Disclaimer: I borrowed the characters for dramatic purposes only. I will return them… eventually… except maybe Lucius. Can I keep Lucius?

AN. Yay! FFN is back online! So, I have been suffering from a bit of writer's block, not to mention I have had little time to write. But I couldn't keep you waiting for an update any longer… what can I say: I am a pushover ;-) Of course it has absolutely nothing to do with all the fabulous reviews you guys have been giving me! No really: I don't mind that if I don't post new chapters, you won't be able to review. It is not that I have withdrawal symptoms or anything… (hides trembling hands and the coffee, alcohol and tranquillizers, a combination of which has been used – in vain I might add – to suppress the symptoms ;-))

Anyway: I am hoping to get some more writing done in the weekend, but I am struggling with the format a little. I know what I want to happen, I am just debating what would be the best way to let events unfold.

Let's get on with the personal thank-yous.

Shyngr8: What can I say: I think Draco is a sweetie deep down. He just doesn't know it yet in canon ;-) thank you as usual for your kind compliments.

Evan M: thank you for dropping me a line! The 'bravo!' on my English is most welcome (it does remind me of the Phantom of the Opera though, anyone else has that?)

Kontara: well: I aim to please! ;-) the two Luciuses will most certainly get to meet. You are going to have to wait a couple of chapters I think, before we find out who the impostor is, but the two of them will meet in chapter ten!

Pallas Athena1: Wow. Really. Wow. Your review leaves me momentarily speechless. It is so gratifying to hear you think the story is exciting, tantalizing even and you like my Malfoys. I really like your story as well, hoping just as much that you'll update soon! Thank you so much for reviewing.

MISSxMELON: I am afraid you misunderstand me, sweetie. The impostor-Lucius is not in Hogwarts, hence he does not show up on the Marauders' Map at all. The spot labelled Lucius Malfoy is Hermione's patient, the one Ron and Harry freed from Voldemort's fortress and, according to Hermione, professor Snape and the Marauders' Map is the real Lucius Malfoy. How exactly 'the bad guys' managed to make a picture-perfect copy of Lucius will be explained in this chapter. Thank you for reviewing. Your effort is greatly appreciated!

Jay: I just can't believe anyone would use the word awesome to describe my writing! Thank you ever so much!

Poemzie the Phoenix: hey! You changed your name!! Hermione reminds you of a colleague you used to have? Do I know her? ;-) thanks for reviewing.

Mary: thank you! (bows gratefully)

Shabopo: I read in your profile you tend to be rather stern, so your praise is highly appreciated! I hope you will like this chapter as well.

Anni: you read it all in one evening? Thanx. I always thought that reviews would start to resemble one another after a while, but you paid me a nice, original compliment. I hope you enjoy the next chapter as well.

Wackoramaco87: yep, I love Pallas Athena1 too! ;-) thanx for reviewing; I did my best to make this chapter exciting as well.

Michelline: I am glad you think the idea of Lucius not being Lucius is original. I used to think it was rather far-fetched, but you guys seem to like it well enough. Hope you enjoy this chapter: it explains some of the relation between Narcissa and Lucius. Thnx for reviewing.

Athena Linborn: I am running out of nice things to say to my reviewers! I am glad you like the story: of course we will eventually find out who the impostor is, just like we will find out what the exact relationship of Hermione and Draco is… Just wait for future chapters (evil laugh) Thank you for leaving me this wonderful review.

Star-Angel23: mmmph-mwmm-fwmm (swallows brownies) sorry about that. Thank you for the review; I also like stories where Lucius isn't an absolute bastard. Black-and-white characters are not too captivating: it's the shades of grey that make life interesting. ;-)

All of you guys: thank you so much for all the wonderful, sweet, generous, lovely reviews you have seen fit to bestow upon me. You cannot imagine how nice it is to see a review alert in your e-mailbox and read all those lovely messages. I have been very busy these last couple of weeks and your reviews really did help when I was stressed out. Big thank you for that. I owe you.

To repay my debt, I will continue writing on this story and for now, the first downpayment: a slightly longer, new chapter!

If you like, you can leave another review ;-)

Enjoy.


To save a Malfoy

Ch. 9 Answers

The portraits in the hallways of Hogwarts castle smiled benevolently at the woman walking past in a hurried stride. Her burgundy robes were a rather clear indication as to which house she belonged to. The portraits in the vicinity of the library certainly knew the long brown curls dancing merrily in time with her determined paces, for they had seen that hair many times before.

