Author's Note: Here come the lemons (finally!)
Chapter Six
It's not an act of love if you make her
You make me do too much labor
The capillaries in my eyes are bursting
If our love died would that be the worst thing?
Between her research experiments and spending so much time with Draco and Theo, Hermione had quickly forgotten her intentions to get back on the dating scene. Though it was probably for the best as she almost certainly had unreasonably high expectations on how she should be treated thanks to their constant attention.
Every week Theo brought her a bouquet of flowers for her desk at work. They were elaborate and gorgeous. She was surprised to see that they had come from Neville and Pansy's florist shop in Diagon Alley, although she should not have been since Pansy was their closest friend after all.
Hermione caressed the blooms wondering if they meant something, but she was afraid to ask. She knew that Purebloods loved to use the language of flowers, but she'd never bothered studying it herself. Ron had always been dismissive of it - calling it a posh Slytherin thing, so there had never been a point to her learning what she knew was a fairly complicated system. She wouldn't be able to bear it if the flowers meant something like "so sorry that you are lonely." How embarrassing would that be? Better not to know, or so Hermione convinced herself.
Draco started dropping by their office even more often than he had been, specifically on days when she hadn't packed a lunch and then the blonde wizard would show up just before the lunch hour with a satchel packed just for her and as lovingly prepared as Theo's, who had probably told him that she hadn't brought her own.
He would also pop in on days when he ran errands and would dutifully bring her and Theo pick-me-ups in the form of their favourite coffees and baked treats. At this point Draco was probably good friends with all the Ministry check-in guards from how often he came to their office.
Slowly her life began to develop other routines that revolved around Draco and Theo, like Tuesday nights at Muggle restaurants. Ever the gentlemen, they would pick her up at her flat after she showered and changed out of her work robes. Draco would present to her a second elaborate bouquet of flowers for the week, this one for her home. The three of them would spend a lovely evening out, somehow their conversations never stalled while they enjoyed good food and drinks. Afterwards they would take her back home and each time Hermione fought the urge to invite them inside, to extend their evening just a little longer despite the fact that she and Theo had work in the morning.
And of course Draco and Theo continued to invite her to dinner at theirs every Friday night. She always looked forward to those evenings. She loved that it was just the three of them, no Ministry coworkers roaming outside the office, no restaurant patrons surrounding them, no potential Daily Prophet paparazzi hiding in the wings. It was just the three of them in the privacy of the men's penthouse flat. It was more relaxed; they could let loose a little more, lounge back on the comfy couches as they finished the evening's bottle of wine or other cocktails that Draco concocted for them. He constantly impressed her and she couldn't even be surprised when mixologist was one of the skills that she could add under the list in her mind titled "Things Draco is amazing at."
Perhaps Hermione had gotten a little too comfortable in that environment and one night she had too much to drink. She just felt so safe and spoiled around them that she had forgotten that she needed to be sober enough to apparate home as she hadn't set up a floo connection in her new flat. But she wasn't drunk enough to forget that Draco and Theo's penthouse was not her home, as her heart always liked to painfully remind her.
"I swear 'm fine," she slurred, trying to put her shoes back on to leave. Draco and Theo were hovering around her as she struggled to stand up from the couch.
"Granger you are not going anywhere in that state and I don't like the idea of you being alone like this," Draco's voice was commanding and she tried in vain to ignore the way that it made her knickers wet.
"We'd offer sober-up potion but we ran out," Theo informed her, but it didn't seem as though he was terribly sorry about it.
"Wha' am I s'posed to do then?" Hermione slurred, staring at him in confusion.
"You'll spend the night here obviously," Draco said matter-of-factly.
"I don' wanna be a bother," Hermione pouted.
"Enough of that, come on, let's get you to bed," Draco began helping her up from the couch, only as soon as she was on her feet she swayed and her knees buckled from all she had to drink. Strong arms wrapped themselves around her and she realised with a squeak that she was being lifted off the ground.
"Don't worry, I've got you," Draco reassured her, carrying her as if she weighed nothing towards the rooms. Well, there was no use trying to get out of this now.
"Can I stay in the blue room? Is so pretty," she mumbled, circling her arms around his neck.
"Of course Granger, anything you want," Draco's voice rumbled in her ear, the sensation making her already hot cheeks burn. She tried not to squirm in his arms, but she had never been this close to him before and now she was pressed up against his warm and powerful chest. It was almost overwhelming, there was just so much of him surrounding her as he held her firmly, she didn't want a bed anymore, she wanted Draco, good and wonderful Draco who took such good care of her and Theo and smelled so good. Gods, she wanted to press her nose to his neck and inhale his scent. Oh wait she was, but Draco didn't seem to notice so she did it again, breathing him in like he was the very air she needed to breathe.
Draco set her down carefully on the bed of one of the guest rooms, the blue one, just like she had requested. Hermione bit down a protesting whine when he pulled away from her, deprived now of his warmth.
"There we are, all settled," Draco helped her lean back on the pillows that Theo had fluffed up and then pulled the covers to tuck her in.
