Author's Note; I've received some feedback that Lucius doesn't act much like a Father who was just recently reunited with his lost daughter & I have to admit that I quite agree with it. So in this chapter, I'll try to include some father + daughter bonding though. I have no idea how Father & Daughter bonds considering I've never had a father so I'll try my best. Some feedback on the bonding session(s) and tips on how it could be better would be appreciated.
Also, I received feedback that it's pretty weird that Severus can apparate directly into Hermione's room when most people would most definitely not want an invasion of privacy of that sort. At the moment I'm not too sure how I can amend that section about apparating directly into her room but perhaps we could take into consideration that Hermione was clearly upset and further questioning by Draco and Lucius would have made her more so? I'll let Sev' explain himself in further chapters.
There have been even more reviews asking me to continue and not leave this story hanging, the readers in suspense for long periods of time before updating or just not update at all. At this moment I cannot promise that I can update as regularly as I have for the past 3 chapters. The exams are drawing closer by the day and my study load grows in inverse proportions to the days I have left. Ok that made totally no sense. But I can definitely promise that I will not leave this story hanging because writing it has been my source of relaxation from the hectic workload.
This chapter, personally, was a badly written one. My work pile is growing into a mountain rivaling the height and stature of Mt Everest and I'd be damned if I didn't find something equivalent to dragon dung in there. I promise I will edit this chapter again soon to further improve it just like I did for Chapter 2.
It came to my attention that LadySlytherin's story and my story had some similarities with regards to Hermione turning out to be a pureblood and the glamour charm/potion. I would just like to make it clear that I only ever came across her story after starting on The Other Pureblood and I did not use her story as a reference or for inspiration.
Again, thank you all for reading and enjoying and also for the constructive criticism I have received so far. I hope you continue to enjoy this tale for as long as I have fun writing it. Thank you!
'Va!
Disclaimer; I wish the characters belonged to me but unfortunately we don't always get what we want, do we? So I'm just taking the lot of them for a spin and will return them to JK safe & sound.
---
For the rest of the week preceding the ball, Hermione had spent most of her time in the family's overflowing library, pouring over the seemingly endless supply of books. After all these years, her love for books had not diminished. Her days had become somewhat routine; breakfast with the family in the morning plus a little awkward conversation with her father, devouring books in the afternoon before being dragged off by her enthusiastic bother, evening dinners with her family with Severus joining in most evenings.
Hermione
was in the midst of another extreme reading session when her father
knocked on the door, peeking in with a slight smile. "May I come
in?"
She looked up from the book in her hand and said "Well
it is your
library so I guess that's a yes."
Lucius came in, plopping
himself onto a comfortable armchair by the fire in a very un-Lucius
like manner, causing Hermione to raise a very amused eyebrow. Her
amusement grew as she watched him attempt to start a conversation a
few times, only to stop himself mere moments after opening his mouth
to speak.
"You know, you can just say what you want." She
said from behind her book.
Lucius smiled in response and strode
towards her, proceeding to perch on the arm of her chair. "What is
that you're reading my dear?"
She placed her book down on her
lap, cover facing up with the words A
research on Werewolves Through Various Times & Cultures.
Gesturing to its glittering titles and an animated picture of a man
turning into a werewolf in the presence of a full moon.
"Ah.
Well put that book down, grab your robe and come with me."
"B-but.."
"No
buts and whatnots. Come now."
Hermione made to protest once
more but was silenced by her father's raised finger. Grudgingly,
she dumped the book on top of the growing pile on her right and
marched straight to her room with her father following closely
behind.
Wand
in purse, black robe thrown over her blue dress, Lucius wrapped an
arm around her shoulder and apparated them, to Hermione's surprise,
right to the tip of the Eiffel Tower. Unknown to muggles (and
possibly most of the average wizarding community), the tip of the
Eiffel Tower was the home of possibly the most expensive and
exclusive French cuisine.
"What's this?" she gasped, taking
in the scene before her as Lucius led her into a seat.
"This was
where I used to bring your mother for dinner. I thought you might
like it as much as she did."
Hermione simply gaped at her
father, thoroughly touched at this gesture.
"What was she like,
you know, as a witch?"
Lucius smiled and as bowls of Lobster
Bisque and various courses were served, he launched into memory after
memory of Jane, of their beautiful relationship before tragedy hit,
about how brilliant Jane was as a witch and how Hermione had grown to
be so much like her mother. Tears pricked in her eyes; so unexpected
it was that Lucius could be so kind, gentle and sentimental. Dinner
continued on with both parties exchanging memories and stories of the
past two decades; How Lucius always kept a watchful eye over her
during the years in Hogwarts, how proud he was that both his children
had set an extremely high record for both OWL and NEWT scores and how
much he loved them both.
