Slytherin Boys Dormitory

8:00PM

Monday, September 2nd, 1998

Theo reclined on his four poster, fingers interlaced and hands behind his head. His roommates were still at dinner, though he could hear someone climbing the stairs to the seventh year boys room. He sat up, glanced in the mirror to straighten his hair, and waited to greet his fellow Slytherin.

Draco wandered in, walking straight over to his own bed and falling on it with a punctuated sigh. Theo and Blaise were the only people Draco considered equals, and therefore the only people he would act like a normal eighteen year old male around.

"Something wrong, Drake?" Theo asked, returning to the relaxed position he had assumed earlier.

Draco Malfoy had certainly changed in the past few years. His pointed features from his childhood had straightened out to be regal in appearance, but last year, his face had adopted a sunken quality from the stress of housing the Dark Lord. Now, it had returned to its former handsome shape, but he seemed to walk around with a constant scowl which passed a shadow over his whole face.

"We're treated like scum, Ted," Draco said, pulling off his sweater and rolling the sleeves of his dress shirt up to his elbows. Theo could see the faded Dark Mark tattooed on his best mate's left forearm, twitching with every movement of the blonde. "Two years ago, no one tried anything with us. And now, not even Hufflepuff first years are scared."

"I know, mate, but we're only here for a year." Theo restrained himself from voicing anything to offend Draco, knowing that he could very well burst at any moment. The Malfoys weren't people you wanted to be around when they were angry, and Draco was no exception to the rule. He attempted to move the conversation to safer waters. "Besides, you get to work with the Patil girl in Potions for the week. She's hot, so at least Sluggy's class won't be that bad."

Draco groaned. "She looks at me like I'm the one who killed her best friend," he said, falling back onto his pillow. Theo winced at his lack of sensitivity. "And she's completely incompetent. At least you got paired with someone smart."

Theo smirked at the memory of his Potions lesson. "Granger's a surprising amount of fun," he admitted, mussing up his hair with his hand. "You know she'sengaged?" Draco just raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow at him. The blonde pretended he was above all the trivial gossip, but one of the main reasons for his unspoken role as King of Slytherin was his innate ability to find anything out. "Big ring, too. A bit boring, but big."

"Wonder how much it cost Weasley to give her that," Draco mused. "I should finish that homework Sluggy set us. Patil added too many porcupine quills whilst my back was turned, so unlike you, I have to write up a report on her idiocy."

He was tempted to tell his friend to lighten up and give the Gryffindor a break, but instead Theo just watched Draco work through a sheet of parchment with his neat cursive. Theo had been spared any homework on his first day, having completed everything necessary in his classes. Blaise joined the pair, having tired of the girls at the Slytherin table who had become his only company. He made a disgruntled comment about controlling redheads as he took up residence at his desk and worked on the same paper as Draco.

"I can't believe you got paired with Granger," the Italian said, crumpling up his third attempt at a decent report. "You're the one bloke in the class who doesn't need any help and yet you get her."

"We'll be swapped around next week," Draco said, looking up triumphantly from what Theo could only assume was his finished homework. "Don't be too worried, Blaise. How was your partner, anyway?"

"For all her prowess on the Quidditch pitch, Weasley lacks any knowledge of teamwork."

Draco sniggered, putting his quill away and returning to his spot on his bed, leaving the completed report on the desk. Blaise looked up at the open bit of parchment, but Draco caught him and whipped out his wand, summoning his homework to him and away from his mate's greedy eyes. "Not a chance, Zabini," the blonde kicked back against his pillow, assuming a similar position to Theo's. He let out another tremendous sigh, attracting looks from both his roommates. "I don't know why we even bothered coming back this year."

"Uh, maybe because last year was basically spent being monumental dicks and being governed over by a psychopath?" Blaise offered, getting increasingly frustrated with his homework. His normally perfectly tousled hair was now a mess, disarrayed after running his hand through it countless times. Draco cracked the slightest hint of a smile at the Italian's statement, but his fists clenched. Theo watched the skull and snake on his arm dance with the movement.

