Content Warning: Mentions/discussion of recreational potions usage.

A low, rhythmic beat wafted into the library, and Draco frowned, meeting Granger's stare. She lifted an unimpressed brow in return before stretching widely and stifling a yawn. With a smile, she quipped, "I can't believe you caved to Hugo's party."

Sneering, he drawled, "I needed to get him out of my face."

"Well I, for one, could use some food," she said, rising to her feet. "And it wouldn't hurt to check in and make sure Hugo and his friends haven't trashed the entire castle."

Dragging a hand down his face, Draco shook his head. Wordlessly, he began packing some of the books they'd been studying into his bag; at Granger's words, his own stomach had awakened with a vicious hunger, and it occurred to him they had been tucked away in the library for the majority of the day. He hadn't heard anything back from Elias Bergen yet, but the man sometimes went out for long stretches at a time.

They ventured towards the kitchens after stowing their things in the Lunae quarters. Podski and two of the other Malfoy Manor elves had Apparated into the castle with their special brand of magic and had prepared a brilliant spread. Several of the guards were already eating at a long table in the dining hall, and two others stood guard in the next room where the raucous noise was coming from.

Draco approached the nearest one while Granger sidled into the room. "Ben, please tell me all of Hugo's friends were properly vetted."

"Yes, sir, Lunae," Ben said with a crisp nod. "Nothing to worry about."

Lifting a brow, Draco said, "Unless they start damaging the place. You have full permission to kick anyone out." Ben chuckled as he retreated to the kitchen.

Sometimes he felt strange, not having grown up within the Nocturnus circles, when his family had played such a significant role for so many years. Not for the first time, he wondered how things might have played out differently had he been raised in Nocturnus tradition—rather than groomed as a Death Eater.

Collecting a plate of Podski's finest experimental hors d'oeuvres, Draco ventured into the sitting room where Hugo's friends were to find Granger seated on one of the couches. As one, the eyes of everyone in the room turned to him. Hugo leapt to his feet, dipping his head into a bow, and Draco waved a dismissive hand with a muttered, "Hello."

When he took a closer look around, doing his best to ignore the hushed silence that had fallen over the group, he noticed Hugo's sister, Cynthia Bergen, and his girlfriend Madeline in attendance, along with another eight or ten people around their age, some of whom Draco vaguely recognised from the Lunae Amor selection process; his discomfort with the situation grew.

Granger plucked a crostini from his plate, tucking her feet beneath herself, and slowly the conversation returned to normal; a few of the girls still stared at him as he slung an arm around her shoulders and ducked in closer. "Are you serious? You want to stay here?"

A wry smile pulled at her lips. "We can give it a few minutes. Unless you want to go now."

Grimacing, he muttered, "It's fine."

While he selected a bite from the plate, Granger leaned in and asked, quietly enough that no one else would hear, "How many of these ladies were at your open call?"

With another quick look around, Draco frowned and replied, "All of them."

"Even Madeline?"

Hugo and his girlfriend were cuddled up on one of the many rugs in the expansive space, and he nodded. "Certainly Madeline—she's Nocturnus, so her family would have required her to attend. The call was for anyone, obviously, but you can bet any available woman from within Nocturnus would have been there."

Granger tensed, her eyes tight as she gazed pensively at the room. Crossing her legs, she turned to face him. "Is that awkward then, with Hugo?"

"My relationship with Hugo is awkward for a lot of reasons," Draco intoned with a smirk, "but I don't think that's one of them. He understands how things are—better than I did at first, I wager."

"I suppose it worked out," she mused, chewing a bite thoughtfully. "But I can only imagine having him on the council if you had selected her would have made for an interesting dynamic."

Barking a laugh, Draco glanced back at the girl. Despite her long blonde hair and classic beauty, the girl hadn't appealed to him; she had presented as empty a shell as any of the other pureblood girls he had met that day. Lips twitching, he said, "Good thing I chose the one that will always keep me on my toes, then. It's a much preferable dynamic."

Smiling, she popped another bite into her mouth and once she'd swallowed said, "I agree."

Draco could still feel the stares of the others lingering on him, and he kept his focus on Granger until one of the girls said, "Hey Lunae. Are you going to party with us?" Snapping his face towards the girl, he lifted a hand on instinct when she tossed a vial his way.

