Viventibus Mortem


I really wish I could own Ayame, along with Lucius of course (^.^) but I don't, and their creators are not willing to share (;_;) so I am just borrowing them for this short tale they wanted me to spin so they could dabble in each other's worlds (^.^)


III No cure

A seemingly oblivious Hermione Granger sat in her large kitchen sipping on a hot cup of mint tea with Harry sitting across from her throwing a worried glance in her direction every few seconds. He sighed internally, missing the sound of his best friend's voice. It saddened him that she was broken, not by Voldemort or his Death Eaters, but by muggles.

"Miss Granger," a soft baritone voice called out in a gentle manner. Harry stood up from his chair, offering Hermione his hand, and led her into her family room to meet the potions master and her new patient. Hermione stood over the younger Malfoy, silently fussing over him in her own way, casting wordless diagnostic spells over him, then silently summoning potions from her cellar potion's lab. Severus looked at The-Boy-Who-Lived with an inquiring look.

"She can do it wandless too," Harry told him quietly. The dark wizard looked at the voluntarily mute witch in surprise. "She has been doing it for about seven months now," he said just as Severus was about to ask. They both watched the witch silently as she ran her diagnostic spells over the whimpering elder Malfoy and gave Severus a confused gaze.

"Viventibus Mortem," Severus said softly so as not to scare the witch with his usually loud voice that usually held a harsh tone, but he softened it just for her. "It works like the Cruciatus curse, but was made in the form of a potion," he summarized for her. She continued looking at him. "It is the Dark Lord's new variation of the Draught of Living Death...there is not an antidote yet."

The curly-haired witch brushed the sleeping wizard's blond hair aside as she looked across at him with a pained expression. The two dark-haired wizards silently observed the witch as she sat on her carpet and cried for the Death Eater, now former Death Eater turned traitor to the Dark. She summoned a small rack of potions from her lab and started mixing a small variety until she got a satisfying result. Severus sniffed the new potion Hermione handed him and gave her a small smile of approval.

"Is that a cure?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head sadly while she poured the potion into the unconscious wizard's mouth and massaged his throat to get him to swallow the liquid. Almost instantly, he stopped whimpering and visibly relaxed when he was finally able to achieve a new REM cycle.

"Father!" Draco yelled, sitting up abruptly from the settee he rested on. A look of horror crossed Hermione's face and she hurriedly crawled inside one of her Ottomans and closed the cushioned top. Severus was at his Godson's side in two strides while Harry attempted to console the frightened witch. She heavily warded her hiding space and the, now three wizards, spent over an hour attempting to coax the frightened witch out of her furniture.

"What in Merlin's name are you all doing?" Lucius Malfoy's hoarse voice carried to the three wizards as they lovingly soothed a rectangular piece of furniture. He raised an amused eyebrow at the bunch kneeling on the carpet. "I think the Dark Lord's curses did more damage to you than I first thought," he rasped out as he half-heartedly smirked at his son and brother.

The older blond jumped in surprise when the cushioned top of the furniture finally opened and Harry pulled out a grown girl, no, young woman, with brown, honey coloured, curly hair and cradled her in his lap as he offered her soothing words while rocking her. Lucius gave Severus and Draco a questioning look when they did not seem surprised at the scene playing out before the dark wizards. They continued ignoring him as they looked on at the raven-haired young man with worried frowns. What surprised him the most was his son gently taking the girl into his arms in the same manner as the Potter boy, rocking, and apologising to her as he lovingly cradled her.

"Not now Lucius," Severus said softly, surprising the blond with his unusually gently spoken words. He gave Lucius a stern look when the blond was about to move his lips again. Lucius promptly shut his mouth as he continued observing the odd scene playing out before him. After what seemed like hours observing this odd scene he buried his face in a throw pillow to stifle his small cries of pain that were slowly beginning to blossom from his bones.

