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Over the years, Hermione Granger’s cottage became the preferred place for everyone to gather and drink a cup of tea. It was stamped as the place everyone came to find some comfort in the large plush blue sectional. The pastel yellow walls combined with the soft lighting emitting from the various lamps around the living area added a warmth that could only be found there.
But sometime during the years, the group was beginning to grow and every few months, Hermione had to transfigure a spoon or a mug into an extra chair. It started during Harry’s 25th birthday dinner where he brought his new boyfriend, Theo to meet the Gryffindors and Luna. Luna had baked a cake, Ginny brought appetizers, and Theo had been kind enough to bring along a bottle of muggle whiskey and flowers as a host gift for Hermione. Ginny surprisingly had hit it off with Theo, and there were no signs of ill will towards the Slytherin for sweeping the Chosen One off his feet. The rest of the group, including Ron, had agreed that Theo had made a great impression on them.
Theo and Hermione had found a nice friendship with each other that she didn’t find with the rest of the group. She quickly found out that his quiet demeanor in during school was used to mask his curious and attentive personality. Hermione enjoyed the time she spent answering his questions about muggle politics, history and science.
From time to time, Theo joined Harry and Hermione’s weekly lunches at the park across the street from Hermione’s publishing job in muggle London. He had slowly become part of their lives, and Hermione could see that Harry was falling deeper for Theo. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw the same twinkle in Theo’s eyes.
That Christmas, Hermione made sure to add a stocking above the fireplace for Theo.
He was ecstatic to find muggle chocolates and small muggle toys as stocking stuffers.
“For me? Are you sure, Hermione?” He asked, one hand clutching the small box of Maltesers and the other deep in the stocking embroidered with his name.
Hermione giggled at the wide grin he had, “Yes of course, you are Harry’s boyfriend and you're part of the family now.”
Theo leaned over from where they sat around the Christmas tree, opening presents and hugged her so tightly she let out a small squeak.
A few months later, the group met at Hermione’s on a Saturday night for dinner. As always, Luna made dessert and Theo had taken his spot as the bartender, making everyone customized drinks.
Hermione sat next to Luna, sipping on her tea and munching on one of the cookies that Luna had baked earlier that day. The two were seated on the large sectional, discussing the small shop building Luna had bought in hopes of starting a bakery.
“I’m just having trouble with the whole,” Luna made a gesture around the space in front of her as if the word she was looking for was waiting to be caught. “...there’s wrackspurts all over the place and I can’t seem to get rid of them. You know that wouldn’t do too well with business. Not too sure they’d let the croissant dough proof properly.”
Hermione nodded and took another bite from the cookie. Her galleons were on Luna having doubts about the shop’s remodel, not wrackspurts. “Well, if you need help cleaning the place up, I can always help out. These cookies are way too delicious to not be eaten by the wizarding population.”
Luna smiled back at her friend in thanks and sat back on the sectional, leaning her head against Ginny, who was busy laughing at whatever Blaise was saying. He had his arm around Theo’s neck, mussing with his hair, probably telling Harry and Ginny another embarrassing story about Theo. Hermione did her best to catch up with the story until Theo spoke to Luna’s faraway gaze.
“Hey Lovegood, what’s wrong?”
Ginny turned, noticing Luna and wrapping her arm around her. “Is this about the shop?”
Luna broke from her gaze and nodded, she reached for another cookie on the coffee table and took the smallest bite.
“What’s wrong with the shop?” Blaise asked with genuine concern. If anything, the two Slytherins were the most excited about Luna’s bakery.
“Yeah, I thought everything was going good.” Theo leaned back against Harry’s chest after taking another cookie from the table.
“Well it is, until the wrackspurts.” Ginny informed and Hermione watched as the two Slytherins nodded in understanding, not daring to ask what wrackspurts were. “We’ve helped clean the place twice with magic and twice the muggle way, but the wrackspurts won’t leave. No matter how much we clean and remodel.”
