Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Fortune Favours The Brave	By : Rumpelyssa Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Lucius/Hermione Views: 5312 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own this world OR make one penny, cent or dime from writing. JKR owns Hogwarts and all who's in her!

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
Her father always said that life was not fair! Too damn right it wasn't. Dejectedly she walked out of the courthouse. Sluggishly, she took one step at a time. Doom bells thudded with each descent towards the pavement. Halfway down she stopped, turned and caught a glimpse of her former husband. Unashamedly he walked off with a woman half his age. She had given the best years of her life. Sacrificed such a lot for him. Shock rippled through her heart when she discovered her husband had been sleeping with someone else. Not just any someone else but her Nanny! It was such a cliché. How could he do this?
Yes, she had been working harder than usual. She had to live in libraries and museums. No, she could not always provide sexually but that was due to her mental and physical exhaustion from all the research she had to do. Apparating was not always an option so she had to travel muggle routes on trains and buses. There had been the odd trip abroad where she had to take herself off suddenly. On an aircraft. Stuck behind the loud mouths. The errant children who made her inner Snape burn. Arrogant people who tilted their chairs back right at the moment she was about to drink a bloody hot cup of black coffee!
But she had remained faithful to him – almost to a fault. Good job their children were now regularly attending Hogwarts. More children, he had said once. Like that. In those exact words. More children! The more he said it the more it sounded like he was demanding it. That had been a source of disagreement amongst them for awhile. It was as if he only saw her as a breeding machine. No blame could be accrued to his parents. The father might have surrounded himself with children. Wisely he chose a wife who wanted to be a proud housewife. Rather crucially, also his mother wanted to surround herself with a litter of ginger haired children.
Though she loved her children she could not justify having more when she was too busy to look after the ones she did have. Wiping away an angry tear she was about to walk down the rest of the way when she heard her name being called out.
"Hermione!" it was her former sister in law. "Hermione, wait up."
"I would have thought you would have been with your brother."
"Why? I think he's an eejit!"
"You hang out with Seamus too often."
"I mean look at him with her?"
"You said the same thing about Bill and Fleur at one point."
"Bill and Fleur are different," Ginevra Potter said, "look – I still want to be friends."
"That is not going to be easy."
"No," Ginny shook her head. Dark red auburn hair shone in the bright autumnal light. Ginny was beautiful and, luckily for her; had a husband who still doted on her. "We will manage. I do not want to lose contact with you – there are too many memories we share … the basilisk, you figured that out … You told me to go out with any boy who asked so I did and I got Harry due to it. Come on, we can't part like this."
"What do your parents say?"
"Hermione, I am 41 years old. I do not have to worry about what my parents say!"
Ginny took Hermione's hand and squeezed it between hers. Tears welled up in Ginny's eyes. As they fell into a hug Harry showed up. Anger shone in his bright green eyes. In an effort to calm him down Harry rubbed his wife's back. "What can I say?" he said to his best friend. "Of all the people I would have thought that this would be Draco and Astoria!"
Shrugging her shoulders Hermione gazed at Harry: "Well," she sighed, "it was me it happened to."
Circling his arms around his wife and friend the trio stood on the steps of the courthouse comforting each other. "I do not even have full custody of the children," Hermione's muffled sobbing was just about heard by Harry. "I do not know how I am going to see them!"
"We will make sure they Owl you."
"That is not enough, though," Hermione left her friends embrace, "thank you for being here but I really need to be on my own."
"Are you sure that is wise?" Ginny asked, tucking some of Hermione's hair behind her ear.
Rolling her eyes Hermione just looked at her friend: "Please, I am beyond heartbroken now. I am not going to do anything stupid."
Harry glared at Ron who seemed to know his old friend was looking at him. Slowly, Ron turned his head and gazed back at Harry, Ginny and his ex-wife. Knowing he was cast off from Harry for ever this time Ron lowered his head and turned to his younger lover – looping her arm through his she flashed a smile at him.
"Instead of killing myself I am more inclined to kill them!" Hermione growled.
Shocked Harry turned around and saw that Hermione half meant her statement. The way she glared at the couple sent cold shivers down his spine. That was the way Snape used to look at him.
"Come on," Ginny sighed, steering Hermione around. Feeling like she was in a Potter sandwich Hermione allowed Harry and Ginny to walk her down the rest of the steps. Spotting somewhere suitable to apparate the trio walked around the corner where Hermione looked at them. "You know where I really want to go?"
