It slipped my mind to include this in the last chapter, but THANK YOU to all who voted for me in the Enchanted Awards 2019. A Contract Most Inconvenient was a Runner Up for Best WIP! Thank you all so very much for loving this fic as much as I love reading it - it means the world.
As always, thank you to RESimon for being so wonderful to work with. I cherish you so very much for all your work on this fic with me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Hermione awoke to a sensation of wetness across her face, and she squirmed, squeezing her eyes shut and brushing it away only to feel the wetness return on her hand. She cracked open an eye to see a large black dog perched in front of her, panting happily as it licked her face yet again. Hermione's eyes widened as she scrambled backward, smacking her head against her headboard.
"Ow!" she groaned. There was a smack against her leg then, and Hermione turned to see Emma giving her a toothy grin from where she sat beside her, dressed in a bright pink bathsuit and matching hat. She clutched a pair of pink sunshades in her hand and brought them down to smack them against her mother's arm once more before giggling as the dog jumped over Hermione to lick Emma.
Hermione blinked confusedly at the display for a moment before she heard a stifled giggle across the room and looked up to see Harry standing at the end of her bed with Carina in his arms, his green eyes twinkling with mirth. He was wearing a pair of swim shorts, and Carina was snuggled into his bare chest, also clad in a bathsuit that matched her sister's. She also had a pair of tiny sunshades strapped to her head and a hat to match, looking ever ready for a swim.
"When did we get a dog?" Hermione croaked, watching the dog and Emma roll around on her bed through still bleary eyes.
"Oh, we've always had him," Harry said nonchalantly. "He doubles as your husband, actually," he added with a chuckle.
Hermione blinked, then laughed at the display in front of her, smiling fondly at the way Emma and Sirius played. Crookshanks leaped up onto the bed then, purring softly as he watched the scene in front of him. Hermione reached down to gather him into her arms, petting him softly as she quirked a curious brow at Harry.
"Are we headed to the beach?" she asked, nodding at his and Carina's attire.
"Not quite," he smiled, moving over to kiss her cheek. "We've recently learned that this massive estate also has a quite the impressive swimming hole, so we thought that we would have a family swim day of sorts, I suppose."
Hermione smiled. "That sounds like an excellent idea," she said as slid out of her bed, stretching.
Harry's eyes fixated on her long satin nightgown, and he gave her a low whistle. She rolled her eyes in response, crossing her arms over where her nipples were likely visible through the fabric. "Honestly, Harry," she said. "My nightgown goes down to my ankles!"
"And you've still managed to look absolutely stunning," he smirked, leaning in to give her a kiss. She pulled back quickly, flushing.
"It's cute how you still avoid being affectionate with us in front of each other," Sirius spoke from behind her, startling her. She whipped around to see him sitting calmly on the edge of the bed dressed in a pair of swim trunks, holding Emma as she ran curious fingers over his tattoos.
"Well, it's—" she faltered, "it's just a little uncomfortable, is all!"
At that, both of her husbands laughed.
"Honestly, Hermione," Neville said from where he had approached quietly, "we're all aware that you're married to other people. It's only natural," he chuckled, giving her a knowing look as she blushed at the sight of his muscled chest.
"I don't know, it just feels a little improper—"
"Being affectionate is what makes you feel improper, Granger?" Draco drawled as he emerged from her closet, tossing a small bundle of clothing at her. "I suppose we shouldn't talk about how you shag each of us every night, either, then?"
At that, she flushed deeper.
"Malfoy," Harry wrinkled his nose. "The children—"
"Can't speak now, can they?" Draco rolled his eyes.
Hermione inspected the bundle Draco had tossed at her, her jaw dropping slightly as she realized that the scraps were incredibly skimpy pieces of material that barely qualified as swimwear. "Draco," she deadpanned, "I am not wearing this."
"Why ever not?" Draco asked, blinking innocently.
"It's obscene!" she said, swatting him with the scraps.
"I think you'll look spectacular," Harry offered, before wincing as he was met with an answering swat of his own.
She stepped around Draco and headed toward her closet, intent on finding something more suitable.
"You already know that there's nothing better in there," Draco said as he followed behind her. "I think I made an excellent choice if I do say so myself."
