Chapter 17

After his talk with his father, Draco felt relieved. All the questions he'd had had been answered, and his largest fear abated.

Draco honestly didn't think he had the capacity to become a Dark Lord. He didn't think he was inherently evil. But he knew better than anyone (except possibly Lucius) that power was very seductive.

And that if you didn't have a reason to succumb to its pull, it was very, very easy to invent a reason.

But the triad magic didn't feel seductive to him. It felt... comforting. As though it would always be there if he needed it, but it wouldn't change him or ask too much of him. He wondered if his father and Hermione felt the same way, but he didn't suppose it mattered very much. He knew his father was equally incapable of being truly Dark. Lucius had joined the Dark Lord for his own personal gain, at first. Lucius had told him all about it in the hopes that Draco would not make the same mistakes.

Voldemort had promised a great many things, for so little a cost. Obedience, that was all. And while the Malfoys bowed to no one in their hearts, Lucius had deemed it worth it to bow physically in order to get all that was promised him.

From what his father had told him, all that changed with Draco. Suddenly, Lucius was fighting instead of following. Promises were made and broken and the Dark Lord went mad, no longer deserving of a Malfoy's loyalty. But Lucius' youthful avarice had tied him permanently, despite attempts to escape one way or another. Draco was merely a bargaining chip to Voldemort, until he was old enough to become useful.

Lucius had saved him from taking the Dark Mark, but only just. He had suffered great pain the day he'd refused to hand Draco over. Despite Draco's failure to complete his task at the Astronomy Tower, Voldemort had still wanted Draco, most likely to keep Lucius in better check.

In the end, they all suffered to keep the family together, even his mother. She bore the Dark Mark as well, and despite all Lucius' sacrifices to keep the family together, Voldemort had barely fallen before she'd left.

The house was so different with her gone. She'd always been so cool, even to Draco. He'd so rarely seen her mask slip that he suspected it had become her true visage. At least at home, Lucius had always been warmer, more approachable, and available.

Hermione's influence on the house was patently obvious when he'd walked into his father's study only to see a suspicious look of abandon on his sire's face. Crossing his arms and leaning against the door jamb, Draco watched.

It wasn't that he was turned on, because he wasn't, not really. Maybe if he'd actually been able to see Hermione it would have been different; if he watched her swollen lips slide up and down, her eyes closed in concentration, her slender fingers stroking.... Yes, that would have been enticing.

But all he'd seen was his father's face and upper body. When he'd watched Lucius come, he had felt a strange sense of... satisfaction. It came over him as quickly as Lucius' orgasm came upon him.

And he didn't feel jealous in a way he'd expected. He, of course, wanted Hermione's mouth on him. But it was more desire than envy. He knew his father deserved and needed Hermione as much as he himself did. And Draco knew he'd get his turn, time and again... for the rest of their lives.

So seeing Lucius with Hermione in that way only cemented his own desires and inspired a mischievous announcement of his presence.

Relishing the mortification on Hermione's face and the sated but slightly embarrassed look on his father's, Draco walked away to sit down for breakfast.

Joined by the paramours a few minutes later, Draco couldn't keep the smirk off of his face. It was so rare that he got to see his father undone.

"Hermione has made an interesting discovery this morning," Lucius drawled, reaching for the tea to and pouring some for each of them.

"Oh, did she?" Draco asked innocently. "I daresay it wasn't a discovery of unfavourable comparison, since she does not have all the... information to measure. "

Hermione barked out an astonished laugh, but Lucius raised an eyebrow at his son's uncouthness.

"Can we act like adults about this, or will I be forced to relive the more vulgar moments of your teenaged years?"

"I'm sure we can act like adults, Father," Draco quipped. "But it's just that you have so much more experience at it."

"Draco!" Hermione admonished. "What's gotten into you?"

Draco was fit to bursting with a retort and couldn't contain himself. "Luckily not the same thing that's gotten into you, love."

"That's enough, Draco." Lucius voice was stern, but he knew the nuances of his father's intonations and heard amusement there. Hermione's face was flushed but her eyes were sparkling, and Draco knew his humour had not been wholly unappreciated.

