Disclaimer:I could turn blue putting this bloody thing in all the time......I still do not own the boy.

A/N:Okay, I'll start with my usual thank yous. SnapeSeraphin - I love your reviews. You give me a real confidence boost....it's great. Also, how do you know there isn't much time left? I leave you with that to ponder;-). MiSSxMELON - Your back:-) I beg for your forgiveness for even comtemplating cutting this story short. I have also finally taken up your advice. I'm finally going to bring Harry and Ron's view into the story but not just yet. I didn't want to but I thought I should. I'm also going to speed up a bit now...so......watch this space. Lana - You could give me a big head with all the praise you are giving me. If my novel ever gets published then I hope I get at least one fan that likes my writing as much as you like this story. I've written a few chapters now so my updates should be quicker. Poet Diem - You're another person who could give me a big head....not that I'm complaining;-) It's great to know that people actually like what I write. shedraconis - Nothing's perfect, it's the imperfections that make something interesting, but thank you for thinking so. It means a lot to me. Sorcha - Your review was lovely and made me feel good about this story. Thank you. mrs malfoy - Two words: Thank You. Was this update soon enough for you? stargazer starluver - I hope you like the turn of events I have planned. Thank you for your review. hahaha-evil - Short and sweet and thanks for putting me on your author alert list.

Right, I'm not going to cut the story short, nearly all of you have asked me not to, so I won't. I also have to say that I had no idea where I was going with the story. It was the first thing I had ever written that I hadn't done a plan for. But I sat down the other day and refused to move till I had one and now I do, so I can safely say that this story will go on for a while. I just hope you all like what I have planned. If not, you can advise me as I go along. I'm rambling now......enjoy!!!

Chapter Eight

They kissed for a few minutes. Lucius still had his hands on her face while Hermione held onto his forearms. Their kiss was forceful yet gentle. Passionate yet comfortable. Rough yet smooth. It was all of their raw emotions of the past month mixed together.

Lucius pulled away to find her eyes still closed. He softly rubbed her cheeks before bringing his arms down. Hermione's hands fell down limply and he caught them with in his own hands.

"Does that answer your question?" He asked in his usual drawl. Her eyes fluttered open while she nodded. She had felt him give everything into the kiss. She had kissed Viktor but his kisses seemed so meaningless now compared to this one. This one seemed to have his whole heart in it.

"My turn now. Why did you kiss me?" His smile reached his eyes for the first time in some years.

"Because for the first time ever I felt truly needed. Not wanted but needed. Not even my best friends have really needed me." She answered truthfully, without meeting his gaze.

Lucius couldn't believe how right she was. He did need her. These feelings he had felt right but they should not belong to him. He couldn't remember the last time his heart had actually felt warm. Not even when Draco had been born. Not one ounce of the miracle of birth had reached his heart. Of course he had been proud to have a son and an heir to carry on the family name but it didn't warm him the way her kiss had just done. He wasn't sure what he was going to do when she had gone. 'But did she have to go?' He frowned at that sudden thought. Of course she had to go. 'Not really.' His thoughts betrayed him again.

"Won't Voldemort see all of this when he comes back?" Hermione asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"No. This memory is too soon for him to look this close. He only wants up until the moment we.......well, I'm sure you know."

"What about reading your thoughts?"

"He can't do that either. It can be a powerful thing to keep your mind clear." Hermione slowly lifted her head to look into his eyes.

"Occlumency." She muttered.

"Indeed."

"I should probably go back now." She half suggested to him.

"Yes, you're right." Lucius silently led her by the hand back down the stairs, through the corridor and to her room.

Both had given up on trying to make sense of what had happened. Their thoughts were one big, jumbled up, mess and refused to go into some sort of reasonable order.

Lucius wanted to kiss her again and hold her. On the other hand he wanted her gone so that he could return to normal. Hermione wasn't sure if she was worried that he would stay when they got to her room, or worried that he would go and leave her on her own. She used to love being on her own but not now. Now she wanted to have any company, even a Malfoy's.

He opened her bedroom door for her. She glanced at him before she let go of his hand and walked into the room. As she turned back round, she bumped right into him. He bent down to give her a slow lingering kiss. She was still trying to catch her breath as he left the room, instructing her to get some sleep. She watched the door for some time before her stupor was interrupted by the one and only portrait.

