Falsity
Just A Penniless Writer

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.
Author's Plea: eh... Sorry? Barely edited. Will edit at work. Just remember, trust no one, question everything, and nothing is what it seems. O, and Enjoy if you can.

Part 7: The Mudblood Hits the Fan

"And, hm, how did your father become aware of Miss Granger's true identity?" the Auror asked with much interest.

Draco smirked. Really, it was so obvious the man wasn't much older than him and probably a paper pusher. This was the biggest assignment of the man's life.

Then he remembered the question, and his smirk dissolved into distinct discomfort.

"Everything had gone so bloody smooth. I had hoped it would continue as such."

"But it didn't."

"Smart man, you are," he responded with blatant annoyance. "Of course it didn't. Had you watched the paper at all? You would have seen, quite easily, everything fell apart a few days following New Years, right before I returned to Hogwarts."

"What exactly happened?"

"We went shopping. We went bloody shopping. Father wanted to show a strong family front by having Granger, or 'Helen', accompany us on a nice outing in Diagon Alley. We were going to see the new broom that had just been released the day before."

"The Cloud Skipper? That broom is amazing!"

"I know, I know. Top notch racing broom. If I'd had that broom during the Slytherin-Gryffindor Quidditch match, I surely would have won the game. But, back to this bloody question, it was progressing perfectly. Granger really did look the 25 years we had originally made her. Father was calmer and happier than I've seen him in years. He insulted the filthy shopkeeper so perfectly the idiot looked as if he'd been Stupified. And Granger -- she grinned! I thought it would be awkward being with them, but she… I forgot who she was for awhile. I forgot she was Mudblood Granger and thought she was just Helen, my Father's pureblood fiancée. It was perfect! We were so strong then! Between the three of us, we could have made the entire population bow in recognition!"

"Really."

"Really. Our family has suffered since Father went to Azkaban. This was the first time we were back, truly back! Everything was as it should have been." The manic light faded from Draco's eyes as he slumped back into his chair. "Until that bloody paranoid arse ruined everything."

"Who?"

"Mad-Eye Moody."

"What did he do?"

"Not a bloody thing. He existed. That was enough."

"Really, my pet, have you learned nothing?" Lucius questioned his false fiancée as they took tea in rather nice establishment along Diagon Alley. "Threats are best when they are false. The man who believes it only feels all the more cheated when he learns he was threatened with an impossible scenario."

"Really?"

"O yes, my dear girl."

"Tell her about the school governors when you got Dumbledore booted from Hogwarts!" Draco said with enthusiasm. Hermione shot him an unreadable look. Was her accomplice really this starved for attention?

"Very well, Draco," Lucius responded with a fond smirk. Ah, memories. "My son attends Hogwarts, as you well know. I am not on particularly good terms with the present headmaster. At one point, during Draco's second year, there came an opportunity to have the man removed. I was on the Board of Governors, but a move of this magnitude required the signatures of all the eleven other governors. Some were not as… willing."

"So how did you do it?" No, really, she was curious. She'd always imagined him threatening serious injury or some rather nasty curse, but surely at least one of the governors would have had the ability to stand up to him.

"Most sufficiently. I needed a threat severe enough to be taken serious, but I was sure at least one of the men would relent after some time, and therefore I needed something I couldn't possibly be arrested for."

"So what did you use?" She was on the edge of her seat now, her brown eyes locked on Lucius's pleased and pointy face.

"I mentioned that I was prepared to inflict the adulterium nequeo if we couldn't come to an understanding."

There was a moment of pause before Hermione broke into laughter. Several patrons turned to look in near astonishment at Lucius Malfoy's pretty, young fiancée laughing so honestly. Lucius merely smirked with pleasure as he waited.

"And… they… bought that? They were the governors, and they believed it?" she managed through her remaining giggles.

"It is a fairly old curse. I am surprised you know of it and know why I could never have inflicted them with such."

"I came upon it while looking up a related curse after an acquaintance flinched at the mere mention. It is a very impressive, and, for certain people, terrifying curse."

"The inability to commit adultery as well as the inability to find release with a woman if still a bachelor… a very thorough and terrifying curse indeed, which is why it requires express wand consent of the oldest blood related witch in the wizard's family in order to be successfully cast."

"…consent which cannot be coerced. Indeed, a frightening curse, and one you could not exploit. It would have provided the signatures, bought you some time while they researched the particulars, and kept you from being prosecuted. Brilliant! Just brilliant!"

