Chapter 30

"I invited Thello and Michael over this afternoon," Draco announced at breakfast. Even though he and Hermione didn't have to be up at such an ungodly hour, they had taken to doing so, to keep Lucius company before he left for work. As they wouldn't see him for most of the day, they wanted to spend as much time together as possible.

It also helped Draco from staying up too late, as was his natural inclination. This way, he could go to bed with his lover and his father. It would be easier once he had a job, but they were working on that.

"Oh?" Lucius said, pouring for tea for Hermione and sweetening it to her preference.

"What a great idea!" Hermione exclaimed, gratefully sipping her tea. "I've been wondering how they've taken the break-up, and I feel like we haven't seen them in ages. Plus, I wanted to talk to Michael about his werewolf friend; remember, the one who can't afford the Wolfsbane and uses a silver cell to keep himself under control?"

"What do you need to talk about? It's unfortunate, but short of paying for a total stranger's potion, I'm not sure how you intend to help." Lucius peered over the top of his economic newsletter, eyeing Hermione, who squirmed a little.

"Actually, I was thinking that we might do just that," she said, straightening in her chair. Draco knew that gesture. He leaned back in his chair to watch.

"You want to pay for his Wolfsbane?" Lucius asked, looking shocked at the idea. For a philanthropist, Lucius sometimes had a hard time understanding the smaller picture.

"More than that," she said, placing her hands flat on the table. Fighting position. Draco smirked.

"I was thinking we could let him spend the full moon in the dungeons. They're stone and soundproof. He couldn't hurt himself and he certainly couldn't escape."

"No," Lucius said flatly, shaking his paper and folding it tightly.

"No?" Hermione repeated, eyes wide.

Draco began to think this might not be funny at all, but could actually become a large issue. "Hermione," he started, losing a little steam when she whipped her head to look at him. "I don't know if that's the best idea. He is a complete stranger. And a werewolf. In our home? It's a bit much, you must understand."

"Draco, I know you've known werewolves in your life. And while Fenrir Greyback was a monster and pretty much insane, Dark creature or no, Remus Lupin wasn't. He was a brilliant and kind man, completely devoted to our protection and education! And the difference between the two wasn't just the Wolfsbane, either. Remus sometimes wasn't able to get it, and once, he forgot. But werewolves aren't bad, they are human and they vary just like we do! It's our responsibility, especially if we're going to start this charity, to help those who need it. We won't always be helping from the sidelines; sometimes we'll need to personally get involved."

"Well, I am not involved with this charity," Lucius said stiffly. "And I don't approve. This is still my home..."

"Oh," Hermione said softly. Draco immediately dropped his head into his hands Lucius looked confused, but he didn't retract his statement. "So I'm a guest, then? Don't you think you should have told me beforehand...what was all that talk about our home? "

"Hermione," Lucius began, but Hermione raised a hand to stop him.

"It's fine. I'll pay for his Wolfsbane myself until we get the charity started. And he'll just have to hope he doesn't permanently scar or disfigure himself with his cage, won't he? Silly me, thinking another person's humanity was any of my business."

She stood quickly, sending her chair rattling back a few feet. Lucius immediately rose as well, and Draco inwardly congratulated him. In his life, Draco could never remember Lucius going after Narcissa when she'd walked away from a fight, but Hermione needed reassurance, not space.

"Pet, please, I think you misunderstood me." Hermione scoffed, but Lucius continued. "I'll admit the idea of a werewolf under my roof is disconcerting. But please don't mistake my reluctance for bigotry or tyranny. I'm only thinking of the safety of my son and my lover."

Hermione sighed. "I just..."

"Want to help," Lucius finished, leaning over and cupping her cheek softly with his hand. Draco wanted to go to them, but he knew this was a private moment. He knew that with him, Hermione was more comfortable fighting things out, but with his father, she was more careful and took things more personally. Their history was in the past, yes, but it did make reappearances. "I will pay for this man's Wolfsbane until the charity is up and running. I'm happy to do so. But I will need time to think about having a werewolf beneath us as we sleep."

