A/N: God this has taken an age for me to complete but now that its done me and akashika can finally begin to work on part 4. Massive love as always to Riverwriter for betaing and everything in between. Enjoy.
Tom hadn't seen her in a year.
Not since he'd stepped off the Hogwarts Express as a newly graduated seventh year and helped clear the platform one last time. She'd been laughing and throwing her arms around the Potter boy and waving at a bunch of redheads who could only be Weasleys before she'd stepped through the barrier and out of his life. He didn't think he'd ever see her should have realised how untrue that thought was at the time, especially since he'd just had a conversation with the people who'd been head boy and head girl the previous year at Hogwarts.o
He watched from his seat on the podium which was erected by the Black Lake, her and Theodore Nott, the class of 98's head boy and girl, stand together and usher their classmates into their seats. He thought, for a moment, when he saw how comfortable they were with one another, particularly for a Gryffindor and a Slytherin, that there was something between them. That was until he caught sight of Draco Malfoy clapping his best friend on the shoulder then smirk and lean across to whisper something into her ear. He felt his fingers curl into the palm of his hand and took a deep breath.
He had no right to feel as he did. He'd had a few brief interactions with Malfoy during his time in Slytherin and even less with her. He didn't know either of them. But he did know that they'd both grown up in the time he'd been gone. That the bushy locks that he'd observed hanging over her face as she'd worked into the dead of night in the library had morphed into lustrous curls and that Malfoy had grown into his pointed features - looked less pointy and more angular.
He could barely keep his eyes off her during the ceremony and when she stood in front of him and gave her speech, his eyes wandered the length of her legs and the curve of her spine and his mind conjured images of her wrapped around Malfoy's pale torso, her head thrown back in ecs-
"Tom. I don't know if you remember Miss Granger but she's about to start an internship in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and well," Slughorn interrupted, snapping Tom from his thoughts. He blinked to see his old professor and head of house, signaling across the marquee that had been erected for the celebration in Hermione's direction and he watched as she disentangled herself from her friends and crossed towards them.
"Hello Tom." she said and he gripped the tumbler of firewhiskey in his hand a little tighter.
"Miss Granger," he greeted, dipping his head curtly. "Congratulations. Our professor here was just telling me about the position you'll be in this summer." Hermione blushed and Tom took a drink to steady himself.
"Yes, well I've always wanted to study law. I never imagined when I was a young girl though that it would be magical law." Slughorn chuckled and Tom had never wanted someone to vanish so much.
"Tom here works in magical law too," he said to Hermione and she smiled up at him.
"You'll be able to help me then. Show me the ropes?"
Tom internally groaned. Merlin! Did she even know what she was saying? He took another sip from his glass and hummed.
"I imagine you'll be working directly under Tom here," Slughorn chuckled and Tom struggled to remain upright.
"Oh I imagine she will be," he managed to say, even as images of her tied to his bed writhing beneath him flashed across his mind.
"Well, Draco will be there too so I hope you won't mind teaching both of us?"
"Oh, I believe there will be many things I can teach you and Draco," Tom said, taking a sip of his drink.
"Well, that's that then," Slughorn said. "Come along Hermione, there's a few more people I want to introduce you too before you leave us."
Hermione nodded and turned back to face him once more. "Thank you Tom. Draco and I will come-" oh, he was going to die, "and find you on our first day, then?"
Tom gave her a tense smile as she walked away before he downed the rest of his drink and turned, hoping to find something less distracting to focus on. He failed utterly when his eyes landed on Draco Malfoy himself, with Potter and Nott, and Potter's arm around his waist as he leaned his head on Draco's shoulder.
To say he was surprised by the sharp pain in his hand was an understatement, at least until he realised the glass he'd been holding had shattered in his grip and blood was dripping everywhere.
He stared numbly at the gash for a few seconds and was about to pull out his wand and clean it when Daphne Greengrass, one of the few things he hadn't missed in his time away from Hogwarts, appeared and did it for him. The blonde witch had been giving him backchat for as long as he could remember and trying to tempt him into her bed since she'd discovered push up bras. "Merlin Tom what on earth- are you ok?" She gushed, quickly tapping his hand with her wand to stop the bleeding then quickly tergeo'ed the blood away. Tom quickly slipped his hand from her grasp and turned his head from where Potter was still hanging off Draco to glare at her. "Thank you for your help Miss Greengrass."
