A/N: Thank you for all the favorites, follows, and wonderful reviews!
I will not be able to post next week but I will resume posting the following Saturday.
5
Previously:
Snape and Voldemort stood on the rise outside of the Malfoy properties and looked at the rippling wards that made it appear as if it were still the moldering remains of a fallen pureblooded family. A legion of Voldemort's followers continuously cast spells to bring down the newly erected wards.
Voldemort waited with blood retribution in his eyes. The bloody Malfoys were always the sneakiest of his followers, slithering out of punishment and landing on top of whatever political ladder that was currently in charge. He clenched his teeth. He wasn't sure exactly how it happened but he was not going to allow anything to jeopardize the world that he had built. The escape of Harry Potter was put on the back burner as a new more pressing issue arose. Abraxas Malfoy.
**HGHG**
Abraxas and Lucius stood in one of the oldest rooms in the Manor and watched as Voldemort and his legion of wizards attacked the wards around the estate. It was a viewing room made entirely of hewn stone. The only part of the building that had been created without the use of magic. Inside on a stone pedestal was a large blue orb that was currently projecting the onslaught onto the room's walls. The room faded away as if they were truly outside watching it first-hand.
The threads of the wards could be views as webs of intersecting lines, each ending and beginning in that room. The blood and kin wards had not only been set around the perimeter but also from this room. They could see where the attack was hitting hardest and reinforce those that weakened. The Malfoy men were on a rotating schedule so that there were two in this room at all times. It was where Abraxas was supposed to be when he decided to take Hermione on a little romantic moment at the Glade.
Lucius was furious at his father. It was true that the two in life often bumped heads but now that they were eventually going to share one wife the fire really poured through. The attack had begun only an hour after Abraxas had disappeared with their witch. Knowing that they were at the Glade didn't make him any less skittish, no, it only worsened his anxiety. She barely made it out last time. And if they died saving her this time, there would be no clever second chances. They had to work as a team.
The silence in the room rang with the silence as the two stubborn men refused to budge in their anger. Lucius, ever the pragmatist, decided they could butcher each other with silence later.
"We can't hold them off forever." Lucius growled through gritted teeth.
"We will have to sacrifice some of the property to protect the rest."
"What did you have in mind? Andrex cottage?"
"No. The unicorns made it through our deaths unscathed. They will be fine for another few days. Just this one room, I think, is all we will be able to protect."
"The prophecy room?" He breathed.
"We can try to save them both or we could move the prophecies."
"Move them? With maybe a half hour to do it in? No. I think we should try and shield them both."
"And risk losing her in the process? That is not an option! There is no doubt we can keep this room protected no matter what he throws at us. If we try to protect both rooms, we run the risk of losing them."
They stared at each other for a long moment.
"I'll stay. Go get the others and grab as many of the memories as you can. I will hold Voldemort and his forces until you come back."
With a sharp nod, Lucius was out of the room, faster reflexes than one would believe. He ran down the halls with one destination in mind. Potter's room. Lucius was certain that Hermione and Draco would be there.
When he got there and opened the door, he was met with a dark room and silence. Harry was sleeping and the other two were nowhere in sight.
"Potter, wake up. We are under attack and need to gather Hermione and Draco. Do you know where they are?"
"No," Harry rubbed his sleepy eyes and put his glasses back on. "They haven't come to see me yet."
There was only one other place they could be now. He strode to the prophecy room, Harry at his heels. He halted in the doorway as he took in the scene before him. Hermione was inside the pensieve, and Draco was in the chair next to her, watching her and the room. Boredom on his face.
"Tell Hermione when she comes out that Potter wants to see her. We will be in the Observation room." Lucius said.
"That bad?" Draco murmured.
"Yes."
Lucius walked into the room and pocketed five of the next memories. Before leaving, his robes billowing impressively. He could have given Snape a run for his money.
"Bring the pensive with you." Lucius requested from over his shoulder just before the door closed. Draco nodded, his brow wrinkled in concern. He settled in to wait for Granger to resurface.
