Welcome! We hope you like this story, The Huntress and Arendora came together to write this for you, (Don't tell anyone but this was an RPG game we started to help me deal with losing my husband and our combined craptacular lives (yes, I am officially making craptacular a word!) and we decided to make it into a story and share it with you wonderful people!) We do hope you enjoy what we spent months writing in our spare time, in between kids, moving, work and a plethora of other everyday things. Enjoy!

As always, neither of us own Harry Potter but we snuck into the playground at JK Rowling's house and slid down the slide and ate all her cookies and drank the pumpkin juice. :)

Chapter 1

A chance meeting…

Diagon Alley, London

The Leaky Cauldron

Even the bravest of men can become the monsters they chase…

Arendora

Hermione Granger had finished her shopping for the day, she was laden with books and various essential items that she had reluctantly ventured into London to obtain and decided to have a drink before heading home. As depressing as home was, and even knowing what awaited her there were she late arriving, she purposely walked to The Three Broomsticks to have a drink before facing anything or anyone else. The mere thought of returning had her so lost in thought she struggled to open the heavy wooden door but eventually managed and headed for her usual table in the corner of the dimly lit pub.

Her sudden fall, face first to the floor, was a shock and sent her purchases scattering across the floor.

"Oh!" She said catching herself with her hands.

Lucius Malfoy watched Hermione walk in the door, laden with bags of what one could only assume was a bookshelf worth of books. He continued to watch her and pondered why she had not shrunk her purchases in order to carry them more efficiently. She was completely distracted, her face pale, her eyes darkened and gaunt; Hermione seemed hollow, much less than what the former fiery know-it-all that Lucius loathed while she had been in school with Draco. He had become increasingly intrigued with her during the war when her undeniable foresight saved more than a fewe people but an entire country. He had seen her tortured and nearly raped, he had seen her fight and do so gracefully during the Battle of Hogwarts. He had seen her stand up for his entire family during the trials that followed, and to see her so broken now stirred something in him he found distasteful.

She was still navigating the tables and not paying attention to her surroundings, her concentration completely focused on anywhere but Lucius.

Unacceptable!

As Hermione moved to walk past him, Lucius frowned, he simply could not let her pass him by without acknowledgement.

I am not staring at you! Absolutely not! It is simply bad form to ignore an acquaintance.

Lucius watched as books, quills, bits of parchment and various other items spilt across the floor. So what if his cane had simply hindered her progress to her destination.

Hermione looked around for what could have been the source of her clumsiness, her eyes landed on a pair of expensive snakeskin boots, up against a pair of midnight black trousers, up to a white shirt covered in a black vest to the amused face of Lucius Malfoy.

"Hello, Mr Malfoy, I apologize for falling like that. I can't seem to find the reason as to why I tripped," Hermione cringed with a polite smile, flicking her wand and gathering her books back into a neat stack.

Of all the people in the world to embarrass herself in front of it had to be Lucius Malfoy; beautiful, vain and completely prejudiced, Lucius bloody Malfoy.

"Miss Granger," he drawled slowly as he watched her pick up the plethora of fallen books and trinkets. He had quickly tucked his cane underneath the table to hide the fact it had been him to trip her. "Or, is it Mrs Weasley now? I saw the engagement announcement in The Daily Prophet some months back, I confess myself disappointed in your choice of spouse."

Lucius knew as soon as the words were spoken he really shouldn't have said it, but to have watched this brilliant woman for years, longer than he really should have, become another breeding ground to a horde of red-headed poverty stricken Weasleys left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Yes, well-we didn't make it that far, if you must know," Her ire rankled, she began to gain a bit of Gryffindor courage, her face reflected hurt, pain, and anger on it more at the topic at hand than Lucius himself. She located her wand once more shrinking her books and placing them into a beaded bag she held close to her chest. Lucius found this quite puzzling, he had seen that bag on numerous occasions, it barely looked big enough to hold a quill, yet he had just seen her place numerous items inside of it. Glancing back at her face, he arched his brow and stared at the myriad of expressions crossing it, flash after flash of emotion until quite suddenly it settled on anger. He seemed quite certain by the hurt and pain, the source of her ire, despite his rather tactless comment, was not directed towards him.

