The witch was in the bath, having caved and told Blaise when he wouldn't leave her alone about playing cards. Pertly informed him that if she wished to spend an hour without a single male in her vicinity and with the better company of her book then that was her due.
So the three of them sat around the table with beers Blaise had picked up at the witch's request. It was good, different and Draco could tell that Theo liked it. He drank whiskey like all of them but casually he didn't like it as much and Draco watched him roll the flavour around his mouth with a small smile. Blaise had seen it too and they both made sure to break off the eye contact, lest Theo catch them and hibernate for half an hour.
"Any questions?" Blaise asked, leaning back in his chair and picking at the label on the dark brown bottle in front of him. This was becoming a habit and he couldn't say he didn't like it, with or without the witch. That they would just ask questions, whoever was there and then people could answer or at least indicate they didn't have a fucking clue if that was the case.
Looking to Theo showed only contemplation and so he waved his wand and didn't say the incantation. Feeling a rush when the magic surrounded them and he knew it had worked. His grin got a scoff from Blaise but he was smiling and Theo gave him a nod. They had been working on it. Quietly and trying to not show the deficiencies. It was nice to use it nearly exactly how he wanted to.
Now the witch had no way of hearing them, or he didn't think she was spying anyways so this was good enough. He thought about the two questions he had and took a sip then met Blaise's eyes. The dark ones had been on him, knew he would speak and only looked interested.
"Is it totally fucked up to ogle her?" It was blunt but there was no reaction that said they thought him out of bounds. Blaise only looked him over and then looked to Theo, who gave such a dry look that Blaise chuckled.
"Watching her has been a fringe benefit of this whole thing. Bathing suits and dresses. The sun dresses are amazing and if I'm careful and quiet about it she wears what I buy her. Doesn't acknowledge most of it but if she likes something then she does. The way her jeans cup her thighs when she crosses her legs." The totally satisfied tone in Blaise's voice was so many things.
Hilarious and totally serious at the same time as it was honest, said in such a way as to increase the fact that he wanted to look at the witch. He looked to Theo in his incredulity and only got a direct stare in response.
"Those sleep shorts." Draco said into the silence and Theo made a rumbling sound of agreement. Draco knew he probably wouldn't comment but it didn't change his friend's thoughts. Morning Hermione was Theo's favourite by far. When she basically carried on as if they weren't there. Foot up on a chair sometimes or legs crossed. She had come with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and once with pillow lines on her face. It wasn't posed and it wasn't for their benefit. She hadn't teased or been revealing in any way. The witch was trying to just be herself.
Blaise had kindly explained that to them and he had repeated that excepting slight pauses and perhaps edited speech, this was the witch he had spent the last two years with. Why hadn't he swept her up? Theo caught his eye and Draco felt the push against his occlumency shields. It only took them a second to exchange the information, it was so familiar and he was glad to feel it. This was the first time they had done it so successfully since before prison, it hadn't worked well in there at all. Now with their magic and more things settling it was possible and Theo felt ready. The casual situation was reassuring too.
The flashes of her smiles at Blaise and the easy way they sat together. Little moments of shared understanding and even flashes of appreciation in Blaise's eyes.
"Care to share why you aren't in the bath with her?" Draco asked bluntly. Blaise met his eyes squarely and then looked to Theo. He watched Blaise take a breath and nod then sip his and Draco wasn't sure what Blaise was thinking. Then, as if their friend knew what Theo and him had done seconds before, Blaise pulled his wand and put it on the table. Hands flat, he looked up and nodded once.
For seconds Draco looked at his friend, who hadn't been great at this in school and the increased confidence there now. He wasn't at his best and Blaise was offering but still. Then he looked to Theo who nodded after a second and he could see the clear yes in his blue eyes. Alright then.
Nothing was said but his wand in hand, he probed toward Blaise and then spread out against the shield around his friend's mind and closed his eyes. As if the shield were a screen, it played.
Soft smiles and fierce eyes. Words and moments. Her assuring the boys that they would come. Talking about Theo and him and then longer memories. He could tell it wasn't whole conversations but it was pieces and he just watched her. The boys were there or not and it didn't seem to be chronological. He had never seen so much of Granger. Open eyes and even imploring ones. When she asked Blaise what they would want them to do before they ran. The most revealing one was the last one. She was on a couch and he thought from the view that Blaise was in a chair.
He could see her hair spread out around her and falling forwards off the couch. The witch was wearing shorts and a sweater. Her eyes were closed and she was speaking softly.
