Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Hungry Thirsty Crazy	By : AndreaLorraine Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Lucius/Hermione Views: 47434 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- 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
- 24
- 25
- 26
Author�s
Note: Hello, loves.� Sorry for the long
wait.� Life was just not cooperating with
me the last few weeks!� This chapter went
through a few different incarnations and in the end had to be split in two,
because it is 11,000 words and counting.�
So here�s part 1�

Responses
first, because I don�t want to score the assessments I did at work today:

Tohru80:
Thank you, your comment about turning arrogant bastards into characters with
souls and depth was a wonderful compliment.�
Sorry I couldn�t write anything so horribly shocking that it forced you
into labor, but you seem to have taken care of that. ;)

Tambrathegreat: Thanks, I like to reveal bits and pieces at
a time so that the reader gets to know the character slowly.� The more you know, the more their past
actions make sense.� Glad you�re still
enjoying the story.

Morganabythesea: Thanks. :-D (One quick thing - I got 5
reviews from you for the last chapter, and 3 of them were incomprehensible
chains of letters and numbers.� Just
giving you a heads-up to maybe check if your account is being hacked or
spamming somehow.)

Elladee: This chapter was turning out to be a monster, too
� 23 pages before I said �This is ridiculous� and decided to split it.� I�m glad that the writing flows and continues
to entertain you!

LaBibliographe: Hermione is to some degree looking out for
Hermione.� Keep in mind that Lucius is Slytherin and
understands that very well.� The solution
that Lucius is trying to work out is the best
possible one for both of them.� Hermione
is fully prepared to act as his alibi if that doesn�t work, but there is no
need to throw herself into the fire if there�s the
possibility that she doesn�t have to.�
Does that make more sense?� The
issue of Harry and Ron being on the case is addressed briefly in this chapter,
so that should put your mind to rest partially.�
Ron may not be as much of a prat as you
thought.� As for Kingsley, he isn�t the
only one who suspects Lucius purely because of his
connection to Netherwood.� Right now there�s nothing to prove it, so
don�t worry too much.� I really wish I
could write Lucius� book�that would be
something�perhaps one day when I have everything else done.� Thanks as always!

Kazfeist: Glad you like Netherwood�I�ll
confess that I got the name from a street sign!�
I liked how it sounded and knew I had to use it in a story.� Poor Patrick, too bad he was the victim of my
need to advance the plot, hehe.

Alina: Thank you.� I
wanted to portray Lucius and Narcissa
realistically; having been married to her for years, there is some level of
attraction there and Lucius is only human.� He isn�t a saint, but he knows what�s right
when it comes to Hermione.

Tenar10r:
Thank you!� That�s nice to hear.

Linneh: Thanks!�
Sorry I haven�t responded to your last e-mail�I should�just waiting for
some time� >.O

Robyn
Hawkes: Thank you.�
Draco is a sensitive little cad, isn�t he?

Chthonia: Ah, long reviews, my great love.� To answer a few of your questions, �person of
interest� is a term used here in the US, though its popularity is dwindling
because of lawsuits.� According to Wiki: "Person of interest" is a phrase
used by law enforcement when announcing the name of someone involved in a criminal investigation who has not been
formally accused of a crime. It is often used as a euphemism for suspect, and
can sometimes result in a trial by media.��
It is not the most popular of terms for this reason.� I used it because I wanted, to some degree,
to make last chapter read a bit like an episode of Law & Order.� I don�t know if I succeeded or failed, but I
was envisioning a wizarding version of an episode in
my mind while I wrote.� Re: Draco�s final thought � no, he doesn�t see his father as
damaged or past-it.� The use of the term
was more meant to be one of grudging endearment.� The reality is that Lucius
isn�t 100% forgiven in Draco�s eyes, though he has
come a long way.� Lucius
has not been the best father.� Draco knows that he lies and bends the truth to suit his
purposes.� He has also been a direct and
indirect cause of misery in Draco�s life.� Through all of this, he is also still the
father that Draco loves and idolizes, so that has
created a little bit of ambiguity in Draco�s
mind.� That last sentence was meant to
convey that fond, exasperated love that we most often feel for our difficult
family members.� Hope
that helps.� The scene you�re
thinking of (from Draco�s childhood) is actually from
the sequel, Soif.�
Hermione read it from the draft.� Faim takes place before Draco�s
birth, so no, there is nothing that he would recognize
directly in there. �You�re right that Voldemort became Lucius�s anchor,
and also that that process isn�t discussed in Faim.� Soif is the real
bombshell.� You�ll have to wait and see
what happens with that.

Lady_of_Clunn: Hope you are doing well. <3� Ron may have a
little redemption ahead, like Narcissa.� Lucius and Hermione
will be back together soon.� Thank you
for the lovely review!

LiteraryBeauty: I think the majority of my readers DO, in
fact, share your taste for lemonade.�
Only a few more chapters and you�ll get a nice tall glass, I
promise.� Thanks for the compliments!

Bluezauza: You�re right, accepting Lucius
and Hermione�s relationship will be a big challenge for Harry.� You aren�t the only one who wants to read Faim.� Thank you as
always for your support and your great comments.

Heidi191976:
Thank you.� Kingsley may have a change of
heart.

Mia:
Thank YOU for such a beautiful review.�
Reviews like that make it all worth it!