Nodding, Hermione wrapped her arms around Lucius' neck and kissed his cheek softly. "With the potion, he is perfectly harmless. I promise this. Especially if Thello brews it. I trust him."

"As do I," Lucius agreed. "But not with your life. Or Draco's."

"Just think about it, that's all I ask."

"I promise," Lucius said.

"Father, you should probably get going, it's getting late and we wouldn't want to welcome you into the ranks of the unemployed just yet."

Hermione hummed, pressing her body against Lucius', a devilish glint in her eye. "I'd welcome you," she purred, making Lucius groan and Draco smile. He never would have thought Hermione Granger, proper little swot, would make his father (or him, for that matter) incoherent.

But Lucius, looking very reluctant, disentangled himself from Hermione's grip. Draco stood and let his father transfer Hermione flawlessly into his arms, which held fast as Lucius gave them both the standard farewell: a thorough kiss for Hermione, and a light touch to Draco's cheek with his fingertips.

Once he was gone, Draco turned to Hermione. "Now what?"

That devilish glint turned on him, and Draco felt a slow smile forming across his features. "Oh, I see. Well, come on, then," he said, taking her hand and leading her efficiently to his bedroom.

Draco had to run rather ignobly to the front door when he heard knocking. He'd managed to sleep through the wards telling him that Michael and Thello had arrived, but the heavy knocking jolted him out of his post-coital stupor. After shaking Hermione awake, he'd bolted to the front door, too groggy to Apparate, slowing once it was in sight, as if his guests could see his uncouth action.

Luckily his robes weren't too wrinkled from having been tossed onto the floor. He took a second to straighten himself before swinging the door open.

"Michael, Thello, thank you so much for coming," he said graciously, laughing to cover the fact that he was out of breath.

"Thanks for having us," Michael said warmly, pulling Thello inside by their linked hands. Thello nodded to Draco.

"Is it just you today?" Michael asked as they followed Draco into the sitting room.

"My father's working, but Hermione should be down any minute. Tea?"

"Here I am!" Hermione announced, her cheeks a little flushed. She gave both Thello and Michael hugs, even though the former didn't quite respond.

Draco poured them all tea after requesting a simple lunchtime fare from a house-elf. "So, how are you both? We haven't spoken to either of you in weeks," Draco said, sitting back on the settee with Hermione.

"Fine, fine," Michael said. "Celeste mentioned last week that she'd been by to see you."

"Yes," said Hermione, fiddling with her tea saucer. "I didn't realise you'd still be on speaking terms. We got the impression..."

"That we'd broken her heart and left her for dead?" Thello finished wryly. "Not quite. She does so love to be dramatic."

Draco saw Michael squeeze Thello's hand, who in turn rolled his eyes. "She was a bit broken up, but she's always been a very tough lady. She's a survivor."

"So you keep in touch, then?" Draco asked. He found the entire situation to be confusing; he couldn't imagine losing Hermione, but to never speak to her again would be worse.

"Michael does. Celeste and I have nothing more to say to one another."

Draco easily switched the subject to work, even though he and Hermione didn't have much to say on the topic.

"The apothecary's doing very well," Michael said, partaking of a sandwich. "There's been a significant increase in demand for Wolfsbane since that article by Triptenhoof came out."

"Oh? What article?" Hermione asked.

"He did an interview with a number of werewolves who've had regular experience with the potion, including that werewolf I was telling you about before. My friend?" Draco and Hermione both nodded. "Well, they talked about how much of a difference the potion made, and suddenly we have almost four times the demand. The only thing is, Thello is my main potioneer, and Wolfsbane has a two-week creation time and only a one-week shelf life. It's nearly impossible to maintain the supply."

"So you've had to turn some werewolves down, then?" Draco asked.

"We've had no choice," Thello interrupted, his voice almost hard. "Michael's been trying to place orders for it from other potioneers and apothecaries, but they're all experiencing the same problem. He's taking it very personally."

