Chapter Text
“Are you ready to find out your matches?” Ginny’s arm loops through Hermione’s as they walk toward the Great Hall for lunch.
“Is that today?”
“You did fill out the quiz, right? And send it in?”
Hermione rolls her eyes. “Yes, but I’ll probably just match with Ron anyway.”
Ginny snorts.
“What?”
“It’s a compatibility quiz, ‘Mione.”
Hermione doesn’t know what she means. She and Ron have finally moved past their friendship and are happily together. It’s been so easy with him.
“No offence, but you and Ron are the epitome of opposites attract. You couldn’t be less compatible.”
Hermione sputters. “That’s not true!” Is it? Is that how everyone sees them? Sure, they don’t have a ton in common, but who wants to have everything in common with their partner? That would be boring!
“It’s just a silly little quiz. Who cares?”
“Yeah, well, at least you have the chance to get Ron.” Ginny pouts. “I can’t even get Harry’s name on my list.”
To further along the agenda of inter-house unity, the event committee (aka a group of overzealous Hufflepuffs) decided to create a quiz to determine everyone’s perfect match for Valentine’s Day. The results take into account sexual orientation and gender identity and match everyone based on the answers provided to that plus a personality quiz. Then they tell you your top five results of compatible classmates.
McGonagall loved the idea so much she took it a step further and decided every student must participate and go on an actual date with their number one match.
It's completely barbaric, and Hermione can’t believe Headmistress McGonagall not only supports but also encourages the practice. Hermione should be studying for her NEWTs! Not worrying about a stupid little date with someone who isn’t her boyfriend and whom she likely doesn’t even know very well.
Ginny is right. Based on her quiz answers, she’ll probably be matched up with a Ravenclaw. Maybe she’ll get paired with Anthony Goldstein and they can make theirs a study date. That wouldn’t be the worst idea, she reasons.
She follows Ginny to the Gryffindor table where Harry and Ron are already seated with plates full of food. Hermione sits down next to Ron who plants a quick kiss on her cheek between bites.
With Ginny’s words swirling around her mind, Hermione is suddenly anxious to get her results. Plus, she has to open them in front of her boyfriend and go on a date with whatever wizard’s name appears on her paper? She really assumed she would be matched with Ron, but maybe that was naïve of her.
Once it appears like the Great Hall is filled with every student, the Owls come swooping in with envelopes, dropping them as they fly overhead.
Hermione reaches forward with a nervous hand as she grabs her envelope, her name written in a swirly font across the front.
Ron picks his up, turning to beam at her as he eagerly rips it open. She tries to follow his lead. He’s clearly confident that Hermione’s name will be in his top spot, so she must not have anything to worry about.
Before anyone even pulls out their results, Hermione has a thought. Okay, technically, she’s stalling, trying to buy herself some time. “What happens if more than one person has the same top match?”
“It’s not possible. The test is designed to find your soulmate.” Ginny laughs.
Hermione’s brows crinkle. “Then why bother giving a top five?”
“In case your alleged soulmate is already seeing someone, like we all are.” Ginny grins, turning to give Harry a quick kiss. “It’s supposed to be fun, Hermione. We could all use a nice, normal teenage experience. This is what normal teenagers do.”
“They get matched up and go on dates with someone they may not even know?”
“Literally, yes. Have you not heard of online dating? My dad’s been learning about it at work. Something people do on computers. They have entire dating profiles, he called them.”
Hermione sighs. Ginny has a point. Besides, it can’t be that bad, can it?’
With resignation, she rips open her envelope as everyone else looks over their results. She’s still too nervous to actually pull out the slip of paper sealing her fate.
“Who’d you get?” Hermione asks the three of them.
“Ritchie Coote,” Ginny says. She shrugs. “At least we can talk Quidditch strategy.” The redhead grins and looks at her boyfriend.
If the two of them are taking it in stride, she and Ron should have no problem.
“Tracey Davis,” Harry says, slouching slightly. “I don’t think I’ve ever even spoken to her.”
Finally, Hermione spins to her boyfriend, who suddenly is looking rather green. “What is it, Ron?”
“You’re not even on my list.” Ron puts his results down, looking across the table at Harry who also looks upset at his own news, it seems.
