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Hermione was surprisingly nervous when tea time rolled around. Her floo flared to life and Minerva McGonagall stepped out and shook some non-existent dust off her robes. She smiled when her eyes settled on the young witch she'd come to visit.

"Professor." Hermione smiled at her. "I'm glad you could make it."

"It's good to see you looking well, Miss Granger." She said. "Though I wish the circumstances were somewhat different."

Hermione nodded. "Please have a seat." There was a full, formal tea set out.

"This is a very pleasant room." Minerva said, pleased to see that despite her concerns Miss Granger seemed quite at ease and most certainly not in any danger. "I'll be able to reassure certain parties that you're not being kept in a cell in some corner of the basement."

Hermione laughed a little. "Ronald, I assume?" She rolled her eyes, unsurprised when the older witch nodded. "He was not well pleased that I decided to do this." She poured the tea for them both, letting the Professor fix it the way she preferred.

"They are merely worried about you, and to confess so am I. You're not normally one prone to rash decisions Miss Granger, despite the lie you told about the troll in first year." She arched an eyebrow.

"You knew about that?" She looked rather sheepish.

"Of course I did, I was not nearly as oblivious as I appeared." She chuckled. "However, it showed remarkable loyalty to your friends so I never saw fit to call you on it. Students love to think they are smarter than their teachers." She sipped her tea. "I wanted to speak to you about your Newts, in particular. While many of the students from your year will be returning for an 8th year, with your situation that will not be possible. Kingsley explained the entire affair to me, and despite my misgivings about the recipient of your good will, I can only commend your principles." She met her eyes. "You are more than capable of directing your own studies, and so I feel you will be quite up to the challenge of sitting your Newts in June with the rest of your year mates. The entire staff has agreed that they will be available to you for tutoring, and any support you might require." She smiled. "If that is something you'd want to pursue."

"Of course it is." She smiled, unable to keep from looking as happy as she felt. "Thank you, I know this isn't precisely a normal thing to offer."

"There are provisions available in the school bylaws, granted they were intended for a witch that was unable to finish her schooling for family reasons, but I don't believe anyone would object to us stretching the rules a little for you." Minerva winked a little. "These sandwiches are lovely."

"Yes, the house elves have been particularly pleased that I brought their master home. I keep finding little plates of sweets everywhere." She chuckled.

"How have things been with Mister Malfoy?" She asked.

"He's been fine, actually. He's been polite, and quite the gentleman." She knew it sounded strange to her ears, she couldn't imagine how it sounded to her Professor's.

"That doesn't surprise me as much as it likely should. I knew him when he was at school and he was always a keen observer of those around him. He had no compunction about networking with half-bloods or even particularly intelligent and gifted muggle-borns. He measured everything by gain…I doubt that part of his personality has changed much over the years. It was one of the very great differences between him and his father, Arbraxas." She sighed. "So long as you show him respect Miss Granger, I am quite confident he will continue to show it to you. I will caution you however, men like Lucius Malfoy have a way of changing the people they associate with. It can be subtle, but over time you may find it hard to recognize the person you become." Her tone was soft, and a little sad.

"Is that what happened between you and Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked her.

"To put it simply, yes. I had my own goals and ambitions, and I assure you teaching was not in the realm of possibilities." She snorted. "Albus had a clever way of shifting your thinking until you made the choices he wanted you to make. I still maintain he was a Slytherin in Gryffindor clothing." She muttered.

Hermione laughed a little. "He certainly liked playing with people's lives." She finally said. "I'm just grateful we survived the game."

"As am I, Miss Granger…as am I." She said. "Try not to be too hard on young Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, wizards always take longer to grow up than witches. You're taking your first steps on your own path and I imagine they feel somewhat left behind. It's a very natural thing, but I somehow always knew your path would lead you away from them. You were always too clever for Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Potter sees you as the sister he never had…and I believe you share that sentiment." Minerva said.

"Harry is like a brother to me…our time alone hunting the Horcruxes reaffirmed that for us. I'm glad he has a chance to have a life of his own now, without the pressure of being the Boy Who Lived. He deserves that, and I think he'll come to see that I deserve to have my own life apart from being part of 'The Golden Trio'." She rolled her eyes at the moniker that the papers used to describe the three of them. "I don't feel all that shiny and bright these days." She nibbled at a pastry.

