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Hidden in Plain Sight	By : Katay Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Lucius/Hermione Views: 17098 -:- 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.

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Chapter 24: Priorities

Hospital

She felt so warm and soft and
comfortable, she never wanted to wake up. However, the light was calling to her
and she felt like she couldn�t refuse the answer. Slowly pulling herself out of
the depths of liquid-like stupor, she made her way to the light streaming from
her eyelids. Opening them slowly, all she saw was white and bright lights.
Beginning to tremble, she wondered if maybe she should have listened to her
parents and gone to church a bit more often � or ever. Then suddenly a white
gloved hand waved itself in front of her eyes and a muffled voice called from
what seemed a tunnel, �Mrs. Malfoy?�

Hermione fainted back away in
confused relief.

**

After an interminable wait and a
quick Healer�s overview, Hermione had been transferred from the Manor to St.
Mungo�s for treatment. The stress had overcome her body, increasing the knots
that often formed in her back and weakening the concentration she put into
stabilizing her joints � inducing a collapse. The Healers wanted to drain her
joints of the fluids that had built up and give her a few potions to ease the
tension in her back and neck, before they would consider letting her go. They
said she was too weak even before the collapse to have been doing what she was
doing.

Lucius hung his head in his
hands, as the Healer was telling him the diagnosis and planned treatment. He
hadn�t been paying close enough attention. The stress of their proposed new
job, her friends slowly finding out, and Draco had taken away the attention from
the one important thing in his life. Again, he was going to lose something
because his life had been too important to him.

�Sir?� The Healer interrupted
his thoughts, softly. �She also told me to tell you to stop wallowing, go send
some owls and make sure the office knew she wouldn�t be in for awhile.�

Lucius chuckled and raised his
head with a shake, �Alright. I�ll be up in your owlery if you need me then.�

The Healer nodded, shuffled back
into Hermione�s room, and then closed the door with a soft click.

Lucius slowly made his way up to
the owlery, making a list in his head of the people he needed to contact. Teddy, Draco, her parents, George, Bill, Weasley?,
Potter?, the Longbottoms, Lovegood, Minerva? � Merlin, when did I become
associated with all of these people?!

He shook his head and scrunched
his nose up at the smell of the owls as he entered the loft � bloody woman should see what she makes me go
through � can�t even use the Manor owls.

**

Ron Weasley was sitting in his
brother�s, George�s, kitchen watching Teddy Lupin play with Fred and Fred II.
He chuckled to himself at the names, George, in lieu of losing another Fred,
had seen that his old pal was aging, went out and bought another Old English
sheepdog � and named it Fred II. Ron had called Teddy over and invited himself
to a nightlong question-all of his brother and Teddy about Hermione and Lucius.

He found himself rather shocked
at his own stupidity.

�Seriously, Ron, how did you two
not see it? Or hear about it, really? I think our parents and Ginny are the
only ones that don�t know and I wouldn�t be surprised if Mum and Dad do actually know.� George chuckled.
�Must have been quite a show though. I think we�ve all had to deal with that
once or twice � those two are impossible!�

Teddy choked, �Hey! I grew up
with them! How do you think I felt? Mimi and Luc were great parents, never
doubt it, but gods, they were, still are, the most oxymoronic couple. They hate
others watching and judging, but then they go and do something purposely
public.� He shook his head, �I think they wanted you two to find out on your
own, she was too scared to bring it up.�

Ron grimaced, �But all these
years? I mean, that�s a long time, Ted.�

Teddy shrugged, but George
replied, �Yeah, but think about it Ron, after a few years past the opportunity
had already been lost. I think she hoped that maybe if you and Harry found out
on your own, it meant you cared. Twisted logic, but she is a girl.�

Ron shook his head, �She was
always barmy that one.�

Teddy flung a pillow at him,
�Hey! That barmy is my Mimi, thank you.�

George and Ron chuckled. Teddy
Lupin had never grown out of calling Hermione, Mimi. It was the closest to a
motherly sentiment she would allow, maintaining that she didn�t want to steal
Tonks� title.

