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Choices	By : throughvioleteyes Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Lucius/Hermione Views: 14824 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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
A/N: Wow, I haven�t updated this story in over a year and a half. I guess I didn�t realize how crazy life had become, but I�m back now. I promise not to abandon this story again. As always, reviews are welcome and flames will used to toast marshmallows for s�mores.

Chapter 15: One Day at a Time

It had been nearly a month since the unfortunate attack at Hogsmeade, and Hermione found that she was having a difficult time adjusting to an almost entirely united Hogwart�s. After six years of constantly watching out for Slytherin attacks, it was weird for her to be sitting at lunch having a perfectly friendly conversation with Blaise Zabini about the effects of Polyjuice Potion. She repeated one day at a time over and over in her head. It had become her personal mantra since she�d come out of her curse-induced coma.
�Hermione, is everything all right?� Blaise asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.
She shook herself slightly and smiled at him. She said, �Yes, I was just thinking about how weird it is that one incident could so effectively end inter-house rivalry, and even have Slytherins befriending Gryffindors.�
�One day at time, Mia,� Elkara said from across the table, where she and Ginny had been feeding each other bits of fruit.
Hermione nodded and looked around the Great Hall, still marveling about the change that had come over the school. Only a few Slytherins refused to associate with the other Houses, and for the most part were ignored by the rest of the school. Her eyes rested on what used to be the Ravenclaw table, where Luna, Millicent, Lavender, Parvati, and Padma were having a rather intense discussion about something. Luna looked up, feeling Hermione�s eyes on her. Hermione smiled at the other girl before continuing her scan. At the former Hufflepuff table Harry, Hannah, Ron, and Rachel were laughing over something. She watched as Harry placed a tender kiss on Hannah�s cheek, and the shy blonde girl blushed. Hermione smiled at the sight before moving her gaze to the Head Table. Her heart sank at the sight of the empty chair that had once been occupied the dark, brooding Potions Master. Dumbledore had still not officially replaced Snape. Potions was currently being taught by the Headmaster. Hermione shifted her gaze to the immediate left of the empty chair and locked eyes with Lucius. He smiled at her and she smiled in return, though she was sure it was a sad smile. She watched as Lucius quickly scribbled something on a bit of parchment, folded it into an airplane and flew it over to her. She grabbed the plane out of the air and unfolded it.
Do you want to talk?

She pulled a quill and ink out of her bag and wrote Later. She refolded the airplane and flew it back to Lucius. He read her reply and nodded at her.
�Hermione, can we talk?� Draco asked from behind her.
She turned and smiled at her friend, answering, �Of course, Dray.�
She grabbed her bag and followed Draco out of the Great Hall. He led her to an alcove that was about halfway between the Great Hall and the stairs.
�What�s wrong, Draco?� she asked, concerned for her friend.
He ran a hand through his hair and blew out a puff of air. He said, �Something�s wrong with Pansy. I don�t know what it is. She won�t talk to me. She�s withdrawn and distant. She won�t even let me hug her.�
�Draco, have you talked to any of her other female friends? I barely know her,� Hermione stated.
�Yeah, they told me not to worry about it and that she would talk to me in her own time,� Draco answered sounding angry and scared.
�Maybe they�re right,� Hermione answered gently.
Draco ran his hand through his hair again and said, �Could you please talk to her for me? Just to find out if I did something wrong.�
�I will talk to her, but I won�t tell you what she says,� Hermione answered.
Draco gave her a grateful smile, saying, �Thank you, and I don�t expect you to tell me what she says, just if I did something wrong.�
Hermione hugged her friend and promised to talk to Pansy before the end of the day. Draco thanked her and took his leave. Hermione headed back to the Great Hall and was intercepted by Pansy.
�Was that Draco?� Pansy asked, looking slightly nervous.
�Yes. Pansy can we talk?� Hermione asked.
The blonde girl nodded and followed Hermione to the alcove that she and Draco had just vacated.