He didn't give her a chance to reply, simply stalked off in the direction of the bar only to come face to face with Hermione again. She was talking to his counterpart, the Ravenclaw he'd spent the previous year sharing a common room with but whose name he could barely remember, but when she spotted Tom she dropped the conversation and quickly turned her attention to him.
"I really do want to thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to help me," she smiled up at him. Tom waved her thanks off and lifted an eyebrow when the girl behind Hermione stared agape at the pair of them before she huffed off muttering about "manners."
Hermione rolled her eyes and Tom's opinion of her rose slightly.
"Some people," he said as he tapped on the bar with two fingers, "seem to think that manners means the same thing as excessive flirting, even when it's obvious that the other person holds no interest." He glanced at Hermione, his eyes didn't linger, but they didn't need to. "Do you also have that problem, Miss Granger?"
She cleared her throat, flicked the tip of her tongue against her lips and gave him a shy smile. "Not at all."
Tom hummed and when the barkeep passed him another firewhiskey in a new glass, he leaned against the bar and watched the party. It was when he felt Hermione stiffen beside him that he followed her gaze and saw that Potter still had not removed himself from Draco's person.
"Are you and Mr. Malfoy dating?" He asked. Perhaps he had misread the small interaction he'd witnessed between the two of them earlier. Perhaps they were just friends. When she grit out a quiet "yes," beside him though, his eyebrows almost reached his hair. "Does Mr. Potter know that?"
Her sigh was one that signified long suffering. "Yes," she said, and Tom could hear her clench her teeth around whatever words she was going to say next.
"Weren't you rather close friends with Potter a few years ago?" Tom asked and this time he was sure he was twisting the knife a little.
"Harry gets a little… touchy, when he's had a drink," she told him. "And when he's tired, or bored."
His eyebrows furrowed. "You don't seem particularly bothered?"
She flicked her eyes to him before they found her boyfriend again. "They would never actually do anything. They both love me."
"Why aren't you with both of them then? Aren't triads the hip new thing these days?"
She turned to face him directly then, one eyebrow elegantly arched. "It might be because Harry is basically my brother in all but blood and incest has never really done it for me. Or it might be the fact that Harry's boyfriend might have ideas of his own about that."
Tom blinked and turned to look at the pair of them again before it clicked. "Nott? Potter's in a relationship with Nott and still hangs off his best friend's neck like that?"
Hermione shrugged. "Like I said, nothing would ever happen with them."
"How many times have you told yourself that?" Tom asked. "And how many times have you ever believed it?"
She scowled at him and Tom knew he'd fucked up. "Thank you for the company Mr. Riddle." He cringed. "And thank you for offering to help me and Draco with our internships. I'll be sure to let him know and owl ahead to make the appropriate arrangements."
She drained her glass, set it down harshly and turned on her heel, disappearing amidst the throng of students before reappearing beside Draco, who instantly put his arm around her shoulder, pulled her into him and dropped a kiss against the top of her head.
Tom watched them carefully for a few minutes longer. Yes, he thought. He'd fucked up, but he'd also noticed how Hermione had said nothing about the three of them being together because they were against the ideas of triads. And the longer he watched them, the more he thought he wouldn't mind being their third.
Because he'd always had a fascination with her, with them both if he were being honest with himself. And she hadn't exactly rebutted his flirtations. Even if he had been an arse there was still a slither of hope there.
Assuming Hermione forgave him for his blunder. And that Draco simply had a thing for brunettes and that he wouldn't need to obtain glasses to get his attention.
Tom tried not to make it too obvious that he was waiting for anything, never mind both Hermione and Malfoy as he hung around the atrium the morning of July the 25th. He'd begun to give up hope that they were ever going to begin their internships, but then he'd overheard his boss mentioning that with the recent re-shuffling within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement that it was easier to postpone ALL internships for a few weeks.
