The night was a little strange after that. Hermione hadn't spent a night away from her own home with strangers or in unfamiliar settings since she, Ron, and Harry had gone Horcrux hunting. It felt like that but not. The charms in the Vie were doing their jobs and putting her at ease, but her logical mind was still building barricades and standing on guard.
The unexplored door attached to Ginny's room was actually an equally as extravagant room and it now hosted Hermione. She was relieved that there were regular pyjamas and robes for her in the adorned cupboard. And needless to say, she didn't even attempt to get into her own bed knowing that Ginny would much rather share the too large one with her.
Hermione pulled on the cozy pyjamas and couldn't resist the fluffy robe, so she snuggled into that too. It self regulated it's temperature so it kept her warm but not hot and it felt like she was wrapped in a cloud. She knocked quietly on the door and heard Ginny call her in, so she entered and shut the door behind her.
"Thank you, for staying." Ginny said. She was looking a little worse than at dinner time, the wave of the magical flu washing over her.
"Of course, you needed me." Hermione said, half sincerely, half in a tease. She saw Ginny swallow dryly. "Hey, did you get that other dose yet?"
"I did, I just took it. Might have been too late though." Ginny said with a little laugh, "I'm feeling a little sick again and maybe if I had taken it earlier, the symptoms wouldn't have showed up again."
"Well it's a good thing the pleasant Mr Zabini has asked you to stay, isn't it?" Hermione teased. Ginny laughed and it broke into a cough. Hermione climbed into bed beside her and hugged her. "Let me know if you need water or anything. I'll get Goose."
Ginny nodded against her and closed her eyes. Hermione brushed her fingers through her hair that shone like bright rust in the candle light. She whispered finite at the flames and they flickered out.
Hermione had recently discovered her talent for wandless magic, and she had explored small things with it. One day maybe, she would try more intricate spells. The idea of unfocused magic was scary to her because of the amount of things that could go wrong, but she was still thrilled.
Ginny's breathing evened and deepened and Hermione knew she was asleep. Her stomach protested a little and Hermione rolled her eyes. How could she be hungry at this hour of the night? And why was she wide awake. The comfort charms weren't working on her the way it had before. She assumed it was because her mind couldn't stop racing.
She gently disengaged Ginny, laying her head softly onto a pillow and then climbed from the bed. She thanked the magic that stilled the mattress so that the occupant wasn't disturbed.
Hermione went into the corridor and tried to make her way back to the foyer where the bar was. At least there she could call for Goose and have a conversation with him about food if she really needed it. And to her surprise, she found herself there without any issues that she had just a few hours ago.
Her excitement ceased when she saw the ghostly white hair of a tall man in the pale moonlight that seeped through the floor to ceiling glass windows of the entrance room.
"Granger." he said. And Hermione's fear dissipated but her distrust skyrocketed.
"Malfoy. Why are you here?" she asked.
"Ah, I see my concern was misplaced and you're quite alright." Malfoy said. He stepped into the light, away from the bar to stand two feet from her, and towered over her. Her eyes only met his chin if she stared pointedly forward.
"Concern for me?" Hermione asked his chin.
"Yes, I wasn't sure about the tweak I made to the potion. If it would keep working throughout the night or if you would need another dose to stay immune." Malfoy explained. Hermione watched his mouth curl into a smile and she was aware he was fully dressed in sleek robes and she was wrapped in a cloud and fluffy slippers.
"I'm fine." Hermione rebutted.
"Nevertheless, Granger. It's a nasty bug. Take one more dose." Malfoy said. He held a glittering bottle out to her and she took it, avoiding his fingers.
"How did you get in? I thought you weren't staying with Blaise ." Hermione said.
"You do love to throw my words back at me, don't you?" Malfoy chuckled. He was looking down at her, past his chin, his eyes glittering silver and pale blue in the moonlight. She didn't like it, and her heart pounded angrily against her ribcage. He sighed.
