A/N: Relationships are all about compromise and communication. When you are willing to do something that you don't love doing because your partner does love doing it—that's a sacrifice of your time and a gesture of love. It should be compromise on everyone's part (we'll go hiking because you love it, but it would be nice if you would go to that Fungi seminar with me) because if one person is doing all the sacrificing all the time it's an unfair, unequal relationship.

There's no real context for this story, but it was a special request from my beta, Auntie_L.

Adrian/Hermione/Marcus

/\/\/\/\/\

"Sit still," Ginny ordered.

"I'm trying," Hermione muttered.

"Don't talk," Ginny bit out between clenched teeth. "This is harder than you'd think, and when you talk it makes everything move."

With a deft hand, Ginny spread paint over Hermione's face. She picked up a brush with white paint and began to slide it over Hermione's cheek in careful, precise strokes. Finally, she stepped back and put her hands on her hips. Ginny tilted her head first one way and then the other before nodding to herself.

"Not bad, if I do say so myself," Ginny said at last.

"Can I see?" Hermione asked.

Wordlessly, Ginny handed her a hand mirror. Hermione studied her face painting—half white with a grey falcon on one cheek and half pale blue with a silver arrow on the other cheek—and then looked up at Ginny and grinned.

"Thank you." Hermione stood up and moved toward Ginny who held her hands up in a cautionary manner.

"Don't hug me! The paints still a bit wet. Give it a minute," Ginny told her quickly.

Hermione froze and let her arms drop to her sides. "Well, thank you anyway. I really appreciate this, Ginny."

"This is purely selfish," Ginny said with a smirk. "Now you have absolutely no excuse not to come see me play with the Harpies."

"Yes, yes," Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. "I said I would, didn't I?"

"Have fun, Hermione," Ginny said with a grin.

"Oh, yes. Loads."

Ginny laughed and patted Hermione on the shoulder. "I've got to go, Harry's waiting."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Ginny," Hermione called as her friend left. Ginny waved a hand at her on her way to the Floo.

/\/\/\/\/\

Cautiously, Hermione picked her way through the stands until she found a seat that straddled the demarcation between the Arrows fans and the Falcon fans. Each Quidditch club had a loud, boisterous fan base, and both were in fine form—screaming and stamping their feet as their respective teams scored.

The mixture of Falcons and Arrows paraphernalia had drawn a few odd looks, but the fans mostly left Hermione alone. She wondered if the paint made it difficult to recognize her, and then she wondered if she might be able to wear face paint all the time.

The crowed hissed and Hermione's attention was dragged back to the game in time to see one of the Arrow beaters blatantly cheat and send a Bludger flying toward Marcus.

"He cheated!" Hermione shrieked indignantly.

"It's Quidditch," the wizard next to her said with a shrug.

The Arrows weren't the only ones to cheat that day. Just an hour later, the Falcons beaters worked together—one distracting the referee while the other cheated by flying over Adrian and kicking him in the head as he sped by.

"Merlin's pants!" Hermione cried. She stood up and began to yell at the referee. "Pay attention to the damn game, you addlepated ronyon!"

The Arrows fans on the one side of Hermione growled in agreement. She watched anxiously, but Adrian appeared to be alright. Quickly, she scanned the Falcons for Marcus' large figure, and when she spotted him he appeared to be threatening his team's beaters. Good. She was glad to see that even though Marcus and Adrian were on different teams they looked out for one another.

Quidditch was brutal, but Hermione had always known that. She could never watch a game without worrying if one of her friends was going to be hurt. Now… it was even worse. Every time someone collided with, or aimed a Bludger at Marcus or Adrian she winced in anticipation.

When she noticed the two Arrows' beaters doing something odd—she jumped to her feet again, protestations bursting forth. When they managed to attain both Bludgers and positioned themselves so that they could target Marcus, Hermione saw red.

"Don't you dare!" She shrieked angrily.

Unfortunately, the beaters couldn't hear her, and they let their Bludgers fly. They hit Marcus in quick succession and knocked him back against the goal hoops. The sound of Marcus' head hitting the goal post echoed with a sickening crack and then he was plummeting to the ground. Hermione had her wand out and a cushioning charm on Marcus before any of the referees or coaches had reacted. Then she was moving through the crowd, pushing and shoving to get to the field.

"I'm sorry miss, club members and officials only past this point," The security guard drawled with a bored air.

"I don't give a damn," Hermione snapped. "I'm coming through—will you or won't you. Move back if you don't want to get hurt."

"Look here, miss," His partner protested. "You can't just barrel on through. Flint's been injured and you need to let the Healers help him."

"Right," Hermione muttered. She cast a quick Incarcerous on the both of them and went through the gate.

"Miss! Miss, you can't go in there!"