Hermione expected for the pair to nod, tell Luna they were sorry this was happening and move on to another topic, but what the pair had done next surprised Hermione.
“Well, If you let us, I think we can help.” Blaise turned Theo, who spoke next, still leaning against Harry.
“Pans and Daph actually have a knack for design and finding couches, wall colors, chairs, you know all that stuff. Maybe they can help get rid of the wrackspurts.”
Blaise chuckled, “Yeah, those two can work some magic into the place, we can talk to them for you if you like.”
Luna turned to look at them hopefully and smiled widely, her radish earrings dangling and twirling with excitement, “I’d love that, thank you, Blaise, Theo.”
The very next month, Hermione had added two more plates and transfigured two wooden spoons into chairs to seat their new guests who were here to celebrate the success of Luna’s, newly remodeled bakery.
Pansy and Daphne arrived with Blaise, who had become a permanent fixture of their gatherings since he started dating Ginny. The two witches came in, looking a little weary and out of place. Luna immediately went to their side and greeted them with hugs, and Hermione smiled as she heard Pansy genuinely compliment Luna’s strawberry earrings.
“I made them myself, I could make you a pair if you like. Or I could charm a few raspberries from my father’s garden for us three! As a small memento for helping me with the bakery.”
“That’d be lovely. Thank you, Luna.” Daphne said in her soft voice.
Dinner that night was the last thing from awkward for the new additions. Daphne seemed to find herself in conversation with Ron, who was hilariously blushing, and Luna had been entertaining Pansy by explaining her method of tempering chocolate.
Afterwards, Hermione sat next to Harry and Theo on the giant couch, petting their new dog that was settled in Theo’s lap. A small toothless chihuahua rescue that went by the name Taquito.
“We’re going to have to get him his own little stocking for Christmas, you know?” Hermione smiled at the little dog, who leaned against her touch.
“Yeah, huh?” Harry spoke with a small smile on his face.
“Taquito gets a stocking this year?” Theo cooed at the small dog.
“Oi! What about me?” Blaise interjected from behind the group, holding a tray of mini lemon meringue tarts that Luna had brought from the bakery.
“Of course, you’ll get a stocking this year, Blaise,” Hermione spoke and looked down back at the small dog, “Looks like we are going to have two new members to the family this year, huh Taquito?”
But Hermione was wrong.
That Christmas, she ended up putting 5 new stockings up. One for Blaise, Daphne, Pansy, Taquito and Penelope – Theo and Harry’s newest addition in the form of an Italian greyhound.
Hermione was dressing Penelope in her newest Christmas sweater when Pansy slid onto the couch next to her. She was dressed in a long sleeve dark purple mid-thigh dress and cherry earrings Luna had probably made for her. Penelope wagged her tail as Pansy reached out to scratch her ear.
“She’s pretty cute,” Pansy sniffed and scrunched her nose. “In her own, little rat-looking way.” Although Pansy had softened and the ice had melted from her, there was still a bit of frost that stuck.
Hermione huffed a small laugh, she couldn’t help but admit Pansy was a little right. Penelope did have a few ‘rat-looking’ qualities about her, but that didn’t make her any less cute or sweet. “Yeah, I guess so.” Hermione watched as Pansy let Penelope sniff at her cherry earrings and mulled over the awkward quietness. “Did you like the st–”
“Thank you, Granger.” Pansy cut her off, “For the stocking. And for inviting me to Christmas at your place. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’m sorry for all I did wrong.”
Penelope cuddled on Pansy’s lap, sensing her nervousness. Hermione laid a hand on Pansy’s hand and squeezed it tightly, “I forgave you the moment you helped Luna and the bakery.”
Pansy squeezed her hand back and quickly sniffed, using the same hand to wipe at her eye.
“Bloody allergies,” Pansy sniffed quietly, and Hermione agreed silently. The two sat on the couch, letting Penelope sniff and wiggle on their laps, until Luna sat across from Pansy on the small coffee table, wearing matching earrings.
