Awww you guys are great! i love you all! my avid little readers! Here is your reward for being so diligent! Another chapter! Hope you like.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer-I own nothing
Chapter 9
The vase in front of Hermione shattered, as the hex curved around her. Hermione stopped, her hand flexing. She slowly turned around her eyes blazing with anger.
"You. Tried to hex me." Her tone was icy and the other woman looked shocked.
"What?" She raised her wand once more and threw a leg locking curse at Hermione but once again it was repelled and hit a wall. Hermione slowly pulled her wand out. Lucius looked at her with a curious expression, wondering where the witch had hidden it.
"Again. You tried to hex me." Lucius took a few steps back, giving the two woman cursing room.
"Its all you deserve, you little slut!" Hermione's eyes narrowed.
"Who your ex-husband does or doesn't fuck is none of your concern." Narcissa hissed her displeasure.
"I would be fine if it wasn't with a filthy Mudblood like you!" Hermione sent a jelly-leg curse at Narcissa, who blocked it quickly.
"You stupid bloody, stuck-up bint! What goes on between me and Lucius is my business and not yours!?" Hermione ducked the leg-locking jinx that was thrown her way. "Expelliarmus!" Narcissa laughed.
"Stupid child! I have taken on far worse!" Hermione glared and sent a silent incarserous curse at the other woman.
"I think you are just jealous because Lucius didn't hop right back into your bed after you wanted him back! You are feeling scorned and taking it out on me!?" Narcissa growled and sent several hexes at Hermione. Hermione glared and stood still as the hexes moved around her.
"Why would I be scorned! He will take me back! Its just a matter of time!" Hermione gave a cold laugh and sent several harsher curses at Narcissa.
"Its time for you to pull your head out of your ass! You left him in Azkaban to rot! You're a heartless, cold bitch! Who cares about nothing other than furthering yourself in life!" Narcissa sent several other curses at Hermione but the invisible barrier shifted their courses.
"What do you know about it? I didn't see you helping him! I knew it was a lost cause!? Now he is free and I want him back!" Hermione glared and sent two more curses at the other furious woman.
"No! You want your status as Mrs. Malfoy back! This has nothing to do with Lucius or his feelings! And I assure you he doesn't feel anything for you!" Narcissa laughed as she sent some more curses at Hermione. Completely ignoring the fact that Hermione had several wards around her.
"And you assume he has feelings for you? A lowly muggleborn? You think he would stoop so low as to even think about that?" Hermione gave the woman a narrowed eyed glare, as she sent another curse her way.
"I don't know! But I don't assume that he would automatically jump back into my bed after I left him in Azkaban for five years!" Narcissa glared at the younger woman as she sent three rapid curses at her.
"I didn't leave him! I chose to further myself from his situation!" Hermione gave a short laugh.
"Oh that is great! It was no secret that you were sleeping around on him! I never once heard of him doing that to you! Merlin knows you would have deserved it!" Narcissa gave a cruel laugh but didn't send any curses or hexes.
"My, my. I did sleep around. One of my specialty men happened to be your fiancé. He told me I was the best he ever had." Hermione chuckled darkly.
"He never touched me. I wouldn't let him. That idiot bastard could have shagged you till your eyes popped out and I wouldn't have cared!"
"You little whore! You are telling me all I am doing with Lucius is using him! What are you doing with him then? Huh? You are probably after his money. You poor little mudblood. Need money because you are too incompetent to make your own!" Hermione gave a bitter laugh.
"Yes when I say something you don't like, you automatically switch subjects! And maybe I'm with Lucius because I like him! Not that you would ever know about that!"
"You stupid naive little Griffendor! You don't think that he wouldn't use you? That he wouldn't toss you out to the streets as soon as he was done with you? Lucius uses people! Be assured he is using you as well." A strong and warm pair of arms wrapped around Hermione's waist. Lucius chuckled.
"Tsk, tsk, Narcissa. If I were using this precious little Griffendor. She would be out on the streets by now, seeming how she got me out of Azkaban within nearly a week of becoming my lawyer." Lucius pressed the side of his face to Hermione's. His slight stubble raising goose bumps over her soft skin. "I would like to keep her around. You know, keep an eye on the woman who got me out of Azkaban. Maybe I do like her, Narcissa. You wouldn't know." Narcissa's eyes widened.
"No. You seriously aren't passing me up for her?!" Lucius smirked.
"What if I am? What are you going to do about it? I am no longer your husband, and you are no longer my wife." Lucius spread his hands across Hermione's stomach and pulled her closer. "Hermione has explained that to you. Obviously. You just refuse to see what's in front of you." Narcissa glared at him.
"You were the one!" Lucius chuckled a bit darkly.
"Yes, the one who put the wards around Hermione. I couldn't let her get hurt by a stray hex or a curse because, how would you say it? I like the naïve, little Griffendor too much."
