The whole room was set like a stage and she felt like an idiot. The look she had gotten from Theo basically said he had no hope she would come back and Draco looked as if she were walking into a gladiator arena instead of meeting Harry.
This place was sort of like Blaise but it wasn't who he actually was. It was the lawyer and the suave ladies man, not the friend or man that he really was. It made her feel sad for him and she thought about his mother's home in Italy, not him really either though he was at home in both places. Before she could get caught up in her thoughts the floo whooshed and she stood from her seat.
Blaise came through and gave her a solemn look before he stepped away and she watched Harry spin into view before he stepped out of the green flames.
The way his eyes looked around before they met hers made her wonder what on earth he thought he was walking into. It took a second for his eyes to actually focus on hers instead of scanning her for whatever he could see and then he smiled a small smile.
It was great to see him. She felt satisfaction fill her at the full shape of his face and the messy hair on his head. His glasses were new but similar to his first post war pair and she grinned at him.
"Can I hug you?" Harry asked her and she nodded and took a step toward him then stopped.
"Did you check him?" She asked Blaise and watched Harry's eyes flick to the dark wizard standing six feet away and watching them.
"Yes. You can too." He said quietly, she held up her wand and got a grudging nod from Harry. There were three magics on him and she smiled.
"Alert charms for Ginny?" Her voice was soft and his face was the same as he nodded at her. She knew about the one for Teddy, the other was his Auror oath and she wondered how he was managing that. Not her business though.
"Congratulations!" She nearly yelled it and launched herself at him.
"I'm so glad you are home Mione." He said into her curls and she smiled contentedly at the way it felt to have him hug her.
"Come in and sit down." She said and pulled him toward the chairs.
"Just one snake in your corner?" The tone was a bit flat but his eyes were curious and she met them directly.
"Someone has to stay with the boys." She shot back with chastisement and he winced and accepted her criticism. A low chuckle from Blaise and she shot him a look too, be nice.
"They are alright then?" He sounded as if he wasn't really unsure and she nodded then sat back.
"Is this just two friends catching up?" She loved talking to a Gryffindor again. No problems with direct questions.
"Yes. The oaths hold well enough. I really only know that you are alright." The nonchalant way Harry said it relaxed her and she was glad that she hadn't caused him an insane amount of trouble at work.
"Alright. Anything you need to catch me up on?" She asked him and wasn't sure if he would have much to add. His patronus' covered most of it. Her smile when he pulled out pictures was genuine and she knew it would be Teddy.
"He is so big." Hermione marvelled at the boy who was only less than a year younger than Scorp and Tray. To see him eating ice cream on the Alley and at a quidditch game. Then sitting with a pregnant Ginny in the front room at Grimmauld. It was so great and she felt so much happiness for her friend.
"It's good then." She said and he grinned at her. That familiar lopsided Harry grin and she wanted to whoop at the contented look on his face.
"Your new office?" This was a real question. He had taken a job change and was only on active duty two days a week.
"It's good. Really good. She doesn't mind if I'm late those days and I'm home the others. We finished his room." She caught Blaise's eye and could see him survey them and more so Harry. As if this was a totally different guy than he knew and it probably was.
"I can't wait to see. I've got a whole closet of things. Toys and clothes, different muggle things I've charmed or whatever. The boys helped pick things out." That had been a distraction in the last couple months and it had been fun.
"You've been alright here then?" He asked after a searching glance and she knew Blaise had stilled. It was in the feeling around her and she only held Harry's eyes.
"I am perfectly fine. Physically and emotionally." Her answer was firm but she met his eyes so he would know she meant it.
"Well how am I supposed to know? I never see you and your back but hiding with them or something." This was expected and she sat back into the comfortable chair she had chosen.
"Forgive me for not wanting to leave them to explain that I've been hauled in for questioning or something. Harry, they are just getting to know their dads and it's going well. I'm not messing with that, or my life. We will sort it out." Walking the fine line between telling him how it was and covering his real and valid concerns.
"They are going to help you?" Rank disbelief was all she heard and she didn't blame Blaise for his low sound.
"Yes. It's also about the boys. The fact that I'm an escaped suspect or whatever is as sealed as their existence. What will happen if I go in? If they go in? No one is risking them." He shook his head in frustration and she waited, knowing he would say more.
"So in addition to having run away from home with them nearly two years ago, you are now tying yourself to their shit." Harry's serious tones were more cutting than the disbelief had been. He meant this.
"You didn't ask to see the pictures of them so don't really know how great they are, how worth it they are. Patronus same time next week?" Hermione stood and held her best friend's eyes. Forcing him to accept what he was saying and doing. Not letting his understandable frustration and upset push her own feelings aside. She had done that for years and wouldn't anymore.
"Love you." It was easy to say and she meant it. Watched his eyes soften and his posture too. He held out his cheek, like Scorp had earlier, and she kissed it.
"Patronus any time if you really need me Harry." This time she didn't have to make him hold her eyes. He did it on his own and she knew he didn't hate her or anything. Didn't like not being the priority though and that wasn't pleasant but she could understand it.
