Author's Note: There is a goal here - smutty four-way. No idea how well it's going to work out, though, so it will also be constantly subject to editing. Whatever suggestions you have, I am definitely listening. Can't decide if it should have two or more parts, so for now I'm sticking with one bulk piece of writing. Gonna be long. Really long. As in the base original piece is over 10 pages long on a word processor in size 10 Times New Roman.
Disclaimer: Not mine, luckily for Rowling's characters. If they were mine, they'd always be put through this abusive hell. :P
Limitless
How hard was it to keep an appointment? Really? If you're going to go through all the trouble of phone tag, texting dead cells, and even running through the hell that is e-mail just to make a date, shouldn't you at least show up? Just for five minutes, just to say "Yeah, can't stay, shit's gone down elsewhere. Ciao."
She double checked the time. 5:47. Almost an hour late. No way they were going to make the movie and dinner now. Hell, they weren't going to make the movie at all. She ignored the nagging in her gut, choosing to be angry instead of the upset that was pooling in her lungs, waiting for a weak moment to scream. The muggle world was supposed to be simple. No sketchy characters to outright avoid, no people to hate based on something as silly as their school-day house, no evil overlords to overthrow before the age of 15. The most important thing at any given time was what the local sports team was up to!
And somehow this all constituted complicated dating. She sighed heavily. There was no winning. Ever since she'd graduated from Hogwarts things had been upside down. With the Wizarding world in something of an inverted raging mess she'd decided to go back to what she'd grown up in, only with more buildings. London was not an optimal place to live, for sure, but it was convenient. Subways, cheap apartment with a fire place in case of emergencies, and working in a coffee shop or three that were all close enough to walk to. It wasn't what she would have expected out of herself, but it was working for the moment. However, as it was slowly turning out, muggle men were entirely incapable of keeping a date. She'd made quite the trek just to meet the moron at the Royal Garden Hotel where he was supposedly staying. She could honestly say this was the first time she'd been stood up in a five-star restaurant.
She wasn't looking forward to the bill.
She sighed tiredly. No point in waiting now. She'd be best off just cutting her loses and hitting a Rotten Ronnies on the way home. Hopefully Clairese's Boutique accepted returns. She mentally kicked herself. She'd even gone and found an nice black gown to wear for the bugger. Fitted, with a train, and a lovely, sparkling navy wrap to match...Three hundred euros she could definitely be using for better things. She gently smoothed the satin over her knee's. But it was so pretty. She hadn't had anything pretty in a long time. If she could justify keeping it, she would've, but this was likely the last time she'd be going on a date in this price bracket.
She'd just barely gotten to her feet to go pay for her one appetizer and glass of wine when she knocked into a passing party of three. She quickly stammered out an apology, knowing full-well that these well dressed males made more in three days than she did in a year -
She stopped cold, mouth open on unfinished words. The male she'd bumped froze as well, his flute of champagne dangling precariously in his hand and stormy eyes wide. She couldn't believe it. No way in hell was -
"Well hello Miss Granger," said one of the others, none other than Theodore Nott, to break the awkward silence. He gave her a smile, one that had had him any girl he'd wanted back in school. Nott had been a dream, and still was, with a build that put all male models to shame and a face the angels themselves wished they had. "Fancy meeting you here."
"Indeed," said the other, Blaise Zabini, smirking now that the shock had passed him. The most surprised of the trio dropped his own bewilderment, choosing to give her a small smile and nod. "Come here often, Princess?"
"I - no, no, not at all," she stuttered. She snorted at her own girlish behavior and took a deep breath. There were no class wars here, it'd be fine to be nice to them, right? "Actually I feel like quite the fish out of water here."
"Really, now?" asked Nott, his frown of concern matching his princely reputation. "Dear girl, I'd say you'd only look more at home in your own skin."
She blushed. How could she not? Theodore had never even spoken to her before today, and she couldn't remember the last time someone had lent her a compliment. "Well, ah, thank you - "
"And you can't possibly be here alone, can you?" Nott took her hand then, pulling her gently closer, right into the middle of the Slytherin's version of the Golden Trio.
"Um, you see - "
She wasn't given the chance to make up some excuse or lie, because Nott brushed his lips against her knuckles and murmured, "That is not acceptable at all, my dear. Come, I will treat you to dinner."