"No?" Harry said.
"Diagon Alley."
Smiling Ginny and Harry nodded. "Diagon Alley," Ginny said. "Why do you want to go there?"
"I want to remember the good times," Hermione sighed. "The first few years of school before it all became sour. Before emotions like this became apparent."
"Before we had to grow up in other words?" Harry sighed wrapping an arm around Hermione's shoulders and another around his wife's waist.
"Yes."
"Are you certain?"
"Well I have to go somewhere and I do not want to go home."
"We will come with you," Ginny said stroking Hermione's hand, "let us go!"
Smiling, all three walked around an alley separating the courthouse from an office block. As one they apparated from there to Diagon Alley.
♣♠♦♣♠♦♣♠♦
Lowering the paper the next morning Draco looked across his breakfast table at his beautiful wife: "I always knew that Weasel was pathetic!" he said.
"You have grown to like her then?"
"Oh of course I have," Draco picked his fine china tea cup and sipped it quietly keeping his eyes on his wife. "I would never do such a thing to you, my dear."
"I should hope not," Astoria Malfoy smiled delicately picking at her croissant, "I would Crucio your sorry little hide before you could blink if you did."
"Have I told you how much I love you today?" Draco smirked.
"Do you think we should offer a hand of friendship to Hermione?"
Opening his mouth to reply Draco's line of conversation was interrupted by the sound of their Breakfast Room door opening with a menacing creak. Concern flitted across Draco's face when he watched his father walk slowly into the room. It was not fair, Draco sighed. Lucius was in his sixties and he still looked thirty!
Going straight towards the buffet Lucius Malfoy held a plate with little enthusiasm. Eating now only to carry on a lonely existence. Yes; he had a son, a daughter in law and a lovely if irritating grandson. Without a woman to share it all with, Lucius felt as if he may as well live on a deserted isle. Mechanically, Lucius helped himself to some scrambled eggs, two slices of toast and a cup of coffee. Black. Rich. Intense coffee.
"So," his father spoke. Merlin's teeth; Draco sighed, this guy says hello I want to drown in a pool of vat! "What is the morning gossip?" Lucius asked. Flicking his dark blue cloak aside to sit down between his son and the woman lucky enough to be a Malfoy. "Anything entirely useless happening?"
"The Granger-Weasley divorce has been finalised," Draco said cutting into a rasher of bacon. "We were wondering if we should offer a hand of friendship to the former Mrs Weasley?"
A little wiser in his old age Lucius tilted his head. "Why not?" he sighed. "Those prejudices are long since behind us," here he took a forkful of egg and swallowed it without chewing. "Besides, Wizard Law dictates she was the wronged one; therefore we are not to be deficient in our sympathy towards Miss Granger."
There were a few tell tale signs of age behind his father's eyes. Some crows feet on the eyes. Other than that though Lucius Malfoy was still very much in his prime. Draco knew his father was lonely since his mother's untimely death. Many bad things have been said about his parents. Most of which were true. One unfair rumour spread; Draco sighed, some had said his parents were an arranged marriage secretly detesting each other. When a very young boy Draco could see how much his parents loved each other. Though his father neglected him at times, he was nothing but the perfect husband for his mother.
"Shall we then Owl her our deepest condolences and maybe invite her here to stay if she needs to."
"I do not think that is necessary," Lucius sighed, "just Owl her your condolences. I believe she has plenty of friends to help her through this difficult time."
Taking the final sip of his tea Draco picked up the newspaper, closed it and folded it neatly in half. Laying it on the table Draco skimmed it across to his wife. "I do not wish to read the newspaper today," Astoria said. "Besides, I got a girls day out."
"With whom?"
"Fleur and Ginny," she said. "Maybe I can come home with the real inside news!"
"I was not aware you were close friends with those two?" Lucius said, shifting in his seat. Sometimes he did feel a little guilty over what he did to Ginny as a child. Not guilty enough to apologise to her in person but whenever he saw her his conscience twinged him – painfully! "How – how did that come about?"
It was as if he had finally stepped out of his mourning bubble and saw the world for the first time in that moment. Lucius glanced into his daughter in law's intelligent eyes: "They have been friends for years, father," Draco sighed. "We have talked about them, you know!"
"I would have thought you would not have been friends with those two that is all," shrugged Lucius now paying more attention to his plate than to any of the humans in the room.
