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The Senior Project	By : Lizski Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Lucius/Hermione Views: 37490 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
Chapter 14

'L-Lucius?' Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears. Moments before she had been asleep, dreaming the familiar dream of Lucius Malfoy's hands sliding over her body. She was up as her body reached it's peak, only to find, incredibly, that Lucius' hands were sliding over her body. Lucius. Here. In. Her. Room. Oh gods.

'What are you doing here? How did you get here? You can't apparate into Hogwarts. ' She stopped there, unable to find words for the rest of the questions bouncing through her head. She immediately realized how ridiculous her last words sounded, but she couldn't stop herself; her brain was still befuddled from sleep, and she had never anticipated waking up to find Lucius in her bedroom.

'Of course you can. I'm here, aren't I?' Lucius smiled broadly in the low light before he suddenly became serious again. 'Hermione. I've missed you. And I'm so very sorry. I wanted to come to you before now ' I should have come to you before now. I'm sorry.' Still kneeling , he pleaded with his eyes.

The sleep-induced fog cleared suddenly, and Hermione sat up angrily. 'Bullshit.' She stopped, organizing her thoughts. 'Don't lie to me. You once promised me honesty. So don't lie now. Unless, of course, that was a lie, too.'

The blonde shook his head in denial. 'That wasn't a lie. I meant what I said then, and I mean what I say now. I've missed you.' He stood up and sat on the edge of the bed, casually resting his hand on her thigh.

Angrily she hoped out of bed, crossing her arms over her chest. 'How dare you come in here and act as though you've just been away on holiday? I suppose you've forgotten the 'mudblood slut' remark, or publicly denying the child?' She glared at him.

'I'm sorry. Really, Hermione, I am. The slur against you was unforgivable, I realize. And as for denying the child. I, ah, the news took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting to hear that, and I reacted harshly. I know that the child is mine, and I mean to do what is right.' He kept his voice deliberately soft.

'Then just give me a strand of your damn hair ' there might still time for this to be done safely ' and I can end this whole mess and get on with my life.' Hermione continued to stare evenly at the wizard, the planes of his face in deep shadow. She held her breath. Gods. To slide out of this mess easily. That was more than she could hope for.

'No!' Lucius coughed uncomfortably at his sudden outburst, and tried again. 'No. Hermione. I ' you can't.' He took a step closer to her, fighting the urge to reach for her. 'I won't let you.'

'How can you have any say in this?' The words exploded from her. 'You deny the child, and yet you won't let me get rid of it. What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you trying to destroy my life? Damn you.'

Lucius shook his again. 'No. I mean to support you ' and the child. I want you with me. There are just a few, ah, complications at the moment.'

Complications? That was an understatement. Hermione raised her eyebrows in a very Malfoy-like expression. 'And what complications might those be? The fact that you have had a well-publicized dislike for Muggles? Or the fact that as a Death Eater you engage in regular torture raids on unsuspecting Muggles?' Her voice was quieter, her tone acidic. Her pulse was pounding in her head, all of her energy focused on trying to control her pent-up fury from breaking through again. There was no way she was going to allow him to dismiss her as a hysterical woman.

At least, she thought, smiling inwardly, Lucius had the courtesy to blanche at those statements before smirking. 'There are those issues, yes. But they are minor. As intelligent as you are, surely you have recognized the fact that I am somewhat older than you, and not a particularly desired guest at this school, other than for official functions.' The witch clenched her jaw muscles. How could he just ignore his ties to Voldemort? Did he expect her to do the same?

She failed to hold back her smirk. 'That's why you're here, now. In my bedroom, in the middle of the night.' Lucius swallowed hard at the heavy sarcasm.

'No. I'm here because I meant what I said before. I missed you.' He finally reached tentatively for her hand. 'Please. Give me a chance to explain.' A sudden thud and footsteps from the room above caught their attention. 'This isn't the place or the time. As much as I'd like to stay here,' he grinned, and Hermione glowered.

Didn't he realize that he was unwelcome here? 'But I had to see you.' Hermione bit her tongue, frustrated that wizard didn't seem to even understand how absolutely angry she was at him. She considered plucking a strand of his hair herself, but discarded the idea. He'd know what she was doing. Besides, she wasn't sure she was still in the window of time that would allow for a safe abortion. She'd only said that to gage his reaction.

He fumbled in his cloak for a moment before he retrieved the packages he had concealed. 'Before I go, I've got a few things for you. I've been meaning to give these to you for a while.' He reached for his wand, 'Lumos' before handing Hermione the alchemy text.

