Author's note: This chapter is a bit angsty and may or may not induce tears; you've been warned.

She didn't have any time to wonder how Ginny had gotten into her flat. She was ambushed as she opened the door; Ginny's face appeared, hard and uncompromising, and the redhead nearly pulled her arm out of the socket as she propelled her inside.

"What in the hell are you thinking?" Ginny nearly shouted.

"Can you give me five minutes?" she responded caustically.

"I've been owling you all day! I even called you on your phone!"

"I wasn't here and the phone wasn't with me." She held up her shopping bags.

"What have you been buying, hashish?" Ginny demanded. "Because this thing with Malfoy is insane. You could only do it under the influence of a very strong drug!"

"I haven't done anything. He kissed me. Big deal."

"You let him kiss you! Hermione, he's a complete turd, in case you forgot."

"I didn't forget, Gin." She opened the window and ducked a veritable flock of owls. "But he's not a turd. Not anymore."

The redhead crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah, you mentioned that in your letter."

"Don't you trust me?"

"Of course," Ginny said crossly.

"It's a very long story. I'll tell it to you if you don't interrupt," Hermione warned. And though she agreed, Ginny interrupted – six times – and ninety minutes later, she had finally heard it all.

"So, if and when you start seeing things in the paper about Lucius and me, you know it's all just make-believe. But you can't tell anyone."

Ginny shook her head. "This is unbelievable. You're telling me that the Malfoys – the Malfoys – want to help clear my idiot brother's name?"

Hermione shrugged. "They're getting something out of it. It makes both of them look awfully good, former Death Eaters dating a muggleborn, and they've been targeted by Skeeter, too. And I don't really know why, but they don't seem to think that he cheated."

"They're the only ones," she snorted. "Mum isn't talking to him. Dad stares him down every time he's in the room. Fred and George keep slipping their Endless Itching Powder into his shorts. Bill and Charlie both sent him nasty letters, and Percy told him the other day that he was a cock-up, right in front of Mum."

Hermione tried not to laugh. Even Percy, pretentious Percy, was on her side. He almost never resorted to profanity, so for him to call Ron a cock-up was the rough equivalent of a sailor's most colorful vocabulary.

"What about you and Harry?"

"I'm not talking to Ron, obviously," Ginny tossed her hair, agitated. "I can tell that Harry wants to, but he isn't so he can stay in solidarity with you and me."

"I'm sure he'll talk to him," Hermione sighed. "And don't get mad at him when he does. They are best friends, after all."

Ginny didn't respond. She sat moodily on the chaise, twisting a strand of her ginger hair. "I don't trust him, Hermione," she said suddenly, her voice loud in the large silence of the flat Ron and Hermione once shared.

"Harry?"

"No. Malfoy."

Ah, that was right. Ginny and Lucius had a history. Indirectly, he had almost caused her death during her first year of school. Though Ginny didn't talk of it very often, everyone knew it had been traumatizing. Hermione couldn't imagine the fear she must have felt, knowing at eleven years old that there were gaps in her memory and something was desperately wrong. And to have been possessed by a fragment of Voldemort…perhaps that was why Harry and Ginny were so inextricably drawn to one another. Only they could understand what that was like.

"Then come with me to see him tomorrow, Gin."

Ginny looked at her like she had sprouted an extra head. "I'm a blood traitor, Hermione. He'd hex me on the spot."

"He has no wand. And if he doesn't care that a mudblood shows up at his flat, he won't care about a blood traitor." Hermione reached out and took Ginny's hand. "Seriously, he has changed. They've both changed. I wouldn't even think to do this if they were still the same as they were back then."

Ginny's hand twitched within hers. "All right. But I'm telling you, Hermione, if I…if he so much as breathes wrong, the game is up. I won't let you do it."

Hermione did not bother to tell Ginny that she would do what she wanted; it would only start a fight. She understood her friend's protectiveness and appreciated it. If Lucius handled himself the way he had the last two days, Ginny would come away as mystified but pleasantly surprised as she was. He would resent the unannounced visit, to be sure, but it had to be done.

"Where are we going?" Ginny asked as they stepped onto the sidewalk.

"Where we discussed last night."

"Don't we have to floo?"