Michelle:
I would not string you guys along all this time only to end it tragically!� That�s not to say there won�t be any angst,
but you don�t have to worry about a real downer.� Thanks for reading!

Sweething10:
I was even going to have Ron comment that Hermione had a pair like those
knickers to kick up the irony, but decided not to.� You will see in part how it all plays out in
this chapter.

Aundree�a: Thank you, I hope you have enjoyed the rest of
the story.

Thalia: Don�t fall off your seat!� I know it was a long wait, but here is some
relief at last.

Celesumi: Don�t worry, Lucius
knows when he has a good thing and would never betray Hermione.� Glad you liked the image-rehabbed Narcissa.� Kingsley
is turning out to be a bit of an ass in this story, isn�t he?

Samuriajane: Thank you.�
I hope that new nuances stand out with each read.� As for borrowing my skills�those just aren�t
things I can lend out, unfortunately.

Barbossas_Boots: Thank you!�
I hope I continue to live up to your praise.

<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>

��

�� Harry could tell that his best mate
was fuming over something.� For once, he
had no idea what it was.� Ron had
actually been very well behaved at the lunch date with Hermione.� He hadn�t said much, but he had been civil
and even volunteered to take her scarf back to her flat after she accidentally
left it behind.� Perhaps they�d had
words?� No, that couldn�t be it �
Hermione was staying in Italy.

�� After the sixth door slam, Harry
sighed and prepared himself for the tirade that would inevitably come when he
opened his mouth.

�� What�s the matter, Ron?�

�� Nothing,� the redhead said tightly.

�� Don�t be ridiculous.� I think we�ve been friends long enough that I
can tell when you�re angry about something.�

�� Ron set his toothpaste down rather
forcefully.� �I am way beyond angry!�

�� Talk to me, then.�

�� No,� Ron said, jabbing his toothbrush
in Harry�s direction.� �Every time I talk
about Hermione you get mad and tell me to shut up.�

�� Just tell me what happened,� Harry
sighed, exasperated.

�� Fine.� I�ll tell you what happened.� I went to her flat to drop off the scarf and
she was there with some�some�man�some
stupid Canadian!�

�� Harry frowned at that.� If she was staying in Italy, why would she have been at her flat in London?� And her boyfriend was Canadian?� He supposed it was possible; just because she
was living with him in Italy
didn�t necessarily mean he was Italian.�
She hadn�t sold or rented out her flat, either, so there was no real
reason that she couldn�t be there�

�� So you�re mad because she�s seeing
someone else?�

�� Yes!� Ron exploded.� He began to pace.� �No!� I
don�t know!�

�� Well, did he seem like a decent
person?�

�� She was crying when I walked
in.� He obviously did something to hurt
her and that�s why I�m angry!�

�� You don�t know that,� Harry
reasoned, though his protective instincts kicked in at the thought of Hermione
crying, as well.� �They might have just
had a fight or something.� I hate to say
it, mate, but she might also have been crying from seeing you.�

�� I didn�t do anything!� Ron
bellowed.

�� I know you didn�t!� I wasn�t saying you did.� Just�well, she loved you, and even though she
initiated the breakup it still hurt her.�

�� Oh, please.� She was probably jumping for joy after
getting rid of me,� Ron moped cynically.

�� She wasn�t.� I went to see her and she was bawling.� She was very upset.�

�� Ron stopped and stared at
Harry.� �You went to see her?�

�� Yes.� You�re both my best friends.� I couldn�t just abandon her because you were
angry.�� He expected to be shouted at for
his duplicity, but Ron just frowned.

�� She was really crying?�

�� Yes.� A lot.�� Harry crossed the room and squeezed Ron�s
shoulder.� The redhead looked confused
and forlorn.� �She wanted it to work,
mate, but sometimes it just isn�t meant to.�

�� Ron didn�t say anything for a long
while.� Then he walked away from Harry,
but he didn�t go far.� He stood by the
window, his arms crossed.

�� I just hope that stupid man isn�t
hurting her.�

�� Harry chewed his lip.� Hermione had been so happy the last time he
saw her.� He felt protective of her, too,
but Hermione was not the type of witch who would let a man push her
around.� There was probably some
explanation.

�� What exactly did you see?�

�� He was hugging her and she was
crying against his chest.�

�� Were there any marks on her?�

�� No,� Ron said quietly.

�� Did he do anything that would make
you think he�d hurt her?�

�� He was�standoffish, but I wasn�t
really on my best behavior,� the redhead admitted.� �Hermione was the one who threatened to hex
me, not him.�

�� Harry was about to smile, thinking
that that was the Hermione he knew and loved, when something clicked in his
mind.� �She said she would hex you?� In front of him?�

�� Yeah, wand out
and everything.� Why?�

�� She told me that he was a muggle that didn�t know she was a witch.� Why would she do that in front of him?�

�� When did she tell you that?�

�� Harry sighed.� �I had dinner with her earlier in the
week.� She looked so radiant that I knew
she was�� he chose his words carefully, �very happy.�

�� In love.� You were going to say in love!� Ron accused.