"Would you care to sit and have tea with me, Miss Granger?" He said carefully, watching her expression again for her blatant refusal.

Hermione furrowed her brow in confusion. "Me?" She asked thoroughly unearthed by the king of Pureblood bigotry asking her to have tea with him.

Hermione had been fascinated by the man since the day they met in second year in Flourish and Blotts, this ethereal veela- like man who spewed cruelty and hate like he wore a second skin, this man who had taught his son to hate her or anyone like her, who was a Death Eater, bore the dark mark and had never apologized for his activities during the darkest war the Wizarding world had ever suffered asked her to have tea? It was puzzling and unnerving, to say the least, yet, he had been broken during that war, he had suffered probably worse than she had suffered, seen and been forced to do unspeakable things in service of a master that probably would have slaughtered the entire family had the maniac been successful in killing Harry.

Lucius chuckled at the confusion on her face, he could only imagine what was going on in that sharp mind of hers. Oh, he had no compunction about his involvement in her mistreatment, some had been misguided attempts at putting the muggle-born in her place, others had been on the orders of a master he had never chosen but had been forced to follow.

"Unless there is another Miss Granger standing somewhere in this establishment, my dear, then yes, I mean you."

"Why?" She asked quietly.

"Why would I wish to have tea with a beautiful intelligent woman?"

The polished oak chair squeaked loudly across the old plank floors as Hermione blushed crimson, nodded and sat primly on the seat opposite him at the small bistro style table.

"That is precisely what I am asking, Mr Malfoy. You have never said one civil word to me in the twelve years I have known you, why would you do so now?"

"Curiosity, Miss Granger. I find myself intrigued that a woman such as yourself is still in a low-level position at a job I daresay you could do single-handedly and you are now telling me the boy you have been betrothed to for years is now not the boy you intend to marry. I expected more from the witch who achieved a feat no other magical person has ever achieved while being on the run for a year and still graduating top of her year."

Hermione was flustered, his veiled attempt at a compliment did not go unnoticed.

"Umm, well… I suppose I should say thank you, sir but I am not quite sure if you were complimenting me or insulting me so I will just leave it. However, Ronald and I were unequally yoked, his ideas and mine differ drastically and as far as my job, Mr Malfoy, I do not intend to stay in that position forever, it was simply a way to get my foot in the door. I am a mudblood remember? I am rarely afforded the same opportunities out of Hogwarts, even being Harry's best friend."

Lucius hissed his displeasure at the foul word. Yes, he remembered clearly that word was carved into her arm on the floor of his house by his insane former sister-in-law. Yes, he could remember the screams, could still smell the blood and urine. Could still hear Bellatrix taint the girl and the foul stench of Greyback as he salivated over her being tortured with the cruciatus curse repeatedly.

"Never say that word again, Miss Granger, I saw your blood seeping onto my floor, it is the same colour as mine. That cruel word should be cursed on every single person's tongue."

Hermione stared at him, never had she seen this side of the Malfoy patriarch.

"Thank you, for that, Mr Malfoy," she said almost as a whisper, the wonder, and gratitude inherent in her shaky voice.

"Lucius, my dear," he smiled.

"Lucius." She corrected herself as an awkward silence fell over the pair.

Lucius raised his hand, an instant later there were two steaming cups of tea along with an entire tea service and food laid out across the table.

"How do you take your tea, Miss Granger."

"Cream and two sugars," she answered as she reached for a chocolate biscuit when the sleeve of her cream-coloured jumper slipped up revealing a dark purple handprint-shaped bruise.

Lucius froze, a frown forming when he saw the bruise take shape on her wrist. Without stopping, he grabbed her elbow and pulled up her sleeve. "Who did this?" He demanded.

Hermione froze as well, looking at Lucius as if she were ready to flee the table. She tried to pull her arm away only to wince in pain at the bruise on her shoulder. "It's nothing," she said clearly upset as tears began stinging her eyes.

