The Gloriana Set

Dinner With Snakes

Hermione found helping Theo an absorbing task. He would be joining her Potions class and Bluebell's DADA seminar (despite his lack of war experience). It was quite relaxing to sit with him in the library, drawing up summaries and priority grids, and unlike Harry and Ron, Theo let her color-code his study schedules.

"Hermione," Theo said finally. "Hermione!"

"Yes?" she asked, looking up. "Do you need me to annotate the—"

"Sweet Salazar, you are relentless," Theo said, standing. "It's dinnertime."

"I'm not hungry," she said, waving her wand to rearrange his schedule again. He can't do the sentient transfiguration essay before the non-sentient essay, how can I make it ...

"Well, I am, and we are leaving right now." He grasped her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"But our books, our notes ..."

"Nobody would dare touch Hermione Granger's notes," Theo said decidedly. "Let's go."

He pulled her all the way to the Great Hall and retained her hand even as they entered. The environment in the hall was subdued and any noise stopped completely as people saw their clasped hands.

"Theo," she hissed. "People are going to think—acquaintances, remember?"

"Inter-House unity," he said.

She halted. "Of course," she said, pulling her hand back. "You want me to join your House for dinner."

He looked down at her, his green eyes serious. "We as a House did not write that message, nor do we support it. Show everyone that you believe that. Please."

"This is quite Slytherin of you," she said.

"Yes, it is." Theo lowered his voice. "I'm asking you to do this for us, just one time. But that isn't why I want to be acquainted."

Hermione looked up at him, considering. Theo wasn't as tall as Malfoy, so talking to him up close was a bit more comfortable. Talking to him in general was more comfortable. And she liked his plan. She didn't believe the entire House was behind the message. And even if a Slytherin had cast the spell—and she was by no means convinced of that—it was unfair to blame the rest of the House. She looked over at the Slytherin table, and the sight of the little First Years silently hunched over their plates settled the matter.

"Will you follow my study schedules if I sit with your House tonight?" she asked Theo.

He smiled. "Most faithfully."

"Lead on, then."

Their footsteps were loud in the deathly quiet hall as Theo led her to two empty seats opposite Malfoy. There were always empty seats around Malfoy. All the Slytherin males stood at her arrival and waited for her to sit before resuming their places. Malfoy's face was expressionless, but the fingers on his right hand drummed lightly on the table. Hermione hated her sudden impulse to place her hand over his to stop it.

"Malfoy," she said politely. Anything worth doing was worth doing well.

"Granger," he responded. "Pumpkin juice?"

"No, thank you."

"Apple cider?" Theo asked, a glass pitcher at ready.

"Yes, thank you," she said. Malfoy looked affronted. Damn it, Malfoy, I just like cider better! Theo's smug smile didn't help.

"Nice to see you, Hermione," Zabini said from further down the table. "Good party last night."

"Thank you all for joining us," Hermione said, forcing a smile. She put her napkin on her lap and snuck another glance at Malfoy, who was absorbed in slicing and eating slivers of chicken in a fussy way completely foreign to her experience with Gryffindor boys.