Draco
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Draco was having a bad day.
In fact, now that he thought about it, every day in December had been awful. The consequences of his mistakes on the night of the match were still painfully ingrained in his daily life, as if he couldn't escape the vicious circle that was dragging him down. He bitterly regretted every word he had said to Granger, who seemed determined to make him pay by reminding him which boy she was supposedly in love with: Weasley.
Not only did Draco have to witness their every rapprochement, but he also had to endure the look of amazement on Weasley's face whenever Granger paid him the slightest bit of attention. It was like watching love blossom between Crabbe and Pansy, it was sickening, it was filthy, and he was the one who'd started it. It was because of him that Granger had wanted revenge like this. And he'd never thought she'd be so good at it. Jealousy consumed Draco a little more each day, shortening his nights and making his days more difficult. He skipped as many classes as he could, despite the work that was piling up in preparation for the O.W.L.
The day before, a strange event had disturbed Draco's miserable routine. Theo had dropped one of his Muggle book and, to everyone's surprise, Granger had helped him. Not out of interest, not even to make Draco jealous. He knew that she had felt sorry for Theo and that she had immediately taken responsibility for relieving him of the embarrassment he must have felt. She had helped him, saved him.
Draco couldn't define how he felt when he thought about it. He was both annoyed that Theo and Granger could form a mysterious bond where he wasn't involved, because he hated the idea that Theo could know her in any other way than he knew her. That he could boast of a friendship with Granger when his own was fading with each passing day. He thought of it as the punishment Merlin kept inflicting on him: watching his best friend go through what he might have gone through had he not been such a coward, so afraid of his own family that Theo had managed to reject long before him.
But on the other hand, Draco couldn't imagine any other scenario. It was Granger. Of course she was picking up the book. Of course she was going to stand up to Crabbe and Goyle, even though they were the ones who had cast the spell that had mutilated her neck. She was Granger, the generous, fearless, selfless Granger. The one who helped those in need. The one who wasn't afraid to fight when the cause seemed just. Draco couldn't imagine any other reaction than the one she'd had. If she hadn't come to Theo's aid, it would have meant that he had infected her with Slytherin, and Draco couldn't imagine that, because he had fallen in love with the Gryffindor Granger, as strange as that sounded.
Draco hadn't liked it in the Library, though, when Granger had returned the book to Theo and talked to him as if he wasn't even there. As if she hadn't even noticed his presence. It had been as disturbing as it had been painful. Lying in his bed at night, Draco had not stopped thinking about the alternative. If he hadn't kissed her, they might have spent the evening at their table, studying together, without Theo, without Fleurs du Mal, without any interference but the two of them, in their own bubble.
On Tuesday, after dinner, Draco subtly managed to avoid the chore of walking Eris out, using an urgent assignment in the Library as an excuse. It wasn't so much an excuse as the mountain of homework looming over his desk was growing by the day, but he was far too mentally exhausted to do any proper work.
He went to the Library anyway to keep his lie going, leaving Blaise with the arduous burden of walking the dog, a debt he would no doubt have to repay sooner or later, judging by the glare Blaise gave him as Draco left the Common Room.
He climbed the stairs and crossed the Library corridor, dragging his feet. He didn't really want to go, because sitting at a table other than the one hidden by the shelves was almost cruel, like a constant tempting reminder of what he was missing because of his own stupidity. But he went anyway, hoping that Granger would be sitting in her spot under the window, her nose in a book or writing at full speed on a parchment that was far too long. If he couldn't talk to her, he could at least watch her work and dream of sitting across from her.
Draco comforted himself with this thought as he turned towards the double doors, unaware that his day was about to get even worse than it already was.
No sooner had he crossed the threshold than his eyes searched for her, like a reflex, an automatism written into his DNA. He did indeed find her under the window, surrounded by an orange halo of twilight that made her brown curls shine in the sunlight.
For a brief second, Draco was struck by her natural beauty.
Why was Merlin trying to tempt him with a secluded table when she was right there? Enough to question all his principles, his values, his choices? How could he reject her, when he forgot everything when he saw her like this, when she didn't know he was looking at her, when she was laughing?
He held onto her smile, then turned his head towards the person she was laughing with. Draco had been so focused on Granger that he'd thought the boy with her was Potter.
The shock he felt when he recognised his best friend's chestnut hair and blue eyes was indescribable. Draco froze. His blood ran cold.
Granger and Theo were sitting at the same table, facing each other, a textbook in the middle, but neither of them were working. They were talking. Draco watched the scene as if he were no longer in his own body, as if he were far away, as if he were in a daydream. He watched in horror as Theo handed Granger a book, the same one she'd picked up outside Arithmancy class, the collection of Muggle poetry. She took it with a look of pure adoration on her face. And even though he was far too far away to hear a single sentence, Draco had no trouble reading her lips: "My God, Theo, it's beautiful!"
Every muscle in his body was heavy. It was as if he were pinned to the floor, unable to tear himself away from the nightmarish vision before his eyes. He looked at Theo, who was staring at Granger, who was staring at the book as if Merlin himself had created it, and when a tender smile crept up the corner of Theo's lips, Draco felt that familiar emotion running through his veins: jealousy. Like a burn, a slap that paralysed him, a confusing mixture of anger and fear.
They laughed at something Draco didn't hear, probably a Mr and Miss Know-It-All joke that he wouldn't have understood, then Theo launched into a long sentence, an explanation or a request, and Draco was surprised to see him converse with Granger as easily as with Blaise or Pansy. As if they'd known each other for years, even though he knew they'd never spoken directly to each other before the potion thing.
Then Granger did something that left Draco breathless. She held out her hand, and Theo took it without hesitation, and they shook hands as if to seal an agreement, as they'd done so many times before, and the gesture made Draco's head spin in painful dizziness. He wanted to run towards them, to scream, to tear them apart, but he just stood there, his limbs as numb as ever and his head empty.
He must have moved without realising it, because Granger's attention was briefly drawn to the Library entrance. Her chocolate eyes rested on him for a second, but there was no expression in them, no anger, no pity. He was like a pillar of the room, as if he didn't exist anymore. She turned her head back to Theo and gave him a smile that squeezed Draco's heart in his chest, far more than any Golden Snitch in Potter's hand or any punch on the nose.
When Draco took a step forward, his leg was stiff and heavy, but he pretended not to feel it and approached the table under the window. He was tempted to interrupt them, just to remind them that he did exist, but having no idea what to say, he walked noisily over to the table closest to them. He'd thought that if Theo saw him, he'd jump and get as far away from Granger as possible, but he didn't even notice Draco behind him, and continued to chat happily with her.
Draco took out his things without the slightest intention of reading a single line of the lesson and heard Granger open the textbook and explain in a soft voice, the same one she used when explaining a complicated concept to Longbottom:
"It's quite simple, actually. Professor Vector said that for numerical tables based on Vedic numerology, you have to calculate by column, not by row. So if you take this diagram here, you have to line up the numbers in the column on the board, so here you have the moon, which represents the 2, and the star, which represents the 5..."
"But if we follow that logic, how can the result be so close to the end prediction?" asked Theo, and Draco could guess his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.
"Because you line up by column, like this!"
She scribbled something on her parchment and Theo asked several questions, to which Granger always answered in that calm, gentle tone, which could probably soothe Draco if he hadn't been so agitated, and above all, if it had been directed at him, and not Theo.
For an hour, Draco had to listen to the most boring lecture on Arithmancy he had ever heard. Yet it was inconceivable for him to leave now. He was reassured by the purely academic nature of the exchange between the two of them, but he wanted to make sure it stayed there. From time to time, when they looked up at the same time, Draco would meet Granger's gaze, and even though she hastily turned away each time, it didn't stop him from feeling a little jolt of adrenaline, that addictive feeling he got whenever she looked at him.
When it was pitch black outside, and Madam Pince rose from her desk to close the windows and ask the remaining students to return to their Common Rooms, Theo thanked Granger warmly for her help and invited her to come to him if she had any problems in Astronomy. Draco would honestly rather die than listen to Theo and Granger working on Draco's constellation.
They got up at the same time and wished each other a good night, and Draco hurriedly stuffed his belongings back into his bag, then waited outside the large doors of the Library for Theo to come out. This took a whole minute, during which Draco had the time to walk seventeen times across the space between the two doors. When he arrived, he couldn't even hide his satisfied smile.
"Oh, hey Draco." he said when he saw him. "Didn't see you there, were you at the Library?"
