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Catch and Release	By : AndreaLorraine Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Lucius/Hermione Views: 19606 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his universe aren't mine and I'm not making any profit from the writing of this fanfic.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
�� June came
quickly.� Right after Hermione warned Lucius that she might not be able to see him as much
because Rose would be home for the summer holiday, her daughter surprised
her.� She came home begging to go to a Quidditch camp that Madame Hooch had begun with some extra
funding the school received.� Evidently
she had shown some promise as a Keeper, which should have come as no surprise
considering her father was actually fairly talented in that department.

�� Hermione
let her go, glad that Rose wasn�t petrified of flying like she was.� She knew that Rose�s involvement with Quidditch would thrill Ron to no end, as well, and wasn�t
bitter about it.� She had more or less
stopped caring about him and what he did.�
She only wanted her daughter to be happy.

�� More unexpected,
though, was who she was going to camp with.�
Her companions would be Albus Severus Potter and none other than Scorpius
Malfoy.� She
had seen Rose say goodbye to Scorpius at King�s
Cross, but assumed that it wasn�t anything more than good manners on her
part.� Apparently she was wrong.� In fact, Harry joked that the three children
were fast becoming the next Golden Trio in spite of the fact that not a single
one was a member of Gryffindor House.

�� She had not
been surprised when Rose was sorted into Ravenclaw.� Nor was she surprised when she heard through
the grapevine that Draco Malfoy�s
son was a Slytherin.�
The great shock had come when Albus Severus was sorted into Hufflepuff.� There was an entirely tactless moment of
quiet chagrin when Harry related that to everyone at The Burrow that
September.� Even Ginny seemed a little
ashamed of it.� Hermione could not
believe the sway that house politics still
had on everyone; hadn�t they learned?�
She wished that Hogwarts wouldn�t sort at all, but the tradition
stubbornly persisted.

She had spoken up in an irritated
tone to remind everyone that Cedric Diggory was a Hufflepuff, and if Albus Severus turned out to be half the man Cedric was, that was
just fine.� Harry shot her a look of
grateful relief and the topic never came up again.� Everyone accepted it and moved on, though she
knew that James frequently teased his younger brother about not being in
Gryffindor.

�� Hogwarts
nonsense aside, Ron certainly wouldn�t like that his daughter was hanging
around with a Malfoy.�
Hermione smirked to herself.� He
wouldn�t like that his ex-wife was hanging around with a Malfoy,
either.� Not that he�d ever know.� No one would.�

�� Hermione
shook her head and picked up her purse.�
If they didn�t leave now, Rose was going to miss the train.� Lord knew the girl had inherited her
over-packing gene.� She would have to
make her one of those little sparkly handbags that fit a house�s worth of junk
inside�

�� After
seeing Rose off, she pulled out the small nautical log book Lucius
bought her.� He had a second, identical
one, and she had charmed it so that whatever he wrote in that appeared in
hers.� That was how she got the
coordinates week after week.

�� After
taking a few minutes to memorize the coordinates, she prepared herself to Apparate.� Sometimes
it was over a very great distance and would tire her out.� This time wouldn�t be so bad.

�� He was
about 400 miles off the west coast of Africa
at the Tropic of Cancer.� Closing her
eyes, she focused on her destination.� A
minute later she appeared on the deck of the boat with a loud pop.

�� He was
nowhere to be found.� That wasn�t cause
for alarm; sometimes he suffered from wanderlust and would go for very long
swims.� They�d figured out that the best
ways to channel and expel his magic were through sex and through his animagus transformation.�
Fortunately, he was able to engage in both on a regular basis and he no
longer felt the itch of madness at the edge of his mind.

He didn�t return by nightfall.� Hermione was tired from the stress of seeing
Rose off, so after making herself a quick dinner (fish � she could only ever
get away with that when he wasn�t there) she retired to the cabin and dropped
into a restful sleep.

Sure enough, she woke with him at
her side.� Lucius
was sleeping soundly, nude as usual.� She
noticed a healing gash on his side and frowned.

