"Keep the ones that heard you when you never said a word."
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Theodore sat up with a jolt at the sound of breaking glass. He saw Hermione looking at the fire while cleaning up the mess with her wand. He was inwardly thankful for the noise because he wouldn't have been able to watch the next scene in his horrifying nightmare. But still, for appearance's sake, he scowled at her back even though he knew that she couldn't see it. She walked away without even glancing his way after the place was cleaned up, towards her bedroom. Just as he thought she was gone, he heard a barely audible whisper, "Thank you," which he wouldn't even have been able to hear in the first place if it weren't for the dead quiet room. A slow grin appeared on his face. A real grin, not a smirk. He nodded his head discreetly. He didn't even think that she had seen it. But when he heard the soft click of her bedroom door closing some three seconds later, he knew that she had.

He started getting up to move to his room when his eyes landed on the plate of pancakes on the table, just in front of him. The fading grin turned into a full-blown smile when he figured out that she must have brought them here for him. Because he knew the pop of an elf appearing if he heard it, and he hadn't. His stomach growled loudly as if on cue and he began devouring his potential dinner. He was slightly suspicious at first, but the first bite in and he knew that it was perfection. So delicious. He felt revolted for not tasting it ever before. He had always preferred the eggs and toast for breakfast. Never touched the pancakes because they were inspired by filthy Muggles. He scoffed and mentally berated himself for not being even a little defiant, all the while eating his dinner as if it were a slice of heaven. And quite frankly, it was. He made a mental note to ask Granger for the recipe. If he ever got the courage to talk to her without spewing insults, that is. And he even made another note to make that happen soon.

The next day, Hermione came out all dressed up to find an empty plate at the same place on the table where she had left the pancakes last night. She smiled absently and levitated the empty pitcher and the plate back to the kitchen. So he was hungry after all. And he had eaten something she had made. This alone felt like an accomplishment. Maybe he really was better than his views on witches and wizards 'inferior' to him. When they were leaving the dorms that morning, she smiled at him like he was another one of her friends, before taking off in the direction of the newly built library to get a bit of light reading done before breakfast. The most surprising thing was the fact that he had smiled back.

They became comfortable acquaintances by the end of the month of September. Hermione and Theodore considered it another huge accomplishment. She because he was showing his real side and not the side of the boy who had no choice. He because she believed in him and trusted him. It was a new feeling, having real friends. No orders or demands, just a friendship of their own accord. No pressure from someone, saying that he couldn't be friends with a Muggleborn. And he was loving it. The freedom. The willing companionship. He loved absolutely everything.

Mid-October had colder nights, where they both often settled in front of the fire of their common room, neither acknowledging the other's presence but not leaving either. Both were grateful that they didn't have to be alone. Being alone worried them. One evening, Hermione was just humming a Muggle tune, curled up in a comfortable ball on one of the red couches, a blanket thrown over her. She had a mug of hot chocolate in another hand which warmed her. She had brought a spare cup with her and placed it on the table. It was basically for him. They had an unspoken rule about not discussing about the food and drinks Hermione often prepared food for the both of them. She didn't notice him come out of his room and down the stairs and continued humming the tune anyway. 

Theodore took another couch on the opposite side of her, still being unnoticed. He then heard her humming and he was impressed. It seemed like a beautiful song. He wasn't into songs much. He had lost interest when his mother had died. She used to sing them to him at night, despite his father's protests. Yet the tune she was humming made him think that it must be a good song. He smirked when she finished. He noticed that she still hadn't seen him. In order to make his presence known, he said, amused thoroughly, "Great song you got there, Granger. I like the tune." As expected, she jumped at the sound of his voice and her hand reached for her wand. However when she saw him, she lowered her wand slowly, looking at him like he was artificial. Or so he thought. Then his words reached her. She blushed a bright red and looked away. This peaked his interest further. Hermione Granger, blushing at his words? He figured that she might not be much into singing either, and that only made him more curious. But he let the topic drop for now. 