"Yeah, I was." he grunted. "I had plenty of time to watch you chat with your new friend."
At that moment, Granger came out of the door as well. She waved cordially at Theo and then left, ignoring Draco who had to restrain himself from rushing over to her to finally speak to her again.
"Calm down, Draco." Theo said with an irritated sigh. "If you want to get mad at someone, get mad at me. Hermione didn't do anything."
He jerked at the sound of her first name in his mouth and stopped staring at Granger's back moving away to look at his best friend.
"What?"
"I'm the one who went to see her." Theo confessed, clearly uncomfortable. "I was the one who asked her for help with Arithmancy."
"And who gave her a book." Draco pointed out, feeling the bubbling anger rise in his throat, threatening to spit out words he didn't want to say.
"Yeah, that too." Theo admitted, surprised that he'd noticed that detail. "I wanted to thank her for helping me, and she agreed to put aside this competition between us and study for the O.W.L. together. Nothing to get upset about."
"No, she..." began Draco, pointing an accusing finger at the spot where Granger had just disappeared.
"She didn't do anything." Theo cut in. "I did. Don't take it out on her. Besides, I'm sure if you got to know her, the two of you would get along quite well." he added with a semblance of wisdom, as if trying to imitate Blaise, without success.
Hearing this, his anger stagnated. Theo had no idea of their past, of their relationship. He didn't know that Granger was as much a part of that enmity as he was, that she had used it to make him jealous and that it had worked. He hated that. He hated that she could have the upper hand, that she could manipulate him like that. Bloody Granger and her Slytherinness.
He turned his head furiously towards Theo:
"Are you in love with her?"
Theo shook his head as if he'd just heard something particularly stupid.
"Did you drink Blaise's mead before you came here?" he asked sarcastically.
But Draco didn't laugh at all.
"Answer the question." he ordered through clenched teeth.
Theo rolled his eyes:
"No, you bloody idiot. I barely know her."
Draco could see the sincerity in his eyes, but how could he really believe him? How could he know if he was telling the truth when he had shown so many times that he could lie without feeling the slightest remorse?
Theo laughed mockingly:
"Why, are you afraid my Pureblood line of Nott will be tainted by a bastard?"
Draco winced and Theo took it as disgust for her blood, not knowing that he himself was madly in love with Granger, and was actually afraid that Theo might be too.
The latter put a brotherly hand on his shoulder and gently guided him towards the stairs:
"Come on, I think you need a rest. You really don't look well."
And Draco let him, comforted by the boy he had hated all evening.
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Hermione
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Having Theo at her study table wasn't as good as having Draco, but it was a good substitute. Theo was intelligent, cultured and funny, just like Draco. She couldn't see the time go by with him, like with Draco. She felt like she was sharing knowledge with an equal, someone she could talk to about anything without worrying that he wouldn't understand her reasoning, like with Draco. His mind was as sharp as hers, and their discussions were always fluid and to the point, like with Draco.
But something was missing with Theo: it wasn't Draco.
Hermione had never wanted to replace one with the other, she felt nothing for Theodore other than friendship. But studying with him had its advantages, like the fact that she thought less about the boy a few tables away, or that she got on with her work much faster than before, or that she had someone to talk to other than Harry or Ron. But it also had its drawbacks: the painful memories of moments she'd shared with Draco in this very place, for one. Sometimes Theo would say something and it would bring back a memory that took Hermione's breath away. She resented Theo a little for being so much like him, and sometimes she resented him for not being enough like him. They had the same accent, the same polished intonation, but it wasn't the same. Theo didn't sound like Draco, he sounded like Theo, and Hermione didn't know if she loved the difference or hated the similarity.
Theo came to her table every night that week, and each time Draco sat a table or two away. Hermione knew he was listening. She could have taken the opportunity to make him jealous, to flirt shamelessly with Theo just to make him angry, or to make him glare at her, but she didn't. She didn't want to ruin a beautiful friendship with Theo just for such a childish game. Besides, Draco didn't seem to need it to be jealous. The mere thought of them sharing a table was enough to drive him mad, she could tell by the way his fingers caught on the wooden edge every time they laughed, or by the way his jaw twitched when their hands brushed against each other when they picked up a scroll or a book.
On Thursday evening, Draco didn't show up. He had to be at his Alchemy class with Snape. His absence stung Hermione, though she tried not to show how much it affected her. Theo took a seat opposite her and showed her his latest History of Magic study sheets.
"Have you done any for Defence Against the Dark Arts?" asked Hermione when she saw Theo's impressive amount of O.W.L. study sheets.
His face immediately darkened:
"No. What's the point? We learn absolutely nothing in this class."
Hermione nodded to show she agreed.
"I have to study with last year's notes, but we're missing so much material!" exclaimed Theo, suddenly a little panicked. "I can't cast an Impediment Jinx properly, my Reducto is clearly lacking in practice, and that bloody Umbridge will never let us practise before exams, not to mention the fact that she's cancelled a whole section of the syllabus on Paralysing Spells..."
Hermione suddenly felt a little sorry for Theo: all the spells he'd mentioned had been practised during Harry's AD sessions. If it hadn't been for that, she would have been in the same boat as him, and probably a lot more worried about failing her O.W.L.s due to lack of teaching.
"Why don't you practise in the Common Room?" she offered gently.
"Blaise agrees once in a while, but he refuses to do it too many times in a row because of the pain the next day." Theo explained. "And Pansy threatened to turn me into a handbag if I dared to cast an Impediment Jinx on her."
"Would you like to practice on me?" Hermione tried.
Theo immediately shook his head:
"No, I don't want to hurt you. Or rather, I don't want you to hurt me." he corrected with a chuckle. "And besides, I don't think Madam Pince would be happy about us throwing spells at each other in the middle of the Library."
"You'll find a way to study, don't worry." Hermione said, trying to reassure him, but not really believing it herself.
He nodded and returned to his study sheets, a worried crease between his eyebrows hidden by the curls that fell across his forehead. Hermione bit her lip when she saw his concern: she felt bad for bringing it up. Now Theo was going to be worried because of her.
When the Library closed, Draco was waiting outside the doors. It was a new habit he had developed since the beginning of the week and Hermione was sure it was just to make sure they didn't go back to their Common Rooms together. She usually rolled her eyes or ignored him when she waved to Theo, but this time, something caught her attention. Draco wasn't his usual self.
He always had this almost regal way of standing, even when he was leaning nonchalantly against a wall. He always had this... poise that was his alone. His head was always up, his shoulders square, his body straight and lean. Tonight there was no trace of that aristocratic posture. He was half bent over, resting on a windowsill rather than casually leaning against it, as if he might fall if he didn't hold on to something. His hands were shaking, his complexion was waxy and pale, as if he were ill, and his breathing was labored.
Theo must have noticed too, because he quickly approached his best friend and blurted out:
"Draco, Merlin, what's the matter with you?"
Hermione forgot for a moment that she was supposed to ignore Draco, she just stood there waiting for an answer. Her fingers twitched, wanting to grab her wand and help him.
"Nothing." Draco spat, then winced as if it hurt to even speak. "Are you ready to go?"
"But you can barely stand!" Theo protested, pointing to his hand clutching the ledge. "What's going on with you?"
Draco tried to straighten up, but the movement made him groan in pain.
"I'm fine." he replied coldly, staring into Theo's eyes as he told him. "Are you ready, or do you want to say good night to your new bestie?"
Hermione pursed her lips at the name, but Theo took no offence. In fact, it was as if he hadn't even heard. For a full minute, the two boys stared at each other in silence, and Hermione wondered if they hadn't learned to communicate telepathically, because their looks were so full of meaning. She felt like an outsider to a conversation that wasn't even taking place.
Then suddenly Theo's eyes lit up, as if he'd just understood something, and his features fell:
"Oh, fuck, Draco... I..."
He finished his sentence strangely and turned his head towards Hermione, suddenly remembering her presence. Draco let out a moan of hurt and Hermione dug her hand into her cloak to grab her wand.
"Well... good night, Hermione." Theo said, suddenly looking eager for her to leave.
Obviously he'd just found out something about Draco's condition that didn't concern her. Or worse, something she didn't understand, and Hermione Granger hated not understanding. Especially when it involved someone she loved.
Before she could even assess the weight of her words, she asked Draco:
"Do you need help?"
Theo's eyes widened, shocked to see them talking without insulting each other, but Draco's softened. Ocean blue. His gaze swept over her in a flash, barely enough time to hold on and dive into the ocean before he shook his head:
"No."
