Yours, Mine, Ours.

March 2005

I never thought I'd be a mother at 24. I always thought I would go straight to University after Hogwarts, then become a famous mediwizard-- or perhaps do research in Muggle Studies. Children and a family were not priorities for me. To be honest, when I found out I was pregnant, I didn't feel an immediate excitement like I thought I always would. It seemed a heavy burden to bear.

That all changed when I told my boyfriend. He was overjoyed. I have never seen such tenderness in his eyes. He even asked if I wanted to marry him. When I was a girl, I always wanted to be married to the man I loved-- but that all changed when I fell in love with more than one man.

How would a marriage work between three people?

When Harry and I got together during seventh year, everyone was ecstatic-- even Ron. I still remember all the "it's about time"s, "you were made for each other"s, and even a "if-you-two-didn't-get-together-soon-I-was-going-to-hit-you-over-the-head-with-a- bludger"-- the last one was from Fred Weasley.

Then, the night before graduation, during my Head Girl rounds, I saw Harry kissing someone else. My heart went down into the pit of my stomach. I even pulled out my wand to do a quick leg-locker spell on the smarmy git, when he suddenly pulled away.

Harry was kissing Malfoy!

"You don't understand, Hermione."

"I love you both."

"If you knew him like I did, you would change your mind."

"Hermione, I will die if I can't have you."

"He makes me feel things I don't feel when I'm with you."

I never thought I'd forgive him-- let alone understand where he was coming from. I never thought Draco would wrap his cold fingers around my heart as well as my boyfriend's.

********

July 1998

Hermione Granger knocked on the door to Sirius Black and Harry Potter's London flat. Her curly brown hair was pulled into a loose bun at the top of her head. As she waited for an answer, she tapped her foot on the flowery welcome mat and rearranged several of the items in the large box she was holding.

The door swung open and her jaw dropped. Harry had answered the door in nothing but a thin pair of boxer shorts. A long silver chain hung around his neck. She saw the familiar silver and ruby band she had given him as well as a dragon pendant she guessed was a present from Draco.

"Hermione," he said, pulling her into the flat and shutting the door. He pinned her against the wall and smothered her mouth with kisses. She tried to resist, but her body betrayed her and she reluctantly surrendered to his affection. "I've sent Hedwig to your house at least a thousand times--" he kissed her neck, sucking the tender flesh beneath her ear. "--she always comes back with nothing--" he moved the strap of her tank top to the side and ran his tongue across her tan shoulder. "--I even called you, your mom wouldn't put me through--" he moved back to her mouth. "--you told her you hated me, didn't you?--"

"Harry," she moaned. "Harry, stop."

Harry broke away from her, dropping his arms to his sides. He finally looked at the box in her arms. He pulled out a book about a Muggle Woman in the 20th Century, The Unsinkable Molly Brown. "That was a gift-- take it back." His eyes shone with a mixture of desire and unshed tears-- she wasn't sure which.

"This isn't working, Harry," she said as she placed the box on a nearby couch. He grabbed her hand a placed it to his chest. She shivered as he pushed the silver and ruby band into her fingers.

"Do you remember when you gave me this, love?" he said quietly as he traced her lips with his fingers. "You told me that the seven rubies celebrated my birth, and there was one for each year we were at Hogwarts. The silver band represented your love for me, strong, brilliant,"

"--neverending," she finished quietly. He nodded.

"Will you just listen to us? Will you give us a chance?"

Hermione pulled her hand away from him. She walked into the living room and sat on a nearby chair. "Harry, you have to understand how I feel. Draco and I hate each other. He is probably the person I hate more than anyone in this world. And as much as I love you, I don't think I can set that aside and... Gods, Harry, what do you want me to do with him anyway?"

Harry moved across the room quickly, falling to his knees and draping himself in her lap. "Hermione, I'm not asking you to love him, not yet. I'm just asking you to give him a chance. He's changed, so much. His father's dead, he isn't under his control anymore--"

A flash of silver hair and white skin trotted down the stairs. "Harry, who's here--"

Harry and Hermione turned towards the staircase. Hermione's jaw dropped. Draco was utterly, completely naked.