A/N: Thank you for all the favorites, follows, and reviews!
I cannot believe that this story has reached 1,000 followers and I am so touched. Thank you!
I was going to put this story on hiatus until January because Hubby and I are buying a house and I haven't had much time to write (This chapter was also very, very frustrating!) All of the amazing reviews are the biggest reason why I continued to work on this chapter to get it out instead of keeping it on a hiatus.
As usual, I post on Tumblr as jessiyl. I post where I am at on a chapter, sneak peeks, slice of life stuff, etc. If a chapter didn't come out on time, it is probable that I explain why there.
21
Previously:
Narcissa slid further down the wall, her breath shallow and slow, blue-tinged around her lips. Severus rose haughtily to the forefront of her mind. That man was the epitome of everything that she wanted in a man, in a lover, in a husband, and she regretted bitterly not having the chance to see what it would have been like to have been his.
**HGHG**
Narcissa blinked slowly, her vision blurring to the point where only shapes were recognizable. Dark intermingled with the light for what felt like a lifetime until her eyelids shuttered even that small bit of light. A small sigh escaped her lips and her body rested heavier against the cold stone of the wall.
"Don't you dare," a sensuous velvety voice purred angrily. Narcissa struggled to open her eyes, wondering if the voice she most longed to hear was only a figment of her imagination.
A warm calloused hand caressed her face, tipping it up, and putting something smooth to her lips. Instantly, she wanted to gag as liquid flooded her mouth.
"Swallow," he said, and she could do nothing but obey the voice and man that had been saving her life for the last two years in situations much too similar to that at hand. She coughed, unable to help herself, too weak to do anything else.
She came back to herself by degrees, something that felt like a lifetime but only actually was only a few seconds. The potion coursed through her body, trying to repair the damage wrought. And for several tense moments, she morbidly wondered if he had been too late and despite the potions, she would die anyway.
Soon after, another cold smooth lip of a vial was held up to her mouth and she drank, even without his prompting. She opened her eyes and blinked rapidly, the fuzziness fading away as she looked up at her savior. The one man who had saved her a million times over the course of her entire life.
"Don't think that death will stop me from loving you. In fact, it seems to cement within me something nearly unshakable."
Narcissa chuckled wearily, feeling warmth enter her veins and flow to her extremities. Relief flowed through her like a bloated river after the monsoon. Shakily she raised her hand and cupped Severus' face, using her thumb to trace his plump lower lip.
"You are always here when I need you. Every time I think it is the end, there you are, pulling me back. You are the most incredible man I have ever known, and I am so lucky that you love me the way I love you."
"You," He began and stopped to clear his throat that had decided to close with emotion. "You love me?"
"Of course, I do. I have for a long time. Since Draco was small. People don't go through what we have together without forming lasting, unbreakable bonds."
Severus lifted his large calloused hand to cover hers where she caressed his jaw, and pressed his nose to her wrist, drawing a deep breath. He held her hand captive, sliding it from his face to rest against his rapidly beating heart, letting her feel his fear.
"I was almost too late,"
"But you weren't,"
"If Sigurd hadn't told me about you, you would have died here. What do you think that would have done to me, finding you here dead?"
"You found me in time,"
"I, so easily, could have been too late,"
"I'm sorry I scared you."
"I never want to have to pull you back from the brink of death again."
"Is the war over?"
"Yes,"
"Draco? Is he…" she trailed off unable to voice the possible horror of having to bury her child.
"He is fine. All of them are fine."
"Thank Merlin!" Narcissa said emphatically.
Severus slid his hands underneath her body and lifted her in one swift motion, bringing her close to his chest, refusing to accept any situation in which she was not in his arms. Narcissa wrapped her arms around his neck and set her head on his shoulder, letting him take her out of there. He walked purposefully, and the castle seemed to understand his desperation to get out, even the stairs moved to do his bidding. The perks of still being Headmaster, she supposed.
Unable to hold herself back now that the war was over, Narcissa dropped small sucking kisses under his jaw and chuckled lightly at his minute reactions. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his teeth clenched, causing a muscle to tick rhythmically. The moment he cleared the wards that prevented apparition off the grounds, he twisted on the balls of his feet, sending them both into the squeezing, clenching abyss of the in-between.
**HGHG**
Hermione shifted the little dark-haired boy in her arms and grimaced as they began to burn. She never thought carrying around such a tiny child would be so damn difficult and despite the jostling, Bastillion slept through it all. She gritted her teeth and made for a secluded corridor so that she could lay him down and rest her weary muscles. For a moment, she considered using mobilicorpus on him and continue on, but discarded the idea in the same thought. What if he woke up while floating along? That would be terrifying to a boy of nearly three.