Why did anyone think this would be a good idea?!
“Who did you get?” Hermione asks.
Ron swallows thickly and looks toward the end of the Gryffindor table. Her blonde hair is in curly pigtails and she looks murderous as she glares at both Ron and Hermione.
“You have to be joking.”
Ron shakes his head and shows Hermione his list. There she is at the top of the page in big, swirling letters. Lavender Brown.
Hermione huffs, eyes scanning over the other four names listed. Tracey Davis also made Ron’s list as did Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, and Luna.
Now more than ever she’s terrified to open her own envelope. Especially now that the three of them are staring at her expectantly.
She inhales deeply and exhales slowly, trying to expel her nerves. As her fingers finally move to pull out her results, she’s interrupted once more.
“Granger.”
Her head snaps up in shock at the voice. “What?” The word falls from her lips snappier than she’d intended. She blames the damn matchmaker putting her on edge.
“Is that how you talk to your perfect match?” He smirks and holds up his results as if he needs proof.
Hermione’s mouth falls open. She blinks, staring at him, speechless.
“No,” Ron snaps. “No fucking way.”
Draco ignores him. “I guess I’ll pick you up Saturday night. Do you want to meet me in the Entrance Hall or shall I come to your dorm? At least we’ll have a bit of privacy there, yeah?”
“I—um—”
The blond chuckles and the hair on the back of her neck stands on edge; a warning. “Think it over. You know where to find me.” He winks and spins away, striding right out of the Great Hall.
Hermione looks around and finds everyone staring at her. Literally. Malfoy’s little show caught the attention of the entire dining hall. Her eyes scan the Slytherin table, finding the other snakes looking at her in amusement, apart from two of them: the Greengrass sisters. Hermione vaguely remembers hearing something about…a betrothal, maybe? Between Malfoy and Astoria?
It's not like Hermione asked for this! And Astoria is younger anyway. Draco couldn’t have gotten matched with her.
Her head falls into her hands. This is a bloody nightmare.
“You’re not seriously going out with him.”
“What am I supposed to do? It’s the rules. Take it up with McGonagall!”
“I might! She can’t make you do this, not with him!”
Hermione scoffs. “Interesting how you’re so incensed now when you didn’t say you were going to skip out on your date with Lavender!”
“I didn’t get a chance! That git interrupted us!”
“Will you keep your voice down? People are staring!”
Ron looks around, finally noticing everyone now watching the two of them.
“Who else is on your list? I bet he was lying. Probably charmed your name at the top to mess with you.”
“Ron—”
“No. Even if he is there, you can probably switch with someone else, right?”
“I don’t think—”
“What, do you want to go on a date with him?”
“Of course not but—”
“But nothing! Just show us your list, Hermione.”
Her eyes scan from her boyfriend’s blue gaze to Ginny’s then pauses when she looks at Harry’s. He looks surprisingly concerned, probably about how Ron will react if Draco’s name really is on the top of her list.
“Okay,” she says to no one really. She licks her lips and finally pulls out her own results.
Sure enough, there at the top of the list, it does in fact read Draco Malfoy.
She doesn’t understand how. How could he be her perfect match?
Okay. Logically, she put down that she wanted someone who had drive and ambition. He is a Slytherin, after all. She wants someone intelligent, and he’s always been right behind her in class rankings. But she also wants someone kind who can make her laugh and has passion. He may not be the same outright poncy, pretentious arsehole he’d been in earlier years, but she wouldn’t go as far to call him nice. Plus, the only thing Draco Malfoy seems to be passionate about is his hair and vaults.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
Hermione looks at Ron, whose face is so red she thinks he might pop. “What?”
“Harry!?” His finger jabs at her results. “You even got matched with Harry but not me?”
Hermione falls speechless again as she looks back at her list.
- DRACO MALFOY
- Theodore Nott
- Anthony Goldstein
- Justin Finch-Fletchley
- Harry Potter
Fuck.
“Ron—”
“No, I have to go.” He snags his backpack from the ground and storms out of the Great Hall.
