Interlude: Gryffindor Girls

"Soooooo…." Lavender said, throwing herself onto Hermione's bed with no regard for the piles of books on it. Several book towers toppled over, sending their books crashing to the floor. Lavender ignored this as well. "What's up with you and Harry?" She laid on her stomach, head propped up on her hands and grinned. "You two break up?"

Hermione sniffed and didn't look up from the book she was currently reading. She knew, after five years of rooming with her, that it was faster to just ignore her roommates than try to make them respect her books. Or personal space, she thought wearily as a pair of arms circled her from behind.

"Yeah, tell us. Do either of us have a chance with boy wonder now?" Parvati asked.

Hermione felt her eyebrow twitch and closed her eyes, willing herself to breathe through the irritation.

From her place across the room, painting her toenails, Fay called, "I think Ginny and Lovegood beat you there."

"No!" Lavender gasped, raising a hand to her mouth in mock surprise. "Both of them?"

Parvati crawled around Hermione to give Lavender an overly friendly nuzzle. "I dunno. I think we can beat two fifth years"

That was it. "He's not dating anyone!" Hermione snapped. She shut her book. "And nothing happened."

"Pull the other one," Fay said, closing the nail polish and scooting to the edge of her bed. "Why else would you be back here?" She sent Lavender and Parvati an exasperated look. "I'd sleep with him if it got me out of here, and I don't even like men." She paused, looking thoughtful. "Actually, I would anyway. There's something about him recently that's just… Not physically, of course, but, like, his magic. It just, when he's casting those spells, I mean it hurts like all fuck to get hit, but it's also really like… You want to feel that magic again too."

Hermione sighed. Fay had a point. She certainly wouldn't be in here if she didn't feel so uncomfortable in the boys' dorm right now. And there was definitely something about Tom's magic that did all sorts of things to her.

"Ooooh, you too, Fay?" Parvati breathed. She fanned herself, falling backwards in a pretend faint. "I didn't think I'd ever be interested in him again after the Yule Ball, but then he came back for fifth year and was just phew." She turned her head and arched an eyebrow at Hermione. "I'm not even kidding. If you're not with him, I'm going for it. I don't owe Ginny or Luna anything."

Hermione snorted. If she was sure of anything about Tom, it was that he would never be interested in dating her roommates.

Lavender sat up. "But serious talk now. Ron. Is he available? I know you two were kinda dancing around each other, which was way less fun than dancing with each other would have been, I'm sure, in fourth year, but you've been all over Harry lately. Is it okay if I ask Ron out?"

Hermione froze. Ron and… Lavender? She frowned. A small part of her felt jealous, even though she thought she'd long since quashed that part. Back when Harry had been just Harry – kind, sweet, impulsive, heroic Harry – she'd harbored a crush on both of her friends but had focused on Ron knowing that the world would never allow her to end up marrying The-Boy-Who-Lived, no matter what the boy himself might say about it. Now though, Tom occupied all her thoughts. Even when she was mad at him, even when she wasn't sure what to think about him, she couldn't keep her mind off him. So really, Ron was free, but…

She didn't want to share.

Hermione pressed her eyes closed. That was such a selfish, unworthy thought. How on earth could she object to Lavender pursuing a boy she didn't even want to date herself?

"Hermione?" Lavender asked. Her voice was soft, like she was afraid Hermione might bolt.

To Hermione's horror, tears started welling up in her eyes. She scrubbed them away, as though no one would realize they'd been there if she did, but more and more came until she found herself hiccupping sobs into Lavender's arms and clutching the girl's nightgown as Parvati hugged her from behind and Fay hovered awkwardly beside them.

At last, as Hermione's tears began to subside, she managed, "That's fine. Ron's totally…" She bit her lip and willed herself not to start crying again.

Parvati rubbed her back soothingly. "What's going on Hermione?"

Taking several deep breaths, Hermione pulled away from Lavender and took in her roommates' worried expressions. Talking about things was supposed to help. She'd always pushed Harry to do it. Maybe it was time to take her own advice. "I - over the summer, before fifth year, Harry was attacked and it, it somehow changed the connection he has to - to You-Know-Who, and he got all his memories." She took a moment to breathe as the other three girls gasped. Hermione wiped her face dry with the sleeve of her pajamas. "And now he's… His morals are… Those Ravenclaws he cursed. I think he's hoping they'll kill themselves. And I mean, they were awful to Luna, but…"

Lavender and Fay looked helplessly at each other, but Parvati nodded seriously. "Do you love him?" she asked.

"Yes," Hermione replied without hesitation.

Parvati sighed, looking resigned. "Then there's your answer. Everything else can be worked out."

Hermione bit her lip. "Do you think he's wrong?"

Parvati shook her head. "Not particularly. If they didn't want retribution, they shouldn't have treated another person the way they did. What they do from here on is on them. If they're smart, or at least capable of occasional intelligence, they'll beg Luna for forgiveness. Do you really think that Luna wouldn't at least have Harry lessen their punishment if they did? And if they'd rather die than beg, well, that's on them."

Hermione glanced at Lavender, who shrugged, then Fay, who rolled her eyes and said, "I think he should have done more."

"Of course you do," Parvati sighed. "Honestly, what are you even doing in Gryffindor?"

Fay smiled cheekily. "I'm brave enough to set down my roommates the very first night and let them know I'm more interested in the holster than the wand."

Hermione coughed. That had been an awkward conversation. "You're sure you're not interested in Harry because he comes with Ginny and Luna?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood but not totally sure if this was an okay thing to joke about. Or if they'd even realize it was a joke.

Fay, at least, seemed to understand the attempt and laughed. "Nah, I was only part serious about that anyway. I'm still trying to convince Katie Bell that she should give me a try."

"Katie?" Lavender squealed, and soon enough the room was filled with the kind of annoying girl talk that Hermione had always hated. She smiled, feeling almost like she belonged, then started picking up her things. Lavender spotted her and smiled, making a shooing motion with her hands.

Hermione ducked her head sheepishly and left the room. A few minutes later, she opened the door to the boys' dorm and crept in. Dean was awake with his curtains open, drawing, and he just waved quickly when he saw her, like it was only natural for her to be here. She opened the curtains to Tom's bed and slid in next to him.

He was awake, of course. He glanced at her. A certain tightness crossed his face before he held out his hand. "Welcome back," he said with a tired smile.

Hermione grabbed his hand and held it tightly as she curled up around him, her other hand sliding down to stroke Ginny's hair fondly. "I'm sorry," she murmured. She felt his smug pleasure and glared half-heartedly at him. He felt absolutely no remorse… but he let her lean her head against him. She wasn't sure what it was, but he'd been oddly reluctant to endure physical contact with her recently, so she took it as the olive branch she expected it might be.