**HGHG**
Voldemort smiled as the defenses to the property were systematically destroyed. It was taking much longer than he anticipated but he had faith that the sheer number of wizards that he had blasting against the wards would eventually bring them down. He wasn't shocked that the wards were this strong. Abraxas was one hell of a wizard. Even Voldemort could admit that.
"My Lord, what would you like to do first? I could go search for him." Severus said.
"I want my entire force to focus on and take out the room exuding the most magical output."
"Of course. My Lord. Any particular reason?" Snape asked almost bored.
"Everything I do is carefully thought out. Are you doubting me Severus? Do you need another reminder of your loyalty?"
"No, My Lord."
Voldemort smirked unpleasantly
"Fetch me Narcissa Malfoy."
"Yes, My Lord."
**HGHG**
Narcissa laid on the floor panting in a pool of her own blood. She couldn't bear to look at the mutilated flesh that tagged her as a traitor, less than human. Bellatrix sat on the floor at her head, cradling her as if they were once again children and their father delivered their harsh punishments. Bellatrix was humming and rocking Narcissa, a glazed look in her eyes. The humming stopped as her grip tightened.
"If you would just give me one, I could perhaps show that you are breaking. I can't save your life if you don't give me anything." Bellatrix murmured.
"You will never understand, Bella. Never." Narcissa whispered.
"I didn't want to have to do this, Cissy. But you leave me no choice." The mad glint in Bellatrix eyes grew harsh as she visibly steeled herself for whatever she decided she needed to do.
"Bellatrix, what are you doing?"
"Incarcerous." Ropes shot out of Bellatrix's wand tying her sister to the floor. Narcissa was spread-eagle, her slow bleeding from her leg making her skin unnaturally white. Bellatrix sat on her chest, her knife back in her hand. With the tip of the blade on Narcissa's face, she began pleading, hoping that her sister was just trying to scare her. Tears leaked down her cheeks as the blood-warmed blade cut into her tender skin. Once again, Bellatrix began carving. She screamed as each cut burned, the curse keeping the wounds weeping and flowing.
"Give them to me!" Bellatrix screamed in her face, spittle landing in the open wounds on her face. Each fleck was as painful as pouring salt into an open wound.
Bellatrix's relentless brutal assault on Narcissa's emotions, body, and mind. The betrayal of the sisterly bond that Narcissa always felt they shared, screwed with her mind, the pain of the assault in triplicate was blurring the lines of reality until she didn't know who she even was anymore, what she was hiding. Bellatrix crowed as she prized one of Narcissa's four precious memories out of the clawed fingers of her mind.
Narcissa was throwing priceless heirlooms at Lucius head, her mascara a black runny mess down her cheeks.
"You fucking bastard!" She yelled.
"This changes nothing," Lucius tried placating her in a low seductive voice. "I am married to you. By my father's own hand, we are bound to her but you are my wife. She is to be Draco's wife one day."
"Only because I had gotten pregnant. What if we hadn't and you were free to marry her? She is half your age!"
"That means little to nothing in the Wizarding world and you know that. Even if it did, it wouldn't matter. There is a contract that both my father and hers signed. We will protect her with our very lives if we must."
"She is Hermione Fucking Granger!" She yelled, for once the silencing charms held. "She is the most sought after Mudblood in this whole war! We will all die! He will see it, he will know!"
"Not if we keep these memories locked away and any others that could give us away."
"You are so willing to die for her? You, who clearly is lusting after your own son's bride."
"Fuck you, Narcissa! Yes, I am attracted to her, knowing what I know now. It is hard to overlook the fact that my father meant for me to marry her and not Draco. It is difficult for me to finally know who I was betrothed to and not wonder, what if. I had always thought it was a shame she wasn't pureblooded but the fucking joke is on me now, isn't it? Now we know that if anyone else gets wind of this information before she is married into our family, we risk losing her and becoming slaves ourselves. Do you want Merlin's only heir to be claimed by Rabastian? Or how about Nott's boy? No, better yet, lets stand aside as she marries Nott Sr. the man who pushed his wife down the fucking stairs."
