Chapter Three

Fall 2008

Me and my girl, we got this relationship

I love her so bad, but she treats me like shit

On lockdown, like a penitentiary

She spreads her lovin' all over

And when she gets home, there's none left for me.

"Doin Time" by Sublime

"Blaise and Daphne are coming to dinner tomorrow," Astoria said to Draco in passing as she looked through their owl mail, "l expect you to be on your best behaviour for my sister."

"Of course, Stori," Draco said, clenching his fist around his fork. He felt like he was going to vomit. Last time Daphne and Blaise had visited, Astoria had touched him and spoken to him so sweetly. It had magnified the emptiness inside him a thousand fold. He wasn't looking forward to that again. Pretending their marriage was a happy one was one of the most painful things in Draco's life. It would be nice to see Blaise, though. Draco knew better than to say that though. Astoria would probably cancel the dinner if she knew there was something about it that he was looking forward to.

Astoria stood up with a look of intrigue at one of the cards in her hands and walked over to the fireplace.

"Draco, darling," she cooed, "looks like you have a letter from Pansy Longbottom."

"What?" Draco said, looking up from his food.

Astoria stared him right in the eye as she tossed the letter into the fire, "Oh, oops. It slipped right out of my hand. So sorry darling." She laughed to herself as she walked out of the room. "Do you suppose she thinks you haven't forgiven her for marrying a Gryffindor because I wouldn't let you attend the wedding? You should have seen how lovely she looked. She certainly forgot you were missing by the end of the day. So sad truly. You really don't have any friends left." She paused at the door briefly to look at him, before sauntering out of the room. Her pleased laughter echoed down the corridor as she walked away. It sounded so lovely and elegant even though it was steeped in cruelty.

Draco swallowed and tried not to weep. She might come back if he did just to mock him further.

He didn't want to give her the enjoyment.

He had never expected that he would find a wife like his mother who had loved his father despite all his darkness and evil, but Astoria hated him. She hated his existence. She had never allowed him to touch her, not even on their wedding night. She had pretended to be nervous of course and so very sweet then, but that hadn't lasted.

His mother had still been alive then as well. She had been so proud of him, marrying a Pureblood woman, planning for the next generation of Malfoys.

Draco wondered if Astoria would have still slipped into this casual cruelty if his mother had still been with them. Would she have insisted then that they move to one of the other Malfoy properties, for privacy?

Most likely.

She never treated him in her typical way in public. It was all false smiles and pretend adoration. It was worse because he knew that all of it was an act. It was also the only time that she ever touched him so he couldn't help but enjoy a small part of it. It had been years since someone touched him. His mother's death had brought the end of her easy maternal affection. And his marriage had cost him Theo, but he shook that thought off. You couldn't put spilled potion back in the cauldron after all.

He stared at his hands and realised they were shaking. He was so very very angry. He didn't want this, didn't want her. Wished she would just abandon him, wished that he could leave her. It just wasn't done though. Pureblood husbands had to stay with their wives.

No matter what.

If he abandoned her, Astoria would get more than half his fortune as well as all his mother's jewellery and a number of other sentimental items that Draco couldn't bear part with. For Astoria herself, she had told him that if he ever left her she would burn his mother's rose garden to ash, kill him and then herself. She had said that it was only a joke, but something in her eyes told him that she wasn't lying.

She would also tell everyone that he was nothing more than a squib. He would be shunned more than he already was. He'd have to live in the muggle world if that happened. And he had no idea how to do that. He couldn't very well ask Granger for help, could he?

He'd made his bed and now he had to lay in it.

This suffering was his lot in life. It's what his past actions had led him to.

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It was just another day in the Archives. There had been five intern healers from St. Mungo's there all morning. They were fresh out of Hogwarts and they made Draco feel terribly old.

"Hey," a timid voice Draco hadn't heard from in years echoed from nearby as Draco knelt on the floor to put away scrolls that related to the Dragon Pox epidemic of the 1970s.

On his knees, Draco looked up and exhaled, "Theo." He occluded so he didn't cry. How had Theo found him here? "I thought that you were not speaking to me ever again." It had been just over nine years since they had spoken and Draco tried desperately not to remember a hundred other times he had been on his knees looking up at Theo. He swallowed. He wanted to be ill. Draco bit the inside of his cheek so his lip wouldn't quiver under the other man's gaze.

