Chapter Nine

Three weeks passed following the heartbreaking news of Hermione's parents' murders which she survived in a fog. Lucius was patient with her and always nearby in case she needed anything. Their happy routine was replaced with days on end that Hermione simply stayed in bed. He always made sure that she ate out of fear of her progress of the last few months being sabotaged and to Hermione's credit, she never once fought the three times a day intrusion on her grief.

Lucius worried about her incessantly. His personal mission became making certain that she had everything she could possibly need. He never pushed her for which Hermione was exceedingly grateful. He tried to tempt her out of her room with promises of long walks around the estate she always loved or new books lovingly selected from the finest bookstores wizarding Britain had to offer. When nothing seemed to work, he considered bringing Kingsley or George over to visit. She politely thanked him for the suggestion before closing the door to her bedroom in his face. There had not been a repeat of that first night when she begged him to stay with her and he spent the entire night trying to comfort her. She had essentially pushed Lucius completely out of her life as she hid upstairs to wallow in her depression.

One week before the first anniversary of the day all of their lives changed forever, Hermione sat at the desk in her bedroom picking at the tray of dinner Lucius brought her earlier. Her appetite had all but disappeared. She knew that she needed to pull herself together for Lucius' sake. He had been so kind and so patient it made her want to cry. What she had done to deserve him was a complete mystery. She had to remind herself over and over again that she was no longer alone. He deserved much better from her than the treatment he had received over the past several weeks.

She rose from the desk after forcing herself to finish every mouthful of the meal Lucius provided with the determination to get out of the depressing funk she had been living in. Hermione stood under the hot spray of the shower for much longer than was necessary. The heat on her exhausted muscles was just what she needed to relax the tension away. By the time the taps were turned off and a quick spell dried her hair, she almost felt like herself again. She took time in picking out the right dress to wear. Lucius always complimented her when she wore a dark Ravenclaw blue. Said that it set off her complexion and made her eyes sparkle. She pulled a beautiful royal blue dress on that gracefully hit her right at the feet with sleeves that just barely fell off her shoulders revealing the tiniest hint of her barely there cleavage. With a few beauty spells designed to disguise the sickly pallor her face had taken on in the previous few weeks, Hermione stood in front of a full length mirror. She completed the chic style with a somewhat messy updo and proclaimed herself satisfied with the results. She hoped Lucius would be pleased to see her up and about.

The myriad of clocks scattered throughout the manor struck eight o'clock when Hermione was finally ready to venture downstairs. She could see a light coming out of the open door to the study when she arrived downstairs. The voice Lucius always used when speaking to his beloved dogs carried across the entrance hall. Hermione hesitantly approached the open door. She hadn't been back in that room since the night Lucius informed her that her parents had been found in Australia. Sophie raised her head from Lucius' lap when Hermione drew near the door. Both dogs began to shake their tails in unison with a ferocity that declared their love for her. Lucius lifted his head at the disturbance. After he spent just a moment to take in her entire appearance, his entire countenance lit up with a gorgeous smile. He met her at the door without saying a word to lead her back to her customary spot on the sofa.

"I am so pleased to see you downstairs, Hermione."

She returned his gracious smile.

"I've been hiding too long," she replied. "It's time that I got out amongst the living instead of wasting my time stuck with the dead."

He clasped her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I am glad."

Cassius immediately placed his gigantic furry head in her lap demanding love and affection. Lucius released her hand to allow her free rein to scratch the dogs to her heart's content.

"We have all been missing the pleasure of your company," he said as Sophie used her large body to push Cassius out of the way of Hermione's hands.

Hermione laughed at Sophie's insistence that it was her turn for scratches. There was no question which of the dogs was in charge. Sophie might have been just the tiniest bit smaller than Cassius, but she was without a doubt the leader of the two. Lucius was the alpha of their pack and over the previous several weeks they had been gradually allowing Hermione to join them as well. She had always considered herself more of a cat person until those two ingratiated themselves into her heart.

"I have been missing your company as well," she replied, meeting his gaze with a tentative grin. "And of course yours as well, Sophie and your brother's."

