Written for QLFC Season 5, Round 13 - Checkmate! I'm chaser 2 for Ballycastle Bats (Go Bats!). I had to write about a 'dark' character acting moral.

My lovely beta's were: queen-sheep and brownlark42. All other mistakes are mine!

Optional prompts were: [word] checkmate; [word] freedom; [dialogue] "What makes you so sure it was me?"

Word Count: 2,401

Hermione Granger sighed happily as she once again Apparated to the tiny island that housed Azkaban, the wizarding prison. She used to hate this rotation. She hated being an Auror in general. But Azkaban provided a sort of relief from the rest of her Auror duties. After the war, she had let Ron and Harry convince her that being an Auror would do the most good. Now, almost ten years later, she was still an Auror and she hated her job. She felt isolated from her friends and family, but now Azkaban was her saving grace.

At least Azkaban no longer had dementors. Azkaban had been added to the Auror rotation shortly after the war trials concluded. Aurors used to spend six months in the field, followed by six months of desk duty in an alternating rotation. With Azkaban in the mix, the rotation became four months at the prison, four months in the field, and four months in the office. Hermione used to think four months on the island in the North Sea was more than enough. But that had changed in the last few years. Last year she'd even been able to swap Azkaban duties with Ron, spending eight months on the island, while Ron covered her office work.

She trudged across the rocky ground to the entrance and was buzzed through the gate upon presenting her wand. All Auror wands were classified and highly controlled within the bounds of Azkaban. The requirement resulted from an incident in the first year after the war — an Auror had taken off Lucius Malfoy's left leg at the knee with a slicing hex as retribution for the Death Eater's crimes during the second wizarding war. Malfoy was already in Azkaban on a life sentence due to Death Eater activities, and now he had to have special attention due to his infirmity.

Hermione frowned as she thought about Lucius. He was part of the reason she enjoyed her time at Azkaban so much. She knew she shouldn't. Lucius was a murderer and his conviction for Death Eater activities hadn't been false. She wasn't under any illusion that Lucius was a good man. But still, he fascinated her. They'd taken to playing wizard's chess together during her Azkaban rotations. She was rubbish at the game, but he was slowly teaching her.

Logically, she knew why the Department of Magical Law Enforcement didn't want to station guards at Azkaban permanently. It reeked of 'out of sight, out of mind', and Hermione could see exactly what could happen if they left a permanent contingent on the island. Hermione was hoping she could once again manage to pull off two rotations at the prison this year. Ron wouldn't be eligible for a switch, but maybe she could find someone else.

Most Aurors hated Azkaban, so Hermione felt sure she could pull it off again. She grinned happily when she walked into the prison. She used to hate the damp and cold, but it didn't bother her as much as it used to.

Budget cuts meant that they kept the Azkaban rotation as small as possible, and then assigned house elves to do the manual labor. Hermione's elven rights campaigns had been successful. House elves were paid a living wage and had the ability to cloth themselves in any manner they saw fit. At least they wouldn't be walking around the prison freezing.

Hermione spent a few minutes settling into her quarters before heading up to relieve the Auror she was replacing. Rotations were staggered so there wasn't a complete guard change at any one time. She debriefed with the previous Auror and the lead Auror in the prison. After they were finished, she wandered the halls. She had arrived early in the morning and her duties wouldn't officially begin until the following day.

Most of the inmates in the prison's lower levels ignored the Aurors as they walked the halls. Hermione liked to remind herself who was in the prison and where they were being kept. Once she reached the higher levels, she had to be more careful. This was where the lifers were housed. These were mostly Death Eaters, mostly people Hermione had faced off against in battle. But most especially, this was where Lucius Malfoy's cell was located.

It wasn't a secret that Hermione played chess with Lucius. The prisoners were all aware of it, and some of the Aurors were too. But she was Hermione Granger, a third of the Golden Trio, defeater of the Dark Lord Voldemort, slayer of Horcruxes, Order of the Merlin, First Class. Nobody thought they had to watch her like the other Aurors were watched.