"I-I heard that you were working here still. And-and I wanted to come see you, see how you were doing Drake…Draco." Theo looked nervous, like he'd planned the whole conversation and Draco had thrown it all out the window with his impolite comment.

Draco did not care. He told himself that again and again in his mind. He didn't. Theo had abandoned him when Draco had to honour the marriage contract his father had signed while Draco had served his time in Azkaban. Theo had left him, but it didn't matter in the end. Astoria would have forbidden Draco from seeing or speaking to Theo anyway. Just as she had done with Pansy and Greg. Draco only got to see Blaise under Astoria and Daphne's watchful eyes. And even then only a few times a year. If Astoria thought she could forbid him from seeing Blaise all together, then she would do it in a heartbeat.

"I'm fine." Draco's eyes burned, but he kept his tone flat. "Why are you here Theo?"

"I missed you, and well, I work upstairs now. I wanted to come see you."

I missed you too, so fucking much, Draco wanted to say. Instead he scoffed, "Why now, Theo? I have been here the whole time." He stood up, wiping his hands on his legs. Draco hoped Theo didn't notice that he didn't Scourgify himself.

"I know. I know. And I'm sorry. I was being an arse. I was jealous and angry and I felt abandoned." Theo wasn't looking at Draco's pants, he was searching his face. For what, Draco had no idea.

"I had to honour the contract. I didn't have a choice unless I wanted to die." Draco wanted to laugh. He almost told Theo at that moment: if I had known that my marriage would be such a nightmare back then, I would have stayed with you. At least then I would have died with the last six weeks of my life happy instead of the hellish decade that I have spent. But things were always clearer in hindsight.

"I know. I wasn't being fair and I'm so sorry. Let me make up for lost time, please Draco." Theo sounded desperate, but Draco didn't think that it was to get him back in bed. Could Theo truly miss him?

Draco didn't even know what to say. How could they make up for lost time? Draco was in the worst kind of misery every day and Theo was still gorgeous. Draco could smell him even with the short distance between them: cedar and those infernal clove cigarettes. Theo still smelled the same. Draco wondered if he smelled the same, probably not. It had been years since he had been allowed to have a green apple and he rarely drank fire whiskey these days. It made him too melancholy.

He wasn't Theo's amortentia any longer.

The thought hurt more than he thought it should.

"So what do you want to do?" Draco asked.

"Can we get lunch?" Theo answered Draco's question with a question. Some things never changed.

But too many other things did.

"I can't eat in the Ministry cafeteria," Draco nearly whispered, embarrassed to admit that he was afraid to run into his wife or one of her cronies.

"Are people still unpleasant?" Theo looked unhappy, his curls falling into his face.

Looking into Theo's ocean eyes, Draco wished he still had the right to push his curls back and make him feel better. If he could, Draco would stroke his thumb along Theo's jaw and pull him in for a gentle kiss.

Instead he only nodded, not mentioning that the person who would be the most unpleasant about him being seen in the cafeteria was his beloved wife.

"How about I run up and grab us something? And we can eat in one of the file review rooms?" Theo asked, his eyes taking on that bright shine that Draco had never been able to say no to, except for that one horrible night.

"That sounds great Theo," Draco forced a smile and hoped he didn't come to regret agreeing.

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"How was your day in that purgatory you call a workplace? Anything interesting happen?" Astoria sipped her wine.

"Of course not." Draco stared at his plate, terrified she'd realise that he had had the most wonderful day since his second to last day he'd spent with Granger.

His wife made a satisfied noise and continued with her meal.

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Theo started coming down to the Archives two or three days a week for lunch. He'd bring muggle takeaway and they would eat together in one of the research rooms. At first the meals were tense and awkward, but soon the two men had built their rapport back up again. And if Draco missed the way Theo used to crawl into his lap, straddling him and kissing him so deeply Draco thought he touched his soul, then that was between Draco and his morning shower wank.

It seemed insane that the last real kiss and orgasm he had received from another person had been at Theo's hands. Sometimes he wondered what Theo would say if he told him that. But Draco didn't say anything, he just started to enjoy spending time with Theo again.

