Chapter Text
Chapter 1 – Day 1 – Or when Hermione defends Draco too earnestly
Chapter Summary/Quotes half in context
He had gone flying recently. This morning? That was early, even by his standards...not that she was keeping track of him.
If someone had asked Hermione Granger if she could summarise the last 7 years of her schooling, she couldn’t begin to start, never mind where to finish.
If she tried, she would probably come up with, “A totalitarian dictator decided to do some genocide based on blood purity and therefore, decided to use children as the basis and soldiers of war. We also lost the last year of schooling to figuring out a freaking fairy tale.”
Whether she was talking about Dumbledore or Voldemort, she couldn’t decide.
When the war ended, Hermione took some months off before coming back to study for her 8 th year. Her efforts to restore her parents’ memories were in vain so, she tearfully whispered goodbye to sunny Sydney and floo-ed back home.
Her relationship with Ron had...fizzled. Sure, they had kissed in the moment of passion after the Chamber of Secrets but, they had, for the most part, mutually decided that this relationship wasn't going to eventuate. As much as everyone would have loved for it to be reality. She was more than a little relieved that Molly was still more than happy to be her stand in mother.
It was now Christmas break, and Harry and Ron had decided to spend the last couple of days at Hogwarts with her, Ginny, Neville, and Luna.
She was glad for their presence, especially since she had watched all the boys receive a letter 2 days prior that they abjectly refuse to talk to her about. They were also being rather dramatic about it, especially Ron, who kept throwing her looks surreptitiously. It was starting to creep her out.
However, they weren’t the only ones being dramatic. For the last couple of days, she watched all the boys, 5th year and up, go around with bracelets and attach them to any girl they could find. She even had Dean and Seamus try to put the bracelet on her wrist, although she had no idea how to feel when Dean let out an audible sigh of relief.
So far, she has seen Ginny, Hannah, and Padma with bracelets. However, when she asked them about why they had them, they just shrugged and said they were betrothal bracelets, which made sense as they were dating Harry, Neville, and Theodore Nott respectively.
One of the nicer things during the year was that the rift between the houses was slowly mending. As such, one of the earliest signs was that Theodore Nott and Padma Patil were openly dating. They had, apparently, bonded over the fact they were #3 and #4 respectively in terms of school results.
Yesterday, the majority of the school returned, so the Great Hall was almost at capacity. Although the number of students were noticeably smaller, there was a familiar, lively chatter as people recounted various stories of what they had gotten up to over the break. There were even some squeals over presents.
When she got down to the Great Hall with Ginny, she was slightly startled to see Draco Malfoy at the Slytherin table. He was not with the other Slytherin’s last night and so, she had assumed he wasn’t returning.
Breakfast was a somewhat lazy affair. Neville had apparently received some rather rare plants from Hannah’s family. It was rather nice watching the previously shy boy come into his own, especially after playing a major part in Voldemort’s downfall.
After eating what seemed to be like, and definitely Ron’s, everyone’s body weight in food, Ginny started to stand up.
“We’re going to sit in the sun today for a picnic. Susan, Hannah, and Luna are joining us,” Ginny explained as Hermione started to stand.
However, as soon as Hermione had managed to straighten up, she could suddenly feel the presence of someone other than Ginny close to her, their body heat and scent completely unknown to her.
“Hermio-” “Granger” Ginny and Malfoy’s voices mixed together.
Hermione frowned at the intrusion, uncomfortable at how close Malfoy was to her. She could smell his unique scent of freshly cut grass, new parchment, and expensive cologne.
Now that she had thought harder on her Amortentia scents in 6 th year, she realised how mad it was that Ron was her first thought on who matched all those notes. But, to be fair to her, she had never quite been this close to Malfoy before.
He had gone flying recently. This morning? That was early, even by his standards...not that she was keeping track of him.
The next thing she knew, he grabbed her wrist.
“Wh-?”
Before she could attempt to pull it back, he had somehow managed to attach a bracelet, which snapped shut, and pinched her skin slightly, bringing her back to the present.
“What the fuck did you do, Malfoy?”
All Hermione could do was stare at this new adornment on her wrist.
“I had to”
His voice, which used to be so confident, so self assured, was barely a whisper over the dull roar of the Great Hall.
“ Had to ?”
