Disclaimer: Not mine…but Kuro is.
A/N: SpeedDemon, are you sure you are fangirling over my vampire or did you check out the guy I imagine playing him? Lol. Anyway, enjoy this chapter and don't forget to review.
Chapter Six
Every Breath You Take
His head turned slowly, one eye staying on their reflection…a slight smirk of unreserved enjoyment graced his lips.
"Put the folder down," he whispered into her ear.
She closed her eyes as the poisonous disdain in his tone baptized her in its hate. She moved slowly to put the folder down on the chest of drawers. His hand still had a hold of her wrist, ready to tighten his hold if she tried anything funny. Lucius watched the folder fall onto the dresser, but still did not let go of her. Keeping a hold of her wrist still he wrapped that arm around her as well so that not only was he now holding her in his arms from behind, but her arm was pressed against her body unable to move it.
"I'm watching you, Miss Granger. That is my job…to protect you…every breath you take…every move you make…I'll be watching…"
He let go and she fled from the room. She ran down the hall…her mind plagued by his words. Once she reached the strip of landing over looking the main room she stopped, placing her hand on the balustrade and looking down into the room trying to catch her breath. On the sofa, Draco looked up…concern striking his features. Hermione watched as if not from her own body as Draco rose from his seat and began ascending the stairs toward her…eyes never leaving her.
Lucius stood there in the same spot he stood when he had Hermione trapped between himself and the dresser. His reflection stared back at him, but he was no longer sure who was in that reflection. Something about the girl…the Mudblood, pulled at parts of him long since left alone. It was like some kindred connection forged unknowingly between them and it continued to pull at him…drawing him in to her.
What was wrong with him? He was the one trapped…trapped beneath yet another "leader." Trapped in this house with the Mudblood…trapped into playing protector as if he cared! For a moment in the reflection he saw her again…single tear gliding down her cheek. Why didn't he just take the folder from her hand and let her go? Shove her from the room like the filth she was? Why?
He watched the contorted vision of his reflection. No. He would not make the same mistake twice…bound by a leader beneath him…bound to do things for someone else. What about Lucius Malfoy and what he wanted? Still her image floated about in his mind. With a frustrated growl, he drew his fist back…shards of mirror clattered onto the dresser and the floor…leaving only bits of mirror left and leaving Lucius with nothing more than a broken reflection of himself.
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He hated his being…his curse upon curses. Why…why him?
"They are gathered in the meeting hall," Chi spoke from the doorway as he pushed his glasses up on his face.
Kuro turned away from the mirror and the reflection he was staring at…his reflection. With a polite nod, Kuro left the room, traveling down the corridor toward the set of double doors where a slight murmuring could be heard. Chi looked at two men standing on either side of the doors and with a nod, they opened the doors.
The room fell silent.
Kuro stepped in…striding through the opening that had parted in the crowd of Death Eaters as he reached a platform that held an extravagant chair reminding some of a throne. He sat down immediately leaning forward and with his head cocked slightly to the side he looked over the silent crowd. Finally, his eyes settled on Rabastan.
"Rabastan…Rodolphus. You will lead a team…this Friday. She will not be under the protection the house offers and you will be able to take her."
Rabastan glanced about. Where was Dolohov? Kuro was silent while Rabastan did this. Once he was sure Rabastan's attention was back on him, Kuro stood up and slowly swaggered toward Rabastan, circling him.
"Your friend met a…untimely end, Lestrange." Kuro's eyes looked up toward Chi as he continued. "Oji found it quite the waste…Dolohov that is…did you realize he had B blood? Such a foul taste from what Oji tells me."
Rabastan's eyes cut over to Chi who was smiling and wiping the corner of his mouth with his thumb as if removing some unseen surplus there. Kuro smiled as Rabastan paled.
"Unless you want to meet the same end, Lestrange you will not harm a single hair on her head. Am I being clear?"
Kuro waited for some sign from Rabastan that he understood. As soon as he had it, he looked over the group again.
"That is all," he said softly and waited as they filed from the room.
They were imbeciles…every single one of them. Idiots among idiots. They left through the doors like the perfect little lemmings they were. He stood in the same spot, waiting for the doors to close behind the last Death Eater. With a resounding thud the door closed…shutting everyone out. Kuro looked around him…his tall form turning back toward the platform and the throne-like chair. Slowly stepping back up to the platform he sat down. Leaning back in the chair he looked up at the extravagant ceiling with its heavenly painting and wondered if he would ever find his heaven. Did he even deserve such a heaven?
It was her though.
She was the key to his salvation…
He was drawn to her every move…her every breath…
She was the closest thing to heaven he would ever feel…
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Hermione slowly stirred the warm brown liquid of the hot cocoa in her mug. She tossed the spoon into the clean sink and with the mug in hand she began to make her way back into the main room. Draco had long since gone to bed informing her that if she wanted company to come wake him up…he wouldn't complain. Hermione seriously doubted that, imagining what a raving lunatic the Slytherin boy probably would be if she did try to wake him up.