"Don't you condescend to me Lucius Malfoy. I didn't get myself pregnant that night in the Slytherin Common room, seventeen years ago!"
"That's just it, Cissy. I am not leaving you. You have to understand that I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't know!"
"I wonder how Draco is going to feel. Forced to marry the Granger girl, the girl who was once betrothed to his father. He is just going to nod his head and go along with the ride, I am sure."
"He will not be forced."
"You know your son so well, do you?"
"He has been half in love with that girl since they were eight."
"Eight? He didn't meet her until Hogwarts."
"Wrong. All of those bonding outings that Father used to take Draco on, were actually fieldtrips to see her."
"How do you know that?"
"He left me a trunkful of memories to go along with the prophecy and the bloody contract."
"And now you are in, hook, line, and sinker."
"I brought them so that you can look at them Cissy. You are a part of this family, no matter how coldly you had been treated by my parents throughout the years."
"You think I am just going to sit around and watch you live with the regret of not being the one? I won't do it Lucius."
"You won't do what, be her mother-in-law? Get over yourself, Cissy. We are her family. We have a claim on her, Merlin's protégé."
"If she is truly ours, then he cannot win this war."
Lucius gulped. His stern face paling as the true ramifications had just crashed around his head.
"No, he cannot." He whispered.
"What are we going to do?" She whimpered. "That monster branded our son and I had no way to stop it and you weren't here. That is with the Malfoy name! how are we to protect her?"
"I'm sorry, Cissy. So, sorry." He moved to her, drawing her into his arms. "You know what the Dark Lord hides. I suspect the boy knows too and the three of them are searching for them. We know where one is. We need to get it and hand it over to Hermione, before it is too late."
"He will kill us."
"Maybe."
"Do you think the price is worth it?" She asked, her whole body began trembling.
"Yes."
Narcissa had barely enough strength to keep her last three precious memories behind her mental shields as Bellatrix crowed over her mutilated sisters prone body. Narcissa stared at the legs of the wooden bedframe and idly wondered why she didn't feel anything. She was numb. There were no roiling emotions, no burning pain from her wounds. In fact, she just felt tired. She didn't want to fight anymore.
The door flew open and the heavy weight that was Bellatrix Lestrange, flew off of her in seconds. Narcissa felt strong arms encircle hear, his smooth voice screaming profanities at Narcissa's newest tormentor on the floor. Narcissa had little fight left in her. She barricaded herself behind the mental shields that she had erected all of those years ago. If she was in here, there was no pain, no abuse. She shut herself within her own mind.
In the back of her whirling thoughts, she felt her body be lowered onto a soft surface and a light fluttering touch on her face. She cringed away from the hand, knowing from experience that light touches like that were not given freely. They always came with a price and she knew that she could take no more. Her wound knitted back together, the cursed blade giving her newly created scars an unusual purple and silver gleam.
Snape looked down at Narcissa and had a hard time not sobbing at the horror she had endured at her own sisters' hand. As her wounds healed and the scars closed, he admired the lines on her face. It was actually quite beautiful. He mused. The silver and purple swirls connected seamlessly over her face. The cuts had been smooth and delicate unlike the horrible word, Blood Traitor, that had been crudely carved into her leg. It was hard to believe that the same person did both carvings only moments apart.
Narcissa's eyes were wide and staring, the unfocused death that radiated from her, scared him more than anything he had encountered in this war. He was afraid that she was slipping away, that he was going to lose her now, when they were so close to the end.
"Come on, Love." He murmured in his smooth baritone. "These scars mean only one thing, that you were so strong that they had to do unspeakable things to break your mind."
"She took one." Narcissa mumbled slowly.
"Which one?"
A ghost of a smile curved at her lips.
"The one where I threw priceless heirlooms at Lucius' head."
"That is a good one."
She chuckled humorlessly.
"For years, no one broke through the defenses that you helped me erect. Shouldn't they be more suspicious?"
"Now they are desperate and they don't care. They just want results."
"Why did you come for me?" Narcissa asked, switching topics swiftly.
