Chapter 31
Platform 9 ¾
DONTTRUSTME by 3OH!3
track/5jzX4dWVQeBTtfBaXnMRt5?si=qb70nhzRTGOG_FUB42GfFA
After the morning's epic shag and whatever the gold sparkling magic had been, Hermione felt better than she had in years. It was like everything was starting to fall into place for her, finally. She knew where she stood with her Slytherins and that took a huge amount of pressure off of her that she hadn't known that she'd been holding on to. She didn't think that she had been this happy in years, since before the war certainly.
They had gotten to the train platform a bit early because they wanted to ensure they had their own compartment, separate from the one for the Head Boy and Head Girl if at all possible. She and Theo would have to conduct the prefects' meeting in there and Pansy and Draco wouldn't enjoy being ejected from the compartment for the meeting nor being a source of gossip for all the prefects. Neither were good options, a private compartment would be significantly better for all four of them, since her and Theo would be able to rejoin them promptly after setting the prefects on their way. They weren't certain whether Blaise and Luna would be taking the train or flooring directly to the castle, since they hadn't heard from the pair since they'd portkeyed to Italy on Friday.
Hermione was dealing with more than a bit of nerves, as the whole returning student body would be on the train rather than just the handful that had been there in the summer. After the reception in Diagon Alley, Theo, too, was particularly worried and wanted to have them all ensconced in the safety of the Hogwarts Express as early as possible.
Holding Theo and Draco's hands and swinging them happily, Hermione giggled while Pansy was standing in front of them, digging around in her purse for her new black lipstick. Hermione was laughing because they had three new trunks to accommodate everything they bought in Muggle London. "We could have just shrunk everything and put it in my bag, you know. "
"Ah but what's the fun in that?" Theo scoffed. "It was some deeply satisfying shopping and I want to have a proper place to put everything." He ran his free hand over the ruffles of Pansy's all black lolita dress, smiling at how she looked in it.
"Besides," Pansy said, "My new trunk has some more fun surprises for when we are back at Hogwarts." The witch winked naughtily, causing Theo to bite his lip. He was absolutely thinking of how Pansy's name was written on his arse in bruises and wondered in anticipation what else she had in store for him.
Hermione giggled at her again, feeling giddy, and smiled up at Draco and Theo in turn. Theo leaned in and gave her a kiss that she returned with a happy sigh. Draco smiled and put his face into her wild curls taking a deep breath and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. Everything was perfect just then and Hermione felt as though she was safely cocooned in the affection of her partners.
In a sudden and unexpected turn, however, their peaceful moment was interrupted by a shocked yell. "Hermione, what the bloody hell are you doing?" The four of them turned to see Ronald Weasley rushing towards them on the platform, his face a bright red and his eyes slightly crazed as he took in the sight of the four of them.
"Oh fuck," Draco whispered, and then louder in a flippant tone, not yet releasing her, "Oh, hello, Weaselbee. What a surprise." He greeted an angry looking Ron who was ignoring Draco as he stomped to stand in front of Hermione.
"Draco," Hermione hissed, "you are not making a bad situation better."
"I doubt anything can make this better, sweetheart," Theo said, squeezing her hand. Pansy snorted and fixed Ron with a glare as he continued his approach.
Draco stepped slightly back and put his hand on Hermione's lower back as if to hold her up, letting her know he was right there while still letting her handle her own battles. His jaw clenching as he fought his own inclination to insult the vermin further. Fighting an Auror trainee on the train platform in front of the Hogwarts student body was definitely a violation of his probation. He tried to keep his body language as neutral as possible so Hermione wouldn't feel his tension. He knew that she had to be incredibly stressed at the confrontation that was imminent. Weasley was hardly known for his good behaviour where Hermione was concerned.
Hermione cleared her throat and civilly acknowledged the redhead, "Hello, Ron." She saw his family coming up behind him: Arthur, Molly and Ginny. She was more than a little sorry to not see Bill, Fleur or George, she could at least count on them to not let this scene get too far out of hand.
