October 14th

Actively seeking out the wizard who sought to ruin her life was a drastic risk that Hermione knew she had to take. Sitting around just waiting for the next terrible event to happen was no way to live. Neither was being ignorant of what was to come. Clearly, Rodolphus had a plan for her and she wanted to know what it was. Maybe she would come to regret crossing over into enemy territory, but something told her that she would regret not going even more.

Rodolphus led her to the lounge, an unnecessary task as she knew every square inch of that house quite well. There had been countless nights over the years that she'd spent time in his home. Sometimes there were wild parties with dozens of other like-minded Death Eaters enjoying the debauchery they loved. Other times it was just the two of them, but they had just as much fun together. She'd enjoyed her time there, never once having a bad experience thanks to the alcohol, the potions, and the mind-blowing sex.

She tried to push away the pleasant reminders of the house while she followed the wizard. If she allowed herself to remember there were times that she cared very much for the horrible man, she might put herself into even more danger than she already was. Rodolphus was dangerous. She couldn't afford to forget that for even a moment if she wanted to be able to walk out the front door again.

He didn't say another word to her until they were both seated on the same sofa in his opulent lounge. Even for being a much smaller house than the manor, it was no less luxurious. Lestranges throughout history enjoyed their comforts. Rodolphus was only a short distance away. His eyes raked over her entire body in an obvious appreciation. She hated when he stared at her like he knew exactly what she looked like without her clothes on. Mostly because she knew he did. It was hard to ignore how many times they'd spent hours in that very house tumbling across his bed and rolling onto the floor. The man was insatiable when he was in the proper frame of mind. Too many years in Azkaban denied him the pleasures of the flesh that he enjoyed so much. He tried to make up for lost time whenever he could.

"What happened here?"

When he lightly brushed the very tips of his fingers across the new scar under her eye, Hermione flinched. He'd moved so quickly that she wasn't even aware he was going to touch her until he already was. It was further reminder that the man held a lot of power. Unfortunately, a lot of that power could be held over her if she wasn't careful. The touch was gentle, only lasting a moment before he dropped his hand.

"William Wood almost got his wish."

Rodolphus' eyes narrowed. Whether it was confusion or the beginning of a fit of rage, she wasn't sure. Realizing he probably didn't know the history, she gave him the briefest of explanations. She really didn't want to discuss what happened that night in Aubin's cottage again, but knew she likely was going to have to a few more times at least. It wasn't a small scar, after all. One day it might fade to be almost unnoticeable. While it was still healing, however, it was all she could see when she looked in a mirror. She tried to avoid mirrors whenever possible.

"I killed his little brother years ago. He's been hungry for revenge. Teamed up with Antonin's youngest brother Aubin to track me down to Aubin's cottage where I was hiding."

"Alone?"

"Yes, alone."

She didn't want to give him any further explanation as to why Antonin wasn't there with her when the attack happened. It was part of his plan to do what was necessary to break up her marriage. Just when they were doing so well, he'd been behind the plot to rip the Dolohovs apart. If she told him that his machinations had been successful, he might have found pride in his accomplishments. Besides, she was fairly certain that he already knew it worked after the loud row they'd had in Hogwarts. Of course, Draco probably already told him whatever he wanted to know. Instead of elaborating on her marital status, she continued her story.

"They tortured me for a few hours. Almost succeeded in killing me."

Rodolphus was furious. She could tell by the clenching of his fists and the vein that was popping out of his forehead. Perhaps it was sick to be happy about the fact that he was furious when she was hurt, but she was. While she didn't have the first clue what his eventual plans were for her, at least she knew that she wasn't a target. At least not yet. That would probably happen later.

"I'm glad to see that you were able to get out of that horrible situation."

The statement was made through clenched teeth. She wondered if Aubin was given the same warning as all of the others to leave her alone. If he was, the full wrath of the wizard in charge would be brought down on him. Hermione bit back a grin. Aubin was an idiot. Two very powerful wizards wanted him dead or at least in a great deal of pain. It wouldn't be long before he feared for his own life. Rodolphus tried to hide his anger, but she knew him well enough to know he was affected.

"Your brother-in-law clearly misunderstood the orders he was given when he approached me a few weeks ago. He was to leave you alone completely. I didn't even want him to speak to you. Clearly, we will need to renegotiate our arrangement when I see him next."

The obvious explanation for Rodolphus' plans was that he was setting himself up to be the next Dark Lord. For whatever reason, many of their former comrades flocked to him and wished to join his side. Was it because they believed he was a stronger candidate for power than Antonin or any of the others who might be interested? Hermione tried to remember all of the times they were together in the past when they discussed the future. Either they never once mentioned what would happen in the aftermath of the Dark Lord's death or the memories of those conversations were lost thanks to her reliance on those damned potions.

"What sort of 'arrangement' do you have with that bastard? And for that matter, what are your plans? No one will tell me."