�� I was not!�

�� Ron scowled at him, knowing that it
was a lie, but he didn�t press the issue.�
�So she told you that he was a Muggle
who didn�t know she was a witch, but was threatening to hex me and talking
about Aurors in front of him?�

�� That�s why I brought it up.� It doesn�t make sense,� Harry responded with
a shake of his head.

�� Well, maybe she told him and he
didn�t like it and broke up with her.�
Maybe that�s why she was crying.��
Ron�s face lit up and he raised his pointer finger.� �He did
say that they were just friends!�

�� Harry tried not to roll his eyes at
how well Ron must have listened to that.�
Impulsive though his friend might be, what he was saying actually made
sense.� Perhaps Hermione had finally
taken the plunge and revealed to her Muggle boyfriend
that she was a witch.� Some Muggles responded positively and some didn�t.� Maybe he was one that didn�t, and Ron had
walked in on a painful breakup.

�� He hoped it wasn�t the case.� Poor Hermione deserved a great man in her
life.� But if this man had been so stupid
as to dump Hermione, that called for some best friend comforting duty.� He considered Ron and wondered if he was
ready for it.� It was obvious that in
this case much of his ire had been out of concern for the woman he still
loved�but when her heart had just been broken twice in rapid succession, Ron�s
presence might not be the most soothing.

�� I�ll go to her flat and check on
her later on,� Harry said.� �I think it�s best if--�

�� Ron just waved his hand.� �I know, mate.� I know.�

�� So what are we going to do about
these knickers?� Smythe said, frowning over his
morning coffee.

�� I don�t know,� Hermione
sighed.� She was missing her second
straight day of classes.� She had owled and told them that she was sick; another student was
taking notes for her.� �I cast a lot of
thorough cleansing charms.� It�s possible
that there�s no evidence of me on them.�

�� Just possible?�

�� They were jammed behind the
bed.� I don�t know if the spell was able
to reach them.�

�� So basically there�s a fifty-fifty
chance of you being outed once they analyze the
knickers.�

�� Hermione turned briefly from the
eggs she was cooking.� �I hope the odds are that good.�

�� Tiresias
frowned.� �Well, what are you going to do
if they figure it out?�� In his opinion,
she had to start preparing for the inevitable.

�� She got out of having to respond
when an owl tapped at the window.�
Hermione walked over to let it in.�
Instead of dropping its letter with her, it made a beeline for the
healer.� After his initial surprise, he
quickly opened the letter.

��

Healer Smythe,

It will please you to know that evidence has
come to light that clears your patient, Mr. Lucius Malfoy, of any wrongdoing in the ongoing criminal
investigation of the death of Mr. Patrick Netherwood.� Similar letters have been sent to Mr. Malfoy as well as his lawyer.� Mr. Malfoy will be
officially cleared at 15:00 hours today and the Ministry of Magic respectfully
requests that you be present for the removal of his house arrest.� The wards and spellwork
involved in such things are quite strong and in light of Mr. Malfoy�s delicate condition we believe it is best that you
are on hand in case anything goes wrong.�
This is a routine precaution that is offered to anyone being released
from house arrest.� Most decline to have
a healer present but in this case we must insist.� If you are unable to attend, please respond
as soon as possible so we can find a suitable replacement.

Thank you for your time and patience.

B. Dawlish, Acting
Head Auror

Ministry of Magic

London, England

�� What does it say?� Hermione asked
nervously.

�� Tiresias
broke into a wide grin.� �Lucius is cleared.�
They found other evidence.�

�� He was unprepared for the
high-pitched shriek of joy that Hermione emitted at hearing the news.� He was also unprepared for her crushing hug
and the kiss on his cheek that almost gave him whiplash.� Merlin, the girl was stronger than she
looked!

�� And she was also insane, apparently,
for once she had finished assaulting him, she began to dance around the small
kitchen with the spatula in hand.

�� Your eggs are going to burn,� he
cautioned grumpily, massaging his sore neck.

�� Forget plain old eggs!� she
exclaimed, turning off the burner.� �You
stay right there.� I�m going to the
store.� We�re going to have a proper
breakfast with Mimosas!�

�� Tiresias
couldn�t find it in his heart to remind her that there still might be a
complication with the knickers if they had been processed before the evidence
that had cleared Lucius.� She was so jubilant at the thought of her
lover going free that she forgot all else.�
For now, he�d let her have her happiness and gladly celebrate right
along with her.�

�� In the Malfoy
household, a similar reaction was taking place.�
Lucius read the letter out loud at the
breakfast table.

�� Dear Mr. Malfoy,
It is with great pleasure that we inform you that you have been cleared of all
charges in the case of the murder of Mr. Patrick Netherwood.�

�� He never got any further because his
ex-wife let out a little gasping squeak and his son nearly shouted, �It�s about
time!�� A moment later he found himself
sandwiched between them, Draco on his left and Narcissa on the right.�
They squeezed him in tandem.

�� His lips twitched and he wasn�t sure
if it was from the urge to smile, cry, or both.�
This was only the second time they had embraced like this.� The first was when they knew the war was
finally over, in the Great Hall of Hogwarts with the body of the Dark Lord
lying neglected where Harry Potter felled him.�
He was glad it hadn�t taken so much to provoke it this time.� Lucius reached up
to touch their intertwined arms and was nearly bludgeoned with emotion.� He seemed to be experiencing that a lot these
days.