Placing her hands together using them as a shelf for her chin, Astoria Malfoy stared at Lucius wondering where he'd been all this time? "Why not?" she said nonchalantly, "Fleur has excellent taste in clothing. Practically half my wardrobe is based on her advice," Lucius arched an eyebrow. "I rely on her for everything fashion related."
"That is understandable," Lucius sighed, "though what use is Mrs Potter?"
"I love you, Lucius," Astoria sighed rolling her eyes with exasperation. Men were dense, "but you can be a little behind the times," resting her cheek on her conjoined hands she rolled her eyes at her father-in-law. Smirking delightfully. At times she adored teasing Lucius. "Ginevra Potter is famous in her own right. We get to go in to exclusive places due to her fame. Not only is she married to the great Harry Potter," Draco snorted sarcastically, it was like he was 13 all over again at that point. "But she was an excellent sportswoman. Ginny and Fleur's connections are extremely powerful."
Pensively, Lucius appraised his daughter-in-law's features. So beautiful. Shame there was no granddaughter bearing her features. That was his fault though. In some ways, Arthur Weasley contributed more to Purity than he did by having that brood: "It is better to get a story from the people in the know," Lucius bowed his head deferentially to his son's wife. "The papers can exaggerate with horrific consequences."
Twinkling eyes, Astoria tilted her head in reply. A sly smile offered her all the regal air of a Malfoy as she rose elegantly from her seat. Swaying around the table Mrs Malfoy enjoyed teasing her husband with her shapely hips. Surprising her, Draco reached out and grabbed her hand. "Have fun, dear," he kissed the back of her fingers gazing at her with dark eyes. Sending shivers of excitement down her spine. "Spending my fortune!"
"Half your fortune, dearest," his wife replied coolly. "I have my own account too, remember?"
With that his wife apparated out of the breakfast chamber. Chuckling with delight at his wife's smooth disappearance Draco turned back to Lucius: "What are your plans for the day, father?"
"There is not much call for me nowadays," Lucius sighed finishing his own breakfast fairly quickly, "so I suppose I shall lounge by the pool and read."
"You really have to find something to live for father," Draco advised. "Normally I would not say anything like this to you but it has been 3 years."
"I know, son!" Lucius snapped. He barely tolerated advice at the best of times. Least of all from his own offspring.
"I miss my mother too," Draco's throat caught the tears threatening to weaken his Slytherin sensibilities. "I know she would want you to find a purpose in life once more. You are not derelict..."
"Derelict? Thanks, son!"
"You know I did not mean it like that."
"Yes well, James and Lily were bloody lucky," Lucius snorted, "they died together!"
"I would not want that, father," Draco turned his attention to his wedding ring and looked at his father's empty hand. The beginning of this year Draco saw; through a crack in the door, his father remove the wedding band and place it in a silver, emerald studded box. Clicking the complicated clasp in the form of ouroboros around the catch. Draco never asked why, just accepted his father's decision. "When mother died I understood some of Harry's pain."
That was also a strange development. In the past ten years or so Draco and Harry had started using each other's given names – like they suddenly realised they were not children any more and a lot of water had passed between the bridges of their youth to their oncoming middle aged selves. They were a long way from becoming best friends but there was a respect there that was sorely needed during their youth.
"If I could travel that far back in time I probably would have told the younger me to consider some choices with extreme caution."
"You never owned up to being a true Death Eater," Draco sighed. "Why do so now?"
"Do you think I would be put in Azkaban if I did confess that I was lying?"
"What good would it do?" Draco sighed, "it would not bring either mother or Professor Snape back."
"You know I still miss Snape?"
"The two of you were unlikely best friends, I will admit," Draco sighed standing up. Making sure his tunic was straight with no stains on. Hooking his middle finger over his long dark green velvet frock coat that was hanging on the back of his chair. Draco slung it suavely over his shoulder, "but I think you more like brothers."
"Your mother and I were instrumental in making sure that HE forgave Snape. Due to that I believe we could be considered heroes," Lucius sighed. "Especially as it transpired that he was working against us and saved Young Potter."
"Father," Draco sighed again rolling his eyes, "Harry and I are the same age. You cannot call him 'Young Potter' any more!"
"I still consider you young, Draco," Lucius smiled. Those blue eyes still sparkled with devastatingly ice cold charm. "Therefore he is young also."
"Whatever, father," Draco waved his free hand dismissively. "I have to go; the Hogwart's Parent's board meeting is today. Harry may also provide me with some information."