"Do you need anything?" Theo asked her.
You, the both of you, inside me, right now. She licked her lips, but didn't dare voice her desires.
"''m fine," she sleepily mumbled instead, the soft bed already lulling her drunk mind to sleep.
"Our bedroom is right next door if you need us. Sleep well, Granger," Draco said before she blacked-out.
In the morning, Hermione woke to a hangover pounding in her head and unfortunately the memory of how she ended up sleeping over. Sitting up, she saw an array of items on the nightstand, including a note.
Good morning,
Here's a headache potion if you need it.
There's fresh towels in the ensuite and a change of clothes if you want them.
We'll be in the kitchen :)
Hermione gratefully took the hangover potion and drank water from the carafe that they left. She trudged to the bathroom and gasped at her reflection, she was a mess, and the boys had seen her that way. She felt awful and uncomfortable in her own skin and clothes and gladly took a much-needed shower, using the luxurious bath products that were available. They smelled of citrus and it was almost like bathing in Draco's smell. The very thought made her nipples hard, but she refrained from touching herself in their guest shower.
That would be going too far, she thought. Instead she just scrubbed herself clean, making sure to get rid of the makeup from the night before before turning off the delicious hot water with a sigh.
Feeling fresh and sober and dressed in an old jumper and cotton shorts that she had to tie the drawstring tightly so that they wouldn't fall, she emerged from the room and headed to the kitchen, drawn by the smell of coffee and bacon.
"Well good morning sunshine," Theo greeted from the breakfast nook from where he sat reading The Daily Prophet.
"Morning Granger, how are you feeling?" Draco asked from the cooker, looking at her up and down with a hungry glint in his eyes and she hoped she hadn't delayed their breakfast by waiting for her.
"Much better, thank you for letting me stay over," Hermione whispered shyly.
"Of course, I'm glad you trusted us to take care of you while you were in that state. Now please, sit down, breakfast is almost ready," Draco prompted her to the breakfast table where Theo was already pulling out a chair for her. Merlin, did they ever take a break from being chivalrous?
Breakfast was an ordeal of its own, the food and coffee were scrumptious and she felt fully restored from the meal, but what she really wanted to eat were the damn wizards that she was dining with. They were dressed in only their sleepwear, hair unbrushed, a bit of scruff on soft and relaxed faces. They hadn't showered yet and they smelled masculine and delicious - even better than Draco's cooking. It was way too early to deal with the effect they were having on her, especially when they continued to be so attentive to her. Theo made sure her coffee was filled, Draco offered this jam and that curd, all toppings that Draco had made from scratch. They were spoiling her; she was going to be ruined for other men by this sort of treatment.
After breakfast and many thank yous, Hermione got the hell out of there, still feeling thoroughly embarrassed. The first thing she did when she got home was throw herself onto her bed and scream into her pillows.
She wished that she could say that that was the last time she slept over at Draco and Theo's, but somehow it became a frequent occurrence for one reason or another after their Friday night dinners until it was happening on a weekly basis. The blue guest room was just as much Hermione's as her own flat. Theo had put a photo of the three of them on the wall in there, and a bookshelf had been added which was slowly filled with books she mentioned in passing in their discussions.
She no longer scurried away to her own home on Saturday mornings. She would have felt guilty that she was overstaying her welcome if they didn't seem to always come up with ways to make her stay a little longer.
"Hermione, you must see the runes on that ancient text I told you about the other day."
"Granger, have you seen the miniature garden we have on the balcony?"
"What do you want for lunch?"
"We should watch that Muggle film you were telling us about last night."
And so she stayed, lounging around their flat on Saturdays as if she too lived there.
One such Saturday afternoon, she and Theo were reading together in the living room when Draco came back home from the Muggle gym he had started going to.
"Well don't you look delicious," Theo said, lowering his glasses on his nose to appreciate his partner's appearance.
Hermione glanced over and her eyes nearly popped out of her head. Draco was still sweaty from his workout, making him look like a god, if gods wore grey sweatpants with a matching zip-up hoodie, which was zipped down to reveal his shirtless and perfectly toned chest.
Her breath caught when she saw long scars bisecting his torso and she instantly remembered the sectumsempra incident back at Hogwarts. If she weren't already angry with Harry, then this would have caused her resentment towards him to grow tenfold upon seeing the damage that his wand had done. She had never seen them before and she bit back a shocked gasp. Back in sixth year, she had told her former friend that he was foolish for using unknown spells in what turned out to be Snape's old potions textbook, but "foolish" didn't quite cut it anymore. Harry really could have killed Draco and the thought of not having this wonderful wizard in her life felt like a block of lead had settled into her stomach.
"Are you two up for smoothies? I'm going to make a batch right now," Draco asked, taking off his sweat stained hoodie, right in front of her! The seconds that he stood bare chested before her felt like hours before he pulled on a white t-shirt that had been hanging from his back pocket, which now showed off his biceps in ways that should be illegal. She was surprised to see that his dark mark was covered in floral tattoos, the skull and snake hidden under a cascade of brightly inked blossoms, their full petals making the mark seem invisible. She looked away, because the sight of Draco like this was making her mouth run dry.