Ron nodded an apology, �So they
were married before even Harry and I were. Crazy. What was the wedding like?�

George shrugged, �I dunno. I
wasn�t there. Only Ted and Bill were there.�

Ron gaped, �Bill?!�

George laughed outright. �Yeah,
that old wolf has known for about as long as I have. He happened to be around
when they decided to tie the knot, and being a pureblood, Lucius needed him to
help tie the bond.� George chuckled, �Nutters.�

Ron raised an eyebrow.

George shook his head, �Oh, no.
I�m not giving all the details; you�ve got to be able to pump Hermione for some
information.�

Ron groaned. �Well, when did you
find out then?�

George sobered. �I both love and
hate thinking of that day. For one thing it was the day I got �ole Fred here,
but it was also the last of Hermione�s Healer appointments, you remember?�

Ron gave a confused look,
�Healer appointments?�

George and Teddy traded shifty
looks, and George replied, �She never told you that, either?�

Ron�s eyes grew dark, �No.�

George eased back on his chair,
�Ah.�

All three men eyed each other
before Teddy cleared his throat, �Well this is awkward.� Ron glared at him.
Teddy gulped and began to talk quickly, �Well, I obviously don�t know much
about that day in particular, but I do know Mimi was going to Healer�s to check
on her scar - you know, Dolohov�s?� Ron nodded, slowly. �Anyways, apparently it
had some aftereffects they hadn�t counted on. She�d been going to figure out
why. They ended up giving her a diagnosis on it and I guess that was the day
she went over to George�s?� He looked over questioningly at George.

George nodded in the
affirmative, �Yeah, Ted was with Harry on one of those rare spurts of god
fatherliness he had.� Teddy snorted and Ron glared. �Look, mate, Harry�s a
great man, but he sucks at responsibility.�

Ron opened his mouth to rant,
but Teddy stilled him with a hand. �If anyone should complain, it�s me, and I
don�t. Mimi and Luc were great. Harry and even you, Ron, were fun uncles that I
got to visit from time to time.�

Ron slumped, �Yeah, Harry is kind
of horrible with the taking care of things. Thank Merlin for Ginny.�

George nodded. �Either way, that
was the night she told me she was sleeping with Lucius Malfoy.�

Ron went slack jaw, �Just like
that?�

George laughed, �Just like that.
I don�t think she meant to tell me that, and I was in a right state after, I�ll
tell you. But, in the end, I wasn�t one to judge � hell - I live above a joke
shop with a dog named after my dead twin that I still talk to, not exactly a
perfect life there.� He gave a self-depreciating shrug. �But we�re both happy
with the lives we�ve pursued, and in the end, isn�t that the priority?�

Ron didn�t respond, but was
thinking pensively. Teddy continued playing with the two dogs and George simply
relaxed.

�That�s how she knew Lavender
was pregnant.�

George�s head shot up. Ron never
spoke about that first pregnancy.

George nodded slowly, �Yeah.
They were in the same ward.�

Ron sighed. �What did Hermione
get diagnosed with anyways?�

Teddy stiffened and George was
about to respond, when suddenly all three jumped at the sound of a loud *SMACK*
in the kitchen.

George groaned, �I hate when the owls hit that window �
it�s not my fault I keep it clean!�

Teddy chuckled and Ron got up to
go retrieve the poor smashed owl.

He came back in a moment with a
raise eyebrow and a note in one hand. �It�s from an LM. Came from St. Mungo�s.� He watched George�s and Teddy�s eyes
shoot to the letter. George leapt up and snatched it away, ripping it open and
reading it quickly. He brought anguished eyes to look at Ron and Teddy. �She�s
had another episode; we�ve got to go to St. Mungo�s!�

Ron was mildly confused, but
followed the two running men, figuring he�d get the full story some time or
another.

The three apparated to St.
Mungo�s as soon as they hit the apparition point outside the shop.

**

Harry was drunk. No matter that
it was going on 8 o�clock in the morning, no matter that he had to go to work
in an hour, no matter that he had started drinking last night � he was still
miserably, completely, stinking drunk.