"So how are things with Astoria?" Theo asked after they had had lunch for a few weeks.

Draco mulled over how to answer. "About as well as an arranged marriage I was forced into on pain of death could be. I mean we are no Lucius and Narcissa, but it could be worse." Draco thought of Theo's mother murdered by his father or the rotating cast of brides of Antonin Dolohov from during the war, none of them surviving for long. Draco was painfully aware that he was more like one of the wives, a shadow of the man he thought he would be.

Theo nodded thoughtfully.

"I have… um…met someone." Theo shared, swallowing nervously. "I really like her, but I don't know how you feel about the whole blood purity thing anymore."

"Bloody hell, Theo. You know I haven't believed in that since I was in third year." Draco ignored the way his heart felt like it was breaking into a thousand pieces. Theo had met someone, would they control Theo like Astoria controlled him? These lunches had an expiration date now. Draco knew it and he wanted to start crying. He knew it, knew it was too good to last, knew this easy camaraderie would be stolen away again.

"Right, good. It's, well, it's Hermione Granger. I got paired with her for a work project between my office and hers and well, Salazar, Drake, she's just incredible."

Oh Draco knew.

He hadn't seen Granger in nearly a year, had seen her six months ago only in passing in the Atrium, but he still thought of her all the time. Mostly wondering if she had finally met someone now that she was free from Weasley.

He wanted to laugh. Of course the two most amazing people that he had ever known had gravitated to each other.

"Mate, that's grand. I'm happy for you, truly I am. Tell me all about how it's going."

As Theo gushed about Hermione and how brilliant and beautiful she was, Draco looked at his oldest friend, his first love, and was overjoyed to see him so happy.

Later, when Draco was in the dark of his room, he imagined cuddling with Theo and Granger and how they'd hold him. Theo would run his hands through Draco's hair the way he had when they had been alone back at Hogwarts. Would Granger read to them? He loved her voice when she read aloud. It was one of the things he missed the most from Hogwarts and from those six glorious weeks in the Archives.

The sobs that followed his little game of make believe came deep from a place deep in his soul. He felt as though the void was consuming him. It hurt too much to breathe and yet the tears continued. He couldn't seem to stop them and he lacked even enough magic to cast a Muffliato when he tried. His wand was as useless as a twig in his hands.

He was so pathetic.

Down the hall, Astoria heard the sound of Draco's sorrow and smiled, pleased.

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Dinner with the Zabinis was an exercise in playing make believe. Astoria pretended she was head over heels in love with him. Draco pretended that he was normally allowed to speak freely in her presence. The hardest part as always was not flinching when she touched him.

He made a couple of jokes about the dullness of his job that the whole table laughed at. However the whole reason that the Zabinis had come over for dinner was to announce that they were expecting their second child.

Draco smiled and congratulated the two of them. He looked at Astoria. She wouldn't even let him touch her, so there was no way that they would ever have a child. Another dream of his ground to dust under his wife's pretty heel.

Blaise invited him to attend his monthly poker night. Draco made noises like he would love to attend, but knew that there was no way that Astoria would allow him to go.

Which was the first thing she said when they were gone, "You know there is no way you are going to a poker night with Blaise and who knows who else?"

"I know, Stori. I will make my excuses."

"Good. You have one role in life, Draco, and that's doing what I say."

He nodded his head. After she left him alone in the dining room, Draco put his head in his hands and wept. Theo was going to poker night. He had mentioned it at lunch this week. Draco was fucked.

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Theo had been looking forward to Slytherin Poker Night since last month. It was nice to socialise with Blaise, Pansy, Adrian Pucey, and Marcus Flint over a glass of firewhiskey and a hand of cards. However, now that Theo had reconnected with Draco, his absence was all the more glaring.

"I saw Draco for dinner when Daph and I announced our news to Astoria and invited him to come tonight, but I doubt he will."

Theo, who was smart enough not to admit he'd been having lunch with Draco, just nodded.

"Draco won't answer any of my notes," Pansy admitted. "He didn't come to the wedding and I still don't know why. He won't respond to any of my owls. I've even floo called, but never any answer."

Blaise says "He took his dad getting life in Azkaban and his mother dying hard. He's so quiet now."