"I think Hermione could use the refreshment, it's kind of warm in here," Theo teased, licking his lips as he looked back at his partner.
"Ahem, um, yes, if it's not too much trouble," Hermione managed to grit out in a strained voice.
"Coming right up," Draco winked and threw her one of his smug smiles before heading to the kitchen. Hermione all but melted into a puddle, there was no way he could know what he was doing to her. She held her book high up in front of her face to avoid looking Theo in the eye after she had just gawked at his partner.
The smoothie did little to cool her down as she sipped quietly while Draco and Theo talked about something, though she wasn't paying much attention. She excused herself to use the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. Circe. those wizards were going to be the death of her. She should go, leave before any more lines were crossed and her feelings further confused her.
Beaded bag in hand, she went to say goodbye to the boys when she noticed that Draco's grey hoodie was still in the hall, resting atop the gym bag he had left there to take to his bedroom later. Without thinking about why she was doing it, she accio'd the hoodie and stuffed it into her beaded bag.
"I need to leave-" Hermione's words were caught in her throat when she reappeared in the living room doorway, met with the sight of Draco and Theo snogging each other. Sure she had seen them kiss before, unable to hold back the affection they had for one another, but never the fiery show of passion she was witnessing now.
Their arms were locked around each other, Draco pulling Theo onto his lap, Theo clawing at the white t-shirt Draco was wearing, lips smacking against the other and their tongues swirling between kisses, heated moans and sighs escaped their mouths and settled into Hermione's ears. And was that? No. Her jaw dropped when she saw the outline of Draco's impressive hard-on through his grey sweatpants. She felt an answering heat in her own body, unable to watch such a show without reacting to it. They were both so gorgeous.
How long she stayed there staring she didn't know and they didn't notice her presence either, too immersed with one another. But when she saw Draco's silver eyes opening to look at his lover, she bolted, running to the front door to leave.
"Hermione?" She heard them call to her as she reached the door, but she didn't stop.
"Hermi-" She closed the door behind her and apparated to her flat, flopping onto her couch on shaky legs as she processed everything.
Her phone buzzed and she already knew who it was before she read the text.
Theo: Where are you?
Hermione: Home.
Theo: Oh.
Theo: Is everything alright?
Hermione: Yes, just needed to get some things done.
Theo: You didn't say goodbye…
Well how the hell was she supposed to when they looked about ready to tear each other's clothes off, when all she wanted to do was hurl herself in the centre of them.
Hermione: Sorry, was in a hurry :(
Theo: Okay…
Theo: I'll see you on Monday.
Hermione: See you Monday.
Hermione threw the phone to the other side of the couch. She felt so confused. They made her feel so at home with them and yet she was an outsider. She didn't belong there, she was a nuisance to them, her presence making them hold back on the love they wanted to shower each other with, that they ought to be able to shower each other with. It was their own home for Merlin's sake.
Yet Theo seemed sad that she left unexpectedly, but what else was she supposed to do? Just wait around until they finished? If they finished? How would they finish? What did they look like when they came? What did they sound like? Like those moans and sighs that had nested into her ears?
Oh gods, she was not just fantasising about how her best friends got off! There was something seriously wrong with her.
Hermione realised that above all she was incredibly horny and sexually frustrated, depressingly so, she hadn't had a good shag since...well best not answer that. Wasn't she supposed to be dating? Finding a suitable wizard for herself who would court her with the intention of getting married and having a family? Maybe Draco could set her up with someone? There had to be a bachelor somewhere among all of his employees, and who better to vet someone for her? Would it be too hard to find a nice well-mannered wizard who would respect and understand her and take care of her? Perhaps maybe not in the same capacity that Draco and Theo did. She supposed she would have to get used to that, knowing that no one could compare to them.
Her heart ached at that thought and she reached for her beaded bag, pulling out Draco's hoodie, not at all bothered that it was still a little damp with his sweat. The image of him wearing it was seared into her mind, how it hung around his fit frame, showing off his scarred but still beautiful chest. She tugged it on and zipped it up, feeling comforted and safe when she should have felt guilty for stealing it.
It smelled of Draco and it made her miss him so much, that sinfully manly scent that she wanted to be wrapped around in. Was this what it was like for Theo when he was being held by Draco? Did he bury himself into Draco's chest after they made love and they were covered in sweat? That's what she would do, gods she wanted that so much, to be pressed in between them and never be let go.
She slipped her hand into her knickers, not surprised in the least that she was drenched. She was so aroused that she could smell herself through the overpowering scent of Draco's hoodie. Her clit was so swollen, so needy. She needed them; she needed them to take care of her in every way, it should be their fingers at her core now, on her, inside her, working her up until she broke apart at their hands, on their cocks.
Their names were on her tongue as Hermione screamed, cumming to thoughts of Draco and Theo having their wicked way with her. Her heart was pounding as she came down from her high and she flushed in embarrassment for the fiftieth time that day for having very inappropriate thoughts about her friends.
