CHAPTER 4: Friends

October 31, 1991

(The present)

"Are you all right, Hermione?" asked Justin in a whisper beside her. "You look anxious."

Hermione nodded. "Just feeling a bit under the weather," she lied and took a bite of her carrot cake. It was delicious, but she was not in a festive mood. She was anxious about what was going to happen tonight. She just hoped that Professor Snape remembered what she showed him last month. She didn't want to sit at the Hufflepuff table facing everyone. She was afraid it might draw attention. She was known as the 'extremely introverted Hufflepuff'. She wanted to stay that way.

"TROOOOLLL! TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS!"

And there. Professor Quirrell was screaming. Everyone screamed and rose to their feet, including Hermione, just to check for a certain platinum blond-haired boy at the Slytherin table. She caught him also looking at her, anxiety was written all over his face.

"SILENCE!" the headmaster's voice roared.

Then, Hermione saw Professor Snape whispering to the headmaster, and then Professor Dumbledore nodded. He addressed everyone again. "All students should remain here to ensure everyone's safety, while we –myself and the other professors do our best to get rid of the troll."

Then, most students were in their seats again, but no longer in the mood to eat. Some students went to other house tables, mostly to check on their siblings or cousins. Professors Sinistra, Babbling, McGonagall, and Vector remained in the Great Hall but were stationed in different corners. Professor Sprout was also there but checking on them, Hufflepuffs.

"Are you sure you're all right, Hermione?" asked Justin. "I can tell Professor Sprout that you're not feeling well."

Hermione reached for Justin's arm to stop him. "No need. I'm fine now."

Justin eyed him intently. "All right, if you say so."

Hermione sat sideways again, checking on Harry and Ron. Her heart clenched. The two of them were there at the Gryffindor table, facing the Hufflepuff side. Ron was holding two chicken drumsticks with both hands, and Harry was laughing at something the twins were saying.

And she realized it was the first time she laid eyes on the Weasley twins. Fred and George. Fred. He was so alive, carefree, and in a festive mood. George had two ears. Hermione wanted to cry, to run away from the Great Hall, and hide.

She missed them so much.

But not as much as she missed Draco and Theo. She turned to the Slytherin table and saw Daphne. She was chatting with Pansy animatedly. Blaise Zabini was there, quietly exchanging words with Tracey Davis. Theo was reading again, and she smiled at the sight. Then, her eyes went to Draco. He was looking at her again with a soft facial expression. She offered him a small smile. 'You okay?' she mouthed with a hand gesture.

Draco nodded and returned her smile.

.

October 10, 1998

(Hermione's past)

"Tell me about your girlfriend?" Hermione asked Theo.

"Are we talking about friends and relationships now, Granger?" he smirked before taking a sip of his Firewhisky.

She shrugged. "It's been over a month at Hogwarts, and I haven't heard from my friends, the people I grew up with," she said, not meeting Theo's eyes. Instead, she grabbed a table napkin and clenched it rather aggressively.

"Why?" he asked. "You fought Voldemort together. You saved each other's lives since 1991."

"Ron wouldn't talk to me because… I told him that our kiss during the Final Battle was a mistake," she finally admitted. "And Ginny's still grieving, I guess. She lost one of her brothers. That's why she decided not to return to Hogwarts. Harry's busy comforting her. And besides, she's still unhappy I don't feel the same for her brother. I didn't see them that much in summer because my parents grounded me after they forgave me for obliviating their memories. They weren't happy with Harry and Ron; they weren't happy that I ran off with two teenage boys and lived in a tent with them."

"That's understandable," commented Theo.

"I guess that situation just widened the gap between me and my friends. But I don't blame my parents. I'm even lucky they forgave me, after what I did to them."

"If you were in Slytherin, you wouldn't have the same problem," Theo commented.

She finally looked up at him and snorted. "If I were in Slytherin, it meant I didn't have Muggle parents and I didn't have to modify their memories to send them away."

"If you were a Slytherin, you'd have true friends; friends that would treat you like their family," Theo said matter-of-factly.

She raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, who are your friends, then?"

"Draco, Blaise, Pansy, and Daphne," he replied promptly.

"Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson?" she questioned. "Really?"

"They're not that bad," he said. "Why do you think Draco's name was cleared? Why do you think Professor Snape would waste his last dying moments giving Potter memories about Draco's innocence?"

Hermione gulped. "He saved us at the Malfoy Manor when we were captured," she said slowly.

Theo nodded. "I heard. He wanted out. But they had his mother, so he could not flee with me. Blaise decided to stay because his family wasn't really involved in Death Eater activities."

"What about Parkinson?" she inquired.

