Disclaimer: I'm in a bad mood and don't want to say it's not mine, so there.

A/N: On with the thank yous. CharmedLeoLvr - I'm glad you liked that scene. I didn't know if I should leave it in. hotskittles - Thanks to a friend of mine, I also like HG/SS and am currently working on one of my own. But it won't be up until this one is done. Hope you like this update. sexy-jess - Well, sexy jess, I am pleased to inform you that you are the proud owner of the 200th review. Thank you so much for taking the time to review. maile - I know exactly what you mean about this pairing. I stayed well away until I read a really good one, then that was it, I was hooked and had to write my own. sarcastic - I would love to be able to lurk as well but I'm too clumsy. I'd probably fall over trying to jump out and scare them. allana - Don't you dare take him back, missy. And big hugs to you and wishes for a better bloke for you.:-) DSMelody - I have every intention to keep writing, I'm glad you like it.

Well, everyone, I can safely say this chapter is absolutely rubbish, but it was the best I can do to get me to where I want to go. So read it and try to enjoy it....lie to me if you don't, I've had a crappy day. Cheerio!

Chapter Twenty-Two

Hermione was the first to arrive for the meeting. She quietly took her seat in the corner while Dumbledore put away his pensieve. She watched the old man as he pottered around his office putting things away and chuckling to himself every now and then over something in his office. After ten minutes, the next person arrived; Lupin. He smiled at them both and took a seat next to Hermione.

"None of the Weasley's can make this meeting, or Tonks. They're a little busy this week." Lupin informed the headmaster as he made himself comfortable. "How are you, Hermione? You're looking well."

"I'm a little nervous." She told them quietly. "I told Harry and Ron about Lucius." She was nervously twisting her hands together as she spoke. She had been avoiding them the past two days, giving them chance to adjust to what she had told them. "They didn't exactly take it well."

"And can you blame them? I can't believe you want to trust him after everything he's done." Lupin snapped at her. Her head instantly dropped with a blush present on her cheeks.

"Remus, we've discussed this. Hermione and I both trust Mr Malfoy. I especially believe he will be the turning point in this war that is being waged by Voldemort." Dumbledore gently warned him with a stern gaze.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I shouldn't have snapped like that. It's just that I'm not as forgiving as you." He took her hand and held it tightly close to his chest. "Can you forgive a silly fool?" She glanced at him with a smile.

"There's nothing to forgive." She spoke gently. He gave her hand another squeeze and let it go. "I hope they come." A silence fell on the room as they waited for the rest to arrive. Lucius was next, who spoke to no one as he sat on the only chair left next to Hermione. Slowly the Order members arrived but not as many as they usually had; they were all so busy these days with arrangements to protect the school. Finally everyone that was expected was there, but there was no Harry and Ron.

Dumbledore declared that the meeting had started and they began discussing about new information anyone had. Hermione began to blank out the conversations, feeling miserable that her friends hadn't trusted her enough. The meeting was nearly over when there was a knock at the door. Dumbledore called for them to enter. Hermione almost fell off her seat when Harry and Ron walked in.

"The meeting's nearly over, gentlemen." Dumbledore told them, his eyes were twinkling like stars at the fact they were here.

"Hermione never told us what time it started." Ron explained for their tardiness while looking at her. Harry had walked over to Lucius and the atmosphere suddenly cooled a little. Hermione immediately tensed at the glares that were being passed between them. Gradually Harry raised his hand to Lucius.

"If Hermione can trust you then so can we." Harry told him stiffly. She watched them shake hands, if that's what you wanted to call it. To her it looked like they were trying to break each other's hands. Ron moved over to them and offered his hand to him. Lucius reluctantly shook it.

"This doesn't make us friends." Ron spat as he snatched his hand back. Lucius smirked at him.

"I wouldn't dream of it." The blond haired man sneered. The three of them were still glaring at each other until Dumbledore coughed politely.

"I believe the meeting is officially over. We will discuss our plans with our newest members next week." Dumbledore told them in a voice that made everyone leave instantly bar Hermione, Harry, Ron and Lucius. The headmaster was pleased that these two young men had the strength to put aside their differences with Lucius Malfoy, but it was reasonably apparent that the situation needed to be handled now. "Gentlemen, if you would please take a seat." He watched them over his half moon glasses while they took seats away from Hermione and Lucius. "To continue with this situation, and for Hermione's best interests, I believe we need an understanding. The differences you have need to be put in the past. There is to be no more arguing, is that understood?"

"Do not talk to me like a child, Albus." Lucius scolded him lazily as he stood up. He picked his cane and cloak up and gave Dumbledore a piercing stare. "You have my word that I'm not here to cause trouble, now before I go, I would like to have a word with Miss Granger……outside." He gave a curt nod to the old man and ignored the two young men, before storming out of the room. Hermione smiled feebly at them as she got up to follow Lucius.

"What makes you think he can be trusted?" Harry turned on Dumbledore. "Snape's one thing, but him." Ron nodded in agreement.

