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Bonding.
House unification.
They were breaking down prejudices that would keep many students from interacting with each other. That’s why many chose to return for their 8th year. Headmistress McGonagall was trying so hard to stress that if they wanted to keep moving towards a better life for the next generation, they needed to work on their demons, things that would keep them from trusting one another.
8th year students were separated into groups by drawing names from a Goblet, much like they had experienced in their 4th year. Hermione’s heart pounded in her chest when the name was called for her group. Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott. She looked back to Ron who had been grouped in with Pansy and Neville, Harry was paired off with Luna and Blaise. She was the only one grouped with two former Slytherins.
Other groups were formed and many felt comfortable talking, or at least making small talk with each other. When Hermione walked over to the two she was met with silence.
This maze in the Dark Forest was a test. The 8th years had been grouped together at random for a reason. This was to assess if there was progress in the unification program. With the two she had been grouped with there was a low chance that they would be able to work together, at least long enough to make it through the maze, but she didn’t argue about the assigned groups.
One by one, each group entered the woods with one member carrying a lantern. Hermione picked up the lantern that was left for their group. Just like that, they had grouped together and entered the woods in silence.
She could smell the forest floor that was still damp from the afternoon rain. Hermione could hear the two talking behind her just faintly; she didn’t know if it was her they were discussing or what they could be walking into. There was still the unknown. They didn’t know what had been let loose in the Forbidden Forest on top of the wild beasts and sentient creatures.
All three stopped when they could no longer hear anything. Hermione reached for her wand and pulled it out quickly, honey eyes watching for any signs of movement. Draco and Theo moved next to Hermione as if waiting for the first strike.
The lantern fell from Hermione’s hand when something shot out from the brush and started to drag her quickly from the path. The root wrapped tightly around her right ankle. She felt someone grab hold of her left arm attempting to pull her back. Before she could cast a spell, she heard Theo yell “Incendio!” and the root withdrew quickly into the brush.
That was not Devil’s snare, she had never seen anything like that. She felt the hand that grabbed hold of her and attempted to pull her up. “Draco, hold on to her leg,” Theo spoke and moved in front of Hermione, kneeling down.
Hermione looked down to see her jeans had been sliced into. Theo used the edge of his wand to cut the fabric away revealing cuts. Another tap on her leg. “Ferula.” Bandages spun around her open cuts tightly. “I don’t know if there was any poison, but that will alleviate any pain.”
“We need to keep going.” Draco finally spoke up, letting go of Hermione’s arm and picking up the lantern.
Hermione finally realized that it was Draco who grabbed her, he grabbed her without hesitation. His pants were covered in dirt and dead pine needles. “Thank you. Both of you, for saving me and fixing my leg.”
Draco glanced back at her and then at Theo. “It would look bad if we returned without the golden witch, don’t you think, Granger?”
“Draco, you don’t have to act like that.” Theo hissed a bit upset by Draco’s snarky attitude.
Hermione brushed herself off. “It’s fine, Nott. Let’s just get through this maze and move on.”
Theo frowned, rubbing his temple. The three of them were on the move again. The familiar sounds of owls hooting echoed in the woods. “You are so damn stubborn,” Theo spoke harshly.
“It’s not like she’s happy about this arrangement either.” Draco snapped.
“I can hear both of you. It’s fine. The goal is just to get through the maze alive.” Hermione spoke annoyed at the situation. The three went quiet again before Hermione spoke up. “We're lost.”
Theo looked back at her, puzzled. “Why do you say that?”
“Because that’s the spot I was grabbed at.” Hermione pointed at the ground that had been disturbed and her pant leg that had been left on the ground.
“We’ve been on the same path going straight, there is no way we could be back.” Theo looked around a bit puzzled.
“It’s a maze, it’s not just about going straight. It’s not going to be this simple. There is a reason why we passed this again.” Draco looked at Hermione. “Any ideas in that head of yours?”
“Just this being some test,” Hermione replied.
Theo groaned, “I hate tests.”
“I know. I listened to you complain for years, you twit. I would let you copy just to have a night of peace.” Draco looked at Hermione. “Don’t you start.”
