He watched her twirl effortlessly across the floor. Grinning from ear to ear as Potter plucked her up and dipped her dramatically before sending her spinning off again towards Malfoy. Her bright peels of laughter drawing the eyes of the crowd. The years of friendship and easy camaraderie were obvious as none of them cared for anyone else around or who was watching. Seeing the Malfoy heir grab the most notable muggleborn around the waist before replicating Poters lift, a true smile on his face just proved how far the world has come since he war. The song ended and he sat her down carefully, both turning to clap at the band.

Marcus smiled as Potter came and threw an arm around her shoulder, successfully cutting off anyone who would have tried to jump at the opportunity to ask her to dance. He herded her towards the bar while Malfoy came back to join him. His grey eyes had a knowing glint as he followed the direction of Marcus' stare to the backside of the little witch.

He turned his head slightly and was startled to see that Oliver had joined his side, the last he had seen of him he was dancing with his mother. He was not surprised to see the shorter wizards head turned slightly, looking in the same direction he was. He had just reached up to swat the back of his head when Malfoy arrived with a chuckle.

"You two are ridiculous." He said rolling his eyes and picking up a drink from the table.

Marcus only shrugged while Oliver bristled. "Oi, and why is that?"

Malfoy leveled him with an exasperated glare. "You both were staring so hard it's a wonder Grangers backside didn't catch fire. You fancy her, it's obvious. You should tell her."

The pair turned to each other in silent conversation. Yes they were both very aware of their growing attraction to the witch, but it felt like more than that. Every minute that they spent in her company made it obvious that it isn't just physical attraction they were feeling, no it was legitimate feelings building.

And therein laid their issue. Since it was two of them that felt that way, and as far as they knew she didn't return the feelings for either, let alone both. Being a muggle born it would be a hard sell to convince her to be in a triadic relationship, those things were taboo in the muggle world. Even though Draco had tried to convince them before that she may be more open than they believed, it was still a big step and if it failed they could ruin their chances with her.

The three of them looked over to the bar where Harry and Hermione were laughing together gesturing madly as they waited for their order. They watched as someone tried to cut in between them, no doubt to try to speak to Hermione but without stopping the conversation Harry just pulled her closer to him only sending a glare in the wizards direction.

"It's weird isn't it." Olivers voice cut in. "I know that she dinnae need to be protected, she's better with her wand than me any day. But I still have the urge to shield her from the world." He said seriously as he took a drink from his tumbler.

Marcus nodded his head knowing the feeling perfectly. He had been dealing with it for a while now. Not only in the situation they were in tonight, where she was there as his date. But also daily in the ministry with creeps like McLaggen around. He also had them when they went out in the field together, he had to stop himself from stepping in front of her when they encountered dangerous creatures.

A snort left Dracos nose. "Tell me about it." He gave a self deprecating chuckle.

"My boyfriend is the literal Chosen one. The boy who conquered. Head Auror, etc. And yet I feel the same damn way. There is something about them, especially when they are together like this and they just seem so care free and light. It's like they are too pure for the world around them and I find myself worried someone or something is going to tarnish them. But then I remember who they are and what they've done. I picture them at the battle standing side by side shooting off hexes without a second pause. I see Harry at work not breaking a sweat while taking down some of the worst wizards to exist. I watch Hermione as her smile turns to this wicked little smirk and I just know she has already come up with 100 different scenarios in her head where she just eviscerates everyone around her. This has been going on for years now, so you are preaching to the choir." He finished with a nod before downing his drink.

"It's quite a Slytherin tactic to be honest, in a different world they could have both done well in the snake pit. They have this sweet, approachable outside image, they are literally the media's golden boy and girl. But for those that know them well, or have had the misfortune of getting on their bad side know they can be cunning and ruthless." He smirked, lost in a memory.

Seeing the slightly doubting expression on Woods face he explained.

"When I started in the DMLE it was rough. No one wanted an ex death eater joining the team regardless of what my trials conclusion was. There was a meeting where I was to be treated respectfully by the team. It made a lot of the older generation angry, so they retaliated in the pettiest way ever." He rolled his eyes.

Marcus raised a brow, not having heard this story before but had assumed it wasn't easy for him to assimilate to a ministry job.

"They were stealing and eating my lunches from the break room." He groaned and glared at the two when they dared to snort out laughs at the confession.

