Eyes bleary and exhausted, Hermione forced herself to push onwards in an essay she had found in one of the old journals that contained specific details about the lunar affiliation. The more they learned about the obscure magic drawn forth by the moon, the better Malfoy could learn to handle it. On numerous occasions, he had mentioned he didn't know exactly how it operated.
And in all of her research, this was the most comprehensive page she had found. Drawing a scroll of parchment towards her, Hermione hastily scrawled a few key notes, given the journal was handwritten and its paper yellowed from the centuries. She jumped, startled, when Malfoy poked his head through the door and asked, "Are you nearly set?"
"Yeah," she breathed, eyes dropping back to the section she had been reading.
Hugo had arranged for their Portkey to Italy, and it was set to depart in the next fifteen minutes. Hermione had been packed for hours and had decided to pass the time with some further research. It felt wholly different to be visiting Italy—where everything was secretive and clandestine—in comparison to France, where their efforts had revolved around a political agenda.
Apparently during their first visit to Italy, Malfoy and Bergen had warded and enchanted one of the ancient Nocturnus castles so they could Portkey directly within the wards—and the high mage had enchanted the device so it would be untraceable after the fact.
While Malfoy had initially suggested they visit Italy together, it hardly made sense when there was so much to be done, and much of the council and guard would be travelling as well on separate Portkeys. But according to Malfoy, the castle was plenty large enough that they wouldn't see anyone else unless they needed to.
Nerves chased through her at the thought.
When she glanced back up, having been caught up in her reading, Malfoy was gone. She suspected he had learned better than to bother her while she was in the middle of something.
Her hand stalled, mid-sentence as she read. With a thick swallow, she re-read the sentence three times; the writing was thin and faded, and a lump accumulated in her stomach.
The lunar affiliation, that rare magic which possesses many facets, shall only increase in strength with the consummation of the Lunae bonds.
"Granger." Eyes wide, she stared at Malfoy again, heart racing. "Put the book down—we've got to go."
Carefully marking her page and stowing the journal and her notes in her travel bag, Hermione forced a smile. "Of course—Italy awaits."
His eyes tightened, calculating, when she jumped to her feet, shrinking and pocketing her bags. Frowning, he stared at her bag. "What did you just read?" It was frightening, sometimes, how well he had come to read her in such a short amount of time.
"Tell you later," she huffed in a breath. "Portkey?"
Draco watched while Granger fidgeted with her bags once they'd arrived on the grounds of the castle; the guard contingent had already landed an hour prior and done a full security sweep of the castle for extraneous magic or any traces of human presence since he and Bergen had last been.
She had been acting skittish ever since he had gone to her room before leaving, and he couldn't quite determine why. For weeks, she had been poring over the Nocturnus journals, but the way his predecessors had droned on about the most trivial of details left him ready for a nap every time Draco tried.
Approaching her, he met her eyes. "So? What do you think?"
"It's incredible." Awe shone in her stare, and a brilliant smile spread across her face. "I can't believe the old Lunaes used to live here."
"Podski will be along shortly," Draco mused, tugging her hand into his, "and he'll sort through your things, given we don't know how long we'll be staying here. I'll take you for a tour—but I don't know even half of it. Bergen and I didn't have a lot of time when we were here before."
Breathless, she nodded, gazing up from inside the tall, foreboding walls of the castle. The brilliant architecture was that of legend, crumbling stone crawling with vines and foliage, tall spiraling turrets. Beyond the walls were the endless, sprawling fields of Tuscany in every direction as far as they could see.
Interlacing their fingers, Granger ventured forward, staring up at the towering fortress.
Gazing at the tallest tower, Draco pointed and said, "That's the Lunae tower. Where the Lunae quarters are… but there's only one problem."
"Let me guess," she said with a curious smile, "shared quarters?"
"Shared quarters." Gauging her reaction, he added, "Of course, there are plenty of rooms if you prefer otherwise."
Her voice was quiet. "I'm sure we can make do for a few days."
Dragging her closer with a grin, he led her into the castle and through the main living areas towards the tower he had pointed out. Despite having seen many lavish residences in his life, exploring the castle with Granger—who was prone to awe and vibrant excitement—set a spark within his own heart alight. By the time they reached the Lunae tower, her smile was wide with exhilaration.
