Chapter 21

As Hermione dressed for her meeting with Harry and Ron, she began to question the intelligence of her "band-aid" approach to telling them about her new home.

Maybe it would have been better to ease them into it.

But she knew there was no easy way of telling her friends about her new life. No matter how she'd approached it, they were going to be upset. This way, at least, they will have had some time to get used to the idea.

Or so she told herself as she buttoned her blouse at a rate so slow it was absurd.

"You shouldn't be so nervous, you know," Draco said, watching her from her bed. Lucius had left a few moments ago, unable to watch her anxious dawdling any longer.

"Why not?" she asked fairly. She had every reason to be nervous. She didn't have many friends, and those she did have might hate her before the night was over. She'd barely gotten through the workday without having a nervous breakdown, knowing that Harry and Ron were only a few floors away, in the Auror department, possibly talking about her and questioning her sanity. Or even starting the paperwork for her commitment.

"Because they are your friends, Hermione. They love you. Even they won't let something like this push you apart. You're all friends for a reason. Don't condemn them before you know how they feel."

Hearing words like that from Draco was almost enough to make Hermione check for Polyjuice. On one hand, it seemed wholly out of character for him to be so reasonable toward her friends. But on the other hand, he seemed to be very understanding when it came to her, and he and Harry had been getting along better these days.

"You're right," she sighed. "I just wish this whole confrontation was over already and we were all sitting around in the garden, laughing about it."

Draco sighed, coming to stand behind her. He expertly finished the buttons she'd been avoiding with the idea that if she didn't finish dressing, there would be no way she could go to the Burrow. He ran his hands up her arms in a comforting gesture, and she leaned back into his embrace.

"I can't lose them," she admitted. Her unspoken fear said aloud, Hermione closed her eyes against the prickling behind her lids. She didn't want her friends to think she had betrayed them. Ron, especially, still saw Lucius as being evil and Draco as evil-in-training. The years had done nothing to temper the redhead's prejudices, and he certainly wasn't the only one. The prejudices went both ways, and many, many people still abided by them.

"You won't, love. Come on. You're supposed to be the brave one, remember? And if they do upset you, just leave. Tell them you'll only talk to them through owl post until they calm down. And I can always talk to Harry, though I suspect he won't be the one you'll need to convince."

"I don't want to convince anyone. I just want my choices to be accepted!"

"Ah, if only it were that easy. Everyone has to explain themselves sometimes. But explanations are different than excuses. Don't excuse or belittle your decision, because then you'll be belittling us. Stay true to your choice."

Hermione let herself be gathered into Draco's reassuring embrace. She had a hard time figuring him out at times. Like the day before, his attitude with Thello had been bracing and unexpected. But now he was treating her will gentleness and patience. It was almost as though he didn't even know who he truly was.

As ready as she was going to be, Hermione led Draco to the parlour where Lucius was sitting.

"I'm ready," she announced.

Lucius rose and took her into his arms. She melted into his arms, taking strength from his wordless confidence. Draco stood behind her, smoothing his hands up and down her arms. She sighed, feeling much better about what she had to do.

Taking a bolstering breath, Hermione Disapparated.

"Do you think they're going to accept this?" Draco asked of his father, the two of them sitting in comfortable silence after Hermione's departure.

"No. Do you?"

"No," Draco admitted. "But I wish they would. She puts an annoying amount of stock in their opinions. It would be better for us if they approved."

"Why, Draco," Lucius began teasingly. Draco was already rolling his eyes. "I never knew you to be so concerned about the opinions of others."

Draco looked incredulously at Lucius. Of course he cared; their entire lives were built on public image.

"Well, the opinions of those whom you deem not to matter," his father amended.

"They matter to her," Draco rejoined, pouting slightly.

Lucius softly laughed. "Why don't you get us a drink? It might help with the wait."

Draco began to get up, but Lucius halted him with a hand on his arm. "Why not try your new talent?" he suggested.

Draco smiled. He loved practising his wandless magic. He was getting better at it, although he noticed he'd acquired the annoying habit of announcing spells more loudly as if to compensate for the lack of directional tool. He was working on that.

With determination, Draco said, "Accio brandy and two snifters."

A tremendously expensive bottle of brandy began its journey toward them a little stiltedly, and Draco tried not to cringe when he saw his father stiffen from the corner of his eye. The brandy's slow and jerky journey did not bode well for either the aged liquid or the ostentatious carpet beneath it. Finally, the bottle landed safely in Draco's hand, followed by one of the glasses.

His concentration must have slipped upon catching the first two items, because the second glass promptly fell to the floor and shattered, startling them both.

Draco laughed a little embarrassedly. "Perhaps you should try this time?"

Lucius smiled his forgiveness, waving his wand over the broken glass on the carpet and using it to Accio another snifter.

Draco said nothing about his father's apparent hesitance to use his wandless magic, but instead, poured them both a reserved amount of spirits.

"Come in," Ron offered, holding the patchwork front door open for Hermione. She smiled gratefully and stepped inside.

