Chapter Six: Every Little Bit

24 December 2004

"Hey sweetness," Theo had arrived at her place and tilted her head up to kiss her neck as he hugged her from behind.

Hermione giggled, placing the piping bag down. "I don't know why you call me that. I'm not exactly a blushing waif."

Theo had been using the pet name for a number of months now. While she didn't think it suited her exactly, she loved the way he said it, a dark growl like her sweetness was a sin.

Theo ran his nose against her, breathing her in, hands dipping below the bottom of her off the shoulder top and silkily dragging his fingertips upwards. "Oh my Hermione, it is not a reflection of your personality."

"No?"

Theo picked her up and deposited her amongst the baking supplies, ignoring her cry of admonishment as he sat her upon a sprinkling of flour that was on the bench to avoid the biscuit dough sticking. He grinned at her, cupping her face in one large hand, the other inching up her skirt, slowly bringing her underwear down her legs, letting them drop to the ground. In a swift motion, he pulled her closer to the edge of the bench, clouds of flour puffing in the air.

He began kissing up her inner thighs, watching her as he sank to his knees. He held her gaze as he made a long and slow lap across her folds and clit. She gasped. He moaned.

"No," his lips hummed across her most sensitive skin. She was vibrating with need for him to continue. He sucked at her bud, using his teeth just the smallest amount and she cried out. "My calling you sweetness is for how you taste."

He darted his tongue inside her, rolling it and kissing along her entrance. A deep longing note coming from him as he savoured her.

"Oh my God, Theo!" She grabbed the back of his head, but he resisted. She let him finish what he wanted to say.

"Everytime I call you that, it's because I'm thinking about being right here, with my mouth on you, hearing you come for me."

He delved into her and she shrieked at the intensity of contact. He used the pad of his thumb on her clit and moved his tongue against her, electricity shooting through her.

His other hand held her thigh as it draped over his shoulder, holding her in place. She so often was too eager to reciprocate and he was telling her that all he wanted right now was to give, not receive.

She tipped her head back into the feeling as his tongue played havoc with her. He was playful and cheeky, giving short maddening licks on her clit, before pausing, smiling on her skin until she begged him to keep going. Then he would dive in powerfully, tongue rolling, and sucking. Hermione screamed and fell back depositing a bowl of egg wash all over the kitchen floor and herself after she writhed a little too vigorously.

He didn't stop though, laughing a little at her half-coherent words, "Please… oh so close… fucking hell… please Theo." The humming energy from his amusement zinged through her and she felt her body gathering the rumbling thunder. Using his hand on her clit again and rolling his tongue inside her, Hermione felt the burgeoning sonorous force rolling and tensing as it waited. Theo worried her clit in his teeth gently again before rolling his tongue over it in circles, clockwise and counter clockwise. Then with a crack through her body the lightning hit and she arched her back wildly as the orgasm blasted out of her, skin simmering with ozone and sparking her every nerve. She could feel her vocal chords vibrating but couldn't even hear herself let alone think as pulse after pulse of beautiful exquisite energy was conducted through her.

Kissing her core until she finally stopped twitching, he stood and pulled up her boneless form. He kissed her slowly and lovingly until she was cognizant enough to kiss him back. Hermione fluttered her eyes, still awash with pleasure and found her peace in his green eyes. She smiled languidly as they kissed again.

He gently tipped her back at an angle and passed a hand up to close her eyes. He took a sprinkle of sugar and dusted her face and neck with the white crystals. Languorously, he kissed all over, lapping up the confection. She elicited a gasp and moan as Theo dipped his fingers into still wet and tingling core, building her yet again.

It didn't take long as his tongue tracked over her neck with open kisses, sucking at her sensitive spots until she was shaking and mewling again, her brain still fizzing from her first orgasm. As he crooked his fingers in the way that made her keen with breathy moans of harder.. faster… oh yes, Theo another sheet of light flashed through her and she jolted in his arms, black spots teasing her vision. She clutched onto him as if she were doing everything she could to remain solid. His kisses punctuating over her lips, capturing the last of the sugar and he got her to open up, passing the granules to her as they massaged their tongues together. Her second orgasm throbbed through her, she knew would have collapsed if not for Theo's strong grip.