"Blaise put my name as one of the occupants, I can come and go as I please. I would hate you to think me incompetent, so I came to dose you as I have myself. There is no sabotage, no ulterior motives. Does that satisfy you, Granger?" Malfoy said in a monotone, bored voice. He looked past her, over her head and out the window. Hermione saw the crease of annoyance between his brows. Hermione drank the potion and walked past him to the bar, placing the empty bottle there and putting ten feet between them.
"Why are you here, Granger?" Malfoy asked.
"I couldn't sleep." Hermione said. She chewed her cheek because she didn't know why she said it. Probably because he was being so open and honest? Maybe it was a tactic he was playing, but she didn't know to what end.
"You could have called Goose, dreamless draught is in the Zabini stock of potions." Malfoy suggested.
"I'm also hungry, but I-" Hermione said, again, not sure why she was sharing.
"DIdn't want to bother the house elves. Ah." Malfoy finished for her and Hermione was grateful for the dark because her blush burned her cheeks.
"Shouldn't you be at home, asleep." Hermione huffed.
"I'm leaving." Malfoy said. The bottle left the bar and flew to his hand, which he then tucked into his robe. He walked past her, his clothes the only sound through the air and he stopped at the door.
Hermione heard him suck in a breath and then he was gone with a heavy thud of a closing door.
She really needed this Ginny and Zabini thing to hurry up and end. She couldn't take any more of Malfoy's mysterious niceties and indecipherable manners.
It was lunch the following day, and Ginny remembered to take her dose on time so she was well enough to greet her family and show that she was perfectly fine as she had described in her letters.
At least it was just Molly and Arthur. That's what Ginny and Hermione thought.
It wasn't just Molly and Arthur. Somehow George, Charlie, Percy and to Hermione's absolute embarrassment, Ron, had joined their parents.
"Guys, what the hell?" Ginny said as Goose led the parade of them into the drawing room. All the boys' eyes were lit up as they took in their surroundings. Hermione wished wholeheartedly that she could sink into the wallpaper.
"Well dear," Molly said, "They heard we were coming to The Vie and-"
"Save it, mom." Ginny said crossly. "You can't just show up, the whole bunch of you."
"Gin!" Zabini said as he came up next to her. Hermione watched his hand almost reach for her waist before he folded it behind his back. "It's alright, I wanted them here."
"You knew it was all of them?" Ginny asked. Zabini wilted a little under her glare.
"Gin." Hermione said. Everyone's eyes shot to Hermione and she wished she had just shut up. She looked at Ginny blessedly in regular clothes again, surrounded by her excited and scolded family and smiled. "Gin, Zabini says it's fine. After this, we all go home, alright? He just wanted you to be happy."
"Right." Ginny said. She shot another glare at her family as they all assumed positions about the room. Ron sat beside a chessboard in a squishy armchair and Hermione made it a point to avoid that part of the room.
"So, Goose can bring you whatever you'd like to drink." Zabini said to the room. "You can explore the place, if you like."
The Weasleys all kept their places and looked around contentedly.
"It's so nice, to be out." Molly said. Arthur nodded. Charlie, Percy and George had found a pool table and were touching the pool sticks and the surface. Hermione wanted to laugh. Was it considered a muggle sport or was this a wizarding version? She hadn't paid attention to Ginny and Zabini after dinner last night.
"Oh, indeed. It must be nice, when you get to see more of Britain than we've been allowed lately." Zabini said with a warm chuckle.
"Oi." George said. He quelled slightly under Ginny's glare. "I mean. Hey, what about another ball? Liven up wizarding Britain a bit?"
"And who's going to fund that," Hermione scoffed. "The budget was already mostly expended on that public pissing contest called the Prevalence Ball."
"Don't worry about that." Zabini said with a cheeky wink at Hermione. "I'm always up for a bit of fun."
"Blaise, you don't have to-" Ginny started to protest.
