When Ginny and Hermione returned to the suite, Malfoy was gone. And he didn't return on the next day. She spent all her time then in the suite's library browsing books hungrily, because she had not gotten her hands on any new texts and had already borrowed and read all the advanced books the Diagon Alley Library had to offer.
Malfoy didn't find Hermione in the night when she wandered for lack of sleep. There were no more efforts to make sure she took his potions and she wondered for a moment if she would get ill. When she didn't show symptoms, she pushed the worry to the back of her mind and chose to believe that Malfoy's potioneering skills were actually up to par and she would be fine.
Hermione eyed Zabini and Ginny as they played pool and flirted. But that's as far as their interactions went and Hermione relaxed a bit. She was still worried about the seriousness of it, but it hadn't escalated to the point of no return. Ginny was being cautious and getting to know him, but keeping him interested in case she actually wanted to take that step.
Hermione hoped she wouldn't.
The third day proved the day that Ginny and Zabini were over their flu. With written instructions sent by owl from the absent Malfoy, they didn't take their scheduled potion and when no symptoms arose, they were free. Ginny could go home, and thankfully, now could Hermione.
She missed the comforts of her home and her parents, though she knew her parents were probably overjoyed at her spending time in the Vie amongst her peers and possibly finding a husband. Mainly the possibility of finding a husband.
She shook Zabini's hand at the fireplace and watched as he wrapped his arms around Ginny and pressed themselves close together without a kiss. Zabini was smitten. Ginny was glowing. Hermione disappeared in green flames to the Burrow and wondered if leaving them alone was a good idea, even for a minute.
She shook the thoughts from her head as she brushed the soot off her clothes. Molly greeted her warmly and offered her some tea.
"I- " Hermione said. Tea sounded nice and she wanted to wait for Ginny, but the thought of seeing Ron after their last interaction was making her want to retreat. She glanced at the clock and saw Ron's hand at Quidditch. Did that mean in the yard or away somewhere?
"Oh, Ron dragged Percy to some Quidditch in the neighbouring village, they won't be back for a few hours. I'm sure Ron would have loved to be here to greet you though!" Molly said. Hermione wondered how she remained so ignorant to Ron and her disparity to each other. Ron because he thought Hermione was into Malfoy and Hermione because Ron never grew up.
"Your parents are coming here, dear." Molly said. Hermione snapped out of her mind and back to present and the words Molly just said registered seconds later.
"What?" she asked. Molly was smiling at her knowingly. "What's happening?"
"Neville is coming over for dinner here. He wanted to meet your parents and you, but your parents asked to have it here." Molly said.
"Why does Neville want to meet my par-" Hermione bit her tongue. She couldn't believe it. He was looking for a wife to marry too. But her? Maybe Ginny, but he knew Ginny was being courted by Zabini, so Hermione was the safe option. Testing the water. She watched Molly and smiled. "I don't think that would be necessary, Molly. We can have lunch but please, could you all just not-"
"It's just supper, Hermione dear." Molly said sweetly. And she retreated to the kitchen, Hermione stood with her arms flopped against her side like she had just been smacked across the face. Neville was probably being forced into this too by his grandmother. There was no other way. Neville would have never thought of her. She thought that Luna was his love interest.
"It's just supper." Hermione said softly and to herself. She turned to look at the fireplace and wondered where Ginny was, and why she hadn't come back yet. It had been a few minutes. They wouldn't snog in the lobby, that would be scandalous for the Prophet and no one liked seeing themselves in their pages these days.
Hermione blinked and in a flash of green, Ginny was stepping out from the fireplace, a giddy, dreamy look on her face.
"Oh! Mione, you didn't need to wait on me to say goodbye." Ginny said. "I'd see you inevitably."
"I'm told to stay because my parents and yours are trying to play matchmakers." Hermione said in a grumble.
"Oh! Who's the lucky man?" Ginny teased, lifting an eyebrow.
"Neville." Hermione said quickly, and before Ginny could say anything or laugh, she continued, "I think his grandmother is making him do it. I don't think he would ever pursue me, or you for that matter if he wasn't being pushed into a corner."
Ginny's face went red from her effort to suppress what Hermione assumed was laughter. Her eyes watered from the effort.
"I'm not laughing at Neville, I swear." Ginny said. "But, oh God, you and Neville? I thought he was with Luna!"
"That's what I thought too." Hermione said. "Come on then, let's go help your mother in the kitchen before she screams bloody murder."
