She had been laying here for over fifteen minutes and wanted to get up. The boys were warm and she was comfortable but awake and restless. So she did several contortionist movements and inserted a pillow charmed to hold its temperature between the two smaller bodies. It was only six in the morning and they had been up late the night before.
Magic was brilliant, she thought as she brushed her teeth and threw on a hoodie while silenced and then took the spells off the room and made her way down the stairs.
The two older ones that matched the pair in her bed were in the kitchen and she froze for a second, then sternly told herself that this was what was happening. This was reality and she did want to be comfortable with them, one day. For the boys she could do anything and being herself in front of two men who had never liked her was hardly the worst thing.
"They are sleeping." She offered and the nods told her that they had asked the elves where the boys were. Probably had checked themselves but would not have been able to get into her rooms. Maybe she should reconsider those wards. It was basically set for the boys and her, that might not be fair anymore.
So she tucked her hair behind her ear and made for where she remembered the cups being and then Treacle was there beside her. His reproachful eyes on her, and she meekly went and sat at the table. Each wizard on one side of her at the other end. In a second there was coffee in the press and the table went from how it was laid out for them when she had entered the room to how it had been laid out in Italy for her.
"English style or whatever is fine Treacle." Her quiet words got raised eyebrows from the men but the elf didn't respond. She did accept the fruit and knife with her usual smile, deciding that this was painful and she hoped the boys would wake up soon.
Theo and Draco had gone for a walk after the boys went to bed last night and she had sat with Blaise for an hour, then given in and gone to bed. She hadn't been sleeping well and last night was way better. Six uninterrupted hours was definitely a win.
"Will you tell me about him?" She wasn't startled or surprised when Draco spoke. One of them was bound to ask something. She quartered the pear and thought about how to answer that.
"I don't know how to describe either of them. I can tell you things about them though. Do you want regular things or important things?" The pear had not grown in this rainy climate and she had never known how good they could be. The flavour helped and the smell of the coffee. She missed Blaise right then but he had left late last night. Wanting to get the full day in at work and hopefully get home earlier.
"Regular things." Theo said quietly and she looked up at him. Tray's eyes were a bit lighter but he was so similar in that moment. Looking at her, openly assessing and expecting. She smiled, couldn't help it and wished she had someone to share a glance with.
"They do a lot together. In fact they do nearly everything together. Rarely will one eat something if the other doesn't like it. If I am maybe but even that is rare. So all of this applies to both. Flying is in and I hope you take them to every game that it works out to attend. They take it seriously and I know they are hoping you will too. Food is mostly good. Green peppers raw aren't as acceptable as red or yellow. Cauliflower only with cheese. Fish is less popular unless it is fried. Breakfast early and nearly right away. They love fruit. Strawberries especially and enjoy eating. Basic things or more complex things. Both will tolerate moderate spice. More if it's pizza or something like that. They like playing board games and they like reading. Learning too. Scorp isn't as big a fan of dry knowledge but if it's got some application or sense of story then he is as involved. He draws, it's been over the last year that art has become more important. School really." The coffee was done and she sipped while she waited for a question or indication to keep going.
"Tell me something important." Draco said and she looked up at him. He was watching her and she wasn't sure what the visible emotions were.
"The fundamentals. Who is where. Where are we going. They like surprises but not of the basic variety. In fact I always hint at a surprise first so they expect change. They need to know what is happening. Please tell them until it becomes normal and they relax. It took a year or so for them to really not need to know pretty much exactly where I was. The last few months have been more like that again, so this is a transition too. Don't make them not share a room. I think it won't be too long now and something like an adjoining door was how we have been talking about it. I talk to them about almost everything so do that. Ask their opinions and give yours. Explain why if they ask. They won't about safety or if you bark at them. Not until after the situation has passed. They have been through things and it's there." She stopped speaking and thought that was enough. Her pear was nearly finished and she felt better.
Topping up her cup of coffee she looked around the room. It was sort of the same but brighter. Definitely the whites were crisp and the feel was sort of similar to the hideout. Blaise was excellent and thoughtful, abetted and probably encouraged by the elves.
Her shoulders had relaxed and she felt way better after a few minutes of comfortable silence. She tried to pretend the two men weren't communicating above her head and looked out the window at the still dark landscape. They needed a porch light or something.
"Are you okay with this? Us staying here and you too. It's your house." Hermione listened to Draco's less than eloquent question and considered how to respond before she looked up and met their eyes.
"This is fine. It's more than fine. I've been prepping them but I've also been trying to be ready. I didn't ask Blaise, he was worried enough, my only real fear was that you wouldn't want me to see them or something. This is exactly what they wanted and I hope it's alright." She kept looking between them and finally looked down. She could see almost nothing on either face and it was disconcerting. Her effort to be open had not been the right way to go about this maybe. In that second she wanted to leave the room. Before she could actually move Theo shifted and she looked up to see his eyes down.
"No, I have no idea what's actually going on with the legal end of things. Blaise is quiet and says he is working on it. This is way better than whatever else."
Theo spoke quietly and she nodded even though he wasn't looking at her. Okay, that was alright. Pushing anything wasn't a good idea and she didn't want to add to their mental loads.
"You'll stay for a while then? With us?" Draco asked bluntly and she looked from her cup to him. Surprised at the tone, it had been softer before. It was impossible to look at them without seeing the boys. Amazing to see the similarities even though they hadn't been there to model behaviours off of.
