Disclaimer: I don't Harry Potter, I only own this fan fic.

A/N: I can do proper thank yous this time. D.S - Yep, tis a very naughty fic but not as naughty as some of the ones that I've read. MiSSxMELON - I think that was the first time I'd managed to keep Lucius in character, but you're gonna hate me in this chapter. It's OOC galore. I couldn't help it.:-) allana - Will there ever be a time you don't like this story? I hope not. hotskittles - That good is it? Well I hope this chapter is up to scratch for you. chrizy - How do you hope it turns out? Thank you for reviewing.:-) Someonelse - I'm really glad you liked this story enough to read it again after not reading it for a while. I hope you like what is to come. T'Lorie - Things are certainly starting to happen. I thought I had dragged it out long enough so I'm speeding it up a bit. Enjoy. SemiCharmed - Thank you for telling me about Elizabeth Smart, it actually made this chapter a little easier to write. Hope you like this chapter. CharmedLeoLvr - Here it is, you don't have to wait any longer. Hope you like. Angelzeus - It's about bloody time you reviewed. Of course you're forgiven, just stop disappearing and abandoning your good friend, the net.;-) Midnight Lilly - You're right. It is only a tiny start. He has to suffer. Elizabeth - What do you think of this chapter? Let me know. renee - Thank you for reviewing and I hope you continue to read this story. He-loves-me-not - Thank you for reviewing and it was really kind of you to help with my writing. I will try my best to improve it but I doubt that I can stop myself from making Lucius OOC, it's justa habit I can't seem to break with this character. SnapeSeraphin - Cliffies are definitely horrible, but you find the more you do the them, the more people review.;-)

Okay, I don't know if I like this chapter but I'm posting it anyway. I'm putting a warning on this chapter......not because of any smut (get your heads out of the gutter people). No, it's because LUCIUS IS EXTREMELY OOC in this chapter. I cannot tell you how difficult it is to keep him in character and make my story work. I will totally understand if you flame me. But apart from that, I hope you enjoy.

Chapter Twenty

It had been nearly three weeks since Christmas and things were starting to feel normal for Hermione. She had gone back to school and threw herself into her schoolwork. She was getting excellent marks, as usual,even with all the workload from the looming NEWTs. She had given up her prefect badge and duties. She had tried to do them on her first night back at the school but felt extremely panicked by being on her own for so long. She didn't feel safe enough to be alone where anyone could walk round the corner.

She had worried about having to see the younger Malfoy but since she had been back from the Christmas holidays, he had been subdued. He never taunted anyone and was rarely seen with his bodyguards. This suited her just fine as she doubted that she had the strength and confidence to stand up to him.

Also since she had been back, she was being taught Occlumency by Snape. He was his usual cold and bitter self but she was a quicker learner than Harry so there was no reason for him to berate her as often he did with Harry. The one thing that did annoy her was that he always seemed to look at her with a very strange look. It was almost as though he knew something that he wanted to torment her with.

She had never replied to Lucius' letter. Even though she knew she loved him, she felt it was pointless to do anything about it. How could it possibly work? She had been questioned a few more times by the ministry but always she told them the same; that any time she saw someone, they had their mask on. She was surprised that Snape hadn't gone running with the information but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Her wounds had finally healed after going through many potions to heal them. Madam Pomfrey had refused to give up until she found one. It was a relatively slow process; compared to if she had gone to St. Mungo's, and one that she never wanted to repeat again.

Hermione had been hidden by a pile of books in the library when McGonagall had found her and told her that the headmaster wanted to see her. So there she was, sat in front of his desk watching him pour some tea for her. The paintings around her were all snoring in their frames while Fawkes eyed her up.

"How have you been, Miss Granger?" He asked while pouring himself a cup of tea.

"Fine, thank you. I'm sorry I could no longer be a prefect." She took the hot cup off him as she said it, thankful for the heat as the library could get nippy in the winter.

"That's good to hear." She noted that his voice was serious and he hadn't smiled once since she had arrived. He sat back in his chair and clasped his hands over his stomach. He seemed deep in thought while Hermione sipped her tea. She looked round the room at all the different magical contraptions in his office. She was dying to have a look at them but now wasn't the time. Finally he spoke. "I believe it is time you told me everything, Hermione." The cup slipped at the shock of what he had said. Surely he could not mean what she thought he meant. "I will keep this between you and me but I need to know what really happened."

"Why do you need to know?" Her voice was shaky at the thought of having to tell her headmaster her most private feelings. She knew that he knew the whole truth; she just thought that he wouldn't ask until she said something.

"I need your faith in something and if I'm not mistaken, I may already have it." Hermione frowned at what he was saying. He smiled softly at her. "You'll be a great help to the Order if you could just tell me." She felt a little insecure at giving up the truth of what really happened. However, if it helped the Order in any way then it would be worth it. Besides, she could always count on his word to keep it to himself.