"War has a way of darkening the soul Miss Granger, I hope you realize that you are not alone in feeling that." She said. "I won't pretend to understand what you're dealing with, but should you ever need someone to speak to my door is always open to you. No matter whether it's a day from now, or a year."

"Thank you Professor." Hermione smiled softly.

"Enough of that…you're not my student anymore Miss Granger. Please call me Minerva." She said.

"Then I insist you call me Hermione." She said in turn. "Is growing up always this hard?"

"I'm afraid so…but the thing to remember is it won't kill you." Minerva said.

"Here's hoping." She said, not entirely sure about that. The two witches turned their conversation to safer ground, discussing the rebuilding schedule for the damaged sections of the castle and some of the newly appointed staff members.

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"Did you have a pleasant visit with the Headmistress?" Lucius asked politely as they settled down to dinner.

"I did, she got me caught up on everything happening back the school and let me know that I'll have the chance to sit my Newts in June. She believes I'll be able to prepare on my own." Hermione said, helping herself to the roast potatoes.

"It is an ambitious undertaking, but I am certain you will be equal to the task. What classes will you be attempting?" He asked, pouring himself some wine.

"Transfigurations, Potions, Charms, History of Magic, Defence against the Dark Arts, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Astronomy. I decided that Care of Magical Creatures, Divination and Muggle studies were rather a bit much." She said.

He smiled. "While I am sure you have offers from the teaching staff for tutoring as you require it, I did extremely well in my Newts in Transfiguration, Defence, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. I'd be happy to help where you might require it." He offered.

"I may accept your help, especially with Ancient Runes. I've been told I approach it too academically, that a true understand needs to felt." She shook her head.

"Your professor is not wrong. It's a very old form of magic, from before we really used wands and spells for things. The blood wards of the manor are rune based, it's what makes them so very potent. You felt the power there, that's a beginning to understanding it. A true understanding of Runes is to understand the nature of your own magic. Everyone has a natural predisposition to a given branch of magic, be it protective magic, offensive magic, light or dark. Runes cast in a way that enhances your own abilities will always be stronger than runes cast in a spell that draws from your weaker abilities."

Hermione listened as he launched into a lecture on elemental magic, something that had only been touched on briefly in her books and not even mentioned in her classes. He wove it into the history of magic itself, going back to the times of Merlin. It was clearly a subject he was both intimately familiar, and passionate about. They lingered over desert, and continued their conversation over a glass of wine in his study.

"How do you discover what elemental affinity you really have though?" Hermione asked, relaxing in the chair across from him.

"I have my suspicions about yours." Lucius smiled a little, eyes meeting hers quite boldly. "It would not be too difficult to test either."

"I'd like to know." She smiled, finding herself captivated by the little smile on his lips. She'd never have thought he'd be someone she'd want to converse with. There was a great deal of intelligence hidden behind that arrogant sneer. She wondered idly how Draco had turned out to be such an idiot.

He paused as if considering and then nodded and stood. He offered her a hand. "Then let's find out if my suspicions are correct." He was pleased when she took his hand without hesitation. He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and led her out of the house, into the gardens. It was pitch black outside, only faint light coming from the crescent moon. He knew exactly where he was going and had walked this path in the dark many times. There was a small circular clearing, four bowls set on pillars at about waist height. There was a fountain in the center of the circle and a large brazier suspended above it. He moved forward and whispered to the fountain and the brazier flared to life. He turned back to his guest, watching her eyes as she took everything in.

"What is this place?" She asked quietly.

"It's a place of worship, for a religion that has no real name but who's rights are passed down through the generations, father to son, and mother to daughter. A religion that must be practiced in secret these days, since many equate it with blood-based bigotry and discrimination. We draw our power from the elements in nature all around us, Miss Granger. All things in balance, and fed by the magic inside of all of us." He circled the brazier and paused to look at her. "Do you trust me, Miss Granger."

"I shouldn't." She said, not insulting his intelligence with an obvious lie. "But yes…I do."

