A/N: Thank you for the favorites, follows and reviews!

I want to assure everyone that I am not abandoning this story or any others. I am super busy in RL at the moment and will continue to be until June. I am going to update this story every other week until then. Mid-June, I will go back to weekly postings. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Also, please keep in mind when reading this chapter that all relationships have their ups and downs and sometimes big issues take time to work through. Do not haul out the pitchforks, beloved readers.

10

Previously:

"That sounded like a challenge. I would be happy to prove you wrong." Lucius moved closer and laid the tip of his wand to Dolohov's neck. A spark of electricity was easily conducted through his skin and Lucius continued speaking as if Dolohov choking was a minor inconvenience. "And I am sure Snape would agree."

Dolohov panted for air as the muscles in his throat relaxed. He listened as the booted feet of Malfoy grew ever more distant, and the room grew hotter by degrees. The sweat rolled off his body. It became excruciatingly painful to move as he realized that his sweat had frozen him to the metal surface of the table.

**HGHG**

Dolohov stared into the black void of the ceiling and began chanting in his head. He let himself remember and rage about his circumstances and who put him in here. The fucking Malfoys. He turned his head, trying to see anything outside of his small bubble of light and was immediately regretful. He had reopened the tear on his neck from where the skin had frozen to the metal table where it had ripped free time and again. Laughing filled the room; an insane cackle that reverberated around the room as if the sound was suddenly turned on.

"Who is there?" He yelled. Other than Lucius, he had heard nothing and no one, laying in the dark a solitary presence.

"I wonder if this new ability to hear each other is designed to break you or me." said Bellatrix.

"Bella," Dolohov relaxed as he realized he wasn't alone in the room.

"They won't ever let us leave," Bellatrix sing-songed in a childlike voice. "we will never see anything other than this room for the rest of our lives."

"Our master will come for us."

"Oh, what faith you still have. They will take that from you too." She laughed again. "No one is coming for us. They are going to take everything and more and you will gladly give it by the end. When I was the Dark Lord's right hand, I believed that no one could extract information like him. I've come to realize that our jailors have outclassed our Master. They are creative. They crawl inside your mind and find your most terrifying fears and use them. But I have a secret,"

"A secret?"

"Before the world exploded around me, I grabbed some of their most precious things. They still don't know that I have them." She cackled loudly.

"Maybe you shouldn't tell anyone."

"I want them to find out. Oh, how they will scream when they realize that every single vial is broken."

Laughter swirled around Dolohov, echoing in his head. For the first time since he was strapped to the table, he felt deep unquenchable fear. It was true that Bellatrix had been half mad for years. Azkaban did that to a person, he wasn't firing on all cylinders either. She, out of all the Dark Lord's followers, had become rabid in her devotion. To hear that she had given up all hope of being saved or even leaving this room alive shook him to his core.

Footsteps echoed off the walls and Dolohov craned his neck to see who had come and for which prisoner. Severus Snape slowly stepped into the light, a nasty smile curled his lips. Flashes of the times he had abused and used Narcissa flashed in his mind. He knew Snape was sweet on her, everyone did. Vomit filled his mouth as he came closer. For one second, Dolohov considered allowing himself to choke on the bile but he knew he couldn't do it. The room wouldn't allow it. He nearly sobbed as his throat cleared for him.

"Lucius said I had three days." Said Dolohov.

"I'm sure he did. That doesn't mean that you and I can't get started without him." Snape drawled as he leaned over the bound man.

"I didn't hurt Hermione, I wouldn't have. I wanted her. I wouldn't have hurt her." He began to beg. "And Narcissa was given to me. What was I supposed to do? Tell the Dark Lord No?"

"I think that is the very reason why Lucius wants to tear you to pieces. Hermione is theirs. As for Narcissa's predicament, you could have made it easier on her. You could have helped me protect her. You didn't. You never even hesitated."

"Hesitation means death. I've seen it a million times and so have you. If I had shown any empathy for her, I would have been banned just as much as you were. None of us had choices."

"You are a fucking coward." Snape accused. "You desire the new world he has made."

"No! I never participated unless I had no choice! In the beginning, I admit I was on board but after his second rise, I realized that we were not fighting for the traditional pureblooded world I wanted. I never signed up for this."

