Hyacinth POV
Neville and I walked through the halls on our way to one of the last few breakfasts we will have in the castle I thought was my home until I met dad. Though Hogwarts was still special to me even if I was looking forward to leaving her. The great hall was as lively as ever in the morning with the morning mail drop and the clatter of forks and knives on plates.
We slipped through the doors quietly, both of us aiming for the Gryffindor table. But I didn't miss Draco leaning against the wall near the entrance. He was trying to look casual, but the way his eyes cut toward me the second I walked in gave him away.
I slowed my step, and before I could ask what he wanted, he moved. But he wasn't alone.
Theo trailed just behind him, his posture stiff and unnatural, like he wasn't sure if he belonged anywhere. Blaise Zabini walked on his other side, as calm as ever, with that unreadable expression that always made me wonder what was spinning behind his eyes. Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle shuffled in behind them all, pale and quieter than I'd ever seen them.
The Hall buzzed louder at the sight of five Slytherins crossing the floor toward Gryffindor's table. Whispers rose like wind through reeds, as students twisted in their seats to stare.
I didn't flinch, why should I?. Instead, I shifted on the bench, sliding down far enough to leave space. Neville caught the cue and gave a reassuring smile as he made room for them as well.
Draco stopped in front of us, his chin up, daring anyone to question him. He didn't make a speech. He didn't need to, because Nev and I knew why he was here. He just said, firmly:
"They're with us."
And then he sat with his back straight and his head held high, like the tiny version of a king.
Theo hesitated for a fraction of a second, then followed. Blaise moved as if he'd expected it all along. Vincent and Gregory dropped onto the bench like they weren't sure if they were allowed but were too hungry to question it.
The whispers surged across the Hall, but we all ignored them. Instead, I nudged the toast rack toward Vincent and Gregory. "Eat before the owls steal it," I said lightly.
Vincent actually snorted, Gregory mumbled a thanks, and some of the tension at the table cracked.
Blaise inclined his head toward me, his voice low but clear. "Thank you, for helping Theo," he said. "and for keeping Draco from pacing a hole into the common room floor."
Theo murmured, almost to himself, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do now."
Draco answered before I could. "You inherit you title, you pack, and you come with us." His tone was blunt for sure but he sounded confident.
I softened it, because I felt like I had to translate Draco's pomp into something that could ground Theo a little better than just do it. "You take one step at a time, Theo. You don't have to do it all today. Just... breathe, because you're not alone anymore."
Theo's eyes flicked to me, he looked slightly wary but grateful. He ducked his head quickly, but the stiffness in his shoulders eased just a little.
The day passed in a blur after that, but it wasn't the usual drag of lessons. It felt charged, like something had shifted.
By lunch, the whispers had turned into open stares. It didn't matter. Draco led Theo, Blaise, Vincent, and Gregory straight to the courtyard with Neville and me trailing behind. We claimed one of the stone benches under the yew trees.
Neville wasted no time pulling a satchel of cuttings onto his lap. "Foxglove leaves," he explained, holding them out for Theo to inspect. "Good for potion bases if you process them right. Professor Sprout lets me take extra for practice."
Theo leaned in, fingers careful as he examined the leaf. His eyes lit faintly, like he was starving for someone to see him. "And you keep them in humidity trays? Won't they rot?"
"Not if you balance the airflow," Neville said, brightening. "Want me to show you?"
Theo nodded quickly, and Blaise angled his body closer, his sharp questions tumbling out about soil balance and cutting times. Neville answered each one with steady patience, and for the first time, I realized how easily Blaise's calm precision and Theo's quiet hunger fit into Neville's soft-spoken expertise.
Vincent and Gregory hovered awkwardly until I cracked a grin and said, "If you two don't behave, I'll make you write Lockhart's hair-care essays for us. I hear he likes two feet of parchment on how to properly swish conditioner."
Both boys groaned, then actually grinned causing the tension between them to finally ease.
That was when Hannah and Susan found us.
Hannah's smile was wide and bright. "Thought we'd find you here. You've been hard to find lately, Hyacinth."
Susan's eyes flicked to the Slytherins. "Interesting company today." She said curiously.
Draco, sat up straighter and inclined his head politely. He didn't even sneer or make a comment about Hufflepuffs, it was progress.
Hermione arrived moments later, clutching a Charms text to her chest. She didn't sit right away, just hovered, gaze bouncing between me and the cluster of Slytherins. Finally, she blurted, "I know you wouldn't waste your time with people who didn't deserve it. So I just... wanted to see for myself."
Draco stiffened, pride battling with shame of his past actions towards her on his face. Then, in front of everyone, he said, halting but sincere, "About last year... what I called you. I was wrong. Hyacinth and my mother are teaching me about things I wasn't aware of before so, I won't say it again."
Hermione blinked, clearly stunned. "...Thank you," she managed to mutter out through her shock.
The courtyard seemed to freeze for a beat after that. Until, of course, Ron stomped up, red-faced and scowling. He plopped down nearby, arms crossed.
"Figures. You'd pick them," he muttered at me. "Slimy snakes, all of them. You really think you can trust Malfoy?"
Before I could answer, Neville's voice cut in, and he spoke to Ron in a way he wouldn't have dared to just last year. "She trusts him and that's enough for me."
Susan nodded sharply. Even Hannah, usually sunshine incarnate, crossed her arms and said, "Not everyone in Slytherin is rotten, Ron. You know that."
Ron sputtered, his ears going scarlet, but Hermione shot him a warning glare that shut him up before he could dig himself deeper.
I leaned forward, my voice steady as I said. "Look, we don't have to like each other's Houses. But I'm not wasting time arguing about who's worth sitting with. I decide who my friends are, you of all people should know that better than anyone mate."
That silenced the group. Draco's mouth twitched, he didn't exactly smile but he smirked in what I assume was either triumph of respect. Theo lifted his chin a little higher, like my words gave him permission to be there and just be himself.
The conversation loosened after that. Neville and Hannah bent their heads together over seedlings. Susan quizzed Blaise on Arithmancy, and he volleyed back answers with a wit sharp enough to make her crack a reluctant smile. Hermione sat beside me, not glaring at Draco for once, but studying him instead, and every so often, he met her gaze without malice. Even Vincent and Gregory relaxed enough to snicker when Ron grumbled about homework, causing Hermione to go into her lecture about the importance of studying.
I sat back, listening to them all get along, and watching how they interacted, letting it soak in. Gryffindor, Slytherin and Hufflepuff, side by side, with no venomous words, and no sneers. We were just a group of kids who'd been told for too long that they couldn't be anything but enemies, finally sharing space like it was the most natural thing in the world.
And I thought: If we can make this work here, maybe we can make it work anywhere.
That night, after lessons and practice, I curled up on my bed with the mirror balanced on my knees. It pulsed, and Dad's tired face filled the glass.
The second he saw me, his expression softened. "Well, hello there, daughter mine."
I giggled, the stress of the day falling off. "Hi, Dad. Just wanted to call and say goodnight. Also... they sat with us today. Draco brought Theo, Blaise, Vincent, and Gregory. We all sat together. It was... nice despite all the gossip it stirred."
Dad chuckled. "You keep pulling strays into your pack, Princess. You're worse than Moony ever was."
I shook my head. "Doesn't feel like strays, they feel like family."
His eyes softened, his voice dropping low when he said. "Exactly, that's the whole bloody point."
The mirror dimmed after our muffled goodnights, and I tucked it under my pillow.
Today felt like the start of something real and I couldn't wait to really start our journey together.