Disclaimer: See chapter I
A/N: Hugs the reviewers Thanks!! I've never received so many sweet and helpful reviews before!! Thanks go to Donroth for being a very good Beta!!
About this chapter... Well, remember: Lucius is evil!
Grey
Chapter VIII
Lucius stood in a shadowed alcove, hidden in the Abandoned Owlery's wall. In his dark attire, it was as though the shadows completely sucked him in. He wouldn't be noticed.
He was impatient, eager for battle. Adrenaline sped through his veins, his senses heightened and attuned to his surroundings. He was itching for action.
This time, he would be victorious.
This time, he was fully prepared.
He would not underestimate his opponents again. He could still taste the bitterness of defeat. He was still filled with disbelief at being defeated – at being bested by Potter and his friends... and for a second time!
Now he had, by a strange twist of fate, one of the driving forces behind that silly Potter in his hands. The brains and reason behind Potter's more successful escapades had found herself in a dangerous scheme and at his disposal!
The girl didn't cease to amaze him. Being in the same year as his son, he had heard many things about her during her time at Hogwarts. Throughout the years, she had proved to him, albeit he was reluctant to accept it at first, that sometimes exceptions did exist. He had loathed the fact that the little mudblood had somehow made him consider her more than... inferior. Though, for once, it proved to him that it wasn't that hard to 'modify' his rules and beliefs should he see the benefits they had for him. Ms. Granger presented many benefits, surely… more so, as time would unfold. Yes, good things come to those who wait and patience was a virtue that Lucius possessed. He coveted all 'good' things… and should 'good' things ever come within his grasp, he didn't let go.
Four soft pops made him tense up. He spied Bellatrix with three accompanying Death Eaters. A predatory grin, concealed by the hood he wore, slid over his face as his body unconsciously assumed a battle stance.
"Flint and Cobblestone, you two take the right passage. Goyle, take the corridor along the west wing. I'll take the left corridor. Secure the passages and we'll meet again in the hall in front of the Floo office." A female voice commanded softly.
Bellatrix opened an old, rusty door and found the entrance empty, not an Auror in sight. Stealthily, the Death Eaters moved in.
Lucius decided to incapacitate the two Junior Death Eaters first. They would prove easy, he knew.
He waited a good few seconds till he knew they were all well on their way. He stalked after them, entering the right passage and quickly caught sight of the two targets. Though Flint seemed to be confident enough, Cobblestone lagged a bit behind, nervously pointing his wand at any sound he heard.
"Get moving!" Flint snarled. "You're holding me up!"
"Shut up!" Cobblestone snapped back. "I'm just careful. It's quite dark in here; who knows where Aurors are posted! I would rather not run into them!"
Lucius smirked. How convenient.
"You there! This area is prohibited! Halt!"
He swiftly ducked a Stupefying Curse and sent one of his own towards Cobblestone, who got hit and fell.
"Shit!" Lucius heard Flint hiss as the young Death Eater tried to spot the 'Auror'.
Lucius almost chuckled at the stupidity of the boy as his colourful language had given away his position. He sent a strong Binding Curse in the boy's direction and was rewarded by a string of hexes.
"Stay down and don't move!" Lucius rolled his eyes at the righteous tone of his own voice. "Reinforcements are on the way! You are hereby arrested for attacking a Ministry Official!" Lucius moved to the side, as another predictable curse was flung at him, and retaliated with another Stupefying Curse.
He heard some frantic scuffling and the hissed command of Flint. "Take this curse off of me, idiot!"
Lucius stayed in the shadows as he heard the counter spell to the Binding Curse he had cast.
"Show yourself, bastard! Lumos!" he heard Flint yell and took a couple of steps back to stay out of the light. He was just a shadow to them, Lucius knew.
"Don't make this any worse!" he called out, smirking at his acting. He warned them again as he side stepped a 'Crucio!'
"You're not going anywhere! Lay down your wands! Reinforcements will be here soon!"
As he had expected, he didn't hear any wands being dropped to the ground. "For the last time, lay down your wands! Exp--" Two soft pops stopped him and he sneered at the cowardice of the two young men. He had counted on it though and was pleased at having succeeded in the first part of his plan. The thrill of battle and the first victory coursed through him as he quickly took some secret passages to intercept Goyle.
