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Prisoners of Love - A Mystery - COMPLETE	By : LaBibliographe Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Lucius/Hermione Views: 75190 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 39
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Updated 12-4-07

Hugs to all of you for your thoughtful comments and insights. This story has been adjusted, reshaped here and there, and polished because of your ideas, observations, and suggestions. The story has been made stronger and given more facets due to your feedback and I thank you!

Some replies:
sarahyellow You may imagine Lucius in any way that pleases you.

Sailor Sol Thank you for the chocolate shaped roses. Delish!

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For all readers who have asked who the villains are, this is THE CHAPTER!! Answer found below!! (hands out wands so all may be protected in case one of them comes after you! Please practice your stupefys, but not on each other.)

This is the penultimate chapter. One more to go after this one.

Warning: A bit of wand action ahead, used as a weapon.

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Chapter Forty

Climax
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“Can’t you find one tiny baby?” growled the first voice in a harsh whisper, trying to peer into the gloom of the upper hallway of the Malfoy mansion.

“I can’t locate any small bodies in this pile except the elves, and Malfoy wouldn’t care if I annihilated all of them,” replied the second voice sourily. “I think the baby’s room must be charmed against detection. I’d do that if I knew someone was continually attempting to break into my estate.”

“I want that baby as a weapon to draw the parents out. Malfoy will be incredibly dangerous – we need some extra insurance. The baby can be a shield to slow him down before he can get us. I want to make sure both Malfoys are dead first. Then we can torch the place and cover up the deaths to look accidental. If a few elves die in the fire, too bad.” The first voice shrugged in unconcern.

“Well, unless you want to search every benighted bedroom in this museum, I suggest we abandon the tyke and locate the adults before we trip some internal charm or ward and become the newest inmates of Azkaban. Or worse.”

The two slunk along the upper hallway at the back of the mansion, using their wands to recognize and nullify any stray traps before they set them off. There hadn’t been many and the ones they’d found had been obvious and clumsy. That had worried them, but they needed to get rid of the two Malfoys before everything was pieced together and all their plans were ruined. If the Malfoys died and the mansion burned, the uproar would send the magic community in a totally different direction, away from their own misdeeds. The criminals would start a rumor that it had been Lucius’ new central heating that had caught the house on fire.

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Lucius had been right to distrust his purveyor of unicorn manure as ripping him off. The man hadn’t turned a hair at sneaking the two villains onto the estate when he delivered his final shipment to the stables. Lucius had told the greedy merchant he was changing suppliers and the man had no compunction in making a nice pile of galleons for hiding the two evil-doers on his manure wagon, letting them off on a back, wooded acre within the compound before trundling on to the main gardening sheds.

After nightfall, it was easy for the two to approach the mansion and use their wands to find a weakly warded French window ironically placed right at the front of the mansion in a formal, but little used parlor.

Lucius had unilaterally decided that the villains needed to be caught, but not by a group of amateurs who were going to lie in wait for who knew how many ruthless men or women. Several of the group could be hurt or killed trying to be heroes. These criminals were trying to murder him and his family and he would take care of the situation his way. Once the little group of investigators had accomplished their real purpose, to locate for Lucius who the villains likely were, Lucius and Severus had quietly made other plans.

So the very next day and well before Friday, when Scrimgeour was due to announce the Inventory Audit of Departmental supplies to the Magic Council, Hermione was invited to visit her parents for that week. Lucius had privately asked George Granger to invite his daughter and grandson to their home ostensibly to see the baby.

Hermione was reluctant to go until her friends said she had plenty of time yet for spying on Le Fay as the new inventory wouldn’t be announced until the end of the week and after that no one knew when a clandestine meeting of the villains would take place so the process might be lengthy. George Granger knew there were unvoiced overtones to Lucius’ secret request, but it wasn’t his world so he forbore to ask any questions and for that Lucius was grateful. George felt secure in knowing Lucius would always protect Hermione and if she needed to be at her parents’ house, so be it.

That left the field clear for Severus and Lucius to wait for the enemy.

It was decided between the two dark wizards to let the enemy come to them, and as luck would have it, the villains made another attempt to breach the wards of the estate the same afternoon of the Friday that Scrimgeour made his announcement. Le Fay had not been at Azkaban all week, because immediately after the Hogwarts meeting of the volunteer vigilantes, Lucius and Snape had quietly drawn him onto the mainland for a series of lucrative black market deals through one of their less upright associates, so the little amateur group of spies had missed his trip to the mainland, thinking him still at the prison in the North Sea.