Hermione leaned against his chest and sighed.
"You only like me because you are out of Azkaban." Lucius chuckled.
"That maybe but I can have intellectual conversations with you. And besides you gave me that nifty little music player." Hermione smiled slightly, his hands were sending little licks of fire through her system.
"It's called an iPod. Draco and Pansy have one as well." She shrugged. "I'm hungry. I'll let you two deal with your own problems. I am in no mood to fight right now. Although Lucius, we have to discuss you warding me. Without my permission I might add." Lucius grinned and moved his mouth towards her ear.
"Well, Hermione. You have to tell me where you were hiding that wand." Hermione gave a small chuckle.
"Wouldn't you want to know." She removed his hands from her waist. "I'm hungry and you need to explain this to your ex-wife." Lucius wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her closer. He brought his other hand up to show her the apple.
"Apple?" Hermione laughed and took it.
"Now. Explain this to your ex." Lucius mumbled something and Hermione turned to glare at him. "Do it now, Lucius! I don't appreciate getting hexes thrown at me." Hermione flicked her wand and a shirt popped into her hand.
"And put this on. The Manor can get drafty in the West wing. Draco and Pansy got into a major fight and blew a hole in the wall. Still isn't quite fixed." Hermione started walking up the stairs before turning around. "And no hexing one another. I don't want to have to clean up anymore of these messes." Hermione gestured to the partially destroyed foyer.
"And if you do succeed in hexing body limbs off, don't come running to me because I will not put them back on. Is that understood?" Lucius nodded with a smirk, she rolled her eyes, walked up the stairs and to her room. She quickly packed all of her stuff and levitated it. She was going to move into the East wing. She would not stay there any longer. Even being in the room for a few minutes had scared her. She walked down the stairs in one of her shirts and a pair of comfy jeans. The foyer was empty and Hermione smirked. They were either going to talk or hex one another but for now Hermione was out of the situation completely. She took a bite of the apple and walked towards the South wing.
"What are you doing?!" Narcissa had started in on him as soon as he led her to one of the more private studies. "This could ruin your reputation! This could destroy everything you have worked for! Sleeping with that… that… mudblood!?" Lucius sat down behind his desk and pulled on the shirt Hermione had given him. She had been right, it was quite cold. Lucius rubbed his face.
"I am not sleeping with Hermione." His tone was even and calm. Narcissa glared at him.
"Don't you dare lie to me! I saw that little performance in the foyer!" Lucius sighed.
"We did sleep together. But nothing happened. That is it. We just slept." Narcissa glared at him.
"You certainly weren't acting as though you just slept together. You were all over her. Acting all possessive, letting me now that she was your woman." Lucius shrugged.
"I'm protective. She is, after all, the reason I am out of Azkaban." Narcissa sat down gracefully and put her head in her hands.
"You were never protective with me." Her tone was distinctively whinny. Lucius leaned back in his chair.
"I was. I protected you and Draco from the Dark Lord. I made sure that you were both safe. Now with that idiotic boy running around, it's the least I can do for Hermione." Narcissa jerked her head up.
"So what? Let Ronald kill her! Then everything will go back to normal." Lucius shook his head slowly.
"Not back to normal. Because Hermione would be dead, and I am not going to let that happen." He lifted his arm and tapped the Dark Mark. "I gave so much of my life to a man who was pure evil. I will gladly give the rest of my life to protect something that is pure good. I won't let anything happen to her." Narcissa stood up suddenly and started pacing.
"See! This is what I was talking about! You are acting like… your in love with the witch!? So caring and protective. So possessive!" Narcissa put her hands on his desk. "She is nineteen years your junior. One day a younger man will come along and she will dump you for him." Lucius shrugged.
"I will let her. I don't own her. Its her life, she will do with it as she pleases." He drummed his fingers on the desk for a moment. "And Narcissa. I loved you. I really did. But then you did what you are saying Hermione will do. You jumped into bed with a younger man leaving me behind to rot in prison. It is something one person cannot forgive easily. But Hermione, out of all the cases she should pick. She picked mine. Out of all the people she could have saved. She chose me. It is only fair I do the same." Lucius leaned forward and looked at his ex wife.
"I am choosing her over you. Just as you chose Roberto, over me. I am sorry Narcissa. Life goes on. It doesn't wait for just one person." He stood up with a sigh. "I still care for you. If you have no other home to go to. You can stay at the Manor, until you get a place of your own. I am not so cruel as to turn you away when you have no place to go." Narcissa slumped into a chair.
"I only have the Lestrange Manor. But it is not fit for living." Lucius shrugged.
"Then hire someone to make it so." Narcissa looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and Lucius rolled his eyes. "You have to do this by yourself. I am not going to help. You have to learn." Narcissa stuck her bottom lip out.
"But its so hard!" Lucius gave her a stern look.