"I know I know, it was total and utter bullshite. I wasn't going to cause a scene though, I just took to bringing lunch and then purchasing another at the cafeteria. I would have gotten away with no one knowing but Hermione had sent a lunch for Potter and I one day and before I could claim I ate it she saw me in the cafeteria buying lunch. I had to tell her, and she told Harry because they keep no secrets. The two of them were livid. I was afraid they would be token Gryffindors and bust in the DMLE and start screaming about equality or fairness or whatever else lions live for." He scoffed. "But instead they just huddled together and whispered to each other before nodding and wearing these matching smirks while letting out evil little chuckles. I asked them what they were doing and Potter said they planned on poisoning the food that was labeled as mine and leaving it."

Oliver choked on his drink having trouble imagining Harry saying such a thing.

"When I asked what they would do afterwards, Granger was the one who answered. She patted me on the chest so casually as she leaned up on her toes and kissed my cheek, the sweetest smile on her face. Then she spoke, and I shit you not I got cold chills. She simply said 'We tell their widows they were thieves.' before walking away. I had to make Potter make a vow later that night that they wouldn't do it. To this day I have no idea if they were serious or not, but my lunch was ever taken from the breakroom again so who knows what they did."

Malfoy had a soft smile on his face as he was miles away in the memory. Leave it to the former death eater to feel all touchy feelings from someone making death threats in his honor. Marcus watched him and came to a conclusion based on the stories he had shared the last few days and their unquestionable closeness.

"You love her." He didn't phrase it as a question because in his mind it wasn't. He had only seen that expression on the blonde's face for three people. His mother, Potter and now Hermione.

Having decided on this fact he wasn't surprised at all when Malfoy nodded his head slowly. The smile he was wearing deepened.

"I do, you both know I don't have any siblings, but that girl right there is the closest thing to a sister I will ever have. We fight and rile each other up, but I would walk through hell for her with or without Potter by my side." He said seriously before turning and looking at the two of them. "That's why I am going to warn you both now. I have seen the way you look at her when you think no one is looking, I know you find her attractive. But if that is all it is and you are planning just a night of fun, I caution you to move along. Unless the two of you are serious about all of her and not just her body, then call it an early night and Potter and I will take her out for burgers after this. I wont see her getting her hopes up for nothing."

Both older men gaped like fish for a minute, unsure of how to word their response. At the moment neither had any plans of attempting some kind of triadic relationship with Hermione. It was a difficult conversation to breach with the witch who they weren't even certain had any feelings for the two of them outside of friendship.

"It..it isn't.." Olier struggled with the words. "It isn't like that. I have no intentions of trying to come between Marcus and his intentions with Granger. She is a remarkable witch, don't get me wrong, in my wildest dreams perhaps. But we haven't made any plans to act on that." He rubbed the back of his neck obviously uncomfortable but relaxed when Marcus reached over and patted his back.

"He's right. We don't know how Hermione feels, or even if she fancies either of us. But I promise you that neither of us will hurt her. Besides the fact that she could hex us both to pieces the amount of respect we have for her is too high." Marcus added.

Draco scoffed.

"Listen I am going to help you both out because you are my mates, but don't expect anything else in the future. That witch right there." He pointed his hand holding his glass in Hermione's direction. "Has feelings for you both. You honestly think she has never mentioned either of you? The only reason she hasn't acted on them before is that she has some merlin be damned idea in her head that she is less than your standards. She has mentioned the floozies you normally bring and has been judging herself against them and for some reason thinks she doesn't measure up." He rolled his eyes with a snarl on his face. "That's why she has been so excited this week about coming with you Flint, and believe me Wood if i have to hear about how your relationship with your mother makes her swoon one more time it will be a thousand too many." He gave them both a pointed look and mentally scoffed at their pleased expressions.

Both men seemed to stand up taller, a glint in their eyes as their lips quirked up at the corner. They watched Potter pull the witch away from the bar and spin her onto the dance floor, leaving behind a group of pouting wizards in their wake.

Just as they were going to turn to each other and discuss their next course of action, the figure cut across the floor making a beeline towards their witch. They stiffened and with barely a glance at each other took off across the room.

...0.

Hermione let out a symphony of giggles as Harry mused that he could easily time the chicken dance to line up to the tempo of the song being played by the band. He was in the process of extending his neck in short jabs as if pecking, even going so far as to make clucking sounds. She could barely see him as her eyes had blurred with tears of glee. In an attempt to give himself space to flap his pretend wings he moved away from her.

