“It’s not the same Hermione! Your parents are alive! Fred is GONE” Ron’s voice had escalated into shouting.
Suddenly the entire great hall had gone silent. Everyone was staring at Ron and Hermione while they stood at the end of the Gryffindor table.
Harry made to put his hand on Ron’s shoulder “Mate, that was uncalled for.”
Ron shrugged him off and went to sit halfway down the table and stared at the plate in front of him.
All the while Hermione stood shocked, eyes down cast with tears brimming. She let out a huge sigh and looked up at Harry briefly before turning to walk out the double doors to the entrance hall.
“Mione wait!” Harry shouted after her. But she didn’t acknowledge his pleas.
A few moments later a tall Slytherin sauntered out of the great hall. Definitely not to follow Hermione Granger. Theodore Nott thought this would be an opportune time for an after dinner stroll. At least that’s what he told Blaise and Daphne. He caught sight of Hermione by greenhouse 8, fiddling with some masonry. A few moments later she was on the move again, this time towards the Black Lake. She seemed to be taking the long way round and Nott decided to double back to get to the lake before her.
When Hermione rounded the bend to come to the rocks of the Black Lake sheltered by the trees she was shocked to see Theodore Nott resting on a large rock at the waters edge.
“What are you doing here Nott?”
“Just enjoying the view, catching some fresh air” he said as he waved his hand out towards the slow moving waters.
She stared at him for a moment and scoffed, “Fresh air? Well you might want to find somewhere else to be.” Hermione made her way over to the flat outcropping of rocks and laid down her cloak to sit upon.
Theo cocked an eyebrow at her questioningly. Then Hermione slowly pulled out a small parcel from her satchel. It was smaller than a book and wrapped in thick cloth. She unfolded the cloth to reveal a muggle Zippo lighter, a small pipe, and a wooden box.
“What’s in the box Granger?” Theo wiggled his eyebrows and gave the girl a smirk.
“Did you just quote a muggle film?”
Theo simply shrugged. He would never admit it to anyone but he had been sneaking out into muggle London since he was 16. It had been surprisingly easy to get away from Nott Manor for a few hours. He had stumbled into a muggle cinema one rainy afternoon and was hooked. It was his first foray into the muggle world and it steadily became the easiest way to rebel against his father. He would sneak out for a few hours, catch a film, wander around and pop back to the manor. He did prefer reading to these muggle films, but it was simpler. No evidence for his father to find.
“It’s cannabis. It helps with my anxiety… and other shit..” Other shit was code for the war.
“Apparently Neville started growing some in fifth year. He says it was an accident but I didn’t think so. He leaves me a stash near the greenhouses. Do you want to try some?”
….
A few moments passed where Theo and Hermione traded off with the pipe. Each inhaling, holding and breathing out a stream of thick white smoke.
“Today is my birthday,” Hermione spoke softly, gazing at the stars.
“Happy Birthday Granger,” Theo quietly offered.
“No one remembered.” She sighed and picked at the edge of her cloak.
“Oh?” Theo turned his gaze to the curly haired witch. The witch who had always seemed so sure of herself, so confident. She looked as alone as Theo had always felt. “Not even a letter from your parents? Maybe it will arrive tomorrow?”
She let out a small laugh at the comment and Theo didn’t understand what was so funny.
“Oh, sorry,” quickly apologizing. Theo suddenly thought perhaps she didn’t have that great of a home life, another thing they might have in common. “I get that, my parents didn’t bother sending anything for my birthday. Being my son should be gift enough. My father was a right prick, obviously, and mother didn’t do anything without his approval.”
Hermione briefly glanced at Theo, was that pity in her eyes or compassion? With a small smile she spoke softly, “No, they would always send an obscene package. Books, drawing supplies, my mums homemade candles, and the coziest socks. My dad would sneak in these cookie bars that my nan used to make, but only if I promised to floss and brush right after. They.. they were my favourite, like a blondie, but thick and dense, but somehow light and fluffy at the same time. And just the right amount of chocolate chips. They had to be milk chocolate, all the rest were just rubbish…” She trailed off, obviously getting excited at the memory and then her expression changed. Her smile slowly fell again, letting out a sigh. “What I would give to taste those again.”
Theo looked at her. All of her. The way she is talking of her parents. Did they die in the war? No, that’s what the fight with Weasley was in the Great Hall. Her parents hadn’t died. But.. “I..what happened to your parent’s Hermione?”
