June 2010 – Present Day.

The resounding thud within the darkened room had not woken Theodore from his slumber on Blaise's couch.

The sound of a shrill, female voice shouting his name and cursing him to every deity known to man was not what had caused him to stir.

In the end, it was the large splash of freezing cold water from somewhere above his head that made him jump so high from his position on the couch that for a minute he thought he might have been on the ceiling as he woke up fully.

The lights were on now. The lights were on, the Livingroom door was open, and Theo was sure that from his seat on the couch that the shrill voice was coming from none other than Hermione Granger, who appeared to have been being consoled by Blaise and Luna.

Oddly enough, they did not seem upset by her barging into their house in the middle of the night and assaulting another Wizard, which did not bode well at all. Instead, they seemed to be intent on calming the very irate Witch down. Theo had not yet looked at any of them; his head in his hands as the drink he had consumed that night was still swimming around in his system.

"You're all very loud, you know." He said in a grumble, instantly hearing the room go deadly silent.

"I'll give you bloody loud-" Hermione did not sound impressed. "Theodore Nott, I swear; when I am through with you, you won't have any ears left to hear with!"

Theo gulped and finally looked up from his hands. Blaise and Luna must have managed to sit the Witch in a chair near the fireplace. They flanked either side of her as she sat there on the large chair with her arms crossed, a furious look on her face and her hair was gaining static as the minutes went by.

He stared at her.

She stared at him.

"Explain yourself." And she gave himthatlook.Thatlook that told him that she knew something that she most definitely should not know and that there was no getting out of it…he was a dead man.

He looked at Blaise for a second for confirmation, who was giving him a wide-eyed, threatening look. A look that told him that if he mentioned anything about what he knew then there was no getting out of it …he was a dead man.

Rock; meet hard place.

He sucked in a breath.

He knew he had been obvious over the years. The whole situation had left him clinically anxious, and every little sign had been something that he had looked into vigorously, even when Blaise had told him he was being neurotic. He knew it would only be a matter of time before Hermione or Draco figured it out that-

Hang on…

Theo looked at the Witch curiously. She glared back at him.

"What do you know?" He asked her.

She looked at him. "What do you know?"

"I can't tell you want I know until you tell me what you know."

Hermione fixed him with a glare. He could tell that the wheels were turning in her brain. He knew that she knew something, but she would not need to knowanythingifsomethinghad not lead her to investigate further… somethinghadhappened.

"I know that this has something to do with that bloody book you told me about the night of our leaving party at Hogwarts." She told him, pointing a finger and leaning forwards. "I am sure that I know that the potion you made went wrong. I haven't figured it all out yet, butthisshould help me get to the bottom of it."

And low and behold; she was holdingthebook.

Shite.

The book that had haunted him for the last eleven years. The book that held all of the answers that he possibly did not even know all of. The book that had been the bane of his existence and the reason that he often woke up in cold sweats for so long.

"Scared, Theodore?" Hermione asked him, starting to open the book. "I have ways of making the pages reveal themselves, you know." Her eyes were almost menacing. "If you don't tell me, then-"

"You're looking forNexum Semper." He told her before he even had time for his brain to catch up with his mouth. Fuck. Shit, shit, shit. He caved in to pressure too easily, and she knew it.

Blaise gave him a look that could freeze ice.

"Are you sure that's the right name for the potion,mate?" he hissed out through his teeth from the side of the curly haired woman, biting on his thumb nail and looking livid. "Are you quite sure you'renotmistaken?"

He had two options. Backtrack and make more of a mess of the situation; try to cover his tracks and think up lies on the spot. Or he could just let it all out; finally, breath after holding in such a big secret for so many years.

He gave Blaise one long, lasting look of apology before standing from the couch and putting a little distance between himself and the others in the room.

"I give up, mate." He let out a large breath he had been holding, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders. "I've gone fucking grey keeping this a secret, I hope you realise that-"

"Theodore-" Blaise warned through gritted teeth as Hermione now watched the two men curiously.