"Pretty words, indeed." Snape purred. Pulling out a jar from one of his many inner pockets of his robes, he began to unscrew the lid. He angled the jar so that Dolohov could see what it was.

"No!" Dolohov screamed as the tiny black bugs scuttled over and around each other. Snape smiled as he upended the jar, watching as thousands of ticks crawled over Dolohov's body and buried their heads. Dolohov screamed and fought against his bindings, uncaring that he had ripped away all the skin that had frozen to the table. His wounds were openly weeping blood, an irresistible call to parasites scuttling over his exposed body.

"Snape, please." He screamed, his fear palpable. The smell in the air was tangible.

"Tell me, what are Riddle's plans? Who do I need to target? And where should I begin to take him down?"

"He is going to invade other countries, you need to protect Hermione at all costs. Never leave her alone. Ever. Offer him something else, something of equal worth. Then lure him in. If Narcissa is still connected, she will die with him. You will have to kill him whether they are connected or not. Snape, please! Get them off me!"

With a flick of Snape's wand, the ticks were back in the sealed jar. Snape moved closer to Dolohov, holding the jar right in front of his face.

"If you are lying to me…"

"I'm not! I wouldn't!"

"We shall see." Snape said as he left, leaving Dolohov bleeding on the table. Dolohov screamed again as the room, unwilling to let a prisoner escape via death, heated the table- cauterizing the ripped skin. The table cooled and topical ointment was applied. Dolohov's body shuddered with the shock to his system. As the door closed, the light died, leaving Dolohov to swing from sobbing to maniacal laughter. He was starting to get a better idea of how Bellatrix lost all hope of being saved. The Malfoys and Snape were truly masters of their craft. Snape had gotten everything out of him that he wanted. It was shameful how quickly he broke but ticks had always squicked him out.

**HGHG**

Hermione was lounging in bed; an open book was propped on her raised knees. Curtains danced in the lazy breeze that was flowing inside from the open balcony door. The only light source was a small floating orb that hovered over the pages of the book that had so enraptured Hermione. The quiet ambiance was disturbed only by a soft knock on the door.

"Come in." Hermione called softly.

She watched as the door slowly opened and Draco stood uncertainly just inside.

"Hey." He said.

"Hey," Hermione closed her book and scooted over, lightly patting the bed next to her. Draco turned and closed the door and made his way to the bed. He sat on the edge as if he was prepared to jump up and leave at a moment's notice. Hermione wrinkled her brow, worried about his stand-offish demeanor. She reached out a hand and placed in on his knee, her stomach swirling with dread.

"What's wrong?" She studied the side of his face. His larger hand covered hers and curled into her fingers, holding onto her tightly.

"When the Manor was ruined, we couldn't just leave. We found a room under the Manor that houses Sigurd Malfoy in a semi-alive state. There were paintings and treasure and memories. I broke one of the memories by mistake but I was able to save the other." He pulled the silvery vial out of his pocket and handed it to her. The small pensieve was then settled in her lap, the book already moved aside and forgotten.

Hermione dumped the memory in the basin and watched it swirl before putting her finger in the mixture. Draco followed soon after.

Sigurd was sitting at the edge of a still pond, lounging with one knee up. His other leg was stuck out straight along the shore. The still water was being used as a mirror that he talked to. He only looked slightly older than his painting and the first memory of his that she had seen.

"Now that you know how to wake me using the previous memory, I just wanted to say how much I am looking forward to finally meeting you." Sigurd said in his southern Norwegian accented English. "Something that you may not know about me, Hermione, is that not only was my mother a renowned seer, I am as well. I have seen glimpses of your life for as long as I can remember. I searched for years to find a way to come to you. I feel as though we were destined to share our lives and I want you to know and yearn for me as much as I do for you. Sigurd smirked as he twirled his wand between his fingers. His long hair was blowing in the breeze. "I left a journal for you to read. If I am right in my timing, you will not be yet married. I want my chance to claim your hand. Come to me as soon as you can. If for some reason the first memory is corrupt or broken, I have hidden a duplicate among the memories I have left for you. Take care, Elskede, and wait for me."

Hermione pulled out of the pensieve and stared at Draco in surprise. Setting aside the pensieve, she moved to her knees facing Draco. He looked defeated, not even meeting her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into her embrace.

