"No one would believe a witch as young and vital as you would tie herself to a wizard such as I have become." Lucius looked at the young woman sitting with him. She seemed sober enough, but perhaps she didn't hold liquor well.
"Everyone would believe it." Hermione looked him up and down. "You are handsome, intelligent, and you're a convict."
"That last one seems a bit odd." Lucius caught the odd flash of rage in her eyes before she looked away.
"I suppose the drama of it all never made it way to Azkaban." Hermione sighed. "The Repopulation Law was one of the first to be rolled out by the new and improved Ministry. Harry and I had finished auror training. We were living together. It wasn't much of a surprise when Kingsley asked us to be the first couple to comply."
He watched her closely, observing her distress. She wasn't one to rend and tear. She internalized most things. Her agony was there for him to see in the twist of her fingers and the whitening of the skin around her lips.
"It turned out I didn't qualify." She closed her eyes. "Harry married Ginny instead."
He nodded and watched her toss back the last of her drink. They sat in silence for a bit. He knew that they're conversation was done before she set her glass down on the side table and stood up.
"I think it would be best if I went to my room." She didn't meet his eyes.
"You will need to be well rested." Lucius smiled as her eyes snapped to his. It felt like a small victory. "I do believe we have a romance to plan."
"You have to talk to her, Ron." Harry rubbed his hand through his hair and looked around his office as if something would jump out at him. "They're using her. They're going to hurt her."
"She won't believe me." Ron shook his head. "She's weird about Astoria. I'm more likely to make her settle in for the long haul."
"They'll destroy her. It's our job to protect her." Harry paced around the small room.
"It really isn't." Ron took a deep breath and glanced down at the floor. Telling Harry the truth wasn't always easy. "You're married to my sister. She isn't your partner anymore. There is no reason to get involved in this."
"She's still our friend." Harry glared at him. "I still care."
"It's more than caring. You still love her." Ron stood up and planted his hand on Harry's desk. "Everyone bloody knows it. Ginny puts up with all the pity because she loves you. She gets that the whole bloody thing is a tragedy, but you need to get passed this."
"She was our friend long before she was anything else." Harry's jaw firmed.
"Yeah, she was. That's why she still shows up at family events. That's why she never complains, but do you really think it's fair?" Ron picked up a picture of Ginny and the baby. "Is it fair to them?"
"I'm not having an affair." Harry plucked the picture from his hands and placed it back on his desk.
"I know that. Ginny knows that. Everyone knows it." Ron took a deep breath. "But Hermione gets treated like a leper by our friends. George is the only one of my brothers that sees her regularly. Hell, I had to yell at Percy for walking passed her without so much as a nod of his head."
"I know it went wrong. I should have handled things differently." Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know how to sit back and watch her get hurt."
"That's all you've done for years. You watch her get hurt. Well, if you're not the one hurting her." Ron handed the picture to Harry. "You have someone else that needs protecting. Someone that you don't want to lose. I'm sick of watching you hurt them both. Ginny is your wife. You made the choice. Live with it."
"Check on Hermione because she used to be your friend, too." Harry clutched the frame to his chest. "I don't want to hurt Ginny. I'll leave it to you."
"Of course you will." Ron rolled his eyes. Harry's focus on his family wouldn't last. It never did. Ginny deserved better. Hell, Hermione deserved better.
Harry was an emotional bludger.
Ron took a deep breath. There was no point in losing his temper. He exhaled and tried to let his negative feelings go with it. It was mental, but Lav swore it would work.
Draco blinked. It was the only thing he could do. Tori had petrified him and stormed off hours ago.
She didn't lose her temper often, but Granger had made damn sure she knew some quality hexes when she did. The pregnancy hormones weren't helping. His usually loving wife had morphed into a creature with the personality of a rabid crup.
"I wondered what had become of you." Lucius smirked as he released his son from the spell. "Your wife is still in high dudgeon, so mind your behavior."
"The early months are the worst." Draco shrugged. "When she gets rounder, I can outrun her."
"I spent a good deal with my hair missing when your mother was pregnant." Lucius smiled fondly.
"I wish she was here." Draco plopped down on the settee and finished tying his shoes. "She would have adored Cassie."
"That is certain." Lucius sat next to him. "It falls to me to do the one thing I've continually failed at in this life. I have to protect you and yours from what is left of my old compatriots."
"I can and will protect my family." Draco glared at his father.
"I have no doubt that you are capable, but you are only in their sights because of me." Lucius placed a hand on his knee. "Let me do this. Let me do this for your mother. I owe it to her memory."
"Mum never thought like that." Draco shook his head.
"Probably for the best as her memory will take a beating if we proceed with the plan in place." Lucius smoothed the line of his left pant leg and studied the Aubusson carpet. "We think it best to pretend to be in love. Rodolphus won't be able to resist killing my mudblood lover."
