✖He's Not Mine [An Utterly Ridiculous Dramione Baby Story . . . Sort-of]

TWENTY

FAMILY DOESN'T END IN BLOOD

Quite a few students tried to get Pansy off the table, and while they succeeded in convincing her not to play strip poker with fifteen year olds, they weren't so successful with the other two. Pansy had very willingly traded strip poker with everyone for a game with anyone who was willing.

Hermione refused to play, along with Harry and Neville. Hannah, Ginny, and Lavender did their best to persuade them and the other Seventh Years to join, but Hermione's firm resolve fuelled the others.

The game was down to Draco, Blaise, Hannah, Ginny, Pansy, Lavender, Ron, Dean, Padma, Terry Boot, and surprisingly, Luna.

Most left to their common rooms to get some sleep, others fell asleep in the Room of Requirement.

Hermione woke up first and surveyed the mess. Ron and Padma dropped out quite early in the game. Both of them had lost five hands each and they had only played ten hands by then. It was clear that neither of them would get the hang of it soon and didn't want to end up stark naked in the first ten minutes of the game.

Terry Boot dropped out when he had gotten rid of almost everything and quickly joined Ron, both of them sitting in their jeans and watching as the game got more competitive.

Lavender threw her cards down and threatened to run away if they didn't let her leave by the time she was down to her jeans and underwear. Those watching found her spectacle amusing. Blaise quickly followed Lavender when he realised Lavender was the only person with worse luck than him.

By three in the morning, it was down to Draco, Luna, Ginny, and Pansy. After losing both her socks, Luna dropped out and fell asleep almost immediately in front of the fire.

Everyone was stunned that she'd held out so long.

When Pansy was down to her underwear, Blaise threw Ron's jacket -- it was closest to him -- at her. "Drop out now or I'll throw you in the Black Lake." Laughing, Pansy folded.

It was down to Ginny and Draco, both of whom kept miraculously finding more items to shed.

It was a great laugh for everyone to find that Ginny wore a bathing suit under her -- not surprisingly -- two piece dress. "What? Pansy mentioned the Black Lake at Hannah's party and I assumed we'd somehow end up there."

They were down to Draco in his boxers and Ginny in her one piece bathing suit.

"NO!" Ginny cried. Then, she pulled off the rubber band holding her hair up. "There, that's an item I was wearing. Come on, deal again."

When Draco was dealt the lower hand, he quickly ripped off the ring with his family emblem on it and dropped it on Ginny's jewellery that she had shed three rounds ago. "Ha," he told the redhead. "Last hand, Tampon Top, unless you're willing to strip further."

Harry's shoe hit Draco's shoulder while those that remained awake cheered in amusement. Ginny and Draco were becoming more creative as the game progressed . . . but sometimes not.

Ginny narrowed her eyes at Draco. "Bring it, grandfather."

Ginny was dealt the lower hand. "Wait!"

Calmly, she pulled out a few Bobby pins from her hair and dropped them on the table.

Draco slammed his cards down. "Fine! I surrender! Are you happy now?!"

"Very," Ginny said with a pleased smile as she grabbed only her rubber band and tied her hair up. "Good night." And she curled up next to Harry and was fast asleep.

Hermione smiled as she looked at all her half naked friends. Who said she couldn't have a little fun? The Room provided nicely and soon, she had a bucket of ice cold water poised over everyone. She waved her wand and the water came splashing down.

"Good morning, Hogwarts!" she shouted as everyone screamed themselves awake. Hermione almost fell down laughing, but stopped when everyone aimed their wands at her.

"Ready?" Harry yelled.

"Fire!" Ron shouted.

"Auguamenti!" everyone shouted as one, completely drenching Hermione.

Hermione glared at as many people as she could. "I hate you all," she grumbled, turning to leave.

The Hogwarts professors were surprised, and maybe horrified, to see some of their oldest students walking through the halls completely drenched, some of them half dressed, others pulling on items as they walked, all laughing as they trailed behind a fuming Hermione Granger.

"Minerva, maybe allowing a party was a bad --"

"Hush, Poppy. They deserve to enjoy their time here."

Madame Pomferey folded her arms and stared at the Headmistress. "If any of them come to me with pneumonia . . ."

Professor McGonagall only smiled at Madame Pomferey and turned her attention in the opposite direction of her students. After all, she could not reprimand them if she didn't see it.

■■■■■

Breakfast was exciting, to say the least. It seemed that following the war, the Hogwarts professors intended to bring everyone closer together, by force if necessary.

In the centre of the Great Hall, a large Christmas tree stood with innumerable gifts littered at the bottom. The younger students raced forward, grabbing boxes and shouting the names when they discovered it wasn't theirs.

Hermione had -- after showering and drying her drenched clothes -- fetched Tobias from the Headmistress and sat with him on the side, watching the students tear through the gifts.

Harry approached her with three wrapped gifts. He handed her one and set the other two down on the bench. Then he took Tobias from her. Hermione smiled as she tore at the wrapper. She knew what it was. She smiled even wider as she threw on the bright orange knitted jumper with a large yellow 'H'.

"Fits perfectly," she said with a smile. When she turned to Harry, she found him wearing his deep burgundy sweater and dressing Tobias in a mint sweater of his own. Hermione's jaw dropped. "Molly made one for Tobias? When?"

"Last night, probably," Ron said as he approached in his red sweater. "But that's not even the best part. Just wait a moment."

"Who made this for me?!" Lavender cried from next to the tree. She held up a navy blue sweater with a bright yellow 'L'.

Hermione felt like her jaw had really hit the floor. "What . . ."

Ron grinned and folded his arms. "Wait, it's not over yet."

Hermione watched as her new friends all revived a Weasley sweater from Molly.

"Hey, Brownie," Blaise shouted. "I've got one too!"

"Me too!" Pansy yelled. "Where'd they come from? Hey, Draco, did you get one?"

"Yeah, I thought you gave it to me."

"LONGBOTTOM HAS ONE TOO!" Blaise yelled.

"I got one!" Hannah shouted, waving a pale pink sweater in the air.

"Oh, Hermione," Ron said. "Don't cry, I'm sure mum made yours with more love."

"I'm not crying, you dunderhead."

Ron shrugged. "Sure looks like it," he mumbled.

Hermione smiled when she thought of Molly going home and deciding to make more sweaters because more people had become part of the family.

Part of the family . . . that sounded nice to Hermione. Pansy, Blaise, Draco . . . Slytherins as part of her family. Lavender, someone she thought she hated. Hannah, someone she had just got to know this year. Hermione smiled. If the war was going to continuously loom over her, she was determined to focus on the good it had done, no matter how small.