Disclaimer:- My plot is mine, however, I neither own nor earn anything from this story. Harry Potter and his world are the intellectual property of J.K. Rowling and her affiliates.
oOo
A/N:- I am so pleased with the response to this story. I have appreciated every kudos and comment. A big thank you to my beta, Golden Asp, for her work on this chapter. This is only a short chapter (sorry), but I wanted an entire chapter for the next part. Please enjoy…
Chapter Four – The Next Morning
The next morning, Hermione looked around the dining room for Lucius, regardless of the fact that she knew he wouldn't be there. She sighed as she sat down, and Lucius' parting kiss played though her mind once more. She had dreamt about it, and her mind seemed fixated by it.
She had only been there a short while when Severus and Lenore came in. Like her, they were due to leave after breakfast.
Lenore led Severus over and asked, "May we sit with you?"
"Of course," Hermione smiled. "Have you had a good weekend?" she enquired, cradling her tea cup in her hands.
Lenore grinned and glanced at Severus. "Yes, but the question is, have you?"
Hermione smiled, "Yes, I've had a wonderful weekend, all things considered. I got to catch up on my reading, and had a wonderful time with friends, and one particular friend."
"Did you even see Harry and Ron?"
"No, and that's a bit of a sore point with me. However, I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on them, because if it hadn't been for their carelessness I might not be as happy as I am this morning," and she grinned, before stating excitedly, "I think Lucius and I became a couple last night, well at least we agreed to see one another anyway."
"That's wonderful," Lenore replied, squeezing Severus' arm as she watched Hermione.
Severus nodded in thanks to the waiter who placed a pot of tea and two cups on the table, and then leaned across to his excited wife while she poured their tea. "There's the proof, my darling, I win," he whispered, before cheekily flicking his tongue out and licking the shell of her ear.
Lenore gave a little giggle and turned an adoring look to him as she handed him his cup. "I guess you're right, well, I'll happily submit to your conditions," she told him, her hand moving down to squeeze his thigh.
Hermione decided to let that go. She had no idea what they were talking about and the heated looks they were giving one another made her not wish to ask. She had noticed by the end of breakfast that both Lenore and Severus seemed to have eaten their own weight in food from the buffet, and she decided she didn't want to comment on why they were so hungry either.
On the whole, breakfast with Lenore and Severus was the perfect end to a lovely interlude, even though she couldn't help wishing that Lucius had been there too. Oh well, her mind supplied, there will be more occasions.
xox
Hermione wandered back up to her room after breakfast, deep in thought. She didn't have to check out until eleven, and she decided to pack up and then finish her book before leaving.
Severus and Lenore had also gone back to their room after breakfast as well, and Hermione wondered if they had only come down to eat breakfast with her, and she thought that was nice of them.
Finally her alarm charm told her it was ten forty five, and placing her book in her bag and collecting her belongings she went to the desk to check out with a sigh.
"Ah, Miss Granger, I hope you had a pleasant stay?" the man behind the desk asked.
"Yes indeed, thank you," Hermione smiled.
"Please sign here," he indicated. "Oh, and Mr. Malfoy left this for you," he continued, handing her a sealed envelope from under the counter.
"Thank you, Mr. Stephens," she said politely. She wanted to instantly rip the envelope open and read the contents, but prudence made her wish to be alone when she did so. She slipped it into her hand bag and picked up her carryall.
She was still considering what might be written in the letter safely in her bag when she was accosted by a familiar voice as she walked down the front steps of the boarding house.
"What the hell were you up to last night?"
Hermione froze and her brow furrowed, and as she looked up from walking down the steps and focused on Ron's angry eyes. Lavender was standing next to him with her arms folded across her chest, tapping her foot on the ground and they both looked like they'd been sucking on lemons. Harry, Luna and Ginny were standing back from them with uncertain looks on their faces and they appeared to be waiting to see what would happen. Well, she was not dignifying Ron's lack of manners with a reply. "Good morning, Harry, Luna, Ginny," she said, pointedly looking over Ron and Lavender's heads.