This time the villains had gotten bolder and were attempting to get into the estate by stealth a new way, so Lucius and Severus obligingly allowed them ingress to the estate with the manure wagon and merely tracked two unknowns through the back acres and up to the mansion by a couple of ravens Snape kept as personal pets. The birds had done this type of thing quite a bit during Voldemort’s time and were seasoned veterans at inconspicuous tracking. Both Lucius and Snape were relieved there were only two people involved. That made it much simpler. Lucius made a mental note to deal with the manure supplier later.

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In the dark upper hallway of the Malfoy mansion a whisper grated, “Don’t you know where Malfoy’s bedroom is?” The second voice was getting antsy.

“And why should I know that?” the first voice replied testily, “Are you implying I have any interest in the bastard other than killing him?”

“Of course not, but I thought you rich types would all have been hobnobbing in each other’s homes for years.”

“We’ve ‘hobnobbed’ as you so colorfully put it, in our mansions’ public rooms, not in each other’s bedrooms. Now shut up and sweep the corridor on that side for traps. We should be getting close enough to find the bedroom by detecting two adult bodies. See if you can get a reading with your prison wand. When we get out of here, I want a wand like yours. I know it’s supposed to be only for Azkaban guards checking cellblocks, but I want the ability to detect bodies from fifty feet away. That might come in handy someday when I’ve toppled Malfoy to become the top financial wizard and I manage to make as many enemies as he has.” The first voice was already seeing himself as the main mover and shaker of the wizarding financial world, as a stepping-stone to controlling the Ministry.

The two malefactors crept forward in the dark, scanning the hall and the rooms on either side trying to locate the master bedroom. The leader thought it must be in this wing from the general layout of the old mansion, which was not unlike his own estate where his overbearing mother had the master suite still, refusing to budge even though his father was long dead. When he was Minister of Magic he’d pass a law forcing relict wives to relinquish the Master suite to the new head of the household. Rotten, alcoholic bitch. Why couldn’t she see he was supposed to be in charge?

Ten more paces in the dark and the two came to what appeared to be the right room. “Shh,” said the leader, “We’ll open the door and push it to the wall in case anyone is behind it. This sitting area will connect to the master bedrooms. It should be a suite with two bedrooms. Don’t do anything stupid and fall over any furniture.” He gently lifted the latch, swung the door to the wall and slithered inside. Le Fay followed suit, thinking that his partner would look very attractive splattered on his own terrace in an accidental fall from his balcony some day soon. The Warden’s son had more ambition than to be a rich, but slightly insane aristocrat’s sidekick.

They slowly crept across the carpet of the dark sitting room and got nearly to the middle when they hit a cold spot and both of them got a rash of goosebumps undulating across their skins. One more hesitant step each and both of them were swept into a frozen vortex, spinning them out of their place in space and time and gently setting them down again in a lovely garden bordered by a high box hedge, the moon bathing the plants in a serene glow of cool light.

Le Fay and his partner looked at each other in bewilderment, before starting to turn and find out where they were. Both men froze and not from the cool night air, as two wands were pointedly shoved into their necks from behind. The voice they heard brought up a new rash of goosebumps - of terror. “Drop your wands, please,” said the cultured voice they both knew extremely well. And kick them into the bushes.”

They both clutched their own wands tightly, a lifetime’s instinctive reflex kicking in. The wands dug more painfully into their necks. Two wands fell from nerveless hands to the ground and were kicked into the foliage beside the gravel path of the flower garden.

“Hardcastle. Why am I not surprised? How is your Mummy? Still pulling on those apron strings?” Lucius asked rhetorically, moving around in front of the two thief-murderers. Snape moved to stand off to the side nearest the junior Le Fay. Both of the former Death Eaters’ wands stayed raised on their targets. “Have you come to take over my position as the major player for Pureblood finances? I know you’ve wanted it for years. You were clever and I didn’t see the frame up for what it was. I thought Scrimgeour was just double-crossing me. Congratulations.

“And you, Le Fay. Trying to get me to do your killing for you. I have a lovely wife and son now. Thank you. Unfortunately, you’re endangering my new family and I can’t allow that.” Lucius turned to Hardcastle, “Do you prefer white roses or red?”