Maybe they should have.

"Checkmate, Miss Granger," Lucius Malfoy drawled as he moved his bishop into place, threatening her king.

He studied the woman as she considered her next move. She'd only beaten him once since she had returned from her most recent rotation. She was slowly getting better at the game. Better at thinking strategically and critically. Almost imperceptibly, her Gryffindor nature was being buried. Lucius almost smirked at the thought. What he could have led her to if they'd met before he was imprisoned in this Merlin forsaken place.

"Blimey," Granger muttered. "You've beaten me. And it's Hermione," she said absentmindedly as she began setting up the pieces again.

Lucius took out the pocket watch he'd been allowed to keep and looked at the time. "I'm not sure we have the time for another game, Miss Granger."

Every time she came for a new rotation, he would call her Miss Granger until it annoyed her to the point of frazzlement. Lucius had few pleasures in life, and seeing Hermione Granger ranting at him with her hair in a fuzzy halo was one of them.

"Hermione," Granger insisted as she finished setting up the pieces and looked at her own watch. "Oh, bugger, you're right."

Lucius stood and bowed to the woman. Granger grinned at him. "Until next time, Miss Granger," Lucius said.

"I'll try to come back after dinner, before lights out," Granger said as she waved at him and left his cell.

Lucius walked to the bars and watched her walk down the hallway. She was the only woman he'd seen in the ten long years he'd been here. The female Death Eaters were kept a floor below him. He assumed Narcissa was still alive, but he didn't actually know. Draco occasionally came to visit him, but his son's visits dwindled with the start of his new family and new life. Lucius counted himself lucky that Granger sought him out. Generally, the inmates on his floor received no visitors.

"Have you told her?" Dolohov growled from next door.

"Not yet," Lucius said through gritted teeth.

"We're doing it whether she knows about it or not. You asked that we wait until you tell her, but your deadline is drawing near," Dolohov reminded him.

"I am aware, Dolohov," Lucius spat. "I'll tell her tonight when she comes back."

"You better," Dolohov said.

Lucius moved away from the door and sat on his bed. He pulled off the prosthetic leg he'd been provided and rubbed the stump. The damp made it ache terribly.

He didn't want to go through with this. He was worried. He didn't think the inmates' plan would work. Lucius didn't want to be caught in the crossfire of their plan. He didn't want Granger caught up in it either, but if he didn't warn her, then who would?

If he did warn her, maybe she could stop it before it started? Maybe she could put an end to it all. Lucius hoped so. He didn't fancy a life on the run, and that's what success in this plan would amount to. Lucius didn't want the freedom that came with such a high price. He was content with his situation. For the first time in his life, he wasn't pursuing or being pursued. He wasn't living in fear, and he had some comforts. His leg ached terribly some days, and while Draco's visits were few, he did still visit. The last thing he wanted to do was bring any consequences down on his son. He was done with that part of his life.

Granger came back that night after dinner had been cleared away. Lucius and the rest of the Death Eater's were confined to their cells twenty-three hours a day. They were released for a very specific activity for one hour each day. Either showering, exercise, or meal preparation. And showering usually only took thirty minutes at most. Meal preparation sometimes took longer than an hour and usually two or more inmates were involved. Dolohov's plan involved making a break for the Auror's wands during meal preparation. The Aurors in charge of the prison were uncreative. Their strict schedules made it easy for the inmates to learn their routines and figure out their weaknesses. Dolohov, Macnair, and Selwyn were always on meal preparation on Wednesday. For weeks they had been testing the limits and constraints. They were ready to strike.

"Hello, Lucius," Hermione said brightly as she entered his cell.

"Miss Granger," Lucius greeted her with a regal nod. He may be in a prison uniform, but clothing would never affect the bearing he'd been raised to hold.

"Hermione," Granger reminded him.

"Maybe we can try teaching you a different approach tonight," Lucius offered.

Granger raised her eyebrow, "Really? Alright then."

