Chasing Reality

Brother

Hermione devoured her breakfast the next morning.
She was utterly sick. She had a bluish purple patch under her eyes from drinking too much draught and not sleeping it off.
Draco and Blaise just stared at her the whole time.
"It's rude to stare." She scolded them.
"Not when it's so amusing." Draco said.
Hermione dropped her spoon and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Fine. I'll wait until you two get something better to do." She scoffed.
"I think we're done here." Blaise said, even though his food was left untouched, and Draco nodded.
"Join us in the parlour when you're done, Granger. It's across the foyer."
Draco said and walked out with Blaise.
Hermione frowned.
Why was she so grumpy today?
The house elf walked in to clear the dishes.
"That's alright. I'll take mine to the kitchen." She smiled as the elf came to clear Hermione's plate.
"No miss! Vera mustn't let master's friends do the dirty work."
"Vera? That's a beautiful name. Whoever named you?" She asked politely.
"Master Blaise's mother did, miss. Mistress loved the name. But she never had a daughter. So mistress gave me the name. Treated me like her daughter, she did." The elf grew sad.
"But now, mistress is gone." Vera finished.
Hermione didn't know that Blaise had lost his mother.
And she didn't want to bring it up either.
"Let me do it." Hermione smiled and took her plate to the kitchen.
Soon after, she joined the two Slytherin boys at the parlour.
"So, what have you decided?" She asked as she entered.
Draco stared blankly. Hermione huffed at the irresponsibility.
"We need to pay him a visit." Hermione said.
Draco slapped himself on the face.
"Of course Granger. That's a wonderful idea. Let's get him a cookie basket too!" He remarked.
"You don't have the brains to come up with a single plan, but you have the audacity to mock mine." Hermione growled.
"Shut up and listen to her mate." Blaise told Draco, who stared at him with a betrayed look on his face, while Hermione smirked.
"We break in. Simple. We're bound to find something."
"He's the minister's assistant, for Salazar's sake. Do you honestly think he'd live without wards around his house?" Blaise interjected.
"I'm pretty sure I can come up with a solution. They don't call me the brightest witch of our age for no reason." Blaise looked unconvinced while Draco rolled his eyes.
Hermione huffed.
"Well, it's time to find out."

As they gathered their things and walked up to the massive front doors, Blaise tagged along behind them.
Draco stopped and turned to face the Italian.
"You don't have to come. I don't want to drag you into this mess." Draco said.
"You're like my brother mate. Your mess is my mess. And besides, you would never have pulled off any of those pranks in our senior year, without me." Blaise smiled.
"You wish." Draco answered and casually hugged him.
The two slytherins turned towards the gryffindor who was standing there, stifling back her sobs.
It was more of a funny sight than a sad one. Nevertheless, Draco sympathised with her.
He gave her a loose hug, at which she almost chocked. Even Draco felt weird.

Blaise just smiled and shook his head.