Hermione shook her head. That was it; Ginny had to follow her in confused silence. Hermione's mind flipped and flopped with anxiety. Perhaps she was doing this too quickly. Just because Lucius had been temperate with her didn't mean Ginny's addition wouldn't cause him to regress into an utter bastard. Ginny wouldn't give him an easy go of it, either. If she knew the youngest Weasley, she would glower at him the entire time and make as many loaded comments as possible. Ginny was quite good at provocation when she wanted to be. She could only hope Lucius was equal to the task. And really, if he couldn't handle one angry witch, he wasn't the man she thought he was.

Not that she had any idea of what kind of man he was anymore. What a fine mess, she thought to herself. Ron and Skeeter have pushed me this far, that I'm allying with the Malfoys and bringing Ginny to visit…

Before she knew it, they were outside his flat. The window two stories up was open, the room that was probably his office. She thought about whistling or calling out, but he might not be in there and she was interested to see how he would do with no warning. Though he had been quite magnanimous the last two days, he had acted upon a few of the myriad opportunities to embarrass her, and now she had a way to discompose him in return.

She could feel Ginny's eyes boring into the back of her head as they climbed the stairs. She rang the bell and tried to tamp down on the nerves that were creeping into her stomach. Damn this man and the things his presence did to her stomach!

"Are you trying to tell me that Malfoy lives here?" Ginny hissed. "In muggle London?"

"No, Gin, I made you walk all the way here just so we could use a special fireplace." Ginny scowled, obviously affronted by her tone. Oh, she would have to watch the sarcasm. Malfoy had already brought a lot more of it to the surface than usual.

A scrabbling noise filled the broad hall. It was a sound that Hermione recognized as claws skidding on hardwood floors; the dogs were coming to the door. One of them barked a moment later.

"Shut it, Oberon," his voice sounded from just behind the door, only firm enough to quiet the dog. Then the metallic turn of a lock rang out and he pulled the door open.

"Hermione." He hid his surprise well. He was quite the actor; already he'd adopted her first name, because it would certainly look weird if he referred to his girlfriend as anything else. "And…Miss Weasley. Or is it Mrs. Potter?"

"Still Miss Weasley, thank you," Ginny said abruptly.

"Right," he said stoically. "If you wouldn't mind, I need five minutes. I wasn't aware I'd have guests this morning."

"Sure, by all means clear up the remains of whatever sick ritual you were doing."

"Ginny!" Hermione whispered sharply. Ooh, she was really going to let him have it, wasn't she? He remained calm, supremely so, even when one of the dogs, eager to get out and greet the guests, took one of his legs out from under him. He caught himself quickly and breathed an exasperated sigh.

"Hermione, would you mind taking them for a stroll?"

"Of course," she said quickly, wanting to disband the tension. He handed over a pair of leashes, held the dogs still long enough for her to clip them on, and then let them go. It was a good idea; even Ginny couldn't help but smile at the way the dogs danced around, unable to contain their excitement. Hermione offered the loop of one of the leashes to Ginny with a hesitant smile.

Lucius had already closed the door and both of them were being pulled down the stairs by the thrilled pups.

"All right," Ginny said a few minutes later. They had reached the sidewalk and were now moving along at a good pace, the dogs sniffing everything within range. "So he's got cute dogs." Titania pounced at a wrapper that blew across their path a moment later and they both laughed. "Ok, really cute dogs," Ginny amended.

Hermione gave her a sideways glance. "Does that really take him up a notch?"

"Well, they don't look timid or mistreated. It means he must care about them. That's a step up from caring about nothing but himself."

Hermione shook her head. Ginny was sometimes swayed by the strangest things. They crossed the street, stopped to let some children pet the dogs, and then began to meander back towards his flat.

"Gin," Hermione said cautiously, "you know if you push him far enough, he'll respond the way you want him to. It isn't really fair."

"This is a man who did everything he could to disparage my family and nearly killed me, not to mention you and everyone you care about, once or twice. I'm sorry if forgiveness doesn't come easily," she huffed. "As far as I'm concerned his ego can take a beating or two as penance."

Hermione sighed as they approached the flat again. This was going to be ugly. When he opened the door, Lucius's face said that he knew it; Ginny didn't see it, but his mask slipped as Hermione brushed past him. She wondered how many times he had had to endure this self-flagellation.

