Disclaimer: not mine.

A/N: keep the reviews coming! More happens in the next chapter! I'll have that one up soon!

Chapter 11

How You Remind Me

Severus followed Lucius into Lucius' room. Lucius' voice died down when they entered and Severus looked around wondering why. He saw why when his eyes wandered to the archway. Just through the archway lay Hermione in her bed sound asleep next to the book she had been reading.

Lucius couldn't help but to silently watch her for a moment. For days now, he had been beating himself up. He had kissed the girl. This was a girl his son's age making her someone his son could have easily brought home. But when he thought about it his son never would have because Lucius made it perfectly clear that her kind would not be acceptable. To his dismay, he felt his head begin to pound. A moan escaping Hermione's lips brought his attention back to the present.

Severus looked at Lucius curiously. When he looked back, Hermione's moans became clearer.

"No…please…no."

Severus and Lucius both thought they saw a tear slide down her face. Suddenly she sat bolt upright in bed and within a second she had thrown the covers off and ran like her life depended on it for the door. They watched as she frantically tried to escape and couldn't. She appeared to look around in desperation for an escape, but her eyes were haunted as if she were somewhere else. She ran through the archway to the corner of Lucius' room. Sitting on the floor, her legs were drawn up to her with her arms wrapped around them and her head down.

Severus watched as Lucius walked up to Hermione and literally squatted next to her. He could never recall seeing his friend actually squat. Lucius touched her shoulder and her head popped up. The tears streaked down her face, but her eyes told Severus she was still asleep, still in her nightmare.

"The Shadow…"

Severus heard her whisper the words as Lucius lifted her off the ground. Once he had her settled in his arms to carry her back to bed Severus spoke up.

"She dreams of the Shadow?"

"Yes." Lucius gently placed her on her own bed. Severus followed him in there.

"She has already accomplished Occlumency?" Lucius nodded his head. "And what of learning to throw off an Imperius Curse?"

Lucius headed back into his own room.

"We start that during the holidays."

Severus nodded his head okay and left the room.

The days remaining until the holidays passed easily for Hermione. She ate her meals regularly—between Lucius and oddly enough, Severus they would not allow her to skip a meal to study. It was as if they had become their own little warped trio of sorts. In the afternoons, Hermione had her training with Lucius and in the evening, she would duel for pure fun with Severus. Severus had to wonder about what the Dark Lord really wanted with Hermione when they dueled. He quickly learned she was a force to be reckoned with. At night, Lucius would find Hermione passed out in exhaustion atop her covers. Through the days, one thing was never mentioned or broached again—the kiss.

The morning of their departure for Grimmauld Place found Hermione overly peppy in Lucius' opinion. By the look on Severus' face during Hermione's constant chattering during breakfast it was a good guess that she was grating on Severus' last nerve also. Lucius tried to be patient. It had been a couple months since she had seen her closest friends so he tried really hard to be patient with her excitement. Too much was too much though. Lucius placed his fork on his plate, slowly dabbed the corners of his mouth and looked pointedly at Hermione. She felt his eyes and slowly her speech slowed to a halt when she noticed the look.

"Please refrain from your persistent chit chat before I must do something I am bound to regret yet again in order to shut you up."

Hermione felt as if she was thrown off the highest tower at Hogwarts. As her heart and stomach seemed to flip and fumble to the ground, she blinked back tears.

"Regret," she whispered.

Lucius nodded his head once as if daring her to go on. Slipping her napkin off her lap and onto her plate, she stood up and turned from the table. She felt so small at that moment, like a child, but worse much worse. It was as if he were reminding her of who or what she really was.

Severus found Hermione in her room packing. Her fight against her tears had been lost apparently. He could see their tracks as she walked around her room grabbing this and that to stick in her trunk. He watched her for a moment before he spoke.

"You have had to live under the same roof as Lucius for several months now. You should know him well enough now to at least know…"

She turned fiercely and cut him off.

"The only thing I know is that Lucius Malfoy hated me before he even knew me." She levitated her trunk and as she walked passed Severus with it floating in front of her he heard her soft voice crack in a whisper. "A few months aren't going to change that."

Severus just let her go. She would feel better once she was with her friends. That much he knew. Severus looked up from the spot Hermione had been at moments before to see Lucius standing in the archway.

"Well Severus you always did say she was brilliant. I have hated the mudblood since hearing of her existence in that school and her ties with Potter."

Severus looked at the cold exterior of his friend. Rolling his eyes as if he were dealing with an incompetent first year, Severus quickly strode across the room, through the archway passed Lucius, and across Lucius' room. Throwing open Lucius' nightstand drawer he yanked out the picture of Hermione from Halloween that he kept there. He threw it onto the bed. Then he walked to Lucius' wardrobe, yanked out the stack of pictures in there, and threw them on the bed on top of the first one. The pictures fanned out leaving the one of her crying on top. Lucius stood there looking down at the pictures. His face showed no emotion as he looked back up at Severus standing there scrutinizing him for some flicker of emotion. He didn't need to see it to know. Severus knew Lucius well and long enough to know him.

"I don't need to say anything do I?"

Severus left the room. He left Lucius to himself and the pictures. The one of Hermione crying seemed to haunt and taunt him. There was a time when he could have cared less about some mudblood girl crying and if he was truthful with himself, he still could care less about any other mudblood girl. It was as if the picture was reminding him of what and who he really was.

Hermione stayed away from Lucius until that evening when Remus arrived with the portkey. She was the last to enter the room. Remus, Severus and Lucius were already surrounding the tennis shoe portkey. When she walked in the room, Severus looked Lucius in the eyes and stepped away from him to make room for Hermione between them. She hesitated for a moment. Did she really want to stand between Lucius and Severus no matter how short the trip would be? With a deep breath, she took her place.