"And where have you been, dirtbag?"

"Are you really interested, scumball?" She took her dressing gown off while walking over to the bed, letting it fall to the floor.

"Not really," He drawled in a bored manner, "but I was disappointed to find I wasn't going to get my nightly dosage of mudblood ramblings. They're quite addictive."

"What do you mean?" She climbed on to the bed, pulling the blankets over her."

"Didn't you know? You talk in your sleep."

"I'm not the first to do that, you know." She lay down on to the pillow and looked at an upside down version of the portrait.

"I know that. You're the only one I've seen do it." He explained indignantly.

She shook her head as she rolled onto her side. The floating candles disappeared, plunging the room into darkness.

She was ready to think back on the nights events, and reflect on them, however, sleep wouldn't allow her to. She wasn't about to fight it either as it rarely came to her these days.

Lucius was sat on the edge of his bed, wondering if he had done the right thing by letting her in. It showed her that he did have a weakness and he couldn't afford for his enemies to get wind of that. He had stopped himself having any weaknesses since he was in Hogwarts. He had never known such pain as he did then. Not even the Cruciatus could compare.

There had been a girl in when he was in his fourth year. She was like an angel to him. She was in the year below him; he couldn't understand why he had never seen her before. It didn't matter though, because he had definitely noticed her now. She had been a little smaller than him in height and had a dainty build. She had silky, long, mousey brown hair. Her eyes were a sparkling blue-green colour. He loved it when she laughed because her eyes would dance and make everything that was wrong in the world seem silly. She had pale freckles that were dotted across her cheeks and button nose. Her smile was mesmerising and without fail, his knees would buckle a little when she smiled. Her name was Nerissa.

He had showered the girl with gifts from afar. She never knew who these gifts were from, but it pleased him so much when she was happy about each gift he had sent her. He would watch her on the Ravenclaw table from the Slytherin table as she opened each one and showed the latest gift to her best friend. Of course he never let anyone know about his crush, he would be ridiculed. It didn't bode well for a Slytherin to like anyone outside of their house.

He eventually built up the courage to tell her his feelings. It was a Hogsmeade weekend and he practiced his speech to her over and over. He waited outside the Three Broomsticks, knowing that she would go there for a drink. When she finally made it to the pub, he called out to her.

He frowned when he saw fear flicker across her eyes. But then what did he expect? A Slytherin never wanted to be nice to anyone outside of its house so why should he break tradition. She told her friends to go on and walked to the opposite side of the street with him.

He took one deep breath and told her all at once his speech. She didn't catch a word of it and asked him to repeat it slowly. This time he made sure he enunciated his words carefully.

When he finished, he looked at her expectantly. She was silent for a few minutes, he wished she had just stayed silent now and walked away. She didn't, though. She crushed his heart like a ton of bricks.

Had two of his professors not been walking down the street, he would have beaten her there and then. Everything he had felt for her had disappeared and been replaced by excruciating heartache and hate. She had snapped the necklace off that she had been wearing and threw it at him. It had been the one he sent her at Christmas. He stared in disbelief as she walked over to the pub.

Of course, the girl was dead now. Lucius had become a death eater two years after graduating from Hogwarts. He was married to Narcissa who was a good wife.

He made sure the girl paid dearly. She had apologised and begged for her life as he tortured her, but he wasn't going to stop. She should have thought of that when she was thirteen.

After hours of torture, he finally killed her. He watched from down the street as her husband walked into the house, he listened to the man's shouts and watched him come running out in tears. Lucius smiled and disapperated back to his faithful wife.

He remembered thanking her for making him realise that love only got in the way of things and that it was a silly emotion. He had never loved since and he had been better for it. It made him who he was today; a strong and powerful wizard.

He took the goblet that was on his bedside table and threw it across the room, causing it to smash against the wall. He was at a loss. Was he taking himself back to square one by falling for Hermione? She could easily crush his heart, just like Nerissa had done. But would he be able to protect it this time if she did. His choice was either take the risk for this girl who was young enough to be his daughter and on the wrong side of the war, or be done with her now and persuade the Dark Lord that he could get Potter with everything he has now.

He stood up and went over to his window. He placed his hands on the wall on either side of the window and stared at nothing in particular. How could he have let this happen? He growled as he pulled his arms back and slammed his fists into the wall. What was he going to do now?