Hermione had been drafting April's prefect schedule when Harry, Ginny, Neville, Pansy, Theo, Blaise, Daphne, and a reluctant Draco trudged into the room. Ron came in moments later, grumbling under his breath. Seeing the bottle of Firewhiskey Theo brandished she blew out her cheeks and rolled up the parchment. Ginny, Pansy, and Daphne started enlarging furniture in the room when Luna walked in.
"Oh fun," she clapped dreamily, "I love these games."
"What game exactly," Hermione asked as Theo summoned and duplicated enough glasses for them all. When Harry produced a vial of clear liquid it clicked. "No..."
"Yes!" Ginny chirped waving her wand and transfiguring all the Gryffindor's clothes into their pajama's. Luna was already in hers, how Hermione didn't put it together was beyond her. The Slytherins disappearing into the common room as if on que and returned by the time Hermione also emerged. Ginny had pushed her in while Theo did the same to Draco on his way to the door. It wasn't her normal choice obviously. No, she opted for her newest sweater from Molly and a pair of shorts paired with fuzzy purple socks.
Drinks poured and drops of veritaserum added, Hermione surrendered herself to her fate and was the first to take their drink. She felt it warm her throat while the whiskey settled in her belly.
"Harry Potter if you tell Sirius about this I might Avada you."
He laughed, "Who do you think sent me the veritaserum."
"Merlin," she breathed while others laughed. "So the famous Marauders game of truth, it is. Whose starting this exceptionally embarrassing game."
Pansy cackled, "I will. Let start simple, what color are your knickers?"
They went in a circle around the living room based on their chosen seats.
"Blue briefs," Blaise proclaimed proudly kicking his feet up on a cushion in front of
Theo shrugged, pulled at the waistband of his trousers to look inside, "Green it would seem. Briefs too."
Daphne laughed, "They're cream-colored silk."
"Grey boxers with flying broomsticks," Ron smirked proudly making the others laugh.
Harry was next, "Blue boxers."
Ginny kissed his cheek and moved to sit beside Hermione and Pansy, her head in the latters lap, legs in Hermione's while Neville answered, "Green briefs."
"Black briefs," Draco answered shortly.
Luna smirked airly, "I'm not wearing any."
Blaise chocked on his drink which Theo patted his back and Luna sent him a wink.
"Me either," Hermione answered reluctantly with a blush rising in her cheeks.
Ginny outright laughed, nudging Hermione with her foot, "Naughty witches. Purple lace. Pansy?"
"Black lace," she proclaimed proudly.
The rounds were simple enough but the group quickly tired of the round and round too. It was Theo who proposed a slight change. Boys versus girls. Since they were pretty much segregated as it was Luna and Daphne joined Pansy, Hermione, and Ginny on their overly stuffed lounger while they shot questions back and forth. It was much more interesting.
"Did you ever wish you were a girl? If so, why?"
"Do you go natural or shave?"
"Rank your 'wands'."
"Rank your tit's."
"Does it hurt to shave your face?"
"What do you do if you cut your lady parts?"
"Do morning boners go away on their own or do you always have to wank?"
"Have you ever fantasied about a teacher?"
That one was answered by everyone when the girls fired it back.
"What's it like to have sex the first time?" Ron asked it with a curious look. They were all a bit buzzed at this rate and had long gotten over their embarrassment.
Ginnu shrugged, "It's a bit of a pinch."
Pansy looked at her, "Really, mine hurt. Rather uncomfortable really. It got better after but there was a lot of pain."
"Mine wasn't too bad," Luna answered in her usual carefree tone, "There was pain after the pinch but he was very tender so it passed quickly."
"That might be it. Mine rutted like an animal."
"Ew," Ginny grimaced, "That would definitely do it. They need to take care or it will just hurt." Absently she looked at Daphne and Hermione who were quiet while the boys watched on utterly fascinated.
Actually Ron looked a bit sick and was refusing to look at Harry but only the other guys noticed as the girls talked freely amongst themselves. Neville in particular thought it was hilarious.
