Triumvirate

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the songs included in this fanfic nor do I make money off them. These stories are for entertainment only

~

So, let go,let go

Jump in

Oh well, what you waiting for?

It's all right

'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

So, let go, l-let go

Just get in

Oh, it's so amazing here

It's all right

'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown



Let go - Frou Frou



~
Hermione avoided any potentially physical encounters for the next two weeks with either man. Once Draco was recovered she had gone back to her duties as head of Harry’s intelligence department. Her work had stacked up on her and she was almost glad that she worked late most evening.



At Draco‘s request she continued on as a guest at the manor. She suspected he didn‘t want to be alone when the others hadn‘t been told about him. Harry planned to make the announcement this week and had threatened to hex Ron into next week if he or his team let the secret spill before then.



Ron was being his old difficult self. He’d owled her everyday, two or three times a day asking for lunch, dinner any time at all. He mentioned in each note that he didn’t like her staying with that great scaly git.



She’d sent a response informing him that Harry spent his evenings conferring that same scaly git and Ron needed to get off his high horse.



She’d thought he would get the hint, but he hadn’t.



Hermione was at her limit. Her mind was wracked with worry and guilt over the situation that Harry had brought up. She was so tired she was running on fumes and Ron was simply rubbing her the wrong way.



So when he strode into her office as bold as brass, her reaction wasn’t completely unexpected. But her helpful staff did alert Lord Potter that two of his captains were about to clash. The last time it had happened, Mr. Weasley hadn’t sat properly for a week.



Harry arrived just at the end of the argument.



“You are being completely unreasonable!” Hermione shrilled.



“He’s a giant snake Mione!”



“Dragon Ronald. Dracy Malfoy is a dragon, not a snake.”



“Who cares? It’s just wrong and creepy if you ask me and you staying with him!”



“No one asked you Ron. It’s a temporary arrangement. Until the announcement.”



“Mione, what decent witch or wizard would want to be around him? He’s a prat!”



“So are you..”



“Now Mione I am just trying to look after you.”



“I don’t need it.”



Harry knew what was coming.



“Now Hermione when we are married and settled in the Burrow -”



There was a great flash of light and then the whimpers of outraged pain coming from Ron. “Blimey Mione! That hurts!”



“I’m sorry Ron” she said stiffly and Harry couldn’t help but notice she didn’t sound sorry at all, “I am not going to be a Burrow wife. Get used to that.”



Then she stepped over his prone form, gathered her files and stepped into the floo. “Good night Ron. Malfoy Manor!”



When the green flame died down, Ron looked up to see Harry standing over him. An expression of bemused concern on his face. “Nutcracker charm?” Harry asked blithely.



Ron was still cupping himself, “Yeah. What kind of woman creates such a thing? Honestly?”



“The same one who created Scrotus Reparo” Harry muttered under his breath.



“What?”



“Nevermind. What are you doing here Ron?”



He looked guilty, “Came to make up with Hermione” he admitted, “I don’t like her staying with that arse Malfoy. Merlin knows what he’s up to. I know you made him your glorious third and all but it’s a little hard to forget everything Harry ya know?”



Harry nodded, “I know Ron, you’d better manage it somehow. When I make the announcement he is likely going to need our complete support.”

“Why’d you pick him Harry, of all people?”



“He has the talents and the drives that I need. Simple as that Ron. Now I don’t want to hear anything more about countless owls and unexpected visits to Mione. Got it? She’s trying to catch up on her work and last time you two squabbled, I had to replace furniture.”



“Love spat Harry”



“No Ron, it’s not. If you would listen I think you hear what Hermione so clearly tells you.”



“What? That she doesn’t like me like that? That’s just mental. We dated in school. We’re perfect for each other.”



Harry nearly shook him, “You been drinking?”



Ron smiled a little wobbly, “A bit.”



Harry shoved him towards the floo. “Get your arse home and sober up Ron. When you get your head right you are going to feel like a complete arse.”



Harry sighed, looking out into the corridor where several of Hermione’s braver workers peeked from around corners.



“Go home” he grumbled at them.



This was the last thing he needed. Ron should have been backing him without question. And Harry had no doubts that he would have, if it had been anyone BUT Draco Malfoy. The announcement was days away. He planned to reveal the glorious Third at the holiday banquet.



The glorious Third was a figure loved and revered by his armies. How would they feel when his identity was known? Draco had once said he preferred to remain unknown, but Harry would have none of it.



Severus Snape had been largely unknown and unsung. His proper due never given him. Harry would not allow that to happen again. Draco would be given credit for him many works and given the respect that few fighters were brave enough to earn.



He had to. Otherwise he was no different than…



He shook his head, he couldn’t think like that. Didn’t have the will or the want to think like him or about him.



He had too much on his mind.