Dear sweet gods, was all she could think. "I'm sorry, I can't stay, I - " Nobody interrupted her, and no good lie popped into Hermione's mind. "I...m meeting someone for a movie. I really do need to go."
"Granger, you still really suck at lying," Draco snorted, hooking an arm in hers. Nott grinned at him.
"Some things never change, hm?" Blaise agreed.
She gaped at the three around her. No way was this real. Blaise captured her other arm, leading to a very puppy-like pout from Nott. "Come now, gentlemen. I believe I asked the lady to join us, should she not be on my arm?"
Draco, with the combined effort of Blaise, wheeled her away from the older Slytherin, while the blond said, "Too slow, Nott."
How did things like this happen? The three boys around her chatted easily about the current goings-on of the wizarding world while she sat in complete oblivion between Nott and Malfoy. She'd let herself get out of touch over the last two years, and all the information passing between them was just a touch overwhelming. Luckily, she wasn't asked to participate. If they'd turned to her at all, she would have been in hot water.
"Well, Granger, you've been awfully quiet," Draco suddenly said out of the blue. She shrugged. "Its not like you. Speak. You're unnerving me."
She shrugged again, hands twisting in her lap. "What about? I haven't really got anything to say."
"Merlin," Blaise breathed, "Nothing to say. Is that even possible?" She glared at him.
"Oh hush, Zabini," Theodore growled, taking her hand to kiss her knuckles again. He smiled at her. "She doesn't have to speak if she doesn't want to."
"C'mon, Granger," Draco said, leaning on the table and drilling into her with his eyes. "Surely you've not lost your sense of opinion since you rejoined the people of your birth. What do you think of the panicking the wizards of Brittan are doing?"
She bit her lip and shrugged. Panicking? She hadn't heard about that.
Theodore offered words to Draco's wide-eyed surprise. "She might not read the Prophet, Draco," he said, placing a kiss on her wrist. "I know I don't."
"But you do know about - "
"Look, I haven't had anything to do with magic since I left Hogwarts," Hermione said quickly, not wanting to start some long argument that would end up in their knowing anyway.
"Should've just said so earlier, Granger," said Blaise. "It's all that really matters to us wizards these days anyway, we like to talk about it."
"We lost whole generations of wizards in the war, as I'm sure you remember," Draco said. She almost fell out of her chair in shock. Weren't they going to tease her about not being involved in wizarding? "Hundreds dead and all that."
"Making ours the smallest wizarding population on the planet," said Blaise with a definitive nod.
"And the Ministry," said Theodore slowly, giving her a look that would melt mountains. "Is doing its damnest to convince us youths to...make up the difference as quickly as possible."
He finished with another gentle, long kiss on the back of her hand. Her eyes widened a touch. Oh.
"They haven't gone to the extremes of marriage laws or anything yet," Draco said, "And its looking like they won't need to because of their latest ingenious plan."
The way he said it made it sound like he found it less than impressive. She frowned. "Oh, and what is this 'plan'?"
"They're giving away grants for each magical child born - the number gets bigger if you're married or have other children already," said Blaise, also frowning. "There has been a spike in teenage pregnancy since then, to say the least. Its sick."
She winced. It seemed that, no matter if you were muggle or wizard, government was just all-round stupid. "Agreed. Somebody must be fighting that."
"Some older parents - you know, survivors of our three preceding generations. Not that anybody is paying them any mind," Draco said. "Young hormones are running our world at the moment. Just thinking back on how we ourselves used to behave - this group is just scary. Old families - "
"Purebloods," she said, knowing full-well that's what he meant.
He grimaced. "Well, yes. I was trying to be decent, Granger. Regardless, purebloods are in a riot since their few children are; one - beyond their control now and two - having increasingly higher chances of not having children with other purebloods due to some downright scary genetic oddities. Turns out we're a little too in-bred to keep our lines pure anymore. Some are even being tested as completely sterile."
"Safe to say," Theodore said smoothly, resting his head on her hand. "Nobody's happy these days."
"Thus, dinner among muggles," sighed Blaise with a content grin. "Gotta love the folks sometimes. So simple, no ridiculous complications or ulterior motives."
She snorted. They really didn't know muggles very well, obviously. She took her hand back from Theodore and said, "So, any of you boy's worried about your future children?"