"He wants to take you away from me." Draco whispered.

"I may not be married to any of you yet but I already made my decision. I have no idea how he could have seen me, especially recently, and not have seen the four of us together. If I were truly meant to be with Sigurd, I would have pulled him from death with the rest of you."

"Except he isn't dead."

"It doesn't matter." Said Hermione.

"It does. What if you would have pulled only him had he died? What if out of all of us, he was meant for you? Maybe he is the man destined to make you happy."

"I think it is very sweet that you are worried about my happiness but only I am able to decide what makes me happy. Please don't pull away from me because of some misplaced idea that I would be happier with him. I need you."

His whole body shuddered with repressed emotion. He hugged her back fiercely, dragging her across his lap until she was straddling him. He pressed his face into her neck, breathing deeply. Hermione ran her fingers through the hair on the back of his head, using her nails lightly, soothing him. Her cheek was pressed to his temple and she began to drop light, feathery kisses in his hair.

She could feel wet drops land on the skin of her shoulder. He pulled her impossibly closer, his arms a vice around her waist. She didn't say anything. There wasn't anything to say. The comfort that he needed, craved, was her touch. He needed to assure himself that she was still here, still safe. She could guess at the panic he had felt upon waking from his terrifying dreams. It was a feeling that she, herself had grown familiar with. Over the years, it had become her job to keep the three of them safe and until that terrible day in Hogwarts, she had managed. It hadn't stopped her from waking up in a cold sweat in the tent. She knew that she wouldn't have been able to go back to sleep if she didn't check on the boys. Only the loud snores and the soft breaths of whoever was on guard that night assured her of their continued survival.

"I'm scared that he will get to you again and maybe this time he will think that you are too much of a threat to keep alive. If he wanted to kill us that badly, he may target you to destroy all four of us at the same time."

"He doesn't want to kill me. He wants to control me and use me for his own purposes." She murmured into his hair, her fingers still combing through his platinum strands.

"I can't stand the thought of you away from me for that long." He whispered against her skin, his warm breath making the small curls on the nape of her neck flutter. His lips tenderly met her neck, a lingering kiss that sent shivers up her body.

Hermione bared her neck further and moaned as he left a wet trail of kisses up the column of her neck and across her jaw. Hermione felt his fingers as they delved in her thicket of curls at the base of her neck. He pressed her closer, shifting, until he had covered her lips with his own. Her bottom lip had been captured. He tugged the tender flesh with his teeth and after releasing, he ran the tip of his tongue over the small hurt. Hermione had unconsciously fisted her hands into his hair, pulling him as close as she possibly could.

He chuckled into her mouth and untangled his hands from her hair to reach up and unclench Hermione's hands on his hair.

"Sorry." She muttered, embarrassed.

He smiled wider and flipped them so that Hermione was on her back beneath him. He held his body up and looked down at her, his eyes roving her face. Hermione lifted her hand and cradled his cheek, her thumb tracing his bottom lip. His eyes grew dark and he lowered himself on top of her. Hermione explored the muscles of his back with her fingertips, admiring the sleek muscles he was graced with.

His mouth met hers more frenzied than before and groaned as her nails sank into his back. Lightly tracing her side with the palm of his hand, Draco slowly explored her. He paused as he cupped the swell of her breast, his lips still devouring hers. Hermione ran her nails lightly to the hem of his shirt and sank her hands underneath, pushing the material up. Her hands were on his abdomen and her heart began to pound as her body reacted to him.

He pulled back, reaching behind his neck and pulled off his shirt, throwing it somewhere behind him. Next, he unbuttoned his trousers, his eyes on her the entire time. He smiled devilishly as he pushed them off his hips and stood only to kick them away. His boxers followed and he stood still as Hermione studied his naked form.

He was tall and lithe, a thin but wiry build. His muscles were well defined and it was obvious that he was proud of his body, as well as he should have been. Her eyes traveled down his lightly haired chest. Stopping to admire the v of his groin, she had the urge to see how he felt. Her eyes feasted on his arousal. He was impressive, stiff and proudly jutting away from his body. Hermione used the tip of her finger to touch the small bead of moisture that had gathered at his tip and brought it to her mouth for a taste, flicking her eyes up to his.

