Part XIII

After triple checking her things, Hermione moved to sit on her bed and grabbed the journal to write Tom. I can't believe summer is nearly half over already.

Salazar, time moves quickly for you.

Is it truly so drastic?

Well, I'm writing you on a brilliantly rainy March evening. What's the date for you?

20 July 2013, it's nearly time for lunch.

11 March, 1963. I just got to the great hall for dinner.

Jeez, that's baffling.

I've been trying to make an arithmancy equation to build into a page of the diary so we always know each other's times. According to what I have right now, you'll be having your start of term feast while I'm eating breakfast on April 2nd my time.

That's...hard to digest.

It is. I've got more tweaking to do, but I've been trying to line up a table of values...

I can tell you the date and time when I write you, if that helps?

I'd appreciate that, little Dove. Run along now. Don't you need to get ready to go get your friend?

I do. I'll write again when I get time, okay?

I know you will. Have fun at Diagon. And, for laughs, if you see Abraxas, tell him I said hello.

Hermione shook her head. You work together at the Ministry.

And that's why it'll be funny.

Both of her parents left the office for lunch to see her off.

After crushing hugs from both of them, I love you's, and assurances that she would, of course, behave herself, Hermione double checked that no one was around before she cast a quick lumos.

Stan Shunpike and Ernie were interesting gents, to say the least. She waved to her parents one last time while Stan stowed her luggage, told them to head to Little Whinging, Surrey, and had barely sat down when the bus shot off.

Her first thought upon arriving at Number 4 Privet Drive was that Harry's relatives were dreadful.

Dreadful.

She swept her eyes over the red-faced Vernon, angry and fearful Petunia, and obliviously dense Dudley, and didn't bother to hide how unimpressed she was with the lot of them. Still, she smiled at Harry.

"Ready?" she asked from the bottom step of the bus with Stan waiting around behind her. She'd already snapped at him for his impatience when Harry didn't board immediately. Stan was wary of her now.

Perhaps she'd spent too much time talking to Tom recently.

She noted the hand-me-downs Harry was dressed in and sent another round of dark looks towards the Dursleys. This is what Tom had meant about Harry getting whatever he needed while they were in Diagon. She'd help him shop for a new wardrobe. They should have time to at least get him some basics before they met Lucius.

"Let's go," Harry said, clearly uncomfortable and probably somewhat embarrassed by the circumstances. She hugged him before he passed her to board the bus and stepped down so Stan could stow Harry's things. They'd both brought their school trunks. The likelihood of either of them returning 'home' before term was slim.

That said, no matter what happened with Sirius Black, she'd be doing everything in her power to keep Harry from ever returning to such a dreadful lot of people.

The Dursleys did not bid their nephew farewell. Harry muttered a bitter 'see you next summer' under his breath as Hermione took the seat beside him. She barely had time to warn Harry about the rough ride before they shot off again.

Contempt for the Dursleys filled her senses. She needed to talk to Tom. And not the prefect on the other side of her journal… Struck with an idea, she pulled said journal from her satchel and carefully inked her quill.

I need to talk to you at some point on the evening of 20 July 2013. Can you remember that somehow?

I'll make a note of it. You'll be with the Malfoys by then?

Should be.

Nothing I can do from here, I imagine?

Sadly, no.

I'll endeavor to remember, Dove.

Barely thirty minutes after Harry and Hermione had finished replacing Harry's wardrobe and binning his cousin's old rags, Lucius Malfoy strolled into the Leaky Cauldron. He found the two at a table with their shrunken luggage near a plate of mostly eaten chips. They each had their nose in a book and were quietly working away on what appeared to be a potions essay.

"Miss Granger, Mister Potter," he greeted gently, as not to startle them.

They glanced up and greeted him politely before beginning to pack away their things. He took the time to pay their bill before either could notice and then studied the girl.

She was slightly taller now and a bit less mousy than she had been last summer. Her gaze, once hesitant until provoked, was now more critical and steady. He knew she was still clever thanks to Draco, whose decent marks had improved considerably since befriending the girl. She seemed to be fed well, though the same could not quite be said for the Potter boy.