�� She hated
when he got hurt and didn�t contact her.�
Hermione could only imagine the pain of swimming in salt water with an
open wound.� Never mind the sort of
infections he could get if not properly taken care of.� He couldn�t heal himself, but he never called
for her help.

�� Silly fool.� While he
slept, she healed him.� Then she went up
to the boat�s little galley and began breakfast.

�� Some time
later, she felt him come up behind her.�
He pressed his body against hers and kissed the side of her neck.� �Thank you for healing me,� he murmured as
his hands slid to her hips.

�� You�re
welcome.� What was it this time?�

�� Had a run-in with some coral while escaping a shark.�

�� She
sighed.� �I shouldn�t even ask.�

�� He lifted
her hair and kissed the back of her neck this time.� �You don�t have to worry about me.�

�� I just
wish you would contact me when you get hurt.�

�� And how am
I supposed to do that?� There isn�t
exactly a proliferation of owls in the middle of the ocean.�

�� We�ve
talked about the mobile phone.�

�� Yes.� We�ve also talked about how they�re not
waterproof.�

�� She
sighed.� He was right.� They�d had this conversation at least a dozen
times and it always ended the same way.�
Hermione turned in his arms and kissed his blond-stubbled
chin.

�� I�m just a
worrywart.�

�� Mm,� he
agreed mildly.� �So you�ve shipped Rose
off to camp?�

�� She
pretended not to notice his deft yet purposeful change of subject.� Humoring him, she allowed herself to be
guided to the new topic.� �Yes, and guess
who she�s gone with?�

�� Who?�

�� Harry�s son and your grandson.�

�� Scorpius?�

�� Hermione
nodded.� �She spends quite a lot of time
with him, or so I hear.�

�� Well, that
indicates that young Scorpius has inherited his
grandfather�s excellent taste.�

�� I think
so,� she smiled.� �She has a picture of
him in her jewelry box.�

�� Her jewelry box?� Lucius
mused.� �Is young love afoot?�

�� Possibly.� If he�s
anything like you, I may have to give this Scorpius
boy a sound talking to.�

�� He laughed,
and a moment later he trailed his tongue along the curve of her ear.� �I can�t imagine what you mean,� he said in a
low voice.

�� Cool it,�
she smiled, �unless you want your breakfast burned.�

�� Good
heavens, no.�� He disengaged himself from
her obligingly and wandered off to get dressed.�
If he had his way he would never wear clothes, and while that was
tempting, Hermione knew she would get absolutely nothing done if he was allowed
to flounce around naked all the time.�
And flounce he would.

�� She hummed
as she finished breakfast.� Today she had
a surprise for Lucius.� When she was poking about her daughter�s
things in search of a bracelet, she had come upon that picture in the jewelry
box.� The funny thing was that she
recognized it.� It was the Malfoy family Yule Card, circulated far and wide to those
deemed worthy.� For some reason, she and
Rose were worthy that year.� The card had
disappeared after the holiday and Hermione thought nothing of it, assuming that
it had been thrown out.

�� Now it made
sense; Scorpius had probably badgered his mother into
sending it.� Rose absconded with it when
the Christmas decorations were taken down.�
Hermione smiled and shook her head.�
The two children were already infatuated with one another and they were
barely thirteen.

�� Well, if
they were to be sweethearts, at least they wouldn�t have to hide it.� Ron would be furious but Hermione was fully
prepared to take on that fight for her daughter�s sake.� Ron just had to get over himself.

�� She could
hardly wait to see Lucius�s expression when she gave
him the card.� He had never seen a
picture of his grandchildren.� He had no
idea what they looked like.� It was the
same for his daughter-in-law.� And, if he
and Draco were truly as estranged as she thought, he
probably had not seen his son�s face in a very long time.

��

�� Later that
day, he emerged from the boat�s claustrophobic bedroom in a pair of
loose-fitting linen pants and a t-shirt.�
They had spent most of the day swimming and relaxing and that had precluded
the need for real clothing for a bit longer.�
His stomach was growling and Lucius was very
much looking forward to whatever Hermione had prepared for dinner.