She persevered even as the burning in her arms intensified and began to beg silently for the place she was headed for to materialize magically in front of her. She shifted him to her shoulder and focused her sight on the corridor that was now only steps in front of her.
Lucius stepped off of the moving staircase in front of her, startling her so badly that she nearly dropped the boy and despite the save, woke him up in the process anyway. He began to wail directly into her ear, causing her to wince. Hermione petted his hair in an effort to calm him, looking panicked at Lucius.
He made no move to relieve her of her burden, only standing and staring at them.
"Lucius?" Hermione asked once Bast had quieted.
"So, it's true," He whispered.
"Is what true?"
"You are going to raise the Dark Lord?"
"He is just a boy."
"No, Hermione, that is not just a boy. This child has the Dark Lord in him."
"Harry turned out just fine and he had Voldemort in his head!"
"This is different. Potter only had a fraction of his soul. This boy has everything that was left of him."
"Which is coincidentally a lot less than the portion that Harry hosted! I am not going to punish an innocent child for sins that he didn't even commit. Bast might still be in there, even if he is a host for Voldemort. I cannot just leave him to die or grow up like Tom Riddle did the first time around."
"I don't think you are going to be able to fix him. The Dark Lord was evil right down to the very last shard of soul he had. No amount of mothering will change that."
"I think you are wrong."
"Is there nothing that will change your mind?"
"No."
Lucius looked away and sighed heavily, brow furrowed in thought.
"Fine." He said, swinging his gaze back at her. He walked towards her holding his arms out to take the boy. The closer he got, the farther back Hermione moved.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"You look like you need a break from holding him, therefore, I am going to carry him."
"You aren't going to hurt him, are you?"
Lucius looked at her, obviously wounded.
"If I were going to hurt him, I would have already done it, and I would have done it before you even knew about the boy."
"Lucius…" She said.
He held up his hand in a bid for her to stop talking. "Don't,"
"But,"
"Now is not the time,"
"Now is the perfect time. The war is won, and we are in the midst of regrouping. When would be a better time?"
"When I am not so furious, Hermione," He snapped, swinging around and pinning her in place with his angry eyes. "After everything, you don't trust me and that is something that I need time to accept."
Quick as a flash, Lucius took Bastillion and cradled the boy in his arms expertly. Bast smiled sweetly up at him and Lucius smiled back. Keeping his thoughts and feelings on a tight leash, Lucius turned back around and descended the stone stairs of the castle, leaving Hermione to trail along behind.
"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," Hermione said softly from behind.
"And yet…" he said, leaving the rest to hang between them. He was not ready to forgive her. Hermione flip-flopped between guilt for not believing in him and seething because he was certainly capable of carrying through with it.
Lucius was a man that did what needed to be done, whatever the cost to himself and that included protecting her from threats real and imagined. She had no doubt that Lucius would have killed the boy if he believed it necessary.
"If Sigurd had told you that he was destined to grow up and kill me, you would have done it in a heartbeat so don't get all pissy with me when I ask you these things. I believe that you do what you feel is best for us, but I also know that you are capable of despicable things if you feel threatened."
"This is what you think of me? A man without morals? Who would kill a defenseless child in front of the woman I would take for a wife? The woman that I would do anything for?"
"The woman I would do anything for," She repeated slowly, looking at him imploringly. Why was he so angry? They both knew what he was capable of. That didn't mean she loved him less, it just meant that she would do anything, say anything to prevent him from carrying out such wicked deeds.
"Do you not see what you mean to me? I would rip my heart out and give it to you if you asked. I just wanted you to be sure of your decision and I will stand by you regardless of public opinion. I simply asked you hard questions that you may ignore because he is a child. Because you should never, ever forget that this boy is the Dark Lord. He may have no memory of his life before now, he may still have traits of the boy whose soul used to be in this body, but make no mistake, Hermione, this boy is more the Dark Lord than he is himself."
"That isn't true. That potion merely bound Voldemort's minuscule piece of soul to Bastillion's."
"That potion killed the boy who was Bastillion and replaced his life force with the Dark Lord's. Miss Lovegood's son is dead. Rabastan made sure of that."
"Dear Merlin," Hermione choked, raising a hand to her mouth in horror. "That is not what Rabastan said."
"Rabastan said what he needed to, to make sure that you would raise the boy."
"Why would they want me to raise him? I would do my damnedest to make sure that he turned out better this time."