They watched the stars together over some vintage wine and left, his arms around her shoulders once more and she with her head on his chest. For once, Lucius was willing to lower her mask and reveal his inner self to her and for this, she could not even put her appreciation into words. Hermione understood her father now. Not much, she has to admit but this slight glimpse was more then enough for her.
---
Hermione
was awoken in the early hours, by a warm body pouncing into her bed.
Said body sat on her legs and poked her repeatedly in the belly while
yelling, "Wake up Brownie!" Her eyes flew open, pinned her blonde
brother down with the most vicious glare she could manage at 0800.
"What. Did. You. Just. Call. Me."
"Br-ow-neeee." Draco
grinned, clearly enunciating each syllable.
She sneered and
wrestled him, pinning him down and sitting on his hard abs.
"Blondie."
They stared at each other for a few seconds before
collapsing into a fit of laughter. Sliding off him, Hermione snuggled
close against him, his arms around her shoulders. "So what brings
my brother round to my room at this hour?"
"Oh nothing
special. Just thought you'd like to know Severus has been here
since 0700 waiting for you to emerge for breakfast."
Hermione
glared at him and shoved him off the bed, spluttering incoherently as
she padded off to the shower.
By the time she deemed herself presentable, a good hour had passed. Though past the normal hour for breakfast, the dining room still had the lingering scent of a fresh, delicious cuisine being served; not quite possible considering breakfast was usually a choice of toast, sunny side up, bacon and sausages served with coffee or tea. But Hermione's nose was proven right when upon entry, she saw her father sitting at the head of the table being served minute platters of various dishes. He looked up and smiled when Hermione approached for a good morning peck. "How do you like pate foie gras for this evening?" he asked, gesturing to the platter before him. She shook her head and grimaced while pouring herself a cup of coffee.
"Ah,
here is the lady. Have you told her, Lucius?" Severus called out
from the other side of the table, where he was having a pretty
intense discussion with his godson. Lucius looked up from yet another
platter and grinned widely.
"Oh not yet, I nearly forgot. Now,
Hermione dear, before joining us, you just graduated, yes?"
She
squinted at the pair of them, trying to figure out what they were
playing at. "Well before I joined you, I was in the shower and
before that, very comfortably in bed until this blonde oaf here
jumped on me."
"You get what I mean. Have you sought out
employment yet?" Lucius continued, causing Hermione to squirm in
her seat as she tried to come up with an answer.
"Honesty, no, I
didn't know where I would be accepted."
There was silence for
a while as Lucius stared at her, her struggle for public acceptance
finally being apparent to him. He took his hand in his and squeezed
tightly. "You'll be accepted here. As you know, I've invested
in many businesses, Quidditch included. Recently I've invested in
Severus' private potions business and he's in the market for an
associate potioneer."
Hermione's eyes widened when the
situation finally dawned on her. "Are you offering me a
job?!"
Severus chuckled in his low baritone and nodded. "Yes,
yes I am. So what do you say little Miss Malfoy?"
She gapped
like a fish out of water. "Y-y-yes!"
The men all broke out
into amused laughter at her bemused expression. Draco, laughed the
loudest and tears would've streamed out if Hermione had not thrown
a well-aimed piece of toast at him.
A mini food fight would have broken out if Madam Malkin had not chosen that moment to walk in. Each of them, Severus included, were poked into submission to stand on a stool as she did the last fittings of their dress robes. Hermione, being caught between her house colours of Scarlet and Gold, and the family colours of Silver and Emerald, had chosen a relatively safe colour to wear for the ball; black. It was a simple satin couture gown, beautifully draped into the Grecian style that was currently in trend in the muggle realm. There were no beads, no pearls and no crystals adorning the dress, just the glimmering of the highest quality silk hugging her well proportioned body. Through the mirror that Madam Malkin had conjured in front of them, she could see Severus staring at her with his mouth open, completely ignoring whatever her father was trying to say to him until Draco threw a plush cushion at him. She could feel her skin heating up and the blush rising in her cheeks as she tried her best not to catch his eye.
Throughout the afternoon, elves popped into the living room, where the family was congregated, presenting them with samplers of the evenings selections. In the mean time, a troop of witches from Narcissa's favourite salon had descended upon Hermione; three tugging at her bushy mane and two armed with brushes of various sizes and pots containing what looked like various colours of the rainbow. Make up? Ugh.
---
Hours later, Hermione's hair was cascading down her back in sleek ringlets. Her eyes were smokey and her lips, blood red. Severus and Draco had gone down to greet the early guests while Hermione and Lucius were in the family wing, observing the arriving guests from their little observation deck. Each and every one of the guests were dressed to the nines, every witch had their hair in elaborate coiffures and the wizards were all dressed in expensive looking tailored dress robes. With the arrival of each guest, Hermione's nerves grew more tangled and the butterflies in her stomach fluttered faster.
