91Tea for Two or Three
By Aealket
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this short and fluffy bit if fiction.
A/N:
The plot of this came about while bouncing ideas back and forth with a writing friend of mine. The idea was that Luna was an 'other woman' in Harry and Hermione's life. It did not work as originally planned, but this fluff came out instead. I am using this as a way to get back into writing. I still have three much longer stories in progress, but I took a short break from writing when work became insane for a while.
– – (()) – –
A disgruntled Hermione Weasley opened her flat door, hoping it was not the landlord with eviction papers in his hand.
"Hello, Hermione," Luna Lovegood brightly said.
Hermione froze and tried to make sense of what was happening. She was not sure if Luna was 'the other woman' or if Hermione was 'the other woman' to Luna. All the time she was considering the answer, Luna stood outside her door waiting patiently for Hermione to make up her mind.
Finally Hermione shook her head to try and clear it, and, standing aside, she invited Luna into her flat.
After seating her surprise guest, and pouring the two of them tea, Hermione settled back in her chair and waited for Luna to make the first move, all the while feeling slightly put out that Luna seemed to be so comfortable while in her rival's lair.
"Harry has finally found a way to divorce Ginevra, and I thought you might like to divorce Ron at the same time," Luna said, after sipping her tea.
'And you thought to tell me?' Hermione thought in surprise before answering more by rote than a conscious decision. "Thank you, I'll try to remember to ask Harry the next time I see him."
"I believe that he'll be here tonight," Luna said. "He packed his bag this morning, and since he's usually either here or with me..."
"And you don't seem at all concerned that you're talking with your rival for Harry's affections?" Hermione blurted out.
"I don't consider you a rival, Hermione," Luna said. " I know you were very upset when it came out that Molly had been dosing both you and Ron with love potions, but for Harry, the hurt went way beyond upset. He was broken when he found out Molly and Ginevra's doing the same to him, and after that, I didn't think he'd ever again allow himself to commit to a single woman. I'm just happy that he's settled on just the two of us instead of playing an alley cat and shagging anyone and everyone who waves her figurative, and real, tail at him."
Hermione fought down the urge to shudder at the mention of Ron's name. She was better, the first weeks after taking the potions to purge the love potions from her system, Hermione had literally screamed anytime someone said the name 'Ron Weasley'. And, from what others were saying, Ron had done nearly the same thing if someone mentioned her name.
Hermione looked up to see Luna waiting patiently while she dealt with her aversion to Ron. Hermione forced herself to relax again, and started to process the additional information Luna had given her.
"You know, now that you mention it, I can see what you're saying. After he took the potions to purge himself, Harry did start bedding nearly anyone for a time, but then he seemed to settle down with you."
"At least until he started to get worried that he was getting too close to me, then you called him over to discuss something or another and, according to Harry, you two ended up living in the bedroom for a week," Luna said in her matter-of-fact voice that sounded just like she was commenting on the upcoming winter. "Harry still claims that was the best week of sex he's ever experienced."
"You and Harry talk about...?" Hermione stuttered.
"I hope Harry and I can talk about any and everything," Luna said, filling in the blank left by Hermione's unfinished thought.
"I generally try to avoid talking about you with Harry," Hermione admitted.
"That's because you still consider us rivals instead of partners."
"Partners? Consider?" Hermione's thought processes again came to a screeching halt.
"Which brings up the other reason I wanted to drop by," Luna again filled in the conversation before Hermione could recover.
"One of my reporters at the Quibbler told me that you've been released from your position at the Ministry again. It seems they wanted to give your pay to a poor and deserving pure-blood."
Hermione colored, this time in anger and she prepared to become defensive.
"You know, if you were to accept living at the Manor with me, it will make them quite cross when you don't show up to beg for your job back at half-pay."
"With...You...?" In the back of Hermione's mind she had to give the slight blonde in front of her points. Luna had controlled the conversation and had been keeping Hermione off balance by a near constant barrage of surprising or shocking statements.
"Yes. I can have the House-elves open the West wing for you, as I only really use the East wing," Luna explained, still in her calm and almost disinterested voice. "Love's Rest is a true Elizabethan manor. Looking at it while riding a broom, it looks like a large capital 'E'. I figure we can put Harry in the shorter middle wing for any time he doesn't want to sleep with either of us, and, as I mentioned, you can have the West wing. We can use house that connect the wings as a type of common area, where we can all meet together."
"Ah...Rent?" Hermione asked, while desperately trying to regain her equilibrium.