"But what power you have! You are surrounded by the most powerful, wealthiest, and influential people in the wizarding world. You are the epicenter of everything. Can you not see what a draw that would be to a power-hungry despot like Voldemort? Next time he rises, he won't be starting out in an orphanage with subpar bloodlines." By the end, Lucius was yelling, and Hermione was yelling back. Bastillion looked between them curiously.
"If he has no memory of what he was, maybe, just maybe, he won't rise at all!"
"Don't be naïve, Hermione. He will still be ambitious and cruel!"
"No! I don't believe that!"
"Bast bad?" the boy's high-pitched panicked voice cut through their argument, stopping it in its tracks.
Hermione turned her attention to the small boy and gave him a shaky smile. She moved closer to him and cupped his face in both of her hands. Her eyes were gentle, and she leaned in letting their noses rub together in an Eskimo kiss, the same way her father had done with her when she was young.
"No darling," Hermione murmured. Had she looked up, she would have noticed the look that Lucius wore. He stared at her as if she was the answer to everything. Despite being mad, it was obvious to all that he truly loved her deeply. "Do you know who I am?"
"Daddy said that you were going to be my new mummy." He reached his tiny hand into his pocket and drew out a small photo. It was one of Colin's, a photo that he took during her sixth year, right before Christmas. The snow had been falling outside in large puffy flakes and she was looking skyward, laughing. It had been one of the last times she felt like a child, happy just to play in the snow. A tear trickled down her cheek and Lucius' thumb wiped it away, causing her to look up into his sad face.
"They planned this for a long time, Sweetheart." He murmured. "The Dark Lord was fond of contingency plans."
Hermione nodded. Their fight felt stupid all of a sudden and she knew he must have felt the same. All was forgiven between them. Lucius leaned down, capturing her lips in a sweet kiss.
"My mum!" Bast said, pushing against Lucius' face with toddler rage.
"Your real mum was a brave and wonderful lady," Hermione began. "do you remember her?"
"You mum," Bast said, obviously confused. Hermione looked at him sadly and resolved to drop in on Luna's old house and try and find as many pictures as possible. She remembered how Harry had cherished that picture album that Hagrid had given him after his first year at Hogwarts.
"I'm going to be your mum now. That's right," she said. Pausing for a moment, she looked up and met Lucius' eyes, a small smile on her lips and her brow raised in question. "and Lucius is going to be one of your Daddies."
Lucius' smile was sixty watts, grinning from ear to ear, before placing a kiss on her temple. Once again, they started back down the stairs, hoping to meet up with the rest of the family.
"By the way," Hermione asked carefully. "What did you do with Voldemort's body?"
"This and that," Lucius muttered ambiguously, smiling as he remembered the Fiendfyre that raged from his wand tip, devouring the body of the Dark Lord in the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
**HGHG**
Eliza ran to the marble pyre they had laid Bellatrix on and sat behind her, smoothing her hand over Bellatrix's heaving back.
"How is this possible?" Eliza asked, "Dead is dead, right? Even in the wizarding world?" She looked at Draco who looked just as flabbergasted as she was sure she did. He nodded but stood frozen, staring at his Aunt who was now once again very much alive and looking as she had prior to her spell to appear as Eliza's doppelganger.
"Sigurd," Bellatrix gasped. "I need to talk to the Viking."
Draco ran from the room, inexplicably relieved that it was him going to find Sigurd and not left behind with his Aunt on her not quite deathbed. He ran from the Manor and the second he was beyond the wards, he disapparated. With a swirl of his robes, he was standing in front of Hogwarts gates for the second time that day.
He broke out into a sprint the moment his toes touched the grass and searched the combatants still dueling on the grounds but knew that Sigurd was most likely inside the castle, the very place where Hermione had gone in search of him and Abraxas when he left with Bellatrix's body.
Inside the castle was silent as the dead but Draco refused to slow down to see any of the destruction that the chaos of battle had wrought. He flew up the stairs, yelling Sigurd's name over and over, hoping that somehow that would be enough to summon him. It wasn't.
He continued to run up the castle steps, begging them not to move away from the next landing until he was off of them. Luckily, they seemed to want to help him out and he continued upward, taking two and three steps at a time.
He was out of breath when he ran into Lucius and Hermione, a young boy in Lucius' arms.
"Draco? What's wrong?" Hermione asked. Pushing past Lucius, Hermione ran her hands over his shoulders and face searching for any wounds. There had to be a damn good reason he left Malfoy Manor and sprinted across the grounds.