"Be careful or you two will also end up being unlikely best friends!"
"If Harry has any sense of propriety he would realise that now I was always the better Wizard!"
Nice to see some of that famous Malfoy smugness he had instilled in his son, Lucius thought. Now he was all alone. Quiet. If there was one thing he hated was a deafening silence. Lucius sat back in his seat wondering what the hell he could do alone in this big mansion. Not even a grandchild to play with. Since when had he become broody? With a heavy sigh Lucius picked up this issue of the Daily Prophet and took it to his sitting room. Where an obliging House Elf had prepared a small fire offering a golden warm glow in the otherwise dark room. Is this what I have been reduced to, he sighed, sitting in a leather chair by a fire reading teen gossip?
Putting his feet up Lucius opened the pages to where the story was pointed to on the front page: "SHOCK DIVORCE!" the headline practically gave Lucius a headache, "Yesterday, it has been confirmed that Hermione Jean Granger formerly Mrs Ronald Weasley; has successfully divorced her disgraced husband whom – it is said – she found in their marriage bed in flagrante with a woman barely out of school. It seems this was one of many indiscretions he had with their 23 year old Nanny. A Hufflepuff witch by the name of Emilia Waters. A willowy brunette who had been looking after the couples children whilst they were busy working. Ms Granger's hard working schedule meant that Ronald was often found bereft and sought comfort in the arms of Miss Waters."
What utter tripe, Lucius rolled his eyes. Despite how he felt about this sort of non news he read on: The further he read the more he felt abhorrent towards this little Weasel. Poor heartbroken Miss (Ms made him want to tear his eyes out. Miss was so much more elegant!) Granger... No one had the right to betray their spouse. A Slytherin would know better. "The couple has two children. Taking a minimalist approach to breeding. It has been stated by a reliable source that Ms (Miss, Lucius read aloud as if it silenced the printed text) Granger often complained that her husband wanted her to be more like his mother. A stay at home mother of several children."
Several? Lucius snorted, that family were half the Wizarding world: Why should Miss Granger be like Molly? If that dolt, Ronald wanted to be like his father perhaps he should have married someone more insipid. Not that Molly was that at all. The way she killed Bellatrix made him wonder what kind of Death Eater she would have made. "Ms (Miss, Lucius gritted his teeth!) Granger was seen being consoled by her life time best friend; the former hero and saviour of our world Harry Potter and his still stunning gorgeous wife Ginevra the sister of the adulterous husband."
Well that was ten minutes of his life he was not going to get back. As he began folding the paper and thinking of using it as fodder for the fire he caught a picture snapped of Hermione Granger. Not bad. Slightly filled out and in all the right places. The hair had long since been tamed since she could afford to go to a proper Witching Hairdressers to have her wild locks tended to properly. Quite generously proportioned in fact. Not fat though. No, she would look gorgeous with the right clothing. With the right husband…
Picking up his wand Lucius used a cutting spell guiding the wand carefully around the edges. Sitting there watching her gaze at her former husband with sadness and regret. Lucius' mind was made up. He realised he should have encouraged his son with this Muggleborn. There were the odd few Muggleborns that were Death Eaters. Lower ranking, but they were still Death Eaters. Those were the ones that got particularly despised and punished. If they ended up in Azkaban then no one would help them! After all, look how Sirius Black was treated when it was thought he was the one who betrayed Harry's parents?
Lucius growled as he caught a small addendum to the article he almost missed: "It has been said that the couple will share custody of their two children." Shared? Who was the bloody Judge? How could a court justify offering that deal to a wronged woman? Miss Granger was the innocent in all this. She deserved full custody. Why does the home-wrecking vacuous bitch get to see the children at all?
Hating to admit that his son was right, Lucius rolled his eyes. He did need a purpose in life. Narcissa was the greatest love of his life. Would he not want the same for Narcissa if the situation were reversed? Though she would have just joined in the capricious crowd Astoria was rather enamoured with. Somehow the idea of Narcissa being best friends with Hermione turned him on a little. That was the first time he had felt that happen for awhile. It must be the sad gaze in Hermione's forlorn and lonely eyes. Flashing back and forth through the photograph. Puppy eyed; wondering what she could have done to have stopped this from happening. You did everything right, my dear, Lucius sighed. I will fight your corner but you have to do something for me. Your words will hold weight to what I have in mind.