"Why would I charge you rent when you're doing me a favor if you move in?" Luna asked. It was the first time in the conversation that Hermione felt Luna was a bit surprised.
"A favor? You...What?" Hermione managed to get out.
"Yes, I miss getting a good morning hug and kiss from Harry when you're entertaining him, and if we live in different wings of the same house, I'll be able to get them more often."
As Hermione managed to re-boot and bring back on-line her thought processes, she had to admit that sounded much like Luna. Getting a hug counted for more to Luna than any loss of income because she was letting her house/manor. By the same token, helping Harry probably counted more to Luna than having the undivided affection of the man would.
"Leaving aside whether or not I'm willing to live at your place, on your charity, do you think Harry will accept this solution?" Hermione asked, grateful Luna had stopped throwing surprises at her for the moment.
"Yes, I believe Harry would like to have a bit of his own space, while also being around the two of us," Luna answered. "And I don't believe you'd be there as a charity case, since this will give you the chance to write that book you keep telling Harry you'd like to write. Once that is the bestseller I expect it to be, we can re-visit the rent, and I'll even overcharge you for a while if that'll make you feel better. Say two knuts instead of one knut a month."
"Rent is normally quite a bit more than a knut a month, Luna," Hermione said, and then sat back at the smile on Luna's face. "You're teasing me!'
"Maybe just a bit, yes," Luna admitted. "However, it turns out I'm quite wealthy, and I've no problem sharing with those I consider friends, and once I get you to agree to live at the Manor, I hope we can start being friends again. I think being partners will be ever so much better than being rivals. What with Ginevra being in prison with Molly for attempted line theft, I find I don't have all that many people that are willing to just chat with me. Neville's Hannah doesn't like me much for some reason."
"She thinks Neville would really have rather married you instead of her. If you hadn't been searching for snorkacks with your dad that summer, several of us thought Neville would have offered for you."
"That's just silly," Luna exclaimed. "I talked to Neville before I left and told him Hannah would be a much better bride than I would."
"And that might be the other reason Hannah isn't fond of you," Hermione said, with some emphasis. "No newly-wed wants to know that another woman directed her husband her way."
"Oh?"
"Yes!"
"Well, darn!" Luna pouted a bit. "At least you were able to clear up that confusion. I'll have to make time to talk to Hannah a bit and see if I can help her understand."
"Do you think you can change Hannah's mind?" Hermione just had to ask.
"Maybe not right away, but now that I know what the problem is, I think I can," Luna replied. "Now, about you paying rent or not paying rent, I really don't care, but if it'll make you feel better, we can ask Harry to pay for you until your book is finished."
"And you think that's better!?"
"Well, I thought so, but based on your response, you aren't nearly as happy with it."
"That would make me…" Hermione stopped and looked at Luna again. "You know, I don't recall you being someone that would tease me like this."
"That was before we became partners in the quest to keep Harry Potter from turning evil," Luna said with a grin, a grin that disappeared as she continued in a more serious tone of voice. "Or maybe just to keep Harry Potter to ourselves; I don't want to share him with more women."
"I'm surprised you're willing to share him with me." Hermione said.
"You and Harry have been something of a thing for years, Hermione. I really think a part of why Ginevra got Molly to dose Harry, you, and Ron with love potions is she felt you had too big a part of Harry's heart. I also think that's why when you and Harry finally got really physical it was the mind blowing experience that currently powers Harry's Patronus. If I'm not willing to share Harry with you, I'll lose him completely. I also think that, because of how Harry has been hurt by Ginevra, if you're not willing to share him with me, you'll also eventually lose him."
"Are you willing to let me think this over a bit, Luna?" Hermione asked. Now that the strings of surprises were at least slowing down, and Luna was talking seriously, Hermione felt she could better process and make sounder decisions.
"I am," Luna replied. "I'm also willing to discuss things in more detail with both you and Harry."
As if on cue, the door rattled open and Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived, the boy-who-died-and lived, the-boy-who-destroyed-the-Weasleys, and several other strings of hyphenated words came through the door.
"Hermione! Rumor has it you got released from the Ministry again."
Happy that Harry, her friend and lover Harry (no hyphens at all) was finally in her sight again, Hermione jumped up and nearly tackled the man of her dreams and planted her lips on his.
After the toe curling kiss, Hermione started trying to catch her breath while just holding him tight. She never could breathe through her nose while kissing Harry.
"Since you're here and not at work, I guess the rumor is…" Harry started saying before trailing off.