"Besides," Theo said, "there aren't going to be many places to hire us with our last names and a pathetic excuse for a seventh year under our belts. We may as well give ourselves a bit of a boost and do well this year."

"Easy enough for you to say when you have Granger for a partner," Blaise had his tongue poking out the corner of his mouth, scrambling to finish the last of his report. From where he was sitting, Theo could see Blaise's handwriting was almost twice its normal size, stretched to fill as much space as possible. Draco once again reminded him that their partners would be swapped soon enough, but Blaise just responded with a snort.

"It won't be very good for grades if they keep swapping us around," Theo said, thinking about how disruptive a weekly change in partner would be.

"Maybe they'll filter us through everyone in the class and then see who we worked best with," Draco suggested, interrupted by a loud cry of "Done!" from Zabini as he finished his homework.

Theo and Draco laughed at their roommate's outburst, quickly sobering up when Lee Harper, their other roommate who was technically a year younger, walked through the dormitory door. Draco immediately sat up and rolled his shirt sleeves down, straightened his tie and flattened his hair. His face adopted its usual cool sneer, deterring Harper and sending him scarpering back down to the common room.

Either way, their good mood was broken. The three packed up their things and took turns in their bathroom, each turning in for the night early.

The Great Hall

8:30AM

Saturday, September 7th, 1998

Hermione,

It's good to hear you've settled in, and if the wards weren't so tough, I'd pay you a visit to your private quarters.

Here is good, too. Harry is going to postpone his Auror training for six months so we can go through it together. He's got a lot of publicity stuff to go through while I help George in the shop, so I don't feel too bad. We've found a flat together in London and are moving in on the weekend so Mum and Dad can have some space.

Let me know when there's a Hogsmeade visit and Harry and I'll come meet you.

I love you,

Ron.

Hermione beamed at the letter before Ginny snatched it from her hands, skimming it.

"Do you know when there'll be a Hogsmeade visit?" she asked Hermione, tossing the note back to her. "I'm in the mood for some Honeydukes chocolate, and as long as Harry doesn't take me to Madam Puddifoot's, I'll be happy."

Hermione laughed, tucking the letter into her jeans. She had spent her weeknights catching up on homework and was therefore blissfully free for the first weekend of the term. After much nagging, Ginny had finished her work, too, leaving them to do as they pleased. "There's supposed to be a trip in a fortnight or so, but McGonagall hasn't finished organising it," she told the redhead. "How about we go for a walk after breakfast and then you can come back up to my apartment?"

Ginny agreed, swilling back the last of her tea. The early morning air was cool and the day would still be warm with the last taste of summer, but they could see a few leaves starting to turn, the sun taking on the golden light it would only possess in the autumn. Most students were still lazing about in their dormitories or having breakfast in the Great Hall, but a few had taken on the same idea as Hermione. Some of the athletic ones were going on runs around the grounds, an attempt to work off the rich Hogwarts food.

"Urgh," Ginny made a noise and nodded towards three approaching figures Hermione quickly recognised to be Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, and Draco Malfoy. Her redheaded companion stuck her nose haughtily in the air and marched straight past the trio, an action which seemed to amuse both Zabini and Nott. Malfoy just continued on his way, shoulders slumped.

"Hey, Mione," Theodore said, turning to face her whilst still walking backwards with his friends. She refused to let him see her cringe at the nickname he had blessed her with in their week working together in Potions.

"How's it going, Teddy?" she replied, and he was not skilled enough to hide his reaction. He turned back in the same direction as Zabini and Malfoy, but she noticed his gait seemed slightly jollier.

"Teddy?"

Hermione stopped abruptly at the sight of Ginny, hands on her hips, looking shockingly like Mrs Weasley.

