A/N - Hey all, thanks for all the reviews last chapter! I hope that you all enjoy this one. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Chapter 36
Memories Lost
"Granger," a voice said. Hermione felt someone shake her and her eyes fluttered open. She looked up at Draco. "Liddy's back." Hermione immediately rose from the bed and followed Draco back to the sitting room.
"What happened, Liddy?" Draco asked.
"Liddy is doing as Master Draco asks," the elf said. "Liddy is telling the King man about Master Lucius. The King man is telling the others to hide."
"Hide?" Hermione asked. "Where did they go?"
"In the trees, Miss," Liddy said. "Pippen and Liddy be taking down the tent and cleaning up the stables and the cottage. No one be knowing they is there."
"Good thinking, Liddy," Draco said and the little elf beamed.
"The King man be saying no magic to the people," Liddy said. "But he not be saying that to Liddy and Pippen." Hermione smiled.
"And Theo?" Severus asked.
"Mister Theo be hurt, but Miss fix him up," Liddy said.
"You mean Luna?" Hermione questioned and Liddy nodded.
"What happened to Theo?" Draco asked in concern.
"He be cut on his arm," Liddy said. "He tell Miss that the Muggle stab him with a knife." Well at least the people in the village were attempting to defend themselves.
"Liddy, did anyone else come to the house when you were there?"
"No, Master Draco," Liddy said. "Liddy tells Mister Theo about Master Lucius and what the King man do. Then Liddy comes back here. Mister Theo says he be locking the Floo and doing the wards."
"Thank you, Liddy," Draco said. "You may go." Liddy nodded and disappeared. Draco sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face.
"What do you think he did to the wards?" Hermione asked.
"Likely made it so no one could get in except the Dark Lord," Severus replied. "He would not want to arouse suspicion by keeping him out, but he would have no reason to keep things open to any other Death Eaters."
"But that cuts off our access to Nott Manor except through Liddy," Draco said.
"We didn't really have access before," Hermione pointed out.
"The Floo in the flat in London is still active," Draco said. "I could have Apparated there and gone through."
"Not without knowing what was happening at the Theo's first," Severus said.
"Still, we need to be able to stay in contact with them," Draco said with a sigh. "We'll just have to keep sending Liddy and hope that no one notices."
"She could bring Theo here," Hermione said. "If you sent the secret with her. And then he could get here whenever he needed to."
"We are not going to have much more time," Severus said. "Now that we have run from Yaxley, he is going to be even more determined to find the traitor. Everyone will be scrutinized, especially the newest Death Eaters."
"And the Resistance is likely going to have to stop using magic," Hermione said. "That means no more training."
"Yes," Draco sighed. "They'll be watching everywhere now for unusual magical output, even Death Eater estates."
"What about this place?" Hermione asked worriedly. "Will they be able to track it with the Fidelius on it?" Draco frowned and looked to Severus.
"I honestly do not know," Severus said. "I suggest we keep the magic to a minimum." He sighed. "We could use a library about now."
"When we send Liddy to Theo's again, I'll have him look for something in his library," Draco said. They lapsed into silence for a few minutes.
"Has there been any change in Father?" Draco asked Hermione. She shook her head.
"He is nearly due for another round of the Cruciatus potion," Severus said getting to his feet. He walked across the room to the bag of potions he had brought with him and pulled out another blue vial. He handed it to Hermione.
"I assume you will be staying with him," he said. Hermione glanced at Draco who was looking at the floor.
"If that's all right," she said softly, still looking at Draco. He finally raised his head.
"Someone has to sit with him," Draco said. "It might as well be you." Hermione figured that was about as good an endorsement as she was going to get. She nodded.
"You should both try to sleep," she said. "I have a feeling we're all going to need it." She stood from the couch and made her way back into Lucius' bedroom, closing the door to the sitting room behind her.
Hermione slowly rose to consciousness, wondering what had woken her. She blinked in the pre-dawn greyness of the room and glanced around. She heard a rustling noise and realized it was coming from Lucius. She looked down at him, glad she had left the candles burning before she fell asleep.
His brow was furrowed again and both of his arms were twitching. She couldn't tell if it was still side effects from the Cruciatus or he was having a nightmare.
"Lucius," she said quietly, raising her hand to his brow again. "Lucius can you hear me?" He frowned and continued to twitch. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table. He wasn't due for another Cruciatus potion yet.