"Oh, Michael, it isn't your fault," Hermione said, leaning forward. "Things will even out once you get a rhythm going."

Michael shrugged in a falsely casual way. "I know. It's just... they don't want to suffer and they have to."

"When's the next full moon?" Draco said abruptly.

"Just over two weeks," Thello said immediately, likely having timed it for his potions.

"I have a NEWT in Potions, and so does Hermione. We could help, couldn't we?"

Hermione's eyes widened. "Of course! We'd be happy to!"

But Michael was shaking his head. "Thank you both so much. But even if I had ten more hands, I don't have the extra revenue to afford the ingredients on such short notice."

Draco waved his hand imperially. "We'll pay for the surplus ingredients, it's not a problem. Let us put a couple flyers for our new charity in your store window, and we're even."

"Please, it would mean the world to us just to be able to help," Hermione added, biting her lip.

Michael still looked uncertain, and Thello rolled his eyes. "The werewolves don't want your pride, Michael, they want your product. Take the help and pay them back the next month. We'll make a fortune being the only shop taking on so many new werewolves, and we can pay them back."

"All right," Michael said, smiling. "Thank you both so much. You don't know what it means to us."

Hermione smiled softly. "Yes, we do."

"Well," Draco said, standing. "Now that that's settled, who wants to play some Z-Box?"

Everyone looked blank for a moment. Then Hermione laughed. "It's an X-Box, but I don't have any games for it yet." Draco had bought her the thing on Harry's insistence; how could he have known one couldn't play the same game on two consoles? It was a travesty, that. "We can play PlayStation, though," she suggested brightly.

Michael and Thello both looked dubious, so Draco said, "Trust me, you've never seen anything like it. You can golf or play hockey or shoot zombies or... just trust me."

Hermione led them all to her bedroom, and Draco thought that maybe it would be a good idea to set up something similar in a less private part of the house. Then again, Michael and Thello were together, and Draco wasn't really threatened. Still, he was glad that the sitting area was far away from the bed.

Thello and Michael watched with wide eyes as Hermione used both her wand and a specially spelled remote to open the unit and reveal the television. A simple replication spell supplied enough controllers for everyone.

"What are these?" Thello asked, shaking the controller.

"You control your player with them. Don't worry, we'll show you," Hermione said, inserting the disc for golf. It was Draco's favourite, even if he wasn't so good at it.

Two hours later, Michael and Thello were playing a game that involved solving puzzles to get to the next level, and Draco and Hermione were watching and laughing as they bickered and bet and snarked. They were a great team when they played together, but both were very competitive, more so than Hermione, so she'd begged off when they were still playing golf, claiming she couldn't handle the pressure. Draco, who was used to it from playing Quidditch, hadn't noticed how intense the games were getting, but he easily quit when Hermione announced her intentions to watch. Now watching the other two, he could see how it would seem excessive to an outsider.

"They're beautiful together, aren't they?" Hermione whispered. Thello and Michael were sitting on the floor in front of the screen. They'd have headaches soon, for sure. They were both still waving the controllers around and leaning back and forth, the way new players (and Hermione) did. Draco laughed as Michael leaned too far into Thello and knocked them both off course. Thello glared, but Michael took the recovery time to kiss him, and Draco watched Thello blush.

"I just don't know how it happened," Draco said. He was genuinely confused. Thello had even said that his magic was so bad before the triad; he'd thought he'd have to resign to life as a Squib. There was absolutely no indication of that now.

"It doesn't really matter," Hermione said, crawling into Draco's lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. He hugged her close, the reality of the other triad's break-up still fresh in his mind. "They're happy, and soon Celeste will find someone better suited and she'll be happy, too. And we don't have to worry about that."

"Well, maybe you don't," Draco said quietly, then immediately regretted the words.

"And you do? What do you mean?"

"Nothing," he said, kissing her on the tip of her nose. But Hermione wouldn't be deterred.

"Draco, please. Didn't we say we'd be honest with each other?"

