A/N: Hello everyone as promised, the new update quickly. Thank you all for the great reviews. I appreciated everyone's thoughts and input. Here at last we see get to see how Lucius is handling things since Hermione left and we get to see Severus asking him about it. Enjoy!

Special Thanks: To my beta, TabiPrewett, who worked hard to get this back to me as fast as she could. I greatly appreciate all your efforts in this story.

Chapter 28

While Draco had gone to the sitting room to think on how best to proceed with things with Hermione before flooing to her flat, Severus went to Lucius' office. He gave a sharp knock on the heavy wood door and heard an equally sharp command to enter a short time later. The blond aristocrat Severus had come to see was seated at his desk and looked as impeccably groomed as usual. His white shirt was crisp and unwrinkled, his emerald vest fully buttoned, and his almost white blond hair was pulled back with a black ribbon to keep it out of his face, though that was rare to see. Lucius usually just wore it down.

Not a single strand of hair was out of place, not a single crease showed in Lucius' clothing, but something was off about the man. Other than his brusque command to enter his office, of course. Lucius was usually cordial in his invitations to enter his office. It served to welcome those that Lucius genuinely enjoyed seeing in his home, and it lured his business associates into a false sense of security before Lucius took them for everything they were worth. Hearing the snarky bid to enter along with everything else he'd heard so far, it made Severus frowned as he inspected the pale man over and over again.

Lucius finally looked up from his papers after several minutes, not realizing Severus had been studying him quietly. "Severus, what brings you by?" He asked, his voice sounding impatient, and not like the Lucius Malfoy that Snape had always known. Lucius never showed his impatience, even if that was exactly what he was feeling. Lucius rarely let anyone know what he was truly thinking or feeling. It was a trait that had served the pale man well over the years. With his business associates, with the Dark Lord, when the sadistic bastard had been alive still, and with most of those in his social circle. Lucius was always very careful to keep his mask in place so no one could ever question his moods or motives.

Knowing all that he did of the grey-eyed man before him, Severus quirked a brow. "I came to see you, old friend."

Lucius went back to looking at his papers. "I'm rather busy right now."

Severus' brow lifted even more at the obvious dismissal. His dark gaze scanning the man in front of him, and while Lucius looked to be groomed as perfectly as he always did, Severus noticed slight shadows under his eyes. It made him wonder if the blond man was having trouble sleeping, which could explain the foul mood. However, it also had Snape wondering, if that were true, why Lucius didn't simply use a potion to help him sleep.

"I can see that. Do you have a moment for us to talk?" Severus asked not the least bit worried about Lucius' less than friendly attitude. It wasn't like Lucius ever gave a niffler's arse about Severus' dark moods, or his desire to be left alone while in them.

Lucius sighed. "Can't it wait?" He bit out.

Severus shrugged. "It can, but I'd rather it didn't."

Lucius sighed again and motioned for Severus to take a seat in front of him, after conjuring a chair in front of his desk for him to do so. He only had chairs in front of his desk if he had a meeting that was held in his office, otherwise, there were none. It served to remind people that they were only allowed to sit in Lucius' office if they stayed in his good graces. Otherwise, they could stand, for however long it took to either conclude their business or get themselves back in Lucius' good graces enough to earn themselves a chair.

"Fine, but make it quick." The blond aristocrat said at last

Severus moved to take his seat, still silently studying the man seated at his desk. Lucius didn't seem like himself at all, and it was making Severus curious as to what was really going on.

After he was seated, Lucius looked at him impatiently and after a few silent moments, moments where Lucius seemed to grow even more impatient, Severus finally spoke. "I came to ask you something, but now I find myself wondering why you seem to be in such a foul mood." Severus said.

Lucius leaned back in his seat. "I'm not in a foul mood, I am simply busy."

Severus smirked. "If you're not, then why are you barking at me when you haven't seen me since the night of the party that you specifically asked me not to attend."

Lucius frowned. "I wasn't barking, but if my temperament offends you so, why are you still here? Why not just leave and let me brood in peace?"

Severus' brow rose again. "So you admit that you're in a foul mood and brooding."