Draco looked ravenous, focused entirely on the finger that was licked. Hermione reached back out and wrapped her hand around his shaft. He jolted from the contact, his eyes fluttering closed. Lightly, Hermione pumped her fist, going slow as she felt the entire length of him. Using her thumb to tease his glans, she lifted her other hand to cup his sack. His breathing came faster as she explored his body.

While gently rolling his balls in her hands, Hermione decided she wanted more. She leaned closer and licked his cock. Her mouth closed over him and she pulled him further between her lips. She sucked him, using her tongue on the underside, swirling around the tip before sinking back down. His hips began to jerk, his hands wound back into her hair.

"Hermione," He choked. Hermione hummed at his desperate praise, pulling him closer until his glans was at the back of her throat.

Hermione let go of his shaft and reached around, digging her nails into his buttocks. Relaxing as much as possible, she pushed forward, gagging as his hips jerked and he thrust faster than she was ready for. She pulled back but only for a moment before sinking further on his erection.

"Fuck!" He groaned. Her throat clenched around his cock and she pulled back, sucking and using her tongue. She felt as his engorged shaft pulsed, growing heavier in her mouth. Her lips were tight around him as he came. Even as thick spurts of his ejaculate hit the back of her throat, Hermione kept to her rhythm until she had sucked him dry.

Leaning back, she used her finger to swipe the dribble of his seed off his shaft and put it on her tongue. He was salty and slightly bitter, a taste that she could easily get used to. Draco dropped to his knees and grasped her ankle, lifting her foot so that he could kiss his way up her leg.

Her breath caught when he licked the back of her knee, and released it quickly as he nibbled up her thigh. He pulled her so that she was lying down and reached for the small cloth sleeping shorts, sliding them down her legs, before continuing with his exploration of her body.

Hermione sat up only enough to pull her tank top off and tossed it in the general vicinity of his shirt. Somewhere across the room. As she leaned back on her elbows she saw the admiring glance that Draco studied her with. His eyes roved her body, paying special attention to her breasts, waist, and mons.

She could feel his breath on her tightly clipped curls at her center as he moved in for a taste in much the same way she had with him. His tongue darted out, licking the line of her slit. He lifted her legs and set them on his shoulders and she idly wondered how he could breathe. He spread her lips and thrust his tongue in her slick channel, mimicking the way he would move in her. He swirled his tongue around her plump flesh and focused on the tiny bud. Softly, barely touching her, he used the flat of his tongue to tap her clit. Teasing flicks, firm licks, sucking kisses, and repeat were nearly overwhelming. Her extreme sensitivity heightened her desire as he took his time enjoying her pleasure. He was driving her mad. Using his fingers to explore her tight heat, he slid in two fingers. Hermione's thighs clamped around him as her body clenched with impending orgasm.

Her hands fisted in the blankets, her whole being centered on the man between her thighs and his talented tongue that was focused on bringing her to climax. His fingers were busy stimulating her pussy, thrusting in and out, as Hermione's channel clenched around them. Draco sucked her clitoris in his mouth and flicked the swollen nub rapidly. Hermione wailed loudly. Her orgasm hit her hard with wave after wave of pleasure engulfed her, dragging her down into a puddle of euphoria.

At some point, Draco put her legs back down and climbed on to the bed. He helped Hermione move up the bed and slide under the blankets, laying down next to her one his side and pulling her close. He spooned her from behind and glided his hand over her stomach. He smoothed his palm up and over her breasts, his fingers fondling her nipple. Hermione could feel his returned erection against her bum and arched back into him, teasing his cock with her cleft. He moved his hand over her hips and lifted her leg, laying it on his hip for better access. She could feel his hand slide between them to grip his cock and adjust position so that he was sinking into her wet and swollen pussy.

His hand grabbed her hips and helped her find the rhythm of his thrusts. He started of slow and steady but gradually picked up the pace, going as fast as the position allowed. It wasn't long before he rolled her on her stomach and pulled her bum up. He settled behind her and plunged back in her pulsating channel, hands gripping her hips.

He bottomed out and they both groaned. The new position was a much deeper fit and her body reacted excitedly, releasing more lubrication to coat his cock. He was fully seated inside of her and only withdrew an inch before rocking back into her, his balls slapping her already sensitive clit.

