To a Better End

Chapter 3

May 10th 2003

One drink turned into two. Two drinks turned into a drunken night of celebration. The drunken night of celebration turned into a disaster in the kitchen. Theo suggested they make the most elaborate sandwiches and several sorts of sweets. Hermione, already feeling drunk-hungry, looked at him with such adoration at the suggestion of food. The concoctions they ended up with were a messy sandwich they had each taken a few bites of, a burnt pie, and a batch of cookie dough that never made it to the oven before they scarfed it down. After they had their fill of sugar, the pair skipped merrily up the stairs to the bedrooms of the manor. That was all Hermione could recall when she woke up with a mind splitting headache the next morning.

Hermione groaned as she sat up in bed, holding her head as though it might fall apart. She looked down and noticed that she was wearing an oversized tee shirt that definitely didn't belong to her, even though it was obviously muggle. Her eyes travelled to her left and found Theo laying in bed next to her.

"Oh, my god!"

Her exclamation startled Theo awake so abruptly, that he rolled arse first off the bed. He stood up, nursing a bruised shoulder, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.

Oh no.

On seeing the utter horror on her face, he smirked, waving her off. "Don't worry, Goldy. Nothing happened last night. We came up here to sleep and only sleep. I tried to give you a Sober-Up potion, but you were already passed out. I can give you one of the hangover potions I have, though." He started towards his dresser and went through some vials.

"Care to explain why I am wearing your shirt?"

"I just didn't think you would be comfortable in your denims and blouse. It's nothing I haven't seen before." Theo shrugged as he said this and walked towards the bed with the potion she desperately needed. He opened it for her and handed her the vial. She touched her pinky to the contents for a taste before swallowing it.

"And why are you in nothing but your boxers?"

"Merlin, is this an interrogation? You want to tie me up for information? I thought we agreed you weren't into that kind of roleplay," he replied with a cheeky wink. Hermione rolled her eyes, which only made her head hurt more. That potion was surely taking its time. "I don't like to sleep with pants on 'cause they get all bunched up." He scratched his head, his face becoming more serious. "And before you go asking me why I slept next to you while dressed so indecently, you were screaming in your sleep. I didn't feel right leaving you alone." Theo turned back to his dresser and grabbed a pair of grey sweatpants, jumping into them animatedly, avoiding her eye as she processed his admittance of her nightmares.

"Right, you, go take a shower - let the potion do its work, and then come down to the kitchen to help with breakfast, or I'll be forced to reemploy a house elf."

Glowering at him, she shucked off the covers, sticking her tongue out at him. "Liar, but fine."

Honestly, the shower was lovely and helped her head immensely. She pulled open her beaded bag and found one of the spare outfits she always kept with her. Feeling refreshed from Theo's expensive soaps, she pulled on fresh knickers, a pair of denims, and a black tee shirt before heading to help Theo. As she neared the kitchen she heard voices chattering. When she rounded the corner she found Malfoy leaning against the counter nonchalantly, chatting as he watched Theo chopping up a myriad of colourful ingredients.

Malfoy turned at the sound of her footsteps, mildly curious. "Granger?" There was a hint of another emotion on his face Hermione couldn't quite place as he turned to Theo. "Are you guys doing this again?"