Hermione listened with careful patience as Lucius described the various, highly illegal activities of his old pal Nott. It took every ounce of her self control not to disapparate off, get Harry and have him help her drag the scum off to Azkaban. Hermione knew that she couldn't, not yet, not if she wanted to help. Every fiber in her knew, Draco Malfoy didn't deserve her help. Not after all he had done to her, to Harry! Though the more his father talked the more Hermione knew that Draco needed help and the more complicated the situation got the more it seemed as it no one else would be able to help.
"Alright. Putting aside the fact that your old pal is trying to harness the power of time to create more time turners to keep Voldemort from falling to Harry." Lucius had flinched at the sound of his old master's name on her lips. "You're telling me that Draco, somehow found out about all of this and wants to harness that same power in order to go back in time before you even met Tom Riddle, as he was then, and convincing you to . . .not?" Hermione was trying to collect her thoughts.
"Miss Granger. You should not be doing this. This man." Abby's eyes were like steel as her large tennis ball like eyes gazed upon the broken man. "He is a bad man. He cannot be trusted Miss. You is, you is could be heading into danger."
"Elf. You do not speak for your master. She is a witch. Free to do and think as she wants." The old venom that Hermione knew from the man was back. The instant that Abby had spoken up Hermione had seen it in his eyes.
"You will not speak to her like that! She only has my best interest at heart and she's right. You're a foul evil loathsome little cockroach just like your son was. You tortured me. Well. Bellatrix did. You aren't to be trusted. I'm of half a mind to haul you, your son, and Theo Nott in." Lucius opened his mouth, flabbergasted that Hermione has burst into such a haughty speech. "I also believe that some people can be saved. Maybe you can't be but, maybe, just maybe, Draco can be." Lucius' face seemed to melt into gratitude almost immediately.
"So, you'll help him? You will make him see the error in his ways? You know more about the consequences of this kind of magic, more so than anyone else. Your parents." Lucius swallowed at the furious look on Hermione's face. He had touched a sore spot, stepped in it rather and backtracked immediately. "I only meant, there is only one better for the job than you and unfortunately I feel as if he'd have worse luck than you."
"You could be wrong about that. In fact, I imagine that Harry would have wonderful luck with convincing Draco. After all, Harry is the one who lived through everything more so than I. Harry is the one who had a piece." Hermione stopped speaking. Even after everything, the three of them hadn't spoken about the Horcruxes to anyone and she highly doubted that Voldemort had divulged to any of his followers that he had been splitting his soul into pieces. She also knew that Voldemort hadn't intended to turn Harry into a Horcrux, as such he surely hadn't know himself.
"I will help your son. I should warn you though I will be sending Harry off to pick up Nott and I will be letting him know that it is from a confidential tip. Also, I can only help Draco if he wants to be helped. In our sixth year Snape tried to help him countlessly. He didn't accept help then either and it tore him apart."
"I remember." Lucius commented quietly. It had been a troubling time for them all. He rarely received letters from his son and the letters from his wife had mentioned the infrequency of Draco's letters to her as well. Draco had been the real reason he'd escaped with the rest of Voldemort's followers. His son needed him, and didn't need him locked up in some prison withering away feeling sorry for himself.
"What is it that you expect me to do?" Hermione finally asked, her voice quiet. The sheer desperation that exuded from Lucius was unsettling to her. Hermione didn't know Draco. At the most she could only throw rational logic at him. Even then, that was a long shot.
"Something! Anything. Stop him physically if you have to but please. I fear if he starts down this path it might consume him. Not to mention if something goes wrong with the magic." He'd stood, beginning to pace in her tiny kitchen. A pale hand running across his cropped hair. He had a half crazed look in his eye, though not the same kind of craze she had seen before in the presence of others.
"Miss. Abby is thinking you should be reporting this Miss. He is meddling in things that ought not be meddled in. He is doing dangerous dark magic. You is not wanting to get into trouble." Abby spoke up for the first time in a little while, her eyes looking troubled as she gazed between Lucius and Hermione.
"Abby." Hermione didn't want to be stern with the elf. Her affection was quite touching. She changed her tone almost immediately realizing that she'd taken on a harsher tone than she had wanted. "Abby, can you pop over to Harry's house and deliver this to him please?" She had conjured a piece of parchment and scribbled a few lines quickly.