It was getting to be too much, the painful longing for them when she knew that they weren't hers and never would be. But she knew she wouldn't be able to stay away from Draco and Theo. Monday would come and the cycle would start all over again and she would happily be strung along so that she could get what she could from them.
She drifted off to a nap with the scent of Draco from his hoodie still enveloping her.
"Hey," Theo greeted her when she arrived at their office on Monday morning. His hair was dishevelled, as if he couldn't stop running his hands through it, and his eyes were tired, anxious.
"Hey yourself," she greeted with perhaps a little too much cheer, trying to mask the awkwardness she felt after everything that had happened on Saturday. Of course her treacherous mind decided to remember the way he had snogged Draco, the pleasure displayed on his face as Draco devoured his lips. She hid her blush by burying her face in the fresh bouquet of flowers he had placed on her desk.
"Mmm, these smell wonderful. How was the rest of your weekend?" Hermione made small talk as she settled in for the day.
"It was okay, we…we missed you. You disappeared on us so suddenly," Theo said.
"Oh, I'm so sorry about that, I remembered I had some things to take care of and had to rush off," Hermione explained.
Theo took in a nervous sounding breath before he spoke again, "Hermione, you know you can always tell us if something is wrong. If we did anything wrong to make you feel uncomfortable or upset."
"No! No, you guys didn't do anything wrong." There is nothing wrong with being passionately in love with your bloody perfect boyfriend. I'm the one intruding on your space and your relationship. I'm the one who's in the wrong. I'm the one who doesn't belong. "I just needed to go home, that's all," she reassured him, plastering a smile on her face.
The wizard seemed relieved at her words and another wave of guilt washed over her. They really had been worried about her, she hadn't considered how they would feel about her abrupt departure.
"Okay, I understand, we know you have your own life and all," Theo acknowledged, acting as though he hadn't been upset before, but Hermione could see the tightness around his eyes and his mouth.
Hermione didn't respond to that, not willing to admit that she didn't have a life that didn't revolve around them.
"Um, speaking of your life, we realised that your birthday was coming up and we wanted to know if you had anything in mind on how you wanted to celebrate it," Theo inquired.
"Oh, uh, I hadn't given any thought about it actually," Hermione confessed, over the years she had learned to not have any expectations regarding her birthday. Ever since Hogwarts the occasion had lost its significance to her. Harry and Ron never seemed to remember when her birthday was back when they were students and that didn't change much as adults. There was one year when she was so busy with her work that it had slipped her mind completely and she hadn't planned anything ahead of time. If it weren't for the older Weasley brothers owling her on the day of, it would have passed by without any notice and she was upset that Ron hadn't thought to anticipate it either. After that, it became a holiday that marked how underappreciated she felt, at this point being brought a cupcake was a touching gesture.
"Well just let us know, we can't have your special day pass by without something to mark it. Or Draco will gladly arrange something if you can't think of anything," Theo offered.
"Oh no, I couldn't ask him to do that," Hermione objected.
"Of course you can, in fact he's going to insist on it anyway. Besides, you've had a hell of a year, you should let us take care of it for you. You know you can trust Draco with these kinds of things. Event planning is in his genes. All you need to do is show up," Theo convinced her.
"Okay fine, but please nothing extravagant, I'll be more than happy with something small and quiet," she asserted.
"Anything you want," Theo smiled at her and Hermione fought down the stutter of her heart.
The week seemed to drag on, and even throwing herself into her work wasn't making time go by quicker as it usually did.
When Hermione was with Theo or Draco she never doubted her place with them and relished each second, but when she was all alone in her flat is when she questioned how close she was to them, whether or not it was healthy for someone to be so attached to a couple in a committed and stable relationship. She had to be bothering them at this point, she was monopolising their time, and they were just too polite to tell her.
Additionally, the conspiratorial smirks Theo donned whenever her birthday was mentioned made her anxious. She had no idea what those two were up to and she was not used to so much fussing regarding her birthday. She had caught herself chewing on her nails at least a dozen times over the last day and a half. The entire thing was nerve-wracking.
Saturday finally rolled in and Hermione, tucked into bed in her room at Draco and Theo's place, was rudely awakened by none other than Pansy Parkinson.
"Rise and shine birthday girl, we have a schedule to stick to." Pansy sat down on the bed with such force that Hermione bounced up from where she was laying.
"Pansy?" Hermione groggily opened her eyes. She had maybe indulged in a little too much of one of her favourite wines that Draco and Theo had opened last night as a 'pre-birthday celebration' and naturally it resulted in her waking-up with a bit of a headache.
"Oh good, she's sober, the boys had informed me that you all started celebrating early last night," Pansy said, smirking.
"Where are they?" Hermione mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"They had to run off to finish preparing for tonight and they left me with very specific instructions on what to do with you. Now get up, we have quite the itinerary for today," Pansy ceremoniously threw the covers off of Hermione and she begrudgingly got up, knowing that it was better to listen to Pansy's commands.