'I thought this might be of interest to you.' Hermione took the book, noticing that he was studying her carefully for a reaction. She tried hard not to be impressed. She tried very hard. But the corners of her mouth seemed to have minds of their own, no matter how much she tried to prevent them from curling up. Damn him. Damn.

'Where did you get this?' She was immediately angry with herself for not being able to keep the excitement out of her voice.

Lucius gave a small smile of pleasure. 'It's from my personal collection. I hoped you might like it. But my library has plenty more texts like this. And ones that are older and more obscure.' His eyes caught hers, and she briefly envisioned the Malfoy library and the years that she could spend happily ensconced within its walls. Except that she was a Muggle-born witch, and Lucius was on the Wrong Side of a rapidly escalating battle. Damn it. The book was priceless. Was it just a payoff? An expensive payoff, albeit, but a payoff nonetheless? Reluctantly, she put the book on her desk.

'Here, this is for you. I though it would go with your eyes.' Lucius grinned more broadly. Damn him. Why the hell did he have to look at her like that? Shit. And no doubt the blonde bastard knew what he was doing, too. She could suddenly see where Draco had gotten the disarming smile of his. Still, it couldn't hurt to look, could it? 'Go on. Open it. It won't bite.'

Tentatively, Hermione opened the box, her breath catching at the sight of the rich green stone. Oh gods. If the book hadn't been a payoff, this certainly was. No. This she couldn't accept. No way. Did he think she was easily distracted with pretty trinkets? 'This is beautiful. But I can't. I'm sorry. I can't accept this.' She held the box out to him.

Lucius clenched and unclenched his jaw muscles, and his voice came out stilted. 'Keep it. For the child, if not for yourself.' He took the box from her, and put it on the desk next to the book he had given her. He was again distracted by footsteps upstairs, and Hermione glanced at him uncertainly. Bastard. How the hell did he manage to manipulate things so that she'd accept the damn emerald?

'You need to go. You can't be here.' She tried to infuse her voice with anger again.

'Damn you, Hermione. What do I need to do?' He ran his fingers through his hair before clenching his fist in frustration. 'I want you. And you seem to want me. What do I need to do to get you to talk to me? To not push me away?'

Having regained her composure, she was able to again distance herself from him, stepping back. 'Do I have to remind you that I am betrothed to your son? You. Should. Not. Be. Here. Please. Leave.' Whether she wanted him or not, she couldn't be with him. She couldn't sell herself out to him. She couldn't.

Lucius glared back at her, his eyes cold. 'You might be betrothed to Draco, but it's my name that you call out at night, and it's my touch that you crave. Not Draco's.' His upper lip curled into a familiar sneer for a brief moment, before his entire face softened. 'Hermione. Please. I want to talk with you. Give me a chance. I mean it when it told you that I've want to see you. You'll promise me honesty without question, but you won't give me a chance to explain? That's not fair.'

The witch paused. Damn him. Damn him. Damn him. He didn't know how right he was ' her body hungered for him badly. But she couldn't give in to that now. 'You bastard. Why should I trust you, after the way you've treated me? I tried to contact you, and you insulted and spurned me. You might have given me your word, but you've given me absolutely no reason to believe you.' Gods. How had she been so stupid? How could she have ever believed him?

Lucius turned away from Hermione and walked to the window, his hands resting on the sill. He glanced out across the countryside, and Hermione stood to the side, watching the expressions travel across the blonde's face. He turned around slowly to face her, his eyes searching for hers. 'Very well. I'll give you a reason to believe me.' Glancing around the room, he pulled his wand from his cloak again and quickly cast a Silencing charm. Hermione stared back at Lucius, slightly confused by his actions. She remained silent, waiting to see what he would do next.

The wizard looked around the room one more time, visibly swallowing before he spoke again. 'There's to be an attack ' a Death Eater attack,' he added unnecessarily, 'in Tarporley Monday evening. The families to be targeted are the Hollingsfords, and the Fieldings ' Muggle symphathizers. The orders are to kill all family members.' Unconsciously, Hermione gasped. Did he know what he was saying? Gods. He was risking his life even mentioning this. And yet, if she could tell someone ' without it being traced back to him, those families could be saved.

'Why are you telling me this? I mean, er,' words failed her, as she grasped at the enormity of his words.

