A/N- You guys are so awesome. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support you've given me so far. This chapter may be a little late since I had to take a break and participate in real life. My house was beyond disgusting, haha. All better now though!

Sidenote: I know this is a slow starter, that y'all are chompin' at the bit for some triad action, but I believe in building the story. We'll get there, I promise!

Disclaimer: This harebrained idea of a story may belong to me, not entirely sure it hasn't been done before, but the characters and just about everything else belong to J.K.R.

Chapter 12

September 11, 1995

Hermione felt good about her decision. She had considered the boys proposition long and hard in the days following the night they had asked her. While she still thought that it could be disastrous and ruin friendships, which scared the living fuck out of her to be honest, she realized that they were basically already dating.

The three of them did just about everything together. They sat together in classes, they worked on homework together in the library. Their evenings were spent walking around the Black Lake or star gazing in the court yard. The boys both escorted her to her classes and carried her satchel. They were both extremely affectionate. When she looked at it from an outsider's point of view, they were already dating.

After the incident with Professor Umbridge, Hermione had laid in bed in her dormitory for most of the night considering what her father had said. Did her magic lashing out at Umbridge because she had caused Harry harm mean that he was her mate? If that was the case, did that mean that Draco was also her mate since the way she felt about both of them was so different but ultimately the same?

It had taken several hours of contemplation to reach the conclusion that she suspected that they truly were her mates. As much as she detested the thought of a prophecy dictating a part of her life, she supposed there wasn't anything she could do about it. Sure, she could refuse to acknowledge both men in her life and she could deny her true heritage, but it wouldn't change the fact that those things were true.

Therefore, the next evening after dinner, Hermione had gathered Harry and Draco and taken them to her favorite willow tree out by the Black Lake and told them that she would give the triad a try. She had cautioned them both that if either of them wanted out at any time that they need only say so and there would be no hard feelings. Both Harry and Draco had both laughed at her, assured her that they were completely happy with the arrangement, and the conversation had been deemed a success.

The fact that she had already accepted their proposal didn't stop her from researching triads in the library. Draco had assured her that while not common, there was definetely enough in the history of their world that it would be accepted and not frowned upon. It was such an odd concept to her since she had been raised in the muggle world where a triad would have been considered taboo at best.

Hermione had researched for two days and found that Draco had been correct. There had been several well-known triads in the last century, though all but one of them had occurred with twins. This led her to the desire to ask Fred and George if they had ever considered it, if they would have been jealous of each other in the situation, but she had decided not to. They were highly personal questions, and while the twins were generally open about every facet of their life, she didn't want to open herself up to the teasing that would surely follow.

On the second day, Hermione had made herself have the conversation with the two boys that worried her somewhat. While they had reassured her that there would be no jealousy issues between the two of them, she was still worried about how their professors and their peers would take the information.

While Hermione hated the attention that she had gained since her glamour had been revealed, she did her best not to let it bother her. Most of the time she felt like she succeeded. However, if they were to reveal the status of their relationship, it would garner even more attention. While she knew Harry was used to the attention and probably wouldn't notice if there were any more, Draco had blood supremacists for parents and they surely wouldn't approve since she and Harry were both halfbloods.

Both boys had laughed at her again. She was just starting to get irritated with them when Draco had pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. He had explained that while his parents held pure blood above most everything else, the one thing they found more important was the Dark Lord. The fact that she was his progeny would make all their hatred for her disappear. As for Harry, he said they would be forced to accept the Chosen One because he was Hermione's other mate. It was a proven fact, after all, that triads were far more powerful than a regular wizarding couple.

The trio were currently on their way to Herbology. While Hermione excelled in the class, it wasn't a particular favorite of hers. She knew that neither Draco nor Harry enjoyed it either. While her favorite class was Transfiguration, Draco's heart lie in Potions and Harry's in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

It was quite humorous when she considered Harry's grades. While he didn't do much differently in class, he worked on homework with both Hermione and Draco every day. He was slowly gaining better habits and it was showing in his final grades. Even though Professor Snape didn't change the level of grading for Hermione and Harry, still treated them with a certain level of contempt in his class, Harry's grades had improved and Hermione attributed it to the fact that he was working harder to keep up with Hermione and Draco.

