After finishing her eight-year at Hogwarts, Hermione Granger decided that she was not ready for work yet. As a muggleborn, she was supposed to have gone to University after school, so she decided to take undergrad pre-med courses at Oxford University before applying for Healer training at St Mungo's. She felt that would make her better prepared not only for a healer career but to become a magical medical researcher. She took the necessary exams and signed herself up as if she had been homeschooled. The very first day she made a friend: a sweet, corky and flamboyant young man named Thomas Nottingham proclaimed himself as her new gay BFF and offered to show her the ropes. They enrolled in a couple of the same classes for their freshman year and did great, so for their second year they both signed up for Theoretical and Experimental Physiology, a class divided into two terms. After a month of theory, the pair walked out of the class excited. Professor Sullivan had offered them credits in a silver platter: a project to be worked in groups of three that, if it was completed to his satisfaction, would allow them credit for this session of the class and the next. That meant saving one whole semester. It was a lot of work, but it was very tempting. And Hermione planned to become a magical medical researcher so this was a good trial for her. She and her new friend had immediately agreed to work together, but they needed a third member. Someone good enough to keep up with them, someone who wouldn't be a drag. Professor Sullivan told them they could also pick a person from another section of the class. Hermione did the math: if they could poach whoever was the best student in one of the other sessions their chances would be really good.

"Hermione!"

"Oh, hey, Tommy, what's up"

"I found someone for our threesome! He is perfect!"

"Tommy shush! Stop calling it a threesome! Is not a threesome, is a three-person science project!"

Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. But when you meet him you will wish it was a threesome. He's not only the best student in Sullivan's section three, but he is also the hottest guy on campus. Like he is so hot I can't believe he is not gay."

"Well if he is not gay then there is no way there will be a threesome, right? since you wouldn't want to do me anyways," she joked, trying to keep up with him.

"Granger, I would gladly do you if that means he would do me. Is that simple. I'll fuck your brains off it that means he would do the same to me."

"Tommy! Merlin's beard, you are a perv!"

"And you are so funny, with your little sayings, like, 'Merlin's beard', is like you come from some fairy tale land far far away."

Hermione blushed but gave him a small smile. If only he knew.

Next Saturday morning, when everyone else was sleeping off the party from Friday and only the swottiest of swots would be at the library, Hermione was organizing a lot of office supplies and designating spaces for laptop use on a big table when someone said from behind

"Boo!"

She turned with a smile

"Right, because you would totally scare me, Tommy", but then she froze and dropped the supplies in her hand.

"Malfoy!"

"Granger," the blonde nodded curtly, a smirk on his face.

"You know each other?"

"We had some lessons together in the past," said Draco nonchalant.

Tommy looked at Hermione.

"I thought you were homeschooled."

She thought quickly

"We had some...tutors in common. So we occasionally shared lessons."

Tommy stared between the two of them but decided to let go for now. He may get better intel out of Hermione and the blonde's history if he didn't push.

Hermione tried to change the subject by getting to the research proposal but it only made things more awkward. She and Tommy had thought about a study of cardiopulmonary function during exercise, which meant someone needed to get on a treadmill wearing only shorts, so they could put leads on them.

"Shopping is my cardio," said Tommy, "so is not gonna be me."

Hermione blushed. She was a runner but she could imagine running on a treadmill, wearing only a sports bra while Draco Malfoy watched her tits bounce. So she outright refused.

"Alright then. Apparently, I am the athlete here," said Draco.

"No, you aren't," said Hermione hurriedly. He shouldn't relate that he was a Quidditch player. He held her gaze and smirked

"You hadn't seen me in years, Granger. I play football soccer in the University team. Midfield."

"Really?" she looked shocked.

"Indeed," was all he answered.

They had a couple more meetings to plan the experiment, and it was weird for Hermione. Tommy was her closest friend in the muggle world and he had no idea about the war or anything that transpired between her and Malfoy, plus he was shamelessly flirting with the blonde, testing the waters in case he was lucky and Draco played both sides. The Slytherin didn't seem to mind at all, although he was not really showing any encouragement. In reality, he was using Tommy's forward attitude to create an environment where he could, in turn, be freer around Hermione, making jokes that included all three of them and instituting the "food run" which meant they each took turns to run to a little hole in the wall Thai place that had no delivery and picked up food for the group. Draco did the first one and Hermione volunteered for the second.

