Still it was difficult to convince Harry that he needed to rest. An endearing protectiveness of Sirius overtook Harry—the two men could hardly separate from each other for a moment, intent as they were on talking about everything except the horcrux. It seemed that no one wanted to address the things that they had seen.

Remus brought food in to them after a bit, a chicken soup that caused Harry to actually moan aloud upon consuming the first bite. They all laughed.

"Sorry, I just—Merlin. I forgot what real food tasted like."

The conversation primarily unfurled between Sirius and Harry: Harry wanted to know everything that had happened to the people he cared about, and Sirius wanted all the details of what Harry had been up to—his "adventures," he kept calling them. Hermione quickly realized that Harry seemed increasingly uncomfortable recalling his lonely and dangerous experiences over the last few years. Sirius appeared unaware, excited as he was to hear about Harry's journeys to Africa, South America—even Antarctica—but eventually Remus was the one who cut in, after exchanging a glance with Hermione.

"Sirius, why don't we help Harry out by moving your stuff out of his new room?"

Sirius frowned at first, as if poised to argue, but then he looked back at Harry's tired face and seemed to have a moment of realization in which Harry's needs took priority over his own.

"Right." He leaned over and fluffed Harry's overgrown hair affectionately, as if Harry was much younger than he was. "No problem, godson. We'll set you up to sleep the sleep of the dead."

As Sirius and Remus trooped down the hall together, Harry looked back at Hermione, and with an air of absentminded curiosity asked, "But where will they sleep?"

There was a fleeting moment in which Hermione could have said the floor, the couch, but the return of her old friend had so unnerved and flustered her that she was not her usual self. She thought again of what Harry had seen in the horcrux, plus Sirius' reaction to it, and was unable to summon any words at all, turning—embarrassingly, tellingly—a vivid red.

Harry's eyes widened in belated surprise.

"Oh! Oh."

They sat in silence together for an aching moment as Hermione imagined all of the things Harry was surely imagining. She had not foreseen ever having to explain the events of the previous last night—the way she understood she now felt about both of them—to another human being.

And yet, here was Harry.

She opened her mouth, but he waved her off.

"You know," he said, "it's not really my business, is it?" He stifled a gentle laugh. "I guess the, uh, the things the horcrux showed make more sense now. I'm just…"

Harry paused and looked at her.

"Are you happy, Hermione?"

She wondered briefly, if the question of Ron hung unspoken in his words. She had not mentioned him—his departure, his abandonment of the quest, his betrayal. She was not ready yet to share that with Harry; somehow the pain was still profound. And notably, Harry had not asked.

But it was true that she did feel loved with Sirius and Remus in a way that she never had with Ron. She couldn't fully understand it, nor could she explain it… and yet she knew it was true. She loved them. Both of them. And she understood that they loved her. Last night had been a culmination of that feeling.

She nodded, and strangely a tear came to her eye. She wiped it away and smiled.

"I feel…" Her voice cracked. "Like I'm home."


They put Harry to bed like he was a child. Harry didn't seem to mind allowing himself to be care for. Surely he'd missed the affection after so much time alone, Hermione thought, watching from the door as Sirius and Remus approached from either side of the bed to say goodnight. Sirius tousled Harry's hair affectionately and Remus smiled.

It was only when the three of them were back in other bedroom together that Sirius cleared his throat said, "Right, well, I can sleep on the couch—"

Hermione cut him off.

"Harry knows."

Sirius' eyes darted between Hermione and Remus.

"About…?"

"About the three of us," she said firmly, a giddy grin shooting across her face.

"Ah. Huh. Well… last night…" Sirius cleared his throat. "I don't want to… encroach. On what you and Remus—I mean, I didn't know if…"

It was rare for Sirius to be at a loss for words. He twisted the doorknob nervously, took a breath, and tried again.

"The stuff with the horcrux… I didn't know if there was a place for me with—"

"There's a place for you here," Remus said immediately. "With us."

He looked to Hermione for confirmation and she nodded, her heart full.

"Sirius, you make me happy," she said, restating what she had come to realize earlier during her conversation with Harry. She moved toward him where he stood, nervously, by the door; Remus moved with her. "And you make him happy," she added, nodding to Remus. "I think it's as simple as that."

Sirius raised his hand tentatively to her cheek, pulsing with warmth, and she leaned into it, into him, closing her eyes, the lashes fluttering softly against her cheeks. His hands were big, his palms rough, and yet his touch was gentle. He pulled her face to his, halting a hair's breadth away from her lip, for some reason more nervous now than last night. She closed the gap and kissed him. He moaned softly into her mouth; she could feel the relief everywhere across his body, palpably loosening his muscles as he relaxed into her. Behind her Remus gently slid her robe down from her shoulders, his fingers trailing tantalizingly across her bare skin.