"Shh," she said, smoothing her hand across his forehead. "It's all right. You're safe now." She took one of his hands and clasped it in both of hers. He seemed to calm for a moment, then started violently, ripping his hand away from her and attempting to sit up in the bed.
"Lucius!" she said, trying to push his shoulders down. "Lucius stop, you're going to hurt yourself!" But he continued to struggle against her.
"Liddy!" she called and the little elf popped into the room. "Liddy get Draco and Severus. Please hurry!" Liddy couldn't have been gone more than a minute but it seemed like forever as Hermione attempted to keep Lucius still. The gashes from the Sectumsempra, while closed, could open again as they hadn't had time to heal completely.
"What's happened?" Severus asked as he hurried in, Draco right behind him.
"I don't know," Hermione said, still attempting to keep Lucius lying down. Severus moved to the other side of the bed to help her. "I thought he might be having a nightmare, but then he just started trying to sit up."
Lucius began to mumble but Hermione couldn't make out what he was saying. They both continued to struggle with him until his arm flailed out and hit Hermione in the stomach. She doubled over, losing her breath.
"For fuck's sake, Granger," Draco said, pulling her away from Lucius. "Get out of the way before you get hurt." He took her place on the bed and helped Severus wrestle Lucius back to the bed.
"Father, stop!" Draco said. Lucius' eyes snapped open but Hermione wasn't sure that he was seeing anything at all.
"Hermione get the calming draught," Severus said. She looked through the vials on the bedside table and handed one to Draco. He pulled the cork with his teeth and they somehow got it down Lucius' throat. He slowly stopped fighting them and then finally fell back against the mattress. His eyes closed, but he was still mumbling.
"Can you tell what he's saying?" Hermione asked biting her lip and looking at Lucius in concern. Severus lowered his head towards Lucius' mouth but shook his head.
"Gibberish." Hermione's stomach knotted. What if this was Cruciatus damage? What if he would only mutter gibberish for the rest of his life?
And then his eyes snapped open again and he sucked in a breath. He looked up at Severus and grabbed his arm. The professor winced.
"Yaxley," Lucius said.
"It's all right, Father," Draco said. "We left the house. We're at the hunting lodge." Lucius didn't seem to comprehend what Draco was saying, he just kept staring at Severus, wide-eyed.
"Yaxley," he said again and Draco opened his mouth to speak once more, but Severus held up his free hand.
"What about Yaxley?" Severus asked.
"Yaxley is," Lucius' eyes closed and then opened again. "Yaxley…Dark Lord." Severus glanced at Draco who was staring at his father in confusion. Lucius' eyes had drifted shut but his mouth was still moving. Severus leant down once more and Hermione moved closer to the bed in order to hear.
"Yax…ley," Lucius breathed. "Is the…Dark Lord." And then he slumped back against the pillows, asleep once more. Draco and Hermione looked at one another, clearly confused.
"Did he just say?" Draco began.
"That Yaxley is the Dark Lord?" Hermione finished. "Yes." She wasn't focused on the words, but that Lucius had actually spoken at all. Surely, this had to mean that he was going to be all right. She looked up at Severus who looked guarded.
"We still do not know," he said quietly. "It could have just been a spontaneous action of his subconscious." Hermione let go a shaky breath and Draco looked pained. Hermione suspected he had been thinking along the same lines that she had.
"I don't understand," Draco finally said. "Yaxley has proclaimed himself the new Dark Lord? Does that mean the actual Dark Lord is dead?"
Hermione looked at Severus who stood with his eyes closed, clearly deep in thought. Hermione and Draco watched him, glancing at one another every few seconds.
"It explains everything," Severus finally said, opening his eyes and looking at Draco.
"What does?" Draco asked but there was a growing feeling of horror in Hermione's chest. She suspected she knew what Severus was going to say.
"Why Yaxley has gotten so strong, why he can do Legilimency at all," Severus said. "Your father said that Yaxley is the Dark Lord. He has not proclaimed himself such, he actually is him."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Draco said although, Hermione had a feeling he knew exactly what Severus meant.
"The Dark Lord and Yaxley are one in the same," Severus said.
"He possessed him? Like he did with Quirrell?" Draco asked, sounding hopeful.
"No," Severus said. "I think they have…merged somehow."
"What does that mean?" Hermione asked.
"Nothing good," Draco muttered.
"It means that the Dark Lord is just as strong, if not stronger, than he was when he first returned." The three of them looked at one another for a moment before Severus spoke again. "It means that we have no idea how he accomplished this and no idea how to destroy him." They all stared at each other.
"The missing variable," Hermione finally said.
