Coming Home

"Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration." (Charles Dickens)

Eleanor sat cross-legged on the broad four-poster bed that stood in the center of Lucius' bedroom at Malfoy Manor. Not for the first time that night she raked her hands through her tousled hair looking absentmindedly at some coppery strands that remained stuck between her fingers. At this rate she'd probably be bald in the morning.

She was still too wound-up to even think of sleep, even though Nibbs now approached with yet another glass of hot, honeyed milk and a draught of Cossett's Calming Catnip potion. She motioned for the elf to put the tray on her nightstand and then dismissed him. Just because she was a nervous wreck didn't have to result in a sleepless night for the servants, too.

As the house elf bowed and left the room she smoothed down her dressing gown, reached for the milk and yet again recalled the events of the evening. Everything could be summed up on one small, neat little sentence: she had blown it.

When she had apparated in Newcastle the aurors were busy mopping up the aftermath of the raid. Three rather disheveled Death Eaters were being processed for transport to Azkaban prison, mediwizards took care of a few bruised and battered aurors and two disgruntled-looking Ministry officials were occupied with rounding up a confused and panicked family of muggles for obliviation.

Eleanor made her way through the aurors and had no problem spotting Marigold, who was talking to what appeared to be the Unspeakable in charge of the operation. The older wizard saw her approach and broke off his conversation.

"What do you think you are doing here?" he challenged her. "You are not an auror, and this is a crime scene!"

She simply ignored him. "Marigold, where's Woollett?" she asked.

"Excuse me?!" The Unspeakable did not like being disregarded, but Auror Brannock put a placating hand on his arm.

"Just a minute, sir. He's gone. Why?" she said. "You didn't come all the way up here just to give him back his cloak, did you?"

Eleanor held out the little pensieve to her with a bitter laugh. "Here, I found this in the pocket of his robes. Look for yourself."

Curious now, both Ministry employees bent over the silvery shimmer that emanated from the small stone bowl and after a few seconds Marigold drew back with an exclamation of dismay.

"Triple goddess! He did it! He put the poison on the goblet. You were right all along when you tried legilimency on him. He really couldn't remember, because he had extracted his memories before the session. No wonder he was frantic about his cloak!"

Eleanor shook her head impatiently. "Never mind that now. Where is he? Where did he go?"

Marigold looked crestfallen. "I don't know, he didn't say. He stayed during the fight and then he said he had an urgent errant. I didn't care, because we had everything well under control by then. Thought we could do without him. Plus I was sick about him whining about that damn cloak of his. I let him get away. And he's a Death Eater and an attempted murderer. Hecate, I could kick myself!"

The Unspeakable snapped the pensieve shut and looked at the two witches. "Right, we'll put out a D-59 for him. General alert for all aurors and public information with a caution for citizens not to approach as the suspect is armed and dangerous," he explained for Eleanor's benefit.

He handed the pensieve to Marigold. "Secure the evidence, auror. I'll release the alert. Don't worry," he addressed the red-haired witch. "We'll have him apprehended in no time. You will be quite safe from him. We know our job."

He patted her on the shoulder and walked away, calling two aurors to him.

Eleanor threw her hands up in frustration. "Oh, Merlin's toenails, he hasn't got a clue what's at stake here," she hissed.

Now Marigold regarded her with a lift of her eyebrow. "Well, he's right, you know," she explained. "Woollett won't be able to get near Mr. Malfoy again. We'll be watching for him everywhere, including St. Mugo's. It's all right. You're both safe. I am just so sorry I dragged him along to the Manor. I gave him the chance to poison that goblet and put Mr. Malfoy in the hospital."

Eleanor grabbed her former student by her robes. "Listen. That's not all," she said. "I need to tell you something in confidence. This has to remain between you and me, Marigold."

The young auror looked uncomfortable by now. "Look," she said. "If it's about Mr. Malfoy, I can't promise. I can't hide incriminating information."

Eleanor sighed. It seemed everyone had a chip on their shoulder regarding her lover these days. Then again the dislike between the auror and the wizard was rather mutual.

"It's not about Lucius. It's about my grandfather, my mother's father to be precise. I know you talked to Woollett in front of that mural last night, and the first time he was round for the workshop he made that snotty comment about Lucius' bloodline being so remarkable and him being such a disgrace. Of course now I know he meant a disgrace to his master. Did he ever say anything to you about my family?"

Marigold stared at her. "Your family? What's that got to do with anything?"

Eleanor shook her. "Never mind. Please just tell me. I need to know!"

"Well, he just said something like: 'Look at that: Hochfels, Sartorius, Pomeranz und Wermuth. This woman is related to everyone!' But it wasn't anything important or particular, nothing specific. Are you all right?!"

The former Durmstrang professor had blanched at the last name on the list. Woollett had seen it, he knew, and now Voldemort would know. "I really think I need to sit down," she said faintly.