That Death Eater would be somewhat more trouble. He had more experience, though Lucius knew he was still no match for him.
The corridor was just as dark as the other passage had been. He rapidly approached the unsuspecting Death Eater. With calculating, eager eyes, he took in the careless movements of Goyle – the man always grew lax quickly if he didn't encounter any resistance. The man obviously thought he had the element of surprise on his side.
Lucius carefully stalked him, using the darkness to his utmost advantage.
"Who goes there?!" He played. "Halt!! This area is closed off!"
He snickered softly as he saw how bad he had startled Goyle and ruthlessly took advantage of it– in no time he had Goyle on the ground, clutching his broken arm and looking for the wand he had dropped. Lucius kept up his charade of being a Ministry Official, who was impatiently and nervously waiting for reinforcements before moving in to arrest him. Though, he stayed in the shadows, making sure he wouldn't give away any hint of his true identity.
After a couple of nasty hexes, Goyle decided against getting arrested and, after finally having found his wand, apparated away as well.
Three were down. One to go. He counted on the fact that they, though defeated, wouldn't go straight to Voldemort. They would fear his wrath for failing him. They would wait for Bellatrix Lestrange, their leader, to do their dirty work and fetch them afterwards.
Now came the most satisfying part of this whole scheme.
With large steps he stormed towards the Floo office, taking secret paths and going through unknown doors and passages, knowing he would get there in time before Bellatrix would arrive. Yes, he was more than eager for this...
Hermione softly whispered a Silencing Charm to protect the entire office– they didn't want any unwanted attention, after all. Their plan depended on secrecy. After some thought, she quickly added another Silencing Charm plus some wards to shield the offices in the back, including the one which Mr Cenex had disappeared into. She might be very young, but Mr. Cenex was quite old. No insult meant, but... before he could have raised his wand in a duel he would have been hit two times over! She wasn't feeling very confident about her skills right now but she was sure she would survive longer in a fight than Mr. Cenex would! She just couldn't think about getting him involved!
She bit her lip nervously and decided that she had to get rid of that particular habit. She had barely finished the thought when the door burst open and a Death Eater stalked in, it's black robes billowing out behind it, wand raised and ready for battle.
Hermione's quick mind dismissed the Death Eater as being Bellatrix Lestrange: the form was too tall and too masculine. Those were the only clues she could make out as the voluminous robes hid much from her sight. The hood hung over its face and beneath was probably another mask.
It shot through Hermione's mind: Malfoy had missed one! Were there more? Where was Malfoy? Injured? Dead? Busy?! Now, she had to deal with at least two Death Eaters– This one and, knowing her luck, Bellatrix Lestrange would soon pop up too!
She raised her wand and shouted "Expelliarmus!" But the Death Eater was quick on its feet and neatly side stepped the spell. The spell neither deterred nor discouraged it as her opponent rapidly advanced on her. She narrowly avoided being hit by a Cruciatus Curseby quickly putting up a Shielding Charm. She backed away, as her mind spun with every curse, hex and charm she had ever learned.
Though she did make it difficult for the Death Eater, it was simply too strong and too fast for her. She was forced into defending and retreating. How could she ever hope to win if she couldn't go on the offence?
Terror manifested itself and she felt herself growing cold. Despite the rising panic, she refused to give in and kept defending herself. Though she was undoubtedly a fast and intelligent dueller, the Death Eater wouldn't give her a chance to retaliate. It left her no room for a counterattack as it kept her busy fending off its curses.
As the battle progressed, Hermione noticed that it no longer pressed its duelling advantage other than to keep her on the defence. A sickening realisation dawned on her, making her shudder with fear: The Death Eater was toying with her!
Hermione felt a wave of despair wash over her. How was she ever going to win?
In a desperate attempt to change the outcome of the battle, Hermione pretended to fall after being tripped by a curse. She lay still on the floor, while shivers crawled over her skin, as she listened carefully to the Death Eater's approaching footsteps. As it drew close, she suddenly rolled away and blasted him with a Stupefying Curse.
