Rising Temptations

Disclaimer: Oh you know the deal. The plot's mine and that's it.

A/N: HEY! I'm back haha. Well, Cambridge was absolutely amazing. The past month has been an experience of a lifetime. I don't think I've had a more rewarding summer than this one. Well if I give everydetail about it, this chapter will be longer than my story lol. Soo...I'm sure you all want the rest of this chapter. I've included the first part just in case you've all forgotten about it. Enjoy!

Chapter 16 – The Deadly Encounter:

Hermione woke up the next day feeling a million times better. During her few hours of deep sleep, her mind subconsciously came to a brilliant solution. The previous night she wondered over her heartbreak if she really loved Draco. The answer was simple: she didn't. It was that stupid curse back at Ron's house. Hermione sat up and stretched. How could a girl so smart forget a single detail like that? It made perfect sense. The curse made her feel all the pain and hurt she experienced last night. It made her jealous when Ginny told her the news. It made her cry herself to sleep thinking her heart will never heal. Knowing the reasoning of her feelings at last, Hermione was ready to forget all this and move on. In fact, she was happy for Ginny and Draco. Dressing quickly, she wondered if she was the first to wake. Knowing the rest of her Common Room mates, she probably was. 'At least I'll get the bathroom all for myself.' Hermione opened her door and paused for a split second, staring at the Head Boy's closed door across from her. Shaking her head and clearing her mind, she started walking to the stairs. Then she heard something. It was so quiet she didn't notice at first. The noise sounded like whispering, and it came from Draco's room. At first Hermione thought Draco was sleep-talking, but soon extinguished that thought when she heard a louder, deeper voice.

"Don't tell me to be quiet, boy. Listen to me."

Hermione gasped silently and froze, straining her ears. The quieter voice rose and became more distinct.

"Father, there are others living here. Do you want to wake them?"

"Draco, don't talk back to me. I'm here to settle a few matters at hand. Matters concerning you."

"Fine, say what you have to say, and then leave. Unless you want Dumbledore to find out, which I personally don't have a problem with."

Hermione was not sure that Draco was speaking to none other, than Lucius Malfoy. She quickly covered her mouth when she heard a quiet but harsh slap coming from the room.

"You need to learn how to speak to your superiors. Or are you just too busy screwing with every girl here. I came when I heard that not only were you involved with a mudblood, but now the daughter of that loser Weasley! Are you trying to shame the family name, Draco?"

"What I do is none of you business. They were merely for pleasure, father. Nothing more I can assure you."

Hermione heard Lucius sneer. "If you wanted pleasure there are plenty of pure bloods at Hogwarts. This better end now; you wouldn't want the Dark Lord to find out. You do know that any day, it will happen."

"Thank you for reminding me once again, father." Draco replied sarcastically. "Haven't I told you I have no interest in replacing the Dark Lord? If you came to convince me to join once again, then you're wasting your time."

"Stop talking all this foolishness. You will join whether or not you want to or not. That is an order. I bet that red-headed Weasley has messed up your head. Not to mention the mudblood as well. If talking to you won't cut it, then I must resort to an alternative method."

To Hermione's horror, footsteps grew louder and louder towards Draco's door. She ran as fast as she could into her room and shut her door as quietly and quickly as possible. Just as she expected, Draco's door opened and brisk footsteps were heard walking out and down the stairs. A moment later, the portrait door opened and shut. Figuring it was safe; Hermione opened her door and saw Draco sitting on top of his bed, staring intently out the window. She figured she shouldn't tell him she heard the whole conversation. Hearing Hermione's footsteps, Draco turned. Hermione didn't know what to say so she just nodded at him. Draco returned the greeting. Downstairs, thoughts raced through her mind. 'How can he just sit there knowing his father is freely roaming the hallways?' Then it hit her; Lucius wanted Draco to have nothing to do with Ginny, and since talking to him didn't do much, Lucius was going to take matters into his own hands. Which means Ginny was in trouble.

Hermione did the first thing that popped into her head. Running up the staircase on the right decorated with Gryffindor colours, she stumbled into Harry's room with knocking or warning. Harry was in the midst of putting on his shirt. Hermione's heart flip and she quickly turned away.

"Oh my god Harry I'm so sorry!"