Daphne chuckled nervously, "I don't know but your experiences aren't making me any more excited to try."
"Oh, it's not so bad. Tell her Mione."
Hermione bit her lip, "I...um...I.."
Theo smirked and leaned forward in his chair, "Do you need to be asked directly Granger? Is your serum wearing off?"
"No," she bit back, "I just I don't know either. I've never had sex but I imagine I've experienced much worse than a pinch so hopefully it won't be too horrible."
"No!" Pansy gasped suddenly sitting up, her legs falling into Luna's lap from the back of the couch, "Hermione Granger, you are not a virgin."
"I am," she defended looking into her empty glass.
"But Vicktor. I thought for sure you'd lost it to him in fourth year?"
Hermione shook her head at Ginny, "We kissed but only because of some mistletoe. There has never been anything romantic between Vicktor and I like that."
Reaching forward she grabbed one of the lemon cakes Darcey had brought them an hour prior.
"But you've seen a penis right?"
"Yes," she scoffed at Blaise, "Harry's, unfortunately."
The wizard in question tried to look ashamed but his girlfriend sent him a smoldering look. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Have you touched one?"
She blushed but reluctantly answered Blaise's inquiry,
"I suppose. Do you count feeling one through clothes or do you mean skin to skin contact?"
"Skin to skin," he elaborated.
"Then no. I've only ever felt one when waking up."
Blaise smirked, "How utterly fascinating." Casting a glance at Draco he asked the next question, "Whose penis Granger?"
She flushed bright red, "Draco's."
Neville, Daphne, Harry, and Ron all shared a range of looks between shock and irritation.
"Excuse me?" Ron roared moving to stand although Harry grabbed his arm and kept him doing anything stupid.
Daphine was looking between the two Heads with intrigue, "How long has this been happening?"
"It isn't happening," Draco ground out truthfully. He and Hermione hadn't shared a bed in months.
Ginny spared them, "They shared a bed at the beginning of the school term, months ago. Nothing to get worked up about."
Sensing the obvious tension Luna proposed the next question, "What about you gentlemen? Theo not so subtly asked if we were virgins so are you all?"
Theo snorted, "Yes," and immediately clasped his hand over his mouth.
Blaise laughed at him, "No." Luna sent him another smoldering look.
Harry answered the same getting a glare from Ron and another look from Ginny. Ron answered with a no and confessed that he and Lavender had been shagging since sixth year. Neville answered no too, with a blush and a brief explanation about his time with Hannah. Then eyes fell on Draco who finally tore his eyes off Hermione when Theo nudged him.
"Yes, it wasn't really a priority during the war and I found myself not pressured to do it after with everything going on."
"It's a good way to honor your contract too," Daphne added absently looking at Theo. Looking at the rest of them she shrugged, "Purebloods often stay virtuous until marriage. It's ingrained in us."
"Among other things," Ron sneered.
"Oi, none of that," Neville chastised while Harry swatted his arm.
Ron wasn't deterred, "Did you all ever believe it?"
Tension rippled through the room at the question. He'd been looking at Blaise when he asked so it was Blaise who felt the compulsion the strongest.
"I never particularly cared."
Rolling his eyes, Draco nodded, "I'd love to say I didn't, but we all know that isn't true. I did very strongly until fourth year."
Following his lead, Theo shrugged, " Yes, but I came around the time Granger punched Drake in the face third year."
Harry snorted into his drink, the whiskey burned out his nose as he laughed.
"Merlin," Neville laughed. The others in the room chorused around them even as Draco smacked Theo's arm.
"It was more of a slap."
"Made her knuckle bleed," Theo chuckled, "Blood was as red as the blood streaming out of Drake's nose."
"That's fair," Pansy snickered.
Hermione just smirked, taking another bite of her lemon cookie.
"This is the best," Harry laughed. "That was the best part of third year."
"I'm telling Sirius you said that."
Harry threw a cookie at her.
"Hermione?"
Her heart stopped for a moment but she simply smiled as she looked up from her notes, "Hello Astoria, are you here for tutoring?"
