Disclaimer: Not mine as you know.

A/N: okay….please review? Please? I hope you enjoy this chapter! There is one maybe two chapters of her being in the past left…and before you ask—Hermione does not fall in love with Lucius in the past it is simply the catalyst for what is to come. Okay…so…don't forget to review after you read!

Chapter 11

Release

Cold late night so long ago
When I was not so strong you know
A pretty man came to me
Never seen eyes so blue
I could not run away
It seemed we'd seen each other in a dream
It seemed like he knew me
He looked right through me
"Come on home, girl" he said with a smile
"You don't have to love me yet
Let's get high awhile
But try to understand
Try to understand
Try try try to understand
I'm a magic man."

--Heart

A week passed by with this mysterious girl new to Slytherin. Lucius was seen by her side everywhere, carrying her bag as she hopped along after him on the crutches. Lucius was naturally curious about her, but also a tad concerned. The girl was a mystery, yes, but she wore her dark blanket of sadness as if it could protect her from everything around her.

Hermione wore her Slytherin uniform with the thought that it was nothing short of pure treason. Still, that did not compare to the thought that she shared a dorm room with her parents' murderer. And to Hermione's horror she was the resident Know-it-all of their year, so Hermione's presence was not very welcome by Bellatrix. They didn't like each other from the start and Hermione could not look at her without wanting to cast an unforgivable right then. The anger rolled off her, baptizing her in its poison. To make matters worse, Lucius Malfoy was being the perfect gentleman. She hobbled through the corridor with him and seriously thought about turning to him and saying, "hey guess what? I'm Muggle-born." She wanted to just to see his shocked expression that would soon turn to disgust. Then she would be left alone and some company was better than none at this point. It drove her nuts to see how kind he could be to her, though he still had his moments with those around him, and to know that when she returned he would still be her sworn enemy.

Still Hermione remained distant and quiet around Lucius. Why be drawn into him when she knew what kind of man he would grow to be if he wasn't already that man? That all changed in a darkened corner of the library one evening.

It was the first time she left the Slytherin common room without Lucius in the lead. Lucius said nothing as he watched her over the book he was reading. She placed her bag over her shoulder in a way that would prevent it from falling and slowly stood up taking hold of her crutches. She slowly made her way across the common room to the portrait without speaking to anyone. He waited about an hour and when she had not returned, Lucius left to follow her to the library.

Hermione was in a corner of the library that was rarely used. The books were just a step away from being placed in the restricted section. The tombs were old and dusty from their lack of use. The sun had long set and little light flowed into the corner she was searching. The book she was searching for should be in that dark corner and she knew that, but was having difficulty finding it. In exasperation, she looked up and found it on a shelf above her head.

Reaching her hand up she found she just couldn't reach it while holding on to her crutches. Biting her bottom lip as she looked around, she resigned herself to what she would have to do in order to reach the book. Slowly, she placed her crutches against the table that sat in that corner. Taking the two hops required to reach the shelves, she chanted to herself "don't fall…don't fall."

Licking her lips in nervous anticipation, she looked up at the desired book. With everything she could, she jumped on one foot and reached for the book. She still missed the book and to her horror, when she landed on her one good foot, she felt her ankle begin to buckle under her weight.

Lucius saw her jump and knew it was no good. He reached her side as she began to fall. Strong arms wrapped around Hermione, keeping her from falling and causing another painful injury. Relief washed over her as she realized someone had caught her. Looking up from her savior's chest, she met the steely gray eyes of Lucius Malfoy. One corner of his mouth turned up reminding Hermione of the smirk he would have later in his life and one eyebrow rose as he looked at her.

"Falling for me now are you?"

She placed her hand on his chest and pushed her self upright again. She hobbled to the table and sat down. When Lucius sat down across from her, he had her desired book.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He nodded politely to her. She eyed him from across the table. It was so strange to be sitting there with a seventeen-year-old Lucius. He seemed much nicer than the older one she knew, but she was witness to shades of his older self. In potions he would openly sneer in disgust at the Gryffindors…the word Mudblood was used often in reference to others only increasing Hermione's fear…the man he would become would rear its ugly head and it saddened Hermione. Still, as she looked at him, there were shades of the man he could become if he so chose.