Lucius practically preened under her compliments. He always did like for his strategies to be appreciated, as they so rarely were. Of course, a lot of his plots did seem to fall short of their goal, alliance with a notorious Dark Lord not excluded, but that didn't mean he wasn't successful in part and therefore deserving of some commendation. Apparently, admiration had been waiting for him in the delightful form of a would-be stripper.

"And that, my pet, is exactly what a threat should be."

Draco watched with satisfaction as his father smiled assuredly and accomplice returned with her own demure expression.

Really, this could be no better! With a happy little sigh, he turned away from the gratuitously adoring couple that disgusted him even as it elated him to let content eyes lazily scan the crowd passing by the partially fogged window. There were various wizards of status out, precisely the reason they had chosen this time and day for the excursion, so he more than expected to see a familiar face. However, what he wasn't expecting was the disfigured profile of someone he had no urge to associate with.

Wherever Mad Eye Moody was going, he was in a dreadful hurry, but that didn't make him any less imposing. A bit perturbed even now at the sight of the former Auror, Draco turned back towards his companions only to find a pale and frightened Hermione gripping her tea cup with white knuckles.

"Helen? Have you had a fright?" he asked lowly.

Her eyes, the familiar brown as they had been since the Invigoration Draught discovery, met his. While he did not understand her fear, he was more than willing to get an explanation, particularly since his father was already growing suspicious.

"Do you need the lavatory, Helen? Some water perhaps?"

She nodded vigorously and leapt from her seat, practically running to the rear of the establishment, far away from view of the window. Draco waited a few minutes before he too left with the flimsy excuse that he wished to verbally abuse the wait staff. He searched until he finally found his classmate huddled in the filthy alley that separated the tearoom from the neighboring magical china shop. A disgusted cringe flitted briefly across his face before he turned his attention towards his schoolmate.

"Dear Merlin, that was close," she said through shivers. "He could have ruined everything, Malfoy!"

"What the bloody hell are you going on about? What happened in there?"

"Mad-Eye Moody, ferret face!"

"What about him?"

"Mad-EYE! It is a magical eye! It sees through enchantments! He would have known!"

"Merlin…"

"We can only hope he was in too much of a hurry to actually see me."

"But, Granger –"

"Granger?"

They both turned shocked and terrified faces to the latest inhabitant of the alley. And oddly enough, it was exactly that expression on her face that turned Lucius' confusion into comprehension. He'd seen that expression on that face before – during the ill-fated raid on the Ministry that had landed him in Azkaban.

But that meant… that meant Helen had been at the Department of Mysteries. That meant Helen wasn't Helen at all; she had been lying all along. She'd been playing him for a fool. This impertinent chit had been mocking him all the while! Hard grey eyes turned onto the girl, venomous intent brewing beneath the surface.

"Hermione Granger. The Mudblood of Hogwarts." He seemed to pause to keep his anger from boiling over. "A 'Do Not Recognize' charm, was it? Regardless, you will be sorry you ever crossed me."

"But, father –"

"Quiet, Draco. I will deal with you later."

"But, Lucius –"

"I did not give you permission to speak, Mudblood, nor would I ever allow filth such as you such familiarity."

The epithet seemed to push some of her fear back as indignation lit in her eyes.

"You allowed filth such as me much more than familiarity, Lucius," she responded tightly even as tears struggled to be shed. "And don't you even dare try to pin the blame on me entirely. For all that I did, you led me. For all that I lied, you let me. This would never have gone on so long had you not ignored all signs to the contrary."

With that, she propelled herself through the door and back into the tearoom. She'd made it to her cloak when a cold hand gripped her left arm resolutely.

"We are not finished here," he said through gritted teeth.

"I believe we are." She then pulled off her would-be engagement ring and slammed it onto the table before attempting to pull her arm free. He merely tightened his hold.

"You are causing a scene, Lucius," she snapped quietly. "And not a scene you will be thankful for."

Suddenly remembering the audience surrounding them, Lucius let his hand slip away as she stormed out into Diagon Alley proper. He only watched her, focusing on the straight black locks he now knew to hide unruly brown curls.

"Father, I meant to tell you…"

"Quiet, Draco. Not here."

"But father –"

"Not Here, Draco! Or have you lied to me enough that you are unwilling to obey even a direct command?"

Draco's frightened face, as well as the dead silence surrounding then, cued him in that he may have been a bit too menacing. Even as he dropped a few Sickles on the table and stalked out of the tearoom, robes snapping behind him, he remembered that it was exactly Helen's duty to help him regain society's trust, though Helen herself had caused his outburst.