"What?" she asked, dodging her friend and continuing her walk towards the lake.

"Since when have you given Slytherins nicknames, Hermione?" Ginny kept pace.

"Since we were paired together in Potions and I didn't want to be called Granger anymore," Hermione said. "I said he should call me Hermione, he said I should call him Theodore, and then I called him Teddy as a joke."

Ginny made a sound of disapproval which Hermione chose to ignore.

"It's not a big deal, Gin. The War is over. I don't see why we can't at least be civil."

"Are you going to be civil next week if Sluggy pairs you with Malfoy?"

They had reached the edge of the water and Hermione kicked off her shoes and sat on the shore, dipping her toes into the cool lake. She could see a tentacle of the Giant Squid waving off in the distance, the whole picture not unlike the painting which led to her dormitory. She digested Ginny's words, letting a heavy silence fall between them.

Could she be civil with Malfoy? Malfoy, the boy who had watched her get tortured, who had stood by as his aunt cut her up, inflicted the Cruciatus Curse upon her so many times that she had lost count and thought she was to go mad with the pain. He had taunted her mercilessly for six years of her life, calling her every dreadful name under the sun, and no doubt making up a few choice ones of his own.

"I'm not really sure, Gin," she finally admitted, moving her toe in a spiral to create a pattern in the water. "I can try, but I don't know."

Ginny sniffed, clearly believing she had a victory under her belt. Hermione continued to think about forgiving other Slytherins, or at the very least setting a good example for the younger students and making polite conversation with them. Teddy had been easy, having no personal grudge against him. She could imagine a similar situation with Zabini, who had always been polite and reserved with her. The same could be said for Daphne Greengrass, who Hermione shared several classes with.

She knew the Slytherin girl to be intelligent and well-spoken, someone who seemed to fit more into Ravenclaw than Slytherin, though Hermione supposed the girl's genes would have placed her in the emerald house. If she had been placed in Ravenclaw, Hermione was certain the two would have become friends through their studies, and she may have been the Gryffindor's main competition for Head Girl.

"C'mon, let's go back to your room," Ginny said, helping the brunette up and wandering back up to the castle.

Later that day

Slytherin Common Room

"Mione?" Blaise tossed a pillow at Theo, smacking him straight in the face with the green cushion. Draco, sitting in the comfiest armchair of them all as though it were a throne, sniggered. "You were practically mooning over her, Teddy."

Theo rolled his eyes, pelting the cushion back to the Italian but missing. "I was not mooning over that Gryffindor. I was just being polite," he said, regretting his decision to say anything to the Head Girl at all. It had just been a bit of taunting and he had thought his friends were far away enough that they wouldn't hear him, but apparently he had pushed his luck too far. "It's better than acting like I have a right stick up my arse and being a prat to everyone, Blaise."

"I'm not being a prat."

"Then why did Weasley treat you like you had Dragon Pox?" Draco asked, his usual smirk twisting his face.

"I may or may not have sabotaged her report we had to do on the Dreamless Sleep Potion," Blaise looked away from his friends as he spoke. "She was being a twat when we were making it, so I made a few corrections of my own to her homework. When Slughorn handed them back, she saw what I'd done, realised it must have been me, and has been acting like a child ever since."

Draco groaned. "Only because you've been acting like a first year, moron."

"See, isn't it better to at least appear relatively mature and talk to them?" Theo pointed out, waiting as Blaise and Draco both reluctantly agreed. "Look, we have nine months left around these people, so why not work just a little bit to make them slightly tolerable?"

"As long as we don't have to be civil on the Quidditch pitch, it'll be fine," Draco said, propping his feet up on the coffee table. "But fine. I'll be civil. Blaise?"

"As long as the rest of them aren't as snotty as Weasley, I'll be okay," the Italian agreed.

