The Gloriana Set

Halloween, Part I

"Well, that's up to our lovely Captain, isn't it?" she heard Malfoy say cheerily. "Let me know when you find out!"

"Great," Hermione grumbled into her toast. "I'm the idiot and he's the hero."

"Well, Malfoy did save you, right?" Neville asked her. Hermione and Theo gave him an irritated look. "Right?"

"Yes, he did," answered Ginny slipping onto the bench beside Theo. "Hermione could have been seriously injured, even killed, and if he wants to lord it over everyone for a while, that's fine with me." She looked sternly at Hermione. "I hope you thanked Malfoy."

"Uh ... er ..." Hermione couldn't remember if she'd actually thanked him. "I told him a story."

"You need to 'ank 'im," Ginny said, stuffing a muffin into her mouth, Ron-style.

"Yes," Theo said, taking the high road. He slid an arm around her shoulders. "I, for one, am very grateful."

***

"Thank you for saving me yesterday," Hermione said to Malfoy in a surly tone before Potions began.

Malfoy eyed her over their cauldron. "You told me the thestral story."

"Apparently, that's not good enough for some people."

"Yes, well, I hope you've considered what I said about flying lessons."

"I did," she answered, setting out her Potions book. "Ginny's too busy, so I owled Ron. He's been begging to teach me for years."

"That wasn't exactly—" Malfoy began, but just then Lavender arrived and took her old seat beside him.

"Hello, Draco," Lavender breathed, eyes wide. She wore her dark blonde hair in a mass of curls today, piled up on the top of her head and fastened with purple metal pins.

"Hello, Brown," Malfoy said smoothly, lighting their cauldron with his wand.

"You were so brave yesterday, Draco," Lavender said. "Everyone's talking about it." She looked coldly across the table. "You should be more grateful, Hermione."

"She really should," Malfoy agreed in velvet tones. "I can think of many ways Hermione could show her gratitude."

Potions went downhill from there, to Hermione's way of thinking. Lavender spoke at length about if she were saved from certain death, she would certainly be grateful, instead of scowling all the time. Malfoy nodded sagely and scribbled runes on a piece of parchment, leaving Hermione to brew the day's potion, a solution for magical aquariums, all alone. Her task was complicated by Lavender's hairstyle, which began to fall apart under the steam and shed hairpins. Every time a pin fell into the cauldron, Hermione had to vanish the contents, since the potion had to be absolutely metal-free for use in the magical aquariums.

She was finally able to finish the potion and pour it into a bottle while Lavender was in the supply cupboard. Malfoy also took advantage of their partner's absence, handing Hermione a list of suggestions for "demonstrating proper gratitude."

"Malfoy!" Hermione choked as she read the rune-filled parchment.

"Do take note of No. 6. I found our conversation in the woods quite enlightening."

Hermione's face was fiery red now. "Malfoy! You are the most appalling—"

"Mean," rapped out Lavender, who had returned with a jar of pickled toad they didn't need. "You are so mean to him, Hermione."