"-Telling you, I've had nightmares about Granger finding out and hanging me by my balls to-"

"-still a viable option-" Hermione cut in.

"-the wall." Theo folded his arms over his chest, gave Hermione a rather sheepish look and then took a step closer to the back of the chair, feeling the need to seek some sort of physical protection. "We were only young, how were we to know that-"

"-For the love of fucking God man, shut up-" Blaise walked a few steps closer. "-the hole your digging couldn't get any bigger at the minute-"

"Were you in on this too, Zabini?" and her voice was shrill again, causing Blaise to stop in his tracks as she hopped back out of the chair that she had been sitting in.

She only ever called Blaise by his second name when she was pissed off at him. Which was quite a lot, lately.

Theo understood the words 'you are fucking dead, you tit.' that Blaise had mouthed silently to him, before the black-haired man turned around to Hermione with a slight wince.

"We just wanted to watch people get drunk."

Granger seemed to look from each boy carefully, taking the time to slowly process the information that was being given to her.

She suddenly took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. "If I am hearing this right; you two absolute dickheads have got a lot of explaining to do." She then opened her eyes and gave both men a sharp look. "And whatever this little spell is that you seem to have cast overme, it had better be reversible."

Theo seemed to take in a large gulp of air at the same time as Blaise.

Both men glanced at each other for a few moments, neither wanting to make eye contact with Hermione.

She knew there was something wrong. Theo could tell by the way she barrelled forwards and hit both of them up the sides of their heads, causing them both to curse and move away from the irate Witch before she could do more damage to either of them.

"We don't know." Theo explained, hands up in the air in a surrendering fashion as Blaise hesitantly took a step back until he was somewhere behind his girlfriend. "We didn't get a good enough look at the whole scripture of the potion to know whether it could be undone or not."

Hermione's eyes appeared to be blazing. So much so, that Theodore actually contemplated fearing for his life and taking refuge behind Luna, too.

"Blaise knows." Luna told the room casually.

"Luna-" Blaise hissed from behind her as Hermione's gaze shifted over to him. "Now is really not the time for one of your random bouts of hysteria."

"Luna," Hermione said sweetly, turning to face the blonde and Blaise now. "Do be a dear and tell me what you mean-"

"Luna, if you're fond of me or any particular part of my appendage, do not go any further." Blaise cut in, earning a glare from Hermione.

No one in the room spoke, they only looked at Luna Lovegood. They looked at Luna Lovegood expectantly as she stood there looking at them all thoughtfully. It felt like forever, and Theo was fairly certain that the girl was going to come out with something utterly random that would make no sense and save the day.

"Blaise knows, but I don't think Theodore knows everything." The blonde said wistfully, giving Theo a small smile. "But Draco knows nothing, and I think that's unfair because he needs to see it too."

Hermione's brow creased. "Why would Draco need to know? This potion was supposed to bring about attraction wasn't it?" She turned her gaze to Blaise. "You gave me some sort of sexual attraction potion at the end of Eighth year that would ultimately kick in if I were entering spinster-hood? Thought you would get a kick to see mesimpingover that blonde bloody giant?"

Theo bit his thumbnail and made a small noise, which Hermione just happened to hear and rounded on him.

"That is what happened, isn't it?"

Theo winced, before Luna saved his skin.

"Read the book, Hermione." Luna told her gently. "Read the book in the morning to understand everything," She gave Blaise a small look. "And then come back here to finish these two off properly."

"Charming." Theo grumbled.

"-Supposed to be the love of my life-" Blaise whittled quietly to himself.

Theo watched a look settle over Hermione's features. In that moment she seemed to right herself, taking a deep breath.

"Very practical Luna, good idea." She said quietly, before pointing a finger at both Theo and Blaise. "You two had better not breath a word to Malfoy in the mean time- I need to know what I'm dealing with before that blonde idiot gets involved."