Arithmancy Classroom

9:02AM

Monday, September 9th, 1998

"You've got to be kidding me," Hermione said beneath her breath as Professor Vector revealed the seating plan for that week. Beside Hermione's name, which had been moved to a seat in the back corner, sat Draco Malfoy's name in the professor's neat script. The Head Girl collected her books, keeping her eyes low as she slide into the seat beside her new partner.

Both avoided eye contact. Simply being in such close proximity made goosebumps break out along Hermione's flesh. When Ginny had asked if she could be civil around Malfoy, Hermione had underestimated the amount of trauma she had truly been through around him.

"We need to compare these two charts and take down any major differences," Malfoy said, voice quiet, still not looking at her. He reached across the desk to pull their work closer and her body turned in on itself, backing away from his outstretched arm. His body stiffened at her movements, then relaxed until he was nearly slumped across the surface. Regaining his composure, he finished what he had started. "And then we have to decipher what each chart means."

"I'll work on this one," Hermione pulled the closest chart to her over and dipped her quill in an ink well.

"We have to work together to find the differences," Malfoy said, pulling her chart back to the centre of the table so they could be observed together. "Or can't you put up with me for even an hour?"

There was no spite nor malice in his voice, but a genuine curiosity. "I'm finding it a bit difficult after my visit to your charming manor," she said dryly, feeling a small thrill of regret as her partner quailed. Hermione was well aware that he had been forced into everything that had occurred during the war, that he had tried his hardest to spare Harry when they had been caught by the Snatchers. "Sorry. That was uncalled for."

"I'm the last person you should be apologising to, Granger," he said. "There's a slight difference in sequence on the third row. Mine means full moon, yours means no moon." He circled the differences, making small annotations on each chart.

"You didn't actually do anything to me," she said. "Here. This order means summer equinox, yours is about winter." She copied his movements, circling the differences and making notations.

"Exactly," he said and spotted another change in their charts. "I didn't do anything. I stood by and watched and was too much of a coward to say anything."

They both knew his words were true but she had nothing left to say. She couldn't defend his actions, not whilst Bellatrix had carved into her flesh. Instead, she chose to focus solely on the work, frustrated that by the time the class had reached its conclusion, they had been finished for a full twenty minutes and had just been seated in a tense silence.

Hermione's Quarters

Later that evening

A few damp tendrils escaped the bun Hermione had piled on top of her head, sending droplets of icy water down the back of her neck to wet the back of her pajama top. Her hair was drying quickly as she sat in front of the fire, waiting for nine o'clock when Ron's face was due to appear. She had requested special Floo permissions from the Headmistress, enabling incoming and outgoing Floo calls but restricting visits completely. Hermione and Ron had quickly scheduled a time and a place for their first call, and even though she had only been away a week, Hermione was missing her fiancé more than she thought was possible.

Perfectly on time, Ron's face flickered into view. She couldn't help the smile that broke out on her face at his presence, her cheeks aching with its size, her heart swelling when she saw the lazy grin he reserved strictly for her.

"Hey," she said, wanting to reach out and brush a strand of his hair away from his eyes. She had been fussing over him, instructing him to get a haircut before she left, but his red hair had remained shaggy.

"This is better than owls," he commented and Hermione noticed his eyes rake over her face, lingering on her lips. "Much better." Her face flushed and she was pleased colours could not be distinguished through this form of contact, though she knew he could see how she bit her lip, looked to the ground as she always did when embarrassed.

"How are you? How's work?" she asked, moving to tuck her knees beneath her chin and staring intently at her fiancé. She had enjoyed spending her time with Ginny, but the younger girl had her own friends, her own group to be with, and Hermione could sense she was intruding slightly. "I miss you," she added at the thought, feeling a lump grow in her throat.

"I know, babe," Ron said, eyes weary. "I miss you, too. And I'm good. Tired. Georgie isn't coping so well, so there's a lot of work at the shop. I'm thinking of getting Harry involved, too."