Hermione and Draco had also met for their transfiguration lesson. Harry had stayed and watched, eager for tutoring as well, but he had been more than happy to allow Draco to be her test subject. His fears had ended up being unfounded since she had managed to change Draco into a Rottweiler the very first try. After that, Harry had offered to be her test subject as well. Once she had transformed both of them several times, Hermione had been confident that she was quite adept at human transfiguration and told the boys that she would tutor them for nothing now.

Once they were in their seats, Hermione pulled her text out and began to set up her quill, ink, and parchment. When Professor Sprout wandered into the greenhouse, she announced that they would be studying fanged geraniums and their many uses.

The greying professor lectured for the whole one and a half hours, not a normal occurrence. Professor Sprout usually lectured for half the class period and then moved on to practical experience. While Hermione wasn't upset about not getting dirty, she figured that this would mean that the next lesson would be all practical.

They left class with an assignment of a drawing of the structure of the fanged geranium and a twelve inch essay on it's uses. It wouldn't take anything for Hermione to finish the essay since the professor had cited all the sources they would need in her lecture.

The trio started to make their way to Charms next. They were set to work on banishing spells this class period, something that bored Hermione to tears. She and Harry had worked on it the year prior when she had helped him master the summoning charm. Draco made clear that it was no problem for him either. This made her wonder if he practiced magic outside of Hogwarts or if he just hid how much of a swot he truly was.

The three sat together again, Neville and Dean sat with Seamus, so Ron was relegated to sit with Lavender and Parvati. Hermione wanted to throw up a little when he didn't seem too heartbroken. As much as she didn't care for the two girls, she didn't wish her attack and attempted rape on anyone.

The lecture was as thorough as always, Hermione's notes impeccable. While she usually remembered her lessons word for word, it was extremely helpful to have it all on parchment as well. When she studied for tests, a visual aid helped her concentration greatly.

The three of them took to their own corner and performed the spell correctly for Professor Flitwick. Once they had all completed the spell, they took their seats together again and began their homework from Herbology. Since there were no free periods today, Hermione was hoping to get her essay finished so she didn't have to do it tonight.

Hermione had finished all but two paragraphs of her essay when the bell rang, dismissing them from Charms class. She noticed that while Draco hadn't finished his essay either, Harry had. It wasn't often that he beat her in any of their assignments so when she mock glared at him, he laughed openly.

"Let me have my shining moment where I actually beat you two. It doesn't happen often so just let me bask in it when it does."

Hermione laughed as did Draco. Hermione could honestly say that she was impressed with both boys and their attitudes towards each other. While the snipping and snarking between the two of them remained, it seemed like it was more in good humour now rather than dislike. The pair had even went flying together the night before and faced off against each other to catch the snitch.

They had each caught the snitch several times and ribbed the other relentlessly when the other had lost. Hermione had cheered for them both and there hadn't been any bad blood between them for the whole encounter. Since they would both be facing off against each other on the pitch once again this year, Hermione felt that this was a good thing.

Hermione let both boys lead her to the Great Hall. She knew that she should be more discreet about their relationship status, that they should keep their gestures of affection more private, but both of their arms across her lower back felt right and natural.

As she was led to the table, she could hear the whispers from all four tables. As she drew closer to the Slytherin table, Hermione could actually understand the whispers.

"Well at least we know why Malfoy is spending time with her. He'll probably get his cock wet, make a good impression with the Dark Lord, and then drop her to make a proper match. She's only a half blood after all."

"He's just using her, Pansy, don't get your knickers in a twist."

The whispers went on and she could hear every single one. The words from the other houses didn't seem to hit home near as well as the ones from Slytherin, but she could say that she wasn't surprised. Draco was the one that she continuously felt like she wasn't good enough for. Neither boy seemed to realize that the words upset her. Draco took her hand and kissed her palm before Harry led her away to the lion's table.

While Harry put away two full plates of food, Hermione merely shoved hers around on her plate. By the time Harry realized that she hadn't ate anything, lunch was over. She wasn't trying to be rude when she stood abruptly, but she wanted to get the fuck out of the Great Hall and away from the judgy eyes.

"'Mi, what's wrong? Talk to me." She just shook her head and walked out. She could hear the two boys following after her, both calling her name. When she realized that they would both overtake her in mere moments, she slowed and finally stopped. Harry cupped her cheeks in his hands as he met her gaze.

