Disclaimer:- I neither own nor earn anything from this story. Harry Potter and his world are the intellectual property of JK Rowling and her associates.

oOo

A/N:- Thank you to everyone who alerted and reviewed, but especially to those who had their say about the direction I've taken this story, most of you are thinking in the same way that I am, and this pleases me because I know that I am going to be satisfying the majority of you. Having said that, I also think it's time to start preparing you for the fact that this story only has a couple more chapters left to go. I have decided on a sequel, but I've also decided that I need a break to develop it, so there will not be an instant follow on, and for that I apologise. I want to get a viable matrix sorted before I start posting, just in case it ends up in the unfinished pile, I would hate to commit to posting a story and find out it just doesn't make the grade.

As to this chapter, mental illness is a serious subject and a tricky area to deal with, because people are very sensitive about it all. I believe it does not matter how a person gained their problems, what we must remember that it is an illness and they must be cared for appropriately, but doesn't stop anger being a part of that process. This was a difficult chapter to write (hence the reason it has been so long in the making), but I wanted to do it justice from all the different character's perspectives, I hope it measures up.

Chapter Thirty Three – Sorting Things Out

The next morning Lucius reclined in his bed watching the sunrise through the balcony doors, he could not sleep any longer. It was going to be a long day today, and he was feeling fairly unsettled. Calling for coffee, he started examining why he felt that way.

He decided that apart from the obvious looming confrontation with Ginny, the main reason was the way he had left things with Hermione and Severus last night. He had wanted to stay with them, and he had felt more comfortable than he cared to admit being with them last night. It was like a stress he had felt for a long time had left him, and he hadn't realised that he had been treading on egg shells, until he suddenly wasn't anymore.

Last night was the first time in months that he had felt like himself, and it had been without Ginny. He knew he still loved her, and he would have been willing to sacrifice the specialness of his relationship with Hermione and Severus to keep her, but after her defection he would not be taking her back, no matter what happened. It scared him a lot that he would have married the witch only for her to do this.

He also recognised that every time she was doing more damage with her petulant demands, it was him making all the sacrifices. Then to have her throw him away like a one would discard something they didn't care about, a newspaper or a chipped coffee mug it was too much. Apart from anything else, did she have no feeling for her children? She had appeared to care for them, but if you looked closely—as he had these last few days—Violet did the bulk of the work, and his anger started to build anew.

Flinging back the covers he grabbed his trousers and stalked to his gym, come duelling suite. Fighting always sharpened ones senses and he had a state-of-the-art duelling facility. Sealing the room he engaged the safety and set the spells.

Half an hour later and he sank to the ground a panting, lather of sweat, but the endorphins now coursing around his system and the excising of his anger saw his mood greatly improved.

Heading for his bathroom he glanced at the clock in the hall as he passed. Seven thirty, Hermione and Severus would be here soon.

xox

The three companions landed in the private apparition parlour of the French villa on the other side of Lucius' security wards. Ginny had only been able to access one wing of the estate, and Lucius chuckled as they walked through the barrier, That was something that must have really pissed her off.

He beckoned Hermione and Severus to make themselves comfortable and he went to find Ginny, reasoning that she would still be in her chambers; she was never an early riser, well not a happy one anyway. He passed another obviously occupied room; it was amazing what he could feel through his wards. He covertly locked the doors and warded the windows of that room until he was ready to deal with the occupant, the ginger menace inside was probably still sleeping anyway.

Pausing at the door of what used to be—not after this—his suite, he recognised two forms in the bed—his bed—and one had fiery red hair. Drawing his wand he used it to open the curtains as he announced his presence by slamming the door back against the wall. A non-descript looking wizard, sleepily flew up out of the bed grabbing at his wand.

"Expelliarmus, Incarcerous," Lucius snarled, and then looked to a heavy-eyed and obviously naked Ginny blinking at him. "Hello Ginn," and he cut a glance to the wizard on the floor. "Is that the best you could do in your attempt to wipe me from your mind?"

Her eyes instantly narrowed. "What do you want?" she seethed through her teeth.

"Well for one thing, I want you and your ingrate brother out of my house. Now, dismiss mister tiny prick here," and then Lucius looked at the wizard cowering beside the bed, "On second thoughts, I'll deal with him. Confundus, Portius," he commanded, and Ginny watched as her bed-mate popped out of existence.

"What have you done with him?" she demanded.

"Why do you care?" Lucius asked, sneering. "Now pack your belongings before you come down to the front parlour."

This got her out of bed. She stood quickly talking in stuttered words before seeming to get her head together and she started sashaying towards him with her body on full display to him, knowing the usual effect it had on him. When she reached him she walked her fingers up his lapel. "But Lu, you're here and well, I'm here and we could go to bed…" she glanced up at his stone-faced expression, and tears started. "Oh Lucius, I've missed you so much. I want to try again," she pleaded.