"I love a good party, Gin. Who better to throw one than me?" Zabini said. A tray bearing alcohol had rolled its way into the drawing room and everyone eagerly looked at it. It served each person a drink in varying glasses without being asked or told what to do. Hermione studied it carefully, wondering if a house elf was responsible.
Hermione realised Malfoy wasn't in the room. Nor was his mother. Zabini was the one to share the dose of potions to each family member without mention of the potions master, and he reassured them it was to keep them immune to the flu he and Ginny shared. That gained quite the reaction from George and Ginny punched him solidly in the arm.
Narcissa had joined them for lunch again today and the Weasleys all either behaved very meekly around her or were rude to Malfoy. It was a short lunch, and a quiet one.
Without Malfoy present, she realised the Weasley's were all becoming their usual selves. She didn't know why, but she left the room. She had seen Ron eyeing her shyly and felt the immediate need to retreat. And somehow, to her brain, it was sound logic to use the excuse of finding Malfoy of all people as the reason to leave, not that anyone asked her but it didn't hurt to be prepared.
Hermione sidled out of the room and was glad to be free of the suffocation that was the awkwardness, tension, and Zabini's charm working overtime to win over Ginny's brothers. She felt a little guilty, leaving him undefended. Ginny could handle them.
"Too many Weasleys for you, Granger?" Malfoy's drawl crept at her from the bar.
"I came for Ginny. And they're my family, too." Hermione said. "Where did you go?"
"Concerned about my whereabouts, are you?" Malfoy smirked. He swirled what looked like a dark rum in a glass before he sipped it.
"I was under the impression that you didn't abandon your friends." Hermione said. She was standing ten feet away from him and all of a sudden, she wanted to return to the drawing room. She hadn't expected to actually find him, she was hoping to hide and breathe for a moment.
"I saw my mother off." Malfoy said. "Not that I owe you an explanation."
Hermione realised Narcissa wasn't with him and she felt a wave of stupidity wash over her.
"You don't-" Hermione said.
"Do you want some of this?" Malfoy asked. He tilted his glass at her.
"I don't drink." Hermione said. Malfoy shrugged, tilted the remaining of its contents into his mouth and swallowed.
"Duty calls." he said. He strode past her and into the drawing room. Hermione didn't have an excuse to be out here anymore and she reluctantly followed him.
Ron was beet red and staring firmly at the chessboard when Hermione finally thought to look for him.
"Draco! Tell your friends we're having a ball. I'll send you the details when we have it all sorted, yea?" Hermione listened to Zabini excitedly go on about more socializing and hid a smile when she saw Malfoy fight a reactive sneer to the news. He hated these things as much as she did. Of all people to share in her misery at the current state of wizarding Britain, Hermione did not expect Malfoy to be her only companion.
"How long do you think it might take to plan?" Malfoy said. "Maybe I can find a reason to leave Britain so I can't attend."
"Don't be a snob. Come on, mate. It'll be fun." Zabini teased.
Molly and Arthur were listening eagerly, the boys had found a way to work the pool table, George was waving a long pool stick around like an absurd wand, and Ron was watching pieces on the chessboard smash themselves in violence.
"Whatever you need, Blaise." Malfoy sighed in resignation.
"Good! See if you can find yourself a girlfriend." Zabini said. Ginny winked at Hermione. She had found her way to the boys and was in the process of showing them how to set the table. Hermione had to guess that that's how Zabini and Ginny had spent at least some of their time together.
"Why just a girlfriend?" Hermione asked. She bit her cheek as soon as she'd said it.
"I don't want to be married, Granger." Malfoy sneered. "The whole idea is preposterous."
"Why, Malfoy. Don't you care about being one of Britain's saviours from financial ruin, redeeming your family's name?" Hermione asked. She trailed her hand along the couch that Molly and Arthur sat at. Malfoy's eyes followed her arm and then he looked at her.