Hermione felt him tense up slightly, and she remembered she had company still sitting in her small living room, no doubt sipping her now tepid tea.
"Yes, they did release me yesterday, Harry love, and yes, you see Luna Lovegood in my living room."
"Good afternoon, Harry," Luna said, and as Hermione turned to look, as expected, Luna had her teacup in hand.
"Luna, I didn't expect to see you here." Harry's voice was not angry, but it did not sound all that welcoming either.
"Before you ask, this is the first time I've been to see Hermione since you started trading off between us," Luna said, her calm, matter-of-fact voice back. "But I also heard that she'd been released, and I came over with an offer to help."
Harry glanced over at Hermione with a questioning set of raised eyebrows.
"It's true, Harry," Hermione said. "Although I've only just started thinking about her offer; I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around her suggestion."
"And do I have a bit part in this offer?" Harry asked, somewhat reassured but still wary.
"Of course you do, silly," Luna said, smiling, and sounding like she wanted to laugh out loud.
Luna waited as Harry and Hermione fully entered the living room and sat on the loveseat.
"I offered to let Hermione take over the West wing at the Manor, Harry, and I'm more than willing to let you take over the middle wing."
Hermione watched as Harry absorbed Luna's bald-faced explanation. To her surprise, Harry did not become angry and actually started relaxing a bit.
"And Hermione didn't just turn you down?" Harry asked.
"Well, not yet," Luna replied as she grinned at Hermione. "Of course, I did manage to shock her out of her normal thought processes before I made the suggestion."
"I don't know of anyone who can really match you when you're trying to get someone to agree to do something that they normally wouldn't. I'm impressed Hermione isn't already packing," Harry said, and to Hermione's ears it sounded as if he was only half joking.
"I'm not going to mess things up that badly, Harry," Luna protested. "I'm hoping this will be a long term solution. Tricking Hermione into it would just cause her to leave as soon as she could."
"Why?" Harry asked.
Hermione glanced from Luna to look hard at Harry, and she was startled by his crooked half smile and dancing eyes.
"Why? So I can get more good morning hugs and kisses, of course," Luna answered.
"That's the reason she gave me as well," Hermione admitted.
Harry nodded, and asked, "And...?"
"Because I see the three of us being good for each other, Harry," Luna replied. "Since you've found Hermione's bed, you've either been in my bed or Hermione's, and, in my opinion, you're happier then than when you were shagging anyone that offered or even looked like she'd offer a tumble. I think it'll take both of us to make you truly happy again."
Hermione choked back a surprised exclamation.
"I did tell you, Hermione, that I hoped I could talk to Harry about anything,"
"You did," Hermione admitted, though she was still recovering from a mild state of shock.
"And making me happy helps you how?" Harry asked. "You did say we three would be good for each other."
"I might not be the best lay of your life, Harry, but you are mine, and this way I'll get to continue getting some of your physical love. And while I know you've been beating around the bush about admitting it out loud, at least with me, I know you've come to love me for myself, so there's no way I won't try to secure that for myself. Sharing you with Hermione isn't going to be problem as I've been doing that for some time now."
Luna paused to glance over to Hermione and smiled before she continued.
"As for Hermione, I believe getting her away from that dead end job and doing things she really loves will help her quite a bit. Writing, or investigating a new spell, while not being bothered by any of the reminders of what was done to her, will also help her heal."
Harry chuckled, which surprised Hermione.
"You do know I think you're a minx, don't you, Luna?"
"You've mentioned it a time or two, Harry."
"And, I do think both you and Hermione are more than a short-term shag, even though I can't say it out loud often or well."
"I'm certain Hermione knows that Harry, just as I do."
Hermione buried her head against Harry's shoulders and nodded her head in agreement.
"So now all I have to do is finish convincing Hermione to help me make you truly happy." Luna was using her serious voice again.
Hermione looked back up at Harry and then over to Luna.
"I think I'll like it at, what did you call it, Love's Rest," Hermione said.
"We'll have you moved in a day or two," Luna said. "In the meantime, I'll let you two get on with your evening. Harry, floo me when you two are ready."
And with that Luna Lovegood stood and let herself out of the flat to return home and let the house-elves that they had some cleaning to do.
– – (()) – –
Once she moved in, Hermione never moved out of Love's Rest. Likewise Harry Potter moved in and strayed no more from the two women that made him very happy.
Harry Potter married Hermione Granger Weasley five years later, although, for the rest of their lives, both Harry and Hermione claimed that the only reason Harry had not married Luna instead, was that Hermione drew the short straw.