Chapter Five

For somebody that I thought was my savior

You sure make me do a whole lot of labor

The callous skin on my hands is cracking

If our love ends would that be a bad thing?

And the silence haunts our bed chamber

You make me do too much labor

Sipping tea as she sat on her new couch, Hermione turned her face towards the morning light that was spilling into the flat. It was warm and inviting and already felt more like home than the flat she'd lived in with Ron for years.

Neville and Pansy (now there was a surprising post-war couple) had come by earlier with a couple potted plants and a bouquet of white lilies and white roses that Pansy had made.

"It symbolises new beginnings." Pansy had told her when she handed over the bouquet in an elegant cut-glass vase.

"Thank you Parkinson - I mean Pansy," Hermione said kindly, earning her a smile from Neville, who was clearly besotted with the Slytherin witch.

"You're welcome Grang - Hermione," Pansy smiled tentatively back, looking up at Neville for reassurance, before continuing. "You can do much better than Weasley, I've always thought so."

Hermione refrained from commenting, because she wasn't sure what to say to that revelation. The Slytherin witch looked sincere, though, and when Neville kissed his girlfriend on top of the head, he smiled at her, too.

"I agree," Neville commented. "You've always been miles ahead of Ron, he's been dragging you down for years. You deserve to be happy."

"Neville," Hermione said in surprise, "I thought you and Ron were friends."

Neville shrugged. "Former roommates, but never really friends. I only ever saw him when he came to trivia night with Dean and Seamus, but he hasn't come in ages."

Ron hasn't come to trivia night in ages? But he never missed trivia nights, what was he getting up to on those nights? Oh…Hermione's mind raced as she realised what that meant, but she pasted a smile on her face.

"Well I'm glad that you are my friend, Neville." She hugged her oldest friend and then because his girlfriend was right there and Hermione didn't want to feel awkward, she hugged Pansy Parkinson too, who stiffened.

"Slytherins aren't very physically affectionate," she said by way of explanation.

Hermione couldn't help but think of all the hugs and light touches that Theo gave her. All the times that Draco offered his arm or placed a hand on her lower back when they were in Geneva, which had really been one of the best weeks of her adult life. She thought of Theo squeezing her hand at work to reassure her, the occasional bump of their shoulders when they were working side by side and he needed her attention. The way he had comforted her when she had a whole breakdown in front of him.

Hermione raised a sceptical eyebrow as she looked between the two of them as Neville draped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into his body.

"At least not with people that we aren't romantically involved with," Pansy winked.

Hermione did not really have enough time to sit and think about what Neville and Pansy had said, because soon there was another knock at her door.

Opening the door and seeing Draco and Theo standing there bearing a gift basket, Hermione laughed, "Do you know that officially more Slytherins have been in my new flat than my own House?"

"That's because you were clearly mis-sorted," Theo smiled warmly. She laughed at him as it had become a running joke that she should have been in Slytherin, despite the massive blood prejudice that had been part of that House in their youths.

"Come on in, I have tea on," Hermione invited, moving aside.

"Better than that," Theo smiled. "Draco has brought Champagne and some fancy chocolates," he waved to the gift basket Draco was carrying with a flourish.

"Freshly imported from France, Granger. I had to go over there for a few days for business and I thought your new flat might need to be christened properly."

Hermione blushed lightly at the double entendre, he couldn't possibly have meant it like it sounded to her.

"Thank you," she said, tentatively, reaching for the bottle. "I'll just get some flutes and cast a quick cooling charm." The last word died on her lips as she put her fingers around the neck of the bottle, finding it was already icy cold, of course Pureblood Prince Draco Malfoy would think to have the celebratory drink chilled ahead of time. Draco met her eyes and smirked in self-satisfaction, his eyes fell to look down at the grip she had around the shaft of the bottle before coming back up to meet her gaze. She was not about to admit to anyone that the look in his eyes caused heat to burn low in her belly. Suddenly awkward, Hermione squeaked out something about making themselves comfortable and that she'd be right back. She hoped that her word order wasn't entirely scrambled.

