Violet
Just as always...I own nothing (t_t)
The fuming blond wizard strode down the corridors while muttering about deceitful Fae Kings tricking innocent daughters into their bed. He stopped outside Jareth's study when he felt it...
...It felt like his mother enveloping him in a warm embrace, he could smell her Jasmine perfume, and hear her whispered words of love for him in his ear. He reached out towards the glowing orb when a light hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"Unless you want to become a babbling wreck for the rest of your life, I suggest you do not touch that," Jareth said quietly while holding out a peach coloured handkerchief with a peach and a green leaf embroidered on a corner. Lucius touched his cheek to discover it was wet.
"Thank you," he murmured after clearing his throat, but pulled out his own handkerchief. "Is that a dark artefact?" Lucius asked of the brightly glowing orb sitting atop a dark purple satin pillow. Jareth glanced at the orb and sighed.
"It was given to me by my mother before she faded across the veil," he said softly while reaching out to stroke the crystal, then lifting it and giving a soft sigh. "It glows brighter everyday," he murmured quietly, Lucius had to strain his ears to hear his words.
"What does it do?" Lucius asked, finally unable to keep his curiosity contained. "If you do not mind me asking," he added. Jareth looked up at him, giving him a shrewd gaze, and placed the crystal in Lucius's palm. Lucius closed his hand around the gently pulsing orb with a soft sigh, much like the one Jareth gave when he held it.
"I know Hermione is frightened to tell me," Jareth said quietly, giving Lucius a knowing look. "Our situation is...delicate, complicated, as our relationship is in its beginning stages. What you are feeling is my child's heartbeat," he said bluntly. Lucius almost dropped the orb in surprise, but then held it protectively and glared at the Goblin King. "Its glowing seems weak right now but everyday it grows brighter as my child grows stronger inside Hermione. It also means my mother knows," he said quietly.
"You talk as if your mother is just down the corridor," Lucius noted. Jareth gave a soft snort.
"She may as well be," he murmured. "Follow me," he said to the wizard.
O.o
Hermione found herself near the corridor where the door to Nothing and Everything was located. She realised she was feeling a subtle pull towards the door. The pull was not strong, as she was a good distance from the door, but she still felt the door's influence and was far enough to keep her head clear and to analyse why it affected her so deeply.
She slowly and carefully made her way down the wide corridor, keeping her eyes pinned to the cream carpeted floors, and the closer she was to that corridor with the lone door, the more she felt the answer to her query was just right in front of her...she just had to reach out and grab-
"Hello child," the woman greeted kindly as the door she exited from closed itself behind her. She lifted Hermione's chin with a soft touch of her index finger. "Hmm, let us make haste and take you away from this door's sway." She placed her arm around Hermione's shoulder and led her down the corridor, away from the pull of the door, neither woman noticing the figure now lying out on the carpet at the foot of the door.
"Ambry," Hermione said quietly. The woman let out a soft chuckle. Hermione turned her head, looking into soft, glittering, pale lavender eyes.
"I have been mistaken for my daughter quite a few times," the woman said with her twinkling eyes. Hermione still could not think past the remaining fog in her head and gave the woman a stunned expression.
"I am very sorry," Hermione finally said with a slight shake of her head.
"So am I dear child," Ambry's mother said with a smile. "I do not know why my daughter insists on remaining without a proper suitor," she said with a shake of her head.
"Pardon?" Hermione asked, effectively regaining her senses. "Oh! I did not mean-"
"I know dear," the woman laughed. "No harm done. Are you better now?" She asked. Hermione blushed.
"Please pardon my manners," Hermione said nervously. "I'm Hermione Granger."
"Catalina," the woman, Catalina, said. "I would forget my manners too if the door to Nothing and Everything affected me as much as it does you," she said soothingly.
"You have lovely eyes," Hermione said softly. The woman smiled. "I have never seen anyone with your shade before."
"You shall see it again soon," Catalina said softly.