They sat in their positions for another twenty minutes in companionable silence, as indicated by the giant wall clock just opposite the entrance to the Heads dorms. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she asked him, "What is your favourite colour?" His eyebrows rose as he turned to look at her. She shrugged. "Just curious. You know me," she said. He snorted softly. "Oh, I know you alright." He let out a small snicker. She rolled her eyes and turned around, already knowing that she wouldn't get her answer. She was getting comfortable again when she heard his whispered answer. "It's not what you would have thought. It's midnight blue." Hermione smiled a wide grin while she had her back to him. She hid it though and put on a neutral expression as she turned to face him. Her eyebrows rose this time and he sighed before saying, "Fine. I have had enough of this ignoring-each-other business. I said sorry for what I did. Hell, the Ministry forgave me. I just want a chance to redeem myself. Is it too hard to accept that I want to change?" His eyes looked pained and hurt. That was the first time in weeks that she had seen his usually unreadable eyes full of emotion. Any emotion. She smiled softly before giving him a tender look and silently shook her head. He let something remotely related to a smile tug at the corner of his lips at her nod.

They carried on an effortless conversation after that until way past curfew. While going to bed, both of them waved a goodnight at each other before heading to the different staircases. That night, Hermione felt way lighter than she had in weeks. She had the fact that she was ready to give someone deserving another chance to hold on to. It was refreshing. So much so that her nightmares didn't come that night. Weeks flew by and they grew closer. She had found him on the couch one night, his face stricken with tears. She had woken him up gently and nudged him to tell her the matter. The usually reserved Theodore Nott had opened up to her that day, showing just how much he trusted her. She had managed to send him to bed after reassuring that his father wasn't getting out of Azkaban anytime soon. But being the know-it-all she was, she knew it wasn't just that. She knew that the Slytherins were being treated with a lot of hostility and contempt, even more so than usual. No one wanted to be near a Slytherin. She sighed at the stupidity of the supposed unprejudiced young wizards. They could be so unreasonable at times. She couldn't even begin to imagine what the Slytherins were going through. Especially the First and Second Years. They didn't even know what they had done wrong. She knew that because she observed them. Everyday at supper. No one glanced their way. They all seemed hell-bent upon making them feel utterly unwanted. What they didn't understand was that not all of them were bad. It wasn't their fault that the Sorting Hat placed them where they were. It wasn't their fault that they were more ambitious than chivalrous. More resourceful than brave. It wasn't their fault at all. So she decided to make it right. There wasn't any place for house rivalry in the post-apocalyptic world. She would show them that they could accept the occupants of the Snake House too.

And the next day at dinner, that is exactly what she did. She was sitting at the Gryffindor table when she heard the newest Seventh Years going on about the Slytherins. When the unlimited use of various strings of specially chosen offensive words got a little too much, she thought that enough was enough. She slammed her spoon on the table and stood up. Immediately, all the eyes at the table turned to watch her. Ginny was looking at her with a weird expression on her face before she understood what her friend was doing, and nodded silently, showing her support to her. Hermione thanked her with her eyes and began collecting her books and her bag. She slung the strap over her shoulder and walked away from their table. She walked to the other side of the Great Hall, her presence now acquiring hundreds of pairs of eyes. But even so much of attention didn't faze her. Headmistress McGonagall smiled at her from the Head table, knowing exactly what the girl was about to do. She truly made her proud of her decision to make her the Head Girl. She deserved the position like no other. 

Hermione walked past the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables towards the table where the Slytherins were seated. The Hall had grown unusually quiet as every one anticipated her next move. She reached up to them and smiled politely at a confused looking First Year. She slid in between his seat and a Sixth Year's, seated opposite from the Head Boy. He was looking at her like she was his imagination. 'Is she really doing what I think she is doing?' he thought incredulously. She was one unpredictable girl. But he was very grateful for what she was doing. She didn't pay him any heed, though. Her eyes were trained solely on the First Year as he looked at her wearily. He saw her asking him his name and then shaking his hand. The people in the Hall were staring at her in disbelief, like they couldn't actually believe that a Muggleborn was sitting at the Slytherin table. That too uninvited. And that was when she was a Gryffindor and Harry Potter's best friend. Had Hell frozen over? It sure as hell looked like it.

Hermione, on the other hand, kept talking to her neighbours nonchalantly and began piling food on the plate that had appeared before her. She took a bite and then smiled. "You know, this is so good! I've never actually tried to see if it was true. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History. It said that every table has a different delectable taste to their food. And it is so true. I love it!" she said, talking to no one in particular. The First Year smiled widely and began talking to her like they had been the best of friends since the beginning of time. He chatted on about his family and his studies and what he wanted to be and she listened to him patiently. 