She watched as the polished Slytherin sat across from her. "I wouldn't turn down help on the latest Charms assignment but that's not my reason for seeking you out."
"What did you need?" Hermione frowned lightly, absently waving a hand over her parchment to dry the ink. Astoria actually looked a bit nervous and Hermione didn't need her to answer. She'd had a feeling this might happen after how Daphne had acted during their game night. "You want to talk about Draco."
Astoria nodded looking down at her hands folded delicately on the table. "Daphne mentioned a few things that were rather...disheartening."
"Because of the contract."
"Exactly."
"You may ask whatever you'd like," Hermione told her honestly, sitting back in her chair with her own ink-stained hands in her lap.
"Do you still sleep together?"
"No."
"When was the last time?"
Right to the thick of it, Hermione swallowed, "Christmas hols. Before he agreed to the contract."
"Nothing since?"
Hermione shook her head simply.
"Were you ever intimate?"
"We were never physically intimate, no."
The younger witch looked out into the stacks, looking conflicted. Unable to stop herself, Hermione cleared her throat.
"You have nothing to worry about, Astoria." The witch looked at her with wide eyes, "Draco chose you. Not me. And I respect his decision."
The beginnings of a melody started in her mind. What she'd just told Astoria as not the truth but Hermione would be damned if she ever purposefully interfered with Draco's happiness.
Reinforcing the doors she kept a neutral expression so no wayward emotion might show through.
"But did he choose me because I was whom he wanted or because I was the only option?"
Hermione couldn't control her shock, "What?"
"Did he only pick me because he knew he couldn't have you?"
"What do you mean?" Hermione knew what she meant but needed to hear for herself.
"Your bond."
The air left her, "Your sister doesn't know of my bond."
"No, she doesn't."
Hermione nodded and looked at the ceiling to prevent her eyes from watering. Her closet began to rattle, the melody getting louder. Draco had told her. It felt like a betrayal, just like the first time. When she believed she was reasonably calm, she ran a hand through her curls and looked at Astoria again, not faltering seeing the pain in the witch's eyes.
"I told Draco that no matter my bond, he was my choice. That it didn't matter," Astoria looked sickly, "and he still picked you. Even before hols, it was always you. Hogsmeade dates, yule, he even asked my help picking your gift and asked how he should invite you. Do you want to know how he described you when I asked him to start by telling me a bit what attracted him to you?"
Looking a little dumbfounded, Astoria nodded. Hermione pressed against the closet doors and took a deep breath.
"He called you perfect. Humble, smart, and beautiful." Looking out the window, Hermione sighed, "I was never even in competition." Meeting Astorias eyes again she continued, "We slept together to combat the nightmares, it was completely platonic. I did the same at the Burrow, the Weasley's home, with Ginny. Or I would sleep in the living room because there was always someone close, just in case. Sirius-"
"Draco's cousin?"
Hermione smirked, "Yes. He often joined me on the couch in his Animagus form."
"But you're so close to the Malfoy's. You stayed in their home over the hols instead of with your family."
It wasn't a question but Hermione nodded, "Narcissa wrote to me after Draco and Lucius's trials, we've been corresponding ever since. She is the one who invited me over hols when my original plans fell through. Draco didn't know until I was at breakfast the next morning."
Quiet fell between them for a while before Astoria asked her next question. "So there is nothing between you two?"
"No. Whatever was there might have been was squashed months ago. And I mean, it's gone. We don't patrol together, we barely speak outside of school topics, and if we socialize, it is only with friends present. He didn't even visit me after my incident. He never said a word or checked on me. I assure you, whatever may have been there isn't anymore."
"He did," Astoria countered, "He carried you to your room from the Slytherin common room." By the look on Hermione's face, Astoria gave her a sympathetic look, "You didn't know?"
"I thought maybe it had been a dream, I wasn't sure. But when he never said anything afterward, I just assumed it had been a bad dream."
Astoria started picking at her fingernails again, "No, it happened. No one knows what exactly, we couldn't really hear anything from the common room but you were crying quite a lot when he told Ginny and Pansy you needed them."
