Loving the Lonely

Chapter 4

Theo pipes up," I'd be opposed!" 

The shop comes into view and it's brimming with students, each in various stages of a sugar-induced coma. One student, a fourth year from Hufflepuff, is dozing lightly on a bench with a hunk of chocolate in their lax hand. 

"I already said I'd pay, Nott," Hermione reminds, pausing in her stride to take the chocolate from the boy and place it on the bench beside him.  

"Theo's a traditionalist. He doesn't think women should feel forced to pay for a meal they've been invited to," Blaise whispers, though she's sure Theo can hear anyway. When Hermione isn't looking, he swipes the chocolate off the bench and break off a chunk before putting it back. He pops it into her mouth just as Hermione glances towards him and grins when she glares at him. She doesn't comment, just looks to Theo. 

"Is that so?" 

"Is what so?" Theo feigns innocence. 

"That when you're courting a woman, you don't let her pay." Hermione freezes, as do her two companions, because it definitely was not her who had spoken. Malfoy swaggers up then, smirking darkly. "Though, as a friend, I feel it's my duty to point out that you could have certainly picked out a better woman to court." 

"I'm not courting her, Draco. We're friends, for Merlin's sake," Theo sighs, carding a hand through his hair. "We've been through this already." Well, that's news to Hermione. 

Still, she covers her surprise and narrows her eyes on Draco. "I thought I told you to let this go, Malfoy? Didn't we reach an agreement already?" She questions. "Remember, I said as long as someone like you can be friends with him, with both of them really, then so can I." 

"It wasn't an agreement at all-" 

"Like hell it wasn't!" 

"-It was you informing me of the kind of person you are!" 

"No worse than you, at least." 

"If that's you way of reassuring me-"

"I don't really think you need reassuring. That isn't my job, Malfoy."

"Would you stop interrupting for just a second?" 

"Like you've done to me a dozen times in the past?"

"As I was saying! You should find a better way to reassure me of your character."  

"I think the original one is perfectly fine." 

"We all know what sort of person I was! That alone should cancel any meaning of your reassurance." 

Before the situation can devolve into a physical fight, Theo steps between the two. "What on earth are you two talking about?" 

Hermione scowls over Theo's shoulder at Draco, who's straightening his robe. Both are red in the cheeks. "Nothing!" They chorus, then grimace just after. 

Theo looks at both of them, then shakes his head. "Funnily enough, I don't believe that. But I'll let it slide, if only to get you two to calm down." Draco huffs and crosses his arms while Hermione offers Theo an apologetic smile. 

"Sorry, Theo," she says. 

Unable to restrain himself, Malfoy snorts, "you've really got the wench trained, haven't you?" "Who would have thought it possible?" Forgoing her wand, Hermione tries to launch herself at him. Blaise, finally stepping in, grabs her around the waist he holds her back. 

"Hermione, don't do something you'll regret," he murmurs, locking his arms tight around her. 

"Believe me, I won't regret it," she spits, but takes a breath and doesn't fight to escape his hold. She flicks the hair out of her face just in time to see Theo snatch Draco by the back of his robes and drag him down an empty alleyway. Only once they've disappeared does Blaise let her go.