Chapter Four: Talking Points
On Monday Hermione decided to see Oliver to see how he was doing. She also needed to talk to him about her moving to Italy in six months. She'd meant to do it sooner, but she'd ended up spending the entire weekend with Theo. A happy smile left her as she thought about it. She and Theo were getting on very well, her crush on him having bloomed into giddy infatuation.
When she'd walked into the Games & Sports corridor she ran into Mei Li Chang again, greeting her old boss.
"Granger," the woman had said, keeping her from heading off just yet. Hermione turned back to her. The woman stepped in near to her. "You and Wood seem… close."
It was a question regarding how close they really were and Hermione wondered why she was being asked. "Yes, we became quite good friends when I worked in your department."
"And you have chosen Mr. Nott as your soulmate companion?" she continued.
"Theo and I have been rather public in displaying our relationship. We will be moving to Italy together soon," Hermione stated plainly, a curious tilt to her head. She watched the woman nod slowly.
"Thank you, see you later," her old boss said, walking away.
Mei Li Chang was not a gossip and an idea sparked in Hermione as she walked the rest of the way to Oliver's office, knocking at the door.
"Come in," Olly called and she slipped in. He smiled when he saw her but it was a little strained. She Silenced the door.
"I need to talk to you about something," he said, a serious note to his voice that wasn't normally there.
"I needed to talk to you about something as well," Hermione said, sitting across from him, neither made a move to give a more intimate greeting and Hermione thought her theory may be correct. "You go first," she gestured at him.
He sighed, "I was approached by my boss and her daughter on Friday before I left the office for the weekend. Cho also has my runes from the Transit of Venus, mine and Ginny Weasley's."
Hermione held his gaze with a small friendly smile. Her thoughts had been proven correct.
Olly leaned back in his chair. "It puts me in an awkward position. Obviously, Ginny cannot be approached because of Potter which leaves me to make sure that Cho doesn't explode into tiny Cho bits. And, of course, this is my boss's daughter. You know how much I like it here, I don't want to do anything to jeopardise that…" he trailed off, looking at her.
"And Cho requires exclusivity, so you need to end our arrangement," Hermione finished for him. He nodded.
"Option 2, please!" he said with a false brightness.
Hermione gave him a sad quirk of her lips. She'd been hoping to see him a bit more before another soulmate came out of the woodwork.
"Well, thank you Olly. I'll miss you," she told him genuinely.
"I do wish we'd had more time together first, and if I'm being honest I'm not enjoying my options being cut off, I'm getting over, well... you know-" Oliver said to her but looked both disappointed and relieved at how she'd taken the news, a little uncomfortable as he skirted around his break up earlier in the year. "Now, what did you need to tell me?"
"Well, it doesn't really affect you anymore, but I'll be holding a press conference tomorrow. In six months, I will be appointed as the Ambassador for the Italian Embassy for the DIMC. I will be moving there for at least two years."
"Oh, that's huge! Congratulations!" Olly grinned at her. He knew a position like this would help fast-track her plans to make Minister for Magic. Well, her previous plans. "How is Nott taking it? He's very invested in you, you know."
She smiled happily. "I do know. He's decided to come with me."
Oliver shook his head with a grin. "Of course he has. It's a total win-win for him. He gets to build his family's fortune to even greater heights and gets to keep you to himself, away from Malfoy."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm not exactly worried about Malfoy. He's annoying and I greatly dislike him, but he's mostly harmless."
Olly just looked at her. "Granger, are you serious? You don't see it?"
Hermione cast his own quizzical look back at him. He laughed long and hard. "'Mione, Malfoy has feelings for you. Like, scary, obsessive feelings for you."
Hermione paled, she really hoped that wasn't the case. Every interaction they had in person certainly didn't indicate anything of the sort. "What do you mean?"
"I haven't seen or talked to him since he was about 13? And all of a sudden, I am connected to you and he comes into my office and apparently wants to invade my mind to get at memories of you?" He screwed up his face in disgust. "And when I arrived this morning, your face is everywhere on people's arms, necks, even saw someone with your face right smack in the middle of their forehead. I don't know if you've seen it yet, but Malfoy has made this rude drawing of you and he charmed it into a tattoo which I hope is temporary. He named a new cocktail after you at his club and gave the tattoos out with each one bought. Those are not the actions of someone who is unmoved by you... Or sane for that matter."
