A/N: Here is chapter number four! I probably will not get another chance to update for another week or so, but until then enjoy this chapter and Happy Holidays! :D
Disclaimer: That would be an awesome present...owning Harry Potter...I know what I'm asking for this year ;)
Chapter 4 – Love is Blind
"How can you possibly know me?" Hermione laughed nervously, "we just met this evening remember. You sent me that drink and then we started talking." Lucius shook his head at her and examined her face curiously trying to figure out how he knew her.
"I'm sure I know you from some where," he declared confidently, "are you related to Narcissa Malfoy, her maiden name was Black?"
"No, I don't think so…" Hermione began, but he started talking over her.
"You don't look anything like her great aunt Millicent, but you have some resemblance to her sister Bellatrix," he said watching her closely. After hearing that comment Hermione choked on her drink, she was nothing like Bellatrix Lestrange. Just the thought of being like her made Hermione shudder.
"Terrible women," he said matter-of-factly, "but she has the most beautiful ears, you have nice ears too. You also have a similar nose, but I'm quite sure she got a nose job. Can you believe she is in love with a man, who has the ugliest nose in the world; it is completely flat, like a snake?"
"Love is blind," Hermione commented. She did not like being compared to that awful woman.
"That is so true. My son is surrounded by beautiful women all the time, but has he fallen for one, of course not," Lucius said banging his fist on the bar to emphasize his point, and Hermione jumped at his sudden action.
"Aha!" Lucius exclaimed, "I've figured it out. I know exactly who you are. You're Pansy Parkinson! Draco has told me all about you."
"No, I am not Pansy Parkinson," said Hermione, she was once again disgusted by his choice of comparisons.
"You're right. She has black hair and Draco says her voice has a high-pitched and annoying quality," Lucius said discouraged, "You look so familiar though."
"Maybe I look like someone you know, and you see a resemblance" Hermione suggested nervously strumming her fingers against the bar.
"No that's not it," he paused and then continued, "I know! Maybe you just look like someone I know!" Satisfied with his answer Lucius looked at his watch before gasping and tumbling off his chair again. "8:00! We have been talking for almost an hour. I really must get going I have important business this evening," he said before hurrying out of the bar.
Hermione let out a breath she had not realized she was holding. She gave him a minute's head start before grabbing her meals and sneaking out of the restaurant. As she walked through the lobby, she saw him meet a group of men that looked suspiciously like Death Eaters. She tried to blend in with the crowd as she made her way to the elevator.
While waiting for the elevator Hermione saw a young boy playing with a ball, he dropped it and it came rolling in her direction. She picked it up and handed it to him, and then she ruffled his hair and plucked a single hair discreetly.
Hermione was able to get hairs from two more people after that, and hurried to the room. She opened the door, checked no one was following her, and then locked it securely.
"Harry, Ron," she called urgently, "come quickly." They both came in from the other room curiously. "There are Death Eaters down stairs. Lucius Malfoy saw me, but he was drunk, so he didn't realize who I was.
"Shit," cursed Harry as he started picking up clothes from the floor.
"Bloody hell," muttered Ron as he hurried into the other room to pack. Hermione followed him grabbing everything she could carry and throwing it into the trunks haphazardly. They finished packing within ten minutes and were all at the door ready to leave.
"Okay, we have got one use of pollyjuice potion and I think we should use it now," she said pulling out the hairs and the vials, "there were quite a few death eaters, and our current disguises won't be good enough to fool all of them. They might be able to tell that our appearances were magically altered." Both boys nodded, so she passed out paper cups each with a mouthful of potion in it.
"Here Harry, you are going to be a little boy, so we will have to shrink your clothes quickly. Ron and I will be your parents." Ron blushed, but gulped down the potion and transformed into a muggle man. Harry and Hermione also transformed and they pulled their muggle luggage back to the elevator and to the main level.
"Jim dear," said Hermione patting Ron's arm pointedly, "Take Scott back to the car, while I check out." Ron nodded his understanding, and only hesitated for a moment before he took Harry outside past the death eaters. None of them even noticed the "father and son" that walked past them.
