When We Were Beasts

Quietly Yours

They found a rhythm, and stayed in it.

Autumn was in full swing across The Haven, but they welcomed the chill in the air as the leaves became marigold, ruby, golden brown.

Food never became scarce. There was always fish or birds to catch thanks to magic, and they were able to able to start a small garden in a greenhouse Neville created from Hermione's unused tent. Hermione and Draco had brought plenty of goods from their time in the Gryffindor room, and it seemed to be never ending. Coffee, spices, soaps, tea, blankets. It kept flowing.

Hermione spent almost all of her time with him, but if she was not with Draco, she was with Pansy and Luna.

The three girls foraged (inside the wards only) and helped while Neville and Draco worked on potions and Theo took George's place in cooking for everyone. Zabini was in charge of firewood.

In her free time Hermione read the books she had brought with her from the Gryffindor room, or the small collection Neville and Pansy had found in their set of rooms. She liked letting her mind work again, and it distracted her.

Her and Theo always spent the afternoon by the river, checking in on each other. Each day he opened up more, a flower in full sunlight that was no longer afraid to bloom.

Pansy had made it her sole mission to get Theo to confess his love for Luna, though Hermione told her over and over again she was overstepping. Draco and Neville found it hilarious, especially when Theo's cheeks would redden and he'd stutter an excuse to escape Pansy's presence. Hermione could tell Luna liked it.

And one day, Theo did ask Luna to be his. She gave him a curtsy and placed a flower crown on his head, and Pansy tackled Hermione in victory.

As one month became three and three became six, Hermione realized two things:

She loved Draco Malfoy more than she had ever loved anyone, and she did not want to leave the Arena.

She had found peace here. A place where her friends knew her, and accepted her- shades of gray and all. Hermione was in a place where no one's expectations but her own could weigh her down, and where she could take life at her own pace.

She had found a place where she could love Draco with everything she had, and he gave it back to her just as fiercely. He held her through her night terrors, and talked her through her rage and pain. She listened when he spoke of how much he missed his mum, when he recanted the hardships of having Lucius Malfoy as a father. They made love nearly every night, and if he wasn't buried inside of her then his head was between her legs or her mouth was around his cock. Nothing had ever felt so right as when he kissed her scars and she brushed her fingers against his.

If Voldemort wanted the game to end with them killing each other, he was going to have to wait a long, long time.

****

As spring finally pounced on The Haven one bright day, Pansy and Neville emerged from their tent with barely contained excitement.

"What's got you so cheery?" Draco asked, his yawn stretching out his words.

Neville laughed as he answered, "I asked Pansy to marry me, and she said yes."

Everyone stared, frozen.

Then Hermione hugged Neville while Luna, Theo, and Draco clung to Pansy. Zabini emerged from his tent half-awake asking what the bloody hell was going on, and Lavender muttered a weak "Congratulations." Before walking down to the river.

"We're going to have a ceremony, tonight." Pansy said, her smile so bright it rivaled the sun. "Luna, you and Hermione have to help me. Please."

Luna grabbed Pansy and Hermione's hands, and pulled the two of them into Draco's tent.

Hermione zipped the tent shut and turned to face Pansy, who was seated in an arm chair.

"You're lucky I've gotten so good at transfiguration." Hermione said with a smirk. She pulled out a sundress she'd brought from the Gryffindor room, and couldn't help but smile when Luna said, "You're like her fairy godmother, Hermione."

****

Luna left to borrow Neville's wand so she could decorate beside the river, and Hermione worked on crafting her dress into something truly magical.

Pansy walked Hermione through her vision: long train, with a high slit. Lace bodice, and an off the shoulder cape. No veil. Hermione enjoyed the challenge, and before she knew it hours had gone by, and Pansy was hugging her with tears in her eyes.

"You've given me my dream dress, Hermione."

"I'm just sorry that I won't be able to do any hair or makeup for you." Hermione gestured to her own bushy braid. "Clearly I'd make your hair worse, not better."

"I was just going to brush it out, anyways." Pansy said with a dismissive flick of her wrist. Her bob had grown out, and her jet black hair now reached mid back. "He likes it straight and natural like this."

As Pansy slipped into her dress and found that it fit like a glove, Luna came back.

"These two have a question." As she stepped back, Draco and Zabini stood at the tent entrance.

"We were wondering," Draco said. "Since your father isn't here-"

"If we could walk you down the aisle." Zabini finished.

Hermione's eyes watered as Pansy clutched her chest.

"You're my brothers." She sniffled as she looped her arms around theirs. "I would want nothing more."

There was no music, no priest or ministry officiant, no crowd.

Luna had charmed birds to chirp overhead and for flowers to spring early. The river glistening with the setting sun was the perfect backdrop as everyone gathered around, watching Pansy and Neville vow to always live for each other. Draco took Hermione's hand as they kissed. He looked at her, and she felt so overwhelmed with love-for him, and for the friends around them- that she thought it would pour out of her like honey from a comb.

Theo gently took Luna in his arms and spun her around to a tune only they could hear. Neville and Pansy disappeared into their tent, casting silencing charms as they went. Lavender stayed by the river, and Zabini went to find the mead Neville had made earlier that month, muttering something about missing Daphne.

Hermione was left to walk the woods with Draco, and all she could think was there was no place she would have rather been than there, with him, in that moment.

****

Hermione had forgotten, in her complacency, that good things did not last in the BackRooms.