Later that night

Hermione had every intention of having 'the talk' with Harry later that night. Narcissa had had the talk with her, explaining and promising that in the magical community, it was actually fairly common for relationships to include more than two people.

If Narcissa Malfoy approved, it had to be acceptable.

But when she slipped into his room, it was empty. She had heard him come in, knew he had gone out for a drink with Ron thanks to Pansy but his room was empty. And when Hermione woke up hours later in Harry's bed, having dozed off waiting for him, it was still empty.

She rubbed at her eyes and wrapped her robe tightly around her body, her brow creased in disappointment. She had been hesitating since shortly after her birthday when the revelation hit, waiting for some sign to proceed from either man. Now that Draco had taken the leap, she needed to talk to Harry. Where was Harry?

She left his room and walked past hers and Draco's, going first to the kitchen to start the first pot of tea. It was only by chance that she noticed the note laying in the table in the familiar chicken scratch.

Got bullied into a mission in Ireland again – will be out of touch for a few weeks but I'll check in.

Harry

Hermione traced the spot where his y scribbled off the edge, her heart thumping hard against her chest and echoing in her ears. Tears prickled at the edge of her eyes and she didn't know why. There was no way Harry could know what she was planning to talk to him about, was there? He had been an awful occulimens in school and she had no reason to think he'd been picking up legimency in his spare time.

No, it's just a coincidence. He's not hiding from me, that's ridiculous.

But he was. That much was apparent when New Year's came and went before even the first 'check-in' came in the form of a small note saying that he would be there a while longer and not to worry, with nothing else said. While Harry had been something of a private person growing up, Hermione had always appreciated his quality letter writing - especially in contrast to that of Ron's.

She missed those days.

It helped, though, to have Draco there. Draco who found her minutes after she had wiped away her tears and tucked Harry's note away and kissed her cheek, tentatively checking that nothing had changed. Draco, who insisted on making dinner that evening and took her for a stroll through the local park afterwards. Draco, who for the next few weeks never let Hermione burrow too deep into herself with worry for Harry, who missed Harry too but never mentioned seeing him the night of the ball because deep down he knew it was absolutely his fault Harry had left.

Weeks turned into months and in March the pair went off to Turkey like Hermione had promised with her Christmas gift, then returned in April - no sign of Harry yet - for their friends wedding rehearsal dinner, and so it was that they found themselves at Nott Manor early on a Saturday morning. Draco and Theo embraced warmly while Hermione and Astoria exchanged pleasantries that to anyone listening in – in particular any busybodies related to Astoria – would seem to be those of two barely acquainted witches.

Hermione smiled quietly to herself as Draco led her to their table, past a pair of gossiping aunts, and thought victoriously how things would change once Astoria was freed from her family and their prejudices.

Draco had been explained his simple part in the ceremony and completed it dutifully, having been to more than enough weddings growing up to have the entire process memorized. Hermione smiled to her friends, Daphne flanking her little sister, as they made sure that the process of entering the circle and the tying of the bonds would be flawless.

Hermione mulled over Harry when her mind wandered. She had planned to come with him when she'd gotten her invitation over a year ago, but now she couldn't even get a hold of him.

"Thinking about him?"

Hermione's attention was drawn to her left, where a gorgeous blond wizard was leaning in for a kiss. She reciprocated and nodded, watching as her date – and boyfriend, although with Harry gone it was hard to enjoy that part so much – as he slipped into his seat. Their meals were magically plated, the work of a meticulous house-elf staff.

"It's hardest when I know he should be here. He was supposed to be here," she admitted, her tone entirely out of place at the jubilant luncheon.

"I'm sure he'll come to regret the decision when he finds out about the silver dress you'll be wearing tomorrow night," Draco murmured into her hand as he brought it up to his lips for a simple kiss, hoping to distract her from her own mind. He was rewarded with a faint blush on his witches cheek that faded all too quickly.

"I know you've said there was no way he could have known what I was going to talk to him about but what if he did? What if the thought of me – of us – somehow pushed him away? Harry would never want to hurt either of us… he would rather hide away until we decided to give up on him," Hermione murmured, almost verbatim to the last time her mind went to that dark place, her heart plummeting as she whispered each word. The thoughts had plagued for her weeks but every time she tried to discuss it, Draco would kiss her and promise her nothing she could ever do would scare Harry away. Then after a while she stopped vocalizing her worry, determined to trust in Harry. Harry loved her, and even if he weren't in love with her – which Draco insisted he was – then he would at the very least be honest. But with him noticeably absent now, the worries returned.

Draco knew the problem was him, but Hermione still couldn't seem to grasp that.

"I know you don't want to consider the fact but he likely left because of—"

"Draco, no! He wouldn't have left to hide from dealing with you! He's been doing so much better lately, I hardly believe he would flee in the face of an attraction between the two of you," Hermione said, the ghost of a snarl on her face quickly dissolved as a sweet smile was plastered on and Hermione waved at someone or rather from the Wizengamot who stopped by their table.

Once they pair were left alone again, Draco turned completely to his side and straight to Hermione. She turned and looked at him, her eyes betraying how tired she was and how worried she'd been.

"He left because of me, Hermione mine. I saw him the night we kissed, after I left your room," Draco muttered, finally coming clean about the last time he'd seen the wizard. He couldn't stomach the pain in her eyes any longer. "I went to the kitchen for a glass of water when Harry come home, smelling like a pub. He asked if I were truly with you but before I could say anything, he said that I was to treat you well because you're more than either of us deserve. You are not the problem. I am."

Hermione looked at him, her face torn. She looked relieved to hear that she wasn't in fact the reason Harry had fled to Ireland, but the thought that Draco believed he was had made her chest clench tightly.

"Harry was raised by those awful muggles, and even if he had been raised by a normal, loving family…" Hermione began, stopping for a loving thought of her own family, "Well, muggles don't traditionally support polyamorous relationships. They're hardly tolerant of same sex couples or interracial couples, but multiple partners? Absolutely not."

As the final piece of the puzzle fell in place, Harry's words echoing in her mind, Hermione leaned back into her seat with a heavy sigh.

"He didn't leave because of you, Draco. He left because he thought we'd chosen each other and neither one of us wanted him."

Those words sat between the two of them, sucking the happiness from the room when they should have been celebrating their two friends on the eve of their wedding.

Somewhere, supposedly in Ireland, Harry was so very alone and it was their fault.

AN: Surprise! This story has been on hiatus for so long but truthfully this chapter has been written forever. It's just what comes next that I've struggled with. I let the story get away from me, running wildly away from my original outline. I haven't been able to reconcile what happened with what was meant to happen next or even rope it into a newly mandated ending, so instead, I'm posting this and then maybe the next chapter and on and on until it just comes to its own logical ending. That's how magic works, right? This is especially for Shayalonnie, whose writing has been pulling me back into my love of fan fiction. Her writing is a balm for my writers blocked soul.