Chapter 3: Blowing Up
At 12.30pm the next day, Theo had thundered into Malfoy's club.
"What, Drake. What the fuck do you want?" he called out, throwing his burning Protean on the bar.
A harrowing groan sounded from further in the club and Theo saw Blaise's head pop up, his hands grabbing his head. There was a flopping sound and a female voice made a pained mumble.
"You alright there, love?" Blaise asked, but shrugged when it appeared she'd fallen asleep again. Theo could see her legs poking out from the booth.
Blaise stumbled his way over to Theo, pulling a Pepper-Up Potion from behind the bar and downed it. He squinted in the muted daylight that was coming through the club's tinted windows.
"Nott, what are you doing here?" Blaise asked him, his voice grainy with the effects of the previous night. "Why are you wearing gloves? It's summer."
"It was nippy this morning," Theo explained. "And I don't know what I'm doing here, Draco would not bloody stop messaging me when I was trying to concentrate on my meeting with Prewett & Prewett."
"Fuck, that righteous uptight old coot is making a deal with you? The wonders of Hermione Granger, huh." Blaise coughed and shook his head as the potion started to take effect.
"Exactly. Which is why I want to know how come Drake was being such a COCK FOR BRAINS ALL MORNING," Theo yelled the last part trying to coax Draco out from wherever he was.
"Not so loud Theodore, I have a guest," Draco said, coming down the stairs in boxers and a silk robe.
"What do you want so I can get out of here?" Theo asked him again, irritated.
"Have to run back off to Granger?" Blaise nudged his mate and Theo stepped away.
"No, she has- what the fuck is that?" Theo pointed to a sign by the bar.
"Oh yes, my new best-selling cocktail according to the receipts from last night. What? You don't approve?"
Theo glared at Draco as a vulgar illustration of Hermione lewdly poured a cocktail on herself with a drink special deal for the 'Golden Girl's Scandal Factory'.
"Take them down, right now, Malfoy," Theo said, darkly.
Draco pouted. "You only call me Malfoy when you are angry at me, Theo. What's so wrong with it? I thought maybe I could open up a whole new club with that theme."
"She'll take you to court for libel you idiot. That's my future wife you are objectifying."
"You're not serious about that?" Blaise spoke up, unstoppering another potion and taking a swig.
"From what I can tell, she's pretty perfect. I'd marry her tomorrow if she'd have me," Theo told them.
"Ah, the rest of your evening must have been… climactic then," Draco drawled. "Oh, by the way, Theo," he smirked.
Theo turned very deliberately to his friend, catching his eye, "Yes, Draco?"
Draco tried to access what the rest of the evening had been like for Theo but as he riffled through to get to Hermione, he found a wall with a message. He tried to break it down, but it resisted every effort. Reluctantly he came back out.
"Find what you were looking for, Drake?" Theo asked innocently.
Blaise was looking at them agog. "What happened?" his eyes hungry for details.
"I don't know," Draco replied slowly. "She put a wall up in his mind with a note that she doesn't consent to anyone looking at those memories. I've never come across anyone doing that before. Putting up a wall in someone else's mind, I mean. It must have taken her a long time." He frowned, turning over the ways she could have achieved this.
"Took a minute or two sure," Theo shrugged.
"Just a couple minutes? How? And you just let her in? Does she know everything now?" Draco asked.
"No, of course not. I asked her not to wander and she didn't. She went in, built the wall and came right out."
"She's a fucking saint," Blaise shook his head.
"No, she's just a decent person, unlike either of you." Theo said with a sneer.
"Now, Theo, you can't get all self-righteous on us. Just because you've got Hermione Granger on your arm does not make you better than us," Draco warned.
"No, my general demeanour and respect for human beings is what makes me better than you. I don't think you've realised, but my party lifestyle ebbed away a couple years ago and I'm actually doing something with myself now. And yeah, it hasn't been easy, in fact, it's been a fucking struggle. Now I've been gifted Hermione, I'm going to try my gods damn hardest to actually deserve it," Theo glared at his friend.
"It didn't take her long to poison you against me," Draco said with narrow eyes.