The four of them settled into what seemed would be a quiet, uneventful evening. Lucius had just finished a new book on Transfiguration principles that he was certain Hermione would find fascinating. He described the highlights of the theories to spark her interest. Hermione promised to read it the next day so they could discuss it more in depth. She had grown to love the lively debates and discussions she shared with this man. No one else had ever challenged her intellect in quite the same way or encouraged her voracity for knowledge like he did.

Only moments after the clock struck nine o'clock the alarms started going off once more indicating an unwelcome guest. With a roll of her eyes and silent fear that maybe one day soon they would run out of Isla's hair to continue brewing into the polyjuice potion, Hermione knocked back a dose to begin the transformation. She was getting quite sick of polyjuice potion. Isla's tasted of stewed turnips that had been left in the pot for too long. Lucius cursed under his breath before leaving the room to answer the front door. Hermione was right behind him to welcome their all-to-frequent guest.

"Good evening, Rabastan," Lucius greeted at once.

Rabastan Lestrange pushed his way past Lucius and headed straight for Hermione. Once he placed two slimy kisses on each of her cheeks, the Death Eater held her out at arm's length to scan her body from top to bottom.

"How wonderful you look this evening, Miss Black. I have been very worried about you these past several weeks. How are you feeling, my dear?"

"Much better. Thank you, Mr. Lestrange."

"Nothing contagious, I hope?"

"No, not at all."

"Excellent."

Rabastan reached around to pinch her arse once more. Hermione just rolled her eyes and sighed. There really was no stopping the disgusting pervert. In fact, she thought he rather liked it when she protested.

"Antonin, what a pleasant and unexpected surprise," Lucius said loudly to catch Hermione's attention.

She was afraid she was going to faint. How could she possibly spend a single moment in his presence knowing what she did? Knowing he was obsessed with her to the point of tracking her obliviated parents down to Australia to bring about their untimely deaths? Hermione began to rack her brain for any acceptable excuse to get her out of the room, out of the manor, out of the country. There were none. Lucius caught her eye and she remembered the part she must play.

"Good evening, Mr. Dolohov," she said, shaking his hand and desperately trying not to cringe or scream while doing so. "How lovely of you to join us this evening."

"Thank you, Miss Black, Lucius."

Lucius led the group into the drawing room. He stood outside the door and pulled Hermione off to the side before she entered after their guests.

"Are you all right?" he whispered, concern and a tiny bit of fear present in his grey eyes.

"I will be okay," she promised hoping it wasn't a complete lie.

"I can make your excuses if you need me to."

Hermione was so touched by his concern that she leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"I will be all right, Lucius. Thank you."

Rabastan and Antonin were already seated in what had become their customary chairs. Both rose until Hermione was seated in her own armchair next to Lucius. In less than minute, thanks to Lucius' years of experience and practice, all four had full glasses of a full-bodied red in their hands. A silence persisted over the group as they sipped their wine for the first few minutes.

"Excellent vintage, Lucius, as always," said Rabastan. He never could keep his mouth shut for very long.

"Thank you, Rabastan. One of my personal favorites."

"Antonin and I did have a purpose for coming this evening. Other than enjoying your wine and the company of your beautiful goddaughter, of course."

"Did you?" Lucius asked. Hermione could sense he was trying not to seem too curious.

Rabastan took a long swallow of the wine, emptying it. Lucius rose to refill the glass. Once Lucius was reseated, Rabastan began speaking again.

"Well, yes, as you know next Sunday will mark the first anniversary of our Dark Lord's victory."

"Yes, I am aware."

How could he not be aware of the upcoming anniversary? It was also the anniversary of the day he and his son tortured his late wife before executing her under orders. Lucius would never forget that day as long as he lived. Hermione wouldn't either. She lost a number of loved ones that horrible May day as well.

"I will be hosting a grand reception and ball at my family estate next Saturday evening to commemorate the special occasion."

"How nice." Lucius' voice was an insincere as Hermione had ever heard it.

"Everyone will be attending, of course," Rabastan continued. "I daresay even the Dark Lord himself may make an appearance."