Hermione turns toward Harry and Ginny, worry etching itself onto her face. She’s sure Ron is still sensitive, thinking back to the Horcrux hunt, when the three of them…got separated and she and Harry were left alone…
“I’m sorry—” Hermione starts, but Ginny cuts her off.
“Hermione, you do not need to apologise about a silly little quiz. Ron will cool off. But hey! Maybe you and Tracey can switch and she can go on a date with Malfoy and you can hang with Harry. Might not be the worst idea.” Ginny shrugs and grins before standing. “I have to get to class. I’ll see you guys at dinner.” She plants a kiss on Harry's cheek before leaving the two of them alone.
“You haven’t told her, have you?”
Harry shakes his head.
“You should before Ron does. You know how he gets when he’s angry.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry, Harry.”
He shakes his head. “Ginny’s right. It’s just a stupid test. Besides, you’re on my list too,” he shrugs.
Of course. That’s why he looked upset. Harry already knew he’d be on Hermione’s list.
“I should go too. I’ll see you later, Hermione.”
And then there was one.
She’s left alone with the lingering stares of her classmates anticipating her next move.
***
The door to the Head Dorms opens and Hermione is met with the sounds of crying.
“Ginny—”
“No! Harry, how could you? How could you keep this from me? How could you lie to me? You promised me nothing happened! I waited for you! For months! I was scared and worried and you were off shagging Hermione!?”
Oh fuck.
Hermione is frozen in fear. They haven’t walked all the way through the portrait hole yet. She wonders if she has enough time to sneak away to her room but doesn’t want to risk making a noise. Maybe Ginny will be so mad she’ll turn and leave…
“It was one time and it meant—”
“Don’t you dare even say it meant nothing. You’re better than that.”
Harry doesn’t respond.
“Does Ron know?” A pause. His face must give him away. “So, what, the three of you were making fun of me behind my back? Look at Ginny, so young and stupid!”
“Of course, not. We didn’t want to hurt you.”
Hermione stands and grabs her books slowly and as quietly as possible from the couch. She starts to walk away, trying not to make any noise.
“Great,” she hears from behind her, louder and closer than it was before.
Hermione spins back around, face falling as she takes in the tear-stained face of the youngest Weasley.
“I trusted you. I thought you were my friend.”
“I am. Ginny—”
“No. Friends don’t do that to each other.”
“You don’t understand. You weren’t—”
“Really? I wasn’t there? You’re going to hold that over my head? You think I didn’t want to be out there with you all? You think it didn’t kill me every fucking day to stay here, to endure hell of my own in his castle? Is that what you think I preferred, Hermione? Please, do tell me how much harder it was for you, not being tortured for fun by a couple of psychopaths.”
“It’s not that simple.”
Ginny scoffs. “Don’t treat me like an idiot, Hermione. I know that. But I didn’t have it so easy either and I wasn’t off fucking my best friend’s boyfriend.”
“You were—”
Ginny screams. “It doesn’t matter, Hermione! It doesn’t fucking matter that we were technically broken up! God, do you hear yourself? Who even are you?” She scoffs, shaking her head as her eyes scan over Hermione as if she’s trying to understand her. “Maybe that test was right. You should be with Malfoy. Looks like a perfect match to me.”
She turns angrily, red hair spinning out behind her. She brushes past Harry, not bothering to say another word to him as she storms out the portrait hole again.
Hermione reaches up, barely even registering that she’d started crying as she wipes away the tears falling over her cheeks.
“I’m sorry, Hermione.”
She shakes her head. “No, I’m sorry, Harry. Ginny’s right.” It’s nothing they hadn’t heard before. Ron said almost all the same things to them when he found out also.
“Hermione—”
She doesn’t respond, opting to hide out in her room for the foreseeable future.
***
Neither Ron nor Ginny talk to Hermione for the rest of the week and she even avoids Harry to try and restore the peace. She’s left alone, going to her classes, showing up to meals early and leaving just as swiftly, and retiring to her dorm at night, not even coming out of her room when she hears Harry come in.
By Friday afternoon, she hasn’t spoken to anyone outside of class in days, but that doesn’t stop people from watching her. Apparently they haven’t forgotten about her impending date with Malfoy. They should be worried about their own dates tomorrow night and not focusing on her.