Hermione ran faster.

A team of Healers was circled about Marcus, wands out and casting diagnostic spells. The rest of the Falcons were shuffling restlessly next to him, waiting for the verdict. Hermione couldn't help the whimper that escaped her at the sight of Marcus' still form. He was always moving, never standing still. She moved forward, determined to get to his side when someone grabbed her arm. Hermione yanked her arm free and turned to yell at whoever had tried to detain her.

"Leave the healers alone and let them work," An Arrows club member cautioned her.

"He's my husband!" Hermione glared up at the Arrow. "It's your idiot beaters that have hurt him. They'd better pray that he recovers quickly!"

"Hermione?" Adrian called in surprise.

Hermione turned to her other husband. His normally pristine hair was sticking up where he'd probably run his hand through it. Sweat gleamed on his face and his cheeks were pink. Adrian was upright and conscious, which was more than she could say for poor Marcus.

With a sob, she flung herself in Adrian's arms. Adrian automatically pulled her against his chest and began to rub her back in soothing circles. She sniffled into his jersey before he gently pulled her back so he could look at her.

"What are you doing here?" Adrian asked. "You never come to our games."

"Because I can't be at two games at once," Hermione retorted. "I wanted to surprise you."

"It's definitely a surprise," Adrian muttered.

Hermione frowned up at him. "You don't want me here?" She knew that her hurt had leaked into her voice when Adrian winced.

"It's not that, love," Adrian assured her. "I just wish that Marcus had known. He would have been so proud to know that you were in the stands."

"He's waking up," The healers called out.

Hermione shoved her way through the healers to fall at her knees beside Marcus.

"Marcus, sweetheart? Can you hear me?" Hermione asked anxiously. She took one of his large hands between hers and clutched it to her chest.

Marcus blinked up at her, his grey eyes unfocused.

"Mione?" He rasped. He turned his head and squinted. "Am I at St. Mungo's?"

"No," Adrian answered for her. "Our wife decided that today would be the perfect day to come to a game."

"Ade?"

"Yeah?"

"Gonna kill your beaters," Marcus rumbled. He lifted his hand from Hermione's grasp and brushed her cheek with his knuckles. "What's all this, then?"

"I wanted to support the both of you," Hermione explained.

"You hate Quidditch," Marcus reminded her.

"I don't hate it," Hermione sighed. "And besides, you and Adrian do things that aren't your favorite just to make me happy. Why can't I do the same?"

"'S different," Marcus mumbled. He turned his head slightly to glare at Adrian. "Tell her, Ade."

"I think it's kind of cute," Adrian countered with a smirk for Hermione. "Very Gryffindor."

"They're going to start back up, Flint," the coach for the Falcons barked. "You fit to play?"

"Yeah, give me a second," Marcus called back.

"What?" Hermione shrieked. "You can't possibly go back in there!"

"Can," Marcus countered as he slowly moved to his feet. "Will. Kiss for luck?"

"Of course," Hermione sighed. She tilted her cheek up and then frowned at Marcus when he chuckled at her.

Grabbing her by the shoulders, Marcus tilted Hermione so that she was bent back over her arm. He snogged her thoroughly, mapping out the inner recesses of her mouth with skill and determination. When he set her back upright she was panting for air. Adrian took that as his cue to render her completely breathlessly.

The feel of Adrian's muscles moving under his jersey, and the scent of clean, male sweat mixed with the rosemary soap that both Marcus and Adrian preferred filled her nose and made her senses swim. Adrian's tongue teased her and made her press herself tightly against him. He pulled back and frowned at her.

"You'll stay down here. You can take turns sitting with the teams, but I'm not letting you back up into the bleachers without any support," Adrian commanded in an imperious voice that normally earned him the silent treatment.

Hermione's eyes narrowed and her lips pressed together. Then she sagged in his arms. "Normally, I would hex you, but I'm too worried about Marcus. I'll sit with the Falcons, just in case."

Adrian nodded. "Fine. If any of the bastards is rude—tell Marcus."

"Not you?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You tell me if any of the Arrows looks at you wrong," Adrian countered. "Next time, we'll have you sit in the boxes for the families."

"Next time?" Hermione blinked at him.

A boyish grin spread across Adrian's face. "We play each other at least once a season. So yeah, next time." His expression softened and he brushed her cheek with his knuckles in an echo of Marcus' earlier movement. "This… this was a big thing, love. Important to the both of us. Thank you."

"Of course," Hermione replied automatically.

Adrian stared at her for a moment and then his coach was screaming for him to move his arse. He yelled back and then turned back to Hermione.

"Stay here, where it's safe," he warned her again.

Hermione nodded. "I will," she promised.

Adrian gave her a small nod and then he hurried to join his team.