Disclaimer: not mine.
A/N: Okay…another chapter so please review please? Oh and I went ahead and put up the first chapter for my next LM/HG story: Evanescent Memory, so please check that out! Enjoy!
Chapter 27
Letting Go
Hermione woke up slowly. She had that feeling though—the unmistakable feeling of being watched. Sitting up, she looked around to find Severus standing at the door. With his arms crossed over his chest, he was leaning against the door itself watching Hermione wake up. Sitting herself up completely, she rolled her eyes.
"You do know how creepy that is?"
Severus pushed himself off the door.
"Its rather late and thought you might like some clothes," Severus said pointing to a pile of clothes neatly folded in a chair.
Hermione looked at the pile and back to Severus.
"You went through my clothes? Knickers and all?"
Severus sighed and slightly rolled his eyes.
"I have seen you in a lot less, Miss Granger."
A blush crept up Hermione's cheeks at the memories.
"Point taken. Thank you."
He nodded as she walked toward the bathroom to wash up.
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Lucius had no choice but to remain chained to his chair as the whispers erupted. He felt his heart pounding, begging for them to please let him go. His eyes wandered to Harry Potter. Harry stood there seemingly full of confidence as he stared at Scrimgeour. The vision of a crying Hermione as he was taken away erupted in his mind. Closing his eyes for a moment, he wondered what she was doing now and if she knew where Harry Potter was.
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Hermione shut the bathroom door. Holding the edges of the sink she leaned over looking down and then up at herself in the mirror. Oh, how different her life was from a year ago. Lucius had unwittingly become a constant in her life. Not the constant he was in the past, but a constant that comforted. With a quivering sigh, she turned on the water and stepped in.
As the water poured down from the shower, she felt the tears sting. The water slid down her body, caressing her senses. She felt the tears mix with the water sliding down her face. It was her own fault he was not here. It was her own fault he was in Azkaban. The tears fell down her face until she realized she was shivering from the now cold water.
Grabbing a towel, she stepped out of the shower.
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Lucius noticed Harry glance sideways at him.
"Well, you have certainly got them talking," Lucius commented just above a whisper.
Harry smiled.
"That was the idea."
Lucius seemed to have difficulty saying it, but Harry heard him none-the-less.
"Thank you, Mister Potter."
Harry turned to look at him and shrugged.
"You're innocent this time." Harry turned to watch the Wizengamot again and spoke again. "And Hermione loves you…everyone can see that."
Lucius stared at Harry in what felt like shock. Hermione loved him?
They fell back into silence as the debate among the Wizengamot continued.
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Severus was not in the room when Hermione emerged from the shower. Thinking about how strange that man could be, Hermione left the room to head down for breakfast.
Harry wasn't at breakfast. Hermione took her seat next to Ron and looked around.
"Where's Harry?"
Ron emerged from his plate of food. Before he could get a word out, Hermione gave him a reproofing look knowing he was about to speak with a mouth full of food. Ron looked away ashamed as he forced the food quickly down his throat. Coughing, he took a quick swig of pumpkin juice while Hermione waited patiently. Ron shrugged.
"Don't know. He got in really late last night and then this morning he left early. He didn't tell me where he was going."
Hermione's forehead furrowed as she looked around the Great Hall for anyone else missing. There were none. After a bit of breakfast and still no Harry, Hermione turned to Ron.
"Come on, we don't want to be late for class."
With a sigh, Ron stood up and followed Hermione out of the Great Hall.
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Dumbledore's presence was evident in the room. He may have been dead, but as the Wizengamot debated what to do about Lucius, the sound of Dumbledore's name drifted through it all. Each whisper of the wizard's name brought about a look of distaste on Scrimgeour's face.
Lucius simply waited. His heart pounding, Harry's voice echoing in his mind.
"And Hermione loves you…"
Despite his past, she loved him. Harry could be mistaken he tried to reason, but he was one of her best friends. His heart was pounding in his chest. Maybe his son was correct, maybe this was his second chance. But only if he got out of here and Hermione did not have to be charged. How to accomplish that though?
Finally, Scrimgeour stood and looked around him. The entire Wizengamot settled back down, becoming silent.
"Alright, all for the release of Mister Malfoy?"
Lucius and Harry both watched as a majority—all but maybe five people—rose their hands. Scrimgeour sighed and looked at the smug smile on Harry's face.
"So be it," Scrimgeour said sounding defeated.
Lucius felt the binding fall from around him and he stood.
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Hermione found it difficult to concentrate all morning. She took her tedious notes as usual, but she knew something was off. Harry was hiding something. She found herself glancing back at the classroom door expecting to see Harry running in later. He never did though—where was he?
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Harry and Lucius waited until most of the Wizengamot was gone to exit the room. The walked toward the exit at the same time Scrimgeour did. They both stopped waiting for one or the other to go through the door first. Lucius looked at Scrimgeour.
"Is Miss Granger to be charged," he asked the Minister.
He noticed Scrimgeour's eyes flicker to Harry before sighing and with a look of disgust on his face he spoke.
"No, she will not be charged." Scrimgeour turned to Harry and pointed back at the reporter in the room. "And Mister Potter, I believe you know what you must do."