Hermione hadn't owled ahead to let him know when they'd be starting. He supposed he couldn't really blame her considering how he'd acted at their graduation, but honestly. What was he supposed to think? If she were his, he'd never -
A flurry of activity broke him from his thoughts and he looked up to see the floos bursting to life and suddenly the atrium seemed to be swarming with people. Tom stepped from the pillar he'd been leaning on and fixed the lapel of his robes before he 'casually' began to stroll across the atrium when he spotted Malfoy step out from one of the fireplaces, Granger following closely behind him.
Malfoy turned and helped her step out of the grate. They were both dressed smartly in robes that hung open and provided Tom with a good look at their outfits. Malfoy was wearing a crisp, tailored suit that would have looked ridiculous on any other intern but looked appropriate for him and Hermione was - Tom swallowed harshly. She was wearing a fitted pencil skirt that ended just above her knee and a cream blouse that emphasised her narrow waist. Her hair was pulled up into a sleek, high ponytail - all flyaway hairs pinned back by hair slides.
He was moving toward them before he even realised. "Malfoy, Granger," he greeted and both of them jumped at his sudden appearance, though Malfoy quickly regained his equilibrium and presented his hand. Tom subtly wiped his suddenly sweaty palm, before he took the younger man's hand. "It's good to see you both again. I take it you're simply dying with excitement to work here at our," he gestured to the atrium behind them, "esteemed ministry."
Draco snorted and Tom smirked, his eyes flicking to the brunette Malfoy still had his arm around. She was very clearly avoiding his eye but Draco didn't seem to notice how ignorant his girlfriend was being. Tom cleared his throat. "Well then, let me give you the grand tour and escort you to your booths," he said, turning on his heel and leading the way towards the lifts.
August's Potential Brilliance month was something that Tom ignored. Normally. The fact that Draco Malfoy was smiling and shaking hands with almost everyone meant that Tom wanted to avoid the so called potential and also avoid the general acknowledgement of too many people obsessed with an intern simply because of his name. Their department held a similar event every month on the last Friday of the month so that people could let their hair down and enjoy the small celebration without worrying about coming into work the next day. And it was at this event - where every single department head and potential mentor in the ministry was crawling all over Malfoy - that Tom found Hermione, alone for the first time since the young couple had begun their internship, leaning against the wall of their boardroom.
"I'm sorry," he muttered quietly, not looking at her, though he saw her snap her head in his direction at the sound of his voice and his proximity. "I didn't mean to offend you at your graduation. I've," he paused, searching for the right word. 'Watched,' while accurate, sounded way too creepy for his liking and he didn't want to scare her. "Observed the two of you since you began your internships. It's quite obvious how much he loves you."
Hermione rolled her eyes and Tom could almost hear the 'obviously'. "It's fine."
"It was rude."
She snorted.
"And completely inappropriate. I didn't know either of you well enough at the time to make a comment on the state of your relationship."
She turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised in what Tom could only conclude was surprise at his conciliatory tone.
"And it's only proper that I apologise."
She blinked at him for a few moments, her gaze unwavering as he stared right back at her, before she dipped her head nodding and looked back at her boyfriend across the room. Tom followed her gaze.
"Doesn't that bother you?" He asked eventually, grabbing a new tumbler of cheap firewhiskey from one of the floating trays that were circulating the room. His hand brushed against the bare skin of her upper arm and he swore he felt her goosebumps erupt at his touch.
"What?" She asked without looking up at him.
Tom jerked his head in Draco's direction. He was smiling widely and laughing at some joke.
"The way he garners all the attention for himself. No offense, but he's just an intern. Not even our best." The way Hermione burst into laughter at his words startled him and he turned his head to stare at her.
"Oh Merlin, you're serious?!" She giggled at his incredulous look, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand. "You think he likes that?" Tom could only blink at her and her grin smoothed into a smirk. "He hates it. He hates that the only reason they even acknowledge him is because of his name. Because he's a Malfoy. He spends half the time he talks to them telling them about his muggleborn girlfriend and manipulating them into supporting all her fantastic ideas for house-elf reform," she smirked, taking another languorous sip of her champagne.