"What about it?" Draco asked.
"Maybe this is why we couldn't find it," Hermione said. "We weren't looking for the right thing. We were assuming that You-Know-Who was still himself."
"But we have no idea what they did," Draco said. "How they accomplished it. How is that helpful, Granger? We have no clue where to look!"
"I don't know, Malfoy," she snapped. "But it makes sense."
"It doesn't though," Draco retorted. "There was an eighty-four percent chance of success without the missing variable. Which means we can still kill him, regardless."
"I don't know about you, but I'd rather have a one hundred percent chance of success," Hermione said.
"Typical swot," Draco snarked. Hermione glared at him and opened her mouth to retort.
"Enough," Severus said. He sighed. "It is late, or early as the case may be, and we are not going to figure this out right now. We all need sleep and then we will discuss it once again." Hermione sighed, knowing he was right. Draco lingered at his father's bedside.
"If you'd like to stay," she said. "I can sleep in the sitting room." There were more bedrooms in the lodge that Hermione could use, but she didn't want to be too far away in case Lucius woke.
"Don't be ridiculous, Granger," Draco scoffed. "I'm not going to force you to sleep on the sofa."
"I've slept on worse," she said with a wry grin. He snorted in amusement and shook his head.
"No, Severus is right. We all need sleep." He looked up at her. "Just…just stay." Hermione nodded and he turned and left the room.
"Another potion in two hours," Severus said. Hermione nodded and he too left.
Sighing, she crawled back into bed beside Lucius. She took his hand again and squeezed it, then closed her eyes and fell into sleep once more.
When Hermione woke again, the sun was up. She shifted and looked at the clock and realized it was time for another dose of the Cruciatus potion. She sat up in bed and looked down at Lucius. He looked much more peaceful than he had a few hours ago. She brushed her fingers over his forehead and turned to pick up the vial from the bedside table. When she turned back, he had shifted, moving closer to her.
She held her breath and looked down at him, wondering if perhaps he was waking. But he had stilled again.
"Lucius," she said quietly. She put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. He made a noise, but his eyes did not open. Sighing in disappointment, Hermione shifted so she could prop his head up in her lap. Then she tipped the potion to his lips. He swallowed on his own without her having to massage his throat which she took as a good sign. But he still remained sleeping.
Hermione eased herself out from under his head, settling him back against the pillows. She watched him for a few more minutes before she rose and went into the bathroom.
She looked in the mirror at the tangled mess that was her hair and the dark circles under her eyes. She grabbed her wand before she remembered what Severus had said about limiting their magic. Sighing again, she splashed water on her face and attempted to tame her hair into some semblance of order. Thankfully, she had a hair band in her pocket and she pulled it all back from her face and secured it into a low ponytail.
Her stomach growled as she stepped back into the bedroom and she wondered if there was anything to eat. She moved back to the bed and kissed Lucius' forehead before smoothing the blankets around him.
"No change?" a quiet voice asked and Hermione turned to see Draco standing in the doorway. He held two mugs in his hands and Hermione's mouth watered at the smell of chocolate.
"Cocoa," Draco said. "Liddy found a tin of it in one of the cupboards." He handed one of the mugs to Hermione who took it gratefully. "She's gone to get us something for breakfast."
"Thank you," Hermione said taking a sip. "And as for your question, he did swallow the potion on his own, but otherwise no change." Draco nodded and looked down at his father. Hermione stood from the bed, realizing that Draco need some time alone.
"Since you're here, maybe I'll shower," she said. Draco nodded absently and pulled up a chair, sitting down next to Lucius' bed. He tried not to show it but Hermione could tell that he was worried. She watched him for a few moments before turning and walking back into the bathroom.
Hermione was back in the small sitting room with Draco and Severus. They had had breakfast and Hermione had even managed to coax Professor Trelawney into eating something. The woman was completely disconcerted which didn't surprise Hermione at all given that her circumstances had completely changed once again. It was clear that she was confused as to where Mrs. Weasley was. Hermione had found a small selection of books in the study downstairs and had left a couple of them with the professor. She had grabbed one and opened it but Hermione had no idea if she was actually reading it or not. The woman needed St. Mungo's, likely the Janus Thickey ward, but that was out of the question, of course. Hermione had left her in the bedroom she had been given and locked the door behind her. She felt badly about it, but the last thing they needed was to worry about her wandering off.
