A/N: Right so more plot in this chapter. I know I promised more smut than plot and I will be delivering on that, but just not this chapter. It's coming though, or you know, go reread Chapters 1-8 again ;-) if you need a fix.
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"Where can she be?" Lucius asked Severus for the fifteenth time that day.
"She'll turn up," Severus replied.
"It's been two weeks, Severus. I don't think she's just going to show up!" Lucius snapped at his oldest friend. They were in his study, and he hadn't been this agitated since the war. Hermione was gone. She wasn't at her house, and Lucius had been there enough to notice the buildup of dust, which, of course, meant that she was gone. He was half-mad with worry for her. The other half was feeling absolute fury that she had left and hadn't left word with anyone. He wouldn't have even known she was gone if that youngest Weasley hadn't knocked on the door of the Manor looking for her.
"What did Weasley say again?" Severus asked calmly. Another thing that had Lucius furious was how calm Severus was about all of this. Lucius had thought that Severus had been coming to care for Hermione. He had hoped that Severus was beginning to care for Hermione because Lucius knew that Hermione cared for Severus. Or, at least, he'd thought that before she'd disappeared.
"Just that they'd argued and when he went to apologize she wasn't there. So he came here seeing if she was here," Lucius repeated. They'd been over this at least three times already.
"And he doesn't know where she would have gone if she wanted to get away for awhile?" Severus asked.
"I didn't tell him that she was missing, just that she wasn't here," Lucius said tightly. "I'm attempting to keep it out of the press that my paramour is gone."
"Have you thought about asking Potter?" Severus asked dryly.
Lucius had thought about it but hadn't wanted actually to stoop to that level. He shouldn't have to. Hermione should have told him she was going somewhere. When he found her, Lucius wasn't sure he was going to be able to forgive her. Lucius was livid at her actions. It was inexcusable and childish, and he had honestly thought better of her.
"I'll take your silence for a no then. We should go to Grimmauld Place and ask him. I'm sure he has an idea. He was always just a smidge smarter than Weasley." Severus' suggestion sounded so reasonable, and still, Lucius felt like balking at it. As much as he wanted to find Hermione, he also wanted to sulk. He sighed, he couldn't afford to sulk.
"Let's go."
"What do you mean gone?" Potter asked. Lucius sighed and rubbed between his eyes.
"She hasn't been at her parent's home in at least two weeks, Mr Potter," Lucius said.
"Honestly, you can call me Harry," Potter said, rolling his eyes. "I am going to be family soon," Potter smirked.
Lucius rolled his eyes, "Fine, Harry." Harry nodded and smiled. "Any idea where she would have gone?"
Potter closed his eyes in thought for a moment, and Lucius held in the sigh that he desperately wanted to let loose. This seemed like it was going to be a waste of time, just as he'd predicted.
"Australia," Potter said, finally opening his eyes.
"Australia?" Severus asked. "What is Merlin's name is in Australia?"
"Her Obliviated parents."
"She Obliviated her parents?" Lucius asked, horrified.
"To protect them. Gave them false identities and a lifelong will to move to Australia. She didn't want them hurt when she knew she would be on the run with me." Potter rubbed the back of his neck as if he was at least ashamed of the lengths his best friend had to go to protect her family because of him. Lucius let out the sigh he was holding in. He should have known. She'd never said anything about it, and Lucius hadn't even thought to ask. He was a prat.
"Let's go," Severus said as he stood up. "The Ministry travel office is open for another two hours. If we're lucky, we can catch a portkey out today."
Lucius followed Severus out of the house without another word. He hoped that they would find Hermione in Australia. He absolutely did not want to think about what he would do if she weren't anywhere to be found in Australia.
"...that's right Jan, breaking news. A British woman is believed to be in Australia, having traveled here on holiday. Hermione Granger, here's a photograph. If you've seen her, please contact the number on the screen as her family is looking for her."