"Ah," Hermione panted, her eyes were closed as she reveled in ecstasy.

He moved fast then slow, her body taunt with her expected release. Draco sped up, and surged with his own impending orgasm. It was just enough pressure to throw her over the edge. She clamped around him, his culmination cresting with ropes of his seed coating her slick passage. They were both breathing heavily as they laid back down. Draco pulled her back into his body and fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her protectively. Hermione snuggled in and slid her foot around his ankle and fell asleep feeling cherished.

Morning came too soon as a happy sing song voice dragged her out of her dreams. The curtain was thrown wide open, letting the morning sun take over the room. She buried her face in Draco's chest wishing that she would be left to sleep a while longer.

The bed bounced as something heavy landed half on top of her on the other side of Draco. Whatever it was trapped her body under the blankets, her one arm with it. Kisses were rained upon her back; her hair was pushed to the side as lips trailed down her spine. After reaching the base of her spine, he laid his cheek against her and looked at Draco who was struggling to go back to sleep with Lucius' interruption.

"Morning, Draco!" Lucius said brightly.

"Ugh." Draco groaned sleepily. He cracked his eye open blearily before sliding out of bed, just as naked as he was last night. Uncaring if he was seen, he walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

"Alone at last." Lucius muttered between kisses, a smile curved his lips. "Spend the day with me. I have to leave on a trip and it will take me nearly a week to come back home."

"Okay." Hermione agreed, still eighty percent asleep. Lucius chuckled before moving and slipping into the spot that Draco had vacated. His fingers traced her face and her nose wrinkled. Couldn't he tell that she was sleeping? Lucius chuckled again.

"I am guessing you didn't mean to say that out loud."

"Uh huh." She moaned with annoyance. Mornings were not her thing.

"Did you enjoy yourself last night?" He murmured. "You could have awakened the dead with your screams."

Hermione's eyes flew open and her face flushed with mortification.

"Don't be embarrassed." Lucius said gently. "It would be a travesty to deny the rest of us your lusty screams."

Hermione scowled and reached above her head and grabbed a pillow and hit Lucius on the head with it, making him laugh.

"It's so magical to see you two flirt in the morning but I am going to my room to sleep for another few hours if you don't mind." Draco grumbled before leaving, not even bothering to grab his discarded clothes.

**HGHG**

"Things are going to change." Draco said as he sat in a leather chair opposite Abraxas in the study. Abraxas looked up from his correspondence, puzzled.

"Pardon?" Abraxas raised a single brow before dropping his gaze and concentration back to the parchment in his hands.

"You and Lucius treat me like a child. Every time something happens you say: Draco, stay here so you can sire Malfoy heirs if something happens to us or we have more experience or how about my personal favorite… you are too young." Draco sneered. "Hermione is mine too and I am not going to be shoved to the back of every conflict because you tell me to."

"Fine." Abraxas said. "Is that all?"

"You are one cold son of a bitch." Draco decided.

"Thought Lucius had an easy time of things, did you? I yearned for a father who cared enough to stay out of his cups and build the Malfoy name, to protect me, to work towards my best interests for my future and you are complaining because we didn't include you and your feelings? We were being practical."

"I am not complaining. I am telling you that things are going to change. I refuse to be treated like a child in my own marriage."

Abraxas looked up and studied Draco's determined face. A slow smile spread on his face.

"Very well, Draco, if you want equal treatment, we will give it." He nodded to himself. "I have a pile of Gringotts paperwork that needs to be combed over to make sure that none of our fortune has been stolen by those swindling, greedy beasts." Abraxas pointed to the desk that featured an intimidating stack of parchment.

Draco nodded, a smile curled his lips up at the corners. He grabbed the pile of documents and sat back in his chair. The only sound between the two men was the scratching quills that amended their documents.

**HGHG**

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked as Lucius pulled her through the Manor. She was smiling, a black silken blindfold over her eyes.

"You will find out when we get there." Lucius said playfully as he stopped mid-stride. He pulled her off balance as he hauled her into his body. His chest was a wall of muscle that she felt through his shirt. Using her free hand, she stabilized herself but her touch lingered.