"What's wrong, 'Mi?" She looked down at his chest so he wouldn't see how much the words hurt her. When she spoke, her voice trembled slightly.

"Couldn't you hear what they were saying?" Harry sighed amd began stroking her cheekbones with his thumbs.

"Hermione, you know as well as I do that nobody in that room knows the truth about anything. You shouldn't let their uneducated opinions get to you." She nodded, feeling a tiny bit better but not completely.

Hermione finally raised her eyes and watched him move in slowly. She felt no fear even though she had been worried that she would after her encounter with Ron. As Harry invaded her space, she felt her heart start to race. Her breath hitched the moment before Harry's lips touched hers.

His lips were slightly chapped from his time spent on his broom she was sure. They moved against hers in a far more experienced manner than she would have expected. His teeth nipped her bottom lip and she gasped into his mouth. He took advantage of the opportunity and his tongue snaked out so he could taste her more intimately. She couldn't help the whimper that escaped her throat when he massaged her tongue with his. His hand followed her jawline so he could cup the back of her head as he tasted her as fully as he was capable of in the corridor.

Harry finally took pity on her and released her so she could draw in a deep breath, finally fully filling her lungs. She only got a moment's reprieve because Draco stepped up and tugged her curls from behind so she would be forced to look up at him. Before he kissed her, he met her eyes.

"None of what they said is true. This is real and will be what we make it." She nodded humbly and didn't even get a chance to speak before his mouth descended on hers. Where Harry had been mostly gentle, Draco was fierce and plundered her mouth without remorse. He took what he wanted from her unrepentantly and Merlin' s saggy balls, she loved it.

Draco held the kiss far longer than Harry did and by the time he broke the kiss, she was weak in the knees and she was panting. Harry was leaned against the wall behind her, a smirk on his face and arms crossed over his chest.

"Drake was right, that was hot as fuck. My cock is so hard right now." Draco chuckled as he pressed one last kiss to her pulse point.

"I know, I thought my prick was going to explode watching you two." Hermione felt a blush color her cheeks as she turned to see that half the school was standing outside the doors to the Great Hall and had seen her kiss with Draco at the very least. She was even further mortified when she saw her father standing just outside the door and glaring at them.

Knowing that there could possibly be an imminent detention in store for all three of them, Hermione grabbed the elbows of both boys and started pulling them down the corridors towards the stairs. They were due in Defense Against the Dark Arts in less than ten minutes.

On the way through the corridors, she couldn't keep her thoughts from those kisses. While they both felt completely different, they were from different people after all, both were earth shattering in a way she couldn't explain. It also made her realize that while she had only kissed Viktor a total of three times before he had left for Bulgaria, both boys seemed entirely capable of making her want them. She realized that they needed to have a chat about their past history. While she most certainly did not want details, she did feel that they needed to start the relationship out being honest with each other.

The trio entered their Defense class with a minute to spare. They took their usual seats and pulled their generic texts from their bags. While the other classes didn't really challenge Hermione because she already knew the material or she picked it up so quickly, their Defense class left her bored to tears for a whole other reason. They were forced to copy text from their book and then write an essay about the theory. Not one time had they picked up their wand in Professor Umbridge's class.

Hermione was not only in shock when Professor Umbridge stood and informed the class that they would be learning different methods of conflict avoidance, she was embarrassed for the woman. She would be the laughingstock of Hogwarts once all the students wrote home and told their parents what a waste of time and money the class was.

Hermione wasn't sure what kind of reality Umbridge lived in, but she knew for a fact that if Death Eaters attacked, none of the methods for conflict avoidance would save her life. Hermione snorted softly under her breath, but apparently not soft enough.

"Miss Granger, do you have something to add to the lesson?" Hermione debated staying quiet, she really did, but after she had seen Harry's hand after the use of her blood quill, she couldn't stop herself. Her tone was questioning and sweet, but everyone that truly knew Hermione knew that that was what her voice sounded like when she was going to eviscerate you. Draco chuckled softly next to her; he had been on the receiving end of it several times.

"Well, I was just wondering how well this method of protection would actually work. It's a confirmed fact from the Ministry that Death Eaters have been spotted and are attacking people at random. It was reported at the Quidditch World Cup for Merlin's sake. I seriously doubt that asking them to stop nicely would get me anything but an AK."