But the girl in question paid no heed to them as she rushed past, her eyes gleaming with an excitement only she knew the reason of. A heavy old tome was held securely in her arms, but she hardly seemed to notice its weight as she practically jumped up the stairs, intent on her destination. The few students that happened to cross her path, hastily jumped aside as she purposefully swept by, seemingly without even noticing them.

At a large, dark wooden door she halted and when she placed her hand against the wood, she could feel the tingle of magic as the wards on the room recognized her touch and the door opened easily. She burst through the door and took a few steps into the room. She was positively beaming with delight as the attention of the three men seated in comfortable chairs by the fire shifted to her and her eyes glittered with satisfaction as she declared:

"I think I may have found the answer!"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled approvingly at her from behind his glasses.

"So soon, Miss Granger? That is impressive even for you."

Hermione felt a faint blush colour her cheeks at that comment and combined with the sparkle in her eyes and the slightly dishevelled curls she looked simply adorable. Not that she was aware of the fact herself.

"Thank you, Professor," she said.

Professor Snape got up from his chair and gestured for her to take his place in an unexpected gesture of gallantry. The young Gryffindor had to try her best to hide her surprise.

"So enlighten us, Miss Granger," he said and for once there was little mockery in his voice.

Hermione took the seat, placed the book on her lap and nodded her thanks to the professor.

Glancing around at the three men looking at her with interest, she took a breath and began.

"First I researched 'Ancient Dark Spells' which I know has a section on appearance altering potions and charms. There was a mention of a certain spell there, which I though was worth investigating. So I worked my way through a couple of books and I found the most detailed description of the spell in 'Devious Disguises and their Revealing Charms'. I think this is the spell we are looking for."

"So what spell is this?" asked Lucius.

"It is called the Geminis Fortunae. It allows a person, the caster of the spell, to transform another person, the recipient, to take on the exact appearance of someone for an extended period of time. In contrast to Glamour Charms or the Polyjuice Potion, the recipient ages like the victim would and the effects do not wear off as time goes by; to end the spell the counter-spell must be performed or the binding must be undone."

"The binding?" asked Professor Snape.

"Yes. For the spell to work, the recipient is bound to a certain artefact with a potion from a mixture of the victim's blood and crushed Occamy eggshells. As long as the recipient keeps the artefact with him, the spell can only be lifted by the person who originally cast it or if the victim dies. However, if the recipient is separated from the object binding him to the victim, the spell can be removed by just about any witch or wizard. I have not been able to find how difficult it is to break the binding though."

The girl looked thoughtful at that, biting her lip for a moment, before continuing.

"The Geminis Fortunae is a very complicated spell and it can only be cast by a powerful witch or wizard. Because of the use of the victim's blood, which must be taken by force and since this particular spell was used for… less amiable purposes by dark wizards in the past, it has been banished since the 1850's. The book is only descriptive of the spell, the incantation is not listed."

After this, Hermione was silent.

"You managed to find all this out in a mere three days?" asked Lucius, sounding awed in spite of himself.

"I had a good idea where to start looking."

Severus Snape, who had been listening intently from his spot next to the fireplace spoke up, addressing his old friend: "Do you remember anything like the spell Miss Granger just described?"

Lucius frowned, and then shook his head. "I'm… not sure. I… don't think so." He looked up at Snape, frustration clearly visible on his face. "Damn, why can't I remember?" he burst out suddenly.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Lucius," placated Dumbledore.

"The binding would have had to take place almost immediately after you were captured, since your absence from the Manor could not be easily explained for an extended period of time. I imagine you were in pretty bad shape," Hermione commented softly.

The silver-haired wizard calmed down a bit, but Hermione could see he was nowhere near reconciled to the idea.

"We need to find out what the artefact is that was used in the binding and if we manage to separate the other Lucius from this object, we should be able to expose him as an impostor," concluded Snape, picking up the discussion.

"That is the theory, yes," confirmed Hermione, "But as I said just now, I have found little information on how to break the binding. I don't know if there are any spells involved or not. The only thing I've been able to come up with is a reference in another spellbook, written in Runic. I have no idea how accurate the translation is, though, since the language used in the book is very old."

Quickly leafing through her notes, the Gryffindor was softly muttering to herself, while the three men exchanged amused glances.

"Ah, here it is," declared the girl, pulling out a piece of parchment that was mostly blank, except for two lines of runes, with a neatly written translation in English.

"There were two segments that commented on how to break the binding, but I'm afraid it is a little cryptic. The first one says:

The fortunes of the twins

will only be divided,

when what once was unique

with its source's collided.

The second seems another reference to the unbinding. It reads:

Separated from the charm,

its true form will appear;

The pureblood touches no such harm,

his conscience being clear.

