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Adjustment	By : MariaTeresaQuintanar Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 22820 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I do not make any money from the writing or posting of this story.

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Chapter Twenty-three

            A half an hour later, Hermione was still shivering in reaction to what they had seen in the memory. It could have been avoided. Everything could have been stopped in its tracks if not for Lucius. And now not one, but two witches were—what? They appeared to be in suspension or in some sort of exhibit of still life.

            “For what?” she asked, her voice hoarse. “It was all for nothing.”

            Severus took her into his arms and held her as she wept. It wasn’t until she went still that he murmured, “They’re still alive.”

            Her head snapped up, looking deeply into his onyx eyes. “They are, aren’t they? But what spells were used on them?”

            “I’m not sure,” he said, thinking it over carefully. “I never saw the color of the spells used. That would have given away whatever was the base of the hex or curse.” He sighed heavily. “We know why he hasn’t attempted to bury Narcissa, had her will read, or attempted to attain any of her portraits.” Standing up, setting her to her feet as he rubbed her shoulders. “I’ll go back in alone. There isn’t any need for you to go back there.”

            “I’ll go with you,” she said, trying to pull herself mentally back together.

            “You don’t have…”

            “I’ll go back in with you,” she said steadily, kissing his cheek. “I know what we’re walking into now.”

***

            An hour later they went to talk with the one person they had yet to speak to—Blaise Zabini.

            He was sitting in a darkened public room of Merlin’s Crystal Cavern, smoking by himself. When he saw them there, he motioned for them to sit with him.

            “I’ve been expecting you for a while now,” he said quietly. “Did he give you the memory, sir?” He crushed out the cigarette. “I put a block on his mind to make it impossible for a Legilimens attempted to get the recollection.” He took a sip of his drink and sighed, “You wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

            “I was trying to be kind and then there was his own stubbornness as well,” Severus murmured. “I would have been more forceful about it, but we didn’t know…”

            He laughed bitterly. “Know what? That he was a bastard or that he could have ended this weeks ago if only he could put away his pride?”

            “Why?” Hermione asked him. “Those lights were installed long before what happened. There was dust on them, telling me as much. That means you put thought into this and you were planning on doing whatever it was to him that night.”

            Blaise looked to her. “Leave it to you to notice muggle lighting.” Taking a deep breath, he admitted, “Yes, I had been planning an attack on Lord Malfoy. I was going to plant a memory of Draco, but that last memory of his wife and what he felt when she fell into his arms was too perfect not to use.”

            “You’re an Unspeakable,” Hermione said quietly.

            He nodded, but said nothing.

            “Why did you poison me?” she asked him.

            “To get you off track,” he told them. “To make Lucius fear for his family’s future.” He picked up his glass of fire whiskey, sipping it. “If I had meant any true harm, I would have used a real poison.”

            Hermione nodded slowly, saying, “And there’s no way you would have tried to harm Draco, was there?”

            He went a bit still, but relaxed and said, “No.” He looked over to the Headmaster and former head of his house in school. “You knew what I grew up with, sir. My mother and…” He cleared his throat. “And them.”

            “Your stepfathers,” Severus supplied quietly.

            “After the first three, I didn’t bother learning their names anymore,” he said. “She went through them so quickly and so well.” His lips went bloodless. “I didn’t have anyone other than the fucking house elves and even then they weren’t going to understand anything I told them. Draco is the closest person I have to being family.” His grip on the glass tightened. “He’s drinking himself into an early grave and his father couldn’t care less. All he wanted and all he still wants to this very day is for Draco to marry Pansy for the supposed greater good of the Malfoy name. Never mind that Pansy is a married lesbian or the fact that Draco sees her like a sister. And let’s forget that Draco has been in love with Astoria Greengrass and she with him from the first moment they laid eyes on each other five years ago.” Blaise threw his highball glass, shattering it against the far wall. “All I wanted was for that arsehole to acknowledge that he was wrong and to let Draco live his own fucking life.”

            “Before the one Lucius is making Draco live kills him?” Hermione inquired softly.

            The dark Italian’s only response was a keening sob.

***

            Millicent was in the conservatory with the infirmed Pansy. She was in a chair sitting next to the bed, holding her hand closely to her face as she spoke to her.

            “It’s a beautiful day, Pans,” she murmured. “Just the kind of day you love. The clouds are coming in, but the sun is still out. It’s the kind of day that you’d insist on having a picnic despite the threat of rain.” She kissed the witch’s inner wrist, quietly sobbing, “Oh love, I miss you so.”

            “Millicent?” Hermione called, making the other witch go still. “We have to put an end to this standoff.” The big witch turned to look at her, tears dripping down her square face. “There isn’t a winner. There can never be. Not like this and not at the expense of Pansy and Lady Malfoy.”

            Lowering her head, she whispered, “What do I have to do?”

***

            “You arrogant sonofvabitch,” Severus’s hard voice cut through the quiet argument that Lucius was having with Draco. “You’d rather have your son and the world think his mother dead and for you to get your own way than surrender to what must be.”

            Standing up suddenly, Draco exclaimed, “Mother’s alive?”

            Lucius sat there stony faced, saying nothing.

            “Your father may have his moments of sentimentality, but that aside when has he ever been known to put off the practicalities such as a burial or a will reading when the future of anything in regard to the name Malfoy is in question?” Turning to his long time friend. “Tell him, Lucius,” Severus ordered, walking into the room. “Tell him or I will.”

            “They must be married!” he exclaimed.

            “Says who?” Severus drawled. “A contract that is null and void, made so by the marriage between Pansy and Millicent or your ego?”

            “That marriage can secure…”

            “You nothing,” Hermione finished, as she joined them. “It’s over, Lucius.”

            “No!” He jumped to his feet. “Never! I will have my way!”

            “At your family’s expense?” Hermione walked closely to Lucius. “You can’t think of why, can you? All the myriad of reasons left when the memories of your wife fled your mind. Let me remind you of why this is so important.” And proceeded to repeat the spell Blaise had told her.

            Falling into the chair, Lucius went through each and every memory he had with Narcissa. Meeting her, their courtship, their marriage. At the birth of Draco, the joy was reflected in his eyes. But there was sorrow as well, with the many miscarriages and then there was the time with the Dark Lord. And on and on it went, every moment of every day he had spent with his wife, his mate, all in fast forward with the same emotional impact it had the very moment they occurred.

            Lucius was shivering in his chair when it ended, blinking in shock as he could see light and shadows for the first time in weeks. Soon tears were dripping down his face, as he was taking slow shaking breaths.

            Hermione went over to him, leaning down and whispering, “Which means more to you, Lord Malfoy? Your wife or your pride?”

TBC...

***

Yes, yet another cliff hanger. I'm cruel that way. Review and tell me what you think about what's happened so far and what you think is coming next! Thanks for reading and please have an amazing day.
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