A/N: This is my first Hermione/Lucius fic, I'm working on this while also writing two Hermione/Snape fanfics, so posting may be a little a slow, but hopefully I'll stay fairly regular with updates. Anyway, please read and review, let me know what you think and if Lucius is written correctly. Enjoy.

Freezing November rain fell in icy sheets over the sullen and mournful crowd gathered in the small family graveyard. Only the sound of choked sobs and whispers of comfort broke the eerie silence that seemed to have enshrouded the gathering of people who would under any other circumstances be loud and playful. But this was no time for laughter and jokes, happiness had fled like the bright array of color beneath winter's icy grasp. Hermione stood stiff and shell-shocked as she stared unblinkingly at the grave before her, her cheeks stained with tears and her eyes rimmed in red from so many days of weeping. Harry stood beside her, a long arm encircling her slender shoulders, his own hunched with sadness and an overall sense of defeat as he tried to offer his support. Feeling another hiccupping sob break free from Hermione's tightly pursed lips, Harry tightened his embrace, giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze as he rested his chin upon her damp hair.

"It'll be okay Hermione, it'll be okay" he whispered though his words lacked any conviction, trying to convince himself as much as her as he pressed his lips to the unruly mass of her honey-colored hair.

Nodding numbly Hermione was unable to draw her eyes away from the grave before her, her eyes firmly fixed upon the gleaming mahogany coffin as it was slowly lowered into the cold and damp earth, her one and only love finally slipping into the darkness and with it any joy she had ever had in life. Even after the coffin was out of sight and the crowd of mourners had begun to thin she stood transfixed and eerily still at the graveside, staring with unseeing eyes. A few people on their way to the allotted apparition point paused to pay their respects to the deceased's wife, but most of them after a few minutes shuffling away solemnly muttering under their breath. It was Harry who shook their hands and nodded softly, expressing his thanks for their kindness, just as it was Harry along with Albus Dumbledore who had made the arrangements for something he had prayed he would never have to do, burying his best friend.

The dull November light grew weaker as time passed quickly, yet Hermione remained unmoving, staring numbly at the small mound of earth that now covered the coffin, her cheeks and nose red from the cold though she felt nothing beyond the crushing ache that had griped her heart the moment she heard the devastating news. Harry's voice was soft yet hollow sounding as with a sigh and gentle touch he slowly began to turn Hermione away from the grave,

"Come along Hermione, I'll take you home." For a moment she resisted the movement, letting out an almost inaudible moan of protest as she fought to keep her eyes trained on the headstone that had already been placed there. Though finally she relented to Harry's soft insistence, letting him lead her slowly with one arm around her shoulder and the other tenderly supporting her hand. They began the slow trek up the hill towards the apparition point, tramping through bracken and overgrown weeds, the moisture that clung to the undergrowth soaking through their robes, chilling Harry to the core while Hermione felt nothing, she was numb to everything now.

"Mrs. Weasley" a dark and silken voice purred behind her, causing her to turn sharply on her heel, her hand instinctively reaching for the wand in her robes. "Or is it Miss Granger once more?" Lucius continued with an arch of a sleek blonde eyebrow.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry hissed venomously as his arm around Hermione's shoulder tightened protectively, his obvious display of gallantry eliciting a smirk of amusement and a soft chuckle from the tall blonde man standing only few away.

"Merely to offer my condolences for Miss Granger's loss" he replied smoothly, his face taking on an expression of mock sadness while his pale eyes glittered dangerously.

"My name is Mrs. Weasley" she growled through gritted teeth, using her growing anger as a barricade against the overwhelming grief that filled her to the brim, her eyes stinging with the tears she fought back. With a small smirk hanging on his pale lips Lucius inclined his head towards her, his eyes never leaving her face. Sweeping his arms wide in an apologetic gesture he purred,

"My apologies Madam" a reply that brought a snort of disbelief from Harry and a scowl to Hermione's already grief and anger twisted face. With a sharp and stiff bow and a condescending smirk Lucius let his icy gaze linger on Hermione a moment longer before straightening and with an aloof look directed at Harry turned on his heel and strode away in a mass of billowing black robes and rippling blonde hair.

"What a bastard" Harry muttered as he turned Hermione around and continued guiding her up the hill. Once they stopped he ran a shaking hand through his always unruly mop of dark hair before looking down at the petite woman sheltered against his chest. "Are you ready?" he asked softly, holding back the sigh of grief as he looked into her haunting brown eyes. She gave a slight nod, almost too small to notice as Harry wound his other arm around her, resting his chin once more in the cushion of her hair before they both disappeared with a loud pop.

At the bottom of the hill in the small cluster of twisted and bare branched trees stood a solitary figure, his elegant black velvet robes billowing around him, glistening with rain, appearing as so many twinkling stars in the night sky as the wan moonlight began to break through the clouds. His long silken blonde hair seemed to glow in the pale light as it whipped about his face in the wind, his pale face wearing a small smile of pleasure akin to that of a snake who had just eaten a rather large rat. Once the echoes of the disapparation pop faded away he slowly stepped away from the protective trees, gathering his robes around him as he moved through the bramble and almost knee high grass with long languid strides, finally coming to stop before the fresh grave.

The scent of freshly turned earth and rain surrounded him, though on the chill air he could detect the smell of impending snow which made him smile to himself, how he loved the smell and sight of snow, all that pure white perfection glittering like diamonds in the moonlight. Stepping up onto the mound of earth so that he stood directly above the now covered coffin he crouched down, sweeping his robes out behind him as he looked down at the polished marble headstone with a smirk, reading its epitaph with a degree of pleasure.

Ronald Bilius Weasley

Beloved Son, Friend and Husband

You will always be in our hearts and minds

Laying a leather clad hand upon the headstone Lucius bowed his head for a moment, closing his eyes softly as he drew in a deep breath of the freezing air, shuddering as he felt its chill spread through his chest.

"Do not worry Weasley, I will take very good care of your wife now that you are gone" he purred malevolently, his voice drifted away on the cold air. Unable to hold back a small chuckle he rose slowly to his feet, brushing the rain from his trousers as he did so before reaching into his robes and withdrawing a single black rose. "Farewell Weasley, you fought valiantly, but foolishly" he said in bored tone as the rose slipped from his gloved hand to land upon the grave before he turned and casually strode towards the apparition point, soon disappearing with a loud pop of his own as the first few snowflakes began to fall.