�� They stayed that way until Draco�s stomach growled loudly.� Together, they laughed, and then separated to
settle into one of the first happy family meals in years.

�� The afternoon came quickly and for
the first time in his life, Lucius was looking
forward to seeing an Auror.� It hadn�t been terrible to stay at the Manor
but he very much missed the villa and the woman who lived in it with him.� Nonetheless, this had been valuable healing
time for his family that might not have happened if not for his house arrest.

�� It seemed as though there was a
procession.� First came
Tiresias, about thirty minutes early.� He handed Lucius a
banana nut muffin and smiled.� Lucius didn�t need to ask who had sent it.� He set it aside for the moment since he
wasn�t hungry.

�� Then his lawyer showed up.� Absalon was as grim
and crotchety as ever.� He actually told Lucius to quit getting in trouble so that he could go ahead
and die already.� Tiresias
looked somewhat horrified at the sentiment, but Lucius
just laughed.� Grier had been saying that
for a very long time.

�� Narcissa
wafted in a few minutes after Grier.� She
looked gorgeous in a sapphire robe, soft makeup, and a new hairstyle.� Lucius suspected
that she was hoping one of the Aurors (or Tiresias) was single.

�� Draco was
the last to round out their group, straggling in from the gym.� Narcissa scolded
him for being in workout clothes and sweaty to boot.� Draco just rolled
his eyes and shrugged it off.� Privately,
Lucius admired how his son was putting on muscle; it
was no wonder his slug in therapy the other day had caused such a bruise.��

�� At 15:00 on the dot, the floo ignited.� Three Aurors stepped through in succession.� Then the green flames lit one last time, and
an unexpected guest appeared.� Narcissa nearly fainted.

�� Minister Shacklebolt,
we weren�t expecting you,� she said nervously.�
Doubtless she was thinking about the state of the Manor and of her
underdressed son.

�� My apologies, Ms.
Black.� I don�t mean to intrude,
but I�d like a moment alone with Mr. Malfoy.�

�� Several people in the room glanced
at each other and then at Lucius.� Slowly, Lucius
nodded.� A few moments later everyone had
shuffled out and they were alone.� There
were several things he might have said in the ensuing silence, but Lucius held his tongue.�
He just watched the tall man, waiting for whatever it was he needed
privacy to say.

�� Kingsley observed him, perceiving
the indifference that rolled off Malfoy in
waves.� This wasn�t going to be
easy.� It had to be done, though.� He had realized that morning that it was
cruel and ridiculous of him to prolong Lucius�s
captivity just because of a hunch.� He
had done the man enough wrong and if Malfoy was off
writing anonymous books to deal with it, then more power to him.

�� I owe you an apology, Lucius.�

�� Lucius
just stared at him, unblinking, his eyes cold.�
The other wizard sighed and lowered himself into one of the spare
chairs.� He contemplated his interlocked
fingers for a time.

�� This is long overdue.� I�don�t want to upset you, but before he
died, Mulciber confessed to me what he did to you.�

�� That broke Lucius�s
composure.� His eyes widened and his
nostrils flared.� �What did that son of a
bitch tell you?� he said through his teeth.

�� He gave me the memory.� I heard everything.� Saw everything.� I know what it is he gave you.� I didn�t understand it at the time, but with
the revelation of your �curse�, I did some research��

�� What is this?� Lucius
snapped.� �An apology or
blackmail?�

�� I�m not going to say
anything.�� He reached into the pocket of
his robe.� �Just like
I�m not going to say anything about the identity of the lady who wore these.�

�� In his hand he held a clear plastic
bag that contained an indistinguishable mass of black fabric.� Lucius frowned at
it.� Shacklebolt
shook it slightly, shifting the pooled fabric.�
His blood went cold when he realized what it was.

�� Knickers.� Hermione�s knickers.� Damn it to hell.� Hadn�t he told her to take everything?� They must have been in some crevice that she
missed in her panic.� Hermione was a
thorough woman and he knew she had done a better job of erasing her presence
than anyone else could do � but even she was not perfect.� Bugger.� This changed everything.

�� You know who they belong to?� he
asked, his mouth dry.� If that was what Shacklebolt had truly come to discuss, Lucius
was endlessly thankful for the privacy.

�� No.�
We did find physical evidence, but I ordered forensics to destroy
it.� Who you liase
with is your business.� I thought she
might appreciate this back; I�ve heard that the brand is rather expensive.�

�� Lucius
took the bag wordlessly and tucked it into the pocket of his robe, conscious
that he and Hermione had just dodged a very large bullet.� He carefully controlled his face; if he
showed too much relief, Shacklebolt would suspect
something.� It was bad enough that he
already suspected him of authoring Faim.� Lucius gathered his
courage for his next statement.� He
didn�t want to appear ungrateful because Shacklebolt
had just done him a tremendous favor, but he couldn�t allow the man to think
that this somehow made up for his greater sin.

�� While I appreciate your discretion,
Minister, I resent the fact that it comes out of pity and guilt.�

�� Guilt, yes, but I don�t pity you,� Shacklebolt replied calmly.

�� He shook his head at the bald
statement, his anger steadily building.� Lucius knew that he had landed himself in Azkaban; no one
had forced him to be in the Ministry that night.� He had gone of his own free will so he could
understand the lack of pity.� He just
couldn�t believe Shacklebolt had known his mistake
all along and never said or done anything.�
How could the man look him in the eye?