"Would you ladies care for breakfast?" he asked neutrally once they were settled in the living room.

"Did you poison it?" Ginny speared.

"No," he replied, calm. "Do you want me to?"

She glared at him, temporarily defeated. Hermione hid a smile.

"We ate, thank you," she said, trying to stay upbeat. The tension was filling up the room like smoke.

"Well, I know you didn't come just to walk my dogs and turn down my food," he said. His foot was twitching ever so slightly. "So please enlighten me."

Hermione chose her words carefully. "Ginny has to…approve."

"Approve what?"

"Of our…ah…relationship." Hermione resisted the urge to use finger-quotes.

He sat back in his chair and nodded. His face was tense for a moment, and she was sure that ten different thoughts and emotions were flickering beneath the surface, but he revealed nothing.

"Very well. Miss Weasley, you may examine whatever you want in here in order to convince yourself that I am not going to harm Hermione."

"I know you're not stupid enough to leave anything out," Ginny spat. "It's not your flat I'm interested in. It's you, Malfoy."

His chin lifted almost imperceptibly. "I am sure," he said, his voice a little tight, "that Hermione has informed you that I do not have a wand. I can do no magic. Effectively, I am a squib. She is not in any danger from me."

"Men have other weapons," Ginny almost snarled.

"I have no ill intentions toward her virtue, if that is what you're worried about," he said coldly. "Besides," and here his eyes narrowed in a way that warned Hermione that something particularly cruel was coming, "if I had desired her, I could have had her ten times while she was drunk and incoherent in my guest room."

Hermione's mouth fell open. What was he thinking? And why did she feel insulted at that? Her mind had zeroed in on the part where he effectively stated that he didn't desire her and taken serious offense. What the hell? Something was wrong with her if that was all she could hear in a malicious declaration like that! She cast a forceful look at him, scowling. It took a moment for the spite to fade from his face, but when it did she saw that he knew he had gone too far.

Ginny pulled her wand. "You son of a bitch!"

Hermione stood up quickly, grabbing Ginny's arms. It took a lot of strength to restrain her. Ginny was livid. At last she managed to wrestle her back down onto the couch.

Lucius took a breath, knowing full well that he'd nearly gotten his face hexed off. "I am sorry. When you back a snake into a corner, Miss Weasley, eventually it will strike." He swallowed. "Lions are not so different."

"They're very different, you asshole! You son of a…!" Ginny's voice cracked suddenly and tears began to stream down her face. She struggled free of Hermione and stood, her chest heaving and her wand pointed at Malfoy. "Do you know what he did to me? The Tom Riddle inside that book?"

"Ginny, please," Hermione whispered. She had never seen her friend like this and she wasn't sure she wanted to know what Ginny was referring to.

"No," Lucius said softly. "I don't know." He was pale and his hands fidgeted tellingly in his lap.

"It didn't matter that he was just a horcrux. It didn't matter that he was just some facsimile of a real person," Ginny whispered, her voice low and hard. "That didn't stop him from taking my virtue."

Hermione felt as though she'd been punched in the stomach. Ginny had never said a thing. Not to Harry, not to her, not to her family, no one. Oh, poor Ginny. It was just another reason to hate Voldemort, heaped on top of a million others. Even now, six years gone, he was still twisting their hearts in their chests.

Lucius's eyes slipped closed. He was fighting for control. He looked genuinely upset, like he wanted to jump out of his skin with rage and regret. Ginny advanced on him, her hand trembling as she aimed her wand right between his eyes.

"It was because of you," she enunciated. "You slipped me that book. You might as well have done it yourself, Malfoy."

"I didn't understand what it was," he said, emotions half-disguised with roughness. "I didn't know that it was a piece of him. Please," he seemed to be pleading more with himself than with her, "if I had known, I would never have given it to a child. I was not that terrible of a person, even then."

"And now?" she was less than a foot away from him, her wand an inch from his face. "What are you now?"

He shocked both of them by slipping from the chair to his knees before her.

"A contrite man," he said softly, "who knows that his contrition comes too late."

He didn't bow or prostrate himself before her, nor did he ask for forgiveness, because they all knew there was none to be had. But there was something else. There was validation. And now, on his knees, his face unshuttered, his eyes struggling to contain what might have been tears, he was validating Ginny Weasley.

