The Family Jewels

I read in an interview that Tom Felton wants to study Fishery Management. In my family, fishing is men in boats drinking beer, it is not a career.

Chapter 45
We Just Talked

Pansy leaned easily against Ron’s strong chest, talking about what had happened after the Quidditch match. His eyes never left hers when there were other girls around, he never had lame excuses for being late, hell, he was never late to meet her. She got to be a priority for the first time in her life, and she wasn’t thinking that she was going to give it up anytime soon. They hadn’t really talked about their feelings for one another, but she was becoming surer of hers as the days went by. She belonged to him and he belonged to her. Her hands slid along his shoulders, and he stopped talking mid-sentence, he was so distracted by her touch. She would have been smug if her reaction to him wasn’t much the same.

“Blaise wants to have a party in the Head common room to celebrate,” she said.

“I’m sorry, love, I was listening to you, I just missed that first part. What are we celebrating?” Ron asked, dragging himself back from watching her lips to actually listening to what she was saying.

“Well, Blaise and Draco decided that our best plan is to tell Snape that we are celebrating Slytherin’s Quidditch win over Gryffindor,” Pansy paused to caress his cheek after he winced, “and we are telling McGonagall that we are celebrating the Head Girl escaping from Draco’s father. That way everyone is happy.”

“Aren’t you worried they’ll find out?” Ron asked with a small frown.

“No. They never talk, and even if they did, we are celebrating both of those things. Just some people will be celebrating for one reason more than the other.” Pansy shrugged. It seemed pretty obvious to her that it would work out perfectly. Blaise’s plans almost always did, and he did throw the best parties.

“You know about the three of them, then?” Ron asked.

“You mean the Two Princes and the Head Girl? Yeah, those two have been looking for someone who was willing to take them both on for a while now,” Pansy said.

Ron was thrown by the offhand way she had thrown that out. “You make it sound like anyone would do,” he said, struggling to keep his anger out of his voice. Ron had stood up for the two of them over and over; he had believed that they both loved Hermione. What if that wasn’t the truth?

Pansy shrugged. She had seen Blaise and Draco go through dozens of girls. Shagging them individually and together, their own pleasure uppermost in their minds. “Maybe they’ve changed. They are never around in Slytherin anymore. Maybe they’ve grown up.”

“We all have to sometime,” Ron said.

He was looking at her with a message in his eyes, but she smiled at him guilelessly. “Yes, love, I suppose we do someday.”

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Blaise had excused himself, saying that he had a letter to write, leaving Ginny and Hermione alone in the Gryffindor common room. There had been some wild rumors flying around earlier, but most of her house had seen her talking with her boyfriend and one of her best friends, so they had assumed that the grapevine was dead wrong as usual.

Things were rather subdued in Gryffindor today; Harry Potter had been beaten to the Snitch by Draco Malfoy. It was a match that would be replayed over the years by the lucky students who were there to witness it in person, a story for their grandchildren. Sometimes, the hero loses. A good lesson to be learned young.

Hermione was thoughtlessly playing with the heavy bracelet around her wrist, both girls gossiping about the party that Blaise wanted to throw for Hermione. Ginny was sharp, though, and it only took her a minute to realize that the dull gleam of gold and the flashes of large square cut gems were real. “Merlin, Hermione, this is a bonding bracelet, and a bloody expensive one too. Is there something you wish to share about your relationship with the elusive Mister Zabini?” her words might be nosy, but there was genuine happiness behind her eyes.

“Blaise gave it to me today, it is a Portkey that will take me to him, wherever he is if I touch this button and say his name,” Hermione blushed a little at the wonder in Ginny’s eyes.

“What about Draco? I thought you were involved with him, too?” Ginny asked.

“Draco already gave me something that I wear, I think Blaise wanted me to wear something from him as well.” Hermione looked rather bemused at being claimed by two Slytherins.

“And I thought I had news, mine is nothing compared to being claimed by the Two Princes.” Ginny was just teasing, but there was a flash of something in her eyes that said that she wasn’t sure how her bookish friend had ended up with two of the best looking guys at school.

“What news, Miss Weasley? Have you been holding out on me?” Hermione was glad to get the conversation back onto a lighter level.