“I'm going to go check on the food, be right back,” Hermione stood and Luna looked up.
“Oh Hermione, be careful. I saw mistletoe all over the kitchen. I think you have an infestation. I can bring my father’s pet Crunklesnap to get rid of them if you like. Although, he is on vacation in the Bahamas, so you’d have to wait until the new year.”
“Your father is in the Bahamas?” Pansy asked curiously.
“My father? Oh Merlin, no. He dislikes the ocean.”
“So why did you say he was in the Bahamas?” Hermione exchanged a confused look with Pansy.
Luna straightened Penelope’s dress, “Oh, I meant Raul.”
“Who’s Raul?”, the other two witches asked.
“My father’s pet Crunklesnap.”
Hermione furrowed her brow, “Thank you for the offer, Luna, I’ll let you know if there’s still an infestation by the new year.”
Thankfully, Hermione didn't end up needing Raul’s help. The mistletoe turned out to be a gag Ron had gotten from the joke shop, so Daphne and him had an excuse to snog each other senseless in the kitchen. Everyone that had walked in on Daphne getting tickled by Ron in the kitchen was sure to need a few months in therapy.
Hermione was definitely going to send Ron the invoice.
---
“Theo, I told you we should have asked before inviting him!” Harry whisper shouted.
“It’s fine, he promised he’d behave, plus he’s lonely. And it’s my birthday, and Hermione said I can invite whomever I wanted.” Theo did his best to earn his sympathy by pouting.
Harry readjusted the leash he had on Penelope as she hopped up, begging to be carried like his brother Taquito, who was in a baby sling across Theo’s chest. “Fine. But if Hermione tells him to leave, then he has to leave.” He leaned over and picked up a whining Penelope and stepped away from the floo. “Come on, let’s go see what kind of cake Luna made,” Harry spoke to Penelope as she licked his face happily, “You don’t say, interesting observation Penelope.”
Theo trudged behind his boyfriend and rolled his eyes at his antics. Out of all of Theo’s friends, Harry seemed the most hesitant about Draco. He had tried getting them to talk after Draco returned from doing his Potions Mastery in Spain, but Draco had still seemed as cold as before, minus all the taunting. He definitely still sneered at Harry.
Theo walked into the kitchen to find Pansy, Ginny and Blaise hovering over the drinks as Hermione stood on a stool, doing her best to hang up a birthday banner.
“The birthday boy is here!” Theo hollered as the group turned to greet him. Everyone took turns hugging Theo and petting Taquito.
Everyone moved to the living room as Blaise made sure to hand everyone a drink made specially for Theo’s birthday dinner.
“It’s called ‘the obnoxious prat’” Blaise explained brightly.
Pansy took a sip of the highball glass and frowned, “This is just a Screwdriver, Blaise.”
“Ooo! My favorite!” Theo exclaimed excitedly, taking the drink eagerly and sipping it and closing his eyes to relish the taste. “Excellent orange juice, freshly squeezed organically grown i presume?” Theo cracked an eye open to confirm as Blaise nodded. He took another sip and leaned back onto the couch and sighing happily, “Delicious. Wonderful job Blaise, but I still expect a birthday present. This doesn’t count as one.”
They all laughed as Blaise whispered, “Dammit,” and downed the rest of his drink.
Just then, Luna walked through the door holding a small basket of blueberries and raspberries from the small greenhouse garden Hermione had. She held the door open, beckoning someone inside.
“Look who I found outside. He looked a bit lost if I’m being honest, but I brought some raspberries and blueberries for the cake. I made you your favorite Theodore,” Luna lifted the basket in the air, “Half cheesecake, half Victoria sponge with berries.”
From the couch, half of the group seemed startled to see the blonde head of Draco Malfoy, awkwardly standing with a small gift box, a bottle of elf wine and a bouquet of purple hyacinths wrapped in a purple ribbon. He cleared his throat, doing his best to ignore the awkwardness that was suddenly palpable in the room. Theo stood from his seat as Luna made her way towards the kitchen, sending her a wink and an excited mutter of “can’t wait, been dreaming about my birthday cake for weeks.”