Hermione flipped off the telly. It was the third such report she'd seen. She knew exactly who was looking for her, but how in the world had he managed to infiltrate the Muggle media was a mystery to her. She contemplated calling the number on the screen, but what would she say? 'Hi, sorry I ran away. But I'm pregnant, and I don't know whose child it is. So I was too scared to tell you?'
She hung her head miserably, how in the world had her life turned to this? She'd passed her NEWTs with flying colors and had been studying every memory-related charm she could find for this trip, and yet she found she couldn't even approach her parents. She felt almost stuck with indecision and hated what this pregnancy was doing to her brain. She used to feel so in control of everything in her life, and now her brain felt like mush half the time. She would begin reading something and then twenty minutes later find her mind had drifted off course and she hadn't read even a single page. It was frustrating and infuriating and Hermione felt scared that she didn't understand the changes in her body. The resources the Muggle doctor had given her, had mentioned changes in her brain, but Hermione hadn't assumed they would happen to her.
She felt sick with apprehension and indecision. She hadn't been in Australia for longer than a week before she realized that she had absolutely made the wrong choice. She should have stayed in Britain. She should have told Lucius and Severus what was going on instead of running away like a coward. She almost couldn't believe she had been so stupid. But now that she was here, she wanted to finish what she started. She spent the two weeks following her parents, learning their schedule, and trying to figure out when the best time to approach them would be. She rather thought that maybe at their dental clinic. That way if things didn't go well, at least she wouldn't be trapped like she would be if she knocked on their door and they invited her into their home. Assuming they would even do such a thing, which Hermione realized wasn't a sure bet at all.
Today she planned to sit in the park across the street from the dental clinic and just observe. Perhaps if her mum or dad went out for lunch on their own, she'd try to follow them.
Severus Snape did not care for travel. He had a very routine life, and until he had walked in on Lucius fucking Hermione Granger in Grimmauld Place during the war, he had enjoyed his routine life. It wasn't until Lucius had invited him to join them after the war that Severus found that his routine life was completely upended.
He had only loved one woman in his life. Lily Evans had been the only woman he had deemed worthy of his love. Even after she married Potter, she was perfect in his eyes and could do no wrong. So when he found he was rather fond of Hermione Granger, he had thought that perhaps he was ill. Surely, only an illness could explain the sudden apprehension in his abdomen when thinking upon the curly-headed witch. Having absolved his debt to both James and Lily during the war by keeping Harry alive, Severus had hoped that he would never have to be beholden to anyone else in his life. With the exception of Lucius who made a very generous offer of allowing Severus to live in Malfoy Manor in exchange for Severus doing all the personal brewing for Lucius.
But now they were in Australia looking for Hermione Granger, and Severus found his abdomen tied in knots at the possibility of not finding her. Lucius had been quick to liaise with the Australian Ministry and get her face not only out in the wizarding public but also the Muggle public. Severus hoped it was only a matter of time before she was found. And when she was found, he planned to tie her up and spank her—and then fuck her silly, of course—for worrying them like this, for worrying him like this. Severus had hoped his worrying days were behind him when the war ended, but his feelings toward the witch were disconcertingly worrisome. He found he was as worried as Lucius had to be and Severus wasn't sure he was prepared to commit to any sort of relationship the way Lucius was. He wanted the witch, that was true, but the idea of tying himself to her in any meaningful way; of wedding her or bonding with her, scared him. He wasn't ready for it and what if that was the reason she had run off? Because she wanted a commitment but knew she wouldn't get it from him? He hadn't shared any of his fears with Lucius, but as the days went by with no word from her, he had begun to suspect that maybe it was his fault that she had disappeared. Severus wasn't sure he could bear the idea that he might be at fault for all of this.
The telephone of the hotel room he and Lucius were sharing rang, interrupting his thoughts.
"Hello?" The whole reason Severus had been in the hotel was to wait for this call while Lucius held meetings at the Australian Ministry.
"Mr Malfoy? Mr Snape?" a tinny voice on the other end said.
"This is Snape." He held his breath, hoping that this would be good news.
"We think we've found her, sir."
"Oh, thank Merlin," Severus breathed. "Where is she?"
