𝐌𝐎𝐂𝐇𝐀 | 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦

twenty-seven

    "Ready?"
    Hermione swallowed and nodded, hugging her purse close to her chest. She and Harry just stepped off of the elevator, and he kept a comforting hand on her shoulder as they walked through the lobby of the Ministry of Magic.
    Harry Apparated them to the little café that they had used to meet at while Hermione was interning and Harry and Ron were in training. Hermione blinked back a wave of nostalgia at the memories it brought to mind. She glanced at Harry and knew that he was feeling it too.
    "Let's go," Harry said after they spent a minute outside. Hermione followed him through the door, and the all-too-familiar ring of the bell sounded. Ron wasn't there yet- typically late, so Hermione and Harry sat at their usual table. The table that had been their usual.
    The waitress stopped by to take their drinks orders, a young new girl Hermione had never seen there before. Their waitress before had always been Sybil, a cranky old witch with a soft spot for Harry. Hermione absentmindedly ordered Ron's usual, as she always had before. When the waitress- Mandy- walked away with a smile, Harry looked at Hermione, surprised, and she groaned when she realized what she had done. "Wow."
    Harry smiled weakly. "Habit?"
    "Sorry I'm late!" Ron exclaimed, sliding into the booth next to Harry. His perpetually messy hair flopped into his eyes and he shook it out, looking up at them both with a pleading look. "Sorry! Sorry. Did the waitress come by?"
    "Hermione ordered your drink," Harry said quietly, looking up at Hermione over his glasses. Ron paused in his fidgeting, looking at her.
    "Thanks," he said after a minute.
    "No problem," she replied. Silence, until Mandy brought their drinks.
    "How have things been?" Ron asked.
    Hermione shrugged. "Pretty good. Pansy's trial ended yesterday... in her favor, of course."
    "Ron, did I tell you that they let that bastard in the room?" Harry said, turning to the redhead. Ron's eyes widened.
    "They didn't!" he exclaimed.
    "They did," Hermione replied.
    "Bloody hell! And he was just there?" Ron asked, outraged. Hermione shared the feeling.
    "They even let him testify," Hermione told him.
    "No shit?"
    "He was chained up and everything," Harry added.
    "So? That doesn't mean anything," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "You've seen that guy."
    Harry sighed. "Yeah, I know."
    "Merlin, I hope he goes to Azkaban," Ron said. "Why are they even giving him a trial? Why are they even letting him testify in a trial?"
    Harry shrugged. "Beats me, mate."
    "They probably don't want to seem biased," Hermione said.
    "Biased? When he kidnapped you and Malfoy and left my bloody sister blind? I don't think it's bias to put him away, it's common sense," Ron said.
    "Yeah," Hermione said sadly. "Ginny's been really upset recently."
    "Has she?" Ron asked, his eyes softening. "She won't talk to me, ever since-well, you know. I don't blame her."
    Hermione tilted her head. "She hates it. She can't do most of the things that she loves."
    "Zabini's been helping her, though, right?" Ron asked. "That's what Harry said."
    "Yes, he has," Hermione said, slightly surprised at Ron's acceptance of Blaise.
    Ron nodded to himself. "That's good. That's good. He can protect her."
    Hermione rolled her eyes. "You know that Ginny can protect herself."
    "Not as well," Harry interjected. "She's been deprived of one of the core senses that she used to rely on."
    "I guess you have a point," Hermione conceded.
    "I know she can protect herself, I'm just worried," Ron said. "If Mum loses another child, I don't know what we'll do. She still hasn't gotten over Fred... I see her in the middle of the night sitting in front of the clock."
    Hermione swallowed, her eyes misting. She hadn't seen the Weasleys' big grandfather clock recently, but she knew that Fred's hand was stuck in Mortal Peril, as it had been ever since the battle. The thought of Mrs. Weasley, alone, watching Fred's picture that had gone still- well, it was enough to break anyone's heart.
    "It's okay, she's doing better," Ron said, noticing her distress. "Dad stays home a lot to help her."
    "Maybe she should see a Muggle therapist," Hermione suggested. "I don't think that they have them in the Wizarding World, but they're really helpful. They helped while I was looking for my parents."
    "They find people?" Ron blinked.
    "No," Harry piped in. "I had to see a therapist when I was with the Durselys. Well, a counselor, really. She said that I was a compulsive liar, though, so that didn't really help."
    Hermione glared at Harry, and he blinked innocently back, saying, "What?"
    "I don't know if that will help Mum..."
    "No, Ron, a therapist is someone who helps people through their emotions," Hermione said, "put simply."
    "Oh." He turned to Harry. "What the hell are you on about?"
    Harry shrugged. "I'm just saying!"
    "When you were with the Dursleys! How old were you, eight?"
    "Ten!"
    Hermione rolled her eyes, but she found herself grinning as they sank back into the familiarity of all three of them together. "There's more important things to worry about than Harry's therapist from when he was ten."
    "Well, pardon me," Harry said, pretending to be offended.
    "Like what, grades?" Ron asked grinning.
    "Yeah, Ron. You could get killed. Or worse- expelled!" Harry said, a look of horror on his face. Hermione scowled and Harry and Ron burst into laughter.
    "That was a long time ago," she sniffed.
    "You act as if you wouldn't say that now," Harry snorted.
    Hermione simply crossed her arms, knowing that he had a point and Ron and Harry found it hilarious, cracking themselves up all over again.
    After an hour or so, after they'd had lunch, they were walking back toward the train to get back to the Ministry. "So, are you coming to brunch on Sunday?" Hermione asked Ron curiously.
    "If you have no objection to me being there," Ron said with a shrug. "Or Malfoy."
    "You should ask Ginny," Harry muttered. Ron shuddered at the memory of his sister's wrath, including her legendary Bat-Boogey Hex.
    "You should come," Hermione said. "Draco won't mind. Oh, speaking of that, he said he had a surprise for brunch on Sunday."
    "What is it?" Harry asked instantly.
    "It's a surprise, you daft idiot," Hermione said, stepping onto the train.
    "Yeah, don't you know what surprise means, Harry?" Ron cajoled.
    "Don't pretend you weren't about to ask the same thing," Harry snapped back.
    "Well, I don't know," Hermione said. "I think he's been working on it for a long time."
    "I'm sure it'll be great," Harry said sarcastically. Hermione smacked his arm.
    "Great to know you still do that," Ron said, scooting out of her arm's reach.
    "Oh, shut it," Hermione said.
   
