What Do A Lion And A Wolf Share?

Afternoon (Un)Delight

Two days after finding out she had a brother, Hermione looked across the breakfast table at him, trying to take in all the things that had changed about her life in such a short period of time. Shortly after his eager tour of the mansion, complete with warnings about most of the rooms and an uncomfortable encounter with a portrait of Theo's mother, Theo and Hermione started pouring over their father's journals for clues to her parents' aliment and any mention of a woman who could be Hermione's biological mother. They'd spent yesterday doing much of the same, but this time taking breaks only to eat or swap stories from their past. After Hermione told Theo about Ron and Harry saving her from the troll during their first year at Hogwarts, she realized she hadn't let any of her friends know she was in town.

"Theo, before we file anything official with the Ministry, I think we should tell our friends. I haven't even told Harry and Ron I'm back."

"I keep in touch with several people, but I'm only close to two people from school. They're probably the only people I'd want to tell before they find out from someone else. Why don't we start tomorrow?" The pair agreed, Theo inviting his friends over for the following afternoon, and Hermione owling Ron, Harry, and Ginny to see if they'd be free for lunch during the week, before returning to the immaculately kept diaries.

Before breakfast this morning they'd conducted the familial magic ritual, Theo pricking both their fingers over a small gold bowl and reciting a short incantation over their mixed blood. After the form of a wolf shot out of the bowl, Theo embraced Hermione. "Hello, Hermione Nott Granger. I never thought I'd want another Nott in my life, but I'm thrilled you're family." Hermione hugged him back, fighting the tears forming in her eyes as she thought of her own parents. He led her into the kitchen, where he started making pancakes and begged her to sing something from Billy Joel, just like she mentioned her dad did, so she would feel more at home.

"So, why the mystery? I was worried what surprise I'd show up to from your note," Blaise joked to Theo hours later, elbowing Draco in the ribs. Draco grunted in agreement, but made no comment, instead looking around the empty hallway as they trailed behind Theo from the floo.

"Well chaps, I received the strangest news this week," Theo started, opening the door to the formal sitting room and ushering them in. Blaise and Draco stopped upon seeing Hermione standing in the middle of the room, Blaise rapidly looking back and forth between Theo and Hermione. Blaise Zabini looked the same as she remembered, his cropped black hair the only different feature. The muscular wizard still walked with the same confidence she remembered from school.

Draco Malfoy, on the other hand, looked markedly different from their last encounter. An image of a sullen, thin boy with black circles staining his pale skin limping away from the Battle of Hogwarts flashed across her mind. While his stark platinum hair and steel eyes were familiar, Malfoy had grown taller and filled out. Still slender, he carried himself more like he had before their sixth year, with an aristocratic haughtiness that annoyed Hermione. "Nothing but a little ferret with entitlement in each twitch," her own voice bubbled up from the back of her mind, forcing Hermione to recall an especially vicious rant she'd subjected him to in their fifth year. An echo of that anger reared within her as she looked at him for the first time in years.

"It would have to be particularly strange for Hermione Granger to be here with us," Blaise offered up, his curious dark gaze locked with Hermione's. Malfoy was quiet, eyes searching Theo and avoiding the witch. "Miss Granger, pleasure to see you again," Blaise closed the space between them in three swift steps and grabbed her extended hand, turning it over and pushing a kiss to her knuckles. Unsure how to react to this kind of greeting, she looked to Theo who was rolling his eyes dramatically. Next to him, Draco did not acknowledge her, still focused on Theo.