"I am surprised to see you," she bit out. "I heard you were on assignment from Harry." She rolled her eyes at the thought of her other friend who clearly had misinformed her and now she had to deal with the one wizard she had been intent on avoiding.
"Is this what you've been up to?'' Ron asked, angry and red-faced not even acknowledging that she had spoken. Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but Ron held up a hand, gesturing wildly between Draco and Theo.
"So what is it? Hm? Are you a Death Eater whore now, 'Mione?" Ron spat, his tone dripping with venom. "Which one of them are you shagging? Or maybe they are passing you around like an old broken-in broom to take a ride on. You looked really fucking comfortable between the two of them a minute ago."
Her mouth hung open in shock at what he'd just said, though she was actually surprised he wasn't gripping his wand. The look on his face was a little too much like her nightmare, so she stepped between him and her lovers, unwilling to risk their safety. They meant too much to her.
"Ronald, you broke up with me, remember? So it's none of your business who I am seeing or shagging." Hermione pointed out with a clipped tone, her face full of disgust. Ron was really predictably possessive even though they'd split up and he'd bad-mouthed her to the entire British Wizarding community, and yet he expected to have a say in her life. It was pathetic, honestly.
Ron narrowed his eyes, letting out a harsh bark of a laugh that caused her heart rate to rise.
"So you are shagging both of them?!" He shouted, drawing the attention of everyone near them. "You were a frigid little bitch with me, but you opened your legs for two bloody Death Eaters? What the fuck is wrong with you!?"
Ron was turning purple as he screamed at Hermione, shaking in rage now. The people around them weren't even pretending not to stare, but the entire platform hadn't yet realised what was going on.
"And what the bloody hell is that?" He gestured towards the neckline of her dress where the blue flames of her tattoo were clearly visible peeking out on the skin of her clavicle.
"It's my new tattoo," Hermione stated flatly, backing up as he reached his hand toward her dress like he was going to pull it down.
He couldn't possibly be about to grab her? Involuntarily, she sucked in a breath, shrinking back into Draco's hold. She'd always known that Ron was a bit of a wild card with his temper, but she'd never feared him the way she did in that moment. Draco's arms wrapped around her immediately, pulling her close against him. She drew strength from him and tried not to let the fear she was feeling show on her face. She couldn't hex Ron in front of all these people unless he hexed first. She was sorely tempted, however, and pulled her wand from its hiding place.
Theo stepped in front of Hermione and snarled with a lethal menace she had never heard before from the Head Boy, "You need to step the fuck back from Hermione, mate."
Ron was in no way deterred by the unspoken threat, and shoved Theo right in the chest. Theo was sturdy in his stance though and didn't even sway from the spot as though he'd cast a nonverbal sticking charm on his feet, staying firmly in front of Hermione.
"I am not your fucking mate, you bloody Death Eater spawn!" Ron screamed, spit flying from his mouth in his rage.
As if the scene couldn't get worse, coming up next to Ron now, Molly Weasley was clearly unable to hold back her own two-sickles any longer. "I am so disappointed in you Hermione, cozying up to the likes of these pieces of trash. They belong in Azkaban like their fathers, not running loose amongst us decent people. I guess I was right about you during the Triwizard tournament after all, you are nothing but a tart! A tattooed little trollop!"
Molly Weasley calling her a tart and a trollop was simply outside of enough. Hermione leaned around Theo to make eye contact with the Weasley matriarch. "I am so sorry you don't approve of the company I keep, Molly, but you can just fuck right off." Molly's look of surprise at Hermione's foul language would have been almost comical if Hermione hadn't been so utterly livid.
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO MY MOTHER THAT WAY! After everything we have done for you? You would have had no one if it weren't for us! You ungrateful slag," Ron bellowed, moving slightly closer to Theo.
"I am just glad my Ron got out before you potioned him into loving you, you wretched girl," Molly stated in a loud judgemental tone. All eyes were now on them, the crowd not even attempting to be coy in their interest in the row happening between two thirds of the Golden Trio.