"Mother!" Hermione and Catalina turned their attention to the man standing a few, very short yards, ahead of them.
"Jareth," Catalina smiled. "And who is your handsome friend?"
"This is-"
"Lucius Malfoy," the wizard politely interrupted Jareth with a lift of his eyebrow.
"Catalina," Jareth's mother smiled at the wizard. "Hmm," she said softly. "Yes, I sense your bond," she said looking from Lucius to Hermione and back to Lucius. Lucius looked at the woman in silent inquiry.
"Mother," Jareth said with a warning note. Hermione looked up at Jareth, silently questioning him.
"I believe we have some personal business to discuss," Catalina said to Lucius, promptly ignoring her son. She gave Hermione's hand a polite squeeze and reached for her son's hand and placed Hermione's hand in his, then took Lucius by the elbow and guided him down the corridor away from the couple.
"I mistook her for Ambry," Hermione confessed with a light blush. Jareth laughed softly.
"That does tend to happen," he said with a smirk. "Hermione," he said softly. "We need to have a discussion about something you have been hiding from me." Hermione stopped and looked up at him with a deathly pale face.
"I-I, what?" She stuttered out. Jareth hid his smirk and led her into his study. He placed a dark purple satin pillow, with a glowing orb sitting atop the satin material, in her lap. Hermione looked at the crystal with silent tears flowing down her cheeks.
"I can feel my mum," she whispered. "I can smell her scent...tuberose and sandalwood." She looked up at Jareth. "I could not save them." More tears fell. "He got there before I had a chance to send away. If only I had not delayed an extra day," she whispered, burying her face in her palms.
"Hermione," Jareth whispered, kneeling in front of her and taking her hands in his.
"I wanted to spend just one last day with them. I was so selfish," she berated herself, and found herself being pulled into a warm embrace.
"You are the most altruistic person I know," Jareth whispered into her hair. "You could not have known what would have happened then unless you have the Sight as Ambry does," he looked down at her inquiringly and she gave him a small shake of her head. "No? Then why are you berating yourself for something you could not have known?" He asked.
"I did not know your parents but I am sure they would not want you blaming yourself for their deaths," he said softly. "I am sure they would want you to be happy, just as they are happy where they are, I am sure of it."
"I am not altruistic," she denied his words with a shake of her head. "If I was selfless I would not have waited to erase my parents' memories and send them to Australia."
"You are," Jareth said decisively, looking down into her honey brown eyes with his firm mismatched eyes. "You just have to see what I do," he said quietly, his gaze softening.
"Do you feel this Hermione?" He asked quietly, placing the crystal into her palm with his own hand over it while brushing hers with his thumb.
"What is it?" Hermione asked, feeling the soft fluttering of the orb. Jareth leaned over her and placed a kiss right under her ear.
"That's our babe's heartbeat," he whispered, pulling her closer in their embrace and laying a lingering kiss on her lips.
"You-you're..." she stuttered.
"'You're' what?" Jareth asked.
"Are you not upset?" Hermione asked apprehensively. Jareth gently lifted her head, looking down into her eyes.
"I am not upset," he said quietly. "I am overjoyed," he confessed with a growing smile. "Do you not remember me confessing to you that I can see us having a family together?" He asked.
"You are right here Hermione. My family is right here within my reach. I want this, I want you with all my heart and soul," he whispered, kissing away the tears that escaped down her cheeks.
"Then you have me-," Hermione said softly and found her words interrupted by a kiss. She mewled softly, allowing him to slide his tongue into her mouth.
"What you do to me," he said softly, holding her tighter to himself, and she could feel what she did to him against her lower stomach and shifted. He groaned. "If you do that again I shall take you right here...and that cannot happen right now."
"Why?" Hermione asked curiously.
"My mother will wring my neck, kill me slowly, bring me back and do it again," he answered seriously and Hermione chuckled into his chest.
O.o
"My family owes you our deepest apologies," Catalina started as soon as she and Lucius were seated in her husbands study. She bowed her head towards Lucius in sincere apology.