Hardcastle and Le Fay stood very still, the wands pointing at them were lethal and both of their owners were, too. “Huh?” said Hardcastle, shivering in the night air, “Red, I guess. Look, Malfoy, this has all been a big mistake.” He figured Lucius couldn’t prove anything against him and his bravado rose to the fore.

Lucius looked mournfully at the two men, “I agree. It’s a waste of two very intelligent, if rather psychotic minds, but it can’t be helped.” He said kindly, “Would you two like to drink a quick-acting poison or just have the Killing Curse in your gut? I use a slight variation – very painful and messy.” Malfoy smiled gently, “Your choice, gentlemen.”

Hardcastle sneered at his longtime nemesis and snarled, “I have friends who’ll come after your wife and that Halfblood brat you’re so fond of and carve them into little pieces. You can’t kill me or I’ll - ”

With a swift chanting of the deadliest Unforgivable, Lucius’ wand shot green fire and Hardcastle dropped to the ground screaming obscenities as his innards spilled onto the gravel walk and lay gently steaming in the night air. After less than a minute, which seemed like forever to the shocked Le Fay, the Pureblood Hardcastle stilled, stone dead, a hole gaping squarely through his middle.

The blond wizard looked down at the body, then at his wand, which he let point at the ground as the gentle sizzling of the recoil left his fingers. He still had the touch. Not bad, if a little anti-climactic. He looked coolly at the remaining wizard, no outward hint of emotion staining his perfect features, stone cold, gray eyes assessing his remaining captive.

Le Fay backed up shrieking, “The poison! I’ll take the poison! Don’t curse me. Please.” He sank to his knees and sobbed in the dirt of the garden.

Snape stepped forward, grabbing the gibbering villain’s hair and making him look up into black, pitiless eyes, “Was Hardcastle telling the truth? Are there more of you?” he asked in his low, velvet voice, the flinty question at odds with the mellifluous tones of the Hogwarts Headmaster.

“No,” cried Le Fay. “Just…just us.” He collapsed on the ground, curling into a fetal ball and rocking like an inmate of an insanity ward.

Snape looked at Lucius who stared back unemotionally. The wilting coward on the ground had tried to kill Hermione four times, once by putting her in his cell, once by feeding him lies about her dating other men, once by tampering with their coach when she was still pregnant, and tonight. The conscienceless scumbags had also been quite willing to murder his new baby. Lucius narrowed his eyes at Snape who shrugged and brought out a small vial, pulling up Le Fay to his feet and shoving it into his hand. Le Fay knew his choice was the poison or the third Unforgivable.

Le Fay looked at the vial hopelessly and said, “It was supposed to be perfect. I would have been powerful and rich like you. Richer. I was supposed to have it all. It’s all the fault of that bitch and her damned accounting system,” he said wildly, “Why couldn’t she have just died like she was supposed to?” He saw Malfoy start to raise his wand and he quickly drank down the poison. A twitch of his eyelids, an aborted grab for his throat and he fell over as dead as his partner.

“Too easy,” was all Lucius said.

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Le Fay didn’t know it, but his unmarked body was a boon to his executioners. Le Fay Junior’s body had to show up near Azkaban in an apparent accident. Lucius groused to himself, Another damn trip on a broomstick at night with a corpse. He was really getting too old for this, although it did bring back memories of his younger years. Hardcastle’s body was easier. That bastard was going to enjoy lying way under a lovely bed of red roses in the Malfoy gardens - his gardens were known for their superlative roses. The compost in the Forbidden Forest would have to wait for other victims. One body overnighted to a distant spot was enough. And everyone thought Lucius kept his body in top physical shape for vanity’s sake. He smiled.

Snape had brewed the polyjuice potion at Lucius’ request months ago and had kept a large quantity available in stasis for any of a variety of scenarios they had envisioned. Severus had taken a hair from the defunct Hardcastle’s head and, masquerading as the dead wizard, he had ostentatiously used a public portkey to go to Albania, returning as yet another person with a second polyjuice disguise. Snape didn’t think anyone would recognize Hermione’s erstwhile Muggle housekeeper, and her old gray hairs were all over the scarf she used to tie back her sparse locks when she cleaned Hermione’s little house. That had been Lucius’ idea.

Snape shook his head, grimacing in distaste. What he did for Hogwarts and his friend and fellow Slytherin. He was relieved when the second potion wore off and he no longer looked like the elderly Muggle female. Using the loo as a woman was always so unappealing.