She absolutely hated it when people referred to the Killing Curse as the AK, but it was quite popular and she was hoping for class support. Everyone around her started nodding, but Umbridge rose to her feet and came to stand in front of Hermione's desk so she could lean down into her space.

"It doesn't matter what you think, Miss Granger, since you are the student and I am the teacher. You will do as I say and without comment, or you will face the consequences." Hermione didn't know what made her say it, but she blamed it on her brash Gryffindor tendencies. She still was unsure how the Sorting Hat had said she belonged in Slytherin.

"I will gladly face any consequences you levy against me even though you asked me my opinion. Be warned, if a blood quill is involved, your dirty little secret won't be secret for long." Hermione felt Harry squeeze her hand so tightly under the table she was losing feeling in it. Professor Umbridge paled at her obvious threat and stood straight once again before backing away.

"Five points from Gryffindor for your cheek. Turn to page eight, class, and continue with the lesson." Hermione couldn't believe that she had gotten away with no punishment. She had already earned thirty points that day alone so a measly five point loss was nothing. Both Harry and Draco shot her reproachful looks and Hermione grimaced their way. Her actions really had been foolish.

Hermione finished her assignment before leaving class that day, as did Harry and Draco. The only good thing about taking a complete waste of time as a class, the homework never took long. As they left the classroom, Hermione held up her hands to stall their comments.

"I know, it was foolish. I'm sorry." Draco looked as if he was still trying to keep from chastising her, but Harry grinned unabashedly.

"I was going to say that was wicked! Brilliant, but scary!" Hermione couldn't help but laugh as his words brought back memories from first year.

With a final tug on both her boys, Hermione led them down the corridor so they could eat some dinner.

-O-

Draco still couldn't get his mind off that kiss. Her mouth had been so soft, pliant, and accepting. He had kissed many girls in order to hone his technique, but nobody had ever felt like Hermione had. Potter couldn't have said it any better either. Draco had been rock hard after watching the Gryffindor kiss their girlfriend. He had almost disgraced himself in his pants when he had heard her whimper into his mouth.

Draco also loved that half the school had witnessed their kiss. It was expected for her to be kissing Potter, unsurprising that she would hook up with her best friend. Draco was very insecure of the fact that while Hermione had a wonderful history with Potter, Draco's was full of hatred and hurt. It just reassured him that she wasn't just playing him to keep him quiet and happy.

Her exchange with Umbridge had scared the life out of him. How could she have been so reckless? While he knew that Hermione's power had multiplied by he didn't even know how much, she could still get detention and she could still get expelled. He knew that she was a Gryffindor and she was always going to have a reckless streak, but it was going to be the death of him.

Draco allowed her to drag him through the corridors to dinner. While he wasn't particularly hungry, he knew if he didn't eat now he would be starving later. He could always sneak into the kitchens, but as a prefect he didn't want to take a chance of getting caught and having to serve a detention.

The trio split and Draco found himself hating that he had to sit with his fellow snakes while Potter and Hermione went off by themselves. He idly wondered what would happen to him if he just sat with them out of nowhere. As soon as he sat down, Theo leaned over, the rest of the table listening in.

"Umbridge has to know Granger is the Dark Lord's heir. She totally got away with how she was speaking to the self-important bitch. We're Slytherins and we still would have gotten a detention!" Blaise wiped his mouth before speaking.

"It was still incredibly stupid. Nobody in their right mind would want Umbridge as an enemy." Draco snorted softly.

"She may be the Dark Lord's progeny, but she is still all Gryffindor. Brash and brave, that describes Hermione to a fault." The dark-skinned Slytherin waggled his eyebrows at Draco.

"We saw you snogging her after lunch. Did she taste as good as she looks?" Draco grinned at his friend, but held up his hands.

"A gentlemen never tells." Theo looked a little sick as Blaise laughed.

"You told us all about Pansy and the others." Draco smirked at his friends.

"They were not witches strong enough to blast me out of Hogwarts if she knew I was talking about our private life." While this wasn't the main reason he didn't want to talk about Hermione, it was still true enough. The time he spent with Hermione was only their's and Potter's business.

His comment seemed to quiet the table and conversation eventually turned to their classes and where everyone was at in regards to their homework. Draco had very little homework to do so it would keep until his free period tomorrow. He usually hated to procrastinate, but he just couldn't get in the mood for the library that night.