"I will not pretend to not know what you are apologising for so I accept," Lucius answered.
"Thank you," Catalina gave him a small smile, accepting the tea one of the Malfoy house elves offered. "I thought I raised my son better," she said to herself.
"Youth these days," Lucius could not help but tease the Fae woman. She chuckled.
"He is only a few years older then your daughter if one were to compare our time frame to yours." Lucius lifted an interested eyebrow, making a mental note to do the maths. Catalina sighed, "I have come to discuss a marriage between your daughter Hermione and my son."
"Well," Lucius cleared his throat. "I will have to warn you that if Hermione does not want a marriage, it will not happen, and if she does agree, it will be on her own terms. I cannot force her into such an arrangement, she will have my head for it." He fingered his collar. "She will still have my head for having this discussion without her present." Catalina laughed.
"I sensed the recent familial bond," she confessed and sighed. "Nonetheless I am a woman of tradition, as are the Kingdoms, if you get my meaning," Catalina gave him a pointed look. "If my grandchild is born out of wedlock he will not be recognised as a legal heir of my son and Hermione will be looked down on."
"With all due respect, your majest-"
"Please, Catalina," she politely interrupted. "We will be family soon." Lucius lifted an eyebrow. "My sister-in-law has Seen it, as has my daughter, or so I have been informed."
"Well, with all due respect Catalina," Lucius, again, said. "We will have to lay out all the facts and information for Hermione and let her choose. If she finds out that just one little thing has been kept from her, she may make a rash decision. I understand from experience that pregnant women can be two handfuls," he pointed out.
"Marriage is a delicate subject," Lucius continued. "Their relationship is 'delicate and complicated', as your son mentioned to me earlier." Catalina sighed. "As for how to approach Hermione, how would one approach a lion?" He asked.
"I may have to relax a few of my traditional values," Catalina said quietly.
"She is a modern witch," Lucius agreed. "I cannot speak for her muggle upbringing," he confessed. "I believe they are a bit more...progressive, than modern witches and wizards."
"She will be the first witch in the family," Catalina smiled softly.
O.o
Hermione stared at the scene before her with a horrified expression on her face. She became more livid with each kick her friends delivered to the poor innocent goblins. She failed to notice the giggling creatures and instead concentrated on the terrible actions of her friends, even Harry.
"What do you think you are doing?!" She screeched. Harry paused, his smile frozen on his face before slowly sliding off at his best friend's anger.
"Well, you see...they like it," Harry confessed with a slight blush.
"The goblin named Tandi was explaining how much they enjoyed being kicked," Neville explained sheepishly. "He said it tickles."
"Give it up Hermione," Ginny spoke up with a grin. "I can see this will become another of your House Elves for Freedom initiatives, and this Don't Kick the Goblins initiative will end up the same. House elves do not want freedom and Goblins want to be kicked," she shrugged. "The goblins like it the harder you kick and the higher they fly." Hermione turned to Jareth with her arms crossed.
"Do you kick the goblins?" She asked tersely.
"Well," Jareth cleared his throat. "They like it," he said lamely.
"What?!" Hermione's voice rose and Jareth flinched.
"The goblins will not stand for not being kicked," he informed her. "They will pester you until you give them what they want...I find it best to," he cleared his throat again, "kick them to contain my temper. They enjoy it," he said flatly.
"You-you-you-" Hermione began.
"Give it up Hermione," Ginny glared and Hermione huffed.
"You-you goblin kickers!" She hissed at Jareth and Ginny. Severus snorted behind her but was interrupted the sound of bells sounding throughout the whole castle.
"Everyone one to their stations!" Jareth's voice boomed through the whole castle.
"Kingie! Kingie!" A goblin came running up and was stopped by bumping into Jareth's leg and giggled. "The castle wards have been breached."
"I figured that out from the alarms," Jareth hissed at the goblin.
"Um..." Harry hesitated. "We don't have a station."