Theo rubbed the bridge of his nose, exasperated. "That would have maybe been true if you hadn't done everything she thought you would. You probably found her somewhere alone and insulted her last night, right? And now, you've brought me here to assault my mind to find out what she's like in bed, which she informed me breaks about 50 laws by the way. A list of which she has already sent me this morning."
"Aww, Theo, don't be like that," Draco moved to clap Theo around the shoulders but caught a bit of skin by Theo's collar causing him to shudder and jolt away.
"Whaaaat the hell was that?" Blaise raised his head off his hand in confusion.
"Sorry, it's not you," Theo tried to placate Draco's offended face. Theo rubbed the back of his neck.
"Then what is it?" Draco looked hurt but it didn't carry in his voice.
"I actually wanted to tell you, I have so many questions about it and Drake you're the only other person I know that creates spells. But, shit, how can I fucking trust you? I know you told her on purpose without context you knew about Wood. Is your jealousy so overwrought you had to find any opportunity you could to undermine me?" Theo was angry, angrier than he'd ever been with Draco because by now he should know better.
"Don't throw that back at me, Theo." Draco was properly hurt now. A long held secret being used to strike against him.
"Did you think you were the only one? Well, you weren't. And do you know what's sick? She actually cares about you though she pretends not to. You've committed terrorism against her and her most trusted people and she still wants better for you. She's worth a thousand times more than any of us and I'll die trying before I give her up. But you were special, they helped you, gave you freedom, and this is what you do with it?" Theo gestured madly around the room before angrily pointing at the Golden Girl's Scandal Factory poster to reiterate his point.
"Maybe I should have said something before this, but you know you never wanted to hear it. Pansy's been trying to tell you for months and you never listen to her." Theo was ranting now, pacing back and forth.
"To be honest it didn't properly sink in until Hermione said out loud how fucked up it was you invade my mind. No one's ever come out and said that before. Why is it that one night with her has me feeling more safe than I have in years?" Theo sighed then gestured to the Protean charm he had thrown on the bar earlier. "You can keep that, I won't answer to it anymore. Drake, you know where to find me if you actually want help. Blaise- the lions, gods help them, seem to like you. Owl me if you want to hang out."
And with that Theo stalked out of the club.
Blaise and Draco watched him go and there was a heavy pause.
"I wonder what spell Granger created that had him acting so strangely?" Draco mused.
Blaise gaped at him, "You're not upset after all that?" He waved at the vague approximation of where Theo had been standing.
Draco shrugged. "He'll be back." There was a creaking twist of metal from the staircase. "Ah, Anna. Good morning."
"It's Emma," the witch said, flatly. She had her shoes and cloak in hand with mussed up hair.
Draco gave her a pouch of gold. "So, you don't mention the pesky accusation that I could possibly invade someone's mind without my wand." He stretched his arms out to show her there was nowhere for it to be hiding.
Blaise shook his head, wondering what game Draco was playing at now.
Hermione's Floo roared at 4.30pm. She'd finished her work early, bringing in a forger on the run in Aberdeen and dragging them back to the Ministry by 2.00pm, filling out the paperwork until 3.30pm.
She was relaxing in a loose sweatshirt, over the knee socks and shorts. Oliver Wood stepped through the grate.
"Oh, hi!" she said with a bright smile. Oliver gave her a cheeky grin, moving to her.
"Hey!" came Hermione's protestation as she was pulled off the sofa, book fluttering to the floor. But it was soon squashed by Olly's lips against hers. Hermione's heart fluttered. Oliver was strong and directive, getting her to open up quickly and his tongue soon started exploring hers.
The heat between them came on thick and fast and they were already grabbing at each other, pulling closer, sucking in heavy breaths of air.
Hermione pulled Oliver's shirt over his head as he quickly divested himself of his trousers. He then pulled her sweatshirt and cropped exercise top quickly off her, taking a brief moment to admire her before lunging in again making her gasp out. He moved down from her nipple, hands remaining there, lips kissing the line of her abdomen. He trailed his hands down to tease her waistband and she moved her hands atop his to help push them down, stepping out so she was left in just her over the knee socks.