When they reached the closet, she ascended the steps quietly, knowing that Draco was on her heels. She did not speak until she reached the far back corner of the closet, turning to meet Draco's eyes. They were the same stormy grey as usual, and there wasn't a hint of an indication of his feelings in his features, only quiet contemplation as he watched her. His easy-going facade from earlier had dropped, yet she knew not what lay beneath.
"Are you back now, then?" she asked, twirling her fingers nervously and she looked down, fearful of what response she would see in his eyes. Since Carina's birth, he had scarcely been in the Manor, and in the two weeks since she'd resumed relations with her husbands, the night she'd spent with him had been comprised of her clinging desperately to him whilst avoiding the topic of Carina altogether.
"Granger," he said as he captured her hands, bringing them up to his lips where he kissed them gently. "You know that I was never upset with you. Or Carina," he added. "I just needed a little time."
She nodded, still looking down.
"You're my wife, and she's...my sister," he said, and she could still hear the strain in his voice as he spoke the words. "But with him...there is too much between us for things to be easily forgiven, and he knows that, too."
She looked up at him then, her heart breaking at the pained look in his eyes. He cupped her cheek, pulling her in for a gentle kiss. "It's not you," he reminded her. "It will never be because of you. I love you."
"I love you, too, Draco," she said.
He drew her into a long hug then, clutching her to him so closely that she could feel his steady heartbeat. "Let's go enjoy the sun, shall we?" he said, chuckling as she looked down at the small bundle in her hands disdainfully. "I'll go wait with the others — unless you'd like to give me a show…?"
He was met with an answering swat, and she heard his easy laughter as he left, which both annoyed her and warmed her heart.
In the end, she ended up transfiguring the white bikini top into something slightly more modest, although her breasts still spilled out comically. After transfiguring a skirt into a sarong, she went out into her main sitting room where she found them all gathered around one of the sofas. Emma took a few shaky steps toward her mother, grinning even when she tumbled over as Hermione clapped at her progress before scooping her up and planting kisses all over her face.
"What are you doing?" she asked as she padded over to where her husbands were gathered. None of them looked up, and all seemed to be focused on something that lay just beyond her field of vision.
"—no, you see, you have to twist it downwards, or else everything ends up backward," Draco narrated.
"And you have to make sure you use that spell after the one we just taught you, or else she might end up with a rash," Sirius added.
"And you can't forget—" Harry cut off as Hermione nudged him aside, craning her neck as she tried to see what they were doing.
Carina lay on her back on the sofa while Kingsley knelt in front of her, a large hand hovering awkwardly over the infant while he held his wand out with the other, a look of trepidation on his face. Carina's wet nappy had been undone, and she watched the men gathered around her curiously.
"Hermione," Kingsley smiled up at Hermione as she approached, despositing a squirming Emma on the floor. "I'll admit that I'm not the most practiced at this," he said, looking sheepish.
"I told you it was perfect," Draco said, leering at her chest. "Your cauldrons never fail to impress, might I add."
She crossed her arms over her chest, rolling her eyes. "I'll have you know that I am currently nursing and they thus have a mind of their own," she sniffed and was met by low chuckles from the rest of her husbands.
"Right," Harry said. "I think you quite like the attention, admit it—"
Hermione swatted him on the arm before he could continue. "I'll help him, and we can meet you guys outside," she said, shooing them away.
Emma stretched for Sirius as he passed and he scooped her up, giving Hermione a quick kiss as he passed. "You look beautiful," he breathed into her ear, causing her to flush.
She was soon left alone with Kingsley and Carina. Kingsley was still holding his wand over the infant awkwardly, an almost pained look gracing his features. "I'm used to having Arthur or someone else around when I do get to spend time with the children," he said. "I'm still not quite comfortable with the spells, though."
She guided him through the spells carefully, and Carina was soon clad back in her bath suit. Kingsley replaced her hat and sunglasses before he gave a sad sigh, planting a gentle kiss on the infant's forehead.
"Kingsley," Hermione said, cupping his cheek. "Tell me what you're thinking."
He met her eyes then, and she saw the sadness reflected in them. "I…" he reached out and took her hand. "I'm the Minister For Magic. It is my duty to put the needs of the nation above my own, but…"
"You have needs, too," Hermione finished.
