The coven decided not to do anything with the ring right away. Tom clearly needed some time to recover before any reintegration attempts were made. Additionally, nobody knew how to break a compulsion curse without falling to the compulsion while trying to break it, and they figured they might as well destroy multiple horcruxes at once if they were going to get the diadem soon anyway.
That one was likely to be cursed, too, they knew, but at least they'd be better prepared the next time.
The end of the summer came quickly, and Hermione found herself at Diagon Alley with Tracey, Pansy, Millie, and Daphne, a mere two days before the train. They'd all gotten their school books and replenished their school supplies before heading to Twilfitt and Tattings for the last item on their lists.
"This way, none of us will wear the same thing," Daphne said, flicking through dress robes. "Can you imagine the embarrassment?"
"The scandal," Millie said flatly. Daphne gave her a dirty look.
"We all have different tastes," Tracey said, rifling through robes on the other side of the rack from Daphne. "Would we really be all that likely to pick the same thing?"
"Better safe than sorry," Daphne said, shrugging.
"What are the dress robes for, anyway?" Pansy wanted to know. "If there's going to be a ball, that's one thing, but if we need to dress up for a ceremony—"
"All the robes out on the rack are more ball-robes, if I'm not mistaken," Hermione said, glancing at Daphne. "They're all cut for dancing, with no trains to trip on."
"Oh!" Daphne exclaimed. "They are!"
"A dance, then?" Tracey's eyes dulled. "I don't know how to dance."
"Then we'll learn," Hermione said, shrugging. "It can't be that hard."
"Not unless you're dancing the tango," Pansy said, smirking. "And I can't imagine that would fly at a school dance."
Hermione let the idle chatter surround her without listening in, searching through the dress robes with a single-minded determination. These were all lovely, to be sure, but they were all—well, they were very expected, weren't they? It seemed like wizarding robes should be more – fabric enchanted to change colors, perhaps, or move in unexpected ways…
Mind drifting, Hermione wandered over to another part of Twilfit and Tattings. There was a new area in the store now, she saw – an area with cosmetics.
Hermione looked around, rather impressed with the marketing materials. It was clear that the owners had done their own campaign – all the pictures moved, models batting long eyelashes, shimmer on their eyelids. Another witch was shaking her hair in slow motion, curls bouncing beautifully next to the curling iron display, the electrical cords and buttons long since removed from the handles. The makeup products were all still in their original containers, but the labels had long since been removed, replaced with T&T branding.
Hermione grinned. She did so love when a plan came together.
"Hermione?" a surprised voice came from behind her. Hermione turned to see Jade and Milan nearby, Jade looking pleased while Milan looked excited.
"It is you!" Milan exclaimed, beaming. "How are you?"
"I'm good," Hermione said, smiling. She took a step back to see Milan. "How are you doing?"
"Well enough," Milan said ruefully, laying a hand atop her belly. "Only another two months to go."
"We came to get maternity robes," Jade said, smirking.
"Oh?" Hermione was puzzled, looking at the robes Milan was in. "I would think most robes are loose enough to accommodate that. The empire waist ones, at least."
Milan groaned as Jade's smirk grew wider.
"It's not for the baby bump," Milan admitted, her face red.
"Her breasts have grown almost four holder sizes," Jade told Hermione, a wicked grin on her lips. "She needs robes less tight in the top."
"They're called cup sizes," Milan huffed, and Hermione laughed.
"That seems like a lot." She looked at the older girls, curious. "Is that typical?"
"No," said Milan.
"It's not atypical," Jade equivocated. "The healers weren't concerned about it."
Milan muttered something under her breath, and Jade nudged her.
"Your muggle doctor wasn't worried either," Jade reassured her. "It's perfectly normal for your breasts to grow."
"I know," Milan groaned. "It's just – they hurt, and none of my clothes fit, and I can't sleep—"
Jade's face softened, and she rubbed Milan's back.
"My family ended up not disowning me," Jade told Hermione, a glint in her eyes. "The Rince name goes further, now – we're viewed as more powerful for using magic to conceive a baby, even though your coven did all the work. We're staying at my family's manor for now."
"Everyone's been nice enough," Milan admitted. "We're still going to get our own place after the birth, though."
"Did you get married yet?" Hermione asked, and Milan laughed.
"Not yet," she said ruefully, holding up her left hand, where a bright ring hugged her third finger. "I wanted to be able to feel pretty and enjoy my wedding, and I'm not likely to feel like that while pregnant."
"You might want to bond anyway." Daphne's voice came from behind Hermione as she approached. Daphne smiled at the couple. "A marriage bond can help during labor – your partner can take on a portion of the pain. You could always have a wedding afterward."
Jade and Milan were clearly surprised by this information, and they exchanged a look.
"None of the healers ever mentioned that," Jade said darkly.
"They probably didn't think two women could get married," Milan said, shrugging. "I don't think we'd need it anyway, with the epidural."
"You're going to deliver at a muggle hospital?" Hermione asked, surprised.
A dark expression crossed Milan's face.
"Absolutely," she said firmly. "If I do, then my child will legally exist everywhere in the country, not just in magical spaces. And, just between you and me—" Milan leaned closer, as if she was about to share a terrible secret "—I'm not impressed by wizarding obstetrics."
"Really?" Hermione's eyes went wide. "I'd have thought they'd be more advanced than muggle care."
"They could be, but there's no real testing, and a lot of it seems like old wives' tales," Milan said, her exasperation and frustration bleeding through in her tone. "For example, they refused to visualize the baby, even though that spell exists."
"Casting magic on the womb might interfere with the baby's magical development," Jade objected, and Milan rolled her eyes.
"Well, at least you can get ultrasounds," Hermione said, shrugging. She offered them both a tentative grin. "Still glad you did it?"
"Oh, absolutely," Milan said immediately.
"Yes," Jade said firmly. "Not only do we get to stay together, but we get to have a family." A small smile crept onto her face. "I never imagined that, not even in my wildest dreams."
"I did," Milan said, grinning. She looked up at Jade, fluttering her eyelashes. "I guess I'm just more creative than you, love."
Jade rolled her eyes and smirked as she leaned down to kiss her. Hastily, Hermione and Daphne both looked away, averting their eyes from their affectionate display.
"I guess I'll see you both around?" Hermione ventured, uncertain. "You've both graduated now…"
"We'll send an owl with news," Milan told her, smiling, though Jade's smile faded.
"You're going to want to be careful," she told Hermione. She lowered her voice. "Rosier got chosen as a prefect."
Hermione groaned. "Are you serious?"
"Both the Head Boy and Head Girl are in Ravenclaw," Milan reassured her, giving Jade a worried look. "They'll keep the prefects in line."
"Not in the Slytherin common room," Jade said darkly. She fixed Hermione with a sharp look. "Make sure to take care of yourself, Granger."
Hermione was much different now — a powerful witch who could take on most of the Slytherins and win with a moment's notice — but for one terrible moment, she was back in that classroom with seven purebloods facing her down, the cutting curses lancing through her skin, getting kicked in the ribs as she choked and cried out, Rosier gloating over her as she was bleeding out on the cold stone floor—
Hermione ripped herself out of her memories and looked back at Jade, nodding.
"Thanks for the warning," Hermione sighed. "Good seeing you around."