Hermione watched him walk to the floo and he gave her a small smile before he left for his office and she watched the flames return to their normal variations of orange and yellow.
Then without looking at her friend, she twisted away and was glad they had the apparition wards down for outbound traffic. It had been at Blaise's insistence so they could flee but she used it now. They had gone to the apartment by elf and now she made herself run through all the lists they had for checking themselves. She was clean and she landed by the front door. That was kind of normalizing and she liked it.
"Granger." Draco turned the corner at a run and frowned at her. Feeling stubborn and frustrated she just held his eyes and crossed her arms.
"Is she here?" Blaise asked from wherever the elf had brought him and she rolled her eyes.
"Yeah." Draco called and she heard Theo coming down the stairs. Too loud to be the boys, who were probably behind silencing wards and should still be asleep.
"I think it's fine Theo." Draco said toward his friend and she scoffed.
"Yes. Though it's totally unbelievable that my very best friend didn't capture me and cart me into the bowels of the Ministry himself." Her sarcasm was thick and she heard Blaise scoff and realised he was just around a corner she couldn't see.
"I want a drink." She said to no one and walked past Malfoy to get to her lounge, where he had clearly been by the open book and a mug of tea that still had steam rising from it.
"Go on Blaise." She said to the wall in front of her as she poured herself a whiskey and then held a hand up asking if anyone wanted one.
"Three Granger." Draco said and she didn't move.
"Please Bella." She could hear Blaise's emphasis on please and poured the glasses. It had worked on Tray so she would try it. A hand gesture sent the glasses out toward the men and she took a breath. Then another, both while looking at the intricate carving on the liquor cabinet. Of course there were snakes on it, bloody thing had probably been in the Black family for generations. It was a strange representation of Harry and the men standing behind her, no doubt rapidly exchanging what information they could without words.
Then she made herself think about seeing Harry, it hadn't been that bad really. It had gone well actually. He had hugged her easily and seemed to speak, and more tellingly meet her eyes, without thinking about it. She had seen the emotions he felt and that was all you could ask for with Harry. That is eyes didn't become empty as he hid his feelings deliberately. Her friend was thrilled about the baby and she couldn't see more than the apprehension he had mentioned in his messages. For Ginny and not knowing, the worry over being a dad. They had sent some extras messages talking about that, she had no concerns and knew he would be a brilliant father.
If Ginny wanted to go back to playing quidditch or something, she could totally see him staying home for a while. A family was what Harry wanted more than anything. It was all any of them wanted really, so he would understand.
Maybe it wouldn't be until the little boy she thought Harry wanted to name James, was in his arms and he thought about it. About how it would be to have someone hurt him, hide him. It made her feel better, to know that even if he wasn't totally sure now, that he would be. Would know that she would have done the same, would have been devastated to have something like that happen to his son. It made her feel far more settled and she turned to find three sets of totally different eyes on her.
Blaise looked contemplative and Theo showed nearly nothing. Watchful, it might have bothered her like it did at school but she had lived with Tray and only met his eyes until she noticed some of the wariness leave them, or she thought it did. Then she met the grey eyes and those showed too many things to contemplate.
"Harry is having a baby in the next couple months. It's a boy and I really can't wait." She smiled genuinely and watched the angular face as he blinked once and then looked incredulous, or she thought that's what it was.
"Scarhead is reproducing. With the she-weasel." Draco drawled the words slowly, as if he couldn't believe it. Without thinking about it, she shot a mild stinging hex at his ass. Blaise expected it and so was laughing before Draco yelped and Theo looked as if he didn't know what to think at the dark look he got.
"None of that. Potter and Ginny are acceptable." Was her only reply and she sipped while she thought about what Harry had said, which was nothing. Then she looked to Blaise and when he caught her eye the grin fell and she could see him thinking along the same lines.
"Didn't say much." She finally said after everyone stilled and she got tired of waiting.
"No, nothing in fact. Didn't argue with your estimation of the situation either. I don't think he actually wants you to answer the summons. Just doesn't want you here." Hermione agreed with all of that and ignored the glances between the two beside her friend.
"Understandable. He wouldn't like me being there though either. Ginny isn't my biggest fan." This was the truth but it wasn't terrible either. Harry was her friend and Ginny didn't fight that, she just didn't like that she had called it quits with her brother and hadn't married him years ago like they wanted.
"That isn't surprising." Theo said and she shot him a look. He always used to do that, though this was far more polite. Drop a few words with precision.
"So same situation." Was her final summary of the evening and the fact that precisely nothing had changed.
"Game?" Blaise asked her and she nodded. Then listened while he explained Monopoly and Risk then while they argued and finally she accepted the glass of wine and sat at the place left for her and agreed to be the banker. None of them trusting each other with the responsibility.
Trying to hide her smile, she rolled the small white square and explained its function and then watched Theo's big hand pick it up and examine it before tossing it across the board as if he wasn't sure what might happen.