"Hardly," Draco snorted.
"Our parents, more than ourselves," Theodore agreed. "I will willingly agree with them on that I would prefer to keep up the family tradition of having a purely magical woman in my bed - but I must also admit to not being picky on what kind of magical. Draco's more stuck-up than that, you probably remember his exact opinions - "
"I'm not seventeen anymore, Theo," Draco growled.
"But you're still a stuck-up prat," Blaise chuckled. Draco glared at his long-time friend. That only made the dark boy chuckle harder. "C'mon, Draco, its not like you've apologized to Granger for all the hell you put her through."
"And I wouldn't ask him to," she said quickly before things could get anymore awkward. Draco actually looked surprised. "Considering that I gave it all back times two. I think we're pretty even."
"Even sounds good," he said softly, offering her his hand. "Clean slate then, Granger?"
"Sounds like a plan to me, Malfoy," she replied with a smile. She took his hand, getting the handshake she expected. A firm, steady grip. Malfoy was a man that knew what he wanted now, not the snot-nosed punk she'd grown up with. Of the three, he was the only one she could really see change in.
"Well damn, I like this being friends idea," Blaise announced, leaning towards her and offering his own hand. "Since we were never actually introduced, Miss. I am Blaise Zabini, at your service."
She took his hand, getting a quick shake-turned-lordly kiss on the back of the wrist. "Hermione Granger, sir."
Theodore just rolled his eyes and pulled her chair over to him, the item sqeaking across the floor, and putting his arm around her. "Good thing we're already friends, Miss Granger, hm?" he asked, leaning his head on hers. She raised a brow at him.
"Are we, Mr Nott?"
"I'd like to believe we are," he said, almost warily. "I'd go so far as to say we are quite close friends."
She broke at that, bending and laughing. She and Nott had never had the chance to be enemies. She didn't doubt that all girls were close friends of his. She freed herself from him, leaning her elbows on the table and shaking her head at him. "Close friends are not something I am in possession of, sir," she said slyly.
"No? What about Potter and Weasley?" asked Blaise, genuinely surprised by her words.
"Family," she explained with a dead face. "Distant family."
"What about the Weasley girl?"
She only raised a brow at him in answer.
Theodore smiled and took back possession of her hand. "Well then, this should be corrected, Miss Granger."
She pouted playfully. "But I was just getting so comfortable in not worrying about people," she cooed.
"Ah, that is the beauty of Slytherin's, my pet," he said smoothly in reply, leaning in close. "We come with a worry-free garuntee. The only thing you'll ever have to fret over is which you want to take to bed."
And she broke again, leaving Nott looking rather confused. He didn't see what was so funny about what he'd said. She put her head in her hands, trying to keep from being loud with all her might. Then something vibrated and she jumped with a squeak, shocked back to her calm. It vibrated again and she relaxed. All three males simply stared at her. She blushed as she lifted her skirt to get her phone from its little garter pouch on her thigh. "Sorry, muggle technology, I wasn't expecting any calls," she explained. She didn't miss Draco or Theodore moving to appreciate the white skin she couldn't avoid revealing. Blaise and Draco watched, dumbfounded, as she opened the text that had caused her so much surprise. Theodore simply straightened her skirt and smoothed it back over her legs as a means to eavesdrop over her shoulder.
Sorry Mione, I have to cancel on you. Things have come up. Maybe we'll hook up next time I'm in town. Cheers. ~ Regan
She glared at the text. Oh, of course, cancel once you're over two hours late and apologize. "Mmm, you were supposed to be on a date, then?" Theodore asked, leaning on her shoulder.
"I wasn't kidding when I said I was meeting someone," she said softly, dropping the cheap phone on the table to ignore it. Draco picked the machine up to inspect it. "Catch was, they were supposed to meet me here and buy me dinner - over two hours ago."
"Unimpressed, dearest?" Theodore asked, stroking her cheek sympathetically.
"Highly."
"Aw, lovely," he sighed, kissing her bare shoulder. "How shall we make it better? Should I order a bottle of the Red?"
"I drown my sorrows in sugar, not alcohol," Hermione said, pushing the flirt off with a huff. "I find I make better decisions that way."
"A chocolate cake then."