He brought out his fingers and disconnected from her. Her eyelids slowly blinked open and he brought his fingers to her mouth where she sucked on them.

"See, delicious right, Hermione?"

She was so spent she couldn't even answer as she danced her tongue over his digits. He leaned down to her ear.

"Sweet, isn't it?"

She shivered. He appraised her with spilled egg wash on her arm, flour in her hair and she was sure at some point her hand had swept through some icing that was on the bench.

He tsked. "You've made a terrible mess, sweetness. I guess I'll have to join you in the shower to make sure you get nice and clean in time for our guests."

Oh Merlin, this godsdammed amazing man, Hermione thought before crushing herself against him, bruising his lips. He growled again and she yelped before laughing as he flung her over his shoulder to carry her to the bathroom.

Six months had flown by since the beginning of the Transit spell. Hermione and Theo had decided to head to Italy on Christmas Day with Devin joining them in the New Year. They hoped they would be able to get settled in with only a skeleton staff since it was the holidays. Neither of them had much, if any, family so it seemed like a good way to ease into their new life.

After their afternoon tryst, they continued preparing for the party that night and as Theo kissed away a smudge of chocolate from the corner of Hermione's mouth after she licked a spatula, she felt that giddy dizziness that only accompanied his touch. For once, Hermione wasn't bored in a relationship and had only freaked out for a day when he'd asked her if she was still seeing other people because he wasn't. She'd bought him a dresser for his things at her place as an apology and they hadn't emerged from her house for 72 hours, both of them getting Devin to push their respective schedules back a day, despite her assistant's huffing.

Their lives had blended rather effortlessly. Pansy and Hermione started a tradition of always getting ready for parties together and sometimes they even convinced Ginny to join them though Harry steadfastly refused any Sacred Twenty-Eight gatherings. He would drink in Hermione's kitchen while they got ready, playing cards with Theo, Blaise and occasionally Draco while they ignored the laughter and conspiratorial conversation from the women upstairs. The next gathering and every event they had gone to since, trays of drinks were found on the tables. Hermione Granger had changed Sacred Twenty-Eight history.

The standing brunches at the Potter's were still going as well, Ron and Fay joining them more often than not. Like Hermione with Fay, Theo was the first person Hermione had dated since their breakup that Ron liked. Ron had told Hermione in the kitchen when they were attempting waffles from scratch that the way Theo treated her was how he'd wanted to when they were together but his jealousy always got in the way. He'd smiled at her and she'd hugged him to say thank you.

Theo had weekly drinks with Ron and Fay when they went to Malfoy's club, often drinking with the man himself, Blaise and sometimes Pansy. Hermione still refused to go, of course.

As she watched Theo move around her kitchen and make mulled wine, she noticed the way he kept glancing at her. She suggestively licked cream from the tip of her piping bag and his eyes darkened as he pulled her to him, kissing the cream out of her mouth before going to stir the wine again. She sighed, reminiscing about the happiness she'd found with Theo in her life.

She had often thought about what Ginny had told her the day of the Transit, how she'd been relieved she could trust her instincts. And Hermione trusted hers, too. She thought there was something wrong with her real runes. She knew she had made a good choice to not pursue what they hinted at. And… she loved Theo. It squeezed at her every day when she woke up with him in her bed, his pride when he discovered some new power she had mastered, the way he could never look away for too long like he was making sure she was real. However, there was one thing that ate at her and made her feel guilty.

Malfoy. He was fine usually, essentially ignoring her which was infinitely better than the other times. They were few, but every so often he needed to do something to make her deeply uncomfortable. The bathroom was the first time.

A month or so later, Theo had managed to convince Malfoy to remove the dirty illustration of her, but he only agreed if she would meet with a photographer for a real photo. After confirming with her, making the logical argument it was better than that awful drawing, Theo had told him the photographer had five minutes.

Hermione had arrived at the studio only to be surprised by Draco fiddling with a camera.

"You're not a photographer, Malfoy," she'd accused, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I have a camera and am very good at pressing buttons," he'd replied without even looking at her. "What else do I need to be a photographer?" He already brought the camera up and snapped a picture before she could even blink.