How you can enrich the life of many a Wizard, Lucius sighed. A better husband is all you need. One who understands ambitions beyond parenthood. I recall some teenage romance between you and the then greatest Quidditch player of the day, Viktor Krum. Then again, he sighed still gazing at the picture, I suppose he had the intelligence of a brick.
How could he be so stupid as to not think of it before? This story had been running for months. Why had he not been there offering her comfort? If he had the next page would be all on Hermione with his arm around her lovely waist and not on that stupid ginger idiot with his mistress. Immediately, Lucius stood up and looked at what he was wearing. No, this would not do at all. In a way this was the perfect revenge against Arthur Weasley.
Already he imagined the look on that dolt's face when the newspapers started emblazoning pictures of him and Hermione together. Smiling a little Lucius gazed back down at the picture in his hand. Lachrymose in demeanour, he sighed, poor dear Miss Granger. Melancholic sadness in her eyes resonated deeply within Lucius' slippery heart.
In some scant way Lucius genuinely felt sympathy towards her. At least he had a fairly happy marriage. HIM aside! No one could accuse the other of betraying their marriage. Rumour mills ground the seeds of doubt that blew on the scandalous winds of spite accusing the couple of all sorts of injurious acts that would have not occurred to either of them. It was one courthouse after another as they fought off all the lawsuits grieving Wizards and Witches could throw at them. Showing how the supposed good can conjure darker acts in their minds than the so-called darker personalities in the world. In spite of all this though, the following ten years of the aftermath of the war were the happiest in their marriage. All the darkness and shadows in their souls and hearts had disappeared by the demise of the Dark Lord and his, quite frankly, nutty sister in law – Bellatrix.
Everyone seemed to relax – Draco's marriage and Scorpius had given them a little light in the dark.
Then Narcissa died!
Now he was staring into the face of a woman who has died inside. A strong woman. A bright woman. One who would have done some good towards the Malfoy name if he, Lucius, were not so blindly prejudiced and sucked into what he now realised was idiotic nonsense. How could he have been so moronically naïve? Now, he sighed as he glared at the mirror above the mantle piece. Are you a Slytherin or not?
A tiny motion above his right eye offered the cynical arch. A twist at the corners of the mouth gave him that same air – suddenly he felt the years drop from his shoulders. Standing straight, sucking in what he imagined to be a slight paunch. So she is my son's age, he thought, but I do not look that much different to how I did when I was their age. I could easily pass as Draco's older brother.
Satisfied after his self-appraisal Lucius walked out of the sitting room taking the picture with him to his bedroom where he proceeded to make himself look absolutely irresistible.
Then he Owled all the relevant people to gather all the information he could. When he went to see her he had to prove his statement. Most of the information arrived back within a few hours. When Lucius set his mind to something – he pursued it with such tenacity one might almost accuse him of being a Gryffindor.
♣♠♦♣♠♦♣♠♦
Another day had passed. Trying to keep occupied Hermione sat behind her desk in her admittedly spacious office. The smell of cedar wood relaxed her. Fondly, she gazed at the picture of her children. Both winking and playing bringing a poignant smile to her face. Tenderly she touched the cheek of one and sighed so hard that tears fell down her face.
"Hello Hermione," startled at the sound of her name she dropped the picture, "If I can call you Hermione?"
"It is better than what you used to call me."
"Ouch!"
"What is it do you want, Draco?"
"Nothing," Draco walked in and sat on a sofa set against the wall, "I just wondered if you were okay?"
"Since when have you been worried about me?"
"My wife is friends with you," Draco said, "so she has led me to believe."
"Yes, but we," she flickered a finger between them, "are not friends."
Laughter threatened to overcome Draco as his eyes sparkled with mischief. Hermione understood now why she had a slight crush on him at school. Though she dared not admit that now. "We are not enemies either," he pointed out.
Shaking her head, Hermione smiled and laughed a little: "All right," she sighed, "I am … coping."
Draco winced. "I hate that word," he sighed. "It is the word my father used on a daily basis when my mother died."
"I am still sorry about that," Hermione said.
"It was not your fault," Draco said furrowing his brow. "Why do you apologise?"
"A reflex." Hermione sighed. "Do you still hate Ron?"
"What little respect I had for him evaporated quickly after his unforgivable actions. Very few of us divorce, you know."
Hermione turned her head away and stared out of her magically enhanced view of the Forest of Dean. A small patch of woods carpeted in bluebells. Near a quaint little village called Parkend. A place of happiness. "I wish Ron was dead," she muttered.
