Told you these chapters would start coming quickly! Next chapter, and guess who comes back into the mix? Some blood is shed in this chapter, but perhaps not in the way you'd expect…read on, and keep reviewing! I love reading your comments 3

Chapter 11

Sunlight blinded Hermione as she groggily rolled over in her bed. She did not want to go to breakfast. She did not want to face Lucius. She did not want to play this game anymore.

But what else could she do? As much as she hated to admit it, she found herself caring for Lucius in some way. In some strange connection, he had managed to make himself feel like a kindred spirit, and although all Hermione wanted to do right now was punch him and walk right out the front doors, she couldn't stand the thought of abandoning him and leaving him in his mansion alone…

Like Narcissa.

The strange thing was, Hermione had a sincere respect for Lucius's former wife. A mother's love had saved Harry Potter not once but twice, so Hermione was forced to admit that Narcissa was much more than just a trophy wife. However, this made it more disappointing than infuriating for Hermione to realize Narcissa's abandonment of her husband after so many years. That made Hermione suspect that there was likely more Lucius wasn't telling her about their split, but the hurt was real, whether he would admit it to himself or not.

Hermione groaned and began to dress, putting on plain robes so as to try to blend in with the wallpaper. She still didn't know what she was going to say to Lucius, but she would have to figure it out soon enough.

Hermione quietly crept down the hall. She hesitantly opened the dining room door slowly, having a strange urge to knock and announce herself before entering.

But Lucius was nowhere to be found. Relieved and also disappointed but certainly not surprised, Hermione ate quickly and went straight to work.

Lunchtime came and went, and Hermione had Dipsy bring her a small plate of cheese and crackers she could eat while she sorted through the library.

But at dinner, there was still no sign of Lucius. Hermione ate, listening for a sign of his arrival, or at least of his presence. But she could hear nothing.

Usually she could at least hear Lucius shuffling around, his cane tapping out a rhythm on the stones and wood floors throughout the manor, but this night, silence reigned.

*break*

The next morning, there was breakfast, but no Lucius. In fact, it only looked like enough food had been set out for one person.

Hermione tried to eat, but the silence of the empty dining room was deafening. She hadn't realized how dependent she had become on the sounds of Lucius sipping his coffee, flipping through the paper, and tapping his cane unconsciously. She piled her plate with food and retreated to the solace of her room to eat in peace.

Hermione made excellent progress on the library, diligently sorting and resorting the books. The job was becoming more and more complete, but there was no one stopping in to check on her progress. She dedicated herself to her work nonetheless, although it was mindless. Her thoughts, for once, were not on her books…

At dinner, Hermione repeated her morning routine and brought her meal to her room, deciding to try to distract herself by starting one of the books she had purchased at the bookstore in London a few days ago. She read the first few pages before rereading the description on the back with disgust.

"A romance?"

Tossing the book aside on the bed, she picked up the next one.

"True love was nearly impossible for Florence to find…"

Hermione set that book on the bed as well. Flipping through the next one, she muttered, "Love stories?" Why had she bought this pointless, romantic fluff? She hated those stories…

Didn't she?

*break*

By the third day, Hermione had had enough. There was still no sign or whisper of Lucius's presence, and Hermione's desperation was beginning to turn to anger.

Perhaps this was his way of not admitting defeat but giving up on the game. But Hermione wouldn't let him quit in such a cowardly manner.

After breakfast, Hermione went searching for him. He wasn't in the library. The shattered glass in the study had been cleaned, but there was no sign of Lucius. The unlocked upper rooms were all empty, and Hermione had already searched the lower. The house was silent as a crypt.

Hermione didn't want to admit it, but the game might be very much over, and she might have to think about getting a real job and finding a new place to stay.

She hated the thought, but as she waited for Lucius to appear in vain, she decided she'd at least begin to make plans.

Her first step was to regain the possessions that were hers, and she had to finish that before moving on to anything more dramatic. She knew she had purchased her new clothes with her own wage, but it still felt like Lucius's money. Her old clothes suited her just fine, but they were still in her apartment, along with the rest of her money and all of her other magical possessions.

Lucius had warned her not to return to her flat, but she had decided to stop following Lucius Malfoy's guidance from now on.

After another dinner spent alone, Hermione donned her traveling cloak and planned to apparate back to London. She hoped that Ron would be out somewhere; Fridays, he could usually be found eating at a local pub and then staying for drinks late into the night. She figured there would be no doubt Lavender would be with him, so it should be a good time for her to sneak in, collect her things, and leave without starting too much drama.

She knew she would have to confront Ron at some point, but now was not the time, especially when her feelings about Lucius were so conflicted and overwhelming. She needed time to settle down before slaying that dragon.

Hermione waited at the front doors and cast one last look back at the Manor, hoping Lucius would sweep around the corner and ask her to stay, even to tell her she was forbidden to leave…

But the house remained silent as ever, and Hermione flipped up her hood and pushed the oaken doors open, feeling tears well up in her eyes in spite of herself.

But her tears were quickly washed away as she appeared on the outskirts of London in the midst of a downpour.

Oh, curse this London rain! Hermione thought, wrapping her cloak tighter around herself and hurrying down the street to her building.

When she finally found it, Hermione climbed the steps to her flat and paused outside the door, listening for any sounds within. It was dark outside, and all the lights in the apartment were off. She slowly traced her wand over the lock and whispered, "Alohomora," and the lock opened for her.