Draco sighed, and it ruffled Hermione's hair, tickling both their faces. Draco wrinkled his nose at the itch and moved her hair away. "It's just that you don't have to worry about me leaving you for my father, but..."

"But you think I might," she finished. She looked so disappointed that Draco winced.

"I don't think you would," he hedged, not quite meet her eyes.

"But you're still afraid of that, aren't you? Oh, Draco. I want you both equally. And maybe this isn't the best way of saying this, but we're all better together. With you, I have fun, we laugh, we make love, it's amazing. With Lucius, we talk, we debate, we make love, it's wonderful. But when we're all together, everything seems so perfect, like nothing can take us apart. I don't want you feeling that you don't give me everything he does. I only feel really whole when we're all together."

They were both distracted by Thello grabbing Michael's controller and pushing the smaller man to the ground. Draco laughed as Thello lunged at Michael and started kissing him and demanding that Michael admit Thello was the better player.

Michael wouldn't relent, and a full-scale wrestling match ensued. Hermione watched a little too intently as the men tried to pin one another, so Draco distracted her with kisses of his own. He was reassured by her words. He wasn't even sure why he'd said what he had; he knew Hermione cared very deeply for him and for his father, and she'd never given any indication that the triad wasn't what she wanted.

"What in Merlin's name is going on here?" came Lucius' surprised voice. Hermione pulled back from the kiss, and Michael jolted off Thello as though caught by his parents. Thello gracefully rose to his feet and greeted Lucius cordially, who responded in kind, if a little dazedly.

Michael followed with a subdued, "Evening, Lucius."

"We were showing the guys how to play," Draco announced.

"Do you often... play... in front of guests, Draco?" Lucius' voice held heavy censure, and Hermione hesitated a little before greeting him with a hug and a slow kiss that seemed to temper his anger.

"Video games," Hermione said, gesturing toward the television and the games and controllers strewn everywhere.

Lucius walked over and toed one of the controllers with his highly polished boot, and Draco recalled having done the exact same thing.

"We should probably be going," Michael announced, his cheeks furiously red. Thello just looked satisfied.

"You won't be staying for dinner?" Hermione asked, obviously disappointed. Draco realised she didn't see her friends very often, except for Harry. He hoped that she knew, despite his father's rude comment that morning, that the Manor was hers to use as needed.

"We actually have a lot of work to do. We're trying to find a house; the place we're in now is barely liveable," Michael said.

"Well, I'm really glad you both came," Hermione said, hugging them both in turn. Michael returned it enthusiastically, and even Thello patted her on the back lightly before drawing away. Draco said his good-byes, with promises to help with the potion as soon as the next day, and the two men let themselves out.

"How was work?" Hermione asked pleasantly, turning off all the electronics. Draco was fascinated by the blinking lights and almost missed his father's answer.

"Fine," he sighed. "As part of my probation, or whatever they want to call it, they have me going over every single request for budget increases and proposals. It's very tedious." He laughed a little, pulling Hermione into his arms. "Though I did see at least four from Hermione, here, and one from you, Draco. You'll be happy to note that I approved every single one. Even if you aren't there, you're still making a difference."

Hermione smiled brightly, holding her hand out to Draco. He stepped into the embrace, and both he and his father held her snugly. "You only did it to piss them off," she accused playfully.

"Ends justify the means," Lucius said, shrugging easily. "So what is all this?" His sweeping gesture encompassed the electronics console. Draco shrugged; Hermione could field this one, he still barely understood.

"It's just a video game. You press buttons and control players that show up on the telly screen. It's just a bit of fun."

"Hmm. And does it always involved intimate relations on the floor?"

"No, I think that was a special circumstance," Hermione said, laughing. "I suppose there is room for sexual tension within a video game. Draco and I mostly watched, anyway."

"Yes, and what were you watching, exactly?" Lucius smiled a little, and Draco knew he was only teasing. He went to sit over on the bed. His back was a little stiff from sitting on the floor, even though the sofa had helped a little.