"He summons you to Malfoy Manor." Snape said. Her breath caught in her throat as the fear coiled in her stomach.
"Are they safe?"
"Oh yes. For now, anyway. They erected all of the wards that are known and more. Combined with their inherent right of owning the Manor… it will not be easy for Voldemort to break through even if he brought four thousand wizards to encircle the property."
"Four thousand?" She whispered. "So many."
"He fears Abraxas and for good reason." Snape added grimly. She nodded, knowing that Abraxas was the only Death Eater that had gotten out, even if it did cost him his life in the end. "Can you stand?"
She shook her head, no but tried to get up anyway. Her hands grasped as his robes, his hands supported her to stand against him.
"We are not done yet. We still have a part to play." Narcissa said through the haze of pain.
"When this is over," Snape began before Narcissa cut him off.
"If we live beyond this war, then you can ask me what you were just going to ask. Until then, leave it alone." She panted.
"Very well. Brace yourself." He whispered as he apparated them out of the castle and onto the hill that Voldemort occupied.
"My Darling," Voldemort sneered as Bellatrix peeped at her sister from behind his robes. "Is there something you wish to tell me?"
"No." Narcissa said as she stared in Voldemort's face. Hiding three memories would be much easier than hiding five memories. She had already endured more than she thought herself capable of. She would not fail now that she was so close.
"What have you done with my horcrux, Narcissa?"
"Me? Nothing. I never even touched it, My Lord."
"But you know what happened to it. Did Lucius give it to the little Mudblood that day at the Manor? Is that why your entire family died for her? To see the end of me?"
Narcissa jacked her chin up, offering him only defiance.
"No? Crucio."
Narcissa was on the ground screaming as Snape clenched and unclenched his fist, unable to do more than merely watch. He couldn't bear to close his eyes and yet at the same time, watching was slowly tearing him apart. For years, he had to watch this smart, proud, strong woman be degraded. He could feel the blood pounding through his veins in a war cry that he would one day unleash upon his Master. There had to be a world, a time, a place, where this woman was safe and he would create it with his own life if he needed to.
**HGHG**
Hermione and Draco walked into the observation room. Hermione's eyes went wide, craning her neck as she watched what had drawn the grim attention of Lucius, Abraxas, and Harry.
Voldemort was torturing Narcissa just outside of the wards, her body writhing on the ground. The sunlight threw the purple scars on her face into relief as she jerked on the ground.
"Mother." Draco breathed, his face white. "What happened to her face?" He choked.
"We have to save her!" Hermione said.
"We cannot save her right now and win this war. There are four thousand wizards attacking the Manor. Severus is there. He will do whatever is possible for her." Abraxas said.
Hermione pushed between Lucius and Abraxas and took the formers hand in hers. She gave his hand a bit of a squeeze, hoping to convey her sympathy. He untangled their hands and wrapped her in his long arms, resting his head on her curls.
"While we wait, do you want to see some more memories?" Lucius murmured. She nodded her head.
"If there is nothing we can do…"
"There isn't." Draco said.
Lucius dug into one of the pockets and inspected each of the five vials he had taken from the other room. At last he chose one and uncorked it, pouring the silvery liquid into the pensieve.
Abraxas stood toe to toe with Tom Riddle. Both young, barely out of Hogwarts. Tom Riddle sneered at his 'loyal' follower. The knights bowed to their lord as they awaited his command.
"You can't just back out now that our plans have begun to take shape. It's as if the last seven years were a game to you. Something to do while you were at Hogwarts. I thought you were committed to wiping out all of the Muggleborns from our society."
"My horizons have been broadened. I don't believe that it will do any good for the wizarding world to cast out the Muggleborns."
"Did you dip your wick in a Muggleborn honey pot? It that the reason for the change in your fundamental ideals?"
"No. Nothing like that."
"I heard you are slated to marry the Rosier girl. I highly doubt you chose her for yourself. Is there someone else? Someone you intend to keep on the side?"
"No."
"Then why are you betraying me?" Tom raged.
"Because I don't believe in this anymore. I can't do it."