She staggered over to an old, battered-looking sofa that seemed to have been at the center of some serious cursing during the recent fight and buried her face in her hands. "We're history," she mumbled. "How could I have been such an idiot? I've led him right to it."

Marigold sat down next to her and laid her hand on her back. "What's wrong? I don't understand."

Eleanor faced her. For a moment she felt desperate and weak enough to completely confide in her student, but her long acquaintance with a dark wizard and her knowledge about her own past had made her secretive.

"Through my family I have potential access to an object that would make Voldemort extremely powerful should he possess it. He knows this object exists – in fact he has known that for some time. But he always thought he could not obtain it. Now he will realize that I could provide him with it. And Woollett is probably telling him this right now as we speak. The only way I could have messed up even more would have been to owl the Dark Lord myself."

Marigold looked worried now. "What object?" she asked.

"Sorry, but I can't tell you that. As you just warned me, you can't hide incriminating information, and I don't want to get you into trouble. My only hope was to waylay Woollett, before he could get to his master, but I guess it's already too late. Even if you do find him now, the damage is done."

She got up wearily. "Look, I'll floo back home. There's nothing I can do now. I don't want to keep you from doing your job."

Marigold had offered to accompany her, feeling obviously guilty for introducing the traitorous auror, but Eleanor had only wanted to be left alone. She had returned to Malfoy Manor, carefully re-warded the place and then paced the Silver Hall for a few hours.

She should have put an invisibility spell on the mural, or at least have the elves hang a tapestry over it. She should have accepted none of her students at face value. She should never have Woollett leave the dueling room unchaperoned. She should never have offered to do the workshop for the aurors in the first place, as Lucius had suggested. She shouldn't have trusted Snape's message. She should have protected her research better from Voldemort's legilimency.

It was all her fault. Voldemort might take over the entire wizarding world, slaughter muggles and mudbloods, torture Lucius to death, kill Draco, and that would all be her fault, too.

'Defense against the Dark Arts,' she thought bitterly. 'I'm barely qualified to teach muggle studies.'

She had finally dragged herself to bed around midnight, but her mind just wouldn't shut up. Self-obliviation would be such a blessing, but was of course quite impossible. She raked her hands through her hair again and with a sigh finally slipped off her dressing gown and crept under the comforter of the bed. Her fingers trembled as she reached for the glass of milk and the calming draught. She had to try and get some sleep somehow. No one would get any use out of her if she was a bleary-eyed wreck tomorrow.


In the warm, thick darkness a hand gently slid under the soft, rich satin sheets until it encountered bare skin. Fingers trailed over the ridge of bumps of a spine, followed the bow of a rib, tapped briefly against an elbow and curved themselves lazily around the gently swelling mound of a breast.

Eleanor stirred, still trapped in sleep and instinctively scooted backwards into the direction where the hand had come from until her back moved up against the flat, muscular planes of a chest. She made a soft contented sound somewhere between a growl and a purr and snuggled up, molding her derriere into the warm and inviting curve of the thighs and abdomen of her nightly visitor.

The velvety skin of a half-erect cock caressed the sensitive flesh of her ass-crease and she repeated her sounds of contentment that were echoed by the soft groan of a male voice now.

His thumb stroked over the soft, relaxed tip of her nipple as the muscles of his arm tensed and he pulled her even closer. He could smell the faint frankincense scent of her hair now and felt her slide against him. Her voice sounded slurred and sleepy as she finally spoke his name. "L-Lucius – hmmmm…"

He breathed her in and reveled in the instinctive way she reacted to him, when suddenly the sharp point of an elbow rammed into his solar plexus, and someone bellowed "Lumos!" at the top of their lungs.

A moment later he found himself desperately gasping for breath in a blinding blaze of light, doubled up in agony and watching the sleepy, pliant woman of two seconds before on her knees on the mattress pointing her wand at him, ready to curse him to kingdom come.

"Eleanor," he wheezed and lifted an arm. The wand slipped out of her grasp and she immediately scooted back to him.

"Oh, no, Lucius! It's really you! I'm, oh, I'm so sorry!"

He coughed, still struggling for breath as she now hugged him fiercely and smothered his face in kisses. "Are you all right? I thought I was dreaming again, like the last time I'd thought you'd come home! What are you doing here? How can you give me such a scare? Oh, I'm so glad you're really back."

He put his fingers over her mouth. "Ssshh," he said. "One thing at a time. At this rate you're putting me right back in the hospital. First, can we have the lights off?"

Her green eyes were huge as she stared at him over the rim of his hand and nodded. Cautiously he freed her mouth.

"Lumos finite," she said, plunging the entire room into total darkness. Lucius still saw stars and afterimages of her shocked and belligerent naked body. With an evil grin he'd noticed that with the sudden exposure to the cooler night air her nipples had stiffened. Perhaps the rather rude awakening hadn't been a total loss after all.