As if on cue, Ron's face disappeared from the fire with a loud pop, replaced by her best friend's crooked glasses and unruly hair. "Hey, Hermione," Harry said, grinning. "How's Hogwarts?"

"Oi, bugger off! She's my fiancé," Ron's voice broke through the Floo network and Harry's head vanished.

"She's my best friend."

Another pop. Harry's face returned.

"How are you two ever going to live together?" she laughed as Harry's head vanished for a final time, replaced with Ron's once more. "You're acting like first years." She missed their antics as soon as they ended, remembering their roughhousing when they'd all be together in the common room or going on a stroll through the grounds. Her heart hurt at the thought of the two of them having such fun with her hours away, nose in a book, revising for exams.

"You alright, Hermione?" Ron asked and her eyes flickered back to his face. "Is anyone giving you any trouble?"

She wanted to laugh at his concern but it came out as more of a choked sob. "I'm fine. Just missing you guys. It gets a bit lonely, you know?"

"When's the next Hogsmeade trip? We can all go for a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks and you can ask McGonagall if we can come up to the castle. You can give me a private tour of your room," he threw in a wink for good measure, looking a fool and Hermione couldn't help herself from laughing.

"Three weeks. It's on a Saturday," she said. "I can't wait to see you."

"I can't wait, either. But look, Harry's getting ready to interrupt us again, so I better go."

"Okay," Hermione caught her lower lip between her teeth for a moment. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

With a final pop, Ron's face vanished from the fire.

Hermione scooted away and into a plush armchair, eyes still on the flickering flames for another look at his face. Instead, the fire just burned brighter until her eyes began to water and she turned to a particularly tedious section of her Arithmancy textbook, reviewing the work she had completed earlier that day.

Hogsmeade Village

Midday

Saturday, October 5th, 1998

Light snow was starting to fall in the small wizarding village as Hermione and Ginny rushed past students and teachers alike to find their way to the Three Broomsticks. Both had put a bit more effort into their appearance, having been away from their beaus for over a month, and as a result neither of them had dressed appropriately for Hogsmeade's perpetually frigid climate.

Their dresses flapped about just above their knees, coats a bit too thin to keep out the cold. But the weather was of no concern to the two as they nearly broke down the door of the Three Broomsticks in anticipation. Ron and Harry both looked up at their commotion, faces beaming when they noticed the new arrivals.

Ron was the first to reach them, pulling Hermione tightly into his arms and pressing a firm kiss to her lips. She snaked her arms around his neck, interlocking her fingers and holding herself close to him for as long as possible. They broke apart, grinning like fools, oblivious to the show they were putting on for the other witches and wizards.

Harry and Ginny were partaking in a similar display, though theirs was much less reserved than Hermione and Ron's had been. The brunette laughed under her breath at the couple as she moved to take Harry's seat beside Ron at the table. He called for two more butterbeers and held her hand beneath the table, rubbing his thumb against the soft skin of her hand. She smiled at him, leaning in for another quick kiss.

Their companions returned to the table, both looking thoroughly snogged with Harry's hair even more of a mess than usual and Ginny's lipstick smudged slightly across her face. They copied Hermione and Ron's stance, holding hands beneath the table, making light conversation.

The pub's door blew open, bringing with it a gust of cold air and three new arrivals. Their table looked up, seeing Blaise, Draco and Theo slouch in, collars turned up against the cold. Blaise broke away from the trio to order drinks at the bar, leaving the other two to search for a table. They brushed past Hermione's group, Draco offering Harry a stiff nod.

Harry had testified on behalf of the Malfoy family over the summer, clearing them of all guilt and allowing them to pass through the trials without any repercussions, other than a severely bruised ego. None of the Malfoy clan had expected him to do anything of the sort, having already saved Draco's life during the Final Battle, but Harry held what he believed to be an unpayable debt to Narcissa for lying to Voldemort for him.

Theo's passing was not as quiet, stopping beside Hermione. "How's it going, 'Mione?"