"Pansy's father was one of them, of course. She had to stay because her family supported Voldemort. But she wanted out, too, just like Draco. She never took the Mark, and she never participated in any Death Eater activities," he explained.

"And Daphne?"

"Same with Pansy. They stuck by Draco's side with Blaise, offering him comfort –"

Hermione snorted at the mention of 'comfort'.

"What? You think Pansy was shagging Draco?" Theo's eyes widened.

Hermione chuckled. "I remember her in our third year, comforting 'Drakey' after he was injured because of Buckbeak. And they went to the Yule Ball together."

It was Theo's turn to raise eyebrows. "You went to the ball with Krum. Anyway, we were like brothers and sisters. Draco and Pansy weren't in love, but thought that if their parents arranged their marriages, they would pick each other."

"And now, are they going to get married?" she asked.

Theo shook his head. "No. Pansy's sharing a flat with Daph in Muggle London."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Muggle London?!"

Theo chuckled. "And Daph's working in the Department of Magical Transportation."

"And Parkinson?" she asked.

"Ah, she's studying fashion design. She's planning to open her own shop in Diagon Alley."

"How about Zabini and Malfoy?" she inquired further, curious why Theo was the only Slytherin in their year who dared to go back to Hogwarts.

"Blaise went back to Italy, running his mother's business. And Draco, he's staying in my home, studying to sit for his N.E.W.T.s in December."

Hermione was taken aback. "Why is he in your home?" What happened to Malfoy Manor?

"He left his family," Theo said softly.

"He was disowned?"

" He disowned his family. Lucius is in Azkaban, Narcissa's on house arrest, and Draco didn't want to go back to his former home where Voldemort lived and tortured people."

"So, he's alone now, at a friend's house. You took him in…"

"That's what friends do; help each other. I assure you, Hermione, my best friends and I will stick together until we grow old. Despite our differences, we don't abandon each other – morally and emotionally."

Hermione sighed. "That's nice…"

Theo reached for her hand on the table. "I'm sorry about your best friends, Hermione."

She gave him a sad smile.

"Sometimes we, human beings, choose the easier path, which is to back away, rather than the road less travelled, facing our nightmares," whispered Theo.

She couldn't agree more.

.

November 1, 1991

(The present)

"Well, hello Miss Concerned Granger…"

Hermione looked up from the book she was reading to give him a glance. "I'm fine, thank you very much."

Draco sat beside her on the floor. She was in the Ancient Runes section, leaning on the wall underneath the window that was overlooking the Quidditch pitch. It became her favourite spot for some reason.

"Why are you here? There are more comfortable chairs in the library."

She turned to him. They were sitting close to each other. Their shoulders were almost touching.

"I like it here; away from others," she replied nonchalantly, and turned back to her book. "Why are you here?"

"Well, this is the library, isn't it? And I'm a Hogwarts student," he replied matter-of-factly and pulled a book from his satchel. He started reading beside her.

Hermione fixed her eyes on her book and propped her face with her right hand to hide her smile.

.

November 7, 1998

(Hermione's past)

Theo was still probably snoring in the dungeons, Hermione thought while waiting at the Three Broomsticks that Saturday because they had agreed to meet there every Saturday.

Hermione and Theo were becoming regular customers every Saturday and Madam Rosmerta already knew what to get them once they entered the pub. Unless she wanted something else, she didn't really have to go to the counter anymore to order. They would stay at the pub until noon, and then they would either go back to the castle together, or one of them would go home for the weekend.

Hermione decided to read while waiting for Theo. She had only been there for ten minutes. She could wait.

Hermione's reading was disrupted by the sudden breeze when the door of the Three Broomsticks opened. She looked up and saw Theo enter the pub. He had spotted her at their usual table, and he grinned, but he stood there and scanned the room.

Then, he walked toward a different table. "Draco, my man! How are you?"

Hermione's eyes followed Theo. And to her surprise, at a table behind her, was Draco Malfoy. She suddenly felt butterflies in her stomach, a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

How come she didn't notice him earlier? How long had he been there?

But there was something different in him, Hermione noticed. He was wearing a brown newsboy cap, a brown leather jacket, and a pair of mustard trousers. He looked very… Muggle? And very handsome…

The two wizards exchanged manly hugs. "Come on, mate, over here." Theo led him to Hermione's table. "Have I told you about my little friend here? The Great Hermione Granger," he laughed.

Theo sat across from her, and Malfoy begrudgingly sat on Hermione's left. "Sorry, I'm late, Hermione," Theo grinned at her.

"It's fine," she said softly. "You didn't tell me you're meeting one of your best friends today."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow at Theo but didn't say anything.

"I didn't?" Theo frowned. "Sorry about that, but I hope it's all right if you meet my Slytherin friends."

She rolled her eyes but smiled. "All of your best friends were Slytherin."

