Lying on one half of a large throw in the garden area of the manor's grounds, Hermione should have been enjoying the summer sunshine. However, she had other things on her name. Namely, worrying about what was going on at the Ministry. To be honest she'd expected to hear something from the Ministry long before now, but it was nearly two weeks since she'd spoken to the Minister and exposed Dumbledore's secrets. In fact the only time the Ministry had been in touch since then, was a couple of days later when they'd requested samples of Hermione's DNA. They hadn't even returned to ask for an official statement or to get more information from her.
Initially, Lucius and her father hadn't seemed to be concerned by the lack of visible progress from the Ministry, and several times Lucius had insisted that it would take time to see some results. However, Hermione could now see that both wizards, and Severus who'd also been around a lot, were starting to get nervous. Even though they tried not to show their worry and continued to say all the right things, Hermione could see the truth in their eyes. They were every bit as concerned as she was.
Although Hermione wasn't the only one concerned with the outcome the Ministry would reach. Turning her head, Hermione could see Draco, who was lying on the throw next to her, nervously nibbling at his lower lip. He knew that whatever the Ministry decided would have an effect on his life as well, and like the rest of them, he was hoping for the right result.
"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered, turning over properly and propping herself up on her elbow, facing Draco.
"What for?" Draco asked with a frown, as he mimicked Hermione's pose and propped himself up facing his new friend.
"For all this worry I'm causing," Hermione said. "You should be enjoying your summer, and here you are worrying over if you'll ever get to go back to Hogwarts."
"I wasn't worrying," Draco argued.
"You could have fooled me, you certainly looked worried," Hermione retorted. Before arriving at the manor she would have said that Draco was unreadable, but she'd soon learnt that in the privacy of their own home the Malfoys dropped the stoic expression they used in public and didn't hide what they were thinking or feeling.
"I was just wondering about these contingency plans," Draco admitted. "Do you think they're ever going to tell us what they are?"
"I don't think they're going to tell us anything until we've had some sort of word from the Ministry," Hermione replied. "I think they're all still hoping that Dumbledore will be exposed as a kidnapper and arrested, solving the problem for us. After all, I wouldn't be in much danger if Dumbledore was out of the picture."
"I still reckon they need to get rid of more than Dumbledore to keep you safe," Draco said. "Let's not forget who was threatening your life to begin with. Dumbledore may have kidnapped you as a child, but I don't think he planned on hurting you now."
"Unless I'd done something to upset him," Hermione said. "Do you think he might have turned on me if I'd done something he didn't approve of?"
"What do you mean?"
"Like doing something that made him wonder if I could be tempted by the dark," Hermione said. "What if I'd done something he considered to be dark, and he'd decided that evil ran in my veins and I was a danger after all. Do you think he would have hurt me then?"
"Yes," Draco answered, not needing to even think about his response. "I was right when I said he hadn't planned on hurting you, but I bet he's been keeping a close eye on you. And if you'd done one thing to give him cause for concern, I bet he would have turned on you like a rabid dog and torn you to shreds."
"You paint such a lovely picture, Draco," Hermione muttered with a roll of her eyes.
"Just being honest," Draco shrugged. "Besides, you asked."
"So I did," Hermione conceded. "So do you think we're ever going to find out what's going on with the Ministry? Surely they have to have found the truth by now."
"I heard father telling mother that if they didn't hear anything within the next forty eight hours he's going to pay the Minister a visit," Draco confided.
"Really? When was this?"
"Last night," Draco answered with a slight grimace. "I'd gone to the library to change my book, even though it was way past midnight. My parents were already in the room, but they didn't notice me. They were talking about the Ministry's investigation, so I hung around to see if they knew more than they were letting on, and that's when father expressed his impatience and what he was going to do about it."
"What's with the disgusted looking face, it looks like you're sucking a lemon," Hermione said.
"Before I could get back out of the library they started getting frisky, and quite honestly I heard more than I ever needed to know," Draco replied with a shudder, causing Hermione to laugh at his embarrassment.
"Remind me to stay out of the library after dark," Hermione chuckled.
"I'll certainly not be visiting again so late," Draco said. "Honestly, you would think they would have some self control at their age. They could have at least made it to the privacy of their bedroom."
"Maybe they love each other so much they just couldn't resist one another," Hermione suggested.
"More like they're a pair of randy old goats who should know better," Draco grumbled.
"I think it's sweet," Hermione said with a smile. "They're clearly still very much in love after a lot of years together. I hope I find someone like that to spend my life with."
"He'd had to be very brave," Draco said.
"Why? Are you saying I'm a nightmare or something?" Hermione scowled.
"No, you're actually a lot more laid back than you appear once you get to know you," Draco answered. "I was meaning they would have to be brave considering who your father is. I'm sure The Dark Lord would have been protective of you anyway, but considering he lost you for so long, he's going to be really wary of letting anyone get close to you. Your future boyfriend is going to have to be prepared for a grilling of a lifetime once The Dark Lord discovers his interest in you."