Professor Sprout was the one to distract attention from the brown-haired girl at the Slytherin table. She began talking to Professor Flitwick about random things and the other students followed suit. The Gryffindors' gaze lingered on her longer before they too went back to eating their dinner. Hermione sighed thankfully and risked a glance at a smiling Theodore Nott. He mouthed a silent thank you to her and she nodded as her way of saying, anytime.

It was then that she saw a dark haired boy sitting next to him. Someone she knew by the name of Blaise Zabini. They didn't know each other per say, but she had seen him quite a few times with Malfoy and his gang. She nodded again in acknowledgement and continued eating.

When they had reached their dorms, Theo had pulled her into a giant bear hug and she had hugged him back. He was staring at her as if she was something straight from his dreams. He laughed out loud when she said that to him. An actual laugh filled with humour. It was decided then.

She sat with them for one meal every day, either lunch or dinner. The other Slytherins had accepted her eventually with a scowl, but she knew that they were smiling inside. Things began to look brighter for the students with the green ties and robes. The others were letting them in slowly, shrugging when the others pointed out the obvious that they were from another house. Those days were long gone. If Hermione Granger could accept them, then who were they to object? Sometimes Ginny and her friends joined her at the Slytherin table too, and they often lightened the atmosphere by sharing jokes from the Gryffindor table. Her heart soared everytime she saw their efforts. She was so incredibly grateful.

Every day seemed like a new adventure once again. Their friendship was openly gawked at all the time. Theodore Nott, son of a Death-Eater, and Hermione Granger, the epitome of a good girl, part of the Golden Trio, friends? Who would've thought? But they disregarded the stares every single day. The lesser reserved Slytherins- that means most of them, because nobody was the same after the War, except some of the original ones- had grown fond of her. Most of the Fourth and Fifth Years looked up to her. Once they got over the keeping up the reputation of the House part, they were all so interesting to talk freely to. They chatted away during meal times and the classes that they shared. Albus Dumbledore's portrait in her beloved Headmistress's office smiled widely at her every time she was in there. After all, she had made his century-long struggle to eliminate House-rivalry finally come to an end with one single move at dinner on one insignificant day. He thought her nothing short of extraordinary, because who wouldn't when she made an insignificant day the very day the beliefs of people began to change?

Hermione sat in the corner of her safe haven one night, completing her essays and reading for her N.E.W.T.s already, when she realised something with a start. 'Harry and Ron!' She had forgotten to owl them for two weeks straight! She never did that. The fact that her time was always consumed by her never-ending studies and the time she had with the Slytherins, not that she was complaining one bit, did little to reassure her that she had indeed forgotten her best friends. A cloud of guilt surrounded her instantly. She pulled out her parchment and ink and began scribbling a letter to both of them. When she was finishing, she groaned silently at the fact that was nudging her already overloaded mind. Ginny. She had seen very less of the younger witch for the last few days. They had always been friends. Since the time that Hermione spent at the Burrow before her Fourth Year. Since she had confided in Hermione, her crush on Harry.

It was December already and Ginny was busy everyday with trying to get Professor McGonagall to agree for Quidditch tryouts and whatnot. Quidditch season season was destined to begin soon, with the first match being just before the commencement of the Christmas holidays. Ginny was the new Gryffindor captain and Harry couldn't be any prouder. Everyone had been very ecstatic. They had celebrated for a whole day, congratulating Hermione and Ginny for their newest respective positions.

The brunette sighed as she got lost in her thoughts about her friends. Again. Taking one last glance at the book she was placing back in its rightful place at the library, she turned around and picked up her belongings. There was still an hour until curfew and she didn't feel like going to dinner. She would just ask Kreacher to make her his famous kidney-steak pie. Although she hated to make a House-elf work for her own selfish needs, she really was too tired to be thinking straight. And anyway, she was fancying some knowledge on elves from Harry's elf. She went up to the owlery to deliver the letters, after which she headed back at a slow pace, determined to take a good look around her beloved home.