"Molly, I am so glad you emerged from wallowing in depression in your room just in time to be a complete bint to me, but I didn't ask your opinion about my love life." Hermione turned to look at Ron, "And you! You ignored my owls all bloody summer after telling me and I quote 'that we were done and that you were going to find a real witch.' Isn't that what you told the Prophet? In addition to the utter lies that I was cheating on you, that I used your family for what I honestly have no idea." Hermione threw her hands up in the air in indignation. Her hair sparked with her fury.
"And let's not forget the most important thing: that you wanted a perfect Pureblood trophy wife?! Because after that whole bloody war we fought in, blood status still does matter to you! So go do that then Ronald, and leave me the bloody hell alone. We aren't friends anymore and we definitely aren't family. You have no say in my personal life and you need to get used to that because even if you apologise to me and those I care about, it's never going to change. Whatever friendship was between us is broken, severed, done, forever." Hermione turned and headed for the train, Draco next to her with Theo following close behind. Ron reached out like he was going to grab her.
Pansy, who had been standing just off to the side, had her wand out in seconds and at his throat. "I don't bloody think so, Weasel. You aren't going to put one bleeding hand on my girlfriend."
Theo had taken Hermione by the arm and led her onto the train but Draco paused at the door looking back at Pansy in concern.
"Your girlfriend, is she Parkinson? Didn't know Hermione was a carpet licker," Ron hissed. "Is she really or is it just Slytherin Slags get fucked together? Is that it?"
Pansy hissed venomously at him, "You take Hermione's name out of your filthy mouth, you worthless wanker. You left her after the war. Draco and Theo are each three times the wizard that you are! In every bloody way!" She sneered in the direction of his crotch. "You're lucky the whole world doesn't know what a pathetic prick you are!"
Draco was back at Pansy's side an instant later, "Put down your wand, Pans, he isn't worth it." Draco looked at Ron and his mother with absolute menace. "Hermione isn't yours, she is ours. And you need to leave her alone. Insult her again and you'll regret it."
"Is that a threat, Malfoy?" Ron sneered, his face a mask of disdain.
"It's a promise, Weaselbee," Draco hissed. "I may be on probation, but there are things worth going to Azkaban for and protecting Hermione is one of them."
The crowd around them was hanging on Draco's every word, and their voices raised in titters as Draco dragged Pansy onto the Hogwarts Express whispering in her ear as he gave Ron a death glare.
Ron stood there, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Coming from the side, Dean and Seamus walked up, holding hands, having watched the altercation go down prepared to step in if things came to blows and hexes as it nearly had.
"That was out of line, Ron." Dean scolded while scowling. "You don't have any right to be bent with Hermione for moving on when you badmouthed her in the bloody paper."
Seamus frowned as well. "Draco and Theo are okay blokes for Slytherins. We have been with them at Hogwarts all summer and you may find it hard to believe but they have been through horrible shit too. As well as Pansy, she's a bit of a bitch, but she's good to Hermione, really been there for her. Your behaviour was really shite, man."
"They are the enemy!" Ron roared, absolutely in shock that his fellow Gryffindors would be defending Slytherins.
Seamus shook his head in disbelief. "The war is over, Ron. The enemy were the adults who had kids fight their war," Seamus argued with narrowed eyes.
"And I am really sorry you don't see it that way, Ron," sighed Dean in disappointment. "You should really think about doing some mind healing. You obviously need it."
"I don't need any bloody mind healing." As Ron noticed them holding hands, he let out a mocking laugh, "What's this then? You two a couple of poofters then?"
"Bloody hell, Ron," Dean rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You are so fucking predictable."
Seamus gave him the two fingered salute as they walked away and threw a parting remark over his shoulder. "Feel free to send us an owl after you grow the fuck up."
"But we won't hold our breath," Dean added, putting his arm around Seamus' shoulders as they walked away. Their familiar touches earned them a few confused glances from around the platform, but there was none of the vitriol directed their way that Ron had just spat.
"What the fuck was that, Ron?" Ginny demanded as she came up behind him, having heard every insult that had just come out of her brother's mouth. "Why were you such an arse to Dean and Seamus?"
"Language Ginevra," Molly shrieked, snapping out of the shock that had rendered her quiet.
