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A/N: keep the reviews coming! It keeps me inspired to continue!

Chapter 6

Broken Glass

Hermione had meant to make Lucius uncomfortable. She wanted to see him squirm for once. She never fathomed she would lose her self in such a simple peck on the cheek. She wanted nothing more than to grab him and snog the hell out of him. That thought is what pulled her back into reality and helped her step away. She was pleased to see the blank look on Lucius' face. Obviously it worked. Lucius cleared his throat and looked at Hermione.

"Lowly honor?"

She looked up and smiled at him in a way that eerily reminded him of Bellatrix.

"Mister Malfoy have you forgotten? I am a…'Mudblood' as you like reminding me. I can hardly imagine you seeing my honor as anything but lowly."

Lucius stared at the girl in utter disbelief. Even though her lips barely touched his cheek, he could still feel them as if they were burning the memory into his skin. And then she reminded him…reminded him of who and what she is. He was pulled back to the reality surrounding him. Lucius said not a word as he stormed from the room.

Hermione could hear him warding the door as her curiosity got the best of her. She wondered if the necklace's protective qualities extended to horrible dreams. She decided to test that theory and placed the necklace around her neck before crawling under the covers. She was terribly wrong.

Her dream was the same. She was surrounded by the dead. It overwhelmed and engulfed her. The Shadow chased after her in its own ethereal way. There was a difference in the dream this time though. One she feared above all others and yet part of her knew to be true. She ran into something when she had checked behind her. She fell sprawled on the dirty ground. A hand—cold, uncaring, and familiar reached out and picked her up off the ground. The owner of the hand held her up to his level and she saw the eyes, the steely grey eyes, through the Death Eater's mask.

"No," she whispered.

With a smile that could only mean death was coming her way, he spoke.

"Here she is my lord."

Of all things, she felt her heart fall and hurt and panic set in.

Lucius heard her scream again and again he ran to her room. He found her in her bed thrashing about screaming.

"No! Malfoy! No! Why Malfoy why! NO…"

A pain seemed to swell around his heart and constrict its usual beating. Was she really dreaming about him causing her pain? Deciding it would be best to wake her up he walked over to the bed and roughly shook her.

"Miss Granger!"

Her eyes opened wide. Disoriented and confused she saw Lucius and screamed. She scrambled up the bed, holding on to the post at the head of the bed as if she just knew Lucius was about to kill her. Lucius watched her in dismay. He understood she was only confused. She clung to the head of the bed for dear life. Tears streaked her face and her chest heaved up and down with her heavy panicked breathing. That's when Lucius noticed the necklace around her neck. He knew it would keep any real physical harm coming to her in these horrible dreams, but it would not stop the frightening images.

He took a step toward her and she cringed as if trying to become a part of the bedpost. He stopped and looked at her. She looked like a frightened child.

She's not a child. She's a young woman who is frightened of you.

Lucius felt anger at himself rise in his chest. He tried to suppress it, to stamp it out, but to no avail. Taking a deep breath, you walked up to Hermione, trying to ignore her increased cringing, and pried her fingers from the bedpost.

"Miss Granger! It was only a silly little dream. I am not going to harm you."

It was as if a fog cleared her eyes when she looked up at him. Realization dawned in her eyes as she let go of the bedpost and clung to him instead. He settled on the bed with her still crying and upset. It took a few minutes for her to calm down. Lucius lay there feeling her wet tears on his bare chest and telling himself how ridiculous this whole thing is. Finally, she jerked away from him.

"Sorry."

Her voice was instant ice. Lucius looked at her wondering what she was on about.

"Let's be honest Mister Malfoy. If you had a guarantee that you or any of your family would not be tortured or killed if you handed me over to Voldemort, you would hand me over. So, I find no reason for you to act as if you care."

Lucius stood up and looked down his nose at her once again.

"Miss Granger…"

"I'm a Mudblood remember? You can leave my room now."

"Yes, you are," Lucius sneered at her and left the room.

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Hermione spent days in her own mind. She was trapped in a house with a man that would sooner kill her and her friends than do anything else. Yet she found herself drawn to him. Then her dream would haunt her. Why did it bother her that much that Malfoy was giving her up to Voldemort in her dream? That is what Malfoy would do.