He looked up to see the girl kneeling at his side, handing him a potion. He looked quizzically at her before realising who she was. "The mudblood!" He hissed harshly, giving her one of his famous glares. She instantly dropped the potion in alarm and attempted to climb back into the furniture but the wizards thwarted her attempt and the elder Malfoy quickly found that their best glares were reserved for him.

"Father!" "Lucius" The two darks wizards hissed at the now confused blond as he watched his brother soothe the newly acquired over-sized bundle delicately held in his arms. Harry gave the blond wizard a deadly glare and was inwardly happy with himself when he could have sworn the older wizard suppressed a shiver, even if it may have been a shiver from his pain.

"If you want a cure for your ailment, Mister Malfoy, I suggest you adjust your tone and attitude," Harry Potter spoke gently, his glare not matching his soft spoken words but his tone still held the promise of a threat. Lucius just looked on in hate and confusion as he bit back a whimper from the pain coursing through his body.

"Hermione, as young as she is, is a fully trained Healer and researched spells and potions to incurable illnesses. She is the best and highly successful in her field. I suggest you take Harry's advice father," Draco said, further surprising the already, more than once, surprised blond with his closeness to members of the Order. The elder Malfoy could not bite back the small moan of excruciating pain that flared through him.

He watched as the trembling girl slowly crawled over next to him again and started mixing potions. She handed the phial to Lucius with a trembling hand. When he chose to simply stare at her in inquiry as to the contents of the mixed potion she slowly backed away, fear shining in her honey brown eyes.

"He's fine Mione," Draco told her softly, guiding her back to his father. "He won't hurt you, I promise he won't." That surprised Lucius. This girl surprised him. What happened to her fire? Where was her fierce spirit he witnessed in the Department of Mysteries a few years back?

Lucius slowly reached for the phial then threw his head back, swallowing the contents in one gulp. He audibly sighed as he felt the pain receding. "Father," his son said gently but sternly. He looked over at him meeting another glare from him, his own son. "Do you not have something to say?"

Hermione tugged on Draco's lapels and shook her head as it rested on his shoulder. "Yes Hermione," he said firmly but softly, causing the girl to flinch slightly. "Father," Draco said again, but a little more firm as he held the girl, letting her know with his comforting actions that everything was all right.

"Thank you," Lucius finally said to her, and met with a disapproving look from his son and brother. "Thank you Miss Granger," he tried again to sound most sincere in his thanks. They both gave him a small nod and he internally rolled his eyes.

"It is best we get started on your tasks," Severus spoke to Harry quietly so the older blond would not overhear.

"I don't want to leave Hermione," Harry looked concerned as he eyed the elder Malfoy wizard with unguarded dislike and distrust. Draco patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"I will stay with them for a while," Draco offered.

"Don't be too long," Severus warned. "The sooner you three get this over with, the better." Draco and Harry nodded in agreement. Lucius watched as the girl gave Potter and Severus a kiss goodbye on their cheeks. Frankly, he was amazed that Severus allowed such affections from any woman. The beetle-eyed wizard just smirked at Lucius and lifted an eyebrow.

"If you need anything just use our rune," Severus said to him.

"What happened to her?" Lucius asked his son as soon as the two wizards left. Draco sent him a warning look. Lucius was silently amused at all the glares he was getting that day, though the glare that he reacted to most was the Dark Lord's, seconded by Harry Potter.

He followed his son and the girl towards the kitchen where she started preparing them dinner. Draco gave him another warning look as they sat in the dining room and Draco kept an eye on Hermione through the door-less doorway that looked into the large kitchen.

"A year ago," Draco spoke in a low voice, "three muggle criminals broke into Hermione's parents' home. It was the middle of the night." Draco sent Hermione's back a sympathetic glance. "In the memory she allowed Uncle Sev to pull from her...one of the men pulled Hermione out of bed. She could hear her parents screaming and begging as she was dragged into their bedroom by her hair."