When he had finished eating, he realized that Potter and Hermione were already waiting for him at the door to the Great Hall. Potter had his arm around her shoulders possessively, but smiled when Draco approached and gave her a quick, chaste kiss to her delectable mouth. Her hand rested on his chest and when he pulled away her gaze was hazy. It took a few moments, but when her eyes cleared, she spoke.

"Can we go for a walk down by the Lake? I think we all need to talk." Draco instantly went on alert. What possibly could have happened that they needed to discuss? They had been apart for a half hour, just long enough for them to eat. His voice was calm though.

"Sure, love. Lead the way."

Hermione smiled at him and Potter and she grabbed both their hands in hers so she could start to pull them out of the castle. He was always reminded of a small child when she dragged him or Potter around by the hand. Her innocence and wide-eyed wonder at the world just made it more realistic. When they reached the Black Lake, they started walking the familiar path that who knew how many generations before them had walked. They had made it almost a quarter of the way around the lake when Hermione spoke.

"Since we've decided to make this a relationship, I think we all need to be honest with each other. My parents always told me that the most successful relationships are built on trust and honesty. After those kisses this afternoon, I feel we need to have the discussion about how experienced we are so it doesn't surprise us later." Draco should have seen this conversation coming after the things that the Slytherins were batting around at lunch.

Draco stopped the other two and waved his wand, conjuring a blanket for all three of them to sit on. Harry helped Hermione sit and they each settled on a side of her. It was more like a triangle than a line, but that was fine. This way they could see each other's face. Hermione brushed her curls behind her shoulders and folded her hands in her lap. Draco almost chuckled at the picture she made, but he managed to restrain himself.

"You don't have to say what you've done with whom, just how far you've gotten." She took a deep breath and looked down into her lap. Draco noticed she did this when she was embarrassed or ashamed.

"Aside from you two, I've snogged one boy before. Viktor. Three times. That's it." Draco felt his cock go hard at her admission. He knew she was innocent, but the fact that she hadn't shagged a world-famous quidditch star surprised the fuck out of him. She was untouched and that was a rarity in the wizarding word. It was a general rule that witches and wizards started having sex young, married young, and had babies young. Draco had nothing to hide so he went next.

"I've got nothing to hide. I lost my virginity on holiday before fourth year. I've been with Pansy, Daphne, Astoria, and Tracey. All of them several times." Her eyes widened and he regretted how blasé he sounded. Sex was obviously a big deal to her and he just made it sound like something he did every day. If he was stupid, then so was Potter because he made the same mistake.

"I lost my virginity at the beginning of fourth year. I've been with Lavender, Parvati, and Lisa Turpin." Draco wanted to grin at the incredulous look on her face. She sputtered just a tiny bit as she spoke.

"How did I not know, I never even suspected..." Harry tugged on one of her curls.

"I don't kiss and tell." She looked seriously perplexed at his words.

"I just thought you would have trusted me enough to tell me that you were seeing somebody. I wouldn't have kicked up a fuss or anything like that." Draco understood instantly. She felt betrayed in their friendship. Potter seemed to realize this at the same moment. He snagged one of her hands and held it in his large one.

"I wasn't exactly seeing them, 'Mi. It was a friends with benefits kind of deal. If it had been you would you have wanted me to keep it quiet because it was nobody's business?" Hermione truly looked to be struggling with her thoughts. Her face was drawn and she was doing her best to articulate her thoughts.

"No, I wouldn't want you to betray their trust. I still don't. I didn't expect either of you to say who you had been with. I don't know, I guess your level of sexual activity wasn't my business either, I just thought that we were close enough friends to discuss everything. Did you tell Ron?" Potter looked very uncomfortable and hurt spread further on her features.

"You did." She paused for only a moment.

"It's fine, Harry, I'm sure you were convinced I'd give you a lecture. No hard feelings. Your life is your life and you definetely don't have to answer to me."

Draco felt bad for Potter. He could see the dark-haired man's point of view, but he could also see why Hermione was hurt. She had been sure that their level of friendship was deeper than it was, and she felt betrayed by the fact that he had trusted Weasley over her, especially after how Weasley had treated Potter during the beginning of the tournament. Hermione went to her feet and pushed her curls back again.

