Chapter 7-The Noble Lucius Malfoy

Draco pulled his lips away from Hermione's, sighing in contentment. He was truly becoming addicted to kissing her. He was sure what he was doing. Would he really marry her, even though he didn't have too? Hermione started to shake in his arms and he thought she was laughing.

"What's so funny?" He asked pulling her face from his shoulder. She wasn't laughing. Her eyes were lifeless, and if he couldn't feel each breath she took, he would have sworn she was dead. She smiled, and if was something Draco wished he had never seen. A woman smiling with dead eyes.

"I'm fine. It'll pass in a minute, Draco. It doesn't hurt, I just can't see. I've been told my eyes glaze over when this happens." She said casually. Draco's head started to throb and he let go of Hermione. It'd been a month since they decided to get married even though they didn't have to.

In all that time Hermione had been well. She wasn't ever sick. If anything, she was glowing. She wasn't right now, no, now she looked seconds from dying.

"Draco? It's all right. See?" she blinked a few times and her eyes filled with color again. Draco sank down onto the bed.

They were in his bedroom, in the manor, which had become a common thing. She already had her own drawer in his dresser.

"I need to know what's wrong with you Hermione. I can't take episodes like this. It's one thing after another and every time you say, 'It's all right.' Well it's not alright Hermione. It is not fucking alright!" Draco yelled. Hermione stood, and he could see her hands shaking.

"I've told you over and over, Draco. I will be fine. I am fine. What's wrong with me isn't life threatening. I wouldn't lie to you." She said, pleading with him. Draco felt her words sink in and he realized she was lying. This whole time she was lying. She wasn't going to be fine.

Strangely, he wasn't angry any longer. He felt his heart clench and stutter. He cared for her now, more than he thought he could after so little time. Hermione wrapped her thin arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. He felt her breath in his scent and closed his eyes.

"I'll figure it out, Granger. I will." He promised her in a whispered. Then he carried her to the bed and left her to sleep. That was all she wanted to do anyway.

Thanks to Potter's reputation as a hero, he was able to get visitation rights for his father. Mother had mixed emotions about it, but it was clear she wanted to see her husband. Draco didn't blame her for that.

"I understand mother, I truly do. Let's go right now!" Draco said impulsively. His mother's eyes widened in shock.

"But we can't go right now?" She exclaimed in fear. Draco grinned at her, like he used to as a child.

"Give me one good reason why we can't?" He challenged her.

She looked around the den, maybe searching for an answer in the ceiling. "Let's go then. Oh dear, what if he doesn't want to see us?"

Draco's smile fell when he saw how truly nervous his mother was. "We've put this off for almost a month, Mother. It's time."

She nodded and cleared her throat. "Very well."

Potter was happy to escort them to Azkaban and said he'd be back in one hour to pick them up.

"Thanks Potter. " Draco said softly, half hoping the hero didn't hear.

"You're welcome, Malfoy." Potter grinned and disappeared. The walk to his father's cell was silent and his mother was fidgeting. He'd never seen her so out of sorts.

"I'll go in first and tell him you're here as well. Okay?" Draco said and his mother nodded silently.

His father was sleeping when he entered and Draco assumed that's all he ever did. He shook his father's shoulder and waited for him to open his eyes.

"Father?" Draco asked curiously. His father's eyes snapped open and he let out a frightened scream, but then smashed his lips together to cut off the sound.

"Son, I did not think you were returning." He said softly. Draco was in awe of his father's appearance. Gone was the noble Head Malfoy. He was less than he had ever been.

Another scar marred his face and trailed down his neck. It looked recent as well, and messily healed. His father got to his feet and couldn't hide his grimace.

"Mother wants to see you as well. She'd right outside."

Fear flashed in his father's eye and Draco's heart pounded in shock. He'd never seen his father so vulnerable.

"Okay." He whispered. Draco opened the steel door and motioned his mother in. Lucius had his back to them, so she could only see his long blond hair trailing down it. It was grimy and filthy but she didn't mind one bit.

Draco stood back near the door as his mother approached his father.

"Don't hide from me. Not after everything." His mother whispered. Draco was beside himself. This was the first time he had ever seen any intimacy between his parents. It gave him hope.

Lucius turned slowly and kept his eyes closed. His mother didn't make any noise of surprise in his appearance.