"Muggles have a weapon called a gun," Draco glanced into the suddenly quiet kitchen again. "Hermione?" He called worriedly into the silent kitchen. She answered his call by carrying tea and biscuits out into the dining room and left again, but she was obviously cautious around the elder Malfoy.

"This gun," Draco started again when Hermione started making her usual preparation noises, "is like the Killing curse, except it makes a loud bang when it goes off and if it is aimed at the correct parts of the body, the person it is aimed at falls dead. The criminals made her watch as her parents begged and screamed as they tortured them in every unthinkable way and killed them with a gun before her very eyes."

"She is-" Draco shushed his father's loud voice. He gave his son an annoyed look but conceded to speaking in low tones. "She is a muggle-born and an important member of the Order. Was her house not warded?" Lucius tried not to sneer at the thought of neglecting the wards around someone's home that was so obviously valuable to the Light side.

"It was and is," Draco answered. "But the Order foolishly overlooked possible attacks from regular muggles. By the time they were alerted and got to Hermione there were only two thieves, and they had her stripped down to her knickers. Thankfully they didn't get farther than that," he muttered. Lucius looked at his son curiously. Draco's cheeks tinged pink. Lucius looked at the back of the girl as she moved about the kitchen making dinner.

"Why does she still live in this home if one muggle," Lucius spat the word as he would a curse, "got away?"

"I helped her sell that home and had her parents' office building rented out," Draco looked proud of himself. "I helped her buy this home and warded it for her before the Order conjured the usually necessary wards." Lucius did not know whether to be angry with his son for even associating with the mudblood or be proud that he was a bigger person than he was. He sighed internally and decided to be proud of his son.

"Is she going to be okay with just me here?" Lucius asked quietly. Draco also looked worried.

"Firstly," Draco began, "no yelling. If you want to talk to her, speak softly. Secondly, she is scared of anything loud. If she hears a big bang or any loud noise her favourite hiding spot is in that Otto's man in her potion's lab in the cellar." Lucius looked slightly amused at that last piece of information his son offered him. "She wards it like crazy so you have to beat her to the hiding spot or she may stay warded in there for days without food or water," he said pointedly.

"What is Otto's man?" Lucius asked curiously.

"It is that piece of furniture she warded herself in earlier. I think I should warn you that if anything," he emphasised, "were to happen to her under your watch the whole Order will come down on you," he warned. "She is the Gryffindor princess after all," Draco smirked.

"Oh joy," Lucius muttered sardonically. "Am I not the one that is supposed to be looked after?" He sneered, and then sighed after a few seconds. "Is there anywhere else she might hide?"

"There are the Otto's men in the lab and drawing room," Draco said aloud to himself. "Ah, there is the wardrobe in the attic. So far those are the only places we find her hiding."

"She lives alone?" Lucius asked curiously.

"Yes." Lucius noticed the worried looks on his son kept sending the girl. Did he like the mud-err-muggle-born? "She kicks out anyone who tries to stay more than two nights here," he chuckled. "She got fed up with everyone taking turns staying with her so she warded herself in the wardrobe. It took the Order one week to find her! They agreed to give her, her space after that and she gratefully made us all portkeys but made a schedule of when we can visit and set each of her portkeys to that schedule, otherwise we apparate to her doorstep."

"What is your interest in the girl?" Lucius finally asked after letting the information about portkeys absorb into his thirsty brain.

"Oh this and that," Draco smirked at his father. Lucius sent his son a frosty glare, only getting a chuckle out of him. "I see her as a friend only," he finally said. "Our relationship is purely platonic."

Hermione carried some dishes out from the kitchen, carefully avoiding Lucius, always giving him a wide berth when she had to come near the Malfoy patriarch. Lucius looked at his son curiously.

"She hardly knows you father," Draco said when she was safely in the kitchen. Lucius sneered at him. "You have to show her that you don't mean her any harm and earn her trust."