He'd frowned, "Hmm, not your best, Granger. You look ready to tear someone's head off. I need you to be intoxicating, like the cocktail. You think you can do sultry?" He'd raised his head by that time, smirk and raised eyebrow in place.

"Not for you," she'd snorted.

"Then stand over there where the lighting is best and do what the Ministry taught you so they could whore you out," he'd drawled at her, indicating a place where there was light and shadow enough for a dynamic photo.

She'd rolled her eyes and stomped over, pausing before she assumed the perfectly practiced smile, eyes crinkling but sparking with annoyance. He snapped pictures while she turned in the angles the Media Liaison office had taught her were best.

They were nearing the end of the five minutes and she dropped the pose and the smile. "Are we done?" Malfoy just nodded at her. She'd already begun walking away.

"Hey, Granger," she'd turned impatiently her expression annoyed and bored. "What's Theo's come taste like?" She'd gasped, flushing, eyes wide, her mouth open as he snapped a final picture.

"That's the one," he'd purred. "Perfectly scandalised with 'Malfoy, how DARE you!' ready on your tongue. This isn't just going up in the club, I'm going to frame it and keep it by my bed." He was laughing as she'd stormed out.

Next he'd run into her when she was trying to tag a smuggler in Dover. It was a hot day so Hermione had been wearing her denim shorts, wand harness on her thigh and her knee-height bounty hunter boots, spelled to be flat since she had to move quickly.

He'd looked her up and down with a hint of a sneer, just the slightest amount of distaste showing before he pointed out her left boot was tied incorrectly. She'd tried to wave a spell at them but he had rebuffed it, sweeping her leg upwards while kneeling in front of her as he manipulated her into a park bench.

Bracing her foot on his chest, he had manually undone the entire lace, despite her protest that the boots had zips anyway so it didn't matter.

By the time he was rethreading the shoe, she had stopped talking, just watching his hand as it elegantly looped the aglets through the many eyelets. His other hand at the top of the boot resting on her calf, pointer finger occasionally brushing the underside of her knee. It tingled like danger and she'd studied him trying to figure out what this game was. He was smirking like her silence was a victory.

She remembered asking him if he would be seeing Theo and the rest of them for drinks at his club that night as he gently secured the bow at the top, lacing completed. He'd just raised an eyebrow and Apparated away.

The next time had been when she was due to speak for his parents at the monthly antiquity benefit. She had been pacing in her gown in an antechamber off the stage, practicing her speech about this month's restoration subject. She had been nervous doing this without Theo to support her like usual, he was on a business trip for Prewett & Prewett.

Malfoy had slipped in an half hour before her speech was meant to begin.

"Mother says you're in a right state, I see she wasn't wrong," his eyes swept over her tense shoulders and pursed lips.

She started pacing again. "I'm not used to speaking to this kind of crowd yet, half Ministerial, half social elite. I know my tone hasn't quite landed with everyone. I'm either too austere or too passionate," she almost ran a hand through her hair but stopped when she remembered the effort Pansy had put into it that afternoon before begging off attending saying she'd like to die from something more exciting than boredom.

"You'll have to master this before Italy," he was leaning on the back of an armchair watching her, taking in her form in the navy gown. "Can't have a bumbling ambassador stammering her way through her representation of Britain."

She'd flushed. That was exactly what she was afraid of. She'd tried elocution lessons but hated the hypocrisy of being told to soften her hard 'c's and 'k's by someone with a fake French accent.

"Stop pacing," he'd instructed but she'd scowled at him. He'd stalked over to her with an annoyed expression. He grabbed her arm as she carved her path.

"Take your hand off me, Malfoy." she'd growled at him, trying to wrench herself away.

"No, you will stand there and I will teach you, Granger," his grip had firmed on her forearm, pulling her a little off balance to stand directly in front of him.

She'd huffed but took in the command he had of his own posture, he clearly knew what he was talking about.

He'd touched her shoulders applying gentle pressure to press them down from where they were bunched up. She stepped back.