He was on one knee in front of her now and waved a spell over them. "Oh, by the way, hello Hermione," he said with a smile before he took her in his mouth, hooking one of her legs over his shoulder.
"Oh, yessss," Hermione sighed, tilting her head back. She already felt that spindling need coiling in her as his tongue rapturously claimed her. He growled, his hand on her arse pulling her closer as he tasted her, sucking on her clit until her cries of need were coming fast, spilling out of her with wanton abandon. Then he swirled one finger then a second inside her, crooking them, moving slower than the rest of him and she buckled a scream of ecstasy pulled from her as fizzing bubbles raced through her, pulsating from her core.
She was lost in the moment but knew she would have collapsed if it weren't for Olly's strong hand holding her up. He kissed the inside of her thighs until her quaking subsided.
"Do you trust me?" He asked, his eyes dancing at her deliciously.
"Yes," Hermione breathed. A new wave of desire passing through her as he stood, keeping her leg over his shoulder then expertly turned her so she faced away from him. He grabbed her hands and used the burly muscles of his arms to pull her centre to him. Her leg sliding over his shoulder past him.
He teased outside her, rolling in a small circle before easing into her, twitching at her hum of approval. Then he began thrusting into her, using her arms to pull them together with each push of his hips. There was something very tantalising about knowing she would faceplant if he let go for even a second and the delicious stretch of her grounded leg as the other extended past Olly's ear was building Hermione up again.
Oliver became even more enthusiastic at her moans and words of encouragement, moving at incredible speed until he felt her unspool around him, muscles twitching in pleasure and protest and he let himself go with a satisfied groan, moving his grip up her arms and slipping her leg off his shoulder until he was hunched over her back, with arms wrapped around her chest. Their sweat mingling with their gulps for air.
Hermione straightened them and turned around. "Well, Oliver Wood, I rather like your version of dating. How long has that been a fantasy of yours?" she cocked an eyebrow. It had been far too specific for him to have thought of it on the spot.
"Oh, from the first time I helped you correct that form," he easily admitted. She laughed.
"And now that you've ticked that box?" she asked with a coquettish tilt to her head.
"Only about 30 or so to go," he leaned in and kissed her again. A promise of what would come.
Hermione noticed the time on her clock. "Aren't you meant to be commentating a match with Lee Jordan tonight?" Harry and Ginny had begged off their weekly dinner because they had tickets.
"I do," Olly admitted. "But I said yesterday I'd come by this afternoon, so I apologise for getting straight to it."
"Oh, don't be sorry, I thoroughly enjoyed myself." She gave him a smile. She was glad he hadn't come by before 3pm as she had still been recovering from the hypersensitivity due to the Desiderium.
"I hope you're not offended, but I really have to leave now," he told her, looking a little apprehensive.
She gave him a quick kiss and a light slap across his tight arse. "Off you go, then," she said with a wink. He quickly gathered his clothes into a bundle after pulling up his underwear and he Floo'd away with another grin.
Hermione had a quick shower and dressed in her nightgown before flopping back on the couch and picking up her book again. It was a tome about the temples dedicated to Venus. She was going to try and break this curse. She wouldn't resign herself to a visceral demise if she could help it, but she was going to do it on her own without the menace that was Draco Malfoy.
The next day had Hermione showing Devin, her newly hired assistant, around the Ministry. He was very eager to get started, taking copious notes in a manner that could use improvement, Hermione thought. But if it worked for him, that was fine by her.
They had just applied for her transfer to the Department of International Magical Cooperation, with a specific request to be stationed in Rome. It usually took about six months for the transfers to be approved and arranged.
Devin was bouncing along beside her very excited about the prospect of going to Rome for a year or two. Hermione smiled, she liked the kid. 18 years old and a drop out from Hogwarts, he'd been at a loss for what to do with his life. So he was perfectly happy to follow her around. He'd already let her build a wall in his mind for the information he would be privy to. He'd laughed the whole time saying it tickled his brain.