"Right now your jobs are to remain together," Jareth said, pulling Hermione along with him. "I need to get you to the nearest safe room."
"Kingie!" The goblin yelled. "We found the breaching man wizard an hour ago!" Everyone took a step back from Jareth when they noticed the tick in his jaw.
"And you did not see fit to inform me of this till NOW!" He began with a hiss and ended with a yell, causing everyone to jump back. Severus just lifted an eyebrow at the Fae.
"Breacher man wizard is in the infirmary," the goblin said. Jareth swiftly turned and headed in that direction, followed by the still talking goblin, Hermione, Severus, and the others. "He is unconscious when found and Head Healer tells me to inform you right away when he finds out that breacher man wizard is not being a guest."
"How did he get in the castle?!" Jareth demanded of the goblin.
"He is being found by the door of Nothing and Everything," the goblin pouted when he realised he was not being kicked by his 'Kingie'.
O.o
"What is going on?" Lucius right away stood up from his seat.
"There is an intruder inside the castle," Catalina frowned. "This way," she pulled Lucius. "We need to get to the nearest safe room."
"I need to get to Narcissa first," Lucius said, pulling back and heading in the opposite direction.
"Where is she?" Catalina asked, following the worried wizard.
"In Jareth's private sitting room," he answered. "He turned it into a nursery for Violet." Catalina pulled him back and faded.
"A warning would have been nice," Lucius held his head to stop the spinning.
"What is going on?" Narcissa rushed to her husband.
"We need to find the nearest safe room," Catalina answered.
"Jareth said the nursery is a safe room," Narcissa said. Catalina gave her a confused gaze.
"I would not have been able to fade in if this was a safe room," she said.
"I was not able to open any of the exits," Narcissa said. Catalina concentrated and became worried.
"I cannot fade out," she said. Lucius pulled out his wand and ushered the women into a corner, then tried the exits for himself.
"Stay on guard," he ordered the women.
O.o
"Come," Jareth ordered. "The nursery is the closest safe room and is not out of the way of the infirmary."
"What about everyone else?" Hermione asked. "Lucius, Narcissa, the Weasleys, even Kingsley."
"They should have been escorted to a safe room by now," Jareth said with a frown.
"We were supposed to have an escort," Severus whispered to the Fae, receiving a curt nod in return. He turned back to the group and rolled his eyes. "Dunderheads! Why are your wands not at the ready?! Who knows how many more intruders there are in the castle!" Ginny and Neville blushed and pulled out their wands while Hermione and Harry discreetly rolled their eyes at the dark haired wizard and tightened their grip on their wands.
"Here," Jareth said, pushing the doors open and sending Severus a thankful glance just as Severus sent up a shield to deflect a curse upon entering the room.
"Lucius!" He hissed at the blond wizard.
"What is the first thing I told you upon meeting you for the first time?" Lucius asked, his wand still trained on the dark haired wizard.
"You looked down your arrogant nose at me and sniffed before walking away," Severus answered the trick question.
"I was able to fade into the nursery," Catalina said to Jareth and raised her eyebrows at his cursing in their language.
"Ouch!" Jareth glared, then looked sheepishly at his mother who gave him a firm nod.
"We should head for the next safe room," Severus said. "It seems this room has been compromised."
"Come," Jareth ordered. "The infirmary is the next closest safe room."
"Your father is an arrogant arse," Harry muttered to Draco, referring to Lucius's question.
"Shut it Potter!" Draco hissed. Harry smirked at him.
"You're so easy to rile," he snickered. Draco rolled his eyes.
"Come on short stuff," he smirked, placing his arm around Harry and leading him into the infirmary where Jareth was already questioning a dark haired wizard. Harry was about to retort when he heard the sound of the voice, Hermione's gasp, Severus Snape's hissing of 'You!' Draco lightly squeezed his shoulder and he finally found his voice.
"Sirius?" He heard himself speaking the name he forbade himself from thinking or speaking aloud since his Godfather's death.
...