Theo's mind whirled, as he thought about how Draco wasn't quiet, had never been. Why would Blaise think Draco is quiet? Just today Draco had rambled almost the entirety of lunch about some research he had been doing about some obscure Amazonian plant that might be a cure for blood curses for a department head at St. Mungo's who couldn't be bothered to do his own research, being far too important and busy for such matters. Although Draco almost never smiled now, though. Theo had noticed that. The smiles that he attempted seemed false and brittle.

"I haven't seen him since that time in Diagon," Adrian shared. "That was years ago, wasn't it?"

"Oh bloody hell. I thought that mob was going to kill him," Marcus added, "Didn't you apparate him out, Adrian? The lead arsehole was quite the duelist. I thought that he was going to kill me before the Aurors showed up."

"That was only a few months after he got out of Azkaban," Adrian shook his head, "Greg tried to go see him in person after that, but someone had changed the wards and he couldn't get onto the Manor grounds. None of the elves would answer either from the gates."

Blaise sighed, "He's just turned into such a recluse."

Theo lost two hands in a row, lost in thought about Draco and what the hell was going on with him. He seemed terrified to be seen by people. They had had lunch several days in the last couple weeks and he never wanted to go anywhere.

After the poker night, Theo apparated home and found Hermione curled up in his bed reading, just where he had left her before the game.

"Hello lovely," Theo smiled, kissing her cheek, "Miss me?"

"Not in the slightest," she smiled holding up her book, but faltered when she looked up and saw the tense set to his jaw. "Are you alright, did something happen at poker night?"

"Something is bothering me, but I don't know that anything is wrong. I just have this feeling." Theo flopped down in bed next to her, putting his head on her stomach as he stared up at her.

"A feeling about what?"

"Something is wrong with Draco." Theo sighed, "I think it's something serious, but I don't know what."

"Why do you think so?"

"Some of the things that people were saying, Blaise especially, don't mesh with the Draco that I see for lunch."

"What could possibly be wrong?"

Theo blew out his air, sighing, "I don't know! And honestly that's what is bothering me. I used to know him better than anyone. Why can't I tell what's the matter?"

Hermione laced her fingers with Theo's. "That was a long time ago, Theo. People changed. Look how Ron had changed since the war."

"Weasley is a terrible example, my love. He was inconstant and had a terrible temper before the war as well. I still say he wanted to shag Potter as up his arse as he was when we were at school."

"Ron didn't want to shag Harry, he wanted to be Harry," Hermione freed one of her hands to comb through his chestnut curls, so similar to hers. Theo was similar to her in so many ways. Their traumas were different yes, but they held some similar themes: war, torture, scarification, and the loss of parents. They were like two sides of the same coin. Her golden eyes stared down into Theo's Mediterranean blue ones and had a passing fancy that her fire would cause Theo's water to steam and that would make steel grey. She shook the odd thought away.

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Hermione decided to join Theo for lunch with Draco. She could still call him that, couldn't she? They had sort of been friends there for a minute, hadn't they? At the very least, pleasant colleagues. In retrospect, she couldn't believe that she thought that not speaking to him so as not to upset his wife was the right decision.

Was Theo right and something was really wrong? She had sworn to herself that she would thank him someday and what had she done instead? Ignored his existence like the worst kind of arse. She felt ashamed of herself. She had been going through a lot of upheaval at the time and he had been the only one in her life who had told her that being treated like that wasn't okay. What if he was in serious trouble? Quite simply, Hermione decided that she had to find out what was going on and do something about it.

Hermione brought her charmed travel tea set that one of the older secretaries had gotten her as a promotion gift, when she had been told she was the first woman to reach her Auror rank since Amelia Bones. Hermione felt a bit guilty; it was hardly as though she went out into the field. She was more of an analyst. Regardless, a perfect endless pot of tea to go with cream under stasis charm with a dozen tea cups was a handy gift.

She recalled Malfoy never taking lunch in the whole six weeks she had worked with him. He would simply sit and read, in those ridiculously attractive glasses. She had to remind herself that he was married, that he had been for years. And after so many girls being the other woman with her and Ron, did she want to be the other woman for someone else?