Harry pulled the shirt down over him.

"No need to apologize Mione, I'm done." He looked over at her. "Wow, you look all flushed. Are you alright?"

Hermione shook her head while catching her breath.

"No, Harry, I'm not. Something terrible is going to happen. I just know it. You're the first one I turned to."

She quickly told him all the events concerning the morning, except the parts where Lucius mentioned her. Harry didn't know what happened between her and Draco. When she was done, Harry's eyes were the size of bowling balls.

"Hermione, we've got to do something. From what you tell me, Ginny's in danger. Who knows what Lucius will do!"

He quickly grabbed his wand from his desk and put on his shoes.

"Mione, listen to me carefully. I want you to go notify Ron. Don't arouse any suspicion. We don't want the whole school to panic if nothing goes wrong, ok? After you get Ron, go to Dumbledore and tell him what you heard. He'd better be informed."

Hermione nodded intently, then her brow furrowed. "Wait, but Harry, what are you going to do?"

Harry was already halfway out the door. "I'm going to find Ginny, of course."

Without waiting for Hermione's reply, he dashed out of sight. Hermione opened her mouth to call after him, but decided against it. She had specific tasks to do.

Ten minutes later, Hermione sped down the hallway towards Dumbledore's office with Ron at her side. After hearing the story, Ron started panicking. He wouldn't stop worrying about this and that until Hermione told him to shut it and be sensible. As they were on their way, Ron suddenly stopped and frowned.

"What's wrong, Ron?"

"I…I just thought I heard a scream that's all."

Hermione cocked her head and listened hard. Then there is was: a faint cry that belonged to a girl followed by a deeper yell. Grabbing Ron's arm, she rushed to the direction of the sound and found herself in front of one of the unused classrooms at Hogwarts. Looking Ron in the eye and pulling out her wand, she reached for the doorknob and threw the door open. The two barged in with their wands raised and ready. The sight in front of them made them gasp. Lucius held a terrified Ginny by the throat in one hand while pointing his wand at Harry with his other. Harry, on the other hand, was sprawled against the wall desperately trying to get up. Hermione couldn't help but notice the bruise on his head. Harry's wand was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh look, Potter. Your minions have finally showed up." Lucius sneered and turned to them. "You know, your friend 'the boy who lived' was almost going to give up."

Hermione's face was full of hatred. "You liar. Harry would never give up. He didn't against Voldemort and he definitely isn't going to with you," she spat.

"Oh, what cold words you speak, mudblood. Too bad you and brother Weasley there are just in the way of this nice little engagement Potter and I were having. I guess I'll have to quickly get rid of you. Stupefy!"

Hermione sensed his actions and quickly deflected the spell. Ron, however, was not as quick of a thinker. The spell hit him squarely and he froze stunned.

"Ron!" Harry, Ginny, and Hermione's voices called out simultaneously.

Lucius chuckled and threw Ginny onto the ground. As Hermione was just about to run over to help her friend, a single word came out of his mouth.

"Crucio."

Hermione gasped in horror as Ginny's screams filled the room and her fragile body shook with the pain. She turned to face Lucius.

"You," she said, threateningly, "take…it…off…her."

Lucius raised a mocking eyebrow at her. "And, what, will you do if I don't?"

"If you don't, you'll suffer the consequences."

This time, it wasn't Hermione speaking. Lucius glanced past her and towards the doorway.

"Draco, how nice of you to finally join the party. I was just getting to the part where I curse the mudblood. Care to watch?"

Draco's lips formed a thin line and his eyes narrowed. "Hermione, duck."

Utterly confused, Hermione did as she was told. Soon after, father and son began throwing various curses and spells at each other. She watched in stunned amazement. Draco was incredibly skilled in dueling. His talents must have come from years of training, no doubt. Probably training for the Dark Lord, she added grimly. With Lucius distracted, Hermione crawled over to where Harry laid. The bruise on his head seemed worse now, and he was either sleeping or unconscious. Hermione knew it couldn't be the first. She looked over to Ginny's hunched form. The Crucio spell was still on her; however she was unconscious as well from the extreme pain. Hermione's mind was frantically trying to find a solution. She needed to inform Dumbledore; something she forgot to do after hearing Ginny's scream. Before she could think of a plan to sneak out of the room, she was grabbed roughly around the arm and pulled up. Lucius grabbed her wand and pocketed it. She was now pressed close to Lucius, who was breathing quickly. Seeing Draco just as exhausted and worn out pained her inside.

