She placed a cap on the vial of pixie tears. The pastel pink liquid sparkled lightly in the woodland sun. Neville had formed this part of the greenhouse after the Forest of Dean and she always took immense comfort in it.
"Alright, wrap it up Malfoy." Hermione glanced over to where the half a meter tall pixies flitted around him. Their stained glass wings made up the length of their entire body. Small garments made of flowers and leaves twisted around impossibly thin forms. A soft bed of violets and green tufts of fern framed his sun dappled face. His eyes flashed with a quiet unending sadness as his lips pulled into a gentle smile. He was heartbreakingly beautiful and it set the small fairies to tears. Which was precisely what they needed.
"Finite." She muttered. The spell broke and he returned to just Draco, replacing the sensitive injured soul with a scowl that scared off the remaining spectators.
"Fair weather folk." He huffed, gracefully rising to a sitting position.
"Fun spell." She smiled and picked a blade of grass off his ear.
"Pretty useless though. It really only works when you are in a natural setting and you must remain completely still." He dove into the basket she set down, roving for their lunch.
"Then why do you know it?" Hermione herself didn't have much room in her mind for useless spells. There were only so many wand movements and incantations one could remember before her head exploded.
"My mom would cast it when I was a kid. I would insist on being the knight who came to rescue her. So she needed to look like a princess. Malfoys don't half do anything."
"Aw that's so cute!" Hermione squealed a bit. Thinking of tiny, pleasant Draco in an ill fitting suit of armor with a toy shield was adorable.
"No it was childish." He huffed, closing up the basket. "Didn't you pack a bottle opener?"
"You're a wizard." She scoffed scooping up her own bottle. She aimed her wand at the soda and muttered an opening spell. The spell pinged against the cap before absorbing into it and disappeared. "Oh."
"Most magical sodas can't be opened by a charm." He stated as if she should already know that.
"What? Why not?"
"What would happen when the shop owners would cast an opening charm when unpacking the box?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow. Seeing her scowl he set about looking for a twig. "I will just transfigure something."
"No it's fine. I can just ask Luna to send one down." She waved her wand and a small spurt of silver light leaped out of her wand. It circled the air before forming into the image of a large rook and settling on a branch. "Luna, can you send us a bottle opener?"
The bird took wing, crashing into the undergrowth with a burst of smoke.
"What made it change?"
"I started using a new memory. It was different enough from the old one that it didn't make the same creature."
"What was wrong with the old one?"
"It stopped working." At that moment a small silver bottle opener appeared in the air and hung there.
"What was your old memory?" Draco swiped at the tool and set to work on opening the sodas.
"The day I found out I was a witch." She watched him flick the cap open with ease before handing her the drink. As if on queue a niffler dug its way up from the ground next to him patiently waiting for the discarded caps.
"I can see why that wouldn't be all that joyful anymore. " He tossed the small mole the glittering buttons of metal. It happily caught them and shoved them into its stomach pouch before digging back into the dirt. "What is it now?"
"Why do you care?" She huffed back.
"Color me curious. A side effect of laying in a fairy tale for an hour, which is not my aesthetic. You owe me." He reminded her with a smirk. He was in a way right. He didn't have to be here, not anymore.
"The moment I received the list of war casualties." She muttered over the rim of her bottle.
"Cheerful." He drawled.
"The emotion doesn't need to be happy. Just powerful. And the body shaking relief at seeing what names weren't on it was damn powerful. Granted followed by an absolute gut wrenching amount of guilt."
"Hm." The warm air hung with silence as she unpacked the food.
"So… how long do you intend to keep dragging me around the planet?" He grimaced and took a swig of the light purple drink, as soon as he finished it turned a light blue changing flavor.
"As long as you are conscious I suppose." Hermione responded with a grin. "After that I think I will use you as a doorstop."
"Really, Granger. I don't want to be a pity case."
"Look. You may not be the wittiest, or most complimentary, or best influence-"
"No need to insult me I can just leave." He huffed, as if making to stand. She held him down by his sleeve slightly shaking her head. "But you are also smart, and brave, and kind when you want to be. It is no struggle to have you around."
"Well if you insist." He offered taking a bit of a tuna sandwich she had brought. "It is so hard to find a good cook these days."