"I think I'd better just go home," she said softly, getting up slowly. She'd known she was stood up, it just hurt a lot more than it should have to have it confirmed. She wanted a bath. And a romantic movie that would make her cry. And Crookshanks replacement, the adorable little Berritrand. And moping involved popcorn.
Theodore caught her hand as she stood, though, pulling her over to fawn over her hand. "Oh, don't let the fool ruin your fun, pet," he said, giving her another kiss.
"C'mon Granger, be a sport and hang out with us," Blaise agreed. "We'll go get one of those movies or whatever it was you were talking about before."
"Its too late for a movie now, the last runs have already started," she sighed. She frowned at Theodore. "I just want a bath and crap food and my cat and movies that will make any romantic turn into a bawling four year old. It was really nice to see you guys again, really. But I'm done for the night."
She pulled away from Theodore and retreated through the tables. Theodore jumped to his feet, calling, "I'm a hopeless romantic, can I join you?"
"Hey now - " Blaise growled, following to leave a shell-shocked Draco with the bill and Hermione's discarded phone in his hands.
"I swear, you have a million of these damned things," growled Blaise as he scrolled the list of downloaded movies available on the hard drive she had hooked up to her little TV.
"That was kind of the idea," Hermione grumbled back. How she'd ended up with all three boys back in her little apartment was still a mystery to her, one she was not very pleased with. The place wasn't exactly visitor-friendly, with last nights dishes still in the sink and cat-hair covered furniture. Berritrand had found a friend in Draco, more than content to be stretched up the man's torso and purring into his neck as he received a petting other cats would envy. Theodore loitered at the kitchenette island, more than pleased to stand there and swivel some of her precious red wine in one of her three mis-matched wine glasses. She rarely spent on unnecessary pleasures, but when she did, she always aimed high. "I like having too many options."
"Well, its making my life difficult. What do you want to watch?" Blaise asked, frowning up at her from his seat on the floor.
She shrugged. "I dunno."
Blaise rolled his eyes and went back to scrolling, growling, "Women."
She actually felt comfortable and awkward at the same time. She hadn't changed yet, and didn't really want to so long as these three had deemed to keep her company. Draco seemed to be fine with getting covered in her kitty, or he didn't care at the moment because he was getting snuggles. But Theodore's eyes on the back of her neck were making her nervous. "My only request was that it be romantic," she reminded Blaise, before shoving herself away from the counter to do dishes. Might as well, right?
"What happened to your other cat?" asked Draco. "You know, the crazy-looking lion-ish thing."
Merlin, he remembered Crookshanks. "He was hit by a car three days after I moved here," she told him as she ran the water. "I haven't left the windows open since. I don't think I could handle the same thing happening to Bertie."
"Sorry to hear that."
She shrugged. That had been a long time ago. And Crookshanks had gotten to be somewhat of a massive pain to watch. The animal had been going blind when the car finally got him. She'd just never had the heart to put him down. "He's in a better place," she said dismissively. Theodore put an arm around her waist and kissed her temple. She froze, hoping he was just getting tipsy.
"Oy - Nott! Hands off the lady!" snapped Blaise.
"Agreed," Draco added. "Remember the rule?"
The rule?
Theodore sighed heavily and let her go, wandering out into the living area. "Yeah, yeah, unfortunately," he grumbled.
She turned away from her soapy water, curiosity cutting at her. She didn't doubt that she'd regret asking, but that's what the fireplace was for, right? "What rule?"
Draco smirked and softly said, "The rule, that's what rule."
She frowned at that answer as Blaise chuckled and leaned his back against the couch beside Theodore's legs as the other man sat. "I gathered that, but...what is the rule?" she asked slowly, feeling a knot begin to form in her stomach.
"To put it bluntly," said Theodore, looking rather unimpressed. "No womanizing while in a group without enough ladies to go around - unless everybody agree's to share."
She blushed and quickly turned back to her dishes. "I see," she said, starting on the meaningless chore as a means of distraction.
"And Nott doesn't like to share," Blaise snorted.
"That I do not," Theodore agreed. The knot tightened. "Why risk being shown up? I figure it to be a logical logic."
"Much like that sentence being doomed to redundancy," Draco said, giving a definitive nod.
"You'd share if the chick was into that kind of thing," Blaise said confidently. "Guaranteed."
"I might."
"You would, don't lie. Just because Granger's here - you know she'd figure it out eventually anyway, with that brain of hers."