"If anyone can't handle my father, then they're not man enough for me," Hermione retorted. "Not that it really matters at the moment, as I'm far too young for a serious boyfriend. First I need to finish school and pass all my exams."
"And then what? Are you going to join your father and his Death Eaters?" Draco asked, genuinely curious about how Hermione saw her future. Even though the pair had spoken a lot since her arrival at the manor, and they were becoming closer every day, they'd yet to really touch on her stance in the war and her plans for the future.
"I've always said I don't agree with what he stands for and I would never fight for him, but I'm beginning to see that the world isn't as black and white as I've always seen it," Hermione admitted. "All I can say right now, is never say never. I've already learnt this summer that things aren't always what they seem, and people you trust can betray you in the worst possible way."
"Wise words," Draco remarked, but before he could say anything else one of the house elves appeared at their side.
"Master Draco and Mistress Hope, Master Lucius wishes to see you both," the elf said, informing them that Lucius was in his study before vanishing into thin air.
"Is this good or bad?" Hermione asked warily as the two teenagers got to their feet.
"We'll soon find out," Draco replied, leading the way back towards the manor.
The second they entered Lucius's study, they both knew the news wasn't good. Lucius was standing beside the window, a scowl on his handsome features, Severus and Narcissa were sitting in chairs in front of Lucius's desk, both looking sombre, and Voldemort was pacing in front of the fire, muttering expletives under his breath.
"What is it? What's happened?" Hermione asked.
"Nothing good," Lucius replied with a sigh as he turned away from the window and gestured for the two teenagers to sit down.
Hermione and Draco obediently sat in the two vacant chairs in-between Severus and Narcissa. Lucius then took his chair behind his desk, but Voldemort continued to pace and mutter to herself.
"My Lord," Lucius said softly, sounding a bit wary of interrupting the dark wizard in what was obviously a bad mood.
"Father," Hermione called when Voldemort didn't respond to Lucius.
Instantly Voldemort froze, before slowly turning his head towards his daughter. "You called me father," he whispered.
"It is who you are," Hermione replied. The truth was, she'd been thinking of Voldemort as her father for days now, and had in fact referred to him as such to other people, but it was the first time she'd addressed Voldemort in such a way.
"It is," Voldemort said vehemently. "Despite what anyone says, I know the truth. I know that you are my Hope. We all know the truth."
"Yes we do," Hermione said slowly, sharing a worried look with Draco. Clearly something had happened, and her gut instinct told her that she wasn't going to like it.
"There's something going on, isn't there?" Draco asked quietly, looking around at the four adults. He'd now met Voldemort several times, and while the dark wizard still scared him at times, he knew he'd probably seen more of his human side than anyone who wasn't in his father's study, and he knew there was more to The Dark Lord than met the eye.
"There is," Voldemort replied, slumping into the last available chair, beside the fire. "Lucius, you can do the honours. I don't think I can repeat what you've told me without losing my temper again."
"Again?" Hermione asked warily. "What happened?"
"Just a slight incident with a decanter of my finest port," Lucius said with a slight shrug.
"Which I will replace, Lucius," Voldemort promised.
"There's no need, My Lord," Lucius replied with a slight smirk. "Before I contacted you, I threw a full firewhisky bottle at the wall."
"Damn, this is serious," Draco whispered to Hermione. "Father never throws things unless he'd totally and utterly furious."
"Who are you furious with?" Hermione asked. "The Ministry, Dumbledore, or someone else?"
"The Ministry, Dumbledore and ourselves," Lucius admitted.
"Yourselves?" Hermione frowned. "Why are you mad at yourselves?"
"For underestimating our enemy," Voldemort whispered. "The greatest mistake a man can make is underestimating his enemy. And I'm sorry Hope, but that's exactly what we did with Dumbledore. We thought we had him cornered, but the old git's as slippery as an eel."
"It's my fault," Severus sighed. "I've been around him for years. I should have known by now how easily he manipulates people and gets them onside. I should have been prepared for something like this."
"Something like what? What exactly has happened?" Hermione demanded.
"I was at the Ministry this morning," Lucius began. "I was actually there on other business, but I thought I would check up on the investigation. I hate to inform you of this, but things haven't gone our way."
"How can they not go our way?" Draco asked in confusion. "Hermione told the Ministry the truth. They took her DNA to prove who she was. All they had to do was dig and they would find the truth."
"What they found was lies, which Dumbledore had salted the earth with," Lucius replied in a disgusted voice. "After what we told the Minister, he spoke to Dumbledore and got a very different story. Dumbledore claimed that he'd just learnt that Severus had been loyal to the dark all along, and had been teaching the pair of you dark magic in school. He claimed the three of you had been plotting against Potter and had tried to kill him on numerous times."