"I should start learning Italian, right Miss Granger?" Devin asked with excitement.
"I can show you a translation spell I know. And please, call me Hermione," she replied.
"Thank you Miss Hermione, a translation spell would be great!" Devin grinned broadly. He was like a puppy and Hermione couldn't help but smile as he got distracted by something down a corridor and then had to run to catch up to her.
"I'm going to stop by a friend's office at Magical Sports and Games, OK?" Hermione could hear herself speaking in a slightly infantilizing tone and she tried to stop it, but Devin was very cute in his eagerness. She'd work on it.
Devin nodded vigorously though. They made their way to Olly's office and she knocked but he didn't answer. She could see Oliver's familiar figure through the frosted glass and another person. She took in their height, and their blond hair. Oh, shit, she thought.
"Olly? Are you OK?" She tried to unlock the door, but Malfoy made a stone wall appear in its place.
"Devin, get close to me," Hermione said, and he stepped so he was near touching her. "Protego," Hermione cast a spell, coating Devin and herself in a shield.
She calmly pointed her wand at the wall intoning, "Muffliato, Bombarda, Exsorbeo," in quick succession.
The stone wall silently blasted inwards and the debris was instantly sucked into a portal before Hermione waved it away stepping into Oliver's office.
He called her name and had his eyes pressed into his hands. Malfoy had stilled his wand at her entrance, raising an eyebrow at the complex spells she had used, tilting his head as if curious about the last one, another self-creation.
She easily disarmed Malfoy and blandly spoke a couple more incantations. "Incarcerous, Obhaeresco" Hermione muttered, keeping her eyes on Olly. Malfoy was now bound by ropes and he hopped around before landing in one of Oliver's chairs, glaring at her. She flicked her wand and replaced the door.
Mei Li Chang was standing outside it. "Apologies for the damage and I'm going to have to place this office under DMLE authority for a little bit, will that be alright?"
The Head of the Department for Magical Games and Sports sighed and said, "Whatever you need to do, Granger. Just please don't bang up my office too much," she walked away, shutting the door. Hermione cast another Silencing charm over it just in case.
"Can I open my eyes yet?" Oliver asked Hermione.
Now that things were less tense, Devin just burst with excitement. "Oh wow, Miss Hermione, you're really something else! I mean, the stories all say so, but you're so much more awesome than I thought!"
Hermione barely heard him prattle on though. She'd warned Oliver not to do anything until she told him to. She could hear Malfoy trying to say something, but she'd stuck his lips together. She just ignored him.
"Oliver, I'm going to turn your chair and will let you know when you can look at me, OK?"
He nodded, disturbed by the entire situation. Hermione carefully maneuvered Oliver's chair and brought her hands to his face. He was now no longer in Draco's eyeline.
"It's OK, Olly. You can open your eyes now," Hermione's face creased when he did so. He looked a bit scared. She would have been as well.
"Hermione, I don't know what's going on. Theo warned me he might show up, but I didn't really think he would. I mean, he'd have to be a psychopath, right? But he was here in my office when I arrived." Oliver was babbling a little.
"Hey, hey. It's OK, Olly," Hermione stroked his face and he fell into her shoulder. "Devin, keep your wand trained on Malfoy. If he so much as twitches, blind him." She heard Draco make an indignant but muffled noise.
"Permanently blind or slightly less than permanently, Miss Hermione?"
"Whatever you feel like, but remember he is currently unarmed," Hermione replied.
"Aww, boo," Devin whined.
"Who's he?" Oliver asked, trying to find something normal to latch onto.
"Devin. I got him fired on Tuesday, so now he's my assistant. He's a total cupcake," she explained.
Oliver laughed, Hermione was relieved to see him smile. She had an inkling about why Draco was here.
"Olly, I can help. Draco is a very talented Legilimens. But I can build a wall in your mind and keep him out. But I won't do it unless you're completely OK with it."
"Oh, do it please. Then I won't have to worry about that arsehole ever again." He clutched onto Hermione's hand. Oliver hadn't been surprised, it seemed she was right.