�Pansy, is everything okay? Draco�s worried about you, and, to be honest, he�s not the only that�s noticed how off you�ve been lately,� Hermione said in a gentle voice.
Pansy sank to the floor and said, �My parents want me to leave Hogwart�s and breakup with Draco. I don�t want to tell him because I�m afraid of what he�ll do to them.�
Hermione sat down next to her and said, �Pansy, Draco loves you. He won�t do anything if you ask him not to. You�re parents can�t force you to do anything you don�t want to do. You�re seventeen and legally an adult.�
�But how will I afford tuition for the rest of the year? If I refuse they will cut me off completely. I have no money of my own. What am I going to Hermione? I can�t leave Draco, but I can�t afford to stay,� Pansy had begun to cry while she talked.
Hermione put an arm around the girl�s shoulder�s and let her cry. Her mind was working furiously, trying to come up with a solution.
�Don�t worry, Pansy, we�ll figure something out,� Hermione said, gently.
�Perhaps I can be of assistance,� Lucius said.
Hermione�s head jerked up, and she asked, �How much did you hear?�
Lucius squatted next to her and said, �Only that you�ll figure something out. Pansy, would you like to come up to my office so we can talk about whatever the trouble is?�
Pansy looked at Lucius, then at Hermione, who nodded at her. She said, �Sure. Hermione, will you come, too?�
Hermione nodded, and the trio walked up to Lucius� office. Once they got there and the door was closed, Pansy related her issues to her soon-to-be father-in-law.
Lucius folded his hands on top of the desk and said, �Pansy, I believe I can help you, if you are willing to accept. You are engaged to my son and, to me, that makes you family. I will do everything in my power to assist my family. I will pay your tuition for the rest of the year, and assist in financing your wedding to Draco. After the wedding, you will have unlimited access to all of the Malfoy money and holdings, which is your right as the wife of a Malfoy.�
Pansy burst into tears again. She thanked Lucius and hugged him tightly. Lucius held the young woman and let her cry. He marveled that she hadn�t broken down sooner. He met Hermione�s eyes over the top of Pansy�s head and mouthed Draco�s name. Hermione nodded her understanding and left to find the younger Malfoy.
She found him in their Common Room playing a game of Wizard�s Chess with Ron. He looked up when Hermione walked in.
�Draco, can you come with me to your father�s office?� Hermione asked, trying to sound nonchalant and failing.
His expression immediately became worried and asked if everything was okay.
�It�s about Pansy,� Hermione answered.
Draco was instantly on his feet and running out the door. Hermione was so shocked by his reaction that it took her a full five seconds to realize what had happened and she ran out after him. When she reached Lucius� office she saw that the door was closed and heard voices coming from inside. She pushed the door open as quietly as she could and slipped into the room. Lucius was still behind his desk and Draco was sitting in one of the guest chairs with Pansy in his lap. He whispered something to her and she giggled, nodding her head. Hermione took the other chair, waiting for her presence to be acknowledged.
Pansy looked up at her and said, �Hermione, guess what? Draco and I are getting married over the Christmas break.�
Hermione smiled at the couple and congratulated them. She met Lucius gaze and he smiled at her. She smiled back, glad that her friends had found a solution to the problem of Pansy�s parents.
Draco looked at her and asked, �Hermione, do you think Harry and Ron would agree to be groomsmen?�
Hermione was stunned; she hadn�t realized that Draco considered her boys such good friends. She swallowed her shock and said, �I�m sure they will. Who�s going to be your best man?�
�Blaise, of course. We�ve been best mates since forever,� Draco answered.
Hermione smiled and asked Pansy who her bridesmaids were going to be.
Pansy looked a little sad as she said, �Well, I was hoping that Daphne would be my maid of honor, but since she�s still firmly in Moldyshorts� camp, we can�t have that. So, I was thinking Millicent as maid of honor and you and El as bridesmaids.�
Hermione�s smile grew wider and she said, �I�d love to be a bridesmaid. You only have a few weeks to plan. Do you have any ideas?�
�Draco, I think it�s time for us to leave,� Lucius said with a small smile.
�I agree, Father,� Draco answered as he shifted Pansy out of his lap and onto the chair.
�Could you guys send Millie, El, and Ginny this way if you see them?� Pansy asked distractedly.
�Great, we�re running wedding errands already,� Lucius muttered.
Hermione shot a very mild Stinging Hex at his bum and said, �Watch it, buddy.�
Lucius rubbed his still stinging backside and mumbled, �Yes, ma�am.�
He and Draco left to the sound of the two girls laughing.
Within fifteen minutes, Hermione and Pansy had been joined by Millicent, Elkara, and Ginny. Ginny was mildly upset at not being asked to be a bridesmaid but was mollified when Pansy explained it was Draco didn�t have another person to ask to be a groomsman and they wanted the numbers to be even.
�And besides,� Pansy added, �since you won�t be helping plan the wedding, you�ll have time to help me plan my bachelorette party.�
Ginny grinned and said, �Excellent.�
There was a knock on the door and Hermione called, �Enter.�
Harry stuck his head in the door and said, �Professor Malfoy was wondering if he could have his office back. Please don�t hex me.�
Pansy laughed and said, �Of course.�
The five girls trooped out of the office and decided to head down to the lake since it was still light out and surprisingly mild for late November. They passed Lucius and Draco in the Entrance Hall. Hermione laughed when Lucius pressed his back against the wall with his hands covering his bum. Who knew that Lucius Malfoy had the ability to be funny in public?Hermione thought.
The girls spent the rest of the afternoon by the lake making plans for Pansy�s wedding and bachelorette party. By the time the sun went down, the only thing wasn�t planned was whether they would have a band or a DJ for the reception.
�Shouldn�t we run some of these ideas past Draco?� El asked.
�Why?� Pansy asked. �He said he doesn�t really care what I decide on as long as the wedding isn�t done in Gryffindor colors, and that I�m happy with everything.�
�See, why can�t I find a man like that?� Millie asked, mock pouting.

�Because both Malfoy men are taken,� Hermione said.
Millie looked at her in surprise and asked, �Who has Malfoy senior?�
Hermione just grinned at her.
Millie�s mouth dropped open in shock and she gasped, �No way.�
Hermione nodded and said, �Yes way.�
Millie flopped back in the grass and said, �It�s about time he found a woman that�s not a total cunt bag.�
The other girls laughed at the comment from the usually reserved Slytherin.
�We should go in, before we completely miss dinner,� Ginny said, standing and brushing grass off her cloak.
Still giggling from Millie�s comment, the other girls stood and followed Ginny back to the school. When they reached the Great Hall, they found it in a state of chaos. Students were yelling and cursing and the teachers were trying to restore order.
El grabbed the nearest student and asked what was happening.
�Deatheaters attacked a students home and the teachers won�t tell us whose,� the boy answered.
El released the boys arm, fearing that she already knew which home had been attacked. She grabbed Ginny�s hand and started pulling her through the crowd, looking for Ron. Hermione saw them and grabbed Pansy�s hand, and Pansy grabbed Millie�s hand, and the three pushed through the crowd, following El and Ginny. The girls reached Ron and Harry at the same time. Draco and Blaise were sitting with them and trying to comfort Ron, who was pale and shaking.
He looked up when the girls arrived. Through numb lips, he said, �Gin, they�ve attacked the Burrow.�

A/N: To all my lovely reviewers, thank you. I was just rereading the reviews for this story and I was smiling the entire time. You guys/girls are awesome and you make me want to write more, even though I really should be sleeping right now. Cookies to you.
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