"It's coming and I can only hope that they are as I've remembered. Tried to find the small moments that were them. Not make them more than they are but not less either. I wasn't paying enough attention. I didn't look all that closely, it wasn't wise then. You know? Even at eleven I could see the way they, even you, were above the rest of us. So I didn't admire either of them as I might have. Didn't try and get to know them. Knowing Theo likes to study alone, that he has a bad habit of pointing things out when you would really prefer he didn't. Those aren't enough so I had to go with the things I've surmised. The way he opened doors and was far more respectful of females then any man, that I saw at least. That's something, I hope it's something." Her eyes opened then and Draco could see the emotion there.
"It's easier someways with Draco. He shows more in the first place and I know more of what hurts than what doesn't. Not what he likes but what I thought was genuinely hurtful. The things he was defensive about. It's reverse imagery or something but it's easier. We shared more words and more eye contact. I've seen him be so gloating and superior. Seen him concentrate and seen him plead. It's all mixed up with teasing and the stupid attempts to embarrass me. I used to get taunted relentlessly about his staring at my ass in the halls. It's just more things and so it's easier. I don't know him though. Maybe I wouldn't have cared so much, just a missed opportunity or something." Clearly implied was that she did care. The picture faded as she closed her eyes again and he stared at Blaise, thinking a thousand things at once.
Meeting the eyes that seemed to be saying, what could I do? As if Blaise didn't know what to do when presented with this situation. He could only stare and then after a while, he didn't know how long, he met Theo's eyes and they shared more than one second. Those hadn't been his memories so it was second hand but he made sure more of his own reactions were there and that coloured in more of the picture for Theo.
Theo was completely still. As if he were made of stone or something and not until Draco could see that Theo wasn't totally lost in his thoughts, did he turn back to Blaise and look him over, wondering where his head was at.
Time passed and he had almost finished his beer when the Italian shifted and then Theo caught their friend's eye. Tension grew and then abated and he knew Blaise would speak. Finally his dark eyes flicked between them and he sat further back into his chair.
"At first it was surreal and she didn't have much brain space for anything but the boys. Neither did I. We were making it up as we went along. I still thought maybe it could be sorted and so it wasn't for a while that it even became a real possibility. Then it was as if she were a buffet but the witch who might have considered it was gone and this was who was there." Blaise was being honest and he could see the slight dissatisfaction.
"I could try now and she would shoot me down. Can't sleep with her, not as a one off and so here we are." Now the wizard who had been subjected to their demands turned the tables and met each of their eyes before it was him that was being speared with a look that said 'well?'
Draco could only show outwardly that he didn't have a single thing to say. The question Blaise seemed to be asking was ludicrous.
"Even if I did, and she did, you would give me a look every time I failed to appreciate her properly." It was a challenge and he let his surprise show openly now. That Blaise would consider something like that, maybe it was just an example or something. He could see no prevarication in Blaise's eyes or on his face.
"I like her. Love her even. She is gorgeous and talented as fuck. I wouldn't worship her though. She would never be everything thing to me. Mean everything." This was what Blaise hadn't said and now it had been said. Draco tried to ignore all of the feelings he had at that. The fact that Blaise knew what he wanted.
The knowledge of what he really wanted. Even what Theo really wanted. Theo has other issues though and would never consider it. Not even dream about it. Her lips around his cock or her between the two of them but not her as his alone. Maybe Theo might marry someone one day but it wouldn't be anything like what Draco wanted. Which was way more than Blaise thought himself capable of or wanted. Blaise had thought and they had too, all through school, that he could never have that. The things that only came out when they played private spelled games of truth. How he wanted to have someone and have her be his. In the basest fashion. In a way Granger would be appalled at. In his house and bed, wearing nothing but what he put on her or bought her and his. Possessive and admittedly his. Cutting those thoughts off was the only solution to being here with them and not alone.
The knowing grin on Blaise's face got a rude gesture from him but it didn't leave and Blaise glanced at Theo when his friend made a low sound.
"Was that wise?" The question was for Blaise but Theo's eyes were on him when he asked it. Clearly Draco's own thoughts were visible and he was having a hard time not linking the two together. Granger like that.
"For fucks sake Blaise." Draco meant it in that moment and the low sound of Blaise's laughter was sort of drowned out by the plea in Theo's eyes. Don't fuck this up for them. All of them. Pretending witches were her with his eyes closed was probably better than even thinking about it. When he sat down here he hadn't been sure it was alright to stare at her clothed body and now that was the least of his worries.
"Is this why you mentioned the clothes?" Draco asked
Blaise and pulled his eyes from Theo's and Draco could see the light of anticipation in his friend's dark eyes. The set of his face and the way his tongue was tracing his lower lip. He wanted to curse Blaise for the set up and the lack of a single sign that said this was anything less than a genuine suggestion. This wasn't okay though and he couldn't even think clearly about her in the bath so his mind definitely wouldn't follow two tracks at once. This decided, he forced that whole thing aside and spoke.