There was a small pop and Liddy arrived with Theo in tow. They had sent the elf to Nott Manor after they had finished with breakfast with a list of books for Theo to bring concerning the Fidelius and tracking magic, as well as the location of the lodge so Liddy would be able to bring Theo in through the wards. In the future, he would be able to Apparate onto the grounds on his own. They had discussed it, Hermione remembering that Harry had gotten blamed for Dobby's use of magic before his second year, but Draco had assured Hermione that a small bit of elf magic wouldn't alarm anyone at the Ministry, given the lodge was a magical dwelling.
"Given the fact that he's looking for the Resistance, there would have to be a lot larger magical output for anyone to be concerned about it," Draco had said. "They're monitoring the whole of the country at once. They aren't going to pay attention to small bits of magic in magical dwellings."
"Yes, but there was no magic here for years and now there is," Hermione had pointed out.
"Granger, do you honestly think the Ministry has the magical output of every single magical dwelling memorized?" Draco had said. "Trust me, I've been in that department quite a bit in the last six months. They don't have enough people to be able to get that detailed."
Hermione, however, was still concerned. There were property records and it would only make sense that Yaxley would start searching for where they had gone. But Severus had reminded her that the address and location disappeared from records when a building was put under the Fidelius. Voldemort would have found the Potters a lot sooner otherwise. Still, it made her nervous and all the more anxious for Lucius to recover so they could just end all of this.
"How is everything?" Draco asked Theo now.
"Oh, you know, I've got an illegal resistance movement on my grounds, Yaxley's in a rage about where you've disappeared to and I was up most of the night attempting to avoid torturing Muggles," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Typical Thursday." Draco snorted and even Hermione couldn't help the giggle that bubbled up. Severus looked at them in exasperation, but Hermione saw his lips twitch.
"How is everyone?" Hermione asked.
"They've moved into the woods bordering the grounds," Theo said. "They're well hidden, which isn't surprising given how long you all were in hiding before. Shacklebolt's ordered them not to use magic, at least for now."
"Does Yaxley suspect?" Draco asked.
"Not yet, no," Theo said. "He's pretty positive that either you or your father are the traitor and thinks that you know where the Resistance is."
"Well, he's not wrong," Draco said wryly. "What happened after the village?" Theo winced.
"He called us all back before we were finished," Theo said. "Ranting about you and you father. We all got a nice round of torture for not suspecting you. He did some surface Legilimency; I felt him in my head a couple of times. Apparently, no one else knows anything besides me which is good news."
"He's told everyone you're alive," Theo continued looking at Severus.
"Not surprising," Severus replied.
"What about Granger?" Draco asked.
"He hasn't mentioned her directly, but I'm sure that he assumes she's with the Resistance," Theo said. He pulled two packages from the pocket of his robes and enlarged them. Draco and Hermione winced. "What?"
"We're trying not to use magic as much as possible," Draco explained. "In case Yaxley told the Ministry to start monitoring more closely."
"Sorry," Theo replied. "Anyway, this is what I could find in the library." He indicated the stack of books that he'd enlarged. "I didn't have time to look through anything, so I have no idea if they're what you're looking for. And these are some clothes Luna sent along. I assume you didn't have time to bring anything with you."
"Thank you, Theo," Severus said.
"And this is for you." Theo handed a letter to Draco. Hermione recognized Ginny's handwriting.
"Thanks," Draco said, putting the letter in his pocket.
"She wanted to come with me," Theo said and Draco looked up in surprise. "She's worried."
"Tell her we're fine," Draco said. "And it's better if she stays where she is. We have no idea who knows about this place."
"How's your father?" Theo asked.
"Still unconscious," Draco said. "He woke up for a few moments early this morning, but nothing since then." Hermione did not miss the fact that Draco didn't say anything about what Lucius had said. She wasn't sure why he wasn't telling Theo but assumed he had his reasons. Theo looked at Hermione.
"Weasley wants to know if you want to return with me and stay with the Resistance."
"Oh, I, um," Hermione trailed off trying to figure out an excuse that would sound plausible.
"I would appreciate Miss Granger's assistance with the research we need to do on the Fidelius," Severus said. "If that is all right with you, Miss Granger?"
"Yes," Hermione said, sending Severus a grateful look. "And as soon as Mr. Malfoy wakes up, we'll have to continue our work on the prophecy." Theo nodded.
"I'll let them know." He turned back to Draco. "I wish we had a better way to communicate. Me Apparating back and forth isn't ideal. Nor is sending Liddy."
"I know," Draco said with a sigh. "But owls are definitely out and the Floo isn't connected."