Just like she had Theo, Hermione went into Oliver's mind, gathered the memories of her without perusing them and built a wall. This time she charmed a rune on the wall, one that would cause anyone who tried to tear it down a splitting headache. Then she exited.
"Thank you, Hermione," Olly let out a long exhale and kissed her.
"Oh, uh, Miss Hermione, I thought you were with, Mr. Nott?" Devin sounded confused.
Hermione poked her head around the chair to look at Devin. He was giving the appearance of resolutely watching Malfoy, keeping his wand trained on him, as if he maybe hadn't been watching a few seconds ago. Draco looked bemusedly at Devin, annoyingly unperturbed.
"I'm dating both of them. But only Theo publicly. They will be seeing other people as well." She looked at Malfoy again. "Do you now understand what I told you earlier?"
Devin flicked through his brain, thinking about what Hermione had told him. Draco grunted in pain, shaking his head and closing his eyes. She smirked. He'd tried to read Devin's mind and she was happy the rune worked. He could perform it without a wand, just eye contact. Good to know. Malfoy looked angry and curious as she raised her eyebrows at him.
"I still hope you don't endanger yourself… but I get it, he's pretty awful," the kid replied, gesturing to Malfoy and then started humming to himself.
"He's weird," Oliver whispered, looking confused.
"Yeah, I like him," she whispered back. Her expression grew serious. "Are you OK?"
"Much better now you're here." he smiled at her again. "Now what do we do with him?" he jerked his head to Malfoy.
They stood and headed over to Devin. Malfoy was still trying to speak and rolled his eyes at them.
"We could 'accidentally' snap his wand," the young man suggested.
Hermione shook her head. "What actually happened, Oliver?"
"Malfoy was waiting in my office and as soon as I saw him, I shut my eyes but he tried to persuade me to open them. He didn't spell me, but he did transfigure the door when he heard you. He kept saying he just wanted to ask me something, but Theo owled me this morning so I thought it was something more."
"And what did Theo's note say?" Hermione asked, absent mindedly patting Devin's head even though he was taller than her. He didn't seem to mind, smiling instead.
"It said Malfoy was being a fucking prick and if I saw him to shut my eyes tight until he left and that he'd explain in person," Oliver scratched his head. "It was an odd enough message that I thought I should take it seriously."
Hermione undid the ropes and the sticking charm on Draco's mouth while Oliver gaped at her and Devin stepped between Hermione and Draco protectively.
"Fucking finally," Draco burst out. Devin held his wand out again at him. "Calm down little pup, I'm not here to hurt her."
"So what are you here for, Malfoy?" Hermione looked at him with a glare.
Draco just got out of the chair without answering, the three of them watching him. He leaned into Hermione, but only drew his wand from her back jeans pocket. He opened the door but before he left he smirked, "Next time you tie me up, Granger, you should ask for my consent," before the door closed behind him.
"Miss Hermione?" Devin eked out, silently asking if they should go after him. But she just shook her head. She focused on Oliver.
"One encounter and you're already being terrorised, you sure you want to carry on?" He just pulled her tight to him and kissed her.
"I-I'm gonna find my way back to the DMLE," Devin stuttered, opening Olly's office door and walking purposefully through the Magical Games & Sports into the corridor, looking each way before he started walking left.
Olly and Hermione just watched.
Olly leaned into Hermione's ear, "Do you think he-?"
"Mm-mm, no don't think so," Hermione shook her head.
Then they saw Devin walk by again going the right way this time. "I got it!" he called to them.
"I like him, too." Oliver said, closing the door before wrapping Hermione in his arms again.
"Are you trying to sabotage your life?" Blaise asked Draco as they read that evening's Daily Prophet. Emma Fawley had done an amazing job, SACRED 28 HEARTBREAK: GOLDEN GIRL GRANGER CAUGHT IN HEIR LOVE TRIANGLE! There were photos from the Venus Ball: Theo kissing Hermione on the red carpet, then a partially obscured one of her and Draco outside the kitchens and then another of Theo yelling at Draco and storming out of his club.
