~Author's Note~

Hey guys, sorry its been long, but school has been harsh! Oh, if you want to know, the prelude to this story (and the whole HP series) Is under Alyssium and called Before the Scar. It's written by my friend, and you will see many of the events that happen in this story are because of hers, well her story is the prequel to this story so ya, and there should be a story that will be an explanation to both of these stories a little later . . .. I think.

*Now, on with the story!

Ch7: And the Truth Comes Out

Sarah walked into her room that evening with ideas running through her head. She wanted to get even with Remus but how she did not know. He was cunning and would figure out a plot of hers quickly, so she needed to find someone who would be willing to help her in her plight. Sirius would be willing but no, he, like her, would be easily be found out. She briefly entertained the idea of asking Severus to assist her before she laughed at the thought of him pranking someone, if he refused to in their school days then what would make her believe he had suddenly changed his mind and play pranks on his coworkers.

She walked over to her closet and got a new robe out, a sixth year Slytherin had thought it would be funny to transfigure an Ever-smelling Dung bomb, a new invention of the Weasley twins, into the assigned object. The new dug bomb gave whatever it hit an even stronger, longer lasting scent, and it had gotten all over her favorite robe. However, she was a professor and gave him two weeks detention and her house was now in the lead she had taken so many points off his house. Upon exiting her room, she saw a beautiful owl land on her coffee table, tied to his leg was a beautiful white rose and letter. The letter was addressed to her as was the rose a gift. After putting the rose in water, she pocketed the letter and walked to the great hall for dinner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She sat at her normal seat between Sirius and Severus and noted that there was a guest that night, Lucius Malfoy. Reminding herself to talk to him later she looked over to her other side and started to speak with Severus. "So how did you classes go today? The students as mindless and incapable as ever?"

"What else would they be?" he questioned.

"They could hold a flicker of a flame of intelligence?" she suggested. To this Severus smirked and slightly shook his head, the faintest glimmer of a smile passing over his face. "I don't know about you but my students are intelligent, however there is one student in your house that would fit your stereotype of the average student." She added.

To this Severus commented: " I don't know who's bribing you but they must be very rich, to get you to say something of that daring nature." Sarah laughed and swatted his shoulder.

"Trust me if I was being bribed as you suggest, there would be no family wealthy enough to bribe me." She retorted. Finishing her meal she got up and walked over to sit next to Lucius Malfoy. Upon sitting down he looked over when he heard the chair move.

"Why hello Sarah, what brings you to Hogwarts?" He asked politely.

"Why I teach here, what brings you here?" she asked.

"I work with the governing board of this school, so I come here every once in a while to see how things are going."

"Always looking out for Draco's welfare now aren't we?" she sarcastically commented.

"But of course. I don't trust just any school with his education." He commented. "How long have you been teaching here?" he asked.

"I just started this year." She told him.

"I wonder why I wasn't told this." He said.

"Possibly because I haven't talked to you since Draco was a baby." She told him. "Besides, Dumbledore does his thing and hires teachers and you do your thing and try to run the school in your little balance of power."

"True, why haven't we spoken in so long?" he asked her.

"Because something happened, and well I didn't think it would have been wise since It happened." She said.

"What could have happened to scare you away?" He asked. his eyes showed something resembling hurt for a moment, but the moment was very shortly lived and his façade of power was placed firmly back on his face.

"I thought you knew… I left a note…Well, I can't explain now, it's a bad time. Why don't you come back to my room tonight and we can talk about that then alright?" she asked.

"What time is best for you Sarah?"

"Why not eight-thirty?"

"Eight-thirty it is, now where is the door to your room located?" he asked; she gave him directions and after a few more moments of small talk he got up and left the hall. Sarah spoke several minutes with Remus to inform him about Lucius' visit later that evening.

After informing Remus she walked over to Severus and sat down glad he was still there to talk with. "Severus? Can we talk outside or not in here?" she asked.

"Alright, why don't we talk in my rooms, no one will listen in there, not even Albus." He said.

"Alright, thank you." She told him, he stood and offered her his arm. "I still hope to be friends with you Severus, you're a wonderful person and I couldn't stand to loose you." She told him.

"Alright."

"I hope things aren't very awkward for you Severus." Sarah admitted.