Staring at the shimmering contents of the small vial, he frowned, before noticing the group were distributing them around. Granger's eyes met his for a brief moment, her expression unreadable.

His stomach twisted into knots as he forced a thick swallow and set the vial down on the coffee table with a crisp, "No, thank you."

"Come on," Hugo intoned with a grin, and Draco felt his lip pull into a sneer. "No harm in it."

"Maybe," Granger breathed at his side, something unsettled in her face as she stared at him, "it's time for us to retire."

With a quick exhale of relief, he nodded. Disdain settled, tight, into his chest with the beating of his heart, and he pressed a kiss to her temple before rising and helping her to his feet. "Hermione and I will leave you to your celebrations."

Ignoring the rest of the group as his vision blurred around him, he slipped his hand into hers and, with careful effort not to rush, left the room. Clapping a hand to Ben's shoulder, he muttered, "You're in charge—and I certainly don't envy you."

Ducking his chin, Ben replied, "Lunae."

As they walked, aimless, through the castle, Granger eyed him tentatively. "Are you alright?"

He pursed his lips, "I do not advocate for the recreational use of potions—abuse, in this case, based on what they just offered."

Slipping an arm around his back, she tucked into his side. "Neither do I. From what I heard, there was a lot of that sort of thing after the war ended."

"Numbing," Draco bit out. "That's what it was… for me." He despised the sympathy on her face and quickly added, "It wasn't so bad. Just Dreamless Sleep, at first—but then I modified it to remove the sleep agent, and without that, you sort of just exist in an unfeeling haze." Shrugging, he added, "I gave them up after a couple of months before it became too bad. But I knew people who went through a lot of grief over that same potion they had there tonight."

Stopping, she turned to face him, a curious tilt to her head. "Is that why you didn't tell me about your potions mastery?"

"I don't like to think about it," he said, sucking his teeth. "And the mastery reminds me of my own weakness after the war."

Running a hand down his arm, she said, "Please don't discount your own strength in walking away. And… in the man you are now. Thank you for telling me."

Swallowing thickly, he nodded. "It was a long time ago. I know I'm not that person anymore… but sometimes it's easy to forget."

"Like tonight," she intoned, her chin low.

Holding her gaze, he echoed, "Like tonight."

"Come on," Granger whispered, slipping her hand into his. "We'll have our own party, just you and I. And it'll be better."

A real smile crossed his face, and he snickered. "So much better."

"Chin up," she breathed. "Your crown will slip."

"So," Hermione prompted, leaning over the rail of the expansive balcony in the Lunae quarters. The moon sat high in the night sky, and a peace had come over Malfoy since they had stepped outside. Despite the hour, a warm breeze lingered on the Italian air. "How long will we stay here?"

Shaking his head, he turned to look at her. "I suppose that depends on what we find. I know I don't intend on sitting in the library the whole time we're here. Tomorrow we'll do something more proactive with our time—but it's good for Bergen to connect with his contacts."

"I just keep wondering what will come of all this," she said thoughtfully as she stared up into the sky. "And I have to remind myself that it isn't that simple, and to take everything as it comes."

"It's difficult to relinquish control," he agreed. "But so much of this is beyond our control right now." His gaze flickered to hers, and he released a low chuckle. "I'm glad I have you to talk to about this. Merlin, if I could have heard myself six months ago."

Laughing, Hermione turned to face him, leaning back against the balustrade. "I know what you mean. If I'd told myself I'd be married to you… and that I'd be happy about it."

A heavy significance sat behind the grey in his eyes, and he ducked in, pressing a lingering kiss to her lips. Lacing her fingers into his hair, she drew him closer. When he pulled away, staring down at her, she pressed her lips together, forcing a swallow.

"Suppose the conversation we had earlier wasn't hypothetical," she breathed, nerves crawling along her skin. A breath hitched in his throat, and he pressed another kiss to the curve of her jaw.

"It was," he murmured against her skin, before drawing back again. "Wasn't it?"

Steeling her nerves, she looked him in the eye. "Let's say it wasn't."

"Hermione…" Expression guarded, he shifted to her side along the balustrade. "You don't need to do anything if you aren't ready. I told you that I'm not going to ask—"

"You don't need to." Stepping closer, she fidgeted with the buttons of his shirt, slipping the top few loose. "What are the conditions?"