Through the grand sleeping quarters, exposed to the elements, was an expansive balcony which looked directly upon the moon at its culmination. A breath caught in his throat as they gazed out at the night sky dotted with millions of stars. Granger tucked herself into his side, and he slung an arm around her shoulders, drawing her towards him.
"The circumstances may not be ideal," Draco said, idly tugging at one of her curls, "but I wanted to bring you to Italy—and here we are."
The warm chocolate in her gaze sparkled up at him, and she teased, "And you said there wouldn't be any romance in this marriage."
Wryly, he drawled, "It helps that we haven't been opposing one another at every turn."
"Yet." The word was soft and flippant, but she nudged him in the side all the same.
"Yet."
"I'm sure it's only a matter of time." Pressing her lips to his, she wore a smile when she drew away. "But I suppose we'll deal with that when we come to it—because the only alternative is that I kill you, and I can't do that."
Softly, he said, "Because of the contract."
"Exactly."
Grinning, he pulled her closer. "We've got a long day tomorrow. Get some rest." When she coiled her arms around his middle, her face dropping against his chest, Draco wondered whether he would find any of his own.
On more than one occasion, Hermione considered the thought that they might simply relocate the residence of the Nocturnus Order to the Tuscany castle, because it was not only stunningly beautiful, but it also seemed to come alive with the ancient magic it had seen through the centuries. As if at every turn, the magic of the castle reached for her own in a joyous thrall.
She hadn't had a chance to look into the journal pages she had discovered since arriving in Italy, given Malfoy had been at her side at every moment the day before, and he had already been awake when she rose from bed that morning. It wasn't that she didn't want him to know what she had found, merely that she wanted the chance to properly read the passage herself first.
It made sense that the consummation of the bonds would be required to further strengthen the affiliation—so much sense, in fact, that she wondered why it hadn't already occurred to her—and she wasn't opposed to the idea. As she had told Malfoy, she had expected the consummation to be necessary earlier on.
And it wasn't that she didn't like him. He was attractive and had grown up from the spoiled boy she had known from Hogwarts. They related to one another, and she felt a connection with him already she never would have expected, not even after years of marriage.
He had been patient with her—but the few times they had taken things in that direction, nothing had come of it.
If consummation was required to strengthen the affiliation, she was more than willing.
She often wondered at the role the magic of the bonds played in the connection between them—but more likely, it only built on what had already come to exist between them.
But something caused her to hesitate—beyond learning whatever was stated about the matter in the journal. One last thing had hovered at the edges of her mind since stumbling across the pages.
Avance had been hesitant to make their true aims known, even while they had pursued multiple leads in France. The council suspected it was because of the weak power of the affiliation—and if Avance somehow had a way to determine the strength of the power their leader so sought to claim for herself...
Hermione didn't want Malfoy to gain full strength of the affiliation if it meant his life would be in immediate danger.
It was most likely irrational, and the Nocturnus guard had proven themselves capable time and again. But it meant there was a chance the only reason Avance wasn't on their doorstep was because the affiliation had not yet reached its true strength—because the bonds hadn't been consummated.
Once she had a chance to properly read through the pages, she would explain the situation to Malfoy. This, like every other matter, was be a decision to be made between them. She had no intentions of keeping private what she had learned—she just needed the time to properly process it.
Forcing her mind clear of the thoughts, Hermione looked around the table at the council before them. The possible avenues of where to begin while in Italy were staggering—and everything was shrouded in a dire need for secrecy.
Bergen would be meeting with some of his contacts—he had brought along a few from his advising team—and Glenneth had expressed an interest in fortifying the enchantments on the castle. It all left Hermione and Malfoy more or less to their own devices—which didn't leave room for much given they would be stalked by guards if they so much as tried to venture beyond the wards.
Elias Bergen had opted not to take Hugo with him this time, which meant the young man would be within the castle alongside the pair of them. Catching Malfoy's eye, Hermione felt a smile pull at her lips when he grimaced.
While far from the most important reason for being in Italy, Hermione would try to find some time to finish reading the passage. And they would discuss the situation like adults—rational, sexually driven adults.
While avoiding Hugo.
Hopefully in the coming days, there would be specific locations or people to investigate because Hermione wasn't keen on the idea of staying locked in the castle while everyone else did all the work. For the day, at least, she would visit the library they had spotted the night before on their tour.