"How am I supposed to live alone with her?" Lucius hissed quietly, being mindful of the easily frightened girl. Draco smirked at his father already minding the now always silent witch.

"Just be mindful of her and don't upset her too often," the young blond instructed. He was almost out of the dining room to offer his help to Hermione in setting the table when his father spoke.

"I am glad you are safe Draco," Lucius said softly as his son stood next to the chair he sat in.

"Thank you for sticking up for Uncle Sev and me," Draco gave his father a grateful smile.

"I would do more than betray the Dark Lord for you," Lucius spoke seriously. "A warning that you were also a spy would have been nice though. Now are there any other organisations you spy for?" He lightly joked.

"No, but I do sell magic goods to muggles," Draco lightly retorted, then laughed along with his father at his joke. Lucius watched as Draco and the girl set the table, a routine they seemed comfortable with performing. As soon as the dishes were set out, he eyed all the muggle dishes with disdain.

"What is this?" He sneered as the girl served him a portion of something that looked like cooked meat. She recoiled, dropping the plate in front of him with a loud clang as it hit the table. Draco was at her side in an instant, soothing the scared girl and glaring at the older wizard as he calmed her down with comforting words.

"What did you do?" A soft accusing voice spoke through the kitchen doorway.

"Father scared her again," Draco said to his Godfather. Severus glared at the wizard as he placed a large box on the end of the table.

"You should know Lucius, that you are a hot topic at headquarters," Severus spoke softly as he eyed the blond, his tone still holding the threat he wanted to project to his friend. "Many concerns are being aired about Hermione living alone with you and I have to say it is fun shooting down every one of those voiced concerns. Now I am wondering if I should just stay quiet." Lucius flinched internally at his friends words.

"I am very sorry Miss Granger," Lucius spoke softly to the witch in his son's arms. The apology felt odd coming out of his mouth and the taste of the words was acrid on his tongue. He stripped a portion of the cooked meat with his fork and hastily shoved it into his mouth, instantly knowing this was his new favourite dish as the flavours exploded on his tongue. "What is this dish called?" He asked politely.

"Roasted beef," Severus answered for the quiet witch. "Hermione has taken to improving her cooking skills in her free time." The witch blushed as she served the dark-haired man a plate.

"My compliments to the chef," Lucius gave her an approving smile as he forked and spooned more of the delicious food onto his plate.

"These are all the books I could find that may help you in finding an antidote," Severus said to the witch as he placed the box, which was situated next to his dinner plate, on the wooden floor. The witch gave him a false smile of thanks before leaving the dining room. Lucius looked curiously through the doorway to the kitchen when she took her time returning to the dinner table and the other two wizards did not look concerned at her long absence.

"She refuses company," Draco spoke sadly while looking down at his half-full plate then up at his father. "Don't be offended when you find breakfast ready and only one place setting at the table."

hEaRt*HeArT

Lucius was already settled in an armchair in the girl's small library when he felt a small poke in his shoulder. His delicious warm dinner had settled so nicely in his stomach that he did not realise he drifted off when he felt the small poke. He felt it again and slowly lifted his eyes to see the girl quickly backing away. When she was sure he was finally awake, she motioned for him to follow her.

He curiously followed as she led him up the stairs and stopped at the entrance to a large bedroom, opening the door and motioning for him to follow her inside. She pointed to an open door that led into a bathing room and opened a closed door that was full of clothes, the closet. She started taking the clothes off the hangers. Lucius moved to help her when she recoiled, dropping the clothes in her arms.

"I just wanted to help Miss Granger," the wizard said softly as he slowly started to pick up the clothes that now lay at their feet. Hermione kept her distance but started helping him pick up her mess, then left with her large bundle of clothes. He followed her into another room where she started hanging up the man and woman's clothing inside an empty closet. 'These are her parents' clothing,' he realised as he stared at the girl while she delicately handled the clothing.

