Chapter 5: 3rd of January 2022
"Draco? Draco, are you home?" Granger's voice rang through the hearth in his sitting room. Draco took off his reading glasses, setting them aside, leaving the file for his newest client laying open on his desk to come back to.
This wasn't the first time since Theo had been checked into rehab that she'd fire called him, and it wasn't that he was bothered by it since he was starting to enjoy feeling needed. Not for what he could do professionally, but what he could give back in other ways. He padded barefoot through the house until he was at the fireplace that Granger had called him from. When he saw her looking around, he raised a brow waiting for her to continue.
"Oh, hello, good you are home. So, I was wondering, would you mind helping me get the kids to King's Cross?" She asked, jumping right into the reason for her call. There was something about her direct approach that Draco had always appreciated about the witch, though at eleven when he'd first met her, he would have given his wand arm before admitting it.
"Remus is, well, Theo told you what was happening and since Theo is in rehab he can't exactly be there. The kids know you and I think it might be, well, good for them to have someone there." She continued, rattling on quickly.
Draco just looked at her face floating in his fireplace. While he'd been around for the last eleven years of their lives, he wouldn't have exactly said that he was particularly close with any of the Potter kids. He'd come to their birthdays and spent a few holidays with them, but that'd been because Theo had pestered him until he'd shown up not wanting Draco to constantly be alone.
"Only if you want to, of course," she finished, biting her bottom lip.
Fucking hell.
"Fine, open the connection. I'll go get dressed and come through."
ooo
"Floo is open for you to come through for supper," Hermione called out, though her face didn't appear in the fireplace, only her voice floated through. Draco looked up from the files that he was working on for an infidelity case. It was a young pureblood couple and the wife was fairly sure that her husband had conceived a child with another woman, leaving her with a massive payout in the divorce and to Draco if it was true. Spoiler, it was.
Though, unlike even a year earlier, Draco didn't hesitate setting aside his work to go to spend the evening with Hermione. Draco glanced around and easily spotted the letter that had come earlier in the day and scooped that up before heading into the hearth.
When he stepped into Hermione's home, the smell of the freshly baked bread and stew filled the air, causing his stomach to rumble in anticipation of the meal. Draco even smiled when he saw Portia sitting at the table, though she had a quill in her hand and was bent over a stack of books and parchment. He greeted her and she rewarded him with a half smile, glancing up for only a moment before going back to her studies.
"What are you working on?" He asked, looking over her shoulder. He read her notes on the theory of unicorn hair, nodding in agreement until the last paragraph. "This hasn't been proven. It was suggested in the mid 1400's by a Master Becker and is falsely believed to be fact."
The girl in front of him froze, reading back over what she'd written before grabbing a book next to her. As she skimmed the table on contents before flipping to another page Draco moved along to where Hermione stood over a giant pot. He smiled as he watched her carefully stirring her creation, carefully measuring out every ingredient, putting the final touches on their meal.
"You could stop judging me," Hermione scolded, though a smirk played on her lips.
"Not judging, just enjoy watching you work. It's intriguing to see someone so brilliant follow exact instructions and not trust their instincts. You can ask your daughter, the most renowned potioneers brew using feeling not instructions."
From the table, Portia held up her hand, pointing a finger in Draco's direction though her eyes were still glued to the work in front of her. "The man speaks the truth, mother. In 1923, Master Jahn was credited with brewing the first calming draught and when he was asked for his recipe it is said that he vocally protested the use of scales to help further the incompetence agenda."
Hermione narrowed her eyes and looked between the two before turning back to her stew, sprinkling in the rest of her perfectly measured out spices. "I think the two of you are full of it and conspiring against me. Anyway, supper is done, Portia, be a dear and put your things aside. I'm sure Draco will happily debate your thesis with you after dinner."
Supper passed with nothing too extraordinary happening. Portia was caught with a book in her lap and blushed when Draco teased her for it. Hermione briefly mentioned that she'd gotten an update from Hogwarts about Remus and Lilian, and that in the month since they've been back at school they've been doing well. Remus was still meeting with the mind healer twice weekly and Lilian weekly.
The same morning that Draco and Theo had discussed Theo's need for rehab had been the day that Theo checked himself in. He'd gone to Hermione's house and asked her thoughts on the matter, and she'd said that she thought it was exactly what he needed to do for himself. That was the first evening Hermione had called Draco to come over, falling into his arms when her emotions were too much.
With Theo away in a ninety-day facility, they'd been receiving weekly letters and updates on how he was doing. The detox process had been difficult, but Theo was now fifty days sober.
After sitting in the foyer and having the debate that Portia was promised, the girl spitting mad about halfway through, determined to prove Draco wrong. In the end, she'd curled back up with a new reference text that Draco had brought her from the Malfoy library and later excused herself to her bedroom to cross check a few facts.
"Has she said anything about therapy?" Draco asked, taking a sip of the tea Hermione had prepared for him.
