After taking the day off school following her parents' deaths, Hermione was back in lessons on the Friday. Even though it was a wrench leaving Lyra, she'd gone ahead and attended lessons in an attempt to get things back to some semblance of normality. However, she checked on her daughter in between every lesson, but even that wasn't really enough for her and she spent the entire day wishing she was with her daughter.
In the first lesson of the day, Ron had apologised for his behaviour the previous day, but Hermione got the distinct impression he was being forced into apologising by Harry. However, she had more important things to worry about then whether or not Ron's apology was genuine, so she accepted it and suggested they moved on. Despite Ron's apology and Hermione's acceptance of it, things were still tense between the pair. Of course things weren't helped that Hermione split her time between Harry and Ron and Blaise and Theo. Even though Blaise and Theo kept an eye on her when she was with her friends, Hermione still felt more protected when she was with the Slytherins. Whenever she was with Blaise and Theo, she heard none of the gossip about her, whereas when she was with Harry and Ron, people weren't afraid to throw snide comments her way. Not that Hermione paid any attention to the comments, but it was still easier if she didn't have to hear them.
"I was thinking of starting my research into Rowena Ravenclaw," Hermione told her friends as they exited the last lesson of the day.
"You don't have to, Hermione," Harry said quickly. "We understand that you have other priorities now. I'm sure we'll work out what we're looking for eventually."
"I want to help," Hermione insisted. "In fact, I need to help. You need to find this object as quickly as possible so you can destroy it. It's the only way I'll get to see Draco again. Besides, it might help to try and take my mind of things."
"We'd very much appreciate the help, but don't push yourself," Harry said, giving Hermione a smile. "Lyra is your priority, we understand that."
"Don't worry, I won't push myself," Hermione replied. "In fact maybe you two could join me. I was planning on heading to the library to grab some books and then heading back to the head dorms."
"Sorry Hermione, we've got quidditch practice," Ron said, sounding more relived that he had an excuse than sorry he couldn't help.
"That's okay, maybe next time," Hermione said with a shrug.
"Sure," Harry said with a nod. "But we better be off, we're going to be running late at this rate."
Hermione watched as Harry and Ron sprinted off towards Gryffindor Tower, leaving her standing all alone in the corridor. Brushing aside the disappointment she felt at the way her friends had just ran off and left her, Hermione made her way to the library. She decided it was best to get the books before heading back to the dorms, otherwise once she was settled with Lyra, she wouldn't want to leave again.
When she entered the library, Hermione groaned quietly when she spotted Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass sitting at one of the tables. The two Slytherin girls had been the most vocal in their condemnation towards her, and considering she was alone, Hermione suspected they wouldn't be shy in letting her know what a slapper they thought she was. Sure enough, she'd no sooner passed the two Slytherins than they started talking loudly about Hermione and how disgusting they thought it was that she was a mother.
As she searched for some helpful books Hermione did her best to ignore the pair, which became incredibly hard when they suggested that Draco hadn't been forced to join Voldemort, and that he'd left of his own free will to get away from her and Lyra. By the time she had a selection of books ready to check out, Hermione was using all her self-control not to snap and give the two Slytherins a piece of her mind. However, she knew arguing with the pair wasn't the answer, even if it would be very satisfying to tell the pair of evil witches to go and jump off a cliff.
Once free of the library, Hermione headed back to the head dorms. When she entered the head dorms, she found Molly sitting reading a story to Lyra. However, she was rather surprised to find Dumbledore sitting with Molly, drinking a cup of tea.
"Is everything okay?" She asked when the headmaster got to his feet. Dumbledore had kindly offered to arrange her parents burial, so she wondered if he'd hit a snag.
"It's fine," Dumbledore reassured her. "I just want to talk to you about your duties as Head Girl."
"I'm so sorry, I've been neglecting them," Hermione admitted with a grimace. Being Head Girl was something she'd wanted since starting school, but with everything that was going on she hadn't been able to really live up to her position.
"That's quite understandable," Dumbledore said with a smile. "However, head duties do need to be done. I did consider asking either Mr Nott or Mr Zabini to step in as Head Boy and help you out, but when I made a few enquires they both informed me that you and Lyra were their priority, not school. So I've decided to appoint a new Head Boy and Head Girl. Don't worry, you and Draco will still hold the official title, and I'm not moving you out of the dorms. I'll set up fresh dorms for the second head pair. However, if you want to be involved in any way, you have the right. You're still the official Head Girl, and nothing will change that."