Once Lucius was back inside his assigned bedroom he looked around realising the girl had given him the master's bedroom. He turned to his bedroom door just as Hermione pushed a folded parchment under the door and into his bedroom. He crossed the room to pick up the parchment and unfolded it to find a note addressed to him.

Mister Malfoy,

I will have breakfast ready at six-thirty am tomorrow morning. It will be eggs, toast and bacon. Please let me know if you would like something extra or prefer something different and I will provide it if I have it. You may leave a note on the fridge with times you usually takes your meals and what your favourite dishes are. I have owled and asked Draco to provide you with essentials. The bathing room is currently stocked with the basics but they are muggle products. He promised to be hasty in collecting your preferred toiletries and essentials. For now, I have stocked the medicine cabinet with your potion. Take one phial twice daily until I find an antidote. It is very important that you do not miss a dose until then.

H. Granger

'What in Merlin's name is a fridge?' The blond wizard asked himself as he searched the upstairs rooms for the girl. He discovered her room and found it was empty so included his search to the rooms downstairs. Lucius was beginning to become worried when he did not find the girl anywhere and was going to look for her in her hiding places when he heard movement in the entry hall.

Lucius pulled out his wand as he quietly turned the corner and saw the back of the witch before she left through the front door. 'Where would the girl be going at this late hour?' he asked himself. He placed a disillusionment charm on himself and quietly began to follow Hermione as she walked through the streets and came to a dark playground. He watched and listened as she lay on the freezing ground and started humming a muggle tune, or he figured it was muggle, as he had not heard it on the Wizarding Wireless.

His wand was instantly in his hand when a white snake started poking its head out between some bushes. Hermione suddenly stopped humming and smiled at the snake. Suddenly the girl and the snake launched themselves at each other. Lucius was about to stun the snake but stopped because the girl was in the way. He was surprised when the snake did not bite her but draped itself around her neck and started butting her face with its mouth and she responded by silently laughing and twirling with the snake.

A soft wind blew and the snake's head snapped in his direction. Hermione stiffened when she noticed the snake smelling the air around them and started hissing in his direction. Her wand was in her hand as the snake crawled down into her blouse and they became invisible with her disillusionment charm. He knew she was gone the second he heard the whoosh of a portkey so he apparated to the edge of her home's wards and silently made his way inside through the front door.

"Miss Granger," Lucius said softly to the girl when he found her in the library. She turned and eyed the wizard warily. "I do not know what a fridge is or where the medicine cabinet is located in my bathroom." Hermione's cheeks were tinged in pink as she motioned for the wizard to follow her to the kitchen and pointed to a large silver box that was taller than she was and almost taller than the wizard, but definitely wider then the two of them if they were to stand next to the other.

"What is your familiar's name?" Lucius eyed the white snake poking its head out of the front of the girl's jumper. Its forked tongue left its mouth while smelling the air around the wizard and turned back to the witch laughing in its own way. Hermione smiled at the snake and frowned at the wizard as she led him upstairs into his bathing room and slid his large mirror open to reveal shelves of muggle products and his potions.

"Are you not going to reprimand me?" He asked the girl as she moved to vacate his room. Hermione paused, but did not turn. The smiling snake poked its head over her shoulder, bobbing its head up and down as it silently laughed.

Lucius lifted an eyebrow in amusement at the whole scenario. The girl had a snake familiar, a symbol of his dear Slytherin house, and the snake was answering for the silent witch as if it understood everything that was happening and understood every word said. As soon as she closed his bedroom door, he could not help but laugh.

He laughed at the seemingly intelligent snake. He laughed at his betrayal of the Dark Lord. He laughed at his dear ex-wife who left him to rot under the Dark Lord's ruling of his, their lives. He laughed because he was now free and it was with thanks to his son and Severus being found out as spies for the Order.