“...need to”
Before she could form any kind of response, he dropped her hand and she watched him flee the Great Hall, as if expecting her to run after him and demand an explanation. Totally logical thoughts, something old Hermione would have done.
But, she knew it wasn’t going to happen. Not after speaking up for him at his sentence hearing earlier in the year.
Something changed in her when she saw his drawn, exhausted face, somehow so small despite seeing him tower over many of the guards who had forced him into the dock. The look in his eyes now were hauntingly similar to the one he had back then.
“You’re not going to run after him?” Ron demanded, his face turning a shade similar to his hair.
“No,” Hermione blinked, still trying to process everything.
“ Well, I will!” Ron huffed, bolting down the hall, determined to catch Malfoy.
Hermione could only stare helplessly at Ginny, who was sighing at her brother’s antics, before turning to look at Harry who was still sitting down.
“Well, that was dramatic. Happy Holidays everyone,” Harry snarked out, shrugging as he poked moodily at his eggs before huffing out a sigh and ran after Ron.
“I guess we have a topic to talk about at the picnic after all,” Ginny let out with a half laugh, much to Hermione’s chagrin.
The picnic with Susan, Hannah, and Luna was somewhat of a weekly to fortnightly affair in which they used the time to get away from their respective partners and friends.
However, today, Hermione and Ginny were surprised that Padma and Daphne had decided to join them. Hannah and Susan looked like they were going to bolt, which was not out of the norm for the 2 Hufflepuff girls.
“I hope you don’t mind. Padma asked where I was going and-” Luna began to say as Ginny raised an eyebrow.
“And Padma and I have become close due to her relationship with Theo,” Daphne finished with a bright smile, her upbringing mandating her to serve everyone tea from the ornate teapot that had somehow emerged from the wicker basket.
“Ginny, Hermione, this is Daphne Greengrass,” Padma eyed both of Hermione and Ginny warily, accepting her offer of a filled teacup.
“When did you arrive back at Hogwarts, Daphne?” Hermione decided to play the bigger person out of the pair.
“Last night. I didn’t want to stay in a house where my parents had more control over my life than I did. I’m sure everyone here would agree that cradle side betrothals are so pre-war,”
There was an awkward silence as everyone sipped their tea. Usually, they asked the house elves for finger sandwiches and pastries but, since everyone had such a large breakfast not 5 minutes ago, it was collectively (and silently) decided that it would be a tea only affair.
“Speaking of last night, I don’t think drama really covered what happened,” Ginny grinned as she turned to face Luna, eager to fill the now slightly stifling silence.
“What are we talking about?” Luna’s face was rather more serene than normal, but there was an edge to her voice.
After being imprisoned in Malfoy Manor, Luna had become more grounded in reality and rather sharper than what she was before. Although Hermione hadn’t missed the (she has never fully explained what Crumple-Horned Snorkack’s were), she did miss the weird whimsy that was uniquely Luna.
“Well, last night? When Blaise basically played tag and put a bracelet on you?” said Susan as she blinked innocently at Luna, her shyness around the two newcomers vanishing as she saw the similarly eager looks on Padma and Daphne’s faces.
“We’ve had many classes together, especially Care of Magical Creatures,” Luna finally spoke after she took a long sip of her tea.
“It’s all been so sudden! You’ve not spoken about him at all in all these weeks we’ve had these picnics!” Ginny pouted, clearly displeased by missing the clues on this budding relationship, “Surely he was playing another joke?”
Blaise, for reasons only known to him, had decided to team up with Peeves in causing some rather epic pranks. Some of the more memorable ones involved Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes’ products and Peruvian Darkness powder. To this day, no one had figured out how he managed to charm a Thestral to stand so still, never mind how he had gotten it inside the Great Hall.
Before Luna could voice her anger and argue, Daphne interjected.
“Blaise, as much as he’s a joker, isn’t the type to joke about these things. Especially not when it comes to betrothal jewelry,” Daphne pointed out, finalising the whole issue.
The rest of the time was spent getting to know Daphne. She had professed a willingness for more female friends, especially beyond her own House now that the war was over. She found common ground with everyone - She enjoyed cooking like Hannah, reading like Hermione and Susan, watching Quidditch like Ginny, and her favourite subject was Care of Magical Creatures like Luna.
“This was a fun time. I genuinely enjoyed meeting everyone. We must do it again sometime soon,” Daphne smiled and Hermione could tell it was genuine.