"But Ron shouting obscenities and being a homophobic arsehole was fine, Mum? Bloody hell." Ginny ignored her mother's continued comments as her father tried to soothe his upset wife. And Ginny turned her glare on her brother, half tempted to bat bogey hex him for old time's sake.
"They defended Malfoy, Nott, and Hermione! She is a bloody Death Eater whore! Getting passed around like damn party favours by the looks of it! Probably fucking all of Slytherin!" Ron was yelling now. And people all around them were staring. Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott were scowling at Ron, Ginny noticed. And Neville just shook his head at the Weasley family and took Hannah's arm to help her onto the train.
"Ron, Please," their father said sternly. "You are making a scene. People I work with are here. People you work with. Get yourself under control."
What happened over the summer exactly? Ginny thought. Ron's reaction to Hermione being touchy feely with sodding Malfoy and Nott seemed pretty reasonable to her, but clearly even Neville thought he was being a tosser. She felt so out of the loop, maybe she should have gone to camp, it's not like staying home had been any better.
Just then, a discarded copy of the Daily Prophet flew at their feet.
When Ron saw the picture of Malfoy on the platform floor, he angrily crushed it under his shoe until it tore before stomping off. Molly gave Ginny a quick kiss on the cheek and then raced off after him.
Of course, couldn't have poor Ronniekins out of sorts, Ginny complained internally. And people thought she was the favourite. Molly Weasley's baby boy was and would always be the one for whom she made all the excuses.
Mr. Weasley did the same with a quick hug as well as a few departing words, "Good luck sweetheart. See you at Christmas. Owl us when you get to Hogwarts, won't you?"
And then Ginny found herself standing alone on Platform 9 ¾. This had not been the reception from her friends that she was anticipating. Where were the hugs, the kind words, the greetings? Hermione hadn't even said hello to her. Ron had been a complete wanker, but it wasn't like that was anything new. Merlin knew Harry had been a complete wanker most of the summer himself.
Had literally everything changed during some summer program that she missed? It just didn't make sense in her brain. How could everyone have moved forward and just left her behind?
What the fuck. She clenched her fists in frustration and decided to find a place where she could sit on the train alone. She needed some time to think.
00000000
Hermione was nearly vibrating with rage by the time they found the Head Boy and Head Girl compartment and snagged the one immediately across from it as well. Theo handed Hermione a flask, but she shook her head and pushed it back. Theo frowned. He wished that he had some calming draughts handy, but inconveniently they were all packed deeply into one of the half dozen trunks the four of them had handed off to the porters to be loaded onto the train.
"I wish I had Crookshanks with me right now. He would have scratched his eyes out!" Hermione gritted out. Draco rubbed her shoulders and Pansy squeezed her hand, while Theo watched her closely trying to figure out what to do to make her feel better. He couldn't give her an orgasm in the train compartment, he wondered if the loo would be big enough for him to go down on her. He'd managed it when he was younger, but he hadn't been quite as broad in the shoulders then. Getting stuck in the loo while eating Hermione's sweet cunt would not be something he wanted to explain.
He sighed, leaning back on the bench across from his dragon and his witches.
"Knock knock," Dean called as he slid the compartment door open, "Is it alright if we come in?"
"Ah if it isn't two of my favourite lions," Theo greeted, handing over the flask that Hermione had rejected which was accepted happily by Seamus as he dropped to the bench next to Theo.
"Theo Nott, you are a good mate." Seamus grinned, took a swing of the whiskey and attempted to pass it to Dean who waved it off.
Hermione gave Theo a look so dubious that he felt as though he could read her mind, he wasn't acting like a very good Head Boy at the moment.
"Despite my murderous rage with a certain ginger menace, I think ten in the morning may be too early to have a drink for me. Especially considering how much Shea and I drank this weekend. I'm still a bit miserable after a hangover potion and a pepper-up." Dean rubbed his temple as though it was paining him.
"That much?" Theo raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Well we went to Dean's mam's and it didn't go over real well. Us - I mean," Seamus sighed. "So we went to Dean's cousin's place in Bristol. He's a Muggle," Seamus added in an aside to Theo who nodded.