Lucius continued as if she hadn't spoken. 'If the M-ah- families aren't there, we, ah, they'll only cast a Dark Mark, and leave the homes unharmed.' He reached for her hand. 'Take the information, and do with it what you will. Wait until the paper arrives on Tuesday. And if you then find that you, ah, have reason to trust me, I'd be grateful if you'd be willing to see me and give me a chance to explain.'

He stopped speaking and stared intently at Hermione, who had remained speechless. 'Why am I telling you this? I want a chance to see you and a chance to spend time with you, and if I have to make the first move to establish trust between us, then I will. Because I have missed you. And I want you. At least as much as you want me.' Lucius smirked before reaching into his cloak again. He retrieved the large key for the Gringott's vault from his pocket and placed it on the desk next to the jewelry box containing the emerald. 'This is for the support of the child. Until I can do more for the two of you.'

He stepped close to Hermione, his forefinger hooking under her chin. Raising her eyes to his, he smiled. 'Give me a chance, my dear. Let me show you how well suited we are. And give me a chance to earn your forgiveness. You'll see that I'm not quite as awful as you'd like to think I am.' Leaning in to her, he kissed her, his lips, his mouth seeking hers as his arms snaked around her. Not wanting to fight her body any more, Hermione met his mouth, her fingers twining in his hair as their tongues dueled with one another.

Breathlessly, Hermione broke away. If she didn't stop now, she'd soon find herself begging him to join her in her bed. 'Please. Go.'

Lucius smiled, his own face flushed with desire. 'Tuesday. Owl me then. I want to spend time with you. I can send you a portkey.' Hermione smiled at the unabashed leer. With a final wink, the blonde wizard drew his cloak around him and disapparated.

Hermione stood in the returned darkness of her room, staring at the space the Lucius had just occupied, her body still heated from his touch. Bastard. And yet if the information he had given her was accurate, it was incredibly valuable. And it was incredibly dangerous for him. Gods. Was he serious? Did he really want to impress her so much that he was willing to divulge Death Eater secrets? Or was it that her trust was so important to him that he was willing to risk his own safety? Or was it the child? Was Dumbledore right, and the child 'any child ' was so important?

Dumbledore. She had to see him in the morning and tell him what Lucius had told her. The Headmaster had asked her to tell him if Lucius had contacted her again, hadn't he? She blushed in the dark room. Maybe it would be better to not be specific about the nature of Lucius' visit. Still, he had to have the information.

She sighed. And if it was accurate, if there was a Dark Mark over those houses Monday night, then maybe she should give Lucius a chance. She allowed herself a private smirk. Maybe she would give Lucius a chance.

Climbing back into bed, her smile quickly faded. Harry had seen Draco giving her a final hug before she headed back to the Gryffindor tower. He hadn't said anything to her at the time, but his look had been positively venomous. She'd been able to duck out of his questions when a few third years had approached her for some help with their Potions homework. Harry had eventually left the common room out of sheer boredom, but had cast a piercing glance at Hermione. He wanted answers. And she wasn't going to be able to avoid him forever.

The Boy Who Lived had better have an open mind. Or it was going to be a very short discussion.

She grinned at the thought, thinking it very Snape-like. Oh gods. Snape. She had a meeting with him tomorrow night. Or was it tonight? It was hard to tell what time it was at this point. Did it matter? Snape. Shit. He definitely had his own agenda. It was just damn hard to figure out what that agenda was.

****

She woke up early the next morning, her eyes immediately catching the gifts Lucius had left for her last night. Lucius. Shit. It had taken more willpower than she knew she possessed to keep from dragging him into bed with her last night. And at the same time, she knew she couldn't. Not if she wanted to retain any shreds of self-respect, that was.

Getting out of bed, she inspected the offerings ' no, bribes, she reminded herself ' that Lucius had brought last night. Her hands immediate reached for the alchemy text. Sliding her hands over the old leather binding, it was obvious that to book was old. Older than she had even suspected last night. She opened it, and was surprised to see a small scrap of parchment fall out. She bent down and picked it up, reading it as she rose:

Hermione,

I selected this book for you out of the private holdings of my library. I wanted to give you something that would appeal to you. Alas, I don't yet know enough about your personal interests to find something more appropriate. As it is, I hope that this will be of help to you in your senior project.

Always, Lucius

She scanned the contents of the book, her mind racing. This was one of the archetypal crystallization texts. Most of the books she had borrowed from Severus' library referred to this as one of the 'core' works that had unfortunately been lost to the world. And here she was, holding it in her hands.

