Chapter 8

After he said he would try, Lucius returned to his manor, lost in thought. I don't believe this will be as easy as I believed... I will need to think about whether I really only want the witch sexually or truly do want the triad, as I told Severus. In any case, I need to rethink my position of control and power, as it appears I have very little. Ah, well, that was part of the fun with Belinda.

After the door closed behind Lucius, Hermione turned to Severus. "That was difficult, Severus. I want him so badly, the two of you, the way my most wicked fantasies have kept me up at night, but I cannot be subject to his whims. I need the time to research... Yes, I know you said I could ask, but that is not me, you understand?"

Severus chuckled. "I know, dearest. Yes, I've realized once you are aware of who is approaching you, your nervousness turns to arousal, but you have seemed not to be yourself. Thank you for trusting me to help you. That means more to me than you know."

Hermione looked worried. "It won't affect your relationship with Lucius, will it?"

"As many times as that man has put me off for his witch of the moment, it is a suitably Slytherin payback. Truly, I want you, Hermione, I want a future with you. I would like it to include Lucius, but if it cannot, then he and I will be friends, or more, away from you, and with your knowledge. I will not jeopardize that because Lucius cannot bend," Severus stated emphatically. "The thought of both of us caressing you, entering you, well, as you can see, that is most certainly part of my fantasies," he said, waving his hand at the front of his trousers.

In a lilting voice, with a small grin on her face and a raised eyebrow, Hermione responded, "I would help you with that, but I did make a promise that until a decision was made, all play time would include the three of us... I like to keep my word."

"I won't horrify you by taking care of this now," said Severus, as he walked toward the Floo, threw in the powder and headed to his quarters.

Hermione watched his dramatic exit with a sigh, then fanned herself. "I wouldn't have been horrified!" she called out to the departing wizard, certain he had not heard her.

"Bloody hell, witch, you should keep your comments to yourself. You aren't making this any easier," Severus muttered under his breath.

"What are you talking about, Severus?" asked Lucius, who had decided against returning home, and hoped that Hermione would keep her word about any sexual encounters.

"This! And that impossible little witch told me she wouldn't have minded watching me take care of it!" he exclaimed while gesturing to his rather tented trousers.

Lucius smiled. "Neither would I, but since it appears she is keeping her word about both of us, I will refrain. Do you wish me to leave?"

"No, just wait there. You obviously have something to say," Severus commanded, then stalked off to his private restroom.

Shortly thereafter, he returned. "What did you need, Lucius?"

"Where did I go wrong, Severus? Why was just being Lucius Malfoy not enough? I don't understand... I am glad to have Celeste in my life, but everything has unraveled and I cannot seem to find my way. I dislike this uncertainty," stated Lucius.

"Did you ever think that Hermione Granger would be swayed or wooed just because you are Lucius Malfoy? Was Belinda? Or did you have to prove that you really did have a heart and a conscience and some humility?" questioned Severus.

"I see. But is she still attracted to me, Severus? Because even if I need time to convince her of my sincerity of feeling for her, sex would be... nice."

Severus laughed. "Interesting choice of word. After her little comment this evening, I doubt nice is going to be part of the equation. For Merlin's sake, she said she would enjoy watching me wank! That is not the purview of nice," he responded.

Lucius glared at Severus for his deliberate misinterpretation. "Fine, fine. I will go home and see if she is amenable to a nice dinner tomorrow."

"No."

"What?"

"I said, no, Lucius. Give her a few days to research triads. Let her find out just what kind of power she will hold. Part of her anger was very real. She resents that you were trying to get her to agree to things without letting her have some time to understand what she was doing. There has been no time for her to look into it. Give her some," said Severus. "I certainly do not want a rehash of this farce we've had so far."

Lucius, taken aback by Severus's emphatic rejection of his plan, was flabbergasted. "This is what you meant, isn't it? I want the witch, but if I get her on my terms, there is no basis for the true triad I promised you." He sighed. "Very well. I will send her an owl asking if she is willing to dine with us in ten days... I will be able to get to know my daughter better, and Hermione will have a chance to do her beloved research."

Severus smiled his acceptance of this more moderate plan.

"Don't think I will leave her to her own devices for ten days, though, Severus. I want her to want us as badly as we want her. I am planning some trinkets and letters, and books...oh yes, books," Lucius said, almost to himself as he headed for the Floo.

The next morning, Hermione received an owl from Lucius, requesting her presence at a dinner ten days hence. She sent the owl back, full of bacon and some of her coffee, oddly, with a positive response. She settled down to read. Four hours into her reading, she sent an owl with a letter to Luna. She sat down to read some more.

"Hi, Hermione!" Luna's cheerful voice sounded from her fireplace.

"Luna! Come through, please!" cried out Hermione, seeing her friend's face flickering in the flames.

Luna stepped through, wearing a cheerful sundress. The two hugged, then sat on Hermione's sofa.

"How far did you get in your reading?" Luna asked.

"Quite far. I've read the true story of Camelot, and the history of marriages and triads, and even part of the biology behind the whole thing. I see why Lucius was being so pushy. He didn't want me to find out that the witch pretty much controls the whole set up. I'm trying to decide whether to still be angry or not," said Hermione.

"He was being himself. Would you be half as attracted if you knew he would bend to your every whim, or do you like that he will challenge you?" asked Luna wisely.

"No, it was more of a turn-on actually. That man makes me crazy and hot for him."