She withdrew the wand that she wasn't supposed to carry into a cell with her, but she did anyway. At first, she brought it because she'd been frightened of him, but later it was because it afforded her the ability to do this. She waved her arm and Lucius heard the silencing charms fall over the cell. The charms projected a simulation of a conversation that Lucius and Hermione had in the past. Another flick of her wand and Lucius could see a simulacrum of him and Granger playing chess at the front of his cell. Granger had told him she'd gotten the idea from a mov-ee once. Whatever that was.

"What's going on, Lucius?" Hermione asked, her voice serious now that they couldn't be overheard.

Lucius stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. They always waited until she'd been in the prison for several weeks before resuming the physical side of their relationship.

Lucius sighed heavily as he dropped a kiss on top of her head, breathing in the clean, clear scent of her shampoo. "I missed you," he mumbled into her hair.

Her own arms were wrapped around his middle and she had her face buried in his chest, "Me too."

They stood for a few more moments, wrapped in each other's warmth before Lucius pulled away.

"Dolohov is planning something," Lucius began as he sat on his bed, urging her to sit next to him.

"What?"

"He's planning an escape, with Macnair and Selwyn. During meal preparation tomorrow," Lucius told her. "You have to stop it. At best, they fail. At worst, they succeed, free us, and I have to live a life on the run."

Granger rubbed her forehead, "Alright," she said. "I think I can make sure they fail. I'll switch shifts with someone. I'm supposed to be on shower duty in the short-term ward tomorrow."

"I'd rather you not be there," Lucius admitted.

"I can take care of myself, Lucius," Hermione said, her voice cold and hard.

"I know you can, Hermione," he loved the way her name rolled off his tongue. "But I wouldn't want this to put you in jeopardy. I don't want to risk what we have."

Hermione nodded, "I know. It won't. I'll be safe, I promise."

Lucius was on tenterhooks most of Wednesday. Meal prep didn't happen until mid-afternoon, and Lucius spent the morning pacing his cell.

"You're going to tip them off," Dolohov growled to him at one point.

"I'm exercising," Lucius snapped.

Finally, Granger and two other Auror's entered the hall to retrieve Dolohov and company. Granger ignored him as she passed his cell to get Dolohov. He was used to it — she ignored him anytime she was performing functions of her job. She told him one it was the only way she could bear it. He understood. He hadn't wanted to fall in love with her any more than she did him. But it had happened, and they did the best they could to try to be together as much as their opposite lives would allow.

Lucius felt his nerves escalate quickly after Dolohov was taken for meal preparation. What was happening? Would Hermione be able to rebuff the attack? He hadn't heard details from Dolohov, and he began worrying that Dolohov had somehow gotten hold of a knife.

Dolohov, Macnair, and Selwyn appeared back in the ward an hour and a half later. Dolohov was sporting a black eye, but the three Aurors escorting them looked unruffled.

As soon as Dolohov was in his cell, he began berating Lucius.

"You and your Auror girlfriend are going to get it," Dolohov threatened.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Lucius replied blandly even as his heart beat wildly in his chest. Clearly, Granger had been able to prevent the escape attempt.

"Why was she on meal prep?" Dolohov demanded.

Lucius shrugged and affected a bored countenance, "Maybe the schedule changed."

"The schedule never changes! You told her to stop us! You were only supposed to warn her!"

"What makes you so sure it was me?" Lucius asked.

"Of course it was you! I should have never let you in on the plot," Dolohov growled as he turned away and landed heavily on his bed. Lucius was thankful he and Dolohov were next to each other and he didn't have to see the other man. He was even more relieved when Hermione stopped by after dinner that night.

She threw up her silencing and glamour charms without Lucius' prompting that night.

"Thank Merlin you're alright," Lucius breathed as he pulled her into his embrace.

"I wouldn't have been if you hadn't warned me. None of us would have been. Dolohov managed to get ahold of a knife!" Hermione said as she clung to him.

"I wouldn't risk you," Lucius said. "I couldn't risk you. This is all I have," he admitted quietly.

"Me too," Granger replied. "Me too."