"Are you sure? You look... exhausted." she observed, analysing his legs as they struggled to support his weight.
"He's fine." Theo said, and without knowing how, Hermione knew he was lying. "It's just... you know, Quidditch. Come on, I'll help you."
Theo took one of the boy's arms and put it on the back of his neck, and for the first time in his life Draco didn't complain: on the contrary, he practically collapsed on top of his best friend, obviously damaged to the point where he couldn't stand for much longer. He leaned on Theo and they began to walk slowly, each step making Draco wince in pain.
"You could thank her." Theo suggested as they passed a doubtful Hermione. "She just offered to help you, even though you've been a massive twat to her for years."
Hermione almost saw a smile on Draco's face before it was wiped away by the effort:
"Yeah. Thanks, Granger."
When he wasn't exaggerating the "R" with his tongue, or when her name wasn't accompanied by his smirk, there was less flavour coming out of his mouth.
Hermione watched as the two boys staggered to the stairs, then Theo helped Draco down step by step. He looked like he was going to collapse at any moment.
Just before they disappeared into the dungeons, Hermione thought she heard Theo ask him:
"Why did you come to find me if you're in such a state?"
Hermione had to lean over the banister to hear Draco's reply:
"I had to see if... if everything was all right."
Footsteps, swearing, intelligible whispers, then Draco and Theo reached the dungeons and Hermione heard nothing more. Wand still in hand, she analysed the strange situation without understanding. She had never seen Draco so exhausted.
And she didn't know why he was like that, but one thing was for sure: it was definitely not an Alchemy lesson he had attended tonight.
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The next morning, Draco didn't show up for breakfast. It wasn't unusual behaviour, he often skipped meals, but this time his absence worried Hermione more. She knew it had something to do with his appearance the night before, but she still couldn't work out what it was. Zabini, Parkinson and Theo were seated, and the fact that Draco's place was empty didn't seem to worry them more than that. Parkinson was eating her honey toast, Zabini was hiding behind the Prophet, and Theo was avidly reading his novel.
Something in Hermione's pocket burned against her thigh and she discreetly withdrew the coin to consult the date of the new DA meeting: tomorrow, at 8pm.
"Hogsmeade tomorrow" crooned Ginny as she sat down at the table. "Who wants to come?"
"Not me." grumbled Ron grumpily from Hermione's right. "I've got so much homework to do I might literally drown in it."
"Ditto." said Harry, who was eating his eggs to Hermione's left.
"You remember our offer, don't you?" chimed in George, a little further down the table, a big business smile on his face.
"And risk getting yelled at by the prefect?" asked Ron sarcastically, pointing at Hermione not-so-subtly. "No thanks."
"I'm doing this for your own good, I'll have you know." Hermione retorted dryly. "I simply want you to succeed without the aid of unnecessary goodies."
"Ouch!" gasped Fred indignantly.
"The DA meeting is tomorrow night." Harry whispered, so that only the Gryffindors closest to him could hear him. "That'll be our well-deserved break."
Ginny nodded, and Hermione realised how good she'd become at hiding her disappointment.
"I'll come tomorrow." Hermione said to her. "I've finished my homework for next week…"
"...Predictable…" muttered George.
"... And I want to buy some chocolates for my dad. He loves the ones from Honeydukes." she finished, giving the twin an unkind look.
"You're not staying with us for Christmas this year?" asked Ron with a hint of sorrow that warmed Hermione's heart.
"No, I'm going back to London. In fact, I'm going to the Alps this year."
"To the Alps? What for?" asked Fred.
"To go skiing." Hermione explained. "I used to go every year, but with Hogwarts, the tradition kind of stopped. My parents love it, so I'm going back with them this year."
"What's squi?" asked Ron.
Harry and Hermione exchanged a look.
"Oh no, you explain." he said immediately, picking up his fork again to continue eating.
"Right, well…" began Hermione. "Skiing is a mountain sport. It's... how do I put this... down the side of a mountain, er, covered in snow..."
Hermione gestured with her hands, but the Weasleys looked at her with four looks of incomprehension on their freckled faces.
"Muggles tie some sort of wooden planks to their feet and..."
"I beg your pardon?" interrupted Fred, suddenly horrified. "They do what?"
"They tie wooden planks to their boots so they can slide across the snow."
"But… why?"
"To get down faster or slower." Hermione said, not quite sure how to explain such a concept to wizards. "After that, they climb back up on big automatic poles to get back to the top, and then they go down again, and again, and again."
There was a long silence at the end of this explanation.
"And... you're going to do that?" asked Ron, confused.
"Yes, with my parents. They taught me how."
Ron laughed as Fred and George stared at her as if she'd just told them she was in love with Severus Snape.
"But that's brilliant." Hermione said, feeling compelled to defend the sport because it was Muggle, even though she secretly wasn't a big fan of it. "It's very athletic, especially if you go fast!"
Oddly enough, this made Ron's giggle double.
"Take your camera." George advised. "I absolutely want to see that when we get back."
"Me too." Ginny said, wavering between Ron and the twins' reaction.
"So, the four of us to Hogsmeade tomorrow? We'll meet after breakfast?"
"Perfect for us." said Fred, pretending to consult an imaginary timetable. "We were just going to pick up some fireworks from Zonko's. Nothing to worry about, Mione..." he added quickly.
.
Draco only reappeared for Potions, which was shared with the Gryffindors. When he entered the classroom, Hermione thought he was still limping, but when she looked more closely at his stride, he didn't show it. She suspected he was hiding it so others wouldn't notice.
"Are you all right, Draco?" asked Parkinson's small voice laced with concern, making Hermione's hair stand up on her arms.
"I'm fine." he replied simply.
Hermione studied him before remembering what he had done and returning to her empty cauldron. She noted the recipe Snape had written on the blackboard and set to work. Ron and Harry soon lost interest and pretended to leaf through the manual, leaving her to do all the work.
And between the ingredients, Hermione's eyes quickly returned to Draco. What had put him in such a state? She doubted it was Quidditch. Even after his most intense training sessions, he'd never been this exhausted. She didn't know much about Alchemy, but she knew it wasn't a particularly physical activity. Maybe he was just sick? But why did he look injured? Maybe he'd been in a fight?
"You have thirty minutes left." the teacher's deep voice announced from the back of the class.
Draco always looked unwell on Friday mornings. Maybe the Alchemy lessons required special effort and made him weak... Or maybe Snape was training him for duels, a strange but not entirely unlikely prospect... Maybe he'd offered to replace Umbridge, to train him in defence so he wouldn't fail his exams? But in that case, why not add Theo, who needed it so badly?
Hermione watched Draco's hands as he expertly poured the ingredients into his cauldron. They no longer twitched. Yet the day before she'd been convinced they were trembling... Perhaps he'd used too much magic, to the point of exhaustion...?
"Miss Granger, your potion isn't supposed to be this purple." snapped Snape, who had moved closer to his desk without her noticing. "Concentrate!"
Hermione abruptly turned her head back to her cauldron and stopped mixing, her cheeks burning with shame. Harry turned down the heat and apologized to the professor for her.
When she dared to raise her head again, Snape had returned to his desk, and Draco was staring at her.
And Hermione could have sworn she saw a smile on his lips.
.
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"What's your favorite breakfast?" asked Harry, taking his seat opposite Hermione the next morning.
She looked at him funny.
"One question a day, remember?" asked Harry, helping himself to a plate. "You know mine, but I don't know yours."
"Yours is easy, you've been eating eggs on toast every day since the day after first year started." remarked Hermione.
"What are you talking about?" asked Ron, sitting down next to Harry.
"I'm trying to learn a bit more about Hermione by asking her questions about herself every day." Harry explained. "Yesterday I asked her what her favorite sport was, and she said skiing..."
Ron laughed at the memory and Hermione glared at him.
"... And today, I'm asking her what her favorite breakfast is."
"Easy." said Ron with a disinterested shrug. "Omelette."
It was Ginny's turn to laugh. Ron looked at her blankly.
"Er, no, not really." said Hermione with an embarrassed laugh. "It's cinnamon porridge."
Harry nodded with a smile, noting this information somewhere in his head. Ron, for his part, seemed irritated by this answer:
"Nonsense, you never eat that."
"She eats it every morning, you moron." snapped Ginny. "You never see anything."
"I can see that huge pimple on your nose today, though." said Ron mockingly.
He had no time to dodge the spell his sister cast on him. His nose tripled in size, and he let out a panicked howl.
