Beauty From Pain

Chapter Ten

"Hey, mate," Theo said as he popped his head into the work room. "I've got a quick question for you."

"What?" Draco and Hermione asked in unison.

Draco looked sharply at her and frowned. "I'm sorry?"

Hermione looked up from his tattoo and rolled her eyes. "Theo, who were you talking to?"

"Obviously me, Granger," Draco said with a skeptically arched brow.

A smirk touched the corner of Hermione's mouth as Theo answered, "Actually I was talking to Hermione. I had a question about a tattoo design."

Draco squinted his eyes at him in a mixture of confusion and disbelief. "Since when do you call her 'mate'? I didn't know you two were friends."

"Am I not allowed to have friends, Malfoy? Or are you upset that your friend likes me better than you?"

"That's rubbish," he said with a scoff. "He's only calling you 'mate' because he wants something from you, not because you're friends."

Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered, "Wouldn't be the first time."

Draco sneered, but then Theo flushed at the insinuation which caused Draco's jaw to drop in a most undignified manner.

"Honestly, Theo," she said with a laugh. "You make it too easy."

Theo mumbled something about rude witches under his breath, cheeks still a warm pink.

Draco blinked a few times and said, "Theo, I had no idea you were such a witch's warlock."

"Oh, yes, he's a massive flirt," Hermione said as she grinned mischievously at Theo. "Always distracting me from my work."

"And bagging a witch like Granger?" Draco shook his head and whistled in mock amazement. "You need to tell me your secret, mate. That's impressive."

Hermione patted Draco on the shoulder and gave Theo a sympathetic look. "Don't pick on him too much, he's very private."

"That must be why you missed dinner last week. You could have just told us you had a date."

Theo's jumbled protests were growing louder as his gaze darted back and forth between his two friends. "It's not - I didn't - but"

"Don't worry, Theo," Draco said in a placating manner. "I won't tell Blaise."

His panic mounted, and Theo turned quite pale at the idea of Blaise knowing anything related to his dating life, imaginary or otherwise. "Draco," he said weakly. "Please not Blaise."

Hermione's laugh was loud and contagious, pulling reluctant chuckles from even Theo as he caught on to their joking.

"Let me finish up here, Theo. I'll meet up with you as soon as I'm done." She smiled sweetly at him and winked. "Try not to miss me too much."

Theo grumbled under his breath as he left, but a small smile lingered on his lips.

Draco considered Hermione as she carefully finished the remaining magic for his tattoo. He was still surprised that the bushy haired know-it-all from his school days had turned into such a confident young witch. Inventing new forms of magic, befriending Slytherins, and rebelling against the status quo. He never would have thought it possible.

Hermione leaned back on her stool, brown eyes glittering with satisfaction, and said, "Alright, your tattoo is finished."

The air left his lungs in a loud, undignified gasp.