"No, I'm trying to show Theo how ridiculous he's being," Draco said. He read the article which also mentioned Draco's visit to the Ministry earlier that day. It speculated he had gone to threaten Granger's other soulmate, Oliver Wood and Granger had overreacted, blasting the door in her haste to get to him.
"It's not Theo you're trying to get to. I think you want Granger to storm in here with all her righteous fury and give you the satisfaction that you can make her vulnerable," Blaise theorised.
"That would be a perk," Draco said.
"It won't happen, she said she would never." Blaise laughed at his friend. "I think the only way she'd come here is if Potter dragged her."
"The bigger reason is that this will bring people here in droves. Now they'll think my new cocktail is a dig at Granger for flaunting Theo in front of me. I'll have even more women lining up to mend my broken heart," Draco grinned, clutching his chest dramatically.
"You're a sick fuck," Blaise shook his head.
The rest of that week, Draco's club was packed full of witches and wizards and just as he predicted he was being fawned over by many a fine-looking woman. The Prophet kept up the love triangle angle intimating that Draco and Granger had been having a secret illicit affair before the soulmate business and she'd ditched him for his best mate. He really didn't mind playing the wounded lover as it made the Galleons pour in but neither Granger nor Theo ever made an appearance.
"Theo, I have to talk to you about something," Hermione told him. It was finally Saturday and neither of them had anywhere to be on Sunday aside from breakfast with the Potters, so they were naked and sweaty from their exertions in her bed.
"Is it the fact you seem to have adopted a child without my knowledge?" Theo teased, kissing her hair as she lay on his chest. Devin had met Theo properly on Friday and become quite determined to learn everything he could about the wizard so as to best help 'Miss Hermione'.
Hermione laughed. "No, though I really can't help but be protective of him, he's just so sweet. Anyway, actually I applied for a department transfer the other day and I found out earlier that it's been approved."
"Oh yes?" Theo waited and drew soft, lazy patterns down her back.
"It's with the Department of International Magical Cooperation, I didn't realise at the time, but the Italian ambassador has said they will be retiring very soon. They have asked me to step in to fill the role for at least two years. It's a big step up, but I think they want to put me in a position more similar to the Ministership. They know of my ambitions."
"That's amazing, congratulations!" Theo curled her even tighter to him. "When does that start?"
"In six months," she replied, tilting her head to look at him. "But I actually have another motivation for going there."
"And what would that be?" Theo asked, curious.
"I'm going to try and break the Transit of Venus spell."
Theo looked at her. "Are you not happy? Does it feel too forced, like you don't have control?"
Hermione kissed his jaw. "No, I know I am in complete control, and without the spell this, us, may never have happened. But there are a lot of people suffering because of the transit and the intention that was used in casting this spell is no longer relevant. I want to try seek out Venus and ask her to end it."
Theo hummed a little in thought. "That's a big task, Hermione. No one knows how the spell could possibly come off. And the gods are fickle."
Hermione nodded in agreement, her countenance hardening into unyielding determination. "I know, but I want to try." The thought of her death in eight short years loomed towards her with the shadows in the room. "But also, I wanted to tell you that I would try come back to England when I could to come see you and keep up our relationship if you wanted?"
"You won't need to do that," Theo told her.
Hermione sighed a little put out but had expected this may happen. "OK then, what option do you want to take?"
Theo chuckled and pulled her lips to his, teasingly. "No, Hermione. You're my future wife, I will absolutely be coming with you."
"What? Really?" Hermione sat up a little. 'What about all your business here?"
Theo laughed again. "Oh, Hermione if I came with you, I will be giving companies a ticking clock on making a deal with the vast Nott estate with the endorsement of the lovely Miss Hermione Granger. And being on the arm of the Italian ambassador… those are higher connections than I thought I could achieve. I will be inundated with requests to facilitate trade deals on magical silks, foods, enchanted leather goods etcetera. No, I would do very well in Italy, and I would miss you far too much. I am definitely coming with you. Though I would ask we hold a press conference to spread the word if that's OK with you?"
Hermione's heart squeezed as he so easily made the decision to stay with her. But she also felt a stab of guilt that maybe she was taking someone else's soulmate out of England.