It was, of course, just as she remembered. She hadn't been to the Burrow in some time. After she and Ron had split, she'd come back only sporadically, to visit Ginny or drop off presents at the holidays. But over the years, very few things had changed. It still looked ready to collapse under the weight of an intense stare, and it still smelled...and likely always would...like home cooking.

Still. There was something missing. She had once felt at home here, and now she felt like a guest. An unwelcome one, if the look Ron was giving her was any indication.

"So, Malfoy Manor, huh?" Ron said, taking a seat beside Harry and indicating that Hermione should sit across from them.

She smiled wryly and took the proffered chair, trying not to cringe as it trembled under her weight.

"Well, let's just cut to the chase, shall we?" she quipped, determined to keep this discussion light. Ron looked disturbed, and Harry seemed to be uncomfortable, but he smiled widely at her. She realized it had been a while since she'd seen either of them.

"Why on Earth are you living at Malfoy Manor? Have you...are they...were you...? Well?"

Hermione extrapolated from that that Ron wanted to know if she was staying against her will. Harry rolled his eyes, and Hermione relaxed. These were her friends...they weren't going to be angry with her.

"I'm staying there because I want to. Because it makes sense."

"Why, Hermione? I mean, I thought you loved your flat. Are you... renting a room there, or something?" Harry asked softly, looking hopeful.

She shook her head slowly. When she went to speak, Ron beat her to it

"Well, explain yourself, Hermione! What's going on?"

She bit her lip. She hadn't liked the tone of their owl in the first place, and she certainly didn't like being ordered about.

"I am not here to explain myself, Ronald. I'm here to tell you my news. I'm sorry about the way I said it, but I thought telling you I lived there was better than hedging around the topic. Now, I'm here to talk, but I won't put up with accusations and demands. If you can't listen rationally, I'll leave."

Ron looked ready to interject at any moment, but Harry stilled him with a hand on his arm. "That's more than fair. We just want to know that you're safe."

"And sane, Harry!" Ron exclaimed, looking searchingly at Hermione as though he could detect the presence of spells and curses just by looking at her.

"I am safe. And sane," she added, looking pointedly at Ron. "I'm living at the Manor because I'm in a relationship. Now, you may not like it or understand it, but it's real and I'm happy. I hope you can respect that."

Her friends took in her words, Ron looking positively purple, but Harry's restraining hand on his arm clenching viciously to keep Ron silent.

"With Malfoy, then?" Harry asked quietly, as though resigned.

Hermione smiled. She thought she could probably get away with not telling them which Malfoy, or the fact that it was both, but they would find out sooner or later, and they deserved to know the truth. Not to mention the fact that she really didn't want to have to do this again.

"With Draco, yes. And... Lucius."

Ron gasped dramatically and started choking. Harry was too dumbfounded to even clap him on the back; he was staring at Hermione with his mouth open and eyes perfectly round.

"With... both?" he choked out. Ron finally inhaled, his face returning to a nice, normal fire-engine red.

"But Hermione... they'll find out, eventually!" Ron cried, looking aghast and utterly lost.

"What?" Hermione said, a little lost herself. "Oh! Ronald! Of course, they know about each other. We're all... you know... in it together," she finished, bracing herself for more reaction.

Harry was nodding slowly, though he looked miles away from true comprehension. Ron had looked appeased for about a split second when he'd found out she wasn't cheating, but went straight back to appalled when he absorbed what she was doing.

"And they... together... that's just sick! How can you be a part of that... sickness?"

Harry nodded more emphatically, as if to agree. Hermione sighed.

"It's not sick. And remember what I said about leaving if you started to make judgements. No, they aren't intimate together, as if that's any of your business. Any other part of our sex life you'd like to pry in to, or have I been sufficiently chastened?"

"'Mione," Harry began, apparently having found language again. "Why? Why them? Why... like that?"

Hermione hasn't intended to explain about the triad magic right away, but they both looked as though they needed to understand, needed some sort of explanation other than dearmerlinsexissogood, which she was half-inclined to give, just to see Ron change colours again.

Through her lengthy and somewhat pedagogical explanation, the men both looked a little more understanding. Harry was nodding in a way that showcased something other than incredulity, and Ron looked almost pleased.

"So, you're just in it for the wicked magic, right?" he asked eagerly, after she'd finished.

"Okay, I'm leaving," Hermione announced, rising to her feet with every intention of walking out to Disapparate. They would never understand.

"Hermione! Wait," Harry said, coming around the side of the table to stall her. She faced him wearily.

"Harry, I care about them. I know it's hard to understand, and I know you don't like them. But I've learned a lot about them in the time I've spent there, and they aren't what we thought. Not anymore. People change, Harry. I've been able to move past the things that happened years ago. So have they. The magic, for me, wasn't the deciding factor. And I'm happy, Harry. Please... understand. "

"You say the magic wasn't the deciding factor for you... was it for them?" Harry asked softly.

