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Amazing Grace	By : Kooldragon400 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Lucius/Hermione Views: 41309 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any recongizable characters, nor do I make any money off of this story.

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THis wasn't so bad, now was it? But before I press the send button, I would like to say something about a reviewer who had something smart to say about Hermione's reaction to the potion. First and foremost, it's a fictional story. Second, and here's the SPOILER, I never intended for that potion to be taken. It was just supposed to be a point of contention between Grace and her father. I hope you can still enjoy the story.

Also, when Death said the 'me of me.' He was making a joke. He is death, adn he was making a play on his name.

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She moved slowly and shakily down the hall. Every fiber of her being was on fire with pain, but she bit her tongue for distraction and pushed on. A small smudge of blood was starting to dry on her wrist where she’d pulled out her IV for her flight. Her mind was abuzz with thoughts and troubles.

Her father had just tried to kill the unborn child within her. She didn’t know how to feel about that. He probably thought he was trying to protect her. He tended to do stupid things when he though he was doing good for his children. Hiring Ian, for example....

A cramp in her leg nearly took her to the ground. But she knew if she fell she wouldn’t be able to get back up. And she needed to get away from this place. She’d been seeing the same white walls for so long now that it was going to drive her crazy. A dribble of something on her lip distracted her, and she lifted her hand to her face. She put her fingers to her lip and lifted it away, noticing the bright red smudge on her fingers.

Her distraction cost her. She collided quite solidly with a figure coming around the corner and was nearly flung backwards, skidding slightly on the ground in her soft pajamas. She looked up, and relief nearly flooded her at the sight of concerned emerald eyes.

“Harry!” she exclaimed, gasping for breath. Harry knelt beside her immediately, trying to hold her steady as she tried to get back up.

“What are you doing out of your room, Grace?” he asked. She reached out and grasped the front of his robes with a bony hand.

“Please. Pl-please....get me out o-of here....I’ll...I’ll explain everything.” she wheezed. Harry could feel her body trembling in his arms. She was both exhausted and, if the wideness of her eyes indicated anything, a bit frightened.

He looked at her face and saw the deep desperation etched into the thin skin. Tears were starting to leak from her eyes and she grasped his clothes desperately. Then, she said the two words he had never in his life been able to ignore.

“Help me.”

~~

She awoke in a bright room, ensconced in fluffy blue bedding. A window on the far wall let in muted lighting through thick curtains. She was not in St. Mungos, wherever she was. For a moment she could not grasp where she could possibly be, because this was not her room at the Manor….but then the memories flooded back.

Her father had tried to kill the baby. Her hands came to her stomach reflexively, resting on the concave flesh. The healer had said that carrying the baby would kill her….yet here she was.

She felt better than she had in…well, since the day she had been abducted. Her stomach was not roiling in protest, and she could move without pain. She did notice that there was another IV hooked to her left arm, and the small tube ran up to a pouch filled with a mint green potion.

She sat up in the bed, looking around at the room. It was plain, with creamy beige walls and hardwood floors. The curtains on the window were dark blue just like the squishy comforter that rested over top of her. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, and scooted off to the floor. Her feet protested dully to the weight, but she took hold of the silver stand that held up her IV bag, and noticed it had wheels. Perfect.

She grabbed the silver instrument and used it as a walking aide. The door to the room was closed but not locked, so she was able to open it easily. The room she was in was at the end of a long hallway. The walls were painted a matte yellow, in a neutral butter shade. Most of the doors were open down the hallway, revealing empty but serviceable guest rooms.

At the end of the hallway was a staircase with rich cherry banisters. The stairs had a carpet runner down them in plain gray. It wasn’t striking, but it was homely and pleasant. She walked down the stairs carefully, using her IV stand as a crutch going down.

She heard the murmuring sound of a television, and headed in the direction the sound came. She was surprised when she poked her head around the corner.

Sirius Black was lounging on the sofa, with Aslan perched quite comfortably on top of him. The Gryffix had grown since she’d seen him, and it made her heart ache for her own Nala. A great snake raised its head from the back of the sofa, and she heard a few soft hisses. From one of the chairs facing away from her she saw a head of dark hair poke around, and the light caught on ruby red eyes.

“Grace!” Tom said. Sirius’ head snapped up and he sat up quickly on the couch, completely knocking Aslan to the floor. The feline snorted a beak full of sparks and burrowed underneath the sofa to brood. Sirius was on his feet in moments, approaching her quickly.

“What are you going out of bed, silly girl?” he asked, checking her over to make sure she hadn’t harmed herself. Grace was amused with his mothering.

“I woke up in an unfamiliar place and wanted to know where I was.” She said softly, her voice a bit creaky from disuse.

“You’re at Grimmauld Place.” He replied, guiding her to a seat. “When Harry brought you here you were in a right state. He was panicking and saying you wanted out of there. Understandable, but it wasn’t until we called a private healer that we understood.” He began, pulling an afghan off the back of the sofa and draping it over her lap.

She snuggled back into the soft chair.

