Chapter 34
The four of them had barely been in the Great Hall for five seconds when Theo disappeared. The other three of them looked around for him to no avail, eventually shrugging and taking seats at the eighth year table. Pansy mumbled something under her breath about him figuring out how to disapparate within Hogwarts' wards. Hermione wouldn't be shocked if he had, honestly if anybody could do it, then it would be Theo.
Hermione waved at each of the first years as they filed past their table heading to the table that had formerly been assigned to their Houses. She wished that she could invite them to sit with her at this table. Other than the three of them on this side and Neville and Hannah on the far side of the table, it was empty. Seamus and Dean hadn't yet appeared for breakfast.
Cormac was ensconced at the Gryffindor table, still a bit quiet after all his bad behaviour had been outed during the summer. Hermione wondered what his consequences had been, if any, his family was well-connected after all. They weren't going to allow him to not take his NEWTs.
The Ravenclaws and Parvati were all at the previously Ravenclaw table. The eighth year table was a bit unpopular, but the Head Girl wasn't fussed about that.
"Where did you disappear to?" Hermione asked when Theo reappeared, a cocky grin painted on his handsome face.
"I talked to McGonagall and got added into another course, not Muggle Studies sorry," Theo said to his fellow snakes, adjusting his sleeve to hide his knot tattoo a little better and sliding in next to them. At Hermione's questioning look, he finally added. "Divination with Firenze, not Trelawney, she's too deep in the sherry for me to listen to a word of what she says."
"She's given at least one true prophecy," Hermione pointed out, pouring herself another cup of coffee and sweetening it heavily. "The second one was questionable in my opinion, but I'm open to being disproved."
"But being a prophet isn't exactly something that can be taught," Theo pointed out with a wink. "You either are one or you aren't. And I'm pretty positive that I am not. Alas."
"So are you just trying to be the swottiest Head Boy ever, or do you have a plan of some kind, Theo?" Pansy asked, practising wandlessly stirring her tea with a long manicured nail, making circles in the air, her teaspoon circling the glass without clinking against the edge as proper tea etiquette called for.
"Why my queen, my plans all have plans of their own, you know that." Theo laughed, his face stretching into a wide smile that Hermione couldn't help but reciprocate. "Honestly it was either that or History of Magic and I just could not possibly subject myself to listening to Binns lecture for another year."
"Oh, is he the only ghost that's consistently around?" Hermione was missing the ghosts flying above in the Great Hall. Myrtle had witnessed Dirk Creswell Jr's suicide over the summer and had vanished back up into her pipes and hadn't been seen since.
"I think Binns probably lectured through the entire Battle and hasn't stopped yet." Theo stated sincerely.
"I think it's the only class that none of us are taking," Hermione laughed.
"I don't need the nap time," Draco sighed. "Although I'm already dreading my schedule."
"I wonder if any of the eighth years are taking History of Magic?" Hermione asked, taking a bite of her pastry.
"Definitely someone in Ravenclaw," Theo said with a roll of his eyes.
"Are you worried someone is going to try to get more NEWTs than you?" Pansy asked, examining her nails with a satisfied smirk.
"Never going to happen," Theo declared with confidence. "Never."
*
Introducing Neville as her teaching assistant in their combined seventh and eighth year Herbology, gave Professor Sprout a wide smile and earned Neville a round of applause from everyone. He'd blushed dark red and bowed to everyone very formally, drawing a laugh from even Pansy. Sprout had allowed him to introduce their first project: propagating the top ten most useful magic plants for anyone planning to set up a home potion brewing lab.
Hermione was excited until she considered that there wasn't really a home for her to set up a greenhouse or a brewing lab in. Her parents' house had been sold during the war to fund their move to Australia so she had no idea where she was going to be living after their eighth year ended and that put a pall on the entire lesson. She took her notes diligently, but her heart just wasn't in it.
Theo looked at her oddly, but continued taking his notes with a pen that he must have stolen somewhere in Muggle London, earning him confused stares from the other Purebloods in the class.