Hermione paused. She knew that Harry wanted to know that the Malfoys weren't taking advantage of her, but.... Even though the magic wasn't the deciding factor, it had been a huge part of the process. If her magic hadn't gone haywire, she honestly never would have considered both of them. Maybe Draco, but only because he had been so persistent. She didn't know exactly how they had come about their own decisions.

"Harry, I don't know. I don't know what they thought about or considered when they made up their minds. I do know that they both care about me, and they both respect me. You don't have to worry about that."

Harry heaved a sigh, and Ron dropped his head heavily onto the table. Harry raised smiling eyes to her, and Hermione inwardly rejoiced. It was going to be okay.

She impulsively hugged Harry, silently thanking him for being the voice of reason... even if said voice had gone on a brief vacation a few moments ago.

"Okay," Ron said. "Okay. It's okay. We'll just... you know. And then... it'll be. Okay. Okay?"

Hermione laughed. "Okay, Ron." He looked relieved, so she figured she'd said the right thing. He came up to hug her as well, and Hermione allowed herself to really breathe.

"I think we should come visit, though. You know, to make sure they're treating you right and all."

"I'd like you to visit, Ron. But you have to behave. Neither of them will tolerate you making light of our decision. Or questioning me."

"I'll be good, promise. Harry'll keep me in line, won't you, mate?" Ron smiled widely, but Hermione could see it was a little shaky.

"Of course," Harry said agreeably.

"They have a beautiful pond for swimming, too. I'm sure you'll both love it... if you can bear to be around the Malfoys, of course."

Ron's eyes widened, and Hermione knew she had bribe material.

"So, let's see this wandless magic," Harry suggested, a glint in his eyes reminding Hermione that her friend was the most powerful wizard in the world. He could do wandless, non-verbal magic automatically, but he still looked eager to see her try.

Looking around, Hermione's eyes settled on something in the middle of the table. Thinking back to Draco's first attempt on the day that they'd first been together, Hermione smiled.

"Accio salt shaker!"

Draco yawned, pressing his bony skull into Hermione's stomach.

"Hey!" she cried, trying to push him away. He wouldn't allow her to, grabbing her wrists and pinning them tightly beside her body. When he pressed soft kisses onto her knuckles, she forgave his trespass and went back to stroking her fingers through his silky, fine hair.

"Kids," Lucius admonished, a playful twitch of his lip belying his chastisement.

Hermione was reclining on the couch, her head on Lucius' thigh. It was a familiar position for her, as she enjoyed lying like this as she read in the evenings. Draco was sitting on the floor, doing nothing but apparently enjoying the sensations of having his hair touched. He purred like a cat and butted into her hands almost comically, trying to prolong the pleasure.

Lucius was running light fingers over her collarbones and throat, as he was wont to do when she used him as a pillow like this. It was so comfortable, she reflected, the three of them sitting around, saying little, doing nothing. Only Lucius was using his time wisely, reading an economic newsletter. Hermione had batted it out of his hands earlier, but Draco had Accioed it back and given it to his father. Lucius had continued reading as though there had been no interruption at all.

They could be so irritating sometimes.

But, she mentally amended, rubbing her cheek over the impossibly soft cotton of his black dress pants, he could also be very sweet. And funny. And sexy. And Draco was those things as well.

Hermione was thinking she'd been Ghandi in another life, to deserve such an amazing one this time around.

Hermione shifted, causing Draco to sit up and turn, facing her. Her shirt had ridden up a little, and Draco placed a soft kiss on her bared belly. She smiled softly, still petting his hair.

He winked devilishly as her before placing another kiss below her navel, pairing it with a soft flick of his tongue. She hummed in contentment, wriggling a little before she could stop herself. His kisses trailed a little lower until he held the button of her jeans in his mouth. He looked up at her with one eyebrow raised, as if for permission, and she smiled widely.

"Draco," Lucius intoned without looking away from his paper. "Why don't you show Hermione your room?"

It was the tone that parents use when their child has a friend over and they've become hyper and uncontrollable. Hermione flushed, feeling strangely chagrined.

""Mmm... Want to see my room, Granger?" Draco drawled as lasciviously as humanly possible, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Hermione snorted, but sat up. She very much did want to see Draco's room.

"Lucius?" she said softly. "Do you want to...?" She felt strange offering a man an invitation to his own son's bed, but nothing about them was usual.

He looked up at her, seeming surprised before smiling softly. "I shouldn't. Too much work to do and I'd like to get caught up."

Hermione nodded, disappointed. But Lucius took his work very seriously, and Hermione respected that. She bent down to kiss him, intending to show him a little of what he was missing. The kiss became intense, and Hermione almost went to straddle the older blond, but Draco cleared his throat impatiently, and Lucius broke the kiss.

"Good night, Hermione," he said in a low voice, pressing one more kiss to her lips before leaning back.

"Good night, Lucius."

"Let's go, Granger," Draco said, pulling on her arm and leading her to the serpent's den.