�� You refused to listen to me, you
put me in hell, and then when you found out you were wrong, you kept it to
yourself to avoid the consequences.� And
now, almost four years later, you want to play nice?�� Lucius couldn�t
control a sneer.� �You think I care if
you go and tell the world about my illness?�
Go right ahead, but you mustn�t leave out how you punished me for being
attacked by a madman and how I nearly died because your sadistic penalty
prevented me from getting the care I needed.�
When will that story run, hm?�

�� Kingsley couldn�t hide a grimace at
the thought of the whole truth coming out.�
His time as Minister had been relatively scandal-free, probably due to
his complete lack of an interesting life, but he had no desire to begin serving
up material for the Daily Prophet now.�
He wasn�t entirely sure how he had miscalculated with Lucius.� He had
thought that the Slytherin would understand the
benefit of keeping quiet when one made a mistake no one else knew about, not to
mention the bartering of favors to try to atone for it.

�� How politics had changed him�before
taking office he would never have been foolish enough to think that logic and
favors could make up for the kind of pain Lucius had
been through.� He�d never had to choose
between his public image and his conscience.�
Or perhaps he had been doing that all along when it came to Malfoy; he had consistently judged his job and his
reputation to be more important than what was right or wrong in his behavior
back then.� There was so much ambiguity
in the entire situation.

�� He felt no pity for a Death Eater, a
wizard he knew had committed numerous crimes and would never be punished for
the vast majority of them.� But the man
who had been dragged to solitary in Azkaban, bleeding, half-crippled, had not
appealed to him as a Death Eater.� Lucius had appealed to him as a man � a person in need of
his protection.� His job as an Auror was to protect people, even the immoral ones, and he
had failed colossally.� In fact, he had
done just what Lucius was guilty of: he had judged
someone and used what power he had to punish them for a perceived slight that
was, in reality, entirely unbased.��

�� I�m trying to do the right thing
now.� Isn�t it better late than never?�
he said, already recognizing the futility of it.

�� No,� Lucius
retorted.� �I do not want or need your
apology.� At this point it only benefits you. �I have come to terms with what happened.� It is your own fault that you can�t.�� The blond wizard took a deep breath.� �I am grateful for your assistance in this
debacle of a case, but from now on�� he raised a hand and jabbed his pointer
finger at the dark-skinned wizard, �you stay away from me.� You stay away from my family.� And the next time anything remotely criminal
happens, disrupt someone else�s life!�

�� Kingsley could only blink at him,
stunned by the tirade that had come out of the normally composed Malfoy patriarch.� Lucius wasn�t done.�
He shot to his feet and stalked toward the door.� Pulling it open, he called, �Auror Dawlish!� I am ready for the cuff to be removed!�

�� Draco was
leaning against the mantel, arms crossed, watching as they removed the cuff
that had confined his father to the Manor and restricted his magic.� Watching was one of his favorite things
because he could see and glean so much from people when they didn�t realize
they were being observed.� Like the
healer, Tiresias Smythe �
he was supposed to be monitoring his father and he had cast the necessary
spells, but he wasn�t paying any attention to them.� His eyes were traveling back and forth
between the Minister of Magic and Lucius.

�� Smythe didn�t
like Shacklebolt.�
The more Draco watched, the more he realized
that his own father detested the man, too.�
Lucius was good at hiding things and others
might have missed the way he acted as though Shacklebolt
wasn�t even there, but because Smythe saw it, Draco saw it.�
Ignoring someone was a prime form of scorn, worse even than a verbal
expression, because it implied that the person was not even worthy of
that.� That was something he had only
just grasped.

�� He wondered what had transpired in
the ten minutes that had elapsed after Shacklebolt
expressed the desire to speak to Lucius alone.� Draco chewed his
lip.� He would probably never know.

�� He should have enjoyed the feeling
of his freedom being restored.� However, Lucius found that he was so angry that there was no joy in
it.� All he wanted was for all these
people to get out of his goddamn house�and to destroy something.

�� Hermione was watching in amusement
as Jo-Jo prepared a virtual feast in her tiny little kitchen.� Just as the elf�s expression of anxiety had
resulted in excessive cleaning, her jubilance resulted in excessive cooking and
baking.� Her cupboards were going to be
bare by day�s end.

�� Jo-Jo had just handed her a mini
croquette when a pain flared above her right breast.� Hermione gasped and dropped the hors
d�oeuvre.�

�� Oh!� Jo-Jo squeaked.� �Is it too hot, Miss Hermione?� Jo-Jo is very sorry!�

�� No,� she managed, �it�s fine.� I�� she touched the raised markings of the
runes through her shirt, �I�ll be right back.�

�� She left a mystified Jo-Jo in the
living room.� Once in the bathroom, she
tugged her shirt down.� The runes Lucius had placed upon her were an angry red, lifted like
welts from her skin.� There was something
wrong.� Something was causing him great
emotional pain.

�� He was being freed, cleared of all
charges.� What would upset him?

�� A cold chill danced up her
spine.� The knickers.� Their relationship had been revealed.� That was the only explanation�

�� Hermione turned and hastily sat
down, her back against the vanity.� She
had no idea what this meant.� Would they
ever be together again?� Would there be
reporters breaking down her door?� Would
her friends ever forgive her?

