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The Senior Project	By : Lizski Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Lucius/Hermione Views: 37490 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- 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
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Chapter 7

Ohgods. No. This could not be happening. Absolutely, positively could not be happening. Of course it could, you idiot. You absolute fucking idiot, Hermione. She buried her face in her hands, oblivious to Madame Pomfrey's attempts to comfort her. Gods. Pregnant. With Lucius' child. At least there was no question as to whose child it was. Oh gods.

'Perhaps if you told me who the father is, we could work together to make whatever arrangements you decide upon.' The gentle voice intruded into her private thoughts, a new wave of panic washing through her.

'Arrangements?' Hermione stared at the older woman, her thoughts coming too fast for her to sort out into logical ideas.

'Well, yes. If you want to keep the child. Or, of course,' she lowered her voice, 'Since you are very early on, it might be possible to, ah, end the pregnancy before it progressed any further. If you wanted to, of course,' she added hastily.

Mab's knickers. Of course. End the pregnancy. Only those closest to her would have to know. Maybe she'd never even have to approach Lucius. 'If I wanted to end the pregnancy, would I even have to tell the father?' A distant glimmer of hope entered Hermione's thoughts.

The older witch looked a little uncomfortable. 'Yes, I'm afraid. Almost all abortifacients require that some element of the father be included ' a hair is the most frequently used element. Is there a problem with that?'

Hermione sighed, but it rapidly dawned on her that Lucius would probably be more than willing to supply the required hair. He certainly wouldn't want a child by a Muggle-born witch. Her fears slowly abated, and she shook her head. 'No. I think that would be fine.'

Madame Pomfrey nodded slowly. 'There are a few other problems, given that you are only a student, and while you are of legal age, it will be necessary to tell the Headmaster. Additionally, you will have to talk to Professor Snape, as he will be the one creating and administering the potion.' She paused. 'Perhaps we can call them in tomorrow?'

'Uh. Madame Pomfrey. I know this is probably highly irregular, but can you give me some time ' a couple of days, possibly? I'd like some time to talk with L-the father before I talk to Professor Dumbledore, and Professor Snape. It that at all possible?'

The nurse sighed. 'Ordinarily, my dear, I would say no. But because it is you, and I trust you, I'll give you a few days. Perhaps you can talk to Professor Dumbledore on Wednesday evening? Will that give you enough time?'

Hermione nodded. That would have to be enough time. Gods. 'Yes, that would be fine. Thank you.'

'Of course, my dear. Now here, let me give you a Dreamless Sleep potion ' it will help you rest, and it won't cause any harm to the baby ' if you decide to keep it.'

No danger of that, Hermione thought, reaching for the potion. 'Thank you, Madame Pomfrey. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help ' and your discretion.' The older woman smiled and walked away, the potion rapidly taking effect on Hermione.

****

She woke up in the middle of Sunday afternoon, tired, but considerably less so than she had been in some time. True to its name, the potion had banished Lucius ' and everything else ' from her subconscious for one night. She stretched slowly, and then sat up with a jolt, the events of last night unfolding again.

Damn. She was going to have to contact Lucius.

Madame Pomfrey came over to her when she saw she was awake. 'I know you have some things that you need to take care of. So I'm going to give you a less potent Dreamless Sleep potion ' it should be enough to carry you through the rest of the week. And,' she put another bottle on the bedside table, 'I'm going to give you some extra vitamins. Just in case.' She paused one more time. 'Good luck, and you are more than welcome to come see me at any time. Your secret is safe with me.'

Hermione nodded, her fears slightly diminished by the comforting words of the older witch. 'Thank you.'

'One other thing. I have told your friends that you have simply been overworked, and while they are anxious to see you, make sure that you don't over-tire yourself.'

She nodded again. 'Thank you very much. I'll let you know what happens, and I'll plan on talking to Professor Dumbledore on Wednesday.'

The nurse smiled and turned to let Hermione get dressed.

Dear Lucius,

Shit, she had promised him honesty or silence. Sighing, she decided to simply edit the truth a bit.

