Disclaimer: All Harry Potter related characters, places and themes belong to J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury and Scholastic.


A Simple Course of Action
Chapter 4: To Protect and Defend

A remedy to seek
Four elements unite
Water, Earth, Fire, Air
Four corners convene
North, South, East, West
When the Sun has been aligned
Between Heaven & Earth
Eternity you will find

After Lord Ryuu was escorted out of the room, Hermione sat quietly for a minute. Playing with the pendant that she wore around her neck, she thought about the promises she had made. About the conversation.

She looked at the parchment she had received from Lord Ryuu. Something was incomplete. Lord Ryuu had said that they would need to find 4 sources of magic of 4 elements from the 4 corners of the world. He also said that they would have to procure various artifacts belonging to sun gods throughout the world.

Spears, wands, swords... They would have to find four and unite them before the summer solstice. But that was way too complicated. Why would Vivienne do something like this? It just didn't make sense. This was complicated. The answer had to be simpler.

Harry watched Hermione thoughtfully. He broke her reverie, "Mia. We need to go."

"Something is not quite right. I can't put my finger on it but something is not adding up," Hermione answered.

"Let it go."

"He's right. We know how much you like to analyze things, but we don't have time for that right now. We need to act now. We only have three weeks left," said Ron.

"Mia, we can all floo to my house. My father is there right now. If he can help in any way, he will. If anyone could decipher this riddle, I think he can." Draco suggested.

"I don't know..." Hermione started.

Draco interrupted, "He knows something. I don't know what. But, he knew about your mother. He knew about Lord Ryuu. I really think he can help us."

Harry agreed, "As much as I hate to admit it, we all heard Lord Ryuu. Lucius knows something. We need to know what he knows."

Draco looked at her thoughtfully, "Besides, we have a vast library that rivals Hogwarts in size and scope. You can research to your hearts delight and not be bothered by anyone."

Hermione rolled her eyes. She knew he was right. They were all right. Why did she feel so manhandled right now? She had never thought she would have to go back to that horrible place. The atrocities that she had suffered there... "Let's go. I really cannot believe I am saying this but... Let's go to Malfoy Manor."

Draco saw the pain in her eyes. He knew what she had been through and felt so frustrated that he could not protect her better during the war. He put his hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"Don't worry Mia, I will never let anything harm you again." He had made a vow to himself after seeing her tortured to guard and protect her with his life. He had truly hoped that one day they would make another kind of vow to each other, but for now he would do his part to take care of her.

The fearsome foursome floo'ed directly to the library in the eastern wing at Malfoy Manor. Draco showed Hermione around and smiled as her eyes widened at the size of the room. She could not help but think how much it reminded her Duke Humfrey's library at Oxford.

Her father had taken her there on a tour as a child when he saw she had a voracious appetite for reading. She remembered how small she felt when the tour guide mentioned there had been 80 miles of book shelves. Now here she was standing in the Malfoy's personal library where thousands of books lay before her. She was filled with a sense of reverence and awe. She walked over to a glass case and peered inside, 'The Black Book of Carmarthen'. This manuscript dated back to the middle of the thirteenth century and had references to the original Arthur story. Why would they have it here? I thought it was in the National Library of Wales.

Sounding uncharacteristically like Luna Lovegood, Hermione mumbled, "Oh yes, of course. Your father."

Draco gently placed his hand on her cheek, "Are you okay?"

Hermione looked up and met Draco's eyes. Hermione nodded, "The library... I had no idea."

Draco nodded. It was a little overwhelming, "It's the Malfoy Family's most prized possession. You know what they say, 'Knowledge is Power.' We have thousands of titles ranging from ancient texts to the latest version of Who's Who in Wizarding. Mia, no one knows the library like my father. I'll be right back with him. I know he will be able to help us." He hated to leave her like this; she seemed so lost.

Hermione nodded. She sat down at a study area and started looking at her pendant again. She wasn't sure why but she had been feeling drawn to it. It was a lovely pendant, a celtic knot with a carnelian in the center. For some reason she couldn't fathom, she felt compelled by this simple piece of jewelry.

Draco knew where he would find Lucius. Determined to return to Hermione as soon as he could, Draco apparated to his father's study.

"Father? I need your help."

"Draco, where have you been?"

"Stopping a wedding. There is no time for conversation right now. Artemisia Yaxley is in the library. She needs your help."

Lucius stopped. Artemisia Yaxley was in their home. She needed his help.

He had tried to help her mother many years ago. Lucius had become obsessed as soon as he met Jonina. She was the most remarkable witch he had ever met. He had discovered her secret quite by accident. He had stopped by to visit her brother on a matter from Lord Voldemort when he found her in her parents library researching the family curse. It had been only a few months after the party. He smiled as she remembered how beautiful she was when she pleaded with him to keep her family's curse a secret. She was a ray of light in a time of darkness... his angel. He could never deny her anything, so of course he obliged. He knew she was keeping some other secret from him, but he hoped she would eventually come to trust him... to share all her secrets with him.