She only has to get through Potions and then she plans to hide out in her room the entire weekend. Can’t give people anything to talk about if she doesn’t show up for her date.
Ron’s standing beside her, mixing his own potion and he freezes as a voice calls out to Hermione.
“Granger.”
She huffs. She lifts her head as she continues to stir her potion, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of distracting her into a bad grade.
“What, Malfoy?”
He leans against her desk, his ever-present smirk unwavering.
“Don’t you have to finish your potion?”
“Already done.”
She glances at his desk and sees his bottled potion sitting and waiting to be collected by Slughorn. She grits her teeth, annoyed.
“Was wondering if you had any preferences for our date tomorrow.”
“I’d prefer if you weren’t there,” she mutters under her breath.
He grins, unphased. “A surprise then. Even better.” He raps his knuckles on her desk twice. “Looking forward to it, Granger.”
She groans in frustration.
“You’re not seriously still going on a date with him?”
It’s been four days since Ron’s spoken to her and those are the first words he’s uttered in her direction. At this rate she’s not sure if they’re even still dating.
“Are you going on your date with Lavender?” she asks instead of dignifying him with a real answer.
“That’s different.”
Hermione stops stirring in favour of turning to face him. “You’re right, it is different, because I’ve never fucked Malfoy.”
Her hair starts to spark with anger and her potion starts to boil. Ruined. Great.
Someone clears their throat behind her. “Miss Granger—”
“What?” she snaps, spinning and not registering the voice at first. She goes red and her eyes get wide when she sees the professor standing behind her. “I’m-I’m sorry, Professor Slughorn,” she stutters.
“That’s all right, Miss Granger. Seems you have a lot going on. You can brew a new potion this evening and turn it in for credit. Perhaps even Mr. Malfoy can help you.” he grins like he didn’t just make things a thousand times worse.
Instead of responding to anyone, she vanishes the mess on her table and grabs her things, leaving class ten minutes early and not bothering to look back.
***
That evening, Hermione lets herself into the potions classroom to redo her failed assignment. She freezes with one foot in the room when she sees that she’s not alone.
Waiting for her, in her seat, with his stupidly expensive dragon hyde shoes kicked up on her desk and a book in his hand, is Draco Malfoy.
“What are you doing?”
He holds up one finger, eyes still skimming over his book.
Hermione sighs. She’d leave if she didn’t need to make up the grade.
When he’s done his page, he pops in a bookmark and kicks his feet down. “I’m here to tutor you.”
Her nostrils flare, hands curling into fists at her side. “I don’t need tutoring.”
He shrugs. “Slughorn seems to think you do.” She can tell he’s trying to swallow his smirk.
“I was distracted. I know how to brew Draught of Living Death, though I guess I’m not surprised you know how to brew it so easily. Probably something you learned on your side of the war.”
“No, just the unforgivables, but Draught of Living Death works well in a pinch if you want it to simply look like you’ve killed someone.”
Her mouth opens and closes, rendered once again speechless in his presence.
“Don’t look so surprised, Granger. Wouldn’t want to risk offending your perfect match.” He winks at her.
“Ah, yes, how will they label us, do you think? The Pureblood and the Mudblood? The Death Eater and the War Heroine? We could take a picture with our sleeves up, show off our matching scars.” She grins at him and for the first time he looks sick.
Good.
“It’s a stupid compatibility test. Perhaps, on paper, we fit. We’re both smart, ambitious, have goals. But what that test didn’t take into account is the fact that you’re a bully. The test shouldn’t have paired me with the one person who chose to make my life a living hell for six years, who chose to call me slurs and do his damned well best to always make me feel less than. So, okay, Malfoy. I’ll go on a date with you because I’m being forced to, but that doesn’t mean I would’ve chosen it for myself.”
“I’m sorry. You’re right. You never deserved any of that.”
“Thank you,” she huffs, though she’s not going to let him off the hook with one coerced apology.
“No, Granger. I mean it. I was a dick to you for years and you never did anything to deserve it. I am sorry for the way I treated you.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I know I have a lot of ground to cover, but let me try. Let me make it up to you.”
A laugh bubbles out of her, surprising them both. “And how do you plan to do that?”