Hermione dashed to the kitchen, taking in shuddering breaths and running her hands under cold water to press them against her flushed cheeks, hoping to cool down after whatever that moment was back there. Circe, had she been so neglected that she was reacting that way to a wizard who was, for one, very much taken and very much in love, and two, very much taken and in love with another wizard.

"Pull yourself together, Hermione. They are your friends, nothing more," she muttered to herself as she gathered flutes and a candy dish for the chocolates and floated everything over.

Returning to the living room, she saw Theo was looking through her book collection while Draco had settled himself at the couch, a strong arm resting across the back as he glanced around the room with a pleased smile.

"I knew you'd choose this place," Draco said when she had returned, "When I saw the listing I immediately thought of you. I'm glad you got it."

Hermione's levitation charm nearly faltered at Draco's confession. She suddenly remembered that she found this place on a handwritten list Theo had given her, had he really roped Draco in on her flat hunting on top of helping her move? Did he really find this perfect place for her?

"Then we must give a toast to you as well," Hermione said, flicking her wand to pop open the champagne bottle and serve the bubbly liquid.

"As much as Draco would love the attention, today is about you," Theo teased as he joined them, plopping himself next to Draco where his arm still rested across the back of the couch. Draco laughed and caressed the wizard's shoulder and Hermione turned her face to hide her blush.

"What are you going to do now?" Theo asked, as they sat comfortably sipping their Champagne. Hermione hoped that they just thought the pinkness of her cheeks was caused by the alcohol instead of her unaccountable reaction to the two of them being in her space.

"Keep working with you? Enjoy independent living and not have to cook and clean after someone else. Maybe I'll get a new cat so that I have someone, or something, rather, to care for." Hermione sipped her drink and wondered where that last idea had come from. Since Crookshanks had passed a couple of years previously she'd refused to even consider a new cat when Ron had asked; She must be ready since she said that aloud without thinking.

"It's time to start a new chapter in your life," Theo offered kindly, with a smile that showed off that left cheek dimple that took her breath away every time. "You'll be able to do whatever you want."

"That's certainly a welcome change," Hermione admitted, finishing her glass.

"And we'll be able to come over and visit, lure you out to social events and dinner and go to conferences, all without anyone complaining," Theo said, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Theo, you should probably not use the word 'lure' when it applies to us. I'm sure not all of Granger's friends appreciate that we are a part of her life," Draco smirked, but Hermione could sense the apprehension in him, his neck was tense and he wasn't looking directly at her, examining his rings instead.

"If anyone doesn't like that we are friendly, then they can stuff it," Hermione snorted in annoyance. "I don't have very many friends that have been there for me during this whole upheaval, so I appreciate you both more than I can possibly say." She offered them a watery smile and then stood to grab the bottle of champagne and poured everyone another glass.

All day, every day

Therapist, mother, maid

Nymph then a virgin, nurse than a servant

Just an appendage, live to attend him

So that he never lifts a finger

Twenty-four seven, baby machine

So he can live out his picket fence dreams

It's not an act of love if you make her

You make me do too much labor

"War Hero Engaged To Patil Distributions Heiress"

Hermione stared at the headline on the cover of The Daily Prophet. Below the words was a blown-up picture of Ron with Parvati Patil, his arm wrapped around her waist and a big smile on his face while her former housemate joyfully flashed the exact diamond ring that Ron had offered her on the floor of their old flat. She wasn't sure how she felt about that, her emotions were an absolute whirlwind inside of her.

She quickly scanned the article, not wanting to know too much detail but also needing to figure out how it was possible that they were engaged when it had only been a few weeks since her and Ron's breakup. Her eyes caught the words, "the couple became reacquainted when several of their fellow alumni arranged to share a box at a Harpies' game" and "have been quietly courting for several months" and then "both families are thrilled at the imminent union" followed by a catalogue of the Patil family wealth as though it was anyone's business about the lucrative nature of their import/export business of rare herbs and magical creatures.

Of course the Daily Prophet just had to mention her in some way. Her blood burned as she read the article and flicked her eyes up to the byline, ensuring that it wasn't Rita Skeeter who had written the article. It hadn't been, but the words might as well have been.