He sat across from her, having not grabbed his robes when he left, wearing his school uniform with his tie undone and his shirt partially unbuttoned. She had to admit he was attractive…even the elder version of him was attractive. Curiosity tore through her as she tentatively reached for his arm across the table. He watched her, letting her take his left arm in her hand. Her hands looked so small against his arm and he felt the corner of his mouth curve up once again. What she did was totally unexpected.

Hermione slid the unbuttoned sleeve of his shirt up to reveal his forearm. He felt her fingers brush his skin as she did so. Hermione just stared at the flesh under the sleeve. Slowly, warily, her fingers reached out and caressed the unmarked skin. Lucius felt the heat from her fingers tingle against his skin and send chills up his arm. A small smile graced her lips.

From that moment on Hermione did not distant her self as much from Lucius. She had her sad quiet isolating moments, but Lucius was the one to approach her and pull her back to him. He was her best friend and she was his best friend…best friend with secrets. He tried almost daily to get information from her, but it never worked.

"So tell me…do we know each other in the future?"

They were sitting in the library in a secluded corner. She looked up at him with a slight look of exasperation and rolled her eyes.

"Lucius, we have been through this. I cannot answer that…it could create problems."

Lucius sighed in defeat. His book was open in front of him, but his eyes were on the girl deep in thought nibbling on her sugar quill. A flash drew his attention to a few feet away where some little Hufflepuff stood with a camera. Lucius shot out of his chair and accosted the poor boy. Holding the boy by his shirt against the book shelves he snarled at the Hufflepuff.

"You will bring me every picture you took of me or Hermione is that clear?"

The boy was frantically nodding his head. Before anything else could be done, Hermione was standing behind Lucius with her hands on her hips.

"Lucius, put that boy down this instant."

Looking back at her, he smiled sweetly and he let his grip go on the boy causing the kid to fall flat on his arse. Hermione walked off shaking her head and mumbling to herself.

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Hermione lay in her four-poster feeling slightly panicked as Bellatrix and the other girls walked into the dorm room. She lay staring at the ceiling, taking in every sound around her as if her life depended on it. She couldn't help the ultimate fear that gripped her heart preventing sleep from clouding her vision. In the bed next to her, was the woman that would grow to kill her parents—what if Hermione fell asleep and was murdered in her sleep? Once again, not being able to relax in a bed next to Bellatrix, Hermione silently made her way down to the common room.

It seemed the only thing still awake in the common room was the fire until she saw the pale blond head of a certain Slytherin sitting on the sofa. Lucius looked up smiling slightly at the site of her. Returning the smile, she sat on the sofa, curling her legs up to her. Lucius lifted the book he was reading up slightly as Hermione lowered her head to rest on his lap. This was a usual night in the Slytherin common room for those two…it was what happened every night.

She felt so warm and safe when she fell asleep like that, but that would not happen tonight. Lucius motioned for her to sit for a moment and she did with mingled curiosity and worry on her face. She looked in his face and realized with much guilt that these nights in the common room were wearing Lucius out.

"I wish you could tell me what frightens you so," he whispered.

She smiled at him, but said nothing. He nodded as if accepting that she was not quite ready to tell her.

"Okay…come to my Head Boy room with me." He held up his hand cutting off the protest about to escape her open mouth. "I don't mean it that way. You need some sleep as do I."

Licking her lip in a nervous habit, she nodded her head okay and allowed Lucius to lead her up the stairs to the Head Boy room.

As they stepped into the room, Lucius pointed toward the bed as if instructing her to go to bed. A slight giggle escaped her lips as she wondered what it would look like for the adult Lucius Malfoy to be doing this. Lucius stood there watching her climb into the bed giggling.

"And what is so funny?"

She shook her head.

"Nothing."

He heard her stifle another giggle before the room became silent.

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Even in her sleep, she looked sad. It was the one time he could really see it, unhindered. In her waking moments, the sadness was smothered, muted by the anger rolling off her. It did not take long for Lucius to notice the presence of Bellatrix Black seemed to exacerbate the waves of anger. It did not matter that they were in the same house…there was definitely no love there. Bellatrix's dislike for this new Slytherin grew tremendously in one DADA class that Lucius found hard to ever forget.