"Now Poppet, this is my favorite room in the whole Manor." He murmured into her ear. "Ready?" Hermione nodded her head and he chuckled at her exuberance. He guided her into the room and stepped up behind her. He pressed against her as he worked the knot in the silk, taking his time. Once the knot came free and the silk scarf fluttered to the floor, Hermione gasped. The room was entirely made out of mirrors. The floor, ceiling, and walls. From the top to the bottom, it was a breathtaking effect.

"Wow! This room is incredible. I'm willing to bet there is a spell to preserve the mirrors from cracking underfoot and hopefully from showing what was up a lady's skirt."

"This room was not designed for visitors. It was made for the Lord Malfoy and his wife or betrothed. I am sure it was used to wonderful effect throughout the years." Lucius smirked.

After appreciating the room for its beauty, Hermione began to laugh. "It would figure you would love a room of mirrors." Hermione was laughing so hard that she was starting to develop a headache from the lack of air. She looked up at Lucius' face. He was obviously offended and trying to hide it.

Hermione reached up her hand and cupped his stony face, still slightly hysterical. She felt a muscle feather in his jaw as he clenched his teeth. She got herself back under control and looked up at him.

"I'm not laughing to hurt your feelings, Lucius. You are a very handsome man and your favorite room is covered in mirrors. Surely you see the humor of it."

Lucius relaxed minutely and captured the hand on his face as she tried to drop it. He held her palm to his cheek and leaned into it. Closing his eyes, he moved closer to her. He clasped her hand in his and lifted it to his shoulder, moving her other from his face to cradle in his own hand. His free hand slipped around her waist and held her on her lower back.

"I don't know how to dance." Hermione said. A lovely ballad began playing, and Lucius moved them into motion gracefully.

"Just follow me. I won't let you fall." He whispered.

The first few steps were stilted and she stumbled a lot but Lucius was patient. After a few minutes, she got the hang of the few steps he had her move through. She was surprised at the way her heart raced. They were just dancing but being in such close proximity to him made her body heat in response. They were only dancing and yet it was so intimate. He was staring at her as if she held all the answers. Hermione blushed and looked away.

"I have to leave the country for a few days." Lucius muttered.

"Why?" Hermione asked, fear settling in her stomach. He had mentioned he was leaving but it only just hit her what that meant. Was it because she got captured? Hermione stumbled again as she tensed up, worried. Lucius pulled her closer and held her tightly, moving into a slower waltz.

"Severus found a way to detach Narcissa from Riddle but there is a hard to find ingredient that needs to be harvested. Since we can't risk bringing Narcissa back inside the wards, one of us have to go. Draco doesn't know of the place and Abraxas kills plants just by looking at them. Herbology is not something he is particularly gifted in."

"Does Riddle know that you are leaving?"

"I don't think so. My sources say that he, himself is out of country as well and will not be back for another week at least. It is the best time to go."

Hermione nodded and relaxed into Lucius' arms.

"I didn't mean to kiss Draco and ignore you when you rescued me from Hogwarts."

"I know."

"You were upset."

"It is not something that you need to worry about."

"Really?" Hermione narrowed her eyes and stopped dancing pulling out of his arms. She took a few steps back as he tried to reclaim her. "I think it is my business if you are upset. Unless you don't want me. I will not force you into accepting this arrangement. I know the four of us is a lot to get used to, especially that my other two potential husbands are your family. No one expects you to marry me unless you want to."

"Hermione, that is not the issue. I obviously want you. Why would I bring you here, my favorite place, unless I wanted you?"

"I don't know, guilt?"

"I admit that I was jealous but that doesn't need to concern you. Jealously is natural in this situation and we are not going to burden you with it."

"I don't want you to hide it from me. How can I make it easier for anyone if I don't even realize I am doing things to make you jealous? I am a part of this too. Don't treat me like a child!"

"What do you want from me? To say that I didn't want you to run into Draco's arms and kiss him? That I wanted to eviscerate him for touching you? That I don't feel the same way when you are with Abraxas or better still, that they feel the same as I do? We are Malfoys and we are possessive of what or who we perceive to be ours. Adjusting is going to take some time. You are not doing anything wrong. We are just learning how to do this."