“Umm… I guess I… happened to them.” Hermione paused searching the sky for answers. She glanced over at Theo and continued. “Being a witch. A muggle born. A mud blood. By being myself I put a target on their backs. I was a danger to them. They would have… they would have come for them. So… I had to protect them. I… got rid of the root of the problem.”
Hermione paused, taking a deep breath. She gathered her fingers around her small pipe and clicked the silver zippo open. She pressed it to the organic matter in the bowl of the pipe until it glowed a bright red. She took a deep inhale and paused. Then let out a steady exhale of crisp white smoke.
“Hermione…” Theo started.
“I obliviated them. At the end of sixth year. It… it was the only way. They are alive. They are happy, at least I think they are. I hope. Honestly I don’t even know where they are now.”
They were both silent for a few moments. Hermione processing her biggest secret. Her guilt. Theo in shock and awe of the witch before him.
“I’m sorry Hermione. Is that.. is that what you and Weasley were fighting about in the Great Hall?”
“Yep” Another inhale. Hold. Steady exhale.
She passed the small pipe back to Theo. They continued, back and forth for a few more minutes.
“I.. I should go..” Hermione stated quietly, gasping at the newly emerging stars. Hermione quickly gathered up her things and made her way back to the castle. She left Theo sitting there contemplating everything he ever thought Hermione Granger to be.
…..
The next few days brought a new understanding between Theo Nott and Hermione Granger.
The smallest of exchanges.
A nod.
A tight lipped smile.
A ghost of a wave.
Then he started noticing her prescence in the library. Near the front with the comfy sofas. A back desk in the arthimancy section. Then near his table in the back east corner. She started making space for him and he took it. They didn’t speak much. This was saved for late night meeting out at the Black Lake.
They would end up talking about anything and everything. Of course this was after a few puffs of the muggle drugs that Hermione had a seemingly endless supply of.
Hermione provided stories of her muggle childhood. Her time at primary school before attending Hogwarts. Theo soon learned that her favourite subjects were maths and science. She used to have a best friend named Clara when she was eight but her family moved to Canada and they eventually stopped writing letters. But she never stopped thinking about her. They were so similar growing up. Both the odd girls out amongst their class mates.
It was inbetween puffs of smoke that Theo suggested that maybe Clara was a witch too and went to Ilvermorny in the states.
Hermione gapped at him wide eyed for nearly a solid minute before shouting, “Oh my fucking gods. She was a witch!”
They both delved into a fit of giggles after that.
There was more too. They spoke about novels and films. Theo told her all about his forays into muggle London to watch films. And to watch people too. He would stare at the muggles milling about. The families strolling through the vast park lands. He told her how these few hours when he could escape from his father were the best moments of his childhood. Especially after his mother passed in fourth year.
Their conversations turned serious too.
They danced around talking about the war for a few weeks. But it was near the end of October that they dived right into it.
Hermione started off by telling Theo how she would dress up like a witch for Halloween when she was a small child. A large hat, a broomstick, and covered in green face paint. They had gotten into a small arguement about how muggles portrayed the image of witches and wizards. Hermione countering with the rampant blood prejudice throughout the wizarding world. How it isn’t always so obvious. There were many ways that the community in general looked down on muggles and Muggleborns. It wasn’t always so outrightly blatant as Voldemort and his Death Eaters. But it was still there. The hatred and dislike still flowed.
“I’m not like that.” Theo protested. “I’m not.. I’m not my father. Or his father. I dont…” He was physically rattled by the conversation. He never made the comments that others did about muggles or muggle borns. He had always attempted to sway the conversation in other directions when those in his circle drifted towards that type of conversation. He grabbed at the small flask that rested in the frosty grass between them. Taking a swift drink of the contents. “Gods this has gotten out of hand. Hermione.” His hands drag down his face as he turns to the curly haired witch.
“I’m sorry. I know. I just. It’s hard. Being different. Being… alone.” Her hands shake as she takes another puff from her pipe. Shaking them out while blowing the white smoke.
“You aren’t alone.” He whispered.
