Chapter 6
The following week found Hermione and Ginny trying to talk Ron and Harry into spending the day Saturday with Theo, who they still did not trust. "I still don't fully understand how you are actually his sister." Ron said during lunch on Friday. "Just because your appearance changed on your birthday suddenly we are supposed to believe that you're actually a Nott? Seems weird to me."
"I'm sure when you come over the holidays the Notts will be more than willing to cast a paternity spell, that way you will know for sure that my father is actually my father." Hermione said.
"Come over the holidays? When was this discussed?" Harry asked Hermione. "Aren't you coming with us to the Weasleys?"
"No," Hermione shook her head. "I'm spending the holidays with the Notts and the Grangers, trying to get to know more about how I came to be with the Grangers and letting my adoptive parents know my biological parents. I figured you two could come visit for a few days, get to know my parents as well."
"I am not going to a Death Eater's house." Ron said. "You couldn't pay me to."
"How about you spend the day with my brother tomorrow, and if you still don't want to you don't have to come over the holidays. But I really think you'd like Theo." Ron and Harry shared a look, as if silently communicating their thoughts.
"Fine, we'll spend Saturday with Nott, but we make no promises that it'll go smoothly." Harry said.
"Thanks Ron, Harry, I'll go let Theo know." With that Hermione got up and walked over to the Slytherin table sliding in between Daphne and Theo as they made room for her. "They will spend the day with you tomorrow Theo, be nice."
"Of course," Theo said. "As if I'd do anything that would hurt the Chosen One's feelings." Hermione gave the boy a playful slap.
"I better return to my friends, see you guys in the Great Hall in the morning." With that Hermione returned to her friends.
"Do we really have to spend the day with her?" Pansy asked.
"Yes, and I figured we'd give her a makeover." Daphne said, causing the boys to goran.
The following morning Ron, Harry, Ginny, Dean, and Hermione stood in the Great Hall waiting for the Slytherins. "I still don't like this." Harry said.
"Be nice, he is my brother, you have to get used to him." Hermione said as Theo, Daphne, Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle walked into the room. "I'll see you two at dinner." With that Hermione walked over and stood with Daphne as Theo walked over and stood beside Ginny. The twins said bye to their friends and walked away with their groups. "So for the first half of the day," Daphne started explaining to Hermione as they headed down to Hogsmeade. "We'd walk around the town, get to know each other, and tell you stories about Theo's childhood. Then after lunch Pansy and I will give you a makeover."
"Why do I need a makeover?" Hermione asked, earning chuckles from the rest of the group. "What?"
"You're a pureblood now." Pansy said.
"From a very prominent family." Blaise interjected.
"So you now have to look the part, no offense Granger," Pansy started but got interrupted.
"Nott," Hermione said. "Or Hermione. You are my brother's friends, and I'm sure we will be spending more time together. Who knew Theo the longest?"
"I did." Malfoy said. "Since our fathers are friends, and we share a godfather, we've been practically forced together since we were kids. I don't remember a birthday or family get together where Theo wasn't there."
"Does that mean we will have to spend a lot of time together?" Hermione asked with a groan, earning chuckles from everyone again.
"Yes," Malfoy admitted. "We will probably spend Christmas Eve together, as our families and Snape get together for a present exchange. Now let's go shopping, I need to get a present for my parents." The group made noises of agreement.
"So what's the plan?" Theo asked as his group walked towards Hogsmeade.
"Getting to know you," Ginny said. "I'm sure you have questions about our time with Hermione too."
"I do, when did you guys become friends?" Theo asked.
"You remember the troll in first year?" Harry asked. "Hermione was crying in the girls room and we went to warn her about the Troll and found her in the bathroom with the troll, so we ended up saving her."
"Why was she in the girls room crying?" Theo asked. The boys were silent while Ginny gave them a glare.
"They insulted her." Ginny said. "They were saying mean things about her and she overheard, evidently it was the final straw."
"What?" Theo asked. "I knew Drake said some shit things to her over the years but you were her housemates and you still said shit to her?"
"Not to her," Ron tried to argue. "And she was being a snot."
"She's still your housemate," Theo said. "My housemates may not be nice to people from other houses, but we take care of our own, we don't talk shit about our housemates."
"Well she was annoying," Ron said. "Still sometimes."
"Anyway," Ginny interrupted, trying to change the subject. "Let's talk about something else. Theo, are you happy to have discovered you actually have a sister?" With that Theo started talking to Ginny and Dean, and occasionally Ron and Harry, but only because they knew Hermione best, theoretically.
At lunch both groups met at the Three Broomsticks Inn, grabbing a table. "How's your morning so far?" Hermione asked her brother.
"I like Ginny, Neville, and Dean, not huge fans of Ron or Harry. Did they really talk shit about you before you were friends?" Theo asked his sister.
"Yes, but they've been nice since we became friends, now I really only have problems with them when Ron gets upset." Hermione said. "He just got used to talking about Quidditch. Ron and Harry love Quidditch, they can talk for hours."
"Hey Ginny," Daphne said. "We're going to give Hermione a makeover after lunch, do you want to join us?"
"I don't know…" Ginny said.