"I…need…Sigurd," He panted. "Aunt Bella's…alive,"
"Bellatrix is alive?" Lucius asked completely flabbergasted. Hermione had her wand in hand before they could take another breath.
"Expecto Patronum," She murmured, smiling as an otter gamboled around her legs. "Find Sigurd and tell him to come to the Manor. Bellatrix lives and she is asking for him."
**HGHG**
This time when the portkey pulled Harry, all of them managed to stay on their feet. Regulus and James looked around the destroyed but empty Greenhouse in curiosity, having seen nothing but the inside of the safehouse for nearly two decades.
"They cleaned things up pretty quick," Sirius muttered to himself then turned to Harry. "I need to go get Teddy before I go to the Manor."
Harry nodded. "Ginny will be waiting for me too."
"Teddy? Ginny?" James asked in confusion.
"Lupin had a son before he died, and I am his guardian. They named him Teddy, Teddy Lupin." Sirius said simply.
"And Ginny is going to be my wife. She is heavily pregnant, and I'm worried that if Sirius goes to pick up Teddy and I am not there, she may panic and hurt the baby."
"I'm going to be a Grandfather?" James asked, totally dazed.
Harry's lopsided smile covered his face and nodded, "Yeah, and I'm going to be a dad,"
"Wow," James whispered. He cleared his throat and looked up at Harry and asked, "Can I meet her?"
"Sure," Harry grabbed James' arm and disapparated leaving Sirius and Regulus to follow.
They landed amidst the chaos of returning fighters to the tents that had been their homes and sanctuary for the last few years.
"Harry!" Ginny yelled happily only a few tents away, holding Teddy against her leg as he wrapped his arms and legs around her own. Her other hand was cradling her large stomach, soothing the agitated baby within.
"Ginny!" He shouted, a huge smile on his face. In moments he had his arms around her murmuring his love and happiness in her ear. "He's dead! Voldemort is finally dead!"
Ginny buried her head in his shoulder and shook with powerful sobs. Teddy looked up at them, wide-eyed with fear, wondering what could have set off the crying of his new friend. Sirius grabbed the boy up and nuzzled the baby fat of the little boy's neck.
"There are two people I want you to meet," Sirius said to the boy, smiling wide, and settling Teddy comfortably on his hip. "This is your Uncle James and Uncle Regulus!"
Over Sirius' shoulder, Teddy peeked at the newcomers shyly waving to them. There had been so many new people in the last few days and after years of being with just Sirius in the vaults of Gringotts, Teddy was overwhelmed. He blinked his sleepy eyes and struggled to keep them open.
"I think it's time for Teddy to go to bed," Sirius said.
"Why don't we stay here tonight and go to Malfoy Manor in the morning?" Harry suggested, rubbing soothing circles on Ginny's back. She was once again quiet, no longer sobbing into Harry's shoulder.
"James Potter!" A loud disapproving voice rent the air. The group turned, feeling as if they had been caught out of the common room after curfew and flinched, despite not attending Hogwarts in a long while.
Minerva McGonagall stood there, hands on her hips, lips pinched, looking all for the world like the Morrigan, an Irish goddess who retrieved the souls of dying warriors from the field of battle.
"Minnie!" He said exuberantly if not a trifle cautiously, walking towards the elder witch with his arms open wide. "You look as young and dazzling as ever,"
"I remember specifically telling you and Regulus not even a week ago that once Voldemort was dead, you would have to stay at the safe house for another week, to be on the safe side. Who let you out? Hermione would never be so irresponsible!"
"But it was like a dungeon in there. Can't you be happy that I reunited with my son? And just imagine what it would be like to have Sirius back in my life,"
She narrowed her eyes and slightly shuddered before turning away, muttering about how glad she was that both men were too old to attend Hogwarts and she could wash her hands of them. Once she was several steps away and was sure no one could see, she grinned, happy for the men who had been waiting so long for this moment, men who were assumed to be dead for the last twenty years. An extra jaunt entered her step as she sought out her tent to clean up, change, and sleep until she was unable to sleep any longer.
"Ha!" James said quietly, glancing at Sirius who was grinning just as fully. "Knew she liked us…"
Regulus shook his head but smiled none the less.
"If we are going to stay here the night, we should probably find a place to sleep."
"Oh! Follow me," Ginny said wiping her red blotchy face with her hands.
**HGHG**
Hermione beat the rest of the group inside Malfoy Manor by seconds, all but running to the drawing room where they had laid out what they believed to be Bellatrix's body, pausing at the sight that met her eyes.