Lucius watched Harry walked defeated over to the reporter and wondered what had the boy done to ensure Hermione was not charged?
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Hermione walked into the Great Hall for dinner, fidgeting with her bag. When she looked up, she noticed Harry sitting next to Ron. She hurried over to the Gryffindor table not noticing people's heads turning to watch her. As she sat, she begin to grab some food.
"Harry, where have you been? You have missed all your classes and…"
She stopped rambling on when she realized the Great Hall was completely silent. She stopped dishing up food and looked around.
"Harry, why are they all watching me?"
Harry took a sip of pumpking juice and handed her the evening copy of the Daily Prophet. Looking nervously around her, she took the proffered paper and looked down at the front page. On the front page was Lucius Malfoy standing with Harry Potter. The headline read: Lucius Malfoy Released. Hermione looked up at Harry obviously trying to speak.
"Harry, this is where you've been?"
He nodded.
"But why am I not in Azkaban now?"
He smiled sweetly at her as if saying "you are my best friend."
She glanced down at the article and a quote struck her toward the end of the article, sticking out like a sore thumb.
When asked about the Ministry of Magic's attempts at keeping the people safe from the Death Eaters and capturing these people, Harry Potter reported, "I have complete faith in the Ministry's ability."
"Harry, you didn't?"
He nodded his head. She looked down at the paper and suddenly, abruptly, she tossed it back on the table, jumped up, grabbed her bag and ran from the Great Hall. As she ran she heard the sudden burst of cheers from most of the students and she could have sworn she heard Draco's voice above all others yelling, "go get him, Hermione!"
Hermione ran through the empty corridors. She had one destination in mind. She ran up to the DADA classroom and through the door, dodging desks to reach the office door that was open as if waiting for her. She stopped in the doorway and looked across the room.
Lucius heard her coming and looked up as she stood in the doorway. Her cheeks were flushed from running. Lucius could hear Harry's words over and over.
"And Hermione loves you."
As Hermione stood there looking at the man, trying to convince herself that she was not seeing things, she heard his own parting words to her over and over.
"Somewhere along the way I fell in love with you Hermione. Satisfied?"
Hermione said nothing as she walked across the room with set determination in her eyes and met Lucius halfway. They stopped and just looked at each other, each breathing heavy—though Lucius was much more skilled at attempting to hide this fact.
"Never do that again," she whispered.
Lucius could take no more hiding or fighting it. Why bother? His hands hungrily reached out, grabbing her face and pulling her into his kiss.
"I love you, Hermione," Lucius pulled away long enough and just far enough away to whisper. He kept a hold of her as he slowly backed her up until she bumped into the desk. With a slight movement of his finger, as if it were his wand, everything on the desk fell to the floor.
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Once Hermione was out of the Great Hall, whispers and happy chattering began. Ron shook his head.
"You would think everyone would hate him."
Harry shrugged.
"Yea, but I think he has proven himself don't you?"
Ron sighing nodded his head.
"That doesn't mean I have to like it."
Harry laughed at his friend.
"Of course not Ron."
They began on their dinner again when Remus stepped into the Great Hall stopping just inside the door. Harry watched Remus look up at Severus at the head table and nod his head as if speaking something to Severus. Harry felt his heart pounding in excitement and fear as Remus began walking toward them.
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Hermione felt herself being placed on the desk…again. There was no hesitation this time in Lucius' kisses. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. As she felt her back relax back onto the desk what sounded like a heard of elephants running through the DADA classroom came to a halt in the office door. Lucius jumped up, clearly not expecting anyone to show up.
In the doorway was Harry, Ron, and Draco—all looking completely thrown off balance. Draco looked between the two and started smirking. Ron however looked utterly disgusted.
"Oh Merlin! That is not what I wanted to see."
Hermione rolled her eyes as she hopped off the desk. Harry seemed unaffected though. Hermione noticed the defeated and determined look in Harry's eyes coupled with a bit of fear.
"Harry? What is it?"
"We have to go."
Lucius' head snapped up to look at the three boys about to protest their timing.
"Remus just arrived," Harry continued. "The locket was stashed in that hole Kreacher slept in." He paused and looked at Hermione and then Lucius as if apologizing. Turning back to Hermione he barely got the words out. "There is only one last part of Voldemort's soul to be destroyed…Voldemort himself."
Hermione nodded. She looked back at Lucius as if wishing he would tell her she couldn't go. He stepped up to her and looked into her eyes.
"Go. You have to be there, I know that. I also know that we are an impossible thing until the Dark Lord is gone." He kissed her gently and sent her in the direction of the boys. She turned back in the doorway to look at him again. One corner of his mouth turned up.
"I'll see you on the battlefield."
Hermione didn't ask what side he would be fighting on. She didn't really want to know. Fear surged through her that this would be the last time she saw Lucius. She smiled sweetly at him.
"I love you Lucius Malfoy."
And she was gone.
Lucius was still looking at the spot Hermione had been when Severus Snape rushed into the room.
"Are you ready?"
Lucius looked at Severus. Looking back down at his burning Dark Mark, he nodded as he grabbed a set of robes off a chair. Together, the two Death Eaters swiftly moved from the castle—robes billowing behind.