Her blush deepened with their every word. She really didn't want to know any of it, but now the idea was in her head. And, scarily enough, it didn't sound entirely terrible to her either. She talked it up to virgin curiosity. She just didn't know any better yet. That had to be it. Why else would bedding any of them seem like a good idea.
She mentally kicked herself. It just wasn't a good idea. Period. End of story.
"Do you have any kind of cat treat or something," Draco asked. "I think I rather like pampering your cat. It's very rewarding."
"He's got smoked salmon in the fridge," she said, pretending like the conversation of the other two wasn't getting to her. "Or cream. Whatever you feel like giving him - just not too much of it. It makes him sick then."
"Hear that, little Prince?" Draco murmured to the cat. She heard him stand. "Your dear mistress has said you can have some fish. I'll bet you'll enjoy that."
Draco Malfoy, a cat person. Who would have thought? He opened the fridge and niftily retrieved the dish of salmon while holding the content cat at the same time. He smiled softly at her, setting the dish down so that he could pick pieces off it to hand feed the little animal. Berritrand was more than pleased.
"Hey, Granger, think Alexander sounds any good?" Blaise asked.
She rolled her eyes, not entirely surprised at the boys ability to call a herooic adventure movie a romance. "Sure, whatever," she sighed.
He was lucky that she didn't really care anymore.
Blaise started the movie without any other questions, having picked up muggle technology far quicker than Draco could ever hope to. The blond pureblood abandoned the fish with his kitty-baggage to join his friends on the couch for the movie. She turned out the lights for them, and put popcorn in the microwave before turning back to her dishes. She didn't really feel up to sitting with them. She cleaned up her kitchen slowly. Yeah, this really was too weird for her.
"Aren't you going to join us, pet?" asked Theodore. She looked over her shoulder to see all three looking at her in the artificial light. Blaise patted the empty space between Draco and Theodore from his place on Draco's right.
"This'll only take a minute," she said quickly. "And I'm making popcorn."
She rolled her eyes and went back to her dishes. When popcorn was ready for them, she delivered it with every intention of retreating back to her dishes. However, the boys had other ideas. Theodore wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his lap, while Draco immediately sat up to retrieve her legs and set them up on Blaise's stomach. She frowned at their tag-team effort. "Hey, I'm not finished in the kitchen yet."
"Don't even care, Granger," Draco said, flipping up her skirt to the knee so he could give her smooth calve a kiss before turning his eyes back on the movie. She couldn't make herself move. Had Draco Malfoy actually just laid a kiss on her? Even stranger, were they all seriously watching a muggle movie in full formal wear? Hermione had finally hit the point of realization. Things like this just did not happen in the real world, no matter how boss they might be.
The weirdness of it all had her in shock. A tired shock. So she nestled back into Nott's arms and let it happen. Why not be content among these men? Its not like it was going to kill her. Nott actually began to stroke her hair, leaning his head against her own. Blaise wove an arm between her legs and lodged his hand between her thighs to keep it warm, and Draco was tracing patterns all along the backs of her legs. Comfort. Merlin was it ever a weird thing to feel at the hands of Slytherins.
Three Slytherins.
When the only heterosexual sex scene of the movie came up, Hermione wanted her bubble back. She watched movies like this alone for a reason. Draco actually sat up a little straighter and Blaise said, "Damn, I just gained a new respect for muggle stuff."
She shifted, bring her legs back under her skirt and close to the rest of her body. Yeah, this wasn't comfortable anymore. Nott, being the ladies man he was raised to be, didn't let it go unnoticed. He pulled her entirely into his lap, and gave her temple a gentle nuzzle. "Aw, are you shy, Miss. Granger?" he murmured playfully.
Draco snorted. "Of course she's shy. What kind of trouble would the Gryffendor Princess get into? Only the life-threatening kind, that's what kind," he said as though it were as simple as living organisms breathing oxygen. "I actually feel kind of bad for her, having only Potter and Weasel to call any kind of experience."
Her anger flared at that. "I've never slept with Ron or Harry!"
Draco raised a brow at her. "No?"
"Definitely not! Do you really think I'm that stupid, Malfoy?"