"Good," he said as he reached for her. "Next, could you promise me not to elbow or otherwise hit me again?" He heard a brief snigger in the dark.

"If I find out you are really Voldemort on polyjuice, I'll have my way with you as long as you look like Lucius and then kill you," she said.

He sighed. That didn't even merit an answer. His hands now touched her again and he felt the soft skin of her shoulders and slender ridges of her collar-bones under his fingers. He moved closer and stroked gently over her neck until he felt her shiver.

"Now finally, could we decide to leave the talking for the moment and do this over from the beginning?"

He felt her move towards him on her knees until their bodies touched. "No talking?" she whispered, her lips brushing his ear. "Then this is the last I'll have to say. Let me…" Her teeth raked lightly over his earlobe. "…kiss it…" She nipped at his Adam's apple. "…all…" A quick flick of her tongue wet his left nipple. "…better."

He sank back into the pillows with a groan. She was definitely awake now as she climbed all over him, her hands, lips and tips of her breasts caressing him everywhere. He felt her lips on his mouth, nails raking lightly over his chest and down his flanks. A moment later he breathed through strands of her soft, fragrant hair as her tongue laved his neck leaving cooling trails of moisture on his skin and her hands kneaded the muscles of his shoulders and arms.

Despite their seeming randomness that kept him guessing in the dark, her caresses seemed to follow some secret game-plan, and he felt her move slowly, but inexorably down his body.

With a growl of anticipation he lifted his hands to hurry her along, but felt her shake her head against him. "Sssssh," she said and gently pushed his arms back to his sides, biting him playfully on the inside of his lightly parted thighs. "Careful with your teeth around there," he cautioned her, but only got another, sharper nip as a reply.

He should have known that she normally followed his orders to the letter, particularly when it suited her whim, and he had asked her not to talk after all.

A few seconds later he had to admit that she was putting her mouth to a much more delicious and fitting use, as her lips closed around the swollen tip of his cock and her tongue licked at the salty beads of pleasure her caresses had already teased from him. He groaned her name as she now used her hands to lift him and took him in so deep he actually felt the muscles of her throat move against him. The sensation was exquisite, and had left him both surprised and breathless when she had done it to him for the first time.

In his experience so far he had found that if he'd ever tried to force the matter with anyone he had usually got to hear gagging noises and angry rebukes from partners who chose to complain and rather sullen looks from those who very wisely chose not to.

He had interviewed Eleanor on the topic and had got an enigmatic smile from her. Finally she had revealed her secret: "It's just a simple charm, Lucius. 'One-Hundred and Thirteen Wayes to Bewitche a Wizard and Secure his Affections There-After,' by Smeralda Snapwort, chapter seven. Read it for yourself," she had said and continued with whatever she had been doing to him. It had felt so good, he had never got round to finding the book. In any case, Mrs. Snapwort obviously deserved an Order of Merlin, first class.

A few moments later Lucius did not concern himself any more with either obscure book-lore or the merits of Mrs. Snapwort's charms, but was fully occupied with enjoying the pleasures Eleanor's skilful mouth provided for him. He lifted his hands again and laced his fingers through her hair, but did not attempt to direct her movements. This time she did not pause or object.

Eleanor felt him stir restlessly beneath her and grow ever more vocal as she intensified her caresses. She knew from experience that he would not last much longer. The corners of her lips curled in an evil smile as she closed her free hand around his balls, massaging and lightly squeezing him. She was rewarded with an explosive gasp as he arched up at her touch. Fractions of a second later a hot, salty flood filled her mouth.

She swallowed and kept teasing the taut sinew that lay against her tongue with her lips on every shudder that shook him until at last his hands fisted in her hair in an agony of pleasure and he helplessly pleaded with her to stop.

She finally relented and gently released his cock against the sweat-slicked skin of his stomach, feeling his pulse race under her fingertips and stretched out beside him. She brought her lips back to his ear and whispered. "Better?"

The wizard moaned softly and an enervated hand moved to stroke her face. "I don't know," he said, sounding thoroughly exhausted, but the next minute the old Malfoy spirit reasserted itself. "Maybe we have to repeat this, just to be sure."

She chuckled, accepting the challenge. "Just wake me when you have recovered," she said.

With an effort he turned and faced her, pulling her to him. "I will take great care not to wake you ever again," he promised her. "You need a license from the Ministry of Magic for those elbows of yours." He felt her rub herself against him and winced as she touched his still sensitive cock.

"Well," she taunted him. "Perhaps then you will need to think of ways to keep me awake."

He kissed her, tasting a faint savor of himself on her lips. "I have had a most frustrating week thinking about little else. I might just about manage."

Eleanor sighed and when her fingers felt her way across his body in the dark to caress him her touch seemed to possess an almost poignant tenderness. He could hear no teasing in her voice when she next spoke. "Lucius, my love – welcome home."