Sirius pulled back and looked between the two of them with a kind of open vulnerability Hermione had never seen before. The three of them were standing so closely together that she could reach out and touch both of them at the same time.

Remus took Sirius' face by the corner of his jaw, pulling Sirius toward him. There was a moment's hesitation as he looked into Sirius' eyes, and then they kissed, long and hard. Sirius' eyes were closed, but Hermione thought she saw a tear slip from the corner of his eye. Whatever was between them had been years in the making—that much was abundantly clear.

They pulled apart and Remus tenderly tucked a lock of Sirius' hair behind his ear with the exact movement that he'd used on Hermione time and time again. As Hermione watched, Sirius made a growling sound low in his throat and pulled Remus roughly back to him, his fingers digging into the back of Remus' neck. Remus smiled into Sirius' kiss. Sirius kept kissing him.

Hermione dropped to her knees and made quick work of their remaining clothing—they were both hard just from kissing each other. She smiled softly at the sight, reaching for them at once, and was met with simultaneous groans as she gripped them. Sirius was audibly panting, moaning at the slightest touch; it was as if going so long without certain pleasures had led to a kind of hypersensitivity, certain sensations threatening to overwhelm him before he was ready. Hermione smiled again, continuing to work both of them with her hands.

She felt Remus' hand on the crown of her head, running his fingers along the curve of her part. Her eyes fluttered closed from the pleasure of his touch. Gently Remus guided her head toward Sirius' cock; she understood what he wanted her to do and obediently took Sirius into her mouth, releasing Remus' cock and pressing both of her hands to Sirius' lower back.

She heard a muttered "fuck" from above. Sirius groaned.

"You like that, don't you," Remus said in that low, quick voice she loved.

Hermione closed her eyes and took Sirius even deeper inside of her. Sirius had been in charge last night, but now he was at her mercy, helpless to what she was doing with her lips and tongue. She looked up at him and saw that he was running his hands through his own hair, his arms stretched overhead, exposing his chiseled torso. He looked down at her, shuddering when they made eye contact—she felt it, under her hands, in her mouth. A heat was building in her face and chest as she sucked him hungrily. There was nothing he could hide from her.

"That's right," Remus whispered in that same low voice. He was moving his hand up and down along the length of his own cock as he watched the two of them. "Feels good, doesn't it?"

Sirius made a sound like an animal and reached around the back of Hermione's head with both hands, picking up speed as he moved in and out of her mouth, his breath coming faster, harder. The aggression turned her on—knowing how much he wanted her, the fact that his control was slipping. She made a noise of approval and he groaned again, his hands applying more force on her head as he fucked her face outright.

Remus moved to stand beside Sirius, kissing his shoulder.

"Do that thing with your tongue, love," he said to Hermione, continuing to work his own cock as he spoke.

Hermione obliged, swirling her tongue across the tip of Sirius' cock the way that Remus liked as her head bobbed up and down.

Sirius' breath hitched and suddenly he was coming, hard. He thrust one final time into Hermione's mouth as Remus moved to kiss him, barely muting his groan of pleasure. Hermione swallowed eagerly, pressing her hands against Sirius' back to push him a little bit deeper one more time.

Panting, Sirius gently pulled out of Hermione's mouth as both men caught their breath. Sirius laughed a little, gazing down at Hermione.

"I… didn't know I was going to that," he said, a little sheepishly.

"I loved it, Sirius," Hermione assured him. "I'm glad you did, too." She turned and kissed the tip of Remus' cock, hoping that whatever happened next would soon involve it—he was still so hard.

Remus and Sirius looked at each other then; something private passed between the two of them. They looked back down at Hermione together, where she was still kneeling obediently.

"Hermione," Sirius said teasingly, looking down at her.

"We aren't done with you," Remus finished softly.

Hermione blushed. "Oh, you don't have to—I liked—"

"I liked it, too," Sirius said, reaching gently under her arms. Her legs slipped out from under her as he pulled her upright; Remus took her calves. They lifted her up together, moving toward the bed.

"But now we're going to take care of you, love. Both of us."

"She's certainly earned it, wouldn't you say, Moony?"

They dropped her onto the bed and crawled toward her from either side. Remus grinned over Hermione at his old friend.

"Between last night and today, I'd certainly say so, Pads." He looked down at her, stroking her cheek. "What a good girl our Hermione's been."