"Miss...Hermione, this is not acceptable! Who did this!? Please do not excuse this type of behaviour. I have seen enough of this shite to last a lifetime and more," he said softly staring at the tears glistening in her beautiful chocolate coloured eyes.

"No woman should ever put up with being abused, by anyone."

Hermione looked away from his piercing stare to compose herself, she had never been a woman prone to hysterics but the fact remained she didn't know what to do about the tumultuous situation she found herself involved in. The actual abuse only started on her twenty-first birthday, there was no explanation, no warning just an insane, irrational jealousy that took over. She was unable to look at Lucius in the eyes, she knew-God's did she know- he was correct. She didn't deserve the abuse, she never had, but how do you just leave the man you have lived for and loved for years behind when you can't even justify loving them any longer? The tears finally fall.

"Ron" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Lucius clenched and unclenched his jaw several times. That red-headed neanderthal will feel the end of my cane!

"You are not living at the same residence as Mr Weasley are you?"

Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes and blushed deeper still, chewing on the nail of her thumb, once again unable to meet his gaze.

"Yes, I am."

"Why!? Can't you return to your parents home?" He shook his head, this was insane!

She shook her head no, her eyes glistening with sadness and pain. "No, I've nowhere else to go," she answered offering little explanation.

" Doesn't Mr Potter have use of the Black family estate? Would he not allow you a room?" The idea was preposterous! The Boy who would never freaking die not offering the witch who saved his life on numerous occasions, a refuge? This posed more questions than answers

"He knows nothing," Hermione began to fidget with her fingers, her level of anxiety becoming more prevalent every second. Fear that someone would overhear and tell Ron. "He and Ron haven't spoken in ages."

Lucius raised his eyebrow at this new information. "Why, Miss Granger would you keep something like that from your best friend?"

"Every time I've ever tried to contact him..." She started, becoming choked up. "Ron would, you know, plus, I have no means of communication at home. No owl, no floo. Nothing at all," she finished the awkward sentence looking at Lucius, tears falling once again, as she tried not to become hysterical.

Lucius watched her as her eyes kept darting to the door she had entered from. Fury, white-hot rage started to boil just below the surface of his brain.

I want to find this boy playing man and beat him senseless with the head if my cane while simultaneously cursing his bollocks off!

He had seen too much violence towards women during the war and through his own father. Lucius had sworn to himself at a very early age he would never watch another woman suffer without doing something to correct the situation. No, this girl-no, woman would not be returning to that house alone. "Well, that settles it," Lucius said forcefully causing the tearful witch to flinch, "You are coming with me."

Hermione looked at him with shock and indignant fury on her face. "What!? I-I am not going anywhere with you!"

"So you wish to return to this!?" Lucius implored pointing at her arm. He wondered how many other bruises she had marring her porcelain skin, how many curses, hexes and physical injuries she had endured.

"I-well, no but I barely know you! Why would I…"

"Are you suggesting I have less than honourable intentions toward you, Miss Granger?"

"Well…"

"My house has fifty-two bedrooms and six floors, you can have an entire floor to yourself and I would have to search all day just to find you."

"Oh."

"Quite," Lucius said pointedly.

"I don't know what to say really. I…"

"I would advise you to consider the offer, it would be bad form for me to kill a third of the Golden Trio to avenge your honour," Lucius commented dryly.

"Are- are you quite sure? I can't pay you for the use of a room just yet. But I will! It will simply take some time to gather more money."

"Do not insult me, Miss Granger! What sort of gentleman would I be to charge you money for getting you away from a bad situation!?"

"What about my things?" She asked, seeing the certainty on his face. "He won't just let me go in there and get my stuff."

"What 'things' do you absolutely have to have, Miss Granger? I can have my house elves procure them for you."

"I mostly just need my clothes," she said looking relieved but slightly anxious to get out of public attention.

Lucius tilted his head to the side and stared at the flustered witch. He snapped his fingers and Mipsy, his personal house-elf appeared, bowing low to the side of the table.