The main room was currently relying on the light of the moon and a soft floor lamp that sat in one corner. It offered a warm ambience that Hermione hoped would help her drift off to sleep without the thoughts of those unknown things watching her in a house she should feel and be safe in. When she entered the room though, Lucius was stepping off the stairs. She hadn't seen him since running from his room and his current appearance was that of someone thoroughly bothered emotionally or…
Firewhiskey.
He held a glass in one hand and a bottle in another. She watched him pour part of the bottle into the glass and slam the bottle onto the table top of the coffee table. She noticed the blood on his knuckles…dried and caked on as if whatever caused the damage happened hours ago and the impeccable Lucius Malfoy didn't bother to wash himself of the mess. Hermione immediately put her mug down on the dining room table and rushed over to Lucius.
His eyes widened at her sudden approach and strangled sound of distress. When she reached for his hand, he jerked away looking down his nose at her as if she had lost her mind to deign to grab at him in such a way. Obviously Lucius hadn't been drinking the whole time. Hermione's eyes narrowed and her hands went to her hips, forgetting the incident in his room earlier as now he was nothing but an insolent child fighting to keep his wound from being messed with. She rolled her eyes and with a forceful hand she reached out and grabbed his wounded hand causing him to wince at the pain. Her lips quirked up in amusement at his child like behavior.
"If you wouldn't fight me it wouldn't hurt so much."
With her other hand she flicked her wand and a first aid kit floated from another room into her hand. As she took the kit and sat it on the table she sat on the sofa urging Lucius down with his hand still in hers. His lips curled up in a cross between a sneer and snarl, not happy with the current situation. With his free hand he drained his glass…his third glass.
As Hermione was observing his wounds more clearly she became aware of his sudden compliancy. Slowly her eyes looked up from his hand and noticed the now empty glass and the rather subdued looking Lucius Malfoy. With a sigh and roll of her eyes she turned back to his wound noticing pieces of some sort of glass in the wound.
"What the bloody hell did you do to yourself," she said standing up, pulling him from the sofa and picking up the first aid kit with her free hand.
He had no choice but to follow Hermione's lead. He was really torn. He shouldn't have drank the firewhiskey…it flowed through his veins making him malleable to anything Hermione urged him to do. She led him to the kitchen sink where she turned the water on and thrust his hand under the running water. It was sudden, her jerking his hand forward, causing him to stumble forward slightly, running right into Hermione, and thrusting her against the counter. She squeaked in surprise. Lucius' free hand immediately reached out to catch himself from falling forward any farther so that Hermione was trapped between the arm she held on one side of her under the water and the hand Lucius placed on the counter on her other side.
As she washed the dried blood and glass from his hand she desperately tried not think about the situation she was currently physically in and made a note to herself to hide the firewhiskey first thing in the morning. When she was done with the cleaning, she turned around only to find herself very close, face to face with Lucius Malfoy. She cleared her throat nervously and looked down at the clean wound.
It wasn't easy reaching next to her on the counter for some antibacterial cream as Lucius hadn't moved and she could have sworn he had actually gotten closer. Pushing that thought aside she rubbed the cream on the wound gently before reaching for the bandage.
Lucius watched her work meticulously to care for his self-inflicted wound. He did note that the antibacterial cream she used was a magical one so that his wounds would heal faster than if she used a muggle version of the cream. She really had become a part of the wizarding world to the point that her normal household supplies were becoming more and more magical as time went.
When Hermione was done wrapping his wound she looked up at him. His grey eyes stared into hers, freezing the words that she was trying to get out.
"I…I'm done."
He nodded his head, not really saying anything and this time Hermione saw him move closer. She found it hard to swallow, wondering if she should call out for Draco or wait and see what happens. Suddenly, Lucius was being pulled away from her and she looked to see Severus standing there looking livid. He looked from Hermione and then turned to Lucius tossing a phial at him. Lucius caught it and looked at it rather disgruntled.
"It will sober you up, Lucius. Take it…now."
Hermione's eyes were wide. She glanced behind Severus and saw Draco standing there yawning.
"Could you not hear Severus? He was pounding on the door."
Hermione blinked and looked back at Severus feeling slightly embarrassed. Why didn't she hear? Was she so caught up in Lucius Malfoy that nothing else existed?
Preposterous.
"S…sorry, Severus."
He rolled his eyes frustrated at her nervousness…she was a Gryffindor for goodness sake.
"I came to deliver these," he said tossing three envelopes down on the counter.
"What is it," Hermione asked quickly forgetting her previous predicament.
"There is a celebratory ball," Severus said not bothering to hide how horrid he found the idea.
Hermione laughed slightly at the look on his face and proceeded to carefully open her invitation. She looked up from the invitation.
"What about school," she asked.
Draco and Severus exchanged looks. They were both waiting for that.
"School will recommence, but it will be later going this year as there is much to be done before students may be readmitted for classes…currently things are settled to open only parts of the castle for the ball only."
She wouldn't lie. She felt a bit disappointed that the school year would start later than normal, but she was thrilled it would start at all. Sitting at the table, Lucius had downed his sobering potion and listened to Severus and Hermione's conversation. He felt the surge of self hate. The whole conversation about school was another sobering reminder.
