Work Text:
21 March 1999
Hermione glanced around the Gryffindor common room as she came down the stairs from the girls' dormitories. Harry was talking about something with Neville by the fireplace. Ginny and Seamus were dealing a round of Exploding Snap, much to the delight of a group of first years.
Slinging her backpack on her shoulder, Hermione left the noisy tower. As she walked along the corridors, the golden light of late afternoon reminded her that she didn't have much time. She needed to go to the greenhouses to pick up the fertiliser that she and her Potions partner had ordered for their term project. They were trying to develop a single healing potion that could replace the three most common potions used in treating the after-effects of the cruciatus.
Theo had a hypothesis that by planting healing belladonna, which was a slightly less toxic version of the deadly nightshade plant at different times during the vernal equinox, the berries would be influenced by the balance of that day. They were hoping the results would provide more potent healing properties and a less potentially lethal plant . Hermione didn't see any reason not to try, seeing as she already had a supply of berries she could use in brewing a control batch of the potion. Magical fertiliser would reduce germination time and help speed up the growing process, which would have been her only other objection.
So, they had already been out for a sunrise planting, as well as when the sun was at its zenith. Now they just had sunset and the moon's zenith. She checked her watch as the large doors to the Entrance Hall closed behind her. Forty minutes until sunset. There should be plenty of time.
The lawns and greenhouses were clear, so she was able to retrieve her planting supplies quickly. By the time the sky took on the fiery orange and pink hues, she was entering the Forbidden Forest. Once she crossed the treeline, the slight squelch of her boots on damp grass shifted to the soft crunch of snow.
When she got to their clearing, she found a small fire burning, contained in a large stone basin. She was relieved to see that the soil remained free of snow, and the two remaining squares that they had marked out earlier appeared freshly tilled. She found a spot of dry soil near where Theo was standing and slung her school bag from her shoulder to the ground.
"Good. You brought the fertiliser. May I, Granger?" He waited for her nod before he took the sack from her grasp and set it down by the nearest plot. "Did you have any trouble getting away this time?"
Hermione crouched beside her bag and opened it to remove a pouch of seeds labelled for sunset. "It's Sunday and nearly dinner time. Gryffindor was chaos," she told him.
"Your friends won't notice you've not been at meals today?"
She watched as her potions partner cast the spells to distribute the appropriate amount of fertiliser into each square and cast another tilling spell.
When Theo looked at her with a raised brow, she realised she hadn't answered his question. "Likely not," she said, a blush creeping up her neck. "I have somewhat of a history of missing meals when I'm focussed on schoolwork, and to be honest, after last year, I'm still not accustomed to eating regular meals. If anyone gets really concerned, Harry will send his house-elf after me, I'm sure."
Not sure why she'd said any of that, and mentally kicking herself for revealing more than the stoic Slytherin was probably expecting when he asked such a simple question, Hermione took the opportunity to check her watch. Twenty minutes past six--ten more minutes.
"Oh, I see," he said. She heard him shuffle a bit as he tied the sack of fertiliser closed and placed it with his own supplies, but she didn't look at him. As the seconds passed, she could feel the temperature of her flushed skin cool back down. Despite the opening she'd unwittingly left him to ask about the previous year, he didn't seem like he would pry. She appreciated that
Glancing around, she noticed a table set up with a pair of chairs. There were two place settings with covers over the dishes. She wondered what he'd brought for their dinner.
She remembered being surprised when they arranged their planting schedule for the day. He'd gone so far as to insist that she allow him to make arrangements for their evening meal since the planting would coincide with dinner in the Great Hall. She just wasn't sure why.
Checking her watch again, she resisted the urge to groan. Eight minutes.
For how often it seemed that she never had enough time, or only just enough time, it was now passing unaccountably slower than she could remember.
18 April 1999
Hermione saw the clouds banking as she crossed the castle grounds. The air held a hint of the scent of rain, but she hoped it would hold off a while yet. There was a Quidditch practice going on, from the hints of colour she could see, she figured it must be the Hufflepuff team.
As she entered the forest, the air seemed to still. Or, the trees filtered some of the sound from the pitch. Her feet walked the familiar path, without her needing to pay much attention. She'd studied earlier that morning with Theo, but he hadn't mentioned when he was checking on their plants.
She knew, thanks to Harry's lingering paranoia, that Theo was visiting the clearing daily. He'd actually mentioned it to her because he thought their Slytherin classmate might be trying to sabotage her project. As though he wasn't in the same NEWT level Potions class, and he hadn't been there when their partners for the term had been assigned.
Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes as she remembered his sheepish apology.
A twig snapping on the path ahead drew her out of her thoughts. Checking her wand holster out of habit, she sighed with relief as her fingers brushed the polished wood. Senses on the alert, she continued on her way.
As she rounded a twist in the path, she came into the clearing to see Theo crouching near one of the plots and casting a few spells that she recognised from Herbology. She just stood and watched him work for a while, admiring the thoroughness of his plant diagnostic spells and the precision of his wand movements. He moved with a lithe economy that she almost envied.
A familiar pitter-patter among the leaves of the trees surrounding their clearing drew her from her once again wandering thoughts. With a purposeful stride, Hermione crossed the clearing to Theo's side and cast a charm that she recently found, " Protego pluvia. " She finished the upward circular wand motion just as a lone droplet landed on her face.
Theo looked up at the sound of her voice, startled. "Thanks, Granger. I didn't know you were coming to check the plots today."
"Oh, I check on them every day," she said.