"As I was saying, before a third of us reverted to adolescence, Hermione tested her magic this morning and found she was able to do it wandlessly."

Draco gaped at Hermione, all thoughts of dirty innuendoes fleeing his mind. "What did you do? What happened? I can't believe I haven't tried that!"

"I Accioed my scarf. It did take a few tries, but I really did it. I just imagined my magic reaching out into the world and doing what it needed to do, like a hand grabbing the scarf and bringing it to me. It was incredible."

Draco immediately focused on the salt shaker in the middle of the table and imperiously announced, "Accio salt shaker!"

Nothing happened.

Draco tossed his hair out of his eyes and focused his thoughts. Magic, go get me that salt shaker! He repeated the command as Hermione and Lucius watched intently.

It shook a little, but did not come closer. Draco looked at Hermione to see her fairly squirming in her seat and he could tell she wanted to say something.

"Yes, dearest?" he asked sarcastically.

Rolling her eyes, she said, "You really must focus. Imagine your magic is an extension of your body. Don't bother picturing the wand movements; don't think of your wand at all."

Nodding, Draco thought about how easy it would be to just reach out and grab the salt shaker, but how nice it would be of his magic to fetch it for him. Once more calling out, "Accio salt shaker!" the object in question shot into his hand at an impressive speed, white granules spilling at the impact.

Lucius stifled a gasp, but Draco heard it and looked to him. His father was looking at him with a mixture of astonishment and pride. Draco preened under the attention, doubly so when Hermione smiled widely and praised him.

"Are you going to try, Lucius?" Hermione asked.

"Perhaps later," he said casually, but Draco looked at him searchingly. There was something in his voice that made Draco pause.

"So, what do you Malfoys do on the weekend? Something utterly formal and posh, I bet," Hermione quipped, looking between the two blonds. Draco laughed and Lucius smiled patronizingly.

"Yes, it's all equestrian shows and operas, I'm afraid," Lucius rejoined.

"And don't forget the tea parties," Draco added.

"Well, maybe we could do something a little more pedestrian today," Hermione said hopefully.

The Malfoys kept their masks firmly in place, but Draco was simultaneously concerned and afraid for what she might suggest. He might enjoy pubs in Muggle London, but he expected his father would not be amenable to such an idea.

"And what did you have in mind, precisely?" Lucius' cultured drawl belied his contempt, ostensibly at the word "pedestrian."

"A picnic," she announced proudly.

Draco huffed a slightly relieved laugh, though he had rather looked forward to seeing his father's reaction to something like the zoo or the circus.

"That sounds like fun, love. Where would you like to go?" Draco asked, dabbing at his mouth with his napkin before calling for Tippy to clear the dishes.

"I just thought we might have it on the grounds. I'm sure they are extensive, and maybe I could get to know the area a little better. If I'm to be staying here, you know."

"That's a good idea. We've hate for you to get lost trying to find the stable," Draco joked. It was entirely possible, after all.

"Oh, you have horses? I've always wanted to go horseback riding," Hermione said with a slightly dreamy quality to her voice.

"Yes, we have a few thoroughbreds, show horses mostly, but there are a couple we could ride. I wasn't actually joking about the equestrian shows, but that was more my mother's hobby."

"Just so we're clear," Lucius interjected slowly. "You want to take food from the Manor and go eat it on the grass? Like homeless people or animals?"

"Lucius!" Hermione cried. "What a horrible comparison!"

"I wasn't comparing them; I was just ascertaining that you actually wanted to eat on the ground as though we do not have a perfectly acceptable dining room table, at which we are sitting at this very moment."

Draco snickered, allowing Hermione to field this one. She would have to get used to it, after all. Just as his father would have to get used to her "crazy" notions like picnics.

"I think it will be fun. We'll take a blanket, and some wine, and just enjoy the sunshine. We don't have to." Hermione shrugged. "We could do something else."

"No," Draco said firmly, looking reproachfully at his father. "We will have a picnic and it shall be grand. And we could have it by the lake."

"There's a lake on your property?"

Lucius answered, "It's not really a lake, but too large to be a pond. It is actually quite nice. Good idea, Draco. Well, I should like to get some work done first, and then I expect I will scour my wardrobe for something I shouldn't mind getting covered in dirt and grass."

