(This is first fanfic and I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The chapters are short, and the storyline isn't brilliant but it is okay for a first attempt I suppose.

I don't own the characters; they belong to JK Rowling and her fabulous imagination. The plotline is mine though, unfortunately.)

Chapter 8

Outside the Great Hall Lucius confronted Hermione about the conversation he'd just heard.

"Did Potter just say he'd got the last horcrux…the last part of my old master's soul, excluding the small piece residing inside him?" Lucius asked; a concerned expression on his face. Hermione nodded. "Then soon he'll be gone." Lucius continued, the concerned expression now one of happiness and hope. "The Dark Lord I mean. Potter will vanquish him once for all."

"I hope so." Hermione replied, matching Lucius's expression. She beamed at him. "I truly do."

"I think…no I know he will. I know I used to hate Potter because he's was the Dark Lord's enemy…well I still sort of hate him." He winced at the frown on Hermione's face "Well…I'm not his biggest fan." Lucius shrugged "But I think, feelings aside, that Potter has the power in him to defeat the Dark Lord. Oh, how I hope he does it. I want to see that snake of a man dead!" Lucius exclaimed the last part so loudly Hermione jumped.

Hermione touched his shoulder lightly after she got over the shock from his sudden outburst. Lucius was breathing rather heavily, as images of his wife and son flashed through his head. Lucius saw the people he's killed. The people he'd tortured. The families he'd torn apart. He did all of that just because his ex-master ordered him too. Lucius shook his head, disgusted with himself for being so weak; for taking the orders of a cruel, insane wizard. All Lucius had wanted was a bit of power, but he had none. All he had now was his money. His unwanted mountains of Galleons sitting in Gringotts. Lucius had enough money for him to not need to work, but he decided to take this job to give himself something to do with his life. Luckily it had paid off as well. He had met Hermione.

Lucius smiled at his first memory of her. A bushy haired, big toothed twelve year old with a sharp intellectual mind. He remembered sneering at her in Flourish and Blotts. How he wished things had been different. How he wished she'd been pure-blooded. No. No he didn't. So what if her parents were muggles. He liked her anyway. She was a damn fine witch. He turned his mind away from that memory to another. When they were in the Department of Mysteries. She fought admirably. Of course at the time he hated her and her friends for resisting him, for making their task that much harder. Now though….now he just admired and respected to her. Since his change of heart he looked at her in a whole new light. If only he'd seen her that way always. Lucius smiled at his memories of her since he joined the light side. She didn't trust him at first, but their relationship had grown. They'd had a conversation or two before he took the potions job, and they had got on well. Talking about books. Just like this morning when they discussed Shakespeare. Always books. It was always books with Hermione.

Lucius smiled.