"Nope," Theo said. "Not anymore. I have a little lion. So, Draco, meet Hermione. Hermione, meet my best friend, Draco."

Malfoy turned to her and gave a polite nod.

"Hello, D-Draco," she said nervously.

Hearing Theo talked about him a lot and calling him 'Draco', Hermione got used to it in her mind. And she found herself liking Theo's version of Draco Malfoy. Now, was it time to test the waters? If she just liked the Draco Malfoy in Theo's stories, or the real Draco Malfoy she misunderstood? The free and reformed Draco Malfoy?

"Hermione Granger," he nodded curtly.

Theo looked smug, but Malfoy looked uncomfortable. Hermione felt a pang of sadness. This wasn't how she imagined Draco based on Theo's stories about him. She suddenly felt like she should leave, not because she didn't like him, but because he must really be uncomfortable.

The last time they saw each other was during his trial. Hermione, Harry, and Ron were requested to be there to testify. She remembered, her heart clenched at the sight of him bound in a chair, being treated like a criminal. Deep in her heart, Hermione didn't think Malfoy could murder someone. Yes, he was their schoolyard bully and he tried to cast the Cruciatus Curse on Harry, but he was crying that time. He even looked weak and hesitant. She was there, under the Disillusionment Charm. She saw everything, and she felt sorry for him when Harry's Sectumsempra hit him like shrapnel.

When they were captured and brought to Malfoy Manor, he gave her an apologetic look and lied to his family.

He's not that bad, Theo told her once or twice. He told her how Draco Malfoy had been there for him through the years and if it wasn't because of his father, Theo would not flee from the country. He had to do it to hide his deceased mother's stepmother, the Muggle-born witch who cared for him.

"How's your preparation for N.E.W.T.s, Draco? And how are things at the Manor?" asked Theo conversationally before taking a sip of his Firewhisky.

Hermione didn't even notice Madam Rosmerta serving them. Was she too busy thinking about Draco Malfoy, the wizard beside her?

Malfoy gave her a glance. "Did you tell her about your house-elves? They're fine, by the way. I pay them every month, just as you instructed. They take days off on the weekends."

Hermione's eyes widened as she turned to Theo. "You did that?"

Theo grinned. "It was Draco's idea, actually."

Hermione turned to Malfoy. "Really?" Her heart skipped a beat. Why? Why would he suggest such a thing?

He just gave her a hesitant smile. "But they are Theo's house-elves, not mine. So, it's still him, really."

"That's very nice of you," she muttered, still looking at Malfoy despite what he said. And she turned to Theo rather emotionally. "You've never mentioned."

Theo shrugged. "You never asked, not even when we talked about your plan of working at DRCMC. Told you, we knew about your house-elf liberation front, and just because we didn't voice out our support doesn't mean we were not paying attention."

Hermione reached for Theo's hand on the table. "This is… so nice. I mean, I could kiss you right now!" she exclaimed.

Theo faked a fearful look. "Please don't or else Daphne will kill me."

"Prat," Malfoy snorted beside her.

"You can kiss Draco, though. I'm sure he wouldn't mind," Theo grinned, and Hermione felt her cheeks warm.

What's this feeling? Am I just too excited and carried away by Theo's stories about Draco Malfoy? They were all good things…

"Is it really unexpected, Hermione? Are we that bad?" asked Theo gently.

And her face turned serious as she looked at Theo. "It's just that… Harry didn't free Kreacher. He would still pop up from time to time when I stayed at Grimmauld Place; Harry told him to work at Hogwarts, you know. And the last person who actually showed their care for the house-elves was Ron, during the Final Battle. Hence the kiss," she admitted to Theo shyly.

Someone cleared their throat and Hermione turned to Malfoy. She just remembered she talked to Theo emotionally while he was there!

"Sorry," she said to Malfoy.

"Theo, maybe we could just meet again later," Malfoy said rather formally.

"Don't be a stranger, Draco. Hermione here is my friend and I'm introducing her little by little to you lot," Theo reasoned.

"Theo, it's all right…" she said. "You don't have to make your friends like me…"

"I'm sorry, I forgot myself," Malfoy addressed her. "Theo's friends are also our friends. I don't have anything against you, Granger."

"Hermione," she said softly when their eyes met.

Malfoy – Draco nodded. "Hermione," he said, a little softly, too.

Theo placed his arms on the table again and leant forward to them. "Great! So, Draco, how's your N.E.W.T.s preparation?"

"All is well. Arithmancy's always a pain in the –" he trailed off, suddenly realizing Hermione was there. "Sorry."

"Do you also want to be a Curse-Breaker like Theo?" she asked curiously.