Lucius sat in the drawing room watching Hermione through the corner of his eye. Her eyebrows knitted together in thought. She shifted a bit uncomfortably on the other side of the sofa and he wondered what she was thinking about.

Hermione's mind kept wandering around in memories. The man sitting on the other side of the sofa was a complicated puzzle that contradicted itself at times. With each sneer and each snide remark in her memories Lucius' cruelty shown through. He always hated her, even before he met her. He hated her for being born, he hated her for her parents, he hated her for her friends…he hated her for being her. She could feel tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Maybe it would be better if she had done something to cause such hate from this man. But the metaphoric knife in her side twisted. Despite the cruelty he hade toward her, at night, once they were in bed he became a guardian…one that ran to her when she cried out. And that is what confused her more so than her urge to scoot over closer to him for comfort. Why was this man so cruel to her and yet gave her glimpses of this man that could be a caring human being? So cruel.

"Mudblood."

Lucius remained in his own thoughts until he noticed Hermione shift again. It irritated him that she was even there to disturb his thoughts.

"Must you squirm as if you were a small child?"

Her voice was low. She didn't bother to look up at first.

"How does it feel to treat me like you do?"

For a moment, Lucius wasn't sure he heard her. It was as if due to her low voice it took his mind longer to process her words. Slowly, he closed his book and set it aside. Turning slightly to look at Hermione he smirked.

"Still the oversensitive little girl I see."

Hermione's eyes shot up to meet his. She looked at if she were searching for something. His eyes were cold steel as he sneered at her incredulity. Anger began to dance in her eyes mixed with hurt. A rosy shade began to rise in her cheeks. Lucius enjoyed this immensely.

"Are you telling me how I should feel when you call me foul names?"

Her voice quivered with anger. His eyebrow quirked up in a most irritating fashion.

"No, Miss Granger. I am simply pointing out the fact that you are a child and children seldom understand enough to know how they feel."

Anger overwhelmed Hermione in a way that would make Ron proud. Slowly, she stood up and walked over to stand in front of Lucius. He was forced to look up to her, as she stood so close he could not stand in his usual dominating demeanor. She pulled her hand back as far as it would go and sent it flying as fast and hard as she could across his face.

Lucius' face was hit hard enough to knock it to the side. When he turned his head back around to look at the very angry Hermione, she saw his anger. His eyes were blazing to life with what she didn't know but it was different from the angry hate she would see in his eyes normally, the angry hate his eyes shone with in the Department of Mysteries. There was some flame shining in that anger and it frightened Hermione.

It seemed to happen in one swift movement. Lucius stood forcing Hermione to take one-step back, but not before Lucius grabbed her by both her arms. Turning her around he pinned her to the sofa—his left foot remained planted on the ground, his right knee between her legs. Her heart pounded frantically. He leaned down over her. His hair created a curtain around their faces. She felt his breath tickling her ear and neck. She shivered.

"Do. Not. Ever. Hit . Me. Again. I hit back, Miss Granger."

She felt his hands squeeze her arms as he got up.

What have I done now?

Lucius started to leave the room when he noticed markings where his hands where. She was going to bruise and he knew it.

"I'll leave the cream for your bruises in your room. In five minutes I ward them so I suggest you be in them."

He turned to leave the room completely when he heard it. He knew Hermione thought he had left completely. She had not shed a tear through out that whole ordeal and it seemed the moment he was gone she let go. She did not get up from her laying position on the sofa. Her body convulsed as tears full of fear and something else Lucius couldn't quite identify began to flow from her eyes. Her eyes were closed and she wrapped her arms around herself as she turned to her side curling up in a fetal position.

Lucius' heart pounded in his chest and it seemed as if the only sound in the house was Hermione's crying. It was as if the sound had been amplified in his ears…taunting almost of the monster he was and apparently still was. He didn't hear the door open.

"What happened?"

Remus stood next to Lucius and looked from Hermione to Lucius and back again. Remus didn't wait for an answer. Lucius watched him swiftly cross the room to Hermione and sit down next to her. Rubbing her back, he gently urged her up. When she looked at him, she was still wracked with tears. Lucius felt a strange pang again as Remus wrapped his arms around her, rocking her, and soothing her as best he could without knowing the full extent of what had happened.