Heartily, Draco laughed chucking his head back to the ceiling: "Oh if I heard that thirty years ago I would have felt Christmas had come."
"I did say it thirty years ago."
"Now you almost mean it," Draco's eyes shone wickedly, playfully gleaming in the pupils. "I came here to offer my condolences. I just cannot believe he would be capable of such a heinous act. I thought you two were one of those together forever marriages."
"Yeah well," Hermione sighed abandoning her usual proper rhetoric, "the Nanny was there more than I was. Plus," Hermione tucked a rather errant curly lock of hair behind her ear. "She is prettier than I ever was!"
"Now we know that is not true," another voice said in the doorway. Draco was stunned to see his father stand there in all his youthful magnificence. Phoenix like Lucius was back in his expensive glory. Even his voice returned to that special silkiness he held twenty years ago. "I Owled various people for all the sordid details, may we talk alone?"
Once Lucius said he wished to talk alone with someone Draco reverted back to the age of 10 inside his heart. Slightly cowed he got up and left. Dumbstruck, Hermione glared at Lucius. Draco did not even give Hermione the chance to speak. If she could Hermione would have snapped out: Whatever it is you want to say you can discuss this with Draco in the room. She had forgotten how the dynamic between father and son worked within the Malfoy clan.
Once they were alone Lucius slunk into her quite grand office with all the same arrogance she recalled him doing so when she was younger. Though, did she see a hint of approval in his eyes? "Why … why are you here?" she stammered.
The Slytherin in him could not help but note that Hermione's knuckles were turning into small white grapes, clutching tightly onto her tasteful desk. Still afraid? "I believe there is no need for you to fear me now," he smirked. Well, it is good to know I still have that affect on people. "Believe it or not I realise how foolish I was as a young boy when I … well, you know the history."
"Yes, I lived some of it, remember."
"So you did," Lucius agreed sitting on the sofa just the way his son did moments before. "As I was saying," he tilted his head smirking, "I Owled for references from your court case. The history of your unfortunate divorce consumed my entire day yesterday," she opened her mouth wide. Why would Lucius Malfoy bother about her screwed up life? "I feel there is a way you can get full custody of your children."
"Why would you help me?" Hermione narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Only now did Lucius see what was so special about her. "I am nothing but a Mudblood remember?"
Physically, Lucius recoiled at the word: "I do not use that term now," he muttered quietly, "I have changed," Hermione rolled her eyes. Deep down she wished she could believe that. The romance of redemption in someone like Lucius was something she used to believe could happen. "I wish to help you because …" Lucius sighed gazing at the woman behind the desk. Better looking now. Held herself with much more determination. Truly she personified the spirit of Gryffindor with a hint of Ravenclaw about her. If only she were a Slytherin. There were qualities in her that would have held her in great stead as a Slytherin. "One: I still have a few scores to settle with the Weasley family," Hermione sat back in her chair; arms folded, matching Lucius for cynically arched eyebrows, "I realise that you still care for them," he said quickly. "Arthur Weasley at least."
"I adore Arthur."
"Naturally you would but I could transfer the vendetta onto his only worthless rat of a son!"
Was she going to let him speak about her … yes, she damn well was! "Keep talking."
"Two:" Hermione had leant forward showing a tease of cleavage. "I am sneaky, and sly."
"I never thought we could agree on anything!"
Oh, to hear that old sarcasm in her voice. The one she used to use in front of her son. So much more alluring now as a woman of considerable feminine charm. The smirk spread across Lucius face. The further her eyebrow arched up, the more he wished he could take her in his arms then and there. Slowly does it Lucius. You need to get her on side first then playtime can begin. "Naturally suspicious," he sighed, finishing his point. "I can twist stories to make them the way I wish them to end," now he had hooked her, time to reel her in. "Thirdly;" he smiled also leaning forward where a shaft of light graced his ice blue eyes. It was only now Hermione realised she had been holding in her breath: "I need to feel like a Slytherin again."
"Just without the inverted racism?" Hermione said. Merlin's beard, since when had she thought Lucius voice was sexy? "All right," she rose up from her dark red leather studded chair. Gold leaves decorated the dark wood adding the detail it needed to stand out against the other seats. Business like, she stepped around her own desk. Neatly perching on the edge opposite Lucius who gazed up at her form. Dazed that the idiot Weasel could even consider betraying such a strong and glorious woman. Leaning down with her arms folded. "Firstly;" her no nonsense voice was exciting Lucius pragmatically cunning mind and other things as well: "You personally apologise to Ginny for what you put her through on her first year at Hogwarts, it is not her you have a vendetta against."