And then with a whoosh, Hermione Granger disappeared back through the grate.

Both Theodore and Blaise looked at the blonde.

"How the bloody hell do you know so much about this?" Blaise asked her curiously.

She shrugged. "You either snore or you talk in your sleep." She told him matter of factly. "I'm not fond of either, but when you do talk, you tell me things if I ask in the right way."

"Does he tell you anything he shouldn't?" Theo asked her, his eyes wide with delight of the prospect of Blaise unwittingly giving away all his secrets.

"Lots of things. Like your obsession with feet-" She told him with a small smile.

"-That's quite enough." Theo cut her off, throwing himself back down onto the couch. "No need to tell me anymore."

The hairs standing up on the back of her neck were the only signal she needed to know that Malfoy had entered her office on that Monday morning.

As soon as she felt him, she attempted to centre her nerves and stop the barrage of feelings that seemed to be engulfing her as soon as he was around.

Knowing now after learning what she had over the weekend with Luna, she was fully aware that she was up shits creek without a paddle, and there was nothing that she would be able to do about it.

And Malfoy was none the wiser.

She had convinced both Theo and Blaise not to breathe a word to the blonde menace until she at least attempted to be able to find some sort of antidote to the potion that the boys has stupidly given to them both on that fateful night in Eighth year.

But she had spent half of Saturday and all of Sunday researching and visiting established apothecaries… there was nothing that could be done to un-do the potions effects or to lull the emotions.

Well… no, that was a lie.

There were afewthings thatcouldbe done. But all of those things included Malfoy being in the know about what was happening, and she was going to try her best to not let that happen for a while. She had to keep on searching… she just had to.

Malfoy's presence just a short distance behind her was making her head swim. Much like it had while she had opened that book and used the spell to make the potions ingredients and spell appear on the page for her …

The words upon the page jumped out at her as she read carefully, not wanting to miss anything out. It was 6.30am in the morning and she had barely slept, the empty feeling in her gut rising to the surface.

She had tried to ignore it, but gave up the ghost and decided to open the book to try and take her mind off it. She needed to do something to quell the rising tension that was starting to feel almost normal to her.

Normal when she was not around Malfoy, anyway.

As her eyes viewed the page, her stomach sank. Those two little bastards have given both her and Malfoy the potion to drink. With two drinkers, the potion became potent enough to cause a bind between the drinkers if the potion had been made correctly.

Bind together always … increase in sexual attraction … magical bond … the smallest of touch to sate … will need more from one another as time goes on … an attraction on both parts needs to be present for the full effects of the potion to work … most are legally binded to quell the desire… driven to madness …

Legally binded to quell the desire.

Did … did that mean what she thought it did?

Feeling quite sick, she shut the book and decided that she was quite ready to do some damage to both Theodore and Blaise later in the day.

"How many time do I need to apologise – ouch!- I told you we thought it was an alcohol spell – oi! Bloody hellHermione, watch my hair! – We didn't tell you because we didn't think anything would come of – Jesus woman, will you stop hitting me!"

Hermione had already hit him on various parts of his body a few times previous, but the idiot always deserved a few more. Blaise was lucky that he was sitting close to Luna and therefore unreachable, or he would have been on the receiving end of a few slaps, too.

She put her head into her hands and breathed deep.

"The only way to stop these stupid thoughts and feelings cannot be Marriage – they just can't be. I refuse to believe it." She groaned and shook her head. "I have looked over this so many times – the touching might sate us a little to bide us some time but-" She looked up hopelessly at Luna. "How do I ask the git to touch me without either telling him the reason why or making him think that I've got a thing for him –" Luna gave her a look. "-which I absolutely do not."

"In my defence-" Theo chimed in.

"You have no defence." Hermione bit at him. "Absolutely none."

"I knew nothing about any of this." He pointed his finger at Blaise. "He's the one who would have read about that – I didn't get to see the bottom of the page."

