Chapter 20

Dinner was a strained affair for everybody, but especially Hermione. Dumbledore's announcement of Slytherin as the winner of the House Cup was met with barely polite applause from the remainder of the school and was subdued even at the Slytherin table. Hermione wondered if that was just what the castle had been like since she'd been in the hospital.

When the food appeared on the table in front of her Hermione gingerly reached forward and began serving herself a few small portions.

"Welcome back, Hermione," said Neville, who was sitting across from her. "Are you feeling okay, do you need any help?"

"Thank you, Neville. And I'm fine, just sore. I don't have much of an appetite but I'm certain that Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum over there," she hooked a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the Slytherins, "are watching me like hawks and will be over here to force feed me if I don't make a real effort."

"They seemed sweet to me," said Parvati who was tilting her head like she was trying to figure something out.

Hermione nodded and contemplated what she was about to say. Draco and Teddy may not thank her for it, but she thought her housemates could use a little insight into what they were really like. The Gryffindors had a lot of reasons to dislike her boys, especially Draco, but there was more to them than the image they projected, they were still just teenagers, and they certainly were not their fathers. Which was a confusing thought for her in and of itself as it felt like a betrayal of two men who she still loved very much, almost against her own will.

"They are," she agreed, "very sweet." She reached up and touched the calla lily adorning her chignon, "this is from Draco. And he's been the one helping me with my hair." Hermione actually heard a collective sigh from the witches around her. "And I understand how it's difficult for them to be apart from me right now, but I've basically been locked in a room with them for the past ten days so I'm also ready to knock their heads together."

Parvati giggled.

"So what?" Asked Ron, "Malfoy's your hairdresser now?"

He was seated further from her than he usually would have been and Hermione was actually surprised he was acknowledging her at all.

"It's a perfectly respectful thing for a wizard to do for his witch. My father used to help my mother with hers, she had hair like mine," she answered quietly, but as soon as she realized what she had said she snapped her mouth closed as she would never intentionally use her mother's memory like that.

There was a beat of uncomfortable silence before Dean, bless him, who was seated on her other side and had been sitting silent and stiff as a board before this moment said: "So, it's okay if we still call you Hermione?"

"Hermione, Calliope, whatever you prefer. As you probably heard the boys say, my family used to call me Calla. Teddy calls me Twin. Draco still sometimes calls me Granger, at this point I'd probably answer to just about anything," she shot him a little grin and he smiled at her in return.

"I've found it's generally easiest to just call out 'I'm headed to the library!' and she comes running," Harry quipped.

"Oh Harry Potter, you're not fooling anybody, going to the library has never been your idea." She turned to grin at her friend and he cracked one in return. She breathed a sigh of relief, maybe they would be okay after all.

The rest of dinner was quiet but Hermione kept bracing herself for the hostility she had assumed she would face. It never came, but the possibility kept her tense all through the meal. Finally she decided to excuse herself even though it was tradition to linger at the Leaving Feast to finish saying your goodbyes for the summer.

As she started to rise from the table Harry immediately stood and helped her up. "Leaving already?"

"Yeah, I'm still healing and the trip back on the Express is always tiring, I should get to bed."

"I'll walk you back to the Tower."

"That's not necessary Harry, I'm sure Draco and Teddy will be along momentarily."

"I wouldn't want to be accused of not taking care of you."

Hermione rolled her eyes to herself. She could see a lot more male posturing in her future.

"Pav and I will walk with her until they catch up," Lavender suddenly piped up. Hermione looked at the other girl to see her looking back with a strangely hopeful expression.

"Thank you Lavender. See, Harry, my roommates will take care of me."

Harry looked at her doubtfully but sat back down. Hermione stepped away from the table and Lavender and Parvati came over and gently each took one of her arms.

"Are you really okay? With everything, I mean? We realize there's a lot going on with you," Parvati asked with a gravity Hermione had only occasionally heard from the witch, and she was touched by her concern, so she decided to be totally honest.

