Like Honey (Draco x Hermione x Theo)

Chapter 6

They didn't return that night. Dinner was a silent affair, only the sounds of scraping forks and Teddy's wails, as if he knew something was amiss. That night no one slept much. Even after passing Teddy back and forth between them, trying different coos and rocking patterns until finally Tonks dipped her pinky into the remnants of a dreamless sleep vial and rubbed it on his gums, and his cries turned into sleepy grunts and babbles; they remained awake.

Even Theo and Malfoy's light under the door stayed alight. Hermione wondered if they were as concerned as the rest were, albeit for other reasons surely.

To Harry's optimism and Ron's pessimism, Hermione was grounded in realism. Harry believed they would return safely by morning, Ron expected them to not return at all, Hermione wondered who would return, if any. She had learned long ago that war was more like a chess game; it wasn't the quantity of pieces you took, but the quality. You could take every pawn, every rook, every knight, but you needed the king. And if Harry was the king and they were the pieces surrounding to protect him, there was bound to be casualties.

It didn't make the fact any easier. They had already lost many they loved, too many to name and too many to cry over each time. Hermione had already resigned herself to the fact that she, one day, might be a taken piece as well.

And if it meant protecting Harry, protecting the future and integrity of the world, she hoped the chessmaster would sacrifice her.

She sipped her coffee lightly, wincing at the bitter taste. She missed cream. Sugar. Honey. But these days, caffeine was less about enjoyment than survival.

"It's okay mum," she heard Fred whisper in hushed tones to Molly.

"They've probably found an entire shop of meat," George added, "and don't want to share with us. They'll be back when they've had their full, won't they Fred?"

"Most definitely."

Molly smiled thinly, taking two fingers to each twin's cheek. "You're right, of course you're right."

Ron grunted from his seat in front of her, his eyes focused on a newspaper from a week ago; the last time any of them had been able to get a copy. He had already read it front to back a dozen times, latching onto little snippets of good news that he could find.

Harry made a choking sound next to her and when she looked over he had her mug in his hand and an offended, pursed face. "Hermione, this is awful."

"Well now you can keep it, seeing as it has your germs now. Besides--"

Heavy footsteps came bounding down the stairs and Hermione stopped short when she spotted Theo, this under eyes dark from lack of sleep and his messy curls pulled back into a knot with a few strands falling across his forehead.

Malfoy followed steadily behind him, his blonde hair wet from a recent shower and water dripping from the strands onto his cheek where they trailed across the prominent scar. Hermione licked her bottom lip subconsciously as a bead of water trickled over the sharp edge of his jaw--

"Ow--"

Hermione started. Ron had kicked her leg under the table, calling her attention back to them. He gave her a look as if to say, what? and continued reading his paper.

"Besides what?" Harry asked.

"Nothing," she sighed, "Just... drink the coffee."

Harry gave her an odd look, but took another hesitant sip.

"You boys will be out in the gardens," Hermione heard Molly direct them, listing the various labor work that they'd be doing for the day.

Theo nodded enthusiastically and looked as if he was taking mental notes of all the tasks, while Malfoy leaned against a pillar lazily, his eyes hooded and his arms crossed. She wondered how they came to be friends, being as different as they were.