Eliza was holding Bellatrix tightly, stroking her hair, as the once Death Eater lay catatonic on her lap.
"Bellatrix?" Hermione demanded. Bellatrix focused on her and smiled weakly. "How is this possible?"
"Sigurd," Bellatrix croaked, closing her weary eyes.
"I'm here," Sigurd said from the doorway. "her magic has been strained. It is like looking into a bright light before entering a dark room and wondering why one is blinded. She needs rest and potions and a lot of care."
"Will she be able to do magic again?" Eliza asked.
"Only time will tell."
Lucius and Sigurd took Bellatrix to one of the many rooms available and laid her on the bed, mixed feelings swirling in their heads. On the one hand, Bellatrix saved Hermione and on the other, she tortured her. Relying on Bellatrix Black Lestrange was a dangerous business. Lucius had seen her turn on many others over the course of the years, first hand.
The door opened quickly and Narcissa rushed in followed quickly by Severus, a pained look on both of their faces. Narcissa approached the bed of her sleeping sister, tracing the outlines of the light purple scars that swirled over her own face. Scars that hadn't faded and never would.
"She should not be alive," Narcissa said but instead of relief and wonder, her voice was laced with disapproval and accusation.
"You are right," Sigurd agreed. "She should have died a long time ago but if she had, where would we all be now?"
"Still skulking under the Dark Lord, I am sure," Severus said, barring his teeth, understanding that Sigurd must have had something to do with her status as the new Lazarus. *
"She needs rest. I feel that I must remind you that over the last few days, she has been tortured, killed, and brought back. I think you will find her much altered when she wakes." Sigurd said.
"And when will that be?" Narcissa pressed, settling herself gingerly on the bed next to Bellatrix.
"There really is no way of knowing."
**HGHG**
Darkness surrounded the Manor and the moans of the healing and wounded sounded eerier with the sun's absence. Hermione laid Bast in the tiny cot that the elves had found from Draco's baby things and tucked the tiny tot in, hoping that the boy would sleep through the night. For longer than she cared to admit, she debated the use of a silencing charm so that he wouldn't be disturbed if she woke in the night but discarded it in the same thought. She would be unable to hear him if he woke up and that was not something that she felt would be good for him.
What a crazy day they had! When it started out all they stood shoulder to shoulder outside of the gate of Hogwarts. Now, Voldemort was no longer a threat and her family returned safely. Bellatrix inexplicably survived, Harry's dad and Regulus both were alive and out of the prison-like safe house that Dumbledore trapped them in. Her mother, Eliza was alive, but her father didn't make it. Bastillion lost both his mother and father on the same day, much like Harry had when his mother's sacrifice destroyed Voldemort in 1981. And to top all that off, Voldemort was still alive in the form of this small boy whom she would protect with every fiber of her being.
Her head swam with the day's events and she slid to the floor next to the bed, leaning against the heavy frame, cradling her head on her folded arms. She heard the door creak open and peaked up at the light that filtered in the dark room.
Draco stood there, looking around the room, searching for her.
"Here," Hermione murmured, beckoning him to join her on the floor. Moments later, he was next to her, pulling her onto his lap. She straddled him and threaded her fingers into his silky blond hair.
Draco's lips parted, and his eyes dilated as she leaned in, closing the distance between them. She needed to taste him, breath him in, settle the fear that had lodged deep within her at the thought of losing him. Hermione rolled her hips over his, dragging out a low moan. She pulled his hair, forcing his head back to bare his throat to her worshipful lips.
Flicking her tongue out, she teased and tasted him, desperate to fill her entire soul with him. Pulling at the fabric of his well-tailored robes, she struggled to undress him. His hands replaced hers as he deftly undid the buttons, watching with needy eyes as she divested herself of her own clothes, leaving herself only in her knickers, bra, and garters with stockings.
Hermione attacked the button on his trousers as he shrugged out of the robes, discarding them on the floor around them. Her breath hitched as she palmed his hard cock, stroking it lovingly, freeing it from its confining fabric prison.
Pushing herself off of his lap, Hermione leaned down and ran her tongue over his glans, prodding the salty slit with the tip. His gasp was accompanied by his hands landing lightly on her head. It was obviously a struggle for him to remain passive, letting her do as she wanted to him. Wanting to reward his efforts, Hermione wrapped her mouth around his shaft, sucking and licking, driving him wild.