At last, all the invited guests were served their chosen cocktails and it was soon time for Hermione to make her debut. Draco and Severus sprinted back up the grand stairs and into the family room. "It's time." Draco proclaimed solemnly. Hermione was tempted to giggle at his expression but all her humour backed up in her throat at the thought of being presented to the pureblood community.
Hermione smiled nervously at her brother and slid her robe off, revealing her whole ensemble. Hair in elegant waves, her mother's diamond teardrop earrings and a matching choker. She chewed on her lip and slid her hand into the crook of Draco's arms and waited as Lucius introduced them. With a reassuring nod, Lucius and Severus descended the stairs, stopping at the top landing of the steps.
With a sonorous charm, Lucius began his prepared speech. "Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming to my humble home this evening. Many of you, indeed most of you, are clearly wondering why I have called for suck a sudden ball. The answer is simple, my daughter has returned." Draco and Hermione descended the steps amidst shocked gasps. Most of the congregation had though Jane Noir and her daughter were long dead.
"As you can see, I managed to save both Jane and Hermione in time, hiding them both in the muggle world. In hiding, she was Hermione Granger. Now, she returns as Hermione Jane Malfoy, my daughter." Lucius held out his hand to Hermione, leading her down the steps with both Draco and Severus flanking their sides. The crowds parted before them giving them a clear pathway to the ballroom. The orchestra had already begun playing and elves were positioned in various spots to better serve the guests. The family and Severus proceeded towards the stage before turning to face the guests. "Let us begin the ball."
One by one, guests began dancing on the dance floor while Lucius introduced Hermione to those who approached. There was the minister of magic, minister of foreign affairs, various unspeakables and many Slytherins from her days in Hogwarts. Theodore Nott had come with his family while Pansy Parkinson, ever dressed in pink even after all these years, slunk in and headed straight for Draco. Draco mysteriously disappeared the moment she appeared. There was name after name; so many that she could barely even remember the first few guests that she was introduced to!
The music was beautiful and the guests danced beautifully. The only time Hermione had ever danced was the Yule Ball and that was 7 years ago! Now, she could barely scrounge up enough confidence and courage to step onto the dance floor for fear that she might make a horrid fool of herself in front of all these prestigious guests. As she swayed to the beat, a warm hand rested on the small of her back. "Would you care to dance, Hermione?" a low, silky voice asked. She tensed, knowing full well who it was. The hand encircled her waist and pulled her to him. With his other hand, Severus took her and entwined their fingers before dragging her off into the dance floor.
Severus replaced his hand around her waist once more and placing her hand on his shoulder and letting the other hand fall naturally into place. "Slowly, Hermione." He murmured softly into her ear, his breath bristling her hair and tickling her neck. They swayed together in time, their eyes not leaving the other, his hand tight around her waist pulling her closer to him. The music came to an end and they stood together, completely still. Their lips moved towards each other and under the shocked gazes, their lips met, kissing with all the passion they could muster in the dignified surroundings. His hand burrowed under her hair, pushing her closer to him.
Lucius cleared his throat loudly and the couple broke apart, Hermione blushing furiously and not daring to catch Severus' gaze at all. To their complete surprise, the guests broke into applause and some even wolf-whistled at the scene. Her flush deepened but out of the corner of her eyes, a very familiar raven-haired boy stood laughing. "Harry!" she gasped. Not really caring about protocol, she hitched up her skirt and ran towards him, embracing him tightly.
The music soon resumed as Hermione dragged Harry through the French doors and into the rose garden. They walked silently and took a seat at one of the garden benches. The silence stretched awkwardly as neither knew what to say to the other after the fiasco over at The Burrow. Finally, Harry took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I abandoned you at The Burrow. I'm sorry I didn't stand up for y-" He didn't get to finish his thousand apologies for Hermione had enveloped him in another tight embrace. "I forgive you. Molly AND Ginny combined, they are extreme forces to be reckoned with, it's such a surprise that they let you come at all." Harry grinned sheepishly in response earning himself a playful smack from Hermione.
"Mr
Potter, what a pleasure to have you here with us this evening."
Lucius had strolled into the garden and was smiling luxuriously at
his glowing daughter. Harry, not accustomed to having Lucius treat
him so civilly, bounced off the bench. "Yes, Mr Malfoy, pleasure
was all mine."
"Would you excuse us, I need to speak to my
daughter."
Harry nodded and pecking Hermione on the cheek,
strode back to the ballroom. Lucius sat down at the spot Harry had
vacated and regarded his daughter for a moment. "Severus,
huh?"
Hermione smiled to her lap "Well it was
unexpected."
"Whatever it is, Hermione, as long as you are
happy. But if he hurts you, I will hex his balls off, you hear? And I
trust your brother would gladly do the same."
She choked with
laughter, capturing her father in her arms. "Thank you Father!"
"Come now, we need to return. People will wonder where we've
disappeared to!"
Hand in hand, they headed for the French doors
and back into the mass of dancing couples.