Hermione stood on the other side of the room, staring at the tall blonde she had not heard from in years. Her hands found her glass and she sipped it while doing her best to quietly eavesdrop on Theo and Malfoy’s conversation.
“Mate, glad you could make it.” Theo clapped the blond on the back and Blaise stood to greet him, followed by Pansy. Hermione noticed Pansy straightened his collar as they greeted each other with kisses to each cheek. Ginny followed as Blaise beckoned for her to stand and greet him. Harry nodded at Malfoy awkwardly as Penelope wiggled out of Harry and towards Malfoy, sniffing her approval.
Ginny and Blaise left the room towards the kitchen, no doubt begging Luna for a slice of cake and getting refills on their drinks. Hermione steeled herself for greeting Malfoy. She had suspected that Theo would invite him, and she wasn’t opposed to letting him into her house, but she was still upset he didn’t keep his promise on keeping a communication after 8th year.
Without Harry and Ron without her during 8th year, Hermione had found more time to spend in the library and wander through the aisles. On one of those days she wandered aimlessly towards a shelf and picked a book, Hermione had bumped into the blond napping against a stack of books. She stared at his body, briefly panicking if he was dead but was relived to see his chest rise and fall. She kneeled onto the ground and nudged him awake, asking if he needed anything. He cracked an eye open, groaned and asked her for the time. He stood up, collected the books and his robe, and walked towards the door. Hermione stared at him confusingly until he stopped before the door and turned, speaking softly as ever.
“Thanks for not hexing me, Granger.”
The library door shut, and it took Hermione a few seconds to register that he was speaking to her.
Afterwards, Hermione had started noticing him in the library more often than not. He usually had several books stacked around him and a few quills for his notes. Hermione did her best to decipher his notes from her seat, three tables away, but as much as she tried, she could not make up his notes.
It took her 2 months to finally find the courage to sit with him in the library. He looked up from his notes and furrowed his brow.
Hermione cleared her throat as she pulled out her parchment and muggle pens. “I–”, she started, “Can I borrow that book?”, she pointed at one of the books in his stack and he pulled it out from the stack, handing it to her, both refusing to make eye contact.
The first time she heard him laugh was when she had told him about jinxing Cormac during quidditch try-outs.
They talked about almost everything. He told her about applying to Potions Mastery’s and the Abraxans back in the manor. She told him about her muggle childhood and her favorite books. He asked her about muggle inventions, and she asked him about his extensive family history. Not once did he sneer at her.
On the day of their Hogwarts graduation, Hermione had asked him to send her a post card from wherever he decided to get his Mastery, and he promised he would.
But he never did. And Hermione was hurt.
Malfoy was standing in front of her, a bottle of elf wine now on the counter behind him and a small gift box in Theo’s hands. He held the bouquet of hyacinths tightly in one hand as he nodded at her.
“Malfoy.”
“Granger.” They stood staring at her until she moved her eyes to the bouquet. “Erm–”, he extended his hand towards her, “These are for you. Thank you for letting me come.”
Hermione took the flowers and nodded, “I didn–”, she started before thinking of it and starting over. “Glad you could make it.” She summoned an old pasta sauce jar and placed the flowers inside, “Thank you, they are lovely. Um, would you like a drink?” she asked, turning to look into the kitchen, where Blaise and Theo were laughing loudly.
“Sure.” He unconsciously scratched his arm and looked around the space in front of him
Despite a drunk Theo and Ginny, dinner had gone smoothly. That is, until Luna had suggested they sang along to some Karaoke. Harry groaned as Theo hooted with happiness, Taquito bouncing in the baby sling around his chest.
After a horrible rendition of Wonderwall by Oasis, courtesy of Harry and Theo, and a few more drinks, Hermione was loose enough to make her way to Malfoy and confront him for not writing to her.
