A/N: Thank you for the reviews! It really does brighten my day, and it makes me want to write more. And yeah, poor Draco. (If you can read between the lines, you can figure out how far ahead of schedule I am for posting by the Author's Note when compared to the last posting/reviews...)
A/N #2: I went ahead and posted a few other one-shots I've written yesterday. Thank you everyone for giving me the confidence to post the rest of this.
I awoke in a tangle of legs, my thighs and pelvis rocking gently on the smooth thigh I was draped over. An arm held me as blue eyes met my own. The last thing I recall was kissing Narcissa when we... My eyes shot open wide in panic. I left her bound and fell asleep, where's my wand?! I groped around for my wand and noticed Narcissa's wand vibrating nearby like an alarm. It took me a moment to realize that the wand had woken me up. I'll have to ask for that charm sometime...
"It's okay, Hermione. I summoned my wand and freed myself. But you looked so tired and cute sleeping on me that I thought we could both use a nap."
As I came to, I took in my surroundings. The table I had bound her to was padded, and there was a thin comforter over the two of us. She was no longer in her robes, and neither was I. I lifted the comforter slightly to realize that I was still in my undergarments while Narcissa was entirely naked. She arched an eyebrow at me.
"I prefer sleeping naked when possible, I didn't think you'd mind."
Maybe it was because I was physically sated, or because I had slept well, but I didn't mind at all. "How long was I out for?" I asked, yawning myself into a stretch.
"Only two hours; I thought that would be enough for you to feel re-charged for finishing up and delivering these potions."
"Oh my god! I forgot all about them! What... what about the... um, people outside? Did they not come in?" My mind was a jumble; I couldn't focus on too much at once it seems.
"Your wards are still up, dear. I couldn't even crack them, which is saying something. And I have it on good authority that you've broken through Severus' wards in your second year. He was quite miffed, yet impressed with you."
"He knew?" I asked, guilt still playing in me.
"He had to go through your notes and figure out what you were doing. Apparently since you brewed the Polyjuice Potion correctly, it was an easier job to isolate the flaw with the animal hair."
I blushed at the recollection, and Narcissa leaned over to kiss me. I pulled back; the sudden comfortable, at-home feeling I had here was alien and... not welcome. No, it is quite welcome, just not... expected.
"Sorry. I just... um..." I started, wanting to express how this new life I have is so very incongruous to the past year of being on the run, sleeping alone, and only having a smelly tent to call home. This is just too much... too perfect. I'm going to wake up on the run from Snatchers again, I swear... this is just some horrible dream, right?
Narcissa's eyes drooped. "Oh, sorry. I'll... just be out of your way then. I'm sure you have things to do." She looked crestfallen as she got up and dressed herself again. I can't leave it like this, just say it! Say something!
"I'm not ready for fresh, warm cinnamon rolls!" Narcissa stopped and looked at me as she had only one leg through her black lacy boy-shorts, the other foot hovering to go through. The moment was just so awkwardly normal and mundane that it only unnerved me more. The Ice Queen Bitch is a normal person, just like you, whom you just fucked... and loved doing it.
She finished pulling her pants on and gave me a pensive look. "I don't get that Muggle turn of phrase."
I sighed, and took a few slow breaths to gather my thoughts. Oh god, I'm doing that whole self-revealing, pillow-talk thing. "When I was a kid, my mum had fresh cinnamon rolls on the weekend made for us to enjoy. Sugar-free frosting, of course. To me it was a sign of a happy home and loving family. This... It's too... I'm not ready to accept it, like this is all some sort of dream that will end, and I'll be back on the run and you'll want me dead... know what I mean?"
Her mouth opened in disgust, like she tasted something abhorrent. Her voice was cold as I had ever heard it. "I haven't had a happy home nor a loving family for over a decade, Hermione. The war is over, and that... fucking madman... is finally dead. Salazar knows the cost was too high, but I thought I found the silver lining in all of this senseless death. Working along side you, we could make this world a better place, and I could actually let you into my heart and not just into my bed."
I shrugged, knowing that she deserved a better life than before and I wanted to help improve the Wizarding World... but the right way. "Cissy, I thought you understood what I was offering when I said we could be... well, shag buddies. Yes, there's obviously an attraction here and I apparently, have to indulge in it from time to time... but that's it. Between helping Harry, wanting to improve the welfare of the House Elves, finding my parents and restoring their memories, and a very probable Goblin Rebellion... I just don't have the time or energy to try and be your wife."
A silvery dragon patronus floated into the room, and Fleur's voice came from it. "Hermione, there's an Order meeting being called right now. Headmaster's office, but we can't seem to get in. It's warded with an arithmancy problem; none of us seem able to crack it. Though I think Narcissa can. Bring her too." Why wasn't I told of the meeting? As I tried to piece this together, Narcissa's eyes were red and I realized she was fighting to control her tears and not her rage.
"So am I supposed to just wait around to be used by you, only to be thrown out when you're done?" Narcissa spat, "The last time I felt this ashamed about making love was with Lucius. What's worse is that you've been gentle about it."
I so don't have time for this now. I got dressed and silently shuffled out of the lab, taking the potions with me.
There was a crowd at the doorway to the Headmaster's office, members from both the Order and the D.A. were trying to all fit into the spiral staircase to give their advice on how to solve the equation.
"Can't we just ask Professor Vector to come solve this for us?" Neville asked, dumbfounded.
