Edited 5/31/23: Minor Grammar/Spelling.

Okay we're getting a bittt of a resolution, but I think we're going to draw it out a bit more. Sorry? I hope you enjoy!

Sunday, May 31, 1998

"Pans, it's really not what it looks like," Draco said, looking to Hermione.

"And you! I can't believe you would betray Theodore like this. I know you've always been a bit loose with your morals but this!"

"Pansy-" Hermione tried.

"No. I'll give you until the end of the week to tell Theo and Ginny otherwise I'll tell them myself!"

With that she stormed away. A few seconds later Ginny skidded into the room in her pyjamas with her wand out. "I heard shouting, what's happened?"

"I think we need to wait for Theo," Draco said, tiredly.

The three of them sat in silence for a few moments while they waited for Theo to join them. He strolled into the room "Bloody drunkards," he said with a laugh, "you'd think they've never dr- what's happened? Why do you all look like you're attending a funeral?"

"Pansy saw us," Hermione whispered.

"Saw you what?" Ginny asked, although Hermione could tell she already knew the answer based on their rumpled clothing.

"We were waiting for you," Draco said, gripping Hermione's hand, "and we started kissing, and she burst into the room. She called Hermione a slag!"

"She is a bit of a slag isn't she?" Ginny joked, "I mean two husbands before the age of twenty?" The three of them shot her dirty looks, "Tough crowd," she muttered.

"She said we needed to tell you two by the end of the week. I know you've always said you trusted Pansy, but…"

Theo tilted his head against the back of the couch and sighed. "Can we trust her with everything, Drake?"

"I think so? We could have her take a Vow. She's uncommonly loyal. Even after she realised she liked girls she stayed with me for both our sakes."

"Pansy likes girls?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, isn't it obvious?" Theo said with a chuckle.

"What is that supposed to mean, Theodore?" Ginny said angrily.

"He claims to have the Sight for other people like us," Drsco said with an eye roll.

"Gaydar," Hermione added, when Ginny looked at her curiously, she continued. "It's a bit of a pun based on the Muggle technology radar that helped ships find u boats and submarines during the World Wars."

"Gods you're such a swot," Theo purred, nuzzling against her neck. "It's so bloody sexy."

Ginny cleared her throat in a very Umbridge-like manner. "Back to the question at hand," she said primly. "What are we going to do about Pansy?"

"Let's invite her for dinner?" Draco said with a sigh.

"I'd prefer sooner rather than later," Hermione said firmly.

"Monday evening?" Draco asked, "I should be able to get away after the work day, although I think Slughorn is starting to suspect I'm not sleeping in my dormitory."

"Bugger him," Theo said, annoyed. "I'm quite put out with Pansy, I had a whole evening planned for you two that involved champagne, strawberries and chocolate."

"I'm not in the mood," Hermione and Draco chimed at the same time.

Ginny snorted a laugh, "You've really got your hands full here, don't you, brother?"

"You have no idea," Theo winked at her.

Hermione slept terribly, when she woke up she could barely get out of bed. And when she did, she regretted the alcohol from the night before. After the third time she vomited, Theo had enough of her trying to power through and sent her back to bed.

Around lunch, the boys brought her some broth even though she felt much better. "I'm fine," she huffed. "I was just hungover, please let me get up!"

"I can't allow it," Theo said, hugging her closer. "I will keep you in this bed indefinitely, we'll never leave."

Draco worried from her other side, "You promise you're feeling better? Mum was hoping we'd come for dinner tonight. I know Ginevra was going to Sunday dinner with the Weasleys."

"Yes, I'm good to go to dinner," she said, trying to turn her head to look at him, but Theo held her firmly against his chest. "Theodore let go of me!"

"I shan't," he said, petulantly. "I've heard that you're having an affair with my best mate and I won't let you betray me so!"

"Yes well I've heard you're having an affair as well," she huffed. "With a tall, pale, broody, blond man!"

"We do seem to have similar taste don't we, love?" He chuckled.