The day of the experiment came and Hermione was taking deep breaths. The past meetings she had allowed herself to relax in the presence of Draco Malfoy, and she remembered that the first time she saw him, on the Hogwarts Express first year, she had thought he was the most beautiful boy in the world. That was, of course, until he opened his mouth. For a few more weeks though, when she still had no friends, she would look at him from a corner of the library and imagine that he would laugh with her the way he did with Pansy Parkinson or Daphne Greengrass. And now, almost ten years later, he not only did laugh with her, but she was about to see him in his shorts. And he did not disappoint. Football players had the best bodies, muscular and lean. She blushed and looked towards the floor but Tommy stared shamelessly, enjoying the view way too much. But then he moved aside and suggested that Hermione put the leads on Draco. If he was not gonna get laid here someone should. The blonde man was too yummy to go to waste. Hermione took the leads and with shaking hands started placing some over his naked back, then turned around and had to touch him slowly and deeply to find the correct spaces between his ribs. She had an intense look of concentration but her face was red as a tomato. Tommy made swooshing noises and moved his hand as if yielding a sword.

"What are you doing?" asked Hermione, irritated.

"Cutting the sexual tension between the two of you."

Draco snorted

Hermione turned and gave him the evil eye

"Oh don't worry, I am so not Malfoy's type. Far from it."

"On the contrary, my dear, you are absolutely my type. You completely and utterly bewitch me, you fierce little lion. You put a spell on me. Are you sure you are not a witch?" he said, emphasizing the words and grinning maliciously.

Hermione blushed even more and grunted

"Shut up Malfoy."

That night she tossed and turned in bed. Her dreams were hunted by images of Draco Malfoy running on the treadmill, sweat beads shinning over his perfect chest and chiseled abs, the perfect ass moving rhythmically all through the test. She sighed and admitted to herself there was only one way she would get any sleep. She slipped one hand down her knickers and the other one pinched her nipple under her camisole.

The next evening they got together in Tommy and Hermione's dorm suite, where they had two tiny bedrooms and in the middle a small common space with a coffee table and some floor cushions in lieu of furniture, to look at the results. But Draco was too distracted, everything about the results made him think back to Hermione touching him carefully to place the leads. So he fidgeted nervously until he started feeling a bit hungry and said

"Nottingham, isn't your turn to do the food run?"

Tommy growled but stood up and grabbed his car keys.

"Fine. you two love birds don't do anything inappropriate until I'm back so I can watch," he said, smirking.

"Perv," said Hermione, looking down at her notes and shaking her head.

When they were alone, she reached for her laptop but Draco took hold of her hands. She looked at him, eyes wide

"All jokes aside, Hermione, do you think you could ever forgive me? I know I do not deserve it, but I would feel so much better if you didn't hate me. Would you at least let me prove myself to you? Show you that I have changed, that I am not the spoiled child or the Death Eater that I was? Please?"

She blinked a few times, shifting in her place unconsciously until she was facing him, their hands laced.

"You are not a Death Eater. You never were. You were spoiled and misguided and even mean. But not evil."

His eyes filled with tears

"I am so sorry. For everything. In my nightmares, I see the day the snatchers brought you to the manor. And I stood there and did nothing. I will never outlive the shame."

She released one of her hands and cupped his face

"You would have died. And I would have died too. Bellatrix was insane. And murderous. And she wouldn't have cared that you were her nephew."

He closed his eyes and the tears rolled down. She wiped them delicately with her thumb and reached forward to hold him in a hug. He buried his face in her curls and sobbed. After a few minutes, a voice said

"Ahem, am I interrupting something?'

They jumped back, both of them wiping their eyes.

"Just clearing the air," said Hermione quickly, "stupid stuff we did as children."

"Okay then," said Tommy, putting the boxes of Thai food on the table, uncertain if he was being told the truth. But whatever this was, was between the other two, so he better stayed out of it.

"So," said Tommy in between bites, "are we all going to the Halloween masquerade? Can I third wheel with you guys? Maybe I can get lucky there."

Draco looked at Hermione

"Do me the honor?"

She smiled

"Of course."

Then he turned towards Tommy

"You are not third wheeling. I have a date for you."

"Not some uppity girl please," huffed Tommy.

"You think I'm blind?" no, no girl." Then he looked at Hermione "Theo Nott is back from America."

"Oh, he went to Ilverm… he went to finish school there?" Hermione caught her mistake on time.

"Yeah, then he stayed in New York for Fashion Design."

"Ooohhh," said Hermione, comprehension dawning on her, then she looked at Tommy. "I know Nott. Handsome bloke."

"Just Nott?" said Tommy. Not Nottingham?"

"Just Nott. Sounds like a good omen, you may keep your last name," said Draco, winking at the other boy.