"I begged," Hermione whispered, "I begged him to stay with me and he told me no. As much as I would love to blame the potions, they weren't the only factor, and now, knowing it actually happened, I am not proud of it either. Draco broke my heart when he chose you, but I-" she paused to take a deep breath, "but I have accepted it. Everyone gets their heart broken; it's a part of growing as a person. I am no threat to your relationship because, as much as it hurt, I respect his decision even if it wasn't the decision I hoped he'd come to."
"You're very much still a Gryffindor."
Hermione laughed, she couldn't help it, "What makes you say that?"
"Slytherin's wouldn't admit such personal feelings so willingly," Astoria smirked. "It's not a bad thing. Thank you."
"You're welcome," she inclined her head slightly.
Looking sheepish, Astoria glanced at her bag, "Would you mind helping me still? I would understand if you don't want to."
With new books under one arm, Hermione smirked to herself as she walked back into the castle from Hogsmeade. The last thing she expected was to be hefted into the air and thrown over someone's shoulder. As loathed as she was to admit it, she recognized who it was from their arse under her head as she swept her hair out of her face while trying not to lose her new books.
"Sirius Black, what are you doing?" He pivoted, taking them back out the main entrance and back outside. "And where are you taking me?"
"Quidditch match," he bumped her up onto the shoulder more. His shoulder dug into her stomach.
"Sirius, if you don't let me walk-"
"He pinched her thigh, "Don't try to threaten me, kitten. We're going to watch the Eighth Year quidditch match. Minnie sanctioned it so it is an official match. It's Gryffinclaw versus Slytherpuff. Bloody brilliant."
"I've never been a fan of quidditch. Can you at least move me? Your shoulder is digging into my stomach, and it hurts, Pads."
"Say less, kitten." In a whirlwind of sudden motion, Hermione found herself cradled in Sirius's arms as a whistle sounded. "Shoot, they're starting." He took off into a sprint and Hermione was grateful he'd already moved her. He didn't let her go even as he took the stairs to a Gryffindor tower, he only set her down when they were at the top and she was squished between him and Tonks. Teddy shoved in her arms a second later.
"Hello, lovely," she nozzled the small boy.
He clapped in her face excitedly and started playing with her curls.
"Traitor," she heard someone call.
Following the voice, she smirked at Pansy, pointing an accusatory finger. Beside her, Daphne was laughing. Raising her wand, Daphne pointed it at Hermione and she felt a rush of the other witches magic over her. Sirius's scoff and Pansy's evil smirk told her exactly what Daphne had done without her needing to look down. Even as Teddy's hair turned Slytherin green.
The Slytherpuff tower cheered as a goal was scored, and Hermione stood with them, Teddy in her arms, and clapped with a loud "Whoop!"
Sirius yanked her down by her arm but she couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She never enjoyed a game as much as she did that one. Cheering for her house while in their rival stands, sending Sirius into an uproar and teasing him and Remus the entire match. In the end, Slytherpuff won by twenty points when Draco caught the snitch. Hermione screamed with the rest of the Slytherpuffs, careful not to jostle a sleeping Teddy in her arms, thankful he was wearing earmuffs. Following the sulking Gryffinclaws crowd with a smile on her face, Hermione bounced down the stairs until she greeted her fellow housemates. Teddy was wrapped around her in a secure wrap as the a sweaty Theo grabbed her.
"We did it, Granger!"
"I saw," Hermione smirked. "Only took you a few years."
He scoffed and she grinned. Blaise captured her next in a big, sweaty hug, "Wonderful jersey, Granger."
Smirking, she looked down at the jersey Daphne put on her; Hermione twisted so her back was visible, "My very own, too."
"Ironic considering you hate to fly," he laughed.
Sirius came up behind her with a pout, a disgruntled Harry and Ron and amused Tonks and Remus coming up behind him. "Not fair, Kitten."
Looking back at him Hermione smiled, "They're my house."
"We're your family."