"I'd rather gain people's good opinion on merit, rather than buying my way through life." Malfoy said. The words sounded familiar, and she remembered them from second year at school. When he had called her Mudblood after she pointed out all the new brooms bought for the team, conveniently at the same time that he was made their seeker. He was throwing her words back at her and she allowed a smile to crack across her face.
Then she remembered Ron's backfiring hex,the hex he tried to use to defend her from the bitter and painful word of Mudblood. And his subsequent remainder of the day was spent vomiting slugs. Her smile disappeared as suddenly as she had allowed it.
Maybe Malfoy remembered too, because he paled ever so slightly and didn't meet Hermione's eyes. Hermione missed Harry at this moment. He was the only one who understood feeling like an outsider while simultaneously being considered a family member by the Weasleys.
Zabini was having too much fun getting to know Ginny to realise Malfoy was altogether too uncomfortable, and Ginny was too engrossed in showing off for Zabini to notice that Hermione really really wanted to leave.
Hermione bit the bullet and walked over to Ron, if only for a moment to not have to look at Malfoy.
He was resetting the board and gazing determinedly at the pieces.
"Ronald." Hermione said. It was a disconnected greeting, not warm, nor cold.
"Hermione." Ron said without looking up. It felt strange to hear him speak and let alone say her name. She couldn't remember the last time he had said her whole name.
"How have you been?" Hermione asked. It was polite. Couldn't lead to anything bad. Right?
"Since when have you and Malfoy been chummy?" Ron asked. Hermione winced.
"Malfoy and I are not chummy ." Hermione said. "And if you'd paid any attention, you would see that."
"I don't know, Hermione. He only talked to you since coming into the room." Ron said. "Why were you two alone?"
"None of your business." Hermione retorted. She didn't know why she didn't tell him the truth, but at the same time, it really was none of his business. "Why did you even come, Ronald?"
"I wanted to see-" Ron stopped. He watched a chess piece smash into another and he cleared his throat. "I wanted to see what the hype was about. The Vie. Mom and dad thought it would be good to get out."
"Right. Well, I hope you're having fun." Hermione said. She thought about her no drinking rule and weighed the idea of breaking it sometime.
Hermione didn't know what happened, but when she looked around, everyone was readying themselves to leave. Ginny was thanking Zabini and Molly was tittering excitedly. The Weasley boys, all except Ron, had gathered behind their parents, their faces not entirely convinced but considerably a little warmer toward Zabini.
"Looks like you get to see him at Zabini's ball." Ron said in Hermione's ear as he walked by her. Hermione started at his nearness and looked around, Malfoy's eyes flicked away as she met them. Was he looking at them this whole time? How annoying.
She also hated Ron right now. She hadn't outright hated him before, they had ended amicably albeit messily. She remembered hating him but it was more like anger when he had apparated away under the influence of the Horcrux when he had implicated that Harry and Hermione were closer than they had led on. And just like then, what Ron was implying now was ridiculous.
He was being petty.
Zabini guided everyone to the lifts in the hallway that would take them all to the lobby. The fireplaces weren't linked to the Floo Network for security reasons, so the only way to leave was through the Floo Fireplaces in the lobby, or the apparition point on the corner near The Vie, where Hermione had arrived.
Hermione kept her distance from the Weasleys, mainly because of Ron. She found herself lagging behind the group as they got into one lift, leaving Hermione alone. She didn't blame them for forgetting her. They were busy fawning over Ginny. Zabini waved as the lift disappeared. Hermione stood, waiting for another lift, even if she missed them in the hall, she wanted to say goodbye too. She and Ginny still needed to stay at the Vie until Ginny was well. A lift clanged to a halt and Hermione slid the gate open.
She took a step forward and tripped. A hand caught hers and steadied her, then it quickly released. Hermione looked around and to her surprise, it was Malfoy. She knew her face was one of shock, because Malfoy turned quickly and walked away. Zabini waved at Hermione and jogged slightly to meet Malfoy, Zabini promptly playfully punched his shoulder.
As the lift began to move, Hermione could have sworn she saw Malfoy flex his hand.