    "So? How was today?"
    Hermione turned around, closing the door behind her, and burst into a smile at the sight of her fiancé in the living room. "You're home early!"
    "Yep," he said with a smile.
    "Are you sure you aren't missing anything?" she asked worriedly.
    "Just you. But now you're here, so... nope!"
    "Well, I appreciate it," Hermione said happily, dropping her bag on the couch.
    "How did lunch go?" Draco asked, sitting down next to her.
    "It was actually really good," Hermione said with a soft smile. "There was no fighting... it was exactly like it always was back at Hogwarts."
    "That's wonderful, love," Draco said. "And Ron was good to you?"
    Hermione nodded. "He's coming to brunch on Sunday."
    "Oh, good," Draco said. "Another person to be my audience."
    "For what?" Hermione asked.
    "You'll just have to see," he said with a grin. She smacked him.
    "Honestly, though, it was really nice with the three of us together as friends again," Hermione said quietly, her eyes misting again. "I didn't realize how much I missed it."
    Draco hugged her close. "I know how you feel- that happened to Blaise, Pansy and I after Pansy and I had a fall-out."
    "Yeah," Hermione said. "It's just nice. To be together without conflict."
    Draco laughed softly. "Isn't it?"
    Hermione realized that he was referring to the two of them and smacked his hand weakly. "You were the instigator, you know."
    "You slapped me."   
    "Because you were being a git," she sniffed. 
    "Maybe."
    "You were!"
    "Perhaps. Do you want to go to dinner? We haven't been out in a while," Draco said.
    "Really? I'd love to," Hermione said, beaming.
    "Just the two of us," Draco said lightly. "Our friends are fun, but... "
    "Exhausting," Hermione finished, pulling her shoes on.
    "Exactly. Ready?" he asked, offering her his arm.
    "Well, thank you," she giggled as they locked the door behind them, walking down the hallway arm-in-arm as the chorus of Just the Two of Us floated after them from somewhere down the hall.