"You can't just leave, Malfoy."
"And you aim to prevent me?" Abraxas shouted.
Wands were raised, each at the others face. The look of uncompromising steel within each.
A nonverbal spell was shot form each wand and a triumphant smile slid over Tom's face. Abraxas stood as if they had done nothing more than talked of the weather. He stared at Voldemort, their eyes meeting, neither compromising. Abraxas grit his teeth as he held his former masters gaze.
"You are going to crawl back to me one day for a cure and I am going to watch you waste away in agony."
"If you say so." Abraxas said as he wrenched his gaze to the floor and turned away, his shoulders back and his spine straight. He left the room that Tom and his knights met in, the looks of shock and confusion over each of Tom's followers faces as they watched one of their peer's defect.
The moment he stepped foot outside, he allowed himself to smile triumphantly. Tom may have thought he won tonight. But Abraxas was the true victor. It would take Voldemort many years to realize this. When he did, Abraxas was going to gloat so hard in that bastard's face. All he had to do was die first. A contingency plan that he had come up with the moment he realized Merlin's Protégé would be on the opposite side of the oncoming war.
Hermione pulled out of the pensive and looked at Abraxas.
"Which one?" He asked quietly never taking his eyes off of Voldemort and his now focused attention that was on the Manor.
"You defied Tom. You each landed a curse on the other. May I ask, what were the curses?" Hermione questioned.
"The one he landed on me was an incurable form of Dragon Pox that I died of in 1995."
"And yours?"
"I used Legilimency to see how many horcruxes he made, was planning to make, and where he would hide them." His lips twitched in amusement as Harry and Hermione both dragged in a surprised gasp of air.
"How many? Did we get them all?" Harry demanded.
"Seven although Dumbledore and I surmised that he inadvertently made you one and aimed to make another. I died shortly after he was resurrected in the graveyard. There was the diary, ring, cup, locket, diadem, you, and Nagini. That is the thing now. Did he create another after I died? It is what we need to know and what Severus is currently working on. It is why he can't blow his cover by rescuing Narcissa. We have to be sure that Riddle can be destroyed."
"What are we doing here? Shouldn't we try and flee?" Harry asked.
"The magic of the wards will be pulled in to protect this room alone. We are just holding out long enough to get an answer from Severus."
**HGHG**
Narcissa lay forgotten on the ground. Voldemort had moved his attentions on to the wizards who were laying siege to the Manor. She whimpered as she tried to move. She was no stranger to the cruciatus curse and knew that she needed time for her body to adjust. However, time is something they didn't have. She planted the seed she was supposed to. Now, Voldemort was worried about his horcruxes. It left them swimming on the surface of his mind, allowing Severus to see them.
Severus must have found what he was looking for because he looked straight at the house and smiled before bending down and picking her up. He apparated them into the Manor and began to run through the halls.
"Thank Merlin, they were watching or I would have had a hard time explaining to Voldemort what I was doing if the wards failed to allow me entry." Severus muttered.
Narcissa set her head on his shoulder and raised her arms to circle his neck.
"Thank you, Severus." She whispered.
"Always."
The door to the observation room was opened to them as he strode to the epicenter of the house.
Draco took Narcissa from Severus' arm and began fussing over her, Hermione casting advanced healing spells over every inch of body she could reach.
"I am so happy that Snape was able to get you out of there. Welcome home!" Hermione said as she worked on the scars on her face.
"They won't come off." Narcissa said.
"Who did this to you, Mother?" Draco asked.
"Bellatrix."
"That damned rabid dog. We should have put her down when she carved into Hermione. My mistake. I'll make sure to rectify that at the next chance I get." Lucius growled.
"I'll help." Potter said viciously.
"What did you find out, Severus?" Abraxas asked.
"He hasn't made any more. He believes that his horcruxes are safe. He used the locket's location to convince himself that no one would be able to figure out how to get there. Well, that was until he saw Abraxas. He knows that you have the ability. Now, he is wondering for how long you have been alive and if you have been the pain in his arse since Dumbledore died, directing the infamous trio from behind the scenes."