The Deatheater had been prepared for her move; he swiftly shielded himself with a Protego. As he calmly raised his wand, she became aware of the fact that her curse had done little to ward him off– It had only made him more dangerous. She caught a glitter of eyes and the sight made her flinch. Malice shone right out of them.
"Petr-" She tried but before she could finish, a snapped 'Expelliarmus' followed by an 'Accio Wand!' left her defenceless.
Her victorious opponent tucked her wand away in its robes as it started to stalk toward her with slow, deliberate steps. She backed away, aiming for the exit. She just might have a chance if she could only reach the door…
She didn't even have time to flee.
The Death Eater lashed out, not with its wand, but bodily. Its leather-clad hands fisted in her robes and she was whirled around and slammed into a wall, hard. Her head smashed against its solid surface and she was momentarily stunned. Her captor's grip didn't let up and the Death Eater twisted the fabric of her robes in its hands. It held her trapped against the wall by pressing its body flat against hers. It hoisted her up, slid a leg between hers, effectively immobilising her lower body. She came to her senses and tried to hit it with her fists. However, she was no match for it. Both her hands were caught in a one-handed grip, held between her body and that of the Death Eater. Terror had now firmly set in. She wriggled and thrashed, but to no avail.
The Death Eater watched her with burning eyes. She felt its stare and kept struggling in its unrelenting grip. This was not the way she had imagined the attack to go. But even in the darkest possibilities, she had never even thought about being handled in this way! She had expected to be killed or hurt badly, by curses! Not like this! Was it planning on strangling her? Use another kind of weapon? Dash her head in against the wall?
She kept staring into those strangely intense eyes, framed by the eerily silver mask. They were dark with cruel anticipation... She feared whatever it had in mind!
A very soft chuckle spurred her into another bout of wriggling but it only worked to amuse the Death Eater further. It snickered at her attempts to get free until she gave up eventually, exhausted and breathing heavily.
"Give up?" came the dark, husky whisper that made her skin crawl. She bucked, or at least she tried to, in order to get him off– but her weak move was only answered by an aggressive growl from behind the mask.
"Silly girl," he snapped, "You're no match for me." He brought their faces close together and she had no choice but to stare back into his eyes.
"Afraid now, girl?" he asked in a breathy voice. He brought up his free hand and grabbed her hair, yanking it so her throat was bared. Hermione swallowed with difficulty. She expected to feel a knife at any moment– to be slaughtered like an animal.
His next action frightened her perhaps even more than if he indeed had set a knife on her throat. He leaned forward and laid his head in the hollow between her head and shoulders. His warm breath flowed over the skin of her throat, causing her to whimper. What was he doing?!
He let go of the painful grip on her hair and trailed his hand slowly, almost gently, through the curls and strands. She choked at the mocking action but froze as it trailed over her cheek and nose, and finally as it settled on her mouth.
"Very soft," was the husky whisper and her eyes widened at the sudden hungry rage in his malicious eyes. She flinched from the pure stark evil pouring out of them.
Again, she could hear that same cruel, ruthless chuckle at seeing her horrified expression. He viciously pried her jaw open and invaded her mouth with two digits, almost choking her. Her muffled scream made his eyes lighten with satisfaction. Suddenly, his intentions seemed quite clear and she felt cold realisation slam into her.
He let go of her hands, but she could do no more than grab two handfuls of cloth and tug at it. Of course it didn't help her any. He wasn't in the least bothered by her attempts to pry him off her and he effortlessly kept her whole body firmly pressed against the hard wall by using his own unyielding one. He paid her struggles no heed, thus feeding her feelings of panic.
She had never learned to deal with... this! With this kind of attack! She had never thought about this... How could they, as they claimed to be disgusted with her and her 'kind', touch her in such a way?!
She stared at the top of his head, still covered by his hood. His breath continued to stroke her skin making her shudder even more violently. He raised his head to take in her face with wicked pleasure. Her gasps and cries were muffled as she stared in his eyes, caught and frozen by the sheer malice seething in them. The terrifying gaze was broken as he lowered his head, resuming its former position, teasing the soft skin of her throat with his warm breaths. She froze as his tongue laved her skin, leaving a trail of moisture. She gagged on her scream.