Hermione nodded, knowing where Dumbledore was coming from. He had a responsibility to the school, and at the moment he had two head students unable to do the job. Draco wasn't even in school any more, and Hermione had more important things to worry about than sorting the prefects and such. In actual fact Hermione thought Dumbledore was being a lot more generous that he could be. She wouldn't have actually blamed him if he'd stripped her of the title of Head Girl, since she'd done very little to deserve being called Head Girl all year.
Once Dumbledore had left, satisfied that he hadn't upset Hermione, Molly also announced it was time for her to leave. With Molly gone, Hermione took over caring for her daughter. After feeding her, and bathing her, Hermione grabbed a quick bite to eat and she settled down to do some homework and research while Lyra snoozed beside her on the sofa. Hermione had barely started her work when there was knock on the door and Blaise and Theo entered the room.
"You do know you don't have to spend every evening with us, don't you?" Hermione checked as the pair settled down on the sofa opposite Hermione and Lyra.
"We know, but we want to," Blaise replied. "And we're sorry for not being with you earlier when you were in the library."
"Yeah, we didn't know you were going to be alone," Theo added. "We thought Potter and Weasley would be with you. Didn't you say you were going to ask them about helping you with some sort of Order business?"
"I asked, but they were busy," Hermione replied with a shrug. "But how did you know I was in the library on my own?"
"Pansy and Daphne," Blaise answered with a grimace. "The gruesome twosome came back to the dungeons laughing about how they'd upset you."
"They didn't upset me, they made me mad," Hermione clarified. "I so nearly told them what I thought of them."
"Promise me when you do, you'll make sure we're there to see it," Theo said with a wicked grin. "I'd pay to see you tearing a strip off them both."
"You two are wicked," Hermione said with a slight laugh. It surprised her that she could even laugh given the circumstances, but Blaise and Theo did their best to try and keep things light-hearted.
"Thank you," Blaise said, grinning as though Hermione had paid them a massive compliment. "Now we might not be Potter and Weasley, but can we help you?"
"Yes, but I want to ask something first," Hermione replied. Blaise and Theo had actually joined the Order the day they'd visited Grimmauld Place after Draco had been forced to join Voldemort, so she trusted them with what she was doing.
"Ask away, we're open books," Theo said.
"What's happened to quidditch practice?" Hermione asked. It had only occurred to her when Harry and Ron had been rushing off to practice that neither Blaise nor Theo had mentioned quidditch in the last week.
"Nothing, we just haven't attended," Blaise answered with a shrug. "As vice-captain I was supposed to take over when Draco left, but we've got more important things to think about. You and Lyra are more important than quidditch."
"But you both love quidditch," Hermione argued. "I don't want either of you to put your life on hold because of us."
"We're doing what we want to do," Theo assured Hermione. "Besides, we loved playing quidditch alongside Draco. It just wouldn't be the same without him. We'd rather focus on you and Lyra, you're our priority."
"I'm flattered," Hermione said with a smile. "And very grateful. I don't think I would have made it through this past week if it wasn't for you two. You've been amazing."
"And we'll carry on being amazing," Blaise vowed. "We're here for you, Hermione. Neither of us are going anywhere. You're stuck with us until Draco is back."
"And even then we'll still stick around," Theo added. "You're our friend now Hermione, and we don't abandon our friends."
Hermione smiled at the pair as she felt herself becoming emotional. Shaking her head to stop any tears from falling, she pulled out some books from her bag and set about explaining what she was doing to Blaise and Theo. Within five minutes, the trio were happily beginning their research into Rowena Ravenclaw as they looked for something of hers that Voldemort might have found and turned into a Horcrux.
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Eager to head up to the head dorms to help Hermione with her research, Blaise and Theo quickly ate their breakfast on Saturday morning. Even though the pair were sitting at the Slytherin table, they weren't paying any attention to the classmates as they planned a trip down into Hogsmeade. In fact Blaise was even wondering if everyone was going to be down in Hogsmeade if Hermione could be persuaded to spend a few hours outside with Lyra. Leaning over to Theo, he quietly voiced his query to his friend.
"What are you two whispering about?" Pansy suddenly demanded.
"None of your business," Theo responded.
"I bet they're talking about the mudblood and her brat," Daphne sneered. "It's all they're interested in these days."
"I'll not tell you again, Daphne, don't you dare insult Hermione," Blaise spat. "She's worth ten of you and Pansy. You're nothing but hateful little cows."