That summer he read countless wizarding books about Vivienne and Morganne Le Fey, he then turned to muggle stories about Arthur and historical accounts of the dark and middle ages. His obsession led him to the shrine of Ateramasu in the tutelage of Lord Ryuu. When he had discovered a potential solution that Lord Ryuu had uncovered, he returned home to tell her of his findings.

But oddly, she had disappeared... Without a word... Without a trace...

A part of his soul died when she disappeared. He became a little colder, his heart a little harder. He had tried to put Jonina's memory out of his memory. He threw all that he had into the war effort, eventually becoming one of Lord Voldemort's most respected followers. He married Narcissa Black. They were blessed by their master to go forth and multiply... a few months later Draco was born.

And then the Yaxley's announced their granddaughter to society. He had thought his angel had died in the war, but after seeing Artemisia he knew she must have been kept hidden for some reason.
Her daughter... Of course I will help her daughter. I would do anything for her.

"Well, son. What are we waiting for?"

Harry and Ron watched Hermione for a few minutes.

"She's lost it," Ron said.

"She has not," answered Harry.

"She's gone balmy! This isn't Hermione. She should be looking feverishly through these books. She is just sitting there... staring!"

Harry and Ron walked back and forth, waiting patiently for any sign of life from their friend. Eventually, they broke the silence.

"Hermione," Harry said gently. "Are you okay?"

"We know what you went through here. What we all went through," Ron added. "If you would rather leave..."

Hermione slammed her hands on the table she was sitting at and stood up.

"Would you boys stop it! Stop smothering me. I have to deal with this right now, I don't have time to be mollycoddled by either one of you. Yes, we all went through horrible things. Terrible things. All of us. Why continue asking me if I am okay? Ron are you okay? Harry? What about you? How are you feeling? Maybe we should ask Draco how he is doing? What about Lucius? Maybe you should go up to Lucius and say, 'Excuse me, Mr. Malfoy... How are you? Are you okay?'"

"I am fine. Thanks for your concern, Miss Yaxley," said the elder Malfoy, highly amused by her rant. Lucius and Draco had entered the room at the end of her tirade. Both father and son wore their trademark smirk.

Hermione turned around and blushed. "I, that is,...It is a pleasure to see you again Mr. Malfoy," she immediately went into her pureblood, Miss Manners act.

"The pleasure is all mine. To have you in our home is delightful. And in the library, no less. Tell me, how do you find our little collection?"

"It's lovely, Mr. Malfoy."

"Just like you. And how are you?"

Hermione grimaced a little at the question.

Lucius laughed, "Yes, I suppose I deserved that. Perhaps a different question. How is your mother?"

Hermione looked at him a little puzzled, "My mother? As well as can be expected."

"Oh..." he answered with a single elegant eyebrow raised.

"My father passed away a few months ago."

"Oh my dear, I am sorry. It must have come to quite a blow to both of you." Lucius walked over to her and offered her his arm, "Perhaps you should sit down? If you gentleman will follow me. I believe we have some things to discuss."

He escorted her to a more comfortable lounge area where they would all be able to talk. It was the kind of area that one would see in a traditional gentleman's club complete with leather chairs and dark wood tables.

Who was this gentleman that was before Hermione? She never knew this side of Lucius Malfoy. He was polite, refined, well mannered. Of course he was this way to Artemisia. Hermione chuckled to herself thinking how different Lucius would be if he knew that she was Hermione Granger.

But then, she really wasn't Hermione Granger anymore was she?

A/N: I dedicate this chapter to all those of you who are in finals right now. Now, go study!

Thanks to all those that reviewed so far: malfoholic18, Jackie Pappillion, Heartless ArchAngel1895, KyleInOrange, X.x.Tare.x.X, Back to Life, Tom Felton Is Hot, iki shaz, Yamibakuaswify, Neko 4, Secretly in Love, JEFF HARDY FAN31, KaraSays, taxibby, Isadora120, xxxxcrazychickxxxx, Kat.1600, jessirose85, evilsweetie, DracolikesototallyROCKS, kleipoppetje, lya darkfury, RedMarigold,

Special thanks to my beta girls xxxxCrazyChickxxxx and JessicaKayCobb's. You girls keep me going!

Preview:

Hermione, oblivious to anything but the conversation at hand, looked at Lucius and pointedly asked, "What do you know about my mother?"

"Let me see, where do I begin..." started Lucius.

Yes that's right, next chapter we learn about Lucius's involvement with Hermione's mother and Lord Ryuu.