"I need a little time, guys. I didn't think that you were both so experienced. I'm sure I won't be able to keep you happy, I have no idea what I'm doing. Sex is a big deal to me and it seems like it's not to you two. I just need to make sure that I can make it work with our two different outlooks." Draco and Potter both stood, Draco reaching out to grasp her wrist.

"Hermione, it wasn't a big deal with the other girls because we didn't care about the other girls. If we did, we'd be dating them. It is a big deal with you because we care about you deeply. Even if you never learned what to do, you would still keep us happy because it's you." Draco felt very uncomfortable saying these things, it felt far too close to putting his heart on his sleeve, but he would do whatever it took to keep Hermione in his life. She smiled at them both.

"I don't want to split up, don't worry about that, please. I just need to work this out in my mind. I'm sorry if this makes me look crazy or jealous, it's just a lot more than I imagined for both of you. We're only fifteen."

Draco considered telling her that everything seemed to happen fairly young in the wizarding world, but he decided against it. He didn't want to make her feel like she was being odd since she hadn't had sex yet. Instead, he nodded and kissed her knuckles. Potter stepped forward and hugged her. Although she returned the hug, she seemed a little stiffer than she usually was when she hugged them.

Without another word or backward glance, Hermione was gone and he was left alone with Potter in the setting sun and blanket on the ground. As if following the same train of thought Potter swiped his wand over the blanket and it disappeared.

"That looked far too cozy for two blokes who don't fancy blokes." Draco chuckled as they both started up the path back to the castle. Potter seemed really down, kicking rocks as he dragged his feet. Draco could only assume that it was because he didn't want to see Hermione in their common room now that he knew she felt betrayed. Draco was brought out of his thoughts by Potter speaking.

"I really fucked up. I could see it in her eyes that she feels betrayed. I still stand by not telling her, but I shouldn't have told Ron." Draco gave him a sideways glance.

"Why is it a big deal to tell her?" Potter snorted.

"Imagine you were in love with her but she was your friend and you truly didn't think that she liked you like that. On the off chance that she did give me a chance, why would I make her think twice by telling her how I slept with her dorm mates?"

That actually made sense. While Draco had always believed that he could get more from a girl if she was jealous, Hermione wasn't wired that way. If she had realized that he had been sleeping with other girls she would have turned her back on him quicker than a snitch.

"What made you tell the Weasel? He didn't believe you until after the first task of the Tournament. I guess I don't understand how you could tell him." Potter cast an irritated look his way.

"Didn't you tell your friends? Same concept." Draco had to give that to him.

"I think you should grovel to her. Tell her exactly what you just told me and hope she doesn't hold it against you. She already said she wasn't mad. She just thinks you didn't tell her because you thought you'd get a lecture." Potter groaned and pushed his glasses up his nose.

"I suppose you're right. Guess I'll do that tomorrow. The last thing I wanted to do is hurt her." Draco nodded as they approached the castle.

"It'll sort itself out, Potter." Potter snorted again.

"Don't you think its time you call me Harry? I call you Draco." Draco sneered at his counterpart, but his heart wasn't in it.

"I'll think about it."

They parted with a wave, Potter headed towards the stairs and Draco headed towards the dungeons.

-O-

Severus ducked his head as he walked out of the staff room. Umbridge was headed his way and the last thing he wanted was to be mauled by her again. Their second encounter had consisted of her twirling his hair around her fingers and promising to show him a randy good time. While he had fought the urge to vomit on her face, she had grinned and walked away.

This time, he pretended to be engrossed in the stack of parchment that he was carrying. It wasn't a very good ruse since he never did this any other time, but there was nothing else he could do except tell her that he found her not only extremely unattractive, but entirely repugnant on every imaginable level. Somehow, he didn't think that Albus would understand the defamation of his defense professor's character in the middle of the corridor for all the children to hear.

He couldn't get so lucky for her to pass right on by him.

"Severus, I'd like a moment to speak to you about your daughter and her attitude in my class." Severus groaned inwardly. What could she possibly have done to irrita the squat little toad? He gave her a sharp nod.

"Miss Granger snorted at me when I told the class that their assignment was over conflict avoidance. She told the whole class that Death Eaters would not be swayed by my methods and would kill her. Is she really so dim?" While Sereverus wanted to shake his head at his daughter's impetuous nature and smart mouth, he couldn't. He wanted to applaud her efforts and buy her a treat for pissing off the very bane of his existence aside from Weasley.

