Hogwarts (Challenges and Assignments).
Moresome May — triad: Sirius/Hermione/Remus — (scenario) the triad aren't hiding their relationship but others think they're just really good friends. Until someone says "You guys all look like you're together."
"Sirius, are you ready yet?" Hermione called up the stairs. Her boyfriend (one of them, at least), Sirius Black, has been holed up in the master bathroom for nearly two hours now.
"Not quite," he yelled back. "Perfection can't be rushed, you know!"
Her other boyfriend, Remus Lupin, rolled his eyes. "No one cares if your belt doesn't exactly match your shoes, Padfoot."
"I'm coming!" Sirius descended the stairs, wearing a blue button-down shirt and jeans. "They aren't supposed to arrive for another," he checked his watch, "what, hour and forty-five?"
Hermione snorted. "I think your watch needs resetting. They should be here in," she cast a Tempus, "four minutes."
"It can't be wrong!" Sirius exclaimed. "I got this watch for my graduation day!"
A knock came at the door. Hermione shot him a look.
"No," she agreed, tone dripping sarcasm. "It absolutely cannot be wrong." Remus covered a laugh with a cough and Sirius glared at him with a ridiculous pout.
"Best behaviour, boys," Hermione warned as she moved to answer the door. "I wonder if anyone will notice this time."
"Good grief, it's been nearly nine months," Remus said. "When are they going to pay attention?"
"I say we try to make it as obvious as possible," proposed Sirius. "And I bet ten Galleons it's Arthur who noticed first."
"No. Molly," Remus voted.
The knock sounded again, a bit faster and more impatient. Hermione paused with her hand on the knob. "My bet's on Ron." Her boyfriends pshed and scoffed. "I know he isn't the most observant —" Sirius coughed something that sounded suspiciously like, observant, my arse "— but he does notice things that many don't." With that, she flung open the door.
Sirius and Remus could hear her greeting the guests and turned to one another before shrugging and going to assist.
Everyone invited had come — Bill and Fleur and their daughter, Victoire, Ron and his fiancée, Lavender Brown (who never failed to rub the fact that she had snagged Ron into Hermione's face, so proud of her accomplishment it didn't seem to register in her mind that Hermione didn't care), Molly and Arthur, Charlie (dragged back from Romania with the promise of Molly's famous custard tartlets), Percy (who had finally reconciled with the rest of his family, but who remained a bit standoffish), Ginny and her boy-toy of the week, Tomas or Troy or some other name that started with a 'T.'
Remus and Sirius had quickly discovered that Hermione could not cook (anything edible, anyway), and Sirius teased her mercilessly about it. Remus could make a few things, and he bought dozens of cookbooks to test new recipes (usually on poor, unsuspecting Hermione and Sirius).
Thankfully, the dinner had been made completely by Kreacher. Some desserts (Molly's custard tartlets) had been brought for afters.
They had all just sat down when Hermione realized the silverware had been forgotten. Remus began to stand up but she waved him back down. "I've got it, love. Kreacher!"
The old elf popped into the room. Everyone held their breath, waiting for him to start calling her names and wailing about how the Black honor had been sullied by a Mudblood. To their utter shock, Kreacher bowed and said, "Mistress called. Kreacher lives to serve the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."
"A spoon, salad fork, dinner fork, and knife for everyone, please," she requested. The elf bowed again and disappeared.
"You guys all look like you're together," blurted Tomas or Troy or whatever-his-name-was.
Hermione glanced at Sirius and Remus. For all their betting and joking, they hadn't come up with a plan on what to do if confronted about their relationship. "I suppose that would be because we are," she said slowly.
Everyone began shouting then. Hermione covered her ears and waved her arms in the air. "I can't hear! One at a time!"
"I knew it!" crowed Charlie.
"A threesome?" Lavender sneered. "What are you doing, Granger? Trying to fuck yourself into the good graces of what's left of the Black family?"
Molly smacked her on the arm. "Language, young lady!" she rebuked.
"No," corrected Arthur. "A triad. A perfect match of soul, heart, and body. They're very rare."
Remus stayed silent up until now. "We're a true triad?" he asked.
Fleur nodded. "I can see ze bond between you," she announced, French accent lighter than it used to be. "Eet eez very beautiful."
"What's it look like?" Ginny asked eagerly.
Fleur seemed to be struggling with words. "Alor, eet resembles a golden, ah, glow zat surrounds 'ermione, Sirius, and Remus." She nodded again, pleased with her answer, and sat back.
Sirius leaned over and planted a noisy kiss on Hermione's lips. "We were meant to be."
word count: 792