"So do I." He glanced up and watched the rain falling. "That's a handy spell."
"I can show you sometime if you like," she offered.
"I'd like that."
She watched as he stared at her. Though his expression remained the same as ever, his eye flickered as though he were weighing options. She felt the brush of soft fabric on her cheek and gasped.
"You had a raindrop, just there." He folded his handkerchief and tucked it back in the breast pocket of his robes.
"Oh, well," she replied as she took a breath to compose herself. "Thank you, Nott."
"Call me Theo?" His eyes searched hers for something she couldn't quite place.
"Thank you, Theo."
She'd barely finished before his lips captured hers in a soft kiss. "You're welcome, Hermione."
She hardly noticed when her umbrella spell faded, and the rain began to fall on them directly.
16 May 1999
During the course of the term, Hermione noticed that she had more trouble concentrating on her actual studies when she was around Theo. She'd spent more time than she cared to admit recently, trying to keep herself from reaching out to fix his hair when they were studying in the library and his fringe fell into his eyes. Or she'd start a debate about something she was researching, just so she could listen to his voice.
To Hermione's great relief, the berries were not quite ready for harvesting at Beltane.
The last thing either of them needed was her losing her self control and throwing herself at him during a day known for its inherent fertility magic. Especially when, at that time, they'd only shared their first kiss less than two weeks prior to the spring festival.
Not that it would be much better now that it had been a month since they started snogging.
Such were the thoughts occupying her mind as she made her way to the clearing for what might be the final time.
Since that day in April, she and Theo had decided to go to the clearing to check on their belladonna plants after dinner. Today though, he'd once again said that he'd arrange their dinner for them, and asked her to be in the clearing around half-past six.
Thus she found herself wearing a pair of adorable flats, a nice pair of jeans, and a pretty knit top with her spring trench coat, rather than her usual trainers, faded jeans, and Weasley jumper under her school robes. Despite knowing that they were harvesting potions ingredients. Despite knowing that the path could be a bit slippery.
The forest floor was no longer dark. The wood anemone and the bluebells were blooming, and lined the well-worn trail, welcoming her deeper into the woods. She would miss this walk.
When she arrived in the clearing, Theo was already there, sitting in a conjured chair and appearing quite relaxed. He stood when he noticed her.
"Hello, Theo. Were you waiting long?" She asked as she walked across the clearing into his embrace.
"Not long at all. I just finished a few minutes ago." He kissed her forehead before letting her go. "I thought it would be easier to enjoy our meal if we got the work done first. Shall we?"
Hermione pulled her beaded bag from the pocket of her coat. "Hang on. Let me get the baskets." She summoned four shrunken baskets from the small purse and handed them to Theo.
He enlarged the baskets while she put the bag back in her pocket. He passed her two of the baskets, and they worked in silence, harvesting the belladonna. The job passed quickly, thanks to magic, and before long, they were enjoying the delicious dinner that Theo brought.
"Do you know what you'll be doing when we finish school?" He changed the topic from their potion.
Hermione finished the bite she'd just taken before she answered. "I have a few applications in with the Ministry, but lately I've been considering a Mastery. You?"
"Well, I have my family estate to run. And there's a business as well," he said, "but Father was never interested in it, so I'm not sure what state it's in."
"Sounds like you'll be busy. What sort of business?"
He took a sip of sparkling pear juice before answering. "An art gallery. It was my mother's, actually. She inherited it from my father's aunt."
"I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that," she told him.
Theo laughed at that. "My family has a few quirks, for sure. Thank Merlin this is a harmless one."
"So, you'll become a landlord and art dealer after school?"
"Actually, I was wondering if you'd consider becoming an art dealer," he told her. "The estate comes with a hereditary Wizengamot seat, and since Father is in prison and unable to mentor me in that, I've taken a sort of apprenticeship with Madam Longbottom for the summer session."
"You want me to work for you? When we're…" she trailed off. They hadn't actually defined what their snogging in the forest, and occasionally in the library relationship was. Could she work for him while they were whatever they were?
He reached across the table for her hand. "I'm doing this all wrong. Forgive me?"
Bewildered, Hermione nodded. "Of course."
"Would you consider allowing me to court you once we finish school?"
Her eyes widened as his words sank in. "I know the term, but what does 'court' mean in the wizarding world?"
Theo's thumb traced random patterns across her knuckles as he thought about what he wanted to say.
"I'd like to take you out, for various outings, and we would get to know one another better," he explained.
"How would me working at your family art gallery work if we were courting?"
Theo considered what he knew of the way the gallery had been run in the past. "As far as I know, the gallery has always been run by a family member, but we could set up a business partnership, if you like?"
"I never considered running a business," Hermione told him. "Can I do some research on the laws and get back to you on that at a later date?"
He nodded. "Of course. Take all the time you need."
"As for courting," she continued, "I would like to continue spending time with you, too."
The rest of the evening was spent planning the next steps with their potion project and Theo dropping little hints about the dates he'd like to take her on. They cleaned up the clearing for the last time, removing the wardstones they'd laid several weeks ago, and removing all traces of their presence, leaving it pristine.
As they made the final journey along the forest path, Theo stopped for a moment. Hermione watched as he stooped down and plucked a wood anemone. When he gave it to her, she promised herself to cast a preservation charm on it before she went to sleep that night.
Unlike other nights when they walked back to the castle, when they went their separate ways from the Entrance Hall, this time he walked with her to the corridor where the entry to Gryffindor was located. They lingered for a while in an alcove out of view of gossipy paintings and he kissed her goodnight.