"Don't you dare speak to me like that," Daphne snarled angrily. "You won't be laughing when I tell my father."
"Ooh, I'm scared," Blaise replied with a mock shudder.
"You should be," Daphne warned. "My father will tear you to pieces if I tell him what you've been saying."
"Bring it on, Greengrass," Blaise said with a smirk. "You and your father don't scare me."
"Then you're a fool, Zabini," Daphne spat back.
Before things could go any further owls started to swoop into the Great Hall, and a handful of them headed directly for the Slytherin table. Five owls landed almost simultaneously in the middle of the table. Daphne, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle all reached for their owls, while Theo also reached for his with a sigh.
"I don't believe it," Theo stormed when he opened the letter.
"What's wrong?" Blaise asked.
"I'm being summoned home," Theo replied with a snarl. "Father's heard about what's been going on, and he wants some answers."
"I wonder who told him," Blaise remarked, glaring at a smug looking Pansy and Daphne.
"Well, he's not happy," Theo grumbled. "I'm to go home at Easter and explain myself. And hey Blaise, you'll love this. He wants you to come as well."
"As if," Blaise snorted. "Sorry Theo, but I won't be summoned by a man I don't know just so he can give me a lecture on who I should and should not befriend."
"I wish I had that option," Theo muttered. "I'm going to have to go home and face the music."
"You won't be alone," Pansy said with a smirk. "We're all going home as well. We've all been summoned, and I don't think it's our fathers doing the summoning. I think The Dark Lord wants to meet us."
"Oh joy, I get to meet the power mad wizard who's enslaving my best friend," Theo remarked sarcastically. "This will be the best Easter break ever."
"And there's nothing you can do about it," Daphne trilled triumphantly. "Enjoy your time with the mudblood, Theo. It'll soon be coming to an end."
With a low growl, Blaise whipped out his wand and before Daphne could say anything else, he shut her up by throwing a hex her way that caused her face to break out in itchy red spots. Laughing at the scene as Daphne started to scream loudly, Blaise and Theo got to their feet and ran from the Great Hall. It wasn't until they were nearly at the head dorms that Blaise asked about Theo's letter, and if it was genuine. He didn't know a lot about Theo's father, but he did know he wasn't as big on the Death Eaters as Draco's father.
"We're going to find out soon," Theo replied as they knocked on the door to the head dorms.
When Hermione answered the door, Blaise and Theo entered the room and told her about the letter Theo and the other Slytherins had received. Hermione was instantly worried that Theo was going to get into trouble for standing by her, but Theo dismissed her worries. Pulling out his letter he spread it on the coffee table, and checking they were alone, he tapped his wand on the parchment three times. Much to Blaise and Hermione's surprise, the stern letter he'd received from his father began to rearrange itself until it was said something entirely different. The new letter advised Theo to stay away over the holidays, unless he wanted to end up in the same position as Draco.
"Wow," Blaise remarked. "Your father's pretty cool, Theo."
"He is," Theo agreed with a proud smile as he re-read his father's genuine letter. "But we're going to have to play it as though I'm going home for Easter. We don't want the others getting wind of the fact I'm not going home."
"But what happens when you fail to go home?" Hermione questioned. "Won't your father be in trouble?"
"I hope not," Theo replied, worriedly biting his lower lip. "But I guess that's why he coded the letter. The others will swear I received a letter summoning my home, and if anyone asks him, he can reference the cover letter he sent. It'll just look as though I've been disobedient."
"As long as you're sure about this, Theo," Hermione said. "I don't want more people getting hurt."
"Don't worry, Hermione, I'm doing the right thing," Theo said, giving Hermione a reassuring smile. "The right thing is to stay with you and Lyra. My father understands that, and he wouldn't have warned me to stay away if he genuinely feared for his life. I'll be the one in trouble not him, and I'll be safe with the Order. Now enough worrying about me, Blaise and I have a suggestion. How do you fancy taking Lyra and spending a few hours down by the Black Lake? It would be nice for her to have some fresh air, and we promise no-one will dare disrespect either of you."
"You never know, people might even come round a bit when they see Lyra and see how gorgeous she is," Blaise added.
Hermione considered the idea for a couple of minutes, before agreeing they could spend a few hours outside. Blaise and Theo were right, it would be good for Lyra to get some fresh air. They might also be right about it bringing people around, but she wasn't bothered about that. All she was bothered about was her daughter, and getting Lyra out in the fresh air seemed like the best idea she'd heard all week.