The aristocrat scowled at realizing what his choice of words had revealed. "If I am, what business is it of yours?"

"It's not, I'm merely curious as to the cause of your brooding." The dark man said.

Lucius smirked. "You know what they say about curiosity and the cat, now don't you?"

"I've yet to be killed, so I'll risk it." Severus responded dryly.

Lucius scowled again. "Maybe I don't wish to discuss it."

"Why is that? We've discussed many uncomfortable things in the past, and you've never held back before. Why this time?" Severus asked, still watching Lucius, noticing more and more as he observed the man in front of him. Something was definitely going on.

Lucius sighed. "I don't want to talk about it, Severus. Now what did you come to ask me?"

Severus shrugged, they could come back to the blond man's foul mood later. "I was curious why Hermione Granger is so angry with you."

Lucius' jaw clenched, something Severus didn't miss at all and it made him even more curious. "What makes you think I know why she might be cross with me?" The pale man asked.

Severus quirked his brow again. "Well, if anyone knows...I'd assume it would be you. Did you two have a quarrel?"

Jaw clenching again, Lucius shrugged. "We did and its none of your concern."

Severus smirked. "While that is true, I can't help but wonder what you did to anger her so much. She's not known for holding a grudge, yet by the looks of your reaction to me mentioning it...am I correct in assuming it has yet to be resolved?"

"It has yet to be resolved, yes, and its due to us not discussing it further since it happened." Lucius said tightly.

Severus frowned as he watched his friend's reactions. "You two haven't discussed that quarrel in particular, or you haven't seen her to talk about anything?"

Lucius gritted his teeth. "I have not seen her. It's not like we run in the same circles."

"True. The only person you have in common with her is Draco and he's seems to be angry with her as well." Severus said, still observing the man in front of him.

Lucius frowned. "Draco is upset with her? Why?"

Severus found this even more interesting. "You don't know?" Lucius had to be blind to miss how angry Draco was with the witch.

Lucius glared. "If I knew, I wouldn't have asked."

Severus smirked again. "Indeed, forgive me for such a silly question. As for why Draco is angry with Hermione...I haven't a clue. He wouldn't tell me, but I know he hasn't spoken with her in a while due to being cross with her."

Lucius frowned again. "Draco isn't speaking with her? Why ever not? They're friends after all."

Severus shrugged. "I don't know why, Lucius, he didn't tell me, as I said."

Lucius frowned more, before giving a light shrug as if it didn't matter. "She wont take that from him for long. She's bound to corner him in his office and make him talk to her." Glancing back at his papers.

Severus tilted his head as he considered the man in front of him. "She might...if she ever returns back to work."

Lucius' head snapped up. "What do you mean?" Hermione never skips work.

Severus' head tilted a bit more. "It means that she hasn't been at work to confront your son about him not talking to her."

Lucius frowned. "Why not? Is she sick?"

Severus' curiosity was almost boiling over at seeing Lucius reacting so oddly over everything. "I don't know, Lucius, I haven't spoken with her to know if she's sick either. Last I saw she was fine, very angry with you, but fine."

Lucius sighed, shoving his papers aside. "Well, what do you know then?"

Severus gave a light shrug of his own, as if it didn't matter at all, though he was still watching Lucius very closely. "I know Draco said she hasn't been to work in weeks, otherwise, I'm in dark like you are." Severus said, his suspicions on why Hermione was angry with Lucius growing. He might not know what actually happened, but he was starting to think that these two had been more than just friends.

"Weeks?" Lucius said, his brows creasing. "Did Draco speak with Potter to find out why she has been missing?"

"I don't think so. Draco didn't seem like he'd been too interested in finding out either. He is angry with her after all." Severus was still watching Lucius.

Lucius scoffed. "I can't believe that boy would not bother finding out what might have happened to her, or why she wasn't at work. She has never shirked her duties at work before. Angry or not, I thought I raised him better than that."

Severus fought a smirk at his next words. "You've not gone to see her either."

Lucius scowled once again. "She has no desire to see me. She made her thoughts about seeing me perfectly clear."