Draco had left a brunch spread for them in the breakfast nook before he had left with Theo to do whatever it was they were off doing for her birthday that she specifically said to keep small and quiet. She had a sinking suspicion that her birthday was going to be neither small nor quiet.
Hermione was sad that she wouldn't be able to see them until later but they couldn't have picked a better person to force those thoughts out of her mind as Pansy took charge of her day.
After brunch, Pansy had whisked them away to a spa where an assortment of services had been booked for them.
"Don't worry about cost, Hermione, it's already been taken care of," Pansy waved off Hermione's concerns when she brought them up and she grumbled internally, knowing it was the boys' doing. She really had to figure out some way to repay them for this even if it had been arranged for her birthday, this was really too much already and the day was only beginning.
That last complaint went out the window as she was thoroughly pampered. There was a massage where the masseuse who had attended to Hermione had worked a number of knots out of her shoulders. Some of the knots had knots of their own, but strong hands had made every part of her feel loose and relaxed.
Then she was wrapped in towels seeped in all sorts of special oils and herbs and sat in the steam room to thoroughly detoxify. A light tea service served as an interlude before they were ushered to the salon where they had mani-pedis done. Her curls were trimmed and styled and then she was made to sit in the makeup chair for a makeover where the artist gave her a natural makeup look that still looked glamorous.
Hermione looked and felt like a brand new person by the time she and Pansy emerged from the spa and the witches strolled into Diagon Alley, Pansy leading Hermione to several boutiques. There must have been a sale going on because the numbers at the register didn't match the ones on the price tags, odd that the store clerks didn't tell anyone up front.
"Hmm, the silver embroidery looks better," Pansy determined as Hermione stood at the fitting platform. It was their final stop of the day and they were picking what would be her official birthday outfit.
"Emerald and silver? Seems a little biassed, don't you think?" Hermione teasingly remarked.
"Believe what you want but you look great in green which pairs well with silver. It's merely a coincidence if they just so happen to be my former House colours," Pansy quipped, a curl forming at the corner of her mouth.
Hermione looked at herself in the mirror again, it really was a gorgeous outfit. The skirt wasn't exactly silver, more like a black that shone silver whenever Hermione moved, the colour change seemed almost magical and she wondered if it had been charmed to do that. The silver embroidery around the neckline of the green Acromantula silk top was delicate and beautiful. She really did look amazing in it.
Would it really be the worst thing if she honoured the House colours of her two favourite people? The ones who had been there for her through her worst moments? She wondered how they would react to seeing her in Slytherin green and then her heart deflated a little, knowing they wouldn't look at her the way she really wanted them to, like the way they look at each other.
"I'll take it," Hermione firmly decided, it didn't matter if they would never look at her as anything other than a friend, this would be her gift to them even if they didn't know it.
"Great, we should be going then, we're going to be late," Pansy snapped her fingers for Hermione to step down from the fitting platform and expertly removed the tags from the clothes, handing them to a clerk.
"Pansy! We still need to pay for the clothes!" Hermione shrieked when the witch was dragging her out the store and back into the Alley.
"Did you notice how we're not being stopped by the clerks? It means it's been taken care of, now let's go," Pansy hastened their pace to the apparition point. Honestly, whoever thought Hermione was bossy clearly hadn't met Pansy Parkinson.
The witches landed at the front door of Draco and Theo's penthouse. "After you, birthday girl," Pansy motioned for Hermione to enter the home.
Hermione steeled herself, not knowing what to expect, being afraid that she would feel ungrateful towards all the effort Draco and Theo had put towards making her day feel special. But the thought of them waiting for her beyond that door gave her courage. She walked inside and looked around the hall, not seeing anything out of place until-
"Happy Birthday!" A chorus of voices cheered when Hermione turned into the living room. Gathered in the room were Neville and Luna Lovegood along with her date Rolf Scamander. Blaise Zabini was there too with Daphne Greengrass. And then there were her wizards, Draco and Theo standing in the centre with huge smiles on their faces.
The room was adorned with gold party streamers charmed to light up like Christmas lights and balloons were strategically placed around the room. The sideboard was laden with finger-sized versions of her favourite foods and a round table proudly displayed a birthday cake, the words Happy Birthday Hermione written in icing by Draco's hand. She didn't know when she started recognizing his handwriting, but she couldn't mistake that elegant scrawl for anyone else's.
Tears welled at her eyes, it was perfect. It was everything she wanted and more than she could ever ask for.
"Oh gods, I don't know what to say, thank you all," Hermione sniffled back tears, overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness.
"Now now, no tears, this is a happy day," Theo approached her, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders and gently nudged her further into the room.
"No one has ever -" Hermione began and shook her head trying to fight off the tears that still threatened.
"Oh, don't ruin your makeup!" Pansy cried and cast a quick waterproofing charm that caused Hermione to laugh.
"You'll have to teach me that one, Pansy." Hermione smiled at what she realised was her new friend. Pansy shrugged as though it was nothing, but Hermione could see the pride on her face that the Brightest Witch of their Age wanted Pansy to teach her a charm.