Hermione's throat grew very dry. She tried to disguise her nerves by keeping herself busy nursing her glass. Only Lucius noticed her discomfort. Antonin had spent the entire visit staring off into the flames of the fireplace. Rabastan was so oblivious he would not notice if a hippogriff suddenly appeared in the drawing room.

"I would have extended the invitation earlier but seeing as how Miss Black has been so ill lately, I wasn't sure it would be appropriate. But now that I see Miss Black is the very picture of health, you will both attend of course."

"We may have other plans." Even Lucius could tell his response was feeble.

"No, you don't," answered Rabastan. "And even if you did, Lucius, it would not matter. My invitation is to your charming goddaughter. I extend it to you as well out of respect for the fact that she is currently residing in your home."

Sensing that the two wizards were only moments away from what could potentially be an explosive encounter, Hermione spoke up to interrupt them both.

"Thank you, Mr. Lesrtange, I will be delighted to attend."

The words came out of Hermione's mouth before she allowed her brain to contemplate the ramifications. Lucius was furious. Rabastan was delighted. Antonin was ambivalent. Hermione was terrified.

"If you will excuse my presumptions, Miss Black," Rabastan said rising from his chair and coming to stand in front of hers. From inside his front robe pocket he removed a very small white box. With a single tap of his wand, the box expanded. "Knowing that you have been so ill lately, I took the liberty of custom ordering you something to wear. I do hope you like it."


On Saturday, May 1st, exactly three hundred and sixty four days after the Battle for Hogwarts, Hermione stood in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom getting her first good look at the formal dress Rabastan Lestrange gave her in the form of a truly inappropriate gift. She had to give him credit, however. He had given her the most beautiful gown she had ever seen. The deep royal purple silk fit tightly to her curves in the front. The high neck collar only went around the back of her neck allowing the top of the bodice to split open to reveal the softest silver lace covering the top of her stomach and her bust in the deep, plunging v-neck. The sleeves went past her elbows and a long train dropped from the covered back, extending at least three feet behind her when she walked. There were yards and yards of fabric with only the very hint of the very tops of her breasts exposed, but it was the sexiest garment she had ever worn. The clinging of the silk to her curves and the full coverage of her body was elegant beyond what she imagined Rabastan was capable of picking out. Before opening the box for the first time, she had envisioned a tacky dress with an excess amount of skin put on display. The sheer sophistication of the gown was surprising.

She wore her hair piled on top of her head in orderly curls. Isla's hair was almost the exact same length as her own so the transformation would hardly affect her hair. When she stepped out into the corridor when she was ready to leave, Lucius was coming out of his own room at the same time. He cut an elegant figure in his expensive dress robes. Lucius examined her from her head to her feet. His eyes darkened and he nodded once in approval.

"Wait right here," he said before disappearing back into his room.

A few minutes later he emerged with his hands full of diamonds.

"These belonged to my grandmother," he explained as he placed the exquisite art deco necklace around her throat. "Your gown is a very vintage design. These will complement it well."

Hermione had only seen pictures of necklaces as beautiful as the one around her throat. She stared at her reflection in a hall mirror transfixed. As she tried to imagine how many dozens of carats and how many hundreds of thousands of galleons were hanging from her neck, Lucius began connecting a bracelet to her wrist the likes she had never seen before. Five large marquise cut diamonds, at least three or four carats a piece, were set in beautiful open rectangular platinum links with diamonds covering every square millimeter. She would've estimated that she wore at least seventeen or eighteen carats on her wrist alone.

"These are absolutely beautiful, Lucius. I can hardly breathe."

Lucius smiled at her and she felt her stomach start turning somersaults.

"You are so beautiful in this dress that I can hardly breathe."

"Thank you."

She lowered her eyes to the floor suddenly feeling very exposed. Lucius took her by the hand to lead her downstairs. Before they exited the front door, Hermione drank her first dose of polyjuice potion for the evening.

"How do I look right now?" she asked when the transformation was complete, worried her hair was messed up or the dress no longer as flattering.

"Not as good as you looked upstairs," he replied. "But I daresay you will still turn quite a few heads."

