Chapter 7
Hermione is chewing on some strawberries— they're delicious— as she observes the people sitting with her at the round table. Theo is directly across from her, shoveling pasta into his mouth in a mechanical motion, eyes zoned out. Chew and swallow, chew and swallow, chew and swallow.
She shifts a bit closer to Blaise on her left. "It's been, like, twenty minutes of this," she whispers, indicating subtly at Theo.
Blaise's mouth curves. "Don't mind him. He's trying to recover from Pansy utterly destroying him."
She hums in thought, cocking her head as she continues to watch. "Does he do this when he's mad?"
"No." The soft answer comes from her right. She turns to Draco, whose lips press together as if to hold something back — a smile? A laugh? "He does this when he loses."
"I can hear you, you know."
"Don't fret too much, Theo." Pansy remarks, her lips set smugly as she looks sideways at him. "I'm well acquainted with being underestimated."
"I didn't underestimate you, I legitimately did not believe magic existed until a few minutes ago." Theo sits up in his chair and bulges his eyes at her.
A shrug. "Who's fault is that?"
"You could've just told me."
"There's no fun in that."
"There's no fun in that," Theo mimics, parroting her words in a mocking tone. Pansy sticks her tongue out at him in a childlike manner, and he shakes his head, looking down at his lap. "You haven't changed a bit."
She blinks. "What's that supposed to mean?"
A few seconds pass in a heavy silence before Theo looks up at her, the color of hot coffee in the early morning. His lips part, then close, then part again. "You're just as stupidly stubborn as when we were kids," he finally says. His face stretches into a humorous grin, one that appears as if his features were perfectly chiseled for this expression.
Pansy's eyebrows knit together. "I am not!"
"Are too! This is just like when we went to that bakery and there was only one pumpkin pasty left, and I wanted it, and you just had to fight me for it."
"It's called going after what I want, and I did get it."
Theo snorts. "Only because you started crying to the cashier."
"That's a completely fair strategy," Pansy insists proudly, jutting her chin out. "They're my tears, I decide when to use them."
Luna's soft voice speaks from between Blaise and Theo. "I understand why you didn't believe Pansy, Theo," she voices, looking at them thoughtfully.
Theo beams, winking. "Thank you, Luna."
She nods and continues, "It's not your fault that you're simple minded."
Theo's face drains of color.
Hermione spits her juice back into her cup, unable to hold in her giggles as the entire table bursts into howling laughter. Blaise has tears pooling at the corners of his eyes as he doubles over. Even Draco is laughing, to Hermione's surprise. It's an expression that opens up his features and transforms his entire face into a picture of true beauty and content. He has dimples, deep ones, ones she has not seen until now.
It knocks the breath straight from her lungs.
Pansy in particular is amused, pointing at Theo and cackling ceaselessly. Theo just sits there in shock, sputtering, trying and failing to articulate a decent comeback to that sly roast.
Luna smiles in a knowing manner and adds, "What? Not everyone is at the same stage of evolution."
Everyone around the table is trying to catch their breaths, stomachs aching from such intense laughter. Blaise's eyes settle on Luna, his smile deepening. "Luna, you are outstanding."
Luna's pale cheekbones turn a rosy pink.
Pansy sips her pumpkin juice to calm herself, finally coming down from her high. "Not that I'm not loving this Theo shaming fest...." Theo flashes his middle finger at her. "But I'd like to know more about Granger." Pansy's eyes twinkle. "The mystery girl of thievery."
All eyes are instantaneously on her. Silver, jade, charcoal, sapphire, earth. "There's not much to say," Hermione says. Gold meets jade, charcoal, sapphire, earth, yet not silver. She somehow cannot bring herself to meet his gaze.
"Then say it." Draco implores, so softly she almost doesn't hear. She looks at him then, surprised to find a look that could even be perceived as kind, although maybe reluctantly so.
She finds reassurance in his eyes, for some strange reason. When she answers, her voice is even. Unafraid. Unyielding. "I'm nineteen, I've lived in Hogsmeade all of my life, and I work for the Gryffindors."
Hermione is met with an expecting silence, and confusion rises as nothing else is said. Theo whistles, blinking at her. "Oh, that's actually it?"
She swallows, already uncomfortable. "Yeah."
"What about your family?" Luna asks curiously, cocking her head at her.
Words seem to die in Hermione's throat. She tries to entirely avoid this topic if she can help it. Her teeth grind together, her mind racing, what should she say, what should she say?
Draco coughs suddenly, pounding at his chest repeatedly. It's loud and obnoxious and lasts for a full five seconds before he chugs his juice. Wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his black jacket, he shrugs. "Choked on my food."
God, can he be any more infuriating?
She stares at him, and his chin dips at her almost imperceptibly. She's quick to catch on.
He knows she doesn't want to speak of her personal life. He understands her.
She supposes he always has.
Sheer confusion clouds everyone's faces. Theo is looking at Draco as if he has sprouted another limb. "Okay," he says awkwardly, drawing out the word. He shakes his head, turning to fully face Hermione. His arm stretches across the table, extending his hand to her. "Welcome to the crew, princess," Theo declares, grinning widely and displaying all his straight white teeth. "I have a feeling we are going to be the best of friends."
His warmth fills the room, fills her. She needs it, desperately so. In the constant brittle winter of her life, she clings to any solacing fire that will suffice. She has a feeling that Theo will be just this. Theo will be a friend.
Hermione does not falter when she accepts his handshake, grasping his fingers firmly, returning his friendly smile. "Strangely enough, I think so too," she admits, and Theo winks.
She doesn't miss how Draco's eyes linger on her hand.