"Being a Curse Breaker's just my second option," Draco replied. "I want to do something else…"

"Yeah," Theo said. "If you, Hermione, want to champion the house-elves, Draco's heart bleeds for werewolves."

Hermione was in utter shock. She turned from Theo to Draco. The blond wizard gave her a sheepish look. "Really?" She already pictured a 'reformed' and 'better' version of Draco Malfoy in her mind, but this was truly unexpected. Hermione never thought he would care for other creatures – those who were considered beneath people like him, Purebloods.

"And mate, they're planning to re-open the Werewolf Services Office," Theo grinned. "If you apply, you and Hermione are going to work in the same department."

Hermione turned to Draco. "So, you want to work for the werewolves?"

Draco shrugged. "If they are opening, why not?"

"I have read that it's a rather complicated job. You'll have to brew the Wolfsbane Potion for them," she offered him a smile. "But you're brilliant, so there's no doubt you can make it."

And Hermione swore, she saw Draco Malfoy blush. "Thanks. But not brilliant enough to beat you."

Gathering her Gryffindor courage and boldness, she raised an eyebrow. "Is that a compliment? Did Draco Malfoy just compliment me?" she grinned and turned to Theo. "Theo, alert the Quibbler."

Thank Merlin I'm a Gryffindor.

Theo laughed. "Told you, Hermione, he's not bad. He's my best mate, after all. So, Draco, how's little Teddy?"

Draco smiled. A sincere smile. A smile Hermione realized suited her and she liked it. "He still likes it at the manor. He likes sitting at the kitchen counter while the house-elves prepare him different food, still hates mashed carrots, but I tricked him by letting him taste acid pops."

"You, prat," Theo laughed. "He's just eight months old! What did Dromeda say?"

"Oh, she doesn't know," Draco smirked. "But Pinky was not happy with me when I did that. She nagged at me…"

"I'm sorry, are we talking about…"

Draco and Theo nodded. "Teddy Lupin, son of my cousin, Dora, and our old Professor Lupin."

"You've been visiting him?" she asked in awe.

Draco nodded again. "We made peace in June and since then, I've been visiting them… Sometimes Aunt Dromeda has to work at St. Mungo's – part-time only, so she leaves Teddy to me, in Theo's home."

"That's very nice of you, Draco," she smiled, her heart warmed. She felt like she wanted to pull Draco Malfoy into a hug and apologize to him for misjudging him.

Draco Malfoy's cheeks blushed, but he gave her a friendly smile. "Thanks."

.

November 1, 1991

(The present)

"What's so funny?" asked Draco beside her.

She turned to him, and he was looking at her, his book closed and lying forgotten on the floor in front of him.

"How did you become friends with Theo?" she asked him curiously.

Draco raised an eyebrow at her question. "We're childhood friends. We've been friends since we were in nappies. We were almost born on the same day, but the prat made it harder for his mother, so he was born after midnight."

Hermione gave him an unconvinced look. "But I think that's more of your style."

He frowned. "What? Why would you say that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I heard Potter and Weasley saying you tricked them into a midnight duel, or maybe I heard them say how arrogant you were when you used the 'My father will hear about this' line."

Draco sneered. "They're idiots. The two of them."

"Why do you always have to goad him?" she asked.

"Why do you care about him?" he returned, scowling and no longer looking happy.

Hermione sighed. "You know, I think Potter's first-ever friend is Weasley. I heard he grew up with his Muggle relatives who despise magic. Maybe Hogwarts is his first real home. He doesn't have a father he can run to when someone bullied him; he doesn't have a mother who dotes on him and sends him pastries from home."

"I don't think I have to explain myself to you." He got up and left.

.

Theo was laughing when he told him about his conversation with Hermione that night. They were on his bed; the curtains were drawn-out. Theo had cast silencing charms he learned with Hermione, according to him.

"I don't see what was funny about it," he said, shaking his head. "That friend of yours lectured me! She defended Potter."

"But she's a loyal Hufflepuff! You bloody chose a witch with a bleeding heart for the oppressed," Theo told him, still laughing.

"Harry Potter's not oppressed , and I didn't actually choose her. I was just curious," he countered.

"But you make Potter look like that when you always goad him. I don't think Hermione is the type of person who will tolerate a bully, no matter how patient she is."

Draco was silent. His father taught him that he was better than anyone else; that he could do better than Potter; and that Potter and the likes of Dumbledore were fools.

"Mate, your father's not always right. Listen to your mother more, will you? And by the way, now that you've talked to her, are you satisfied?"

Draco didn't say anything. Instead, he left Theo's bed and went to his own. His mind was busy thinking if he should continue talking to Hermione. Theo was right, she had the heart of a Hufflepuff. Her heart bled for the aggrieved. She valued fairness, after all.