"Then who?" She stopped cold, mouth open to answer, but not wanting to give the truth. The truth was actually painful to admit. Plus, since when was it any of their business. "C'mon, Granger. If you want, I'll give you my little black book to make things fair - "
She grimaced and interrupted, "Sorry, Malfoy, but I'm really not that interested in who you've shared a bed with."
"Shared a bed - " Draco snorted, and Blaise outright laughed. "I haven't done that with anybody. Plenty of fucking - no romantic snuggling till dawn, though."
She blushed. How could they refer to it so casually? She could barely bring herself to say the technical name of the act. Maybe she really was just a prude. "C'mon, Granger, cards on the table. Who've you got off with?" Blaise asked bluntly, sitting up and leaning over her and Nott.
Before she could stop herself she stuttered, "N-n-nobody!"
Now Draco actually laughed. Blaise shook his head with a sigh. "Pavarti one, Pavarti two, Weaslette, Parkinson - there, four of mine for one of yours, Granger," offered Blaise. She gaped. Blaise and Ginny?
She shook the shock off and decided that the truth would at least get them off her back. "I'm serious. I've never actually...you know..." she trailed off, looking at the floor with a dark blush. She was so glad that the lights were off so they couldn't see it. Where had her Gryffendor courage gone?
"Been fu - "
Draco shoved Blaise to shut him up before he said something he'd regret. "Had sex," he corrected coolly, glaring at his friend. She shrugged, a movement highly interrupted by her own disgruntled fidgeting. Definitely no longer comfortable. Theodore suddenly moved her into Draco's grip and stood, leaving the girl very confused. He'd been her safety net, dammit!
"Bathroom," he said and disappeared immediately. She saw Blaise roll his eyes from her place on Draco's chest.
"Poor bastard," Draco murmured. "He likes his virgins a little too much."
She almost stopped breathing. "I really don't get how he can get so hard over them. I mean, they've got to be the most awkward bedding experience possible," Blaise whined, flopping back with his arms crossed stubbornly over his chest.
"No, threesomes are the most awkward," Draco disagreed. "And don't give Theo a hard time over his preferences. He's a romantic. He can't help himself."
"Sorry if I think its sick that he gets off on girls crying."
"Dammit, Blaise - " She pushed herself away from Draco and to her feet. The mans reaction wasn't fast enough, and soon she was walking to her room. "Granger, where are you - "
"Feeling extremely uncomfortable at the moment," she replied robotically. She quietly entered her room. "I'll be back."
"Aw, Granger - "
She closed the door. She heard the two arguing a touch over who it was exactly that scared her off. Nott was the one who silenced them, turning their attention back to the movie that had started this whole problem. She sat on the edge of her bed, suddenly feeling all wrong in her black satin. Slytherin's were very different from Gryffendors, obviously. Very very different. And dressing like them didn't make them any closer to understanding each other.
Pajamas's were where Hermione found her sense of control, and two hours later she was calm enough once more to venture out to see if they were still there. Ties were pulled loose, buttons were undone, and socks were missing. Yup, they were still there. Blaise had passed out on the love seat and Draco had been in the middle of saying something to Theodore when she appeared trussed up in her blue plaid flannel pants and extra large white t-shirt. Theo instantly sat up, put his feet on the ground, and offered her his arms. "I'm sorry they scared you, Hermione," he said softly as she approached, reclaiming her safety net. "The stupid fools still haven't figured out when to shut their mouths."
"I just have a limited comfort zone," she mumbled with a shrug. "Not actually all that big a deal."
"Note made, Granger," said Draco, crawling over once she was curled safely in Theo's lap. He rested his head on her lap and looked up at her with likely the best set of puppy dog eyes she'd ever seen. Damn, Draco was a good pouter. "I'm sorry."
Two words she never thought she'd get out of a Malfoy. She carefully stroked his light hair and said, "You've done worse things."
"Yes I have," Draco muttered, turning to lay his head down and close his eyes, nuzzling her hip with a sigh. Then he almost inaudibly added, "And none of them with you."
Her eyes went wide. What did he just say?
Theodore pulled her back into the crook of his neck and kept her tucked safely into a corner. "I didn't want to start another movie without you," he says softly. "And we need to let Blaise sleep, he's got a meeting with the Minister and the Ambassadors of England tomorrow morning - early."
"He can have my bed," she piped up immediately, hospitality overriding all her other worries. "I know I'd hate having to go to work after sleeping on the floor. He'll need a good sleep if he's dealing with the Minister."