I have been thinking about you quite a bit since I last saw you. I would very much like to see you again. Feel free to leave the polyjuice at home.

H.G.

She read it through. It was honest; nothing in there was a lie. It just didn't explain anything. Nor did it really convey her urgency, but she couldn't bring herself to mention the pregnancy in the note. She wanted to tell him about that in person. It didn't seem fair to just mention it in a letter. She went up to the Owlery and sent the note using one of the school birds.

She returned to Gryffindor, where Harry and Ron, and to a lesser extent, Ginny, had declared themselves to be the caretakers of her health. Ginny had brought her stack of Muggle magazines and told Hermione that she wasn't allowed at her textbooks until she had read through at least three of them.

Sighing, she flipped through the pages, her eyes catching on every birth control ad in the magazines.

Damn it. How could she have been so stupid? Why hadn't she stopped to think that this was a possibility? What? He she somehow thought she was immune? Or that Lucius had thought to take care of birth control? She giggled inanely at the idea. He definitely was a 'It's the woman's responsibility' type of guy. Obviously, she reprimanded herself wryly. Hopefully there wouldn't be too much of a hassle in getting him to contribute his 'element' to the potion.

****

She didn't get concerned until Monday night, when she hadn't heard anything back from Lucius. The owl had returned ' she'd checked - but no response was attached. She considered her options. She could try to track him down directly ' including the extremely risky attempt of flooing herself to Malfoy Manor, or she could hope that he'd respond to another letter, or, her last choice was that she could just go directly to Dumbledore and tell him everything.

Damn. The last option was probably the one she'd end up taking. But she really didn't want to tell Dumbledore everything. Particularly with regard to her initial desire to seduce his Potions Master, or her second visit with Lucius. Gods.

Suddenly, a thought struck her. The board of governors for the school met once a month. Lucius would likely attend the meeting, held on the school grounds. She'd have to check the schedule, but because it was the beginning of the month, she thought there might be a meeting Tuesday afternoon. She could just intercept him then, after the meeting, and talk to him.

After all, all she needed was one hair.

A visit to the library later that evening confirmed that there was going to be a board meeting on Tuesday, and Hermione said a brief prayer of thanks to the gods. She might be able to simply tell Dumbledore that the matter was going to be taken care of, and possibly there would be no need to go in to details.

Tuesday afternoon, she positioned herself outside Great Hall on a small bench, almost completely hidden from view. From there, she discovered, she'd be able to see the board members as the left the meeting. She just hoped that they board members weren't as long-winded as some of the faculty could be.

Luckily, the meeting lasted less than an hour. She waited patiently, noting that Lucius was one of the last people to exit the hall. He was within 15 feet of her when she revealed herself. 'Mr. Malfoy. May I have a word with you.' The blonde wizard wheeled around, his eyes narrowed into forbidding slits. She stepped in front of his path, momentarily halting him. 'I need to speak to you Lucius. In private, if possible.'

The cold grey eyes looked at her disdainfully as his upper lip curled into a sneer. 'I have no time for any business with you, Mudblood,' he whispered his last word, 'Slut.' He turned away, his robes billowing out behind him as he stalked away.

'Fuck you, Lucius. You fucking bastard,' she called out at the retreating form, her anger welling from deep within.

'Once my mother left, I thought I was the only one who had that much hatred for him. But I guess I'm wrong.' Hermione turned around, panicked at the sound of a voice she didn't recognize, only to see Draco Malfoy leaning against the building. 'I don't call him 'Lucius', though.'

The knot in her stomach grew larger. Things could only get worse with Draco's involvement. She couldn't see how they could possibly get better.

Draco approached her, resting a hand gently on her shoulder. 'Hey. Are you okay? Whatever he's done, I'll get him back for it. The gods know he already has a lot to pay for. And it seems like he's get a few more sins to add to his list if he's pissed you off, too. Not that it's all that surprising with him.'