"He'll be monitoring those more closely now anyway," Theo said. Hermione thought of her protean charmed coins, but they were so limited in the size of the message. Harry had had the communication mirrors, but Hermione had no idea how they worked. But maybe she could adapt something like the coins just on a larger scale. A charmed piece of parchment maybe or a journal or something. Of course, that would mean experimentation and given they weren't sure if they could use magic, the point was a bit moot. She thought of the vanishing cabinet Draco had repaired in their sixth year but wisely did not mention it.
"Apparating will have to do for now," Severus said. Theo nodded.
"I'll be back tomorrow, say after supper?"
"All right," Draco agreed. "Thank you again for this, Theo. And be careful."
"If anything happens, send one of your elves," Severus said. "We will come to assist." Theo gave a nod. Hermione gave him a smile as he turned to Disapparate. When he had gone, they looked at the books on the table.
"Might as well start now," Draco said with a sigh. "Not much else to do." They each grabbed a book and settled in to read.
Hermione smothered another yawn and blinked down at the page in front of her. The words swam for a moment before she was able to focus on them again.
"Go to bed, Granger, before you pass out," Draco said.
"I'm fine," she replied.
"Sure, you are," he said as she yawned again. They had made their way through most of the books, although had found conflicting information. One book said the Fidelius disguised both the dwelling and the magic, while another said it was just the building. Most of them said nothing about masking magic at all. It wasn't like they could test it out and see.
"I still think we're fine," Draco said throwing his book back onto the table and rubbing at his eyes with a thumb and forefinger. "If it's only Liddy using magic and we don't unless we absolutely have to, so little will register, no one will look twice. If they can even see it at all with the Fidelius."
"You are certain about this?" Severus asked.
"With what I know about the department," Draco said, "and if you're positive that Yaxley can't get his hands on any kind of property records because of the Fidelius, then yes."
"There will still be a record," Severus said. "But it will not have any information about the location. As long as no one else has been here, he cannot even find the general area where it might be."
Hermione blew out a breath. It was reassuring, but definitely did not make her feel completely at ease. Nothing would until Yaxley and by extension, Voldemort, was dead.
She yawned again and both Severus and Draco looked at her pointedly. She sighed and stood from the couch.
"Fine," she said. "I'm going."
"If there's any change," Draco said.
"I'll let you know right away," Hermione said. Lucius had been relatively peaceful all day. The tremors had subsided enough that Severus had stopped giving him the potion. Now, they simply had to wait to see if he would wake up and if he did, what kind of state he would be in.
She bade them good night and then walked into the bedroom, crossing the room to the bed. Lucius was still asleep, his breathing deep and even. Hermione used the bathroom and stripped out of her robes. She slipped into one of the button-up shirts Theo had brought, appropriating it for sleepwear. She cleaned her teeth and then walked back into the bedroom. She blew out all the candles save one and then climbed into bed.
Careful not to jostle him, Hermione moved as close to Lucius as she could. She kissed his cheek and then reached for his hand, covering it with her own. She watched him until her eyes grew heavy and she drifted off to sleep.
Lucius shifted in the bed, nose twitching as something tickled it. He attempted to turn to the side but his left arm was pinned. He lay quietly, trying to discern where he was without opening his eyes. The bed did not feel like his own, nor Hermione's, although given the fact that they were not speaking, that would not have been likely.
As he became more aware, he realized that the something pinning his arm to the bed was actually a someone. Lucius slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to be met with a face full of curls. Shifting his eyes downward he could make out Hermione lying next to him.
Lucius stilled. He had no idea where he was nor why Hermione was in bed with him. Lucius could tell he was wearing just his pants, his robes and trousers nowhere to be found. He glanced around the room but it was rather dark, only a single candle burning on the opposite bedside table.
Squinting into the darkness, he could make out three doors. One was ajar and led to a bathroom. The other two were firmly closed. He was not in his rooms at the Manor, nor Hermione's. There was something familiar about the room, but Lucius could not place it.
He glanced down at the woman next to him once again. Her head was pillowed on his shoulder and she was breathing deeply. Lucius took a moment to simply enjoy having her with him once again. The only problem was, he had no idea what had happened to bring her here. The last he remembered they had not been speaking.
He closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to determine the last thing he remembered. He had gone with Severus to train the Resistance and had seen Hermione speaking to Weasley. They had been quite familiar with one another and Weasley had embraced her several times. Lucius had returned home to the Manor after that, resigned to the fact that she was lost to him. It had been for the best but that had not made it hurt any less.
