HP ficlet: Three Together [Draco/Harry/Hermione, general]
Title: Three Together Author: celandineb Fandom: HP Pairing: Draco/Harry/Hermione Rating: general Length: 900 words Summary: Harry and Draco came to Hermione more than a year ago now. Note: For inell, who wanted this trio, prompt "rain, fireplace, content".
Icy rain beat down, slanting against the glass of the French doors and trickling there in ever-changing designs.
Inside it was warm and cozy. Flames crackled in the fireplace. Draco had tossed in a few branches of pine and sprigs of rosemary, and their resinous scent filled the air. Hermione leaned back against Draco and lifted her feet onto Harry's lap. She smiled as Draco spread his fingers across her rounded belly.
The two of them had come to her more than a year ago now.
If Hermione wondered why Harry and Draco had invited her to dinner at their flat, she was not to be left long in suspense.
"We have a proposition for you," said Draco, leaning back in his chair and meeting her eye with a challenge that was almost truculent.
"Draco!" Harry protested. "I told you that wasn't the way to do this."
"You ask, then."
"Ask what?" Hermione supposed they wanted her help in researching something.
"We're gay," said Harry.
"I know that," said Hermione, confused. Harry had come out several years before, and Draco had been openly living with him nearly as long. "So what?"
"So, we can't have children," said Harry.
Hermione shook her head. "I don't know of any magic that can get around that, I'm afraid."
"There isn't." Draco's voice was flat. "That's why we need a woman's help. Your help."
Hermione wasn't sure whether she understood. "You mean you want me to be a surrogate mother for you?"
"Not exactly," said Harry, with a glare for Draco. "Damn. I've bollocksed this up. We don't want to just ask you to bear a child for us. We talked about this for a long time and decided that what we wanted was to make a family with a mother of our child, and you were the woman we agreed on to ask first." Harry spoke in an embarrassed rush.
Astonishment, pride, and anger warred over Hermione's emotions.
"Why?" she finally said.
"Because..." Harry hesitated, and Draco broke in.
"Because he loves you, that's why."
Hermione hadn't expected to hear that, and it helped to soothe her outrage. "What about you?" she asked Draco.
He shrugged. "I don't know you very well, do I? But living with Harry has changed my mind about a lot of things, and if being with you will make Harry happy, then that's what I want."
Draco met her gaze steadily now, and she sensed no lie in him.
"So you're proposing what, exactly?"
"Marriage," said Harry. "Not, like, tomorrow or anything. I expect we should give it at least a few months of living together so we can all decide if we think it will work out before we make a permanent commitment, don't you?"
"I think, actually, that perhaps dating would be a good first step, before living together," Hermione suggested.
"Yes, sure. I just wanted to be honest with you up front about what our ultimate hope is," said Harry.
"So that you don't think we're just after you for some kind of kinky sex threesome," added Draco. He looked at her appraisingly. "Although you're not bad looking these days, for a woman." He raised his hands as Hermione glared at him. "That's a compliment, or meant to be. Harry's the one who flies on either side of the broomstick. I much prefer men."
"Harry?" Hermione cocked her head.
"It's true." He looked a little ashamed of himself. "I deliberately gave Ginny the impression that I was more completely gay than was really the case. I thought it would hurt her less to think that it was biology, not personality, that was the problem. She's a lovely person, but we weren't suited to each other, and she didn't want to recognize that. She's much happier now with Neville than she ever would have been with me, anyhow."
"That's true," Hermione acknowledged. She thought for a few moments, twirling the stem of her wine glass absently. The two men sat and waited. Once Draco opened his mouth, but Harry made a shushing gesture.
"All right," she said finally. "You could have been more judicious in how you approached me, but I'm willing to try what you suggest: dating first, and if that works out, then living together and eventually marriage and children."
When they had come to her, her judgment hadn't been quite as reserved as she had indicated. After she and Ron had broken up, she had flung herself into her work, which was intellectually and professionally satisfying but didn't leave her much time for a fulfilling personal life. She already knew Harry better than almost anyone else, and quickly learned to know and appreciate Draco too, if not to love him quite as deeply as Harry did.
That was all right, however. Placing Harry at the center of their triad was something that Hermione and Draco could both agree on, and it seemed to suit Harry.
They had decided not to try to choose one of them as the father. Draco had made the effort to overcome his general lack of interest in sex with women, and Hermione could honestly say that she didn't know which one of them had sired the child who now kicked and turned within her. Content, she twined her fingers with Draco's and exchanged a smile with Harry. Outside the rain continued, but inside they were warm and together.