"Master has summoned, Mipsy sir?" The small creature squeaked.

"Yes, I am giving sanctuary to my dear friend, Miss Granger. I need for you to retrieve her items from her home and place them into the rose suite in the East wing."

"Yes, Master. Where are you lives, Miss Hermione?"

"27 Old Gloucester Street, London," Hermione tells her. "Thank You, Lucius," she said softly looking at him with a small smile on her face.

"Yes, Miss," Mipsy bowed again and vanished

Lucius looked startled by the use of his first name even if he had told her to use it he had not expected her to. He turned to look at the stunning witch, the smile gracing her full lips, her expressive chocolate coloured eyes glistening with unshed tears. Even the wild caramel curls that framed her porcelain face showed gratitude. He smiled in return and inclined his head to question her further on her lack of correspondence with the Golden Boy until...

"What the bloody hell are you doing sitting with a fucking death eater in broad daylight!" Someone screeched just a pale freckled hand reached out to grab Hermione by the arm.

Hermione's cry out in pain had Lucius out of his chair in a mere second.

"Ron! Please! It's not what you think!" Her pleas going unnoticed as she was desperately trying to pull her arm away; his grip was getting tighter, so tight in fact that it began to cause the blood to severely constrict. Her arm was threatening to break in his vice-like hand.

Lucius stood to his full height and grabbed the boy by his collar pulling him hard enough to fling him against the table and in a flash he had his wand removed from his cane and pointed at Ron's throat.

"Mr Weasley, I know you lack the grace and charm of a rock but I will only ever say this one time and you had better listen well, you will never lay another hand on her in anger or you will find yourself on the very bad part of my displeasure and my wand. You would do well to remember who my friends are and who Hermione has saved on multiple occasions and I and Mr Potter as well, would be irate to find bruises upon her person once again," Lucius sneered at the menace.

"Are you threatening me death eater scum!?"

"Oh no, Mr Weasley, no. no. no. I never threaten, when I say such things you can guarantee it will become reality should you choose poorly."

Hermione stood there holding onto Lucius's arm staring wide-eyed in fear at the man she had once loved. Tears streamed down her face, her grip tightened, exacerbated by the pain she was feeling both physically and emotionally.

"Please, Lucius." She pleaded. "I want to go now. Please." her eyes were begging far worse than the sound coming from her mouth.

He did his best to reign in his fury and glance up at her frightened expression. "Of course, my dear, let me take care of the vermin and we shall be on our way. Tom!"

"Mr Malfoy," Tom the barkeep hobbled up behind us. "What can I do for you for?"

"Please inform Mr Potter of what has occurred here and tell him to contact Miss Granger as soon as he is able."

Hermione moved out of striking distance, away from Ron, inching closer to the back of Lucius. He felt her grab hold of his vest and felt her shaking as she laid her head against his back.

"Please, I'm ready to go now," her muffled voice vibrated against his spine, sending shivers throughout his nerve endings.

"As you wish, my dear," Lucius respond. "Incarcerous!" He bit out through gritted teeth binding the redheaded menace before reaching into his pocket to grab his gloves. putting them back on and holding out his hand for her to grasp. Lucius smiled down at Hermione as her small feminine fingers gripped his own larger ones.

"Thank you, Lucius," she whispered as they leave the establishment.

'Lucius' my name coming from her lips like a whispered prayer of thanks. It's sinful and so very sexy, he was finding it hard not to kiss her right in front of the bound ginger menace. He wanted to hear it again, over and over, until he was hoarse from screaming it in the throes of passion.

He smiled seductively at her, even though he could see how frightened she was, he found the pink blush on Hermione's cheeks hauntingly beautiful.

I want to see how far down that blush reaches. Does it reach your breasts? The middle of your stomach?

It was daunting to realize how much he wanted to strip her bare and find out but he knew, yes, Merlin, he knew, this would have to be excruciatingly slow.

"You are quite welcome, Hermione," he whispered as he raise their combined hands and kissed the back of her knuckles.