"Can't you use magic to direct me?" she'd eyed him warily as he prowled around her. She knew these encounters or whatever you called them were wrong, there was an insidiousness in them. Even if they seemed innocuous enough on the surface.

She also somehow knew that these small transgressions allowed Theo to remain close to him, for she and Malfoy to have civil yet distant social relations and contribute to the entire group being as friendly as they were.

She'd been able to feel his breath on her neck when he next spoke, "You won't remember wand direction. However, if your skin is burning from where I touch, you definitely will." She'd swallowed, he was right. "It feels so close to cheating, doesn't it Granger?"

She'd scoffed, trying to bluff. "Harry, Ron and even Blaise touch me more intimately than this."

"But they're not me," Malfoy's voice was uncharacteristically warm with amusement and she stiffened again. His fingers were on her shoulders again, pressing with more insistence this time.

He'd come to stand to her left. His fingers had left a tingling brand on her bare shoulders. He'd lifted his index finger to stroke the underside of her chin.

"Hold your tongue to the roof of your mouth when it's closed, it gives you a stronger jawline. And keep your tilt perpendicular to the floor, only the weak dip their heads," she'd done as he asked. He'd made an approving noise in his throat.

Then he'd lightly stroked down her back, her spine straightening to jump away from him, leaving the same prickling that lay on her shoulders and under her chin. He'd chuckled.

"Don't breathe so hard, Granger. It's unbecoming of a dignitary." His chastisement stilled her heaving lungs. She closed her eyes and concentrated on smaller, restrained intakes of air.

She flinched when his hand came from behind her and closed over her throat, a pinky finger stroking the thin skin next to her oesophagus, so easily able to squeeze, his hands large against her. Her eyes flew open and she stretched her neck, head taller and shoulders pressed as far down as they could go in an effort to get away from the threat.

"Very good," he'd hummed at her, removing himself. It was like he'd said, her skin felt like it was on fire, recognising the danger again.

"A-are you helping me just so you can touch me?" Her tongue had tripped over the sentence as she'd unstuck it from the roof of her mouth.

"Helping you? Hardly." He'd placed a flat hand on one hip and stroked the other where it was cocked, she'd twitched away from him and centring her weight vertically. "I'm trying to make sure my parents aren't embarrassed for the fifth month in a row."

She'd rolled her eyes.

"You know your runes start lower than most I've seen, Granger. Why is that?" She was silent so he continued. "Yours start there, before you starting hiding them," and he'd pointed to where she'd had placed her first rune when she sometimes wore them, the charm wouldn't work over the real ones. "But I know they usually start here." His hand had grazed right under where her breast was and she pulled back ever so slightly, feeling better aligned. She'd been overcorrecting her angle forwards in the heels.

"So, what is it you're hiding?" he'd brought his eyeline to hers, a tilt to his head. "Maybe I should use my spell on you."

"It wouldn't work," she'd retorted. "It only removes what has been added."

He'd smirked again. "And how would you know that?"

"Theo told me about it, we used it so I could feel it's magic. I wanted to know how it worked. Quite clever really, Malfoy."

He quirked his mouth arrogantly at the compliment. "And who's name did you scribe on yourself? Potter? Blaise?"

"It was Pansy actually. That's who I'd choose if I couldn't have Theo," she let her sincerity settle on the room.

"You should invite her to join the two of you, I'm sure she'd be amenable to it." He'd started circling her again, making sure she didn't undo his work.

Hermione sighed wistfully. "Oh, I know… If only Theo had said yes."

Malfoy searched her eyes for lies. She gave him a teasing smile.

"Nice try. If that were true, Pansy would look at you like Theo does, like ice cream melting in the sun. Making themselves all sweet and gooey for you," he'd grimaced like it was abhorrent to him. "Now let's hear your speech."

He'd corrected the way she talked next. "Speak slower, people come to hear your voice, let them savour it. Rest your eyes on people during your pauses, make them feel seen, special. They'll give you anything if you do."

He was behind her again. He placed his left hand over her heart, the flat of his palm near swell of her breast. "You need to stop speaking from here and instead speak from here," his words had ghosted over her ear, his other hand had wound its way onto her stomach, lightly tapping against it with a forefinger.