“Your body was almost too far gone for normal potions. The treatment you were receiving at St Mungos was ineffective at best. We called up a Potions Master and a personal Healer to the family and they put together an emergency infusion of about twenty potions. Normally several of them wouldn’t work together, but our Potions Master was able to stabilize and combine them with no ill effects.” Sirius explained, looking at the green potion in the bag.

“Potions Master? Was it Severus?” she asked, thinking of the silent, dark man she had seen before.

“Yes.” Sirius said simply. “He is the best, no matter what my opinion of him may be. He was shocked that I contacted him, but once I explained what it was for, he got this weird look on his face and then agreed. He made it quite clear that he was only helping because it was for you. You helped him with his son and so he returned the favor.”

Grace was silent as she absorbed that information.

Suddenly there was a flash of black at the edge of the sofa as Aslan’s beak appeared beneath the fringe of the couch. He sniffed deeply and gave a jubilant squawk. Grace tilted her head as she heard the scrabble of claws on hard floor, and gasped as a familiar red blur streaked into the room.

“Nala!” she squealed. The other Gryffix stopped on a dime in front of her mistress, her feline tail slicing through the air as happily as any dog’s. The creature carefully climbed into Grace’s lap, mindful of her IV and her weakened state. Grace put her arms around the large feline and squeezed her happily. “My Nala! How did you get here?” she asked, looking up at Sirius. He grinned.

“The great flaming kitty used the floo. I caught Aslan with his head in the fire a day or so after you came, but I thought nothing of it. He likes to sleep in the fire sometimes. As it turns out, they can use the Floo without powder, as she appeared only a couple days after you arrived.”

“A couple days? How long have I been out?” she asked.

“Two weeks.” Sirius replied. Grace looked troubled, but Nala’s furry head gently butted against her chin, rubbing along her face and generally distracting her as the feline cuddled with her.

“Where….where is Harry?” Grace asked finally.

“He’s been working on something non-stop since you arrived. He won’t tell me what it is, but he assures me it’s a good thing.

As if on cue, the sound of the front door traveled to the television room, and Aslan shot out from under the couch like a bullet, scrabbling along the floor and out into the entryway. There was a surprised shout and a thump, and several moments later Aslan re-entered looking quite smug.

Harry came into the room about a minute later, trying to smooth down his messy hair and tuck papers back into his briefcase.

“Damn menace. No more peppers you crazy little fuck!” he snapped, before stopping dead when he saw Grace. “Grace.” He said simply.

“Hey, Harry. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Grace.” Harry said, sitting across from her on another chair. “Snape told us about...about the potion.” he started suddenly.

Grace sniffed nervously.

“I’m...I’m sorry....” she started.

“Don’t.” Harry said softly. “Don’t be sorry. I’ve come to grips with it over the past couple weeks. At first I was so sad...for you....for what you would be losing. But then I realized if you ran from your father after that...then you must not be too upset...” he said, looking at her through his messy fringe.

“I’m scared. I’m scared out of my mind and I was so sick. But I ran because father sprung that on me. Perhaps if he had sat down with me and talked to me I may have been okay with it. But to just try and slip me the potion while I’m sleeping... But the more I think about it the more I think that it wasn’t all for me. I think he was worried about himself when he tried to give me that potion. What the people would think of him....maybe...I don’t know. Regardless...I can’t bring myself to give into what society thinks. I don’t give a damn what they think anymore.” Grace said.

Tom stood from his seat and approached her, his small bible clutched in his hands.

“Psalms 127:3 - Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” he said softly. Harry’s dark brows furrowed and he turned on Tom.

“And why would God want something so horrible for one of his children, hmm? I’m beginning to think your words are empty, dusty relics of days gone by.” he hissed. Tom jerked as if struck.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Tom replied softly. Harry’s aura flared, and his eyes burned emerald.

“Thoughts of peace, eh? Where were the thoughts of peace when you were taken by murderers? Where were his thoughts when we were trekking across all of fucking England to find you and the girl who tried to protect you? Where was the thoughts of peace when I was drugged and then forced to rape a friend?”

Grace huddled down into herself, burying her face deep into Nala’s fur.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.” Tom replied evenly. Harry raised his hand as if to slap Tom, and Sirius intervened. He grabbed Harry by the front of his robes and shook him hard.

“Stop it! Both of you stop it! Harry, son, I know you’re tired but you have to wake up! Look what you’re doing to Grace.” he said. Harry’s eyes cut to where Grace was sitting. She was rocking slightly as she held on to Nala, and the Gryffix was eyeing them with disdain, her beak clicking in an annoyed fashion.

Harry pulled back from Sirius’ grasp, and smoothed down the front of his robes.

“I’m...I’m sorry. I...I’ve been working non-stop for this.” he said, placing his briefcase on the coffee table in front of him. He withdrew a picture from within it, and held it out to Grace.

“This is a home in the mountains of North Carolina. I bought it for us. I’m assured that the place is private, but beautiful. I thought it might be nice to get away from England for a little while, and I’ve never seen the States.” he said. She looked up from Nala’s side and glanced at the photo. The red brick house was large, but not intimidating, with pretty white shutters and a large yard all around it.