Hermione's heart was beating so hard it hurt. A creeping unsettled feeling prickled along her scalp. A feeling that felt a lot like fear and she had the urge to run to Harry. She'd go see him after this. Right after she collected Devin from the Ministry library.
Olly looked concerned. "You really didn't know… I'm sorry, Hermione. But if I were you, I'd stay as far away from him as possible."
Hermione had left rather quickly after that. She picked up Devin from the library, telling him they would be going to see Harry.
"The real Mr. Harry Potter?" Devin had squealed. As she walked to Harry's office, he twittered around her, going from side to side or walking backwards ahead of her, endlessly chatting about the things he'd heard about her and Harry.
She knocked and Harry bade her entry and Devin actually gasped, all his excitement swallowed by sudden nerves.
Harry looked up, eyes flicking to Devin then he grinned at Hermione. "This must be your new assistant, then?"
Devin blew a loud breath, "He knows who I am," he squeaked. Both Harry and Hermione tried hard not to laugh.
"Yes, this is Devin, he would shake your hand but I think he might explode so perhaps, best not," Hermione said, mouth twitching when a disappointed 'Aww' left Devin.
Harry came over to Hermione, giving her a searching look. He knew something was wrong.
"Why the visit, 'Mione?" he asked.
"I just came from seeing Oliver," she said and Harry quirked a suspicious eyebrow at her. "Not like that, actually he has decided to stop seeing me-" she was cut off by Devin's gasp of outraged surprise.
"Why would he do that, Miss Hermione? He was so lucky though! Is it because he fell madly in love with you and can't handle seeing you with Mr. Theo?" he garbled.
Harry couldn't stop his laughter this time.
"No Devin, another soulmate has claimed him," she explained.
"Ah, Mr. Theo will be happy," Devin replied.
"We will not tell Theo, I don't want him to think he has to stop dating other people," Hermione told him. "Now put it away in your vault."
Devin closed his eyes and screwed up his face in concentration as he moved through the mental exercises she had shown him to retrieve memories and put them behind the wall she had created. It still took him a while but soon he'd be able to do it without thinking.
Harry teasingly shook his head at her, amused by her interactions with the young man.
"You're hiding it, but you don't seem entirely OK. More disappointed about Oliver than you're letting on?" Harry asked her.
"No, I'm OK, but Olly did say something that I don't feel good about. He said that Malfoy has feelings for me. That he's obsessed with me," Hermione stared at the floor as she scuffed her boot on Harry's carpet.
"Hmm, that could be true. After what you told me happened to Wood, it makes sense. But it could also just be some kind of sick game he's playing to mess with you. It's only you he's awful to, when Ginny and I see him at Quidditch matches he's actually alright. Well, in that arrogant, prattish way of his. He drinks with Ron and Fay when they go to his club. But, I don't know, with you it's just like school," Harry shrugged. "Maybe it's the blood purity stuff?"
"Maybe," Hermione said. "I suggested to Theo we should meet with him, I wondered if he would be better if he got to know me. I don't see him socially like you and Ron."
Harry nodded. "That could help, I could be there too, if you wanted."
Hermione felt her shoulders relax like they always did after she talked to Harry. "I think that's a good idea, I'll ask Theo to arrange it. I'll leave you to your day." She stepped in and hugged her friend before leaving.
"So you're taking our Theo away with you to Italy?" Blaise asked Hermione. They were hanging out at an outdoor bar enjoying the late afternoon summer sun. Theo had gone to get them drinks and Hermione was relaxing on a beanbag, her yoga toned legs extended in front of her from denim shorts. Blaise couldn't help but admire the witch, she used to bundle up so much at school. His tattoos had disappeared sometime yesterday so she must have seen one thankfully.
"Yes, looks like we'll be there for at least a couple of years. You've got family there, right?" she asked him. They had held the press conference the previous day, the Prophet publishing the details this morning.
"Yeah, we have a few vineyards and the palazzo is in Firenze. I usually go there in the winter, when it gets miserable here."
"I will actually miss the rain, no one ever tells me I shouldn't stay inside reading when it rains," Hermione replied, enjoying the sun on her face, eyes shielded behind sunglasses as she crossed her arms behind her head. "You'll have to make sure to visit Theo when we're over there. I don't want him to lose touch with you and Malfoy."