"Yes! That is what I want to hear if that is the truth! I do not need to be protected or left out of these feelings. You should not deal with them alone. I can help."

"I think you need to leave this one alone, Hermione. You cannot fix everything and some things, like this, will take time to work through."

Hermione set her jaw and glared at Lucius. He stared back, just as determined to win this battle as she was.

"If everyone is so jealous, why are we even trying to do this? Maybe it would be better if I married no one at all and left the Manor. Harry and I can defeat Riddle on our own."

"Hermione," Lucius said warningly. She spun on her heel and walked to the door, flinging it open to hit the mirrored wall behind.

"Don't follow me!" Hermione muttered coldly, her hair flickering with white-blue sparks.

"I will damn well follow you until you come to your senses! You are being unreasonable!" He yelled.

"Unreasonable?" She yelled back, her face mottling red in anger. "I will show you unreasonable!" She flung a hex at him, automatically dropping into her dueling stance. Lucius managed to raise his shield to deflect the spell but his nostrils flared with rage.

"What the hell is going on here?" Abraxas yelled at them from the other end of the hallway.

"I am leaving." Hermione sneered.

"Like hell you are." Lucius growled.

"What did you do?" Abraxas turned to Lucius, clearly laying the blame.

"Oh, no!" Hermione accused. "He is not the only reason. All of you want to keep poor little Hermione in the dark and deal with your jealousies amongst yourself. No need to include me. I probably wouldn't understand it anyway."

"I never said that! You are putting words in my mouth." Lucius hissed. His wand was clenched in his fist. He was still as a statue but the fury on his face was naked.

"You didn't have to say it. None of you did. The only honest person here with their feelings is Draco. Neither one of you were ever going to tell me how deep this actually went! I do not want to be coddled!" As she finished her tirade, the house shook and the windows smashed.

Draco who careened around the corner had his wand out, looked for the threat, only to pull back in confusion.

"What's happening?" Draco asked.

"Abraxas and Lucius have been lying."

"Now hold on, I have not lied to you!" Abraxas said indignantly.

"By omission then. I will not be a part of a union that keeps things from each other!"

"Don't leave." Draco begged. Hermione walked the length of the hall and stopped in front of Draco, keeping both Abraxas and Lucius in her sights.

"You can come with me." she said quietly. Without hesitation, without looking at either Lucius and Abraxas, Draco took her hand and led her to the observation room. The moment they had turned the corner, Hermione threw up the strongest boundary she knew. It wouldn't take them too long to break it but it would give her enough time to put some distance between them. She was so angry, she could barely breathe.

The Malfoy wards had been replaced once they returned from getting Hermione out of Hogwarts and as Draco brought Hermione into the observation room, the orb lighted a three hundred sixty-degree profile of the property.

"This way," he murmured as he pulled her to the back of the room where a small house elf sat in a tiny chair. The small elf leaped to her feet and prodded the small hole with her finger, waiting as sentinel at the top while Hermione and Draco descended the narrow stairway.

**HGHG**

Voldemort lounged naked in a private hot spring. In his hand was a small vial that held one silvery memory and he debated the merits of looking at it. It could be nothing or it could be something that the Malfoys wanted to hide. He thought back to the night he had found it.

Voldemort and his men had walked up to the rubble of the ruins of Malfoy Manor, following the magical tether to Narcissa. The stone crunched under his feet as he approached the doorway. Voldemort walked up to the door and was only stopped by the sound of rolling glass. He stopped and bent down, picking up a small glass vial full of silvery memory. He slipped it into his pocket and squared off against the door before blasting it away. Snape was on his feet in seconds, casting a shield that would make anyone cocky. Potter and Hermione scrambled behind him, raising their own. Voldemort smiled wickedly. This was perfect. Everyone he wanted was all together in this one room. Even the Malfoys were out of his way. He decided it must be providence, the universe conspiring in his favor. He released a deep, dark chuckle.

He had barged into the room finding not only Narcissa but Snape, Hermione, and Potter. It was a dream come true. Once he had Hermione out of there and under his guardianship at Hogwarts, Voldemort celebrated his victory. It wasn't until that night when he disrobed and the vial fell out of his pocket to roll across the floor, did he remember the tiny prize he had pulled from Malfoy Manor.