He disentangled her from his coat and cleared his throat. "What you are doing is trying my patience. Now do as I ask and we will discuss this like adults, I have a solution to propose that I believe encompasses everyone's best interests." He started backing out of the room, but she followed him.

"I really have missed you, can't we go to bed?"

Lucius gave her a look of disbelief and pointed his wand. She squealed as the spell shot past her and hit the bed. "Incendio!" he'd growled deep in his throat, and watched as the bed combusted. "On no account will I ever sleep in that bed again." Then he looked back at Ginny cowering slightly. "I would never hurt you, how could you think I would? But do you realise what you're asking me?" she blinked at him slightly stunned, so he clarified. "You wish me, the wizard you were going to marry to take you back without a word of apology for your disgraceful behaviour, and further more abandoning my only true friends and you wish me to lay with you." His lip turned up in disgust. "In a bed you have just risen from that is soiled with another wizard's bodily fluids?" He looked her up and down, "And you ask me to make love to you while you are also dirty with another wizard's semen," he waited for her to comprehend, and when she didn't react to his words, he whispered, "Then you truly are the whore that I hoped you were not."

His fire safety wards suddenly doused the burning bed, at the same moment as Ginny's slap connected with his cheek. Lucius didn't even flinch. He simply looked from the smoking remains of the bed to Ginny. "You have one hour. Now, get organised."

xox

Down stairs Severus and Hermione were listening. Severus had cast an amplification charm and they heard the whole encounter. "Oh poor, Lu," Hermione whispered, and she was silent for a moment before she also took pity on Ginny. "And poor Ginny, it's obvious that she's sick, I think she has been effected by the curse on a deeper level than we suspected."

Severus nodded in agreement. It's just like Mya to take pity on her, but I don't think she deserves it, he thought, saying, "Unfortunately, I expected as much," and he looked out towards the stairs. "Although that doesn't make dealing with it any easier."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"No, I believe that Lucius has done the best thing possible by bringing in her father and brother into the solution. Thank Merlin we managed to keep Molly out of it," and he grimaced. "Her family will do the best for her."

He had just finished saying this when Lucius stalked back through the door. Hermione hurried to him and enveloped him in a hug. "Oh Lu, look at your cheek..." and he hissed a breath as she gently ran her fingers over the mark. "That's awful."

"That was expected, dearest pet," he said, looking down at her as she rested her head on his chest and gently lifting her chin to see her face. He gave her a soft kiss and glanced across at Severus. "I hadn't meant to deal with her so harshly, but when she wanted me to lay with her in a bed sullied by a replacement, while she was…" and he hugged Hermione to him, drawing strength from her comfort. "Well I just lost it," he told them both over the top of Hermione's head, in a voice full of emotion.

Severus walked over and wrapped his arms around both of them. "Au contraire, mon ami, I think you handled the situation as well as you were able given the circumstances," and he whispered a healing spell against Lucius' flaming cheek.

The room quickly became charged with an emotional energy begging for release, and this made Severus take a step back from them. Someone had to keep their head until this was finished. Over breakfast the three of them had discussed who would be coming and why, and the raven-haired wizard had realised that he was the one who would have to keep things on track, because both of his partners were emotionally tied to the outcomes.

So any shows of strong emotion between the three of them at the moment was just not something that would make for a smooth meeting with several people that none of them trusted completely. So when he'd felt himself contemplating kissing Lucius—something he hadn't done since they were in school—he decided that these new sensations needed to wait until they were in their own sanctuary with no chance of interruption.

Seeing Severus still able to think rationally, Lucius smirked at him and held Hermione at arm's length. "Now, if this gets to be too much for you, then all you need to do is tell Sev and he will escort you to another part of the house."

"I'll be fine, Lu. This is my opportunity to finally get even with Ronald," she smiled at them.

"That can only mean trouble," Severus put in jokingly, kissing her shoulder and smiling at her. "Remember, we're right here with you, and that you are totally protected."

"I will," she said, gifting Severus with a kiss before turning back and treating Lucius to the same experience. After a moment of enjoying the closeness, Lucius started extraditing himself from her offered comfort and started pacing. "The legal team, and Bill and Arthur should be here soon." He sighed, and looked at Severus and Hermione with his expression for once, an open look of troubled concern. "I can't be fairer than this, can I?"

His companions watched on, in sympathy, they both took in the slight tremor in his hands as he ran his fingers through his hair, and finally Hermione stilled his hands and kissed them. "No, we must remember it is like an illness," and she stroked his cheek. "But you also have a right to be angry too, Lu."

He's far more upset by this than he's letting on. Mind you, Severus thought, and he has a bloody right to be. She has revealed herself to be something more like a monster than the witch he worshiped from afar. He glanced at Hermione still fussing over Lucius. I did think right from the beginning that Mya would be good for both of us.

