The OTP Challenge

Round 1: Time Travel (trope)

Words: 937

25 years ago

"Are you sure this is going to work?"asked Lucius.

"It should,"answered Hermione."And if all my calculations are right I should get back seconds after I had the accident so no one is going to notice that I left in the first place."she stated.

"You really are the brightest witch of her generation. Of all generations actually. You're brilliant."he said and kissed her softly.

Hermione blushed.

"Though I wish you didn't have to leave. I wish I could marry you, not Narcissa. It's you who I am in love with. I want to spend the rest if my life with you," there were tears in his eyes.

"And do you think I wish to leave? I love you too! Do you think that my heart isn't breaking at the thought if you marrying someone else? You're going to have a child with her! A family…"she whispered brokenly.

Until now she hadn't let him see the damage, how hurt she was by what he had to do in order to ensure that she had a future to return too. Hermione was a confident girl and she believed in their love but twenty five years were a long time.

She felt two arms wrap around her.

"You don't have to worry. I'll do everything to make sure that the future you know will be there, that you will have a future to return to. But that doesn't mean that my love for you will fade. I'll wait for you." (They had had a conversation about the rules of time travel where Hermione had explained him just why he had to marry and have a child with Narcissa, otherwise he would have never agreed to do it. But if he didn't he would create a crack in time that would split it in two versions of reality. And they would stuck in different versions.)

" I love you. Always. "

Now

"Again," said Voldemort looking at Hermione with cold eyes.

"Yes, my Lord," said Lucius, head bowed.

"Crucio!" He shouted menacingly while inside he was couldn't keep going like this.

Hermione screamed , tears streaming down her face.

"Please, stop " she whispered looking at Voldemort. She knew Lucius would crack sooner or later and that would mean death for both of them. Hermione could see in his eyes that he couldn't torture her any longer.

To her shock Voldemort stopped Lucius.

"Oh, yes. Do stop Lucius. After all I wish for her to be a gift to you, and what's a gift if it's broken before you have the chance to break it?"he asked with a smile

Hermione shivered.

"You're too good, my Lord."

"Go!" The Dark Lord ordered, "go with your new Master."

Lucius grabbed her hands and dragged her out of the room bringing her to his chamber.

Hermione looked at him. He was seated on the bed, with his head in his hands. 'He doesn't know that it's me',she realised.

Slowly, she stood up from the floor and sat near him.

"Lucius," she whispered,"it's me."

He looked up, desperation in his eyes.

"Hermione?"he asked, tears in his eyes.

She nodded.

"Yes, it's me. I'm back."

"How," his voice broke,"how did you get caught?"

"I was searching for Harry and Ron, for anybody really, but I was careless. I saw the Order arriving and I got distracted. I take it you took the Prophecy?"she asked.

Lucius shook his head.

"No, but that wasn't my mission in the first place. He wanted to give it to me, but Yaxley had 'the honour'. He is in prison now."

Hermione frowned.

"Then why did he reward you with a gift?"

Lucius turned his head.

"Because I brought you to him. Dolohov almost killed you, you know. He was standing above you with a satisfied grin and I just snapped. I blasted him and went to see if you were okay. I justified my actions saying that you could be useful to our Lord. And as you can see the Dark Lord approved. But I didn't think at the moment that he will have me to torture you, I am so sorry,"he said tears streaming down his face.

Hermione wrapped his arms around him and he did the same. They both knew that sooner or later that he would have to hurt her, 'to break her' how Voldemort had said. He had to, at least until someone found her.

For now it seemed that there was no hope, but...Hermione had learnt that there is always hope. After all she had managed to get back to her time safe and sound after being sent 25 years to the past.

She felt in the depth in her heart that somehow Lucius and her would find a way for her to escape and that somehow, they will have their happy ending. After everything that happened, and everything that was happening, they deserved that much.

25 years later

"Lucius! Hurry up! We're gonna be late for our daughter's wedding!"Hermione shouted after her husband checking the clock again.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. It's not as if I can't wait to give her away. She is MY little girl."he stated.

"Oh, sweetie, she is always going to be our little girl, but I think it's time to let her go. We'll just have to make sure that our future din in law will never forget that it is us who loved her first."

It seems that Hermione's wish had come true: both she and Lucius had had their happily ever after.