Author's Note: Hello again! Have fun with chapter eleven! My grades are going very, very, very well! I'm probably going to get A's in all of my classes, provided I do well on the finals (which are tomorrow).

Rating: R

Pairings: Hermione/Harry, Hermione/Draco

Disclaimer: If I ever tell you I own this, please hit me over the head with a frying pan and ask me to gather my sanity.

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Chapter 11

"You bloody bastard," Hermione hissed at him. Lucius flinched.

"Now, now, my lady," Lucius purred, "please calm down."

The Dark Lady smirked. Gone was the quiet, studious Hermione, and in her place was the smirking temptress also known as the Dark Lady, Lady Voldemort. It was his fault, really, that the transformation had taken place. Without him, who knew what would have become of her? And she had very little doubt that his part was yet finished.

"Lucius," she said silkily, "I believe that you attacked a friend of mine."

Lucius smirked. "Your father isn't here to back you, girl," he said, stressing the word.

"I don't need my father, Lucius, surely you know that?" She smirked, raising a hand and pointing it at him. He was starting to look panicked… Especially since his feet were no longer touching the floor. "Surely you don't need Crabbe and Goyle with you everywhere?"

"Er, my lady," Lucius said, "I wasn't saying anything disrespectful, I was just—"

"I don't much care what you were saying, Lucius. You need to be taught a little lesson in manners." She tilted her head appraisingly. "Don't you agree?"

***

Voldemort walked to the infirmary slowly, hoping against hope that Hermione would be awake. It really … hurt, watching her lie there one the bed, motionless and unresponsive. In a coma, apparently. At least according to Madam Pomfrey, and he didn't have any reason to doubt her. In their school days she had always been serious… Rather like his daughter was rumored to be, he supposed.

How he missed Rhianna…

He shook his head. He'd missed Rhianna every single day of his life after he'd lost her. He doubted an hour went by that he didn't think of her.

But… perhaps not.

The first fifteen years after his defeat at Potter's hands had been spent looking for revenge, and it hadn't been until he'd looked in his daughter's eyes that he had finally awoken.

She had Rhianna's eyes.

Chocolate brown… he'd often teased her about them.

Imagine that, he thought wryly, the Dark Lord teasing someone.

Voldemort shook his head, walking into the infirmary…

…and stopping dead in his tracks.

Hermione was sitting up in bed, her feet propped up on a silk pillow, her hair up, and her pillows fluffed, her window open, blowing a small breeze into the room…

And Lucius Malfoy was standing next to her, handing her grapes.

Voldemort stared. He blinked. He closed his eyes. He opened his eyes. He blinked again. He looked away. He looked back. He blinked again.

"Oh, hello!" Hermione called to him. At least, he was relatively certain it was Hermione.

And then he laughed.

***

Pansy grinned at her reflection. It was so simple. Now all she had to do was find someone to help her…

Blaise Zabini.

"Blaise!" she called.

The girl poked her head into the room. "What is it?" she sighed tiredly.

"I have to talk to you…"

***

Draco walked to the infirmary, a spring in his step. He would have ran, but made sure to keep his excitement in check.

Madam Pomfrey had just contacted him; Hermione was up. She was finally awake. It had been three days. Three days during which he had watched and waited, before the Medi-witch had thrown him out, mumbling about insane teenagers. Or at least that was what he thought she'd said. She had forbade him to come back, at least until Hermione woke up.

He walked into the hospital wing and froze. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, Voldemort on a chair near her. They were talking, it seemed. And his father, Lucius Xavier Malfoy, was fixing up the bed. He would have laughed had it not been completely out of character for him.

"…I don't want to marry anyone right now," she was saying.

"Can you at least consider it?" Voldemort asked.

Hermione sighed. "Fine."

Draco walked forward slowly, watching her. She was beautiful. She had just woken up from a three-day coma, and she was beautiful.

He was in love.

He was definitely in love.

And he knew it.

And he accepted it.

"Hello, Hermione," he drawled, looking as though he hadn't a care in the world.