Or something like that," Hermione mumbled, suddenly seeming to doubt her own powers of translating Runes.

"If it makes you feel better, maybe Professor Snape could take a look at those Runes as well, Miss Granger," said Dumbledore pleasantly.

The former Head Girl looked from the Headmaster to the man in his black robes standing next to the fireplace in surprise.

"I assure you, Miss Granger," said the Potions Master in a sarcastic tone of voice, "that I can do a passable job of translating ancient Runes."

Hermione smiled at his remark, so reminiscent of the acerbic tone she remembered so well from his classes.

"I was merely surprised, Professor," she stated, "I should have realised of course that many of the old Potions recipes are in Runic as well. I assume you could do a more 'passable job' than I can."

The Potions Master pulled up an eyebrow: "Thank you so much for clearing that up, Miss Granger. Had you not explained that to us, I would have wondered all day why it is exactly that I know quite a lot about ancient Runes."

Instead of taking offence at his remark, Hermione burst out laughing. For the first time since she had entered the room, all wound up about her discovery, she relaxed.

Strange as it may sound, but her former Professor's sharp wit had that effect on her ever since she had gotten to known him in a more personal way during both their time at the Order. Admittedly, it had taken her the better part of her Hogwarts education, but she had finally figured out that Severus Snape's bite wasn't as bad as his bark, although the bark was most impressive.

She indulged herself in something she rarely did, or rather dared…

"You are so funny, Severus!"

At this, he rolled his eyes in a mixture of desperation and exasperation and murmured: "Absolutely no respect…" under his breath.

Hermione smiled up at him, her eyes glittering with mirth.

"If you could take a look at it, I would be much obliged."

On moments like these, Hermione Granger was glad she had learned a little more about the Potions Master. It meant that, although superficially he appeared to be scowling at her, the infinitesimal twitch at the corner of his mouth did not escape her notice. Her smile went from teasing to warm appreciation in a heartbeat.

"You have done a splendid job, Miss Granger, as you always do," complimented Dumbledore, interrupting the little sparring contest between the Gryffindor and the head of Slytherin.

"Now, I think Lucius should visit the Ministry in about a day or three. Do you think you can have the translation done by then?"

"That should be no problem, Headmaster," confirmed Snape.

"Splendid!"


Hermione ran her finger probingly over the long scar on Lucius' shoulder blade.

"I'm afraid this one isn't going to go away," she said, straightening up, "you could ask Professor Snape for a salve, it might improve a little, but that's the best you can do, I think."

She looked his torso over once more with the appraising look of a medi-witch; his skin was still pale, but now it was the smooth, alabaster that was about as trademark Malfoy as the moonlight hair. The bruises had all long since faded and most of his wounds had healed without scarring. But there was nothing she could do about the old scars marring his skin, the biggest of which was the one on his right shoulder: it was a broad, ragged red line. Hermione did not want to imagine what the wound that had caused it must have looked like.

She was glad to note that he was no longer so painstakingly thin that she could count his ribs. Because he had had little exercise, he was still thin rather than lean, but she thought he might remedy that as soon as the exposure of the other Lucius was behind him and he would be free to move about as he pleased.

"You can put your robes back on. I am very pleased with your progress," she told the blond wizard.

Hermione turned to face the window and stared at the beautiful moonlit landscape outside. It was almost full moon and the Hogwarts grounds were bathed in the milky white light, the water of the lake glittering in the distance.

Behind her, inside the room, she could hear the soft whispering of cloth and the vague reflection in the window showed Lucius pulling the fine linen shirt over his shoulders. A small sigh escaped his lips and the fact that she was still in the room to hear it, clearly indicated the distraction of his mind to Hermione, who had noticed that the older Malfoy loathed to show his weaknesses to anyone.

The first two weeks he had been in too bad a shape to do anything about it, but the moment he regained some level of control, he started to fall back in a pattern that had probably become all too familiar during his captivity.

It was peculiar, that as his physical condition improved, it was almost too easy to forget that he had sustained more than enough psychological damage as well. Those wounds would probably take much longer to heal, if they ever would completely…

Were he still in the weakened condition he had been in at the beginning, she would not have thought twice about throwing her arm around him and pulling him against her, or taking his hand in hers and give it a squeeze, or whatever else she felt like doing to comfort him. And she would have asked immediately what was bothering him the moment she'd heard his sigh. It was something of a natural instinct that just took over when she was caring for a severely ill patient; she didn't even spare it a single thought.

Over the last couple of weeks a subtle change had taken place, though. He was by no means still dependent on others and comforting him was now something that had to be negotiated, that he would have to grant permission for. Or not.

