𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐒 | HPau

─ ⁰². I CAN FINALLY TREAT YOU LIKE FAMILY

"Prongslet?" she called out to the specky boy on the chair next to her bed. He was looking at his hands in his lap and had been quiet since he came in.

Everyone around them shut up—being that they were actually all having civil conversations with each other (mainly about Quidditch). Harry's emerald eyes flew up to hers and she noticed how hesitant he seemed.

"I'm sorry," he finally let out quietly and Hermione frowned.

"Why?"

"This is all my fault," Harry muttered only to be met with protests from the Gryffindors.

"It is true. . . ." Theo muttered and the Gryffindors glared at him making him throw his hands in the air in surrender.

"Is that why you've been quiet?" Hermione asked bewildered.

"Well, yes. . . ." Harry shrugged ruffling his hair. "You told me not to go and you and Sirius almost ended up dead."

"But we're not," Hermione smiled, "Honestly, it could have been worse. I'm not actually hurt and dad isn't . . . . dead."

"Oh, that's right!" Blaise grinned at her. "You're a Black, now. . . ."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ginny shot him a look and Blaise's eyebrows went to his hairline.

"Nothing, Red," he shrugged with an amused smirk, "I was merely stating a fact."

"How does it work?" Theo asked, "Are you a pureblood now or still a muggleborn?"

"Seriousily?" Seamus said looking at the Slytherin baffled.

"What?" Theo shrugged, "It's a relevant question."

"I'm either or neither. . . ." Hermione said shrugging, "I really couldn't care less."

"Either way, you, Harry, and Black are the top news of the Prophet," Dean announced and Hermione groaned along with Harry.

"Oh yes," Seamus nodded, "They really like Harry, now."

"'A lone voice of truth . . . perceived as unbalanced, yet never wavered in his story . . . forced to bear ridicule and slander . . .'," Ginny quoted dramatically making everyone chuckle, and even Harry cracked a grin.

"The thing is they don't mention anything about the fact that it was them coming up with all that bullshit," Harry scoffed and they all nodded in agreement.

"They seem to have used the Quibbler interview, too," Neville pointed out.

"Daddy sold it to them," said Luna vaguely, turning a page of The Quibbler. "He got a very good price for it too, so we're going to go on an expedition to Sweden this summer and see if we can catch a Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

"That sounds awesome!" Hermione grinned and Luna beamed up at her. "But anyway, what's going on?"

"Well, Flitwick's got rid of Fred and George's swamp," said Ginny. "He did it in about three seconds. But he left a tiny patch under the window and he's roped it off—"

"I think he left it as a monument to Fred and George," said Ron, looking wearily at Hermione at the mention of Fred. Hermione only let her smile falter slightly before it was back on. Now it was no time to be thinking about Fred. She could figure it all out soon.

"So everything's alright? What with Dumbledore back?"

"Yes," said Neville, "everything's settled right back down again."

"I s'pose Filch is happy, huh?" asked Hermione with a grin.

"Not at all," said Ginny. "He's really, really miserable, actually. . . ." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "He keeps saying Umbridge was the best thing that ever happened to Hogwarts. . . ."