"Calvin isn't the most progressive bloke on the planet, but he's more open-minded than my mum," Dean added. "Of course his way of showing his support was getting us completely pissed and then asking inappropriate questions. I can't actually remember parts of Sunday at all."
"Sounds like some positively thrilling family bonding," Pansy said with a roll of her eyes.
"Don't be too judgmental, we spent the weekend getting completely drunk with Muggles as well. And we got tattoos and did some shopping." Theo declared. "Muggle luxury hotels are really quite splendid. I'm a fan."
Dean laughed at Theo's comment. "I don't doubt it."
"The goal was to pop in and tell Hermione that Ron is a twat," Seamus grinned.
"The Weasel King should never be referred to as any euphemism for a pussy, because he lacks the warmth and the depth," Theo deadpanned which led to the entire compartment bursting into laughter.
"Fuck Theo," Dean coughed. "Good thing I wasn't drinking, I would have sprayed it all over."
Seamus ignored his boyfriend and returned his attention to Hermione. "You can do much better, yeah?"
Draco put his arm around Hermione and kissed the top of her head. "She has already done much better."
"So we didn't mishear that." Dean laughed delightedly. "Made it official - the two of you?"
"Actually the four of us made it official," Pansy stated, her hand on Hermione's thigh possessively.
"I knew it!" Seamus suddenly shouted with excitement, pumping his fist in the air. "Oh wait till Nev finds out, and you owe me too." He turned to Dean with a grin and began to cackle. Even Hermione who was clearly still upset couldn't help but crack a smile as well.
"Word of advice? Never bet against an Irishman," Dean said, dejectedly. "It's like I never learn."
Theo looked at the pair with amusement, "Did you all have a betting pool on our possible relationship status?" He was liking these Gryffindors more and more, it was definitely something the Slytherins would do too, perhaps Hogwarts Houses really weren't that different after all. Then he considered Potter and the Weasel and decided that no, the Houses were quite different.
"I mean, we all hung out enough to know that something was going on, so we figured all would be revealed when you were all ready," Dean explained with a shrug.
"I'll admit, believing the four of you were together was a bit of a stretch. I've heard of magical triads but not a quad, but I don't know, you all just kind of work together too well to dismiss it," Seamus was smiling in his victory, nearly dancing in his seat in excitement.
"Well I'm quite touched, I'm glad that some people at least will receive us well," Pansy said.
"I think everyone who was here this summer should be fine," Dean said.
"Except Cormac," Seamus pointed out. "He will assuredly go back to being the world's worst prick once he has an audience again."
Hermione snorted at that. "I'm actually surprised he didn't manage to be a prick over the summer as well. He's a one-trick pony in that regard."
"The restraint it must have taken," Dean laughed. "Well, we did promise Nev we'd sit with him and Hannah for a bit as well, so we'll see you at Hogwarts."
"Ta." Theo smiled as they left. "They are very lovely, for Gryffindors."
"Hey," Hermione complained, trying to swat him.
"Present lioness is an exception of course to any blanket statement about her garishly coloured House," Theo consoled, squeezing her knee. Hermione sighed, not willing to argue with his, when she agreed that the Gryffindor colours were garish.
The compartment door flew open again, and there stood Blaise and Luna framed in the light. Luna looked a bit angelic like always. Blaise's hand was on the small of Luna's back guiding her into the room.
"There you all are. We overheard several conversations about an outburst on the platform and your names were mentioned, what did we miss?" Blaise inquired, making sure that Luna was comfortably seated before settling next to her.
"Just the Weasel being a loud arse to Hermione for all who can hear," Pansy rolled her eyes.
"His mother as well, it kind of explains where he got it from," Draco added, he couldn't believe that a full-grown witch who raised seven children could behave like that in public, much less to a war heroine who helped keep her son alive. With a shiver he remembered that the Weasley matriarch was the one who ended Bellatrix's life. Clearly the woman was more dangerous than her slovenly appearance would suggest. What if she got so angry with Hermione that she hurt her? His arm reflexively tightened protectively around her at the thought.