"Yeah, and say what? 'Hey, a ragtag group of suspected Order members and people from that D.A. list all want to go chat in private with Albus' portrait?" Cormac replied loudly. I saw Luna wave to me, her cheerful smile helping soothe my nerves from the awkward silent trek I had alongside Narcissa after dropping off the potions at the Great Hall.
"Oh, Hermione! Glad to see you!" I smiled back as her eyes darted to my wife and quivered in fear. She hugged me, but gave an awkward look towards Cissy.
"You too, Luna. Surely, you could solve the equation?"
"Arithmancy was a subject that I understood the basics of, but this problem seems to delve into the theory. Whomever made it, designed it so only certain people could figure it out." Who could be in there? Was this yet another trick up Albus' sleeve?
"Everyone, back up! Harry, I understand that the D.A. wants to keep helping here, but we need to establish a clear leader." Kingsley's voice carried over the din. Alicia was comforting Dennis, while Terry Boot checked Susan's bandage. Katie, Ernie, Lee, and Hannah were by George chatting, while Angelina, Cormac, and Neville were at the bottom of the stairs trying to call up to Kingley and Harry.
Off to the side was Charlie, Ron, and Molly looking over a distraught Lavender. Fleur was walking over, a frown on face. "She barely survived Greyback's attack and was torn up just like Bill was. He at least was handsome with the scars but this girl..." She shook her head sadly. "At least she's still recognized as a witch..."
I didn't know what to make of that, but Minerva called down to me from the top of the stairwell. "Oh, Hermione... what are you... well, can you help us with this?" She saw Narcissa and her wand was immediately pointed at her. Without thinking, I stood in the way and shielded us.
"She's with me." I said firmly, "and she's not the enemy." I looked back to Narcissa, whose eyes glared coldly at mine for a second, then turned away, resignedly.
"We have things to discuss in confidence," Molly added, "and honestly I don't trust a Malfoy, or a Black."
Cissy muttered something that I could barely hear.
"What was that, Narcissa?" Molly spat, her wand-hand's knuckles white with tension.
"It's Granger now; she can order me as her wife to keep her secrets." I didn't like the cowed look she had, but she was also not escalating the problem and I could work with that.
"That means nothing! I'm sure you..." Molly was cut off by Kingsley.
"The Compulsion Curse was partly why we could never convict Lucius. Even with veritaserum, Narcissa was tongue-tied when we tried to get her to testify." There was something like a finality in Shacklebolt's voice that left us with no room to question his word.
I made my way through the small crowd to the stairwell, a strange feeling as everyone moved to make a path for me. Everyone is staring, best to just shrug it off. When I reached the top of the spiral staircase, Minerva stopped me. Her wand was still trained on my wife.
"Order her to keep our secrets, Hermione." Did she really expect me to do this? I thought about it, and knew we had a bigger security risk with Rita buzzing about... but relented.
"Narcissa, as my wife, I order to you keep the secrets of the Order of the Phoenix as well as the D.A." Minerva nodded her approval. I refused to jump through hoop after hoop, if that's what they think... "...unless it helps either myself, Harry, or the Greater Good. To be determined by Fleur." The look of indignation by Minerva had me smirking, and I didn't care. I'll add as many loopholes as I want; I can trust myself, Harry, and Fleur.
"Now see here..." She started, but I wasn't about to listen.
"No. You all decided to have a meeting without me. For a reason. You even have the D.A. here, which I helped form, and I have to wonder why. Harry, why are you all meeting here without me?"
Harry shook his head. "I guessed it had to do with the end of the war and making sure we got all of the Dark Wizards unlike last time. But then I realized you weren't invited to the meeting, and I knew it would involve you."
He looked guilty, but I didn't blame him. "I killed Voldemort, with Narcissa and Draco at my side, and you all have the audacity to ask where my loyalites lie?" The older members of the Order were silent at that. Good. They should have known better.
Looking at the warded door, I saw the various celestial variables plugged into an intricate equation that already had the Eigenvalue. So it's already solved? I ran the equation and watched... nothing happen.
"That's... odd." I muttered to myself, using my wand to expand the matrix of numbers and compared it to the Hamiltonian and its Eigenfunction.
"What's odd?" Narcissa asked, and I turned to see her. She was at the bottom of the staircase with Fleur by her side. Her curiosity overcame her frustration with me, it seems. I guess us outcasts have to stick together now.
"Arithmancy is the art of calculating the probability of... well, almost anything, provided you have enough details and defined variables." I said, trying to not sound like the textbook, "But this is dealing with the planets in our system, and the moon, and the sun... and the Eigenvalue is already solved."
"That is odd. Usually the problem with Arithmancy is that you don't have enough relevant variables to accurately predict something. I'm coming up." Narcissa made her way up and Kingsley nudged McGonagall to move down and out of the way.
"I just..." Minerva huffed, but let her through. As Narcissa took in the equation, she smirked. "Too many variables, that's why it can't be solved. Wait, it's... it's not even a real problem, because the solution is one. It's a riddle."
"The probability is one? What has a one hundred per cent chance of occuring?" Shaklebolt asked, the confusion obvious in his voice.
Luna's voice perked up. "Sunrise. The sun always rises, naturally."
Narcissa smiled as she started erasing the extraneous values. "Ten Points to Ravenclaw... Salazar knows that Severus wouldn't ever award..." As the wards released, she gasped in shock. "Get a Healer! Now!"
As the door opened, I saw Severus in the Headmaster's chair, pale as death with Fawkes perched on his shoulder. He looked haggard, as if snatched back from the jaws of death itself, and his once-rich voice had the timbre of a lifetime of smoking and gargling with battery acid.
"Any reports of my demise are, regretfully... premature."