"Why would it be awkward?" he asked, though he knew the answer.

"Lucius, and I…" she explained, shifting her weight to the other foot. In truth, she would rather not discuss this with Severus, but seeing as she had no choice, she continued,

"Well, I know it hasn't been the best of situations…"

"I know, I've been an imposter friend to him, and a spy who has enough knowledge that could lock him up for life." He admitted.

"I know, you know I could just talk to you later about it." She turned to leave, but Severus grabbed her hand, gave it a gentle kiss and then let it go.

"Bye, I wish I could help you more." he said as she walked away, and Sarah had to use all her will power not to run into his arms.

It's when he does little things like that, that I love him the most, I don't know what I've done to be deserving of his friendship. She thought as she headed towards her room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At eight o'clock, Sarah silently paced her room.

What am I going to tell him? How am I going to tell him! Uggg! I thought this was settled years ago! Well, I suppose I have to tell him, she is at Hogwarts! Ugg!

Her thoughts were interrupted by a brief knock on the door. She opened it to reveal Lucius Malfoy.

"Your early," she commented, unable to say anything else.

"Yeah, I know, but I didn't have anything else to do…"

"Oh, well, come in." She said as she led the way to the couch.

"Look, about-" was all she got out before, Lucius grabbed her, and smashed his mouth against her. A billion emotions came rushing into her system, but there was only two she could decipher clearly: She was attracted to him and he was betraying his wife.

Without any further thought, she pushed him away.

"Lucius! I came to talk, not to be man-handled by a married man! If we want to stay friends that cannot happen again!" she yelled.

"Sorry," was all that came from him,

"But, I needed to get that out of the way…" She let out a breath as they both sat on the couch.

"Now, what was it that you needed to say? Why did you never explain?"

"I did, actually, but apparently, you never got my note…"

"No, I guess I never did." he said, and she could tell that he was angry.

He is trying to hide it, but I have known him long enough…

"Well, remember when we, you know, slept with each other?"

"Yeah… Narcissa was gone and you were staying with me… So?" Sarah took a deep breath, before she plunged ahead.

"Well, there was something you didn't know… I had a child, our child." she paused, waiting for him to speak.

"WHAT! And how come you didn't tell me this?!"

"I did, the note, remember?"

"Oh, yeah, so what happened?"

"Well, I went away to have her-yes it was a girl- in secret. I named her, then I gave her to a muggle family, knowing they would change her name, and hoping they would never tell her. I never saw her again, well not until this year at least."

"What do you mean? She's at Hogwarts?"

"Yes," was all she could say. This is it, she mused, the big drop…

"Who is she?"

"Well…"

"Damn it Sarah, who is she?!"

"Hermione Granger" she said softly, almost a whisper.

There was silence. Not at all what Sarah would have expected form Lucius.

"Lucius?" she asked, afraid of what he might do.

"You mean that our daughter, is non other than that know-it-all, mud blood herself!" he cried.

"Don't you dare call me child a mud blood!" she screamed back. Age might have changed him, but he was still the same old Lucius, she fumed.

"I have to go," he told her, as he stood up.

"Lucius, don't…" she pleaded.

"I can't stay here, not with you and not with our child!" he snarled. As he slammed the door Sarah felt herself melt into tears.

It was almost ten o'clock by the time Sarah could get up again.

I expected it to go badly, but not this badly…

Again, her thoughts were interrupted by the door.

"Yes?" she asked, her voice raspy from crying.

"It's Lucius, we need to talk…" Sarah debated on whether to let him in, but then decided for it.

"Come in," she said. And again, she led him to the couch.

"Look, I'm sorry for the way I acted, but you have to understand this is hard."

"Yeah, I know," she said,

"But she's really a smart girl, and sweet."

"I really can't say I know her. I had no intention until now." he told her.

"Well, what do you want to do about it?"

"Does she know?"

"No," Sarah told him,

"She doesn't. I did not even know who she was until this year."

"Sarah?" he asked,

"Hmm?"

"What did you name her?"

"Oh," she laughed,

"Hermione Tatiana …"

"I thought so. It is just like you to name her after Shakespeare."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" After a slight pause, Lucius spoke.

"I think we should, tell her."

"Then what?"

"Then, she can decide who to live with."