"Especially since it's Hermione." Draco nodded. "She survived Bellatrix. She took down Rabastan. Rage will blind him to the ploy. Same with Potter. It's a fine line to dance."
"If you think we should try something different..." Lucius stopped speaking when Draco held up his hand.
"It's a good plan. You'll need to sell the romance. It will have to be bold. A fight about something ridiculous and you kiss her. That might work." Draco grinned. "It will certainly set the masses tongues to wagging."
"That seems a bit more dramatic than necessary." Lucius shifted in his seat and glanced at his perfect manicure. "Surely, some dinners together and a inappropriate hand placement would be better."
"This isn't the Slytherin dormitory. She's a Gryffindor." Draco waggled his brows. "Faint heart never won fair lady. I'd best go find mine now. Wouldn't want her to feel guilty."
Astoria sighed. The nursery was expanding to accommodate their next child. There were new shelves today, and the room seemed to have expanded out another five or six feet. The manor knew she was expecting. It was one of those strange things Hermione was sure to understand, but Astoria didn't want to know how it worked.
Was it too much to ask of the universe and its gods that her family be safe?
Hermione had been the one to teach her that life was more than tea parties and power. When the whole world had turned upside down after her father's trial, Hermione had been the one to help her. Daphne had been too busy clinging to Theo like a drowning woman to step in and care for her annoying little sister.
Hermione had been the one to approach Draco. She'd taken Astoria's copy of their marriage contract and come here because he never left it back then. She hadn't appreciated how much that cost Hermione until after the three day bender that followed. In truth, she hadn't understood it even then. All she'd really seen was Draco's reaffirmation of their commitment. With her father's conviction, he could have ended their contract. It would have been better for him to pick some witch without connections to Voldemort's fools.
Hermione had taught her more about love in the years after the war than she ever learned before it. She bit her lower lip. She knew Hermione would be the one to stand between her and the gathering storm. Draco and Lucius would help, but it was Hermione that drew the line.
"Hermione is off with Cassie on one of their explorations?" Draco leaned against the ornately worked door jamb. He looked happy which was a bit odd. She wasn't all that pregnant and petrifying her husband hadn't been well done.
"She would have made an excellent mother." Astoria sighed.
"She is a superb godmother." Draco moved into the room. "You've been thinking maudlin thoughts."
She shrugged.
It was answer enough.
"I need you to put them aside." Draco closed the distance between them and cupped her chin. "We need to go visit mother."
"Why?" Astoria smiled up at her husband. "Has she been causing trouble with the other portraits again?"
"No." Draco chuckled. "I want her advice."
Hermione found a quiet place in the garden. Cassie was napping in her arms and this seemed like a good place to settle in. The intricate lattice work on the arbor caught her eye. The few runes peeping out through the lush growth must be part of a protective array. She settled her precious bundle on the bench and sat down on the ground next to it.
The warmth of the petal filtered sunlight was soothing.
She rubbed her fingers on her denim clad legs. Goddess help her, she was nervous. Pretending to be involved with Lucius was making a mess of her, and they hadn't even started.
She pushed up her sleeve and looked at the runes set into her skin. Most of them were blackened, but four remained in their pristine golden condition. She rubbed her finger over the dark lines of Harry's broken promises.
She'd never broken faith with him.
She jerked her sleeve down.
Pretending to be with Lucius wasn't going to burn another rune.
She kept her promises.
Author's Note
I've gotten a lot of requests to focus on Crazy For You. I will have a chapter out this month. I also have chapters for Into The Fire and Dark Attics Of The Mind nearing publishable quality.
I appreciate all the lovely encouragement.
For those of you that read in the other fandoms I play with, I am working on finishing Love Primeval and What Doesn't Kill You. I have another chapter of Beyond The Moon almost finished. There's a new chapter in the works for my Shenny story as well.
My life is frequently chaotic. I'm sorry that I go through spells of regular updates and then periods where I'm too busy in my real life to even consider it. I would love to provide an update for every story every week. I'm just not built that way.
I have to thank my friends for their support. My beloved Trinka Belle provides me with wonderful stories and inspiratiion, but her friendship means so much more. Check out her stories. She can twist a plot so well that you will never regret it. Bloomsbury reminds me that chasing a story down the rabbit hole is always worth it. Jhiz inspires me to do better, to dig deeper. Omslagsapper is always ready with a keen insight and a happy acceptance of my semi psychotic muse. I appreciate all that you do for me and hope I return your kindness at least in some small way.
I know that there are more people I should be thanking. Each of my lovely readers is a wonder. My reviewers are precious even when they aren't all that nice. Those of you that favorite and follow my stories rock as well.
Thank you,
Anna