But then her name wasn't Helen; it was Hermione. Hermione Granger, Mudblood Gryffindor. It had been Hermione Granger who had clutched his arm for safety during their first few outings, wrinkling his robes but making him feel all the more important. It had been Hermione Granger who had laughed appreciatively when he explained the logic behind threats. It had been Hermione Granger who had kissed him with such refreshing innocence.

Dear Merlin, it had been Hermione Granger who had danced at his birthday gathering in those wonderfully revealing costumes.

Tightening his hold on his cane, he Apparated back to the manor in a blink, wanting nothing more than silence, a little elf kicking, and a hard drink.

"The public nature of our falling out made publication a guarantee. When I returned to Hogwarts three short days later, it was to several well read issues of the Prophet, and a school full of gossip."

"What were your actions during that time?" the Auror asked flatly.

"I studied. I took solace in my lessons. I chose to continue my etiquette training with Madam Pince just to prove that I could be just as refined as him. I wanted so terribly to prove I was worth his interest again." She paused with a sigh. "I'm afraid I was terribly cliché."

"And what of your actions regarding your letter to the Prophet?"

"Well, I couldn't very well let such rubbish be allowed, now could I? Helen was every much my responsibility as she was Lucius' and Draco's. If the Prophet wanted to tar Lucius' blooming reputation, they would need to do it in a way that did not involve me. So I simply sent in a letter of correction."

"Listen to this," Ron said with excitement over breakfast as he read over the latest gossip regarding his family's nemesis.

'To the Reader's of the Daily Prophet;

I would like to correct an issue that was brought to my attention in the Thursday edition of the Prophet, regarding my supposed infidelity to Lucius Malfoy. The allegations that my relationship with Mr. Malfoy ended due to certain indiscretions with his son are ridiculous and crude. I resent the very idea, and ask the Prophet to please refrain from such vulgarity in the future.
The reasons behind the dissolution of my relationship with Mr. Malfoy are personal and private. I ask that they be treated as such.

Thank you,
Helen Wright''

Ron put down the paper and looked around with a pleased smile.

"Isn't that something?"

Harry smiled in return before turning back to his eggs. Hermione remained silent, wondering why the Prophet had seen it fit to cut several paragraphs from her letter. She supposed it would have taken up too much page space, but still felt the loss. All that time spent looking up the perfect words to insult the paper, only to have them left out completely.

Her thoughts wondered to Lucius as she imagined him reading the paper with a very different reaction than Ron. Would he grin wryly as he recalled the good times they had? Would he curse that she was still interfering? Would he further plot his revenge? Was he already enjoying the company of a new woman?

Tears that she had successfully held back for a week started to pour down her face without her knowledge. Still locked in her mind, she imagined being shunned by a newly married Lucius as she lay dying on the cobblestones. Would his new love enjoy his plots as much as she did? Would the woman make his eyes sparkle like she had? Would he buy the horrid cow Muggle candies as he had her?

"Hermione? Are you crying?"

Ron's voice seemed to infiltrate her little pity party, but it did nothing to stifle the tears that seemed relieved to finally have an outlet. Unable to respond for fear of sobbing loudly, Hermione merely threw herself away from the table and ran out of the Great Hall in favor of a more secluded place.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked as he turned back towards Harry.

"Dunno. NEWTS?"

"Probably." He paused. "We should probably start revising soon."

"Probably," Harry agreed. "Then, we did save the wizarding world. I think we'll be forgiven somewhat for low marks."

"Right. Quidditch?"

"Perfect."

And so it was that Ron and Harry never spotted the skulking form of Draco Malfoy heading out the Great Hall after Hermione.

"Why did you follow Miss Granger?"

"One lesson that has become more obvious over the years is that one must always keep those who can damage you content. You might discover that I've largely limited my taunting of Potter to the Quidditch pitch. Granger, though perhaps less notorious, could damage me more with Helen than Potter could ever dream. Thus, it was in my best interest to keep her content."

Draco paused, quirking his eyebrow while he pondered.

"And," he continued slowly, "I needed to see what could be done about convincing her to return to Father. He was angry, furious really. Especially since he couldn't even kick any elves with that damn oath she'd coaxed him into. But more than that, he was hurt. Truly hurt. And I will not see my father hurting for anything. Those last remaining days at the manor were enough to convince me what he truly wanted. If it took blackmailing Granger into marrying him, I would do it. Our reputation, or what was left of it, could be ruined by a Mudblood, and I didn't care. My father had to be happy… or he would make my life miserable."