His hands came around her from behind, one going under Teddy's bum and the other landing on her hip. She didn't see the mischievous smirk Sirius threw over her shoulder at his cousin, who was glaring at Sirius's hands. To twist the knife, Sirius brought his mouth to Hermione's ear and spoke loud enough to be heard by the group, now including Pansy, Daphne, Astoria, Neville, Ginny, and Luna, "Let's get this babe off you, Kitten."
Slapping the hand moving to the tie on her hip, Hermione gasped, "Don't you dare. He's mine."
His smirk widening, Sirius shrugged, "As you say, Kitten." Kissing her temple, he moved his hand back to her hip, still supporting Teddy's bum in front of her.
Unphased by Sirius's playfulness, Hermione rolled her eyes.
Having watched the whole thing unfold, Theo loved it and wanted to add fuel to the fire. "Party in your dorm Granger. Bring the silver fox."
Sirius laughed, "Lion, silver lion, Nott."
Theo snorted with laughter while Pansy dragged her eyes up and down Sirius. "Yes, you are."
Hermione couldn't help her chuckle as Sirius flinched in shock. Looking back and up at him, Hermione noted that the notorious flirt, Sirius Black, was blushing. Most of their group laughed at the wide-eyed horror on Sirius's face, his grip on Hermione's hip tightening.
"She's terrifying, Kitten," Sirius whispered in Hermione's ear.
"And one of my best friends, you need to get used to her Pads."
"You're evil, Granger."
Bubbling laughter erupted from her. Stepping out of his grip, she linked arms with Pansy, who was not sky about her visual molestation of Sirius, and grabbed Ginny on her way back to the castle.
"You need to shower."
"I do," Ginny agreed with a smile. "Before the party, preferably."
"You can use our rooms."
Not looking back, the three, plus a toddler, made their way back to the castle. Behind them, a trail of their friends and loved ones followed, only dispersing once they reached the castle. Then and only then did Hermione surrender a still sleeping Teddy to Sirius, with a kiss on both of their cheeks before leaving them.
Pansy, with one last scathing look at Sirius, turned away too. "Let's party!"
Theo and Blaise chorused her. Neville and Harry confirmed they would join, Ron begrudgingly doing the same before they all separated with the agreement to gather in an hour.
"This is unethical," Remus grumbled.
Sirius just smiled like a proud father at the masterful room they'd created. "It's perfect. And not for us, so it's hardly wrong."
Moving to open the portrait hole, Remus opened it to let Tonks and his son in. Taking his son, who reached for him, Tonks only looked at the room and snorted, "You're ridiculous cousin."
Sirius said nothing, just kept smiling.
"Do they know you're here, doing all this?"
"No," Sirius chortled, "That's the best part."
Shaking his head, Remus took Tonk's hand and kissed the back. "Let's go have dinner, love."
Tucking herself into his arm, she looked up at him lovingly before turning to Sirius, "Come on, mutt."
Conjuring a piece of parchment, Sirius scribbled out a note and left it on the counter before following his best friend and family out the door with the promise of dinner.
A half-hour later, Hermione emerged from her room behind Pansy and Ginny to find the hard work of Sirius and Remus. They'd completely decorated the room in green and yellow, looking very odd but still appealing to the eye. Ginny was laughing as Pansy was gasping at the "atrocity" before them. Hermione moved to the kitchen for a drink when she saw a note addressed to her in Sirius' messy script.
Enjoy, Kitten.
xoxo
Your Pads.
Over her shoulder, Pansy finally laughed, "I might love that man."
Hermione dissolved into laughter, thinking of what Sirius' face might look like if he'd heard that. Behind them, Ginny started the music as the two, laughing still, began making drinks, and the portrait hole opened, the chaos of voices promising a night of fun.
Harry called out a charm, likely from Sirius, in passing as they were leaving, and the room erupted with streaming lights that paired with the music Ginny had going.
Taking a healthy sip of her cocktail, Hermione tipped her head back and let the music pulse through her.
"It's going to be a good night."
Looking at Pansy, she saw the witch grin and let her drag her into the cleared living space to dance.