Draco and Pansy walked ahead of Theo and Hermione as they vacated the greenhouse, the sweltering heat and humidity replaced by the brisk Scottish morning.
The five little Slytherins were lost when Hermione found them and they stammered an explanation that was disjointed as they talked over one another.
"Someone said that we needed to…" Izzy said nervously.
Archer's eyes were wide as he talked over her, "The green houses have to be…"
Gwennyth's scar was far more pronounced under the light of the sun, the darkened claw scar bold against the paleness of her milky skin. "We don't know where to go!" She whispered agonised and on the verge of tears that glistened in her lashes.
Hermione hated the way the three littlest flinched when she got close to them. Archer, Gwennyth and Isadora all looked far too thin and the edges of their robes were threadbare. They reminded her uncomfortably of Harry, like they were being shut up in cupboards and starved when away from school and she recoiled at the thought. Her imagination was getting away from her. Doll-like Evangeline was chewing her lip and Valentinian had his arms crossed stoically.
"Theo, wouldn't it make more sense if they all met up and walked out to the greenhouse together regardless of House? There's so few of them after all."
"It makes sense to me." Theo agreed. They turned back towards the greenhouses with the five little Slytherins in tow.
"Professor Sprout and Mr. Longbottom, can we interrupt?" Hermione asked from the door.
"Certainly, Miss Granger," Professor Sprout responded with a kind smile.
"I've found your lost Slytherin first years," Hermione said, ushering the five students into the greenhouse. She looked at the little students already there with their red and gold, blue and bronze or yellow and black ties, easing over to allow the others a place. It was so strange to see all four tie colours together in a single class. "I'd like the first years to walk together from here to their next class. Where are you all off to next?"
"Lunch then Charms," the little voices answered in a chorus.
"Alright so as Head Girl, I'd like you all to walk from here to there together. And then from there to Charms. Next Wednesday I expect you all to meet in the courtyard before you come out here to Herbology. You are a small incoming class and should all try to be at least cordial with one another."
Some of the Gryffindors looked particularly suspicious and the little Travers in Hufflepuff looked shocked at the pronouncement; they'd likely already been hearing things from older students about the Slytherins. Hermione suppressed a frown. She didn't want to scare the little ones.
Had she ever been so small? So sure about where the lines were? So confident that she knew who was good and who was evil?
These days everything seemed painted in shades of grey.
Professor Sprout smiled widely, looking over her class. "Thank you Miss Granger, I think that's an excellent idea. And I'll bring it up to the Headmistress as well. I imagine she'll like this first year class to walk together to any class immediately following a meal. I expect you all and especially my Hufflepuffs, to show each other kindness and respect here at Hogwarts." She turned her face back to Hermione, "Was there anything else Miss Granger?"
"No, that'll be all. Thank you for your time, Professor." Hermione refused to apologise for interrupting, she wasn't sorry for making sure the little Slytherins were going to get to their classes.
Pansy had disappeared when Hermione rejoined Draco and Theo.
"She went to go take a nap," Theo offered with a shrug when Hermione asked where she'd gone off to.
"Oh," Hermione responded quietly. She already didn't like it when they were apart. And Pansy wouldn't be with her for this part of the morning, each week. The thought made her nauseous.
Herbology was followed by Advanced Runes and Hermione found herself zoning out a bit as Professor Babbling did her part to pretend that it was a normal first day of courses.
It wasn't just a normal first day of classes and they really couldn't make it one.
The classes were full of missing students who'd died in the war or who hadn't come back for the academic year. Hermione found her eyes flickering around the class, counting the empty seats. She thought that she'd do better when they had homework and projects to do, but a slow, meandering introduction to the syllabus wasn't enough to keep Hermione focused on her professor and her mind wandered. None of the places that it wandered to were good.
She scooted a bit closer to Theo and wanted to put her head on his shoulder, but she didn't think that would be appropriate during class.
How she wished that she didn't care.
Under the table he took her hand, interlacing their fingers. She couldn't help but be comforted by that. Draco looked over at her, as though he knew her heart was unsettled and she needed to be comforted by him too.