"That's preposterous," Hermione snorted. "And even if anyone was foolish enough to believe such a thing, the facts about who I am are out there."
"I'm afraid even they've been tampered with," Lucius said. "He covered his tracks with your death all those years ago, so even though the Ministry could find a record of your birth, they also found a perfect record of your death."
"And in order to keep you safe, I wasn't named on your birth certificate as your father," Voldemort added. "So it's just our word that I'm your father."
"What about DNA?" Hermione asked. "Draco's already mentioned it. They took my DNA to test it against yours."
"A test which apparently came back negative," Lucius snorted. "Dumbledore either managed to switch your sample, or switch whatever sample of The Dark Lord's they were testing it against."
"With his influence at the Ministry, it would have been all too easy," Voldemort said with a sigh. "I just can't believe we didn't think of this. How could we be so stupid as to think he was just going to sit back and let the Ministry make a criminal case against him? We should have predicted he was going to fight back, and he's already proven that he's not above fighting dirty."
"So is that it?" Hermione asked, feeling utterly deflated. "What about Molly and Sirius trying to kill me?"
"The Ministry are once again actively looking for Black, but I think we all know that they're not going to be able to find him," Lucius said. "And as for Molly Weasley, she was apparently interviewed and offered her memories of the early part of the summer, and released without charge. The Ministry can't find any evidence that she plotted to kill you."
"So basically the Order have gotten away scot-free, and I've been branded a dark witch?" Hermione demanded, her temper rising at the slurs that had been cast against herself, Severus and Draco.
"Dumbledore even managed to fabricate some evidence of the Dark Arts that he's claiming Severus taught you at Hogwarts," Lucius said. "As we speak, there's a warrant being drawn up for Severus's arrest."
"No, we can't let that happen," Hermione cried, turning to his father. "If it wasn't for Severus, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be safe. We can't let the Ministry get their hands on him. They'll send him to Azkaban."
"They will," Voldemort nodded. "Which is why Severus is moving into the manor. As we speak the elves are transporting his belongings to one of the guest wings."
"But won't we get into trouble for harbouring a wanted fugitive?" Draco asked. "Not that I don't want to save you, Severus," he added, not wanting the Potions Master to be offended. "Because I think we should protect you."
"I appreciate that," Severus said with a small smile. "Hopefully there won't be any come back on your family, as no-one can actually prove I'm here. Unlike Hermione, who they tracked here with her under-age magic trace, they can't do the same with me."
"And with no evidence of Severus being here, the Ministry can't get a warrant to search the manor," Lucius added. "We're all safe for the time being."
"But not in the long term," Hermione said. "This changes everything, doesn't it? We were relying on the truth coming out, but instead we've been made out to be the ones committing crimes. What happens now?"
"First, we prepare ourselves for the backlash," Voldemort said. "I've underestimated Dumbledore once, I'm not doing it again. In his position, I would make his claims public and discredit us in the eyes of the general public. Ironically enough, this could be the push that gives him all the support he could need to challenge us."
"And you're going to let him do it?" Hermione asked. "Why don't we strike back first? We can get to the papers before him. We can even give our memories to prove our story."
"We can try, but it might already be too late," Lucius mused. "If I hadn't been at the Ministry today, I wouldn't know what was happening. The first we would have known about it was when they turned up to arrest Severus, or Dumbledore's lies were spread all over the papers. I'll see what I can do about getting the truth out there, but if Dumbledore has beaten us to it, there's no point. If he's gotten to the public first, anything we've got to say just looks like lies to defend ourselves. And if he has gotten in there first, even our memories can be claimed to have been altered. The truth is, whoever gets their story out there first has the advantage of being believed by more people."
"So what happens if that is the case?" Hermione questioned. "What if we're too late and the press already have Dumbledore's version of events?"
"We're going to play the long game," Voldemort said decisively. "There is more than one way to win a war and bring the old fool to his knees. Let him have this victory, it'll only be a small one in the grand scheme of things. We're far from beaten, Hope. Believe me, this isn't over. Not by a long way."
A/N - I just want to wish my loyal readers a Happy Easter, and thank you all for reading and reviewing my stories. I will be spending my weekend trying to sort out my upcoming stories. With this story heading towards the end, I need to decide what dark story to publish next. I could publish the second part of this trilogy as it's already finished, but it would mean an extra long wait for part 3 as it's only just been started. Or I could publish the sequel to Goddess of Vengeance - which isn't yet finished but is nearing the end, and post the second part of this after that - with possibly another dark story in between part 2 and 3 of this trilogy. I also have to decide what story to start publishing next Tuesday. Do I go for a family Dramione, or try something new with my first multi-chapter Lucissa? Any thoughts people have would be most welcome, and I would be especially keen to know if people would read a longer Lucissa story.