Tom looked back at Draco, back at her - his mouth opening and closing as realisation dawned on him. "Fuck."
Hermione hummed beside him and nudged his ribs with her elbow, "Idiot," she mumbled, and Tom could just hear the hint of affection in it before he nodded and watched her cross the room to join her boyfriend's side. As he watched her smile and blush and act like the perfectly demure girlfriend of a Malfoy he couldn't help but wonder and wish that he was the one standing at her side. And when he caught Malfoy's eye, the younger man smirking at him as he gripped Hermione's waist, he didn't try to apologise wordlessly across the room, he simply lifted his glass in acknowledgement.
Tom was not an eavesdropper. He found the habit abhorrent and was very careful to never find himself in a position where anyone could accuse him of being one. But when he'd heard his own name he hadn't been able to stop himself from lingering outside of the empty boardroom and taking a peek at just who was inside discussing him. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly when he caught sight of Hermione leaning casually against the edge of the table glaring at her boyfriend as he paced in front of her, running a hand through his already tousled hair.
"You're being ridiculous," she hissed. "There's nothing going on between me and him and you know it."
Draco stopped pacing and turned to look at her head on. Tom swallowed and cast a quick glance around him to make sure no-one was approaching the boardroom before he stepped closer to the slightly cracked door.
"I've seen the way you look at him."
Tom saw Hermione's eyebrows furrow and her eyes harden but Draco didn't stop, not until he was leaning over her. A hand resting on each side of her. If Tom hadn't seen the way Hermione's legs had parted for him to stand between them, he'd have thought she'd felt threatened by him. Tom swallowed and took another look around him before, as quietly as he could, he slipped through the door and into the room with them. They didn't notice him as they attacked each other with their mouths. They didn't hear him close the door as they tore at each others clothes until Malfoy was pressing Hermione down flat against the table and kneeling between her legs. His hands were groping at her breasts and Tom had to bite his tongue when Draco tugged the cups of her navy-blue lace bra down and he got his first look at her tits. Her nipples were hardened and dusky pink and when Hermione tugged at one herself Tom knew he'd give anything to be the one doing it for her. To be leaning over her whispering in her ear what a dirty girl she was for letting him play with her like that in the middle of their department's boardroom in the middle of the day. Because there was no way she was going to let him fuck her. Was there?
"Draco," she protested, when her boyfriend reached his hands beneath her skirt and began to tug her underwear down. She pushed a hand against his. "We can't-"
"We can," Tom heard him snarl right as he tossed her underwear behind him, pressed one arm across Hermione's navel and held her down as he ducked his head forward and began to feast on her cunt. Tom bit back a moan at the sight and adjusted his erection. The temptation to slip his hand into his trousers and wrap it around his cock was almost unbearable, and when he saw Malfoy move his hand from Hermione's knee to between her legs he had to grit his teeth at the breathy: "oh fuck, Draco, please!" Hermione whimpered.
"Are you going to come sweetheart? Are you going to come all over my fingers like a dirty little slut?" Hermione shook her head but she was tugging at both her nipples now. Tom could see that her eyes were squeezed shut and that her bottom lip was pulled between her teeth and he knew that she was right on the cusp of doing exactly that. Draco sniggered, and sounded completely smug when he added, "yeah you are."
Tom closed his eyes and his head fell back with a quiet thud as Hermione shattered under her boyfriend's ministrations. He needed to leave. This was torture. He heard shuffling and then Malfoy was groaning and the table was creaking and -
"Oh my fucking God, Tom!"
His eyes snapped open, his head snapped forward and Hermione was staring wide eyed at him over Malfoy's shoulder and -
"I fucking knew it," Draco snarled and Tom watched Hermione blink. Once then again before her head fell back and the most guttural moan Tom had ever heard in his life fell from her mouth as Malfoy lifted her bum and began to thrust into her. "I knew you had a thin-"
"Oh god," she whimpered, "Draco no - fuck- Draco, he's right there!"
Tom couldn't move.
Draco didn't stop. "What?" He asked incredulously.
Hermione opened her eyes and turned Draco's chin with her hand, though she didn't stop moving against him.