She was past cringing at the name, instead just rolling her eyes. The two had been paired in Transfiguration again and McGonagall had chosen them as the most successful partners for each other. Thus, they were to be working together in that class for the rest of the year, and Theo had wasted no time in trying to strike up a friendship with the Head Girl. If he wasn't a Slytherin, Hermione could see herself becoming close friends with the snake. He was much more intelligent than she had ever given him credit for and armed with a wicked sense of humour, making their lessons together highly enjoyable and stimulating for her.

"Not bad, Teddy. How are you?" she asked, ignoring Ron's frozen hand underneath the table and his fast rising temper.

"Bit chilly, but can't complain. I'd love to stay and chat, but I can see you're on a double date and Drake's looking a bit lonely over there," Theo said. "Pleasure to see you, Weasley, Potter."

He sauntered over to the disgruntled looking blonde in the corner and Hermione was left on damage control.

"Made a new friend, I see?" Harry remarked, looking back at the two Slytherins. His tone was light, but Hermione could see the concern in his eyes, aware that he was simply trying to look out for her.

"He's really nice, Harry. Nothing at all like his father," she said, turning her attention to her fiancé. "Ron? Are you okay?"

"He's a Death Eater, Hermione," Ron had withdrawn his hand from her grasp, wrapping both his palms around his butterbeer. "Or at the very least, his father was. I don't want you having anything to do with him."

"What?" Hermione couldn't help her voice going up a pitch. "Is that what you think? That he's a Death Eater?" Ron just nodded in affirmation. "And you think I'll stay away from him because it's what you want me to do?"

"Oh boy," Ginny muttered under her breath, face red with embarrassment.

"Yes, Hermione, I think you will stay away from him if I ask," Ron said, trying to keep his voice low. They had successfully avoided attracting the attention of the other patrons, but the whole table was aware that it wouldn't last at the rate they were going. "I want you to stay away for your own good. He could hurt you!"

"And you don't think I've realised that, Ronald?" He winced at the use of his full name. "You don't think I'm capable of looking after myself? I'm not a child."

"Well, you're acting like one," Ron said, voice a furious whisper.

"You're acting like a jealous brat, so I suppose we're even," she retorted, snatching up her bag and breaking away from the table. A couple entering the Three Broomsticks made way for her, noting the wild look of her hair and flushed face.

Hermione tugged on her coat as the snow began to fall heavily, trying to get away from the pub as quickly as possible. She couldn't hear Ron calling after her so she assumed Ginny was still chastising him inside. It only took two minutes for her bones to ache with the cold and the most promising place in her line of sight was Honeydukes, overflowing with Hogwarts students.

A few extra galleons in her pocket, Hermione squeezed her way into the sweet shop, losing herself in the smell of sugar.

The Three Broomsticks

At the same time…

"Trouble in paradise?" Blaise asked his housemates, watching the hushed fight between Granger and Weasley.

"Looks like you're breaking up the Golden Couple, Ted," Draco said, sipping deeply from his foaming glass. He had watched with curious eyes as the wizarding world's darling had vanished out the front door, hair crackling with anger. She had a two minute head start, Weasley being held back and admonished by his younger sister. Draco smirked at the shade of red Weasley's face had turns, at how uncomfortable Potter looked.

"I didn't do anything," Theo said, glaring at Draco who gave him his usual smirk. "Weasley's always had a temper."

The three Slytherins watched Weasley came to his senses and shrugged on his jacket, hurrying out into the cold. "You're in, Ted," Draco commented. "Granger looked furious. If you're lucky, she might call off the wedding."

"Can you stop being such an arse for just one minute, Drake?" Theo asked. "I'm your best mate, so maybe you should consider stop being such a royal dick."

"I think you touched a nerve, Draco," Blaise said, hiding his grin behind his glass. Draco arched a brow at Theo, but nodded apologetically. It was as close to a proper apology anyone ever got out of a Malfoy.