“What’s this for?” she asked softly, looking up at Harry.

“It’s...It’s for us.” he said. He put down the photo and reached into his briefcase again. This time he withdrew a small black box. Grace inhaled sharply as he went down on one knee in front of her. He held out the box and opened it, revealing a simple silver band with a square cut diamond. It was basic but beautiful. “This was my mother’s. It was retrieved before she was buried and put into the Potter vaults until such time as I had need for it. I want you to have it, Grace.” he said softly.

Sirius and Tom were silent as Grace stared at the ring.

“Is...is this because of the baby?” she asked, her voice choked.

“I would be a liar if I said that the baby didn’t have a little to do with it. But it’s not all...I want this baby to have both parents. I...I think we both deserve a little happiness in our lives. I want to share this with you.” he said, trying to ignore the thumping of his heart against his rib cage.

Grace was staring at the ring with trepidation and excitement. She was scared...but she was more frightened of raising the baby alone. She liked Harry, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to marry him. She gently nudged Nala aside, and stood from the chair. She shifted her IV stand and then knelt in front of Harry. She leaned forward and hugged him.

“I’m not going to say no.” she murmured into his ear. “But I’m not going to say yes, yet, either. I think getting out of here is a wonderful idea. I could use a break and so could you...but I don’t want you to feel obligated to marry me. If we do get married I want it to be because we both love each other and want to spend eternity together.” she said gently. He was still for a few moments, before his arms wrapped around her as well.

“So when do we leave?” she asked after a several silent moments. Harry pulled back from her, his eyes moist.

“Three days.”

~~

Hermione sat in the solarium, staring out at the grounds of the sprawling Manor. Lucius had been angry and silent these past couple weeks. She tried to coax him out of his shell, but he ignored her and went about his business.

She knew it was because of her interference. She knew it was because she hadn’t allowed him to complete his action of giving Grace that Abortion Potion. But she just...couldn’t find it within herself to be angry with herself. She had done the right thing. Lucius cared for his children. He did...but he tended to make horrifying mistakes when he was trying to help them.

What had he thought would happen? That she would wake up and see that he had killed the life within her and thank him? That she would see the act as completely selfless and be forever grateful? He hadn’t even thought to ask her opinion. He hadn’t consulted her at all. And more importantly, he hadn’t consulted Harry.

Harry, whether Lucius liked it or not, was the baby’s father. He was the ultimate decision caster in the child’s life just as Lucius was to Grace. But he didn’t see it that way.

Hermione was hurt that he would so carelessly cast aside the life of an unborn child. Just because the baby wasn’t born yet didn’t make it any less alive. It hurt to know that his opinion was not an uncommon one, either. For convenience sake...for selfish reasons....sometimes for seemingly good reasons people would terminate a life that had not even begun yet.

But there were so many people who would love those little lives as their own. People who couldn’t have their own children. People just like her. She hadn’t told many people...

The night of the attack on the Department of Mysteries, when she had been hit by Dolohov’s mysterious curse, she had lost the ability to carry her own child. She had been rendered barren by a curse no one knew anything about. She had not been so upset when she found out. She had tried to be practical. She was a woman who would like a career. Careers weren’t good for children.

But as the years passed and she saw others she knew marrying off and having their children, a place inside of her ached for one of her own. She wanted desperately to have her own baby, even though she knew that it was not in the cards for her.

And so the thought that some people would throw away a life given so easily tore at her. It gnawed at her insides and tore open that gaping hole in her life.

~~

She packed her things carefully, shrinking them and putting them away deliberately. She was done. Grace and Harry were out of the country. Sirius had floo’d the information to Lucius, who had gone on an angry rampage. He had ended the day with a drinking binge and passed out on the floor in his room, completely bypassing Hermione again.

She was tired. She was tired of how he was acting.

“Hermione?”

She looked up to see Draco standing in the doorway, a dark look on his face.

“I can’t stay here...” she said, cursing when her voice broke.

“I know. He’s in a snit and he needs to get over it. I do not blame you.” he said. Hermione’s resolve broke, and she began to cry.

“I love him. I love him so much that it hurts...but I can’t be around him like this. It’s killing me to see him hurt...but there is nothing he can do. He’s....”

“Brooding?” Draco offered. Hermione gave a watery smile.

“Yes. I think he needs some time to work out what he’s feeling.” she said. Draco moved forward and embraced Hermione in a brotherly hug.

“Good luck, Hermione.” he said softly. Hermione pulled back and looked up at him.

“Thank you, Draco. Here, give this to your father.” she said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out an envelope. he took it from her, and watched as she fastened her suitcase. She picked it up, shrunk it, and placed it in her pocket. “I hope to see you soon.” she said, and walked past him from the room. Draco looked at the envelope and sighed.

His father was stubborn, and he had a feeling this was the last he’d see of Hermione here for a long while.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yay! Well, it seems there are some separations going on. I'm geared up for a major time skip here, and I hope you'll enjoy it. I think you guys will like how I handled the end of this chapter and where the story picks back up. Look forward to hearing your responses!
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Amazing Grace