The Family Jewels

Has anyone else noticed that the cartoon character Danny Phantom looks just like Dan Radcliffe? Again, subliminal? You be the judge.

Chapter 23
The Fallout

Ronald Weasley did not indulge in self-delusion, he knew himself well. There were many attractive adjectives that could be used to describe his five older brothers: intelligent, charming, brave, handsome, athletic, funny. It was not that he thought that he didn’t have some of each of these qualities himself; it just seemed as if the others had specialized in something to make them stand apart from the rest. He had never been able to find his special niche, it seemed that no matter what he did, one of his brothers had always done it before him, and done it better to boot.

He was best friends with the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter, and the smartest witch to come through Hogwarts in a generation, Hermione Granger. He loved them, needed them, but he was finally starting to feel the pull toward someone and something else. Pansy Parkinson occupied a great deal of his thoughts, but it was a comforting presence, so that he was able to concentrate during class, keep his temper and excel on the Quidditch field, as long as she was there with that smile that was just for him.

He and Pansy now spent almost all their free time together, talking and just being. Ron had never felt freer around another person in his life, and he couldn’t even explain how it had happened. Ron now had a much different view of the members of Slytherin house than he had ever had before. He knew that Harry was deeply upset about Hermione’s closeness with Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy, but he just couldn’t seem to find it in himself to want to butt into their private lives. Hermione was still important to him, but she seemed happy. Zabini had placed her under his protection, and Malfoy seemed to be as far from a carbon copy of his father as he could possibly be. He wanted to be sure that she was safe, but he was unwilling to interfere in her choices if the end result was making her feel so content.

Harry walked into the Great Hall for breakfast at about 8:45 on Sunday morning. He sat next to Ron with a deep sigh, seeing Draco and Blaise eating at the Slytherin table, apparently in good moods. “Look at them, would you? Sitting there like nothing is wrong,” Harry spat at Ron, nodding at them.

“Harry, did you ever think that maybe nothing is wrong? We’ve all seen Hermione hanging out with the two of them. Blaise is her boyfriend and Draco is the Head Boy. Those guys are in all her classes, they actually like studying with her.” He paused. “We’ve kissed her too, you know.”

“Not like that,” Harry retorted.

“Speak for yourself, mate,” Ron said with a smile. “I was bloody well in love with her, but we just weren’t right for each other. Is that what this is about? That you haven’t kissed her like that? And before you answer, let me remind you that you’re in love with my sister.”

“Of course I love Ginny, I just hate to see those Slytherins have Hermione,” Harry said this without letting his brain censor it first.

“Harry, I hate to break it to you, but she’s not yours to give. If not them, then who do you deem worthy to have her? She’s a thinking, walking, talking, gorgeous witch. Damned independent too. I’m not going to say anything to her about who she kisses,” Ron said, shaking his head.

“What about that ritual I saw last night? Don’t you think that’s mighty suspicious?” Harry was not ready to let this go.

“Well, that did sound pretty odd, but how are you going to ask her about it without admitting that you were stalking her last night? She’ll hex you for sure!” Ron said.

“I was not stalking her,” Harry said heatedly in a low voice.

“That’s good to know,” Ginny Weasley said in a fake indifferent voice, sitting next to her brother rather than next to her boyfriend, as was her usual custom. “And just who would you not be stalking?”

“Hermione,” Ron said quietly.

“I thought you two were okay with her and Blaise,” Ginny said with a small laugh.

“I am okay with that,” said Harry, “I’m just not sure that I’m okay that Malfoy apparently is allowed to join in.”

“What do you mean – join in?” she asked angrily.

“Harry, you’re on your own for this one. I have a date,” and with that, Ron got up from the table and walked over to Pansy, holding an arm out to her. She got up from the Slytherin table and he kissed her on the cheek.

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Blaise Zabini had made it a priority to keep an eye on Potter and Weasley for some time now. It was highly unusual for them to have a disagreement over anything. Something was wrong with them this morning, and now Little Weasley was looking daggers at her boyfriend. He reached up to touch the silk covered amulet around his neck; it seemed to be giving him some sort of signal. Blaise was about to dismiss it, when he noticed that Draco was making the same gesture. Both of them at the same time was no coincidence. ‘Where was Hermione?’ was all he was thinking.

“Where is she Blaise?” Draco asked in a tight voice.

Thankfully, Hermione walked into breakfast with a small smile on her face at that moment. They were both dismayed to find that she settled herself in the seat that Ron Weasley had so recently vacated. Almost immediately, a broken and hurt expression crossed her face at whatever Potter said to her. Blaise and Draco rose from the Slytherin table as one and walked over to Gryffindor.

“Can you explain what you were doing then, Hermione?” Potter was asking in a tone that Draco did not care for in the least when he came up behind Hermione, shoulder to shoulder with Blaise.

Draco was thankful that Blaise was the first one to speak. “Maybe we can continue this discussion in a more private location?” Blaise said in his calm voice, only Draco and Hermione knowing how deeply angry he must be from looking into his dark blue, almost black eyes.

Hermione and Ginny rose from the table, seeing the wisdom in Blaise’s words. Harry, however, was looking at all of them as if he didn’t know them. Ginny’s hand on Harry’s shoulder seemed to bring him back to himself, and he rose as well.