"We are not speaking of this again, until I bring it up." No response, which was the best he could hope for and he took a breath before bringing up his next question.
"Where are we on figuring out what to do?" Draco asked, clearly chnaging the aubject firmly. Blaise shifted and then was in a more familiar posture. Planning pose, Theo had dubbed it and he smiled at seeing it now. Didn't look to Theo but knew he had noticed and could almost feel the amused satisfaction.
"Neither of you have seemed to be chomping at the bit and the witch is fine for now." This was Blaise's explanation for not forcing progress of some kind and he accepted it. Knew Theo had assumed it wasn't emergent or Blaise wouldn't have been reading and playing games with them.
The sound from beside him was a contemplative one and he did look to Theo then and knew the shape of what he was thinking.
"Neither of us have ready access to a castle right now and she wouldn't let us lock her in there. Wouldn't let us lock the boys in either." Draco spoke quietly and was already looking back at Blaise and seen the amused agreement and the smile for their understanding of each other.
"I assume you have discarded the option to just leave with them." Blaise said dismissively. All of them knew why this was and it was the same thing that prohibited Theo's preferred plan.
Neither nodded but Blaise carried on as if they had loudly voiced their opposition to that option.
"Exactly. So we basically have to do it our way or their way." Draco could only stare at Blaise after he stopped speaking and wait. Wondering at the run around before he got there.
"I have several thoughts but nothing seems quite right. I've considered just exposing the whole thing. That you two had sons Voldemort was keeping hidden and were under vow. Then the Ministry took them and until Granger found them they had been in unfortunate circumstances. You get the idea." Blaise didn't sound very enthused and neither was he.
"This accomplishes nothing of course but it would put some protection on you and her. Them and her. I don't like that no one knows." The dark tone was closer to the expected seriousness and he was interested to see where this went, Blaise's eyes were somewhat guarded as he said this.
"I've spoken to your lawyer Drake. Hired him when I needed one. Less pompous." He and Theo both nodded their understanding of the choice in representation. At least the choice in who Blaise had to deal with.
"I think the most secure thing to do is approach the Ministry via the lawyers. I don't want either of you, or her, to be in there and have someone say something to you. Something that sets any of you three off. We have five people who are vulnerable. You two are on parole and they are sealed. The issues are sealed and that is what needs fixing, first at least." The tired eyes and frustration in Blaise's voice told the story. For the first time Draco could clearly see the strain this was and how much effort he had put in and got nothing.
"Don't fucking say it." Blaise growled when he and Theo met eyes. Both of them wanted to find a way to say thank you. So their friend would know they meant it. Alright then, they wouldn't. Blaise knew but he was only now showing some of the weight this had been on him. More than the witch maybe. Not more work or responsibility but more mental strain. It explained the way Granger just evaded her own situation and never mentioned it.
"We have to do that." Theo said after a minute of silence and Draco had been thinking the same thing.
"Granger had a suggestion, question actually." The pause said Blaise really wasn't sure and Draco made himself not look at Theo. To be ready when the dark eyes met his.
"The goblins." Blaise finished. Theo and him both shifted and then he did meet his friend's eyes. Both had received paperwork and while their estate portions were unavailable, the rest of their extensive holdings and inheritances were there. Nothing about the boys though and he could see when Theo nearly panicked.
"Don't even start Theo. We did the potion and the family wards." Draco held the dark blue eyes that were so familiar and waited until he came out the fear that Tray wasn't actually his.
"She says Potter didn't get a single letter from the bank until the war was over." Blaise's tone was so even now as to be as alarming as uncertainty or fear would have been. Surprise and trepidation were all he could sort out from his feelings. He had no idea this could be done. Or what they could actually do with this.
"Let's think about that. Neither of us have been. We could go." Theo said it as thoughtfully as he ever spoke and Draco stared at his empty bottle and then met Theo's eyes.
"Blaise?" He would have already thought about this, if Granger had brought it up, then she had been thinking about it too.
"We didn't know. Still don't really know if the seal is the original or just put on to keep it closed after she took them. We don't know a lot of things. The elves were warded out of the property the same way all the other ones were. It took her a while to get that repealed, when they went back the boys were gone and they couldn't find them. If we had confirmation of their existence and the fact that they were alive then maybe we could make a deal." The last was said with a tone that was so Slytherin that Draco couldn't help but meet Theo's eyes quickly before both looked back at Blaise and tried not to smirk too openly.