"I'd arrange that we come back here every month. I still have to be the spokesperson for the Malfoys monthly benefits. And of course, you could leave whenever you liked," she assured him.
Theo stroked her face looking at her with adoring eyes. Hermione could tell his feelings for her were quickly getting stronger, but he didn't have any qualms about her seeing Wood like they'd agreed and she appreciated his lack of jealousy. She had been very proud that Theo had reached out to her other lover to warn him about Malfoy.
"The Malfoys are going to love that. They get the public support for their cause from Hermione Granger and approval from the more elite part of society by having the Italian ambassador endorse it. Especially if you are coming back specifically each month to speak on their behalf. Lucius and Narcissa will be over the moon," he smiled at her.
"I don't want to pry, but do you want to tell me about what's going on between you and Draco?" she asked. "It's completely fine if you say no."
Theo's mouth quirked in a grimace. And he raised himself on his elbows. "Drake and I have been friends since we were old enough to remember. My family… wasn't great and I would often stay with the Malfoys, sometimes for weeks at a time, until my father finally noticed I wasn't home and would drag me back." He paused and pulled Hermione to him, needing the comfort of her embrace. "So, Draco grew up more like my brother than anything else. And I think this is probably the longest time I've gone without talking to him since the war. At that time, he helped me get away and protected me. He volunteered for tasks and distracted Voldemort from trying to recruit me when my father pushed for my initiation. I'll always be grateful to him for that."
Hermione had no idea. She'd seen glimpses of that Malfoy but had never thought him truly brave enough to fully encompass it. If only he tried to be that person, then she wouldn't be facing an early death. She had tried to imagine scenarios where she could just get it over with, but they had all made her feel sick.
"Anyway," Theo continued. "After the war when you and Harry testified for him, I thought he'd finally act on his plans to outdo Lucius and make the Malfoy name acclaimed rather than notorious. But instead, he made that club and sunk into women, drink and being a right proper arse. If I'm honest, I was just like him, throwing myself into any pleasure I could find to erase the terror. But I wanted more, something that had lasting meaning. So, I started rebuilding the business portfolio that had been neglected since my father was arrested. Draco, though… he's still in that place. Maybe I've been a little harsh since he had it worse than me. But it doesn't excuse how he treats you."
Hermione had been stroking his inner arm how he liked while he spoke to soothe him. "Maybe you should reach out then but set boundaries. Don't go to his club, make him meet you somewhere else. He must really be hating these silly articles the Prophet has been churning out."
Though she'd largely ignored what was being printed, she'd still heard about it. A lot of people asked her for details daily. Luckily Devin had been running interference for her. He was learning well.
Theo surprised her by laughing loudly though. She raised an eyebrow, questioning. "I'm pretty sure that whole angle came from Draco. It's getting him a lot of publicity and even more women throwing themselves at him."
Hermione didn't think it was very funny. She shook her head at how someone who was obviously that clever could be wasting it by making her life more difficult for his own self-serving agenda. But then she thought about what Theo had said and Draco's actions in the war. She understood the gravity of her privilege from being Harry Potter's right hand, but she thought even if the roles were reversed, she wouldn't undermine her friends to get ahead.
"I want to talk to him," Hermione said, making Theo look at her in confusion. "I wonder if he'd still be so quick to do things like this if he saw me as something other than the upstart on-a-pedestal Golden Girl. Do you think he would meet in a Muggle location away from journalists?"
"That's a bad idea," Theo said, rubbing his face. "He's a disaster anywhere with a lot of Muggles. He has no patience and uses wandless and wordless magic on instinct, we would just draw even more attention to ourselves. He might come here, or my estate though."
"What about Harry's? We're going there for brunch tomorrow anyway. He kind of gets on with Harry. Ron and Fay even frequent his club sometimes."
"I appreciate you wanting to help Hermione, but I'm already nervous about making a good impression with your friends without adding Draco into the mix," Theo kissed the tip of her nose. "And there's no way he'll be able to get up early tomorrow, his club will be raging, and I doubt he'll go to sleep until dawn."