"Madam Umbridge, I agree with my daughter. She isn't worried about dying at the hands of a Death Eater, she's worried about not learning how to defend herself against those who would cause her harm because of her paternity. I fully agree with her opinion." That was gasoline on a fire. She sputtered and struggled to get a single word out.

"Whether you agree or not, it is not her place to tell me what to teach in my class. The next time it happens, I will be forced to give her detention." Severus stiffened at her words. There was no way in blue fucking hell that his daughter was going anywhere near Umbridge in detention. He took a menacing step forward and felt a flash of triumph when he saw fear cross her eyes.

"If you give my daughter detention, it will be with either Minerva or myself. If you even think of making use of that despicable blood quill on my daughter, I'll make sure that I will get to be the one to eviscerate you in front of the Dark Lord. Don't toy with me, Umbridge." He didn't wait around for her to confirm that she understood or not. He turned on his heel and fled to the dungeons.

Draco was walking in front of him towards the Slytherin common room and Severus couldn't help but think that it was a little early. His daughter and her two suitors had taken to spending their whole evening together, usually only making it back just before curfew.

Severus didn't want to think about the fact that those two boys were his daughter's mates. He had watched them kiss her from across the Hall and while he was thrilled that her magic was stronger because of their presence, it still made him ache inside. She was his little girl and he had just gotten her back. The last thing he wanted to do was watch her get pawed all over by Thing One and Thing Two.

These thoughts were immediately dismissed when his Mark began to burn. Severus wasted no time in gathering his cloak and mask under his arm so he could make his way to the gates. He waved his wand before leaving his room, his silvery doe exploding from the tip and prancing around him until he gave it a message to pass to the Headmaster. It was some nonsense phrase about muggle sweets, but it kept the true message unspoken.

It didn't take him very long at all to make his way to the gates. The trip off the grounds was always more hasty than the trip back onto the grounds. Once the gate had opened and the dark-haired Slytherin had passed through, his wand found his Mark and he apparated away.

Severus landed at the ever familiar gates of Malfoy Manor. He couldn't help but wonder if anyone else found the whole estate overdone or if it was just him. Either way, he didn't let these thoughts distract him as he made his way up the drive to the front door. As it always did, the door swung open to reveal Mipsy, the tiny elf that ran the first floor of the Manor. She pointed, as always, towards the drawing room and Severus wasted no time.

The Dark Lord was in the same throne as last time, Nagini lounging on the floor next to him this time. While Severus had no fear of snakes, he was a Slytherin after all, he could admit that the python freaked him the fuck out. He buried the fear deep and went to his knees in front of his father and kissed the hem of his robe. Nobody was in the drawing room but for the two of them.

"Rise, Severusss. Take a seat and speak with me about your lovely daughter." Severus rose from his knee and sat in the indicated chair.

"Peregrine Parkinson received an illuminating letter from his daughter three days past. Inside, it said that she watched my lovely granddaughter attack Dolores Umbridge for mistreating Potter. I assume you know more since she said you arrived on scene and obliviated the woman." Severus cursed inwardly. He had obliviate Umbridge so this wouldn't make it to the Dark Lord's ears. Gods damn Pansy Parkinson and her meddling. Instead of vocalizing these thoughts, he nodded.

"Yes, I received a patronus from Potter to meet them in Umbridge's office. When I got there, Umbridge was unconscious on the floor and bleeding from her head. Hermione informed me that Umbridge had forced the use of a blood quill on Potter and she couldn't control her magic. It was wandless and silent and it burst through Umbridge's shield. I healed both Potter and Umbridge and obliviated the memory from Umbridge. I couldn't take the chance that she would punish Hermione and it would get back to Dumbledore. He's under the impression that she isn't near as powerful as he originally thought since he hasn't seen any more displays from her." The Dark Lord nodded.

"Good thinking, Severusss. If Potter was injured, do you think he is one of her mates?" Severus wished he could strangle Parkinson right now. He decided he better tell the evil bastard before he heard it from Parkinson again.

"Yes, my Lord, I believe that he and Draco are both of her mates. Just today after lunch, they were both seen osculating with my daughter. For most girls, this wouldn't be an indicator, but Hermione does not give her affections freely." The Dark Lord sat back in his throne rubbing his chin.