After that, it was a blank. Perhaps he had drunk himself into a stupor once again and that was why he did not remember. Although, if that were the case, why was Hermione in bed with him? Lucius' brow furrowed as he attempted to remember what had happened after he had left Nott Manor. There were flashes, Hermione in his study, clearly angry, Lestrange Manor and…Yaxley? That made no sense. Why would Lucius have been meeting with Yaxley?
Whatever had happened, perhaps Hermione could enlighten him. Or Draco. If only Lucius could figure out where in the devil they were. And how he was going to get out of the bed without disturbing Hermione as the need to relieve himself suddenly became very pressing.
Lucius shifted again but hissed in pain as something pulled in his gut. He pulled the blankets up slightly and looked beneath them but could see nothing in the dark. Huffing in frustration, he decided it was likely she would wake as he definitely needed to get to the bathroom.
He pulled his arm as gently as he could attempting to extricate it from under her, but that hurt as well. Not as badly as his abdomen, but pain just the same. What the hell had happened to him? Finally, he saw no other choice but to wake her.
"Hermione," he said quietly. When she didn't stir, he brought his free hand towards her and smoothed her hair back from her face. "Hermione." She pulled in a breath and muttered something then slowly blinked her eyes open. When she saw him looking at her, she shot up in the bed, mouth falling open.
"Lucius!" she exclaimed. Then she stared at him, trepidation on her face. "Lucius, can you hear me?"
"Of course, I can hear you," he said in confusion. "You are lying right next to me." Tears filled her eyes at that and she flung herself at him. Her arms went around him and she began to cry into his chest. He lifted a hand to her head, gently stroking her hair.
"Hermione, what is wrong?" he asked. This only made her cry harder and instead of attempting to discover the problem, he simply stroked her hair and made soothing noises. After a few minutes, she pulled back from him, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
"I'm sorry, I," she immediately looked guilty. "Did I hurt you?"
"No," Lucius said completely perplexed now. "Why would you have hurt me?"
"It's just, I," she bit her lip and looked down at him. "Lucius, don't you remember?"
"Remember what?" he asked. "And where are we?"
"Oh gods," she said looking down at the bed. When she looked back up, she had a fake smile on her face. "That's all right. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're all right." Lucius really wanted to know what that meant, but his need for the bathroom had reached the extreme. So, he attempted to throw back the blankets and get out of bed.
"What are you doing?" Hermione demanded.
"Never you mind," he said. Certain things did not need to be shared. Although, she would know exactly what he was doing once he went into the bathroom. Still, he was not going to announce it.
"Lucius, you cannot get out of bed," she insisted attempting to keep him lying down.
"I most certainly can," he said beginning to sit up. As soon as he did so, he hissed in pain, the same pull in his gut ten times worse than when he had simply tried to roll over.
"Lucius, please!" she said, tears in her eyes again.
"Hermione," he said in exasperation. "I need to use the bathroom."
"Oh," she said jumping up from her place in the bed. "Why didn't you just say so?" He watched as she walked towards him, clad in only a long-sleeve button down shirt. He admired her legs as she walked around the bed. She reached down to help him sit up and he grunted. She bit her lip, looking worried.
"I don't think this is a good idea," she said. "I know the spell." He scowled at her. He was not about to allow her to use that spell when he was perfectly capable to getting to the bathroom on his own.
When he tried to stand, however, he only succeeded in causing himself more pain. His stomach rolled and he broke into a sweat.
"Let me get Draco," she said. "Stay right there." She gave him a stern look, but he truthfully could not have moved even if he wanted to. She disappeared out one of the doors and Lucius took another look around the room once she had gone.
Were they in the hunting lodge? Lucius hadn't been here since his father's death just before Draco's third year. What in Salazar's name were they doing here?
Draco skidded into the room moments later, but Hermione was nowhere to be found. His son stared at him, almost as if he couldn't believe that Lucius was there.
"Father," he said.
"Draco," Lucius replied. "Assist me please."
"I don't think you should be getting out of bed," Draco said. "I know the spell."
"I do not want the blasted spell," Lucius spat. Before he could say anything else, Severus also appeared. This time, Hermione was behind him.
"It is good to see you awake, Lucius," Severus said.
"Yes, yes, apparently something has happened that I am not privy to," he said not missing the look that passed between the three of them. "Right now, however, I would like to use the facilities in peace."