She shook her head, a droll smile on her face. She had to give him credit, at least. The man had impeccable taste in gifts. And a good memory ' he remembered what her project was about. Her eyes opened wide at the thought. Maybe he was also trying to give her something that would remind her of their first encounter. Damn the man if he was really that sentimental. Didn't he realize how much more difficult it was to despise him if he was being so, er, solicitous?

Of course he did. He was such a Slytherin to the core that his family coat of arms probably had snakes crawling all over it.

Placing the book back down on her desk carefully, she opened the box to look at the emerald again. She noticed that Lucius had thoughtfully added a chain, so that the stone could be worn as a pendant. She took it out of the box and held it up, the muted sunlight catching the broad facets of the stone. She couldn't wear it. Aside from the unpleasant questions that would come up the first time anyone saw it, she just couldn't wear it.

What did Lucius want from her, anyway? Why was he showing up now, trying to make amends? It just didn't make any sense. If he felt guilty about the child, why wouldn't he have let her end the pregnancy? Of course, she really couldn't see Lucius feeling guilty about much of anything. Guilt didn't seem to be an emotion that he possessed. If he possessed any emotions. Other than lust. And was that really an emotion? Or just a boiling of the blood?

She put the pendant back in its box. She'd have to find a safe place to keep it. She'd have to do the same thing with the Gringott's key. Her fingers lingered over the heavy key for a moment. Whatever was in there, she couldn't touch it. That would be accepting his bribe, wouldn't it? Not able to find a better spot at the moment, she took the key and the jewelry box and hid them in the back of her wardrobe next to the box that she used to store the flower from Draco. As for the book. She couldn't not use it. Although she'd have to show it to Severus ' he wouldn't believe her references otherwise. And he'd probably know where it had come from. She sighed. There wasn't much that could be done about that. Hesitantly, she put the book back on the desk. She'd bring it to her meeting with him this evening.

After dressing quickly, she breezed through the common room hoping to avoid Harry's questions, or, possibly even worse, Ginny's questions. She knew that both of those conversations were inevitable, but she'd rather they be later than sooner. Besides, talking with Dumbledore was a much higher priority. Luckily, the common room was empty and she was able to head out of the Gryffindor tower with no problems.

As Head Girl, she had immediate access to the Headmaster's office. Standing in front of the entrance, she gave the password ('Jelly babies') and ascended the staircase.

'Ah, Miss Granger. Please, sit down. Lemon drop? Or perhaps your tastes have changed?' The Headmaster raised his eyebrows in a half smile.

'Actually, professor, I find that I don't have much of a taste for sweets these days. Which is probably a good thing, really. But some tea would be nice. I haven't eaten yet.' The wizard responded with a 'tsk' and ordered tea. She smiled shyly. It still felt foreign to be talking to the head of the school about her pregnancy.

'What did you wish to see me about? It appears as though the betrothal agreement is in order, and with Severus as a witness, the agreement has an added level of approval.'

Hermione reached for a scone that had arrived with the tea and crumbled off a corner before speaking. 'Sir. You asked me to tell you if Lucius, er, Mr. Malfoy,' she blushed, and Dumbledore smiled reassuringly.

'Please, my dear. Whatever names you are comfortable with. There is no need to rest on formality here.'

'Uh. You wanted me to let you know if Lucius contacted me. Well, um, he did. He,' she paused. She could not tell him about the visit last night. 'He owled me last night. He said he wanted to see me, but he knew, I guess, that I wasn't particularly keen on seeing him, so he, ah provided some information as an incentive ' I guess ' to trust him.' She swallowed, the next words coming quickly. 'He gave me information about a Death Eater attack that is supposed to take place tomorrow night.'

Albus Dumbledore set down his tea cup with a clunk. 'Indeed?' His voice was mystified, but Hermione though she could detect a hint of marvel in his tone.

'Yes. The, uh, parchment caught fire and vanished ' self-destructed, I suppose- but not before I was able to memorize the information.' A brief pang of regret shot through her as she fabricated her receipt of the news, but she couldn't bring herself to talk about last night.

The Headmaster smiled as Hermione recited the message from Lucius, her mind reflecting on the image of him looking out her window, 'The attack will be in Tarporley tomorrow night. The families targeted are the Fieldings and the Hollingsfords. He said ' in the note ' that they were to be killed. If they weren't home, the Death Eaters would just cast a Dark Mark over the houses and leave.' Hermione looked at the headmaster anxiously.