“With our date.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“I’m sorry—”
“You already said—”
“About your arm.”
She snaps her mouth shut. “That’s not your scar to heal.”
“And the others?”
Hermione shrugs, knowing he means the invisible ones he left on her. “We’ll see.”
***
Hermione tries to avoid the Great Hall on Saturday. Even with sneaking in and out quickly, people have managed to stare. Today especially, all eyes seem to be on her. Wondering if she’ll actually follow through with her date with Malfoy.
If she’s being honest, even she hasn’t made a decision yet.
Last night, he stayed while she brewed the make-up potion and they talked and actually had a civil, decent conversation. He talked about the book he was reading and Hermione told him she’d heard of it, of course, but it was still stuck in the middle of her never-ending to-be-read pile. If they could pretend there wasn’t a world of hurt and anger between them, she could maybe understand where, on paper, they might seem like a match. The conversation was easy, once they pushed past the awkward apologies.
Still, she doesn’t know if that justifies going on a date with the guy, regardless of McGonagall’s ‘rules.’
But when she tries to sneak into the Great Hall for breakfast, she sees Ron chatting happily with Lavender.
Instead of ignoring them and scurrying away to hide out back in her room, Hermione walks right over to where they’re sitting and joins them. She plops down on the bench across from them, offering them a sarcastic smile.
“Don’t you two look cosy.”
“Hi, Hermione.” Lavender, at least, has the decency to look embarrassed.
“I see you two are getting reacquainted.” She looks back and forth between the pair, Ron choosing to avoid her gaze.
“We were just planning our date tonight,” Ron finally says.
“Oh! So, you’re still going on your date then?” Hermione’s tone is laced with sardonic vitriol.
“We’re friends. It’s different,” Ron continues to insist.
“So, you won’t be mad then if I go on my date.”
“I don’t understand why you would want to.”
Hermione’s mouth falls open before she can compose herself. She closes her mouth, looking at her boyfriend through narrowed eyes. “Why do you want to go on a date with your ex?” She looks at Lavender, whose cheeks are turning pink. “No offence, Lavender. I know I’ve been a bitch to you and maybe this is your chance to get back at me. I don’t know what your intentions are or if it’s all as innocent as a name at the top of a piece of paper. Regardless, Ronald, you’re sitting here telling me I can’t spend a couple of hours with someone while planning to spend the night with someone you have a history with. Make it make sense.”
“He’s Malfoy! He used to bully you!”
Hermione laughs. “Yeah and I think that makes it my decision on whether or not I want to spend time with him.” She shakes her head. “Tell me if you were going to use her to spite me.”
“Hermione—”
“No, Lavender. You owe me nothing. Frankly, I don’t much care what your intentions are. You’re not the person I’m in a relationship with and honestly, considering how he treated you back then, we could probably both do better.” She turns back to Ron, brow quirked and waiting for a denial.
He doesn’t say anything to her. Doesn’t even look her in the eye.
“Right, well then. Have fun tonight. Feel free to do whatever you want. Your choices are none of my business anymore.” Hermione stands, trying not to break in front of him.
She just broke up with Ron. Where does she even go from here?
Being with him was part of the plan. It was expected of her. It was easy. He’s her best friend.
She truly never saw this coming.
“Hermione, what are you talking about?”
She sighs, turning back to her…ex? “I think we need to explore some other options and see what works for us.”
“So, what, you want to go out with Malfoy? Do you really think he’s the one for you?”
“I can honestly say this has nothing to do with him and everything to do with you. You saw a name on a piece of paper and took it out on me. None of this is my fault, Ron. I love you, but I don’t love this version of you. You’re…angry and vindictive and my god, you’re using Lavender.” Hermione glances over to the blonde. “I meant it. We both deserve better than this.” She turns back to her ex. “I hope you can figure out where this anger and jealousy is coming from because…” she pauses, Ginny’s words from earlier in the week coming back to her.
You’re the least compatible people I’ve ever met.
Hermione shakes her head. “I think we both have some things to figure out.”
“You’re breaking up with me? Just like that?”
She shrugs. “Maybe the test is right, Ron. Maybe we’re not meant to be.”