On reaching the Heads dorms, she whispered the portrait to the guardian portrait and stepped in. What she saw left her stunned. There was an entire dinner placed in front of fireplace, kidney-steak pie included. She wracked her drowsy brain, desperate to find the moment when she had already asked an elf to bring up the food to her dormitory. She didn't. 'Then who did this? And for whom? Why? Are Harry or Ron here?' she mused, seeming a little happy at the last thought. Her brain was already processing the sight that would have made Ron's mouth water.

Almost as an answer to her questions, she spotted a folded piece of parchment on the corner of the table. She picked it up and opened it. Then she gasped.

Dear Granger,

Before you get any wrong ideas in that pretty little head of yours, let me just clear the fact that this is my way of saying sorry for everything I have ever done to you and your friends. And also for saying thank you for all that you have done for my friends and me. Ironic, isn't it? You repay my cruelty with kindness. You really are something else, Hermione Granger. It means a lot to me, you know. And makes me feel so insensitive and crude. But I deserve this feeling. For being an absolute git, if nothing else.

Anyway, I knew you would be overworking yourself come Friday night and I was almost sure you won't turn up for dinner. You are so predictable. Turns out, I was right. Yes, it is a Charm I placed on the letter. And I was kind of hoping you couldn't see it. But luck wasn't on my side today. Oh well.

As you can see, there is a dinner placed in front of you with your favourite kidney-steak pie from Potter's elf. Don't worry, I treated the elves helping me very kindly. Eat all you want. Oh, and I never mentioned it, but you are a great cook. 

You know I am writing this because I am completely useless at showing emotions, right? Old habits really do die hard. It was something my pathetic excuse of a father taught me. I still can't let go of it. It gives me protection. 

Anyway, Bon Appetit! 

Your friend,

Theo Nott

Her eyebrows rose very high at the note. She read it a few more times to confirm that it really was there and not just a figment of her imagination. When she realised it wasn't, a large smile lit up her face. Sure, she could practically see him rolling his eyes at her at the elves comment, but that didn't mean that she wasn't speechless. When did Theodore Nott become caring? No matter when, but she quite liked this side of him. It was purely and wholely him. Not the spitting image of his disgusting father. She had mixed feelings about the being predictable part, but she let it go. The letter was a huge surprise. Especially the endearment he used at the beginning before her surname. She frowned at his use of his surname too, as if it were a formality, already planning on letting him know that it wasn't required. They were friends. And Harry never wrote that either. Then again, he never called her 'Granger', either. Ah, fair enough.

But the only thing that made the wheels in her mind turn was the justification he had given for his usual expressionless facade. She knew that he knew about her dislike toward it, but she had never thought that it had ever mattered to him. He had told her why he was what he was, in a nutshell. That meant a whole lot. More than said person would ever care to acknowledge.

Putting all of that behind in her mind for later musings, she proceeded to the dinner with a hungry look on her face. She sat down on her nearby couch, still eyeing the food in awe. Theodore Nott had definitely taken some effort. There was so much that she thought that she couldn't finish it without Ron. She began eating and bit back an almost moan for the deliciousness that filled her mouth as the chocolate-coated strawberry seemingly melted in there. She was so distracted that she didn't even notice the fact that her brain had already associated the name of one Theodore Nott to her list of male best friends.

She had made sure to thank him for the dinner the next day, seeing as she had fallen asleep in the couch from the tiredness of the day and a blanket had suspiciously been draped over her. She had decided to not go to The Burrow for Christmas that year, but she couldn't do a thing when Ginny dragged her to the aforementioned place with her. The Brightest Witch Of Her Age couldn't stand a chance in front of the doe eyes of the youngest Weasley and her iron-like grip. Hilarious. On coming back, she had found a smiling Theodore Nott welcoming her. Once again, her brain made her act as she would with any other of her best friends, and she hugged him. He stiffened at the contact instantly, but relaxed when he saw that it meant no harm. The gesture was foreign, that's all.