"Ron was angry because he saw Hermione with the rest of you," Luna stated in her all-knowing way.
"Angry, clearly jealous, completely out of turn, hypocritical, stuck in the past," Theo listed out the surprising range of emotions Ron had exhibited on the platform. "And very confused that our Head Girl wasn't on her knees begging for him back."
"I swear if I hear him call Mi a 'Death Eater slag' or any variation thereof one more time," Pansy fumed, the look in her eyes threatening murder.
"Let me know what devious plan you have in mind for if he does, I'll be glad to join in on the fun," Theo meant it as a joke but that menacing tone he had spoken with earlier was resurfacing, he was not going to tolerate his princess be treated like dirt by anyone least of all that boar of a wizard who's favourite pastime seemed to be finding ways to hurt her. He wondered what sort of creative and untraceable curses might be in the library at Nott Manor, maybe something that included impotence, lifelong impotence. The Weasel really should not be permitted to breed. Theo tapped his finger on his lip as he considered the possibilities.
"I'm sorry he called you a what?" Blaise looked at Hermione in shock, not realising just how malicious the ginger idiot could be.
Hermione, who had been silently reflecting on the altercation, began reciting all the insults Ron had thrown at her as she counted them on her fingers, "Death Eater whore, frigid bitch, broken-in broom, ungrateful slag-" her voice cracked.
She didn't usually let mean names bother her, she'd been called names all her life. But to hear someone who was once her friend, someone who she once trusted even if he had done his share of teasing her over the years, say those kinds of awful things to her still stung. And for him to do it so publicly. It truly burned away what last threads of friendship they had between them and though a part of her knew that this was the direction that friendship had been careening towards ever since the war had ended, the finality still hurt.
"It's okay, he's gone and won't be bothering you ever again, I'll make sure of it," Draco rubbed her arm comfortingly and Hermione leaned into his body, feeling safe in his embrace.
"Do you think we'll have any problems with the sister?" Pansy asked then, remembering how the redheaded witch just stood there while her brother and mother verbally assaulted Hermione. The Weaslette was somewhere on the train with them and they would be stuck with her for the next year.
"Probably yes," Luna lamented, she didn't want to speak ill of her oldest friend but it was the truth, "I'm not sure what healing she has done over the summer, if any at all. It is possible that she might take out whatever pain she still has on others." Including me, Luna thought to herself, not knowing how Ginny would react to her and Blaise formally courting. She didn't want to lose Ginny as a friend, but Blaise was her future and she wasn't about to give him up.
"We already expected trouble, let's just hope Weaselbee's temper tantrum was the worst of it," Theo said. At least in Hogwarts there would be professors to intervene and would take the proper course of action. Plus he was Head Boy, he wasn't going to abuse the title, but he sure as hell would leverage it if anyone dared to cross the line with his loved ones or any other innocent students. Cordelia would be there too and she was yet one more adult that they could all count on.
"And I suppose it was only a matter of time until that show started circulating if you two already heard about it," Hermione said to Blaise and Luna, "Gods I just hope it stays as school gossip and that it doesn't get back to the Prophet." She dreaded to think what the Prophet would print, no doubt they would side with Ron if Skeeter had any say in it. But it wasn't just the argument being published that Hermione was worried about, it was the possibility of her new relationship being outed in the most grotesque manner that worried her. By all means she wouldn't let the opinions of others get in the way of her love for Draco, Theo and Pansy, she just hated the thought of anyone saying bad things about them and fueling the animosity against her loved ones.
"Speaking of the Prophet, Drake got a front page photo and," Blaise noted, "Goyle got ten years in Azkaban."
"Apparently, he wasn't interested in repudiating pureblood supremacy," Luna added.
Theo snorted in disgust. "I doubt he could even spell pureblood supremacy."
Draco laughed and despite being upset, Hermione smirked a little, recognizing that they were trying to take her mind off the incident with Ron.
"Well he decided to call all the Wizengamot, you and Pansy blood traitors who deserved to die, Drake." Blaise shook his head at the stupidity of their former friend.
"How like Goyle to be a bloody fool," Draco grunted.