"The announcement of this joyous union certainly explains why the groom-to-be has not been seen in awhile with Hermione Granger, who readers will remember had been in a relationship with him since the conclusion of the Wizarding War. When asked about Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley replied, 'She was simply not the witch for me, she was very selfish throughout our relationship and was not putting in any real effort towards a future together. Her work was always more important than us moving forward with marriage or children. I'm just glad she respected my wishes for a private breakup and didn't go public with it. It was very hard for me, you know, ending a relationship that lasted as long as ours had. But Parvati helped me pick up the pieces and I love her all the more for it; she saved me."

"Well that certainly didn't take long." Hermione sighed, crumpling The Daily Prophet and tossing it into the rubbish bin. The article's words had seared into her mind and she remembered what Neville had said about Ron not attending trivia nights. How many other 'lad nights' had he not shown up to? He obviously had been visiting Parvati instead and coming home late to crawl in bed beside her, or not coming back home at all, spending the entire night with another witch while Hermione laid in bed alone. She recalled the weekend that she had skipped Ginny's Harpies' game to stay home after an argument and her heart hardened when she realised that this meant that Ginny and Harry had probably been well aware of Ron cheating on her. In fact, the entire Weasley family had been there except Bill and Fleur who had been visiting Charlie in Romania.

She didn't want to cry, and despite the fact that she was so tired of crying because of Ron, the tears welled up anyways. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have brushed off the signs? And what the actual fuck was wrong with Ron? How the hell do you propose to a witch you had been cheating on for months and then have the gall to be mad at the rejection? Did Parvati really not know that she and Ron had been together all that time? Would he still have been seeing Parvati on the side if Hermione had said yes? What if the other witch had agreed to have a baby he desperately wanted? Would he have had an entire second family on the side? The very thought made her ill.

In fact, just the thought of still being attached to Ron in any way made her retch. So many thoughts and questions churned in her mind and she felt so pathetic and used. Ginny and Harry obviously had to have known, and yet Harry had tried to convince her to stay with Ron. What about the rest of the Weasleys, did they know? They'd been at that Harpies' game after all. They'd been like her family for so long, but it appeared that she needed to remind herself that they were not actually her family. Her own parents had survived the war, but had died in a car accident a couple years later before the Australian healers could make any progress with lifting her memory charms. She was going to have to get used to being alone in the world.

"Hey," Theo said, looking over at her from his desk. His sleeves were rolled up and his glasses were low on his nose, those blue eyes watching her with so much concern. "Why don't you come out with me and Draco tonight for dinner and drinks?"

The invitation made Hermione laugh a little, she could see right through the intention, no doubt he had read the article too and wanted to get her mind off of all the truths and lies she was now having to reconcile. She wiped away the moisture in her eyes and gave Theo an appreciative smile.

"I'd love that," she answered honestly, looking forward to spending an evening with her friends, the two people who had supported her most with the breakup.

Theo and Draco were at her door at six o'clock sharp, of course. Hermione had freshened up and changed out of her work robes and into a tight black skirt she hadn't worn in a while, a silky black and red camisole that showed some cleavage and a pair of black pumps. She finished the look with some makeup that included a dark red lipstick and teased some volume in her curls, embracing them rather than straightening them out as Ron had always preferred. She didn't need to disguise who she was anymore.

Hermione wanted to feel bold and sexy while she was going out tonight and if anyone she knew saw her she wanted them to know she looked good while she enjoyed herself with her Slytherin friends. Secretly she hoped such news would get back to her 'other friends' who had sided with a cheating tosser. The fact that she was socialising with Theodore Nott and Draco Malfoy was sure to get someone's knickers in a twist.

Only she began to doubt her fashion choices when she saw Draco and Theo's reactions as she opened the door. Their eyes widened and she saw their throats bob as they swallowed down whatever words they were holding back. Theo reached out and gripped Draco's hand without looking at the other man. Hermione suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious.