�� She pulled her knees up to her chest
and rested her forehead against them.�
She had to breathe.� Jumping to
conclusions wouldn�t help anything.� She
needed to be patient and not assume.

�� If they had been revealed, surely Tiresias would come back and warn her.� Yes.�
She would wait for him, or for the enraged appearance Harry was sure to
make - whichever came first.

�� Draco
hadn�t moved.� Though most everyone else
had now gone from the room, his mother included, Draco
felt some unknown intuition that nagged him to stay.� Smythe was still
here, too, warily watching Lucius.

�� His father was leaning against the
window frame, his back to the room.� His
shoulders were tight with tension.� That
posture wasn�t the stance of a free man.

�� A quiet beep sounded.� It was Smythe�s
wand; he had never discontinued the monitoring charms.� Draco wasn�t sure
what the beep meant, but it made the healer frown.

�� Smythe
glanced at him.� He looked as though he
was deciding whether or not to say something.�
Draco stared back, clear-eyed.� His refusal to leave was plain in his
expression.� He knew the healer was a
good man and very likely a close friend to his father, but there was nothing
wrong with having two people to ventilate to instead of just one.

�� At last, Smythe
spoke.

�� Lucius,
your temperature is up,� he said evenly.�
�I don�t want a repeat of the sunflower field incident.�

�� I am not that angry.�

�� I�m not going to risk it.� I want to give you a sedative.�

�� Draco
listened to the exchange closely.� It was
maddening not to know what they were talking about.

�� A sedative won�t miraculously erase
this,� his father growled.

�� No, but it will give you time to
calm down and process it.�

�� There was a brief silence.� Then his father took a shaky breath.� �No, Tiresias.� I will deal with it.�� He turned.�
�Draco, may I have a moment with Healer Smythe?�

�� With a frown and a sigh, Draco removed himself from the room.

��

��

��

�� Once they were alone, Tiresias asked the burning question.� �What did he say to you?�

�� The Minister?�

�� Smythe
nodded.

�� It isn�t what he said.� It�s what he did�and didn�t do,� he replied
cryptically.

�� Is it something we should be
reporting?� Smythe pressed.

�� It might cause a satisfying
scandal, but�� Lucius shook his head, �I think his
guilt is the best punishment.� Besides,
he ordered the evidence from Hermione�s knickers destroyed, so in spite of his
past actions, he has done Hermione and me a very big favor.�

�� Tiresias
breathed an audible sigh of relief.�
�Well.� That is good news.�

�� Indeed it is.�

�� The healer seemed satisfied by the
realization that at least one of their secrets was safe.� He put his wand in his pocket and surveyed Lucius one more time.�
�You�re certain you�ll be all right?�

�� I�ll be fine.�

�� Okay.� I�ll go give Hermione the news.�

�� Lucius
watched him as he moved toward the floo.� �Tell her I�m staying here tonight.� Tomorrow I�ll be back in Italy.�

�� I will.�� He turned and reached for some floo powder.

�� Oh, and tell her that I love her.�

�� Tiresias
turned back, a slightly amused smile pulling at his lips.� �I�m getting tired of being your
intermediary, you know.�

�� I know,� Lucius
said apologetically.� �This is the last
time.�

�� It�s fine.� I don�t mind at all.�� He threw the floo
powder into the fireplace and called, �Hermione Granger�s flat!�� He was about to step through when Lucius spoke again.

�� Tiresias?�

�� He turned back.� �Hm?�

�� Do you think you could send a
Dreamless Sleep potion for later?�

�� He smiled at Lucius.� �Of course.�

�� Tiresias
found Hermione sitting stiffly on the couch.�
Jo-Jo was next to her, desperately trying to ply the morose witch with a
plate of confections that made his mouth water.�
The cuff�s removal had taken longer than expected and it was dinner
time.

�� Hermione?�

�� She snapped to attention.� �Do they know?� she asked anxiously.

�� No.�
The Minister ordered the evidence destroyed.� Apparently he owed Lucius
some kind of favor�do you know why?�

�� Hermione shook her head.� It was news to her that Kingsley Shacklebolt owed Lucius
anything.� She frowned.� �So�we�re safe?�

�� One hundred
percent.�� He reached down to take
a cookie from Jo-Jo.� The elf looked like
she could have wept with joy.� �He says
he loves you and he�ll be back in Italy tomorrow.�

�� She slouched back against the couch,
nearly boneless with relief.� It felt too
easy.� She had been prepared for the
worst and when she had to brace herself, she usually expected that to be what
transpired.� A situation where everything
turned out all right was somewhat rare in her experience.

�� Jo-Jo, this is delicious,� Smythe said around a mouthful of cookie.� �Can I take some of these back to Vancouver?�

�� Of course, Master
Smythe!�

�� You can take half of everything she made,� Hermione said, a
smile slowly emerging on her face.�
�There�s enough for ten people!�

�� Good, because
right now I could eat enough for ten.��
The healer smiled with food still in his mouth, quite on purpose.� �Show me to the feast!�

�� Lucius sat
in the study for a quarter of an hour, thinking hard.� On the surface, this was all over.� In reality the murder of his publisher and
friend was still unsolved.� Not only
that, but Lucius had been linked to him.� A big red target had been drawn around
him.� If whoever had murdered Patrick
still wanted to know the identity of the author, Lucius
would be the next on the list.