"Now Draco, here's your chance to make things right again. Come to your senses, boy. Here's your choice. Kill her, or else I will kill her instead. Don't even think about trying something on me. You and I both know that I'm much faster than that."

The look of hatred on Draco's face deepened as he growled, "No, never."

Lucius started laughing. "Well then, say bye bye to your old screw buddy."

Before either of them could say another word, Hermione did the thing that she often saw on Muggle television: she kneed him hard where it hurts, and then bite the hand that was holding her captive. Lucius cried out in pain and heeled over, but no before raising his wand and muttering the Cruciatus curse. Although he meant for it to hit Hermione, his distorted senses pointed the wand in another direction: Draco.

"No! Draco!" Hermione cried out as she saw Draco's face twist in unspeakable pain and torture. He collapsed onto the ground immediately. Hermione then kicked the hand Lucius was hold his wand with and forced him to drop it. She then proceeded to throw it to the far side of the room. One thing Hermione didn't learn from Muggle television was how long it took for a man to recover from that sort of attack. Lucius slowly rose to his feet as Hermione began backing away from him. His steps were heavy and unsteady, but he made reasonable progress towards her. To Hermione's dismay and fear, her back touched the wall behind her. Lucius' sneer turned into an evil smile. Her mind racing, she glanced around and laid her eyes on a life size antique knight displayed in a corner of the room. It wasn't the knight that caught her attention, but the long lance it held in its hands. Without a second thought, Hermione dashed to the knight and pulled the lance out of its grasp. She pointed it in front of her towards Lucius with shaky hands. He halted in his spot and gazed at her with an amused look in his eyes. Hermione realized this look wasn't fear, but rather quite the opposite.

"Oh, I'm shaking now." He said with false anxiety. "What am I going to do now?"

Hermione wasn't faltered at the mockery. "You take the curses off and leave Hogwarts right now or else you'll regret it." She said in a low voice.

Lucius lifted his head up to the ceiling and laughed loudly. When he was finished, he began advancing on her again. Hermione quickly gripped the lance tighter and looked him in the eyes. Her heart was pounding a million beats a second, but she couldn't let her trepidation show through. Suddenly, Lucius grabbed the other end of the lance, avoiding the pointed tip, of course. His eyes were menacing as he fought to get it away from her. He was an awful lot stronger than she was, and her weakness was beginning to show. Her hands were screaming in pain as the lance twisted and pulled.

Lucius yelled through gritted teeth, "Are you going to kill me? Are you really going to pierce my heart with that thing? Do you even have the nerve to kill?"

Hermione's stomach dropped. He was right. Did she even have the guts to hurt someone? Even if that someone deserved to die? Then she looked at the scene in front of her. Her best friends were seriously hurt thanks to him. And Draco, sure he was unbearable sometimes, but Hermione couldn't stand the thought of Draco gone. As she struggled with the lance, Hermione realized the answer to his questions was simple.

"Yes."

As she said that, she let go of her end of the lance. It was a simple law of physics. All the force Lucius was using to pull the lance away from her was actually in her favor. When she let go, the entire momentum on his side forced Lucius to stumble backwards. Hermione watched as the lance drove into his chest. She was too stunned to move or speak. Lucius was equally stunned. He looked down at the silver lanced pierced through him and then slowly raised his eyes to meet Hermione's. A mix of shock, pain, and abhorrence filled his dull grey ones. The impact of that look caused Hermione to step backwards. She felt a wave of nausea and the last thing she saw before blacking out was Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape rushing into the room.

So, how was that chapter? Intense huh? Haha, hope you all enjoyed it. I sure did writing it. Anyways, major changes will take place in the future. The big question is, will they all be alright, and is Lucius Malfoy dead or not? You'll have to wait and find out! But of course, I don't HAVE to continue. What would help is a little tiny review. You know I'd always love that.

I wanna thank all the incredible reviewers that commented when I was in England. You guys have been amazing and I really appreciate your support for my story. Thanks for making my summer just that much better!

Love you all :)

dragon tamer