She'd practiced until he nodded satisfied. "Onto your next flaw."

"Oh, what now?" she'd exclaimed. "Do you have a problem with everything about me?"

"Yes," he'd stated, taking one of her wildly gesticulating hands and turning the spikes of her fingers into a soft flourish. "You're all wrong, Granger. Every little bit of you." He extended her arm in a sweeping gesture, it was slow and deliberate instead of her fitful passion.

"It's amazing you let me anywhere near Theo then." She'd winced at the petulance in her voice.

"I often wonder if I shouldn't. Your wrongness thrums through people, discordant with their own, rattling them. It makes them feel right, even when they shouldn't. You're a danger to society." He was moving her hands in ways she knew did when she was excited but turning them into charming gestures. Instead of crashing waves, he'd shown her how to make them into laps at the shore.

She watched him, teaching her how to move her hands like a lady. "Careful, Malfoy. That was almost a compliment."

"I assure you it was not." His reply was quick and succinct. "I think that will have to do. The rest is most likely a lost cause."

She gritted her jaw until he tapped the back of a finger against it as a reprimand.

Her skin was buzzing everywhere he had touched as if they'd been using her Desiderium.

"This will fade by the time I get out there," she'd pouted, annoyingly admitting he was affecting her in the way he'd said he would.

"It will come back if I stand where you can see me in the wings and stare at you in that way you hate." And he'd been staring at her like that already as he backed towards the door. His lip in the very beginning of a sneer, his eyes burning at her to run, fall, become trapped and be destroyed by him. He was right, she hated it. She glared at him until he was out the door.

That had only been two weeks ago, now it was Christmas Eve. Theo had seemed a little perturbed by Malfoy's behaviour at the benefit and been quiet for a few days afterwards. He'd been glad she told him though. And now after a mind-blowing afternoon of being wrapped up in each other, she and Theo were preparing a party for all their friends before they left the next day.

People started arriving at 7pm, Ginny and Harry arrived first. Then Pansy followed quickly by Ron and Fay. Neville joined them that evening and Hermione smiled as Pansy tugged on her arm.

"You didn't tell me he looked like that!" she hissed under her breath.

Hermione whispered back, "Actually, I remember Ginny and I spent a good hour trying to tell you… we gave glowing recommendations from previous girlfriends, we even re-enacted exactly how glowing those reviews were from what we'd heard in the dorms Eighth Year. It's not our fault you didn't believe us."

"Witch, you didn't do good enough," Pansy faux-snarled at her, booping Hermione on the nose.

She sauntered over to Neville and grinned coquettishly at how he flushed at her approach, her effect on him immediate.

"She shouldn't have fought what the runes were telling her for so long," Ginny leaned against the kitchen bench next to Hermione.

"Well, it's finally done now," Hermione gave her friend a quick smile, watching Ron, Fay and Harry chatting on the couch past her.

"Is this everyone? Could Luna make it?" Ginny asked her, sneaking a dollop of whipped cream from a brandy snap.

"Still waiting on Blaise and Malfoy. Luna never replied. Her father said she's chasing her soulmate around Europe. Rolf Scamander is a hard man to track down," Hermione swatted at Ginny's hand playfully.

Then the door rang and Theo went downstairs to open the door. Masculine voices drifted to the upper landing.

"Don't you think it's a bad idea seeing Malfoy after what he did at the benefit?" Ginny kept her voice low.

"He was helping me," Hermione dismissed Ginny's concern.

The witch scoffed, turning to watch Neville shake hands with Blaise and then Malfoy. Pansy was paying a lot of attention to how Neville interacted with the other wizards.

"That was not helping you, that was giving himself an excuse to unnerve and touch you… again." Ginny rolled her eyes.

Hermione had told Ginny and Harry everything that had happened in her encounters with Malfoy. She had also told Theo but slightly more sanitised versions. She wanted to be honest but didn't want them to fall out again.

The new arrivals had moved to the kitchen to deposit their whisky and a bottle of champagne from Malfoy's club.

"My favourite libertines," Ginny indulged them, hugging each of them. Blaise caught a kiss to the corner of her mouth. "Oh, Blaise. Ever going a step too far," she tapped his cheek twice and stepped away and went to torture Pansy and Neville with innuendo.