Surprised that Ron had not hexed the door to curse her on the spot, Hermione slipped in quietly and hissed, "Lumos," to light her wand.

She didn't even bother looking around the sitting room; just seeing the interior of the house she once shared with her childhood sweetheart was shooting unwanted pangs of sadness through her body. After rummaging around in the hall closet, she found her knapsack bewitched with an Undetectable Extension Charm and made her way to the bedroom cautiously.

She let out a breath of relief when she found it empty, a welcome change from the last time she had arrived home unannounced. She found some of her old potion supplies, her clothes, her books, and a few others things scattered around the house and crammed them all in her knapsack. In the bedroom closet, she couldn't help but choke back a sob as she pushed Ron's most recent "R" Christmas sweater from Molly out of the way to get to her robes. The whole room smelled like him, that scent of fresh cut grass, new parchment, and spearmint toothpaste she had smelled that day in potions class while brewing love potions. But the room also smelled of a less familiar vanilla scent, and the combination nearly made her sick.

Hermione made it back to the living room and took a few more of her books from the bookshelf before preparing to depart. She made her way to the door, gathering her cloak around herself and readying her mind for apparition, when suddenly…

"Leaving so soon?"

Hermione whipped around, immediately reminded of her encounter with Lucius the morning after her first night in the Manor.

But it wasn't Lucius she found in the armchair, illuminated by her wand light.

It was Ron.

"Ron…" Hermione's breath caught in her throat.

"Hello, Hermione." Ron slowly rose to his feet, and the lights in the room came on.

There was silence as Hermione took in his face. He looked weary, as if this very encounter was exhausting him. There was also a pain in his eyes, a hurt Hermione knew she was at least somewhat responsible for.

She had enjoyed the game she played with Lucius, but was she ready to face the consequences?

"Ron, I-"

"Grabbing the last few things of yours to move in with him, eh? We waited a year, Hermione."

"Ron, it's not like that…"

Ron threw the issue of the Daily Prophet on the floor in between them, and in the lamplight Hermione saw the images of her and Lucius's kiss playing on repeat.

He had seen it. Of course he had. And it had definitely struck a nerve.

That was what Hermione had wanted…wasn't it?

"I just don't understand, Hermione," Ron said, his voice barely above a whisper. He wouldn't look at her…Hermione knew it was to hide the tears welling in his eyes. "One fight with me and you run to…him? Lucius Bloody Malfoy? Blimey, he could be your father, Hermione! Not to mention he's a Death Eater, a pure blood supremacist, a-"

"Listen, Ron, Lucius isn't-"

"Oh, so it's 'Lucius' now, is it? No more Mr. Malfoy? Well, I guess it would make sense to be on a first name basis with the person you're shagging."

How long have I been calling him "Lucius…?" Hermione wondered, but her pity and guilt for Ron began to melt away as anger took over, and the thought was lost.

"Don't turn this around on me! What does it matter who I'm with? You made your choice!"

"Yeah, but we're not snogging all over the front page of the Prophet."

"At least we're not doing it in your own bed!"

Silence at this, and Hermione could tell Ron was seething, but so was she.

Finally finding her words, Hermione murmured, "Lucius was right…it was a bad idea, coming here. I'm leaving."

"Hermione, wait…"

But Hermione tightened her grip on her bag and prepared to apparate.

"Hermione, NO!" Ron lunged at her, but the room had already begun to spin.

Pain. Searing, splitting pain overwhelmed her right ankle. She felt Ron's hands close around her leg for a split second before his grip was broken and she was back at Malfoy Manor, but the damage had already been done.

She fell to the ground and cried out in pain as blood began to run in rivulets down her shoe and into the puddles of water gathered on the path. Her splinched leg had sustained deep gashes running around her ankle, and she was already beginning to feel lightheaded.

Thankfully, Lucius had heard the crack of her apparation and her cry of pain, and the front doors of the Manor swung open to reveal Hermione collapsed on the doorstep, much like the first night he found her.

"Miss Granger, what on earth…?" Lucius trailed off as he saw the grave state of her leg.

"Ron splinched me!" Hermione gasped out, gritting her teeth against the pain and struggling to withdraw her wand in an attempt to heal herself.

Lucius's eyes darkened at this, but he said nothing as he quickly approached and took a concerned look at her leg. Hermione was trembling too much to successfully cast any spell, or stand for that matter, and Lucius knelt down next to her. "We have to act fast if we're going to save the leg."

At first, Hermione didn't know what to make of Lucius reaching out for her. But as her head swam, she didn't fight him as he lifted her wet and bleeding frame from the bricks and made his way back inside the Manor.

As he hurried down the hallway with Hermione cradled limply in his arms, the swaying of her legs brought a fresh bout of pain, and Hermione cried out before doing what was only instinctual: she wrapped her arms around Lucius's neck and buried her head in his shoulder.

She felt him stiffen in what she interpreted to be surprise, but he continued walking until they reached the study.

Things became hazy, but Hermione realized she was being laid across the Chesterfield in front of the fire, and she managed to breathe out, "Lucius…the furniture…"

There was a brief pause, as if the figure before her was taken aback by what she had said. Then, a voice gently hissed, "Oh curse the furniture, Hermione," and she was laid across the smooth leather before the blonde shape knelt down next to her urgently.

Hermione…?

That was the last thing she remembered before she blacked out.