"Then close your eyes a moment." He said and moved around the circle, one bowl filled with water, one with earth, another with embers from the brazier and the final one stood empty. He approached the young woman, struck but just how compelling she looked bathed in firelight and shadow. Such a strange witch. She had every reason to fear him, she was aware of the evil things he had done…or at least had to suspect, but here she stood with her eyes closed trusting him to not do anything unpleasant.

Hermione could feel him as he moved around the clearing. She couldn't hear much, he was almost entirely silent on his feet as he moved and then suddenly he was right behind her. She gasped as he guided her forward and lifted her right hand, his own lightly wrapped around her wrist.

"Tell me when you feel something, it may be a very weak sensation the first time…but try and push out with your magic, feel with more than your skin." He whispered into her ear.

Hermione let him guide her, trying to do what he'd said. It was hard to focus on anything but the feel of him so close to her, his hand on her skin. They walked a little further and he lifted her hand again and suddenly she felt…something. She frowned, reaching for the strange tugging sensation she could feel.

"There…" Lucius said and shifted his grasp on her wrist, pressing her palm down into the bowl.

Her fingers curled into the earth, and she felt something strange and alien travel up her hand. It was like the thrumming of really deep bass, silent but vibrating against her magic. It was almost too intense as it built and she tried to pull away but Lucius was like stone…keeping her from pulling her hand away.

"Don't fight it, open to it, and accept the power it offers." He kept speaking into her ear.

She stopped fighting it and it stopped being so overwhelming, settling against her spine and pooling there with a strange kind of heat.

"Earth. The realm of protective magic, wards and shielding, as well as fertility, life, and death magic. People who identify with this element carry a depth, a strength that is not easily conquered. The eternity of stone, the silent strength of the mountain." Lucius spoke into her ear, releasing her wrist as she accepted the power into herself. "It suits you." He said.

Hermione felt the power fade back and she opened her eyes, withdrawing her hand. "That was incredible." She turned, finding him still standing much too close. "What's your element?" She asked him.

Lucius moved back and walked to the next bowl, hovering his hand over it and closing his eyes. A delicate column of water rose from the bowl and wrapped around his hand, dancing against his skin. "Water." He opened his eyes and the water fell back down into the stone bowl. "It's a more flexible element, both offensive and defensive. Water can destroy or restore."

Hermione nodded, and looked at the other two bowls. "What about fire and air?"

"Fire is a very offensively motivated element, I'd lay good money that your friend Mr. Potter's affinity lays there. Air tends to a flexible sign, though it differs from water in the kinds of spells it resonates with and the personality traits are much different." He said.

Hermione nodded. "So this place, the elements…are they all tied into the culture you want to help teach me about?" She asked him.

"It is." He nodded. "But it's beyond late, and we should both retire for what's left of the evening." Lucius said and with a wave of his hand the fire extinguished.

"You're quite adept at wandless magic." Hermione noted.

"It takes practice, but most witches and wizards can learn to perform basic spells without the benefit of their wand." He said and offered her his arm to lead her back to the manor.

"Why don't they ever teach us any of this?" She asked, shaking her head a little.

"Different priorities." He said and shrugged. "There is more to magic than could ever learn in school. It's just a beginning to knowledge, not the end." Lucius said. "Most don't ever go deeper, but the knowledge is out there, for those with a curious mind. Wandless magic is always a good skill to keep to yourself, you never know when you might find yourself without one." He stole a glance down at her.

She nodded. "True. Do you think the surviving Death Eaters will come after me?" She shivered a little, the night closing in around them tightly and making her feel more vulnerable than she had been.

"They cannot hurt you here, you have my word on that Miss Granger." He said, reaching over to place a hand over hers where it rested on his arm. "You've suffered through enough, let others fight the battles for now."

She nodded, falling into silence as they returned to the house and he left her at her door. "Goodnight Mister Malfoy." She said.

"Sleep well Miss Granger." He said and lifted her hand to his lips, placing a chaste kiss across her knuckles. He wasn't entirely sure what motivated the urge to do it, but he tried to never deny himself the things he wanted. He turned and left her there, a blush staining her cheeks.