She could feel herself grow wet, half out of her mind with desire. Draco grabbed one of her thighs and moved her closer, running his fingers over her needy quim. Her knickers were ruined, completely soaked, and was getting worse as his fingers teased her through the skimpy fabric that covered her. She moaned around his cock that was buried deep in her mouth which set him off with his own senseless groaning.
Hermione pulled her lips off of his cock and crawled back into his lap, moving the fabric of her knickers to the side. She needed him and refused to wait even a moment longer. Dragging his hands up her legs, Draco settled them on her hips before leaning forward to take one of her rosy nipples in his mouth. His teeth scraped lightly against the hard peaks and she thrust her chest out, her head hanging back, as she enjoyed the attention he paid her body.
Her hand squeezed his erection between them before teasing herself with his tip, gently pushing him between her slick folds. She sank on him gratefully, basking in the feelings of being full and the fact that it was just so right.
"Exquisite," a husky voice murmured from the doorway. Hermione glanced at the silhouette of the man in the doorway and smiled, lifting her body before sinking back down on Draco, exaggerating her movements to give the newly arrived voyeur a good show. If Draco heard their visitor, he didn't show it, keeping himself busy as he moved from one breast to the other.
The man entered the room, moving into the light, as he unbuttoned his own robes. Hermione couldn't tear her eyes away from Lucius as he watched her ride Draco's cock. He opened the placket of his trousers and gripped his cock in his fist, pumping slowly to the time of their lovemaking. He seemed in no hurry to join but his eyes were glued to the vision of a hard cock sinking into her wet pussy.
Hermione tore her gaze from Lucius' and threaded her fingers back into Draco's hair, pulling him off of her breasts, and licking his lips, nipping them, teasing them open to plunder. Draco sucked her plump bottom lip into his mouth before moving his hand up to the nape of her neck and pulling her closer, sweeping his tongue into her mouth, battling hers for dominance. The only sound in the room was heavy breathing, the slap of flesh on flesh, and the rhythmic moaning that kept escaping her throat.
With a growl, Draco flipped her, laying her gently on her back on the cool wood floor. He pulled her legs up onto his shoulders and leaned into her, hands planted on either side of her. They panted in ecstasy at the new, tighter, deeper angle. Hermione turned her head to watch Lucius watch them while he stroked himself.
She felt the pressure of impending orgasm coil in her groin and held Lucius' gaze as she shattered.
"Draco," She gasped, gripping his cock in a tight vice as the muscles in her pussy clenched around him. "Oh, God!" she chanted over and over as she felt Draco repeatedly hit her over-sensitized clit and grow heavier, impossibly larger in her. Draco stilled for a moment as he coated her quim with his seed, rocking into her for several moments, milking himself dry.
"You could have joined in," Draco's hoarse voice carried through the nearly silent room. Both Hermione and Draco were looking at Lucius who had slowed his pumping fist.
"And why would I want to disturb such a delectable sight?"
Draco chuckled weakly, pulling out of Hermione and winking at her, rising to his feet. "You are not the only one who likes to watch," he murmured to Lucius as he passed, heading to the bathroom and the warm water that awaited him. He looked back at Hermione and smirked, "Join me when you are ready,"
Silence filled the room again until the bathroom door closed and the sound of the tub filling with water rolled over them.
"Are you going to make me take care of this on my own?" Lucius asked, pinning Hermione to the floor with his iron gaze, once again stroking his cock. She smiled and spread her legs, showing him her folds as she lazily ran her fingers over herself, coating them with Draco's seed. Her breath caught as she circled the small bundle of nerves, moving faster and faster as she built up for another round.
"Fuck," He whispered and unable to bear the distance between them, he left his solitary position against the bed frame. He fell to his knees in-between her legs but before he could move any closer, Hermione planted a dainty foot on his chest.
"Not yet," she moaned, her quick fingers picking up speed and her head tossed from side to side, drowning in sensation as Lucius watched her bring herself unimaginable pleasure. Lifting her foot from his chest to his mouth, he kissed the arch, before sucking her toe into his mouth. That was all it took for Hermione to climax, shuddering as his tongue caressed and his mouth sucked.
Lucius kissed his way up her leg, up over her mons, in between her breasts, up her neck, all to capture her lips as he plunged into her over and over again. He fucked her into the wood under her body, endeavoring to sink as far into her as possible.
Raking his back with her nails as she strived to pull him closer, she wrapped her legs around him, letting him work them both hard. Their bodies glistened with sweat, and a river of praises dropped from his lips.
"You feel so good, so tight," He murmured. "Such a good girl… know exactly what you do to me…Minx…Love…Your body was made for this… For me…So perfect,"
She was always a sucker for praise and came around him surprising them both with its intensity and speed.