Hermione tucked the potion vial into the beaded bag she still had stuffed in her bra. There was no telling how long they would be stuck at the ball so she packed many, many doses to be safe. She even had an extra flask strapped to her leg which made her feel very like Mad Eye Moody. Lucius charmed the flask to lightly buzz her leg every forty-five minutes to remind her to drink more in plenty of time before her hour was up.

Lucius led them both to the outer gates. Hermione hadn't been outside of the grounds in over three months and was surprised to find herself both excited and quite nervous. They both had an entire week to prepare themselves for the evening ahead, but even then they were still anxious.

"Are you ready?" Lucius asked taking her arm in his in preparation for Side-Along Apparition to the Lestrange family manor.

Hermione nodded and they were gone.

The reception celebrating the fall of Harry Potter and the rise of the Dark Lord was in full swing when Lucius and Hermione arrived at the gates of the immense manor. They were past "fashionably late" and well on to just being "rude". It had been Lucius' idea to arrive so late. He wanted to be there as little as possible and Hermione could not disagree with him one bit. Their arrival did not go unnoticed.

"Lucius! Miss Black!"

Rabastan met them just inside the gates. The grounds of the estate were teeming with hundreds of fashionably dressed witches and wizards. Every window in the manor house that rivalled the size of Malfoy Manor was brightly lit. Hermione looked around at the partygoers. It was a veritable "Who's Who" of everyone she hated fiercely in the world.

"You look absolutely stunning, Miss Black," exclaimed Rabastan. He leaned in to whisper. "See? I was paying attention to your gorgeous body during all of those visits. It fits you perfectly."

She desperately wanted to get away from the host as soon as possible. The way he was leering at her made her nauseous. Lucius had the same idea. Without relinquishing control of her arm, he steered them further into the grounds where the festivities were at their strongest. It took them almost half an hour to reach the refreshment table set up in the formal gardens due to the vast number of people who wanted to stop and greet Lucius. Hermione was introduced to at least ten known Death Eaters, the current, disgusting Minister for Magic and countless other Ministry officials in the amount of time it took her to arrive and then accept her first glass of champagne. She was ready to leave immediately.

"There is a hedge maze in the gardens," Lucius informed her in a whisper. "Stay away from it. I would not put it past Rabastan to trap you in there."

"Not to worry. After the Triwizard Tournament I will never enter in one of those horrid mazes again."

Lucius was satisfied with her response. She spent a few minutes sipping her champagne and surveying the crowd. Her stomach dropped when she caught sight of a stout, toad-like woman in a sickening pink floral gown with a bow in her hair. She hoped and prayed that Umbridge would remain on her side of the grounds. It would cause a scene if Hermione had to murder her in front of all of the other guests.

"Good evening, Miss Black."

Antonin Dolohov appeared at her side as if out of thin air. Hermione felt her heart begin to race. She would never get used to being in such close proximity to the man who once tried to murder her and now wanted to possess her.

"Good evening, Mr. Dolohov. Lovely party, is it not?"

Antonin shrugged his shoulders. Hermione got the impression that he would rather be just about anywhere else in the world than standing in the midst of the wizarding elite in starched dress robes. He was always such a quiet man in social situations.

"I would rather be sitting in Lucius' drawing room right now," he responded. "Too damn many people."

"I understand what you mean. Large crowds tend to make me nervous."

"We are of a like mind then, Miss Black. Crowds did not bother me so much in my youth, but then I spent many years living entirely by myself. The adjustment back into the rest of the world has been difficult."

Hermione felt her flask begin the buzz on her leg. Lucius turned away from the Ministry official he had been conversing with since they stopped moving to look at Hermione. Surprised to find her engaged in a conversation with Dolohov, he raised an eyebrow at her. She responded to him with the tiniest of shoulder shrugs that when unnoticed by Antonin.

"Isla, darling, I believe it is about time that you took more of your medicine," Lucius whispered to Hermione loud enough for only Antonin to hear. "The healer was very adamant that you continue to take your medicine on time this evening if you wanted to attend the party."

"Of course, Lucius, you're right," she responded. "If you will excuse me, Mr. Dolohov, but I must find a glass of water."

"I was very sorry to hear that you have been ill, Miss Black."

"Thank you, Mr. Dolohov. I should be fine."