Rodolphus appreciated when a person was forthright with him. More than a few times in the past he told her that he liked when she just came straight out with a question or a criticism. He was of the opinion that life was too short to spend it analyzing nuances and reading signals and signs. Her questions didn't catch him off-guard. No, he probably was expecting them. The grin on his face proved that he wasn't bothered at all.

"It's actually quite simple. I'm not sure why no one you've asked has been willing to explain it to you yet. I have nothing to hide."

He leaned back against the sofa, perfectly at ease in his own home.

"Then tell me, Roddy. What are you trying to do?"

"The regime has been unstable for years because it relied on a single person. As long as the Dark Lord was still alive, we knew who was in charge. Once it became clear that he wasn't going to live forever despite what he claimed, there was no clear leader to take over. The problem with the way our society has been set up is we can't rely on a single person. Not only is that too much responsibility to place on the shoulders of one person, Dark Lord or not, it's not sustainable. Problems get ignored. Issues fall through the cracks."

Several times in the past she thought that Rodolphus missed his calling. Just like her husband, he should've been a teacher. Hermione learned more from those two men than she did from just about everyone else who ever taught her. They had a rare gift, an ability to draw their students in and encourage them to seek out more information. It was interesting to imagine how much different their world could've been if they'd become professors instead of Death Eaters.

"I want to reinstate the Wizengamot."

It was such a radical idea after twenty years without one. There had been rumors that it would be reinstated during the Dark Lord's lifetime, but nothing ever came of them. Most of the esteemed members of the Wizengamot at the time of the end of the last war were murdered or disappeared completely from public life. The Dark Lord didn't want anyone to have the least bit of power unless he gave it to them. He was the one who appointed his trusted Death Eaters to various positions in the government. A collective body of witches and wizards making decisions without him was simply unacceptable.

"And I imagine you are the one making the decision as to who gets appointed?"

"I am merely trying to organize enough like-minded individuals who want to secure the future of this country into a manageable group of legislators."

Truthfully, reinstating the Wizengamot and allowing a collection of citizens to make the necessary laws and decisions wasn't a terrible idea at all. At least they wouldn't all be subject to the whims of a madman. Many times in the past twenty years she'd disagreed with the Dark Lord's orders, but it was a death sentence to argue. But she didn't think that was everything. She wasn't stupid enough to believe that there wasn't more to his plan than what he was telling her. Rodolphus would only tell her what he wanted her to know. It was enough that he was telling her something. No one else would.

"I have been recruiting members of all of the best Pureblood families."

She rolled her eyes. Of course it would come back to blood purity. It always did. Rodolphus might enjoy rolling around in the sheets with a Mudblood, but he didn't want one to have any sort of power in the society he lived in. Sometimes it was easy to forget how old-fashioned and backwards the men in her life could be. It was like they were living in a society at least a hundred years older than the one the Muggles lived in. Maybe one day they would catch up with the Muggles. She didn't believe she'd be alive to see it though.

"I know what you're thinking, my dear, but there's a reason why the Pureblood families have endured for as long as they have."

"Is that why you ordered Hannah Rowle to be murdered in broad daylight in the middle of Hogsmeade? Because you wanted to recruit her husband to your side?"

Rodolphus was offended by the suggestion. There were times he could be read like an open book.

"I had nothing to do with her murder. On my word as a Lestrange, absolutely nothing. I was furious when I heard about it."

"Certainly sounds like something you would do. Weren't you trying to pick off all of Antonin's supporters?"

"Why would I order the murder of a woman I was actively trying to recruit? Her father already agreed, but I was having trouble convincing her husband to join. I wouldn't do anything to hurt either one of them. Not until I was certain they wouldn't agree."

There was a certain amount of honor that Rodolphus had when it came to his word as a Lestrange. It was never something that he said lightly. If he claimed that vehemently that he had nothing to do with Hannah's murder, she couldn't help but believe him. As if to further his point, he slid his hand through her curls to rest on the back of Hermione's head. She was afraid to move, afraid to breathe. What was he going to do next?

"When I heard you were injured in that attack, I wanted to rip whoever did it from limb to limb with my bare hands. I still want to."

She believed him. Nothing about his countenance or in his eyes showed him to be lying. Knowing that he was being completely honest in that moment, she knew she had to take her chance.

"And what are your plans for me, Roddy? Why did you want to hurt me?"

His shoulders slumped and he exhaled. He almost seemed hurt, like she'd just insulted him. There was a time when she thought she understood the man. No longer. He was a complete mystery.

"All I've ever wanted, Hermione, was you by my side."

He followed up his admission with a press of his lips against hers. Startled, she gasped, allowing him entrance into her mouth. Just like outside of the White Wyvern, she knew it was wrong to kiss him back, but she couldn't stop herself. There was a lot of history between them and it was hard to ignore it. Seconds after she kissed him back, she came to her senses. Pushing him away, she jumped up and ran out of the Dower House. He didn't follow.