They landed in the middle of the Grimmauld Place and walked to Number Twelve. Looking up at the house ahead of them, she paused and sighed in pure happiness to be somewhere familiar. She knew there would be a warm welcome. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would be there. At least Harry, Ron, and Ginny would be in there waiting. A tingle washed over her in waves with a focal point of her lower back. Lucius had placed his hand there urging her forward. It took her only a moment to realize Severus had also put his hand on her upper back doing the same thing, but she didn't really seem to feel it. It was Lucius' touch that she felt with every sense her body possessed and that is what unnerved her to the point of defensiveness. As she started walking toward the house, she spoke.

"Please remove your hand, Mister Malfoy. We wouldn't want you to do anything you may regret later."

Lucius felt as if she had just slapped him in the face. Removing his hand, he allowed Severus to continue urging the girl forward. She said nothing to Severus. When Hermione stepped into the dark foyer of Grimmauld Place, she was standing in between Lucius and Severus. The thundering sound of two teen boys scrambling down the steps brought a smile to Hermione's face. They stopped as soon as they entered the foyer to look at the odd sight. Hermione standing between the two Death Eaters sent an odd chill up Harry's spine.

"Oh Harry!"

She could see the look on his face. Rushing forward she nearly knocked him over embracing him in a hug. Ron awkwardly hugged her, which made Lucius smile. The boy was still uncomfortable with any show of emotion where Hermione was concerned. Her face seemed to fall when she heard a voice from the shadows of the stairs.

"Hello Father."

"Draco."

Lucius nodded his head at his son. Lucius heard a twinge of amusement in his son's voice. He scrutinized the boy for any sign of what he was amused by, but he had raised Draco well. Draco stared back only breaking eye contact when Hermione approached him. She stopped on the same step he was on and just looked at him with a serious look on her face. Draco turned to look at her.

"Granger."

He nodded his head in the same fashion his father had.

"Malfoy."

The corners of her mouth twitched and then to Draco's surprise she threw her arms around him. Lucius saw the stunned shocked look on his son's face and for a moment, it saddened him to think such show of emotion should shock his son. If only he had done things differently, but he couldn't afford a weak son.

When Hermione pulled away, she ignored the stares from Lucius and Severus and looked around.

"Where's Ginny?"

Harry answered her.

"She's in the drawing room with Mrs. Weasley decorating the Christmas Tree."

With a smile and nod of the head, Hermione dashed up the stairs. The moment Hermione entered the drawing room, Mrs. Weasley grabbed her and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Oh, Hermione dear! I've been so worried."

Mrs. Weasley held her at arms length looking her up and down as Severus and Lucius walked in followed by Remus. Looking back at the men, she nodded her approval.

"Well, at least you didn't let the girl starve herself. Well, I'm off to get dinner started." Mrs. Weasley dashed out of the room.

Hermione and Ginny hugged and went off to finish the tree while talking. In whispered conversation, Hermione told Ginny about the events at the safe house including the kiss. As she whispered the events Ginny's eyes got wider and wider. When Hermione was done with her tale, Ginny poked her head out from behind the tree and looked at Lucius playing chess with Severus. Looking back at Hermione, she motioned in Lucius' direction.

"That Lucius Malfoy?"

Hermione nodded her head. Ginny just shook her head.

"I didn't see that coming."

Hermione shrugged.

"There is not really anything to see coming. He regrets it remember?"

As they stepped away from the tree, admiring their handy work Hermione turned to Ginny.

"So, Harry said he would have a list of family names linked to the necklace I received?"

Ginny had been picking up excess decorations and placing them back in the box. Her movements stopped as if frozen in time. Her eyes shifted over the room and then she stood up straight.

"Yes, but I really think Harry should give it to you. It took him some time to accept the names on that list."

Ginny left to place the box back in the attic. Severus rose to his feet when he noticed Hermione no longer with company.

"We need to talk."

He motioned for the sofa that Remus was sitting on. Remus patted the seat next to him. Slowly walking over to sit, Hermione felt an anxiety building. What were they about to discuss with her? Sitting down she looked around at the three men. Lucius stood upright by the fireplace looking down his nose at her as usual. Severus paced around in between the fireplace and the sofa. Remus sat next to her and gently took her hand.

"Hermione," Remus started. "We need to discuss these dreams of the Shadow you are having."

Hermione's mouth opened slightly feeling betrayed. The only one to know about them was Lucius. He had to have told Remus and Severus and who knew whom else. Remus could feel her hand shaking as she spoke quietly, but full of venom.

"You! You just had to tell them. I said I would deal with it."

Remus shook her hand a little to get her attention.

"Hermione, it was wise of Lucius to tell us. It is a possibility that Voldemort is using your dreams to weaken you in order to make it easier to obtain you."

Hermione's eyes turned back to the gentle man next to her.

"We will be adding in some exercises to your training to help with the dreams."

Hermione was quick to realize what Remus was referring to. Occlumency was not going to stop the dreams. The key was to control them and that she knew.

"Lucid dreaming?"

Remus nodded his head. Harry walked in just then needing to speak to Remus. Severus followed them out. As they walked out the door, Hermione placed her head in her hands. It seemed as if the day were lasting forever. It was overwhelming. She knew what she needed. Severus had spoiled her—she needed a good duel.

Lucius never left the room. He maintained his position next to the fireplace watching her. She was angry with him he knew that. If he had not told any of them about her dreams and Voldemort was using the Shadow as a means to weaken her then they would come to him wanting to know why he kept this information to himself. He just stood there silent, looking down his nose at her. She lifted her head up out of her hands.

"This is all a game for you," she said. She stood up and looked him in the eyes. "So, are we having fun yet?"