Lucius whispered in her ear for her to head back further in the gardens behind several large topiaries. She should have ample privacy to take her potion. Hermione slipped away from the two men to retreat further into the gardens. Lucius kept his eyes on her as much as possible without drawing too much attention to her. Hermione heard him strike up a conversation with Antonin regarding his recent trip to Australia. A waiter passed by with several glasses of champagne. She took one knowing she would soon have to banish the taste of stewed turnips from her mouth once more. She was able to remove the vial from the bag hidden within her dress and take a dose without anyone seeing. Lucius pointed her to the perfect spot. None of the attendees were nearby.

"I was hoping we would be able to find a few minutes to be alone."

Rabastan came up behind Hermione as she was downing the entire glass of champagne in one swig. He appeared almost out of nowhere like Antonin had just minutes earlier. Hermione wondered if he had been watching her from a distance, waiting for a moment when she would be away from Lucius. She was fairly certain he had.

"Wonderful party, Mr. Lestrange," she said, slowly backing away from him. "Thank you for inviting me."

"I wouldn't dream of leaving you out, my dear."

For every step that Hermione took backwards away from him, he took one towards her. She was feeling very nervous being alone with this dangerous man. Where was Lucius when she needed him? She knew that he would come looking for her if she did not return within a few minutes, but based on the glint in Rabastan's eyes, a few minutes might be too late. He was closing the gap between them. Before Hermione could turn around, she backed up into a topiary statue in the shape of a large swan. Rabastan was only inches from her. She was trapped.

"Mr. Lestrange…"

"Please, call me Rabastan."

He placed his hands on her waist and pushed his body against hers. There was no way she was going to be able to get past him. He was a thin man, but his physical strength easily outmatched hers. His hands began to freely travel over her body.

"This dress is exquisite on you, Isla. I knew it would be." Rabastan leaned in and began kissing her neck. Hermione wanted to throw up. "The only way it could look any better is if it was rolled up in a ball on my bedroom floor."

"Rabastan, please…"

"Yes, remember my name. I want to hear you screaming it tonight."

His kisses moved up from her neck to her face. Hermione tried to push him away, but he was too strong. He did not even have to try to keep her stuck in the same position. His right hand brushed up against her breasts and his left hand was slowly pulling her dress up over her legs. She didn't know what to do. His mouth met hers in a rough kiss. Her dress rose higher and higher. He was going to do whatever he wanted with her and she had zero defense against him. Even her wand was tucked away in a pocket that she couldn't reach. She could feel the evidence of his desire up against her stomach.

"I've wanted you from the first time I saw you. You are gorgeous, do you know that?"

He captured her lips against in a fierce kiss. Her mouth was hurting. Rabastan did not seem to understand the concept of being gentle. He was hurting her and didn't even realize it. Her dress was over her hips and his hand was searching for the waistband of her knickers. Hermione continued to try to push him off of her with all of her strength, but Rabastan would not budge. Tears were streaming down her face and he did not even notice.

"I would give up all of my other women for you, Isla. I would devote myself entirely to you. Would you like that?"

"Rabastan, please stop…"

"I can't ever stop."

Hermione tried to move her knee to hit his squarely in the crotch, but he had her off balance. Any sharp movement on her part would end up with her on the ground and him landing completely on top of her. She closed her eyes and thought hard. This was not a moment for her to completely fall apart. She was not one of those weak, timid women who just allowed bad things to happen to them without fighting.

"Isla…"

Rabastan's sudden absence from her body came as a sudden shock to Hermione. She opened her eyes to see Rabastan sprawled on the ground with Lucius standing over him pointing his wand at his throat. The expression of pure, unadulterated hate and fury in Lucius' eyes made her shiver with fear. She had never seen this dangerous side of him. Based on the anxiety in Rabastan's face, neither had he. Raw magic crackled off of Lucius. His long hair was even starting to stand on its own.

"Are you all right, Miss Black?" Antonin's sudden appearance at her side caused her to jump. With deft and surprisingly gentle fingers, he tugged the skirt of her dress down to cover her modesty that Rabastan had only moments before been assailing.

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Dolohov. I'm all right."

"Lucius, I think you should take Miss Black home."