“Aren’t I?” Tears fighting to make their way free. “Most people stay away from me, or if they do want to speak with me its because I’m ‘Hermione Granger’, I’m the ‘Golden Girl’. Harry is sweept up with Ginny, or running off to the ministry for his weekend training sessions. Ron is, well, Ron is bloody Ron. He’s going through it, I get it but, he’s been… He’s been a fucking wanker. Then my parents. My family. I don’t… I have no fucking clue where they are, or if I can get them back, and I just. I just feel so alone.” Tears were slowly cascading down her face. Tiny rivulets searching for pathways through her freckles.
“I’m here. You don’t have to be alone.” Tentatively he reached over and grasped at her hand. His thumb coming to slowly stroke the back of her hand.
….
Things changed again after that night.
After that night they sat closer together in the library. Hands grazing under the table.
They walked together to their shared classes.
There was one weekend that they spent the entire Saturday in Hogsmeade together. The Three Broomsticks.
Tomes & Scrolls.
Scrivenshafts.
Honeydukes.
Maplewood Menagerie.
It had been such a long time since Hermione had laughed. Truly. Fully. Laughed.
Theo made her do that. He had always managed to do that. He brought that out of her.
The things they spoke about. They way they interacted. He pushed her. Made her question things. Asked the most, absolutely ridiculous questions about muggle life.
It was after another one of these weeks of sitting in the library, strolling the halls, or lounging by the lake, those deep conversations that Theo realized it. It was then that he realized how he felt about her. It was late one night after one of their lake sessions that he spilled everything to Draco. How he had been hanging out with Hermione all the time. How they spent their time. How he felt about her. How she did what she did to her parents. Draco was silent most of the conversation. Slowly sipping his glass of firewhiskey.
“You have feelings for Granger?” He questioned Theo softly between sips.
“Gods, you don’t understand Drake. She… she is magic. Truly. I can’t. The way her hair curls. It floats. You ever notice that? It’s like it has a mind of it’s own. But it floats. I swear it. And have you ever notice when she gets mad? Like real mad? Truly pissed off at somethin’. I swear it. Her hair sparks. It’s like… it’s like the magic is trying to escape through her hair.” Theo lays sprawled out on the sofa closest to the fire.
“Her hair? That mess?” Draco scoffed at his friend.
“I could get lost in it for ever.” Theo mumbles as his consciousness begins to wane.
“I am sure you could.” Draco took another sip of his firewhiskey.
“No.. no. I am going to get lost in that hair forever. Every day. Every morning. Mmm.” rolling over, Theo closed his eyes fully and began to snore.
Another scoff from Draco. Slowly swirling the remnants at the bottom of his glass. The gears in his mind began whirling. Theo and Granger. Fucking hell. It wouldn’t be the craziest thing he’d heard of.
……
It was a few days before the end of term when a strong Slytherin voice boomed down the halls at Hermione Granger.
“Hey Granger, wait a moment!”
Hermione heard that familiar voice coming towards her. She had just left advanced ancient runes, a class she shared with a few Ravenclaws, Slytherins (Theo, Draco, and surprisingly Pansy) and a couple rouge Hufflepuffs. It gave Hermione a chance to breath being the only one from her house.
“What? What do you want Malfoy?”
“I was wanting to speak with you for a moment. In private.”
She looked at the tall boy, no man, in front of her. No longer imposing. No sneer. No hate. Now he looked like a classmate. Ordinary. Almost Ordinary. “Fine, follow me.” Hermione no longer held fear of the Slytherins, least of them Draco Malfoy.
She led him a short way down the corridor to a tapestry framed by two large stained glass windows. She pushed the tapestry aside and stepped out onto the hidden terrace. Draco followed after her. She started rummaging in her bag. Just after Halloween Hermione started carrying her pipe and little wooden box around with her. It was getting colder and harder to sneak off to the greenhouse. She pulled out the pipe and meticulously packed it with dried greenery.
“So, I’ll cut to the chase. Theo told me about your parents.” He paused. Studying her, while she slowly inhaled from her pipe, waiting for a reaction. When she stood there, stone faced, he continued. “He gets quite chatty while high. Which I can see is your doing. Anyways, for what it’s worth, you did the right thing. Sending them away like you did. However, I feel responsible for your motivations to do so…”
“Malfoy, you didn’t…” Hermione started.
He held up a hand, “No. I was a part of that. I am truly sorry for any and all harm I have cause you. I was… scared. I knew better, but my family was threatened. I was in too deep, I.. I couldn’t see a way out. By the time that Dum..Dumble…Dumble…” He took a deep breath. “By the time Dumbledore gave me an out, I…hesitated. For a second I hesitated and I wanted… I was going to say yes. But the rest of it? The rest happened so fast, it was like I was rolling downhill in an avalanche.” Draco Malfoy was breathing heavily, fists clenched, staring at his shoes, when Hermione placed her hand on his arm.