Luna burst into giggles. "I'm picturing him with the headmaster, all light and dark, and it is a very appealing picture. More so with you in the middle. You know, you might want to tease them a bit, send them little questions about your reading. Use these ten days to have them as mad for you as you are for them," she told Hermione.

"Oooh, I like that idea. You are the best, Luna!" exclaimed Hermione. "I would love to see you and Harry and Viktor together... Not like that, you naughty thing! Can we do dinner some night this week?"

Once Luna recovered from her giggles and ascertained that Hermione truly was not asking to be a voyeur, although she had quite a bit of fun doing so, they decided to meet for dinner in London a few days later.

Hermione sent a quick note to Lucius and Severus, asking if they meant to take turns with her... making both men grit their teeth at their wait. Her next few notes were just as provocative.

Severus got a small bit of revenge by casting a spell on her at dinner in the Great Hall, a voice whispering, at rather inappropriate intervals, what he would like to do to her just at that moment.

Lucius, after three days, sent her an ancient copy of a first edition wizarding triad moving-picture sex-position book. Hermione called it the wizarding Kama Sutra since the book had no title of its own. She spent the rest of that day in her shower.

Dinner with Luna, Viktor and Harry was enlightening. The boys were very into each other, but they doted on Luna. It was subtle, but Hermione knew them very well. "Thank you for allowing me a peek into your lives," she said after dinner.

"Did it help, 'Mione?" asked Harry.

"Yes. Now that I've done most of my research, I think I may ask them over for tea tomorrow," replied Hermione.

"Good for you!" exclaimed Luna. "I'm guessing you are all a bit riled by now."

"Very much so," said Hermione.

She went home and sent out owls to both men, asking them to tea the next afternoon.

Promptly at 3PM both Severus and Lucius walked through her Floo.

"I'm so glad you could make it," said Hermione, who was wearing a figure-flattering sun dress in a rose color.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Hermione," responded Lucius.

"I've missed you," said Severus. "I know I've seen you every day, but I miss the more intimate interactions. I had not realized how much our friendship mattered to me."

That statement garnered him an armful of witch. "Thank you, Severus. I am glad to know that I was missed."

"Hrrumph."

"Oh, don't worry, Lucius. I missed you as well. I'm certain I'm out of practice trying to figure out your very Slytherin point of view," she said, making the taciturn man smile. "I have the tea ready. There are sandwiches and biscuits. Would you like me to pour?" she asked.

Both men nodded, so Hermione poured out the tea for each of them, and they settled on the sofa with Hermione between her two wizards.

"Were you able to complete your research?" asked Lucius, placing his hand on her knee after he had set his cup aside.

Hermione leaned toward him, moving her other leg toward Severus on the sofa. "Yes, and there was quite a bit you seemed to want to keep from me." She put her hand to his lips when it looked like he was about to speak. "Hush. It is not a criticism, not now. I know what your control means to you, but you do know a true triad is not going to give you that, even if we decide to present it that way to the greater world, the way Harry, Luna and Viktor do."

In the meanwhile, Severus was kneading her feet. He had pulled both into his lap.

"Oh, that feels good, Severus," she said, stretching a bit and throwing her head back.

Lucius took advantage of that and kissed her neck while Severus moved his hands slowly higher.

Hermione writhed under their attention for a bit, then pulled back. "I would rather not have our first time be on my sofa, please."

Both men were breathing hard. "Very well, love, we will wait, but we can do other things," said Lucius.

"Like what, Lucius? Discuss those books you sent me?" breathed Hermione.

"Did any of those books interest you, love?"

"I particularly liked the one with no name, Lucius... One of those scenes appeared to be in the Headmaster's office here at Hogwarts," said Hermione, her thighs starting to get moist from her arousal. She wriggled a bit, trying to get comfortable.

Severus, in the meanwhile, had begun to rub circles on her arms, pulling her back against him, kissing her neck.

When Lucius saw Hermione nod, he ran his hands up her thighs. "You naughty girl, you aren't wearing underthings," he said as he rubbed his hand over her mound.

"Naughty? Aren't I a bit old to be naughty?" Hermione asked breathlessly, remembering that she had said the same thing to Luna earlier in the week. Severus had moved his hands to her breasts and was systematically squeezing them, then pinching her nipples, while rubbing his rather significant erection against her bum.

"You are never too old to be naughty, my dear," Lucius responded while pulling her dress up over her head, leaving her nude between the two clothed men.

Hermione realized naughty might just be the word when she responded passionately to the two clothed wizards. "Gentlemen, I still don't want our first time to be on my sofa!"

Severus got a rather feral grin on his face. "What was that photograph in the Head's office depicting?" he asked.

Hermione caught her breath. Both men enjoyed watching her breasts heave when she did that. "One of the men had the woman bent over the desk and was pounding into her while she was sucking the other's cock," she replied.

Lucius ran a finger over her lips, then gasped when she sucked it into her mouth.

Severus saw that, then asked, "Would you like to recreate it?"

Hermione was surprised when Lucius threw his head back and laughed.

"Why is that funny?" she asked.

"It is a punishment for Albus. He was unfortunately impotent when his portrait was painted. I can lock him into his portrait and force him to watch. When I release him, he is forced to find the nearest portrait with a cold body of water and cool himself off," Severus replied cautiously, afraid he had ruined the moment.

Both men were surprised when the little witch responded with a vicious grin of her own. "Let's."

That was all Severus needed. He Apparated the three of them straight to his office, where many of their fantasies were fulfilled.

Albus spent most of the next school year soaking wet, in one portrait or another.