Blaise was surprised. "I would have thought you'd want Theo to drop his friendship with Drake. Seeing how much of a prick he is to you."
Hermione lifted a shoulder nonplussed. "He's Theo's family, I couldn't ask him to cut out his brother."
Blaise gave her an appraising look of respect. The sunglasses were so dark he couldn't tell what expression she had.
"I'm actually hoping to see him soon with Theo and Harry. I'm wondering if maybe we can try and at least be civil to one another. Maybe get him to see me as a person rather than as a filthy Muggle-born. We will have to at least try as long as I'm with Theo. What do you think?" Hermione had turned her head but with her eyes hidden her look was unscrupulous.
"It's not because you're Muggle-born," Blaise told her.
"Then why?" Hermione pressed but Blaise didn't say anything. She sighed.
Just then Theo came back with their drinks. "You're both still alive, can't have gone too poorly in my absence then?" he sat, drifting the whiskies to himself and Blaise, handing Hermione a gin and tonic, kissing her quickly and smiling as her mouth curved, happy at the gesture.
Blaise watched them, sipping his drink as Hermione reached out and played with the hair by Theo's ear and he brought her knee up to lean on it. There was a flash somewhere, another reporter fulfilling their Theo and Hermione quota. It went ignored by them and Blaise studied the couple. Their interactions seemed genuine, no show this time. They'd just gotten used to being followed around.
"You're very comfortable around each other for two people who only found out they were soulmates last week," Blaise commented.
"Oh, we've known each other for years," Hermione told him. "I've been flirting with Theo since 2001. I can even recollect the date it began, June 5th. I remember it rather distinctly," she ran her hand down to Theo's cheek and poked him, teasing. Theo smiled at her and looked nervously at Blaise.
Blaise eyed him warily. He remembered that day as well. It had been Draco's birthday and Theo had been very late, not arriving until close to midnight despite him and Pansy having organised the event.
"Is that so?" Blaise slowly edged out. Theo flushed a little as Blaise held his gaze, letting him know he definitely remembered that night.
"Yes, we were both at one of Xenophilius Lovegood's lectures. One of the few practical ones about proper identification methods of magical creatures. I was in Regulation and Control then and the Department had asked me to go. Theo ended up sitting beside me. When the lecture finished I asked him what he'd thought and we didn't really stop talking. I barely spoke to anyone else at the reception afterwards and we stayed there until they were closing up the bar and kicked us out," she waggled her knee which made Theo sway a little.
Blaise watched Theo's fingers brush Granger's calf in an effort to get her to stop moving. He had a faraway reminiscing look about him. Granger continued her story.
"I actually asked him if he wanted to come back to mine to continue the discussion, but he claimed he was late to something and left. But we've seen each other at least once a month since then. We never miss Xenophilius' and Luna's talks but he had never taken me up on my offers to meet for coffee or go out for dinner. But then the whole Transit thing happened and now he's stuck with me, poor guy." She poked her tongue out at him as he turned to look at her, he tried to hide it, but his look shone with adoration.
Blaise felt a coldness seep into him despite the warmth of the sun. It had always been an unspoken thing that Hermione Granger was Draco's girl. Not that he ever helped himself, throwing insults every time he saw her. But Theo had been sidling up to her for years. It's amazing he'd been able to keep it under wraps for so long. And now Blaise knew. And with Draco's current fervour reaching obsessive, he would scan Blaise's brain for everything this meeting entailed. The aftermath was not going to be pretty.
Just then, Pansy arrived. "Hello my beautiful idiots! I know I'm late."
Hermione rose up to hug Pansy and Blaise was surprised to see her accept it with a grin. Pansy didn't hug people, she crossed her arms and made rude comments.
"I'll get the next round," Granger said. "What will you take, Pansy?"
"I'll have what you're having," Pansy replied, taking Hermione's beanbag.
As soon as Hermione left, Pansy noticed the tension between Blaise and Theo.
She huffed. "What is it now? Why are you looking at Theo like that, Blaise?"
Theo couldn't look at either of them, but Blaise eyed him darkly. "Pansy, Drake's birthday three years ago, the one on the beach in Greece... Why was it again that Theo was late?"
Pansy looked from Blaise to Theo. "His second cousin or great uncle or something? Magical accident and Theo had to take them to St. Mungo's?"