"This is a very little thing, Granger," Draco smiled at her. "Now that I know you like it so much, I'll be sure to do something even better next year."
Next year. It sounded like a promise. Would she really be blessed with another year with them?
"I'll look forward to it," she beamed up at him.
"Let's celebrate this one first," Theo joked, popping open a bottle of champagne.
The little party was in full swing. The odd group got along very well considering the assortment of Houses. Perhaps it was the relaxed environment that Hermione cherished so much that contributed to that. They were gathered in the living room, comfortably nestled among the various sofas and armchairs arranged in a large circle, sipping on chilled champagne and enjoying the food Draco had prepared. Everyone was at ease and felt included in the conversations no matter the subject.
Hermione was in such a happy bubble that it took her a while to notice that she was the only person who wasn't paired up. Pansy and Neville were all cosy, the raven haired witch happy to be reunited with her wizard after a whole day without him. The other two couples didn't seem as close, though she knew that Luna was just starting to date Rolf.
Meanwhile, she always had either Draco or Theo at her side. The wizards were ever attentive to her, treating her like a princess as they fetched her food and drinks or a fresh napkin. They would sit close to her, their hips nearly touching and she could feel the warmth radiating off their bodies. They bumped shoulders and knees and grasped at each other's arms when someone made a hilarious joke, leaning into each other as they laughed. If anyone didn't know any better they would have thought she was with them as their partner too, not just friends. Perhaps this was the best present she could ask for, being able to pretend that they were all together, the three of them.
Of course the wizards themselves proved her wrong when they gave her her real present. They were all gathered around her birthday cake and she blushed as they all sang the birthday song to her, not used to all that attention. A round of cheers and applause broke when she blew out her candles.
"What did you wish for?" Theo teased.
"You know I'm not supposed to say," Hermione playfully smacked his chest.
"Well perhaps you'll get something that you've wanted for a while," Draco was unable to suppress a smirk, she noticed his hands were behind his back.
"What do you mean?" She said, eyeing him suspiciously.
And then Draco produced the most adorable Kneazle kitten Hermione had ever seen. Soft fluffy black fur with precious golden eyes that looked straight into her soul. The kitten let out a squeaky mewl and squirmed in Draco's hands, little paws reaching out for Hermione and she stretched her hands out to accept her.
"You got me a kitten?" Hermione's voice warbled, emotional tears once again rising.
"We would have given you jewellery if we thought that you would accept," Draco admitted softly.
"But a kitten is the next best thing," Theo said, attempting to keep his tone light. "Her name is Vega."
"Hello Vega, are you really mine?" Hermione cooed to the kitten she nestled in her arms. Vega let out another squeaky mewl and a chorus of aww's emitted from everyone.
"She's wonderful, I don't think there's enough thank you's for this," she said.
"Your happiness is the only thing we could ever ask for in return," Draco said sincerely and her heart lurched, she was sure Vega could hear her heartbeat thumping from those selfless words and she suddenly felt woozy on her knees.
Thankfully she was made to sit back down so that Vega could curl up in her lap while she enjoyed a slice of cake, contently listening to the conversation of others.
"Wait, Rolf Scamander, as in the Scamander?" Daphne noted with excitement.
"Why yes, Newt Scamander was my grandfather, it was from his influence that I aspired to become a magizoologist," Rolf gladly admitted, though the response seemed well rehearsed, no doubt he enjoyed the fame of his name.
"That is so fascinating! You must tell me more," Daphne scooched closer to Rolf and he began telling stories of his ventures which Hermione found very interesting too, but perhaps not to the same degree as Daphne.
Blaise leaned into whisper to Luna, "Doesn't that bother you?" He tilted his wine glass over towards where Daphne was laughing with Rolf, her hand on his arm as she hung on his every word.
Luna shook her head. "Rolf's favourite thing to talk about is himself, so it looks like a good match." She sipped her Champagne. "This is only our third date. What about you and Miss Greengrass?"
"Second date," Blaise admitted. "I don't think there will be a third if I'm being honest."
"Shame," Luna licked her lips, looking up into his eyes through her pale blonde lashes.
"Absolutely," Blaise agreed. "I'm positively gutted."
Hermione and Pansy made eye contact at the exchange and both stifled giggles. She and Pansy discussed their morning's outing at the spa and Luna joined them asking inquisitive questions about the facilities and suggested that perhaps the three of them might try out having a girls' day there sometime in the near future.
At some point all the Slytherin boys had left the room while Hermione chatted with Pansy and Luna. Maybe it was the drinks or the long day she had or the kitten sleeping on her lap, but Hermione felt a wave of drowsiness come over her and decided she needed some pep back. She handed Vega over to Neville and went to take a bathroom break before venturing to the balcony, some brisk night air should do her some good.
Just as she was going to step outside, the sound of voices stopped her, it was the boys. Draco, Theo and Blaise were outside, the latter two having a cigarette. If she had been in a dreamy state, Blaise's words shocked awareness back into her.
"You are obviously very serious about Granger, but how does she feel about you?" He asked Draco and Theo.