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“Well,” said Scrimgeour several days later, “It appears that Hardcastle somehow knew we were closing in on him. It was probably my announcement of the new inventory to the Magic Council. He was conspicuous by his absence at the next Council meeting. We’ve had word he’s disappeared into Albania. Who knows where he’s got to now? I guess he was going to let Le Fay twist in the wind alone.”

Le Fay Junior’s body had washed up on the shore in Scotland, suggestively tangled in some fishing line and rather the worse for wear. The official record said accidental death. Scrimgeour was closer to the truth, but didn’t have the name right when he said to the group, “Hardcastle might even have murdered Le Fay Junior himself to keep his accomplice quiet, but now we’ll never know.”

The Minister appeared distinctly unhappy with the abrupt conclusion to the danger and plotting of the two criminals who had sought to take over Lucius’ financial empire and in the end, run the Ministry as well. When Hardcastle had gone missing and been seen absconding to Albania, his mansion had been searched and secret parchments had been found among Hardcastle’s papers giving enough hints to see that the wizard’s ambitions had been boundless. Scrimgeour was at least relieved that his office and the Magic Council had been saved a great deal of embarrassment and upheaval.

Lucius just looked politely interested in Rufus’ interpretation of events, nodding at decent intervals. He wanted to get home and soak his sore back in the tub again. Night flying in the frigid temperatures of an upper elevation while hunched over a dead weight was hell on the spine.

The others who had helped discover the miscreants sat in a loose circle around Scrimgeour’s scarred desk in the few uncomfortable chairs offered in his office. No one was saying much. “At least the inventory has been recovered and the prisoners all have the supplies they were meant to have. I can say first hand that it makes a big difference in that place.” Hermione was trying to say something positive for the glum group. Everyone was annoyed that Hardcastle had got clean away.

Snape had been called away to Hogwarts on urgent business and wasn’t part of the little band. He was currently taking a thorough inventory of his own, cataloging the Potions Mistress’ personal assets in her dungeon bedroom. Nothing was missing that he could see, except her knickers and other unnecessary clothing.

“Well,” said Harry gruffly, breaking the morose silence, “I’m glad you’re safe now, Hermione. And little Lucien.” He glared at Lucius who smiled blandly back. Ginny’s right, thought Harry, I’m only hurting myself and Hermione and my own wife. He grudgingly added, “I’m glad for Hermione’s sake, you’re not dead either, Malfoy.” He sat back looking like he’d bitten into a lemon. Ginny leaned over and gave Harry a kiss on the cheek.

“I do appreciate the kind words, Potter.” Lucius nodded briefly at the young man with no sarcasm in evidence. “I know that makes Hermione happy and her happiness is my main concern – always.” Lucius knew they would never be friends but perhaps now a middle ground could be reached. Potter was too irritatingly noble and straight arrow to ever figure into Lucius’ convoluted world except on the surface. But Hermione loved Harry and a small place could be made for the Gryffindor wizard to exist as her friend, if not his.

One by one or two by two the little band broke up to return to their homes; their investigation was finished and most importantly, Hermione and her husband and child were no longer at risk for their lives. Lucius and Hermione were the first to leave, returning to their estate to cuddle Lucien and finally relax.

Hermione was exhausted from the chaos her life had been and the sudden let down of stress made her droop in her place beside Lucius on their sofa. Lucien had long since been tucked into his crib.

“I think Harry will come round now. Maybe not soon, but someday. I’m glad. His anger was very distressing to me, having to basically exist in two realities, never being able to say your name at his home without him becoming sullen.” Hermione covered her mouth for a face-splitting yawn.

“For your sake I’m glad, too.” Lucius replied. “Why don’t you go on up to bed. I want to check all the wards on the estate one more time just to feel comfortable.”

Hermione nodded sleepily and apparated up to bed. Within minutes she was fast asleep, having shucked off her clothes every which where and snuggling under the covers without even brushing her teeth.

Ten minutes later, Lucius peeked into their bedroom to see his wife curled up and dead to the world. He walked out of their bedroom and sitting room into the mansion hallway and apparated away, wishing like hell he could soak in the tub instead.

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“I wondered if you were going to return,” said Scrimgeour, still ensconced at his desk. He gestured to a decanter now sitting on his desk and Lucius poured himself a healthy draught of the firewhiskey, seating himself with an inward grimace for his sore back on the least damaged of the chairs in front of the desk.