Ginny looked into her husband�s
study and shook her head. She could surmise that something about Hermione had
set her husband off, that and something about Lucius Malfoy, but beyond that,
she�d gotten nothing from her husband. She frowned; it�s always Hermione that managed to get Harry in a tizzy. I bet even if I left him, he wouldn�t be
this bad. Well � maybe if it was for Draco Malfoy, but from what I�ve heard
he�s happily married � wanker. She sighed and moved back to the kitchen to
make up some hangover potion, she had a feeling he would need it in a half-hour
or so.

Harry sat, staring at the
wood-paneled wall across him. The lines were so fuzzy and kept moving around
that it was a little difficult to keep them in his line of sight, but he was
certainly doing his best! Hermione and
Lucius Malfoy! What bull! How the hell did she keep that from me for so long? Why?

A little voice chirped up inside
his head, answering his thought, Maybe
because of how you�re acting now?

Harry shook his head and answered,
Even so, she shouldn�t have taken away my
right to approve or disapprove.

The voice seemed to snort, Your right? It�s her life! Who says you have
any right over what she tells you or what she doesn�t tell you?

Harry frowned, Well, yeah, but we�re friends! She shouldn�t
keep things from me!

The voice said exasperatedly, Oh and she was the first you told about
your marriage or your baby or anything?

Harry sighed, No, that was Ron, but we�re best mates �

And you and she aren�t?, asked the voice, smugly.

Harry put his spinning head in
his hands and groaned, maybe, just maybe he was wrong. But Lucius Malfoy!

And what�s so wrong about that? She found someone who loves her and
who she loves back. Merlin knows he�s probably smart enough for her, and he can
obviously take care of her.

But he�s a Death Eater!

Was a Death Eater. Was, not is.

But, but � she was tortured because of him! She almost got killed
because of him! He hated her kind! We all almost died because of what he
supported! I lost Sirius because of him!

Ah, so it�s back to you again. You were also saved because of his
family. Or don�t you remember that part?

I do, I mean I have to; you never bloody let me forget it!

And you shouldn�t or you�ll become as prejudiced as those you used
to fight.

I�m not like them!

Aren�t you? Raiding houses because of blood-status. Making
assumptions based on where people come from � sounds pretty familiar to me.

I�m not, I�m not!

Ok, Mr. five-year-old, but expect me to say �I told you so.� And now
you should probably go take that hangover potion your wife is making. You do realize you�re arguing with
yourself?

Harry groaned and shuffled into
the kitchen.

Ginny smirked and held out a
vial of smoking potion. �So are you going to tell me what caused this lovely
spell or do I have to test your drunken seeker skills?�

Harry grouched, �Not now, Gin.�

�Oh, yes, Mr. Potter. If you�re
going to come in at 5 in the morning stinking drunk and cursing Hermione
Granger, you�re going to tell me what the
hell is going on!�

�Malfoy. Hermione Malfoy.� So
said he snatched the vial from a slack jawed Ginny and smirked.

�Her- Hermione Malfoy!� She
about gasped out the last word, making Harry laugh and choke on his hangover
potion. �How�d she bag him?�

Harry really did choke on that
question, �Wha�d�you mean by that? �How�d she bag him?� How else, they went
out, slept together probably, and got married � 15 years ago.�

Ginny about collapsed. �But �
but why would he go out with her?! And 15 years ago?! What the hell, Harry!�

Harry chuckled darkly and made
his way to the kitchen window to intercept an owl that was winging its way
towards them. �You�ve got me, Gin. I don�t think I want to speak to her for a
good long time, though � can you believe she kept this from me?!�

He opened the letter the owl
held out and perused it quickly before doing a double take and gasping. �Shit!
She�s in the hospital!�

�What?!� Ginny threw her hands
in the air. There went any chance of him explaining things.

�She�s in the hospital. Had some
sort of episode or whatever. Did you know she was sick?� Harry was frantically
running through his thoughts, trying to find a memory of her saying she was
sick.