"We're not sure." Draco admitted. "We are terrified to ask her."
"We don't want to push her too hard and lose what we have," Theo sighed, taking a drag of a cigarette. "She's literally everything we've ever wanted in a wife."
Hold on, wanted in a wife? Wait, they aren't gay?
"I care about the two of you, and I just don't want you to get burned." Blaise was saying, but Hermione couldn't focus on Blaise when she heard Theo's and Draco's voices.
"She's just so perfect for us, and we could be so good for her. But I don't think she sees us as anything except as friends," Theo lamented.
"We just wish that we could figure out how to tell her how we feel, like how we want her here all the time with us, not just for a few hours on Fridays and Saturdays, but the last thing that we want to do is frighten her off and have her bolt. We already feel as if we're testing her limits. I don't even want to imagine what our lives would be like without her," Draco remarked. "I'm constantly afraid she is going to meet someone else and she's expressed wanting to date again."
Hermione stood glued to the floor despite her world feeling like it was shifting on its axis. There was no way they were talking about her like that. She was dreaming, she had to be; she had fallen asleep in the living room during her own birthday party.
"Hermione there you are!" The raven haired witch took her by the hand, shaking her out of her shocked state, proving that she was very much awake and had indeed heard everything correctly. "Come dance with Luna and I. I think I've finally figured out Draco and Theo's stereo," Pansy began pulling her back to the living room. Hermione started to protest, but Pansy gave her a look that made her rethink it. "Alright."
Pansy had indeed figured out the stereo and it was playing a bouncy club song. Luna was already swaying and waving her hands around, free of Rolf who seemed to have disappeared with Daphne. Hermione and Pansy joined the blonde witch, hips moving to the beat of the song. Neville laughed amusedly at them, while Pansy sent him flirtatious looks.
"Come on and dance with me Nev," Pansy commanded, dancing provocatively next to Luna.
Neville shook his head. "Can't. Vega has me trapped here on the chair." He continued petting the little Kneazle who was purring happily on his lap. He did not look at all sorry about the fact.
Hermione was vaguely aware of eyes on her as she swayed to the music next to Pansy and Luna who looked as though they might start kissing at any moment. Her eyes flicked to the entryway and there she saw Draco and Theo had returned, with eyes only for her. She turned away from them, heat rising to her face, their words replaying in her ears, she barely heard the music blaring from the stereo.
Blaise smoothly led Luna away from the trio of witches to dance with him, the blonde witch at ease with the wizard. Pansy abandoned Hermione to give Neville a lap dance, after moving the innocent Vega to the safety of another chair.
Two warm bodies sidled up close to Hermione, her wizards. They really were hers. They wanted her as much as she wanted them. She took the plunge and pressed herself closer to them, hands landed on her hips, she felt their fingers twitch, holding back because they didn't know she needed them. She swayed her hips more, urging their touch to deepen, her skirt brushing against their trousers.
They were lost in the music in the beat and the rhythm, each other's touch, and when they finally stopped to take a breath and looked up only to realise that the other two couples had left and Hermione's little kitten was sleeping alone on the chair.
"Was there anything you wanted for your birthday and didn't get?" Draco asked huskily, she couldn't help but notice the hungry way that he stared at her lips as he waited for her to answer.
"Actually, I was hoping it wasn't too late to ask for a few more things," Hermione said, trying to keep her voice steady. She was brave, she could do this. She'd fought in a war at seventeen she could ask for something that all three of them wanted.
"Like what?" Theo's eyes were dark, hanging on to her every word.
"Can you hold me?" Hermione looked at the both of them, letting them know her plea was for them. Draco pulled her closer to him, his arms wrapping around her waist and Theo pressed up behind her, encasing her between the two of them, where she'd always belonged.
"Can you kiss me?" She asked next drawing on all her Gryffindor bravery and she felt the tension in their bodies snap as her lips were enveloped by Draco's soft plush lips. It was deep and slow and fiery at the same time. Draco worshipped her with his lips. Theo was kissing at the corner of her mouth, waiting to cover hers, Draco pulled away so that Theo could kiss her. Theo was desperate, stealing her breath away.
"Anything else?" Theo sighed into her mouth, his lips barely above hers and ready to kiss her again at the merest suggestion.
Steeling herself, Hermione continued, "Can you take me to your room?"
Draco immediately swooped her up off of her feet and she let out a giggle as he hurriedly carried her to their room, Theo at their heels.
Hermione loved the way that the boys were absolute slaves to her words. It filled her with a power that she had never felt before.
"What else? What else can we give you?" Draco asked as they entered their bedroom.
"Can you throw me on your bed?" Draco growled and obliged her, tossing her right in the middle of their giant bed, causing her skirt to flip up, nearly revealing her knickers. Her wizards licked their lips as they took in the sight of her laying in their bed, propping herself up on her elbows.
"Can you take off my clothes?" She asked next and the boys were on her in an instant, pouncing on the bed to do away with her skirt and top.