Sometimes when their intellectual banter got particularly obscure as they were researching together, Hermione had to admit that the fit bad boy edge to the absolute swot that Draco Malfoy had grown up to be was basically irresistible.

He made her think about her assumptions and he could keep up with her thought process. Ron had never been able to do that. Ron had never been an intellectual equal with Hermione and it became painfully obvious as she got older that she was sapiosexual and had a competency kink. Hermione's desire for Ron wilted under the pressure of Hermione spending time with Draco. He'd already been suspicious that she had been getting her needs met elsewhere and then he had gotten his "proof."

Ron assumed that Hermione had cheated with Malfoy because he had caught her touching herself with Draco's name on her lips as she came. It was literally the most embarrassing moment of her life. He had wasted no time in telling her what a disgusting excuse for a Death Eater whore she was. Of course, she hadn't told Draco that. So if she hadn't cheated it had only been due to lack of opportunity or perhaps bravery. She'd thought once that maybe the attraction was mutual…but no. She was dating Theo now, Draco's best friend since boyhood and maybe more than that if Hermione was reading between the lines with how Theo described their relationship before and during the war. They sounded quite devoted.

She needed to bury that old attraction at the centre of the earth and focus on the friendship she knew that he and she had built once. Besides, he was married.

Draco had looked up at her in surprise when she walked in. She had arrived ahead of Theo, who was supposed to explain her presence. Well, there was nothing for it, she was going to have to explain herself.

"Hello Draco, Theo told me he's been joining you for lunch down here and I thought I'd come, too. It's been too long since I have seen you and I was wondering how you were doing."

"Is Theo having lunch with me something that is common knowledge?" Hermione watched Draco's hands tremble briefly before he hid them under the table. She stored that away as she watched his eyes go flat as stone, something she remembered so well from their sixth year at Hogwarts.

She shook her head, "No, as far as I know I'm the only one who knows."

"Oh."

Oh?

"Is it alright? For me to be here I mean?" Hermione asked, feeling so unsure of herself. Her self-esteem couldn't have been more fragile if he had called her a bucktooth frizzy haired mudblood.

"Of course, Granger," Draco said, "I'm hardly the most scintillating of company, but if you want to have lunch with Theo and I, then I can't possibly complain about the company of the Golden Girl."

"Prat! You know I hate being called that." She almost smacked his shoulder the way she would George or Charlie if they teased her, but different from the Weasley brothers, Draco flinched. It seemed involuntary. He met her eyes and there was something like terror in his eyes.

What was wrong with Draco Malfoy?

Theo picked that moment to walk in the door and smiled brightly at both of them. Hermione couldn't help. But Hermione was not surprised to notice that Draco didn't smile despite the way Theo's smiles were contagious everywhere he went. In fact, Hermione thought that Draco looked as though he was going to cry for a moment. Then his eyes and expression went flat again.

"I've brought sandwiches and tea." Theo waved the bag in his hands along with a thermos.

"Splendid, I'm starving," Hermione admitted.

Draco graciously thanked Theo and the trio tucked into the food that Theo had brought.

Lunch inside one of the file review rooms in the Archives wasn't a cramped affair; the rooms were quite spacious, but they were exceptionally stuffy.

The three of them were in the plain white room for nearly an hour. As they ate, they discussed the books that each of them were reading. A fact that caused Theo to refer to them as a pack of feral swots in their natural habitat, something that caused the corner of Draco's mouth to twitch despite his inability to smile. She thought he had smiled a few times when they'd worked on the Fawley-Ferkins case. Had things gotten much worse for him since then? She wished they were close enough for her to just ask.

When lunch was over, Hermione smiled sunnily, "I hope I'm invited to come back again?"

"Of course, Hermione. I enjoyed myself. If you'll excuse me," Draco nodded, his flat tone belying his words, before disappearing back into the Archives.

"See," Theo whispered before they left to walk back to the lifts.

Hermione could see that what Theo was saying was true.

Someone was hurting Draco Malfoy and Hermione was going to find out who. She owed him and he didn't deserve whatever was happening.

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"That's it, I can't do this," Granger cried out, standing up suddenly. Draco barely stopped himself from flinching. "I can't eat lunch in this research room one more day. I know you said no Ministry cafeteria, but what about popping over into Muggle London?"

