DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER!!

Normal Life Doesn't Exist

Chapter 2

Tom was in the Planning Room, discussing tactics with Snape. The door opened abruptly and Lucius entered the room in a hurry.

"Milord, I must speak with you."

"About what?" he asked absently, still looking at a map and running his fingers over it.

"Hermione."

Tom looked up slowly, his anger blatant on his features. "Leave the room, Severus." He ordered. Said man complied immediately. "Why would you want to talk about her? I've told you everything you need to know."

"I saw her. Today. In Diagon Alley."

"I don't take lies easily, Lucius, you know that." He scolded as if punishing a 3 year old.

"I'm not lying, milord, I swear to you."

"And what happened in this sighting?"

"I heard her talking with a close friend. As soon as Orpheus suggested introducing her to me, she began to blatantly panic and ran off in the other direction. I chased her through alleyways and killed a man, only to fail and lose her."

"This is a very elaborate joke, Lucius. One in which you will suffer greatly for."

"Milord, I'm not lying to you."

Tom eyed him suspiciously. "Open your mind." Lucius did so and Tom looked over his memories and watched the encounter with Hermione. He left Lucius' mind and sighed. "Leave, Lucius. And send Snape back in."

--

Hermione was crying in bed. The blankets were wrapped tightly around her and she was sobbing into her pillow. She had been doing this for just over half an hour, before she felt him behind her. The bed dipped, the blankets were pulled up and a body slid in behind her. A soft hand slid up her arm and a kiss was placed on her neck. Oh, how she had missed that. His soft hands, light kisses, warm lips, caring attitude towards her. She loved him and was not afraid to admit it.

She stifled a sob and felt him lean in and whisper softly in her ear.

"I'm sorry, darling. I'll never do that again." He said, kissing her arm. She turned in his embrace and kissed him passionately. Their tongues danced in a forgotten battle that they both adored. A hand rested on her hip and the other feeling her soft curls. She pulled away.

"Hold me." she whispered to him.

"Of course." He whispered back, wrapping a strong arm around her. She gave a few sobs and then fell asleep, never wanting the moment to end.

--

The girls were at school and Hermione was going to Diagon Alley with a magical friend who, like her, was a muggleborn and lived in the muggle world for protection. The two of them walked through the Leaky Cauldron and into Diagon Alley. Hermione was on edge at the thought that Lucius may be there. She tried not to let it show but that only made it worse.

"Hermione, are you alright?" Melanie asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, fine." she said, wringing her hands together, looking around.

"It's alright. He's not here. And if he is, we just run and leave. We won't stay long, alright? We look in the bookshop, pop over to Madame Malkin's and then get an ice cream and then go."

"Okay." Hermione said, nodding nervously.

"Come on, girl." Mel said, hooking her arm through Hermione's and pulling her to Flourish & Blott's.

The shop wasn't very busy, which made it better because there was barely any noise in there, best conditions for reading. Hermione went upstairs and started scouring the shelves for anything that may interest her. A minute later, Mel comes up behind her.

"So, who are you avoiding anyway?"

"Long story."

"We're in a secluded bookshop; no one to overhear us."

"But the fact that we're in a secluded bookshop makes it more likely that someone unsavoury may overhear us. It's best to be a in a loud place where people can't hear your voice over theirs."

"So, will we need to be in a 'loud place where no one will hear our voices over theirs' for you to tell me who you're avoiding and why?"

Hermione sighed. "Let's go further in." she said, taking Mel's wrist and leading her right to the back of the shop.

"Okay, then, why all the secrecy?"

"The man's I'm avoiding is Lucius Malfoy."

"Malfoy? Why?"

"We have...History together."

"Hermione...Are you a Death Eater?"

"Of course not." She said, bringing her sleeves up to reveal her scarred but untattooed arms.

"Where'd you get those scars?"

"My husband gave them to me the night before our wedding."

"Husband? You stayed married to him after he gave you those?"

"I had to."

"Why?"

"...I'm married to Voldemort."

"No, seriously."

"I am serious." Mel paled and looked like she was about to faint. "Believe me, I had no choice. I killed myself on our wedding night."

"But you're...You're standing...Here...Now."

"He resurrected me. Anyway, long story short; He sent me back in time, I came back, ran away, not telling anyone where I was going or that I was pregnant. And if Lucius sees me - which he has already - he'll tell Voldemort. If He then knows I'm alive, He'll come looking for me."

"Right." Mel said. "Is there any good news?"

"He's only seen me once in the last 6 years."

"Well done you."

"Thank you." Downstairs, the door bell went. At first, they thought nothing of it, but then they heard the piercing voice of Lucius Malfoy. They couldn't hear exactly what he said but he was ordering the shop clerks around. The clerk began to stutter, Lucius snapped at him and then began to walk upstairs.

"He's coming! What do we do?"

"You can just walk out, he doesn't know you!" she whispered.

"But what-"

Hermione shushed her and clasped her hand over Mel's mouth. They heard Lucius grumble about something or other and then walk around the shelves. Hermione released Mel's mouth and cupped them around her ear. "Go to the stairs and wait outside for me."

"What will-?"

"I'll be fine. Go." Mel complied, waiting outside for her friend.

Hermione pressed herself against a shelf and spied Lucius turned away from her, looking at a book cover. But no matter what he was doing, she had to walk past him to get out. Picking up the nearest book, she opened it, held it close to her face but not too close and then walked past, her hair falling in front of her face.

Lucius glanced up, seeing Hermione past and then looked back to his book. But he did a double take when he heard hurried footsteps. He walked to the end of the shelves, saw Hermione put the book down and run down the stairs. Jogging to the banister at the top of the stairs, he saw Hermione run from the shop, taking Mel's arm and then run up the street.