"Is what I'm wearing okay? I wasn't sure where we were going," she said nervously, now feeling shabby upon seeing their tailored, artfully unbuttoned and undeniably expensive shirts and jackets paired with fitted trousers and perfectly coiffed hair.

Her question snapped them out of their heads and Draco cleared his throat, "Yes, Granger, it's perfect. You're perfect," he reassured her, correcting himself, "You look perfect."

"My only concern is that we'll have to spend most of our evening warning strangers away from you," Theo said. Hermione flushed at the compliment, that was not what she was expecting from their initial reactions.

"Shall we go then?" She grabbed her coat and locked her flat. "And you really didn't have to pick me up, you know, I could have met you wherever we're going."

"Granger, may I remind you that we're gentlemen. If we're inviting a beautiful witch for an evening out it is our responsibility to escort her at all times, that includes picking her up and bringing her back home," Draco gallantly offered his arm and she took it, smiling up at him.

They apparated to a posh wine bar with plush and comfy booths. Draco and Theo let her slide in first, after taking her coat, and then settled themselves in the cosy booth with her, one on either side of her.

Draco and Theo had been here before so they took charge of ordering for the three of them and soon their table was filled with all sorts of tapas, several colourful cocktails and a pitcher of a delicious scented sangria.

"You have got to try the mussels with aioli, they are divine!" Theo said, only instead of placing one on her plate he held out the clam in front of her lips. Whatever was in the sangria was strong enough to lower her inhibitions after a few sips and she opened her mouth so that he could feed her.

"Mmm," she groaned in delight at the taste of tender mussel and creamy garlicky sauce. Theo lingered with the now empty clamshell, or maybe she imagined that in her already buzzed state, and surely the mischievous glint in his eyes was probably just an effect of the low lighting. Was the booth always so cosy and intimate? She felt warm, and tension coiled low in her belly.

She looked at where Draco was sitting, wondering if he was okay with his partner's behaviour, but the wizard was smiling, a real smile, not one of his smirks, as he took a sip of his drink.

"Pace yourself, Granger, the drinks here are strong. Theo, let her try one of the flatbreads." The wizard promptly held a bite-sized piece of bread with toppings in front of her mouth. Only this time his fingertips brushed against her lips when he fed her and it was like an electric shock that went straight between her legs. She retreated away from Theo to take a sip of water and compose herself, pressing her thighs together and hoping that she wasn't so wet that anyone would be able to tell when she stood up. How embarrassing.

She took another drink of her water trying to get a grip on her reaction to Theo, her best friend and her work partner, who was gay, for Circe's sake.

"Everything is delicious, thank you so much for taking me out tonight. Though I wonder, do gentlemen also hand feed witches they invite for an evening out?" She did not just say that out loud, but, she could feel her cheeks heating. Draco was right, the drinks here were strong.

"Only special witches," Draco supplied, a smirk playing around his lips.

"Also we need to make sure everyone knows that you're here with us. We can't have anyone thinking they can take you away from us, especially those poor blokes at the bar," Theo jutted his chin to where two men sat at the bar, quickly looking away in embarrassment when she turned her heads towards them, clearly disappointed that she was not available, though she technically was, but they didn't know that.

"I told you we'd be spending most of our time keeping strangers away from you. I don't mind though," Theo winked at her.

"And what makes you think I would have gone with anyone else when I have two perfectly good gentlemen who take such good care of me?" Hermione said, leaning back further into the plush booth in a show of making herself extra comfortable, pushing her chest out in the process.

"Then I am relieved to know that you would choose us," Draco looked very pleased.

"Calamari?" Theo offered, holding a fried piece of squid in front of her. She giggled and let him pop it in her mouth.

The evening carried on with delicious food and drinks and lively conversation, it was like Geneva all over again except different. They were closer, their touches and looks seemed to linger, not quite the respectable distance they had treated her with when she was in that relationship she absolutely did not want to think about tonight. Was that Draco's leg that her ankle was resting against? Did Theo realise he was sitting so close? Was it too warm in here or was it just her? It was the alcohol, it had to be. It was very much doing its job taking her mind off her ex and the drama of today.