Silence fell over them as he stared at her, and Hermione fought the urge to shift on her feet—the urge to run from the heat in his eyes. Or, more pressing, the desire to claim him for her own. Finally he swept a hand through his hair and said, "I told you earlier—the most important thing is the connection between Lunae Ortus and Lunae Amor."

Dragging her fingertips down his jaw, she mused, "And?"

"And the moon. It isn't very complicated."

With a wry smile, she murmured, "Why am I not surprised? So we're meant to have sex outdoors?"

Lips parted, he deadpanned, "You're serious about this."

"Why do you think I was asking you about it earlier?"

"Because you read it in a book and you're naturally curious as hell." Sweeping his hands down her arms, he squinted at her for a moment. "I don't think it's meant to imply outdoors. So long as the moon is present. Or, for instance, the room has a massive exposed opening."

Staring into the Lunae quarters, Hermione said, "I suppose this room was built with such specifications in mind."

Malfoy only frowned. "I don't want you to do this because you feel like you should. Or because you think it's what's best for the Order."

"I don't." Feeling suddenly self-conscious, she wrapped her arms around herself. "But if you aren't interested now, that's fine."

Shame coloured her cheeks as Hermione turned to walk inside; judging by his reticence, she had obviously misjudged the situation between them. Surely he realised they would have to consummate the bonds sooner or later, but the moment she'd brought it up he had gone stiff and hesitant.

"Granger." His hand landed on her elbow and she froze mid-step. His voice was low behind her, but she feared turning to face him, humiliation roiling within her. "I never said I wasn't interested." With a sigh, she shifted to cast him a sidelong glance; indecision warred on his face. "You've given up so much for this already. I don't want to take the freedom of this decision from you. I guess…" Trailing off, he shook his head. "It sort of feels like the last thing I can offer you that you haven't already given up."

A weak hint of a sad smile pulled at her lips as she met his eyes. "I don't feel like I've given all that much up anymore." Exhaling a shaky breath, she steadied herself. "Maybe I want this." Taking a step towards him, she quickly added, "If you do."

Malfoy grimaced, a mix of confusion and exasperation. "You're asking me, your husband, if I want to sleep with you."

"I'll take that as a yes," she breathed.

Under his breath, he muttered, "Hell yes," before drawing her in and crushing her lips to his.

Twining her hands around his neck, Hermione kissed him, feeling his magic reach for her own as he deepened the kiss, running his hands down her back to hitch her body against his. When he dragged his teeth along the line of her jaw, meticulously sucking at the soft skin there, Hermione groaned, feeling the magic of the bonds awaken and push forth towards him.

Returning to the buttons of his shirt, she made quick work of the garment before pushing it from his shoulders. When he pulled her jumper over her head, eyes darkened, she felt the night air wash over her bare arms from the open wall into the balcony, but the air remained comfortably warm. Tugging her tank top off next and leaving her in just her bra, he gazed upon her with an inscrutable look to his face.

Kissing her once, he breathed, "You're stunning."

Meeting his stare with a smile, Hermione grasped the buckle of his belt, slipping it free from his trousers where they were slung low on the cut of his hips. She released the closure, pushing his trousers down, and he eyed her with a heated smirk when she reached to palm him through his pants.

Then catching her off guard, Malfoy slung her over his shoulder and dropped her into the massive bed in the middle of the chamber; lips parted, he stared down at her for a moment before climbing atop her and finding her lips with his. As he kissed her, teasing and desirous, his other hand reached for the waist of her skirt, bunching the fabric as he clutched a handful of her arse.

With a tight exhale, Hermione ground against him, a groan escaping as she snagged her lower lip between her teeth when he trailed a line of kisses down her throat to her chest. Releasing the clasp of her bra, he lingered for a moment, taking one of her nipples and then the next between his lips; her eyes rolled back with a soft whimper. Tugging her skirt from her waist, his eyes flashed when he played with the lace of her knickers, a smirk curling his lips.

Quietly, he asked, "You're sure about this?"

The light of the moon filtered in from overhead through the balcony, its pale silver light the only source of illumination in the room. Malfoy's pale hair shone, and his eyes sparkled with the magic of the bonds within him. Breathless, feeling their magic freely course and entwine, she nodded. "I'm sure."