�� He sighed.� This case needed to be solved, and solved
fast.� He had burned his bridge with Shacklebolt.� That
was all right with him; it had been so much more satisfying to speak his mind
in that instance.� He was fairly certain
he could get Auror Dawlish
to keep him informed on the twists and turns of the case, at the very least.

�� When he got back to Italy, he was
going to have to cast wards around the villa.�
It had been mostly ward-free before.�
He couldn�t afford to leave it that way now.� It would serve a double purpose, since the
Ministry and his family now knew where he was.�
If anyone showed up unexpectedly he would have warning and be able to
ensure that he and Hermione weren�t discovered.

�� It wasn�t as if he didn�t have other
places to go.� However, Hermione was in
school in Florence and there was something about
Italy
that relaxed him.� It was one of the few
places where he had more positive memories than negative ones.� Writing came easily there.�

�� That was it, then.� He exhaled.�
Now all he had to do was work off his frustration at Shacklebolt.� The only question was how.

��

��

�� Draco had
gone up to his room, intent upon showering and then seeing if he could find
anyone to go out with.� Blaise owed him a dinner from a bet they�d made a few weeks
ago, and he hadn�t spoken to Greg in a while.�
Not that Gregory Goyle was a great conversationalist,
or anything�but he was a good pub mate.

�� He was a bit startled when he
emerged from the shower and his father was standing in his room, arms clasped
behind his back.� Of course Draco had walked out of the bathroom naked.� In theory, he was supposed to have
privacy.� Sometimes his parents had no
concept of that.

�� Lucius
turned and Draco groped for the shorts he�d dropped
near the door.� Considerately, his father
turned away, but not without a slight roll of his eyes.

�� Nothing I haven�t seen before, Draco.�

�� You could�ve knocked,� Draco grumped, yanking the shorts on.

�� You were in the shower when I came
in.� Most people wear a robe, or at the
very least a towel.�

�� I shouldn�t have to in my own
room.� You can turn around now.�

�� Lucius
pivoted.� �Are you going out?�

�� I was thinking of it.�� Draco padded over
to his closet and began to poke through it.

�� Well, I shan�t interfere with your
plans, then.�

�� With a frown, Draco
turned to face his father once again.�
�There are no plans yet.� What did
you want?�

�� To see if you would help me with
something.�

�� Depends what it is,� he answered
cautiously.

�� His father bit his lower lip for a
moment; when he released it, there was a flash of blanched teeth marks before
the blood rushed back to his skin.� �I
want you to help me release the spirits from the old dining room.�

�� Draco went
pale.� He couldn�t help it.� None of them had been in there since the
war�s end.� It was shut up like a
mausoleum, a cursed tomb that no one dared to visit.

�� At least six people had died in
there � and those were only the ones Draco had
directly witnessed or heard of.� It was
possible that many more had met their fates like the Muggle
Studies teacher, as dinner entertainment.�
He still couldn�t believe he had shared a table, let alone a set of
beliefs, with people who were so heartless that death became a routine
spectacle over pork chops.

�� Draco was
terrified even at the thought of going in there after so long.� It heartened him, though, that his father was
also unwilling to go in alone.� It meant
that his fear was not so irrational.� It
also meant that his father believed him to be strong enough to handle it�strong
enough to contribute to the room�s cleansing.

�� Tonight?� he asked at last,
exercising considerable will to keep his voice level.

�� I am returning to Italy tomorrow,
so yes, tonight.� If you would rather go
out, I will understand.� It can wait.�

�� Summoning every ounce of courage he
had, Draco shook his head.� �It�s waited years already.� I�ll help you.�

�� Lucius
exhaled.� �All right.� We�ll need to consult a few books in the
library first.�

�� I�ll meet you down there in fifteen
minutes?�

�� Fifteen minutes,� his sire said
with an indecipherable little smile.

��

�� He found his son deep within the
shelves of the library.� Lucius took a moment to observe him.� Draco had never
been an overly studious boy; as long as he paid close attention to something,
he would understand and remember it.� It
was an unfamiliar sight to behold, then, to see his blond crown bowed over a
book.

�� In his concentration, he looked
determined.� No fear or anxiety intruded
on his face and that was a great comfort to Lucius.� It was a lot to ask to request Draco�s assistance in this task.

�� He could remember the sickly pallor
the young man�s face had taken on whenever there were gatherings in that dining
room.� He had been able to control his
emotions, locking them away somewhere with an iron will, but he couldn�t
control his body�s natural reactions to witnessing terrible things and not
being able to do anything about them.� Lucius had a sneaking suspicion that there was a hero
locked away inside Draco in that same place � a hero
who was tempered by the irrefutable logic that he was no good to anybody if he
became a martyr.

�� He knew Draco
struggled with that.� Many had gone
stubbornly to their deaths in the war.�
Like Draco, many had also chosen a route that
was far less glamorous � survival by any means necessary.� He felt his lips pull into a slight
sneer.� There was no glamour in war.� Only those who foolishly believed there was,
or those who had never been touched by its greasy fingers, could exist to make
judgments.�

�� The greasy fingers of war, terror,
and madness had left broad smears all over his ancestral home and those who
lived in it.� To some degree he had let
it happen.� No more.� Tonight was the start of the cleansing�and he
would scrub as hard as he had to.