"All of them," Hermione clarified when she was left only in her bra and knickers. The wizards cursed and were on her again. Theo ripped her knickers right off, Draco unclasped her bra and threw it at one of the lamp shades. Hermione could feel the burn of their gazes as their blue and silver eyes raked over her naked body. She should have felt vulnerable as she lay completely bare while they were still fully clothed, but she knew they were completely at her mercy, waiting for her next command.
"Can you touch me?" She pleaded because gods did she need them to touch her. Four hands were on her, rubbing, grabbing, squeezing at her skin. Roaming around her legs, her stomach, her chest and lower-belly. Hermione arched her body into their hands, sighing in bliss.
"What else?" Draco demanded to know, his thumb stroking her jaw and cheek with a yearning that Hermione had never felt before.
"Can you put your mouths on me?" Their mouths were ravishing her within the second, exploring what their hands had already discovered. They kissed and licked her, Theo closing his mouth over a nipple while Draco left a trail of kisses down her stomach, making his way closer to her aching core, his grip on her so firm she could feel the cool metal of his signet ring on her heated skin.
"Can you put your ring on me?" Draco chuckled at the request, slowly dragging the M of his Malfoy signet over her skin and to her folds. Hermione shivered in anticipation until the ring made contact with her neglected clit. A string of moans left her mouth as he made circles on her bundle of nerves with his ring. Theo too was playing with her erect nipples with his Nott signet. The pressures of the cool rings on her made her toes curl, she hoped it would leave marks, an "M" and an "N" branded on her body, completely claimed.
"Can you make me cum?" She was begging now, pleading for release. Draco buried his face between her legs and Hermione let out a cry when his tongue licked up her wet slit and then attacked her swollen bud. Theo swallowed her moans with a searing kiss and kneaded her breasts, pinching her nipples and then pulling away from his kiss to suck at them.
"Draco, Theo," she whimpered as she wound up under their attentions. The wizards doubled down on their efforts at the sounds of their names until she crashed into her orgasm, screaming and writhing beneath them.
Draco lapped at her juices, even as she tried to squeeze her legs shut around his face with the force of her orgasm. He easily used his grip on her thighs to keep them open. Theo released her nipple with a pop.
"Anything else?" Draco asked smugly.
"Can you take your clothes off?" The boys tore off their shirts and trousers, buttons flying and fabric being thrown on the floor. Hermione heard seams ripping in their desperation to get to each other.
"Can you kiss each other?"
Without any further comment, Theo and Draco embraced each other and kissed and it was even more passionate than when she walked in on them. Guttural groans escaped from the back of their throats and their hard weeping cocks rubbed against each other. Hermione was heavily turned on by the sight and rubbed her thighs together, she felt so empty. If they didn't start touching her soon she might start begging for those same cocks.
"Can you fuck me?" She interrupted their makeout session, she needed them inside her. She could not wait one more second.
Pulling himself away from Theo, Draco purred, "It would be our pleasure."
Draco essentially threw Theo on top of her while he positioned himself behind the wizard. Theo lined himself up to her entrance and sank into her, Hermione threw her head back as he slid in, moaning in relief at being filled. Theo stayed still for a moment, letting her adjust to the stretch of his cock, while Draco moved behind him. Then it was Theo moaning as Draco pushed himself inside Theo, Hermione felt the added weight of Draco at her core.
The blonde wizard began thrusting then, powerful enough that it was as though he was thrusting into Hermione as he fucked Theo. It was so much and not enough. The sound of their skin slapping, their combined moans and curses, it was so lewd and delicious. Hermione fought to keep her eyes open, wanting to see their faces as they were consumed in pleasure.
Theo hitched her legs up and Draco placed her feet at his waist, the position making Theo's cock drive deeper into her as Draco pummelled into Theo.
"Yes, yes, oh Theo! Draco!" Hermione screamed as she came again, clamping down on Theo's cock. The brunette wizard let out a loud groan as he came, spilling inside of her. Draco's hips stuttered when he finally came, throwing his head back emptying himself inside of Theo.
After regaining their breaths, Draco pulled out of Theo and then helped shift him off of Hermione, who felt so cold and empty without them on top of her. Draco conjured a warm wet cloth from somewhere and Hermione moaned in pleasure as he cleaned her over sensitive core and where her inner thighs were coated in Theo's spend and hers as well as Draco's saliva she was sure.
Draco kissed her lightly on her shoulder before leaving the bed, taking the warm cloth away instead of just vanishing it.
Hermione started to feel anxious and she tensed. Was she welcomed to sleep in their bed? Did they still expect her to go to her room? Or to her flat? They had wanted each other so much and finally had each other, but were they going too fast?
"Shhh. I can feel that brilliant mind whirring," Theo whispered, rubbing soothing circles on her skin. "We'll talk in the morning."
Hermione started to argue, wanting to know what this was right now, but she was so tired. Draco's warmth as he scooted his body against her relaxed her even further.
The last thing that she heard before falling asleep was Theo whispering to Draco.
"Finally. She's right where she is supposed to be."
Author's Note: Only the epilogue left!