"You finally got Longbottom here," Blaise leaned next to Hermione.

"He can't really leave Hogwarts, except for the holidays. He's house sitting my place until he goes back and I'm letting him stay here in the summer holidays, too. Pansy will be fucking in my bed in no time," she gave a grinning Blaise a sly smirk.

She drew a tray from the fridge. "Pickled Jelly Slug?" she offered them.

"How delightfully Christmassy," Draco's sarcastic reply didn't stop him taking one of the alcohol laced sweets.

Theo came into the kitchen then, kissing Hermione on her jaw through curls as he took the tray from her.

"You've been fussing in here for too long sweetness, let me take over. Go save Pansy and poor Neville from Ginny," Hermione followed his look to where Neville was blushing and Ginny was making obscene hand gestures, clearly up to no good.

"You're right, wow Ginny couldn't hold it together for five minutes," she grumbled, she started to walk away but just before she was out of reach, Theo grabbed her hand and twirled her into him, stroking her face before kissing her leaving stars dancing in her eyes.

"We're still here, you know," Blaise said, plucking two Jelly Slugs and stuffing them in his mouth. "I hope this chokes me," he joked, swallowing them whole making a moue of disappointment when his death wasn't imminent.

"Since Malfoy taught me the correct way to give a speech, Theo has been teaching me to dance." Hermione uttered breathlessly and Theo gently released her to go to stop Ginny. "Though I'll never improve if you make me dizzy every time." She smiled at Theo and was allowed to walk away this time.

Hermione heard Malfoy's chuckling voice say, "So she told you, huh?" but she had moved away before hearing what Theo replied. Since she didn't hear yelling, she figured it was fine.

"Ginny, could you help Theo in the kitchen, the mulled wine needs your magic touch," Hermione tried to push Ginny towards the kitchen, but the witch grounded herself, pushing back on Hermione's hands.

"What needs a magic touch is-"

"Kitchen, Ginny. Now, please," Hermione insisted with an exasperated look and Ginny huffed off going to tease the rest of the Slytherins instead.

"Sorry," Hermione gave Pansy and Neville a sympathetic look.

Neville laughed, a deep rumbling sound and Pansy jumped a little, eyes widening and she bit her lip.

"No worries, Hermione," Neville reassured her. "Ginny's always been like that, it's hard for her to embarrass me too much anymore."

Hermione gave him a smile and they chatted for about twenty minutes before the timer went off. "Dinner's ready, let's sit down."

The meal was delicious and chaotic. Ginny had 'sneezed' while eating a brandy snap, blowing whipped cream all over Harry which made him take a handful of Pickled Jelly Slugs and shove them down the back of her tight dress making her yelp and dance around trying to dislodge them yelling, "Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!"

Hermione was leaning on Theo clutching her stomach as the entire table laughed at the spectacle. Then the doorbell rang.

Everyone stopped and there was a squelching plop as the last Jelly Slug exited the bottom of Ginny's outfit.

Hermione gave Theo a confused look but went to answer the door, Fay asking Ron who else they were expecting.

Hermione opened the door to see an elfin blonde standing on her steps. "Oh my gods, Luna! I'm so happy to see you!"

She wrapped her friend in a hug. "Hello, Hermione," Luna's ethereal voice wafted over her, returning the hug. The witch had gained a bit of a cult following over the years, her large eyes, waif-like form and her unorthodox but fascinating view of life giving her fans all over Europe.

"Come on up! We're just having dessert but there are loads of leftovers." Hermione was dragging her friend up the stairs and she felt an unusual resistance in her.

Reaching the landing, pulling Luna with her, she met an unusual sight. The dinner table was silent. Ginny looked at Hermione with a strange wariness, Harry, Ron and Fay were all looking at Theo oddly. Blaise was looking away, while Malfoy watched Hermione closely. Theo had a dark countenance, exhaling loudly at the sight of Luna. Hermione drew her brows together, bewildered. Most worryingly, Pansy was sitting beside Neville grinning with dancing eyes. Hermione knew that look, scandal was going to break out.

"Theodore," Luna stated, nodding her head at him.