Pressing a gentle kiss to her belly, he dragged her knickers down her legs before shucking his own pants. Fully nude, he gazed upon her, and a breath caught in her throat. In a half-hearted effort to relieve some of the tension lingering between them, Hermione asked, "There's no ancient Latin ritual or something for this, is there?"

He huffed a laugh, a true grin gracing his features. Reaching for her hand, he swept the pad of his thumb over the crescent at her wrist; a jolt of desire swept through her, and she tugged him down on top of her. "No," he muttered, kissing her, "there isn't," then added with a snicker, "thank Merlin."

Longing pulsed through her, setting alight every nerve of her being, and when he slid one finger inside of her, gaze fixed on hers, she gasped, clutching him as her eyelids fluttered. When he inserted a second, reverent and cautious, Hermione was certain she was going to come undone before they could even consummate the bonds. A cry chased from her throat when his thumb swept the sensitive flesh of her clitoris, and she dragged his mouth to hers with a hissed, "Malfoy."

She could feel the smirk against her lips, and moments later he withdrew his fingers, positioning himself at her entrance. He breathed beside her ear, "My Amor," before pushing into her in one swift movement.

Light exploded behind her eyes. Magic raced and danced through her, mingling with his, and his lips captured hers in a kiss of passion, of desperation, as he drew out and pushed forth again, setting a tantalising rhythm that caused Hermione's heart to leap into an anxious, throbbing cadence.

Malfoy's harsh breaths mingled with her own as she arched into him, dragging her hands down the smooth muscle of his back, and as his lips latched onto her neck, she breathed, "More."

On a quiet exhale, he said, "As you wish."

When his pace escalated, driving into her with greater force, a cry escaped from deep within her as the Lunae bonds reached towards him, entwining with his magic irrevocably, and emotion stung at the corners of her eyes from the feel of it. His lips fluttered against hers, his hands dragging her still closer as his forehead pressed to her own, soft sounds pulling from within her as her core tensed and coiled.

Never had she felt such a moment of connection.

Hovering on the brink of something she couldn't put into words if she tried, Hermione groaned a soft, reverent, "Draco," and with a sweep of his thumb across her clitoris she broke, orgasm cresting through her with a darkening of her vision.

With a few more thrusts he stilled, his breathing heavy as he buried his face in her neck.

Emotion and magic mingled within her as one, and she could feel the bonds twisting together between them.

Withdrawing, he shifted to lay beside her, his grey eyes sparkling with a depth of emotion she couldn't name. Lost for words, she drew him close, moisture breaking from her eyes as she pressed her lips to his. He swept the hair from her face, throat bobbing with a swallow, and a barely-there hint of a smile lifted his lips.

A sleepy smile drifted to her face as she stared at him, and she felt raw in a way she couldn't fathom. Magic and heartbeat slowing into a lull, she faded in his arms.

Startled awake, Draco's eyes snapped open. In an instant, he felt different—fortified.

In the darkness of the room, lit only by the distant light of the moon, he caught sight of the shimmering crescent on his wrist, sparkling and aglow. Magic pulsed and roared in his veins, urgent and celebratory, and a grin tugged at his lips.

Hermione lay asleep at his side, a smile curling her lips in sleep, and he stared at her for a long moment before brushing his lips against her forehead. Remembering their evening, his heart leapt to life in his chest.

Rising from bed, he walked to the balcony, feeling the last vestiges of moonlight calling to his very being. The bonds raced through his arm, magic twisting and swirling in his veins. As he lifted a hand, the lunar affiliation flared to life without effort, the iridescent magic collecting and pushing forth from within him and hovering all around.

The chill of the air felt good against his bare body, and he allowed his eyelids to flutter as he gazed out upon the rolling hills of Tuscany, magic playing against his skin.

A slow grin crept across Draco's face and with a flourish of his hand, the magic chased forth, freed from within his veins, and flew from his palm into the sky before breaking and dissipating as a shimmer on the night air.

He could feel it, pounding alongside his heart and tingling at the tips of his fingers. The full strength of the lunar affiliation.

...

End Part 1

Author's Note: Thank you all SO much for sticking with this story so far. We're about to dive into Part 2, and I hope it's going to get interesting! I'm so grateful for all your support and wonderful, encouraging words. I hope you're all continuing to keep safe and healthy.

This story wouldn't be what it is without the help of my alphas Kyonomiko and LadyKenz347, and my beta ravenslight.