Harry and Hermione sat in comfortable silence, her drinking some coffee and him make a scrapbook of his Quidditch career for his sons and humming a tune rather badly. Hermione was fairly certain it was supposed to be the new hit song by The Nifflers. Various photographs and newspaper articles littered his kitchen table. He frowned in concentration, sorting through several pictures of what appear to be him getting hit brutally by a bludger.
Hermione picked up an article and looked at it idly.
Friends Turned Fans! the headline read. Below that was a grainy picture of Harry being hoisted laughingly into the air by several people Hermione recognized. Lavender Brown, Parvarti Patil, Dean Thomas, Hannah Abbot, Colin and Dennis Creevey, Cho Chang, Seamus Finnegan, and even some Slytherins, Daphne and Astoria Greengrass.
"Harry," she said, putting the article back down.
"Hmm?" he said absently, pushing his glasses up.
"Why did you write that letter to Malfoy?"
Harry paused and looked up at her. "What?"
She fidgeted uncomfortably, looking through the stack of photos to hide her unease. Harry doing a swan dive for the snitch, a still pockmarked Marietta Edgecombe and gorgeous Cho Chang cheering from the stands. Harry hoisting the Quidditch World Cup over his head, Lavender, Parvarti, Cho, and Ginny squealing and hugging him. Harry standing in the light of the stands with his arm around a still-pregnant Ginny, both waving at the camera, Dean, Neville, Cho, and Ron in the background. "The letter you wrote Malfoy about me."
Harry stared at her, his green eyes puzzled. "Hermione, I didn't write Malfoy a letter. Why would I? We aren't exactly chummy, are we?"
Hermione frowned, putting the pictures back down. Harry waved up at her and Daphne Greengrass stared at the camera from behind him, her coat elegant and her lips painted red. "But…you didn't?"
Harry shook his head firmly. "Did he tell you I did?"
She nodded miserably, staring at the moving pictures. "Maybe he was mistaken." She wasn't sure why he would lie, but if he was lying about that then what else wasn't true? Suddenly she felt like a fool. Malfoy, change? Did she honestly believe that rot?
"You okay?" Harry asked gently, laying a hand on her arm.
She smiled feebly. "Yeah. I guess."
"Don't let that bugger get to you," he said. "I'm not sure why he was talking to you, but you don't need to get mixed up with a guy like him. He's got problems, Hermione."
She gave a sad smile. "Don't we all?"
Harry shook his head. "Not like that."
She was silent, taking another sip of her coffee.
"Ginny tells me something is going on between you and Zabini." Harry flipped through several articles.
Hermione shrugged. "I'm not sure. I think he's just being friendly, or trying to provoke Malfoy for some reason. I mean, why would he like me?"
Harry grinned, glancing at her impishly. "Do you remember fourth year?" he asked, his emerald eyes dancing. She frowned, cocking her head. "When you took me aside in the library and told me I was fanciable?"
Mortification lit up her cheeks. "I-I…"
He laughed merrily. "Well, it's time I returned the favor. You, Hermione Granger, are fanciable."
Hermione blushed a deep crimson.
"Oi," Ginny said, walking into the room, having just put the boys down for a nap. "What's going on here? Fanciable, eh? Should I be worried you're stealing my man, Hermione?" She giggled at the utterly stricken look on Hermione's face.
"No! I mean…I'm not…"
Ginny and Harry both laughed, Harry ruffling her hair affectionately. "Ah, Hermione," he chuckled fondly. "What we would do without you?"
Hermione sniffed in mock indignation, her amber eyes narrowed. "Not graduated, that's for sure."
Ginny chortled, her brown eyes sparkling. "She's right on that one."
It was Harry's turn to pretend affront as the three friends collapsed in laughter, their merriment echoing through the house.
…
Hermione lay in bed, reading a book while absently stroking Crookshanks, who was curled up on her chest. She sighed, turning a page. It was hard to concentrate. Her thoughts kept drifting back to her conversation with Harry earlier.
Why would Malfoy lie about the letter? That was really bothering her. Had he been lying about the rest as well? Didn't he figure she would question Harry about it? It didn't make any sense. She felt depressed. She had honestly believed that he was being sincere, that he was a changed man.
"Well," she said to Crookshanks, who cracked one golden eye open to look at her. "Leopards really don't change their spots, I suppose." He gave an indifferent yawn.
She was surprised at how disappointed she felt. Ever since that night on the bridge, Malfoy had been tolerable, if you didn't count the other day at the Manor when his friends arrived. She still wasn't sure what had provoked the terrible mood swing he'd had that day. He hadn't contacted her since.
Blaise, on the other hand, made it a point to send her cute little letters every day, letting her know he was thinking about her. It was rather sweet, though Hermione was still worried that he had ulterior motives. She wasn't sure why the darkly handsome Slytherin was interested in her, the plain muggleborn bookworm. She bit her lip.
"At least in half a year I'll be teaching at Hogwarts," she told her cat. "Then I'll be far too busy to worry about things such as this."
The half-kneazle twitched a ragged orange ear.
She sighed, leaning back into her pillows. It was pretty sad that she talked to her cat. It made her seem a bit mad. She supposed though that she needn't start to really worry unless Crookshanks started to speak back.
She picked up her novel again, trying to get immersed in the plot. But something was niggling at the edges of her consciousness, something she felt she should be aware of. But it was elusive. It seemed to have something to do with Harry…or maybe his scrapbook?
Shaking her odd thoughts away, she closed her book, setting on her nightstand before blowing out the candle next to her bed and engulfing the room in darkness. She closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep with Crookshanks' purrs reverberating on her chest. Harry…pictures…Malfoy….
Her thoughts faded as sleep took her completely.