Hermione mused for a moment, looking past Draco and out the window into the dark February night. She nibbled on her bottom lip lost in thought. Draco didn't disturb the silence, having learned that occasionally Hermione needed time before she spoke.
"She's going, but she doesn't say anything about it. She mentioned that she talked to James and he's still refusing to go. I think she's struggling with not being able to help her brother, like she needs to save him. She gets that from Theo, wanting to help everyone and putting others' needs above her own."
Draco nodded knowingly, having really gotten to know Portia better over the course of the past few months. He understood exactly what Hermione was saying. At some point, between realising his feelings for Theo and then really paying attention to this severely hurting family, Draco had found himself caring for them in ways that he thought had died within himself along with Astoria.
"Have you heard from Theo?" The witch asked, rolling her mug between her hands and keeping her eyes on the liquid inside.
"Yeah, he sent a letter and enclosed one for you," Draco pulled the envelope he'd nearly forgotten about from his pocket and handed it to Hermione. "He sends his love, mentioned to me that his mind healer would like to have a group session with us and the children, though I'll admit, I'm not sure if that's appropriate since I'm not his family."
Hermione looked up from the letter he'd just given her with her eyebrows scrunched together. "You really are that thick, aren't you?" Draco opened his mouth to retort her claims, but quickly shut it when she set her tea on a side table and stood from her seat and walked towards him.
When Hermione pressed her lips against his, Draco could feel the sparks flying between them. His eyes were open wide in shock, drinking in the beauty of her. When Hermione pulled back, Draco was left with his mouth gaping open and a very smug Granger in front of him.
"I'm going to take this to the bedroom now, I think." She said, slowly backing away, waving the message from Theo in the air, but not looking away from him. "If you want to join me, I'll leave that up to you."
When she reached the foot of the stairs and turned around to ascend them to where her bedroom was located, Draco finally snapped out of the spell she'd put him under and followed after her.
ooo
Draco and Hermione were standing together waiting with bated breaths as they waited outside the entrance of the muggle rehab facility that Theo had been at for the last ninety days. Ninety days with minimal contact with Theo, mostly through the form of handwritten letters that were delivered painstakingly slowly thanks to the muggle post.
At the beginning of those ninety days, Draco had thought he would shut himself away from the world and wait for Theo to return. He had thought that he would simply throw himself deeper into his work and ignore the rest of humanity. Instead, Hermione had come looking for him. She'd chosen him to lean on for support and in turn he'd learned to lean on her.
He'd gotten to really know Theo's children, all four of them. In the mind healer sessions, Remus had requested to ask him to come into one of his sessions in the last few weeks. It had seemed that Hermione and Theo had decided to shield their children from the details of Potter's disappearance and Remus had questions.
Taking the lead from Remus's curiosity, Draco had asked Hermione if she cared if he also had a conversation with Portia, to which Hermione had agreed. The revelations seemed to be healing for the kids, and while they still grieved for the father they'd lost, it had at least given them some sense of closure, especially to know how hard their mother and father had fought for answers.
Hermione held Draco's hand as they continued to wait for Theo, this was the first time that either of them were seeing him face to face and they were both ready. When he walked through the front doors, Draco was struck by how much healthier the wizard looked. No longer were there bags under his eyes nor were his cheeks sunken. His curly chestnut hair was now longer, hanging past his ears as opposed to the cropped way he'd normally kept it.
When he finally looked up from his shoes, Draco's heart leapt at making eye contact with him at last. Though, when Theo noticed Hermione standing with Draco, he seemed slightly confused.
"Draco? Hermione?" He asked, walking up to them, his eyes darting between them. "I– well that's to say, what are you both doing here?"
Hermione released Draco's hand and stepped towards Theo, looking him up and down in a scrutinising way. Theo began to lean away, but before he could get very far, his wife was in his arms hugging him tight to her body as she sobbed against his chest.
It took but a moment before Theo was returning her embrace, holding Hermione as if she were the most precious thing on the planet and might slip away at any second. His eyes were closed and his nose was against the top of her head as he breathed in the scent that was completely and purely his wife. The wife that he'd fought for and the wife that he'd come so close to losing.
Draco didn't intrude, and as he watched the pair together, he couldn't help but feel a sense of complete contentment watching them be reunited. Hermione's tears and Theo's comforting words were a melody that Draco listened to, not feeling like an outsider in the slightest.
The three of them went back to Hermione's house, where Portia was waiting to greet her father. It was a tense few moments, but when Theo reached out and wrapped his arms around Portia, the teenage girl melted into his embrace. Theo whispered into her hair that he promised that he'd always loved her, and he now understood that he just hadn't done a very good job showing her.
The rest of the night was fairly low key, Theo and Hermione sitting next to each other, the two of them sneaking glances at one other. Draco kept Portia's attention, talking potions with her, and Theo nodded in Draco's direction enjoying watching the banter between his eldest daughter and his bit more than friend. Draco wasn't sure what to consider what he and Theo were to each other at this point.