Antonin spoke softly enough that Lucius did not hear him. Rabastan continued to lie on his back at Lucius' feet. Hermione placed a tender hand on Lucius' wand arm, willing him to lower his weapon. Her touch seemed to break him out of the trance he was under.

"Lucius, please take me home."

He lowered his wand and allowed Hermione to lead him away from the gardens. They did not say a word to anyone as they rushed their way through the party. The hour was growing late, but Lucius and Hermione seemed to be the only two celebrants making their way to the exit. Lucius was still crackling when they reached the estate gates. Knowing that his own magic was likely still volatile and therefore unreliable, Lucius allowed Hermione to Apparate them both home.

Neither of them spoke during the long walk up the driveway. By the time they reached the entrance hall Hermione was transformed back to her usual self. She ran her fingers through her hair to pull out the pins that had been holding her curls up. It was well after midnight and she was exhausted. The evening had been stressful. All she wanted was a long, hot bubble bath to relax away the tension she was feeling in every muscle of her body. She bid Lucius a good night and rushed up the stairs.

When she reached for the knob to her bedroom door, Lucius was right behind her. He placed a gentle hand on her arm to stop her. Hermione turned around to see the naked fury from just a short time earlier in the evening in his eyes had been replaced with desperation and anxiety to match her own.

"I should have gone with you," he whispered, his voice still managing to echo in the empty hallway.

Hermione caressed his cheek with a tender hand. Lucius closed his eyes at the unexpected touch.

"I am all right, Lucius."

"If I did not get there when I did…"

"Shh, Lucius, it's okay. I am all right."

Lucius opened his eyes. They were bright with unshed tears. Hermione wanted to reassure him that she was all right and take away any guilt he was experiencing. She moved her hand off of his cheek into his hair. The raw magic was still coursing through him. It needed an outlet before it burst inside of him. She smoothed down his hair that was still rising in the air as if under the effects of static electricity.

"Rabastan is a dangerous man. He could have really hurt you."

"Lucius, I'm all right."

"When I think what could have happened to you…"

Lucius threw his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. His grip was so strong that it was almost painful, but Hermione did not mind. She wanted him to hold her.

"I was so concerned with trying to get information from Antonin about your parents that I put you in harm's way. Can you ever forgive me?"

"There is nothing to forgive. I'm all right, Lucius. Truly."

"When I saw his hands all over you, I wanted to murder him right there. I think I might have if you did not stop me."

Lucius released her from his grasp, but did not move away from her. They stood inches apart in the darkened hallway for a long time simply staring at each other, neither knowing what to say to fill the stillness.

"I lost my mind for a minute."

He ran his fingers through her tangled hair, gently pulling out pins she missed and dropping them on the floor of the corridor.

"I never want to see another man touch you."

Hermione stared into his rapidly darkening eyes.

"I never want another man to touch me either."

She stepped closer to his body. Her stomach began to twist and her breathing became more labored. Lucius wrapped his arms back around her back, pulling her back into the safety of his chest. With a look of absolute yearning in his eyes, he brought his mouth crushing down to hers… finally. The kiss they shared was as different as possible from the one she experienced earlier in the evening. Lucius was all at once hesitant and demanding, gentle and brutal, and all together desperate. They stood in the hallway kissing for what seemed an eternity.

"Lucius?"

"Hmm?"

"Take me to bed."

Lucius led her into his bedroom by her hand, stopping every few feet to kiss her once more. By the time they reached the side of his bed, their hearts were both racing and they were both struggling to breathe normally. As he kissed her once more within the confines of his bedroom, he brought his hands up to her shoulders. He slipped both of his hands within the collar of the deep purple silk. With one rapid movement, he ripped the dress in two, pulling it off of Hermione's body.

"Lucius!" She was surprised by the savagery of the act.

"You will never wear this gown again." He ripped the sleeves off of her arms. "I never want to see it again."

With a few more sharp tugs punctuated by passionate kisses, Hermione stood in his bedroom wearing nothing but her underwear and his diamonds. She pushed him off of her for just a moment to undo the clasp of the priceless necklace she wore. Lucius immediately stopped her.

"No," he said. "I want you in diamonds and nothing else."