"I do," he said. "Sometimes, I'm lucky if I see you twice a week. And you could be expecting our first child any day now, yet I know so little of even the most basic aspects of child-rearing. I've spent so much time working on fixing the balance in our society that I've neglected the balance in my home life."
"I'm not expecting yet, Kingsley," Hermione soothed. "We still have time."
"You could get pregnant soon, though," he added. "And it could be mine. I see how much time Lucius spends with Carina, and I can't help but feel sad for the lack of time I'm afraid I'll have for our own child."
"Oh, Kingsley," Hermione said, leaning in to give him a kiss. "Things are slowing down though, aren't they?"
Kingsley nodded. "Somewhat. We've settled into the Marriage Law quite well, but with the way the War and the plague decimated our society...it feels almost like we're rebuilding from scratch."
"And there are many variables to take into account then, I presume," Hermione said, giving him a sad smile.
"Many," he said. "Many, and they've unfortunately taken me away from you."
"We have time," she reminded him. "So much time and things will change." She pulled him up, smiling at the way he cradled Carina gently despite his large stature. "You're already a natural," she added, nodding at the way Carina has already seemingly melted into her stepfather's chest.
Kingsley laughed his familiar deep, rumbling laugh, and they heard a small answering laugh erupt from Carina. Their wide eyes met, then they burst into laughter again before heading outside to meet the others.
X
They wandered the grounds for a long while, chatting and cooing over Carina before they eventually conceded that they would need to call an elf if they were planning on finding the swimming hole any time soon. Knobby was more than happy to comply, and he apparated them to the edge of the Malfoys' swimming hole. A "swimming hole", which Hermione immediately noted, was actually more akin to a lake. It was massive, and her husbands were scattered about along its sandy bank.
"Arthur!" Hermione called, and the man put down the book that he read as he laid in the grass to greet her with a warm smile. She kneeled down beside him and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I haven't seen you much this week," she said, frowning slightly. "How has work been?"
"It's been busy, but good," he said. "Nothing to worry about. I was absent at breakfast because, well…" he trailed off, giving her a sad smile as she nodded knowingly. Ginny had taken to hosting regular brunches for the ever-expanding Weasley brood, and Hermione's lack of invitation had been thinly veiled. It had taken much persuasion —along with some nudging from Ron and the twins— for her to convince Arthur to attend without her, and she knew that the situation pained him.
She took his hand and rubbed gentle circles on the back of his hand with her thumb. "It's fine, Arthur. I understand — truly," she said, hoping he could hear the sincerity in her voice. He searched her eyes then nodded, squeezing her hand back.
"Arthur," Kingsley said fondly as he approached, still cradling Carina to his chest. "How have you been?"
"Well, thank you. Harry insisted I join, and I thought it would be a splendid idea," Arthur smiled, looking at Carina. "Matching her sister I see?"
"Courtesy of Harry and Draco," Sirius said from where he was lying a few feet away, having appeared to have been asleep until that moment.
Hermione smiled fondly over at where Harry and Draco sat at the edge of where the tall grass turned into a sandy bank, charming the sand into various grand structures while Emma clapped happily. Her men continued to chat amongst themselves, and she felt a familiar warmth growing in her heart as she looked around at her makeshift family and the way then men all doted on her daughters.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Arthur asked, smiling up at her before he wrinkled his brow slightly. "That is the proper phrasing, isn't it?" he asked.
Hermione laughed. "It is," she said, her heart swelling with endearment. She hesitated a moment before she leaned down to give him a gentle kiss. When she pulled away, Kingsley and Sirius were looking at her with bemused expressions on their faces.
"Making some progress, I see?" Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Public displays of affection are quite the normal attraction, I'll have you know—"
"Your public displays are something that the public will never be privy to," she said primly.
Kingsley burst into his booming laugh, and Arthur joined him while Sirius blinked at her innocently. "Whatever do you mean, Mrs. Black?" Sirius said, the ghost of a smirk dancing on his lips.
Even Hermione had to laugh at that, and she leaned down to give him a quick kiss, pulling back quickly as she felt him raise a hand to draw her deeper into the kiss. "And that is all you get," she threw over her shoulder as she strode away. She was making her way over to Harry and Draco when she spied Neville kneeling in the grass a short ways away, the top of his dark head of hair barely peeking over the tall grasses.