"This could prove to be a problem, Severusss. The girl is obviously powerful and if it's true that Potter is one of her mates, she will likely kill whomever brings him harm. I doubt she could kill me, but it isn't a chance I want to take. I could order him killed by one of my Death Eaters, but she would never deign to join me then. She would do everything she had into bringing me down. While I am confident that can't happen, it seems like a lot of energy to expend for something I really don't want." Severus merely nodded. He didn't dare interrupt when the Dark Lord was ruminating about a plan. Several minutes passed before he finally spoke again.

"I see only one ssssolution, Severusss. We must convince both your daughter and Potter that they will find what they need on our side. I know Potter doesn't want war, he said as much in the graveyard. If I can get either one of them to agree to join us, our problems will be solved. I'm sure Draco would be able to help convince them that the world I want isn't nearly as bad as Dumbledore has painted it." Severus knew that a response was required.

"I agree that it would be for the best, my Lord. However, I think you should be prepared for her wanting proof. She trusts next to nobody since she has transformed and it wouldn't surprise me if she asks for an unbreakable vow. The safety of her mates will take precedence and if she doesn't feel they're safe, she'll never join you." The Dark Lord began rubbing his chin in thought. Only a minute went by before he spoke again.

"I would be willing to be vow that. Has the girl agreed to meet with me?" Severus shook his head.

"Not yet. She said she would consider it. I think if I were to tell her that you're willing to promise no harm will come to Potter she would be more amenable. She has no love for Dumbledore since she learned that he bound her magic and stole her from her family. Potter has begun to lose faith after hearing what Dumbledore did to his best friend." The Dark Lord broke out into maniacal laughter.

"The old fool has hung himself this time. Once you play your part to the fullest, she'll come to me and I'll promise her the world if only she joins me. Together, the three of us will bring my will to our world and those beyond." Severus wanted to vomit on his master's fucking bare feet, but he swallowed down the bile. His master had quieted down to chuckles.

"How has young Draco handled his time with our sweet Hermione?" Deciding that since he was one of her mates, his godson would be fairly safe, he decided to be honest.

"He seems quite smitten with her. She's perfect for him. They challenge each other and she keeps him from getting too big for his britches and he helps keep her impetuous nature under control." The Dark Lord nodded slowly seemingly deep in thought.

"What about Potter?" Severus had no idea why she kept the little wretch around, but he couldn't say that. He spoke carefully.

"I think their connection is more of an emotional one. They've been friends since their first year, they rely on each other, they trust each other." His master snorted, but said nothing about who fate had chosen for his granddaughter.

"Inform both boys that if they break her heart, I will make sure they never draw another breath."

Severus was astounded. That almost sounded like parental care and the Dark Lord didn't care about anyone but himself, Severus included. He wasn't sure what to think about the fact that the Dark Lord may actually care about his granddaughter. He was quick to nod his head.

"Consider it done, my Lord." The Dark Lord grinned, tiny pointed teeth showcased by his thin lips.

"Don't let her know you're threatening them. She'll hate both of then." Severus nodded as his master spoke again.

"You are dismissed Severussss. You've done well."

Severus rose from his chair and knelt at his father's feet again so he could kiss his robe. He stole out of the drawing room as silently as he had come and saw himself out of Malfoy Manor.

As he walked the length of the drive to the wrought iron gates, Severus considered everything that had occurred. He really hadn't wanted to divulge the level of magic that Hermione had available to her if her mates were threatened or injured, even if it was only by means of a blood quill. He had a sneaking suspicion that if it had been a fist or a curse, the force of her magic would have been far greater.

Severus sighed. There wasn't much he could do about it now. It would only be a matter of time before he would have to produce Hermione or his life would be forfeit. He would have to speak with her tomorrow.

Once he passed the boundary of the gates, Severus heaved a tired sigh before pulling out his wand and turning on the spot, disappearing with a crack onto the dark of night.

A/N- This chapter turned out a lot longer than I had originally imagined. Real life is really kicking my ass right now so thanks for being patient with me, y'all! Leave me some love and let me know what ya think.

Next chapter, the triad goes public and a meeting with Dumbledore. Probably a filler chapter, but we shall see!

Love,

Alicia