Two weeks later, on a very nice night, Tommy drove him and Hermione to the ball. She was wearing a beautiful white halter dress with a naked back and tiny crystals everywhere that seemed to move and spark magically. Hermione had actually enchanted it so it would flow and sparkle, but it was a discreet charm, so people would not think something about the dress was odd. It was just stunning. Tommy was wearing a nice tux, and when he had put it on, she shot a quick spell to tailor it, so when he looked at the mirror said

"Oh wow, I didn't remember this fitting me so well."

They walked into the ballroom, masks in hand, and looked around

"Oh sweet Lord," said Tommy

Two insanely hot guys wearing perfectly fitted tuxedos and masks walked towards them and bowed. Then they removed the masks and offered their hands, held the one from the person in front of them and kissed their knuckles.

"I think I'm gonna faint," Tommy squeaked in a whisper.

"Theodore Nott, at your service," said the hunk that had just kissed his hand.

"Thomas Nottingham," Tommy managed in another squeal.

"Care to dance, Thomas Nottingham?" and he guided them to the dance floor. Tommy tried to give Hermione and Draco a huge excited grin, but they were busy

"Madam," said the blonde, kissing the hand intently.

"Mr. Malfoy," she answered, trying to control her breath.

"Care to dance?"

"Yes, please."

They danced the night off, had a few drinks, laughed. At one point Draco obliged Tommy with a dance so Hermione and Theo got to catch up.

"Amazing dress, Granger. Did you charm it?" he said with a wink

"Call me Hermione, and yes, I did. And you look great too. Is this the first time we ever talked?"

Theo chuckled

"I think it is. And I am sorry for that. But now that I am removed from my Death Eater, homophobic father I can do as I please and hang out with anyone I want, present wonderful company included. And by the way, I am so happy you are giving Draco a chance. He is very lucky."

"Oh, I'm not sure we…" but she got interrupted by Theo's finger on her lips

"Sshh… just let it be. You two are made for each other."

She smiled and finished the song with this unexpected new friend. When the music ended Theo kissed her hand and she felt bold. She took his arm and walked toward the others.

"Tommy, why don't you show Theo our dorm, if you guys want a nightcap. I think Draco and I would like to go for a walk."

"Right. For a walk," Theo made air quotes and Draco slapped his arm and gave him a scowl.

"You sure?" asked Tommy, "is getting pretty cold outside, we can give you guys a ride."

"We'll be fine," said Draco, sharing a complicit smile with Hermione. After the other two left Draco said in her ear

"Shall we? There is an ally behind where we can apparate."

"Lead the way, Mr. Malfoy."

They apparated to his off-campus flat, and he watched her as she walked a few steps to appreciate the place, her dress flowing around in all its glory when it entered a magically charged space. Her naked back was making him shiver with anticipation.

"That dress is amazing. I can't stop looking at it," he said.

"Pity," she answered. "I was hoping you wanted to see what is underneath."

"Salazar yes, please. I beg you."

She took a deep breath, summoned her Gryffindor courage and undid the halter top. The dress slowly flowed to the floor, charmed to do it in a sensual way, until it pulled at her feet and she walked out of it still wearing her silver stilettos. He looked from the shoes up to see a pearl embroidered thong and what seemed to be floating crystals covering her nipples. It was the most beautiful thing Draco had ever seen.

"You are a goddess," he said extending his hands to her. She approached him and when they were almost touching, she took his hands and softly used his fingers to brush the crystals from her breasts, making them float away and letting her pebbled nipples exposed. Draco gasped and dipped down for a passionate kiss, his hands cupping her. She responded in kind, wrapping her arms around his neck and after a while lifting her face so he could have access to her neckline and explore down to take the delicious mounds in his mouth, making her moan in pleasure and filling her with impatience so she waved her hand and vanished his clothes entirely.

"Eager little lion, aren't you?" he said dropping to his knees to lap at her core over the string of pearls, "you were wearing these all night?" he said and latch to suckle eagerly

She responded in between pants

"Yes."

"So fucking hot," he said. Unable to hold anymore he carried her to the bed and climbed on top, ripping off the pearl string and plunging inside her. It was rough, intense, eager, both of them feeling intoxicated with the idea of who the other one was. Her climax felt like an explosion and her clenching walls dragged him over the edge. He collapsed on top of her and she caressed him sweetly until they both came from their high. He lifted himself a bit to look at her.

"Do you want to know when was the first time I fantasized about this? The string of pearls not included, of course."

She chuckled

"When?"

"The night of the Yule ball fourth year. Of course, it was not a very elaborate fantasy, I was fourteen after all, but it did give me my first real-life wanking material. And an intense desire to beat up Krum."

She laughed wholeheartedly.

"Well, he might have taken me to that ball, but there was no nightcap after. Definitely no pearl string."

"Good. I'm fond of jewelry and would love to know that from now on you wear them only for me," he said before starting to trail kisses down again.