Severus cocked his head again. "How do you know if you don't try?"

Lucius growled. "I did try. She blocked me from her floo and from apparating to her home. She'd told me she would set her wards to allow me access, but after our...disagreement, she must have removed them and set them so I couldn't go there."

Severus frowned. "How would you apparate? Had you been there before your quarrel?"

Lucius sighed. "No, but I...I know where she lives. I have a contact in the Department of Floo Activation and Regulation, he gave me her address."

Severus decided to stop playing games. "So how long had you been sleeping with her before your fight that seems to have ended it?"

Lucius' pale gray eyes darkened to the color of steel. "Who said I was sleeping with her?"

Severus chuckled. "You mean other than seeing how she was acting the night of the party?"

Lucius glared. "I didn't shag the witch the night of the party. I gave her the dreamless potion and let her sleep, that is all I did after you left."

Severus rolled his eyes. "I actually am aware of that, but...by the way you're acting...it's more than just friendly concern. So what happened to stop the witch from sleeping with you further and putting you in such a foul mood?"

Lucius sighed. "I don't want to to talk about it."

Severus opened his mouth, but the floo activated and Draco stepped out.

Looking at his father, and not even acknowledging his godfather, the boy glared. "I told you not to do it. I told you not to try making her one of your mistresses, but you didn't listen, did you? Why would you do that to her?" Draco snarled.

Lucius' nostril flared, even as he raised an eyebrow at his son. "I'd watch my tone, if I were you, Draco. You will not speak to me in this manner."

Draco took a step closer, glaring even harder. "I don't give a damn about my tone. She is my friend and I refuse to let you treat her so horribly. I can't believe you would expect her to sleep with you simply because of some book you gave her. She's not a prostitute, Father. She doesn't shag people for monetary gain. No wonder she ran out of here that night in tears."

Both of Severus' brows shot up, his eyes finding Lucius. "You did what?" The dark man growled. He could understand now why Hermione didn't want to see Lucius and blocked him from her home. He didn't blame her either.

Lucius glared at both of them as he stood, his fists clenched and pressed onto the top of his desk. "What I do, is my business."

"Not where she is concerned." Draco said softly, his calm voice belying the anger in him at what his father did. The young man might have his suspicions about his father's reasons, but that didn't diminish what he'd done.

"How do you know what happened anyway?" Lucius asked, feeling guilty all over again for what he'd said to her, but he'd been hurt and angry with her for leaving him, and had only wanted to hurt her in return.

Draco growled. "Because I just came from her flat and she told me."

Severus smirked. "So you could floo over there." The dark man always did like to be right. Regardless of the situation going on around him.

Lucius paused. "She allowed you the permissions to floo over?"

Draco glared. "Yes, I didn't know I had permission to do it until Severus suggested that I try it, after he got here."

Lucius frowned sadly, she let Draco floo over, but didn't want him anywhere near her. Not that the aristocrat blamed her. Lucius had acted like a bastard to her and...she hadn't deserved it. The look of complete anguish in her eyes had all but killed him. Even though she hadn't finished saying what she'd thought they'd had together, it was obvious she had thought they'd had more than he'd implied.

Which they had. Until Lucius had ruined it in his anger at her for leaving. His hurt at thinking Hermione was done and didn't want him anymore. Thinking she'd only come to him to break things off, he'd let loose with all those horrible things. Horrible, untrue things.

Seeing his father slowly sit, looking crestfallen before the blond man closed his eyes in defeat, Draco frowned. The young man had never seen his father look like he did right then. Over anyone. It only made Draco's earlier thoughts that his father did care about Hermione seem correct.

If he cares so much, why he did say those awful things to her? Draco wondered. Curious, about everything, especially about if he was right or not, he looked to Severus. "You did a good job healing her, by the way, you couldn't even see where she'd been hurt."

Severus frowned when Draco turned to him, giving his back to his father so he didn't see the smirk on his lips. Not understanding fully his godson's intentions by that statement, Severus spoke cautiously. "Thank you."

Lucius opened her eyes and lifted his head. "Heal her?"

