The world was on fire and no one could save me but you

It's strange what desire will make foolish people do

Chris Issacs - Wicked Game

After they had all left Hermione had a shower and left a note on the counter telling Sirius she had gone up to Main Street to find some books in case he returned before she did. She never made it as far as the cobbles before she spotted a familiar blond-haired barbarian leant against a tree in the park. Almost of their own volition, she found her feet carrying her in his direction before she could think better of it. He hadn't spotted her, his eyes were on a book in his lap and she could see a healing cut over his left eye that had not been there when she had seen him last.

"Are you going to join me Beautiful or just stand there and stare, not that I mind, but people may begin to notice." He looked up at her then and Hermione could see the split lower lip that had been obscured as he read.

"What happened to your face?" She queried quietly, even as she took a seat cross-legged on the grass in front of him. She regretted the shorts as the blades of grass were itchy against her thighs, but the warm sun meant wearing much more was unbearable. Her red tee was cotton and thin and had had the sleeves cut off the previous summer. She had dressed with heat in mind and now regretted the lower than her normal cut of the neckline.

He smirked "Worried? I wouldn't be. Bella decided to hex me after she returned from meeting you with your father. She hexed them so they will not heal until I learn not to be an arse." His grin grew then, and Hermione hated herself for the storm of happy hormones that flooded her system at the sight of it. "Tell me what you said to Bella that I went from the only male besides the dark lord she could stomach to an arse." When Hermione said nothing he set his book aside and pulled her to him, hushing her when she tried to stop him from pulling her onto his lap.

"You came over here of your free will, Pixie. No one forced you, so you will play along so as not to draw attention." When she glared at him he quirked his brow, waiting.

"Pixie? What is so hard about people calling me by my name. Its four syllables it is not exactly difficult." She huffed and had to refrain from crossing her arms knowing from previous encounters with Thorfinn that the action amused him immensely.

"Pixie because I keep finding you in woodland areas up to mischief but if you prefer I can change it to nymph and hope to add an "O" to that title." He laughed even as her amber eyes sparkled in rage and she swatted at him, his deep vibrating tones doing wicked things to her insides as she sat in his lap. His face took on a more serious tone as he brushed one of the curls behind her ear. He must have wandlessly cast the muffliato charm because the noise of the children and families in the park quietened.

"The dark lord has been made aware of you, although Rodolphus had not been aware of you, he has been punished for not bringing you to him. He will not be able to communicate with you for some time and asked that I warn you not to try. He also bid that I give you this." It was then Hermione spotted the necklace he had placed around her neck, a silver hoop with the tree of life formed from vines of silver. In its branches were jewels of different colours that she supposed could be fruits.

Hermione carefully touched it, it was beautiful but she was uncertain what it meant. She looked up from the pendant in her hands to see he was watching her carefully. "Is he okay?" she queried and he nodded before continuing. "He will be fine, your father is not a man that would be easily broken and the dark lord has been distracted with other matters. I have to ask, do you accept the necklace?"

His words were oddly formal with the question and she could sense there was more, but she got the feeling he would not answer any of her questions until she answered this one. She thought what it could mean as her father wanted her to have it and it seemed important. A tree bearing fruit was a symbol of life and her mind whirred as she tried to think what the worst it could mean but could think of nothing terrible. She nodded and when that did not seem to be enough she uttered softly "Yes, I accept."

The words had barely left her lips when she felt magic swirl around them both and she gripped his shoulders in fright as icy blue magic spun around them both. She felt his arms tighten around her, pulling her into his chest as his lips claimed hers. She felt as though she was drowning at the centre of a maelstrom of magic and lust and all that anchored her at that moment was the feel of him.

His tongue traced the seam of her lips and she gasped, letting him inside as she grew drunk on the heady feeling bubbling inside her. Her hands slid up his arms and into his hair as she sank herself into his embrace, kissing him as though he was the very air that she breathed. Her fingers wrapped around one of the tiny braids that she found and she tugged on it, drawing a groan from the wizard beneath her. His hands were gripping her arse, holding her tight against him as the maelstrom of magic continued to surge around them. He pulled her so tight against him Hermione wondered if he were trying to merge them into one being and she could feel the evidence of how that would be possible growing harder between her thighs.

The world slid away and Hermione could not estimate how much time had passed but as the magic began to ebb his kisses gentled. His hands which had been an almost bruising grip gentled and this thumbs traced the skin of her lower back. She slowly pulled back enough to see his sapphire blue eyes had darkened to a deep blue and she found herself flushing as she looked into them. She bit her lip and he growled, a wordless chastisement for a habit he had once promised to spank her for had she been older. Hermione's hormones were racing so fast she found she would not have minded had he chosen to act on it right then.

"What did I just agree to?" she eventually managed to ask, and she found that she could not bring herself to pull away from him, her fingers still secured as they were in his blond locks.

"A promise, a binding between our two families of a union that would create life." His words were husky, in that same deep tone that had liquid heat pooling inside her. "Marriage Hermione, that magic was two magical houses forming a betrothal bond with us at its epicentre." His finger pressed against her lips when he could see the outrage forming and ready to sputter forward. "It will keep the dark lord from calling you into his service. The dark lord has not forgotten that the Lestrange family was loyal to him, or the inconsolable rage that built-in Bella when she lost her child. He has already noted that she seems more lucid since discovering the truth of you, but his affection will not stop him from taking you unless you are bound to some other duty.

"This was how your father sought to protect you and I can see the logic in it. The dark lord will not risk the potential for another generation loyal to him, even if you are not loyal to him yet, he believes you may yet be swayed." At her incredulous look, he shrugged "I did not say I agreed with his faith in that estimation, just what your father feared."