They finished cooking around 5 o'clock and Hermione showered and wore some of Ginny's clothes. She was tired of not wearing her own and washing her already worn clothes with magic left her something to be desired, she liked the detergent and reminding herself that she came from Muggles. Molly had explained that her parents were instructed to use a portkey and they were scheduled to arrive at quarter past five, allowing them alone time with their daughter who they had not seen in days before the big event that was their ambush dinner.
Her parents were absolutely ecstatic to see her and she soaked in their warmth and familiarity. She didn't know how much socialising she had left in her, but she hadn't seen Neville since the Prevalence Ball and even then, they didn't interact.
Hermione remembered something and turned to Ginny.
"Gin." Hermione said quietly so that no one could hear. Ginny looked at her and raised a questioning eyebrow. "Doesn't Luna live nearby?"
Ginny's eyes widened. "Shit, she does. I wonder if he knows."
"I don't know, I just remembered seeing them at the ball together, I wonder what happened?" Hermione said. She wondered if dinner was a disaster waiting to happen.
Neville arrived promptly at five minutes to six because dinner was to be served at six. His grandmother stressed to him the importance of being on time and making good first impressions, though Hermione's first impression of Neville was him losing Trevor on the train years ago.
He met Hermione's eyes with some form of guilt and apologetic shrug. That confirmed to Hermione that he was being cornered into pursuing someone and he maybe just chose her because she was familiar, and his friend. Hermione felt guilty for thinking Neville was even remotely in want of a wife, especially her, and now she sympathized with him and reserved herself to play along to get the adults to leave them all alone.
Better Neville than Malfoy.
"Hi Hermione." Neville said. Hermione greeted him with a warm smile and leaned in for a hug. Neville had grown quite a lot from his short stocky self throughout the years. And after the Battle of Hogwarts, he had grown in confidence too. His sheepish movements didn't diminish his imposing frame, but it did make him look uncomfortable.
"Hi Neville, long time no see." Hermione said. She leaned in and whispered, "We can give them a show and maybe they'd leave us alone? Yea?"
Neville's eyes brightened. He gave a short indiscernible nod and Hermione and Neville sat opposite each other.
She smiled at his jokes and shot Ginny funny looks when Ginny eyed her in disbelief.
"I love these potatoes! Gran doesn't care much for them, so she hardly has them made." Neville said. "Did you make it Mrs Weasley?"
"Hermione made those, dear!" Molly said. Hermione's mother beamed with pride. Hermione blushed. Neville grinned sheepishly.
"Are you seeing Zabini, Ginny?" Neville asked. There it was, he was putting out feelers to see what available women there were to marry. Ginny's cheeks went red and she smiled at Neville with her cheek full of food. She swallowed.
"I kind of am." Ginny said. "Maybe."
Molly squealed with delight because this was as good as a marriage proposal to her and also the first confirmation she had heard from her own daughter's mouth. Ginny went even redder.
"Oh that's great!" Neville said, genuinely beaming at her. "He's a nice man, at least the little I've seen of him. I'm surprised he's with Malfoy as much as he is."
Hermione cleared her throat, some potatoes had gotten lodged in her throat. It seemed like Malfoy's reputation remained unchanged and he would forever be the pompous brat from Hogwarts. Hermione smiled at the thought.
"How was it, the Vie?" Neville asked no one in particular.
"It was nice! Zabini had the actual penthouse though, so we only saw the best of it. Can't say anything bad." Ginny said, her mouth full of chicken. Hermione nudged her in the ribs and she swallowed and grinned.
"Gran wanted me to rent a room there, something about throwing a party?" Neville murmured more to himself than anyone listening. "I'm not much of a party person, but I do love to dance."
"You're a great dancer, Neville." Ginny said, smiling warmly at him. "You made my Yule Ball the best night of my time at Hogwarts. Before all the boys ruined it." Ginny laughed.
Hermione smiled and watched her, sadness had seeped through the humour in her eyes and Hermione knew she remembered Harry. And Harry leaving her to protect her. That was always a sore spot for Ginny, she and Harry had many a fight about it.
Neville had blushed at Ginny's words and he eased himself into his seat more and enjoyed the rest of dinner.
After dessert was served, Neville's ears turned bright red as he looked at Hermione.
"Mione, do you want to walk with me for a bit?" Neville said. Hermione felt her face heat with a blush and she glanced at Ginny who was biting her lip to keep from commenting. "It's just to catch up, I don't see you, Harry, or Ron that often."