They heard the front door, and then footsteps approaching the parlour. An elf arrived with Bill and Arthur Weasley behind him. Greeting were exchanged and the elf was sent scurrying back to the door when there were further knocks after he had delivered Lucius' ordered refreshments, and the legal team Lucius had put together of his trusted business associates and employees arrived.

With everyone assembled and much shuffling of parchment, they were only waiting for Ginny to come down. Eventually, when she didn't, Arthur said, "Point me in the right direction, and I'll go and get her."

Lucius went with him to the head of the stairs and pointed out the room in question. Arthur entered the room where Lucius had confronted Ginny earlier and saw her, dressed but sitting on a chair, staring out into the garden. He took in the burnt bed and the scattered belongs, and she turned teary eyes to him when she heard him approaching, "Oh dad," she cried rushing to him. "I've thrown everything away."

Arthur accepted his daughter into his arms. "Gin, you're acting just like you did when you were fifteen. Oh what a petulant little thing you were," he said, kissing her head.

"I d-don't want to be by myself, but I'm not sure I want Lucius," her eyes turned even sadder. "Although, I do know I don't want the children." Then hearing her father's gasp, she added, "I tried to want them, but I just…" she took a shuddering breath."

"Shhh, love, you're just confused."

"He called me a whore," Ginny cried.

Arthur's eyebrow rose, but he decided on the truth. "Mmm, Ginny there were many ways you could have handled this. The way you did it was probably the worst, but regardless of his anger, I believe that Lucius and his team have put together a solution that will benefit everyone. You need to listen to what they have to say, Bill and I are hear for you, so don't worry."

"But mum wants me to get Lucius back, she told me…"

"Your mum was shocked at what you'd done. You know she never reacts well to surprises like that. Now dry your eyes and get organised."

xox

Walking in to a parlour full of people was not something Ginny had expected and especially seeing Severus and Hermione on either side of Lucius, and of course she reacted badly to it. "You bastard," she spat. "What's going on here?" She threw her head in his companion's direction. "And what are they, doing here?"

Lucius' nostrils flared, and he stood. "I do not believe that name calling is required. As I told you earlier, we are resolving this like adults. Hermione and Severus are here to support me."

"I bet they've been supporting you well since I've been gone. It was just what you wanted, wasn't it?" she accused. "I was all alone, and you had everyone."

"You were alone by your own actions, Ginny. I did not push you away, none of us did."

She continued to stare him down, but Lucius wasn't budging, and finally, her father encouraged, "Come on, Gin, sit down, love," and he sat her in a chair next to Bill.

"Right," said the leader of the legal team, "May we get this underway, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Certainly," Lucius indicated, taking his seat again, between Severus and Hermione.

Surprisingly, with her father and brother's encouragement, Ginny listened as the solicitors explained Lucius' instructions and she actually started to see that she would be better off afterwards. The children would be loved and cared for in a nurturing home, and she would have both access to them and her freedom. The only thing I can't have is Lucius, she thought, and it looks like he had moved on anyway. Mum is right this is all Hermione's fault, why did I not see that before, I befriended her, and the greedy little slut just wants both wizards for herself, and I'm not too keen on her being around my kids.

However, it was as her eyes came to rest on Severus' that she realised that he had just heard every word she had thought, and he was looking straight at her challenging her to mention it. Ginny was aware that her wiles had never worked on Severus Snape, and as the solicitors droned on, she decided in a moment of rational thought that it was best to leave well enough alone on that score. Let bloody Hermione have them both, they're both old men anyway, although they were both hot naked, and I did want Hermione's body as well, but it's not worth being tied down when I can have my pick and my other responsibilities are taken care of.

Bill was to be caretaker for the Potter/Black estate so that the money and investments would last to be handed on to Ginny's children in years to come, because in the short time she had been parted from Lucius, Gringotts had registered an amazing amount of cash flowing out of her accounts. Even though the children being adopted by Lucius would want for nothing in any case, they also deserved their inheritance from the father as well.

In the end, Ginny signed the papers without reading through them just to get it over with. Bill took his sister to her new house—something she didn't know she actually owned—just across town. The solicitors left with all their paper's signed and went back to England to file them with the ministry.

The Potter children had been declared war orphans and then adopted by Lucius. Ginny learnt that she would have access to them through Violet Cummings whenever she wanted, but they were to remain living at Malfoy Manor at all times for the period of the next ten years or in James case until he attained the age of seventeen.

Lucius and Violet had already worked out the logistics of these visits, and the house wards would tell Lucius when Ginny was present. The manor was big enough for him to avoid her, and her access—like it was here—would be limited. She would only be able pass into the nursery area and children's garden.

