CHAPTER19.

Hermione screwed her eyes hardly (as much as her tired, almost atrophied muscles could afford). Lucius started from her legs, slowly, carefully and evenly rubbing the icy liquid into Hermione's skin.

" Lucius is looking at *Victoria's* body. He's touching her, not *me*. My own body is far, far away from here. And when this nightmare ends, I won't remember feeling his fingers on my skin, because I won't have it any more, I'll have really my, other skin."

But continuing thinking that way was too difficult, because Lucius would soon reach… Oh, no, that's what Hermione mustn't think about. Her parents- dentists had been teaching her how to face any *terrible* doctor since she was a small girl. Whether this is a dentist or a gynecologist. She must think about something else, something completely different… Harry. Harry… He'll help. He'll save her. He'll understa – oh… oh, god…ohhhh… Let's think it was just a gynecologist…

Lucius – gynecologist. Hermione would smile mentally, only Lucius was covering that part of her body with the substance. Where noone ever touched her. – Hermione realized she wouldn't visit any gynecologist for a *very* long time after that…

Well, good girl, Hermione! You are thinking about something else! Everything turned out to be not as terrific as you expected. All the worst is behind. You coped with it.

- That is no good for us.

Hermione stopped breathing and forced herself to open her eyes. Lucius tilted his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the girl's body. His hair was partly covering his face… No, Hermione was definitely thinking 'bout wrong things.

- SHIT!

After this word it somehow struck Hermione, that the situation was baaad, indeed. This thought came to her immediately and almost instinctively. So, if Lucius didn't bother himself with *polite*, aristocratic language, it could mean at least two things. First one – she was in a shitty situation. Second – Lucius never allowed anyone see the display of his weakness (swearing this time), which means that he didn't take the girl into any consideration. Hermione wasn't long for this world…

Lucius had already got up and was wiping his hands with a snowy- white handkerchief.

- If Victoria had used the Long Lasting Death Eaters' Polyjuice Potion, you would not have a single chance now. But this potion isn't something a squib can manage to create.

He whispered some words and looked at Hermione with a hint of jibe:

   - Pray for at least one drop of your blood to be here.

Hermione had never heard a stupidest phrase. Was he totally nuts?… The sense of his words stubbornly avoided coming to her burning brains. If Lucius needed her blood- why not? She was lying in front of him, naked, half – covered with the disgusting cream…on a plate, obviously. With much irritation Lucius explained:

- After Victoria's spell there isn't a drop of your blood in your body. But the – he paused for a second – first time you had your real blood. That's what we need now. In about half a minute the spell will work and drag up to me any thing that has your blood on it. If there isn't one… Well, then I'll be glad to deal with y –

He didn't finish the sentence, because his body twitched and twisted – one of his arms suddenly turned behind his back, and the other seemed to be pulled away by some invisible force. It was rather amusing to see his own hair trying to strangle him. His usually pale face was now pink and covered with spots. Lucius lost his balance and almost collapsed. Several whispered words ended this mime.

Touching his neck and breathing heavily, Lucius fell into an armchair, which appeared again.

Then, after a small pause, he removed a blond lock from his face and slowly, with great irritation, took off his cloak. Or was it a jacket? Hermione didn't see. Maybe, it was a frock coat…

Then he did something, which was the last thing the girl expected. He cut a piece of cloth with his wand and put it on a table. When Hermione realized that he had cut his clothes because of her, she understood that she was in a *shitty* situation…

Several minutes had passed. The girl couldn't see what Lucius was doing because her eyes weren't able to see as far as the corner of the room, where he had gone. She was beginning to calm down, when he suddenly approached her and raised his wand. The girl's heart sank, she shut her eyes, expecting something really terrible – either a Crucio or an Avada… or something more *exquisite*…

When her body twitched with burning spasms, she thought that Lucius had chosen Crucio…

Er, but was the lengthening of her legs a side effect of the Curse??…

 Hermione opened her eyes, filled with bothering doubts, and saw something she didn't want that moment at all – Victoria's legs were obviously replaced with her, Hermione's own legs. The magical powder was settling on the stone floor.

Hermione got her body back.

Lucius came closer and, benting down, hissed into her face:

  - Now you have a stimulus for keeping this body. Maybe, you'll even stay alive.