Muggle London would involve going through the atrium in the middle of the day. He'd be seen with them. Someone would say something to Astoria, it was certain. All kinds of doom came rolling through his head and he wanted to yell at her. Tell her no. It was simply impossible.

"Is there a way that we could do it somewhat discreetly? Not that I don't want to be seen with the two of you," Draco began.

"But you don't want to be seen with the two of us?" Theo quipped, rolling his eyes. "Would the world truly end if you went out in public Draco?"

"Is it because of the rumours from last year?" interrupted Granger looked upset.

Draco grabbed onto that excuse. "Yes, yes. Exactly."

"Oh," she looked downcast and stared at her hands. "I'm being selfish, we can just eat here. It's fine," Granger flushed and bit her lip.

"No, no, it's okay. I just—um—need to be discreet, so it would be best if we weren't seen together."

"Isn't sneaking out to go to lunch with us even more suspicious than just walking out?" Theo queried, shrinking the picnic basket that he had brought with him.

Imagining Astoria's face if she found out what he had been doing and for how long, Draco flatly said, "No."

It turned out that Granger was excellent at disillusionment charms. Draco didn't know why he was surprised. He ought not to have been. No one commented on Draco not wanting to cast one for himself.

The meal was pleasant enough, but Draco couldn't seem to ease his nervousness. Every time the door opened he looked to see who had entered the restaurant. He knew Astoria hated Muggle London, but Blaise and Daphne came into the city often. That was just what he needed for his sister-in-law and former best friend to spot. Draco dreaded what Astoria would do or say if she discovered what he had been up to. He didn't want to know what she would do. She would probably make him quit his job. He'd be trapped in the manor until he died. He'd kill himself if she trapped him inside. She could ward him in so easily with how weak he was now.

Theo wore a face of pure shock when Draco declined the green apple tart. Draco's hands started to shake and he tried to hide them under the table. Astoria had been so clear, she hated the smell of green apples. He wasn't allowed to eat them, not even away from home. She had forbidden the house elves from serving him food for three days last time he had eaten one.

"Are you sure, Draco?" Theo asked, perplexed.

"I lost the taste for them after Azkaban," Draco shrugged, pretending indifference, but silently begging for Theo not to ask more questions, hoping against hope that Theo didn't remember how he had devoured a huge bag of them after his release and their painfully brief reunion.

Hermione seemed to sense the tension between the two men and interjected, "Did you know Muggle scientists think that people's cells are entirely replaced every seven years and that's why our food preferences change."

The two men both looked at her, chuckling at her cleverness and ability to mediate between them.

She was a lovely addition to their lunches, they both thought nearly simultaneously.

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That night when Draco laid his head on his pillows he was asleep before he knew it.

The Manor was empty and he knew that it had to be a dream because the place didn't feel haunted. It felt warm and welcoming. He walked down the hall to his room, and after he walked inside. There she was.

Hermione, he breathed her name and she was on him. Her kisses were wild and desperate.

I need you, she purred against his lips. Draco realised that they were both naked

She rode him, her lips tracing his jaw. Her hard nipples rubbed against the scars on his chest. She didn't treat them as ugly. She kissed each and every one of them while he was deep inside her. Draco had never been inside a woman and it felt amazing. Theo had been the top when they were young, Draco knew what being full was like, but this warm wetness squeezing his cock like a vice was making him see stars.

Theo lifted Draco's knees and pushed Hermione up into a low squat where she bounced on his cock. Then Theo played with Draco's balls. After lubricating it with a quick charm, Theo slid deep inside. The feeling of shagging Hermione as Theo buggered him was unbelievable. He came harder than he ever had in his life.

He woke up alone in his bed, cold and wet and spent. He couldn't even cast a scourgify to clean himself. He hoped he hadn't shouted or moaned or made some other embarrassing sound that Astoria could have heard from down the hall. His ability to cast a silencing charm or a Muffliato had gone away long ago. The last thing he wanted was to try to explain why he was making sleepy sex noises.

Remembering the look of adoration on Granger's face and the gentleness of Theo's touch, Draco wept and wondered if loneliness could be fatal. It certainly felt like it.

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Across England, in his London flat, Theo sat up in his bed. His breath came in pants. He'd been shagging Draco in his dream while Hermione rode Draco. Theo had been kissing her spine as he gripped Draco's thighs and filled him.