Hermione watched him go before slipping into her room and going to get ready for bed. She smiled a little more at the little vase of roses on her bedside table. They hadn't been there earlier, that much she was sure of. She undressed and pulled on some pajamas before curling into bed. She could still feel the kiss of magic against her skin, and it wrapped around her, sending her into a night of restful sleep.

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Four days after their late night exploration of her elemental affinity, Hermione Granger stepped through the fireplace at the Burrow and was instantly pulled into a warm hug by Molly. She returned it, letting the older woman hold her tight.

"I've been so worried about you." She whispered softly.

"I'm fine, but I missed all of you." She said and drew back, letting the older witch see that she was fine. "Where is everyone?" She asked.

"The boys are off playing Quidditch, and Ginny went with Arthur to visit Fred and George, they'll be back in time for dinner. Come and give me a hand in the kitchen." Molly said. "How are things going at the Manor?" She asked, trying to be open minded about the whole situation.

"Actually better than I thought they would." Hermione sat down slicing some apples that Molly popped in front of her. "I really only see him at meals, and I've been exploring his library. Even if I managed to read a book a day for the next two years I doubt I could make a dent." She chuckled.

"Well it is one of the largest private libraries in Magical Britain." Molly chuckled. "I'm glad there are some consolations for having to stay there I suppose." She grumbled a bit, checking the chicken as it cooked. "What will you be doing about your Newts then, Harry and Ron received letters from the school inviting them to return to complete them."

"Minerva actually came and had tea with me the other day, and since there are provisions in the school charter for students to self-study for their Newts under certain circumstances, they'll be bending those rules a little to give me the same opportunity." She said.

Molly nodded. "I suppose your situation is preferable to the one that the rules were originally intended for." She remembered a few girls that had gotten into 'trouble' and left school early, returning only to write their Newts.

"I would think so." Hermione shook her head. "He also made sure that Kingsley would allow me to seal him in his rooms on occasion so I could get out of the house here and there. He's been most considerate, given his pre-war stance on people like me." She said, giving Molly a smile as she got her a cup of tea.

"I'm sure he has been, just be certain you don't allow it to lull you into a false sense of security. Lucius was always charming, and turned more than one witch's head in our school days. Don't let the charm make you forget what he is, and what he's done." Molly held her eyes. "I don't think he'd harm you, but I wouldn't put it past him to try and make you believe he's your friend to get you to overlook things he's plotting."

"Trust me, Mrs. Weasley, I won't ever forget what he is." She said quietly, wanting to put the woman at ease. "I owe him a wizard's debt, that's all this is." She reassured her.

"All right. I won't keep harping at it, but I do expect you to come to dinner every now and again. Too much solitude isn't good for you." She said and together they got dinner ready.

While they were setting the table, Harry, Ron, Bill, and Charlie tromped in…getting sent off to wash up by an indignant Molly Weasley. Hermione vanished the mud they had tracked through the dining room, wondering where on earth their manners were. Honestly! She accepted a mug of hot cocoa and went to sit in the living room while Molly finished off cooking.

"Hey 'Mione." Harry said as he came into the livingroom.

"Hey Harry. Ron still mad at me mm?" She guessed, not seeing him at Harry's heels.

"Yeah, mostly he just doesn't understand it." Harry came and sat down with her. "Are you really ok there?" He met her eyes, not judging.

"I am. After everything that happened I thought being there would be horrible, but it's actually been nice. I needed some peace and quiet, and the Manor certainly offers that. Mister Malfoy mostly just stays out of my way, and I only really see him at breakfast and dinner." She said. "He had the House Elves seal off the part of the house where everything happened…he didn't want me to have to go there again." She said quietly. She discovered that when she'd gone exploring the other day. It had been thoughtful of him. Bilby had told her that he'd ordered him to seal it off that first night.

Harry nodded. "I went to St. Mungo's yesterday and visited Professor Snape and I looked in on Draco." He told her. "I imagine he's pretty worried about him."

"He is. He knows the healer in charge of Draco's case, and the man seems optimistic but I can see that he won't be easy until Draco wakes up." Hermione said. "How are you doing? Really?" She asked Harry, taking advantage of the little bit of time they had alone.

"I'm not sure, honestly." He admitted. "Everyone here's been keeping me really busy but…now that everything's over there are things I need to do and I don't really want to do them with a half-dozen people in tow."