"Of course, Neville." Hermione said. And before she could say she would help them clean up the dinner table, her mother and Molly were ushering them both out the front door and into the garden. A garden gnome ran and tripped as he tried to hide in the hedges and Neville's eyes followed him, his expression unreadable.
"Are you okay, Neville?" Hermione asked. She reached out to his shoulder and realised he had gotten lost in his thoughts in the short space of time. He looked back over his shoulder and smiled at Hermione.
"Let's walk to the top of that hill. It looks like a wonderful countryside." Neville said, not answering her question. She caught up to his side and they climbed silently to the slightly sloping hillside's peak. Neville stood still and his eyes roamed the horizon. Hermione thought he almost looked disappointed and she wondered if he had actually come here to find Luna.
"Neville, are you okay?" Hermione asked again. She reached for his arm but didn't touch him. She instead watched him carefully and he turned and gave her a half smile.
"The world is a little fucked right now, Mione. I don't think I can keep gran happy, all the older folk want us all to get married." Neville said. He looked at the moon and sighed, the cool light making the whites of his eyes blue in the darkness. His eyes were almost black in contrast and looked troubled. "Gran wants me to be with someone she likes, someone who won't drag the Longbottom name through the dirt."
"I know Neville, but remember. You don't have to get married. Britain will recover soon enough, and you can hang in there. Stand up to them, don't do anything you don't want to." Hermione said. She hoped it was encouraging enough.
Neville smiled at her and he stood straight. He looked determinedly in a direction that only had trees swaying in the heavy winds.
"I think it's going to rain, should we head back?" Hermione suggested. Neville smiled and they walked back to the Burrow, the windows were warm beacons in the cold night.
Neville left and Hermione's parents beamed as they shook his hand. Neville gave them a charming smile which disappeared when he turned to the front door to exit. Only Hermione saw. She suspected only she knew or understood the pressure and was the only one with experience with resisting the new norm. She wanted to comfort Neville, tell him it would be alright, but she barely had energy left to comfort herself.
Hermione's parents stood in the yard laughing with Molly and Arthur and Ginny looked at Hermione.
"Hey, you'll be alright, right?" she asked. "You won't actually have to marry him."
"I know, because I'm not marrying anyone." Hermione said firmly. "And Neville shouldn't have to marry anyone he doesn't want to either."
"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.
"Nevermind, it's nothing." Hermione said. She didn't want to tell Neville's troubles to anyone she thought he wouldn't want to tell. And if Ginny didn't pick up on it, she wasn't going to explain.
"I'll see you soon, Mione. I'll tell you when Blaise finalizes the ball." Ginny said. Hermione managed a smile.
"Now that you're both better, I can't imagine that it would be long." Hermione said. Ginny laughed.
Hermione gripped her parent's elbows and apparated back to the park near their home. Jeanine and Charles smiled at their daughter as they walked with her, hand in hand back to their house. It reminded Hermione of when she was a child and she enjoyed the innocence of the moment and hoped they wouldn't ruin it with the mention of marriage.
When she got to her bedroom and sighed in relief at its familiarity, a tap at the window startled her eyes open. A tall proud grey owl stood indignantly at the window. His feathers were fluffed as though he was waiting for a while. Hermione wondered why the owl didn't find her at the Burrow but realised she had moved from the Vie, to the Burrow, to her house, in the span of one day. The owl must have changed directions many times.
She opened the window and he hopped in with a hoot. Hermione pointed her wand at him and then paused.
"Can I warm you?" she asked him. She was never sure if owls understood them, but they always followed instruction, so maybe they did. The owl eyed the wand and hooted, then nipped at Hermione's hand that was resting at his feet. She cast a warming charm and the owl's eyes closed in pleasure.
"You came a long way by the looks of you." Hermione said. She flicked her wand and summoned the owl treats to feed him. When he was eating happily and sipping water in a little bowl, Hermione detached the letter from his foot.
She unrolled the parchment and paused at the clawed and hooked writing that she recognised from years of letter correspondence. She hadn't heard from him in almost two years.
Hermione,
I'd love to see you as I visit some people in your country. There's rumours of a ball but I doubt I'll be able to stay for that. I'll be in Britain in a week, staying at the Vie. I hope you know it. Let me know if it would be okay to see you. I'd love to catch up.
Viktor
Hermione could feel her pulse in her neck and on her wrists as her heart beat furiously. The shadow of the memory of his whiskered face against her skin sent a shiver up her spine and the cold wind from the window cooled her now hot skin.