Hermione saw him, and her eyes lit up a moment. Draco almost groaned. She was insatiable! She encouraged his father to sit on the bed as well, and they eyed one another suspiciously as she neglected to join them.

"Just lay back," she instructed, grabbing the remote control from the coffee table. She came and sat on the end of the bed, watching.

Strange music began to fill the room. He heard music like it on the wireless sometimes, but it had a harder edge than he usually liked. Lucius looked perturbed. The music's resounding bass filled the room, and a moment later, Hermione pressed another button, and the bed was positively vibrating! Draco shouted in surprise and almost leapt up. Hermione was laughing as she watched them.

"What is that?" Draco asked, laying back again, rather enjoying the vibrations on his sore back.

"It's a subwoofer. Brilliant, isn't it?"

"Is there any way we can enjoy the sensation without the noise? " Lucius asked snootily.

Hermione looked thoughtful. She pressed a button and both the music and the movement stopped. Draco pouted.

"I don't think so. I'll ask Harry next time he's here."

"He'll know right away you're asking for... sexual reasons!" Draco protested.

Hermione snickered. "Draco, he knows I have sex."

"Oh, he does?" Lucius interjected, pulling Hermione down to settle between them.

"Well, I have to talk about it with someone!" she said, snuggling up to Lucius and pulling Draco closer behind her. He went willingly, pressing the length of his body firmly against her back.

"You talk about it with us," Lucius said.

"Father, she's just teasing you," Draco said soothingly, pinching Hermione's bottom to stop the impending discussion and potential argument. He knew Hermione wasn't teasing, and that she shared just about everything with Potter, but Lucius was of a time and status where such things were simply not talked about.

Lucius harrumphed, but he dropped it.

A few moments later, when Hermione brought up the werewolf issue against just as Draco had been about to fall asleep, he wished he hadn't ended the previous discussion.

"I just think that it's our responsibility as citizens of the world to help those who need it!"

"Financially, yes, I agree. We have the money, and I said I'd be happy to pay for the damned Wolfsbane. I'm not comfortable having such a creature in our home."

"So is this how it's going to be from now on? Oh, sure, we're equals, this is my home, too, but you have veto power with even a compromise?"

"Hermione, paying for the potion is the compromise!"

"More like a bribe," she muttered.

Lucius sighed. "It cannot be wrong that I want to protect those I...my family."

"It's not," Hermione said quietly. They were still touching, and Draco knew that was a good sign. Hermione would pull away when truly angry, and Lucius would become stiff and formal. "It's just that I feel so useless. I trust the potions; I trust your wards. I wish you would trust my judgement."

"I do, but we don't know this person..."

"We can stand over him and watch him take the Wolfsbane if it'll make you feel better!"

"Hermione..."

"Oh, fine, " Hermione snapped. She stood up and climbed over Draco to leave the bed. Draco closed his eyes, feeling defeated. Stage one: Hermione's retreat.

"If you cannot be civil and hold a decent conversation, I'm afraid there's nothing left to say." Stage two: Lucius' formality.

"What do you think, Draco?" Stage three: try to get Draco off the fence.

"I can see both sides, and honestly, I don't care. I don't know this person; it's no skin off my back if he has to sit in a silver cell come the full moon." Even as Draco said it, he inwardly winced. Maybe he did care, a little. "But I do think the wards alone are strong enough to hold a rampaging werewolf, even without the walls and the Wolfsbane." Draco shrugged.

Lucius was standing now, his posture rigid and tense. Draco rose as well.

Hermione was staring at Lucius, but he wasn't giving any indication of backing down. Draco may as well have not spoken at all.

"Well, this is still my room, isn't it? What I say, goes, in here, right?"

"Of course," Lucius said in mock-cordiality.

Hermione smile, and it wasn't pretty. "Then he will stay here when he transforms."

Draco exhaled sharply, and Lucius raised his lip in a disfiguring sneer. "As you wish." He left the room.