"I only see my beautiful husband, who gave me my son." She whispered and Draco wondered if he should leave, but the sincerity of his mother's voice kept his feet pinned to the floor. He always wondered if his parents had ever loved each other.

There was no doubt now.

Lucius eyes opened slowly and he gazed at his wife. "Just as beautiful as I remember. It's been so long." He said.

His mother smiled brightly, "Too long. You have your son to thank for this." His father's gaze turned to him and Draco shifted awkwardly. Lucius smiled just a little.

"I should be here with you." His mother said. And suddenly anger clouded his father's face.

"No."

The word was spoken with such passion, such meaning that Draco wondered if he would ever feel so passionately about Hermione.

"No one deserves this place." His father continued and closed his eyes. Draco noticed how he was standing perfectly still, tension radiating from him.

"I can't take this any longer. What's happening to you here, Father?" Draco demanded. His mother said down in the wooden chair. His father sank painfully to his bed, it was covered in filth. And something else.

"Father...is that…." Draco's eyes widened in disgust. What were they doing to his father?

"Son…do not think of it." Lucius pleaded. His father pleaded. Begged. What was this?

"Easier said than done. Do you want to leave this place?"

His father looked at him sharply. "More than anything. I wasn't prepared for this. To be so defenseless."

His mother was staring at the mess covering his bed, with unblinking eyes. Draco swallowed bile and knelt beside her.

"Mum?" She blinked and turned to him. "I'm alright, Draco. Why don't you go check on Hermione? I need to speak with your father alone."

Draco stood, confused, but did as she asked. His father and he had time to discuss things later.

Narcissus reached for her husband's hands and gripped them tightly, so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"I am sorry for what you're suffering. You do not deserve this." She whispered. Lucius marveled at her touch, her warmth.

"I never thought I would touch you again." He said sadly, holding her hands in his securely. She pulled out her wand and cleaned every part of the room, and conjured completely new sheets.

"Thank you."

A thought rose in his head, "Did you say Hermione?"

His wife smiled, "Yes. Hermione Granger. You've met her before."

Lucius remembered, "She was a beautiful girl. So Draco is still marrying?"

She nodded solemnly, "Hermione is sick. She keeps telling us that she'll be fine, that's it's all part of her condition. She's not telling us everything. Two days ago she and I were having tea and she just went blind!"

Lucius felt fear settled in his stomach, "What are her other symptoms?"

"Draco said she was in extreme pain when he apparated her a few months ago and she get sickly looking all the time. I swear she sleeps seventeen hours a day."

"She's been cursed." Lucius breathed in horror. He'd heard of this curse, seen it casts, knew of its effects, but he'd never actually heard of someone suffering it.

"What? Lucius what are you talking about?"

"Dolohov. He designed a curse and what you're describing sounds very much like it. Has she ever battled him?" Lucius asked.

His wife nodded, her eyes tearing. For a long moment Lucius felt pain. He hated that he was missing this part of his family's life. His wife cared for this girl and so did his son and he was missing it all.

"It isn't permanent. But it is long lasting. It will take years to leave her system."

His wife let out a breath, "She will be fine?"

Lucius shook his head. "It will take her senses. Every last one. It somehow feeds on them. I was never allowed to know its full details. I have never met a more paranoid, merciless, or inhumane man such as Antonin Dolohov. Never."

Narcissus smiled bitterly and stood. "I cannot believe it. It is possible she doesn't know what it will do to her?"

"I think she has no idea. As far as I know Dolohov has never shared any of this information with anyone other than me and Severus Snape."

"I need to get back, but Lucius, I am going to do everything in my power to get you out of this place." She slipped out of the room before he could protest and saw Draco standing at the end of the hall talking to Potter.

"Let's go home before someone notices I'm out of my house." She said softly.

"You're fine, Mrs. Malfoy. You've been given permission to leave your house to visit your husband." Potter said assuring her. He led them to the apparation point and with a pointed look at Malfoy, he disappeared.

"What was that about?" She asked her son. Draco looked over at her. "I think I just asked him to be my best man. He accepted."

She burst into laughter at the shock tingeing his voice. He was practically stupefied.

"Well done, Draco. Well done, Hermione will be ecstatic." She hoped her son didn't notice how she winced on her soon to be daughter in law's name.

A/N: Sorry I was late updating. I hope you liked this chapter!