Three\'s Company

A/N: I feel it necessary for this part to tell you that anything written between these * * is Draco writing, ~ ~ those are Hermione, and ^ ^ those are Blaise.


Just after classes started again, Hermione got another gift from her secret admirer while in the library. This time it was a seemingly harmless but beautifully decorated, writing book, though when she glanced at the back it had an imprinted label on it; ‘Duos alio libri’ (two person book). Her admirer had the other book and intended to write to her. She opened the book to the first page and found he already had.

*Hello Hermione. How are you this afternoon?* Picking up a quill and ink, Hermione wrote back.

~I’m good. Endlessly curious of course, but good.~

^Endlessly curious? What makes you think your curiosity won’t be satisfied before the end of time?^ Was it just Hermione’s imagination or had the handwriting just changed?

~Well, perhaps endlessly is the wrong term given the situation. How has your afternoon been?~

*We’ve been wonderful, actually.*

~We?~

^Surely you noticed the handwriting changed, Hermione.^

~I had but I thought I may have been imagining that. You’ve both been wonderful then?~

*We have.*

^It doesn’t bother you that there’s two of us?^

~No. For me, things always feel more complete in threes. I suppose it’s Harry and Ron’s fault really. I don’t have many close friendships outside of the two of them. Except Dean and Ginny but again, that’s three. So, this may seem like an odd question, but what should I call you each? Or are you going to tell me who you really are?~

*Not yet, my dear. As for names, Radiance.*

^Guess I’m Bold then, aren’t I?^

~I guess so.~ Hermione smiled.

*What were you working on before the owl interrupted you?*

~I wasn’t actually working on anything. I’ve begun only doing my homework with Ginny, Dean, Draco, and Blaise somehow. I was, however, reading Eclipse. It’s the third book in a series Draco and Blaise got me for Christmas. Which reminds me, thank you very much for the bear and poem; They were lovely.~

^Of course, my dear. Did you have a good Christmas?^

~I did. And the two of you?~

*A very good Christmas.*

~I assume that the two of you are together then? After all, this journal only has one counterpart. It’s how they’re made.~

^We are, actually. I told him you’d figure that out.^

Hermione giggled a little. “What are you laughing at Hermione?” Draco looked up from whatever he and Blaise were working on in the corner.

“Oh, my secret admirers sent me a journal and one of them said something amusing, no big deal,” She answered.

“Okay,” Draco shrugged.

~Of course I did. I kind of feel like I’m at a disadvantage here, guys. You know who I am and I have no clue as to who you are.~

*That is unfortunate. For you anyway. Let’s see… what to tell you? Well we’re both in your year but I don’t know of much else that wouldn’t give us away.*

^The way we signed the poem is a clue as well, actually.^

~Well, that’s terribly unhelpful. I left it upstairs.~ Hermione sighed.

“’Lo, Hermione. Can you come with me for a minute?” Ginny walked in.

“Sure. Hang on,” She turned back to the book. ~I’m afraid I have to go now, guys. Ginny’s here and needs me. Talk to you later?~

^Of course. Bye for now, Hermione.^ Hermione closed the journal and sent it up to her room.

Together she and Ginny made their way out of the castle. “I thought you should be the first to know this as you’re the first person I told I’m gay,” Ginny began. “I have a girlfriend.”

“That’s so exciting! Who is she?”

“Pansy.”

“Wait, Pansy Parkinson?”

“Do you know any other Pansy?” Ginny countered.

Hermione thought for a moment. “Come to think of it, no I don’t,” She shrugged. Seeing the apprehension on Ginny’s face, she sighed, “Come on, you don’t really think I have a problem with her do you?”

“I just had to be sure is all. So what were you writing when I found you?” She asked.

Hermione then told her all about the journal and the two secret admirers. “Do you remember how my poem was signed?” She asked at the end.

“Yeah, Bold as Radiance, why?”

“Come with me for a second. I think I just figured something out,” Hermione pulled Ginny along behind her back into the castle. They ran into Pansy on the way. “’Lo Pansy. Hey, you wouldn’t happen to have a quill and scrap of parchment I could use for a second would you?”

Pansy handed the requested items and an ink well over to Hermione. “What’s she doing?” Pansy asked Ginny as she held the paper against the wall and started writing, ink well floating beside her.

“No idea. I told her about us, by the way.”

“Really? And?”

“She doesn’t care.”

“Those idiots!” Hermione broke out suddenly. “Remember my secret admirer, Pansy?” She asked.

“Yeah.”

“There’s two of them, actually. Anyway, all they’ll tell me is that they’re in our year and that the way they signed the poem is a clue. Look,” She handed the paper to both girls. She’d unscrambled the letters of Bold as Radiance to get,…

“Blaise and Draco,” Pansy stated. “Idiots. Did they honestly think you wouldn’t figure them out?”

“Don’t tell them you know yet, ‘Mione. Let them keep believing they’ve fooled you and play with them for a little while.”

“Ginny! They’re me best friends,” Pansy protested.

“It’s only for a little while, Pansy. And besides, it’s not like I’ll be too mean to them.”

“Wait a minute, you like them too, don’t you?” Hermione looked away and actually blushed a little.

“When exactly did this happen Miss Granger?” Ginny put her hands on her hips in an imitation of her mother.

“I don’t know. I mean, I’ve always harbored a little bit of a crush on both of them and then I’m thrown into the same dorm as them and I got to know them and it just escalated, I guess.”

“And when were you going to tell me this?” Ginny demanded.

“I wasn’t, actually. I figured I’d force myself to get over it as they were together and then there was this whole witch thing and I figured it couldn’t possibly be me. So I decided to just be happy for them like any good friend,” Hermione shrugged.

“In that case, feel free to play with them a little. Just nothing too harsh, okay?” Pansy questioned.

“Of course not,” Hermione grinned. The three of them made their way back to Hermione’s dorm, with Hermione destroying the scrap of parchment as she went. “Hey guys,” Hermione went to sit between Draco and Blaise on the couch.

Stretching out, she laid out across them, her head in Draco’s lap. “What was so vital, Ginny?” He asked.

In answer, Pansy curled up in Ginny’s lap and Ginny said, “I believe you already know my girlfriend, Pansy, right?”

“No way! Really?” Blaise asked.

“Yes, Blaise,” Pansy laughed. Carefully, Blaise took off Hermione’s shoes and started massaging her feet. Letting the conversation flow around her, Hermione slowly drifted off to sleep.

A/N: I told you Hermione wouldn’t stay in the dark for long. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I’ll try to update again soon.