"Fuck yes!" He growled, thrusting hard as he came with her, his mouth dropping open with abandon. They laid together, legs tangled, as they caught their breath. Lucius dropped small kisses on her shoulder and held her tightly.
"Shall we join Draco now?" Hermione mumbled, quickly falling asleep despite the uncomfortable position.
"You can, Sweetheart. I am looking for Abraxas and got sidetracked."
After another moment, Lucius stood, putting himself back to rights before holding out a hand to help Hermione to her feet. She slid her hand into his and huffed a chuckle as he effortlessly pulled her to her feet. Cupping his jaw, she leaned into him and planted a sweet kiss on his smiling lips.
"Maybe you should come back to me once you find Abraxas," She whispered and started toward the bathroom to join Draco. She yelped in surprise as he smacked her arse.
"Tease," Lucius whispered back before turning around and leaving the room, still adjusting his robes.
Hermione pushed the bathroom door open and breathed deeply the spicy masculine scent that rolled out. Draco was in the tub, his arms draped over the sides, hungry eyes admiring the lines of her curvaceous body.
"I hope he didn't tire you out too much,"
Hermione smirked and lifted her first leg up to the toilet, rolling the silk down her legs, watching him watch her.
**HGHG**
Abraxas walked into the Manor and straight to the observation room. Something Sigurd had said to him the night before the battle was bothering him, but he could put his finger on what exactly was making him uneasy. They had been talking about getting back into the room with the diamond enclosure and Sigurd had laughed claiming that the door was like a woman who needed a gentle touch and that no amount of magic could truly seal it off.
The door was still welded shut from Hermione's magic but this time instead of trying to blast through the nearly impenetrable door, he caressed its edges, searching for a button or groove or anything that may be a way to get through.
With a shout of triumph, Abraxas prodded a small round button on the opposite side of the button that the elves used to open the door. Instantly the stone moved, creating an archway to the spiral stairs that descended to the secret room that housed Sigurd and his treasures for a thousand years.
The tightly wound steps were slick with algae and water runoff that penetrated through untold layers of magic. He couldn't remember the steps being coated in the stagnant water the last time he had used them, but he hadn't exactly been focused on the stones beneath his feet.
Once he reached the bottom, he noticed the wooden and iron door stood ajar, torches lit around the room. He stepped in warily. The opulence of the room was dulled as he zeroed on the single glass vial and pensieve that sat atop the now empty enclosure that Sigurd used to preserve his body. The vial was filled nearly to the brim with silvery memory and it beckoned him. Dumping the memory into the basin, Abraxas pushed brutally against the rising feelings of panic, knowing that such a thing was not going to bode well. He pushed his face into the surface and free fell into the exact room he began in.
Sigurd stepped up to the door that changed his entire life and lifted his hand to press against the buttery wood. He hated this door just as much as he loved it. There was a price to pay when using this type of magic and he always cautioned his progeny against its use, for good reason. But there were promises to be kept, prices to pay, for knowledge that he had gleaned from the crone, Hecate.
He closed his eyes and prayed that this was the last time he needed to use the door and that he would leave Hecate's presence alive. With a deep breath, he stepped through and blinked against the black veil that surrounded him.
"You did well," the crone rasped. "she lives."
"I would have done anything to protect Hermione."
Hecate cackled, raising the hair on the back of his neck.
"Even going so far as to give a killer a second chance at life? Why?"
"Because my visions gave me a fifty-fifty chance of Hermione's survival without our alliance. Because without Bellatrix, Hermione won't survive what's coming. You will bring her back to life and she will live with purpose. Hermione will have Bellatrix's loyalty even more ironclad then when Voldemort had her."
"Do you know why I would break all the rules to interfere?"
"I have my suspicions,"
"Bellatrix is the catalyst. Without my interference, she would have died in the Malfoy dungeons that first day. I control the room. Did you think the torture chamber was truly sentient? Without me, Bellatrix would never have saved Hermione's life. Without Hermione who reminds me so much of Emrys, would anyone truly have survived my grief?"
Sigurd looked horrified, realizing the extent of the magical reach of the ancient crone.
"How is that possible? It is Malfoy family magic that powers that chamber."
"Magic is magic is magic." The old crone cackled, showing her blackened and cracked teeth.
"You gave me hope all those years ago when I was certain I would never live to see the day Hermione would be in my arms. And at that time, you promised me that I would live to marry her but there would be a hefty price if I was willing to pay it. You have kept your end of the bargain, what is your price?"