February rung in with a flourishing friendship between two seemingly opposite people. The numerous spectators at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had different views about it, but none of them deterred them. They were lost in their own little world. Nothing could seem to go wrong. She would often break down in tears in front of him, but wouldn't cover them up in defense as if he were to take advantage of her vulnerability. Instead, she would laugh at his visible discomfort and numerous failed tries to make her stop crying her eyes out. She would wipe her tears away and then pat his shoulder assuringly, as if he was the one doing the crying in the first place. This surely frustrated him and the little girl in her always snickered on seeing him all riled up. He was protective, probably because he had never had any real friends before. The fact would disturb her for a while, but his genuine smile would make her forget all about it. She was often found sitting with him during their same classes, much to the confusion and suspicion of Pansy Parkinson. Said girl kept sending glances their way every five minutes, her face unreadable but her eyes full of hurt and something Hermione couldn't quite put a finger on. Hermione never understood what the girl who tried to hand Harry over to Voldemort wanted or did, but she never actually paid any attention. She knew that she shouldn't be judging people based on what they did under the threat of War, but that's all that came to her mind when she thought about the Parkinson heiress. Truthfully, she didn't remember ever interacting with Malfoy's sidekick before. It was like she was always invisible. Who wasn't when the Malfoy heir was strutting about the Castle floors, acting as if his father owned the bloody world? She had scoffed annoyedly at the memory.

Everything was going merrily in their little world, until the cursed day when Ron Weasley turned up at dinner. He had come to see his girlfriend and his sister, and had brought Harry Potter along as a buy-one-get-one package. Hermione had unfortunately been sitting at the Gryffindor table that night, having had a wonderful lunch with the Slytherins. Theodore had watched as they marched into the Great Hall while the students applauded the remaining of the Golden Trio. McGonagall had introduced them to the students- 'As if nobody already knew the very famous Harry Potter, Boy Wonder extraordinaire and his redheaded sidekick,' Theodore thought with an invisible sneer aimed at them- and then let them sit at their beloved House table, with their best friend. Hermione had beamed at them hugely, making Theodore think that she had rarely ever given him that kind of smile, though it had been plenty of times, before she hugged the both of them tightly. Ginny followed her lead, her hug lingering on Harry's chest. Ron rolled his eyes at their obvious love. 

Theodore watched on as the happy little group ate dinner, Hermione gushing over their unexpected appearance all throughout it with weary eyes. He had just found himself a great friend and a support for all his darkness and he did not want to lose her to someone who hadn't even seen her in months. No, he was not at all possessive. He was simply...protective. Yes, that was the correct word.

That's when the Weasel- yes, he still called him that, he deserved it, the annoying little git- decided to destroy everything about their friendship by bloody proposing to Hermione Granger. And she accepted it! How could she? She was silent for a while, and then jumped onto him, giving him a very intimate hug. Theodore was suddenly glad that she hated the PDA thing, as Muggles liked to call it. However, he felt his rage boiling as they were practically making googly-eyes at each other for the remainder of the dinner. How surprising, the undeserving redheaded git had just earned himself a fiancee! He had scoffed so loudly that some of the heads turned to him.

After dinner, Hermione had been pulled away by Ron, demanding some alone time. They had kissed in an empty corridor, Hermione feeling a bit lost in the way their lips moved against each other. Then when they had pulled apart, he had begun to recite most of the expeditions he had been on as a Trainee in the Auror Department. That's when the forbidden part came up.

"Hermione, I've been meaning to talk to you about this," he began as he moved closer to her on the grass. They were now on the Castle grounds, lying on their backs, staring at the star-filled sky. She turned to look at him, her eyebrows raised. He cleared his throat, and said, "I heard the rumours about you and Nott. Is is true?"

She looked at him, searching for any signs of where the conversation was headed, but answered after failing. "Yes, in fact, Ronald. We're really good friends. He means just as much to me as do you and Harry. He has supported me through these months and I have supported him. It's unexpected, really." She laughed a little.

Ron looked a little uncomfortable as he said the next part of his original plan. "But, 'Mione, he may try to harm you. He's a Death-Eater's son, after all. There will always be a very dark side to him. I thought you knew that." She rolled her eyes, but before she could get a word out in protest, he quickly continued, "You know that people can never entirely change, Hermione. Look at it logically. I think you should cut off your friendship with him. Please, for me," he added as she gave him an incredulous look.

Hermione stared at him in shock. He was asking to her to lose her best friend aside from Ginny at Hogwarts?! It wasn't even remotely possible. She wouldn't do it in a million years. It would break her heart, not to mention his too. She didn't say anything beside a simple bye as curfew was near, and got up and walked away swiftly. She had decided not to tell Theo this, as he would only try to do something to someone or most likely himself. He could be the self-harming type sometimes. The faded marks on his wrist were proof.