Hermione knew she was crying. She was numb with pain. Pain for Ginny most of all, but shockingly there was a fair amount of pain for Lucius, as well. She could see in his face how he loathed the knowledge that he had contributed to things like this. The crucible of failure and guilt had catalyzed him into something human.

A moment later Ginny's wand fell from her hand and she crumpled. Hermione would never understand the dynamics of two wounded souls; Malfoy moved forward to embrace her and she didn't fight it. She seemed to sink into him, her body shaking with sobs. He pressed her gently to his chest, cocooning her in long arms, and let his cheek rest against the crown of her head. They were a strange vision, the platinum and fire of their hair mingling.

Time had lost meaning. Hermione was frozen to the chair, crying as hard as Ginny, crying for everything, every pain and heartache she had ever felt. But slowly, slowly the festering, diseased atmosphere of anger that had filled the room before filtered out into the languid summer air. The light was dimming; a storm was moving in.

Lucius and Ginny remained very still. His eyes were closed, his face exhausted and painfully alert at the same time. Ginny's sobs were calming. No one moved or spoke until Ginny got the hiccups. Shifting carefully, Lucius rose with Ginny in tow and then deposited her on the couch.

He disappeared into the kitchen, dazed. A minute later he returned with two glasses of water. Ginny took one, gulping it gratefully. It neutralized her hiccups quickly. The other glass he held out to Hermione. She could only look at him, still stunned by the whirlwind.

"Right," he said hoarsely. "Firewhiskey."

He moved back toward the kitchen, taking the water with him. Hermione stood on rubbery legs and joined Ginny on the couch, spooning against her smaller form. She was dimly aware that the wind was beginning to blow strongly, billowing the curtains and casting leaves torn from trees in through the windows. Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance.

She looked toward the kitchen. From here she could see half of him. He was leaning against the counter, almost willing it to hold him up. As she watched, he picked up the bottle of firewhiskey and poured a small amount into one glass. He moved it toward the second and thought better of it; instead, he lifted the bottle to his lips and took a resolute swig. There were few situations that warranted a drink right out of the bottle, but this was one of them.

In spite of her recent overindulgence, Hermione took the proffered firewhiskey and tossed it down. It burned terribly, but it cleared her head, cleaving a path through all the emotional fuzz. His long gulp had probably served to do the same. However, when she looked over at him he looked as though he could barely move.

Rain began to come down, rattling its percussionistic symphony on the roof. He tried to rouse himself.

"The window in the study…the computer…"

"I've got it," she said.

When she closed the window, her hip bumped the laptop. The bump caused the screensaver to deactivate, displaying a blank desktop and one stark white instant messager box. It was the screenname that made her look twice.

DracoD0rmiens (11:03:52): Father?

DracoD0rmiens (11:14:03): is everything all right?

The cursor blinked. She looked at the clock. It was 11:17. It couldn't be…but who else would have that screenname? Maybe Draco knew more about muggle technology than she thought.

Hermione glanced out into the living room. She smiled sadly; both Lucius and Ginny were dead asleep. She arranged herself in front of the laptop. Lightning flashed outside, and she knew she should turn off the computer, but the allure of talking to Draco on instant messager was too great.

She typed and hit enter.

BedLAM (11:19:31): Draco?

The humor and irony of Lucius's screenname was not lost on her. Bedlam – a madhouse. L.A.M., his initials – although she didn't know what the A stood for. And taken separately, bed L.A.M. – a subtle command that would probably amuse him to no end. All in all, it was the perfect alias for him.

DracoD0rmiens: (11:19:58): No, it's the witch-king of angmar

Hermione stifled a laugh. Apparently Draco had gotten into some muggle literature, as well.

BedLAM (11:20:14): It's Hermione.

BedLAM (11:20:40): And I rather think you're more the Gollum type, myself.

DracoD0rmiens (11:22:01): What are you doing on Poppa Malfoy's computer

BedLAM (11:22:54): Do you call him that to his face

DracoD0rmiens (11:23:10): are you daft?

DracoD0rmiens (11:23:22): seriously, what's going on

BedLAM (11:23:55): had a bit of an incident. I told Ginny Weasley about the plan, and don't worry, she's keeping it secret, but she wanted to see for herself if Poppa Malfoy could be trusted

There was a long pause. Almost too long. Then:

DracoD0rmiens (11:27:19): I'm sure that went well

BedLAM (11:28:03): No fatalities. Where are you?