Their proximity, the way they were attentive to her every need, could have been overwhelming. And yet she didn't mind, after all they were so chivalrous with the way they helped her back on her feet when they rose from their booth to leave and helped her with her coat and let her lean into them as she staggered on her pumps, tipsy and happy.

"There we are, home and sufficiently wined and dined," Draco teased when they brought her back to the doorstep of her flat.

Hermione beamed up at them, "Why, I do believe that you have fulfilled your duties as gentlemen," she giggled, holding onto Draco's arm as she grinned up to him.

"And does the lady require any other services?" Theo flashed a smile at her.

This is how it's supposed to be. This was how she was supposed to be treated. But the realisation made her heart twist awkwardly in her chest.

She had an amazing night. With friends. Just friends. Friends who were very committed to each other. Not to her. She was just a friend.

"I'm fine, you two have spoiled me enough for one night. Thank you so much again for a lovely evening," Hermione tried to keep her expression from showing how sad she suddenly was.

Come inside my flat. Have another drink with me. Touch me some more.

"I should be heading inside now for bed. Goodnight, gentlemen."

She settled for giving them each a slight hug before heading inside and attempting to not cry herself to sleep.

Wanting things that she couldn't have shouldn't hurt so much.

"We were so close, Drake!" Theo sighed, leaning his head on Draco's shoulder and letting out an exhale of disappointment as they walked back to the apparition point.

"I know T, one day, we just have to keep trying," Draco too felt sorry that the evening hadn't ended the way they had hoped. They wouldn't have made love to her tonight, she'd had too much to drink, but Gods, how they wanted to kiss her. Draco would have loved to kiss and hold her all night, perhaps the morning would have been a different story. They could have started the day with a long slow romantic love-making where Hermione came so hard and so many times that she forgot her own name. Draco adjusted himself and kissed Theo roughly as they apparated with a crack directly into their bedroom, where they landed on their bed with a rough exhalation of breath as they attempted to devour one another.

Draco kissed down Theo's neck and popped the buttons of his shirt open. The smell of Hermione's perfume wafted in the air, Theo had sat so close to her that her scent clung to the fabric of his shirt. He licked Theo's skin, maybe he would be able to taste her in that way if he couldn't worship her cunt and devour her just yet.

"Gods, she was stunning tonight, I thought I died and went to heaven when she opened her door. I thought she was an angel," Theo moaned as Draco kissed and nipped and licked his way down Theo's chest.

"Really? I thought she was a wicked little thing, with those perfect bloody lips and wearing that tight little skirt, looking like something I would sell my soul to have," Draco unbuckled Theo's belt and trousers and freed his wizard's hard cock.

"That fucking skirt, her fucking arse," Theo recalled with a groan that was then amplified when Draco put his hot mouth on his cock.

"I don't think she was wearing knickers, we would have seen the outline," Theo kept talking as Draco went down on him, "Or maybe she was wearing a thong. Fuck I wanted to put my hand up her skirt to check so badly, especially when those two tossers at the bar kept looking at her."

Draco gave Theo's length one long lick and pumped at his shaft, "I wanted to fucking hex them," he growled, remembering how they leered at her.

"I wanted to make her cum, put my hand up her skirt and make her cum right in front of them, show them who she belonged to," Theo mumbled under Draco's attentions, and his own fantasies.

"No Theo, when she's ours all her orgasms will be for us, no one else can see them," Draco declared before going down on Theo again, head bobbing up and down as Theo also thrusted into his mouth. Theo's fingers tangled in Draco's hair.

"I wonder if she could cum through nipple play. Did you see them through her top? They looked so hard and perky. I bet they're so sensitive. Salazar, how I want to try. I'd tie her up and play with them, pinch and suck and lick them until- until- oh fuck, Draco!" Theo shouted as he came into Draco's mouth. Draco swallowed all of him, not wasting a single drop.

Draco released Theo with a pop. "I want to hear her scream my name so much," he said, stripping himself of his own clothes.

"Me too, sometimes I rile her up at work just so she can shout my name, she's so hot when she's angry," Theo panted, as he came down from his high. Draco tore the rest of the clothes off of Theo, taking out his frustration on his buttons, tearing a seam here and there as he went.