Fuck. Draco had felt so good, even better than Theo remembered. It was just a dream Theo, just a dream.

An inappropriate dream, at that. But as Theo drifted back off to sleep, he couldn't help but remember a hundred real nights in bed with Draco, their bodies seeking completion together.

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It was a new day and a new muggle restaurant. Today, Granger had chosen Indian food.

"Is all of it spicy?" Draco asked nervously looking up and down the buffet. He had no idea what to choose. He'd grabbed the flatbread and was eyeing several other dishes with a confused expression.

"Draco, could you be more stereotypically English?" she asked, coming up behind him.

"I'm also French," he pointed out.

She sighed as though very put out. "See the little red pepper icons on each label? That tells you how spicy the dish is. One is mild. I would stay away from the threes and fours if I was you." She proceeded to put several dishes with those very symbols on her plate. Draco raised an eyebrow at her. He'd visited a number of countries on holiday with his parents as a child, but India wasn't among them. He had no idea what the food was going to be like.

He decided to just jump in. He took small servings of several dishes with low spice ratings and returned to the table where Theo was already pouring tea for the three of them. Draco appreciated the comfort of someone pouring tea for you who knew how you liked it. No one else had done that for him since his mother died. Astoria certainly never served him tea. The elves weren't allowed to bring him anything unless Astoria ordered it, so every cup of tea was always the way that she liked it: bitter and black or one of those horrid herbal concoctions. Draco shuddered. He'd rather have a cup of hot water.

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Hermione had taken to watching Draco carefully and she had come to a number of conclusions. He was jumpy. Theo set his tea cup down too roughly and Draco flinched. His hands shook so much after that, that he had stopped eating for a few minutes. Hermione thought that he was afraid that they would notice.

Was Draco sick?

Frequently, he would start to say something and cut himself off. She noticed that this was more likely to happen if she was very excited about their topic. She'd ask what he wanted to say and he would always say it wasn't important. Sometimes Theo could drag it out of him and it was always interesting and insightful.

What had happened to the confident Slytherin from school?

Hermione had made a passing comment about his wife and the moment that she asked about Astoria, Draco's nervousness increased exponentially. Hermione could have sworn that his neck had a rash suddenly, blotches of red on Draco's perfect porcelain skin.

Hermione had met Astoria a handful of times. She'd taken on her mother-in-law's role in gala organising for the Ministry. She was the perfect vision of Pureblood elegance and etiquette.

Was she missing something? Hermione wondered. Had Astoria really heard the rumours about the supposed affair? Was she a jealous wife? She'd never seen the two Malfoys together. She didn't know how they interacted. Were they stiff and formal like other Sacred 28 couples?

Every time the door opened, Draco looked to see who had entered the restaurant. Hermione knew that he was trying to be subtle, but it was painfully obvious what he was doing after the third time. The tension would leave him each time that it was just a few muggles coming for the excellent food.

What was he so afraid of? Who was he so afraid of?

He apologised for every little thing. He bumped Theo's chair, immediately apologising. He knocked over Hermione's flatware, apology. He started to spiral, flinching, too, when she made a noise of surprise. He was sometimes nervous when they were in the Archives, but it was nothing like this. By the time this meal was over, Hermione was sure that Theo was right that something was very wrong.

Why wouldn't Draco tell them what it was?

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That night, Hermione dreamt about Draco and Theo.

She walked into her office at the ministry and Theo was forcing Draco to his knees. Theo was fully dressed in the light blue muggle suit that was her favourite. He was breathtaking.

A naked Draco Malfoy was sucking her boyfriend's cock as though he'd dreamt of it, as though the hard cock was all that he'd been craving on this earth. Around his neck a gilded collar shone in the candle light.

Draco was desperate and needy. He whimpered for Theo. It's so hot, Hermione slid her hand within her knickers and she moaned softly when Theo looked up.

"No no no princess, come here, you are far too far away. I want you to come and let Draco fuck you, he's never shagged a woman. He deserves to know how it feels. He's been such a good boy."

Draco nearly began to cry at the praise, looking up at Theo worshipfully.