Ron however, was not to be ignored, and he stalked forward into her personal space, and pulling her around roughly he repeated his question with menace. "I said, what the fuck were you up to last night?"
Raising an eyebrow at him, Hermione turned away and walked by him, saying to the others, "My apologies, when I couldn't find any of you yesterday afternoon, I came back here and agreed to accompany Lucius instead. He had already asked me to the reception, but I declined at first because I had agreed to meet with you guys."
"I bet you didn't look very hard," Lavender put in. "Wanted to get all brown-nosey with Death Eaters."
Hermione ignored their comments. "I went to a wonderful reception, Kingsley would have liked you to have been there too, Harry." Hermione saw guilt wash over Harry's face yet again. She could still feel Ron and Lavender's eyes glaring into her back, but she pushed on, even as she felt her throat constricting. "Perhaps you, Luna and Ginny would like to come for dinner one day next week and I'll tell you more."
That made Ron change tack. "Oi, what about us," he demanded, but before she could answer he added, "Have you become Miss La-de-da now you're a Death Eater's whore?"
There was a shocked intake of breath from all of them, and Hermione wheeled around and her fist connected with Ron's cheek before anyone could say anything. She was breathing heavily and cradling her obviously injured hand as she then told him, "I am treated with respect and caring by the people I attended last night's reception with. They are my friends, and you would do well to remember that, and if we were not standing on a muggle street you would be feeling the full extent of my displeasure right about now, Ronald Weasley, so I would be very careful about making further comments concerning things you know nothing about. Oh, and for your information I spent a very pleasant evening not only in the company of Lucius Malfoy last night, our group also contained Kingsley Shacklebolt, your brother Percy, Severus and Lenore Snape, as well Draco and Astoria, Neville and Augusta Longbottom and Minerva McGonagall and everyone was polite and good company. Many things have moved on since the nastiness of the war, but it's attitudes like yours, Ronald, that are stopping the true reconciliation of this world." She turned away and walked passed them all without another word.
Hermione was surprised when Luna hurriedly fell into step with her with Harry in tow. "Did you know that Draco is my cousin?" she announced unexpectedly.
The Gryffindor witch could not get past her anger to answer, but it didn't matter, Luna just kept talking.
"I tried to tell Harry that he should have taken the minister's invitation to that reception, but Ron put up such a fuss about not being invited that Harry declined.
"I expected that," Hermione muttered, and she abruptly stopped and placed her hand on Luna's arm. "Look Luna," and she looked over the blonde's shoulder to Harry. "I would still love to be friends with you guys. But after that little outburst I'm just not so sure about Ron and Lavender anymore." She sighed, "I want to spend the little free time I have with people that make me happy. You two have to make your own mind up about things, but I will not have people making false statements about me, just because they do not like who I've been keeping company with."
Hermione glanced up from her speech to see poor Ginny standing in the middle looking lost, and not knowing where to go. Ron was trying to order his sister to come with them, but she obviously didn't want to and was looking towards where Harry and Luna had gone. "Poor Gin, she's the one being pulled apart now, because of attitudes that should have died with the hurt. I'll never forget what happened during the war." Her lip quivered as she continued. "Do you want to know why I didn't want to camp with you guys?" and Hermione cleared her throat. "It was not, as Lavender suggested, because I thought I was too good to. It was because the smell of canvas now makes me physically sick, and I spiral down into panic attacks in large crowds and unfamiliar situations. I need someone I can trust to stay with me now in large crowds. It's all as a result of memories from of the war, and yesterday when I couldn't find you guys, that's exactly what happened."
"You trust Lucius Malfoy more than me?" Harry said, hurt evident in his voice.
"Harry, you guys have always thought I was just one of the boys, but I was in a terrible way by the time I got back here yesterday," and she pointed to the boarding house, "and Lucius stepped in and assisted me, just like he did that day in Diagon Alley when I sprained my ankle and you guys kept walking, and countless other times recently. Look, I need to go now, I will not give Ron and Lavender the satisfaction of seeing me cry, and I swear that they have upset me for the last time. Hermione watched them a moment, and then sighed before saying, "The long and the short of it is that Lucius and I have become a kind of couple, and I really like him. He is nothing like the wizard we knew during the war."