She held out the small pipe in offering, and he took it gingerly from her hand.
“We all made impossible choices Malfoy. It’s how we move forward. How we go on that matters. Perhaps without the threat of impending doom, you might make better choices.” Hermione chuckled as she watched Draco Malfoy blow out a large plume of thick smoke.
“Yes, on that note.” He pulls out a thick folio of parchment from his satchel and hands it to Hermione.
“What’s this?”
“I’m moving forward. Making better choices.”
She pulled out several sheets of parchment. It looked like healer reports, dozens of them. “This..this says its from the Australian Ministry…. St. Mungo’s… what is this Malfoy?” She sat down on the stone floor of the tiny balcony. Pulling out sheet after sheet. Auror reports. Healer reports. Private detectives. Treatment plans. Private healers. Portkey authorization. Progress reports. Ministry reports.
“It is all the documentation. The records. I..uh.. found them. Your parents. They are at St. Mungo’s. You can contact Healer Wickstaff as the main point of contact. They, uh, restored their memories. From what I’m told, it was successful, but obviously time will tell.”
Hermione was still shuffling through the parchments, her brow furrowed. “What…”
“Merry Christmas Granger.” Draco awkwardly placed his hand on her shoulder. Two quick pats and he was gone.
She was left alone on the balcony. Her parents, they were at St. Mungo’s. Their memories were back. All thanks to Draco Malfoy.
Hermione didn’t know how long she sat on the floor of the balcony for. When she was finally pulled from her reverie, it was dark, and a chill had set it. Her attention was finally pulled by the soft voice of Theo Nott.
“Hermione… Hermione… c’mon. You need to snap out of it. Hermione? How much did you smoke? Hermione?”
Slowly she looked up at him. Theodore Nott. How did he find me? How did he know I was here? Blinking back tears she mumble out in a whisper, “ He found them. He got them back for me.”
“What?” Theo scrunched his brow and leaned to grab at the parchments scattered on the floor. Quickly scanning the pages, he understood. That fucker. He did it. He actually fucking did it. “Draco did it. He actually did it.”
“How did you find me?”
“Draco came by the Slytherin dorms, told me to come here. He said you shouldn’t be alone.”
“What time is it?” She sniffed while dragging her hands across her cheeks, catching the stray tears.
“It’s just past six. Everyone should be at dinner. Let me get you back to the dorm.” Theo began piling the parchments back into the folio. He stood up slowly and extended a hand to Hermione. She gazed up at him with wide eyes.
His hand always enveloped hers. Always a comfort. Always there. Always. He had been her constant the past few months. Her anchor. She would have surely drifted far from shore without Theo. A small smile started to form.
That was the moment for Hermione Granger. The moment she knew. She wasn’t alone. It didn’t have anything to do with Draco Malfoy helping to reconnect her with her parents. She hadn’t been alone for a while. And there was a strong feeling in her chest that she wouldn’t be alone again for a long time. A very long time.
……
The next day Hermione and Theo walked together to the Great Hall for breakfast. It was still early so there were very few students wandering the corridors. They walked in a comfortable silence, their shoulders barely grazing, and the lightest of touches as they held one another’s hand.
Walking through the doors to the Great Hall was like a breath of fresh air. The table for Gryffindoor was spotted with students. A spattering of ages. But Harry was there. With Neville, and Ginny. His glance towards their joined hands was subtle. But the smile the pulled at the corners of his mouth could not be missed. Theo felt Hermione release a shuttered breath. The relief was evident in her eyes when he looked down at her. He knew that she was worried about what Harry thought of their friendship, now turned into something unquestionably more.
It was one of the things they had spoken about throughout their lake sessions. Theo knew that Harry was her constant. Her brother in everything but blood. It’s like what Draco was to Theo. His approval was the only thing that mattered.
Slowly they made their way towards the Gryffindor table. Hand in hand. Every other time the two of them came in to the Great Hall they had always parted ways. Gryffindor. Slytherin.
Sitting down side by side. Hands slipping into hands. They fell into easy converstation with those around them. Like they had done this a million times before. That they would do this a million times again.