Hermione was glad that Ginny had suggested they practice kissing before the Yule Ball. When Viktor's lips touched hers, and then his tongue, she didn't jump away with surprise as she might otherwise have done. It was quite nice, actually, she thought, putting her arms around his neck.
She ignored the fact that it wasn't Viktor she really wanted to be with... and she pushed to the back of her mind the question of just who it was she'd prefer to be kissing.
"I have to, Ginny." It hurt to say the words, but it would hurt more if anything happened to her.
"I know." She nodded, eyes bright. A featherlight kiss brushed across Harry's cheek. "Maybe after it's all over..."
"Maybe." Harry forced himself to add, "But... if you meet someone else, it's okay."
"You, too." She sounded as if she meant it. He hoped she did.
As he entered the room, Ron didn't even look at the bed, not until he heard a gasp. He turned.
A very red-faced Hermione was hastily reaching for a sheet to pull over herself and Harry.
"Ron..." she said pleadingly.
He fled.
Harry wasn't sure how to talk to Ron about what had happened, but he knew he had to. Everything they'd planned to do would take the three of them, and if Ron left, it would all fall apart.
"It wasn't Hermione's idea," he said to Ron's back.
"She didn't exactly seem to object." Ron's voice was thick with bitterness.
"No, but..." Harry took a deep breath and touched Ron's shoulder, ignoring the way Ron tensed as if wanting to shake Harry off. "I wanted you there too, but I didn't know how you'd feel about it."
Ron turned a little at that, blue eyes wary. "What do you mean?"
"I..." Harry's voice cracked. "God, Ron, I love you both. I didn't want to come between you, but I needed someone to help me forget, and Hermione... besides you she's the only one who saw Hagrid..."
"Die." Ron bit off the word. "Didn't you trust me enough to ask me, after all this time?"
"I'm sorry," whispered Harry. He forced himself to meet Ron's gaze.
"Harry... did it ever occur to you that maybe I love you, too?"
Lips touched sweat-damp skin, tasting, teasing. Someone moaned as a prick slid slowly home, reaching across to someone else's hip, clasping another hand, the three of them moving together. It didn't matter whose lips, whose prick, whose hand.
None of them had to be alone anymore.
"Who cares what anyone else thinks?" said Harry defiantly. "We love each other. If we can defeat Voldemort, we deserve a little happiness. There's plenty of room in Grimmauld Place, the three of us can live there when it's all over."
"You thought what the Daily Prophet wrote about you before was bad enough. Just wait till they can publish stories with headlines like 'Love Nest? War Heroes' Kinky Triad.' The Howlers won't stop coming," Ron said.
"So what? I don't want to give either of you up." Harry bent and kissed him, as Hermione watched, smiling above white sheets.
The tiny brown owl dropped a letter on Hermione's lap and swooped away, hooting.
"Who's it from?"
"Ginny," she said, breaking the seal and starting to read. She glanced up at Harry, who was flushing. "She sends her love, Harry."
"Yeah."
Silence for a while, and then, "I know it's weird enough with the three of us, but what about Ginny, Hermione?"
"If you mean... I don't know. She's my closest friend after you and Ron, and I love her. But I think Ron would be more than a little weirded out."
"Weirded out by what?" Ron came in from outdoors and poured himself a cup of tea.
"By, um..." Harry explained, haltingly, and as Hermione expected, Ron exploded at the very idea.
"No! No!"
"Harry!" Hermione tugged at him. "He's gone, can't you see that?" Tears were blinding her, but if they didn't leave now, it would be all three of them dead, not just one.
"Savior of the Wizarding World... hereby award the Order of Merlin, First Class..."
The words rolled over Harry; as soon as he could, he left. The walls of Sirius's house closed around him.
"All he does is fly?" Molly Weasley was less cheerful than she once had been. On the wall of the Burrow's kitchen, three of the clock hands were stilled forever.
"Pretty much, yes." Hermione tried to smile. "At first I thought he was just trying to think things out, but it's been more than a month. I can't... I wondered if Ginny might want to come stay at Grimmauld Place."
"I'm sure she would, dear. She misses her brothers so, it's hard for her to be at home."
"No... Ron..." Harry thrashed, tangling the sheets.
Another nightmare. Every night, often several times. Hermione held him close, the only thing that soothed the terror. It wasn't always Ron's name he called; sometimes it was Ginny's, sometimes her own.
He half-woke, clutching at her. "Hermione. I need..."
She knew what he needed, spread herself open for him as he thrust blindly, seeking the pleasure of a moment to relieve the pain and guilt that bore down on them both.
Harry pushed back his chair while still chewing the last bite of his toast.
"Where are you going?" Hermione asked each morning, even though she knew what he would answer.
"Flying." He mumbled the word and vanished out the door without a glance at either of them.
"I can't bear it," Ginny burst out. "I almost want to... I don't know, use the Bat-Bogey Hex on him, anything to make him react. Mum and I both thought it would help if I came to stay, but he hasn't... he doesn't..."
"He does need you," said Hermione. "We both do." She was tired, so tired of being the only one.
"I remembered this too," whispered Ginny, her breath warm in Hermione's ear. "That Yule Ball... when Neville kissed me, I wished it were you."
Hermione touched her, hearing Ginny moan as Hermione's thumb rubbed her clit. "I wanted you, too."
Once she was sure Harry would have fallen into the first deep sleep of the night, Ginny crept into the room.
"Hermione?"
"Yes. The bed's more than big enough for three, I know." There was a catch in her voice; she was remembering Ron, Ginny was sure. She slid under the covers and pressed close to Harry, reaching across him to take Hermione's hand.
"When he has a nightmare, he..."
"You told me." She was ready.
"Ron!" Ron was grinning at him, just as he always did, reaching down to Harry's prick and running his fingers over it. Harry groaned and gave himself up to the touch. "Love you, Ron..."
"I love you, too." The voice in his ear wasn't Ron's, and Harry struggled out of sleep.
"Ginny... oh, fuck!"
She was kneeling over him, sinking down onto him, so warm and wet and soft that he almost came right away.
Hermione kissed his cheek, then his mouth. "Ron would want this," she said firmly as Ginny began to move. He could not resist them both.
"Did you see the Prophet?"
"You mean the article with the headline 'Perverse Pad: Potter's Thrilling Threesome'? I could hardly miss it."
"Almost what Ron predicted." Harry was silent a minute. "I wish it could have been 'Fabulous Foursome,' but maybe that was never meant to be." He pushed back his chair. "I'll be late to practice. Can't have that, not with the match against the Magpies tomorrow."
Hermione nodded. "I have a meeting with the house-elves' representatives this afternoon, Ginny, don't wait dinner for me."
"All right."
They kissed, and Harry smiled.