Dumbledore stroked his chin for a few moments before he spoke. 'You realize, Miss Granger, that if this information is accurate, your, ah, attachment to Lucius could be most valuable. Of course, I cannot ask you to put yourself in any danger, but if Lucius is willing to share information with you, to gain your trust, you may be able to do a great service for the Order. Did he say anything else in his note?'

'He said that if I saw in the papers Tuesday morning that what he had said was accurate, and I decided that I wanted to see him, I should owl him, and he'd make arrangements for me to see him. If I wanted to.' She smiled shyly.

'Indeed? Miss Granger, I believe that I had told you before that this child was a blessing, regardless of the circumstances. I now believe that this child may be even more of a blessing than I had originally anticipated. However, it is up to you- and, of course, the accuracy of this information ' as to whether you want to see Lucius again. Think about it, and let me handle the details of this information. I believe that we should talk again on Tuesday. And consider your options carefully. Lucius may be playing at more that we can readily see.'

She nodded slowly. She sipped on her tea contemplatively. 'Yes, Professor. But if the information he gave me is accurate, then I think that I might need to spend more time with him.' A thought struck her suddenly. 'If he's a traitor, Lord Voldemort will kill him. Is there anything the Order can do to help him? I mean, if he wants help?'

The Headmaster nodded slowly. 'Perhaps. Although this could all be a trap. Please, Miss Granger. Let me know of any further communications, and I think that we need to stay in close contact. Please do not hesitate to see me if you receive anything.'

Hermione finished her tea, and stood up. 'Of course. Thank you sir.'

'Thank you, my dear. I believe that I need to share this development with others. But I will do my best to be discreet about the source of the information. There is no need to put Lucius in danger unnecessarily, if his information is accurate.' The old wizard gave a slightly worried smile and stood up to escort Hermione out.

****

Hoping to settle in for a few hours of work with the book Lucius had given her, Hermione tried to scurry back through the common room. Ginny had clearly anticipated the tactic, and was waiting, having positioned herself so that she could catch Hermione coming either from the school, or from her private room.

'Alright, Herm,' the red-head started, guiding Hermione by the arm toward her own private room. 'Fess up. What happened yesterday? I didn't see you when you got back, and only later heard Harry ranting and raving about how he was going to hang Draco by his balls.' Ginny paused, waiting for Hermione to open the door to her room, before dragging the dark-haired witch into the room. Hermione froze at the sight of Lucius' present still on her desk. Ginny, sharp-eyed as ever, noticed her glance.

'So, did he get you a gift? What happened?'

Hermione shook her head, and reminded herself to breath. 'No. That's, uh, that's just a book I had ordered from the main Flourish and Blotts store. I picked it up yesterday.' She sat down on her bed, inviting Ginny to join her.

The Head Girl smiled at her old friend. 'It was fantastic. Really fabulous. I mean, you wouldn't know it, but Draco's really a sweet guy. And you wouldn't believe it, Ginny, but he was able to walk by Quality Quidditch Supplies without stopping to drool over the latest broom. Nor did he regale me with technical information about the damn thing for the next several hours.' Ginny giggled and smiled encouragingly.

'Actually, we spent several hours in Flourish and Blotts. He was so charming. And we spent a lot of time talking about books that we liked, and classes, and, well, everything.' It wasn't hard to add a note of excitement to her voice. Draco was sweet. And she felt so much closer to him than she had before yesterday.

'So,' the younger witch asked in a leading manner, pulling her feet up so that she could sit cross-legged on the bed. 'What happened? Did he kiss you? Did you kiss him? Are you two secret lovers? What's he like? Tell all.'

Hermione giggled at Ginny's enthusiasm. 'No, Draco and I are not secret lovers,' as for his father, she added mentally, well, we'll see. 'He did give me a very sweet kiss ' and a flower ' in the middle of the High Street ' and he gave me a hug right at the entrance to the Gryffindor tower. Which, actually, is a bit of a problem. Because Harry saw, and while he didn't say anything, he went all shades of angry. I was able to avoid him last night, but I know he's going to want some answers.'

Ginny smiled. 'Don't worry about Harry. I'll take care of him. But a flower! What sort of flower?'

'Uh. A tulip. I, uh, saved it.' She smiled vaguely. 'Here, I'll show you.' She went to her wardrobe and pulled out the box with the flower. She showed it to Ginny who burst into grins.

'You know what a tulip means, Herm? Do you?' Hermione shook her head. 'It's for luck, but it's also a symbol of perfect love.'