"Harry, that's Professor Snape to you." He gently warned him while giving him a stern look over his half moon glasses. "Mr Malfoy has my full support and trust in joining the Order. I hope that you can do the same." His tone was final, signalling the conversation was over. Ron stood up and pulled the glaring Harry out of the office. How could he risk everyone's safety like that? What was he playing at? He wanted Hermione to be happy again but it was going to be a difficult task to keep his anger masked.

Hermione was waiting for them at the bottom of the staircase with a big grin. She pulled them both into a hug.

"Thank you." She whispered into their ears.

"He better be worth it, Hermione, because I'll have no problems saying 'I told you so' when he hurts you and betrays the Order." Harry angrily told her as he pulled away. He stormed off down the corridor, leaving Hermione and Ron to chase after him. They marched quietly through the school without as much as a smile to any of the passing students.

"What's wrong with loving someone your own age?" Ron suddenly demanded as they started to walk up the stairs. She frowned at him as she spoke.

"You don't control who you fall in love with, Ron. Do you really think I would have picked Lucius Malfoy if I'd had a choice? Do you really believe that he would have picked me to love? A muggle born? A mudblood?" The two males came to halt on the same step. She went up a couple more steps before turning round to face them. "I love him. I trust him. I don't want you to accept, that's too much to ask of you. I just need you to be there for me. I don't have my parents to help me understand what I'm going through, so I really need my best friends to be there for me if I fall. Can you do this one thing for me?" She bit hard on her bottom lip, refusing to let any tears flow. She continued to walk up the stairs when there was no response from them, just blank expressions.

Harry suddenly felt ashamed about how he had just treated her. She didn't deserve that, she had done nothing wrong. It was Malfoy who had deserved his anger, and Voldemort. He clenched his fists as he thought about the pain and suffering these two people alone had caused. Ron gave him a nudge for them to chase after Hermione.

Once they reached her, Ron threw his arm round her shoulder.

"Now, about this Defence homework, will you please help me?" The red head grinned goofily at her.

"You are never going to change, Ron. I will look at it but that's all." She told him so sternly that it almost sounded like she had been taking 'stern lessons' off McGonagall.

A silent understanding passed between the three friends after that day. They never spoke about Hermione's feelings towards Lucius, nor did they mention her kidnapping. A civil tone was always kept between the Harry, Ron and Lucius, should they have to speak to each other at the meetings. This was something that had sealed that bond of friendship even more between them without them even realising it. But Dumbledore had and he felt sad that there weren't more friendships like theirs.

Lucius sunk dejected into a chair by the fireplace in his living room. He threw his cane to the floor and roughly rubbed his face. He had never realised the challenge of being in love could be so difficult. But would it all be worth it in the end? She was the same age as his son. Should they live through this, and after she graduated, then what? Would she want to be with someone twice her age? Would they still feel the same once it was all out in the open and they could express their feelings freely?

He felt a sharp pull at his heart, enough for him to gasp. How could he think like that? He loved her so much that it physically hurt. It would work, it had to. He needed to think of their future and make some sort of plan but how could he do that when it was so unclear?

"If you continue to put your thoughts on display, then you're not going to live for every long." A cold voice spoke next to him. He looked up to find Snape looming over him.

"I wish you would stop paying me unexpected visits like this. This is the fifth in less than a month. People will talk." Snape sneered at him. "Take a seat, Severus." The dark haired man sat in the chair next to him.

"He's ready to trust you again." Snape informed him as he sat down. "He has come back from America with nearly fifty Death Eaters." Lucius' eyes went wide.

"Fifty? We won't be able to cope with an attack like that." He looked wildly round the room as though expecting some sort of solution to pop out of the furniture. "Have you told, Albus?"

"Just. He remains resolute in that we can defeat him, but even I'm beginning to feel wearisome about the attack. The scales are not tipping towards our side." There was a dishearten tone his voice. He had never felt so worried since he had joined the Order. He had always deemed the Order to be winners, only now his faith was wavering.

"How are we going to do this, Severus? All those children." There was a hint of terror in his voice.

"My, Miss Granger certainly has changed you. I never thought that I would have seen compassion from you, Lucius. Especially towards children that are not pureblood." Snape taunted him. Lucius scowled at him.

"This is not a time to pick at my faults." He snapped. "How long has he been back?"

"Two days. He has spoken to me about calling you back into the circle. So you may want to start clearing your mind now or we'll both be done for." Both men kept a coolness about them but they were deeply concerned, not that they would admit it to anyone. It was then that it dawned on Lucius how much he had changed in such an incredibly short time. He found himself wondering what his life would have been like had Nerissa returned his feelings. A sharp pain shot through his left forearm causing him to come back to reality abruptly. He looked across to Severus who was gripping his left arm. "We'll now be able to see if you can pull off the job I've been doing for nearly twenty years."

They both stood up and with a last look at each other; they apparated. Lucius' ultimate test was now here. Would he truly be able to this for Hermione?