She plucked up the courage to bare her heart to him and began the arduous task of telling him everything she had missed out the first time round. He never stopped her, never questioned her, he did what Mrs Weasley did; he simply listened. Once she finished, she drank her tea in one gulp. Her hands were trembling and a little clammy but it made her feel relieved again. It really did work to talk about it.

Dumbledore was leaning on his clasped hands, looking down at his desk, deep in concentration. It still amazed him the power of human emotion. Even after everything, she still loved him and wanted to be loved by him. It truly was impossible to decide who you fall in love with.

"I'm going to ask you one question and I want you to answer it thesecond I ask you without thinking. Can you do that?" He finally asked her after what seemed like an eternity of silence between them. She nodded. "Is Lucius Malfoy someone you could trust and work closely with?"

"Yes." She said instantly. She blinked in amazement. When had that happened? A Malfoy was someone never to be trusted.

"Then you'll be pleased to know that he has joined the Order." His sparkle and mischievous smile came back instantly and he was looking at something behind her. Before she could turn round, she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders. Blond hair brushed past her face before she heard his whisper.

"Maybe in time I could earn your forgiveness." He let go of her and sat in the chair by her. Her eyes were still wide in disbelief. She couldn't stop glancing between the two men in the room. She wanted to ask a million questions but none would form on her lips. She couldn't even work out how she felt about the situation. In the end she sank back into her chair, giving up on any chance of a rational thought running through her mind.

"In exchange for his help he won't be handed over to the ministry. Can you live with that?" Dumbledore asked, his seriousness back again. She nodded absentmindedly. "That doesn't mean that I condone what he has done to you, Hermione." He gave a sharp look towards Lucius' direction and he firmly held it back. "But I believe we have him as an ally without any doubts of him going back on his word. We have you to thank for that." She looked up at the old man in confusion.

"I didn't do anything." Her tone flat, all emotions had disappeared with all sensible thoughts.

"You loved someone for who they were, without them changing, and that can be more powerful than anything in the world." He explained to her. She looked across at Lucius to find him staring at her.

"Why are you here? No one changes sides just like that." She was sure she saw a flicker of hurt on his face, she couldn't be sure, it disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. Dumbledore stood up and walked to the entrance of his office.

"I shall be back in ten minutes. I have this sudden craving for liquorice allsorts. Have you heard of them, Lucius?" The blond man shook his head in annoyance. "What a shame." On that last note he promptly left. Once the door was shut, Lucius moved closer to Hermione and took her right hand in both of his.

"I have loved only once before you, Hermione, and it caused me a great deal of pain. I vowed that it would never happen again. Then I met you. I don't mean in passing with Potter. I mean I really met you for the first time. I tried everything in my power to stop myself from falling in love with you, but you don't choose who you love. When you escaped, it hit me then that the pain was going to happen all over again. I can't and won't allow that to happen. I truly mean it, with no hidden agenda, no lies, when I say that I will do anything to be with you." He had been looking down at her hand that he was holding the whole time he was talking. He felt like a little boy, he didn't know that anyone could have the power to reduce him to a nervous wreck like this.

Finally, he looked up at her to find she had tears in her eyes but was smiling at him. For the first time, she saw him smile a real genuine smile. His eyes had lit up and were dancing. They had so much to say but it was all somehow said in the look they gave each other.

"It still doesn't mean that we can just be together." She told him bluntly.

"I know." He held her hand tightly. "I need to hear it from you. Is it true?"

"I love you so much that it hurts." She wasn't sure how she knew that was what he needed to hear. He gently cupped her face with his hand and gave her a quick kiss. They broke their contact with each other and sat back in their chairs. "You're going to have towork hard for people's trust. You've done a lot of damage." He felt his jaw clench at the reality of what he was going to have to do earn respect from people. "And don't think for one minute that money can buy you it this time." He flinched inwardly at how blunt she was being. It was what he needed though. The door opened behind them and a humming Dumbledore came floating back into the room. He sat back down at his desk with a packet of liquorice allsorts. She smiled at remembering how her father loved them when she was little.

"Right, shall we begin?" He chortled as he lay the packet down. It was a long and tedious afternoon discussing plans and what was going to happen. Nevertheless, it was all for the greater good. It had been decided that Lucius would be introduced to the rest of the Order individually. If they did it in a group, it could go very wrong. So they would start with Mrs Weasley.

Telling Harry and Ron what was going on would be Hermione's decision, and it was one that she wouldn't make lightly. So much lay ahead of them and they were all worried about the outcome of it all, but it was still what they needed to do to bring safety back into their world. This was the beginning of the most dangerous times of their lives. And one question hung in the air. Would they live through it?