"You have to learn." He sat down once more. "You will be situated in the North Wing. I am giving you three months. That should be more than enough time for the Manor to be made livable again." Narcissa opened her mouth to complain.
"Enough. I have laid down the rules. No more discussion on the topic." Narcissa glared at him but closed her mouth.
"Fine! But don't expect me to be civil to that creature!" Lucius glared at her.
"You will be. Or I will turn you out to live in the Lestrange manor. Livable or not." Narcissa glared at him once more before storming out of the study.
Severus watched Abigail mix the elixir with a hidden curiosity. She talked while she worked, it was on a multitude of subjects but she seemed most fond of talking about Potions. A subject that Severus loved. He watched in slight curiosity as her face seemed to show that she was not paying attention to what she was doing but her hands moved in precise controlled movements, chopping up ingredients, adding them and stirring.
"But that stupid Potions Master Bulgio or Buglish or whatever his name is."
"Bulliglish."
"Yah, whatever. He told me that that this was a stupid task and that it wasn't possible. He then tried to tell me that as a woman, I should keep my mouth shut and stay out of the Potions world." She frowned. "I earned my degree! I earned it with the highest honors! But that stupid Master Bugs-"
"Bulligish." Her ranting was starting to amuse Severus.
"Tells me that I should stay out of the Potions world because I am female?! I mean does he live in the dark ages?" Severus coughed.
"I believe he was born in the Dark Ages." Abigail stopped, and looked at Snape.
"What?"
"I said. I believe he was born in the Dark Ages." Abigail looked puzzled and Severus coughed to hide his smile. Her puzzled expression grew worse. Severus coughed again but the smile wouldn't be hidden.
"Merlin! You made a joke! I thought you were serious!?" "I have been known to make jokes once in a while." Abigail laughed.
"Still it was quite amusing." She turned back to her potion and stirred it three times clock-wise. After a few moments of silence she turned back to Severus. "Why did you do it?" Severus raised an eyebrow.
"Do what?" Abigail frowned.
"Let Albus use you. Let the Dark Lord control you." Severus shrugged.
"I did what I did for love, I guess." Abigail's frown deepened, Severus wanted to make her smile again. The frown seemed so out of place on her normally smiling face.
"But she didn't love you back. So why did you keep doing it?"
"I guess it was all I knew how to do. I didn't know anything else." Abigail sighed and turned back to the potion to sprinkle in some finely chopped Wortroot. Another few moments passed.
"She was wrong, you know." Severus frowned.
"What?" Abigail didn't turn around.
"She was wrong to let you do that." Severus narrowed his eyes.
"It was my decision."
"I know. But if I had a man like you, love me enough to risk his own life for me. I wouldn't let him go. She was wrong to let you go." Severus shrugged.
"Lily was my obsession. My curse. I am glad to be finally at peace with her." Abigail shrugged and stirred the potion.
"Still, I wouldn't have let you go." She sighed. "I made that mistake once in my life. I lost my first love in the final battle. If I had fought for him just a bit harder, he would be here today. Instead I was confident that he would be able to handle it himself. I sent him to his death." Her shoulders shook slightly.
"He made his decision. He decided to leave you behind." Severus sighed. "It isn't your fault." Abigail straightened and her voice held a hint of tears.
"I used to spend every day thinking that if I had just held on tighter. If I had been there for him. I used to spend hours thinking of what could have been. I fell into a depression, not doing anything. Feeding my guilt." Severus opened his mouth to interrupt but she started again.
"But somewhere along that time I thought. He wouldn't want me to do this. So I started doing things he wanted me to do. I enrolled to be a Healer. I made it halfway through the year, when I started doing things for myself. Not caring what he would have thought. I quit the Healer schooling and switched my courses. I turned to Potions. I graduated with high honors and became a Potions Mistress. I still miss him. But it gets better every day. Do I still love him? A bit. I mean he was my first love and all but I don't let his death rule my life any more. I don't feel as guilty about what happened. I realized that he had made his choice." She finally turned around. "If I could go back and change what happened. I wouldn't. Things like this happen for a reason, Severus. Who am I to change that?" He looked at her with a slight smile.
"You did better than I did. It only took you a year to figure that out. It took me fifteen." Abigail gave him a small smile.
"Yes, but you didn't go out and buy three familiars, just to spite your dead love." Severus nodded in agreement.
"Three? I don't see any." Abigail shrugged.
"They get temperamental because I don't let them in the lab. You will meet them soon enough." Severus looked at the potion.
"How much longer?"
"It needs to simmer for about four hours." She pulled off her lab coat and draped it over a chair. "Lets get something to eat. I'm starving." Severus shook his head with a small smile and followed the little woman up the stairs.
lol cat fight! And Lucius couldn't resist bugging Narcissa. Sigh so dramatic. And poor Abigail! I made her into one of the stronger characters. She may look small but she is strong and has a giant heart! Please review and tell me what you think!