"Miss Weasley!" cried McGonagall, rushing down from the dais. "For heaven's sake, what are you doing?!"
"I'm practicing my Swelling spell, Professor." said Ginny in a very innocent voice.
"It's forbidden to cast spells in your classmates' faces, Miss Weasley, even if they're members of the same family!" shouted the Head of House, distraught.
She twirled her wand in the direction of Ron's face and his nose deflated like a balloon, returning to its normal shape. He had gone pale.
"I'm taking five points off Gryffindor." McGonagall announced curtly. "I do not tolerate this kind of behavior in my House. I could have imagined such conduct from your two older brothers, but certainly not from such a sensible girl as you, Miss Weasley."
"Hey!" Fred and George exclaimed indignantly in unison. "We're right there!"
"I know." said McGonagall, gauging them with a stern eye over her glasses.
Then she walked away. A few rubies fell into the hourglass, and Ginny sat back down on the bench angrily.
"I'm going to tell Mum." warned Ron, dramatically holding his nose as if it might fall off at any moment.
"I dare you" said Ginny, in a voice quivering with menace that seemed to frighten her brother as much as Harry beside Hermione.
"So... cinnamon porridge, is it?" he said, to change the subject.
Hermione spotted George high-fiving his sister on the sly.
"Yes, that's it. Cinnamon porridge." repeated Hermione with a smile.
.
Hermione was listening to George's explanation of the options her "luxury" camera offered when Harry and Ron apologized to go and do their homework, looking more miserable than ever. Hermione watched them leave for the Great Hall doors, trying to control her head so it didn't turn towards the Slytherin table, and one boy in particular. She could feel his gaze on her and it made her queasy.
"Did you see that, Mione? It's to adjust the speed of movement of the image." said George as he turned a knob, looking more overexcited than ever. "And this is for the greater or lesser distance from the subject, so for example, if I'm taking a picture of this Christmas tree, I'd set it to five..."
"You know what George?" said Hermione, amused to see him so passionate about the camera. "Just take it for today. Take some nice pictures of Hogsmeade and I'll send them to my parents in my next letter."
George's eyes sparkled with anticipation. He'd already looped the cord around his neck when he asked:
"Are you sure?"
Hermione nodded in agreement, and George gave her a spontaneous kiss on the forehead in thanks. He practiced a few shots of the Great Hall decorations, and even a discreet one of Umbridge eating her beans.
Hermione then saw Michael Corner get up from the Ravenclaw table and walk shyly over to Ginny.
"Uh... Are you ready, Gin'?" he asked softly as he came up to her.
"I'm almost done." said the redhead with a smile. "You can sit there while you wait, if you like. Fred, George and Hermione are coming with us."
Hermione distinctly noticed Michael's Adam's apple rise painfully upon hearing this information.
"Ah, uh... I thought..." he said, clearly embarrassed.
"Ginny's right, sit there." said Fred with a big smile, patting the empty seat next to him in an almost threatening voice.
"We just had a few questions to ask you..." said George, who had dropped the camera to analyze his sister's boyfriend with a smile that boded ill.
Michael swallowed again and obeyed, not without casting an imploring glance in the direction of the two girls.
"Fred, George, don't be naughty..." warned Ginny.
"Relax, little sister, nothing naughty!" exclaimed Fred. "We just wanted to check that you didn't choose a psychopath..."
"... Mom asked us to keep an eye on your company, and that's a responsibility we take very seriously..." said George, resting his elbows on the table, without taking his eyes off poor Michael.
"The only one you take very seriously." corrected Ginny bitterly.
The twins ignored her and both leaned towards the Ravenclaw in a coordinated movement.
"So… you are Michael." said Fred, scanning the boy's face.
"Fred, you've been seeing him at every DA session for the past two months!" impatient Ginny snapped.
"What are your intentions toward Ginevra?" asked George, arching an eyebrow.
"Uh... Well..." stammered Michael, clearly at a loss. "I... I really like her. I want to... go out with her, I guess."
He seemed to shrivel more and more as George stared him down.
"But you're already going out." pointed Fred, in a very factual tone. "We want to know what you're planning for the future."
"Oh, uh... I..."
"Not looking very vivacious..." commented George in a perfectly audible whisper.
"What job would you like to do, after Hogwarts?" continued Fred.
"Stop with the interrogation!" cried Ginny.
"Would you prefer it to be us, or Mum?" asked George, and Ginny immediately fell silent.
"Uh... I'd like to work with magical creatures..." stammered Michael in the most convincing tone he could muster.
"Gamekeeper, like Hagrid?" asked Fred with a face so grave it was almost unrecognizable.
"No, more like a Magizoologist, I think..."
"Do you like Quidditch?" asked George, cutting short the boy's professional ambitions.
Hermione rolled her eyes at such a trivial question. Michael, for the first time in the discussion, seemed to regain some semblance of energy and straightened up:
"You bet!" he said enthusiastically.
"Which team were you for, during the Quidditch World Cup final?" asked George, in a voice so serious it sounded like he was asking him a life-or-death dilemma.
Michael's answer fused.
"Ireland, of course!"
Fred and George nodded at the same time, then declared in one voice:
"You're officially accepted into the family."
Michael puffed out his chest in pride, but Ginny let out a surprised little cry:
"Excuse me? And how can his favorite team help you know if he's a psychopath or not?"
"He supports Ireland." George answered, as if it were obvious. "He's obviously sane."
"You're coming with us to Hogsmeade." declared Fred to the Ravenclaw's address. "Do you like practical jokes, Mich'?"
Hermione and Ginny sighed in unison.
.
.
Draco
.
.
Draco was watching Granger eat her favourite breakfast, cinnamon porridge, when Pansy sat down opposite him, looking tired but her eyes bright with excitement.
"What a party last night!" she cried, taking a piece of toast and smearing a thick layer of honey on it. "I've never danced so much, it was amazing!"
Several Slytherins agreed, including Blaise. Theo and Draco remained silent. Theo because he obviously hadn't been at the party, preferring to study his O.W.L., and Draco because he had fallen asleep right after dinner.
He had clearly not recovered from last Thursday's difficult Occlumency session. Even two days later, his arms were still sore and he had a persistent headache that pounded furiously against his temples. Snape had tried to force him to defend himself, looking for mental strength Draco didn't have. He'd given up quickly, but Draco's body had taken a beating: he was exhausted.
He took a sip of black coffee and winced into his cup when the movement hurt.
Pansy and Blaise were whispering excitedly about the big moments of the previous night, and Draco took advantage of their inattention to watch the Gryffindor table. Granger was talking to Potter and Weasley across from her, sipping tea. All was normal until an explosion suddenly ripped through the room. All eyes turned to the source of the noise, including Blaise and Pansy, who paused to look at the Gryffindors.
Draco was shocked to see that the wand in question did not belong to the Weasley twins, but to Weaslette, who had cast a spell on his own brother. He let out a terrified howl as his nose swelled. Weaslette felt no remorse. She tucked her wand into her pocket and glared at him. Draco smiled in spite of himself. Anyone who annoyed Weasley rose in his esteem.
McGonagall leapt from her seat and rushed towards them.
"Miss Weasley!" she shouted, her eyes wide behind her glasses. "For heaven's sake, what are you doing?!"
Pansy rolled her eyes and Blaise chuckled, then they resumed their conversation. Draco looked at Granger, who didn't seem too surprised by this family row. It must have happened all the time. McGonagall returned to the teachers' table and several rubies fell from the Gryffindors' hourglass, but none of them looked particularly upset.
For the first time in his life, Draco felt admiration for a Weasley. A Weaslette, to be exact. She didn't even look at her brother and high-fived one of the twins. Badass.
Weasley kept touching his nose throughout the meal, and Draco had to restrain himself from laughing at how pathetic he looked.
By the time Draco finished his coffee, he could feel the sleep tickling his eyes again. His limbs were aching, weak, as if just lifting the cup was a colossal physical effort. Draco glanced at Snape, but he was engrossed in a Potions journal and took no notice of him.
Granger then pulled something out of her bag and Draco's heart leapt as he realised it was her camera. The camera. The one he'd given her for her birthday. If she was still using it, she didn't hate him that much, did she?
He watched dreamily as she showed it to one of the twins and was considering going back to bed when Pansy's voice jolted him out of his thoughts:
"We're going to Hogsmeade, Blaise and I. Do you want to come, Draco?"
He was about to say no, the idea of his fresh pillow and warm blanket being far more tempting than freezing to death in a street he knew by heart, but Granger stood up at that moment, draping her scarf around her neck, and he replied mechanically:
"Yeah, okay."
