Hermione awoke quite warm in bed; it could be considered a leisurely waking. She was snuggled closer into Severus' arms that were wrapped around her torso, while keeping a hold of Lucius' hands, which were holding hers tightly. She smiled at the warmth he found herself in. As she laid tucked in-between the two, she thought of the last time she woke in this bed. She shuddered involuntarily. She had not forgotten her feelings, the ones that caused her breakdown; they were still there, but restrained. She knew they would soon have to be confronted, but for now, she was content. She felt that at this moment, if she had to, she could confront anything. But, that was only if she absolutely had to leave this moment.
"And what thoughts are making you frown like that so early in the morning?" Severus' voice was gruff, but his smile was gentle, while he pushed her hair from her face.
"The last time I woke up in this bed," she replied honestly. She took a moment to look at his attire and could not help her giggle, which only served to perplex poor Severus.
"Are you alright?" he looked at her, eyes wide, cautious.
"Does your shirt say 'Brewing up some love'?" giggled Hermione.
"It was a gift!" he protested, while blushing.
"It was. I gave it to him," came a voice from Hermione's left. Lucius was quite proud at the shirt. He even thought of what to say on the front, although he got a funny look from the muggle girl behind the counter when he purchased it. Hermione's giggles subsided, although she let one escape every so often.
"Well, that was an interesting way to wake up," Severus grumbled.
"Oh, quit your pouting," Lucius responded before getting out of bed. He rolled out rather ungracefully before leaning back over the bed to give Severus, the Hermione a kiss. Then, he casually walked out of the bedroom and into the bathroom.
"We're going to have to have a long talk, aren't we?" Severus asked when he saw Hermione's questioning face. "Well, I guess now is as good of time as any to start the day." At Severus' words, Hermione could only nod before getting out of bed, herself. When she got up to leave the bedroom to venture into her own suite to get ready for the day, Severus stopped her.
"Aren't you forgetting something important?"
"I don't think so." Hermione looked around the room, but found nothing of hers.
"A good morning kiss. It's tradition," he smirked, giving her a quick kiss, then turning to his bathroom. Hermione stood for a moment, slightly shocked.
"Yes, she called. "I do believe we need to have a long conversation."
Hermione was surprised to find herself to be the first one ready for the day out of the three of them. She went to the kitchen, deciding to get breakfast ready. She first poured three cups of tea: milk for Severus, one sugar for herself, and then, with a cringe, 3 sugars and milk for Lucius' cup. She called the kitchens and asked for some fresh fruit, no mango because Severus was allergic, and extra strawberries—Severus' favorite. She also requested some toast with a side of Lucius' secret boysenberry jam and peanut butter for herself. She sat down just in time for the two men to walk into their breakfast nook.
"Mmm. Boysenberry!" Lucius quickly slathered his toast with the jam until the toast bent under the weight. Severus filled a bowl with fruit and placed it in front of Lucius and then he filled his own bowl, although strawberries appeared to dominate his portion. Hermione took both a little fruit and one slice of toast but put only a thin layer of peanut butter on hers, to Lucius' disgust.
"Why would you do that if you had jam on the table instead! I mean, really, that stuff sticks to the top of your mouth and no spell can ever remove it!" he griped. She assured him that it did not, in fact, stick to the top of her mouth, or if it did a bit of hot tea fixed that. It was, then, a leisurely breakfast for the trio. The Daily Prophet was passed around the table in sections. Severus read the Potions section, Lucius read the front page, paying attention to the political movements, and Hermione read the Charms and Transfiguration sections. The "sports" section was thrown away entirely, no one really cared about that one.
"I think it's about time we have that discussion, don't you agree?" Severus decided soon after their quiet breakfast had come to an end; their stomachs full and their reading finished.
"What discussion?" Lucius had been left out of the loop, again, mainly due to his lengthy time spent in front of the mirror this past morning trying to decide if a particular hair was grey or just whiter then the other strands.
"Well, there is the discussion as to what exactly is going on between us, the discussion of Hermione and her emotional status, or the discussion of Potter wanting to visit. Take your pick," Severus wasn't being sarcastic, there really were many things that needed to be discussed.
"I chose Hermione's feelings. Then Potter. Then us. I feel like it has good flow, plus it leaves the best for last!" Lucius smirked.
"Great, Lucius, give Hermione a chance to decide, would you?" Severus remarked, but Hermione assured him that she agreed with the arrangement of discussions.
"Well, then, how are you?" Lucius started the conversation.
"Sweet Merlin, did you honestly just ask: 'How are you'?" came the incredulous voice from his left.
"Well, then why don't you start, if I'm not doing it right!"
"I will! Hermione, what are you feeling?" Severus lent forward only to receive a snort from Lucius.
"Really? That was better? How was that better than what I asked!"
"It's better because I asked what she was feeling not how she was feeling it, obviously." Their banter eased the tension, whether that was the intention or not, she just leaned back against the sofa and watched the scene play out. It was a few more moments of bickering before they returned back to her.
"Hermione. You. We're focused on you. Alright, what are you feeling?" Severus took back the conversation.
"I've been feeling so much: confusion, grief, helplessness. I just don't know," she sighed.
"Alright, that's fine. Why don't you tell us what you're confused about?"
"Everything. I don't know where I stand anymore. I've lost friends and time. Time in which I was supposed to have and then used to go to University or got an apprenticeship, something. I should be either there or getting a job, but I don't even have a foot in the door. Now, now, I have nothing and I don't even know everything I've missed. I will never know everything and that scares me. My life has been so structured on knowledge and it has never failed me before now. That knowledge was one of the things that made me feel like I fit somewhere in this world, now I don't even know if I have a place."