�� Harry yawned as he stepped off the
lift into the main concourse of the Ministry.�
Ron was right behind him.� He
looked as grumpy as Harry felt.� They had
just gotten out of meeting with the Minister, during which Kingsley had
informed them that they never should have been put on Malfoy�s
case in the first place.� It was poor
judgment by Head Auror Pell, who was now ex Head Auror
Pell.� However, Kingsley was very
impressed by their impartiality and maturity and had praised them thoroughly.

�� That wasn�t the part that made them
grumpy.� It was when Shacklebolt
told them that the evidence they had found was partially responsible for
clearing Malfoy.�
Harry had wanted to be fair but never in a hundred years would he have
thought Malfoy was actually innocent, or that his
sleuthing would contribute to ensuring the loathsome pureblood�s continued
freedom.

�� Ugh,� Ron said as they neared the floo network.� �I
still can�t believe it.�

�� I know,� Harry agreed.� �I guess we�ll never know whose knickers
those were.�

�� I guess not.� I�m going to go to the Burrow and eat about
five helpings of my mother�s cooking.�
Want to join me?�

�� No, that�s all right.� Ginny�s cooking.�

�� You�re going to check on Hermione,
right?�

�� Yes, after dinner.�

�� Okay,� he nodded as he grabbed a
handful of floo powder.� �Later, mate.�� Ron called out his destination and
disappeared into the flames.� Harry was
left in the mostly empty hall; it was after hours and all the sensible people
were at home.� He reached for his own
handful of powder.

�� Just then, a voice sounded.

�� I know whose knickers they were.��

�� What?� Harry said, turning.� His eyes surveyed a woman; she was tall and
quite skinny, with curly red hair.� She
had an odd discoloration across the skin of her face.� She seemed vaguely familiar, but Harry
couldn�t place her.

�� The knickers you and Weasley found at Malfoy�s
villa.� I know who they belong to.�

�� The Minister ordered the evidence
destroyed, so I don�t see how you could possibly know.�

�� I work down in forensics.� I ran the DNA matching spells before
destroying the evidence.� Curiosity
killed the cat, you know.�� She smirked.

�� Harry frowned at her.� Something in his gut told him that he didn�t
like her.� �Who are you, anyway?�

�� Oh, you don�t remember me?� That�s surprising.� You were so very sweet on my best friend
during school.�

�� Harry frowned.� He could barely recall being �sweet� on
anyone, before Ginny.� Ah, but there had
been Cho.� This
woman was Cho�s friend?

�� One more glance at her face had
things aligning in his brain.� She was
Marietta Edgecombe, the girl who had betrayed them fifth year.� She had told Umbridge
and the Ministry about Dumbledore�s Army.�
That would be why he didn�t like her.

�� I can see you�re still great at
keeping secrets,� he said caustically.

�� Aren�t we all?� she responded.� �Your friend Granger more
than most.�

�� What do you mean?� he snapped.� He was becoming irritated with her smugness.� He was tired and hungry and he just wanted to
go home.

�� The knickers were hers.�

�� Harry stared at the redhead.� �Yeah, right.� You must think I�m a complete idiot.�

�� I knew you wouldn�t believe
me.�� She reached into her pocket and
pulled out a piece of paper.� �So here�s
your proof.�

�� Against his better judgment, Harry
took the paper.� It looked every inch an
official DNA analysis report.� Epithelials had been analyzed and matched to one Hermione
Granger � whose DNA would be in their
system after the wicked hex she�d taken from Dolohov,
resulting in her spending weeks in hospital.�
Marietta�s
credentials were at the top as they were required to be.� Such reports had to designate who had
completed them.

�� Did you file this?� he asked
slowly.

�� No.�

�� How do I know this isn�t just a
fake?� I know you hate Hermione.� This would be a great way to discredit her,
wouldn�t it?�

�� You�re smarter than you look,� Marietta sneered.�

�� Well, the last time I checked it
was you that had SNEAK written across her face, not Hermione,� Harry snarled
back.

�� It�s not a fake,� she said coldly,
�but that one you�re holding is a copy.�
I have the original readout.�

�� He was beginning to understand.� �What is it that you want, Marietta?�

�� What do I want?�� She stepped closer, her eyes ablaze with
anger and hatred.� �I want that little
bitch Granger to give me the counterjinx.� I�m tired of looking like this.�

�� Then why are you telling me?� Harry
demanded, his voice rising in volume.

�� I just want to show her how serious
I am.� She�ll get a letter from me soon
enough.�

�� That�s blackmail.�

�� Marietta stepped back, the grin on her face a
blatant dare.� �Report me, then.�

�� They both knew that he couldn�t �
not without showing people the DNA analysis results.� Whether it was true or not, it was the kind
of thing that could destroy Hermione.�
Harry couldn�t risk it.� For the
time being, Marietta
won.

�� She knew it.� She lifted her hand to wave and said in a
saccharine voice, �Good night, Harry.��
- 24
- 25
- 26
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Hungry Thirsty Crazy