"Ah, he's fine," growls Draco.
"Do you mean that, or are you jealous?" Hermione asked with a dramatic roll of her eyes, not expecting an answer – at least not an honest one.
He looked up, his face dead serious, and said, "Definitely jealous."
She stared. "Well...then...I'll just sleep out here on the couch with you guys then," she stammered.
"Only to make Blaise jealous when he wakes in the morning anyway," sighs Theodore, running a hand through her freshly brushed hair.
She frowned first at Theo, then at Draco, and said, "So you all want to sleep in my bed?"
"Yes," the men said at the same time.
She sighed heavily and said, "Then please, feel free."
Draco rolled, looking up at her once more on his way to laying on his stomach. "Really?" he asked, curiosity twinkling in his eyes.
"Well...Ah...yes..." With each word Draco crept one claw up, until he was looming over her, smiling devilishly at her wide eyes. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Because you're stunning," Theo said without hesitation, kissing her cheek slowly.
"Damn straight she is," Draco agreed, nuzzling her cheek. Then his lips touched her jaw, gently - no more than a whisper of a touch. "Grew into that wild hair and everything." She blushed at that. "Hell, I'd say she even looks even more shaggable in these silly muggle night things than that gown she was in before."
She blushed harder, and quickly muttered, "Comfort zone, Draco, comfort zone."
She felt him smile. "Yeah, I know Granger," he whispered back, leaning back from her and shoving himself away from her. "I'll move the old boy then. You chickens just sit pretty."
She could breathe again once the snake had removed his eyes and evil mouth from her. She trembled, all her nerves set aflame. She liked the mean Draco better, the one from school. She knew how to deal with that one. As the blond trucked Blaise into the other room, Theo smoothed her hair and murmured, "Please, don't be offended, but are you truly...innocent?"
"Yes," she said slowly. "Why? Don't you believe me?"
His release of breath was shakey before he answered, "Oh, I do, and I want to, but sometimes it is hard to hope that the enchantress that I ran into at the resort could have escaped male hands."
He gave her a squeaze and kissed her temple before pushing her off so he could fetch the remote, and hide the hard length of flesh that she'd already become aware of while being snuggled. His words made her shiver, and she curled into the opposite corner of her sad little couch. When he finally settled back into his own corner, he looked disappointed, but not surprised. "Not even going to sit beside me now that I am a victim of my own mind?"
She fidgeted, unable to meet his dark eyes for much more than a few seconds. "Yes..."
He sighed heavily, murmuring, "You can come hide against me if Draco is too much like himself again," just as the white snake returned, her coverlet stolen from her bed and in his arms.
She frowned at him as he plopped down between her and the more gentlemanly man, making a point of covering her and himself up long before even considering sharing with his life-long friend. "Did you leave anything for Blaise?" she growled.
"He got the sheets," Draco said with a shrug. A warm hand slipped up her leg, and pulled. "Now you had better be giving me some of this attention you've already inflicted upon Nott. As much as its the kind of attention we'll all be losing sleep over because you're a tease, I am very jealous."
She rolled her eyes and kicked him off. "Why am I not surprised, Malfoy?"
"Because you know me better than you'd like to admit," he purred, leaning over her to thwart her denial by laying on top of her.
"Don't be an ass, Draco," growled Theo.
"But I'm so good at being an ass," Draco retorted, sitting up to frown at his friend indigently. Theo frowned back.
Hermione sighed heavily. Grown men with grown men instincts and tendancies, yet they still fought like they did in school; two purebred mutts hissing over the same bitch. She crawled over Draco's lap, not missing for one second his shocked hiss as she grazed him, before sitting cross-legged between them. "Looks like I get to be the continually mature person in the group. You two fight like Ron and Harry."
"Do not," they say at the same time.
"You do," she growled, giving each an dark look. "Both jealous of the others awesomeness and/or skills that they themselves do not possess - "
Draco laid his head in her lap, smiling smuggly. "You think I am awesome?"
She glared, unimpressed. Sarcastically, she said, "Yes, Draco, I think you're bloody fantastic." Draco grinned. "But Theo here has a bigger dick."