"Right. Well, you need to trust us to tell you what you need to know and allow us to help you find out what you want to know. We can only help you so much, but we'll always be there to help you," Severus' sincerity made an already emotional Hermione leak as she gave an equally watery smile. She leaned into the half embrace that Lucius offered her, relaxing in its warmth.
"Thank you," was her only reply.
"You're most welcome. Now, I know it's not anyone's favorite thing to talk about right now, but we have to discuss your attempt," Lucius hated to interrupt this newfound peace, especially when Hermione sat up, leaving his arms, but it had to be done.
"I'm fine. Seriously. I just had a freak out because I was overwrought with grief and I had just kissed Severus. Something I wasn't suppose to do," Hermione rushed, but she wouldn't look at either of the men.
"You are not fine, Hermione Granger. You do not attempt a suicide by slicing yourself and then downing various sleeping and calming potions. You nearly died multiple times that night and nights after. We weren't sure if there would be brain damage when you woke up, if you woke up. It's serious and I need…we need you to know that. You also need to know that you need to come to us when you have problems, or find someone else who you'll be able to talk to, because honestly, I don't want to lose you. Ever," Lucius was firm, with Severus nodding to show that he agreed with what Lucius said.
"I know," she replied quietly. "I know, I'm just embarrassed, okay?"
"It's okay. We just really want you to know how we feel as well, because you really scared us."
"I'm sorry," she was quiet for a moment, before she shrieked. "What was that? Lucius! What did you do?" Her hair was bright green.
"I told you, I was going to cure you of the whole 'I'm sorry' thing," he appeared smug. "What?"
"Lucius, only you could turn a completely serious conversation absurd in less than a minute," Severus wished he could say he was surprised. Fortunately, Hermione was "mad" for only a few moments before smiling. She knew if jokes were going around, she hadn't messed things up, like she had thought and that everything was going to be fine.
"How long will I have to have green hair?"
"It will reverse itself if you say 'Slytherins are better than Gryffindors' ten times," both Severus and Lucius were smirking at Lucius' words.
"Awesome," she deadpanned before saying the required phrase ten times, happy to see her hair the normal color.
"How did you set a charm that quickly to a phrase?" she asked.
"I didn't," Lucius had a full grin now. "I just undid the charm after you said it ten times."
"You're an ass, you know that right?" she was shaking her head.
"Ah, but a loveable ass!" was his reply.
"Great, he's a full of himself, too."
"Ah, m'dear, it's part of his charm," Severus replied. "Sorta."
"Great. Now, what is this about Harry visiting?" Hermione felt the need to see Harry very sharply since learning of Ron's death. She wanted to hug him and she had missed him dearly.
"Oh, Mister Potter. Yes, he had owled me a few days ago. Apparently, our headmaster let it slip that you were back at their weekly dinner," Severus intoned.
"They have weekly dinners?" Hermione found that to be charming, but odd.
"Yes! I think it's weird, but then again, I eat dinner with him nearly every night during term, so I'm not one to talk," supplied Lucius.
"Right, well, what did he have to say?" she could hardly contain herself.
"He wanted to know the first available moment that he could visit you. Which I believe could be tomorrow, if you wish it," Severus was smiling at her happiness. He knew that she needed to see Potter so that they could grieve over their lost friend and rejoice in finding each other again.
"Please?"
"Of course, I already owled him this morning. I told him to come tomorrow around tea time if available, if not, he'll send back a reply and we'll work something out," Severus divulged. Her smile was contagious and her hugs were plentiful after that.
"Now to us!" Lucius seemed particularly excited.
"Okay," Hermione was still uncertain at this point as to where she stood in their relationship and she did not wish to intrude or cross any sort of lines unknowingly.
"Can we keep her, Sev? I promise to feed her and take her outside for walks, but only slowly because we both know she'll be getting her exercise indoors," Lucius was grinning quite widely giving Hermione a rakish wink as well.
"You know she's not a pet, right?" Severus asked.
"Yeah, Yeah. She's a human being. She has her own thoughts, ideas, and dreams. Blah, blah, blah, Sev." Hermione could not stop giggling. This was twice now that Lucius had put her at ease in their conversation.
"Thank you, Luc," she replied; trying out a shortened version of his name, she found she rather liked it. It showed a sense of intimacy and was a verbal indication of their closeness.
"No, problem. Now, to be as blunt as possible, we had discussed the idea and, frankly, we would like to pursue a triad relationship. If you're willing that is," Lucius plowed ahead. There was no sense in beating around the bush. He even smirked a little as the double entendres flowed into his stream of consciousness.
"What would it mean if we were in a triad?" Hermione asked.
"It would mean that we were together, equally. It might feel a little awkward or unbalanced at first, but you have to admit. We fit together rather nicely and I think this would work," Severus supplied for Hermione. They discussed the particulars a little further, stopping only to order tea, it was past lunchtime, however their late lunch and stimulating conversation required only tea and a few biscuits to tide them over to an early dinner.
After exhausting every angle of the triad relationship, Hermione had decided to try it. She had spent months with the two and had grown comfortable and, if she was being honest with herself, she felt as if they were a part of her family that she couldn't let go of anymore. After her decision was made, they each kissed, to seal the deal.
"Now that we have—" Lucius started only to be interrupted by someone flooing into their quarters. Three heads turned toward the fireplace, each with their own interpretation of confusion.
"Hello, Father," came the sophisticated voice of the Malfoy heir.