Ginny sighed exasperatedly, �No!�
This day was not going to go the way she planned, and while she certainly
didn�t wish Hermione sick, she would have been far more content if the
bushy-haired bint had stayed out of her day.

Harry rushed to get his robe and
wand, �I�ve got to go.�

�But, Harry!� Ginny stared after
her quickly departing husband in disbelief.

He turned at the door and looked
at his confused and slightly angry wife, �I know, I�ll be back later.�

**

Hermione was sitting up against
her pillows, looking out the frosted window as Lucius walked into the room. Her
eyes immediately darted to the door and her face split into a relieved smile.
Her smile faltered a little when his face remained in its stoic position.
�Lucius?� she offered softly. She knew he�d been angry, but she hadn�t thought
he�d been this angry.

He came up next to her bed and
scanned her quickly head to toe. She kept her questioning eyes on his as he
took in the bandages that wrapped her torso and back, as well as the bandages
that lined her arms where potions had been administered. Assuring himself that
she seemed to be quite whole, he kneeled down and put his head in her surprised
hands. He groaned, �Don�t you ever do that to me again, you horrible, horrible
woman.�

She chuckled and ran her fingers
through his hair soothingly. �I�m sorry Lucius; I hadn�t paid any attention to
the signs and didn�t realize that I was as close as I was.�

He growled, �Well that should be
your number one priority and mine will be making sure you keep yours.� He stood
back up, but kept one of her hands in his, almost as though he couldn�t bear to
let her skin go. �I had to use a Mungo�s owl,� he griped moodily.

Hermione couldn�t help the
giggle, but sobered as she examined her bandages. �It was bad this time?�

Lucius sighed and nodded, �Your
back isn�t getting any better by any means. They�re saying you need to start on
the relaxing potions or at least be doing some therapy.�

She huffed, �I refuse to be mind
drugged. And you know I have no time to deal with incompetent therapists!�

Lucius looked his wife in the
eye, �You�ll be making time, wife. It hurts and you�re going to deal with it.
I�m not folding like I have in the past. We�re going to age together and you
don�t get to have a head start, thank you.�

Hermione rolled her eyes, but
tucked her arguments away for a rainy day, he�d fold � somehow. She glanced
around, �No one else here to keep you company?�

He chuckled, �Oh there�s plenty
of people here, and the Healers are having a field day keeping them quiet.
You�ve got the whole Weasley clan here and a few other hanger-ons.�

She glanced back at the door as
though it might bite her and said softly, �Oh, lovely.�

He smirked, �I had to have
something to torture you with.�

She glared at him, but couldn�t
keep it up. She lifted her hand to his shadowy chin and pulled him down for a
soft kiss. �I�m sorry,� she whispered against his lips and kissed him softly
again.

He pulled back slightly and let
his forehead rest against hers. �We�re going to have to talk about the other
night, but it can wait.� She nodded and pulled back with a sigh.

�I don�t suppose I could just
apparate out of here, now?�

Lucius chuckled, �No, I don�t
think that�s an option, quite yet. You get to be briefed by the Healers and
then checked over before we�re allowed to leave.� He paused and listened to the
escalating sound outside, �Do you want to take care of a little of that?�

She waved her hand wearily at
the door and it opened. Lucius growled softly at her wandless magic and
whispered harshly in her ear, �You�re not to be doing that?!�

She looked up at him with a
quirked eyebrow, �Then be faster next time.�

He reminded himself that he did,
in fact, love his wife very, very, very much � despite the absurd urge to
strangle her.

**

�Harry, you shouldn�t have
walked out on her like that.� Ron had been separated from Harry by George after
insinuations by both that they were the reasons Hermione was here.