"Why hello, Draco," she smiled at him, looking very happy. "How nice to see you again," she said, holding out her hand.

"And you, my lady," he said, leaning down to kiss it. He would have sworn a look passed between his father and Voldemort, but he could never be sure.

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Sabrina: *grin* Actually, I can leave it there.

Major Malfoy: Yeah, I think we all love Draco…

Crystalline Lily: Yup, definitely mostly flashbacks.

dracohermioneshipper: Glad you like it. You won't find out who Hermione's husband is till the sequel, sorry.

Hurdlingbaybe06: Wow! Thanks for all the compliments. :)

MistressDeDraco: Thanks for all the insight into possible outcomes and occurrences, as usual. :) This chapter is very, very short, my shortest chapter ever—and I mean ever—because of the fact that… Okay, I don't want to say it here for fear of being tarred and feathered.

HarryPotterWanter: I put the scene about Draco helping Hermione with the trunk for a few reasons. First of all, I don't think that his first question when he met someone was, "Are you a Mudblood?" Although he was very, very prejudiced against them, he couldn't identify them. Also, we don't know how Hermione first met Draco. I think it would be interesting if that first time turned out to be actually kind of nice, especially since she's always been relatively nice to him.

ambrosia: Actually, I think you were number 200. :) I checked when I got your review. Thanks.

tommygurl: *shudders* I have my final exams tomorrow. Gods, but I hate them sometimes… Especially when I know that they'll be the final determinate of my grade! Ah! Better go get studying, eh?

Kou Shun'u: Glad you like it so much. ^^

tortify: Wow! You've read a lot of my stories, eh? I think I remember you. I find it amazing that so many people enjoy what I write…

Voldemort's Babe: Hehe, glad you like the plot. :)

silverdragon: You're on the updates list!

Calm Serene: You'll find out about Hermione's mother in the next two chapters. They focus primarily on that.

dracoJAE: Hehe, yeah, I'm happy about my reviews. :) I killed Ron because I needed a catalyst for Hermione and Harry's relationship to go farther than it would have had he lived. Sorry!

innocent rambler: Wow! You really like my stories. ^^ Feel free to make your reviews long and drawn out. I love reading them!

Snapes FEMALE Twin: Thanks!

Intuition: AWESOME insight! You've nailed everything that I wanted you to. As for the Chamber of Secrets thing, I think that all the questions should be answered in the next chapter, or at least most of them. Yeah, her character changed a little too fast for my taste as well. Therefore why I will be… Um, nothing. Can't tell you that, never mind.

Thanks for all your support!

MistressDeDraco (Fanfiction.net is too addictive for its own good!), PotterzGirl, Snapes FEMALE Twin (sorry I couldn't write a chapter every week; I would feel like I was abandoning my other stories), Campy Capybara (Ah, yes, sympathy for Voldemort…the ultimate sign that I am going insane. *giggles* Not really, of course. I'm just in a dramatic-kind-of mood today... Although silly would probably explain it better.), LiRA (so glad you think so ^^. Those Hermione and Draco being Head Girl and Boy and falling in love stories have been getting on my nerves as well… I ask you: Where is the plot???), sparklingmoon585, catherine (Homeschooling?? I was homeschooled. ^^ I did go to public school for grades 3 through 6, but it was too stressful, so I got out. Even going to college leaves too much free time to sit around and read fanfiction… It's scary.), vicky, HarryPotterWanter (I won't abandon it, don't worry… At least not too much. I will finish it… Although there's something I'm planning to do that you might not all like. ), Kristal Blood, Alexandra Trent (my problem is that I try reading too many fanfictions, and then I stay up late, not doing my homework… What's worse is that I've arranged it so that I have classes only two days a week. Luckily, it won't be the same next fall.), mic, Intuition, ringette-chick (Wow! Thanks :D), Kris, Dreaming One (My marks are almost safe. They will be tomorrow at least. Phew. *wipes brow* Argh. I honestly don't know how to answer all of your questions and comments. Great work on that, which is why it's so difficult!)