As Bill escorted his sister to the house that he had purchased for her, he reflected that in a way he saw Ginny as the epitome of the petulant teenage girl, not unlike his own daughter Victoiré. Ginny had suffered the effects of the curse just as much as Ron and Harry had, but from a different perspective, and it wasn't until she was pushed that the symptoms showed themselves.

In a way until she had moved to the manor she had been sheltered from everything, but after Lucy's birth she just didn't bounce back. What everyone thought were just her hormones running wild after the birth of her daughter was actually the beginning of her starting to rebel against the confines of a new baby, a new relationship and all the demands that they placed on her.

The eldest Weasley was certain that had she gone to Lucius about all this before it boiled over there would have been a different outcome, but she had listened to their mother. Bill was still angry with Molly, while he knew that his mother was still reeling from all the changes in their lives recently, he did not understand why she had set Ginny against everyone.

Bill watched Ginny smiling and skipping through her new house, and he shook his head. I wonder if she will ever regain the time she lost under all those controlling spells. He was also angry with himself for not seeing what was happening to her, but during the start of it he was not around. Too busy trying to hold my own marriage together, and look where that got me, he pondered.

xox

Back at Lucius' estate, all that remained for them to do this morning was to evict one Ronald Weasley. Arthur stayed to take him away, but understood that Hermione needed closure from the one wizard left who could provide it.

Severus and Lucius went to get him. Severus laughed at the primitive wards he had thrown up against them when he had realised what was happening. They snapped after one flick of Severus' wand, and the men opened the door. He was standing in front of the bathroom door, and made to race inside but Lucius reached him before he did. "You really are a little weasel, aren't you? Draco was correct about you all those years ago that's something that hasn't changed."

"Let me go," he squealed. "I've done everything you wanted."

"Is that so, Weasley?" Lucius said with no emotion. "Then you came and invaded my home by taking advantage of your sister," and the blond wizard started to stare him down.

Severus quickly grew impatient; he wanted to get this over and done with. "Enough talk," he snapped. "We need you to do one more thing before you leave," and he smiled nastily at the redhead.

"W-what's that?" Ron stuttered, and both Slytherins were surprised to see that he seemed to be genuinely frightened of them.

"Hermione wishes to speak to you, you're not the only one who wants answers you know," and Severus picked Ron's wand from his fingers and commanded, "Now march, Weasley."

Hermione swallowed nervously as she heard the footsteps coming down the stairs, and as they entered the parlour she got shakily to her feet. She was not certain that she had the stamina for this, but she had to try.

As Ron walked into the parlour with her wizards either side of him, Hermione realised that they had come full circle. He was now the one who was terrified, and she found that she couldn't treat him as he had treated her. She saw Severus hand Arthur Ron's wand and her former friend just stood there waiting for her to do something to him.

Hermione hardly recognised him as the wizard who had insulted her so thoroughly at the anniversary ball. She thought of the times she had dreamt of doing awful things to him, to both him and Harry. Now it just didn't seem to matter anymore, she had the moral high-ground, and all the power.

She was about to tell Severus and Lucius to throw him out when she realised that there was one thing she did want to do. It had felt so good when she had done it to Draco all those years ago, and it would be the perfect punishment.

Stalking forward with deliberate steps, her hand started to curl into a fist as she walked. "You are a little worm, Ronald Weasley, and you disgust me," and before he knew what had happened her right hook hit his jaw.

Ron whimpered, and stuttered, "I fink she's boke my nose," but no one else said a word, and finally Arthur just moved forward and collected Ron off the floor, ignoring his bloodied nose. He bowed his head to the three of them and silently moved to the floo.

As they span out of sight, Hermione seemed to start breathing again, but her euphoria soon left when she realised that she had not only broken his nose, but also her hand. Mind you she was still grinning around her tears, she had stood up to her tormentor and she had beaten him up.

Hermione was engulfed by two wizards. "Show me your hand, Mya," Severus urged, and while he was fixing her hand, Lucius was casting a spell to make certain that the baby was all right.

"I-I, d-did it," she managed, and then she was jumping around like a maniac. "I did it, I stood up to him." Her eyes were wide and her tears were still flowing.

"I've fixed your hand, angel, why are you still crying?" Severus asked.

Hermione wiped her eyes, and cried, "I'm simply happy."

"Happy?" they chorused.

"Yes, I'm married to you Severus, and I love you deeply," she gave him a deeply satisfying kiss, and turned in his arms to face Lucius. "I also love you, Lucius, in the same way, and the three of us are going to be together." She revelled in the sensation of Severus holding her against him while she kissed Lucius. "I'm pregnant, and now I've just punched Ronald Weasley, what's not to be happy about?"

"Well I guess when you put it like that," Lucius said, scooping her up from the floor. "Come along, my loves, I believe we need to enjoy the remainder of our day."