Blaise took Hermione’s hand and he led her back up to the Head common room, Ginny and Harry following, with Draco bringing up the rear. The fact that it was Blaise who murmured the password to the Head Dorm in an undertone seemed to add to Potter’s anger.

Harry Potter was a powerful wizard, and everyone in the room turned to him as the portrait swung shut. Harry only had eyes for Hermione, when he asked again in a bitterly angry voice, “Can you explain what you were doing then, Hermione?”

Hermione was glad that Blaise and Draco were on either side of her and Ginny’s angry expression seemed to be aimed at Harry, not at her. “Harry, I am going to give you an answer because you are my best friend, not because I approve of you spying on us. If you wanted to know what we were doing last night, you should have asked us then, because I, for one, am not ashamed.”

Draco and Blaise shared a long look. They knew that Potter had an invisibility cloak, and while they were angry that he had intruded on what they had believed to be a private, important event, they had discussed how they were going to come out to their friends. It seemed that the moment was now upon them.

Draco turned his icy grey eyes to Potter. “Am I to understand that you snuck up to the Astronomy Tower last night and spied on us?” He was going to say more when he saw the looks both Hermione and Blaise were giving him. Leaving them to it, Draco did an about face and stared out the window at the Quidditch pitch.

Harry answered Hermione as if Draco had not spoken. “I am asking you now, because last night I wasn’t sure if you were under the Imperious or not.” Draco’s hands came up and gripped the window frame in a death grip at his words, but he did not respond in any other way.

“I can assure you that I was not under the Imperious.” Hermione drew the Talisman of Venus out from under her clothes. “Draco gave me this last night to protect me from the Death Eaters. Do you know what it is?”

Ginny answered for them. “That’s a Talisman of Venus. Are you really bound to them?”

Blaise pulled the Talisman of Mars from under his jumper and showed it to her. “The three of us have pledged to protect one another. I love Hermione. Did you think I would do any less?”

“Zabini, you are not the issue here. What does he have to do with it?” Harry asked, pointing at Draco.

“I love Draco, too. Harry, I was going to tell you yesterday out on the pitch, but Ron showed up.” Hermione’s eyes were pleading with him for understanding.

“Ron apparently thinks that we should stay out of your private life as long as you are happy,” Harry said with a derisive laugh.

“That’s my boy,” Ginny said, a trifle smugly.

“You mean you don’t have a problem with this? It’s fine that Hermione is fucking two Slytherins at the same time? There’s probably a sign-up sheet in the Slytherin common room for whoever wants a piece of her,” Harry yelled at Ginny.

Blaise and Draco both drew their wands and advanced on Harry at quite an alarming rate, but Hermione was able to wave them back. “Harry, none of us asked for this situation to happen. I fell in love with both of them, and they fell in love with me. No one can plan these things. Instead of forcing me to choose one, we decided to try to be together, the three of us. I’m sorry if you don’t understand, but we are hardly the first three people in the world who have had this happen to them.”

She took Blaise’s hand and held her hand out for Draco. He dropped a kiss on her wrist before holding it tightly. Draco spoke in a low voice, “I love her and I actually want to thank you for protecting her all these years.”

Harry was actually not the arsehole that he was appearing to be at the time. He sat down heavily on the couch behind him and covered his face with his hands. “Mione, how can you trust him, after all the things he’s said and done, who his father is?” Harry was pleading with her now.

Hermione sat next to Harry on the couch very carefully. “He is not his father Harry, and I do trust him. I love him. Please, try to understand.”

Harry looked up at Ginny, and she nodded at him very slightly. If Ginny said it was true, he had to believe it. “Mione, if you love them, then I accept them. I must be out of my mind, but I’ll accept them for you.”

Harry stood up and addressed both Draco and Blaise. “Keep her safe always. She comes first.” They both nodded.

“Do you want us to swear, Potter?” Draco asked in a sneering voice.

“Yes, actually, I do. That would be grand. Since we’re all being so honest with each other, let’s put it on the table.”

Harry, Draco and Blaise held their wands up. Draco said, “I, Viscount Draconis Julian Malfoy, promise to love and protect Hermione Jean Granger with my life.” Blaise went next, “I, Blaise Gianni Zabini promise to love and protect Hermione Jean Granger with my life.” The three then touched wand tips and they glowed green.

“Are you happy now, Harry?” Hermione asked.

“No, I’m not happy, but I suppose it will have to do.” Harry held his arms out to her and gave her a quick hug. “Am I even allowed to hug you anymore, Mione?” he asked in a mock whisper.

“Just don’t make a habit of it, Potter,” Draco said, putting his arms around her and drawing her back to Blaise, who reached out and caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers.

“Maybe we should be going,” Ginny piped up, she was anxious to have words with Harry herself. Harry took Ginny’s hand and they left.

“Well, that went well,” Blaise said. The other two just looked at him with blank expressions for a minute before catching the wicked twinkle in his eyes and laughing a little in relief that the worst was over.

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Dreamweaver – My talisman was actually a gift from my ex-mother-in-law, who lives in Paris. Apparently, it doesn’t always maintain the affection of lovers. Maybe only the ones who should be together.