Draco flipped Theo onto his stomach and made him get on all fours. He took his achingly hard cock in his hand, the tip weeping with precum and he pumped the lubrication on his shaft while he prepared Theo to take him.

"Do you think we could make her squirt?" Draco inquired, once again desperate with his need to know what she tasted like, wanting to lap up all of her juices from her inner-thighs. Had she been wet when she went inside after their date? He moaned just thinking about it.

"I'll make it my life's mission to learn how to make her squirt," Theo said, "I'll figure out every single way to make her cum- oh Gods," he groaned when Draco entered him from behind, sinking in to him until he was buried in Theo's arse.

"She'll be so good for us won't she? She'll be so tight and wet for us?" Draco's voice was deep as he thrust into Theo.

"I want to fuck her over our desk at work so badly. Gods, even her swotty work outfits look sexy. Want to bend her over and ruck up those tweed skirts she wears, tear her knickers right off of her and slap that arse," Theo moaned as Draco bottomed out inside of him, hitting the place inside him that made his mind stutter for a moment.

"At least you get to see her almost everyday and talk to her, make her laugh," Draco pounded into Theo. He wished he had more time with Hermione, he wanted her to trust him as much as she did Theo.

"It's not enough," Theo grunted, "She should be here with us."

"She will be. Hermione will be ours, we'll take such good care of her that she'll never leave us," Draco was close, revelling in the fantasy that one day she would be there in bed with them, that she would spend mornings and nights with them, and spend forever with them.

"Oh Gods, can you imagine her pregnant? All filled up with our baby?" Theo said and the image of Hermione swollen with their child, their heir, brought him to his climax.

"Fuck, Theo!" Draco came into his wizard, pumping his seed inside him, drawing his orgasm out with the thought that one day he would cum inside Hermione's womb, placing his seed there for her to carry and protect, making a son or daughter for them all to adore.

Draco was breathing heavily as he slipped out of Theo, his wizard dropping back onto the mattress in exhaustion and Draco fell on top of him, pressing his lips along his back, leaving a trail of kisses on his spine. They turned on to their sides cuddling as they tried to regain their breath and waited for their heartbeats to slow.

"Do you really think she'll want us? That she can actually be ours?" Theo asked as they laid in their post-coital bliss, as Draco held him from behind placing soft kisses on his neck.

"I hope so, maybe it's too much to formally court her when she's going through a rough patch, but I'm not going to stop trying. We'll keep taking care of her in any way we can and someday she'll trust us with her heart," Draco reassured Theo.

Theo hoped Draco was right. He prayed to every deity that Hermione would one day think of them as worthy of her affections. They would work hard to win her, and when they had her they would work even harder to keep her.

All day, every day

Therapist, mother, maid

Nymph then a virgin, nurse than a servant

Just an appendage, live to attend him

So that he never lifts a finger

Twenty-four seven, baby machine

So he can live out his picket fence dreams

Going out with Theo and Draco continued to be the only time over the next several weeks that Hermione wasn't consumed with thinking about how so many people had been lying to her, potentially for years. She'd always thought that she was savvy, but this situation proved that her social acumen was not nearly as good as she thought it was. She'd unsubscribed to The Daily Prophet at her flat, but there were always copies delivered to the Ministry in the morning. She'd never quite figured out how they got into the Department of Mysteries with them.

When Hermione opened the copy of The Daily Prophet one morning, the front page announced that Ginny and Pavarti were both pregnant. A picture of both couples stared up at her from above the fold. Harry and Ron stood with their arms around each other. Ginny and Pavarti smiled with their hands on their bellies, which were not yet rounded. The article quoted Ron and Harry as being excited that their children -read their sons- would be going to Hogwarts together and of course would be in Gryffindor and play Quidditch together.

Hermione crushed the newspaper up, so frustrated that everything was still seen in terms of Hogwarts houses.

