Disclaimer: not mine.

A/N: okay….please review. Voting for either LM/HG or SS/HG is still going on. And I would like to say to the anon. reviewer calling themselves Anastasia that when reviewing please do not leave immature ramblings about how grossed out you are about the SS/HG happenings in this story—it was the equivillent of name calling. It's a fictional character for goodness sakes! Okay…please review everyone and let me know your vote (though my mother is trying desperately to outvote you all insisting I do a SS/HG one next)!

Chapter 24

Tangled Web of Deceit

Bound at every limb by my shackles of fear
Sealed with lies through so many tears
Lost from within, pursuing the end
I fight for the chance to be lied to again

--Evanescence

Her head was pounding…a pain throbbed in her wrist and ankle occasionally accompanied by a sharp stabbing pain. She was cold…so cold. Slowly her eyes opened and her world began to focus. Her world was currently sideways—she was lying on the floor. She tried pushing herself off the ground to a sitting position, but her wrist was in too much pain and gave way. She fell back onto the hard cold stone. Pulling her wrist up against herself, she pushed with the one hand. Sitting there, she looked around.

It was old…wherever she was. The walls were sturdy yet the stone looked worn, aged. No windows shed in any light. Soon she noticed the bars where the doorway was and many other stone compartments like hers, but those were empty. She was in an ancient looking prison cell. A door somewhere opened casting in a bit of light. Shadows played along the walls and she recognized the voices of the men that took her from her life. Watching the distortion of their shadows as they traveled down a corridor toward her cell, she scooted back against the wall, hiding in the darkness the prison offered.

She shivered. Her hair clung to her face. She obviously had not been out long because she was still soaked from the rain. Her body shook uncontrollably in the dark, though from fear or the coldness of her wet skin she did not know. She heard a door down the corridor open again and what sounded like panic in her captors' voices. Someone was very displeased.

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Lucius was greeted by one of his house elves. Handing his bag to the house elf, Lucius looked around.

"Where are they?"

The house elf, with her nervous disposition around her master looked up and then down at her feet.

"Theys in the old section."

Lucius waved the house elf on and watched as it popped out of sight with his travel bag. Walking with his usual air of power, Lucius headed to an old pantry in the kitchens. Opening the door, he felt the back wall of the small room for the latch and swung open the hidden door. Walking down the old stone steps, he heard the sounds of scuffling feet as they rushed down the corridor to meet him.

As he stepped out of the stairwell, the Lestrange brothers came forward.

"I told him, Lucius…I told him you did not want her in the old dungeons."

Rabastan was approaching Lucius confident in defying his brother yet not so when it came to facing Lucius. Lucius looked down his nose at him and then to Rodolphus. Rabastan had a dark bruise forming just under his eye and Rodolphus was smeared with blood from an obvious nosebleed. He said nothing. Lucius swept passed the brothers heading down the corridor.

He stopped when he reached the cell holding the girl. He could see her trying to disappear in the darkness. Her legs were pulled up to her chest as if trying to warm her, but it was not working. Her eyes darted around nervously…full of fear. She was soaked through from the rain. His eyes scanned over her as if she were disgusting. He noticed the odd angle of her right foot and the swelling around that ankle and her left wrist. A small cut on her temple sent a trickle of blood down her face. Lucius slowly turned from looking at her to the Lestrange brothers walking toward him. He noticed Rodolphus walking as if it caused him extreme pain.

"You were told not to harm her," Lucius voice was laced with such anger that the brothers stopped in their tracks for a moment. Neither brother said anything at first, looking to the ground as if ashamed. With an eyebrow raised up in a quizzical look, Lucius looked intently at the brothers. "Gentlemen?"

The brothers exchanged defeated looks.

"She was not easy to get here, Lucius," Rabastan stated.

Lucius looked back to the girl in the cell to the brothers.

"You are telling me that the two of you could not capture one wandless chit of a girl?"

He was amused…very amused. He looked over the injuries the two men seemed to have acquired in their task.

"She's a fighter, Lucius," Rabastan said.

"Give me a chance, Lucius…I'll break her," Rodolphus stated with that sickening smile he always got when games would be played. Lucius wanted to throttle him. Reaching out, Lucius grabbed Rodolphus by the throat.

"You will do no such thing." Lucius sat Rodolphus back down. "Is that clear?"

He waited for Rodolphus to nod his head in understanding. Lucius stepped toward the caged door and began to open it.

"Lucius, she's a feisty one. You might not want to do that."

He turned a withering look to Rabastan.