Severus glanced at Draco and the two of them moved towards him. Both bent down and put one of his arms around each of their shoulders. They gently pulled Lucius to his feet but even with the both of them supporting him, the pain was nearly blinding. He gasped. Hermione stood wringing her hands and shifting from foot to foot.
"Father," Draco began but Lucius gathered himself and glared.
"Do not mention the charm," he said through gritted teeth. Severus and Draco began to slowly make their way to the bathroom. When they reached the doorway, he attempted to leave them on the threshold but Severus snorted.
"You would take one step and be flat on your face. If you insist on doing this then I will be accompanying you." Lucius could not even find the strength to protest. Hermione was right; they should have used the charm. Severus supported his weight as Lucius took his arm from around Draco. It was all Lucius could do to keep moving forward.
"I can use the charm in here you know," Severus said once the door was closed. "They will not know." Lucius found himself nodding and Severus muttered the incantation. Lucius groaned in relief a few moments later. Severus then waved his hand at the toilet which flushed and leaned forward to run the taps for a moment.
"Thank you," Lucius said. Severus simply nodded and then opened the door once more. Draco was still standing there and they helped Lucius back to the bed. Lucius groaned again as they lowered him down once more, his eyes closing to attempt to block out some of the pain.
"We'll talk in the morning," Draco said. "Get some sleep." Lucius waved a hand in response as his son helped him swing his legs back into the bed. Lucius breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth attempting to quell the nausea.
"Here," Severus said Lucius opened his eyes to see a pain potion being held out in front of him. He took it and swallowed in quickly, closing his eyes in bliss as it began to work. Settling down in the bed, someone pulled the blankets up over him. Lucius was suddenly exhausted. Severus said something lowly to Hermione and then Lucius heard the click of the door. He opened his eyes to see Hermione standing uncertainly in front of him.
"Are you coming back to bed?" he managed to ask.
"I can sleep on the couch in the sitting room," she said.
"Do not be ridiculous," he said, eyes closing. "Come here, witch." He felt her settle in beside him and while he did not know what the circumstances were that had brought her back to his bed, he found he did not much care at the moment. Sighing as the pain potion finished its work, Lucius managed to wrap an arm around Hermione. He felt her kiss his shoulder and then he fell blissfully back to sleep.
Hermione lay awake once Lucius had drifted off. While he appeared to be fine, it was clear that he had no idea what had happened to him. It wasn't that uncommon; Hermione knew that people that had suffered some kind of trauma often lost some memory of the events. The thought made her shudder at how much pain Lucius must have been in while he was being tortured. Still, the fact that he was coherent lessened her worry.
She wasn't sure, but she didn't think that he remembered their argument. And if he didn't remember that, then he clearly didn't remember what she had been about to say to him before he was called. Or perhaps he hadn't heard her in the first place. It didn't matter, exactly, now that she had said the words, she was more than happy to say them again. But she also didn't want to upset him when he was injured.
Severus had said that gashes from the Sectumsempra curse would likely be fully healed by the end of the day. They might still cause Lucius a twinge of pain, but it should not be the blinding pain that he had just experienced. He would still need to rest and take things easy for a few days but he would recover fully.
The fact that he did not remember what had happened to him was a problem, although not an insurmountable one. Severus could look in his mind for the memories once Lucius was recovered in order to confirm their suspicions about Yaxley and Voldemort. However, given Lucius seemed to have no recollection of the events, Severus would have to search for them, which Hermione wasn't so sure about. She was positive that the professor would not want to witness their more intimate moments either, but they might not have a choice.
Hermione idly traced one of the lines on his chest. He flinched in his sleep but did not wake. She moved her hand, not wanting to disturb him further but his free hand rose and grasped hers, clasping it to his chest. She smiled into his shoulder and closed her eyes. She would worry about their argument tomorrow, or later this morning rather. Right now, she was going to enjoy being by his side again.
When Hermione woke again the sun had come up. She rose up on one elbow and looked down at Lucius but he was still asleep. Her hand was still loosely clasped in his and she carefully extricated it before getting up and going to the bathroom.
She dressed and attempted to tame her hair into some semblance of order. When she returned to the bedroom, Lucius' eyes were open and he turned his head to look at her.
"Good morning," she said with a smile. She walked back to the bed and sat on the edge next to him. "How do you feel?"
"Fine, although I thought that earlier as well," he said dryly. She smiled. "What time is it?" Hermione glanced at the clock.
"A little before eight," she said. "Liddy is probably making breakfast."
"Help me sit up, please," Lucius said.