She paused, then turned and made her way over to him. "Neville?" she called.
"Come quick!" he said, his voice teeming with excitement.
"What is it?" she leaned down next to him, peeking over his shoulder. She shrieked when she saw what he was holding in his hands. It was a bulbous, snake-like creature, its skin laced with a mix of various hues of green.
"Everything alright?" Someone called from where the others were gathered.
"Fine!" Neville answered quickly. "More than fine!" he laughed, tightening his hands around the creature as it started to thrash harder.
"It's disgusting, Neville," Hermione said, shrinking back.
"Quick, petrify it!" he said.
She was more than happy to comply with this, and the creature was soon frozen in his hands, its miniature slitted amber eyes frozen open. She shivered, turning a questioning glance at her husband. "Was this truly necessary?" she asked, frowning.
"Yes!" he said, laughing. "These are incredibly rare. It's quite amazing how many species the estate is crawling with, really—"
Hermione waved a hand dismissively, unable to hold back a smile at her husband's clear enthusiasm. "I get it," she said. "It's just…"
"Icky?" Neville offered, his eyes dancing with humor.
"For lack of a better word — very much so," Hermione agreed, still giving the creature a hostile look. "Can't you—"
She cut off as she heard loud whoops of joy from back near the water, her mouth dropping open in horror at the scene. Harry and Draco were in the water with Emma, and Hermione gasped as she watched Draco animate the water into a small dragon that rose up like a wave with her daughter astride it.
"Harry James Potter and Draco Lucius Malfoy!" she bellowed. "Put my daughter down this instant! What are you thinking?! If her father catches you, he will have your—"
As if on cue, there was a quick billow of dark robes that flew across the sand at lightning speed, causing Hermione to pause where she had just stepped onto the sand. "POTTER! MALFOY!" Severus bellowed, putting Hermione's own shouts to shame. "PUT. HER. DOWN." His wand was leveled at the two men, and Harry quickly canceled the enchantment while Draco gathered Emma into his arms, looking at Severus with slightly widened eyes. Severus' back was to her, but she could only imagine the murderous look that was likely gracing his features. She spotted another flash of pink and saw Lucius cradling Carina a few feet away, watching the scene unfold with interest.
She jumped as she felt an arm snake around her waist. "The crisis looks to have been averted," Neville chuckled into her ear. "Would you like to return to the greenhouses with me and avoid...this?" he said, waving generally at the scene that continued to unfold before them.
Draco and Harry had waded out of the water, sheepish looks on their faces as Draco handed Emma to Severus while the man continued to berate them in a low, murderous tone. His words didn't carry far, but she caught the word imbeciles used several times as he continued to unload his tirade on them. Emma, meanwhile, tugged at her father's hair as he spoke, creating a most comical scene.
Hermione stifled a giggle at the fearful looks Draco and Harry exchanged. "Let's," she agreed, turning to sneak back off into the grass with Neville.
X
He apparated them to the greenhouses, and Hermione paused to look around in awe. "Neville," she breathed. "This looks...incredible."
Truthfully, it was. The Malfoys' greenhouses were easily double the size of those at Hogwarts, and Neville had filled them from floor to ceiling with a variety of unique exotic plants. Unlike the neat rows suitable for tutelage at Hogwarts, Neville had transformed these greenhouses into what resembled a mix of forest and jungle at once, an exotic ecosystem that flowed beautifully together. The vegetation flourished all around them, and she followed Neville through the path he had created between the trees, still awestruck. He disappeared into a small gap between some vines, and it opened into a large room that looked more akin to what she'd grown accustomed to at Hogwarts. She spun around the cavernous room, still at a loss for words, while she vaguely registered Neville quickly taking his shrunken creature out of his pocket and placing it into a heated tank.
"Neville," she said again. "I...wow. This is what you've been working on for the past year?"
He beamed at her expression, nodding. "It is," he said. "I think I've found my calling."
Hermione burst into a laugh. "I think I'd say so!"
"You really like it?" he asked again, looking at her shyly.