Mesmerized Lucius stood up keeping his gaze on her serious eyes, his action caused Hermione to straighten her back up. Though her arms still folded underneath her perfectly ample breasts. The cleavage was where his hooded eyes rested. Imagining what it would be like to stroke them with his leather gloved hand. "Excuse me," Hermione said sternly.
"What?"
"I think you will find my eyes are distinctly north from there!"
Shaking his head Lucius reluctantly allowed his gaze to travel further up to her face and her juicy succulent lips. "I apologise, my dear."
"Secondly;" Hermione brought the conversation back to the start, "I would not expect you to be anything but sly, suspicious and twisted but you do it my way. Gryffindor's are not without their own brand of cunning you know. You can be sneaky and honest at the same time." Was there a fire in the room. Hermione found herself gasping a little due to lack of cool air. Toe to toe they stood. One false move and they would be found in a compromising position by any person who decided to interrupt them.
Now his eyes were looking into hers she wished she kept them where they were. Those ice blue eyes turned a rather magnificently sexy teal. "Thirdly, feeling like a Slytherin is not inducing me to take you on your offer," Lucius had opened his mouth to speak, she held a hand up to stop him from interrupting her train of thought. Still keeping an arm across her chest as a barrier to stop him getting nearer. "I am friends with Astoria," here she realised how close he was to her. What was she saying that was causing such stupor in him? "Also on good terms with Draco," her voice began to quaver as she risked a slow gaze into his admittedly beautiful eyes, "I accept your offer."
Gracefully, Lucius took hold of her hand that she used to silence him. Raised it to his lips tenderly stroking her fingers as he kissed the back of her hand. Rubbing her hand as he spoke. "I agree to your terms on one last little condition." Lucius Malfoy could not resist one more appendix.
"Hmm," Hermione mumbled sceptically. All her old Gryffindor sensibilities slipped back into place warning her not to trust this last statement, considering the man who spoke it. Though she realised that to work with someone on this it had to be a person whom she could not trust. Law was a tricky maze to negotiate. Friends were wonderful for comfort. In a deal like this one needed a corkscrew mind, a poisonous heart and a distrusting disposition. Slytherin's had their uses: "Depends on what it is?"
Did the man never stop smirking? Hermione sighed with irritation. Lucius leaned over. So close to her she felt his breath on her face as he whispered: "You defend my person. Take the invisible chains off my feet. Acquire me a Full Pardon!"
"I scratch your back and you mine?" Hermione whispered back. A severely constricted throat threatened what remained of her sanity. "Yes?"
"Something like that," his voice sent shivers down her spine. "How about it, Miss Granger?"
Reluctantly Hermione turned her eyes to the right. Gazing at the bluebells. Not realising his eyes rested on her profile: "I may not succeed," she coughed. Where was water when she needed it? "You realise that, don't you?"
"Of course," Lucius murmured, "though if I win your battle for you. I expect you to put all that determination you had for thwarting the Dark Lord, for me. I do not foresee a failure on my part of the deal." Hermione was gasping for air as well as water. Why were her lungs and throat feeling like they were being squeezed by several tourniquets? "I also have absolute trust in you."
"I – I – I thought that Slytherin's did not trust anyone?"
"I may point out to you that neither my son or I cheated on our spouses. I realise I was a little too proud at one time but I loved Narcissa with all my heart, we are – after all – human, are we not?"
"The moment I sense you stabbing me in the back..."
"My dear, I would not dream of such a thing," Lucius sighed, "for I have an important treasure at stake here."
"What is that?" Hermione thought of a cursed jewel or something.
"My reputation."
Yes, Hermione sighed, that sounds right. Slytherin to the core! He would not stab her in the back when he still so desperately wanted a Pardon. They both held to gain from this deal. Neither could afford to bring old house politics into this.
"All right," Hermione sighed, "we have a deal."
Little did they know what they were letting themselves in for. Nor did either of them sense that another evil was slowly seeping its way into the Wizarding World … An evil that could, once again, threaten the entire Wizarding World with its oozing presence.
One that held no discriminations in their choice of who should live and who should die!
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Fortune Favours The Brave