Chapter 7
It was a lovely fall Saturday. Since classes were not in session, she was looking through her clothing options. Pansy kept making displeased noises.
“Yes, Parkinson?” Hermione asked, turning to give the other girl her full attention.
“It’s just your clothing. It’s, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise you were poor. I would have judged your horrible fashion less.” Pansy said in the least bitchy tone she had. “With your manners, I just assumed….”
Hermione looked confused. “Poor? I mean, my parents work, yes, but they each earn very good money in a specialised field. And, of course, they have investments. They own their clinic and the flats above it, so there's money from that too. ” She explained. “The style is called preppy, and everyone from my private day school is dressed in it outside of school.”
“A lot of it won’t work here. It’s fine if you are slumming it with a Weasley, but the style here differs. Very feminine.” Pansy instructed as she appraised the closet sorting things into keep or look at getting rid of sections.
“I don’t just want to look girly, Pansy. I don’t just want to be feminine; I also want to be terrifying. I want my enemies pissing themselves in fear of me.” Hermione insisted, looking vicious with her teeth bared in a snarling smile. She would rather Weasley be afraid of her and avoid her than what was currently happening.
“You are going to fit right in, Granger,” Pansy said as the other girl changed into a black skirt that Pansy approved of and tossed on a green Slytherin t-shirt. They were playing Gryffindor, but she felt no pride in that house. On the way down the stairs leading to the common room, Pansy added. “Over Christmas, I will take you shopping, and we will build a wardrobe.”
“If you can get away in return, we could go into London, Muggle London. I’m not as into fashion as you, but I know where we could go,” she volunteered. She knew her friend probably couldn’t take off this year. Hermione squeezed Pansy’s arm. “It’s okay, Pansy, it’s a standing offer. When we are old enough to go, we will. And in the meantime, I’ve got some fashion mags and make-up.”
Now that got Pansy’s attention since they were still too young to do beauty charms safely.
The smile on Theo’s face when she came down was worth it. Everyone else was guarded most of the time around most people. But not Theo. His dad had beaten him well beyond the ‘fuck it’ point of no return. She was quickly pulled over to be seated between Theo and Draco. Theo didn’t sling his arm around her this time. Instead, he settled for sitting as close to her physically as he could. They were quickly becoming her best friends. It was all kind of surreal. She went from only having Neville to having many developing friendships. She had Draco and Theo who were two of her favourite people in the world. “You look good in green, little lioness.” Theo greeted her, causing her to blush.
Still, she didn't look down or away. Feeling a little more secure, she rolled her eyes and bumped shoulders with him. “Like there was even a small chance of me wearing red and gold after how they stood by and let him get away with it.”
She didn't know that some of the older Muggleborns had made their displeasure known at the term, but nobody thought to tell Hermione this. From her perspective, most of the house heard and agreed with them.
And that was fine. Sure Draco was a bit of an arse and an exceedingly spoiled brat, but he stood up for her at least. And when she challenged him, he didn't start using slurs to try and hurt her. He had yet to say one single mean thing about Neville, so he clearly respected her opinions.
She stayed quietly lost in her thoughts the entire way down to the pitch and stands. She had never been to a game. It was violent and exciting, but it failed to grab her quite like her friends. No, she got her enjoyment by how unguarded and happy Draco looked or how Theo would drag her up as he jumped up, cheering and acting like an utter fool.
“Next year, I'm going to try out for Seeker, and Potter won't stand a chance.” Draco insisted.
“And we will all cheer you on, isn't that right, lioness?” Theo asked, sitting back down.
“Of course we will.” Hermione agreed. “I just might need you to get my attention for the good bits. Next time I think I will bring a book.”
Draco looked at her as if he could not process what she had just said. “Bring a book?” He asked incredulously. “Bring a book?”
“Well, yes. I will need something to occupy me during the game.” She explained in a tentative tone. These friendships were all still so new. She didn't want to risk losing them, but she also wanted to be true to herself.
“I am supposed to occupy you during the game,” Draco complained with a dark look.
She considered their options. “I will bring a book for the rest of the year. But next year, during your first game, I will try to watch the entire thing.” She allowed as a concession. “But, if after that game I want to, I will bring books, and you won't be mad or upset with me. I'll have Theo get my attention every time something good happens."
But then something did happen. Potter’s broom began moving in jagged, out-of-controlled motions. It was as if he were riding a bucking bronco in the air.
“Not me,” Draco whispered. They were still biding his time to do something big. Slytherin even had a ‘Break A Leg Potter' sign that he and Granger charmed to have a breaking leg. If Potter broke said leg Slytherin almost certainly would be blamed. The animosity between houses was reaching 1970s levels, if not worse.
“Can, can brooms do that?” She asked, gripping Theo’s arm in a death grip. All she could think about was Draco in that situation.
“Not without tampering with a powerful jinx,” Draco said.
Somehow the jinx was lifted, and her stupid house managed to win. But she had seen enough that she would watch Draco’s games with her nails digging into Theo’s leg or arm.
“Come lioness, your bed and wardrobe to store all your clothes Pansy wants to burn should have arrived!” Theo said, trying to get the witch to link arms with him and skip the entire way.
“My bed?” She asked, confused.
“It's your room, too,” Pansy said, lips minutely smiling before turning her attention to her nails. “I would hate to kill you for disturbing my beauty sleep.”
“But how?” She asked, looking at him confused. They hadn't told the staff, so she didn't understand where the bed came from.
“How?” Theo asked, beaming. “How? My sweet lioness. My dearest familiar. Of course, we had to provide you with the essentials.”
“Are you going to tone him down?” Pansy asked, knowing Theo was just going to run with it.
But Draco shrugged. “Why?”
Visibly Pansy could be seen to be processing that comment. They were more than keeping her. They were getting attached levels of keeping her. Pansy needed to see a twin about a bet.