"Time is a funny thing and its something you and I have in common. Two time-wizards in love with exceptionally powerful counterparts. I was not able to marry my Emrys but you, you could marry her." The crone struck a match and lit the candle, wrinkling her nose at the acrid scent of the incendiary tip as it burst into flames. She shook the smoking stick and placed it on the table next to the now gleaming candle that she could have lit with magic. "I am as old as the world and there is a price to pay for such longevity. Even I am not immune to nature's call. Death hovers and it sings to me in the dark abyss of all the years I spent alone. I was trapped here, forced to navigate the waters of time and host those that came through the wood. At first, I wanted to use you, trap you here, so that I could walk free among our kind once more but through the long ages, I have grown attached to you and your story. It's very romantic, crossing the span of a thousand years to be with the woman you love. If I could do that to be with Emrys again, I would."
"What price shall I pay?" Sigurd asked, standing stiffly just outside the soft circle of light cast by the solitary candle on the table.
"A token really, a trifle. All I want from you is five years. Stay here, host the room, let me sleep for a half decade, and you can go free at the end of it."
Bile rose in the back of his throat.
"What if I don't want to stay? I only just met Hermione, tearing us apart now could destroy what I have already tentatively built."
"There is one way," The crone murmured, a frightening smile pulled the wrinkled skin of her cheeks taut.
"What is it?"
"If your beloved can rescue you from the room, you can go free. But be aware, the moment she enters the room with the intention of freeing you, the room will start to drain your magic and she will be forced to navigate the room to defeat it. Many have tried to cheat the room, and none have succeeded. Good Luck, Viking."
"Will you let me go back first and ensure that she lives through the final battle tomorrow?"
"Of course, get your affairs in order but the moment it is over, you must come to me or I will take more than just five years. Also," Hecate chuckled. "you mustn't tell a soul where you are going, that would be cheating."
He bowed slightly at the waist before backing away, toward life and Hermione and the war. All the while, desperately searching for a way to let Hermione know what would become of him. His face pinched with stress until it hit him that Hecate was a creature that was bound by her words and she had said that he must not tell a soul. If he could not tell anyone what was going to happen, then he would leave a memory instead.
Abraxas pulled himself out of the memory and held the enclosure for support. Just when he thought it was all over and his family was safe, life bitch slapped him back to reality. When would it end? He gritted his teeth and went off in search of Hermione, the only one that could save Sigurd from being five years alone and magically drained, in Hecate's lair.
**HGHG**
Hermione woke with a fright, panic shooting through her veins at the feel of a large calloused hand over her mouth.
"Don't panic, it's me," the deep voice whispered in her ear so quietly that if not for the hand, would have thought it merely a dream.
"Sigurd? Is something wrong?" She breathed in confusion.
"I need to talk to you alone. I didn't want to wake Draco."
"There are better ways of waking me that don't include scaring me to death," she grumbled uncharitably.
"Perhaps," he murmured, and she could hear the amusement in his voice at the agreement and she gnashed her teeth in annoyance. She only had two sacred rules: feed her when she was hungry, and let her sleep if she were already sleeping. The consequences of breaking such a rule were dire and those that broke these two rules forfeited their lives. Even Harry and Ron learned that early on.
Once Hermione closed the bedroom door behind her, he took her hand and towed her down the hall to his room where they wouldn't be disturbed. Every protection was set on the door and room before he turned back to her.
"What is going on Sigurd?" Hermione asked half annoyed, half concerned.
"Do you like me?"
"You brought me here to ask me how I felt about you? What time is it?"
"Please," he murmured, moving closer and raising his hands to her shoulders and rubbing the tops of her arms.
"Okay," she sighed. "Yes, I like you."
"Do you want me as a husband?"
"I," she shuddered and stopped, fear rising in her throat. He was starting to scare her. This wasn't the slow seduction that she expected from him, in fact, this seemed desperate. Even still, she wouldn't lie to him. She wasn't sure when she made the decision but made it she had. "yes."
"Thank the gods," Sigurd pulled her into his chest and sighed heavily in relief, his breath setting the curls at her temple into a wild dance.
"What the hell is going on Sigurd? Does this have anything to do with your disappearance last night?"
"I can't tell you, but Abraxas should know by now. Find him after you leave me."
"Then we should go find him now, together,"
"No," Sigurd said as he cupped her jaw and brought her face up to his. He leaned in so close that they were breathing the same air, lips centimeters apart. "tonight, you're mine."
*In Christian rhetoric, Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus.