And from what she had seen of him, she knew he would not allow himself the vulnerability that came with letting someone comfort you. Even though he loved Draco's visits and actively participated in the meetings with Professor Dumbledore and his old friend, Hermione had caught him more than once with a blank expression on his face and eerily dead eyes. It was only to be expected of course, but she was a little worried still. As far as she had been able to determine, there was no-one he spoke to about whatever it was that was troubling him.

The generous-hearted Gryffindor hoped that the business with the impostor could be resolved quickly, so that he could return home, to the Manor and to his wife. Naturally the news would be a terrible shock to Narcissa Malfoy as well, but maybe she could succeed where everybody else seemed to be failing. Hermione had no idea how the woman would react, but she could only hope she would be able to help her husband.

Draco had told her that his parents really did love each other and even now that it had turned out that the man residing in Malfoy Manor at the time was not really his father, it bode well for Lucius that his wife did appear to love him dearly. She would surely be able to provide a safe environment for him in which he would be able to open up to her. A gentle smile appeared on Hermione's face at the thought.

Yet as she saw Lucius rubbing the muscles of his neck as she turned away from the window and he heaved another sigh, seemingly without noticing, she could no longer ignore it.

"What is troubling you, Lucius?"

He started at the sound of her voice and a look of slight embarrassment slid over his face momentarily, before it quickly disappeared. He was getting better and better at hiding his feelings, Hermione noticed.

"It is nothing, really," he replied.

The young woman merely pulled up an eyebrow and sat down in the chair opposite the bed he was still sitting on. He had pulled on his robes, but hadn't started on the buttons yet, so she could see the white linen shirt between the folds of magnificent dark green.

He seemed to be somewhat uncomfortable at her discovery of his discomposure and he carefully wiped his face clean of any emotion before settling his gaze on her.

Too bad his medi-witch had observed him a little too closely for the past weeks, or he might even have gotten away with it.

"If you want, you can talk to me about whatever it is that is bothering you," she told him calmly, keeping her gaze fixed on his.

"I know you don't like the idea much, but I can see something is the matter. However," she paused and smiled slightly here, "if you tell me to bugger off, as my dear friend Ron would put it, I will most graciously do so."

Hermione let her sincerity show in her warm gaze and as Lucius Malfoy looked at those eyes, he found it was hard to resist their golden-brown depths. He sighed, closing his eyes for a brief moment.

"I am worried," he stated simply.

"About the meeting at the Ministry?"

"That as well, yes."

"But?"

Lucius studied his slim, elegant hands.

"Dumbledore informed me that Narcissa will be there to testify."

As the woman opposite him remained silent, he continued: "This will be a great shock to her; I cannot guess how she will react. I know she is sharing a house with a possible suspect and could be in danger if she were to betray the fact that I am still alive. And while I fully understand the Headmaster's decision not to apprise her of the situation yet, I know her well enough to know she will not be pleased."

At this last statement he looked up and for once he did not try to hide the emotion in his eyes. Hermione saw fear intermingled with hope in those pools of silvery grey and she could almost feel this man's pain.

"I can imagine this must be very difficult for you," she said sincerely, "do you have any idea how she would react normally to something as shocking as this?"

"She was always very collected. I imagine she would try and stay composed as best she could," he told her.

"So she would probably be calm and try and analyse the situation?" concluded Hermione.

"That's what I would expect, yes. I hardly ever saw Cissa loose her cool." The last statement was accompanied by a little smile and his voice had a soft quality to it she had not yet heard.

"I'm afraid she may not believe me."

"Why wouldn't she believe you?" Hermione questioned softly

"Because it would mean she would have to admit she has been living a lie for the past twenty years," Lucius explained. "I find myself wondering…" he trailed off.

"Why she never noticed anything was wrong?"

Hermione had been pondering this as well; from what Draco had told her, his parents were closer than she would have guessed herself. But his father was away from home a lot, meaning Narcissa was spending a significant part of her time without her husband.

"Tell me, what was your relationship like, if you don't mind me asking?"

Lucius got up from the bed and started pacing slowly in front of the fireplace.

"Our marriage was arranged, as I am sure you know is customary," he started. "Our fathers came to an agreement when I was about fifteen and the marriage took place one month before my twentieth birthday. Cissa was of respectable family and she was beautiful as well."

He stopped to lean his forearm on the mantelpiece and stared into the flames.

"She was intelligent, had the perfect manners and I discovered swiftly that I enjoyed her company very much. Of course there's always business to attend to, but I found myself longing to return home at the end of the day."