Draco looked shell shocked at that, an expression that quickly turned to defensive anger. He sat up in a flare of temper. "He does no - "
"Does, actually, Draco," Hermione interrupted, putting a finger on his lips to keep him quiet. "And yes, I would know this right now. Innocent, yes, I am. However, that does not make me unobservant."
Theo's smile was completely self-satisfied as he put his hands up in submission to Draco's angry poke. "Sorry mate. Irish and all that," was his simple explanation.
"Well, I don't believe it," said Draco, crossing his arms over his chest assertively. "Mr. Irish has been about as hard and impressive as is humanly possible since he found out that nobody has ever touched you," the emphasis on those words made Theo groan and turn away, "While I have had to get horny the long way just like any other normal male. I'll bet you my pay check for a week, Hermione, that I am as big, IF NOT bigger, than Nott when I'm at full capacity."
She couldn't believe she was having this conversation. Even worse, she couldn't believe what she said next, "Deal. Now prove it, Draco."
She didn't know why she agreed to this terrifying silliness. Maybe because Draco took it so seriously, seriously enough to call her by her given name. Maybe because she was curious. Either way, she almost screamed when Draco grabbed her hand and forced it down on him, growling to her, "Then make me hard, Hermione."
She gaped openly, that keep sense of observation noting that he was well over half way there already. Theo pulled her back, into the safety of his arms, and snapped, "Dammit, Draco, why are you so rude?"
"Because, for some reason, girls find it attractive," Draco snorted, then raised a brow at her. "Right, Granger?"
Back to the last name. She frowned at him, clutching her sullied hand to her chest. "No, actually, its not. Also, me doing all the work was not a part of the bet," she growled.
"It was implied."
"Implied my left ass cheek."
"Oh, I wish."
"Draco, don't be so coarse," Theo groaned, pulling her back into her corner between himself and the arm of the couch, safely away from his own suffering. It didn't really bother her, being so close to an erection – so long as she didn't have to touch it. Draco frowned at the pair. "Seriously now, movie please. We both need to stop thinking about - "
"Dicks and where we'd like to put them," Draco said smoothly, turning to the TV.
She felt Theo's muscles twist around her, which was only a pre-cursor to his abrupt standing and setting her down where he had once been sitting. "Forgive me, Miss Granger, but I need to go harm something."
And then he disapparated. She frowned, not liking the idea of being alone with this version of Draco Malfoy. The blond faced her once more, one leg bent up for his arm to rest on and leaning back in a way that was entirely too attractive.
"Finally, I thought I'd never scare him off."
She rolled her eyes. "You purposely sent your friend off in a rage so that you could have me – muggle-born, baggy clothes Granger – alone? Nice try, Draco, but you're an ass."
"I am an ass," he said softly, batting his long lashes at her. "But I'm an ass that doesn't particularly want to share. C'mere Granger, I don't bite unless its asked for."
"I'm good thanks," she growled, scooping the remote up off the floor and flicking in search of something bloody. Her mood called for violence, and lots of it.
Not getting what he wanted, Draco was quick to compensate and take up the responsibility of moving himself. He crawled over to her, enveloping her before she could flip off the couch in a mad attempt to escape him. She tried anyway, succeeding only in making it easier for him to sit her in his lap firmly. "I don't think so, Granger. Kick and fight all you want, but I'm getting a snuggle too," he said with a huff, putting her hair behind her ears. "I'm a jealous man, remember?"
She sighed heavily, fidgeting when he gently kissed her neck. A loud pop made her jump, and Theo straddled her hips a moment later. Draco sighed.
"Miss me?" Theo murmured, leaning over her and leaning his forehead against hers.
"Well that didn't last long," Draco grumbled.
"I feel like tea, do you mind if I make tea?"
"Yes," sighed Hermione. Theo pouted. "I think its bedtime. Go on, both of you. I bet Blaise is lonely."
"But - "
"Nope, go." Both males pouted and grumbled and fussed, but they dislodged themselves from her and made their way off. Before they both had disappeared, Theo turned back, confused by her snuggling down into her couch.
"Aren't you coming, lovely?"
"I said you guys could share my bed – not that I was going to be in it."
Darits
Closing Note's: Damnation, this'll be more than one chapter. Seriously. I want suggestions. Lots of them. They can only make it better. If I put yours into action, I'm going to start an honorable mention list down here because you're awesome. Just throwin' that out there.
Read And Review!
~D