"Yes, that's what I thought, too. Except that's not true, is it Theodore?" Blaise said, the words escaping through gritted teeth.
Pansy turned to Theo with a mischievous smile. "Oh yeah, Theo? Naughty, you were meant to be helping me run everything that night. So what, pray tell, were you doing instead?"
"He was attending a lecture. With Hermione Granger. Weren't you?"
Theo at least had the decency to look ashamed. Pansy had gasped with scandal glinting in her eyes. "Reeeeallly, Theo? How perfectly wicked of you. This is just too good." She cackled.
Theo finally met Blaise's gaze. "I know, I know. I shouldn't have. I know, I really do. Luna told me she would be there, so I attended the thing purely to invite her to Greece that evening. I thought maybe Drake wouldn't be quite such a bellend on his fucking birthday, it's the one time he isn't a huge raving prat." Theo sighed. "But then she started talking to me, and every segway to ask her to join us dried up and I just stayed with her. I hadn't really seen her since sixth year. Certainly hadn't talked to her. I just- it got away from me." His eyes dipped.
"So you've loved her for years as well," Blaise's voice was icy, he ignored the jubilation in Pansy's face as she watched them. She also knew about Draco's feelings though the man never admitted it out loud.
"I tried, I really did. I would vow that each lecture would be the last, that I wouldn't go the next month but then she'd write me saying she was looking forward to seeing me and I would falter. But I never accepted her offers of drinks or invites to Ministry events. And then the Transit happened and my name was on her. Not his, mine. What could I do? Ignore divine will? But I'm still sorry about it."
"He's going to find out, I don't have a pretty barrier like you do," Blaise warned him. "He knows I'm meeting you. And her."
Theo swallowed. "I could ask Hermione to make one for you. She'd do it without question and she doesn't stray when she's in there."
"There'll be suspicion either way," Pansy chimed in. The other two looked at her. "What, you think Draco's not going to notice that suddenly all his friends have mind vaults with her signature on them?"
"If he finds out, it should be because I tell him," Theo looked pleadingly at the other two. "Please, you know this would destroy him."
"Fine." Blaise ground out. "But I'm not good with this, Theo."
Theo darkened. "Have you seen her anything but happy with me?" Blaise shook his head. "And yet I'm the worse man? Try to see it from her perspective, who would you choose?"
Blaise's eyes dipped down. The answer was simultaneously simple and difficult. Draco was trying to lay claim to something that wasn't his and Blaise knew that was wrong. His possessiveness, his jealousy... Even if everything happened the way Draco secretly wanted, Blaise could only see it ending badly.
Pansy smirked. "Just imply you want to be protected like Theo, her bleeding heart will do the rest. Now shut up, I hear her coming."
Hermione skipped over to them, sending their drinks out. She sat in between Pansy and Theo on the ground. She lay her head on Theo's lap, reaching a hand up to stroke his jaw. Blaise watched Theo shield the sun from her face with his hand and she took off her sunglasses. Another camera flash from some nearby journalist.
"Everyone seems rather serious," the witch said. "Even you, moreso than usual at least." She poked Pansy in the arm with an exposed toe from her sandals.
Pansy smiled. "Actually, we were just saying how we wish we were able to protect ourselves like Theo. I know a little bit of mind magic and I have to say, you built that thing very solidly."
"You two need a wall?" Hermione asked Pansy who nodded, and so did Blaise eventually. "How much mind magic do you know? Can you gather the memories you want separated?"
They both nodded again. Hermione grinned.
"OK, do that then let me know. If it's alright with you, I can go in and create a wall. I've never had one break on me."
"Fine, Granger. But you're not to go walkabout in my brain," Pansy warned her. Hermione shook her head indicating of course she wouldn't.
True to her word, Hermione did not flick through memories or even really know what they were of. But she built the walls for Pansy and Blaise, they had asked for the walls to be blank and Hermione shrugged, doing as they asked.
"Thank you, Granger." Pansy said after it was done. "How Gryffindor of you to come to our aid. I will return the favour sometime."
Hermione laughed, a free, wild sound that danced in the air. "How Slytherin of you to think helping out a friend is a transaction."
Pansy laughed and started talking to her about the next party coming up, mentioning they should get ready together.
Blaise watched Theo who stared only at Hermione, smiling like she was the only thing making his heart beat.