Theo pushed one of his errant curls out of his eyes. "I mean it's pretty on brand for Goyle. What a wonderful reunion he'll have with Goyle Sr. I am sure his dear old dad will be the envy of all the Death Eaters, the only son who's going to be going in their fun. Oh maybe they will even get to share a cell. That's real father-son bonding. I just feel so left out." Theo stuck out his lip petulantly.
"Oh quit taking the piss, Theo." Pansy glared at him in mock annoyance. "Honestly, Goyle being gone will mean I will feel a lot safer in the Slytherin common room. Some of the shit he said to me was pretty creepy."
Alarmed, Hermione squeaked as she shifted to give Pansy her full attention. "What?"
At the same time that Draco burst out with, "What the bloody fuck are you talking about Pans?"
Theo grabbed Pansy's hand, "My love, did Goyle threaten you and you didn't tell us? That's very naughty and not in a cute way. Drake is probably going to lose his shite now."
"You didn't think anything of it when I moved into your room?" Pansy raised an eyebrow. "Honestly Theo for such a swot, you really can be oblivious sometimes." She tossed her hair dramatically.
Draco was in fact very close to losing his temper with Pansy, but the way that Hermione stiffened next to him when he began to raise his voice had him pulling himself back under control not wanting to add to her stress or upset her further. "If anyone threatens you again you tell me, or Theo or Hermione immediately. How can I keep you safe if you don't tell me, Pansy?!"
Pansy snorted, flipping her hair in clear annoyance. "I was fine. I could handle Greg."
"You don't have to handle everything alone, Pans." Theo pointed out, "Why date the Head Boy, the Head Girl and the school's sexiest reformed villain if you aren't going to tell us when we can take care of you?"
Hermione added, "And it's not just you Pansy, there were a handful of fifth and sixth year Slytherin girls over the summer. What if he had hurt one of them? You may be able to handle it, but they can't. Remember what Cordelia said about preventing missing stairs?"
"You could have told me, Pansy, I was down there, I could have hexed him and planted him a facer," Blaise pointed out. "I would have loved the excuse. The prick called my Luna names."
"Point taken, I promise to report the next wizard who harasses me," Pansy pursed her lips. "Is that good enough for you daddy?"
"Pansy Ophelia Parkinson, please by all the gods let me be your daddy," Theo exhaled in a breathless prayer.
"I'll think about it." Pansy laughed. Theo grinned at that, meeting her eyes with desire bouncing back and forth between the two of them.
"Blaise, how were things with your mum?" Draco asked, suddenly.
"She's fine. Looks as though my stepfather might not make it, he's very ill." Blaise shrugged.
In chorus, the Slytherins all went, "Oh." And the subject was promptly dropped, as no one really wanted to get involved with Signora Zabini's personal business.
Hermione was slightly confused, but recalled rumours about Blaise's mother and decided that she could make Pansy explain to her what she didn't know later.
"I see you went and got Muggle tattoos without me," Blaise complained, pointing to Theo's wrist and Hermione's chest. "You know what this means?"
"That some of us didn't spend the weekend in Italy?" Pansy replied, examining her nails.
"That I have spent more money over the weekend than you did?" Theo smirked, enjoying the possibility.
"No." Blaise shook his head. "That you have to let me give each of you a magical tattoo now."
"We'll consider it," Draco responded, rubbing Hermione's hand as he cuddled her into his side.
"So, I have a funny story to share," Luna said into the quiet that had fallen over the compartment as everyone was lost in their own thoughts for a bit as the train rolled through the English countryside. Blaise squeezed her hand as though the story was not about to be funny at all.
"Really?" Theo asked, putting his chin in his palm and leaning forward in interest.
"Mmmmhmmm," Luna agreed, nodding as she fidgeted with her golden ruffled skirt. "It turns out my mother was Lucius Malfoy's baby sister." Everyone except Blaise stared at her in shock. "Surprise!" Smiling with her nose crinkled and head tilted, she turned to Draco, whose jaw was hanging open. "Looks like we're cousins. Isn't that grand?"
00000000000000
Author's Note: Was Ron's reaction what you expected?