When she got their her friends were at the Slytherin table with Draco, who had become a near permanent member in the great hall.
"Hey Granger, heard you whipped my Aunt's butt at duelling!"
"I wouldn't say I..."
"Don't you dare Mi! You pulled her pants down and spanked her in front of the whole class." Ginny added with a twinkle in her eye.
Neville laughed "That's apparently the reason we're sat here today. Luna said 'defeating the Queen of the Snakes in armed combat demands we sit at the Slytherin table' I'm not entirely sure why."
"Oh Nev." Luna said in her airy way "Because she out Slytherin-ed a Slytherin. She won on pure tactic and underhand tactics at that. It was very Slytherin. She deserves to sit here today."
"Thanks guys. I just didn't want to lose." She mumbled, really wanting to get the attention off herself.
Draco shrugged as if that was the only logical reasoning "So Mione, you gonna tell us about this meeting yet?"
"Once we get in my room ye. I don't want anyone overhearing but I promise once we're back I will tell you what it was about and what happened. I can say that it went better than could be expected and I am very pleased with the result."
"Damn it...now I owe Weasley 20 Galleons..." Draco looked gutted, although it was probably more to do with losing than the money.
"Shouldn't bet against her best friend then Malfoy." Ginny said smugly, today was turning into a great day for her.
"Wait... You were better on how my meeting went?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at her two guilty friends.
"Well no, I was betting on if you were going to get expelled. It was a once of a lifetime opportunity." Draco countered.
"You do realise that Luna had already told me that the meeting would go well? Ginny was basically backing a fixed race there but if you're going to survive around us you had better learn to listen to Luna sooner or later so...Draco pay up." she held out her hand for the money. Draco reluctantly handed the cash over and Hermione kept half and handed the other half to Ginny.
"That's my cut for betting on me!"
"I guess that's fair." Ginny grumbled.
Everyone knew not to argue when Hermione made a ruling. They had continued Fred and George's history of betting and Hermione had become the defacto decision maker. She didn't often join in with the bets but if anything was unfair or someone felt slighted it was Hermione they went to.
"Now no one talk to me. I've got a mountain of sticky toffee pudding waiting for me when I finish my food and I want plenty of time to eat it and I can't do that when your all chatting my ear off."
"She wins one duel and thinks she's the Queen of Sheba..." Draco said.
"She always thought she was a Queen of Sheba..." Ginny responded.
In fairness, they did leave Hermione to her thoughts (and her sticky toffee pudding) for the rest of dinner.
Three bowls of sticky toffee pudding and custard seemed like a great idea to Hermione, until they started the walk back to her room...then it turned to lead in her stomach.
The group grew steadily quieter as they made their way to Hermione's room, the boys could definitely feel the atmosphere brewing. The girls were just excited to hear the details of the meeting honestly but even they could feel the tension in the air.
Once everyone was squished on Hermione's bed (there was no way all five of them were going to fit on her sofa) she began.
"Ok so the girls know a bit about this, they've only known since Tuesday and that was kind of an accident but you know what Luna's like" they all nodded in agreement "I wanted to wait until after my meeting for reasons that will become obvious soon. All I ask boys is that you hear me out and if you have an issue you discuss it with me before storming off."
"Oh shit Granger...this sounds serious." Draco said.
"It very nearly got me expelled for real. Ok I think the easiest way to do this is gonna be like ripping off a plaster. Mine and Professor Black's meeting yesterday was about my scar to a degree as we have a solution on removing it. That solution will take a while to accomplish but we are confident it will work. We have managed to alter my scar already and as you can see it's a hell of a lot prettier."
She rolled up her sleeve to show them all her new scar, the girls hadn't seen it yet so they were just as amazed.
"That's so much better Mi, but why did that nearly get you expelled?" Neville asked.
"It is less to do with the change and more how the change was brought about. You see the magic we used to change my scar was actually a confirmation that me and Bellatrix are soulmates."
The boys were completely silent which Hermione hadn't expected so she quickly continued to get out the important points.
"We have been together for nearly a week which I know sounds ridiculous to be telling you all but...this is it for me and we didn't want to be doing it behind McGonagall's back. Turns out McGonagall and Narcissa have been planning this since after Malfoy Manor and so we've got Minnie's approval. Also I've been offered to take over as Transfiguration professor next year which means that this time next year we can stop hiding at all and I get to stay with Bella whilst she finished her required years here."
The boys were still absolutely silent but their faces gave nothing away. Ginny looked equal parts ecstatic and confused (probably because Minnie and Narcissa had been working together for months) and Luna looked content to just be.
"Well for god's sake someone say something?"
With the boys still silent, Ginny spoke up.
"I've already said I approve of Black but I'm glad McGonagall approves. I'm a bit annoyed that she's been planning your romance with a teacher for months...I'd never get away with that. Buuuuut congratulations on Professor! That's you and Neville, maybe they'll let me take over for Hooch once I've played professionally for a few years."
Draco was the next to speak up.
"Well I'm not going to call you Aunty Mione but...I'm happy for you. I'm honestly just glad to know what it was mum was keeping from me. Aunt Bella deserves some happiness and I think you've got big enough balls to put up with her shit. So... welcome to the family I guess." He offered her a hand shake but she slapped it away and pulled him in for a hug...it was nearly as awkward as the time Voldy had hugged him but neither of them pointed that out.