"You just don't know how to handle this mudblood."

Lucius stepped into the cell and walked across the room until he was standing before Hermione. Her eyes appeared dark with multitudes of depth. She shivered, but her eyes never left his. Betrayal stood out in her eyes like a beacon in the night. Without turning away from Hermione, he spoke to the Lestrange brothers.

"You may leave now. I will take care of her."

Without another word, the brothers left. Lucius waited until the sound of the pantry door shutting could be heard. He had to get her out of this cell and into her room. Leaning toward her to pick her up, she flinched and backed up the best she could.

"Don't touch me," she hissed. "You betrayed me."

He watched her shiver yet again. Squatting down to get as close to eye level with her as he could, he looked at her.

"I betrayed nothing, Miss Granger. You have always known who I am."

Without waiting for her approval, he reached out and lifted her up off the stone floor into his arms. He felt her hiss in pain of the sudden movement, but offered no apology. He carried her out of the old prison up into the manor. He carried her up the grand staircase to his room. He carried her across his room to the bathroom where he sat her on the counter.

Hermione said nothing to him. She simply watched him wondering how the boy she met when she went back in time turned into this man. Her eyes followed him as he ducked down under the sink and stood back up.

"I have no potions to heal sprang wrists or ankles or broken bones for that matter, so we will simply wrap them and let them rest."

She still said nothing as he stood in front of her holding her leg up examining her swollen ankle. She felt his fingers caress the skin in observation. Taking his wand, one slow delicate movement later, her ankle was wrapped in a bandage. His hand reached out to her wrist. She felt a chill run through her when his fingertips caressed her own in their attempt at reaching her wrist. Another slow delicate movement with his wand and the wrist was wrapped just as the ankle was.

Lucius was avoiding looking her in the eyes. He didn't know why…he just couldn't do it. He couldn't look at the betrayal she held in them. Once he was done bandaging her sprains, he had to look at the cut on her temple. With one hand leaning on the counter next to Hermione, he used the other to turn her chin to the side to get a better look at it. His eyes followed the small trickle of blood coming from the cut—the blood that looked just like his own.

Taking a small dab of potion from the battle he got out from under the sink, he gently touched it to her cut. She flinched, moving to the side a bit as if she were trying to back away from the pain it caused. Automatically, as if to keep her from falling off the counter, Lucius' hand that was leaning on the counter next to her moved to her hip as if to keep her there. Hermione felt every fiber in her body seem to vibrate, as everything around her seemed to come to a screeching halt.

She found it hard to swallow as Lucius rubbed the healing potion into her cut. Lucius watched it slowly disappear, not removing his hand from her hip. Suddenly, he stopped rubbing the potion and she heard his voice, soft and controlled in her ear.

"There. Finished."

Slowly she turned her head to face him. For a moment it was as if she was staring into the eyes of the Lucius she knew in the past…the Lucius he used to be, even that one was not perfect, but he would never have hurt her like this. He watched her tongue gently lick her lips nervously. Lucius cleared his throat.

"I must lift you one more time."

Hermione did not respond, but did not protest when Lucius reached out picking her up. He sat her gently on his bed.

"I must leave you now. The Dark Lord is waiting for me to report to him when I have you."

He watched her eyes seem to cloud over at the mention of Voldemort.

"You won't be able to leave the manor. The ward I have set will not only alert me to any arrivals, but will prevent your escape. So, don't be foolish."

He turned leaving her alone in the room.

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He cleared his mind of all emotion…all thought…all but one. The vision of Hermione Granger being pulled into the dark, being thrown against a bookshelf…the vision of Severus Snape's hands on her leg…waist…arm…neck flowed to the forefront of his mind invading everything Voldemort could see in Lucius. He noticed the glint in Voldemort's eye at the memory Lucius allowed forth.

"Keep the girl at the manor Lucius. Think of her as your prize for a job well done," Voldemort spoke softly and his smile was chilling.

"Thank you my lord."

"You may leave now, Lucius. I have another matter to attend to."

Lucius bowed and left the Dark Lord having a feeling he knew what the other matter Voldemort had the need to attend to.

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The sun slowly set as Hermione waited in Lucius' room. She couldn't get up even if she wanted to…her injuries saw to that. The sound of Lucius' voice, his words, his reactions to the Lestranges taunted her. Why was he unhappy about her being down there? Why was he unhappy that she was harmed? She lay there in the dark letting her thoughts bounce around in her mind.