Hermione looked the blonde in wonder. 'I'm not like him. I might look like him, but I'm not like him. No matter how much as he wants me to be,' Draco added softly. 'Do you want to go to the kitchens and talk?'

The brown haired witch shook her head. 'I'm sorry. Not right now. I can't.' She knew Draco was extending an olive branch, and as much as she hated to push it away, she couldn't talk to Draco yet. Instinctively, she knew it would be a bad idea.

Draco looked at her, concern etched on his face. 'Look. I know that we've not been the best of friends-' He stopped at her look of disbelief, 'Okay, we've been mortal enemies until this year,' Hermione smiled wanly at his words, 'And I'm probably not the first one you want to talk to, but if it involves my father, I'm happy to do whatever I can to help you out.' He paused. 'Anytime you want to talk, Hermione, let me know. Whatever it is, I might be able to help.'

She blinked back tears. This was not the response she was expecting from the junior Malfoy. 'Thanks, Draco. I really appreciate it. I- I've just got some things I have to get sorted out. But I really appreciate it. And if the offer for a friendly ear is still open in a little bit, I'd love to take you up on it. I just need to get some things settled before I can say anything.'

Draco smiled, dipping his head in acknowledgement. 'Of course. Just don't tell anyone ' or my reputation'll be shot.'

Hermione smiled again, this time feeling it more. 'Of course. Your secret is safe with me. And thanks again, Draco.' Impulsively, she leaned in and gve him a quick hug. The young blonde raised his eyebrows in surprise, but happily returned the hug.

****

Damn him. If she knew a way to effectively curse someone from afar, Lucius would have been covered in boils by now. That fucking bastard. Fucking coward. Black-hearted, lily-livered son of a bitch. Doesn't even have the balls to talk to me. She paced her room angrily, physically venting her wrath on her surroundings.

Soon, though, the anger turned to tears of frustration. She sat on her bed, her knees tucked under her chin, as she rocked herself, the tears streaming down her face. How could she have been so fucking stupid? Not just the lack of birth control, which was patently foolish, but having sex with Lucius at all. Not to mention twice. Sure, the first time was a drastic mistake, but she should have known that it wasn't Severus, and she should have stopped, but reason had flown out the window the minute his lips had touched hers. Even so, she shouldn't have gone to him a second time. What had ever possessed her to suggest that he remove Severus' clothes?

Suddenly, she started laughing. Damn, Granger. You've gone from the proverbial Good Girl to complete disaster in less than a month. How many people could have done a complete reversal like that in such a short period of time? That had to count from something, didn't it? She giggled, on the verge of hysteria, as she briefly wondered whether there was some sort of school prize for such a fast transformation.

Almost as rapidly, her reason kicked in. She couldn't sit in her room crying ' or laughing ' hysterically for ever. Clearly she had to do something about the situation. She'd have to see whether there were other abortifacients that didn't require a contribution from the father. That research she could start tonight. She'd have to talk to Severus about brewing it ' Madame Pomfrey would insist on that. And she'd have to talk to Dumbledore, regardless.

The question was whether to talk to Severus or Dumbledore first. She gnawed on her lower lip, turning the problem over in her mind. Without even being aware of it, she began to relax as soon as her mind was occupied. And the problem was rapidly becoming less scary now that she'd gotten down to the issue of finding a solution.

Severus. She'd go to him first. If he agreed, she could go to Dumbledore with a plan already in place. And if Severus didn't agree to help her, she could always ask the Headmaster to help her persuade his Potions Master. It would mean admitting everything to Severus, and later Dumbledore, and while that was a scary prospect, it was the only real solution to the problem.

When? That was the next question. If at all possible, she decided, she should try to corner him after dinner. That would give her time to set up an appointment with him, and hopefully persuade him to help her before she met with Dumbledore. No doubt Severus would evade her, and even try to humiliate her in the process, but it had to be done. There was no way that she could bear the child of a man who told her that she haunted him, and yet a little over a week later called her a mudblood slut.

Absolutely no way.