"Physically I'll be fine. I'm still working through everything else."

"We wanted to come see you but we weren't sure if we were allowed," Lavender added.

Hermione looked between her roommates and saw open expressions of concern on both of their faces and she wanted to kick herself. They were not close, but they had lived together for five years. They had a certain camaraderie. And earlier this year they'd trusted her enough to join Dumbledore's Army. It should have occurred to her that they would be worried. Yet she hadn't considered them, hadn't invited them to visit her with the rest of her friends, hadn't even sent them a note.

"Oh, you would have been welcome. I'm sorry. I should have checked in. Like you said, there's just been a lot going on and I didn't think."

"It's okay, we understand, we just wanted you to know we were thinking of you."

"Thank you," she said quietly. Then she heard the sound of feet slapping against the stone floor approaching them rapidly from behind. "I apologise in advance for them, they really are very overprotective."

The girls just giggled.

Draco and Teddy caught up to them right before they reached the entrance to the Hall and circled around to stand in front of them.

"What are you doing?" Teddy demanded.

"Walking to Gryffindor Tower, you know, where we live?"

"I thought you were spending the night with me?" Asked Draco, visibly pouting.

"I said I would think about it," she corrected.

"Calla, please."

She sighed. The truth was that she questioned her ability to sleep well by herself, if at all. Even with Draco holding her and Teddy in the next bed she'd had nightmares nearly every night she'd been in the hospital wing. But as much as the boys' care and concern were appreciated, she also hated feeling like a damsel in distress.

"How is it even a question?" Asked Lavender.

Hermione shot her a look but the other witch just arched an eyebrow at her. Hermione sighed, taking her point - her cold empty bed versus being snuggled in with her handsome betrothed, which wasn't even against school rules. It wasn't a question.

"Okay," she agreed. "But I still want to go back to the tower for awhile: get packed, hang out with my friends, just be in my room again. You should go to the dungeons and celebrate with your housemates and then you can come and get me before curfew."

They exchanged a glance but nodded. "Allow us to escort you ladies to your Tower though," said Teddy, extending an arm to Parvati who was standing closest to him.

Hermione sighed but then she considered that it might not be such a bad thing to give Lavender and Parvati the opportunity to actually talk to them. Draco took the arm that Parvati had released and looked at Lavender. "Would you please stay on her other side in case she needs more help?" He asked.

"I'm not that fragile," Hermione objected automatically.

"How many staircases have you climbed since you were injured, Calla?" He paused to let her think about that and she knew he realised the moment reality set in. "That's right, zero. Truth is, we don't really know what you're physically capable of at the moment, so could you just cut me some slack and not push yourself? You almost died, and then you almost died again right in front of me! Do you have any idea what that was like?" His breath hitched and he looked away from her.

Hermione closed her eyes as her heart sank. Merlin, but he was right. She was being such a brat, and all for the sake of her pride. "I'm sorry Dragon. It's no excuse, but I'm not used to relying on other people."

"Let's just go," he murmured, but he squeezed the hand resting on his arm.

"This is your betrothal piece?" Lavender asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence once they'd started moving and gently touching the wrist adorned with her dragon bracelet.

"It is. Isn't it gorgeous?" She lifted her arm so Lavender could get a closer look.

"Ohhh," she cooed, "it is. Very unique."

"Did you pick it out?" Parvati wondered, looking at Draco.

He cleared his throat. "I did. It's a Malfoy heirloom, but I chose it for Calla."

"Well you have good taste. And Hermione's hair looks great."

Draco groaned and narrowed his eyes playfully at Hermione. "You told them about that? Are you trying to completely emasculate me?"

"Oh please," she scoffed. "Now, instead of just half of the girls in Gryffindor being jealous of me, all of them are...and a fair few boys, I imagine."

Draco just glared.

"She's not wrong," snorted Lavender.