A wistful expression graced his features as he recalled the early days of his marriage.

"It took me about three months to realise I had fallen in love with Cissa. When I found out she returned my feelings I felt most fortunate."

Hermione smiled at this: she had always considered arranged marriages an absolute horror. It would appear though that sometimes it worked just splendidly.

"I spent as much time at home as I could the last months of her pregnancy and just after Draco was born. Much too soon I had to focus my attention on business though. I was away from home a lot the last few months. How fervently I have wished I had spent more time with my son…."

His voice had gone very soft now and had a slightly ragged quality to it. Hermione could see the raw anguish in his eyes, the regret over actions long in the past. She felt her heart go out to this surprisingly strong-willed man, who had survived years of Voldemort's terror and came out with his sanity more or less intact. A man who would have to face his demons in a couple of days and under the scrutiny of the Minister of Magic no less.

Before she could even think twice about it, she had gotten up from her chair and crossed the room to where he stood. She placed her hand on his arm in a gesture of comfort. He raised his gaze from the crackling flames in the fireplace to her eyes.

"I cannot possibly begin to understand how you feel, Lucius," she started, her voice gentle, "but I do know one thing: when you go to the Ministry you will not be alone. Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore are powerful allies, both in their own right. And Draco will be there as well. I will not belittle your feelings by saying that everything is going to be all right. But I have seen the way your son looks at you, Lucius; he will do everything in his power to help you."

"I just would feel a whole lot more comfortable if we had a better idea who we're up against," he replied, although the mention of Draco's support had erased the troubled expression in his eyes to some extend.

Hermione nodded her understanding. It was all very puzzling indeed and since Lucius was most certainly going to be the centre of attention at the Ministry, she could understand his need to know as much as possible beforehand, allowing him to be prepared.

"Did Professor Snape manage to find out anything?"

He shook his head.

"We have no idea who has been taking my place all these years and I find the idea unsettling, to say the least.

And we're no further in figuring out who let the Death Eaters into the Manor that evening either. Severus has informed me that Catherine Langley was fired very shortly after my capture and she has died in a Death Eater raid within the year. So that makes her an unlikely accomplice.

Tim Richardson apparently moved to live with his brother in the north of France at about the same time and nobody has heard from him since, which could either mean he was their inside man and he was… disposed of or he really did move to France and is also an unlikely suspect.

And that leaves us with Maeve Jaminon. She has lived at the Manor for all these years, a fact that could be explained as the gratitude of the impostor Malfoy. But if they were both in on it, then how did Draco manage to get away from it all, without either of them noticing?"

Hermione shrugged helplessly; she no more had the answers than he did.

"I am sorry for bothering you with all these useless questions," Lucius said, suddenly, straightening up. The girl's hand slipped from his arm and fell back to her side.

"Just blame it on my being anxious about what will happen and how Cissa will take this."

There was silence for a moment before he added, thoughtfully: "I just keep wondering if she ever noticed something was going on…"

"It is very strange how people can miss what appear to be obvious clues when they don't expect anything to be wrong," Hermione said gently.

"I've read a Muggle study once, in which perfectly normal researchers were placed in an institution for psychiatric patients, posing as patients; however, they behaved like they normally would. The purpose of the study was to try and find out how soon the nursing staff, who believed the researchers to be actual patients, would notice that their 'patients' were perfectly normal.

At first the researchers would make their notes secretively, afraid that if the staff saw them writing, they would check up on it and find out about the study that way.

But the staff paid no attention to the writing at all and eventually the researchers just made their notes in plain sight. The only thing the staff did, was make a note in their chart, saying the 'patient exhibits writing behaviour'. They never once realised that the researchers weren't psychiatric patients at all. The study was called 'About being sane in insane places' I think."()

Lucius was looking at her with a curious gleam in his eyes and some other emotion, she couldn't quite decipher.

"You amaze me, Miss Granger," he said.

"How so?" she asked, surprised.

"I have been worrying about this for weeks and I talk to you for a little while and suddenly it all seems perfectly understandable."

"I am sure Narcissa can be convinced of the truth of the matter, especially with Draco's help and once that is done, she can help you settle back into your life."

"Draco is wonderful, don't you think?" he remarked suddenly, with paternal pride.

Hermione smiled warmly at this.

"He is. And you are very important to him already, Lucius," she said surely.

He nodded thoughtfully, his gaze returning to the fire. "I cannot tell you how much that means to me."

After a couple of moments of silence he sighed again, but this time it sounded as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He turned back to her again.

"Thank you."

AN: () the study Hermione mentions to Lucius really does exist.