"Great, I'll tell Daphne that..." Pansy began, getting to her feet as well.
"I'm coming too." Theo cut in, finishing his milk in one gulp.
The three Slytherins looked at him in confusion. Even Crabbe and Goyle had looked up from their plates to assess him.
"What?" the boy asked, seeing all eyes on him.
"Theo, look up." Blaise advised teasingly. "Look at the sky. Remember what month it is."
Theo lifted his eyes and Draco saw the reflection of snowflakes from the magical ceiling in them.
"I'm not that chilly." he disputed, drawing three giggles from Blaise, Pansy and Draco. "Seriously! And I really want to buy you presents this year. I've been saving up thanks to those two idiots..." (he pointed at Crabbe and Goyle with his hand as if they weren't sitting right in front of him) "and I want to return the favour a little this Christmas."
"Theo, that's very kind, but there's really no need..." Blaise began.
"And I have to buy three new quills..." Theo continued.
"Again?" exclaimed Pansy. "But you asked me for two last week!"
"They keep breaking." said Theo.
"If you'd stop writing like you're being chased by a herd of elephants every time..." muttered Pansy.
"Just take one of mine." Draco suggested with a shrug, but the gesture made him wince in pain.
"Certainly not." Theo said firmly. "Your peacock quills are worth more than my meagre savings. If I break them, I'll be in debt for three years."
Draco was about to object, but Blaise stood up with a smile.
"You're a liar. We all know you just want to buy some chocolates."
Theo grinned sheepishly and Draco sincerely hoped that was the real reason, and not a planned date with Granger.
.
.
By the time they reached the queue for the carriages, Theo had time to complain about the cold four times.
"Nobody's forcing you to come if you're so bloody cold!" said Blaise, blowing into his palms.
"I didn't want to stay in the Castle all alone, it's depressing without you guys!" complained Theo, dancing from one foot to the other, a cap screwed on his head and two scarves around his neck.
"It's not like you're talking to us, you spend all your time studying for your O.W.L. these days." Pansy replied sourly.
Eris yelped as if to show that he agreed with his owner. Pansy had dressed the poor beast in a green sweater, a matching coat, a hat that stuck out his ears, and little booties to keep his paws from touching the snow. He was even more overdressed than Theo.
Pansy had stopped covering Eris with Blaise's cheap little invisibility cloak some time ago. No one had ever noticed the presence of a dog in the Common Room, or even in the corridors of the Castle. Everyone thought it was a very hairy cat. This suited Pansy perfectly, as she could show off her dog everywhere she went, from the Transfiguration courtyard in the morning to the meals in the Great Hall in the evening. Eris was happy to oblige, rolling into a ball on her lap whenever she asked. Draco still found it hard to think of him as a proper dog, but even he had to admit that he was very obedient.
And... cute, sometimes.
"Merlin, those fucking things again!" Theo shouted suddenly, startling the others.
"Fuck, you scared me!" said Blaise in surprise. "What are you talking about?"
In answer, Theo pointed to the empty space in front of the carriage, his complexion pale. His finger was trembling.
"What, the carriage?" asked Pansy, looking at the spot in question.
"No... There's a Thestral, right there." Theo whispered, his voice shaking.
Draco jumped back in reflex.
"Oh..." Blaise said, squinting as if that would help him see the creature Theo was talking about. "That's a Thestral pulling the carriage?"
"Yeah." he replied. "I see them every time, but I thought everyone else did too... It's not like Hogwarts isn't full of scary animals. But now that I know what they are..."
He shivered under his cloak, and Draco couldn't blame him: he had goosebumps too, even though he had no idea what a Thestral could look like.
Theo stood there for a few seconds, transfixed by the vision that no one else shared. Eris grunted into Pansy's arms, presumably sensing the dark creature's presence just inches from him, and Pansy mechanically hugged him:
"Let's go."
She opened the carriage door and stepped inside. Everyone followed without a word. During the ride, Theo remained aloof, taking no part in the conversation, preferring to stare out the front window.
Draco had been so shaken by Theo's reaction to seeing the Thestral that he'd forgotten why he was in Hogsmeade in the first place. It came back to him as soon as he set foot on the ground. She was in the middle of the village's cobbled street, showing Weaslette and the twins something in a shop window, a broad smile animating her face. It had been so long since he'd seen her so happy that Draco just stood there watching her, a half-absent smile on his lips.
"Hey, get out of the way!" yelled Blaise when he saw Draco standing motionless in front of the carriage door.
Draco apologised and stepped aside to let his best friend pass. Granger continued down the street, even more radiant than the snow at her feet or the sun on her cheeks.
Pansy jumped out of the carriage and Theo watched the Thestral walk away for a few more seconds before returning to his thoughts.
"I'm cold." he said, shivering.
And with that, everyone knew he was feeling better.
The Slytherins started their shopping trip at Honeydukes to cheer up Theo. A nice coincidence for Draco, as it was also Granger's first shop. He spotted her as soon as they entered. She was in the chocolate aisle, comparing two huge boxes filled with little squares that melted in your mouth. Her hair was sticking out of her bonnet, and despite her feeble attempt to tuck it under her scarf, a few strands still escaped. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold and Draco found her even more adorable than usual, if that was possible.
Theo ran to the chocolate aisle and Draco followed immediately.
"Hey Hermione!" Theo greeted with a big smile on his bluish face.
"Oh, hey Theo." she replied warmly.
Draco didn't miss the way she looked around. His stomach jumped when he saw that she was looking for him. As soon as she met Draco's gaze, she pretended to look at her boxes again.
"Are you doing your Christmas shopping?" asked Theo, and Draco thought it was a stupid question. It seemed obvious.
But Granger, as kind as ever, nodded with a smile.
"Yes. This box is for Ron, you know, the boy I'm with all the time?" she asked, emphasising the first name so that Draco could hear it perfectly.
He gritted his teeth as he pretended to look at the boxes of sugar plums a little further away. Theo frowned. The strands sticking out of his cap were covered in snow.
"Er, yes, I can see quite well... Ron Weasley." he said slowly.
"Yes, um, that's it." Granger said, suddenly remembering her main interlocutor. "And this box here is for my dad. He loves Honeydukes chocolates, but I can't see if it's the one without the sugar..."
"Why?" asked Theo in amazement. "That's the good thing about it, the sugar."
Draco guessed Granger's answer before she even opened her mouth.
"Oh, because he's a dentist." she explained. "He's the Muggle doctor who looks after teeth, and sugar is sort of his nemesis."
Theo's blue eyes widened in amazement:
"A dentist, really? Oh, how exciting! I read somewhere that they can straighten teeth without magic, how does it work? It must hurt, right?"
Granger calmly explained the function of "braces", which Draco only half heard, her voice drowned out by the noise of the shop. He moved closer to them, pretending to be very interested in a bottle of salted caramels that happened to be next to Theo's elbow.
"And how long do you have to keep it?" asked Theo, deeply interested by the turn of the conversation.
"Oh, that depends on your teeth." Granger said. "My friend Danny had to keep it for almost a year..."
Draco couldn't help but roll his eyes. And now she was going to talk about the Hufflepuff...
"Mione?" Weaslette called from the register. "Are you coming?"
"Yes, I'm coming!" Granger threw at her friend. "Sorry, I have to go. We've got a lot of shopping to do... See you in a bit, Theo!"
She made her way through the customers, the two boxes of chocolates clutched to her chest.
"See you!" Theo replied with a friendly wave of his hand.
"See you "in a bit"?" asked Draco at the same time as Pansy, who had come up behind them without them noticing her.
"Oh, er..." stammered Theo, the blue of his face replaced by red on his cheeks and nose. "She offered to buy... er, a quill, with her, today."
Pansy's eyes widened.
Draco squeezed the caramel bottle too hard and it exploded in his hand.
"What?!" said Pansy, unmoved by what Draco had just done to the bottle. "But... You... What?"
"I told you, Pans', we're just friends!" said Theo with a sigh. "Draco, what the hell?!"
"Nothing." he grumbled, roughly wiping his bloody hands on his winter cloak. "I agitated it too much."
"Since when did you go from being friends with her to buying a quill with her?" continued Pansy in a shrill voice.
"It's not that big a leap." Theo pointed out. "It's just a quill. I told her mine had broken and she offered to show me the best ones in the store."
"But..." snapped Pansy, outraged. "I could have helped you choose!"
