Edited 5/20/23: Minor Grammar/Spelling.

here we go... what is a magical portrait even!?

Wednesday, May 20, 1998

Hermione hated Wednesdays. They were Draco's illicit potions day and he wouldn't be able to come home afterwards.

Pansy had sent a few outfits for them to try for their portraits and most of the morning was spent with Hermione whining while Theo and Ginny flounced around in all of the outfits, although she did snap a picture of the two of them wearing each other's outfits.

Late Winter Fourth Year

"I'm sorry I didn't grow up in a fancy magical mansion like you, Theodore! I'll just go find a 'bloody book about it,' like you told me to!" Hermione crossed her arms and marched away from the surprised looking boy.

"Mi! Hermione, stop!" And while she did stop, she refused to turn around. "I'm sorry I didn't think about what I was saying, of course I'll explain Magical portraiture to you, I just-"

Hermione whirled around, "What, you're too busy mooning after Draco even though he's busy chasing someone else to pay attention to me? I'm your bloody girlfriend, Theo!"

"Are you? Last time I checked we never even discussed it! You never want to label things, Hermione, how do I know you're not just waiting around for the fucking weasel?"

Hermione scoffed, "As if I'm the one who doesn't want to define things! I'll always be the last one picked and-" she choked out a sob and turned away.

"I'd pick you first every time, Mi. I- Why are we even fighting?"

"Probably because you're bloody gorgeous and charming and wealthy and I'm just me. There is no wa-"

He surged forward and kissed her. "Shut up, you're the most beautiful girl in every room and anyone who can't see that is an idiot. Hermione, being in the Slytherin Common Room is like a second by second game of chess. Everyone is watching us at all times and I don't get to talk as freely as I do with you."

"I know," she muttered, "I just don't want to keep secrets in and no one in the Wizarding World knows about us."

"Tell Ginny," Theo said with a grin, "She's trustworthy and I think if you don't tell someone you're going to break up with me out of frustration."

"B-break up?" She stuttered

"We'll yes, I'm hoping you'll be my girlfriend?"

"I thought I already was, so of course! And I will talk to Gin I think, I really appreciate you, Theo."

"Now run along," he smirked, "I know the second task is tomorrow and Potter isn't even remotely ready."

Present (5/20/1998)

"Theo," Ginny chirped over lunch, "I've never had a magical portrait nor have I thought I ever would have one, would you tell me about them?"

"Of course, sister," he said, sticking out his tongue, "I'll have our portrait artist add you into my childhood portrait, from a picture of you as a kid, you just have to be add a drop of blood to it, then we'll do our 'coming of age' portrait together, and drip a drop of blood on that one, then Mi, Draco and I will do our Newlywed one and then the artist will glamour Draco away until we can be 'out.'"

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Yes Theodore, I know what we're doing, I asked how they work!"

"Oh," he chuckled, "well, once someone passes on their portrait, and the aforementioned blood, spend about a month marinating, then the portraits wake up. The drop of blood has all the same knowledge as the day your blood was given, so for our childhood one, we'll both know about each other, as I insisted that they leave room to add my sister one day."

"How many portraits do people typically have?" Hermione asked offhandedly.

"Well typically a childhood one, around the age of seven or eight, a coming of age one, a marriage one, a midlife one around sixty or seventy, and then if they live over a hundred and ten, they have a final one."

"Four or five versions of Lady Ginevera around, huh?" Hermione's fake shuddered.

"I suppose I quite like the idea of being able to capture snippets of yourself though time."

"Imagine a seven year old Hermione," Theo said, chuckling, "she'd probably bury herself under a pile of books."

With a roll of her eyes, she left the siblings giggling in the dining room and made her way to the library where the elves were working diligently on sorting through the books that would need to be sent to Bill for cursebreaking.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think or if you have any thoughts about what might happen next!