"Prat." She laughed picking up her own meal. By the time they had finished the afternoon sun was fading to a deep amber giving the appearance of pools of liquid gold on the forest floor.
"Granger." She had laid back for a quick kip when he lightly tapped her wrist. "Stay quiet and slow."
She rose at a glacial speed to where he was sitting. He lifted his own arm to point in absolute silence. Following his gaze she stared out into the woods straining her eyes as she searched among the thick trees and bunched brambles.
It wasn't the color that caught her eye. It was the movement. A violent shaking of some blackberry bushes. If she had been anywhere else she would have probably considered it a squirrel or a hedgehog. A generally feeling of lightness filled her, as if ever care in the world had disappeared and she would just exist.
It was wholly unexpected when a bright white unicorn emerged from the thorns. It must have been a young one to hide so efficiently in the bush. Mothers tend to nest down their young while they wandered a new area.
As if on cue a graceful light blue female charged into the clearing, sparing barely a glance to Hermione and Draco before galloping over to her foal. The little filly greeted her mother with a light whinny. She lowered her head to nicker at the foal. The sun glinted off the long spiral tip in a smooth sheen.
"Stunning." Draco breathed out beside her. She glanced at him only to see his eyes transfixed on the creatures before them. It occurred to her he probably hadn't had a chance to see one since their fourth year. Even then their innocent aura was likely not enough to break through to him at the time.
"I wish I could sneak a tail hair from them." She turned her attention back on the duo. The foal had stumbled out on shaky legs into the fading sunlight.
"Well, go pet them. Aren't unicorns in love with light and goodness and such? I don't understand why they aren't already fawning over you."
"You never paid attention in Care of Magical Creatures did you?" She huffed, fighting her way through the mental fog. "Above all unicorns value innocence."
"And?" There was a pregnant pause as she leveled a look at him. After a moment he finally dragged his gaze away from the unicorns to meet hers. "Oh. OH! Granger...ew."
"Ew?!" She baulked at his judgement.
"I did not need that image in my mind." He grimaced in distaste and she felt the distinct urge to pour something sticky over him.
"Well you aren't exactly a prized pig yourself." She huffed spelling the blanket from under him and into her bag.
"Stop fishing for compliments. You aren't that awful. I was referring to the idea of Ron Weasley shagging anyone." He shuddered and stood himself.
"Who said it was Ron?" She grinned as the idea registered on his face. He settled into a somewhat amused smirk.
"His own brother Granger. Tsk tsk. Do you have that whole family wrapped around your little finger?" He sauntered off towards the nearest apparition point leaving her to follow.
"Good Lord. It wasn't Charlie either. I have spent years traveling the globe you know." He paused as he passed a bush, lightly brushing against a leaf.
"I am sure the men of Britain weep at the loss." He responded, swirling something around his finger. The movement was light and elegant, his eyes soft as he considered something. He looked like a whole different person when he actually released the constant tension in him. "I may just have to bribe you with a spare unicorn hair to entreat you back to us."
Coming back to herself, she swiped at the peralesent strand that he dangled from his hand only to have him jump back away with an annoying amount of agility. He didn't even trip over a broken branch like she had hoped.
"Now that's not very nice Granger." He tsked with a lecherous grin. "I can't blame you if all you had to go off was that dreadfully dull ginger. You should try some proper tastings."
"You are a perfect example of what is wrong with British men." She huffed missing another swipe. "This is why I prefer the Spanish. Give it here."
"Not until you promise to leave your beaus behind and return to the good English stock." He stared her down in challenge and her fingers twitched around her wand. She was pretty sure he was baiting her to stun him which meant he had a plan. However, if she was fast enough…
The second her hand closed around her wand he sprinted away diving between the trees. She was steps behind him, crashing through the brush with reckless abandon. She only spared a moment's thought to offending the unicorns before nearly smacking her head on a branch and swore. The more distance between the creatures the more more ridiculous this whole thing seemed but she was already running so...
"Give it here Malfoy. It's for your own rakish friend." A flash of platinum to her left had her swiftly changing course trying to swipe at him.