"Hey!" Hermione objected with a laugh, "he's taken!"

"Oh that is very obvious," she responded, but there was no bite in it.

"I, on the other hand, am very much single," Teddy chimed in with a significant look at Parvati.

Hermione felt her eyes go wide but shook it off, she didn't have the energy at the moment to begin to unpack what that might mean.

A few minutes later, with a fair amount of embarrassing huffing and puffing on Hermione's part they reached Gryffindor Tower. Then, with even more effort, the three witches were ensconced in their dorm room.

Hermione perched at the end of her bed and Lavender spun around to face her. "So, Draco Malfoy?" She squealed, putting one finger in her mouth and biting down on it to accentuate her meaning.

Hermione felt herself flush. "I know. He's…"

"Intense," Parvati supplied. "The way he looks at you, I swear it could set you on fire. It would be weird to be around you, but it's also really sweet. Which is weird in a different way because he's usually…"

"A complete and utter prat?" Hermione interrupted. Both girls laughed. "It's a defense mechanism, to keep people distant," she paused and bit her lip, but then she decided: in for a penny, in for a pound. "He's had a hard time since I was kidnapped."

"Oh, wow, that actually makes a lot of sense," said Lavender.

"Well that," Hermione's lips twitched, "and he actually is an entitled git who throws a fit whenever he doesn't get his way."

They both laughed again.

"It must have been hard for Theo too, losing his sister like that," said Parvati who shrugged when the two other witches looked at her at her apparent non-sequitur. "I have a twin too. I know that Padma and I aren't always on the same page, but I can't imagine what it would be like if she suddenly wasn't there." She rubbed the heel of her palm against her breast bone.

"It felt like that," Hermione said, pressing her own hand to her chest. "An ache, a longing, heavy within me all the time. And I didn't even know what I was missing, I can't imagine how much worse it probably was for him."

"Merlin," Lavender breathed.

There was a pregnant pause and Hermione gathered her courage. "Not that I'm complaining, but everybody, you two in particular, seem to be taking the news of my identity and my betrothal really well. A lot better than I expected, if I'm being honest."

They exchanged a nervous glance.

"Whatever you have to say, just say it."

"Neville kind of made it clear to us Gryffindor DA members that we needed to consider that this might be hard for you and to not be stupid about how we reacted to you."

"He was pretty hot when he did it too," Lavender added.

Hermione considered that. Like all the boys, Neville had grown up significantly in the past couple of years. He'd shed the baby fat that had made him seem so young and awkward when he'd arrived at Hogwarts and started to come into his own magically. All he'd needed was an infusion of confidence.

"And Harry's been backing him for the past couple of days, nobody's keen to cross him these days. Plus," she was quick to add, "we've been living in the same room for five years, we know you."

Hermione felt guilt settle in her stomach. She'd never given them the benefit of the doubt like this. She got up and began to rifle through her trunk, just for something to occupy herself in order to disguise her embarrassment. But what she found only made her feel worse. Piles and piles of muggle clothing. Aside from her uniform she only had a couple of sets of witches' robes.

She saw it all in a new light now: all the times her roommates - both traditional purebloods in their own ways - had given her suggestions for where she could buy casual robes, the cuts which might suit her, the best colors for her. And then there had been her hair, they had spent the first few years living together offering to help her with it. Lavender, who had curly hair herself, often suggested products for her to try. She had thought they were making fun of her, but maybe they had just been trying to help her fit in.

She fell back onto the end of her bed and covered her face with her hands. "I'm sorry, I think I may have misjudged you two completely."

"It's okay," Lavender patted her hand, "we figured it out awhile ago, we just couldn't figure out how to tell you without being completely insulting."

"Thank you for trying to look out for me."

They exchanged another uncomfortable look.

"What?"

"Well, speaking of...there's something you need to know."

Hermione let out a long breath. This was the longest fortnight of her life. "I think it's safe to say that I'm not going to like whatever you have to say, so just tell me."