It was the first DADA class since Hermione was off the crutches. Fridays were practical days in DADA and that meant dueling in this case. Hermione had not been able to participate the first time due to her ankle creating problems for her to stand and hold a wand accurately at the same time. Now…now the professor was all a flutter, anxious to see if Hermione was as well at the practical as she was at the theoretical.

Hermione stood at the front of the class waiting rather impatiently for the professor to decide whom she would duel. Hermione's eyes wondered over to where Lucius sat and she rolled her eyes. The professor was tapping her chin making an odd sound here and there as if ticking people off a list in her mind. Finally, with an eerie smile, the professor called for Hermione's dueling partner.

"Miss Black please come up here."

Bellatrix walked to the front of the class with an evil smile that smacked of the crazy smile she would later develop in life. Hermione's lips formed into a thin line of dislike. The rest of the class leaned forward in excitement. It was no secret the disdain these two Slytherins had for each other. The class waited with bated breath as they faced each other…each barely bowing to the other. Hermione took her steps back and as she turned to face Bellatrix again she immediately cast a shielding charm.

Hermione knew how Slytherins dueled. After all, she watched Draco and Harry duel in her second year. She saw the turquoise light of a spell bounce off Hermione's shield and she immediately cast the first spell that came to mind. Hermione couldn't help the smile that formed on her face as she stared at the petrified Bellatrix. The class was as silent as they had ever been. Hermione's eyes quickly looked toward the class and they all had the same awestruck look on their faces.

"Excellent," exclaimed the professor. "And non-verbally too! Wonderful! Please take a seat!"

As Hermione walked back to her seat the professor lifted the spell and Bellatrix made her way to her seat fuming mad. When Hermione took her seat next to Lucius, she felt him lean over and whisper into her ear.

"She never saw it coming."

A smile flitted across Hermione's face. Her anger did not subside after that however, and Bellatrix's unexplained anger toward Hermione seemed to increase ten-fold. The anger that was building between these two girls could be felt in the corridors when they passed each other or when they sat in the same classroom. It was like a wave building higher and higher and everyone watched…waiting for it to crash over them all.

Halloween would prove to be the breaking point.

The school was all abuzz about the ball that evening…the last ball Hogwarts had before Hermione's year. This was not a masquerade however and for that, Lucius was quite thankful because he did not think she would look nearly as beautiful if a mask obscured her face. In the days before the ball, Lucius had been ready to pull his hair out. Hermione was not like the other girls in Slytherin. She was nice and kind to everyone and did not think twice about reprimanding him when he tortured some poor little Hufflepuff…her face lit up when learning something she actually did not know…and it soon became obvious she was the best in their class at dueling. He knew she was a student in the future of Hogwarts and that she would be returning soon and that is why every night he lay there memorizing every line of her face, every breath, every melancholic moment she experienced in her slumber. He longed to know why she was so sad when her senses relaxed and why she was so angry in her waking hours.

It was when Hermione descended the stairs from the Head Boy's room that Lucius knew it was a possibility his heart would be broken when she went back.

At the table in the Great Hall, Evan, a fellow Slytherin brought a camera to get some pictures of the ball. As people finished their feast, Evan pulled the camera out and held it up to get a picture of the couple across from him. Lucius and Hermione leaned into each other, smiling brightly for the camera…for a moment the sadness and anger seemed to be gone.

Lucius held her as they danced around the room. She never noticed the way he looked at her or the way he watched her when she wasn't looking. Not once. As Lucius twirled her around, she noticed Bellatrix. She was standing off on the side facing a girl Hermione knew to be muggle-born.

"Mudblood…"

The word traveled to Hermione and seemed to echo in her ear reminding her of what house she was in and who these people surrounding her were. Hermione stopped dancing, forcing Lucius to come to a halt.

"Leave her alone," Hermione said sternly to Bellatrix.

Bellatrix turned around, eyes glinting with excited anger. Hermione looked into her eyes…the eyes of the same person that would destroy her family and Neville's. She felt white-hot anger boiling up inside her and it was reflected in her eyes and radiating off her. People began to back up as the girls stared at each other…Hermione's a look of daring…daring her to go for her wand, to just give her a reason.