"Broome, it's in the Kimberley region of Western Australia," the voice on the other side said. "We have a small Ministry outpost there and can get you and Mr Malfoy a portkey within the hour."
"Fine, Malfoy should already be at the Ministry. I'll be there soon," Severus said before hanging up. He and Lucius had booked a Muggle hotel room just for this purpose. The Australian wizarding population was much more enmeshed and integrated into Muggle society and often used telephones to communicate with one another. It made liaising with the Muggles that much easier to give them a telephone number to call.
Severus stood quickly and donned his outer robes before Apparating to the Atrium of the Australian Ministry. A young wizard seemed to be on the lookout for him.
"Mr Snape, follow me please." Severus nodded and followed the other wizard who led him past the security desk and into the lift lobby beyond.
"I take it Mr Malfoy has already been alerted?" Severus asked as they entered a lift.
"Yes, sir. We'll be going directly to the National Travel office where a portkey has been arranged."
Severus nodded and was silent throughout the rest of the trip to the National Travel office. It was good to be as wealthy as Lucius Malfoy was. If it had just been Severus searching for Hermione, he wouldn't have had nearly the amount of resources to devote to it that Lucius had. Putting a notice out on Muggle news had been a stroke of genius on Lucius' part.
The National Travel office was a small, grubby looking office tucked away in the corner of the third floor. Lucius was already there, his presence commanding the attention of everyone in the office. Several witches were openly staring, and Severus felt like snorting. Lucius was a peacock no matter where he was.
"Severus, you've heard?" Lucius greeted him with a nod. Severus responded with a nod, and the wizard with Severus hurried to the counter. A whispered conversation later, and the escort-wizard turned back to them with a broken quill in hand.
"The portkey will activate in thirty seconds gentleman. You'll arrive at the Ministry outpost in Broome, and they will direct you from there."
"Thank you," Lucius said graciously, and both he and Severus grasped the broken quill. Severus took a deep breath, preparing himself as much as he was able for the pull behind his navel that was to come.
A quick whirl and they landed in another dingy bureaucratic office. This time a dumpy witch was there to greet them.
"Malfoy and Snape?" she asked. Lucius nodded, and Severus took the backseat as he always did when Lucius was around. Lucius had the money and the power. Severus was just his tag along. He didn't like the feeling that he was riding Lucius' coat-tails, but at a time like this, it felt very much like that. Severus had resigned himself with the feeling long ago.
"Good. We tracked Miss Granger to an extended stay hotel near the beach. We're not entirely sure what she is doing here, but she's been there for a few weeks according to the hotel clerk who called it in."
"Can you take us to this hotel?" Lucius asked.
"Of course, come with me. We'll Apparate there."
Severus and Lucius followed the witch out of the building and into the Australian heat. "Grab hold, gents," the witch said briefly, offering them each an arm. Another whisk and they landed behind a dumpster. Severus wrinkled his nose at the foul smells.
"Sorry about the landing spot, but Muggles," the witch said not sounding sorry at all. "This is the hotel. She's in room 215." The witch indicated the building behind the dumpster. "Right, then. I'll be off. Find us if you need anything else." And with that she Apparated away.
Lucius strode forward out of the alley they were in and around to the front of the building with Severus trailing along behind him. Severus couldn't quite believe that after all these weeks they had actually found her. It had been almost a month since they'd last seen the witch.
Hermione had just returned from following her parents home from their dental clinic when she realized there was something off about her hotel room. She hadn't entered it yet, had just been approaching it from the outside hallway when there was a certain hesitancy in the air. A tension that had not previously been there and it made Hermione nervous. Was there someone waiting for her inside? She didn't want to imagine that there was. But if there was, she was sure she knew who. She let out a deep breath. Perhaps it was just her imagination playing tricks on her.
Using the small card the Muggle desk clerk had given her, Hermione inserted it into the lock and pulled it away quickly. The flashing green light meant she was clear to enter and she squared her shoulders and entered the room, swiftly shutting the door behind her.