Maybe the old resources would give them some leads on the history and motivations of Alba. A smile came to her lips at the thought.
While Malfoy's nose was buried in a book, Hermione cast a furtive glance around the library before drawing the journal from her bag. Dull candlelight flickered and lit their workspace. Curiosity had been almost overwhelming her ever since she read the initial mention the night before. Keeping the journal close to her face, she sped through the pages, feeling the blood drain from her face.
"You know I'm going to find out what you're reading," Malfoy drawled without looking up from his book. "No matter how you hide it—or how you pretend as if you aren't."
Blast him and his Slytherin powers of observation.
Snickering, he went on. "It's like you're reading erotica or something."
"I'm not," she hissed, colour flaring in her cheeks.
His grey eyes finally snapped to hers. "It's fine if you are."
Huffing, she narrowed her eyes in his direction before continuing on with the journal, making an active effort to behave casually as if she had never been hiding the journal away. But he only laughed, shaking his head as he returned to his own book.
A breath chased from her lungs as she re-read the first passage once more.
The lunar affiliation, that rare magic which possesses many facets, shall only increase in strength with the consummation of the Lunae bonds. Of course, the circumstances of the consummation are most important. With the growth of the connection between the Lunae Ortus and his Lunae Amor grows the power of the affiliation. When the bond is great, so too will be the resilience and the magic. All elements of the affiliation are not made equal, and many do not take the time to learn of its many uses, far beyond its destructive magic.
"Malfoy," Hermione ground through her teeth; despite her desire to think through it on her own, the implications about the affiliation were too important.
With a cocky smile on his face, he turned to her. "Yes? What is it you've found?"
Without looking at him, she asked, "How much do you actually know about the affiliation? This here says it possesses many uses."
Expression sobering when she glanced up, he shrugged. "As you know, there isn't much written on it. I was hoping to find some more resources on it here, but so far I'm coming up empty. What does that journal say?"
Flushing, she turned the page. "Only that it possesses many facets, and they aren't equal in power."
"The only part that's been documented is its powers of destruction," Malfoy said, leaning forward in his seat. "Which obviously you've seen a small measure of—but there are stories of Lunaes who decimated their enemies with it."
"You also fixed the roof after you damaged it," Hermione mused, chewing on the end of her quill. "I wonder whether the affiliation bends to your will, to a certain extent."
They stared at one another for a long moment, the air tense, as if something hovered just beyond the reaches of her comprehension. Finally he shook his head, leaning back. "As we know, with all magic, intent matters. So it very well could." His lips curled with a smirk, and his eyes darkened when they found hers. "I know that wasn't what had you over there blushing."
Her eyes flickered over one other statement.
Of course, the circumstances of the consummation are most important.
There had to be more details regarding the consummation somewhere—because that wasn't something they could fix if it was incorrect. Judging by the look on Malfoy's face, she suspected he knew what she was reading, and maybe he knew something about the specifics of it—but with his smug gloating at the moment, she wasn't keen to bring it up.
"I will let you know," she clipped delicately, "when I know more."
Turning back to his book with a flicker of his brows, he said, "You do know I can guess what you're reading."
Huffing, Hermione felt a prickle of irritation. While they got on better than she had expected, he was still Malfoy, and he had only grown more versed at rubbing her the wrong way when he so chose. "Then tell me: what is it?"
"My guess," he began, voice low, "is you've come across something with regards to the consummation of the Lunae bonds given the way you're acting like a teenage girl over it. Maybe you're wondering why we haven't—or why I specifically haven't broached the topic." Flipping the page, he casually drawled, "Or you're trying to puzzle out the circumstances that will be most effective."
Despite her best efforts, she couldn't help the flare of colour in her cheeks. It wasn't as if she hadn't considered it—numerous times—and they had already been moderately physical with one another. But hearing him discuss the situation with such a wry flippancy stirred something in the core of her being. Clearing her throat, she managed, "The last one."
"As I said," he carried on, carefully marking his page and setting his book aside. At last, he lifted his eyes to hers. "Intent matters. Generations of Lunaes forced their Amors into consummation and then wondered why the affiliation wouldn't serve their bidding in the way they had hoped."
"So you know," she hissed, "that consummation of the bonds will strengthen the affiliation."