After supper was finished and the dishes were cleaned, Portia excused herself to her room to complete a bit of homework that she wanted done before her practical exam. This left Draco, Theo, and Hermione sitting in the foyer enjoying a bit of tea and biscuits before bed.
"Well, I think I might be on my way then." Draco said as he continued to watch Theo and Hermione share soft touches, brushing against each other often. "I have an early morning, so." Draco explained, standing from his chair and stretching his arms over his head.
Truthfully, the case that he was working on at the moment was just paperwork that he needed to finish putting together by tomorrow afternoon. Nothing terribly pressing that he'd need to skip sleep to finish by any means. However, he wanted to leave Theo and Hermione to go where they needed to organically and without him in their way.
"You're not staying?" Hermione asked, looking over at Draco as if he had just grown a second head. Her confusion made sense, because for about the past month Draco had become accustomed to sleeping over anytime he had supper with Hermione and Portia, which was quickly becoming a nightly affair.
"No, I think the two of you will have more fun without me. I can come back over tomorrow though," Draco continued, walking over to kiss Hermione and then turning to Theo and doing the same.
Though, when he went to pull away from Theo, the other wizard grabbed his arm, halting his actions. Draco was stunned, not having expected Theo or Hermione ready to advance, well whatever it was that they were apparently starting to form. Though the two of them had shared Potter, Draco had never wanted to assume that he could ever slip into something similar with them.
"Stay, please," Theo murmured, holding Draco in place as if he were a lifeline that the man needed. And looking into those ocean blue eyes, Draco was helpless to say no.
Hermione had already slid up to where Draco was crouched over Theo and began to rub her hands over both their bodies. She explored them as if they were already one entity, instead of two separate lovers that she'd known. They were an extension of each other and being this close to Hermione and Theo's flame made Draco feel as if he were burning alive.
Carefully removing each layer of clothing that they wore to ward off the chilly mid-March air, seeing their bodies begin to be revealed together Draco felt as if he were seeing them both for the first time. Hermione's olive skin tone next to Theo's tanned one was a perfect blend, Hermione slightly darker and Theo with a few freckles.
Their lips were intertwined, only pulling away long enough to find another set of lips or more skin to drink in.
As each article was dropped to the floor, the trio explored each other in ways that Draco had never dreamed. When finally he found himself at Hermione's centre, licking and sucking on her, his body trembled when Theo's hand caressed his backside.
"You two look so beautiful together," Theo groaned, gripping Draco's arse. He drank down the arousal pouring from the witch in front of him that seemed to pool even more at her husband's words. "Gods, I just, fuck, can I?" Theo asked, prodding at Draco's hole with a single finger.
Draco pulled away from Hermione's cunt and looked over his shoulder at the wizard behind him. Fuck, Theo's hooded eyes had Draco so lost and needy that he swore if Theo didn't take him he might not live another day.
"Yes," Draco answered, and Theo hummed his approval, snatching his wand up from the ground and applying the same lubrication charm he'd taught Draco.
"I need you," Hermione's voice pulled Draco's attention away from what Theo was doing to him and back to the witch splayed out in front of him. "Take me while Theo takes you. I want us to all be connected, to start anew."
Draco gaped at the witch, the one who so recently had been ready to end her marriage to Theo. The one who had cried and told him all the secrets and fears that she still carried. The same witch that had let him into her home, into her life, and allowed him to fully be a part of their family. Making sure that he was no longer alone.
Nodding his head, Draco had no words to say. In his heart he held onto the hope that this wouldn't end in tragedy if he allowed himself to love them the way they needed. The way he needed to be loved in return. Hermione sat up, motioning for Draco to take her place.
Once he had, Theo stepped between his thighs and spread his legs to begin working on getting Draco ready. Hermione didn't hesitate in crawling on top of him and sinking down onto his cock. The feel of her warm walls stretched around him while Theo prodded was a euphoric bliss that Draco had never dreamt was real.
With Hermione taking control and rocking her hips above him, Draco only felt the sheer pleasure when Theo entered him. The Potters each worked Draco, one riding him and one filling him, as Draco laid on their couch taking everything they had to give.
When Draco felt his sack tighten, he knew that he was about to explode right inside Hermione's cunt. But when he attempted to pull her off, she pushed his hands away and slammed her pelvis down on his. It was too much, too many sensations all at once and Draco found himself pumping his seed deep inside the witch as she continued to bounce on top of him.
The pulsing of her cunt around him had Draco grabbing her hips again, but this time instead of trying to remove her, he was holding her firmly against him. He pushed his cock further in her, his seed filling her womb as Theo found his release inside Draco.
With their bodies spent, the three of them collapsed into a heap of exhausted limbs. Their souls connected in a way that Draco knew could last forever.