"You don't have to pay a knut, Hermione has access to the Nott vault, she can cover it all."
"Wait, I do?" Hermione asked. "Why haven't I been told this?"
"Technically you need to go to Gringotts with mom and dad," Theo said. "But you pick out the clothes and I'll swing by on the way back to the castle and pay for it all."
"I don't know if I feel okay with someone else paying for my new clothes, I'll come along but I probably won't buy anything." Ginny said.
"That's decided then," Daphne turned to Malfoy who was talking to Zabini. "Drake, will you be our escort? You've barely spoken to Hermione all morning."
"Maybe because he doesn't want to associate with the Gryffindor Dork." Hermione remarked, earning a glare from Malfoy. "But that's okay, he's always been an arse to me, why would I suspect anything different now that I'm Theo's sister?"
"Because Slytherins take care of their own, and like it or not you are officially part of the Slytherin family." Daphne said. "I will have you two talking to each using your first names by the end of the day if it kills me." Harry and Ron groaned in response, causing Hermione and Ginny to chuckle.
"You're okay with tights and hose right?" Daphne asked as the girls entered a muggle clothing store. "Cause short skirts are in, and you're going to need tights and hose to keep warm." Malfoy snarled as he followed Hermione, Daphne, Pansy, and Ginny into the store.
"Why couldn't I go with Blaise, Greg, and Vincent?" He asked as Pansy started pulling out clothes for Hermione.
"Because Daph wants you to bond with Granger, so you need to be here." Pansy said. "Hold this." Draco just groaned as Pansy started putting clothes in Malfoy's arm, followed shortly by Daphne.
"I am not a pack mule." Malfoy complained.
"No, but you are our best male friend," Daphne said. "Therefore, when our boyfriends are not with us, you are our muscle. Besides you love me and Pans, do you really want to upset us?" Hermione and Ginny shared a look before Daphne pushed Hermione into a dressing room.
"Try this on," Daphne instructed her, handing her two hangers. "Don't worry about making sure it fits, all clothes here are magiced to automatically fit."
"Advantages of a wizarding shop selling muggle clothes." Pansy said to Ginny. "We get to find muggle clothes without worrying about if they'll fit or not." Malfoy just sat in a chair and groaned.
"How long is this going to take?" He asked as Hermione stepped out of the dressing room wearing a white turtleneck with a green plaid mini dress over it. Instantly he sat up.
"Isn't this a bit short?" Hermione asked, trying to tug the skirt down.
"Quiet now," Daphne said, slapping away Hermione's hands. "You look amazing, doesn't she Drake?"
"Yeah, I guess." Malfoy said, earning a smirk from Daphne and Pansy.
"My school skirts aren't even this short." Hermione complained as Daphne moved her in front of the three-paneld mirror.
"Well that needs to change, you are a Nott now." Daphne said. "And Notts need to look a certain way, keeping up with fashion and such. Now go change, once we pick you out a couple of outfits we'll buy you an outfit to wear for the rest of the day."
"What's wrong with my outfit?" Hermione asked.
"Baggy jeans and an oversized shirt," Pansy said. "You look like you haven't looked at a fashion magazine in your life. Next you're going to tell us you've only worn heels at the Yule Ball in fourth year and that's it." Hermione blushed. "Oh my Merlin, shoes next." After trying on a few outfits, and Pansy and Daphne bringing her a few heels to try, Hermione finished with a red turtleneck with a white checkered mini skirt over black tights and black heels.
"Perfect." Daphne said as she paid for the outfits. "Theo will come by and pay for everything, let's go show off the new Hermione." With that the group walked out of the store, Malfoy trying to keep his eyes in front of him instead of at the new curves of the girl beside him.
"Bloody hell." Ron said as Hermione and Ginny walked up to him, Harry, Dean, and Neville. "Are you really 'Mione?"
"Yes Ronald," Hermione said. "I'm really Hermione."
"Won-Won?" Lavender asked. "Aren't you joining me for dinner? You've spent all day with your friends. Wow Granger," Lavender said upon noticing Hermione. "Who gave you the makeover?"
"Daphne and Parkinson," Hermione said. "They insisted, since I'm a Nott now." Lavender gave a weak smile as she pulled Ron away. "That was weird." Hermione told Ginny as they walked into the castle.
"She's just mad because she's been wanting to give you a makeover for years. I've heard her talking crap about how you look while you were in the library for the past five years alone. I even heard her complaining to Pavarti about how good you looked at the Yule Ball in third year."
"I don't care that much about my looks, I spend most of my time in the library, so why should I?"
"Because," Daphne said, popping up beside Hermione. "You are the biggest gossip this school has seen in years, people are already talking about your physical change, and now the fact that you are Theo's sister has spread through the school, you didn't need people talking crap about how you look making it worse." With that Daphne walked off to the Slytherin table and Hermione looked around, for the first time noticing that everyone was looking at her and whispering. "How long have they been talking about me?" She asked Ginny as they sat down.
"Since the Quidditch game when you confirmed to Padma that you are really Tabitha Nott. I'm surprised you only just now noticed." Hermione groaned and hid her face from the crowd, earning a laugh from Ginny.