The Gloriana Set

Notorious

"What the hell did you do to Lavender?" Ginny asked Sunday morning, stuffing a toothbrush into her toiletries bag.

"What do you mean?" Hermione pulled on a black jumper, her bushy head popping out the top.

"I mean, I got back to the room last night to find out you'd left not ten minutes before. Lavender was freaking out, screaming that you tried to kill her."

"Nonsense." Hermione tied up her hair with a gold ribbon. She looked and felt much better today. Time with Theo appeared to be therapeutic.

Ginny put her hands on her hips, Molly Weasley-style. "Hermione Jean Granger, did you or did you not shatter our window?"

"That was an accident."

"What did you say, then?" Ginny persisted. "It took forever to get Lavender out from under the bed."

Hermione stuffed a cloak into her beaded bag. "Coming to breakfast?"

"Hermione!" Ginny pulled her over to sit down on Hermione's bed. Crookshanks immediately jumped up to get as much orange hair as possible on Hermione's black sweater. "What's going on? Lavender said that you went absolutely spare, and that she can't sleep here anymore. Then she packed up all her stuff and left!"

"What? Really?" Hermione looked around. The giant stuffed bear was gone from Lavender's bed, along with her trunk and all those weird googly-eyed dolls from her desk, and the pictures in pink, heart-shaped frames. "Lavender's gone?"

"She's rooming with Parvati and a couple of Seventh Years."

Hermione grinned. "I should've done this years ago."

"That. That is what I'm talking about," Ginny said, pointing at her. "You are not acting like yourself this year at all." She stared at Hermione fixedly. "Let me guess ... Malfoy, right? Funny how he's always a part of your little episodes."

Hermione looked away, her hand stroking Crookshanks' fur. "Maybe."

"Well?"

Hermione sighed and gave it to her straight. "Malfoy shagged Lavender."

Ginny's jaw dropped. "I don't believe it."

"Believe it. There I was, innocently getting ready to meet Theo, and Lavender presents the latest episode of the Slytherin Sex-God Chronicles starring Draco Malfoy and his wonder dick." The drums were starting to beat inside her head again. She really needed to calm down about this.

"Oh Merlin," Ginny breathed, wide-eyed. "Are you sure—"

"Apparently, I haven't lived until I have that blond head between my legs," Hermione said bitterly.

"Merlin," Ginny said again. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

"Well, you ... you ... like Malfoy. I know you do. Ye gods, no wonder you shattered the window."

Hermione sighed. "Maybe. But he's betrothed to Astoria Greengrass and now apparently with a little Lavender on the side and I want no part of that mess."

"How do you know he's betrothed to Astoria?" Ginny asked shrewdly.

"Astoria told me."

"Before or after you choked her and slammed her into a wall?"

Hermione played with the beads on her bag, reluctant to bring up the attempted crucio. "She was being annoying."

"Annoying. Merlin," Ginny huffed. "Just because Astoria says they're betrothed doesn't mean it's true. She's been saying that for years. Malfoy's still a git, but he's been almost human this year. Neville says he hasn't insulted him once. That, along with the injury and snitch-catching—well, Malfoy's making headway with students despite the blood messages. People actually talk to him now. Astoria thinks she's got a string on him, and she's yanking it."