*
"Fucking Death Eater," a voice said from behind him right before Draco was hexed. The pain in his leg was instant and he could feel the warm trickle of blood on his skin. He didn't even bother to pull his wand, as he couldn't defend himself; it would risk his probation. And whoever had struck him knew that as well as he did. He needed to learn to take his lumps; it wasn't as though he hadn't earned their hatred, whoever they were.
Walking into the Great Hall, he cast a wandless scourgify on his pants and the droplets of blood that were following him inside.
"Draco," Hermione must have caught some discomfort on his face as he sat down. "Are you all right?"
"Fine," he said, pasting the best fake smile he could without occluding.
"Are you sure?" She asked, touching him lightly on the arm. He was grateful that she touched him there instead of the leg. If she had done that then he would have flinched and given the game away.
"Yeah, I'm okay. I just got a little spoiled in the suite and I want to lay about and have someone bring me tiny sandwiches." Draco's laugh sounded false to his own ears, but Hermione didn't seem to notice.
"Well no luck on the tiny sandwiches, but there is some food," Hermione offered with a soft smile.
"It barely counts," Blaise complained sitting across from them. "Is there nothing that isn't fried or boiled into flavourlessness?"
"Have you considered bribing the elves to make Italian food?" Hermione suggested. "I'm not sure if they can read English, but maybe a cookbook with lots of pictures?"
"Are you going to deliver it to them?" Blaise asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm not particularly popular in the kitchens," Hermione admitted with a grimace.
Their conversation continued in that vein, but Draco couldn't concentrate on it because of the throbbing in his leg. Just when he thought he'd have to manage all the stairs to the Heads' Dorm in order to get at their potions, Luna tucked a vial into his palm as she walked past.
Gods, his cousin was too perceptive by half, he thought as he covertly tipped the vial into his tea and breathed a sigh of relief as the pain in his leg finally started to subside.
*
Luna kissed Blaise goodbye outside the Transfiguration classroom and she giggled when he offered to add the class, just to be with her. She shooed him away and entered the classroom, choosing a seat towards the back which wasn't her style at all.
Transfiguration was the first class that Ginny was in with her and Luna was terribly nervous. She knew that plenty of the others from the summer would be in there as well. It was a combined eighth and seventh year class, but she didn't need her lover or her friends to fight her battles for her. She wanted Ginny to support her choices, but if she didn't there was nothing Luna could do.
What would Ginny do when she learned that Luna was a Malfoy? The Weasleys and the Malfoys had centuries of conflict and Luna was afraid that her and Ginny's friendship wasn't strong enough to face the inevitable explosion.
Draco himself was in the front of the class next to Hermione, toying idly with one of her curls as they waited for the class to start. Luna smiled at the look on his face, he was clearly deeply in love. She didn't think she'd ever seen him so happy.
Luna had intentionally left a seat open next to her, hopeful that Ginny would sit with her. Seamus and Dean had given her a reassuring smile as they took the desk next to hers.
In the end, Ginny walked right past her and sat next to Hannah Abbott off to the side. Luna tried to ignore how much that stung. They'd grown up so close together and now Ginny was content to pretend that she did not exist.
Luna swallowed back a sniffle. Ernie Macmillan sat down next to her and smiled. "Zabini won't break my legs for sitting next to you will he?"
"Well, that all depends on if you keep your hands to yourself Ernie," she replied, not at all liking his tone. She resisted the urge to growl at him and kept her expression bland.
He fled to another seat. Good riddance.
Draco looked back at her, and she offered a shrug. His eyes narrowed and she knew that she'd probably have to explain what had just happened later. She was grateful that he cared enough to check on her, but she wondered if the roles shouldn't be reversed and she shouldn't be checking in on him. She hoped the pain potion had helped him earlier, she wondered why he hadn't just told Hermione that someone had hexed him. Wizards were very difficult to comprehend sometimes, Draco more than most.