"You little bloody snitch." Blaise goaded under his breath, glaring at Theo. "I read it but I didn't believe it, did I?" His voice went a little higher.

"How was I supposed to know that Granger and Malfoy would end up being civil to each other and give each other those little looks that no one thinks they're giving each other?"

There was silence for a moment as Hermione flushed, her cheeks turning pink.

Could she help it? The man was attractive, anyone could see that. But … each other?

Surely not. Malfoy never looked at her like that. The look she usually got from him was one of complete contempt.

"It must be the threads." Luna beamed happily, looking at Blaise. "I told you they've always had something to do with this." She slapped Blaise's leg rather excitedly. "I always saw something there – then you started talking to me in your sleep again –"

"Let's not go there-"

"-Oh no, please, do go on-"

"-shut it you git-"

"Can we please just focus on the matter at hand?" Hermione interrupted in a rather stern voice. "My life as I know it is about to be turned upside down because you two complete arses decided not to even bother cross-checking what potion you were giving to somebody – me and Malfoy could have died, for all you know!"

"And we have apologised and taken a beating ever since!" Theo told her with a shake of his head. "Believe me, neither of us wanted this to happen – I've spent the last eleven years with neurotic tendencies because of this complete farce. How I haven't ended up in St Mungo's with a nervous breakdown I'll never know."

Hermione had to titter a little at that. Theo could be a drama Queen, but she was fully aware that this whole thing would have brought him nothing but stress and anxiety.

His actions over the last few years could attest to that – he was certainly paying for his crime.

"So, what do we tell Draco?" Blaise asked in a grumble, his voice quiet and passive. "And can we wait until I am at least three separate continents away before we break the news?"

"We don't." Hermione told them resolutely. She had been thinking a lot about this, and the best course of action in terms of Malfoy was no action at all. For now, at least. "I want to see if there are any spells or other potions that can un-do this bond. I want to do some research before I find something – maybe a spell I can do myself, if I can find one."

"And in the meantime?" Luna asked her curiously. "Would it not be better letting Malfoy know? At least that way he's aware of why he's feeling the way he is and will try his best to stay away from you?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, it's an eery sort of feeling to be away from him. It feels better when he's close by, but too close and it's like static –" She mulled over the open page in the book. "I can only assume that the need to feel closer causes us to want to touch and therefore sate the 'desire'… for want of a better word."

"So, we don't tell Draco?" Theo sounded worried again.

Hermione gave him a stern look. "Just give me a week or two; try and figure all of this out. If I find nothing, then we can tell him."

Blaise and Luna reluctantly agreed.

"I've been seeing that threat for years, Hermione." Luna told her in warning as she handed her a mug of black coffee. "Just… be careful." Her eyes were serious for a moment. "If this is old Magic then you need to make sure you're treating it with respect."

"If she respects it then she's going to end up the next Mrs Malfoy." Theodore quipped. "Old Lucius is going to be over the bloody moon about that."

Hermione groaned again. "Oh God … I can't marry Malfoy, I just can't."

But the strange sensation in her stomach lit up slightly as she spoke the words. And she knew right then that if she let this go on and did not manage to find an antidote, then there would be trouble brewing for both herself and for Malfoy...

"Is Blaise about?"

Oh fuck… his voice was like silk against her ear, and he was still nowhere near her.

How was she actually going to be able to do this? How could she pull any of this off and keep herself sane when all she wanted to do was turn around, run her hands through his hair and run the other over his chest.

Instead, she steeled herself and turned around, looking up at him. Tall. Wearing a crisp white shirt, a charcoal grey suit with a matching tie and a pair of black rimmed glasses.

Jesus.

Even without the potion's effects kicking in, those glasses did things to her.

"He's just popped out to see Harry," Her mouth felt dry as she caught the smell of his aftershave. "Did you need something?"

He gave her a small glance and the tiniest hint of a smirk settled on his lips. "You could say that."

