#Nihil est ab Omni Parte Beautem

[mustelidsinlove]

Nihil est ab Omni Parte Beautem by seselt on AO3

Returning for her Eighth Year at Hogwarts, Hermione Granger discovers the school itself has different plans for her.

Years of struggle had left Hermione with a strong wish not to do what she was told. Snape had kindled that defiance and Umbridge had cemented it. // “Have you killed?” He hadn't, not directly. He'd tortured and watched Muggles die but he had not with his own hand murdered anyone. Theo cherished that distinction // “Granger.” Theo dropped the dagger as soon as he was finished. He felt filthy, and a dirty, vicious part of him was aroused by the power and her submission. “Granger, it's done.” “I hate her.” Hermione breathed slowly. “I thought that once she was dead the hate would go away.” She blinked. The electric light was starkly reassuring she was not in Malfoy Manor. “It doesn't.” He sat down beside her, rubbing his hands on his shirt. Filthy. Disgusting. Tempting. “It's like a disease. It runs its own course regardless of the vector.” // Berengaria Yaxley tossed her hair and headed towards the twins. It was lovely hair with just the right amount of wave, Hermione thought enviously. Yaxley's hair probably didn't assassinate incautious combs like hers did. // He smirked, observing her as she collected herself. It was an odd thing to admire but he did. Hermione always got back up when thrown. She was resolute. Theo envied that intensely. His life was one of painful compromises. // Ducking into Professor Slughorn's office, Theo crossed to the fireplace to be tidily sick in the wood basket. His body warred between nausea and arousal. He was sick with what he had done but the rush of the Dark Magic could not be denied. The first time he had killed someone and what he wanted most was to fuck Hermione on Slughorn's Persian rug.

Very well-written, complex, and unique story about a rarer pairing (for which I have a soft spot). The world-building is stellar and original (particularly regarding pureblood culture, the fey, and house elf magic), the pacing admirable, and the detail surprising and memorable. I particularly like this Theo — there's nothing silly about him; he's calculating, reserved, mordantly funny, and very aware of his baser instincts and qualities. I really enjoyed being in his head, especially with relation to his conflicting feelings for and about Hermione and his self-disgust at his baser desires.

This story dabbles in many tropes that I'm not always a fan of (pureblood!Hermione, time travel fix it), but it does so from such unique angle and so compellingly that I was desperate for more! (There is an abandoned sequel; this can be read standalone without issue.)

Art:

(1) Love Among the Ruins (detail), Edward Burne-Jones, 1873

(2) Autumn Sun, Hans Steiner, 1890

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