"Lucius," she said but he was already shifting in the bed in an attempt to sit up himself. Sighing, she stood and pulled the blankets back, then stuck an arm behind his shoulders and pushed him upward. He grunted in pain but it didn't seem as bad as it had in the middle of the night. Hermione quickly grabbed all the pillows on the bed and put them behind his back and Lucius settled back against them.
"Now, why are we here?" She stared at him for moment, then took his hand.
"What do you remember?" she asked. He paused and his eyes flicked away from her for a moment before he met her gaze again.
"I saw you and Weasley at Nott Manor," he finally said. She nodded.
"I was afraid of that," she said with a sigh and he stiffened, attempting to pull his hand away from her. She held fast.
"No," she said. "It wasn't what you thought. Ron and I are not together."
"Then why are you bothered that I saw you," he retorted.
"I'm not," she said. "I meant I was afraid that that was all you remembered." She shook her head. "So much happened after that."
"Such as?" he said, raising a brow in question.
"It's an extremely long story and I will tell you everything. But the most important thing you should know right now is that you were called that night." Lucius stared at her, clearly disbelieving.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You were called," she said. "All of you were, even Severus." He raised a brow again, likely at her informal address of the professor, but Hermione ignored it.
"After everyone else was sent to the village to 'question' the villagers about the Resistance, Yaxley kept you back. We don't know the whole story because you were the only two there but he tortured you and used Legilimency on you. Cutting curses and Sectumsempra as well." Lucius stared at her in shock. Hermione squeezed his hand.
"You made it back to the Manor using your Portkey," she said. "But Severus had to look into your mind to see what Yaxley might have found out. You protected the Resistance and me but he saw that Severus was alive."
"He came after Severus," Lucius guessed and Hermione nodded.
"Severus had taken the masking potion that he invented and we sent Liddy for Draco. Both you and Draco took the potion as well but Yaxley was already in the house. Liddy had gotten Professor Trelawney into the safe room before he arrived and he obviously didn't find us. Draco remembered this place and he brought us here. He and Severus put it under the Fidelius."
Lucius sighed and closed his eyes, leaning further back into the pillows. Hermione knew he likely had a million questions and she did as well, although she wasn't sure how many of hers he would be able to answer. Still, she didn't want to overwhelm him with too much information just yet.
"Suffice it to say that everyone is currently safe. Professor Trelawney is here with us. Ginny and Mrs. Weasley stayed at Nott Manor and the Resistance has moved into the woods on Theo's grounds. All trace of them has been removed from the stables and the cottage and they stopped using magic. So far, Yaxley hasn't questioned Theo directly but we haven't spoken to him since yesterday." Lucius was quiet for a few minutes and Hermione simply waited, letting him digest all she had told him.
"The Dark Lord was not present during my torture?" he finally asked.
"No," Hermione said. Lucius stared steadily at her, seemingly aware that she knew more than she was telling. She looked down at their clasped hands.
"You woke for a few moments last night," she said quietly. "You said 'The Dark Lord is Yaxley'." She looked up at him and his brow was furrowed in thought. "At first, we thought you might mean that Yaxley had proclaimed himself the Dark Lord. But then-"
"Then what?" he asked.
"Severus thinks that Yaxley hasn't made himself the Dark Lord. She thinks he is the Dark Lord. That they've…merged somehow." Lucius sucked in a breath, his eyes widening.
"His eyes," he whispered.
"What about his eyes?" Hermione asked, fearful of the answer. Lucius shook his head, closing his eyes, look of concentration on his face. He flinched and Hermione squeezed his hand tighter, wondering if he were remembering. Finally, Lucius' eyes snapped open.
"His eyes were red."
"What?" she said on a whisper.
"He was torturing me and he looked down at me and his eyes flashed red."
"You're certain?"
"Yes," Lucius said. They stared at one another for a few moments before Hermione blew out a breath.
"I need to get Severus and Draco," she said rising from the bed. "They need to know, we need to talk about this, figure out what he did and how," a tug on her hand made her trail off and look back at Lucius. He looked as if he wanted to ask her something but the look was gone seconds later.
"Perhaps we can discuss it over breakfast," he said instead. She nodded.
"I'll have Liddy bring up a tray." She let go of his hand and gave him a small smile.
"If you could send in Draco to help me dress," he said. Hermione nodded, forcing herself to keep the smile on her face before she turned to go. She could have easily helped him dress. Sighing as she stepped out of the room, Hermione turned toward the stairs. Despite spending the night in his bed, it was obvious there was a long way to go between them.