Alexandrite Trio

“It’s a betrayal, is what it is!” She heard a familiar voice complain on her way down the stairs into the common room. What had started as what felt like a warm and welcoming place now caused her to feel sick to be around.  “Malfoy is a prat. I don’t know what he sees in her. I’m almost looking forward to him pulling the rug out from under her. She won’t be so high and mighty then.” Ronald continued.

“A betrayal? Who exactly am I betraying here?” Hermione asked, stepping fully into the room and glaring at everyone. 

“Us! Your house, you are a dishonour to Gryffindor.” He accused her, and she could see pink starting to creep into his cheeks. “Do you like getting called Mudblood? Is that it?”

A pin could have dropped. The room went so silent. 

She had no idea what made a person a Mudblood, but it was clearly nothing good. Before she even had a chance to react, Neville, sweet Neville, was up and flying at Ron. He didn’t reach for his wand. He didn’t trust himself to cast effectively, so he threw his entire weight into his fist. Hermione heard a satisfying crunch. 

At first, it was like everyone was frozen, but then the room came alive all at once. Angry older redheads were suddenly between Neville and Ron, glaring while Harry held Ron back. Their wands were out, and they were ready to attack and defend their brother. As single children, neither Hermione nor Neville were familiar with the stance, no one can hit my sibling except for me. It was an alien concept to them. 

Hermione drew her wand. One first-year against the entire house wasn’t

“Just wait, Longbottom. Mum’s going to go to your Gran for this.” Ron snarled, blood running from his crooked nose. 

Hermione scoffed. “Good.” At the rest of the room’s confusion, she added. “I might not know what that term is, Weasley, but I’m familiar enough with pejoratives to know it’s one. I expect she will be bursting with pride to learn her grandson was brave enough to stand up to a Pureblood who was introducing a Muggleborn to the term.” And then she turned her glare on the rest of the house, especially the Weasley twins. 

Before a full-on brawl started, Percy Weasley led Neville and Ron away. She tried following, but he was quick to kibosh that. “The headmistress will summon you if she needs you.”

“I’ll write to your Gran Neville!” She told him. “I will make sure she knows you were standing up for a friend against a bully and how brave you were!”

Her trunk shrunk into her pocket. Hermione entered the Great Hall, relieved to see Neville there. Of course, so was Ronald. “What happened?” She asked Neville softly, not sitting with the rest of her house. 

Neville winced. “Got detention, Ron, too. I’m with Professor Sprout in the greenhouses. Ron is with Filch, though, so I got off light.”

Draco frowned slightly as their Hermione hugged the imbecile. He knew she was friends with the other boy, but he couldn’t help it. She could have other friends, he supposed, but only if she liked him and, of course, Theo best. He breathed out when she released Longbottom and headed to join them. “What was that about?” He asked in an annoyed tone as she sat down next to Theo. 

“Neville ended up in detention because he came to my defence in the common room.” She answered automatically, passing Draco the pumpkin juice before he could ask for that. “Weasley taught me a new term, Mudblood, since you apparently will be introducing it to me shortly.”

“I,” Draco snarled as rage and self-loathing battled across his face. “I would never call you that word and mean it. My father might require me to, but how could your blood be dirty? You have too much natural talent. He will have to think I’m using you and that we are all using your brains to advance us. To convince him, I may have to use it, though.” He quietly admitted in an ap. 

“It’s okay, Draco,” she said softly. “You rely on your parents. I know you don’t get to do things they think are bad. I understand you can't fight them on everything. If you don’t mean it, and it’s just for show? I’ll forgive you. That’s not being hateful, that’s survival, and I want you to survive. All of you.” She said as Theo wrapped his arm around their pet lion and squeezed. 

“I’m a daughter, so my parents don’t care,” Pansy said with a shrug like it didn't matter and she didn't care. “I’m just supposed to try and land an exceptionally wealthy husband.”

Daphne sighed and nodded in agreement. “My dad has his heart set on Theo.” She said with a wrinkled nose. 

Tracy shrugged. “I’m a Halfblood, and Zabini has had the occasional Muggleborn stepdad.” That made up a large section of the first-year snakes. 

“Draco asked, and we talked about it. We would invite you to sleep in Slytherin tonight to give you a break.” Pansy said. “We agreed. And I cannot believe I’m saying this, but you may be safer with us.”