"It is beyond words, Neville," she said truthfully. She leaned up an gave him a long kiss. "You amaze me," she said when she pulled back.
He gathered her into his arms, kissing the top of her head and holding her for a long while before he pulled back. "I'd like to show you something," he said.
"Of course," she said, letting him pulled her back into his makeshift forest. As they continued to walk through it, she saw subtle shifts in the environment, looking around in wonder as it shifted from forest, rainforest, to jungle, then back again. They walked for several minutes until the trees began to taper off, leading into a garden-like area filled with blooming flowers.
"Gods, Neville," she breathed. The flowers bloomed in an array of vibrant colors, mixed in a rainbow that seemed to exist in perfect harmony despite the mix of colors. She let him continue to tug her along until he stopped at a large tree that draped its wispy leaves in a long canopy dotted with iridescent white flowers. He tugged the canopy aside and they stepped into the shadow of the tree's canopy before she stopped abruptly.
In the middle of the lush green grass grew the single most stunning flower Hermione had ever seen. It was a blood red that seemed to glow with golden fire from within, illuminated by an unseen light. It had large, plush petals that bloomed more vibrantly as she approached, opening up as if it had been parched. It spread all the more beautifully, and as she drew nearer she saw the stunning gradient of light to dark reds that were interwoven with gold. It was beyond mesmerizing. It threw off an intoxicating scent of what she thought was rose, a hint of english pear, and…
"Old parchment," Neville said softly from behind her, and she turned her questioning gaze up at him. "It's the other thing you smell that you can't quite put your finger on. The mix is the same thing I smelled the first time I sniffed amortentia," he explained. "It was you."
It was old parchment indeed, now that she had put her finger on it the three smells melded together beautifully around her, drawing her toward the flower.
"One of the requirements to achieve a Mastery is to design a new species of plant. Most combine two or three to create something new, but I ended up using six, actually. I wanted to create the perfect plant that resembles you as closely as possible," Neville rambled. "The most prominent is the peony, of course, since it's your favorite flower. I also made it as close to a dark red as possible, because of our rings. The gold is because when I look into your eyes long enough, I see little flecks of it, and…" he trailed off. "Hermione? Can you say something? You're making me nervous," he laughed awkwardly. "If you don't like it, if it's too much, you can pretend that you never saw it. Just—say something. Please."
Hermione opened her mouth to say something, anything, but she found herself at an abject loss for words once again and resorted to staring wide-eyed at her husband, knowing he could see the tears gathered in her eyes.
"You like it then?" Neville asked, shifting anxiously from foot to foot.
She drew him into a long kiss, pouring all the passion she felt into that moment into it, hoping her actions could convey the gratitude and affection that she still found herself at a loss for. "It's the most stunning thing I've ever seen," she breathed when she pulled back.
And when she saw the smile that graced his features at her words, she decided that that, too, was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.
"Everyone has their ways of saying it, but this is mine," Neville leaned down until his forehead touched hers. "In case it wasn't clear, this" —he gestured to the glowing flower — "means I love you, Hermione Longbottom. I loved you then, I love you now, and I will love you forever."
"Neville," she murmured, running her hands over the planes of his chest.
"I don't want you to say it back," he said, moving to kiss her forehead. "Not yet. Not until you're certain." He ghosted gentle touches across her skin, leaving it heated in his wake. "We have forever," he murmured into her skin. "No need to rush."
She was falling in love with him for certain, faster than she had realized. She had his kindness, his patience, his compassion — his love. Her heart swelled at the fact that the man in front of her was hers, truly hers, and that his brown eyes shone with an adoration that was reserved solely for her. It was true that she couldn't yet form the words, yes, but she could show him her affection and pour it into her every action.
And so she did, pulling him down into a deep, passionate kiss until they tumbled into the soft grass, forgetting all but each other.
Life has gotten incredibly busy of late, but please bear with me — I am doing my best to write as much as I can. Thank you all for being so patient!
As a reminder, for updates on my writing progress, you can check my tumblr (blankfishxx) or my Facebook (Blank Fish). I also have a Discord sever that you can join: (remove all *'s, of course): h*t*tps*:*/*discord*.g*g/*GH6N7Sn. I love chatting with you all, and hope to interact more with you via any of the above!