She wasn't jealous of Parvati at all, she was so grateful not to be dealing with Ron and his nonsense any more, she genuinely wondered how Parvarti was fairing with his shite, but maybe the Patils had their own family of elves that Ron could happily treat like servants. However, the way Harry had pulled back from their friendship stung. She and Ginny had never been particularly close, they'd just been thrown together often. Yet she had still been made James and Albus' godmother for Merlin's sake. Ever since she'd met Harry for tea and reiterated that she would never be taking Ron back, she hadn't gotten to see either of them once. She missed their sweet little faces. Of course now that Ron was engaged and expecting a child with someone else, Parvati would be getting to spend time with the boys instead of her. Perhaps she was more jealous about that than anything having to do with Ron. She hated thinking that maybe Ron had been right about the notion of settling down, after all she wasn't getting any younger. Maybe she should think about meeting someone so that she could have children of her own before she was too old, assuming that the medi-witch who told her that Dolohov's curse and the prolonged Cruciatus by Bellatrix during the war wouldn't affect her fertility had been correct.

"Maybe I need to get back into the dating pool," Hermione pondered aloud to Theo, as he made some notes on their most recent experiment trials.

Theo snapped his quill, ink flying everywhere. "Oh fuck," he cursed.

"Are you alright?" she asked in confusion, but he was interrupted from answering by Draco opening the door to their office carrying coffees in to-go cups and a bakery bag.

"Good afternoon my favourite swots, I was running some errands and I thought I'd drop-by with some refreshments," Draco said, cheerily setting down the surprise delivery on Theo's desk.

"Oh, Draco what a wonderful surprise!" Theo hastily wiped the ink from his hands to give Draco a hug. Hermione thought she heard him mutter something in Draco's ear as he embraced his partner.

"What did you bring us?" Theo asked eagerly when he pulled away from Draco who had his features schooled to a neutral expression.

"Oh, uh- yes your favourite drink orders and fresh croissants. Here Granger, a vanilla latte with a dash of cinnamon," Draco smiled and handed her the warm to-go cup.

"I can't believe you remembered," Hermione was already touched that he had thought to bring her something, yet alone remembered her order from the one time they had grabbed coffees together.

"Of course, I always remember things about the people I care about," Draco said. Hermione's heart lurched at those words.

"Well, thank you, we definitely needed the caffeine boost," Hermione replied.

"Yes, sorting all this data is exhausting, we'll probably need to work late tonight if we want to keep to the schedule we had laid out," Theo whined.

"Is it just data from an experiment? You can bring your work home and use those confidentiality charms so you can finish," Draco said.

"But I can't make Theo get through the rest of it alone, we're a team," Hermione protested.

"Well Granger, I guess you'll have to come to ours for dinner tonight," Draco smirked at her.

"I- I can't do that either, I don't want to intrude on your evening last minute," Hermione said.

"Granger, surely you should know by now that you are not and never will be an intrusion for us. In fact, you were already long overdue to be invited to our home. Please, come over, have a home-cooked meal and finish your work in comfort. Besides, I'm sure you'll enjoy invading Theo's space in the study."

"Please, Hermione? I'll let you borrow any five books from our library if you come over," Theo pleaded.

Well, who could say no to that kind of promise? Or to those blue and silver eyes that looked like they were on the verge of anguish if she declined the invitation.

"Okay, I'll come to yours for dinner," Hermione agreed.

"Wonderful, I'll see you both later then, enjoy the treats," Draco departed to carry on with his day.

Latte and croissant in hand, Hermione threw herself back in their work, if only to distract herself from the fact that she was nervous about going to Draco and Theo's home. It was silly, after all they had been to her home before several times now, and Draco was right, at some point they would have invited her to theirs. Besides, tonight was just dinner and work, because she was Theo's colleague and Draco wanted his partner home on time for dinner and because they were all friends anyways it was no big deal to have her join them. So why was she making a deal of it? She wasn't, she was completely focused on their research for the rest of the afternoon. And before she knew it she was rambling to Theo about it all the way to the apparition point in the Ministry Atrium.

Theo apparated them to the door of their penthouse flat and opened the door for her.

"Draco, we're home!" Theo called out from the spacious entryway where he kindly took her bag and hung up her outer work robe. Hermione tried not to think about how lovely those words sounded when Theo said them.