"Not until you admit British boys are better, Granger. I'll make you scream it from the rooftops!" He cried from somewhere in the vast green curtain.
"How old are you? Keep teasing me like this and I'll start to think you like me!" She whined but chased him anyway. She mused offhandedly as she followed him through the forest. They deserved a bit of childish fun, afterall, it's not like they had ever gotten the opportunity otherwise.
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She had joined Theo in a companionable silence in the manor's back garden. Thick torches with warming charms attached had melted the snow in the immediate vicinity but still left the fresh white blanket on the trees that bordered the garden wall. It was an idyllic scene, ruined by the overhanging feel of the Gothic Malfoy manor behind them. The off white stone looming over them, a constant threat and reminder.
The curtains had all been drawn and all the doors had been placed under powerful repulsion charms to keep anyone from entering. According to Theo noone had stepped foot in the house for years. Even Draco never went past the patio. In spite of that she couldn't help constantly glancing up towards the windows, swearing she had seen a shadow or a curtain move. The house seemed very much alive and she didn't like it.
Her revelry was broken by the sounds of branches snapping.
"They're classless really." Hermione mused to distract herself. She was petting the new baby sphinx in front of her. It's large round belly tickled under her nails. It clawed her arm, pulling it close to its body so its needle coated back claws could tear at her skin. She pulled away just in first of the next generation.
"They're just having a good time. No shame in that." Theo responded with a goofy grin. He was measuring the length of the mane on another cub and recording it in his journal. The mothers were sitting off to the side whispering to each other.
"They could be a little more cautious." She flinched at the sound of a heavy branch cracking. "After I went to all that effort to fix him."
As if summoned the two wizards broke out of the forest pulling up to a whiplash inducing stop and lowering themselves to the ground. The kittens rolled quickly onto their paws before hissing and darting back into the maze, their parents following.
"You do wonders Granger. It's basically like new!" Blaise panted happily as he settled down next to her on the lightly warmed stone. It had barely been a month since he had regained control of his arm. Already his temperament towards her had improved and she was almost looking forward to seeing them. She blamed isolation making her desperate for human contact.
"Good. You really should be more careful though. Quidditch is a horridly dangerous sport." She chided as he threw an arm around her. She tried to avoid grimacing at the sweaty limb.
"Ah but you love a man in uniform." Theo snorted. Draco agreed, looking far too amused for his own good.
"Do not!"
"Krum." Draco responded tepidly.
"He was the first boy to ask me out."
"McLaggen." Theo added.
"He was reserve!"
"Weasley." Blaise scrunched up his face in distaste. "Really should have picked McLaggen over that one."
"He was nearly as handsey as you." She countered eyeing his arm around her.
"Ah, but I am much more skilled at it. Why don't we run a few more dexterity tests in private?" He winked and Hermione smacked him in an attempt to cover her rising blush. Apparently it didn't work well as Blaise raised his eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh ho!" Taking advantage of her embarrassment Blaise tilted her chin toward him. "You are awfully pretty when you blush."
"You should see her when she's angry." Draco supplied with a scoff distracting the other man enough that Hermione could slide out from under him.
"I have always loved a woman with fire." Blaise responded, kicking his feet up on the stone wall.
"You love women with more air than brain." Theo responded sunnily from where he was having much more success with the continuation of his notes.
"I'm a complex man. I can love a lot of things."
"Rake." Hermione muttered as she settled back into a seat further away from the handsome wizard. "You are trouble if I have ever seen it."
"Have you seen Mr. Tall, Blonde and Sulky over there? Now that's trouble." He chuffed. "You should see him when he goes on a tear."
"I don't-" Draco started with a glare.
"You do." Blaise finished, watching a cloud drift by. "It has been a hot minute though. Maybe we should go out tonight. We haven't really gone for it with me at full capacity yet."
"So we haven't gotten a chance to watch your pathetic right hook. Thrilling." Draco responded blandly.
"I think it's a great idea!" Theo supplied, finally dog-earring his notebook and smiling at the group. "Mia was a trip and a half to drink with and Blaise hogged her last time so I didn't even get a dance."
"I don't…" Hermione started thinking of how to politely refuse.
"What's wrong, Granger? Scared?" Blaise taunted with just the right amount of dismissiveness to his voice.
