knowing how to react or what to say for once.
Taking a deep breath, Hermione closed most of the distance between them and held out the black velvet gift box. He took it slowly and opened it to reveal a scarf. When he picked it up, he noticed that it wasn't just any scarf, but a vintage, Slytherin scarf. The green was much darker along with the gray lines accenting it. The fabric was slightly heavier than the current scarves students could purchase and the Slytherin crest was much more intricate. "Where did you get this?"
"Narcissa." Hermione took a step closer and watched his reaction to it. "I think it was either her scarf or Lucius' scarf... I did add something to the back of it though." She made to flip over the side that had the crest, but drew her hand back deciding against it. Draco flipped it over and saw that she had embroidered his constellation on to it. Underneath it was his name and-
"'Quidditch Champion - 1994'?" Draco raised an eyebrow and couldn't stop the smile forcing it's way onto his face. He had never received a gift like this before- and he had received a lot of gifts. Jewelry, trips to exotic places, the most expensive tools and brooms, but none had ever been so personal before nor this simple either. He traced a finger over the constellation, noticing there seemed to be gems where the stars should be. "Are they-"
"They're not diamonds or anything. Hermione blushed a little from embarrassed realizing he may not have liked the touch. "They're gems, I just thought it would have added a little something to the scarf and I didn't think I could ask your mother for several diamonds or anything."
He raised an eyebrow, smirking at her. "You think she wouldn't have delivered them?"
She gave a small laugh. "No, I know she probably would have, but that doesn't mean I'm comfortable with it." They both laughed and she ran a hand over her head. "I really would like for us to be friends, you know. I don't care which team wins and I will be rooting for Harry, but I would also be rooting for you." Her eyebrows came together as she thought about what she said. "I feel a bit wrong saying that, but I care for both of you and it's true."
Draco thought about what he said and decided he wouldn't get upset over it. "I like it." He lifted one end of the scarf again as if he was appraising it. "Even if it isn't worth a single galleon." He was clearly joking and she rewarded him was a punch in his arm, reminding him of the book he threw at her. "But if we're going to be friends, you need to stop hitting me."
Hermione's eyes widened as she thought about how Lucius had abused him throughout the years. "That was stupid of me."
"It's just your reaction- brute force is a trait Gryffindor's have." She smiled again and rolled her eyes. "So are Potty and Weasel going to be accepting of us hanging out?" He kept his eyes on the scarf, focusing on the details of her work instead of looking at her. Everyone at arm's length...
"I figured we would continue to keep it a secret."
Draco looked up at that, feeling the weight from his shoulders disappear. "You, keep a secret for them? Impossible." Draco sent the last word in a very thick French accent to keep their moods light.
"Oh, stop." Hermione giggled and looped a finger into her collar to pull out the gold chain of the time-turner. "What's one more secret?" It was a front, it still unnerved her to keep secrets from them, but she learned a bit about being independent being without them for nearly four months.
Draco nodded once, noticing she was wearing the ring that he often kept on her necklace, but decided to comment on it another time. "Touche."
Her eyes fell to the floor as she debated doing something she had contemplated since he walked in. "We're... We are going to be friends, right?" She thought about him eating with Pansy earlier, and wondered if he was trying to make it apparent that he was trying to replace her.
Draco opened his mouth to crack another joke, right as she looked back up at him. He imagined her doll eyes would become a weakness for him. "Friends." He stuck out a hand like he had for Harry on their train first year. He expected for her to shake his hand but instead she smiled a smile that did not allow any room for her huge buck teeth to hide, and threw her arms around him.
His hands flew to her shoulders as it was his immediate reaction to push her off, especially when the hair on the top of her head stood straight up, assaulting his sharp nose. It forced her smell of honey and citrus to be inhaled and he couldn't say he was mad at how lovely the smells were. He hesitated to hug her back at first, and used a hand to smooth down the hair on her head, deciding to test if she would pull away. He thought it was stupid for him to do that as she was hugging him, but Draco was always on guard. When he was sure she wasn't going to pull away, he wrapped his arms around her, taking a deep breath as his eyes drifted lower.
Draco could feel the rush of endorphins that his body was sending throughout his body. He liked hugs, and was so deprived of them that he forgot how nice it felt to receive one. His eyes had almost drifted fully shut when she jumped back looking up at him wide-eyed. "Curfew!" Hermione looked at her watch and saw they had two minutes until Filch and Mrs. Norris would be hunting the halls, detentions at the ready.
Draco and Hermione slipped out into the hallway, but did not move from behind the tapestry. Draco scanned the hall and turned to Hermione, nodding to let her know that the coast was clear. Both of them took off in a sprint, heading to opposite staircases that would take them both back to their respective common rooms. Draco was just about to descend his staircase when she called out to him.
"Wait," He turned and saw she was already up three steps on the one leading to Gryffindor tower. "Good luck tomorrow."
He smiled and she ran up the staircase. Draco was able to make it back to the dungeons without any issues. He was grateful that Theo had not decided to wait up for Draco as he realized after climbing into bed that he completely forgot to ask about the Firebolt.
A/N: Thank you sticking through these last two chapters guys. The next couple of chapters may take me a bit longer to come out with as A LOT will be happening. Thank you again for reading.
Alice Helena: You're the sweetest.
Guest: Oh, thank you!
MotekElm: Thank you :)
Anika Cobriana: Thank you!
CharmedMistletoe: Thank you, haha. I really try to keep Draco's goofy spirit alive in my fic xD