“So, why didn’t you send me a postcard?” she asked as she wobbled on the stool next to him, clutching onto Taquito in the sling across her chest.
“What?”
“A postcard, you know. The little card you send someone via owl–or post if you’re muggle–to let them know you’re okay. Thinking about them.” Her face flushed, and she rubbed Taquito’s ear as she waited for him to answer.
“I–”
“You know, I thought we were friends,” she looked up as his brows furrowed even more. “I was waiting, I wanted to know where you went and if you liked it.” She nuzzled into Taquito’s face.
“Granger–” He looked around the room and scratched the back of his head.
“I told you about my parents in Australia. You know–”, her voice was starting to get louder and Harry had turned over to watch any suspicious moves on Malfoy’s part. “I thought we were really friends.” Her voice wavered and Hermione wiped at her lash, “Stupid allergies.”
He let out a shaky breath and rubbed his forehead. “Are you free, on Sunday? In the morning?”
She looked up, and her jaw fell open, at a loss for words.
“Can we talk then? It’s Theo’s birthday and I don’t–” he looked around the room and Harry quickly turned away, pretending he wasn’t watching them. “It’s not the right place to tell you everything, if that's okay with you, I’d like to meet for coffee.”
Something inside Hermione made her warm at the genuine effort he seemed to make. It was definitely the alcohol, she concluded. “Okay, but there better be croissants.”
She hopped off the stool and held onto Taquito before looking at Malfoy and letting her gaze drop briefly to his lips before she reached behind him and took the bottle of wine to the couch.
That Sunday, he met her outside a muggle café that served a variety of croissants. He brought her purple hyacinths again, and she told him, thank you. He explained to her why he hadn’t sent a post-card and why he couldn’t bring himself to reach out to her just yet. He explained how he needed to work on himself and forgive himself before he could ask for forgiveness from others. She sat there and let him speak, just the way he would let her speak during 8th year.
He bought her two croissants for the road.
The next time they had met up, they had agreed to getting lunch together in muggle London.
He told her about his studies in Spain, and she told him about her time at Muggle University. After lunch, they had decided to go on a walk together around the park, and Hermione asked him to lunch again the next day.
Naturally, he had said yes.
He became a permanent fixture on their celebrations and dinners. He had even let Theo and Hermione plan him a small birthday party that had ended in one too many tequila shots and ear-splitting karaoke.
Not only that, but he had also had his fair share of catching Ron and Daphne snogging in the kitchen.
That Christmas, there was an addition to the small collection of stockings Hermione hung on the mantle. Settled between Hermione and Taquito’s stocking was a dark green stocking with Draco’s name in gold embroidery.
As they opened gifts on the large couch, Draco couldn’t help but lean into the curly haired witch that had forgiven him.
He had waited patiently after opening gifts before pulling Hermione into her kitchen. She hopped onto the counter as he fiddled with a small gift bag in his pocket. He scowled at the ridiculous pajamas with dancing Crunklesnaps that Luna had insisted they all wear. Pansy had sent a withering glare to anyone who dare appose the tiny blonde.
He held out the small bag and she took it in her hands looking up at Draco with a small smile on her lips. “What’s this?”
“For you, open it.”
He waited nervously, watching any indication of loathing on her part as she opened the velvet baggie that contained a silver locket. She gasped at the intricate engraving of the square locket. Tiny vines and leaves surrounded an engraving of a hyacinth. She carefully opened it and smiled when she saw a miniature purple hyacinth, charmed to the inside. She looked up at Draco and smiled even wider as he looked at her mouth.
“Herm–”
“Dra–”
“You go first.” he said clearing his throat.
“It’s lovely. Draco, thank you really.”
“Would you, I mean, would you like to be–”
“Yes.” Hermione answered before he could finish, and he looked up at her.
“I didn’t even finish–”
Hermione launched herself onto his arms and kissed him for the first time as his girlfriend.