“I wasn’t going to start anything!” Hermione growled. “I can’t do this, I’ll figure out how to get out on my own. If I stay with you two, I will go in circles.” Hermione walked away from the two.
“Why do you always have to be a prat to her? She’s really done nothing to you. You act as though you like her, with how much you try to start stuff with her.” Theo smirked.
“I do not.” Draco snapped.
“You know you can be with more than one person, Draco. Sharing is caring and I wouldn’t mind.”
“I don’t like her, so just drop it. If you want to go play save a muggleborn from being eaten, then go right ahead.” Draco turned off in the opposite direction of Hermione.
“Come on now, this is not unity at all.” Theo took off in the direction Hermione had wandered off to.
“Lumos,” she hurried along. “Stupid boys, they are worse than Harry and Ron when they want to bicker and start a fight.” She mumbled following the path until she came to a stop. Two different pathways in front of her. A glance to the left and then to the right. “I don’t remember seeing this the last time we came through. Left, I suppose.” She made a line in the dirt in case she came back across the same crossroads.
Howling could be heard coming close to the pathway that she took. She turned quickly when she heard the sounds getting louder. Wolves or werewolves. They wouldn’t let the students out with something that could potentially alter them, would they? But this was the Forbidden Forest, who really knew what was lurking out here?
Hermione turned quickly and took off down the pathway that started to narrow. This wasn’t good. She rounded a tree only to be grabbed and pulled inside the hallowed-out tree beneath the roots. The wand fell from her hand and rolled across the broken bark. Her mouth was covered and her arms felt pinned to her side, she was on her knees, her back against a warm chest. “Stop.” The familiar voice spoke into her right ear. Her struggle stopped, she could feel his heart beating quickly against her back. She watched from their hiding spot as a pack of four grey wolves ran by.
Once the echoes of the howls could no longer be heard, Draco let go of Hermione who grabbed her wand quickly from the ground, holding it up at his chest. “Really!?” Draco snapped again at her. “Twice I've saved you and you still act like this.”
Hermione gritted her teeth, “I didn’t ask you to save me.”
Draco took a deep breath in, “I know you didn’t ask me to save you, I chose to.”
She was taken aback by what he said, a little surprised after everything they had gone through. Last year was the first time he had attempted to save her, but failed to keep her out of harms way. Hermione looked away. “Thank you.” She whispered.
Draco frowned and looked at her bandaged leg, “I guess I didn’t keep you from getting hurt.”
“No, but you didn’t let whatever it was take me off into the woods to do who knows what.” Draco didn’t hesitate in grabbing her, he could have been dragged away with her, but he grabbed her long enough for Theo to attack. “You are trying, aren’t you?”
“I could be locked away like my father, but I was allowed to come back. I get to choose what I want to do in my life. Will I continue my father’s job by recruiting others to become the next generation of Death Eaters or will I decide to live a normal life, finish school, find a job I like, and maybe find someone that can tolerate me enough to start a family?”
“Do you think you will be able to do this?”
Draco shrugged and sat back against one of the curved roots. “I don’t know, I’m finally the one making the choices.”
Rustling could be heard from above. She moved her wand to the entrance, “Stupefy!”
The sound stopped, “Hey, you just going to shoot off spells before you even see who it is. I feel attacked by both sides.” Theo spoke sliding inside to their hiding spot that was starting to get a little cramped with a third person. “What kind of make-out spot is this?”
“Hermione’s cheeks turned bright red at Theo’s comment. “I really wish you would have hit him, you really aren’t great at dueling, Granger.” Draco’s eyes watched Theo closely warning him to keep his mouth shut.
“Are you really going to taunt me about that now?” She pushed him back, only to have Theo push her against Draco.
“You two fight like oil and water when a spark sets, you just can’t help but spread that fire.” Theo scolded.
Draco’s cheeks flushed a light red when Hermione had been pushed right back into him. “Theo, stop it.”
“No, you stop it, you ruin all these chances with her by starting all these fights and insults and you get made when she bites back. I think you find it kinky when she does.” Theo smirked as he finally outed his friend. “I love you, but damn figure out what you want in life and stop fighting with her. I’m begging you, this tension is thicker than bubotuber plant. Just kiss her and be done with this.” Theo leaned back blocking the entrance with his right leg.