Lucius felt his grip tighten around the cane hiding his wand. Oh how he wanted to use just then. Instead, he turned from the room and left the site before him.

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Lucius stood in his room taking one last look in the full body mirror. Hermione had stayed as far away from him as possible over the remaining days to Halloween. Remus would be arriving any minute to escort them via portkey to Hogwarts. Lucius refused to dress in costume for this little affair at Slughorn's. He knew Hermione was dressing up in costume, just not what. His mind wandered off to her despite his argument with himself about it. He had not seen her in a couple weeks due to her avoidance of him and now he would be forced to see her in her costume for the first time.

With a deep sigh of agrivation at his own thoughts, Lucius reached behind him and tied his hair with a black ribbon at the nape of his neck.

"Much better. I am sure she will love it."

Lucius sneered at the mirror. There were occasions when he wished the wizarding world had muggle mirrors—they didn't talk so much. But the mirror's comment sent his mind wandering off to the insufferable child.

Severus, was correct in his reference to the child as insufferable.

In the next room, Hermione stood in front of her full-length mirror rechecking everything. She was nervous.

"Yes, dear that is you in the mirror."

Hermione shook her head. How did the mirror just know what she was thinking? She heard the door downstairs open and Lucius greeting Remus. That meant it was time to go. Hermione checked her hair again—part of it was swept up aiding the wind swept appearance she was going for. With a slight smile, she grabbed the cream-colored cloak and fastened it around her, thoroughly hiding her costume.

Lucius watched Hermione descend the stairs and felt a bit disappointed at not seeing her costume. Turning off the very questioning of why he cared he turned to Lupin.

"I assume we are ready."

Their feet hit the ground gracefully right outside the great hall. Together the three of them made their way to Slughorn's office. As always, it was magically enlarged to accommodate everyone. Harry and Ginny rushed over to greet Hermione followed by Draco. Ron still was not invited to these gatherings.

Hermione looked around. Slughorn had truly outdone himself yet again as far as parties were concerned. He had a few of Hagrid's large pumpkins floating around. Fire Breathers prowled around the crowd offering performances for various groups huddled together. Everyone was in costume. There were goblins, fairies, pixies, vampires—though one vampire she had an inkling was not in costume. It was all so festive.

Professor Slughorn approached them.

"Hermione! Oh how I miss teaching this favorite of mine!"

He patted her shoulder in a friendly greeting. She smiled widely at the compliment.

"I do hope to return soon."

Lucius cut his eyes toward the girl.

"Good luck with that Miss Granger."

Slughorn looked between the two with an odd smile on his face. Finally he greeted Lucius warmly. Slughorn quickly led Lucius away to the wine glasses and filled him a glass. Lucius was glad to be around other people for a change, but his eyes kept wandering to where ever Hermione stood. He watched her across the room laughing with Harry, Ginny, and his own son. Her cloak was still on and apparently, Draco had said something to her about it as he tugged at it with a taunting look on his face. Hermione slapped his hand away.

"I am with your son on that."

Lucius raised an eyebrow at Slughorn.

"With what, Professor Slughorn?"

Still holding his own glass, Slughorn pointed toward Hermione.

"What is she hiding under there?"

Lucius rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come now, Lucius. You know you are curious. Quite a lovely woman Miss Granger is."

Lucius wanted to slap that smile right off Slughorn's face. What was he trying to say?

"She is a mere child, Professor."

Slughorn laughed. Lucius watched his son seem to ask Hermione to dance. She smiled and nodded. Everything seemed to stop for Lucius. Everything except Hermione. She stood up. As if she knew exactly where Lucius was she faced him, looking him dead in the face as she undid her cloak. A daring determination was set in her eyes. Lucius felt a sudden wave of heat making him uncomfortable by the way she was looking at him when she did this. Slowly and rather shyly, she removed her cloak. His own son looked stunned. The moment the cloak was gone Lucius felt and heard the crack of the wine glass in his hand shattering. Slughorn laughed beside him as he repaired the damage.

"It would seem, Lucius, you do not think she looks like a child either."