Dangerous territory. Just turn around and walk away … move away from him … move your bloody legs, woman!

Hermione managed to manoeuvre her way to Blaise's desk until she was facing him again. He Malfoy had decided to lean his thighs against her desk now, crossing his arms over his chest as he viewed her.

"Something wrong, Granger?" She could not look at him as she felt his eyes grazing over her. She had to remember that this was just a spell.

This was just something that was happening to them that they had no control over. "You look a little flushed…get up to something this weekend that I should know about?"

She gave him a small glare, shaking her head.

"Always has to come back to sex with you, doesn't it?"

And then she immediately regretted her words, as Malfoy raised his eyebrow at her.

"Doesn't everything lead back to sex?" He asked her with a wolfish grin on his face as he pushed himself from her desk and walked forwards until he was standing in front of Blaise's. "It's only natural, isn't it?"

Hermione felt her heart rate increasing. Draco Malfoy talking so openly with her about sex while he was standing in her office looking likethatcould come to no good at all.

"What? Sex?"

He smirked again and leaned in, both palms on the edges of Blaise's office desk. His eyes were bright again as he looked at her. "No." He bit his lip for a moment, causing her to turn to a puddle on the floor in front of him. "Thinking about it."

She let out a breath she had not even realised she had been holding and glanced down –For Malfoy– A brown paper envelope. She picked it up and thrust it at him, trying not to look into his eyes in case she melted some more.

Bloody hormones… bloody spell … I am going to kill those two idiots…

She just had to keep it together – stop the feeling controlling her. Stop the need to look at him and imagine what he would look like with his shirt off and whether his thighs would be as thick as they looked in his work pants.

Wonder whether his hair felt as thick as it looked. Wonder whether he would handle her roughly or-

His hand reached out, taking old of the envelope – his fingertips brushed hers.

And she heard it.

That small sound that escaped his throat on the contact.

She felt it – something akin to a calming wave lapping at the edge of the beach. Or a cooling barm to sate the skin after too much sun. It was like relief when their fingers touched, a cold shower on a hot day.

It did not take away the warmth, but it took away the uncomfortable feeling, bringing a light relief and a chance for the fog in her brain to lift.

His stance had changed.

He had pulled away, standing straight and looking uncomfortable. She almost felt sorry for him; unaware of why he was feeling the way he was. If he knew, then maybe he would conduct himself differently. If he knew, he might even want to help her to find a way out of this.

He was looking at her.

He knew that she knew something. He was not stupid by any means.

"What the fuck was that?" He asked her seriously, looking at her intensely, trying to figure something out. "Did you feel that?"

She let out a small breath, shoulder sagging. "I did."

"Granger…" His voice was low and dangerous. "What was it?"

Fuck… she would have to tell him now. After all, it would be incredibly unfair of her to leave him in limbo like that.

At first, she had considered that telling him would only add fuel to the fire; he would moan and complain and kick up a fuss that she really did not need to be able to figure a way out of the shambles that Theo and Blaise had put them in. Keeping Malfoy in the dark would also lessen her embarrassment.

The embarrassment she knew she was going to feel when he inevitably realised that for this particular potion to work there had to be some sort of attraction between them in the first place.

It made her head hurt.

But now she realised that she would have to do this. He deserved to know everything that she did, warts and all, and then be able to decide whether he wanted to help the situation or whether he wanted to just ignore it and deal with it in his own way. They just had to be adults about this; there was no other way around it.

"We need to have a little chat." She told him finally, putting her arms over her chest.

"I'll bet we fucking do." Draco was viewing her defensively. She was struggling to work out what his reaction was going to be to their little situation – but she knew he was most definitely not going to be happy about it.

"My place at seven tonight." It was not a request. It was an order. "Don't bring anyone else, Granger."

And then he gave her one last serious look, before turning and walking away without giving her time to protest.

Talk about being thrown right in to the snake pit.