�� He took a
moment to enjoy the sunset that was unfolding to port.� He had seen many, but somehow the explosion
of colors never lost any of its beauty.�
Very much like Hermione, actually�

�� He walked
to the front of the boat where they usually ate at a little table that was
bolted to the deck.� Hermione was already
there, fussily re-mixing the salad she�d prepared.� It made him smile.

�� She, too,
was smiling very brightly.� He took his
seat across from her and looked curiously at his plate.� It had a makeshift cover over it, as if the
meal beneath required some grand reveal.

�� What�s
this?� he asked.

�� You�ll
see,� she replied cryptically.

�� Should I
be afraid?�

�� No,�
Hermione laughed.� �Just open it.�

�� With one
more glance at her, he lifted the lid.

�� His
expression wasn�t what she expected.�
First it was perplexed.� Then his
mouth fell open.� Alarmingly, the color
drained from his face.� Hermione felt the
first stirring of panic.

�� Is this�?�
he whispered.

�� Yes,� she
replied, watching him very closely.� �Your family.�
It�s�last year�s Yule card.�

�� He closed
his eyes.� She could see the tension in his
jaw.� Then he reopened them, his blue
eyes nearly as skittish as they had been so long ago on the day she cut his
hair.� Licking his lips nervously, he
picked up the photo card and looked at it.

�� Quenching
her worry, Hermione stood and moved to his side.� She knew he needed her.� She laid her hand on his thigh; a moment
later, his free hand dropped to cover it, his fingers twining in between hers.

�� Draco�he�s so��

�� Grown up?�
she supplied softly.

�� He
nodded.� Hermione�s heart ached.� She was right.� He had not seen Draco
since the Aurors carted him back to Azkaban.� His memory was of a 17 year old, and the card
in front of him held the image of an established man.� A 34 year old man.

�� There was a
long silence.� She knew it was a shock to
him.� She was 35, but in truth she didn�t
look that different from the way she looked when she was 18.� Certainly there were more lines on her face
and gravity had begun to show, but nothing about her had dramatically changed.� Draco, on the other
hand, was no longer the lanky, anemic teen he�d once been.� He�d at last taken ownership of his Malfoy looks.

�� His wife
is very pretty,� Lucius said quietly.� �What is her name?�

�� Astoria.�

�� Greengrass?�

�� Hermione
nodded.

�� I always
thought he liked the older one better.�
Daphne, I think her name was.��
His fingers touched the photograph, just below the older boy in the
photograph.� �That must be Scorpius.�

�� Hermione
nodded again and took a close look at the boy.�
He looked very much like the young Draco had,
though his features were not quite as pointed.�
There was that same platinum hair, which Draco
and Astoria
mercifully left alone.� There was no hair
gel in evidence on either of the boys.

�� And that�s
Antares,� he murmured.� His voice was as close to awed as Hermione
had ever heard it.� The younger boy had Astoria�s more rounded
face, but his eyes were far and away his grandfather�s.

�� What does Draco do?� Lucius asked.

�� He�s a
lawyer.�

�� And Astoria?�

�� She runs a
cosmetics company with her sister.�

�� He
swallowed and put the photograph down.�
He looked almost guilty when he voiced his next question.

�� Do you
know anything about Narcissa?�

�� She smiled
at him.� �It�s all right to ask.� She was your wife.�

�� Was,� he
muttered.

�� She has
gotten into philanthropy with Andromeda.�
She�s fine.�

�� Remarried?�

�� Regretfully,
Hermione nodded.� To her surprise, he
expelled a sigh of relief.