"He could just be pretending, 'Mione," Harry cut in.
"No he's not, he's as genuine as Severus or any of us are. I do not know if it will work out or not, but it's my life and my decision, and I hope you'll give us both a chance." She shrugged. "However, if you can't accept my life choices, do not think that I will change my mind. I'm prepared to move on, but I hope I'll have your support and that I'll hear from you soon." She glanced back at Ginny once more. "Take care of Ginny, yeah? I'll catch you both later… I hope."
Hermione turned and walked to the apparition point, not realising that a couple was watching from the upstairs window of the boarding house. Severus had his wand ready in case Hermione needed defending. Lucius had informed Severus last night after he'd seen Hermione home that he thought there might be trouble in the morning.
The blond wizard had known that Hermione was too caught up with everything last night to notice that they had been seen on the big screen in the stadium on several occasions throughout the night.
The raven-haired wizard glanced down at his naked wife with her arms wrapped around his bare waist and her delicious coppery curls all tussled from their latest round of love-making, and he smiled. "I hope she hasn't hurt her hand too much on that boy's bone-head."
They saw Hermione leaving, and Lenore commented, "We'll send her some healing salve when we get home, and she'll get a laugh out of that hopefully."
Severus chuckled as he watched Ginevra Weasley finally making up her mind and walking towards Potter and the Lovegood girl. He had a screaming urge to curse the dunderhead shouting obscenities at his sister, but then he saw the moment that Harry Potter finally took on board what Ron Weasley was doing to him. Severus turned away from the window and left them to themselves now that Hermione was gone and his duty to his friend was done.
The Potions master saw Lenore disappearing into the bathroom and heard the shower turn on and this took all of his attention away from what was going on down stairs.
xox
Outside, Harry was stalking towards Ron; he had wanted to do what Kingsley asked of him, but had given in to Ron. He was always giving in to Ron, maybe it was time for him make a stand. "That's enough, mate," he said. "We're in public, mind your language." He glanced back as Luna took Ginny by the hand and showed her support.
"So you support Hermione," Ron barked.
Harry's head snapped back around, this was it. "Ron, I'm trying to see this from all sides, but frankly mate, I think it's time we both grew up. That's all Hermione's done, she's learned tolerance for people, like an adult."
"Tolerance for Death Eaters?"
"No, for all people. Look Luna and I need to go. I'd like a shower and a real bed, and then I've got to catch up on a week's work. We really shouldn't have come out here for so long, see you later, yeah." Harry left Ron glaring after him, and when he got back to where Luna and Ginny were standing, he rubbed Ginny's arm. "Gin you're welcome to come to if you want, we've got plenty of room."
"Thanks Harry, but mum's expecting me. Maybe later, okay?"
"There's always room for you, love, we'll be happy to have you."
Harry was guilty about Ginny, they had never achieved the intimacy they'd had before Harry had left to go Horcrux hunting, and then well, he and Luna had been the ones to hit it off after becoming very close while they were staying at Shell Cottage.
There was something else though that Harry knew too, and he wondered if Hermione had noticed as well. Their last year at Hogwarts Ginny Weasley had spent much of her free time mooning over a fellow seventh year student. At the time the young man had been forbidden to her, well he still was in their world, but in Hermione's perhaps not.
Of course, Harry knew that any interest Ginny showed in Zabini would never be well received by most of her family, but he was certain that the more progressive members like George, Percy and Bill would accept it if it became serious.
He watched the woman in his thoughts apparate away before them, and he pulled Luna into his arms. "I can't wait to get to the privacy of our own bedroom, love," he told her, nuzzling her hair
"Mmm, that will be nice," she said, in her usual dreamy style, rubbing herself against him.
They had not had any privacy all week, and for a couple who expressed their love for one another in the privacy of their own home more than once a day, living in a tent with several Weasleys had been trying. Very trying!
Back from the shower, Severus saw the last of the friends out the front of the boarding house departing. He would owl Lucius about the Weasley boy as soon as they got home. He would want to know that Hermione was upset, but had acquitted herself brilliantly with the little shit.