Nodding, Malfoy drawled, "Yes, I know something about that. But it was never my intention to force you into anything." His eyes sparkled, and his lips curled into a smile. "That's what you found."
Folding her arms, she fixed him with a stare. "Once the lunar affiliation reaches its full strength, you're vulnerable to Avance."
"That's one way to put it." Malfoy poured two glasses of water from a tall carafe in the middle of the table and took a long sip from his. "Some might suggest the full strength of the bonds, the increased power of the affiliation, would make me less vulnerable."
Breaths chased rapidly from her lungs as she stared at him and sucked in a long gulp from her own glass of water. "So what are you saying?"
"I'm saying," he said, his voice light and lofty once more, "what I've always said. I'm not asking anything of you, and I'm certainly not going to force your hand. I never wanted it to feel like a requirement or an obligation. When you're ready—and truly ready, because we only have one shot at it—then we will proceed. The stronger the connection between us, the stronger the bonds, and the stronger the affiliation. It all goes hand in hand—symbiotic, remember?"
Heat burned her cheeks again, and she dragged her bottom lip between her teeth; her heart leapt wildly at his genuine words. "And if the time comes—you know of the proper circumstances?"
"When this conversation is more than hypothetical," he mused, "yes. We'll address all of that."
A giggle burst from her lips despite the subject matter of the conversation. "You make this sound like a business arrangement."
"I hate to break it to you, Granger," he muttered, "but this sort of all is." For a moment, his expression faltered, and he pulled her hand into his across the table. The dim candlelight flickered and cast shadows on his face. "However, I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't feel like business."
With a smile, she breathed, "I'll hold you to that."
A crooked grin swept across his face, and he opened his mouth to say something more.
"There you two are!"
Hermione blinked, withdrawing her hand; her eyes narrowed when Hugo Bergen slipped into the seat at the end of their table.
Malfoy's lip curled with a hint of disdain, but he sighed. "What is it, Hugo? Has something happened? I told the council we'd be in the library—"
"Nothing's happened," Hugo interrupted with a dismissive wave as he leaned back in his seat and folded his hands across his middle. "I'm just bored as hell. Do you know what we should do tonight?"
Pressing her lips into a thin line at the visible irritation on Malfoy's face, Hermione struggled to withhold a laugh.
"No," Malfoy said, rolling his eyes. "Hermione and I are going to continue studying for any information we can use. And if you're bored, you're welcome to do the same—only at a different table."
Ignoring the jab, Hugo clicked his tongue and propped his boots up on the corner of the table. "There are a lot of Nocturnus members in Italy. We should invite some people over—have a party."
"Absolutely not," Malfoy snapped. "We don't know who we can trust. I'm not alerting anyone of our presence here without necessity."
Hugo rolled his eyes, dropping his head back over the edge of his seat; biting her tongue so as to avoid winding up in the middle of it, Hermione watched as Malfoy's hand tensed on the table. Hugo drawled, "You can trust Nocturnus. The guards won't let anyone inside who isn't in the Order, and you know that."
"We are not here to party," Malfoy said through a clenched jaw. "And there are far more important things at stake—as a member of the Nocturnus Council, you ought to know that."
Heaving a great sigh, Hugo said, "You know I do. But it's one night—surely we can have a few friends over."
For a moment, Hermione thought the row was going to break into a shouting match—her hand twitched towards her wand when Malfoy sighed, dropping his face into one hand. "Fine," he ground through his teeth. "You may invite a small group over—Nocturnus only. But for the love of Merlin, make sure they're all vetted by the guards before entering the grounds."
Clapping his hands together, victorious, Hugo flashed a toothy grin. "Excellent! It'll do you good to unwind."
Malfoy growled, "I'm not coming—" But Hugo was already gone. He turned to face Hermione, sucking on his teeth. "Thanks for your help."
"I wasn't getting in the middle of that," she said idly.
Sighing, he tapped the end of his quill on the table, staring blankly at the book he'd been studying. With a soft, resigned voice, he asked, "Why do I keep Hugo around?"
"Comic relief?"
Snorting, he muttered, "Hardly."
Author's Note: Thank you all for your continued support on Nocturnus! I appreciate all your kind words so much, as well as your favourites, follows, and kudos. I hope you're all doing well and keeping safe.
Love to my wonderful team of alphas, LadyKenz347 and Kyonomiko, and my beta ravenslight.