"Hush," came the mocking whisper and he let his other hand travel up from between them till it cupped her breast. She convulsed in his hold, trying to get away. Her eyes were brimming with tears as she felt his humiliating touch. His thumb started to softly flick over her nipple and the tears of shame and panic started to leak out. She felt disgusted, trapped, helpless, furious– but most of all– she felt the disbelief of what was happening to her. It was something she could neither understand nor process.
She bit down hard on the fingers in her mouth, but couldn't get through the thick leather, earning herself a rough twist of her nipple. At her whimper, he let out a harsh, cruel laugh. "Be a good girl," was hissed in her ear and she closed her eyes, trying to deny everything that was happening to her. Maybe if she just pretended nothing was happening, she could believe it... Maybe if she could distance herself away from the event, it wouldn't be happening...
His leg slowly insinuated itself higher between her legs, forcing them further apart, until his thigh was pressed firmly against her. She hated the ease with which he overpowered her. This was so unfair! Her mind wouldn't grasp the reality of the situation yet she couldn't escape it either as the hand at her breast slowly travelled down, over her side, caressing, till it rested on her thigh. It moved inward and…
No! She gagged on his fingers as she tried to breath and scream at the same time and– no! No! This was... He couldn't touch her there!– No!
In anguish, Hermione twisted her body in a desperate attempt to loosen his grip. She tried to hit him but he ignored her struggles as he – NO!
Suddenly, the sound of hasty footsteps could be heard and Hermione felt almost giddy with relief. Someone was coming! Someone who could help her and– She stared at the Death Eater as he slowly raised his head to regard the entrance.
"Well, finally!" The soft exclamation was filled with an emotion Hermione couldn't really identify, though she shuddered at the coldness in his eyes as he turned to her again. She suddenly realised who it could possibly be... Dread filled her and she moaned with the crushing feeling of defeat. Of course... another Death Eater. Bellatrix Lestrange.
Her captor almost purred at seeing the desperation on her face. "Now, here she comes. Don't be afraid, darling... Just keep this up, Miss Granger... After all, you're playing along just wonderfully..." He whispered into her ear.
She gasped and nearly choked again as she stared aghast in terror at the man who was keeping her trapped. A painful realisation dawned in her mind. She could now see the grey eyes that had become quite familiar to her. The same wizard with the arrogant drawl in his voice.
If only, it made the humiliation – the degradation – that much worse!
This man, whom she absolutely loathed, had used her in such a way that could not have been more hurtful nor effective. Lucius Malfoy, the man whom she had offered to help! The irony made her sick. The worst of it was that she should have suspected something like this. She should have... Now, he had bested her, so easily... It hurt. All the confidence, for which she had worked so hard, had just disappeared...
But why did he have to assault her in such a way? Why did he have to show his disregard for her in such a way? Why... Why did he hold such contempt and indifference that he could use her in such a way?
"You look quite... fetching like this; helpless and hopeless. Now be a good girl and let me take care of our soon to be captive." His slightly breathless whisper brought her back out of her tumultuous thoughts. He withdrew his fingers from her mouth, and trailed them slowly over her lips in another mocking, wrong caress. At least she could breath and swallow normally again...
He kept her trapped, though. He had drawn his wand and held it ready, pointed at her face. The position became even more uncomfortable for her as he forced her even further to let her weight rest on his frame. She felt his hand tighten on the inside of her thigh, and she knew there would be a bruise. Hermione almost laughed, quite hysterically at that, as the inane thought tumbled through her mind. This was much too intimate, his hands on her body, and... An inaudible sigh escaped her. She was suddenly so tired, so exhausted...
The thought kept repeating in her head: How could he use her in such a way? How could he do this to her?
"Ah, I see you caught the girl! But did I give permission to play with her? No, I didn't. Don't worry, though. There will be time enough for that later, after I and our Lord are finished with her. Put her down, now. Tell me, where are the others?" The voice of Bellatrix Lestrange cut through Hermione's inner ramblings and she stiffened even further as she saw the female Death Eater approach them, wand out.
"Didn't you hear me, Cobblest–" Bellatrix cut herself off as Lucius put the trembling girl down and turned around to face the other Death Eater.
"Cobblestone?" There was a slight measure of confusion and puzzlement in her voice. "You're not–"
"No, I'm not Cobblestone, my dear Bellatrix."