"We can't just ask her to come live with us- and wait a minute! Who said we were living together!"

"I though we could-or you could stay over vacations . . ." he trailed off, after correcting himself.

"Well, you thought wrong! Lucius, you have a son and a wife! Right now, I just want to be friend, and I'm living with my Remus in York, where we grew up."

"Fine," was all he said, but she could tell that he was angry.

"I still think we should tell her though, then let her decide what to do." Sarah agreed.

"When?"

"How about, Christmas?"

"Fine, it will be our present to her!" she laughed.

They spent the rest of the night talking, and laughing. When he finally left it was well past 12. As Sarah closed the door, she let out a sigh. Well that turned out good. She walked around and picked up a white rose, one that she had gotten earlier.

I never opened the note! she mused as she grabbed it. She tore it open, and read:

Dear Sarah,

My husband is on his way to Hogwarts. I know about your child. If you utter one word of it to him, I will personally kill you! I understand that you seduced him before, but mark my word, it will not happen again! You and your bastard of a child can rot for all I care. I will get even with you for taking my husbands heart!

~Narcissa

P.S. the flowers are from Lucius.

So, the bitch is threatening me! Sarah fumed. Well, she'll never even touch me! And with that resolution, she went to bed. Never noticing that the roses on the table were not normal, in fact, they were anything but normal.

        Lucius was walking down the hall when he started to feel a slight chill, realizing he had forgotten his cloak he turned and proceeded to walk back to Sarah's apartments, reaching the door he knocked and was greeted by a surprised Sarah, note and flower in hand. "Lucius, what brings you here?" she asked.

"Well I was walking and realized I had forgotten my cloak, and since it's a long walk to my chambers I decided to come back and retrieve it." He explained. "That is a beautiful flower by the way, who gave it to you?

        "You did, well that's what the note says." She explained.

        "I did not, may I read the note? He asked.

        "Yes you may." She handed him the note. He glanced at it and immediately knew his wife's handwriting. Looking at the flower, he studied it closely.

        "Narcissa spelled the flower, it's not something I would have sent you. Should I have known you were here beforehand I would have given you flowers that I knew you liked, hoping to be able to speak with you again. However that is not the case and I do not like the feeling that the rose came with, I sense a strong resentment emitting from it. May I inquire as to why?" he asked. Sarah nodded and led him to the couch.

        "You recall the end of sixth year correct?" when he nodded, she continued. "Narcissa, Lily, and I were in the running for the Head Girl position, and I knew that should your wife get the position, things would go poorly for James not only in duties, but in house relations. Just as well Lily was starting to have an infatuation with James, being who I am, I decided that I would help Lily with achieving the Head Girl position, knowing that I would have to prevent Narcissa from getting it, and in doing such I would not get the position. I didn't mind, I didn't care, my mother wouldn't care, she'd ignore me in spite of my achievements."

        "so you did something to Narcissa?" he asked.

        "Yes, I decided that the worse thing to do to her was to pull as large a marauder stunt as possible, and having all the blame land on me, as well as Narcissa's reaction to the prank once discovered. I decided to set off several things in several areas that Narcissa patrolled during her shift as a prefect. Then stash them in her quarters, she would be to blame and eventually I would be discovered, and in being discovered she would react." She continued.

        "So, Narcissa got into that fight in the great hall over being framed for your pranks?" he asked.

        "Yes. Just as well she was crazy about you, and you and I were becoming good friends." Lucius nodded, understanding one thing about Narcissa all these years later, jealousy.

        "When she discovered you had proposed to me she found some papers drawn up after both of you had been born. After 'making nice' the papers were redrawn, and the arguments were forgotten. "

        "How do you know this?" he asked.

        "you forget that not only was I an honorary Marauder in seventh year, but I was good friends with Narcissa's cousin, Sirius Black." She reminded. "Narcissa was always talking about how she was going to get you from my grasp." Sarah said before a yawn escaped her mouth.

        "I do believe it's past your bedtime young lady." Lucius reprimanded.

        "I'm a grown-up I don't got no bedtime." She lazily replied, getting up.

        "Thank you for informing me why my wife hated you so much. I shall see you tomorrow Sarah, farewell." Lucius said as he let himself out the door.      

        Smiling Sarah walked into her own room and landed on her bed, sound asleep.