"If we are going to kill him, now would be the time to do it. He has seen me, yes, but he has no idea that the house has been resurrected, nor that Severus is a traitor. Having Potter on our side only solidifies that now is the time."
"I will fight too." Hermione said.
"No. We would be too concerned that you would be wounded or captured to be effective. Remember, we are tied to you through the magic of the resurrection spell and the contract that binds us to you. You are the best healer and Narcissa needs you. Draco, you are also staying."
"No! I am more than capable to fight in this battle!" Draco argued.
"That is true but Lucius and I are better and one of us needs to protect this room. If it falls, the magic of the whole Manor collapses and it would change its allegiance to Riddle. We cannot allow that. This Manor was built by generations of Malfoys for the honor and protection of Hermione. To let it fall would be to spit on a thousand years of toil." Abraxas argued.
Although Draco didn't like his role to always stay behind the lines of battle, he understood the necessity of it. What they also didn't say was that one of the Malfoy men needed to be able to continue the line if the others fell. He capitulated with poor grace. He understood but that didn't mean he had to like it.
"First we have to take out the legion of wizards. Any ideas?" Harry asked.
"Yes, actually. I figured we could send them a gift." Lucius said.
"A gift?" Harry asked skeptically. Lucius smiled.
**HGHG**
Voldemort was staring at a large wooden horse that had appeared in front of the gates, a huge red ribbon around its neck.
"Is this a fucking joke?" He raged. "Focus on the fucking horse. If there are people inside I want their corpses impaled on spikes and mounted on the hill!"
Almost as one unit, his force of wizards aimed at the wooden animal and began firing spells. As each spell landed on the wooden surface, the wizard who shot the spell disappeared until not one wizard of his fighting force was left.
"What the fuck just happened? Where is Severus?!" Only a handful of his Death Eaters were left. They milled around in confusion, dumbly wondering what happened to their army.
**HGHG**
Hermione was snickering as she watched the whole scene play out.
"You know Lucius, that was a brilliant idea."
"I can't really take credit for the spell as it has been handed down in the family for many generations. You see the Malfoys weren't just amassing wealth and position for you."
"What are you guys talking about? What just happened?" Asked Harry.
"Every time you cast a spell it leaves a signature of the caster. An essence of their soul if you will. That wooden horse was charmed to follow the essence and capture the witch or wizard who cast the spell."
"Where did they go?"
Hermione looked at Lucius with her brows raised.
"The Malfoy dungeons, of course."
"It's secure?" Harry asked.
"Oh yes, the room that they are sent to is one of the most incredible marvels of the wizarding world. Many renowned wizards have come to study it over the last seven hundred years or so since it had been built."
"I'll go down with you later when this is over." Harry said interested.
"As you wish."
Those that were intending on entering the fight, left the observation room and apparated to the gates, which were still barred to the vicious despot.
"Tom! It's been a lifetime, my old friend. Let me introduce you to some of my friends and family. My son, Lucius. Severus, a man who I would be proud to call my son. Harry Potter, the best friend to my soon to be wife. And of course, Myself. The man you swore would die a slow and agonizing death."
"I killed you." Voldemort said to Lucius.
"It didn't take." Lucius drawled making Severus snort and Harry outright laugh.
"What do you want, Abraxas?" He said ignoring Lucius' smart mouth.
"Not much. Just your defeat."
"I can make an alliance with your…family." He sneered. A shot of dark loathing aimed at his traitorous spy.
"No. Just one duel. You against me. That's it."
"You seem confident despite having never won against me."
"Haven't I though?" Abraxas cockily answered. Voldemort went pale, his memory obviously going to that one duel where an unknown spell landed on him.
"I have no intention of lowering myself to duel with you, Abraxas Malfoy." He spat.
Snape apparated to the other side of the gates, behind Voldemort and quickly yet silently erecting wards around them. Voldemort whirled on the balls of his feet and hit Severus with the Cruciatus curse. Stopping whatever he was going to do mid-cast. The force of the hate that fueled the spell knocked Snape to his knees, the veins of his neck bulging with the effort not to fall on his face.