HeArT*hEaRt

Hermione panicked when she heard the laughter coming out of the bedroom she just quit. She ran up the attic, warding herself into an oversized armoire that the previous owners of the home must have left behind.

"Little lion?" The snake spoke. "I can hear your hear beating faster than a drum," he said as he lightly poked her face with his. "What has you so afraid?" He asked, rubbing the top of his head under her chin.

After minutes of soothing her, though he did not know why she was so afraid, Hermione finally dissolved the wards she set on the wardrobe. She gently set the snake down on a bed with a heating charm placed on it and around the room, leaving him with a peck atop his head and a small smile. After the warmth of the heating charm allowed his cold body to transform into his normal self, he dressed and sought out his unusually quiet sister.

"Hermione?" He opened the door to the only room that could only be hers in this small three bedroom home. "Are you awake?" He whispered. He frowned when she turned in her bed and gave him what was supposed to be an encouraging smile. She nodded and patted the open space next to her. He crossed her room and set a few pillows between them before lying down next to her.

"Are you upset with me?" He asked, giving her a sad smile. She shook her head and placed a hand on his cheek. "Where are Sophia and Edward?" He asked after his surrogate parents, placing his hand over hers and giving it a gentle squeeze when a tear slid down her cheek, then another, and another. He embraced her with the pillows between them when she quietly sobbed into his shoulder, wishing he could offer her his warmth and fully comfort her.

"What has you so upset?" He asked when her tears stopped running down his neck. "Please talk to me," he quietly pleaded, frowning when she did not answer. He slowly pulled back to find that she had cried herself to sleep.

hEaRt*HeArT

Lucius awoke to a knock at his door. He grumbled, slowly crawling out of his bed to open the door. His son stood there glaring at him. He ignored him for the time being and made his way to the medicine cabinet to take a potion for his pain.

"What did you do?!" Draco hissed at his father as soon as he closed the bedroom door. Lucius just stared at his son with a blank expression. Draco sighed and handed him a cup of tea. The older wizard drank and spit it up.

"What is the meaning of this?!" He demanded as he wiped the cold tea from his lips.

"That is what I would like to know," Draco said as he crossed his arms and continued glaring. "I do hope you enjoy your breakfast," he smirked. "It is also cold and Hermione charmed the food not to react to heating charms. So unless you apologise for whatever you did or learn how to work muggle appliances you'll have to enjoy cold food for however long she decides to punish you."

Lucius sneered at his son then sighed, "She went out late last night so I followed her under a disillusionment charm."

"She did what?!" Draco yelled and left the room muttering under his breath.

"What did he do?" Harry asked, glaring at the older blond following his son down the stairs.

"He followed Hermione last night when she left," Draco spoke softly as he looked at the lightly blushing witch. Harry turned to Hermione as she looked down at her cream coloured carpet with a sheepish expression. "It was late. What were you thinking Hermione?" Draco asked gently. Hermione sniffed as a white head poked up from her blouse laughing at the wizards.

"She found you," Harry hissed as he smiled down at the snake. The snake nodded as it hissed back.

"I noticed she does not speak to anyone. What happened while I was away?" The snake asked. "I looked for her at home but she wasn't there and there was police tape everywhere for a while. I waited for her everyday at the playground and she finally came for me last night."

"A lot has happened," Harry answered sadly. "I'm afraid her not being able to leave the house is our fault. Last night was the first night we left her seemingly unattended and she slipped out under Mister Malfoy's watch...not that he knew to watch her," Harry frowned at himself for not informing the elder Malfoy to watch over Hermione.

"She lost her parents in a home invasion and was forced to watch everything. We got there in time to save her from the same fate but not in time to save her parents," Harry tried not to let his tears show in front of Hermione. "She hasn't said a word since that night."

The snake hissed and spat in anger, Harry lightly blushing at the words coming from the usually docile snake, and then watched as he pecked Hermione's face lovingly. "I'm here now," the snake said to the witch even though she could not understand. "Aya's here now," he hissed sadly.