"Fuck!" Hermione shouted, turning away. Draco walked up behind her and enclosed her in his arms. "Am I being completely unreasonable?" she asked, voice tight.

"I don't know. I think we're all too close to the issue. I'll talk to him."

"No, it's okay. I don't want him to agree because he thinks I'll leave otherwise, and I'm not actually going to let the wolf stay here. We'll have to figure something else out. We said we would be unanimous on any major decisions. I just need some time alone."

Draco kissed the side of her neck and left the room. Lucius was standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall. His face fell a little when he saw it was Draco.

"Come on," Draco said quietly, leading his father by the shoulder.

"Do you ever wonder... if, with a heart so big, we'll ever get pushed out?" Lucius said softly.

Draco looked at him sharply. "Father, her heart's so big so she can fit everything else in around us," he said, trying to reassure Lucius. Draco wasn't worried that Hermione would love anything or anyone else more. He knew she loved them; she just wasn't ready to say it. And Merlin knew Lucius wasn't, either, so he shouldn't hold that against her.

Lucius was nodding as they traversed the stairs. It was getting late, and Draco was starving. He called a house-elf and asked that dinner be ready in half an hour, looking to his father to make sure that was all right. Lucius nodded at the elf, who popped away.

"What is this really about?" Draco asked as they took a seat at the dining room table. Normally Lucius wouldn't abide waiting for dinner, but they both knew he needed to talk.

"I can't stand the thought of her hurt, Draco. Or you. It just... makes me ill to even think what might happen."

"Why don't we just go somewhere else for the night, then? I know Hermione hasn't travelled much, I'm sure she'd love to get away for an evening, especially if she knew the werewolf was safe here."

"And leave it in the Manor?"

Draco clicked his tongue. "Don't let Hermione hear you calling him 'it.'"

Lucius nodded. "Do you think Hermione would be amenable to that?"

"Well, I don't think it was important to her that she actually be here, just that the werewolf had somewhere to go."

"Will you tell her?"

"No, Father. You will. Over dinner. You deserve to see how happy she's going to be. How happy you'll make her."

Lucius was far too Slytherin to fall for such a ploy under normal circumstances, but he was vulnerable right now, as evidenced by the grateful smile on his face.

It wasn't long before dinner was served, but Hermione wasn't down. Draco stopped one of the serving-elves. "Have you told Mistress Hermione that dinner is ready?"

The elf nodded. "I did, and she said to say 'no, thank-you.'"

Draco frowned. "Please tell her to come down immediately. She is needed for dinner and her absence will not be tolerated."

The house-elf's eyes widened, but she disappeared. He suspected Hermione's actual words had been a little less diplomatic than the elf reported.

A second later, Hermione Apparated beside them and sat in her chair, eyes on a stationary point in the distance. Draco wanted to roll his eyes. Undoubtedly it was the order that had gotten her hackles up, but she'd left him no choice; she was acting childishly.

"Hermione, my father has something he wants to tell you," Draco said in a soothing voice, feeling as though he was introducing two wild animals.

She looked at Lucius disinterestedly, raising an eyebrow. Oh, but she was cool.

Lucius' lip started to rise in response, but then he shook his head. "I will allow the wolf to stay here if, and only if, we go away for the night."

Hermione's eyes widened. The change in her features was so fast that Draco had to laugh. She did pissed-off very well, but she did happy much better.

"Oh, Lucius!" she cried, leaping from his chair to straddle him on his. "Thank you so much. I'm sorry we fought, but I'm glad we did, because this is the best thing, believe me!" She kissed him soundly on the lips. "I promise you won't regret this." She kissed him again and again.

"You shouldn't use threats to get your way, Granger," Draco said, only half teasing. "It puts us all in an awkward position."

Hermione dropped her head onto Lucius shoulder. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said he could stay in my room. I just got so angry... I wasn't really going to let him," she said quietly to Lucius, who pushed the hair out of her face.

"So where would you like to go?" he asked, and with the change of topic, everything was forgiven.