"I told you not to come here, Luna," Theo said, his voice grating through gritted teeth.

"No, you told me it was a bad idea to come. You didn't say not to," Luna's airy voice lilted.

Hermione turned her head from Luna to Theo, blinking. Pansy giggled, never a good sign.

Obviously, something was going on between them or used to go on between them.

"Woah, really?" Ginny breathed. "You two? You were together?"

"Only for four years, on and off." Luna's reply echoed around the room.

Ginny gaped, Hermione looked to Theo but how angry he looked only confirmed it. A dread sunk in her. She asked the question she knew she didn't want the answer to. "When did you break up?"

"When the special edition of the Prophet came out the morning of the Transit," Luna tilted her head at Theo. "Right? You sent me an owl."

There was silence. It was so loud.

"Best. Christmas. Ever!" Pansy clapped while Neville tried to hush her.

"Oh, um… do you two need to chat?" Hermione asked.

"Thank you, Hermione. I'd like to talk to both of you. About a contingency plan in case I can't find Mr. Scamander, I have been rather unsuccessful so far." Luna had not taken her blue eyes off Theo.

Pansy poured herself more wine, loving this. Hermione's brain was firing at a million miles an hour.

Luna had just implied that Theo had dumped her in order to chase Hermione after seeing his name on her. Luna had also intimated that Theo was another soulmate of hers.

Hermione was schooling her emotions and keeping her face curious but carefully devoid of anything else. Inside she felt sick and guilty. She hated her own hypocrisy. This wouldn't have even happened if she hadn't lied to her friends about her real runes. It was her fault.

But she'd been sure Theo was single, they had seen Luna almost every month when they met up at the lectures. She hadn't noticed anything between them. Or maybe she'd been too busy flirting with Theo to notice. That must have been awful for Luna. Her guilt clenched even harder.

She turned to her friend and whispered. "Luna, I am so sorry."

It was still so quiet that the enthralled table heard her. A bunch of baffled looks sequenced throughout the room.

Luna just smiled at her. "You have nothing to be sorry for Hermione, really."

Hermione tried to reassure her, "I, um- I told Theo when we first started dating that any other soulmate's who came forward he should try help them-"

"Hermione, no." Theo's voice cut through the room and everyone turned to look at him. Acid poured through Hermione and she paled at how hateful he sounded.

"Thank you, Hermione for understanding," Luna touched her arm making Hermione jump. "It's only Theodore or Mr. Scamander, you see and-"

"It's not happening, Luna!" Theo shouted, standing up. "And we were off at that time. I was just making sure it stayed off forever."

Hermione had no idea what to think. She felt like everything had been a lie. She scrunched up her face. Everything had been a lie. Her lie. Her stupid, stupid lie.

"Theo," she swallowed, hating how hurt she sounded. She took a calming breath. "We can help Luna, I won't let-."

"Hermione, I refuse to cheat on you with her," Theo was trying for calm but he was shaking.

"I don't care!" Hermione yelled, clutching Luna's hand, panicking. "You'd be OK with another threesome, right Luna? Like we did before?"

She'd kind of forgotten everyone else was there until she heard Neville clear his throat and Pansy gasp out a laugh, Ginny making a weird groan, looking at her brother. Ron awkwardly coughed at the memory.

"That would be lovely, Hermione, thank you," Luna was unaffected as per usual.

Theo was looking between them, brow furrowed and mouth opening and closing in confusion. He settled back in his chair and rubbed his face with his hands. "Fuck."

There was another beat of silence then Pansy stood up and came over to Hermione and Luna, offering the latter her hand. "Luna is it?" she said as if the woman's name hadn't been uttered fifty million times this evening already and Hermione was sure Pansy already knew it. Luna's slim hand was pulled into Pansy's grasp. "I just want to thank you for giving me the best night of my life."

"That's not the first time I've heard that, you're welcome," Luna replied, sliding her eyes to Hermione.

Hermione couldn't help it, a high-pitched laugh escaping from her. She'd been the one to say that all those years ago.

"Mione, you OK?" Harry's face was strained and so painfully awkward.