'C'mon, he probably just gave it to me because that's all they had,' Hermione replied, secretly pleased at Draco's gesture.

'I doubt it. I mean, he's a wizard. That's just one of those things that he would have learned a long time ago. I bet you anything that he meant it. And I don't think he meant 'luck.'' Ginny's voice jumped in pitch, her excitement evident, 'He thinks you're his perfect love.' Ginny paused, her voice softer. 'That's so romantic. You're so lucky, Herm. He's so handsome, and he's so much more, ah, mature than most of the guys running around here.'

Hermione smiled again, her eyes glancing over the book on the desk. Ginny was right. Draco was a desirable guy, and the girl that he loved would be a lucky woman. She couldn't help that she wanted his father, could she? Gods. Would Tuesday morning ever come? 'Yeah, he really is a good guy. I'm not sure I feel that 'spark' that you keep talking about, but who knows.'

Ginny smiled knowingly. 'Lust. You mean you don't lust over him at every waking moment.'

Hermione tilted her head in agreement. 'Yeah. I mean, he is good looking, and he's so much nicer that I thought, and we've got a lot of common interests and things, but, I don't know.' She gave her friend a perplexed glance.

The younger witch smiled knowingly. 'But he doesn't set you on fire. You're not dreaming about him at night, and fantasizing about him during the day.' Hermione blushed. Why did Ginny's words seem to so perfectly describe how she felt about Lucius? 'That's okay. There's a couple of possibilities. It could be that you are one of those people who gets more turned on the more comfortable they are with someone. And you just need to get to know Draco better.' Hermione felt heat rush to her face again. She doubted that. At least that's not how it had been with Lucius. 'Or,' Ginny continued, 'It might be that Draco really isn't the guy for you. And if that's the case, well, there's always Snape.'

This time Ginny noticed the blush. 'Ah ha! A reaction there. So, tell me, Herm, have you had dreams or fantasies about Snape? C'mon. You can tell me.' Hermione grinned, looking away, her face red. How would Ginny react if she told her about the foot massage? Or Severus' offer to take care of her and the child? Still, she'd better give Ginny something, or the girl would keep after her.

'Well, I have been spending a lot of time with him on my senior project, and uh, have you ever noticed what dexterous hands he has?' Ginny nodded both in agreement and encouragement. 'I have wondered, on occasion, how those hands would feel, and if maybe he's as skilled at, er, other types of manipulation as he is with potions.'

Ginny laughed. 'I hadn't thought about it before, but I always did think the two of you would make a good pair. And it does sound like, ah, he might have something to interest you. And he is smart. I bet you two could spend hours in the library together.'

Hermione grinned. 'Yeah. Maybe. Anyway, I don't know with Snape. I think I just have to take it sort of slow,' she flashed on her plans from months ago. She could tell Ginny about them, and just embellish her success. 'You know, I was thinking I might see if I could get him to talk about something other than potions, and maybe take it from there.'

The red head nodded. 'That's probably best. Although I don't know too many guys who can resist a naked woman in their bed,' she continued gleefully.

'Ginny! Are you serious?' The witch nodded. 'I don't see Snape going for that. He'd probably just deduct house points and give me detention.' Hermione giggled.

'Yeah, but what a detention that could be!' Hermione threw a pillow at her friend who was still laughing at her own joke.

**

Ginny had promised to talk to Harry, and for that, Hermione was thankful. She wasn't certain what tact she the girl would take, but if anyone could pound parchments out of sheep dung, it was Ginny. And it had given her time to finish up her work for Severus. She had begun reading the text that Lucius had given her, and had been able to modify some of her theories to better fit the results outlined in the work. In order to complete everything before her meeting, she had eaten in her room, which had the additional bonus of not having to see Harry.

Gathering up her notes, the sheaf of parchment for Severus, and the book from Lucius, she headed down to the dungeons.

Standing at the entrance to his private study, Hermione tapped the wall and gave the password ('belladonna'). As promised, the wall opened, and she stepped into the study. Severus was a study in forced casualness, dressed in his customary black robes sitting in his chair by the fire, but with a glass of sherry at his side, and the hint of a smile on his face as he looked up at her.

A quick flick of his wand and the entrance closed again. Hermione noted that the doorway to his private quarters was open, and for some reason, it made her feel slightly more comfortable.

