Title: Serendipity
Pairing: Cedric/Hermione/Viktor
Rating: Any Age
Summary: A nightmare shows her what must be done.
Word Count: 810
ABC Challenge #25: B - Bonds for
_angels_touch_ and S - Serendipty for
lorraineblue A nightmare shows her what must be done.
Hermione wakes in a tangle of sweaty sheets, her breathing ragged, and the vision of Cedric’s death in her mind. Fear drives her from her bed in the middle of the night. She can’t go to the dorms to check on him and Viktor is on his ship so she’s left to shiver in the darkness of the common room as her nightmare replays over and over.
When dawn breaks, she finally rouses herself from the sofa and goes upstairs to get dressed. She has spent hours keeping herself awake for fear that another nightmare awaits her, perhaps one where it is Viktor’s lifeless body that Harry carries. Hermione isn’t the type to usually allow dreams or nightmares to guide her, but this one feels different. During the hours of sleeplessness, she realizes what must be done.
It takes hours of research, days of searching the oldest texts in the library, and she finally finds something that will work. It is old magic, powerful in a way that tempts her yet also frightens her, and she studies it thoroughly before deciding it is safe. Viktor and Cedric sneak away from the castle and meet her in their usual spot. Hermione wonders sometimes why feels no guilt for not telling Harry and Ron about her friendship with the other two boys since she usually shares everything with them. They have secrets of their own, though, so perhaps that’s why she keeps this relationship to herself.
Viktor reacts as she expects. He is upset about her nightmares, questions the use of such magic, and struggles to find the words to warn her that such a spell is not to be trifled with but does not refuse to participate. Cedric is unpredictable but surprises her by accepting her suggestion with ease. He smiles and echoes Viktor’s warning but he’s intrigued by the magic and studies the words as she explains.
She is only fifteen, much too young to be involved with anyone much less two boys, no, men, who are older by a couple of years. Her feelings for them both, however, are not immature or temporary. It’s not a passing fancy for any of them. It couldn’t be for things to have developed into what they have now.
She has felt drawn to Viktor since their gazes first met across the library. With Cedric, it wasn’t as intense but it was there when they first met at the Quidditch World Cup and possibly even before as she recalls bumping into him last year and feeling odd afterward as she’d watched him walk away and seen him looking back at her. Cedric and Viktor…she’s not sure when it happened or how, but it’s there just as it is for her with them.
She may be young but she’s heard of triads, both in the Muggle world as well as the wizarding. They are not accepted in one and considered strong in the other, even if they have been out of practice for more than a century. The three of them have a bond that she fears will break during this ridiculous tournament. The nightmares of Cedric’s body lying on the ground won’t leave her mind as she explains the bonding spell. It is serious magic, far too strong for people their age, but there are times she knows that rules must be broken. They agree to the ceremony, whispering words of affection and devotion to one another as they kiss, touch, and embrace.
It is three days later that they are ready. They sneak into the Forbidden Forest after dark and sit in a triangle on a blanket that Viktor has brought from the ship. The magic that surrounds them as they repeat the words of the spell is so thick she can feel it against her skin. When the pure silver blades pierces her skin, she gasps as the energy begins to flow. Their blood is mixed, the bond building, strengthening with every word, and protective magic surrounds them as their three voices become one soft whisper.
Afterwards, she lies between Viktor and Cedric. She is sore and exhausted but she smiles when she feels them. The bond is strong and will protect them for the remainder of the tournament as well as for the rest of their lives. Cedric’s hand is on her hip, Viktor’s cheek rests on her chest, and she breathes softly as the old magic continues to flow amongst them.
This is fate, she decides, and she hates to think what might have happened if she’d ignored the nightmares. Now, she feels they are safe, and she begins to believe in serendipity and things that might not be able to be logically explained. Hermione closes her eyes finally and dreams of love and happiness with the two men holding her.
The End