The young woman though having been through war was still a student.
How could he be drawn to someone like her?
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He stood in the darkened room. Everything in the night was still and quiet…almost too quiet. The young woman in the bed sighed rather deeply in her sleep as she shifted, turning in her sleep.
Why was he watching her?
Was it because she was so afraid during the night? So frightened that someone was entering the house? Or was it because it was the one time of the entire twenty-four hour day that he could do this and drown in his guilt and self-loathing of his actions without witnesses?
He moved to sit in the window seat. Slowly his eyes moved from her sleeping form to the bandage on his hand. He hadn't drunk enough to forget this time, but enough that the memory was hazy. Why he had that reaction to firewhiskey he could never understand. Either way he was currently with the hazy memory of Hermione Granger's hands gently tending to his wounds—a memory he hoped would fade quickly.
This wasn't who he was.
It all started with that bloody war and her part in it…the way she looked fighting…the fire in her eyes…the determination on her face. She knew where she stood in that war…even if that was decided for her before ever stepping foot in their world. Either way, she knew where she stood and nothing would shake her foundation. So why now when the sun went down did she seem so…weak…frightened? That wasn't Hermione Granger.
But this was just a job.
He took a vow…an Unbreakable Vow.
He would protect her for those reasons only.
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There was a bonfire.
The flames danced up into the night air and music pulsed through the evening offering up the desire to move your body in the most erotic ways.
Lucius Malfoy was not a happy man.
Hermione Granger was not just spouting useless empty words when she told him she was going to the little gathering on the beach whether he liked it or not. She came down the stairs as the sun began to set in the same bikini and thin wrap barely hanging on her hips that she wore when he and Draco first arrived. Draco stopped moving…game forgotten as the sound of his video game death echoed in the now silent room. Lucius cleared his throat and looked away before drawing himself up to his full height as he stood.
"No," was all he said.
"Yes," was her response as she skipped out the door forcing the Malfoys to follow in order to keep up Lucius' end of the bargain.
Now he stood on the beach trying to maintain his vantage point of the grating Gryffindor. She knew some of these…muggles. That was obvious by her happy conversation and warm laughter of past times.
Lucius found himself fascinated though…fascinated with the reflection of the bonfire on her barely tanned skin…fascinated with her laughter…fascinated with the myriad of emotions that crossed her face…fascinated with her every move.
He hated her for it.
It was when Draco approached the girl that Lucius suddenly regretted not punishing his son more severely as a child. Where the surge of…whatever it was came from Lucius didn't know and didn't want to know, but he knew it had to be that Mudblood's fault. His son gently pulled Hermione's arm toward the dancing crowd urging her to dance with him.
She smiled.
She smiled at his son…his son.
Their bodies moved to the beat of the music and Lucius found he really wasn't paying attention to his son anymore. She had to know she was being watched…after all, he did tell her every breath she took he would be watching. Lucius took a deep breath, looking away, allowing his eyes to glance over the beach and all those occupying it. His eyes shifted up to the sky for a moment. The moon hung ominously in the dark clear sky—every star twinkling like a diamond. Slowly his eyes fell back on the girl he vowed to watch.
Hermione was truly enjoying herself for a change. She missed Harry and Ron terribly though and wished they could be there with her, but Draco helped to fill the void in her heart. It was a wonderfully clear night. On occasion there was a slight breeze that would tickle across her bare back.
She saw him before anyone else did.
He emerged from the darkness of the night surrounding the beach…a tall gorgeous man with intense eyes that made her feel naked before him. There was something about him…something familiar. When his intense gaze fell on her she knew why he was familiar…her dream…he was the man in her dream. He swaggered slowly toward her. Her eyes couldn't seem to find the desire to leave him…something about him just pulled at her…drew her to him.
Maybe it was the familiarity.
He was several feet from her and she couldn't recall hearing or seeing what was going on around her, but the world around her was in definite chaos. The dark haired man stopped. His lips crooked up in a delicious grin. He slowly brought his first two fingers up to his lips and laid a gentle, sensual kiss upon them in an offering to Hermione.
That was it.
The warmth…the warmth of arms wrapped around her…the unjustifiable security something offered in the dead of night while she slept…oddly the security that frightened her upon awakening…it was this man…this gorgeous man staring at her as if he could devour her with nothing more than a simple nod from Hermione.
Her heart pounded.
Her breath quickened.
"Ichi-go ichi-e."
His lips moved slowly, seductively as he said those words…the same words she heard him say in her dream. She heard him so clearly despite the several feet that separated them. Her skin tingled as his eyes seemed to peer into her soul…reaching out to her.
A/N: Okay…don't forget that Kuro is NOT a normal vampire. Do not confuse myth with what he is okay? There are differences that will slowly come to light, so no he does not have Hermione under any sort of trance right now…just wanted to head that line of thought off right away.
Now, for all you Kuro haters I do have another LM/HG story in the works. I have posted the first chapter so don't forget to check that one out too.
For all the reviews and support: Kuro and I thank you.