Hermione's wand was in her hand waiting for Bellatrix to try something and she was not disappointed. A low growl escaped Bellatrix throat as she lunged forward with her wand in front of her. Hermione barely moved her wand casting a shielding charm. As the orange light bounced off, Hermione laughed at the look of shock on Bellatrix's face. It only increased Bellatrix anger and ultimate hate for Hermione and Hermione was ready and welcome. Bellatrix threw another hex, but Hermione cast a shielding charm as she jumped out of the way onto one of the tables and with a smooth slapping movement with her wand, Bellatrix was hit with Hermione's hex. It looked as if Bellatrix had just been slapped hard enough to bring her to the ground.

She stood up fuming mad and yelling incomprehensibly to Hermione who now jumped to another table laughing and goading Bellatrix on.

"Come on Black! I thought you were top of your class…" Hermione laughed and crossed her arms as an evil smile formed on her mouth. "…before I arrived at any rate."

Bellatrix yelled out and cast another hex which proceeded to bounce off Hermione's shielding charm and toward the ceiling. Yells were heard as a large number of coffers were destroyed and rained down on the spectators. Before Bellatrix could block her, Hermione hexed her with the slapping spell again, immediately after shielding herself. Bellatrix picked herself up off the ground turning red with anger. Hermione hopped from table to table, holding the hem of her dress up so she wouldn't trip on it, hollering out at Bellatrix.

"Come on Black! You can do better than that!"

Again, Bellatrix tried to hex her only to have the spell deflected to the doorway, destroying a large portion of the archway. Hermione felt great. Every ounce of anger she held went out in each slapping hex and each time sent Bellatrix to her knees. The Headmaster, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Slughorn each made their way through the crowd to the dueling. By the time they were within hearing distance of the girls Dumbledore's voice rang out.

"ENOUGH!"

Both girls stopped and looked in utter terror at the Headmaster. He stepped forward and looked between the girls, finally resting his eyes on Hermione's.

"Miss Dagworth-Granger please go cool off and be in my office tomorrow morning." Hermione nodded her head and looked down at Bellatrix. She hopped off the table and waved overly sweetly to Bellatrix as she rushed out the door. The Headmaster looked down at Bellatrix. "Miss Black, please follow me."

Lucius ran passed Dumbledore as he helped Bellatrix to stand up and told her to follow him. It was pouring down rain and Hermione had run for the front doors. Lucius stopped just outside the doors and watched the sight before him.

Hermione knew it was raining, but could care less. Something was different deep down inside of her and she could feel it—as if she could do anything. The anger was expelled in the Great Hall with every hex and every shielding charm she cast. Bellatrix went down at the wand of one Hermione Granger and she was thrilled for it. It was as if some sort of poison had been released from her system allowing her to finally feel what was around her as if it were new. She ran out in the rain. With her arms spread out and her face pointed up toward the sky, she turned in circles…laughing. The rain fell down splashing onto her skin…cool water caressing warm skin. It felt so new, so fresh. Hermione simply smiled and twirled more.

It was then, watching Hermione twirl around in the rain in her ball gown, soaking wet that Lucius knew for certain his heart would break when she left.

Lucius stepped out into the rain walking toward Hermione. She stopped twirling in the rain and stood there watching him make his way toward her. She was a vision to Lucius then…the water sliding down the exposed skin of her chest, arms and face…hair dripping…radiant smile that soon turned to laughter.

"And what is so funny," he asked as he approached her.

She looked up at him as the rain proceeded to soak him and she stifled a giggle. She said nothing…only struggling to control her laughter. Lucius, though not angry, reached out. She felt his fingers slide over her skin as he took her face in his hand and tilted her head up to look at him. She felt a fleeting panic as he leaned down closer, looking at her lips (or so she thought) and then looked into her eyes.

"What is so funny," he asked again in the same tone he would perfect as he got older…the tone that did not allow for argument.

With a small amusing smile, she looked at him and for a moment, she was saddened by the realization of why it was amusing. He noticed the shadow seem to pass over her features as she sighed deeply…desolately.

"You…standing out in the rain with me…its just amusing."

Her voice was quiet and heartbreaking.

"And why is that so amusing?"

Her eyes flickered back up to him and for a moment, he thought he saw tears mixed in with the rain on her face.

"One day you'll understand."