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"Hermione, I really think you should go for it. I think she likes you too! Just tell her that you've been pining for her for months. Tell her that her smell is that of vanilla cake and cherry sauce."
"Terezi, Bella isn't just someone I could just go up to and say, 'hey, I'm in love with you, and have been since I saw you in the coffee shop."
"You can though. Look, what's she gonna do? Reject you? Come on, Hermione." Terezi was annoyed. She had been secretly in love with Hermione, her best friend, for years, and had been setting this event up for weeks. Feeding Bella rumors about Hermione, telling her all sorts of things in order to turn her away so that when this moment came, they wouldn't get together. Hermione's was Terezi's, and Terezi's only. She wouldn't stand for her getting together with someone like Bella, of all people.
Hermione was nervous, but Terezi wasn't. She knew how this was going to go. Hermione would be rejected, and Terezi would swoop right in to comfort her, and maybe, just maybe, finally convince her that she was worth considering. She needed to be more than just friends.
—TIME SKIP: TWO HOURS LATER—
Terezi waited anxiously. Surely Hermione should have been back by now, and surely she would be inconsolable. Bella would have rejected her, and the next step of her plan would be ready to activate. Only, it had been so long. People don’t stay out that long unless they’re having…conversations. Terezi shuddered at the thought. She was not the most familiar with deep, intimate conversations, clearly evidenced by the fact that she set up an elaborate, weeks-long ruse to toy with Hermione’s emotions for her own benefit instead of just telling her how she felt.
Odd tropes aside, she was getting worried, until Hermione burst through the door.
“Hermione? How did it go??” She couldn’t see her expression, obviously, but her heart still sank when she heard what came next.
“She said yes!!”
Terezi was speechless. Hermione took that as a grateful speechlessness and continued. “Yeah! We’re going to go on another date tomorrow! I can’t wait to tell her about all my wizard stuff. I’m gonna make such a good impression.”
Terezi fumed silently. Now shit was real.
"That's.... great!" Terezi said, trying to bring excitement into her voice. "I'm... so glad it went well."
"I know right!" Hermione paced around the room. "Oh gosh, I can't believe she took me being a wizard so well. I was so worried that Bella would hate it, but she seemed kind of into it? I think she may have mentioned something about knowing about vampires too, which makes sense for something a muggle would know about the wizarding world but-"
"Hermione," Terezi interrupted, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure she took it good? I mean, if her only exposure to the wizarding world has been vampires, maybe she's one of those... witch killing maniacs?" She was doing everything in her power to turn this wrong, to bring Hermione back on her side. If only Bella had just rejected her, then Hermione would have come back needing comfort, and the two of them would be together by now!
Hermione smiled and responded, "Yeah, she seemed really cool about it, and I think we could definitely have a lovely future together. I can't wait to take her out on lovely picnics, and candlelit dinners, and hold hands in the back of a movie theater, and-"
"NO! I... I... don't want to lose you." Terezi interrupted, starting out louder, and then fading to a sadder tone.
Hermione was immediately taken aback, having to recalculate and use her wits to determine what was happening. Could it really be the case that Terezi had red feelings for her as well? Hermione had always held a soft spot for her dear friend, and while she had tried to suppress it because she had never considered that Terezi might be interested, now that path was once again wide open. But, what about Bella? Would she have to give up on the girl who had brought her so much happiness and love? No. There had to be a better solution to this.
"Tez, I think I understand what you are saying, and I want you to know that you are my best friend, and you are like the times when I am reading a good book while appreciating a sunset over the ocean. I don't ever want you to be left behind".
They talked it out, called Bella, and formed a throuple.