They continued as if Ron had never happened and honestly, Theo loved it. He disliked the Weasel anyway. Their exams had come and gone, with Hermione making him do so much of extra studying and freaking out every time the topic was brought up. The last week at Hogwarts though, something had happened. It made Hermione make the decision of leaving Theo forever. It would be easier for him if he didn't have to choose. His life was very hard already. It shattered through her heart like the Confringo spell, but she didn't want to become a pain to anybody. Even if she had to break a few hearts in the process. She knew that Theo would blame her 'bloody Gryffindor heart' if he ever knew, but that's where he was wrong. She wouldn't tell him. It would be easier and less painful to let go without him knowing.

Walking towards the library on her last Sunday at her most cherished castle, Hermione was excited to meet Theo there. They had decided upon her corner as their usual meeting place in the afternoons. They always had the dorms, but it was easier to talk in the library without feeling drowsy and nostalgic all the time.("You don't really think that, do you, 'Mione?" he had asked incredulously. But had given up trying after her simple nod. Oh well.) Sure, she would miss the library and the Great Hall more than anything, but what was better than spending as much time as she could in what had been her safe haven since Fourth Year, when the incessant giggling of the girls on the matter of the Yule Ball annoyed her to no extent. Honestly, had they nothing else to talk and bloody giggle about? They were so exasperating.

When she reached the library, she quickly rushed through the doors and smiled back at Madame Pince, lingering in front of her desk to watch her transformation from very kind to very stern in a split second. She wondered how the old woman did it. As she began walking towards her desk- Theo had claimed it as theirs during early March itself, much to the amusement of Hermione- she couldn't help it as her ears perked at the two hushed voices coming from nearby. She instantly rushed behind a bookshelf and began to flip through them, not wanting the people to think that she was trying to listen in. Nonetheless, she gasped as she recognised the warm and familiar voice.

"I love you, you know that, right? I mean it every single time I say it. Believe me, please," Theo said, looking at the black-haired girl sitting across from him. Her back was faced towards the direction of the bookshelf Hermione was hiding behind. The brown-haired witch could only squint her eyes in concentration as she thought about the various witches she passed by daily in the hallways, trying her best to figure who she was. A second later, Theo's words got to her and she stilled. Her best friend had just confessed his love to a witch. And by the sound of it, he had done it many times before. Hermione repressed the strong urge to squeal in delight with a tight hand clamped to her mouth. 'That is so unlike me! Ginny is rubbing off really hard on me,' she thought with an inward scowl aimed at herself.

Unconscious of Hermione's presence, the witch sitting in front of Theo slowly nodded her head and her eyes looked warmer than before. She said in a tender voice, completely out of the character her good-for-nothing parents had shaped her to be, "Of course I know that, Theo! Why would you even say that? I love you too, and you know it. It's just that...well, you know my weakness. I get really jealous very quickly. There, I even admit it. I despise myself immensely for having that pathetic quality, but no matter how hard I try, it just doesn't go away." She groaned lightly in frustration.

"I know, and I just want to clarify this, okay? Hermione and I are just friends, best friends. Nothing more, nothing less. She is like a sister to me. You do not have any reason to be jealous, Pansy. I love you, and only you. My relationship with Hermione is solely platonic and fraternal. Please, try to understand that." Theo was now looking at her with a very loving expression, his usually straight face now stretched into a soft smile that could only be taught by love. Hermione was surprised to see it, at the most. She knew that he didn't just go around, trusting and loving anyone and everyone around the corner. But when he loved, he loved with all his heart and soul. He put his everything into it. And that is what she loved so much about him.

But then she actually heard what he had said, and her face contorted into confusion and incredulity. Pansy, as in the Pansy Parkinson? And what was this about her suspecting something between Theo and her? Was she crazy? They were exactly what he had said- best friends. Nothing more, nothing less. He loved her and respected her, she trusted him and adored him. There wasn't any chance about something happening between them. Besides, she was already engaged to Ron.

