Chapter 2
“Good morning Miss Hermione.” Theo greeted in an easygoing manner. “I don’t know if you know, but Quidditch season is upon us.” He said, stopping by the Gryffindor table where Hermione was persisting in spending the meal, ignoring both Potter and Weasley.
“Stop being so bloody stubborn. We sent for the Professors. Did you see Snapes, you know what? Someone was clearly after whatever was hidden.” Ron complained.
“I am not being stubborn.” She argued. “You were the reason I was in there anyways. If you weren’t just as rude and repulsive as the troll, I would have been safely at dinner. And while you were hiding behind the teachers, Draco and Theodore were busy saving me.” Of course she had noticed his bleeding leg. She just didn’t accept that Snape being the Head of Slytherin meant he was up to something. A phenominally bad mood and dislike of Dumb and Potter was logically and rationally sound if you asked her.
“Draco and Theodore?” Ron asked in a pinched voice. At the same time, Theo’s lips twitched with amusement. .
“Oh yes, Weasel. Though Princess, my friends all call me Theo.” He said cheerily, fully ignoring the glares. “You know if the rabble and the lack of table manners are putting you off your meal Dray and I will always make you a space at our table.
I think he even has a surprise for you, Kitten.” Theo announced.
“Kitten? Surprise? Granger’s not dumb enough to fall for that.” Ron argued. “The surprise will probably kill you.”
“Well, won’t that just make your year? After all, I am a nightmare, honestly. And if I have not got any friends in this house, why wouldn’t I make friends outside of it with peers who actually are literate and able to eat a meal like they aren’t a pig at the trough.”
Theo, for his part, captured her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “My fair lady, please allow me the privilege of escorting you to our table.”
“They are going to kill you. They will eat you alive. You won’t be anything more than their pet Mudblood just you watch.”
“You take that back! You take that back right now!” Theo yelled, drawing his wand.
“Mister Nott! Just what is the meaning of this?” The deputy headmistress demanded, rushing to the Gryffindor table.
“I’m sorry, professor. It’s just,” Hermione said, tilting her head. “What is a Mudblood Professor?”
“Where did you hear that word?” She hissed while Snape joined, glaring.
“Mister Nott?” Snape asked.
“Oh no! It wasn’t Theo.” She was quick to reassure. “If anything, I think he’s trying to defend me?”
“Weasley called her one. I didn’t! I wouldn’t!” Theo argued. “It means your blood is dirty or unworthy. It’s very derogatory.”
“Theo has been more than respectful despite my blood status. Is he using me for my academic skills?” Hermione asked. “It makes him no worse than my house. And if he does use slurs, at least he has the good sense to make them outside of my earshot.”
“His father, !” Ron yelled.
“Is not Theo, and don’t pretend like you care. You were the one who called me his Mudblood. Deputy Headmistress, what is the school’s policy on bullying?”
“Now I’m sure Mister Weasley didn’t mean,” Dumbledore said with his grandfather-esque tone.
“To call me a Mudblood when he accused me of being their Mudblood, sir?” Her nose scrunched up. “I don’t understand how he could have meant anything else?”
“Well, I am sure Mister Weasley was just trying to illustrate the bigoted terms you might face at,” the Headmaster started.
“I refuse to accept that. First, he bullied me in the hallways yesterday. Now he’s calling me Slytherin’s Mudblood today. And if the school doesn’t agree with the use of that term, I’m afraid I must insist that Wesley face serious consequences.” She insisted, her chin tilted proudly. “At my Muggle private school, he would have been suspended at the very least. And if he was a repeat offender?”
“Get called slurs often, Granger?” Theo asked.
She shrugged. “Here, it's my blood. There it is, my skin colour. But yes. One bully had to donate enough to build a new library once solicitors were involved.”
“Wait, the law accepts bribes?” A confused Theo asked, ignoring the entire situation fascinated.
“Oh no. At that point, I was satisfied his parents would have expressed enough displeasure at him, and I did want more to read.” She answered with a grin. “So, sir, how long is Weasley’s suspension?” She sweetly asked. “And at what point can I attempt a second sorting?”
“A second sorting?” her head of house asked in a pinched voice.
“Well, yes. Weasley has attacked me twice and is escalating to your equivalent of racial slurs.” Hermione pointed out. “Both cases openly in front of my house with no response from my peers. I might be interested in accepting its offer to place me in Ravenclaw if I can't see myself developing and growing here.”
“Now, let us not be hasty,” the headmaster said. “I am sure 15 points from Gryffindor and a weekend detention is sufficient.”
Hermione stood and stepped away from the table.
“Where? Where are you going?” Harry asked.
“To eat where I am wanted,” Hermione answered. “Though based on everything I read, I’m surprised that it’s Slytherin. At least these I won’t have to explain things in small words.”
“Miss Granger!” McGonagall objected.
“My apologies Professor but I’m afraid I am going on strike for the foreseeable future. I will do my work, but I refuse to tutor or help anyone into Gryffindor until after Weasley is appropriately punished. And you will, of course, have to find someone else to answer questions because I’m done earning house points.” She threatened, but she smiled brightly at Professor Snape. “I have just had some openings, Sir. If you happen to have students smart enough not to call insult and attack me, I’m more than willing to refocus my energy on them since my current house lacks integrity and spine.” She offered with a bright smile before tucking her arm into Theo’s and making her way to the table.
Theo was grinning from ear to ear. “That was bloody brilliant!”
She rolled her eyes. “It was boring, is what it was.”
Draco raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected Granger to join them.
“We are on first-name terms with Granger now!” Theo excitedly announced.
“It made the Weasle turn scarlet,” Hermione announced as Theo tugged her between them.
“The Weasel?” Draco asked, curious about exactly what happened.
“He called me a Mudblood, so I’m no longer helping anyone with papers or homework.” She summarised while both boys returned the glare coming from her house.
“Told Snape she will help us instead!” Theo announced. “Dray and I will screen Princess make sure everyone knows the terms. She’s not going to earn house points either!”
She laughed as she poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice. “Just wait if he’s not suspended, or McGonagall won’t resort me. I will start answering questions again, but only if the Professors will give the house behind or immediately ahead of Gryffindor points instead.”
“They aren’t going to like that,” Draco commented as she managed to eat her meal with manners unusual for her house. Changing lanes, he pulled out three bottles. “These are for you, Granger.” He said, laying them out. “Your hair is very clearly a nightmare.” He pointed out.
Theo gently squeezed her arm and took half a second to swallow his forkful of food. “Nightmare hair runs in his family,” Theo explained. At her sceptical face, he clarified. “Him and his mum are the exceptions, but the rest of the Blacks? Nightmare hair.”
“How do I know it won’t do something like make me bald?” She asked. All of her life, she had struggled with her hair.
“They are still sealed,” Draco commented. “Mother suggested that you also look into some other things.” He explained, flipping through the letter and pulling out the part of the letter to hand over.
“So, friends?” Theo asked hopefully.
“I. If we are going to be friends, I’ve got a non-negotiable.” She insisted, looking between the two boys. “Malfoy, you have to promise to use your bullying tendencies focused on people who cross us or do bad things. Leave Neville and others like him alone. You are better than going after the low-hanging fruit.”