"Pansy, you haven't bought a quill since 1991." Theo remarked sarcastically.
Draco had contracted his jaw so much that his teeth ached. An irony, he thought, when the parents of the girl he loved were taking care of just that.
Theo turned to pick up seven boxes of chocolates, then stood on tiptoe to try and catch a glimpse of something over the crowd.
"I'm going to look for Blaise to see if he can take my chocolates..." he muttered before walking away.
Pansy's mouth was still wide open in amazement. She turned to Draco and glared at him:
"And you're okay with that?" she asked impetuously.
"Didn't you see what I just did to that bottle?!" protested Draco, pointing to the bits of glass littering the floor.
Pansy sighed in protest and reached for her wand to heal his hand.
"I'm surprised you're not beating the shit out of him right now." said Pansy after a second.
She placed the tip of her wand on Draco's open palm and whispered a spell that lit up his skin. Eris, whom she held with her other arm, contemplated the scene, tongue hanging out
"I can't." sighed Draco. "How could I? It's Theo."
"I know. But it's... you know, Granger."
Draco never thought he'd be having this conversation with Pansy in the middle of a crowded Honeydukes.
"I'm furious, but there's nothing I can do." he explained in a low voice, more to himself than to his best friend. "With Granger, it's… it's complicated. We don't talk anymore."
Pansy arched an eyebrow, calmly tracing the bloodline of his hand with his wand.
"What did you do?"
"What? What makes you think I did anything?" he asked, outraged at her insinuation.
Pansy raised two jaded black pupils at him.
"Because I know you. What have you done?"
Draco ran his valid hand through his hair.
"It's... I don't think this is the right place to talk about it. Or the right person." he said.
Pansy shrugged:
"It's all right." she said, as if to reassure him. "It hurts less than it used to."
She closed his hand and patted it gently.
"Thank you." he said, as sincerely as he could.
"MERLIN! You know you're going to pay for that young man?" the owner shouted when he saw what was left of the bottle of caramels.
Draco went to the cashier to pay as the owner howled, and then left Honeydukes with Pansy. Theo and Blaise were waiting outside. Theo had a stack of nine boxes of chocolates under his chin and Blaise looked positively annoyed.
"Shall we go for lunch?" suggested Pansy, probably to ease the tension.
Surprisingly, it worked. Lunch was a relief for everyone. Draco couldn't feel his legs, not because of the cold, but because of Snape and his Thursday needle. Pansy gave Eris some water and spent the lunch stroking him lovingly. Theo opened a box of chocolates for dessert. Everyone digested their food in silence, and Draco almost forgot that Theo had a date with Granger later, until the door to the Three Broomsticks opened.
As Granger and the Weasleys entered, three heads turned towards them: Draco, Theo and Blaise.
"Three fish and chips and three Butterbeers, please." Granger ordered from the counter.
Madam Rosmerta led them to a table where they sat. Draco noticed that it was one of the Weasley twins who had the camera around his neck, not her. He wondered if Granger had asked him to take it just to show Draco that she was upset with him.
"I can't believe you have a date with Granger." Blaise said to Theo.
Draco stiffened against the pub chair. Pansy gave him a worried look over her glass of water, but Draco ignored her, concentrating instead on Theo's horrified expression.
"It's not a date! Will you stop it?" whined Theo in a voice far too shrill to be natural.
"Well, excuse me for being surprised." Blaise continued. "You haven't spoken to anyone but us for five years and suddenly we're supposed to accept the fact that you're friends with Hermione Granger?"
"What does it matter if I'm friends with her? We just help each other with the O.W.L., that's all."
Draco felt his shoulders relax slightly at that. Granger's voice looped through his mind: "I've never spoken to him until last night! That was the first time we'd exchanged a word! How could you possibly think there was anything between us? Draco, he's supposed to be your friend! How can you think I'm attracted to him? Don't you know anything about us?"
Draco subtly turned his head in her direction. She was laughing with Weaslette. She had a film of beer cream over her lip. Her nose was red from the cold. Did he trust her? Was she spending time with Theo just to annoy him, or could she really feel something for him?
The truth was, Draco had no idea. All his anxiety had built up to the point where he could no longer tell the truth from the lies. Granger's revenge had worked. Draco was completely lost.
But that's what you told her to do, his little inner voice whispered. You told her to go out with another boy.
Draco had said that, but he'd never meant Theo. He'd meant Weasley, Danny, Longbottom or even Goldstein, although the thought of Granger going out with one of those boys sent a jolt of anger through his body. Theo was off limits. Theo was his best friend, his brother. If he started dating Granger, Draco didn't even know how he would react. He'd lose all will to live. Punished by Merlin, again. Forced to watch his best friend kiss the girl he loved.
"You're insufferable." Theo snapped. "Is it impossible for you to be friends with a girl without necessarily having feelings for her? I'm friends with Pansy, that doesn't mean I'm in love with her, Merlin!"
It is possible, Draco thought. But not with her. Not with Granger. It's impossible not to be in love with Granger.
After lunch the four Slytherins went their separate ways. Pansy and Blaise went to the pet shop to buy more clothes for Eris, and Theo went suspiciously to the quill shop. Draco followed as discreetly as he could.
Granger was waiting for him outside. Neither Weaslette nor the twins were with her, a fact that frightened Draco even more. Maybe Theo hadn't realised it was a date, but it really was? Perhaps Granger's vengeance had gotten the better of her, maybe she was really falling for Theo? The panic made him forget how tired he was. As they entered the shop, Draco watched them through the window.
They came to the aisle of pheasant quills, the ones Granger had been using lately. She showed Theo a range of possibilities, comparing the plumages one by one, and Draco could have paid to be in Theo's shoes and listened to her talk about it for hours. She was so passionate, explaining every advantage with exaggerated arm gestures. Even though he couldn't hear her through the glass, he could read her expressions and it made him smile, despite the strangeness of the situation.
Unable to wait any longer, Draco discreetly entered the shop and stood in the aisle behind them, eavesdropping on the conversation. Granger was explaining how this quill glided faster over the paper, but how the other one lasted longer, and Draco listened, picking up pots of ink at random.
"I'll take this one." Theo said finally, and Draco heard him remove the quill from the display stand.
"You're only taking one?" asked Granger in astonishment.
"Yes, it's the only one I can afford at the moment." Theo explained, not a trace of shame in his voice.
"Oh." Granger said, seemingly taken aback.
It had to be said that he understood her. Even though he'd been disowned by his family, Theo still had that "aura" about him that the children of the Sacred Twenty-Eight all unconsciously carried. Seeing him like this, with his perfectly pressed clothes and that distinguished poise, it was impossible to know that Theo was actually broke. But Granger, as kind as ever, made no comment and instead offered:
"Give it to me, I'll buy it for you."
"No way." he countered.
"You bought me the book, I can buy you a quill." Granger insisted.
"You helped me with Arithmancy, that was my Christmas present."
Even though he couldn't see Granger, Draco was sure she rolled her eyes.
"Nonsense, I'm helping you for free. Let me pay for these quills."
Theo looked surprised but let her. They went to the till to pay, and Draco had to strain his neck to see them, his hands gripping the ink pots too tightly. Then they said goodbye, and Theo left the shop. Draco breathed a sigh of relief. Just friends. They were just friends. Granger was just trying to make him jealous. She hadn't kissed Theo.
Draco gripped the shelf in front of him and took several deep breaths to calm himself.
He was so focused that he didn't even hear Granger's footsteps approaching the aisle he was in. He had barely a second to make his way to the scrolls before she approached the inkwells.
Draco watched her through the bookcase opening. Her hand skimmed over several jars, clearly hesitating, then she picked up three, two navy blue and one red, and headed for the till.
When he was sure she'd gone, Draco came out of hiding and bought a peacock quill, the two pots of ink in his hand, and ten rolls of parchment, then headed back out onto the street of Hogsmeade.
Honeydukes had set up a stall outside, offering Christmas sweets to passers-by, and Hogsmeade was now filled with the delicious smell of toffee apples and hot chestnuts wafting through the festive air. Draco made his way up the street, watching the shop windows. Pansy and Blaise were nowhere to be found, but Theo was now in the apothecary, probably to replenish his potion kit with missing ingredients.
Draco stopped by the Quidditch shop to buy some new gloves and check out the new broomsticks, then went out again and came across a shopfront he'd never noticed before. It was painted pale pink, the colour that now reminded him of Umbridge, and gave off a lemongrass scent that stung his nose a little.