Her senses hadn't been wrong. Lounging in her room were both Lucius and Severus.
"Hermione!" Lucius shouted from where he sat on the sofa and stood up quickly, striding to meet her.
Hermione put her hand up quickly, stopping Lucius in his tracks. If he hugged her, he'd find out her secret, and she wasn't quite sure she was ready to tell him yet.
Severus eyed her curiously from his spot on the sofa but did not move. Lucius reached a hand out, and Hermione slowly placed her hand in his but didn't budge when he tried to pull her in.
"What's wrong?" Lucius asked. "Have we done something? Please, talk to me."
Hermione had never heard such depth of emotion in Lucius' voice before, and she felt tears slip down her cheeks. This pregnancy was making her weep over everything, and she wasn't sure she could stop herself from having a full-blown breakdown. She pulled her hand from Lucius' and moved to sit on the armchair. At least this way, they'd both have to give her space. Hermione thanked her lucky stars that long maxi-style dresses were in fashion in Australia. It gave her plenty of material to obscure her small bump.
"I'm sorry," Hermione said through her tears. "I'm so sorry."
Lucius knelt before her, grasping her hands. "Shh, love, it's alright. Whatever it is, just tell us."
"It's my parents," Hermione said finally after getting herself under control. "I Obliviated them during the war. And I found them, but I haven't…" she trailed off. How did she tell these two men who were so brave and courageous that she was a coward?
"Obliviations are very rarely able to be reversed," Severus commented. Hermione felt another wave of tears fall.
"I know," she said. "It's why… I haven't made contact with them. I follow them, but I haven't… I'm not sure I can bear hurting them further. Or finding out that they are permanently who they are…"
"Is that why you're here?" Lucius asked.
Hermione nodded.
"And why couldn't you tell me that you had done this? Why didn't you tell me you wanted to try and find them?" Lucius sounded hurt, and Hermione felt her heart lurch.
"I don't know," she said quietly, ashamed. She shouldn't have run from them even if it was the easy thing to do. It certainly wasn't the right thing to do.
Lucius sat back on his heels and looked away from her. "Maybe you aren't ready for this," he muttered.
Hermione felt like her heart was breaking, but she nodded. It was a foolish, illogical, immature thing to have done. To have run away from him and said nothing.
Lucius stood, but Hermione didn't notice, she was too busy wallowing in her grief. She'd been terrified of telling Lucius and Severus the truth, and now they were right in front of her, but she was going to lose them instead of telling them the truth.
"I have to go," Lucius said suddenly.
"What?" Hermione looked up at him, and she startled a gasp at the look on his face. The look of cold indifference that she hadn't seen from him in months. Not since before Grimmauld Place, surely. She felt a weight settle heavily in her chest as he moved toward the door.
"I find that I cannot deal with this immaturity, Hermione. I realize that you are barely an adult and I had thought, had hoped, that you had the maturity to deal with being in a relationship and acting like an adult. But it's clear you do not. I cannot have my paramour running away everytime she gets scared," Lucius declared coldly. "There is an image I need to project to the world at large, and running after you every time you run away does not fit that image. Nor can I tolerate you lying to me. I've had enough lying to last a lifetime. I think it's time to end our association."
"What? No!" Hermione stood suddenly, but Lucius just cast one last cold look at her before walking out of the room.
Severus stood from the couch and approached her. Hermione's tears were flowing freely now, and she felt as if she couldn't quite catch a breath. Panic was starting to set in. She didn't know what she was expecting one Lucius and Severus had actually tracked her down, but this wasn't it.
Cupping her face, Severus wiped her tears with his thumb.
"A-Are you l-leaving me too?" Hermione asked miserably even as she leaned into the warmth his hand offered.
"I'm not emotionally capable of being in a relationship, Hermione. You know that."
Hermione nodded. She did, but she had so hoped that she was going to be able to help Severus see that he was capable and worthy. But Hermione had always understood that Lucius and Severus came as a sort of package deal. And honestly, did she want Severus if she couldn't have Lucius?