Hermione whimpered as they came closer on either side. Sirius reached out and touched her between her legs. She moaned at the sensation, spreading her legs for him. His fingers came away glistening.

"Looks like someone's already enjoyed herself a bit," he said.

"Hermione," Remus said. "We're not letting you go until you've come twice tonight."

"Once for each of us," Sirius grinned, and Hermione laughed in delight.

"I'll go first," Sirius said, looking up at Remus. "But I think we'd better make sure she doesn't move…"

Remus turned and grabbed Sirius' wand from the bedside table, tossing it over to him. Sirius caught it in midair and waved it lazily; instantly thin black ribbons encircled Hermione's wrists and feet. Her hands were bound together to a bar of the headboard and her feet were secured to opposite posts of the footboard, her legs now firmly splayed apart.

Sirius knelt between her legs and cocked his head, taking stock of his handiwork. He ran his fingers lightly along her calf, slipped his finger beneath the ribbon at her ankle to test its give. Apparently dissatisfied, he flicked his wand again and the restraints tightened; now Hermione couldn't move at all. She whimpered.

"Careful, Sirius," Remus said. He was lying on Hermione's right side, watching the scene unfold.

Sirius grinned. "But I don't want to be careful," he said, lying down on his stomach in between Hermione's legs. "Besides," he added, rubbing his fingers across Hermione's opening again and continuing over her helpless moan. "She likes it."

It was true. Hermione couldn't hide anything now, exposed as she was on the bed before them. If something made her wet, they'd both know right away, and she was soaking now. As much as she liked fucking, riding, giving head, there was a kind of relief that came in simply allowing oneself to be touched, with nothing expected in return.

Sirius ran his fingers along the lips of her pussy, exploring her at his leisure, but making a clear point not to touch her clit. Hermione squirmed against the sensations of muted pleasure, trying to shift infinitesimally so that his fingers would finally touch that bundle of nerves directly. Sirius was amused by her efforts, laughing softly as he kept rubbing around the part she so desperately wanted him to touch.

"Didn't you say you like to be teased?" Sirius rested on his elbows and tucked his chin into the hand that wasn't teasing her, looking up at her between her legs with sexy, lazy grin.

Oh, he knew.

"That she did," Remus said beside her. He tilted Hermione's jaw so that she was looking at him and kissed her lips, long and deep. He opened her mouth, moved his tongue against hers, then pulled back, looking into her eyes. He stroked the line of her jaw, smiling gently.

"I know she does," he added softly. "Look at her."

Sirius kept rubbing his slow circles around her clit, never touching it. Hermione squirmed, loving the sensation but also increasingly desperate for direct stimulation. The restraints held her in place, though, leaving her helpless to their whims. Sirius was still resting his cheek against his hand, watching her moan and writhe with obvious enjoyment. Remus' cock was hard against her side.

"Please," she whimpered, panting as Sirius teased her.

"Please what?" Sirius said innocently, sliding his fingers across her opening from one side to the other.

Remus laughed gently.

"She wants it so bad, Pads."

Sirius tilted his head as he increased the pressure of his fingers, massaging her lips and the sides of her clit. He looked over at Remus, his eyes half-closed.

"Mmm, what do we think—did we agree she's earned it?"

Remus looked down at Hermione's breasts, reaching out and beginning to play with one of her nipples. She moaned loudly. The combined sensations of their teasing was almost more than she could bear. She struggled again against the restraints, but she was helpless to control anything happening to her, could only lie here and be played with, explored, until they decided she deserved something different.

"I saw what she did with your cock, Sirius," Remus said. "I saw her swallow. I think our girl deserves to come."

Sirius grinned.

"Think you might be right, mate."

He immediately slipped one of his long fingers inside of her; Remus pressed his hand over her mouth as she cried out. She opened her eyes again and looked down at Sirius between her legs; he was watching her squirm with pleasure as he slowly fucked her with his fingers.

"Add another," Remus said, and Sirius obliged. Hermione groaned again into Remus' hand.

"Open your mouth," Remus said to her, and Hermione did, taking his fingers into her mouth as he offered them to her and sucking them eagerly. Sirius added a third finger below and started moving faster. They were both watching her moan and writhe with obvious enjoyment; Remus was still hard—she could feel him pressed against her. Hermione loved the idea that they were both inside of her at the same time, fucking her pussy and mouth together.

"She's so sensitive," Sirius laughed, and then leaned down and began to suck her clit while he finger-fucked her.

"Good girl," Remus said softly as she sucked his fingers harder. "Take it."