Seducing the reluctant but clearly interested Hermione.



Cementing his Triumvirate.



Defeating Voldemort once and for all.



Compared to all that, gaining Ron’s approval was a moot point.



He was about to douse the lights in Hermione’s office when a small plum colored book caught his attention.



It was the brilliant color and the fine gold edging on the pages that made him look closer. Hermione had no official tomes that weren’t covered in years of dust.



He accio’d the book and blinked at it’s cover.



“The Art of Menage Trois?” he whispered.



His green eyes went wide as he flipped it open to see that she had jotted little notes in the margin. This was not simply a book on the sexual aspects of what they might be. It went into detail about the common reasons such relations failed or worked.



He grinned slightly and tucked the book into his pocket. Draco had already agreed, he would share her. Wanting the stability of a steady relationship. And the poor fool was more than half in love with Mione.



“That makes two poor fools” Harry told himself.



Then he put out the lights and apparated to the manor.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Did you read it?” Severus asked pointedly.



“I tried” Hermione told him, “I was making good progress too until Ron showed up.”



“Ah.”



“Leave it alone Severus I don’t think I can handle your brand of dark humor tonight. I need a stiff drink.”



She flounced into her bathroom, throwing the taps on full blast and dumping a fair amount of bubbles into the steaming mix.



“You need a stiff something” Severus’ voice floated over the roar of water to her.



She decided turn about was fair play and walked to stand before his portrait. “I think you are right Severus” she purred.



Then she slowly undressed before his eyes. Making sure to cup her breasts and bend to give him a good look at her backside.



“Gods Hermione.”



“Wishing you weren’t in that painting?” she asked coyly, her hands sliding over her stomach and she could see the potion’s master lick his lips.



He nodded and she reached for her robe. “Well I wish for peace and quiet.”



Then she stepped close enough that her pebbled nipples drug across his canvas and draped the dark green silk over him, blocking his view of the room.



She laughed lightly at his muttered curses. “Serves you right Severus.” she whispered.



She stepped into her bath, sinking up to her collarbone. Closing her eyes against the worries of the day. There was nothing she could do now, except walk whatever road she was on.



She leaned her head back. What did she want?



It was a simple enough question. One that she had asked herself so many times in the last two weeks. Draco had asked, Harry had asked. Hell, even Maddy had asked.



It was the simplest question.



It was the hardest question.



To answer would be to betray all she thought she knew about herself.



To not answer would also be a betrayal to herself.



For the hundredth time, she felt tears well.



Harry loved her. She knew that.



Draco loved her. She was fairly certain of that.



And she loved them. Perhaps not in the same ways or to the same degrees. But still…



What happened when they woke up from this dream they had conjured together. What happened when they left her?



“Mione?” came the soft voice of Draco and she looked up to meet the liquid silver of his eyes.



“Why are you crying?”



She wiped the betraying wetness away, pulling her knees to her chest. “It’s nothing”



He stepped barefooted into the bathroom, padding to the deep tub to kneel beside her. His white shirt was open and his sleeves shoved up to his elbows.



He pushed the curls from her face.



“After all we’ve been through” he teased, “Lies have no place between us.”



She bit her lip, staring at the water and the frothy bubbles.



“Is it what Harry talked to us about?” he asked gently. Far too gently.



She nodded very slowly.



Draco let his hand drop from her face. “You don’t want this” he said then, looking away. “Its ok Mione. We would never force you, you know that don’t you?”



She nodded her head, “Its not that” she whispered.



Draco leaned his head closer to hers, “What then?”



“Just… things” she hedged.



“Where is that Gryffindor courage?” he prodded.



“What will people say?” she asked.



Draco blinked, “Whatever they like I suppose.”



“It will be awful” she moaned.



“We’ll live. Simply saying a thing doesn’t make it so. Look at Lupin.”



She nodded.



“Is that all? The piddling mewls and moans of others?”



She shook her head.



“Well then?”



She finally met his gaze fully since this talk had begun, “I’m afraid.”



Draco’s eyes softened, and he cupped her cheek in one large hand. “Of?”



She swallowed hard, fighting tears again.



“This. Us. The act. The end of it.” Her words nearly ran together but Draco understood.



“Read the bloody book!” came the grouchy tones of the late Potion’s Master.



They both laughed at his outburst, before Draco rose.



“Well then, take your bath and come to the study” he told her, “Harry will be back any minute and we can answer any and all questions you have.”



“But -”



“Surely armed with knowledge you won’t be so afraid right?”



“I suppose”.



“Come on then woman, we have some educating to do.”



Draco turned and was gone a moment later. Hermione sank below the hot water, the last sound she heard was Snape humming to himself.



“I ought to burn you!” she shouted at him when she surfaced, but she said it with a smile.



"Mia. Let Go." he whispered back.



And she wanted to.