"Lucius!" The woman snarled in recognition. "What the hell are you doing here?! Why did you interfere? Does the Lord know of this? If not, then... You could have endangered our mission! Now, did you see the others?"
"I've seen them."
The woman practically spat her words out in impatience. "Yes… And?! We have no time for your games, Lucius!"
"I assure you, I'm not playing a game here." He took a step towards the bristling woman. "Yes, I've seen the others... They've met some resistance and fled."
"Resistance?! The place is almost deserted! Just like them to run into the few remaining Aurors! Pitiful!" She snarled.
"Aurors?" Lucius drawled thoughtfully, though his eyes remained fixed on the madwoman. "No. No Aurors." He leisurely watched the woman's famous temper rise.
"Lucius," she hissed angrily, "If you can't give me a normal answer, just shut up and stand aside."
"Do you want a normal answer? Do you really want to know why I am here?" Lucius' voice had dropped to a harsh hiss, giving away his fury, however tightly controlled. His movements were calculated, predatory, as he stalked toward the Death Eater.
"Isn't that just what I asked?! Just stand back, Lucius!!" Bellatrix snapped, and tried to brush past him to get to the girl huddled against the wall.
"Not so fast." He gave the woman a rough shove and she stumbled back, trying not to loose her balance.
She quickly regained her wits and trained her wand on him. "What is this? I'm in charge here. What do you want?" She asked slowly, obviously irritated.
"You're slow, Bellatrix. Don't you get it?"
"Get what?! Are you trying to take that girl, my victory, away from me? Do you want the rewards all for yourself? You always were selfish." Bellatrix sneered at him.
"Oh, yes, that I am... But this isn't about Miss Granger. No... Though she is quite useful, isn't she? Such pretty bait..."
"Bait?!" The woman snarled, trying to hide her confusion.
"Of course. I know you, Bellatrix – quite well, actually. I knew you couldn't stand being bested by a mudblood. Your own weakness, your hate for mudbloods, has let you walk right into my little trap. Really, you've become very careless." His voice was full of disdain for the female Death Eater.
"Trap?! What are you – Enough! I don't know what you're doing here exactly, but I'm not going to stay here and listen to your babbling! My Lord waits for me! Cr-"
She wasn't fast enough, however. Lucius had anticipated her hasty attack and had quickly made her harmless by casting a Petrificus Totalus. The woman dropped to the ground, wand rolling out of her suddenly inert hand.
"Yes, trap. You didn't think I would just let it slide, did you? Ah, I see you clearly have no notion of what I'm talking about… How quickly you forget your victims..." He roughly pulled the hood off the woman's face, looking right into her eyes. "My son, Draco. Your nephew, though you never have given him one thought. My own son, whom you delighted in teaching a lesson. You are so easily fooled, you and your master," the word dripped with venom. "Did you really think I would just stand by and let my own son be killed off like some rabid animal, and just approve!? He is my family. You shouldn't have touched him! You know the Malfoys' history. Voldemort should have honoured me! And this is what I get after many years of loyalty!? Obviously, it was sorely misplaced." His voice was chillingly soft as he slowly picked up Bellatrix's wand and then, in one swift move, broke it. Though the woman couldn't make a sound, her wide-open mouth, her eyes lit with an insane light and the spittle running down her cheek were telltale of her fury.
"You tried to kill my son. Voldemort tried to kill my son. And you will pay. You all will pay. You are going to give us some nice information about that damned maniac and you're going to confirm some of my suspicions, now aren't you?" His voice dropped to such a low, menacing whisper that Hermione almost couldn't hear him anymore. "And once you've told us everything... I will finish you."
He turned back to Hermione and tossed her back her wand. He curtly snapped 'Mobilicorpus' and the bound woman begun to float. He started for the door of the Floo office, the stunned Death Eater in his tow.
"Good work, Miss Granger," he said over his shoulder, almost as an afterthought. She watched him disappear out of the office, noticing his confident gait and the arrogant air. She felt nauseous and suddenly very, very small.
A/N What do you think? Like I said, Lucius isn't a nice person and in my mind, he's cold, ruthless and merciless... Don't worry though, Hermione will come out of this stronger. I just hope I haven't lost many readers because of this... Review please and tell me what you think!