Hermione met up with them soon after. "Gosh there was such a long queue to check out," she said as she enlarged her car. The all piled in and she pulled out of the parking lot.
Once they had driven far enough away from the city, with Hermione nervously glancing in her rearview mirror every few seconds, they stopped and shrunk the car again. She grabbed Harry and Ron and apparated to a forest not too far away.
"Where are we?" Harry asked looking around curiously.
"We are just outside a muggle village, in a small forest," said Hermione, "Let's set up the tent quickly before anyone sees us." The Polyjuice potion had worn off, and it had stripped them of their original disguises, so it was best they hurry.
Hermione set up the tent magically and put up several safety precautions. There was an invisible shield around the tent that prevented anyone from seeing or hearing them. There were also some spells to detect dark magic and prevent muggles from coming near them. Once satisfied with the protection the trio entered the tent.
"Do Mum and Dad know you took the tent?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, I asked your dad before we left."
"I think we should take shifts guarding the tent at night," Harry suggested. The others agreed and they decided that they would each take one three-hour shift. With that decided Harry took the first watch, while Ron and Hermione slept. Three hours later, he re-entered the tent and woke Hermione for her turn. She rubbed her eyes groggily. Then she slid out of her bed and grabbed her wand before sitting, uncomfortably, outside the tent's entrance.
The forest was dark and creepily silent. Hermione jumped at the smallest noises. She almost screamed when a small squirrel scurried past her and into a nearby tree. She scolded herself for being so jumpy. Where was her Gryffindor Courage? She was not used to being out at night alone. She always had Harry and Ron to protect her. Though she rarely needed protection, she was quite proud of her magical abilities and was no damsel in distress. But she was in the middle of a war, and she had to be strong.
She sighed again, thinking of Ron. She wished she still loved him like she used to. She still loved him, of course, but more like a brother. She felt the same way about Harry. Unfortunately, Ron seemed to, finally, be taking an interest in her. It was ironic, her crush on him finally faded and he begins to have feeling for her. At least that was what she thought. He had become more protective towards her, and definitely was more attentive. But deep down, she wondered if he truly loved her. His romantic antics seemed a bit exaggerated and he was not the same after his disastrous break up with Lavender. The more rational part of Hermione bad begun to realize that Ron might have had real feelings for Lavender, but she had been too jealous to consider that six months ago.
She looked at her watch. Her three hours were finished, so she got up and stretched. She snuck back into the tent and woke Ron quietly. He mumbled sleepily before jumping off the top bunk and stationing himself outside the tent. Hermione smiled as she crawled back into her bed and drifted off to sleep.
"Lucius," McNair boomed in greeting. Lucius nodded his head in acknowledgment. His head was throbbing and he could remember nothing from the last few hours, except entering the place for a drink. Severus approached him with Draco in tow.
"Drinking again Lucius?" Severus asked curtly.
"Yes I have been drinking, not that it is any of your business," Lucius snapped, "and my head is aching."
"Here," Severus sighed, "It will help your head. You really should be setting a better example for Draco. Liquor will not solve your problems." Lucius snorted, but took the potion gratefully. He had tried to be a good example for Draco, but he failed in that too.
Once Lucius' headache was relieved the three men joined the death eaters' destruction half-heartedly. Innocent muggles screamed in terror as the group marched, shooting spells at everyone in range. The dark mark was shot into the air as countless bodies hit the ground. Draco grimaced as he saw a dead muggle on the floor in front of him. He stunned, jinxed and tortured those nearest to him, but killed none that night.
Severus and Lucius, however did manage to kill some, but like Draco did not stomach it well. Severus had learned to control his actions the best out of the three. No one ever doubted his power or his support for the Dark Lord. Even on nights like these, when he sidelined himself. It was obvious to most that both Lucius and Draco were no longer content fighting for him. They only remained with him to spare their own lives.
A/N: Alright, Chapter 5 preview: (It isn't much, but at least it's something)
"I have a plan," Severus responded proudly.