Hermione could feel a delicious heat building in her chest and cheeks. She started to buck against Sirius' hand and face to the limited extent that the restraints allowed. Remus smiled.

"Keep going, Sirius," he said. "Looks like she's going to come for us."

Sirius lapped and sucked at her clit insistently, his fingers coasting smoothly in and out of her, the pressure between her legs building until at last she exploded, trembling violently, her hands secured firmly over her head, her legs spread, undulating with waves of pleasure, helpless to whatever they wanted to do to her, whenever they wanted to stop. She was sure, without Remus' fingers filling her mouth, that she would have screamed.

Remus slid his fingers out and kissed her hard as the orgasm finally receded, his tongue again finding hers.

"That was incredible, Hermione," he whispered as he pulled back. "You're so sexy."

Sirius rose from between Hermione's legs and wiped his mouth roguishly, grinning.

"Top that, Remus."

Remus pulled back again and looked into Hermione's eyes, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"We'll see what I can do," he whispered, smiling.

Without breaking their gaze, he grabbed his own wand from the nightstand and waved it; the restraints around Hermione's wrists and ankles vanished. Hermione looked up at Remus inquisitively, waiting for instructions. He got up onto his knees on the bed, started to pump his cock with his hand in earnest.

"I'm going to fuck you from behind, sweetheart."

He pulled her upright and adjusted her so that she was on her hands and knees; she gripped the edge of the mattress in anticipation. Sirius reclined at the base of the bed, resting on a bent elbow like a Greek god. She felt Remus pressing against her, about to enter her. But—

"Wait," she murmured. "Sirius."

"Yes, love?"

"I need you, too."

"Better hurry, Pads," Remus said in that low, commanding voice. "I'm not going to wait much longer—"

She heard Sirius shift and stand, walk in front of her. Remus rubbed himself insistently against her opening. Her fingers curled on the mattress' edge.

"Sirius," she whispered again. He knelt before her, pressed his palm to her cheek.

"I'm here, love."

"Look at me," she breathed, and his gray eyes flashed to hers and did not waver. They were the same shade as Remus', she thought.

He was so beautiful. They were both so beautiful.

"Do it, Remus," Sirius said, still looking deep into her eyes, and she gasped as Remus pushed into her with a husky moan.

He fit so perfectly inside of her. Every time.

"Sirius—" she moaned, and he took her face in both of his hands and kissed her; she did not even have to ask. Remus continued to move in and out of her, running his fingers down her back the way she loved, then moving to grip her ass. She clutched at the mattress as he moved in and out.

Sirius pulled back and watched Remus fuck her; he was panting, his chest heaving. Hermione's eyelids fluttered closed as she moaned; Sirius gripped Hermione's hair in one hand and pulled her face to his.

"Keep your eyes open, love," he commanded, and she opened them obediently.

"You're so beautiful, Hermione; you're so beautiful, baby," Sirius breathed, and he was grinning, smiling so hard—"It feels good, doesn't it, you like that, don't you—"

She groaned and nodded helplessly as Remus' fingers slid to her clit. It'd be a matter of seconds, she thought, she wasn't going to last much longer—

"Kiss me," she said, "Please," and Sirius did, and Hermione reached for him, kissed him back, her entire body radiating with the force of Remus' movement as he fucked her from behind; Sirius hands slid through her hair, moved to her neck. She pulled back and looked at him, fighting to keep her eyes open as the pleasure inside her built.

"Do you want me to come?" she breathed.

"Yes, Hermione, fuck yes I want you to come—"

"I'm gonna come, Sirius—"

"Come for us, darling," he said, and his smile undid her.

"Oh!" She gasped, freezing in place as the sheer force of the orgasm physically rocked through her, overtaking her. She gripped Sirius' shoulders, panting and moaning as Remus also came with a shudder, moaning her name as a familiar warmth filled her.

Sirius gave Hermione another gentle kiss on the lips—another, another. Like a puppy, she thought, then laughed in delight. He pressed his forehead to hers, smiling softly.

"That was perfect," he whispered. "You're perfect."

Remus moved deliciously against her a few more times as his cock began to soften, then pulled out with a contented exhale.

"Get up here, Sirius," he said, smiling.

The three of them quickly repositioned. Sirius made to go to the left side but Hermione and Remus pulled him down between them, in the middle.

"Well?" Sirius said.

Hermione looked down at him.

"What?"

"Who made you come harder?" Sirius persisted, grinning.

Remus chuckled, throwing an arm across his forehead with a smile.

Hermione laughed and leaned over to kiss each of them on the cheek.

"It's not a competition, boys. But if it were, we'd call it a draw."