"What's that?" Lucius asked looking alarmed as she began to write quickly.
"Harry needs to get a few Aurors together and apprehend Mr. Nott right away before you have a chance to warn him. You might not approve of what he's doing." Mentally Hermione couldn't help but add a few choice insults in her mind. The dark look that she threw him over the parchment was enough to convey those thoughts, turning back to Abby. "You'll find him in Godric's Hollow. Please wait there until he writes a response and return to me." Abby nodded sagely, taking the parchment and disapparating with a crack. Harry wouldn't appreciate having an elf calling him this late at night, but time was of the essence.
"Now, tell me where I can find your son and I'll do my best to talk some sense into him or." Hermione sighed. ", or stop him for his own good.' Lucius nodded weakly.
"He isn't at the Manor." Dark flashes of memories she didn't want to think of hit Hermione at the mention of the Manor. "I think his is in our country Estate in Bulgaria. You'll need this." He handed her a piece of parchment with an address written on it. "You'll also need this." He pressed a heavy, glittering, gold skeleton key to her hand. "Thank you Miss. . .Hermione." To her surprise he gave her a slight bow, turned and left her flat.
"Bulgaria? Oh dear. Looks like I won't make it into the office tomorrow." She muttered looking at the heavy key. Turning it over in her small hands, her grown eyes raked over the heavy metal. It was intricately etched with ancient symbols and runes. Only a few of which she could decipher off hand. She'd have to consult one of her books for the others.
Waiting on abby to return Harry's response Hermione began to pack quickly putting books, a small pouch of money, clothes, even a few potions away in her little beaded bag. She hadn't touched it since moving into her flat when she'd pulled her books out. The loud crack of Abby's return didn't surprise Hermione. Hearing Harry's voice in her bedroom though, did.
"Harry!" Hermione almost dropped the vial bottle of Dittany. "I didn't mean for you to come all this way." Hermione had a feeling from the furious look on Harry's face, that Abby had told Harry more than Hermione's note had.
"Abby is sorry Miss. Abby is only worried for Miss Hermione." The elf bowed in her apology though showed no sign of trying to punish herself. Something Hermione had thankfully never had Abby try to do.
"It's fine Abby. Please, go clean up the kitchen package up some food for me trip." She didn't often give her direct orders but Hermione could feel the vein in her head beginning to throb.
"Hermione!" Harry nearly exploded unable to contain himself any longer. "Lucius Malfoy! Here! And you didn't call anyone? You let yourself be alone with him. Where the hell is your head? He could have attacked you."
"Please Harry." Hermione scoffed stuffing a few empty vials into the bag. She had organized it deliberately so things wouldn't rattled around any longer. "The man doesn't even have a wand. I think I can handle one wandless Wizard don't you?"
"Hermione, that's not the point. Why would you let him in are you." Harry stopped looking at what she was doing for the first time. "Hermione are you packing?'
"Yes, Harry. I'm going on a sabbatical. I imagine that I'll be back to work on Monday." Hermione had stopped, looking at a delicate watch on her wrist. The clock on it wouldn't have made sense to a muggle but Harry knew it was more than just telling time. It kept track of her geological point, the day, the month, the year, all of it. "Don't worry, I'll be taking Abby with me. I'll be in touch I promise."
"Hermione!" Harry sounded appalled at her, sputtering trying to find his words to stop her. "You aren't really going to go and help Malfoy? Are you mad?" He paced around Hermione's room, his face dark.
"Yes, Harry I am. Look." Hermione stopped, her tone short as she snapped her bag shut. "I chose this path, to help others. Not just catch bad guys. So, yes, I am going to go and try to help Draco. Now let me go and go get Nott like I asked you to Harry." Hermione pushed past her best friend into her parlor, gathering her coat, wrapping a faded scarlet scar around her face and neck. She'd caught a glimpse of the snow falling when Lucius had left.
"Hermione, come on! Be reasonable. Is this about Ron? I'll tell him to come apologize." Harry knew that had been the wrong thing to say as Hermione slammed her front door. He heard the crack of her disapparating before he could wretch open the door. He heard the pop of Abby leaving from the kitchen at the same time. Groaning, Harry left Hermione's flat, heading to the Ministry. He needed to wake up a few others before they could go apprehend Nott.