Chapter Eight: Lost

Chapter Eight: Lost

Her head was pounding. The thought of opening her eyes was absolutely abominable. Yet, she was hot. Her body was burning up and she could feel the beads of sweat pooling at her temples and dripping down her neck. She opened one eye, squinting into the dully-lit room. She was lying on a bed, with very soft sheets, she noted. She realized almost immediately that this was not her room or Sean's for that matter. She reached up and wiped her wet forehead before sitting up on the bed. When she was sitting upright she felt the full extent of her headache, the pain almost pushing her back down onto the pillows. She groaned in immediate pain.

"Well good morning sleepy-head."

"Sleepy-head?" Hermione turned instantly in the direction that the voice had come from. There sitting by an open window sat Lucius Malfoy. The wind blew his white hair slightly and small snowflakes floated in around him.

Hermione, astounded at awaking to the presence of a Malfoy struggled to get her bearings as she swung her legs off of the bed and began to stand up.

"Now, now love, I bet you have just a pounding headache! Lie down! I brought you some tea." Coming from behind a swinging door stood the bar-maiden who had attempted to strangle her the night before in the bar. She carried a pot of tea and a small cup and pushed it into Hermione's hands. She was confused. No where in her memory did she remember going anywhere with Lucius. Not only was she completely befuddled, a feeling of impending doom began to spread over her. Nothing good could come from this.

"Relax Granger. I didn't kidnap you or anything of that sort." Lucius fingered the window frame calmly while his blue-gray eyes looked right into her. Because she was tired and her whole body ached she flopped back down onto the bed. With the cup of tea in hand, she brought it to her lips, drinking thirstily.

"There you go, I have some pain relievers if you'd like. If I were in your position I'd be more than glad to take a whole bottle," Eve said, smiling at Hermione kindly.

"What in the world am I doing here with you two? What do you want from me?" Hermione asked hurriedly, fear soaking every word that emerged from her lips.

"Why would we want anything from you?" Lucius' voice was bitter and cold. This, of course, did not surprise Hermione, but it still did not explain why she was here.

"This is my apartment. We brought you here." Eve sat daintily in a chair by the roaring fire.

"That much I have figured out on my own." Hermione was gaining confidence and was struggling to wrap her mind around the situation.

"No need to get snippety. She was only trying to help you, Granger," Lucius spat out, standing up and walking to a glass of brown liquid, most likely alcohol, sitting on the nightstand beside the bed.

"Trying to help me?"

"Yes! Don't you remember, darling?" Eve leaned forward in her chair, obviously enjoying the mystery of the situation.

"I think it is rather apparent that she doesn't remember, Eve." Lucius smiled at her before throwing his head back and swallowing the entire contents of the glass.

"That boyfriend of yours is one bad egg. When you were kicked out of the bar we left directly after you… Are you sure you don't remember this?" Eve stood quickly and walked to Hermione, taking the empty tea cup and refilling it for her.

"No, honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing here." Hermione took the proffered cup from Eve who smiled at her in a sickening sort of way. "Thank you."

"Well we heard you screaming from behind the snow bank. It sounded like you were struggling pretty badly." Eve adjusted her face so she no longer smiled, but looked appropriately somber. "Well, I sent Lucius over to see what was going on." She pointed at Lucius who had taken up his place at the open window once more. "And being the gentleman that he is, he stunned Sean after he'd seen what that bastard had done to you." Lucius scoffed at this. He was no gentleman. Hermione turned and looked at Lucius who sat looking away, attempting not to make eye contact. She knew that this version of the story was highly unlikely. This poor delusional girl probably asked Lucius to do all of that, not of his own free will. Hermione let what she had been told sink in.

"So why exactly am I here?"

"Well that's the best part, love! Lucius took out his wand and attempted to wake you, but that hex or whatever it was that your boyfriend used on you was pretty harsh, so he couldn't wake you. That's when I decided that we couldn't leave you in the snow, so we brought you back here!" Eve finished her story with quite a bit of enthusiasm but it still seemed so unreal for Hermione. Why on earth would Lucius help her of all people?