He could have turned back, but he spotted Granger inside, recognisable by her loose hair under her white cap, and without realising it, Draco went inside.
It was a tea shop. Hundreds of pots lined the shelves in an explosion of colours and smells that half startled Draco, so vivid were they. The shopkeeper, a young girl with large round glasses, was writing something down behind her counter, ignoring him.
Granger was the only customer in the shop. She was, unsurprisingly, stationed in front of the "Autumn Teas" shelf. Draco watched from behind as she picked out tins in shades of brown: hazelnut, ginger, chai, pumpkin... She already had three tins of cinnamon tea next to her.
Draco watched as she opened the tins to smell their aroma, then put them down one by one. She chose the apple tea, but put down the carrot one with a disgusted grimace that made him smile.
Seeing her like that, Draco almost forgot what they were arguing about. How could she have shouted at him a few days ago when she was so calm, so sweet today? How could he have rejected her? How could he have let his fear get the better of him? He desperately wanted to take her in his arms. He was furious at her for making him jealous, for setting up this petty revenge with Theo. But, strangely enough, this anger was soothed as soon as he saw her choosing her tea tins. She was so beautiful that he was hypnotised by her for a good ten minutes.
Then, on an impulse, Draco reached into his Scribenpenne's bag, tore off a piece of parchment, grabbed his new peacock quill and dipped it into the inkwell. Then he wrote:
Why are you doing this?
He folded the parchment into a paper airplane and threw it across the shop, being careful not to be seen by the shopkeeper at the entrance. The plane landed on Granger's shoulder and she jumped. When she opened it, Draco thought she would turn sharply to find him, but she kept her back to him and took her own pheasant quill from her bag to reply. She tossed the paper behind her, and the parchment found its target instantly.
Stop following me.
He smiled and scribbled under her note:
Impossible. Why are you doing this?
He handed it back to Granger, who unfolded the paper and wrote a quick sentence.
Doing what?
Draco was sure she was pretending not to understand. He replied as quickly as she did.
You know very well what.
Granger opened the note and took barely ten seconds to reply.
You know very well why.
Draco sighed. He knew. She wasn't even hiding it. She wanted to make him jealous. To make him realise what he was missing. And Draco hated Hermione Granger right now, because she was far too clever. He answered the most logical sentence, even though she already knew it, just to show her that her plan had worked.
It kills me to see you with Theo.
For the first time since the exchange of the plane, Granger turned towards him. They stared at each other for a long moment, and where Draco might have expected to see satisfaction on her features, even insolence at having "won" against him, he saw only deep disappointment, as if she felt sorry for him. She jotted down two words and returned the paper to him with a pale smile.
I know.
Draco didn't know what to say to that. So, he wrote down the first thing that came to his mind.
You look so beautiful today.
Because it was true. She was so beautiful, Draco could feel his heart hammering in his chest every time he caught sight of her. Granger blushed unwillingly, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
Then she slipped the airplane into her bag, took the tea boxes, and went to pay without looking back.
.
.
Hermione
.
.
Hermione brought Harry and Ron two Honeydukes candy apples to cheer them up after the "dreadful day of studying", and they all dined together in the Great Hall. Everyone around the Gryffindor table was chatting merrily, invigorated by the prospect of the DA meeting scheduled for that evening, but Hermione's thoughts were nowhere near as cheerful.
It kills me to see you with Theo.
Hermione bit her lip as she remembered Draco's words exactly, as if he'd been able to convey all his pain to her through his perfectly neat italicised handwriting. Hermione had desperately wanted to join him, to talk about it out loud, but she'd resisted the urge, preferring to leave the shop.
It was he who had told her to leave. It was he who had rejected her, again. Too afraid of the consequences of their budding love. Too afraid of his father. So scared that he'd pushed her away, told her to fall in love with Ron instead of him. Up until then, Hermione had seen it as an outright rejection, unfounded and frustrating. But now that the argument was far behind them and his absence was more painful than annoying, Hermione understood his reaction a little better. She understood that he'd done it to protect her. He'd suggested she go out with Ron, his greatest fear, rather than the possibility of her suffering dramatic consequences if someone bad discovered their relationship.
Hermione remembered Theo telling her, with disturbing casualness, that he couldn't pay for two quills. That he couldn't afford it. She knew he was living with Zabini because he didn't get on with his father, but she hadn't realised that meant he no longer had access to the Nott's Gringotts vaults. That if he hadn't had his friends to support him, he would surely have been abandoned, orphaned, ruined. And with this new perspective, she understood a little better why Draco was so worried about his father discovering the truth. What he was risking.
As always with Draco Malfoy, Hermione didn't know where she stood. She was still terribly angry at him for insulting Harry and Ron on the Quidditch pitch, but she also had an irrepressible urge to talk to him again. To listen. To understand. To reassure him. She wanted to go back to the Library table and talk to him for hours about anything and everything.
Hermione was lost. Torn between the eternal dilemma: love or reason? Draco or Harry? Happiness and guilt or misery and a clear conscience?
Draco, or Malfoy?
"Who wants to see the photos I took in Hogsmeade?" called George, and a few Gryffindors came closer to see the pictures.
Hermione watched as the white roofs of the houses, Honeydukes and Fred's sweets slid across the snow in a photo loop, and couldn't quite share the laughter of the others.
Hermione's head was still full of questions about Draco as she opened the dormitory door to change before heading to the Room of Requirement. She gasped a little when she saw a slightly puffy-faced Lavender Brown and a Parvati Patil blowing loudly at her nose.
"Oh, hey Hermione." Parvati said in a husky voice. "Could you tell Harry we won't be able to make the meeting tonight? We've caught a cold..."
"Sure." Hermione said. "You'd better go to the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey has refilled some bottles of Pepperup Potion."
"No, it's all right, we'll just sleep." Lavender said, her tongue so pasty that Hermione had a hard time understanding what she was saying.
"All right, well, take care." Hermione said, and Parvati thanked her as Lavender locked herself in the bathroom to take a hot shower.
Hermione took off her far too warm Hogsmeade clothes and changed into something more comfortable, picking up her wand and some books to find defensive spells to suggest to Harry, when an idea came to her. So quickly, in fact, that she just stood there, wondering if she'd lost her mind.
No, she couldn't do that.
It was forbidden, and immoral. Harry and Ron would be furious if they found out. It was a bad idea on every level. The list of everything that could go wrong flashed before Hermione's eyes and she was about to give up.
But then she thought of Theo, of the confusion in his voice when he spoke of Umbridge. "Perhaps this gift can mark peace between us? It would be a shame to deprive ourselves of a friendship because we weren't put in the same Houses when we were eleven. And I think we can help each other."
Hermione shut her mind off and looked around. Lavender was in the bathroom and Parvati was in the loo. She had to act now.
Without thinking about what she was doing, Hermione walked over to Lavender's bed and lifted the covers. She inspected the pillow and found what she was looking for: a long strand of golden hair. She wrapped it in a clean handkerchief and put it in her pocket.
It was stupid, stupid, stupid. What a flawed plan, completely unpredictable, the very antithesis of Hermione! Her palms grew sweaty as she realised what she was doing. What was wrong with her?
Doubt crept into her and she almost threw the handkerchief in the bin, calling herself an idiot, but something stopped her. It was, fundamentally, a bad idea, but wasn't the reason worth it?
Hermione was on the stairs to the dormitory without even remembering to open the door. She headed towards the painting of the Fat Lady with a determined stride, despite the confusion in her head, when she was stopped abruptly by a hand grabbing her arm.
"Ouch!" she cried in surprise.
"Sorry, Mione, it's us!" whispered Ron's voice.
Hermione realised they were covered by the Invisibility Cloak.
"Come on, let's go!" said Harry as he lifted a flap of the cloak, revealing a bit of Ron's orange jumper underneath.
"Er... I just have to do something." Hermione stammered. "I've got... a book, in the Library, I really need to get it before it closes."
She heard Ron sigh in annoyance, but Harry just said:
"Okay, join us when you're done!"
She walked past, leaving the passageway open for them, then headed for the stairs that led down to the lower floors. She waited a full minute until she was sure Harry and Ron could no longer see her, then hurried down the stairs, two at a time. She was panting when she reached the front of the Library.
"Miss Granger, the Library closes in fifteen minutes!" warned Madam Pince as soon as Hermione had set foot in the room.
"I know, I just wanted to give something to... a friend." she explained, rather sheepishly.
The librarian raised her eyebrows over her glasses, perched on the tip of her nose, and gave her a stern look, but nodded to let her pass. Hermione rushed over to the table Theo was occupying, alone.