"Can we swim in the lake?"

Draco nodded and she grinned widely. "Then bring bathing suits, boys! We'll meet back here at one, is that good for you?" she asked them both.

They agreed and everyone escaped to their own area of the manor until it was time to sit in the dirt.

Hermione didn't have a bathing suit at the Manor. She had planned to go back to her flat today and pack her things, but the picnic would be so much more fun. There would be time later in the day to go back.

Looking through her scant lingerie drawer, Hermione Transfigured a pale pink bra and panty set into a plain black two-piece swim suit. It wasn't very original, nor was it incredibly sexy, but it would definitely do the trick.

Hermione sat back on the bed. It was strange, going from being single and living in a tiny flat to having two men and living in a giant manor. It was downright unnerving. She hadn't had much time to think about what people would say except in an abstract way, but now she had to wonder what Harry would think. And Ron.

Harry dealt with Draco much better than before. They often saw one another at Ministry functions or parties thrown by former Hogwarts students. After the defeat of Voldemort, house rivalry just didn't seem to matter, and Draco had never taken the Dark Mark, so their schoolyard animosity was diminished if not completely dissipated.

Lucius, on the other hand, would be a harder sell. He had tried to kill them, after all. Harry didn't forget things like that. He was fiercely loyal and tremendously protective of her. But he also knew that she would not back down from doing something she thought was right. She could count on him to help Ron understand.

Eventually she would have to tell her friends.

When the time to meet came around, Hermione was feeling a little less jubilant. Thoughts of her friends had made her miss them, and she worried about what they would think. Donning her newly Transfigured bathing suit and wrestling her hair into what might be called a bun in some parts of the world, she made her way back to the dining room.

Her men were waiting for her, Draco wearing white swim shorts that came to about his knees in a Muggle fashion she was shocked to see he followed. He wore nothing else. Lucius was dressed casually...for him...in tan pants and a dark green long sleeved shirt. He had a large picnic basket in hand and Draco was holding a blanket. They both smiled an eerily similar smile, and Hermione was glad she'd thrown on a sundress overtop her swim suit or she'd feel particularly exposed at the moment.

"Ready?" Draco drawled, eyeing her frame exaggeratedly.

"To the dirt!" she announced, leading the way outside.

They walked a way around the Manor, through a copse of trees and finally arrived at a clearing. Hermione gasped when she saw the "pond." It was practically a lagoon! There was even a waterfall, with the large pond located at the base of a steep rocky incline. There was both sand leading into the water and rock, and one could jump into the "deep end" by walking around to the large, flat stones on the far side. It was beautiful.

Draco dumped the blanket and jumped right in, splashing around like a true child. Lucius laughed heartily and Hermione smiled at both Draco's antics and Lucius' happiness. She realized she rarely heard him laugh, and it was a noise she would endeavour to coax out of him more often.

"How's the water?" she asked Draco, who was floating on his back.

"It's a little cool, but you get used to it quickly. The water's very clear. You'll love it!"

Hermione smiled and set up the blanket in the grass a little way from the water. Lucius took a seat (quite gingerly, as if the grass would contaminate him through the blanket) and started pulling out the wine glasses and wine. There was a flat stone beside the blanket, perfect to set the glasses on. Hermione was sure she'd never seen a nicer picnic.

Lucius didn't pour the wine, however. He stood and undressed, and Hermione couldn't help staring. She'd managed not to eye Draco too overtly, but she'd been keenly aware of his slender, lithe form and his ropy muscles, skin fairly gleaming in the sunlight. Now with Lucius undressing, she was sure her brain was melting.

As he removed his shirt, Hermione watched him from the corner of her eye. He was larger than Draco, more muscular and broader across. They were equally pale and flawless, though Lucius' perfection was marred by the Dark Mark. He stripped off his pants revealing firmly muscled thighs on long, strong legs. His bathing suit was a little more... revealing than Draco's. They were small black shorts, perfectly snug and altogether too delicious.

She was made aware of the fact that both Malfoys knew she was staring by two lascivious and arrogant smirks directed at her. She blushed to roots of her hair and knew this really was the best picnic she'd ever been on in her life.