Hermione nodded. "Fine, we'll do it some other time, but let's walk to Harry's tomorrow, it's not very far and we can be cute. Give that stubborn reporter something nice to write about."
"You think I can be cute?" Theo teased her.
"I don't think it, I know you can be." She kissed him and kept the compliments coming, punctuating each one with a kiss. "And handsome. Gorgeous, really, and sweet and simply wonderful in bed…" She inched her kisses down his torso, before disappearing underneath the sheet.
Theo lay back closing his eyes in bliss. "I'm gonna be the luckiest man in Europe," he said, shuddering in pleasure as she laughed around him.
"Theo's really going all in for this thing with Granger," Blaise said to Draco, poring over the latest article about them replete with photos. They held hands and laughed, one showed Hermione dancing ahead of them, before Theo quickly caught up and twirled her around. Two more showed a soft caress and a kiss and them arriving at Grimmauld Place. "She's introduced him to Potter and Weaselby."
Draco twirled a finger in mock celebration. "Good for him," he muttered. He regretted using hair of the dog to alleviate his hangover yesterday as now he felt twice as bad. He felt utterly spent having drank too much and enjoyed the company of too many women.
"I'll probably try see him this week. I owled on Friday but his assistant wrote back and said he was tied up with meetings and dinner engagements." Blaise stirred his coffee before taking a sip.
"Theo has an assistant now?" Draco scoffed. "I suppose his alliance with Granger has busied him beyond managing it himself."
"Yeah, someone named Devin. They sounded cute in their message," Blaise speculated.
"I've met him actually, he's Granger puppy," he paused remembering the excitable boy who thought Hermione Granger was the best thing on this earth. "He is annoyingly cute, it's that waiter Granger got fired from the Venus Ball."
"Granger's puppy? Is that some weird kink shit?" Blaise laughed.
"No, he's just like a puppy though, all bouncing and eager to please. When I was being… detained by them in Wood's office she even patted his head to tell him he did good. I could practically see his tail wagging."
Blaise laughed loudly at that. "She's not fully aware of the effect she has on people, is she?"
"If she did she would be even more insufferable than she already is," Draco grumbled.
"Oh, insufferable is she? So much so that you are jumping through hoops just trying to get her to spit derision at you? Come off it, I think these speak louder than words." Blaise pulled his sleeve up to see four or five temporary spelled tattoos, some overlapping others. It showed the same drawing from the Golden Girl's Scandal Factory posters but now she winked or blew kisses or ran a seductive finger over her lips.
"This charm takes a lot of effort Drake, and you gave them out free with every cocktail sold. When will these fade anyhow?" Blaise rubbed one of them, but it didn't come off. The illustrated Hermione looked offended.
"They won't come off until she sees one," Draco explained.
"What?! You didn't tell me that! She might never see one!" Blaise exclaimed. He summoned some parchment and a quill.
"What are you doing?" Draco asked him, amused.
"Writing to Theo to meet with both of them at their earliest convenience so these damn things will come off," he glanced at Draco, concern and curiosity meeting as he studied his friend. "Can I borrow your owl? On second thought, I'll go home and get my own since they might Incendio anything from you."
He started gathering his stuff and headed out, but halfway to the door, he turned back to Draco who was looking at the newspaper again. "Drake?" Draco looked up at him. "Are you, like, OK?"
"Yeah," Draco looked puzzled. "Why?"
"You're just acting really weird, mate. I don't know what's going on with you, but I don't think it's healthy." He gave Draco a look of concern and then left.
Draco frowned wondering what Blaise meant, then a brunette witch came down the wrought iron stairs from his apartment above.
"Diana was it?" Draco attempted her name.
"Dreama," the witch said, helping herself to a coffee. "The other two are still asleep. Can I ask you something?"
Draco wafted a bored hand, "Sure, I suppose."
Diana pulled a strand out from her face and let it spring back. "Why'd you curl all our hair? It's kind of strange."
Draco looked at her and the tattoo of Granger she had below her collarbone, her hair wild and curly around her head.
Huh, he thought.