'Hermione.' The voice was soft but assured. 'I'm so glad that you could make it.' He took in her appearance without making it seem invasive. Still, she was glad that she had followed Ginny's advice and had worn a long rich blue dress. It was simple enough to be unobtrusive, and yet the lines were flattering, the seams casually drawing attention to her waist and bust. Severus nodded his appreciation. He stood up and guided her to the other chair by the fire, his hand lightly pressuring her waist. She sat down, a small smile coming to her face at the sight of the footstool. Severus saw her smile and returned it with a half-smirk of his own.

He drew his own chair to hers and sat down, sipping his sherry before he turned to Hermione. The smirk had returned to his lips. 'If your feet are still bothering you, I would be more than happy to rub them again later.' The witch blushed. Mab's knickers. He wasn't subtle at all; that was an open invitation.

'Okay,' she responded uncertainly. Gods. How could she feel that surging thrill at his words, when her body had responded to Lucius' only last night? What was wrong with her? Was she just easily aroused? Or was she attracted to both of these men? Was that normal? She suddenly flashed on Ginny's words of wisdom from several weeks ago with regard to her own interest in two separate guys: 'Enjoy both of them until one of them seems more serious than the other. Then you can worry about whether you're serious or not.' The problem was that both Lucius and Severus seemed serious, and she wasn't sure that she was capable of focusing on more than one wizard at a time.

'I trust that Mr. Malfoy did not occupy so much of your time this weekend that you were not able to complete your assignment for me.' It took her a spilt-second to realize that he was referring to Draco, and not his father. She glanced at Severus, and noticed his characteristic sneer in place.

'No, he did not. In fact, I was able to make great headway in my research.' She pulled out her notes, handing the finished copy of her literature review to Severus.

The Potions master looked over the parchment for a few moments before turning back to Hermione, his eyes narrowed, his tone scathing. 'I would not have suspected that you would find the need to fabricate sources in an attempt to impress me.'

Hermione bit back a smile. You do think quite a bit of yourself, don't you Severus? To think that I would compromise my academic integrity in a bid to win your approval? 'None of my references are fabricated. In fact, I have the primary source with me, so that you can look at it for yourself, Severus.' She was pleased to see that he looked slightly chagrined at her use of his first name. She reached into her book bag, and pulled out the book from Lucius. She unwound the linen that she had wrapped around the text to protect it, and handed it to Severus. She sat back in her chair and watched his expression change as he studied the book.

She remained silent as he studied the binding, the cover, and the frontispiece before paging through the work. He finally looked back at Hermione, trying to hide a stunned look on his face. 'Where did you get this?'

Hermione smirked. She had thought about her response to this inevitable question for some time this afternoon. 'It came anonymously. By owl. But I have a pretty good guess as to who sent it. I mean, not too many people use eagle owls.'

Severus nodded, the muscles in his jaw bunching tightly. 'Yes. And not too many people have a library collection that could possibly contain this.' He looked piercingly at Hermione. 'The Malfoy library being one of the few I can think of. And our friend Lucius would be in a position to have an, ah, intimate understanding of your senior project.'

Bastard. And is that a hint of jealousy, I detect, Severus? 'Yes. That was my guess. It just arrived yesterday evening. Took me by complete surprise.'

To her amazement, Severus smiled. 'I have to say, Hermione, I am quite impressed. Lucius is not known for his random acts of largesse. If he spends money, he expects something in return. However, nor is he known for his particular fondness for Muggle-born witches. You must have made quite an impact on the senior Malfoy.'

Hermione smiled outwardly, her insides coiling. Was he right? If so, then she was right in guessing that Lucius was trying to buy her off. On the other hand, Severus certainly had his own motives, and so she shouldn't be surprised to hear him downplay Lucius.

'And I apologize for suggesting that you would make up references. I should have known better than to call into question your intellectual steadfastness.' Hermione again tried to hide her smile. Had anyone ever actually witnessed Severus Snape asking forgiveness for words misspoken?

Still, it would only make him more uncomfortable if she drew attention to his apology. 'I just wasn't certain if the book was authentic or not. It almost seemed too good to be true.'

Severus nodded. 'I can guarantee that it is authentic. It seems as though Lucius is feeling at least slightly concerned. Let me look at your hypotheses. I think that it might be possible to develop some of your theories, based on this work. In fact, I think that with careful development, you will be able to publish an article or two off your senior project. I would be happy to help you raise your research to this level.'

'Really? Publishable? You really think so?' It all seemed so silly, compared with all the other things going on in her life, and yet it was something that seemed so concrete and solid. And Circe knew that she was craving a few stable spots in her life at this point. 'I would really appreciate it if you could help me out with this.'