"You dare betray me? Lord Voldemort?" He hissed. He was so focused on Snape's punishment that he completely missed the moment when his Death Eaters disappeared.
The first spell that his shield was a warning. His red eyes glowed as twin coals, showing the world his soulless state. Harry was standing shoulder to shoulder with the Malfoy men sending a barrage of spells and nasty curses at Voldemort. He laughed as each spell was deflected, his prowess undeniable.
**HGHG**
Hermione watched the play by play in the observation room and grew angry. When had she become this person? She was Hermione Granger for goodness sake. She kept the boys alive for years, had dueled grown men and won. Why was she sitting on the sidelines? With a fire in her eyes she stood and wrenched the door open. Not even waiting when Draco called out to her. She was about to flip her shit.
The moment she cleared the oppressive wards of the observation room, she apparated to the field of battle. She took in the scene, Voldemort was having no problem holding his own against the two Malfoys, Harry, and Snape. There seemed to be an invisible shield wrapped around him that they couldn't break.
Hermione was furious. Sparks flew from the tip of her hair as she stalked onto the battle field with Draco right behind her. They lifted their wands and added to the magic that charged the air around them. Taking only moments more for the shield to begin cracking. Voldemort's eyes went wild as he realized he might not win the altercation and began to fight with the intention of retreating. They chased him through the woods, not able to erect anti-apparition spells as they ran. That however, did not prevent them from trying.
Just as the last spell shattered the shield, Voldemort apparated away. Leaving the victors to pant and fume. The group apparated back to the Manor, not one word said between them. Lucius turned on Hermione the moment they entered the door.
"Did it ever occur to you that we needed you to be safe so that we could do what was needed?" He yelled at her.
"Did it ever occur to you that I am a strong and capable woman who could out duel you."
"Oh sweetheart, is that what you thought?" He purred, his voice getting quieter and quieter as he stalked her across the foyer. Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat at the sight of Lucius Malfoy's sinuous stalk steering him straight into her path. "Yes, you are a formidable witch and you have always had the potential to be great but I couldn't hurt you any more than I could do it to myself. The moment I read that contract, I knew. I finally knew why I couldn't raise my wand against you even though I tried."
Hermione stood still as if moving an inch would damn her.
"I am not just going to meekly do as you say." She declared, eyes blazing.
"And I am not going to stop protecting you and getting angry when you put yourself in danger. You are worth more to me than just my life. Why can't you see that?" He seethed. The others had already gone inside leaving Lucius and Hermione to battle it out. Alone.
"My life is not worth more than anyone else's." Hermione mumbled, still holding Lucius' gaze.
"To me, it is." He said before claiming her lips. He was passion and need wrapped around a relieved but residual fear. His right hand gripped her hair as his other wrapped around her waist. Swinging her around so that her back was flush to the door, he used his body to trap her against it. He was all long sinuous muscles and grace.
She moaned into his mouth as he hitched one of her legs around his hips, while he began grinding his erection into her center. He devoured her like a man possessed. His tongue tasted the seam of her lips before she parted them, reveling in his groan of satisfaction.
"You drive me to distraction, Witch. No one else has ever made me as crazy as you do." He murmured against her mouth. Her hands explored his torso, fingertips running lightly over the flexing muscles in his chest. It was very sexy, being held against a wall and snogged senseless.
"When you marry us, I am going to take you just like this against the nearest wall. You are going to be out of your mind with pleasure."
"Oh, my God!" she gasped as he lightly thrust against her mons through their clothes. She began to roll her hips against his, fighting for more of the friction that was driving her insane. She just needed him…right there. She threw her head back and arched for him, encouraging him to continue his grinding.
Lucius stepped away, holding her upright as she tried to clear the lust from her mind.
"Until that day comes where my name alone affords you protection, I will never stop fighting with you about being in danger. Do not scare me again. I can't lose you. This is my second chance and I will not waste it."
"What the hell does that even mean?" She demanded angrily, her aroused body denied any more friction.
"Marry me and you will find out."