"Why you?" it was the only words that Hermione could force out, she had been incandescent with rage when Dorea had heavily-handedly taken control of her life and now her future had been written for her with one question. She knew she would rage, but there was one small difference between her father and Dorea, and it was that her father had sought through Thor to seek her consent first. But it was that small thing that kept her from lashing out as she looked into Thor's eyes.

He smirked and his eyes traced her form plastered to him in a way that felt like liquid fire was scorching her skin where his eyes traced. His fingers reached for the pendant around her neck, and where the fruits had been different colours before, there were all blue sapphires now. They were tiny and startlingly beautiful. "Both of our families can trace our heritage back to Norway, mine from the Paternal line which settled in Ireland and yours which made its way through France, changing its name and settling in the south. But both of our families hold to the old ways. Had you been raised by your father you would know what that meant.

"When a couple is bound as we have been the father of the bride pays the maidens price, in this case, the necklace that you wear. Platinum and the jewels of bonding to be decided should the union be accepted. We do not decide the jewels, the bonding magic does so and our magic determines whether the union will take, which Pixie, I think we both feel how happy our magic is about this union." He smirked as she blushed, taking delight in how dark her amber eyes grew as she looked at him.

"Then the negotiations begin and fertility rituals will be carried out to ensure a fruitful union. One of which involves Thor's hammer being placed between your pretty thighs so that the Gods can bless the union." The look he gave her was positively lecherous and Hermione tugged on the braid behind his ear in retaliation. "Careful witch, don't want to give me any more wicked ideas than I already have.

"I am sure you have a thousand questions, so rather than have you ask them all of me, the book at my side is my family's grimoire. Take it home with you, and whatever questions are not answered inside of it, you can ask of me then." When she nodded her agreement he kissed her, gently this time as though cherishing her. Whilst she had enjoyed the maelstrom of their earlier kiss she found herself melting at his tenderness. He was large enough that he could easily break her and yet here he was, being gentle. She also noted that she had no real desire to move from where she was pressed against him. The midday sun was high in the air and though there were people around them she found that she did not want to let him go, not yet at least. No one seemed to be paying them any attention and Hermione found herself grateful for it.

"Why am I not pushing you away and running for the hills?" Hermione queried, she was perturbed at how easy it was to stay in his arms and that she did not want to leave at all. She felt like she should be upset with how easy it was to stay in his arms, but there was no voice in her head screaming to get away from him. She also found that whilst she had untangled on hand from his golden locks she could not bring herself to remove the other.

"It's the bond, it's soul-deep and as such, it would be painful for either of us to part right now, it needs time to settle."His fingers were warm on the skin at the small of her back and she found she enjoyed the feel of his hands on her.

"You say that like this is unusual" she murmured a small frown forming on her face at her annoyance at not fully understanding what was happening.

"That's because it's rare, doesn't mean it doesn't happen, but arranged marriages are for political alignments between houses and families so it's often that there is little or no spark at all. Hence all the fertility rituals that follow, if the pair aren't compatible the families will seek to ensure it in other ways. Some are a lot less pleasant than snogging in the park I can assure you. I know my father's marriage was political and my Mother has hated him their entire marriage. She stays for the children and he knows it, my father is not a good man or a redeemable one."

His hand gently took her fingers from his hair and laced them with hers, his eyes like hers observing how much bigger his hands were than hers. She was tiny against him, and yet her magic had swelled with a power that had surprised him. He remembered her as the annoying little first-year swot, big hair, weighed down by books almost bigger than her. She had been a bossy little thing and had annoyed him no end with her innate need to tattle on him. She had been too damn clever and had he not caught her with that baby dragon of Hagrid's she could have gotten him expelled. Expelled for almost killing Montague for disrespecting his bond to his cousin, Daphne. They had made a begrudging truce and he had ensured that Daphne could be free of her commitment to Graham Montague.

"What happens now?" She asked and he paused for a moment thinking how best to answer. "You can leave when you choose, I am not keeping you a prisoner. Although I should warn you, too much time apart will hurt. It will feel like there is a tether between us and it will start to tug if we spend too much time apart. I cannot tell you much time is too much, I do not know of anyone living with a soul bond to ask." She watched as he pulled a leather cord from around his neck and she had to bite back a laugh as she saw a hammer hanging from the end. He untied the hammer from the cord and attached it to the pendant already hanging from her neck. He placed the cord back around his neck and reclined once more on the tree watching her.

"That hammer is one of a set, I have the other at home, should you wish to speak with me, hold it and I will be able to hear you. Do not ever take it off, keep it as close to the skin as possible, there are a few old enchantments on it that will help keep you alive when Potter inevitably leads you into danger." He frowned at that, as though the thought had only just occurred to him that should it come to it, she may well be against him in the coming war. He felt as the magic of the bond settled between them then, her magic was light and full of hope and strength where he knew his own to be tinged with darkness. There were consequences to courting dark magic as he did, but he did what he must to keep himself and his family safe.

"It will also be a very obvious fuck off to anyone from the old families that might approach you and will burn anyone who dares to lay a hand on you."

Hermione who had been fingering the runes on the hammer let it drop from her fingers at his words. "What do you mean it will burn them? Like if someone touches my skin or Harry passes me a book? Will he burn then?"

Thor's eyes held a dark promise when he answered "It won't activate unless it's aggressive or sexual, and then it will be like they have been struck with lightning. It will burn through them until they take their hands off you, or you take yours off of them." He watched her for a moment as she glared at him for the insinuation "You've already seen me play with fiend fire, Pixie. Imagine what I can do with lightning itself."