“No real news, yet. Harry asked Ron if he thought Dad would give him my hand in marriage if he asked, even though he’s not a Pureblood,” Ginny smiled shyly.

“I hope Ron set him straight on that point right off. Blaise and Draco were talking about whether Harry would be good enough for your family. Those two, I swear, they could cause trouble in a nunnery,” Hermione said with asperity.

“A what?” Ginny looked confused.

“A place where women go to devote their lives to prayer and meditation,” Hermione explained. “No men allowed.”

“They would definitely be able to wreak havoc on a place like that,” Ginny giggled.

Hermione looked at her watch, “Dumbledore wants to talk about the letter that Lucius Malfoy sent to Draco. I should get going,” Hermione stood. “Will I see you and Harry later?”

Ginny coloured, “Maybe not tonight. I don’t know, but I thought Harry might like some alone time.”

Hermione smiled back. “I’m sure that’s a safe assumption. Don’t get caught.”

“How will I get caught? The Head Boy and Girl happen to be close personal friends of mine,” Ginny protested.

“Like I said, don’t get caught,” Hermione waved as she exited the portrait hole to go to Dumbledore’s office.

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Hermione was one of the last to arrive in Dumbledore’s office. Harry, Draco, Blaise, Narcissa Malfoy, and Professors Snape and McGonagall were already seated. There seemed to be a heavy silence in the room, and Hermione wasn’t sure where she should sit. There was an empty chair between Draco and Blaise, just as there was one between Lady Malfoy and Harry. Lady Malfoy solved that for her by saying kindly, “Come and sit next to me, Miss Granger. I have heard a great deal about you, and I would like to make your acquaintance myself.” The woman had such presence in a room dominated by men that no one thought to contradict her.

“As soon as Kingsley and Alastor Moody arrive, we will be ready to start. King Mints anyone?” Dumbledore looked at all their surprised faces. “I have noticed that no one ever takes any lemon drops. These mints are Muggle sweets from Sweden, and they are quite good. No?” Dumbledore sighed.

The fire in the Headmaster’s office started glowing and Kingsley Shacklebolt and Mad-Eye Moody stepped out of the fireplace. “Got them all together, Dumbledore? Good,” Moody was apparently going to be in charge of this meeting as the ranking Auror.

He turned his magical eye to Hermione. “Quick thinking Miss Granger. I am proud of you. You kept your head, and brought us one of the Most Wanted on the Ministry’s list.” Hermione face flushed a little. She had been trying to save her own life from a sadistic killer, who just happened to be her boyfriend’s father.

“Malfoy is now devoted to you for life, my girl. This has not changed his attitude toward any of the rest of us at all. Not even his wife and son.” Moody paused, but this was serious business, he was not in the line of work of sparing people’s feelings. Narcissa raised her head proudly, Draco looked at the ground. He had the sympathy of every person in the room, but each understood that he would not appreciate it being expressed.

Moody continued on, “We have the letter that Malfoy sent his boy, and we have obtained additional information that there is to be a Death Eater revel at Malfoy Manor tomorrow night. We cannot confirm it, but Voldemort himself should be there to accept his prize.”

Moody looked at Draco, “I understand that he expects you to take the Mark tomorrow night. He needs the money and fear that your family name brings with it to recruit his next generation of Death Eaters. Are you ready to fight for our side?”

“I refuse to follow that deranged maniac, if that’s what you’re asking,” Draco said angrily, looking up into Moody’s scarred face.

Narcissa stepped in at this point. “It isn’t enough to reject the Dark Lord, Draco. You must declare yourself for the side of the light.”

Draco looked at Hermione’s expectant eyes, and could deny no longer that he had to be on whatever side she chose. “I declare it then,” he said, rewarded with the glimpse of shining joy she gave him.

“We have much to prepare,” Dumbledore said. “We will only have one chance to take them by surprise. Are we all ready?” he asked the assembled company, and received a fierce nod from each.

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A/N – Thank you to all who have read and reviewed. I do not have any chapters pre-written, so if you have any preferences for the events foreshadowed here, don’t be shy. 200 pages in Word already, people. Thank you so much for sticking with me so far.