Lavender and Parvati nodded at each other, seeming to silently agree how to broach the subject.

"Okay," Lavender began, "so here's the thing. We know you don't really listen to gossip. But I think, after this year you have to admit that it can be a remarkably efficient tool."

Hermione nodded and in that moment decided to never cross these girls. They had depths which she'd allowed herself to be blind to because she was threatened by their looks and their social status even though she'd known that they both got better grades than Ron and Harry.

"But I think even you must have noticed Pansy Parkinson's interest in Draco?"

Hermione snorted, but nodded again.

"She's been spreading it around that she and Draco have been intimate since around the time he took her to the Yule Ball last year."

Blood rushed in Hermione's ears. "Intimate?"

"Yeah," Lavender's eyes softened in sympathy. "As in, going all the way. Some of her stories have been pretty explicit."

For a moment jealousy raged through Hermione's system and she was ready to march down to the dungeons and confront her betrothed. But then she remembered the truly stunned look on his face when she had asked him about the possibility that he might be dating Pansy, the way he'd turned bright red at the mere sight of her bikini clad body, and the memory of his hesitant touches; none of which were the reactions of an experienced wizard. And when it came down to it, she trusted Draco to tell her the truth.

However, the other witches apparently took Hermione's silence for anger.

"But Hermione," Parvati interrupted her thoughts, "some of the things she's been saying just seem kind of…" she looked to Lavender for assistance.

"Outlandish," the other witch provided, and Parvati nodded in agreement.

"I mean, does he actually have a dragon tattoo on his hip?"

Hermione couldn't help it, she burst out laughing and shook her head. "Merlin, if you're going to lie, at least be good at it!"

Lavender and Parvati both smiled and seemed to relax. "Does that mean it's not true?"

"I can tell you for certain that Draco doesn't have any tattoos." Hermione smirked. "But don't spread that around." However, as soon as she spoke she rethought her words. "Actually, you know what, go ahead and spread that around."

Her roommates looked at her like she'd just granted them an early Christmas.

"What else has she been saying?"

"Basically just that they've done it in practically every broom cupboard in the castle."

Hermione frowned. Pansy was risking her reputation to spread that around; without any kind of promise from Draco, it didn't make any sense.

Lavender and Parvati shared another glance. Merlin but they were experts at silent communication.

"Please just spit it out, I'm not that fragile."

"Before the announcement in the Prophet there was already a rumour going around that you - Calliope - had been found, and it was like Pansy couldn't shut up about what she'd been up to with Draco for the past two years…" Lavender trailed off, but then she began speaking again with an apologetic shrug. "But she couldn't back away from her claims fast enough when she realized that your betrothal was blood bound."

Hermione would blame her injury on the fact that it took her a full thirty seconds to catch onto the other witch's insinuation.

"She was trying to sabotage my betrothal with Draco?"

"That's what we thought, yes," answered Parvati quietly.

"She thought she could make my father cancel our contract if Draco was in breach," Hermione continued, speaking only to herself, feeling like a fool. She should have suspected. A witch like Pansy Parkinson, who was audacious enough to accuse her of using love potions on two of the most famous wizards in their world would not rest on her laurels, waiting for the day that Draco would give up on Calliope. She would take action. She had taken action.

And now she would regret it.

"Hermione, what are you thinking?" Lavender asked. Hermione looked up to see a downright Draco-esque smirk on the blonde's face. "Because I think we'd very much like to help."

Parvarti nodded enthusiastically.

Hermione grinned at them. "I think that this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Author's Note: Happy Easter weekend to you all, I hope you're staying home and safe! For fans of 'An Unexpected Malfoy,' just FYI, I plan to update tomorrow. I am taking this month to focus on that fic but I've kept a few things on the backburner for y'all and given the way things are going, I'm really glad I did. Thank you to Weestartmeggie for being an amazing alpha/beta. And thank you for reading!