"You will never be anything ever again, Lucius," Narcissa had cruelly spat at him. "You're pathetic, weak, and a coward. If not for my actions and those of our son, this family would be in even worse ruins than it already is."

Those words echoed in his mind as Lucius sat at his breakfast table. Alone. He sipped at his morning coffee and picked up the Daily Prophet. Splashed upon the front page was a huge article about the divorce with photos of himself and Narcissa. DEATH EATER GETS WHAT WAS COMING TO HIM!

With three exclamation points. How droll. He did not know how he had managed to hit rock bottom so hard. Well, actually, he did, he was just loathed to admit it. Following the Dark Lord had ended up hurting him and his reputation tremendously. Losing his wife was the final nail in the coffin it seemed. How in all of Hades would he ever manage to rise up again?

He opened the paper, hoping to find some news on the latest Quidditch matches, when his eyes fell to another article. It had been a repeat of the article he had read a few days before. GOLDEN TRIO IN TATTERED REMAINS.

From what he had read, Hermione Granger had finally ended her engagement with Ronald Weasley, though why, the Prophet didn't say. Lucius knew why, of course. She was too intelligent for the pauper. The fact that it had lasted as long as it had boggled Lucius, and irritated him to no end.

Though, why should he care? She was just a little Mudblood. Sure she was beautiful, having bloomed perfectly into adulthood. She reminded him of a swan in that regard. As a child, while she had certain adorable qualities, he certainly wouldn't have called her "cute". Now, however…

Young, beautiful, intelligent… She was the stuff of late night masterbation sessions. And he had often indulged in just that, knowing he didn't have a chance of revisiting his marital bed anytime soon.

He paused for a moment as his eyes went over the article and fell onto a photo of Miss Granger. He knew she had been working on elvish welfare rights. Elvish rights, bah, he thought. As if they needed "rights" or "protections". When he had seen the moniker for the bill she wanted passed, he became indignant. The Free Dobby Project? Elves didn't want to be free.

Forgetting his plate of food, having eaten half of it, he sat back in his chair and studied her picture. Despite her muddy blood and radical ideals, he had to admit he was viciously attracted to her. He had been ever since he had caught a glimpse of her in the Battle of Hogwarts. He had refused to indulge in his fantasy, however, what with the Dark Lord bearing down on him and his fear for his son's life. Besides, the girl was young...

And vibrant and passionate. Even in the picture posted in the Prophet, he could see her fire. Hermione Granger would go places. She had the Ministry's backing and was personal friends with the Minister himself. She was invited, constantly, to galas, events, banquets… Why, any bloke on her arm could reap the benefits of her stellar reputation. It didn't matter, much, to the Ministry that she was a Mudblood. Her reign was only just beginning.

He blinked. Any bloke would reap the benefits. Any bloke…

The young Mr. Weasley almost had, too. Lucius didn't know what had caused the two to end things, but he did know that the pauper wasn't what she needed. She needed someone with intelligence. Someone who knew the Ministry well and could be beneficial to her career. She needed someone who was handsome and wealthy, someone who wouldn't look horrible on her arm and could be a benefactor to her causes.

He glanced at the door and frowned. He might have been "reformed", but he still wanted his son to have a Pureblooded child. Draco could be the person, if she were Pureblood. However, she wasn't and he was currently engaged to young Astoria Greengrass, who was a Pureblood. And the Malfoy lineage needed a Pureblood to carry on the line.

He looked at the picture again. No. Draco wouldn't do, anyway. Miss Granger needed someone older, wiser. A smirk played on his lips at the thought.

Why not? He thought to himself. Indeed. Why not?

Sure he was pushing fifty, but he wasn't dead by any means. He was handsome, wealthy, intelligent, and knew the Ministry inside and out. What was more, he was cultured and could teach her things she'd never have dreamed of before. And she would look so delicious spread out before him on his sheets of emerald silk.

(II)(II)

Months had passed. Lucius had worked tirelessly. He began observing her, taking note to the places she often haunted. He learned that, while she wasn't keen on fashion, she did enjoy sitting outside on a bench in front of the bookshop, reading. Draco had told Lucius that, in school, the girl often had her nose in a book, so she did enjoy books immensely. So, he bought a small piece of land and created a sort of paradise, complete with pagodas, a babbling brook and a little bridge over the brook. He had even purchased a few little critters for the garden and had planted plenty of flowering plants.

Due to his sketchy reputation, he did not reveal his name when he opened the gardens to the Wizarding public. It fast became a favorite place for many young couples and families. There were benches and tables scattered throughout the gardens to allow for picnics and he had hired a crew to keep the gardens clean and well maintained.

At home, he had gathered his house elves into his study and, after several orders of "Quiet!" and "Silence!", he had managed to help them understand that, while he was freeing them, he was not getting rid of them. He paid them a Sickle each for each week of work and assured them that he was still their master. He also ordered them to start dressing properly.

He found himself visiting the gardens often, enjoying the breeze and the sounds of the brook and animals. It didn't take him much to notice that Miss Granger was a constant visitor as well. The first time he saw her, he smirked, silently praising himself for his little scheme. It didn't take long for the gardens to become one of her favourite hideouts.

He spied one April morning as she sat upon a marble bench and read her book. Glancing up at the skies, he noticed that it was a little cloudy, though the sun was shining. He let his eyes fall back to her. She wore a light pink blouse with a slightly swooping neckline and a pair of tight fitting jeans that displayed her posterior quite nicely.

Knowing she often ventured to the pagodas at some point, he decided to slip into the nearest one. Finding a bench, he sat upon it and conjured a magazine, which he perused rather aimlessly. That was when the rain started. He focused his eyes on an article, inwardly groaning that it was a Seeker magazine he had already read. He glanced up when she entered.

When he caught her eye, he returned her smile and nod, noticing she was reading a book of Shakespeare's sonnets, and turned back to the article. He needed to remain nonchalant. He silently counted to a hundred, keeping his eyes trained on the magazine and periodically flipping the page. Then, he folded up the magazine, picked up his cane, and began walking in the direction he had seen her go. Thankfully, the rain held up and it didn't take him long to find her.

He didn't look at her, though. He kept his gaze on the roses that had crawled up the wall of the pagoda. When he got close to her, he paused, feigning interest in a particular rose. With little thought, he decided to recite a line from one of the Sonnets, "How heavy do I journey on the way, When what I seek, my weary travel's end, Doth teach that ease and that repose to say,

'Thus far the miles are measured from thy friend!'"

"Beg pardon?"

Turning his attention to her, he used his cane to point at the book. "Is that not Shakespeare in your hands, Miss Granger?"

She seemed rather surprised, and asked, disbelievingly, "You've read Shakespeare's sonnets?"

This began a long conversation and before he knew it, he had returned to the manor and began preparing for supper. That he asked her out wasn't as surprising as the fact that she had agreed to it.

Now he stood before his mirror, his hair freshly washed, and made sure he looked perfect for this evening.

It would be an evening to remember...


Author's Note: This is the start of the sequel to April Showers. If you have not read that story, please do so now. :) And if you did read it, read it again, please, because the events in the first chapter here will take place after April Showers. (Don't worry, April Showers is a one-shot and won't take long to read at all.)