"So Aya is your name?" Harry asked.

"Ayame is my full name," the snake seemed to smile as he rubbed the top of his head across Hermione's cheek.

"That is just...amazing," Draco chuckled when the hissing stopped. Harry blushed. "I haven't heard you speaking Parseltongue since our second year. I wanted to tell you then but..." his words drifted off.

"Well you told me now," Harry smiled at his friend. "The past is the past and we should leave it there." Draco nodded in agreement. "You already know his name don't you?" Harry asked Hermione. She nodded and gave him one of her false smiles as she led them into the dining room for their breakfast.

"Hermione," Harry said as he gave her a stern look. She rolled her eyes but waved her wand over the breakfast plates. "Hermione," Harry said gently but sternly.

She frowned at him but held out her hand, palm face down, to the elder Malfoy. Lucius reached out to take what she held in her hand and looked down at the small blue muggle flower she dropped into his palm. He looked up at a smirking witch who made sure he noticed as she turned and left the dining room for the kitchen, the snake quietly laughing at him in its own way as they quit the room. Harry and Draco looked at the small blue flower snickering, and then full out laughing, Harry because of the name of the flower and Draco because it was a muggle flower.

"What is this called?" Lucius asked the young wizards as he fought the urge to vanish or crush the delicate petals of the muggle plant.

"The flower is called Forget-Me-Not," Harry chuckled and Draco began laughing again. Lucius glared at the doorway in which the silent witch exited.

"What's going on here?" Severus asked, joining two mirthful wizards and one silently fuming wizard at the breakfasting table.

"Hermione went out late last nig-" Harry began.

"She did what?!" Severus hissed quietly, interrupting Harry but being ever mindful of Hermione's delicate state of mental well-being.

"Mister Malfoy followed her," Harry continued, "and Hermione found out and charmed breakfast to remain cold. When Draco and I found out we made her apologise and she gave him a muggle flower." Severus smirked at that and Lucius showed him the blue forget-me-not still mocking him as it sat so innocently in his palm.

"You do know what that flower means?" The potions master asked as Hermione entered with a hot plate of food for him.

"Of course we do not Severus, so why do you not enlighten us," Lucius drawled sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"The meaning of a forget-me-not is true or faithful love, constancy, undying hope," Severus smirked at the stunned witch who was suddenly blushing and rushing for the nearest exit as two young wizards snickered at her reaction. Lucius openly laughed and discreetly placed the flower under a preserving charm, planning to pin it onto one of his lapels later just to have a little fun with the girl.

A little while later Hermione came back into the dining room to set up another place setting and looked at the wizards pointedly. Lucius looked at the empty spot curiously.

"Is she planning to join us?" Lucius asked when she left the room again.

"It means that I am planning to join you all," Kingsley smiled as he took the open seat at the breakfasting table. Lucius hid his surprise at the brown and grey streak that ran from the kitchen and into Kingsley's waiting arms. "How is my little princess?" He asked as she burrowed further into his warm embrace.

"Busy," Hermione answered very quietly, her voice would have been mistaken for a small breeze if they had been outdoors. Lucius looked to the other wizards who continued eating and observing the duo, and Harry, who looked down at his plate with a melancholy expression.

"I thought she didn't talk," he whispered quietly to his son. Draco frowned at Kingsley and Hermione as he talked and she listened.

"She'll only talk for him," he whispered back. "But he can only get short answers," he added.

"What is their relationship?" Lucius asked his son curiously. Draco looked back at his father with interest but it was Severus who answered.

"He was the first to reach Hermione and rescue her. She clings to him as a daughter does to her father. That is the extent of their relationship," Severus said. Kingsley looked over to the elder Malfoy pointedly when he over heard Severus's comments. "He is also the one you will answer to if anything were to upset her," he hinted. "Along with Mister Potter and the rest of the Order of course."


(^.^)