Lucius hoped he hadn't missed any obvious sign of neglect in the girl. The Dark Lord had mentioned that he would stop by later that evening to check on her, for reasons undisclosed, and Lucius did not want to be on the hexing end of his Lord's wand should he find something amiss with the girl.

Thankfully Narcissa would get a chance to observe the two children before Lord Riddle's arrival as well. Just in case…

Once the two teens had safely stowed their shrunken luggage into their pockets, Lucius asked, "Is there anything else the two of you require before we depart?"

The two shared a glance and seemed to have an entire conversation in the span of a few silent seconds until Potter shrugged.

"Not until we get our supply lists, Mister Malfoy," the girl answered politely.

"Then let us be on our way, shall we?"

Hermione was very aware of the fact that Lucius could have taken them through a much less public Floo than those available at the ministry. She also knew word would get around that Lucius Malfoy was escorting the Harry Potter and Harry Potter's muggleborn friend to his home. And thanks to a well-timed, "I do apologize in advance if Draco has made a crater in the marble of the entryway. He's been eagerly awaiting your arrival all day," from Lucius, everyone knew that the two were following Lord Malfoy of their own accord.

Harry quietly told Hermione how pleased he was that Ron's father worked at the ministry and wondered how Ron would explain to his family what his 'friends' were doing with the Malfoy clan.

It turned out that Draco hadn't worn a crater into the marble, but he was nearly vibrating from his spot a polite distance away from the Floo in the Manor's receiving hall when Harry stepped through. He gave him a polite, though somewhat weary, nod that Harry returned evenly.

"Start over?" Draco asked at the same time Harry said "Truce?"

They gave each other hesitant smiles as Hermione stepped through the Floo next.

Harry was surprised when Draco's hesitant smile became a wide grin that was equal parts mischievous as it was warm. And he was even more surprised when Hermione stared the blond down, clearly unimpressed with his display.

Draco put on a sneer. "Granger."

Her lips curled with distaste. "Malfoy."

A second later Draco was laughing and caught in an infamously tight hug by Hermione, who was grinning as well.

"I missed you, you prat," she told him.

"I missed you too," Draco said, waiting a moment longer before releasing her.

Lucius and Narcissa had appeared during the little display, both equally amused with the teens in their receiving hall. Draco flushed when he noticed them, but said nothing to defend his actions.

Narcissa winked at Harry and Hermione as she stepped forward. "I've heard so much about you, Miss Granger," she said, her voice warm. "It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

"The pleasure's mine, Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione responded instantly. "And Hermione's fine."

Narcissa smiled and said, "Hermione it is, then," before repeating the same social courtesies with Harry.

"You children have traveled and shopped the better part of the day, Lucius tells me," said Narcissa, once it had been established that she was also calling Harry by his first name and that both Harry and Hermione were welcome (expected) to call her 'Cissa' in return. "Dinner should be ready at any moment. Hungry?"

Neither Harry nor Hermione felt as if they'd had several snacks while in Diagon Alley, and Draco was also a growing teen, of course, so all three were famished. Draco summoned Dobby to take up Harry and Hermione's things to their guest rooms in his wing of the mansion. Dobby was exceptionally happy to meet his favorite master's friends, and enthusiastically appointed himself to his task.

Draco rolled his eyes. "He's a funny one," he said somewhat apologetically.

"I like him," Harry said with a shrug.

Though Hermione didn't agree with the idea of house elves, she had to admit that Dobby was very pleasant and seemed to enjoy his servitude under the Malfoy family. She knew that not all house elves were treated so kindly.

Narcissa and Lucius led them the dining room where they were promptly seated and served tea by two other elves, Ezra and Leeny. Snacks appeared on the table a moment later, and Hermione nibbled on finger foods while the boys launched into an intense Quidditch discussion.

Her worries that their past would prevent them from getting along vanished quickly. By the time the conversation had switched from the team standings last reported by the prophet to that school year's upcoming tryouts, she was reasonably confident that they were well on their way to being fast friends.