"Neville?" this was the one Hermione was worried about, apart from Harry and Ron but they weren't sitting in front of her now.
"It's a lot... but I think I'm ok with it. I'm just worried about her snapping one day and hurting you...but I guess you proved today you can handle her. She's proved to me she's changed, heck it was me who told you she had changed so I guess what I'm saying in a long winded and roundabout way is that I'm going to be ok with it."
"You are all throwing me for a loop here, I keep preparing for a fight that never comes."
Ginny piped up "You haven't told Harry and Ron yet?"
"You had to ruin it didn't you Gin. The boys are just going to have to deal with it the same way you all have. She makes me happy, I'm more confident in myself now than I was at the start of term by a country mile. I never would have tried to trick a teacher to win a dual and I definitely wouldn't have corrected you all on your technique."
Ginny snorted "I'm pretty sure Ron would have one word to say to that... levi-Oh-sah."
"Ok maybe I would correct you all...but not the whole class, not like that. It felt much more teacher-y somehow."
"Our future Transfiguration Professor everybody... using great words such as teacher-y." Draco quipped.
"Oh shove off the lot of you. I can't believe you're all taking this so calmly..."
Draco looked at her bemused "Hermione, we all fought in a war in an attempt to make the world a better place. A place where muggleborns can shack up with crazy ex Death Eaters and live to tell the tale. You of all people deserve to be happy and if its my Aunt that makes you happy, then I guess we will all just have to learn to live with that. I mean I could think of worse people to have as an Aunt."
"If 11 year old Draco heard you say that you'd be dead before morning." Hermione giggled.
"Probably, my father would definitely have heard about it. But seriously you gave up so much for this world and if that means you get to break a few school rules in the process well... you've been breaking them since first year, what's new?"
"I might actually start to like this kid." Ginny announced "At least now that he isn't using an entire tub of hair gel every morning."
"You leave my perfectly styled barnet out of this!" Ginny and Draco's old insults had defiantly switched to playful banter over the past few days and Hermione was struck with how lucky she was that everyone had taken it so well.
"I really love you guys, I hope you know that."
"Ew don't go soft on me Granger. You might be my future Aunt now but I can still give you your beaver teeth back." He threatened but anyone could tell there was no malice behind it.
"Oh and McGonagall has asked if you can accidentally start revealing that Bella is fixing my scar? Things spread like wildfire around here and if we can get that message out then it won't look strange if we are seen together."
Ginny let out a small giggle "I've been wanting to spill that since the start of term!" The others just nodded their agreement.
"Does anyone have anything else they wanna ask about the situation? Just coz I've got a very nervous girlfriend waiting for an update and I'm sure you can all guess she's not great with suspense."
"Just do your telepathic mind speaking thing..." Ginny said as if Hermione had lost the plot.
"Oh shit ye...I forgot."
Draco turned to Ginny. "Telepathic mind speaking thing?"
Ginny started explaining about the whole soul mate thing whilst Hermione reached out to Bella
- Hey Bells, everything is chill. Draco said he's cool with it as long as he doesn't have to call me Aunty and Neville is less enthusiastic but is still ok with it. Just Harry and Ronald left.
- Ok good I'm glad. Anyone coming over here? And they're probably the hardest though right?
- No I don't think so, maybe Draco but less for questions and more just coz you're his aunt. And ye those two are going to be a nightmare
- Ok that makes sense. I can cope with our dragon. I'll leave you to your friends. Love you Pet
- Love you too bells
When Hermione's focus was back in the room Draco was giving her a look that screamed 'I've caught you'
"So Granger... When we're you going to tell me you had my Aunt whispering Black family potion tips in your ear?"
"...in about five years time when you wouldn't be able to be mad at me anymore."
"I knew that last change was a Black secret. 'Well it certainly wasn't your mum' no...no it wasn't. You really do have a Slytherin streak in you Mione."
He really did look a lot like Bella when he had that glint of mischief in his eyes and Hermione was glad that somehow she had turned her school bully into her friend, when he wasn't being a dick, Draco was actually quite funny.
"I feel like the hat wouldn't dare sort a muggleborn into Slytherin, I wouldn't have made it past the first night!" she laughed.
"You are right of course. Now if there's no other deep dark secrets for tonight...I'm going to go see your girlfriend. Also I'd send an owl accepting tea with mum sharpish, if she finds out from Bella and you haven't already accepted her invitation she will be a nightmare."
"Seems I've got a lot of owls to write tonight then."
"We're gonna head off too Mi, I really need a shower after that duel and someone has to be here to wake you up in the morning." Ginny said.
"I'm always up in the morning!" Hermione protested.
Neville suddenly said "And now we know why..."
Hermione went beetroot red, Ginny looked proud as punch, Draco looked amused and Luna...looked lost in her own world as always.
Ginny finally jumped off the bed "Good one Nev, knew you had it in you. Come on gang let's leave Hermione to her owls. I'm sure it's going to take her at least ten rewrites of each and no one wants to be around when she runs out of parchment."
"Right get out all of you, I'm sure you've got better things to do than terrorise me! I'll see you all at breakfast." There wasn't a hint of negativity in her voice though so they all knew she was really just saying goodbye and I love you without the cringe.
They all filed out of her room with promises of meeting for breakfast and a few rude comments from Ginny.