Tom cleared his throat. "Don't let me interrupt you," he smirked.
Draco narrowed his eyes. "Can we help you Riddle? Or are you just going to stand there?"
Tom pointedly looked at Hermione. "Oh I think I'll stay right here, thanks. Quite enjoying the view."
"For Merlin's sake," Draco snapped. "Why don't you just fucking join in?" The room went dead and then Draco groaned and Hermione whimpered and Tom's eyes widened. "Fuck," he groaned. "Fuck!" He snarled as his head fell back. "You want this don't you?" Draco asked quietly and Tom was under no illusion that he was talking to anyone but Hermione. He didn't hear what she said but Malfoy was looking at him again and nodding. "Ok."
Tom took a hesitant step forward. "Ok?"
Draco nodded and pressed a kiss against Hermione's forehead before he withdrew from her. Tom bit his lip when Draco sat on the table and pulled Hermione onto his lap so that she was facing Tom. Sliding his cock back into her as he fed his fingers into her mouth. "Yeah," he groaned, "Merlin knows it's what she wants."
Tom flicked his eyes up from the sight of Hermione's cunt wrapped around Draco's cock to her face and took another step forward when she reached for him. "Please Tom."
"Oh fuck," he mumbled when she took his fingers and pressed them against her cunt. She was so fucking wet. "Hermio-"
"It's ok," she smiled up at him. Her eyelids fluttered and Tom leant forward slightly to press his lips against hers.
"You're so fucking beautiful." She whimpered and smirked up at him just as she began working her hands at his belt and his trousers and then her dainty hand was wrapped around his already stiff dick and she was wanking him off as Malfoy lay back and bounced her on his cock. Tom groaned at the feel of her on him and, like he'd wanted to for the past twenty minutes, pulled on her nipples himself.
"Oh God," she mumbled. She opened her eyes and Tom had to stop thrusting his hips into her palm. Fuck he was so close to just spilling himself all over her hand and if this was to be his only chance to be with her he wanted to make sure she felt him inside of her first. "Please Tom."
He nodded - wordlessly - shucked her hand and stepped out of his trousers, grateful that Draco had stopped moving from beneath her as he shuffled forward and slid home inside of her alongside Draco.
"Fuck," he hissed. Hermione whimpered and fell back against Draco whose knuckles had gone white. Tom didn't blame him. She was - "you are so fucking tight!" he gasped.
"Oh God."
"Fucking move!" Draco growled and then he was and they were fucking her. Tom was sliding his cock in and out of her and Draco was thrusting his hips and pressing his fingers against Hermione's clit. Tom was too busy watching the sight of his dick sliding into her to listen to the words Malfoy was muttering to her and then Hermione was coming. And she was so tight and hot and wet and-
"I'm going to come," he gasped, surprised by the ferocity of his approaching end. Fuck, he wanted to stay buried inside her cunt forever. Wanted to fuck her over and over again like this. With Malfoy's dick pressed against his and -
"Tell me this won't be the only time," he rasped, dragging his eyes up to meet hers. "Tell me," he pleaded looking between them.
Hermione whimpered, already so close to shattering between them again, and shook her head as she met his gaze head on. "It won't."
He leered at her and nodded. "Good," he grunted, gripping her hips and snapping his against her until he and Malfoy were spilling into her together and she was falling apart between them and they were a mess of sweaty, sticky limbs.
"Did you mean it?" Tom whispered against her chest. He didn't want to look at her. At Malfoy either. Didn't want the moment to dissipate. Not when he could still feel her cunt twitching around his softening prick. He felt a hand nudging his chin and appeased her by looking up. She was smitking.
"We meant it." Draco interjected. Tom blinked and the blonde rolled his eyes at Tom's undoubtedly shocked expression. "It's been obvious for months that this is where the three of us were headed." He sighed dramatically, "and it's not like you just swooped in and stole the love of my life from out beneath me."
"Plus," Hermione added, nudging him forward till he was standing and she was lifting herself from Malfoy and looking between the two of them, uncaring about the river of come spilling down her thigh and smirking all the while. "Triads are the hip new thing, right?"