“Sure. We do this weekly. I’ll send you a message somehow,” Hermione smiled in return.
Maybe becoming friends with the Slytherin’s wasn’t so bad after all.
“OI! Daphne! Why the fuck are you sitting with Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs?” Pansy called out, the note of disgust clear from the distance.
…maybe not?
When Ron and Harry returned to the group sometime later, Ron was nursing a bruised hand, his hair in disarray, and grass stains on his previously clean robes.
“What the hell happened?” Hermione hissed as she dragged him out, hand in his armpit, ignoring his yelps of pain, Ginny and Harry hot on her heels.
“Hermione! Stop, stop!” Ron kept yelping to clearly deaf ears.
Hermione threw him into the first open classroom she could find.
“ Talk ,” she snarled, half tempted to take out her wand.
She watched as Ron’s eyes widened, clearly knowing her moods.
“...nothing,” Ron bit out, clearly sulky.
“ Nothing ? Are you sure about that? If it’s really nothing, why is your hand bruised?” snapped Hermione as Ron shuffled on the spot, hiding his hand behind his back.
“...I might have kinda punched him,” Ron mumbled, his face stubborn but still valiantly trying to look at anyone except Hermione.
“ Seriously Ron?!”
“HERMIONE! Calm down! The git deserved it!” Ron finally stuttered out.
Oh, he did not. She growled.
Ginny and Harry exchanged panicked looks as they stepped back.
The words “calm down” felt as useful as using the coarsest sandpaper to the face.
“Did he really, Ronald ? Are you sure about that?” Hermione started pacing, gesturing wildly, “Did he deserve the brand of the Dark Mark on his arm, or the threat of him and his parents dying?”
“...but Hermione. He willingly got the Dark Mark,” Harry chimed in, wincing as soon as Hermione whirled on him.
“Harry James Potter!” Don’t you dare defend him!”
“I honestly wasn’t! Malfoy honestly didn’t deserve that punch, Ron,” Harry shrugged
“That aside, why are you trying to defend Malfoy so hard, Hermione?” Ginny grinned, breaking the tension between the trio.
Hermione blinked, having no answer.
“I…uhhh…,” Hermione stuttered out, her normal eloquence all but disappearing on her.
Shit. Why did my friends choose right now to be observant?
“FINE! Can someone please tell me what the hell these bracelets are?” Hermione finally bit out in an attempt to distract everyone, shaking her wrist at both Harry and Ron.
She watched as Ron opened his mouth, and then, as if he had just eaten one of the Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes’ solidifying taffy, his mouth closed shut with a click of his teeth.
When she turned to Harry, he just shook his head unhappily.
Clearly there was a silencing element to this. How very dramatic of them.
The rest of the day went in a blur.
Her blowout with Ron, and subsequent reverse grilling had made her flee to the Library after dinner.
“What kind of homework do you have to do on New Year's Day? Term doesn't start until tomorrow..?”
In truth, Hermione started to research the bracelet. Clearly, betrothal jewelry wasn’t the excuse Malfoy had when he had bound her, especially since he had literally fled.
When Hermione returned to her room, she tried flattening down her hair, which was crackling with raw energy and growing in sentience. Her mother had always told her that keeping it short would help but, the darn thing literally had a mind of its own and grew back pretty much the week after she had it cut.
By some miracle, or the sanity of Headmistress McGongall, the 8th years were able to have separate rooms in their respective houses. How this architectural marvel was possible hurt even Hermione's mind but, she was extremely grateful for it now.
She sighed as she set down her bookbag, slowly getting ready for sleep.
Crookshanks grumbled at her from the foot of her bed. The aging half Kneazle clearly had no patience for her sighs.
“I’m sorry Crooks. Am I bothering you?” Hermione half snarked out as she sprawled on her bed, staring blankly at the roof of top of her 4 poster bed.
She watched, amused at the twitching at the end Crookshank’s tail. As much as the big ginger tomcat got mad at her, she knew he would always listen.
“No Crooks. I have no idea why I have these feelings for Dra -Malfoy either,” Hermione sighed again, petting the soft furs of her familiar.
When she woke up this morning, the last thing she could imagine was to be bound, manacled, to the last person she expected. She also didn’t expect to see the sheer desperation on Draco Malfoy’s face.
As she turned the bracelet as much she could on her wrist, the last thing she thought about, before she closed her eyes, was only one word:
“Why?”