Severus gave a rare smile. 'Of course, Hermione. How could I not?' He inched his chair even closer to hers, balancing the book on both of their knees, his fingers brushing against her thigh as they poured through the pages of the text.

Damn it. It was hard enough to concentrate in his study without him sitting millimeters from her, his hands resting casually on her leg. She turned her attention momentarily from the book to his hands. She hadn't lied in telling Ginny that she'd always wondered about his hands. True, she'd had a little more experience with them than she'd let on to, but she liked studying the closely. A few dark hairs on the back on the hand, long, tapered fingers, sensitive fingertips. Unaware, she sighed.

Severus turned to her, his face close to hers, his lips parted slightly, the merest suggestion of a smile on his lips. Deftly, he placed the book on the floor with one hand, while reaching for her with the other hand. His thumb stroked the side of her face, his gaze burning into her eyes.

Quickly, she pulled back. 'I'm sorry. I can't. I mean, not right now.' Gods. She needed to see if Lucius was being honest with her before she complicated things further with Severus.

The dark-haired wizard nodded hesitantly, a slow smile coming to his face. 'I understand, Hermione. Let's look over your research plan tomorrow evening, shall we?'

Agreeing, Hermione collected her books and left the dungeon, her face still flushed. Damn it. She really needed to talk with Ginny; she really wasn't sure she could handle two men at once.

Finding the common room empty, she headed back to her room. She opened the box with the emerald, her fingertips tracing the facets of the stone. Next she re-read the note Lucius had included in the book. Damn him.

**

The next day passed in a blur. Whatever Ginny had said to Harry must have been effective; Harry had kept his distance, but hadn't made any derogatory remarks to her or Draco. Clearly Ginny knew what she was doing. Potions had been an interesting experience; Draco had only given her a casual smile, while Severus had given her a knowing smirk. It was after class that Hermione received the news from Severus that she had been anticipating; he wouldn't be able to meet with her tonight, because 'something had come up.' He wanted to 'continue to read the text' with her, and wondered if she might be free on Tuesday night. There had been a momentary panic as she tried to figure out how she could keep the next few evenings open ' in case Lucius had been honest with her. She quickly decided on fictitious counseling sessions with some of the Gryffindor girls, but told him the she would be free later in the week.

She couldn't eat much at dinner Monday night, despite the reassuring glances from the Headmaster. Her nerves were electric, and she sat in the common room until late, listening to the Wizard's Wireless for news of any Death Eater attacks. Finally, exhaustion overtook her, and she headed back to her room. Again she looked at the emerald, saying a quick prayer for the safety of the families that might be attacked, and for the protection of Lucius, in case he had been honest, before she climbed in to bed.

She raced down to breakfast the next morning after a restless night. She had been exhausted, but nothing had helped, not even Madame Pierce's Dreamless Sleep for Pregnant Women potion. She had tossed and turned all night, repeating in her mind her meeting with Severus, her day out with Draco, and Lucius' visit.

The Headmaster met her at the table, an early edition of the Daily Prophet in his hands. 'Miss Granger. Perhaps you'd be interested in the news.' The old wizard gazed at her, 'There was another Death Eater attack last night. Perhaps you'd like to read about it.'

Breathlessly, Hermione looked at the headlines. Another Bumbled Attack? Death Eaters Miss More Targets in Tarporley. She exhaled loudly as she read the article. The houses had been vacant, and an attack had been thwarted. She looked at Dumbledore questioningly, and the Headmaster nodded affirmatively. Lucius had given her accurate information.

A/N: The plot thickens? Yeah, well, um, it's getting there. The problem with this fic is that Lucius is just to wonderful to let go of too soon, and so the actual plot is moving slowly, while the little subplots keep sucking up time and space. But I'm greedy that way.

I'm still writing away here. Sometimes I get a little more time, some times, not so much. Anyway, I'll keep updating as I get chapters finished, no matter how erratic that time frame may be. Especially since I just mounted up a pair of race-stock slalom skis, and Oh My Gods. Wow. I've never had a ski this nice in my life. I've got a pair of race-stock GS skis sitting in my bedroom (obsessed? Naw) and if they work anything like how the slalom skis do with regard to performance, well, I'm sure I'll be able to scare the hell out of myself on them!

Anyway, thanks for all the kind reviews ' I really appreciate it!

Again, thanks to everyone reading this. I'm having a ball with it, and I will update as I get chapters written. Pray for snow ' the muses like snow, too!
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The Senior Project