She watched on as Pansy groaned yet again, and Theo lifted her head and cupped her face. Hermione blushed and turned around, not wanting to see their obvious romantic moment. Only she knew that seeing that would definitely scar her for life. She playfully shuddered. She continued flipping books, not really paying any attention. Her mind was on the words that Pansy had said. They had piqued her interest. She tried to recall ever meeting her this year, wanting to see her face in her memories, at least. She remembered walking past a green-robe-clad Slytherin girl on her way to Potions one morning. Another memory came up of her staring back at the same girl as they were seated in their Charms class. She had always been called pug-faced, but Hermione couldn't see the similarities at all. Her nose was normal, and she looked pretty with her ruby red lips and olive green eyes. Beautiful, even. No surprise that Theo had fallen for her. And because he had, she was sure that even the youngest of the Parkinson family had changed. After all, they had known each other since young, she knew from Theo.

She blushed a very deep red on hearing Pansy whisper another love confession to him, her voice being carried by the silence the library was submerged in. She heard their voices again a moment later, and deeming it somewhat safe, she turned.

"Pansy, why do you have to do this? I know you don't want to get hurt after Malfoy, but you know I would never even think of hurting you. I can't promise you forever, because that's inconsistent, but I do promise you now. I won't make promises I can't keep. I promise that we're in this for the long run. Then why, Pans?" he said, sounding desperate and broken. She hadn't heard him being this broken since the last time he'd cried, and that was months ago. She wondered what on Earth was wrong? Was this because of her? Her logical side pleaded with her to think it through, but her self-blaming side had already made a decision for her. And what Pansy said next only confirmed it.

Pansy's green eyes teared up at his words. She didn't want to do this either. It would hurt him so much. But her damned family had installed that side in her. The side that couldn't be satisfied until he was all hers. Somewhere deep down, she knew that he only cared for Hermione as a sister. But that was ignored completely. And she hated it. She hated to see him so broken. 

"Theo, you know I love you. So much. I just can't take it anymore. All these rumours about you and Granger, they infuriate me. I-I may seem so selfish, but is it too bad of me to want you all to myself? After Draco, I realised that I had never actually loved him. We were betrothed, you know? By our family. We had our decisions to be considered, but we never knew anybody else who would be our true love. We had just gone with the flow. And then, we called it off just after the...War, and surprisingly, I didn't feel anything. I thought I loved him. But the thing is, I didn't. Never. I love you. I am so sorry, Theo, but, you have to choose. Between me and her. Please do it for me, Theo. I would never ask such a horrid thing from you, but it's not me. It's my jealousy. And hopefully, it will be gone soon." She stood up after her little speech, trying her best not to break down into uncontrollable sobs. She had said that wholely with raw emotion. No mask this time.

Theo almost choked on his own spit at her words. What?! He would have to choose? That was impossible! Whoever could make a choice between the girl they loved and the person who had helped them become themselves, helped in finding them? There was no way in hell that he was going to let Hermione go. But there was even less of a chance of letting Pansy become the one that got away. He loved her too much for that. He needed time. Yes. Maybe he could even prove to Pansy that Hermione was his sister and the Weasel's fiance? Trying couldn't hurt, could it? He stared at her path even after she was long gone. Why? Why did something like this always have to happen to him? He sat there with his head in his hands, grumbling silently about his doomed life.

What he didn't notice was that there was a brown-haired witch standing just behind a bookshelf, her face sporting a far-away look. What he didn't know was that she had just stumbled upon a decision. What he didn't know was that decision largely concerned him. What he didn't know was that he would eventually deem it the worst decision The Cleverest Witch Of Her Age could have ever made, accepting Ronald Weasley's marriage proposal included. Oh, if only he knew what was going on in that brilliant brain of hers. If only he knew that she was going to make him want to hunt her down and demand answers for her stupid action. If only he knew that it was going to shatter his heart into a billion unrepairable pieces. If only he knew.

Finite Incantatem

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This chapter, oh my stars, it's impossible to describe how I've written, scratched, rewritten, torn the entire page and then rewritten this chapter. The longest in my whole fourteen-year-old life! And that's saying something!

The song on the top is The Gift Of a Friend, by the one and only Demi Lovato. Yeah, you a Lovatic? Me too!

Yours truly,

DoveMalfoy19 <3

Say D-R-A-M-I-O-N-E! DRAMIONE!