Luckily at that moment, Professor Delacour-Weasley walked in and the entire room was in awe of her aura. Luna, who'd had the gorgeous witch heal her extensively and had stayed in her home during the war, received a wink during the introductions.
It was impossible not to notice how stiff Pansy got when Fleur was giving Hermione attention. Luna bit her inner cheek and worried that this was going to cause greater difficulties. Pansy acted as though she was extremely confident, but the reality was that the Slytherin witch was terribly insecure, it had been one of many things that they'd fought over before deciding that they would be better as friends.
Hermione on the other hand was innocent when it came to the flirtations between women, and Luna had no doubt that Pansy would accuse Bill and Fleur of wanting Hermione for their unicorn before too long.
Perhaps she needed to pull Theo aside for a serious chat about the inevitable challenges that Fleur posed for Pansy and Hermione's relationship. Someone in their little polycule needed to be mindful of all the undercurrents that were happening. The potential for misunderstanding seemed rife.
She frowned, unsure what to do. Maybe Blaise would have some good advice for her.
*
Dinner was almost too much for the four of them and Hermione dreaded having to be social for another hour or more. But she was Head Girl and there were responsibilities that came with it along with privileges.
She absolutely refused to sit at Gryffindor's table though, so instead she stood near the doors and spoke with everyone briefly as they entered, encouraging folks to sit at other tables. Hannah Abbott used the excuse to drag Susan Bones with her to Gryffindor to sit with Neville. Dozens of students sat with relatives from other houses and Hermione lingered by the doors until she was sure that no one else was coming and then walked to her snakes. If she had to be in the Great Hall, at least she could be with the people that cared about her.
*
Despite Theo's desire to be inside someone that evening, he recognized the exhaustion on everyone's faces as they lounged all over the sofas as though they were going to melt.
He made everyone tea just the way that they liked it, serving them with soft hands and gentle touches and then went and fluffed the pillows. Pansy led Hermione by the hand into the bedroom with Draco trailing them, tightness around his eyes as he tried to keep the stress from his face. Theo could see that being back at Hogwarts with the full student body was wearing on him, but there wasn't much he could do anyway.
They didn't talk much but just assumed their normal places, exchanged soft kisses that held the promise of more when they were rested and just relaxed in the comfortable silence, which pulled them under into the world of dreams.
*
Pansy ran furiously through the halls of Malfoy Manor, but all the walls had turned to mirrors and everywhere she looked, there was the reflection of a Death Eater in his mask. He was chasing her, but he was everywhere. There was nowhere to escape.
She was desperate to get out, but it was impossible, there was no exit, just her own terrified reflection staring back at her whichever way she turned. Instead of continuing to run, Pansy slammed into the wall, shattering one of the mirrors. She gripped a shard in her hand, ignoring how it bit into her flesh and turned to meet her pursuer head on. She screamed a battle cry as she rushed forward.
The blunt force in her dream awoke her with a start and Pansy sat up, her breath coming fast, surprised that blood wasn't dripping from her palm. She eased out of bed, her exhausted lovers snoozing deeply, and went off to search for some wine and stare into the fire for a while, ready to try to drown out the memories.
The fire crackled as the embers ate away at the wood, Pansy worked at the wine bottle and chewed at her lip until she tasted blood, complementing the red wine's oak with the copper of her own pureblood.
"Pansy?" Hermione called from behind her.
"Yes Mi?" Pansy asked without looking back at where Hermione was certainly standing in the doorway to their shared bedroom, looking at her with those pleading Gryffindor eyes.
"Will you come back to bed?" Hermione asked softly. "I woke up and you weren't there."
"Do you need me?" Pansy asked, turning.
Biting her lip, Hermione nodded. "I had nightmares."
"I'm coming, love," Pansy responded, leaving the wine bottle behind and following after Hermione, her girl needed her and that was enough to pull Pansy from her own pity party.
She slid back into bed next to Hermione and pulled the brunette tight against her chest. "Sleep now, Mi, I'm here," Pansy murmured into her curls. "I'm here and everything is going to be okay."
Pansy wasn't sure if her words were for Hermione or for herself.