"Hey Hermione." he said, a little surprised at her cadence. "The Library-"
"I know, I know." she interrupted abruptly. "I came to talk to you."
She sat down across from him, taking in his dubious expression. He's going to think I'm crazy, Hermione thought. He'll think I'm mad and never speak to me again.
"I've had... an idea." she began in a low voice, struggling to control her tone so that it remained as composed as she would have liked.
Theo raised his eyebrows, just as Madam Pince had a few seconds earlier.
"Okay?"
"Well... there you go." Hermione said, taking a deep breath before beginning. "In order to explain my idea to you, I have to tell you a secret. A very confidential secret. I'm putting a lot of friendships at risk by telling you, so please, you must not tell anyone else."
Theo leaned forward on the table, his Transfiguration homework completely forgotten.
"Okay, I promise I won't say anything." he said immediately, without hesitating for a second.
Hermione couldn't explain it, but she felt a strong sense of trust in this boy.
That's why she told him without taking her eyes off him:
"Harry is holding secret meetings with students from all the Houses to train them in defence and to replace Umbridge." she said in one breath.
Hermione was grateful that she had excluded her own first name from the curse she had cast on the D.A.'s parchment; if she hadn't, her face would have been instantly branded with the word 'sneak' in indelible button lines.
Theo's eyes widened to reveal his two piercing, sky-blue pupils. Hermione could never have predicted the sentence he would utter when he heard about the DA:
"That's so cool!"
She smiled, glad to see they were on the same page.
"I know, and I've thought several times about suggesting your name, but..."
"...but there are no Slytherins." Theo finished, suddenly disappointed. His face fell completely and he straightened up against the back of his chair. "Is that it?"
"No, there aren't." Hermione said. "I don't think Harry or Ron would be bothered if they found out we were friends, the two of us..." She pointed her finger at the space between her and Theo. "... But I don't think they'd like it if you joined the DA. Because of your friendship with Malfoy and all."
Theo hid his disappointment with an air of defiance as soon as he heard Draco's name.
"If that's what you want to ask me, Hermione, I'm sorry, but I'll always be friends with Draco. I'm not going to stop being friends for that, I refuse to..."
"No, no, no, I know you're friends with Draco and I'm not asking you to stop being friends with him, quite the opposite." she hastened to say. Theo raised an eyebrow and she realised she'd accidentally called him by his first name. She continued to hide her embarrassment: "I only told you that to explain why I couldn't suggest your name."
"That's a pity." Theo said with a bitter sigh. "I wish I could have been there. I hate this. The separation between the Slytherins and... the rest."
He lowered his head sadly down to his essay.
"Me too." Hermione said with a friendly smile. "That's why I'm going to offer you my idea."
Theo lifted his head sharply. He was waiting for her suggestion with all-consuming curiosity on his features, and no matter how much Hermione turned the sentence around in her mind, she couldn't say it out loud. She couldn't imagine breaking the silence between them with such a far-fetched idea. She had no idea how he would react: burst out laughing? Run away? Call her names?
So instead of explaining aloud, she took out the handkerchief and spread it out on the table between them. Then she opened it.
Theo leaned over and looked at Lavender's hair, his face at first tense with incomprehension.
Then Hermione said quietly:
"Lavender Brown is ill today."
And when Theo lifted his head and Hermione saw understanding relax his features and excitement sparkle in his pupils, she knew he was going to say yes.
.
"The meeting starts in fifteen minutes." Hermione warned as Theo hurriedly packed his things into his bag.
"I'll be ready." he said with an unexpected confidence in his voice.
"We don't even have any Polyjuice Potion..." Hermione muttered, beginning to question her own stupid idea.
"I'll have some in ten minutes." he promised.
"Are you going to steal from Snape's storeroom again?" asked Hermione in a worried whisper. "If you get caught..."
"I'll be safe." Theo said to reassure her. "I need you to get me some clothes for her to wear, I think it would shock everyone if she turned up with that on her back."
He pointed to his Slytherin jumper and Hermione nodded:
"Yes, of course. I'll go down to the laundry..."
"Meet me in the girls' toilets in the dungeons." Theo instructed, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "The ones opposite Snape's storeroom. In five minutes."
Hermione nodded and he hurried out of the Library. Hermione picked up the handkerchief and went out in her turn, giving Madam Pince a big smile as she went so as not to arouse suspicion.
The laundry room was next to the kitchens, a room filled with dozens of washing lines, clothes hanging on them, more or less soaked. A delicious smell of laundry filled Hermione's nostrils, but she found it hard to fully appreciate it when she thought of all the gruelling work the house elves had to endure for the well-being of the students. She didn't meet any of them, they were probably all clearing away dinner, so she grabbed a dry Gryffindor robe and quickly left the room before she was spotted.
She was glad not to meet any Slytherins in the dungeons. With her Gryffindor dress under her arm and a worried look on her face, it would have been hard to explain why she'd come here.
She opened the bathroom door to find Theo pouring Polyjuice Potion into a cauldron in one of the sinks.
"See?" he said with a mischievous grin. "I told you I'd have it in ten minutes."
"Five, actually." Hermione said, looking at her watch, impressed.
She barricaded the door with an advanced spell, then handed Theo the handkerchief.
"Have you ever drunk Polyjuice Potion?" she asked as she watched him stir the muddy potion.
He shook his head:
"Of course not."
Then he looked at Hermione and his eyes widened:
"Because you did?"
"It's complicated." she said, brushing off his surprise with a wave of her hand. "And... strangely similar to the time I took some."
"I... Merlin." Theo said, breathless at the revelation. "So what's it like?"
For the first time since she'd told him her plan, he seemed a little frightened. Hermione could feel her own heart pounding against her eardrums as the anxiety grew. Only five minutes before the meeting began.
"It's... It depends on the personality of the person." Hermione said, not quite sure if that was a positive outlook or not.
"And how's that... What's her name again?" asked Theo.
"Lavender. And she's... nice."
She didn't really know how else to describe her. A bit of a nuisance sometimes, a bit naive, and quite annoying. Theo frowned.
"Sounds like you don't like her very much."
"She's not my favourite person in the world." Hermione admitted.
Theo transformed a roll of toilet paper into a glass of water and poured two large ladles of the potion into it.
"I'll put the rest back in Snape's storeroom." he said, looking at the bottom of the Polyjuice Potion in the cauldron. "That way he won't know the difference."
Hermione nodded. Theo carefully picked up the hair and placed it on the surface. The potion turned slightly pink.
"Hmm. Appetizing." he commented with a disgusted grimace.
"Come on." Hermione muttered, her heart pounding and her hands as clammy as ever. "Bottoms up."
Theo inhaled, covered his nose and swallowed the potion in one gulp. She watched as he struggled to swallow. When he finished, he wiped his mouth with a disgusted grimace.
Nothing happened for the first ten seconds. Theo looked at Hermione without understanding, and Hermione scanned Theo's face, hoping he would begin to change, but nothing changed.
"Fuck." he said, looking at the cauldron again. "Why isn't it working?"
He leaned over to look at the rest of the Polyjuice Potion, and Hermione noticed at that moment that his chestnut curls were beginning to pale.
"Theo."
"What?"
"You're turning... blonde." Hermione said, stunned.
Theo ran a hand through his hair, but it was growing so fast that it now reached his shoulder. He let out a moan of discomfort and Hermione remembered the strange sensation she'd felt when she'd drunk the Polyjuice Potion. The feeling that her skin was itching all over, or that certain places were melting, kneading, burning.
The Slytherin ran his hand over his face and let out a small, pained cry.
"What the... Ow!"
Hermione watched as his face changed, gradually taking on the same aspects as Lavender's. His almond-shaped eyes widened and took on a darker shade of blue, his mouth swelled slightly and his entire body began to shrink, reaching the same height as Hermione.
Hermione watched the spectacle unfold before her eyes, completely amazed at the effects of magic, even after five years at Hogwarts.
The transformation ended when Theo's chest suddenly swelled and he let out another gasp of pain. He looked down at his own body, then up at Hermione, a question in his blue eyes.
"So... how do I look?" he asked in a somewhat frightened tone.
Hermione didn't answer. She stared, mouth agape, at Theodore Nott before her.
Or rather, Lavande Brown.
.
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I'm sorry for the delay, but the site's word processor no longer records my italics and spaces, so I've had to rewrite everything by hand? So weird!
Thanks for your comments, I'm so glad you like this fic so much 3