"If that's alright. I don't know what else to suggest." She stopped and took a quick breath before continuing. "If you need more space or anything really then please let me know. I won't be offended or anything." She met those grey eyes, wanting him to know she meant it.
"Being alone isn't what any of us need." Was the quiet answer, she knew Draco spoke for both of them and nodded her acceptance.
"Tell me, us, what you think we should know. This is a time for you to share the knowledge you've been storing up." Theo said and she looked at him.
"We need tutoring Granger. Failure isn't an option." Draco's serious tone wasn't funny though it could have been in another moment. They were looking at her like they meant it and she could only nod again before she heard the smaller feet on the stairs.
"This is breakfast time." She said as they all stared at the door.
"Pancakes Miss?" Snitch asked before the pop of his arrival had faded and she nodded.
"Always pancakes with strawberries on special days." She offered to the two wizards who nodded seriously then looked back to the door as it opened.
"My, morning." Scorp said and then froze just inside the door. Tray had stopped at the door and she smiled at them.
"We were waiting for you two before we asked for pancakes." She said casually into the silence. Tray moved his eyes to her and she waited, half turned in her seat and then after some seconds he nodded and walked to the open seat between her and Theo. Scorp did the same after he was seated, far more casually and then looked at her empty cup and then at his dad.
"Where is Blaise?" He asked her and she knew it was the fact that neither wizard had filled her cup up that brought it to mind.
"I can pour my own coffee Scorp. Are you having juice or milk?" She asked him, giving Tray a minute to settle into the situation.
"Let's ask them. Maybe they will want to." Tray looked up at her coaxing tone and she grinned at his serious face.
"He likes to read. I know he knows how and they were just as well educated as me. More so maybe but that's not important. I've caught up by now." Her lofty tone got a laugh from Scorp but no response from Tray and she decided to push a bit.
"We won't know if we don't ask them. Both of you love to read and if you want to read these hard books then you sometimes need help. Both of them can do this. You wanted to save this to read with your dads. They are here and I want to read the book too." She knew the two in her lounge could hear them and so would be ready. Even if they didn't want to, both would say yes so there was no risk of being shot down.
The two younger males had been sitting together on the floor couch, that had been moved to their room here from Italy, talking about it when she went looking for them and she knew it was time. Blaise had gone into the office for the day and it was just the five of them here.
"You go first." Scorp said and she smiled at him. Then Tray who looked as solemn as he ever did then walked around the open door and into the room. Being under their gaze without the boys there wasn't exactly comfortable but she didn't feel uncomfortable either. Then she waited for the two to come in behind her and after ten seconds she huffed.
"I've been waiting to read this with them and they wanted to wait for you. Will you read The Hobbit with me?" She asked then, eyes flicking between the two on the couch, their silence lasted a few seconds.
"All the comments I want to make about being sure you've read it before." Draco spoke slowly and Theo nodded.
"Or are completely capable." He added in and she rolled her eyes at their version of humour. Then she held each ones gaze for a second and waited.
"Yes. Let's read it." Draco said and Theo grinned at him.
"Drake loves a story. Used to bemoan the books you carried around being things he wasn't allowed to read. Did you bring this one to school?" Theo asked her and she smiled her relief and flicked her hand to the space between them. Nothing. Not yes or no. Both were seemingly frozen and she decided to brazen it out. She wanted the boys to sit physically with the men and this would hopefully accomplish that. Increase in acceptance of physical contact with them.
As she sat between them she was glad to have the book in her hands.
"It's a fantasy story, the magic and creatures are not like our elves or dragons." With that preface she crossed her legs and settled back into the worn leather.
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort." It was impossible to hide her smile as she read the familiar lines and she didn't try to, just grinned as she read the first line and then kept going.
Not looking up when she heard movement or when Draco shifted beside her. She just kept reading when Tray sat against her legs and then Scorp wiggled between Draco and her. She did catch Theo's eye and tried to tell him to move closer. Minutes passed as she read and eventually the wizard was closer and she lifted her free hand to card through Tray's curls, removing them to turn the page. Hermione read two chapters and then stopped.
"Don't stop My." Scorp said from under her arm and she looked to him. His face was relaxed and happy. He was interested in the story and was leaned against Draco's chest and her side. Both wizards had moved closer and she looked down to see Tray with his head leaned against his dad's thigh and he was waiting expectantly.
"Someone else could read." She pointed out and waited for a volunteer.
"Keep going Granger. This is amazing. It's short though." She looked to Draco at the pout in the last words and grinned at him.
"It's a prequel and there are three more. Each one at least twice this one's length. They are darker though. I've got them if you want to try it." Then she looked back down and decided it was better to read than think about her being sandwiched here between them.
Blaise found them there. Low table with drinks and snacks half eaten and Draco reading the book now. She had protested after six chapters and Theo had done one. Then Draco had gotten ahold of it and seemed to enjoy their attention. She tried not give things away but be looked up at her face when he wanted to know what would happen.
"This is cozy." Blaise said from the door and it wasn't a jibe at all. He loosened his tie and threw a pillow down at her feet then settled in.
"What are we reading?" He asked and when Theo answered he looked up at her.
"Good thing you let me read it. Alright. You'll like it Drake. The rest of them too." Blaise said to his friend and she smiled at the easy way he settled into the room and his clear joy at seeing them together like this. He had been waiting a long time and she was so happy for them. For them all to be reunited and happy. Safe together. Maybe for the first time.