Review Responses!!
Blue Jay: Me? Evil? You've got me figured out!! And about the plan... It did work, didn't it?
Arsinoe de Blassenville: Glad to know you find the fading of their friendship realistic. And about Bellatrix Lestrange... Maybe not as violent as you might have wanted... But she'll appear again later!
Kellalor: Yep!! I always wanted to end with a cliff-hanger!!
Donroth: Maybe the last chapter was indeed a bit choppy... But it wasn't because I felt pressured or something! If I think a chapter isn't ready, I won't post it. But I couldn't do anything more to improve chapter VII so I posted it anyway.
Saiyachick: Good to know you haven't lost your interest in DBZ. Neither have I!! Vegeta is lurking somewhere in the corners of my mind, ready to drag me back to the sequel, Out of Control and Ruthless!
Harry Hippie: Well, Harry is having some problems, which I don't find strange, considering what he has gone through. He just isn't dealing with everything very well!
Athena Linborn: Yes, in some very strange, twisted way, I think Lucius feels something for Hermione. And thanks for the offer! I will take you up on it!
Anni: No, he wasn't really trying to avoid the Oath... He just thought it wasn't necessary as he considers Hermione as an asset.
Jenanna: Thanks! I'm working hard to keep them as real as possible.
Belladonnaessence: Awww, thanks!! But much of your praise should go to Lucius, of course!! He's such a nice character to write!! In fact, I love writing the bad boys- err, men.
Wackoramaco87: Do you still think Lucius is a bit nice? And about the sequel; it's a sequel to one of my DBZ fics. But after this story, who knows? Maybe another LM/HG story... I simply love this pairing!
The Mad Madame: You're figuring it out! Hopefully I didn't keep you waiting too long!
Atlas452: I hope this is fast enough for you! I give you a fair warning: the LM/HG pairing is addictive!!
DarkRoseBlood: Don't say you're sorry!! Thanks for reviewing again!! I'm glad you like the plot and Lucius! Tell me what you think of this chapter! (Please??)
Wretched Beauty: Tada!! More LM/HG interaction! Do you like it?
BbyChick: I'm happy you decided to read on even if it was a boring to you. This chapter has some more action too!
SlytherinDragoon: Well, here's the chapter with the action!
Jay: Lucius didn't really harm Hermione in a physical way but he is playing with her mind. We'll see what the effects are.
Magnolia-Thunder-Kitten: Ah! Another LM/HG fan! Good!! Sorry about the cliff-hanger (... I think )!
Rachel: What's inside Lucius head?! Do you have a couple of hours? Days? I think he's a very complicated character, or at least, he could be really complicated! That's how I like him the best!
Sandy Girvan: Thank you!! I hope I can continue to impress you!
Darwick: Where's the romance? Well, the real romantic stuff will come later in the story, as is the R-rating. But this chapter isn't that nice either, so it's a good precaution, I think.
Tamlane: Wow another long review from you! Honestly, I'm so flattered!! About everything!! Me being Dutch only encourages me to study harder and write, read and listen more, so I'll keep getting better bit by bit. And is president Bush that bad? Though I've read some about his mistakes while doing speeches. And I live to torment my readers!! But I hope you still like this story after this chapter. I don't know how the response will be. Some will be shocked and disappointed, but to me, Lucius isn't nice and he always gets what he wants. And he likes to play with Hermione and in this chapter, he got both. But he will continue to tease her, though it may be some time before Hermione will trust him again... Thanks again for the review!
Dunebird: Thank you very much!! Only the second one? What was the other? Maybe I haven't read it yet! About your tip... I think this chapter only proves his creepiness. And thanks for the advice. I do actually know what bugger means... I feel so stupid!!
Shyngr8: That was my problem too; too few of Lm/HG fanfics out there! I'm happy you finding mine a good one!! Thanks!!
A/N: I guess there may be some question about the mask Lucius wears. I think I did read something about them having an opening for where the mouth is; (to me) it's quite logical because the mask could have hindered the Death Eaters otherwise. When a spell is muffled, muttered or the incantation is just wrong the spell goes awry or doesn't work at all!