“I imagine you want a final report,” Lucius said easily, a charming smile topped by hard eyes. He still didn’t trust Rufus as far as he could throw a mountain troll and so he waited for the other man to open the conversation.

Rufus began with a question, “Did you know two guards at Azkaban named Jax and Ben?”

Lucius’ interest was piqued, “Yes, very well. They were fond of throwing their considerable weight around and both of them initially made an attempt to rape Hermione. A few days later, Jax was going to try again. It was one reason I married her – to keep her safe.”

“Well, in Hardcastle’s papers at his estate, it mentioned them as sub rosa employees of the two villains and there was a notation by each of their names that their employment was terminated, with no final paychecks issued. Both of them have gone missing from Azkaban. I suspect we’ll never see either of them again.”

Lucius wasn’t at all sorry to hear that, but he forbore to comment.

Scrimgeour’s face looked like it might have entertained the idea of smiling for a second, but it never happened. He leaned forward, “I do realize that my officially making you and Severus licensed Aurors with the legal power of life or death over magic folk was pretty much an exercise in farcical redundance, plus it feels unpleasantly like I’m spitting down into an updraft, but I agreed with you both that sending out our amateur crew to face an unknown, desperate enemy was not the preferred course. I assume that Hardcastle has not relocated to Albania for the winter skiing?”

“Nor for the summer hiking, I’m afraid. He is currently adding to the beauty of the world in a much more ‘earthy’ way.” Lucius sipped at his firewhiskey with every appearance of relaxed bonhomie, but mildly warned, “You don’t want to know.”

“No, I suppose I don’t, not that the details would distress me, but the urge to try to nail you for the crime would be hard to overcome. It still pains me that I gave both you and Snape those parchments approving each of you for carte blanche as a licensed Auror. I trust the bodies won’t start piling up around the Ministry.” Scrimgeour exhaled deeply as he contemplated two dangerous and powerful wizards let loose on the magic community. He knew they both had their own versions of honor or he couldn’t have taken the course he did, but it annoyed him just the same.

“I don’t plan on doing the Ministry’s job for it, if that’s what you mean.” Lucius sat back in his chair, easing his back muscles as the firewhiskey started to numb the pain, “I have enough to do with my own businesses and new family. I haven’t married the most compliant woman in the magic community, you know.” A contented smile sneaked out and lit his face at the thought of his wife and son.

“And she might not like finding out all the businesses you have, I’m sure,” jabbed Rufus without much heat. “But she seems happy, Merlin knows why. Do you honestly think you’ll be able to continue with some of your more ‘creative’ enterprises with her living with you?”

Lucius’ smile turned quizzical as he acknowledged a hit, “Not honestly, no,” he laughed. “I’ve already had to change quite a lot of my entrepreneurial techniques, shall we say. She’s already offered to help me by keeping my books. I should have realized the accountant in her would want to do that. It’s not that my businesses aren’t legal in the strict sense, but I know she wouldn’t like the sources of some of the income and somehow that matters more to me than the thrill of besting someone in a deal or owning some of my more colorful enterprises.”

“So,” Rufus asked, changing the subject so he could have everything accounted for, “Le Fay wasn’t clumsy about his fishing line either, I take it?”

Lucius just lifted one eyebrow and said obliquely, “Did you know he was responsible for putting Hermione in my cell to begin with? He thought I would murder her because she’s Muggleborn. I find it amusing that the thought never even crossed my mind.” He chuckled suddenly, “Well, THAT thought never crossed my mind.”

Scrimgeour reluctantly cracked a small man-to-man smile and the meeting broke up.

tbc...

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Mystery laid to rest, in more ways than one. Good (if we can call our two dark wizards 'good') triumphs over evil once again. I'm just glad Lucius and Severus were on our side.

So, how did the body paint work out for all of you? Dynonugget, when you returned Snape he had several splotches of green paint on his, ahem, person. Next time, please lick off the excess before bringing him back. He says it’s itchy when it dries. Thanks.

PLEASE, if you review, don’t mention the names of the villains, in case a future reader looks through the reviews before starting the story. Much appreciated!

And all you lurkers out there – you only have one more chapter to make my day (hmmm, wrong Harry, wrong film - just pay attention to the sentiment, okay?) I would love to hear from you.

One more chapter to go...

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Prisoners of Love - A Mystery - COMPLETE