"Well that is very kind of you… really," Hermione added, not knowing what to say. "But I really should be going now. I don't want to impose on you any longer." She stood from her position on the bed and set the half-empty tea cup on the bedside table. "Thanks for everything I guess." Hermione directed this mostly at Eve, knowing that even if she did want to thank Lucius he probably wouldn't accept it from the likes of her.

"No really, it was nothing. Are you sure you're feeling up to it?"

"Believe me; I think I should probably be going."

"Lucius could walk you. Couldn't you do that, Lucius?"

"No!" Both Lucius and Hermione shouted at the same time. As childish as things could get at that point Hermione giggled, slightly embarrassed at her outburst. "Really," she said, "I am fine now. Goodbye and thank you." Hermione said as she opened what she could summon was the front door.

"Bye!" Eve called. Of course, Lucius said nothing. The moment was awkward for all involved and Hermione couldn't wait to be out the door. As it closed behind her, she breathed in the cold winter air. She checked her wristwatch and noticed that it was nearly five o'clock in the morning. The sun would be rising soon. Probably on her long walk home. She walked a bit on the road she was on, trying to gain her directional bearings before she found a dark alley. Hermione walked into it, a bit hesitant after the experience she had had the night before. She pulled out her wand and apparated home.

IIII

"Are you happy now, Eve?"

"Quite, thanks for asking." She relaxed on her own bed and stretched luxuriously. "Do you want to join me now that we have the bed to ourselves?"

"Are you bloody joking Eve?" Lucius stood and closed the open window. "It's almost daybreak and I had better be going home to my wife. Thanks for a memorable night." Lucius joked as he walked to the front door and swung it open. "Next time Eve, no good deeds for the community, alright? I don't want to be stuck waiting up all night instead of getting what I came for." Eve smiled into the pillow as Lucius walked out the open door. She unzipped her pants and removed them before crawling under the covers and going to sleep.

IIII

Lucius walked home. He could apparate if he wanted to of course, but he dreaded going back to Malfoy Manor and spending another dull day doing absolutely nothing of worth. Decidedly, he wandered around London instead. The sun was rising in the East and he was growing warmer the more he walked and his body got used to the cold air. He didn't know where exactly he was heading but it was in the general direction of the Manor and he wasn't in any particular hurry.

What a waste of a night, he thought. He not only had fought with Bella and Sissy but had wasted a whole night with Eve doing nothing but watching that silly mudblood sleep. And what would that creature think of him now? He had saved her. Of course, he technically had to if he didn't want to be shipped off on the first boat to Azkaban again. But of course, she might think he had a kind heart! He had to put a stop to that. First things first, Lucius decided, show Granger how horrid he really could be… without the ministry getting word of course.

He found an abandoned field and quickly apparated to Granger's home. When he arrived he stood there in the snow looking at the small cottage that she lived in. She most likely had apparated home after leaving Eve's and was probably cozy warm in her bed by now. He walked up, stealthily to a small window on the side. This window over looked a small sitting room. Inside, he could see Hermione inside, sipping tea; a warm blanket swung over her legs and pulled up to her chest. She had her head leaning back on pillows, resting.

He thought to point his wand at her direct a spell at her from his hiding place. She would never know it was him. He withdrew his wand from his inside coat pocket and pointed it at her. He smirked to himself. It was almost too easy. Suddenly, Hermione's eyes opened hazily and looked right at the window. For an instant they made eye contact. His gray eyes locked on to her dark brown ones. She didn't move, but sat there, her body rather rigid, but still unafraid. He stood there, unable to move away, staring in at her, obviously imposing. No more than five seconds past like this, yet it seemed like so much longer to both involved. By the time Lucius realized what was happening he directed his wand at himself and apparated home.