We're home.

"Granger, welcome to our home," Draco appeared and greeted her.

"Thank you again for having me, this place is spectacular," Hermione commented politely, though it was the truth. From where she stood she saw whitewashed walls were tastefully decorated with paintings both Muggle and magical, the hardwood floors that weren't covered in exotic rugs gleamed from the light coming in from the floor to ceiling windows and elegant chandeliers.

"We have time for a tour while our dinner finishes in the oven, perhaps you would like to freshen up in the loo beforehand?" Draco offered, ever attentive to her needs especially now as her gracious host.

"Yes to both," Hermione answered, blushing under his stare.

Freshened up and pre-dinner wine in hand, Draco and Theo showed her around their beautiful home. Their comfy living room, a library-study as big as her entire flat that she couldn't wait to poke through, some spare rooms ready for guests at a moments notice, their actual bedroom where Hermione averted her eyes from looking at their giant bed, until they circled back to the kitchen that smelled absolutely mouth-watering with Draco's cooking and finally to the dining room where Theo pulled-out her chair at the already set table.

Hermione hadn't doubted Draco's skills in the kitchen from what she had seen of the lunches he packed for Theo, but she was still blown-away by the courses he prepared. A summery salad with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing, roasted salmon with glazed vegetables, fresh rosemary bread of which she could easily eat three whole loaves if the opportunity ever came about and a lemon blueberry mousse cake for dessert.

"Draco this was all wonderful, you are an amazing chef," Hermione praised as she polished off the last bite of her creamy dessert. Honestly, why would anyone waste money at a restaurant that couldn't compare to the dishes that could be prepared at home? Although, she also understood the need to take a break from the kitchen.

"I appreciate that, Granger. I'm very happy to finally have you in our home and that you're enjoying yourself," Draco said, smiling in self-satisfaction.

"This place is gorgeous, but how do you manage the upkeep?" Hermione inquired, wondering how he could take care of the large penthouse and still have the energy to cook. She was happy with the efficient size of her flat, the routine cleaning didn't take her long at all and since she naturally kept things organised it always looked put together.

"You learn a thing or two from growing up with house elves. Plus cleaning spells are easy when everything is already tidy," Draco explained.

"More wine?" Theo offered.

"Oh no, actually we should probably get to work," Hermione reminded him.

"Oh yeah, we need to do that don't we?" Theo said, as if he genuinely forgot that the reason she was there was so that they could finish sorting through the data from their experiment.

"I won't keep you two any longer then, go on to the study, I'll be there in a short while," Draco prompted them to leave, and of course helped Hermione out of her chair.

Hermione and Theo settled into his area of the study, after he explained some of his personal side-experiments he had set-up that she was curious about and looked through a portion of his book collection.

With a happily filled stomach and delightfully comfortable chairs, they breezed through the rest of their data analysis so that they could begin the next part of the experiment process in the morning. Draco had joined them when he had finished cleaning up dinner, sitting at his own desk to check through his business emails and write a few letters. It all felt so domestic, the three of them contentedly working in each other's company.

But this wasn't her home, when they were done Draco and Theo would go to their bedroom and she to her flat, alone.

"Are you sure you don't want us to take you home? You know it's not a problem for us," Theo asked while she packed her work bag and dutifully cast several security charms to keep their research confidential.

"I will be fine, Theo, but thank you," Hermione reassured him, hugging her book selections that he had bribed her with to her chest.

"Be sure to message us the minute you're home so that we know you got there safe," Draco instructed, "And you can expect another dinner invitation within a week, but this time no work, we'll entertain you properly."

"You're too kind, Draco," Hermione said, trying to hide the fact that she was unaccountably sad about returning home to her empty flat.

"It's nothing, you're welcomed here anytime," Draco said earnestly.

They bade each other goodbye and Hermione went home. Her flat never felt more solitary after the warm company she enjoyed over the lovely evening. She messaged Theo that she was home safe and crawled into bed with one of his books, the pages smelling of a place that she didn't belong, but oh how she wished that she did.