He never would have done so if he only knew that five feet was enough for someone to swoop in between them. Cormac seeing his chance fell right into the gap and swept Hermione into his arms, trying to pull her further away from the boy who lived.

Years of being in the media limelight was the only thing that kept her from snatching her wand out of its holster and hexing him where he stood. However she knew she had to keep her cool and not have this altercation make the front page of the prophet for disrupting the event. The smile she had naturally worn all night slid from her face and she glared up at him.

"Mclaggen, proper etiquette is to ask before you drag someone into a dance." She said coldly.

He smiled down at the little witch, showing too many teeth and reminding her of a shark. His skin was so faux golden that it had an orangey tint to it and his light brown hair was peppered with what she assumed was salon made highlights.

"Why I was simply swooping in to be your knight in shining armour Granger." He winked at her while tightening his hands on her waist. "I feel terrible that my father was unable to reach you before tonight. I would have loved to escort here had I known you didn't have a date. You wouldn't have had to be stuck with that troll of an employee of yours."

Hermione saw red. Her nails digging into the flesh of his hand as she came to a stop. Scene be damned, she wasn't going to allow Mclaggen of all people to insult Marcus. Grinding her teeth to keep herself from shouting she leveled him with her best stare. Cormac though remained aloof to the change in his dance partner as he went on and on about how she could stay with him for the night, and that he would take her to the next ball so she could be shown off on a proper arm of a proper wizard.

"Cormac SHUT UP!" She hissed finally breaking his rambling and making him stare down at her. His eyebrows raised in surprise at the cold look of fury on her face.

"I don't know how many times I have to explain it to both you and your father but I am NOT interested in you. I don't want you to visit my office, I don't want you to invite me out on dates, I don't want your bouquets of flowers, I especially do not want your father to put in applications for me in his department. But right now you need to understand that not only do I not want to dance with you but I will not stand for you insulting my CHOICE of date. Marcus is a wonderful wizard and I was honored to accept his offer to attend tonight. He has been nothing but proper and gentlemanly tonight which is much more than I can say for you. Now if you excuse me I want you to remove your hands from my person before I remove them from you." Her eyes flashed in anger.

He backed away a step before frowning down at the witch. How dare she insult him there in public. She should be throwing herself at him.

He went to reach for her again but was stopped by a deep cold voice.

"Is there a problem here?"

Marcus had come up from the side and was now standing protectively slightly in front of her. His face remained blank but there was raw emotion behind his words.

Cormac sneered at the bigger man.

"I only see one problem, and it's that Hermione was forced to attend tonight with someone like you. But don't worry I just offered to rescue her from such a fate."

He went to take a step as if he was going to reach for Hermione again but Marcus' broad arm gently shifted her back, further from him. Hermione felt her stomach muscles tighten as the warmth from his palm bled through the thin fabric of her dress. His hand opened as it was covered her from hip to where her bra line would be. Despite the anger she felt towards Mclaggen she had to fight to keep the blush off her face.

The fight was all for nought since once Marcus had moved her away from Cormac, he moved her right into the path of someone else. She didn't know anyone was behind her until she felt the soft pressure of a hand come up and sat on her waist right before she backed into the stone strong body behind her.

"I think any lass forced to be in your company has the worst fate." Oliver's thick accent said behind her. Close enough his breath moved the curls on her head.

"Now run along Mclaggen somewhere that you are wanted. Coz it isn't here."

Mclaggen smart enough to realize this wasn't a fight he would ever win left with one last sneer. Storming off to the other side of the hall.

Marcus turned back to her. His hand still resting on her stomach, Oliver still behind her with his hand on her waist. He looked down at her and gave her a once over as if to check she was truly ok before giving her a soft smile. She wanted to smile back or say something but she found herself battling the hoard of butterflies that resided in her stomach from the position she was now in. Marcus in front of her with Oliver behind was so close to the dreams she had been having that she could feel her face flaming. She bit her bottom lip and looked cautiously up at Marcus before glancing over her shoulder at Oliver, seeing that both men had followed the action closely. Their eyes a darker shade than she had seen before.

"I think I have had enough dancing for the night." She said in a husky whisper.

"How about we get out of here?"