Despite her assumption that Severus would be combative, Hermione was confident that she could eventually persuade him to help her, even if she had to call in Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore. Feeling better than she had in days, if not weeks, she showered and got dressed for dinner.

She walked to the head table, pleasantly surprised to see Draco give her an encouraging smile. At least he was making an effort, even if he didn't know what had occurred between herself and his father. Unless, of course, Draco was just trying to collect information for his father. And yet she couldn't believe that. She had freely given Lucius her trust; she could most certainly give Draco the benefit of the doubt. At least until she had reason to think otherwise.

She was happy to see Severus sit down at the head table moments later. She'd just have to catch him at the end of dinner. She turned to Professor Flitwick, and chatted inanely about classes.

Luckily, Severus stayed through all of dinner, and with even more luck, Draco had detained him for a few minutes after the meal. She stood a few feet away from them, watching Draco talk to Severus about some house matter. At another time, she might have been interested, but now she was focused on her goal. Severus turned to leave, and she called out to him. 'Professor. Do you have a moment? I'd like to schedule some time to talk with you, if possible.'

The dark haired wizard turned to her, the look of irritation visible on his features. 'Miss Granger. I am a busy man-'

'Please, professor. I need your help with something.' Gods, please let him at least agree to meet with her.

'Indeed. Although the simple acknowledgement that you need anyone's assistance with anything is almost enough to pique my curiosity. Almost.'

The black eyes surveyed her, and Hermione wondered for a split second if he was going to transform into Lucius, right now in the Great Hall. 'Very well, Miss Granger. A few minutes of my time. The potions classroom in an hour.'

'Yes, sir. Thank you very much!' Relief washed through her as she headed out of the Great Hall and up to the library. An hour would give her some time to research abortifacients.

****

'Professor, I need some help with something.'

'So you said before. Please get to the point. I do not have all evening.'

"I'm pregnant." There. That was straightforward and to the point.

The dark-haired man's expression remained stoic. "Congratulations," he uttered in a completely non-congratulatory tone.

"Professor. I wish to end this pregnancy, and I need your help with an abortifacient."

Still there was no discernable reaction from the older wizard. "And will it be Mr. Weasley's or Mr. Potter's spawn that I will have the pleasure of eradicating from the planet?"

Bastard. She really couldn't help but wonder if the man was actually on the side of the Order, the way he reacted to both Harry and Ron. "Well, that's the problem."

Severus coughed once before glaring at Hermione. "Please. Do. Not. Tell. Me. That you do not know which one is the father. I do not wish to lose my dinner this evening."

Hermione fixed her professor with a very Snape-like glare. "Neither one of them is the father, sir."

Severus looked at her with a new interest. "I'm curious, Miss. Granger. Who is the lucky young man, if not the Wonder Boy or his side-kick?"

She swallowed, avoiding his eyes. "Lucius Malfoy."

The pale man's face turned a surprising shade of pink, and he coughed twice before he spoke. "Pray tell, Miss Granger. Why did you - a Muggle-born witch - choose to, ah, engage in, ah, physical relations with Lucius Malfoy, given the risk of being subsequently tortured and killed?"

This time, she looked directly at the man she had known for almost seven years. "Because I thought he was you."

~~~~

A/N: Heehee! The plot thickens. (Well, I hope it does!) Believe it or not, there are reasons for Lucius' general assholery above and beyond just general character traits, but I can't quite reveal them yet' Anyway, this is slowly turning out to be more fun than I had originally intended, although I hope it doesn't go over the top, with, uh, well-meaning friends.

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. Work really had been getting me down for a bit, but now I feel like I've got a new lease on life, between the skiing, work settling down, and World Cup ski racers running around the ski resort in speed suits this last week' *grin. (Inspiration for chapter 5? Just possibly. Maybe. Heehee.) Anyway, I am going to be hopefully updating this fairly regularly ' I've got things mapped out fairly well, and Redsugg has been helping with some of the details.

Again, thanks to everyone, and reviews are always sustenance for the muses! *grin
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The Senior Project