�Me?!� Harry practically
squeaked. �She walked out on us when she married that bastard!�

Ron was saved an answer when his
mother�s voice suddenly cut in and said, �I�m pretty sure Abraxas and his wife
were married before they had Lucius, Harry.�

This time it was Ron that
squeaked, �You knew?!�

Molly snorted, �Of course, I
knew. I�ve known since I checked the marriage license book at the Ministry for
yours and Ginny�s entries to make sure they were filed away properly. I decided
to look up a few others and ran across theirs.� She looked between Harry and
Ron and shook her head, �Are you two really fighting while your best friend
lies in a hospital bed?�

Ron gave up the glared he was
shooting at Harry, �They won�t tell us anything and neither George nor Teddy
will let on.�

Molly glanced towards George and
nodded. �As it should be. It�s her news, let her finally tell you.�

Suddenly, Hermione�s door opened
and the group could see her sitting up with Lucius at her side. They made to
rush to her side, but she held up her hand, �Let me see my Teddy first,
please.�

Harry bit his lip from surprise.
Despite the knowledge that Hermione had taken care of Teddy, he�d never quite
seen how close the two were � he was the boy�s godfather, he�d assumed he was
closer to him than any of the others.

Teddy hurried in and the group
watched him practically engulf Hermione in a hug. What surprised most of the
group however, was the fond look Lucius shot the two as he simply held
Hermione�s hand and patted Teddy�s back.

Hermione let Teddy go with a few
soft words and then motioned for George and Bill to come in and talk to her.
She scanned the group and nodded softly at Molly Weasley, who returned the
favor.

As the little groups entered and
left the room, Harry and Ron stood outside, awkwardly wondering what exactly
would happen when she allowed them in. Neville and Luna finally left and
Hermione called out tiredly, �Ron? Harry? Would you like to come in?�

They shuffled in, heads down.
�We�re sorry �Mione,� murmured Ron.

Hermione chuckled, �No you�re
not, and it wasn�t your fault.� She squeezed Lucius� hand and continued, �It
was my own fault for not paying attention to my body. You two just caused a bit
of the distraction is all.�

Harry glanced at the joined
hands of Hermione and Lucius and couldn�t help the sneer, but bit back his
words.

Hermione nodded at him. �I�d
like to talk to you two about why I�m in here before any more mud slinging
happens. Would that be ok?�

Harry opened his mouth, but Ron
beat him to it, �That�s exactly what we want �Mione.�

So the former members of the
Golden Trio and Lucius Malfoy sat for the rest of the afternoon at St. Mungo�s
and discussed the past events leading up to Hermione�s current stay in the
hospital.

Harry looked at Lucius with wide
eyes, �You married her even though she�d lied and was sick?�

Lucius bit back a growl, �Of
course I did you dolt. If you hadn�t figured it out, I � I care strongly for
your friend and nothing as small as some illness was going to get in the way of
that. You clearly need to check your priorities Mr. Potter if you don�t believe
your friend worth that.�

Harry drew a breath, �That�s not
what I meant � I just � well.�

Ron interrupted, �What he means
to say is he wouldn�t have seen you as stepping in for that. We clearly have a
lot to learn about Hermione and her husband.�

Hermione beamed at him through
her fatigued eyelids.

Lucius noticing the wan look she
gave nodded at the two boys and said coldly, �It�s time you left. You�ll have
time to talk to my wife another day.�

The two agreed and bade Hermione
goodbye before leaving her alone with Lucius and Teddy who walked back in as
the other two left.

�Hey, Mimi.� Teddy came to the
side of the bed as Lucius sat next to Hermione on the bed and pulled her to lie
against him.

�Hi, sweetie. I�m sorry I�m not
much for conversation right now.� She smiled sleepily, curling into Lucius�
warmth. She glanced lovingly up at Lucius, �I love you.�

Lucius met her gaze and
whispered back, �And I, you. Now sleep, you silly woman.�

Teddy nodded in agreement,
fighting the unmanly tears at seeing her in such a weakened state. He whispered
as her breathing evened out, �Is she going to be alright, really?�

Lucius looked at the younger man
and said softly, �Ted, I don�t think we�ll ever know. But you�re welcome to
pull up that chair over there if you�d like to stay. The Healers have said
she�ll be better tomorrow and will probably be able to leave.�

Teddy nodded and slid into the
chair, allowing his own eyes to close.

Lucius checked to make sure that
Teddy was calming down before losing himself in Hermione�s pale face. She would be alright. He just had to
hold onto that thought.
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