Severus glanced his way. "Yes, she came to me with her face swollen and bleeding, so I healed her wounds."

Lucius stood again. "Bleeding? What the devil happened? Why was she bleeding?"

Seeing his godson's smirk grow, Severus was starting to catch on. "Apparently she had...been in a fight and was injured." Choosing his words carefully and being vague on purpose.

Lucius stared at the dark eyed man, but Severus didn't go on. His voice impatient once again. "Well? Who hurt her? If it was Weasley, I'll kill that worthless sod."

Draco forced his smirk away before facing his father again. "What do you care? You were only shagging her because she was convenient from the sounds of things."

Lucius eyes were blazing as he looked to his son. "I do care. No matter what happened between us...I don't want her hurt. When I get done with that boy he'll wish he had never been born."

Severus' brow rose again. "She didn't fight with Weasley, or should I say, she wasn't injured by Weasley. They had words, but nothing more, though from what she told me, she ended any friendship they might have had." Deciding there was no point in getting Lucius so riled up that he did something to end up in Azkaban. Even if Weasley was a royal prat who deserved to have Lucius' wrath pointed in the young redhead's direction.

Lucius looked to Severus. "Who hurt her then?"

"It seems Lavender Brown scored Hermione's face with her sharp talons." Draco sneered.

Lucius growled softly. "I will end that woman."

Draco looked at his father. "You are awful possessive over some woman you treated like dirt and abandoned."

Lucius turned cold eyes on his son. "I didn't abandon her, she abandoned me. She no longer wanted me and decided to leave." Or at least, that was what he'd thought. Her words, her tears before she left said he'd been wrong in what he'd assumed.

Draco nodded slowly. "I thought as much. You only said those things to her because she was moving out."

Lucius moved towards the cabinet where he kept his favorite liquors, pulling out a bottle of Ogden's, he poured three fingers worth into a glass. Draining it slowly and not saying a word.

Draco looked to Severus for help on what else to say, but Severus shrugged having no idea what to say either. The dark man came to solve a puzzle, he didn't come ready to dole out relationship advise. He had his own problems he was dealing with. The squib therapist Snape was seeing a few times a week had him working through some things from his past, and while he was really trying to give it his full attention, her tight skirts and thin sweaters were very distracting.

Looking at his father, Draco, who thankfully had no idea as to Severus' thoughts, shoved his hands in his pocket and felt the necklace. Inspired, the young man moved towards the silent aristocrat still drinking. "Incidentally, she wanted me to give you something." Draco said, watching his father look at him, a hint of something looking almost like hope in his pale grey eyes.

Draco pulled out his hand, the chain completely hidden in his palm. Holding out his closed fist, Lucius lifted his own hand, palm side up to take whatever Draco had for him, a curious look on the older blonde's face.

Draco dropped the chain into his father's palm. "Hermione said she didn't want it anymore." It wasn't true, but his father didn't know that.

Lucius looked at the shiny platinum necklace, frowning more as he looked again at his son. "Why did she want me to have it?" She thinks Severus gave it to her, he thought.

Draco lifted a shoulder, not the least bit ashamed at the lie he was about to tell. "It slipped out that you gave it to her, I said some rather rude things to her in my anger. I knew you gave it to her and accused her of shagging you for a long time now. When she denied it, I asked why else you'd give it to her, if not because she was shagging you."

Lucius fist closed around it as his hand trembled slightly. "I hadn't touched her when I gave this to her. I gave it to her so she'd...feel like someone cared about her. You daft boy, why did you tell her?"

Draco shrugged again. "It slipped out. Besides she didn't keep the other gift you gave her. What does it matter if she gives this one back too?"

Lucius closed his eyes in regret. When he'd bought her that book, he had really wanted her to have it. He'd known Hermione would love it and it hadn't been bought with any cruel thoughts behind it. He'd simply thought of her and wanted to make her smile. He'd lied to her about his reasons for buying it.

Lucius sighed. "I wanted her to feel cared for after everything she'd been through. I wanted her to still feel that way, even after...everything."