DracoD0rmiens (11:29:00): Mykonos. It's bloody hot.

BedLAM (11:29:04): Already? By the way, I had no idea you knew how to deal with muggle technology, I'm impressed

DracoD0rmiens (11:29:20): Dad insists it's easier than owls and frankly he's right. A computer can't shit on you.

Hermione had to stifle another laugh. She would never have thought that talking to him like this would be so entertaining. Draco had continued.

DracoD0rmiens (11:30:15): I have to say, muggles aren't dumb.

BedLAM (11:30:30): that's high praise coming from you.

DracoD0rmiens (11:33:08): so does everyone still have all their limbs and/or correct body parts?

BedLAM (11:33:14): Yes. Find anything interesting in Mykonos?

DracoD0rmiens (11:34:44): just a nude beach. Would be much more interesting if you were here.

She had to read it three times to process it. When she did, her eyes nearly fell out of her skull. Was Draco flirting with her? Of course not. He was being facetious. Right?

BedLAM (11:35:50): you wish

DracoD0rmiens (11:36:10): maybe I do

What was he doing? She was utterly perplexed. Shaking her head, she typed:

BedLAM (11:39:36): very funny, Malfoy

His response came quickly.

DracoD0rmiens (11:40:12): I'm not being funny.

DracoD0rmiens (11:40:19): I liked kissing you.

DracoD0rmiens (11:40:21): I want to do it again. But it's hardly appropriate when you're dating my father.

Her eyes narrowed and she typed furiously.

BedLAM (11:40:39): see, you are being funny, and it's not working

DracoD0rmiens (11:41:15): I am not.

DracoD0rmiens (11:42:00): He likes you and you will fall victim to his charms.

BedLAM (11:43:50): you're out of your gourd

DracoD0rmiens (11:45:16): I'm not joking. I really wish that I hadn't had to switch places with Poppa Malfoy.

Hermione was perturbed. What the hell? Draco was insinuating that they both liked her. That Lucius would attempt to make this more than a charade. Lucius was being nice enough but nothing in his demeanor suggested that he wanted a real relationship. He had effectively stated only an hour before that he didn't desire her. Draco was off the mark. Was this even him?

BedLAM (11:45:49): Where is this coming from? Why do you need hundreds of miles and a computer screen to be honest and work up the courage to flirt with me?

Touche. The screen was blank and cursor blinking for several minutes. She was beginning to think he had actually left when he finally responded.

DracoD0rmiens (12:01:09): because I hardly have the right to, from any distance

Hermione chewed her lip. Well, this made some things clearer.

BedLAM (12:03:51): now I understand why you're helping me…

DracoD0rmiens (12:04:26): no, it's not like that. I'm not trying to get in your knickers or split you up from Weasley. I just didn't like seeing you unhappy.

BedLAM (12:05:13): you're never going to talk to me like this face to face, so why bother now?

DracoD0rmiens (12:06:21): Some strange alignment of the stars I suppose. Can I say it all, though? Before I save your marriage and you spend the rest of your existence with Weasel-by?

BedLAM (12:07:23): I thought I was going to fall to your father's charms…

DracoD0rmiens (12:07:41): oh look who's being funny now. You will, believe me, but you won't leave Weasley for him. He won't let you.

BedLAM (12:08:08): you certainly have all the answers don't you

Pause. Draco wanted to 'say it all'? Hermione was, whether she wanted to admit it or not, waiting with a strange, buzzing excitement for the things he was going to confess. Two minutes later he began to type.

DracoD0rmiens (12:10:35): what can I say, you're beautiful. And smart. And strong. You could kick my arse and once I stopped being afraid of that and started admiring it, it was kind of hopeless. Seeing you in that pub was like a revelation. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since. It took all the willpower I had not to kiss you while you were drunk because I knew you would sleep with me if I did and that isn't right. But that was probably my only chance.

Hermione felt faint. A strange feeling had begun to coil inside her. It was the sensation of being pulled in too many directions. The feeling of feelings being strained. Her fingers moved of their own accord, and she winced even as she typed the message.

BedLAM (12:14:02): who says it was your only chance?