"Hardly. I just don't see the need to go gallivanting through a dirty old club to rub up on random creatures." She huffed not rising to the very clear bait.
"Aw that's no fun! I want another shot. I know you had a roaring time before." Theo joined in on the needling and she looked helplessly at Draco to control his friends.
"Leave it be men. It's not her scene." He smiled blandly, unable to resist the barb. "She's much rather spend her nights curled up with a romance novel."
"How dare- That's for research!" She started immediately interrupted by a quirked eyebrow from Blaise. She fought down the blush in her cheeks and pinned her most dangerous look on the promiscuous wizard.
"No need to read about it, love. I am the source material for those books if you want to do some 'research'." He winked even as she cupped a handful of nearby snow whipping it at him. "Come on, you could use an outing. We may even find you a fun little male bookworm to keep your library warm if you catch my drift."
Theo choked on his drink while covering a laugh. She glanced at Draco, seeing his glare pinned on Blaise. His voice was measured and controlled as he spoke. "Not everyone is a sexual deviant like yourself."
"Or like you." The cad finished with a snort turning back to Hermione. "Don't let his judgement influence you. He is just as bad as I am, if not a bit more covert."
"Well-" Hermione started flipping over a rejection in her mind.
"I said no." Draco spat. There was a moment of silence as the evergreens behind them swayed. Even the improper, humor filled boys looked cautiously over at their third friend.
"You said no?" She responded tartly glaring at his stormy eyes. She was vaguely aware of Blaise and Theo shifting back a few inches. "I was unaware I needed your permission to go anywhere. You don't need to be so jealous."
"I'm not jealous." He scoffed, looking disgusted with the whole idea.
"They can be friends with both of us you know." She growled out through clenched teeth. "You can share."
"First off, I don't share. Second off, too bad, you aren't coming. Blaise can dive solo into some unholy orgy involving a banshee, a fury, and a giant. Or whatever else he has planned."
"You can't tell me what to do." She shot back immediately turning her attention to the other two parties watching the argument unfold with interest. "He can't tell me what to do."
"The hell I can't. These are my friends." He growled with much too much emotion.
"And. You. Can. Share." Her lips pulled up into a familiar smirk as she found her winning point. "Besides didn't you say something about needing to experiment more with British boys?"
The statement resulted in Draco slamming his mouth shut, his eyes smoldering with anger. Both Blaise and Theo stared at her with wide eyes.
"What...uh… what exactly do you two talk about?" Theo questioned innocently.
"Nothing!" They both responded hotly before continuing to stare at each other threatening violence.
"I feel...What's the word?" Blaise questioned Theo, breaking the silence.
"Objectified."
"Oh this is what all those broads were complaining about?" He mused. "I should change up my approach, this feels awful."
"See!" Draco shouted, swinging his hand in gesture to the wizard. "You're already changing him! He'll be a nun soon!"
"Oh please." She huffed, she had no idea why he was fighting her so hard on this. "You have to be a girl to be a nun. And even if he was all of womankind would be better for it!"
"Rude." Blaise supplied with a grumble.
"Are you hearing this!?" Draco growled over to his friends.
"Well she's not wrong." Theo suggested as he continued to sip his drink, earning looks of ire from the two males.
"Right… Well as cute as the domestic squabble act is..." Blaise responded jumping up to a standing position. "It's settled. Mia comes with, we have a grand old time, we send her home with… apparently someone British and everyone sleeps happy, yeah? Or doesn't, don't need to know your mating habits, Granger."
"Fine." Draco responded, crossing his arms. "If she can even manage to draw in any males attention. The air of desperation around her is pretty thick."
"Excuse you." Hermione was about to launch her left at him before Theo spun her around and marched her through the snow towards the stables.
"Nonsense. If I know anything about women it's toeing the line between sexy and desperate. I'll transfigure you something that will have every humanoid in the place falling over you. Come now, we have work to do." She risked a glance over her shoulder looking at a somewhat exasperated Malfoy and a deeply amused Blaise wondering what exactly she had gotten herself into.
World Building with Om:
Unicorn favor:
Both canonically and historically unicorns prefer virgin females. Occasionally virgin males.