She was a myriad of thoughts and feelings. Harry felt betrayed because of Snape's advances toward her…so blinded by what he simply cannot accept. Ron felt betrayed by her for pretty much the same reason. And now, she felt betrayed though she couldn't figure out why. She was always so smart. How could she not guess that Lucius was, well, still Lucius? No, she knew. Her memory that came back to her in pieces like a puzzle first created one picture and then another confusing the senses, confusing the thoughts. Slowly, as her thoughts swirled, the world she was trapped in drifted away into darkness.

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Night had fallen when Lucius returned to the manor. Slowly, he opened his bedroom door. It was dark inside and the sliver of light that came from the open door fell across the bed. Hermione lay curled up sound asleep. He watched the light disappear as he closed the door. As he removed the black leather gloves he had worn out, placing them on a side table, he heard his voice.

"I thought she was not to be harmed."

Lucius looked over by the French doors. Stepping out of the dark corner was Severus Snape.

"You have the Lestranges to thank for that, Severus."

Severus looked down to the bed at the sleeping girl. Walking toward Lucius, he smiled with a hint of sarcasm.

"Yes, that may be, but she was your responsibility. If I tell McGonagall the girl is hurt in anyway…"

"Ah…but you won't Severus," Lucius interrupted. "I have a feeling you will be much too…busy."

Severus sneered at Lucius as he felt the Mark burning in his skin.

"What have you done," he hissed at him.

One corner of Lucius' mouth turned up in a matured version of Draco's smirk. He nodded his head curtly.

"You best run along, Severus. The Dark Lord beckons."

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Severus stood before the Dark Lord…mind blank. Voldemort walked around him in his usual delicate, graceful way. He was gathering his thoughts into actual words…words that could be the last Severus Snape ever hears. Finally, he stopped in front of Severus.

"I have seen something most troubling, Severus."

"How may I be of service my lord," Severus responded like a good little Death Eater anxiously awaiting instructions.

"You can start by explaining why a faithful Death Eater of mine would lay his hands on a filthy Mudblood."

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Hermione's eyes fluttered open. The warmth and comfort she felt woke her up…it wasn't there when she went to sleep. Her hand was resting on something warm and fleshy. The moon shone through the window and across the bed. She looked next to her and saw him.

Lucius lay there next to her with his cloak off, shoes off, and shirt unbuttoned. In his sleep, the aristocratic demeanor he held fell away. He was relaxed in a world Hermione did not know of. Her hand was resting on his chest. Smiling to herself, she snuggled just a bit closer. For this night, it was as if she was back in his seventh year again and she was with her best friend. She knew when she woke up and he woke up things would be back the way they were, but for this one night she could have the past…for this one night he was not the Death Eater who orchestrated her kidnapping.

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McGonagall sat behind her desk watching Potter pace around her office ranting. Her eyes traveled to the portrait of Dumbledore. He offered an encouraging smile that made even his portrait's eyes twinkle. Harry's words began to sink in and she began to understand what Harry was saying.

"You most certainly will not do any such thing. Is that clear?"

McGonagall stood up causing Harry to stop his rant. Remus placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Harry, the Order is looking for her."

Harry looked around at the Weasleys, Remus, McGonagall…it was as if they didn't care.

"Not good enough. I will find her."

Severus stepped out of the shadows…paler than usual, beads of cold sweat on his brow, and barely able to move—the evidence of the cruciatus curse inflicted on him the previous night.

"The Dark Lord ordered her kidnapping, Potter. He undoubtedly has a use for her and will make sure she stays put."

Harry's eyes narrowed.

"I don't care….I am ready to face him."

Severus sneered.

"No, you are not," he hissed. "Luck and the intelligence of those close to you will not save you if you insist on searching for her this time, Potter. Perhaps you should put this endless energy of yours into a task more worthy…a task that will not only return the brains of the golden trio, but also rid the wizarding world of its largest menace other than yourself."

Harry was fuming.

"I have to find Voldemort to do either!"

"No," Severus roared. "You have to find and destroy the remaining horcruxes first!"

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Lucius sat at the foot of his bed, rubbing his head. He had left Hermione in the bathroom so she could bathe and change. The only thing he had for her to change into was a white button up shirt. To go rummaging through her clothing at school would definitely draw attention to him and to go out buying clothes for her would draw attention to him also.

His head pounded. His life was full of lies…a tangled web of deceit. He heard the bathroom door open and the sound of someone hoping on one foot. He looked up. There she was in the doorway…the only truth in his life it seemed. His eyes traveled her form observing her injuries. He looked away. Even that truth was being tainted by the lies and deceit…she was caught in its web.