"Why don't you come and visit me next week? There are some beautiful gardens at the manor and we can talk a bit more about everything." She offered.

"I'd like that 'Mione. Maybe even tomorrow?" He asked a little hesitantly. He had a few things he wanted to talk over with her, and they'd need more than a handful of minutes before dinner.

"You're welcome any time." She said. "Why don't you come around lunch? We can eat and then go and spend some time outside and talk everything over? My personal floo is Malfoy Manor Gold Suite." She told him.

"Sounds good." He said and reached over, taking her hand in his and squeezing it firmly. He was going to say more when the Floo flared and Arthur and Ginny came through.

"Ah, Hermione…glad you could make it. Is dinner almost ready?" He asked, brushing some soot off his clothes.

"Almost, Molly was just finishing off the dessert." She smiled and stood, going and accepting a hug from Ginny. "How are the twins?" She asked.

"Should be able to come home in a few more days. Fred could probably come home today but he won't leave George there alone." Ginny said and hugged Hermione tightly. "Are you ok?" She asked softly.

"I'm fine…I promise." She told her, aware that her friend had a few personal reasons to think badly of Lord Malfoy, and they were very valid.

"He hurts you I'll turn him into a toad and use him for potion ingredients." She said quietly.

"I know you would." Hermione winked.

"Diner's ready! Harry, go and get the boys. Ginny, Arthur get yourselves cleaned up." Molly's voice commanded.

Soon everyone was seated at the table. Hermione was sitting between Harry and Ron and it was incredibly uncomfortable. Ron was ignoring her, to the point where she was direly tempted to hex him within an inch of his life if he didn't pass her the rolls soon. As if aware of his impending doom he passed the rolls to her, still not looking at her. Hermione mentally counted to ten and then looked at Molly.

"Mrs. Weasley, could you excuse Ronald and I for a few minutes? I think we need to have a talk." She looked at the Weasley Matriarch who nodded.

"I think that's a good idea, why don't you two take a few minutes out in the garden?" Molly gave her youngest son a hard look.

"But I'm not done eating!" Ron grumbled but under his mother's stare he stood and stalked outside, following Hermione.

Once outside Hermione cast a general silencing charm around them so they could yell and scream without anyone hearing what they were saying. "All right, whatever the hell is up your stubborn arse sideways….get it out now!"

"You're mad at ME! You're the one acting like a mental case!" Ron growled at her. "Living in that place…with HIM! How do you think that looks?!"

"I'm there at the request of the new Minister of Magic, Ronald…it doesn't look like anything." Hermione's jaw nearly hit the floor. She felt her temper flaring. How dare he insinuate anything like that?!

"I thought we had something, and you didn't even discuss this with me before running off to save a bloody death eater!" Ron said.

"We don't have anything Ron! That kiss…it was just the stress of everything. If you had any real feelings for me you'd have trusted me. Instead you got jealous over HARRY of all people! He's like my brother for god's sake! Now you're jealous over Lucius Malfoy! Do you have any idea how utterly insane that is? I'm a muggleborn witch, he'd likely sooner go to Azkaban than think of me that way. Do you really think I'd be interested in a man old enough to be my own father, who's committed the crimes I know he has! God…you are so bloody thick!" She shoved him hard. "If you can't pull your head out of your ass, then that's your problem and I don't want anything else to do with you. I'm not going to wait around for you to decide that I'm worth being with. I deserve a whole better Ronald Weasley, and I will not put up with being treated this way. For your information, I owed the man a LIFE DEBT. I was defenceless…and Dolohov was going to rape me and then probably kill me. Where were you?" There were tears in her eyes. "You weren't there. He was. He didn't have to help me, but he chose to. He took time that he didn't have, that Draco didn't have, and saved me from that monster. So you'll forgive me if I don't ask your permission to repay that with a couple of years of inconvenience." She pushed past him and went back inside.

"Hermione?" Ginny stood, following Hermione as she all but ran through the kitchen and into the livingroom. "What did he do?"

