Title: Trust
Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Lucius/Hermione
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 1,306
Summary: Sequel to Mistrust. Can be understood as a standalone, though. Lucius just wants his wife back.
Notes:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: December Event - 12 Days of Christmas - Partridge in a pear tree:Incorporate a tree (Christmas, forest of trees etc) / Calling Birds:Write about someone/something calling out for help/assistance. / Geese a-Laying: Incorporate geese or a person 'laying' with another

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Transfiguration – For this task I would like you to write about a person atoning for, or correcting past mistake/s.

Year Long Scavenger Hunt: A12. (word) key

When Lucius walked into the house that he hadn't set foot in for weeks, the first thing he noticed was Hermione under the Christmas tree. "Cyn, can you come help me with the tree decorating?" Hermione called out.

Lucius held his breath when Cynthia came running, but his precious little girl stopped short when she saw him. "Daddy!" she finally squealed, running to him.

He bent down and opened his arms, and when she threw her arms around his neck and clutched him close, Lucius hugged her back just as fiercely. All the while, he looked over her head at his wife, who was now watching him with a guarded expression.

"How's my little girl?" he whispered into her hair.

"Miss you, Daddy. Come home?"

Lucius swallowed passed the lump that was lodged in his throat. "I'm not sure if that's going to happen anytime soon, but I miss you so much, Sweetheart."

By the look on Hermione's face, she wouldn't be welcoming back into their home, or their bed, in the near future.

When he looked down at his daughter's head, he knew that if he had any wish to be allowed home, he might have to use Cynthia. She was definitely the key when it came to softening his wife's heart.

He finally pulled back, and smiled at Cynthia's happy expression. "Cyn, weren't you about to help Mommy with the tree?"

Cynthia nodded vigorously and turned, quickly running to her mother and the tree.

"Um..." Hermione looked down at Cynthia's upturned face. "How about you go back to your room to play for a little while? I need to talk to your daddy, and then we can start on the tree afterwards."

"Daddy stay and help?" she asked innocently.

Hermione smiled tightly. "We'll see. Now shoo."

Cynthia turned but before she left the room, she gave Lucius, who was still kneeling, one last hug, and then she fled to the safety of her room.

Hermione crossed her arms. "You have some nerve showing up without calling ahead to let me know you were coming. And then you don't even knock? In case you have forgotten, this is no longer your home."

Lucius felt pain in his chest at that very calm, straightforward statement, but he knew he deserved it. "I know."

"Why are you here?" she dispassionately asked.

Lucius tried to walk towards her but stopped when she took steps back. Each time he took a step forward, she matched it with a step back. Finally, he decided to simply cut to the chase.

"This last month has been like living a nightmare," he quietly admitted.

She appeared unmoved. "And how is that my fault? You accused me of having an affair and then demanded a paternity test for our daughter. You really expected me to let you stay in our home?" She rolled her eyes. "No matter how much I may love you, I do have some self-respect."

"Hermione, I love you."

"Not enough to trust me, though. And, since you're here, you obviously got the results of the test back. Do you expect me to simply forgive and forget your lack of faith?"

Lucius swallowed and pulled out an envelope from his coat pocket. An envelope that was still sealed. "I did get the results back, but I haven't opened it yet."

Finally, something cracked through the impenetrable facade that seemed to cover Hermione's face. "Why not? I thought you couldn't wait to find out whether your Cynthia's father."

"Because I know if I open it, no matter what it says, our marriage will be damaged beyond repair."

Hermione nodded. "It will be. So, what do we do?"

"Can we talk? I mean really talk. Talk without getting defensive or angry."

Hermione breathed deeply through her nose. "Talk? Fine. Let's talk. Tell me why you're so sure that I had an affair with Ron Weasley."

"Besides the color of Cyn's hair?"

Hermione looked to the left and smirked. "Lucius, you should know that my great grandmother had red hair. It might be a recessive gene in my family, but there was always a possibility of her inheriting the hair color. I can show you a picture of Grandmother Janet if you truly don't believe me."

Lucius looked at Hermione and didn't see any hint of a lie in her eyes. "Okay. Then what about Weasley always hanging around you and looking at Cyn as if she's his. And whenever I'm nearby, he doesn't hide his displeasure of my being present. I always hated the way he looked at you, and it hurt that you never corrected that kind of behavior."

Finally, Hermione's defenses seemed to fall, maybe in the face of Lucius's blatant honesty. "Okay, first of all, I can't control Ron's feelings. And maybe he liked to pretend Cyn was his because of the hair color. I really can't say because I have no idea what he has been thinking in regards to her. And I have noticed his hatred of you—I would have been blind if I hadn't noticed—but it didn't bother me because he never actually said anything negative about you. And as for never setting him straight, I never had to because except for some looks and maybe touching my arm or shoulder too long, he never did anything inappropriate. And I'm a married woman. That should be reason enough that I don't have to say anything."

"It would have been nice if you told him that it was never going to happen. That you were happily married and would never be interested in him."

Hermione finally stepped towards Lucius and placed a hand on his cheek. "Lucius, I never made it a secret that I love you. We've always been affectionate in public. Why should I have to verbalize anything else when I have never hidden how in love I am with you?"

Finally, Lucius admitted the truth. "I was scared. After Narcissa..." he trailed, unable to finish the sentence about his former fiancée, the woman he had been engaged to before he even met Hermione.

His wife, of course, knew the story. "I'm not Narcissa. I've never cheated on you, nor have I ever been tempted by another man. You're it for me. When are you finally going to believe that and trust me and my feelings?"

Lucius looked down at the envelope that was still clutched in his hand, allowing Hermione's hand to fall away from his cheek. After a moment's pause, he answered with a matter-of-fact, "Now." And without thinking anymore about it, he tore the envelope in half once, and then tore those two pieces in half. He continued tearing it into bits and pieces until it was confetti, and there was no longer any chance that he'd be able to read it.

"Lucius," she breathed.

He looked into her eyes. "I know I can't truly correct the mistake of not trusting you in the first place, but I hope this atones for it, at least a little bit."

She bit her bottom lip and nodded. "It's definitely a good start."

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers in a light kiss. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and arching her back.

That night, there was no tree decorating, but the family of three did spend the whole night together. And Cynthia was ecstatic that her daddy was home to stay.

And no matter how much Hermione and Lucius craved some alone time, they allowed Cynthia into their bed as their daughter wanted to stay close to Lucius for the night.

The three of them laid together under the covers, and for the first time in almost a month, Lucius breathed just a bit easier now that he was back where he belonged, with his family.