“The older years will assume it is a plot on my part. But I should be able to Malfoy most of them away.”  Draco said

Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes. “Thank you.” She whispered as Theo hugged her as tightly as possible. 

“Us girls just want you to do that pressed flower thing to make bracelets,” Pansy said demandingly. 

Hermione gave a small smile. “Like friendship bracelets.” She shyly said. 

Pansy heaved a sigh. “If we must.”

“That’s Pans for ‘exactly like that, and thank you for agreeing to be our friend’,” Theo said, letting go of Hermione so that he could eat. “So, do Draco and I get giant hugs now?”

“My two favourite wizards can always get a hug from me. If I weren’t worried about it getting Draco in trouble, I would kiss both of you on the cheeks.” She answered before immediately turning her attention to her meal.  

“Disgusting,” Pansy complained when the three of them blushed. 

After dinner, Draco and Theo dragged Hermione off with them to work on assignments by the lake, outside of the school and away from other people 

“Right,” said Draco, “I believe there was something about a cheek kiss.”

“Seriously?” she asked, unsure if this was a joke. 

“Very. You will find most old families aren't expressive.” Theo explained before adding, “Our mums are, but only if there is no chance of our fathers seeing. They don’t want us coddled.”

She was bright red but lived up to her word. She refused to look at them when she offered, “If you want, I could hover the textbook. Then you could take turns getting your hair played with. It's quite a nice feeling.”

Before anyone could answer, Theo had thrown his head onto her lap, causing her to laugh. “Well, get to it! I have been promised a nice feeling.” He demanded, his most entitled expression on his face. 

Draco watched Theo all but melted into Granger. He had never seen Theo so relaxed.

The snakes formed a protective buffer as the first-year students stormed the common room with their adopted lion in the middle. 

“What the fuck do you think you are doing bringing a Mudblood in here and a Gryffindor at that!” one of the older students accused. 

Draco stepped out in front of his group with a clenched jaw and a hard look. If she heard it in her house, he couldn't do anything. But here? Here he may be a first-year student, but he was also a Malfoy. 

It was completely lost on Draco a month earlier, and he probably would have been the one calling her the term. But that was before. Before she proved everything he was raised to believe had been wrong. Before she defended them to the teachers. Earlier, she thought he was worth something. Or could be worth something if he used his asshole nature for good before she saved Theo over the winter hols. 

The student by Michael Aquino was much older and looked rough. Everything about him screamed thug, including his targeting of a first-year. 

Unfortunately for Aquino who was the third son of a family with no title, almost every incoming first-year had connections, wealth, and for most of them, a title. The few who didn't we're close to those that did. 

“I think I'm a Malfoy. Both of my parents are aware Spare.” Draco drawled, somehow managing to both sneer and look bored simultaneously.

Theo bumped into Hermione. “Dear old dad killed my familiar before school started. What, you don't like my pet lion?” Theo asked, the picture of innocent shock. 

Pansy sighed dramatically and draped herself over Granger. “My eyes were bleeding looking at her, so for the sake of my sanity and fashion, I'm helping,” Pansy complained but remained draped over the other girl. 

And just like that, the girl dragged Hermione into their “Millie, Tracy and Daph, Draco and Theo’s Muggleborn is going to start sleeping here.” 

Hermione gave the stocky girl a shy smile. “Merlin, in the Muggle world, you would almost certainly be recruited to play rugby! You must be so strong!”

Millie gave the girl an uncertain smile. “I'm hoping to try out for beater next year.” She admitted. 

“I have no idea what a beater is, but if we are friends, I'll come to watch you try out.” Hermione offered, risking a bigger smile. 

“We aren't currently talking to Crabbe because he told Millie she would look like a troll in a dress,” Pansy explained. 

“Don't you dare believe him. Strong women always scare weak men.” Hermione insisted. “Just look at Weasley and Potter. I've done nothing to them but be better in our classes and try to help them.”

“Boys are the worst,” Millie said. “So, your hair?”

“A gift from my dearest friends over in Gryffindor,” Hermione admitted. “That's why I’m here now

“Draco is going to have so much fun making them pay.” Pansy cackled. “Granger’s got some deal where Draco leaves the most pathetic alone.”

Hermione shook her head. “It is a waste of his skills and your own.” But she didn’t push the issue; instead, she turned to Millie. “I don’t think the silent treatment is enough to get through to Crabbe. He’s as academically gifted as Weasley. So what in the world are we going to do to ensure he has learned his lesson?