Hermione wiped the tears away angrily. "Nothing…I just…I need to go. Tell your mother I'm sorry, I just can't." She shook her head and took a pinch of floo powder and threw it into the fire, before stepping through to her rooms at Malfoy Manor. She went to her bathroom and splashed cold water on her face, trying to find some composure after her tearful escape from the Burrow. She knew it had been horribly rude but she just couldn't do it. She wanted to just curl up in bed and hide but knew she had to go and undo the wards on Lucius' room.

She took a steadying breath and left her rooms, going down the hall and taking down the simple wards that had sealed the door. She knocked at his door, wanting to let him know she was back.

He opened the door and frowned at the puffiness around her eyes. "You're back early Miss Granger, is everything well?" He asked.

"Well enough. I just wanted to let you know I'd taken the wards down." She said quietly. He'd given her a lot of space since that night in the garden, as if he'd crossed a line with the kiss to her hand and was trying to apologize by staying well away.

"Please, come in and have a drink. You hardly look as though things are fine." He said and moved back, letting her enter his outer room. He went and poured her a glass of brandy, pressing it into her hand and leading her over to sit in one of the arm chairs by the fireplace.

"I just had an argument with Ron, that's all." She said quietly, her eyes on the dark liquid in the glass he'd handed her.

"I take it the argument was about your presence here." Lucius pressed a little, seeing that she was quite a bit more upset than she wanted to admit.

"Yes…and no. It was about a lot of things that just came to a head." She sipped the potent liquor, suppressing the urge to cough a bit.

"Do not waste your tears on him, Miss Granger. You're far too good for him, even a blind man could see that." He said gently. She was intelligent and sophisticated, truly pearls before that particular swine.

"I loved him for a long time. I really did. But I was never first in his thoughts, I know that now. I knew it when he spent that year messing around with Lavender Brown." She said the girl's name like a curse. "I never forgave him for that. Last year during our quest to destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes…he started getting irrationally jealous about the time I spent with Harry. He actually left us. We needed him and he just left." She felt tears fall down her cheeks. "I knew then that I could never really be with him, because I couldn't trust him to be there for me."

Lucius reached over and placed a hand over hers. "First loves always break our heart the hardest Miss Granger, but they help us move forward. Take the time to move through your heartbreak, just know eventually it won't hurt quite so bitterly as it does now." He said.

"Did you ever have your heart broken?" She lifted her eyes then, wanting to know.

"Of course." He said and sat back. "When I was at school I was madly in love with a girl, and I thought she loved me. She was beautiful, witty, and very clever. I was going to defy my father to marry her, even knowing that my father would likely disown me for it. He'd already arranged my marriage to Narcissa you see. One night I snuck out of my common room, intending to surprise her on her way back from the astronomy tower, I saw her in an alcove with someone else." He said, stopping as he remembered that night. "I was…inconsolable for months." He said quietly. "I graduated, still in pain from that betrayal and quietly married Narcissa as our parents desired."

"Are arranged marriages common?" She asked him, moving to a slightly safer topic.

"Fairly common at least amongst the pureblood families." Lucius said. "Given my own feelings around my marriage, I chose not to arrange a match for Draco. I'll let him choose who he'll be spending his life with…I think he deserves that." He said.

Hermione smiled. "Harry was at St. Mungo's yesterday to visit Professor Snape…he stopped in to see Draco." She said.

"That was kind of him." Lucius said.

"Harry's coming tomorrow to visit me, and he'll likely be here for the afternoon." She told him.

"I'll entertain myself with a good book then." He nodded, watching as she sipped the brandy in her glass. "What is your relationship with Mr. Potter?" He asked her.

"He's like the brother I always wished I'd had, it's why it was so silly that Ron was jealous of him. We just understand one another, and I know if I ever needed anything he'd be there without question." She smiled.

"Friends like that are rare Miss Granger, hold onto them." Lucius said, a small smile crossing his face. She really was quite lovely, and he couldn't understand how Mr. Weasley was only just seeing the appeal of her. To Lucius however her real beauty was in her mind, her wit and intelligence made her all the more compelling.

She finished her glass and set it aside. "I should go…I think I'm just going to turn in early." She stood.

"Goodnight then Miss Granger. Pleasant dreams." He stood as well, giving her a half bow.

"Goodnight Mister Malfoy." She blushed a bit as she turned and left his rooms.