The boy he used to tuck in at night no longer seemed to exist in the emotionless eyes of the man before him. There used to be such constrained passion in his son's eyes, such yearning for love, but now- now Lucius was afraid life had snuffed it out of him. The young man standing several feet away was in fact his offspring, but Lucius felt like Draco would rather not admit their connection, even to himself.

Draco's cutting gaze sliced through Lucius, making him feel tired and more alone than he'd thought possible. Somehow it had been easier in Azkaban than it was in Hermione's cluttered living area. "You look unwell, father," Draco said hollowly.

"I imagine you're right," he replied, relieved that Draco hadn't waited for him to speak the first words.

Lucius watched as Draco strolled casually towards the bay window facing the front of the property. "I hear that you've been terrorizing poor Granger since your release. How does it feel, father?"

Swallowing down the lump in his throat, he closed his eyes against the onslaught of Draco's hate. "How does what feel?"

"How does it feel to be unwanted, unloved?" Such hurtful words said so flippantly, turned Lucius' stomach inside out. No doubt he deserved them, but Godric it stung like nothing else.

"You might not want to hear this, Draco, but I am sorry," he rasped after he gathered what little bit of courage he had left.

Draco huffed out a humorless laugh, shaking his head as if Lucius was the stupidest being on earth. "Your apology means nothing to me. I don't want it. And I don't accept it."

Lucius got to his feet a bit unsteadily, but he managed all the same. Wanting to close the distance but knowing he couldn't, he stood there, dumbly. "I understand. I don't expect you to take me in after everything." He splayed his hands out apologetically. "Burdening you was never my intention."

For the first time since he arrived, Draco smirked. It was a vicious thing but it reminded Lucius of how things used to be. "And what of Hermione?" he questioned. "Did you intend to burden her with your disgusting feelings?"

Blanching, he swayed a bit to the side. Steadying himself, he took a fortifying breath, let it out, then repeated the process. Draco observed him closely, frowning as if he wasn't sure he understood what he was seeing. "You truly care for her," he murmured disbelievingly.

He clenched and unclenched his hands several times. "Does that surprise you?"

Eyebrows raised, Draco tilted his head to the side, his long platinum hair hiding part of his face. "A tad unconventional, don't you think? She's 20 years your senior. Not to mention, she's a war hero, and you're a filthy traitor. She would never care for someone like you," he added coldly.

"I'm fully aware of my chances with Miss Granger," he snarled, the pain from the truth almost too much to bear.

"Yes," Draco replied softly, something close to pity darkening his eyes, "I imagine you are."

"Draco-" he started.

"I think it's time for us to be going," his son cut in, all signs of compassion fleeing from his face. "We wouldn't want Granger to have to hide in her room forever, now would we?"

Lucius barely had a chance to glance behind him towards Hermione's closed door before Draco had grabbed his hand and Apparated them back to the Malfoy Mansion.

Seven days later

"You've got to go see him, Granger," a harried Draco practically begged as he paced the length of her kitchen.

"What's the problem?" Hermione asked warily, half afraid of the answer she would receive.

"He's an absolute mess!" His long fingers ran through his hair, messing up his usually perfect mane. "He doesn't sleep and on the rare occasions that he does, he has nightmares. He screams for hours, Hermione." Turning to eye her apologetically, he winced as if his next words would pain them both. "He cries out your name. There's such pain in his voice when he begs for you."

"He needs time," she tried to reason, but Draco was already shaking his head.

"It's getting worse everyday." Grey eyes met brown and she knew she wasn't going to like what he was about to say. "I know that it's a lot to ask, but it would do him a world of good just to see your face," he said hesitantly.

"I sent him to you for a reason. His misplaced emotions for me are unhealthy and seeing me will only make it worse."

Turning halfway to face the opposite wall, he huffed exasperatedly. "That's the thing...I don't believe his feelings towards you are misplaced. I know my father and he cares for you. Deeply. This is more than a Dementor mind trick, Granger."

Trying to still the rising panic, she got to her feet and started scrubbing the counter tops with a ferocity that was hardly necessary.

"You saved him," Draco said coming up behind her to place his hands on her quaking shoulders. "You fought for his freedom and perhaps you didn't foresee this outcome," he inhaled sharply, "but you have the power to redeem him, Granger. I wouldn't ask this of you unless I thought there was another option. You know that."

"I can't save him, Draco," she replied, tired and weary. "I can't return his feelings, no matter how real they might be."

"I'm not asking you to," he beseeched. "All I ask is that you visit him from time to time. Perhaps it would help the madness that is eating him alive."

She knew she couldn't deny him when he so obviously needed her help but she didn't know how she was going to be able to face Lucius either. She'd spent the past week cursing herself for her cowardice, going over and over in her head all of the things that she should have done. After months of work just to free the man, she'd sent him away in a couple of days because she wasn't strong enough. Like a little schoolgirl, she'd gotten scared, and she was more than a little ashamed of her behavior; though, she was grateful Draco hadn't called her out on the sadness of her situation.

"Please, Hermione."

Placing her hand over his, she squeezed his fingers with hers. "Alright. I'll come over tomorrow for a couple of hours and sit with him."

She felt the hot release of his breath on her cheek when he exhaled. The relief radiating off him was almost tangible. "I appreciate this."

"This is all my fault, really," she admitted as she stepped away. "I should have left well enough alone."

Chuckling harshly, he moved to make his way towards the living room. "And when have you ever left well enough alone?"

When she didn't reply, he turned back towards her, his face softening when his eyes lit upon her watering eyes. "I haven't thanked you for helping him, have I? As much as I hate to admit it, I'm glad you got him out of there, Granger. No matter what he's done, he's still my father."

"Why do you think I did it?" she asked, not sure if she knew the answer to that particular question. At first, she'd told herself it was because of justice, but was that really true? Did Lucius really deserve the freedom the Ministry granted him?

"Why do you think you did it?" he challenged.

"I don't know anymore."

He grinned at her, his eyes sad. "Perhaps you should figure it out." He left then, the heaviness of his words weighing her down.

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