�� I hate her
for leaving me as she did, but at least I know I didn�t ruin her life.�

�� Of course
you didn�t.�

�� No, I
suppose the only life I ruined was mine.�

�� Frowning,
Hermione slid into his lap.� �Lucius, I�m sorry.� I
didn�t mean for this to upset you.�

�� He placed
the picture beneath his silverware so that it wouldn�t blow away and then
wrapped his arms around her.� �I�m not
upset.�

�� Don�t lie.�

�� His arms
tightened about her and he pressed his face into her shoulder for a long
minute.� Then he looked up at her with
stormy eyes.� �You are a wonderful,
wonderful woman.� I don�t deserve you.�

�� Yes you
do.�

�� He shook
his head.� �No, Hermione, I don�t.�

�� She cupped
his cheeks and lowered her lips to his.�
He needed to be disabused of the notion that he wasn�t worthy.� He was the single most amazing man she had
ever been with, and she wasn�t just referring to his prowess in the bedroom.

�� After a
long bout of tender kisses, he lifted his lips away from hers.� This time he cupped her cheeks and offered a
small smile.

�� Thank
you.�

��

�� He was
quiet for the rest of the night.�
Hermione fawned over him, knowing that he needed and deserved the
comfort.� After a decadent dessert, he
went for a swim.� While he was gone
Hermione bathed and got ready for bed.�

�� She was
half-asleep, a book resting on her chest, when she felt him slip into bed
beside her.� His hand grazed over her
hip.� Hermione turned onto her side so
that she could face him.� She kept
restraining herself from apologizing; she didn�t know if what she�d done was
good or bad for him.

�� He reached
out to touch her face.� Her eyes closed
of their own accord; his touch always felt so good, so intrinsically
comforting.�

�� I love
you,� he said suddenly.� �You know that,
right?�

�� A lump rose
in her throat.� He had never said it out
loud, but in all fairness, neither had she.�
Blinking back tears, she responded, �Yes, I know.�

�� He smiled,
more with his eyes than his lips.�
Hermione tried to open her mouth, to tell him that she loved him, too,
but before she got the chance he leaned over to kiss her.� He smothered her declaration.� His hand traveled shamelessly between her
thighs, and with a practiced touch he made coherent speech all but impossible.

�� He
pleasured her until there was no energy left in her body, and Hermione dropped
into a leaden sleep.� His own orgasm was
strong, but for the first time in a long time it was decidedly non-magical.� He was too distracted.

�� He loved
her for bringing that photograph.� He
loved her and hated the way it made him feel.�
Lucius quietly left the cabin and went to sit
on the side of the boat, his feet dangling over the edge.� He needed to think.

�� This last
year had been pure bliss.� She had given
him everything he wanted.� True, a boat
was not a house, but it was theirs.� Well, technically it was hers in name, but
she had made it very clear that it belonged to both of them.� He had a home and someone who cared about him
to live in it � at least for three days a week.

�� He thought
it was enough.� He had almost forgotten
about those other things he was missing, those things that had chewed through
his walls so long ago.� Now that she had
brought that picture, he would never be able to forget.

�� He had
missed literally half of his son�s life.�
The time he had been there, he had been a miserable father.� Now he was missing out on all of his grandsons� lives.� Perhaps age and circumstance were making him
maudlin; regardless, he could not rid himself of the emotions.

�� He missed
his family.� Judging from the photograph
and Hermione�s reports, they had all just gone on without him, as if he had
never existed.� Not that he had expected
them to mourn or be upset that a man such as himself was absent from their
lives; he had done an awful lot to muck them up.� But he was family.� Did that mean
nothing?

It hurt so acutely to be
excluded.� He wondered if his grandsons
even knew he was alive.� If they did,
what did Draco tell them?� Did he fill their heads with a caricature of
an evil man?

�� The thought
of it made tears sting in his eyes.� He
squeezed them shut.� He had been sad on
other occasions during this long odyssey of freedom, spent hours and days
numbly people-watching, but it didn�t compare to how he felt now.

�� There was
nothing he could do to get back in their good graces, nothing at all.� Unless�but no, that was�

�� Madness.�

His hands tightened around the
photograph.� Maybe madness was, for once,
the answer rather than the problem�
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