"My taste is apparently ridiculous, swotty people who don't know how to be serious for even a moment," Draco grumbled.

"What about beautiful? Funny?" Theo asked.

"Wise? Brave? Ambitious?" added Hermione.

"Gods you two will be the death of me," he groaned again, covering his head with his pillow.

Finally Theo released Hermione from his grip and she rolled over and snuggled into Draco's side. "We love you too!"

When they arrived at headquarters that evening, Narcissa cornered them immediately. "Tell me everything."

The next hour was spent discussing the disastrous dinner with Bellatrix, the success of the ball, the snarky comments Hermione had made to Lucius, and Pansy's accusation.

Narcissa reacted perfectly to each. She vowed to do anything in her power to end Bellatrix, cooed over the success of the Ball, laughed heartily at Lucius' response, and was horrified at Pansy's reaction.

"So what will you do about her?" She asked them.

"We're going to invite her to dinner," Draco responded. "We're trying to decide how much to tell her."

Narcissa sat back and rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I think you could tell her everything, but it might help to introduce her more slowly. You two never had a good relationship, did you, Hermione?"

"Oh no!" Hermione chuckled, "She hated me."

"She was jealous of you, darling," Draco said softly.

"J-Jealous?" she sputtered. "Of what? My awkwardness, my Muggle parents, my lack of fashion sense?"

Theo scoffed, "You were the smartest person in our year, her first boyfriend drooled after you for most of our childhood, and you're tough in ways she only dreamed of being."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but stopped when Narcissa cut in. "Pureblood girls are raised to be prim and proper. We should never appear smarter than the boys, even if we could do a spell first you were to wait until at least two boys had performed it before showing your talents. Grades should be good, but never the best. You shouldn't be too harsh or outspoken. Always defer to the highest ranking person in the room. The list goes on and on. You, my dear," she said looking at Hermione fondly, "break almost every single one of those rules."

"Well they're rubbish and old fashioned," Hermione huffed.

"They are, darling," Draco chuckled, "Pansy has always been a bit uncomfortable because she doesn't fit so many of those rules. She was jealous that you got to be so free and never had to bend to the whims of society."

"B-but, I was miserable.." Hermione found herself tearing up at the thought. The fact that someone else was so unhappy with their lot that they were jealous of her was laughable. "I never knew."

All three of the other people in the room looked a bit stunned at Hermione's random burst of tears. They looked between each other, trying to ascertain what the correct next step was. "Are you quite alright?" Narcissa asked, kneeling in front of her. Hermione threw her arms around the witch and sobbed into her shoulder. "Hermione?" she asked after a few moments, pulling away to get a look at her face.

"I-I just n-never knew. I w-was so focused on m-myself and there is so m-much I d-don't know!" she sobbed.

"Yes, well that's why we're going to change things, love," Theo said from next to her.

"Our kids will never have to live to those standards and Malfoys always are top of the hierarchy," Draco teased.

"B-but they'll b-b-be Half Bloods! Wh-what if they're n-not accepted?"

"Then they're even more idiotic than we gave them credit for," Theo scoffed. "The Nott and Malfoy fortunes are more than almost every other family combined. Once we get rid of old Tom, there is nothing that can stop us!"

After a few more minutes of sniffling, Hermione calmed down. "Now why don't you tell us what this was really about?" Narcissa asked, still kneeling in front of Hermione.

"I've never felt like I belonged," she ignored Theo and Draco's outraged noises. "Since I was a kid I was the weirdo who liked books more than Barbies. Then I got to Hogwarts and I thought it would be different, but even then I only made friends because we were in dangerous situations together. It wasn't until Theo and eventually Draco came along that I felt like someone liked me for me. Even now I don't get to be Hermione Granger. I don't even get to be Hermione Malfoy-Nott. I have to be Lady Myuh Nott. I just want to be accepted for me."

Narcissa pulled her into a hug. "Well let's get this battle plan moving so I can officially introduce my daughter-in-law to the world. I'll talk with Kingsley and Remus about setting up an Order meeting to discuss what's next."

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