When Love Hurts | Dramione - COMPLETED

Lyra

Hermione's POV 

"I can't believe that all we're doing for this entire day is castle preparation," Hermione whispered. "No studying, no homework - nothing. Just getting the castle ready."

"Hermione?" Draco called, grimacing over a sheet of paper. "We're on welcome duty when the Muggles come in. All we do is point people towards the guides and then wait."

"Lucky," Ginny sighed. "Gideon and I are the tour guides. We'll actually have to memorize some lines and act!"

Harry looked exasperated. "You think that's bad? I'm on welcome duty, and then I have to go up in front of everyone when dinner's is served to thank them for coming - as a descendant of the king who lived in the castle." 

Draco held back a snort while they made their way to the places they had been assigned. 

Hermione, Draco, and Gideon were in the Great Hall, decorating the walls with old banners and using an Aging Charm to make everything look more ancient. 

After the fifteenth time using the charm, Gideon groaned and flopped onto the Slytherin table. "This is really stupid," he declared softly. 

"Yeah, it is," Hermione sighed, focusing on levitating a banner into place. "And the Ministry really has no reason to host this."

Draco seemed lost in thought. His face was scrunched up, obviously thinking very hard. "Mia, what if the reason the Ministry are bringing the Muggles in is because they want to test how the pills working?"

Hermione immediately caught on to his train of thinking. "They would have violent reactions to them. The Ministry needs to see if their plan is working." 

"It makes sense," Gideon nodded, his eyes straying to a girl who was arguing with Umbridge. 

Hermione glanced at the girl he was staring at. She was a Slytherin, by the looks of her robes, and her face had become red as she argued with the she-devil herself. 

The trio shared a look, then inched closer to the girl and Umbridge. What could someone under the influence of the pills possibly be arguing about with her? 

" - I'm just saying, why in the name of Merlin would you put these bloody awful streamers in a freaking ancient castle? This color looks like a deformed unicorn threw up on it! Who picked this? You? Why the bloody he - uhm, Merlin would you do that? Are you colorblind?" 

Gideon sighed and gazed at her. "Isn't she perfect?"

Hermione chuckled. "Who is she?"

"Lyra. Beautiful name for a beautiful girl," Gideon whispered, his eyes glazed. 

Hermione and Draco grinned at each other, then at him. "Come on, Gid, go talk to her!"

Gideon's eyes widened, though his mouth was curving up. "No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes, yes!"

"No, no!" 

"YES!"

Hermione grabbed Gideon's arm and pushed him towards the girl who was now ripping up the pink streamers.

"Hi?" Gideon said, his face turning red. "Lyra, right?"

"Yeah, hi," Lyra responded, still violently ripping up the streamers. 

Gideon glanced nervously at Hermione, who nodded encouragingly.

"What did the streamers do to offend you?" Gideon asked.