Draco stared at Theo in disbelief with Hermione looking at the two confused. “What the bloody hell is going on? You two have lost your ever-loving minds!”
“Fine,” Draco finally spoke. Draco leaned in placing a gentle kiss on Hermione’s lips. Her face turned bright red, instead of pulling away, she leaned into the kiss.
Theo sighed in relief. “Finally.”
Draco broke the kiss, his silver eyes locked on her honey eyes. “Honestly, I thought you two were together,” Hermione spoke, confused about the situation.
“I mean, we are,” Theo spoke, chuckling.
Her heart dropped, “Was all of this to humiliate me right now? Just some joke to both of you?”
Draco shook his head, “No, none of this was a joke to play on you.”
“It’s just complicated,” Theo moved, placing a kiss on her lips briefly.
“Probably more curiosity for the two of us.” Draco moved behind her, placing his arms around her waist.
“Wait, wait,” she stuttered out. “This has got to be some part of the obstacle in this maze, you’ve both inhaled something funny, and now, well… joke’s on me.” She chuckled nervously.
Draco started kissing down her neck. Theo watched amused. “You say that, but you haven’t once told us no or to stop.”
Draco’s hands played with the hem of the bottom of her pink blouse until he tugged it off of her, he returned to kissing her neck moving down to her shoulder. She sat in front of Theo who leaned back in capturing her lips. Fingers traced down her black bra straps. The kiss broke, “Does your bra match your panties?”
Hermione gasped when she felt Draco bite gently on her shoulder. “I don’t remember.”
“Hmmm, I guess we will find out, won’t we?” Theo said, slyly pulling her shoes off and tossing them to the side. Theo moved up and fiddled with the zipper of her pants, sliding the zipper down slowly before he tugged at her pants sliding them off. “Pink.”
Hermione gasped again when she felt Draco’s hands slide in front of her and into her panties, tracing down her folds. Her breathing was picking up from Draco’s touch. Theo reached out and placed his hands on her breasts, slipping in beneath her bra, and started to tease her nipples. Hermione leaned in kissing Theo deeply, her hands reaching behind her to unclasp her bra letting it fall around her arms.
Draco moved behind her, raising her bottom more when she leaned in to kiss Theo. Theo placed his index finger into the loop and pulled his tie free from his neck. He broke the kiss and wrapped it around her honey eyes and tied it gently behind her head to where she couldn’t see. “Let's play a little game.”
Draco’s fingers pulled on her panties. The sound of his zipper slid down as he shook his pants down, moving in behind her before he slipped right in without warning. Hermione broke the kiss, a moan escaped her lips. Draco started to thrust into her. She could hear another zipper sliding down. She felt Theo’s left hand grab her chin, she was panting when she felt Theo slip his cock into her mouth.
She placed her left hand on his hip. Theo grabbed her tightly by her messy auburn hair. She was going up and down on Theo’s cock with each thrust Draco made into her. Draco’s hands gripped tightly to her hips. Bouncing her up and down on his cock. “Granger, your mouth…” Theo groaned out under his breath. She was sliding her tongue under his cock, sliding out for a moment to lick the tip before sliding her mouth all the way down.
Draco couldn’t help but smirk at his partner who was busy getting pleased by the school’s golden girl. “Such a good girl…” Draco’s pace quickened. He could feel himself growing close, but he could feel how wet she had gotten, even before he had slipped in. Theo grabbed tightly to her hair once more, forcing her down. He drenched the back of her throat with his cum. He moaned out, Draco couldn’t help but thrust into her roughly one last time, before he released into her, right after Theo.
Theo let go of her hair and sat back against one of the roots. Hermione was panting heavily, a dribble of cum dripped from the left corner of her lips. Draco let go of her and sat back pulling Hermione against him. She was still blind-folded with Theo’s tie. “... Merlin, Granger.” Draco chuckled a bit. This night had been full of terror, but ended in a bit of fun, with all three finally getting along.
She never would have imagined this would be how her night would have gone.
Bonding and house unification.