She found herself underneath him, knees bent as Theo guided him from behind. They were all naked. Theo kissed Draco's neck and Hermione thought she was going to come from the visual at that proximity.

She needed to be filled. And, while inexperienced, Draco Malfoy was very well endowed. Her body opened like a flower while she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her legs went around his waist drawing him inside her. Draco came inside her as Theo's voice praised them, calling them his good girl and good boy.

Hermione woke up with her knickers soaked. It took her a long time to get back to sleep.

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In Wiltshire, Draco woke up panting. The taste of Hermione's lips was on his tongue.

What was wrong with him? Theo and Granger were the only friends he had. He was going to ruin everything.

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Draco had begged for something familiar for lunch. Theo had taken pity on him and found a French restaurant that had a nice midday menu. The moment the waiter spoke in French, Draco visibly relaxed. Theo almost laughed, but knew that wouldn't be well received. Instead he watched as some of the old confidence was visible in Draco as he discussed the menu with the server.

Theo couldn't help but think of the time that they had snuck off to Paris as teenagers. His French had never been as good as Draco's. It had been a blissful three days. If he had only known then what he knew now about how finite their time together was going to be. Theo wasn't sure if he would have done anything differently. Perhaps he would have appreciated it more.

Draco's fingers in his hair. His tongue in Draco's mouth. He shouldn't have been so surprised that Lucius would end their happiness, but now with the dreams that he had been having, Theo found that it was hard to swallow the delicious food around the regret that was thick in his throat.

Draco seemed more at ease today. His demeanour was easier than normal. Theo wished that he knew what was wrong because something clearly was. Theo needed to help Draco, and not because Theo was still in love with Draco but because if he didn't he feared for Draco's peace of mind.

When the blonde smiled at Theo and thanked him for the lunch choice, Theo felt his stomach do flip flops.

He was still in love with Draco Malfoy. Fuck.

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He was back at Hogwarts and Theo did not know why or how he had ended up here. The corridors were silent, but he came to the Slytherin dormitory which did not make sense because he had just been near the transfiguration classroom. Theo realised that he was dreaming then. Looking at his hands, they were missing the burn scars from last year so he had to be younger.

Draco and Hermione were arguing in the common room. The giant squid floated by in the background. Hermione yelled in Draco's face and suddenly they were kissing. Theo had this overwhelming sense of satisfaction burning inside of him. The two of them were his. How he had ever gotten so lucky he had no idea.

Everything blurred and Theo's back was against the glass window. They were all naked. Draco and Hermione were on their knees in front of him. They were both licking and stroking him. It felt amazing, their two tongues tangling together on the tip of his cock. When he exploded, it was all over Hermione's tits and he watched, transfixed, as Draco licked his cum from her body.

They were on the floor in front of the great black fireplace. Theo was kissing Hermione and playing with her clit as Draco filled her. Theo looked up and saw Draco's expression change as he came. Hermione shuddered beneath him as she took everything he gave her.

They curled together with Draco at the centre. Hermione's head laid across his Sectumsempra scars, her arm thrown across Draco's fingers gripping Theo's hipbone. Theo had his arms around Draco and had shifted the other man to have his head under Theo's chin. Theo revelled in this little moment together. The three of them were safe in one of his favourite places in all the world.

"Draco, I love you." Theo whispered, nuzzling the other man.

Theo woke up and reached around him, temporarily confused about where he was. His bed was cold. He was alone. He nearly got up and floo'd to Hermione's just to have someone to hold. He had to stop dreaming like this. It was wrong. He couldn't keep fantasising about Draco. He was married. Their romance was in the past. He just wished he could convince his heart and his cock.

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Draco Malfoy woke alone in bed and wept for the loss of Theo and Hermione's warmth. It had been everything he had ever dreamt of. These recurring dreams were going to drive him mad, but he wasn't willing to forgo them by taking Dreamless Sleep. The dreams and the lunches he shared with the two of them were the only things that made his hellish life worth living. He didn't want to give up either.

He still wept though, deep sobs, because the last thing he had heard in his dream was Theo telling him that he loved him.

"I love you too, Theo," Draco whispered into his pillow, his tears soaking it, "so fucking much. I never stopped."

Perhaps it was true what they said, it was pain that let a man know he was alive.