"Sorry, sorry. It's really not funny," Hermione said, covering her mouth with a hand. Ginny let out a laugh too before waving her hands as if she agreed that it really wasn't funny. Luna's sprinkling giggle joined Pansy's. Hermione's hand was shaking from the vibration coming from Luna. Hermione let out another snort, her lips wobbling with the effort of keeping it in.

Ginny came over and hugged Luna. She was laughing as she tried to speak, "It's so good to see you, Luna. This is just awful. Terrible, really. It's so, so not funny."

The four women let out shrieking cackles. The others at the table looking nervous and baffled, except for Malfoy who was just watching the scenario play out.

"It really isn't," Pansy gasped, clutching her side biting out words through peals of laughter. "It's not funny at all. Hermione, you must be so upset!"

"I am. I feel horrible!" Hermione grabbed her cheeks, rubbing them, sore from laughing. "I'm really sorry I stole your boyfriend, Luna. And for flirting with him for years in front of you." She was crying she was laughing so hard.

Luna was paddling the air as if trying to flick away the giggles. "Yes, really quite horrendous of you, Hermione. I'm so very mad at you."

"I can't breathe, I can't breathe!" Ginny panted out through tears, collapsing on the ground hugging her ribs. "Ow, ow, ow, fuck. Please, it's so not funny."

Pansy pulled Luna to the table, "Come on, Lovegood. Let's get you a drink. Join us."

Luna was given a wine and was seated beside Pansy. Ginny crawled back to her seat and Hermione went to Theo who had relocated nervously to the kitchen. Conversation resumed as Neville engaged Luna and Pansy in conversation easing normalcy back into the gathering. Ginny peppering Luna with questions. Pansy helping to wring out salacious details.

Theo was still and tense beside her, ripping up a serviette nervously. He flinched when she touched him, leaning in. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Have I ruined everything?" he asked her in a despondent voice.

"Have you?" she returned the question. She didn't know the particulars of their relationship and didn't really want to assume. Theo just blinked at her.

"I'm not perfect either," she whispered.

Theo put his hand on her ribs, running a thumb over where her real runes were. "I know."

Hermione froze. A creeping horror crawled over her. She knew she'd had to tell him sometime but had no idea how he'd react. But he knew. She wondered for how long. He saw it on her face.

"After you told me what he did at the benefit, then you launched into an impassioned lecture about your research into breaking the curse. I wondered why those two things were so connected in your mind. I waited until you were asleep." He looked ashamed for performing a spell on her without her consent, cheeks colouring. He looked at her with pleading eyes, begging her to understand.

"That's why I was a bit off that week. I was trying to process before I talked to you. The more I thought about it though... you chose me. You chose me over him, over destiny, over the possibility of your own death. It made me fall for you even more. I just want you to keep choosing me." His voice was so quiet and low on her ear but the chaos around her seemed muted by comparison. "I'm sorry."

Hermione felt such a wave of relief she clutched at her chest. His reaction was more than she could possibly have hoped for, more than she deserved certainly. She looked at him and saw everything she'd come to love in the last few months. His green eyes adoring and warm, silently imploring her to forgive him when it was she who had committed such a breach of trust.

"No, I'm sorry," her voice was soft and she reached up to cup his jaw in her palm. She leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss to let him know it was OK, seeking forgiveness herself. "Let's have an honest discussion about it all a bit later."

He leaned his forehead on hers in relief and then they resumed their attention on the rest of the party. Hermione just caught both Harry and Malfoy watching them curiously from the dinner table before Draco turned away and Harry raised an eyebrow to see if she was OK. She nodded. Hermione led Theo back to their seats.

Luna was talking to Pansy. "Oh, Neville is your soulmate? He attracts a lot of Wrackspurts, it makes him a very passionate and attentive lover. You will enjoy him." Neville had flushed and was stammering. Evidently he wasn't quite as used to Luna's straightforwardness as he was Ginny's teasing.

Pansy grinned and ran her tongue over a canine, toasting Hermione. "My life became infinitely grander with you in it, Granger. Have a fabulous time in Italy and keep a suite at the embassy open for me." Hermione smiled at her, very happy to have befriended the woman. They clinked glasses.