Draco sighed as well. "If you still care for her, like you obviously do, why did you say those things to her? She wasn't abandoning you. She only left because you offered her a room here until she found some place new. Hermione left before she fell in love with you, knowing your history with women. She had no intentions of breaking anything off, she just couldn't risk staying and caring any more than she already did. She thought having some place else to live would help in that way. As stupid as that idea is, considering she was going to still see you on a regular basis." Draco added a bit more to Hermione's tale, but he doubted she'd mind. It wasn't like he planned on telling her anyway.

I am an idiot. Lucius thought. I didn't even give her a chance to explain why she was leaving. All I did was try to shag her brains out so she wouldn't want to leave.

Severus had been silent up until now, listening to everything and seeing the expression on Lucius' face, the dark man knew it was time to speak up. "If you care about the witch, why not go to her. Tell her the truth. Tell her of your affections."

Lucius laughed humorlessly. "She doesn't want to see me. She doesn't want anything to do with me."

Draco rolled his eyes. "She took off two weeks from work after what happened between you. She loves you and you're an idiot if you let her get away. Malfoy's are not idiots."

Lucius' eyes narrowed, even as he felt his heart rate speed up. "How do you know she loves me?"

"Because she didn't deny it when I said as much to her, but she thinks you don't give a damn about her. So, why not tell her? Grovel if you must, but, make her see that you care. That you love her too." Draco said.

Lucius sniffed indignantly. "Malfoy's don't grovel."

Lucius knew he would though, if it meant he could see Hermione again, speak with her again, hold her again. He'd do whatever it took. His son was right, he did love her. Its why he'd been so hurt by her leaving.

Severus smirked. "Well, you might want to anyway. It might take you doing a very un-Malfoy thing to get her to listen to you."

Lucius frowned, but Severus went on. "Lucius, if you love her, then isn't she worth it? Is your pride really worth letting her go?"

Lucius frowned more, wavering, knowing his pride had been a cold companion in his bed these last few weeks. "She has me blocked from apparating or flooing to her home."

Severus rolled his eyes at the stupidity of that statement. "You said you have her address, so go there. Beat on her door until she opens it."

Lucius knew he could just go there, but could he take it if she rejected him? If she wouldn't listen to him? "She wont open her door to me and she'll have her wards set to keep me out."

Draco rolled his eyes now. "Father, I know for a fact that you can breakdown even the strongest of wards, I've seen you do it. Do you think her wards are any match for you? Break them if you must, put her in a damn body bind, if you have to in order to get her to listen, but don't give up. Malfoy's are not quitters. You would never allow me to quit and I refuse to allow you to either."

Lucius raised an eyebrow at his son. "This coming from you, the same person who was angry that I touched her, and I'm assuming angry at her for sleeping with me. You are encouraging this now?"

"I was angry over a meaningless shag. I was angry at thinking my father betrayed me with my friend and vice versa. I'm not angry if it's not just a meaningless shag. If it's more...then, it's different. I want you happy, and I want her happy too. If that is with each other...then please, for the love of Merlin, use bloody silencing spells. I don't need to ever hear that again."

Severus snorted out a laugh and Lucius closed his eyes. The blond man hadn't used a silencing spell since the moment he had heard she had found a flat. Lucius had been too wrapped up in showing her that he was worth staying around for and it had slipped his mind.

Lucius eyes snapped open as he thought of something else. I didn't use any spells during those few days. Not a single one. We must have had sex at least a dozen times and not once used a single contraceptive spell. Damn.

However, his lips slowly curved with what that meant. If he had gotten her pregnant, there was no way in hell she was going to be able to keep him away from her. If he hadn't, he might need to seduce her again to get her that way on purpose. Though, Lucius would rather her be with him because she wanted to be. That didn't mean he wasn't above using such tactics to get her to be with him. He was a Slytherin, for Merlin sakes, and if she loved him, she'd forgive him in the end for using whatever it took so they could be together.

Seeing the smile, both Severus and Draco knew they'd finally gotten him to see reason.

Severus looked at Lucius, and he knew Lucius had a plan, one that was obviously very Slytherin if the crafty smile was any indication. "I would suggest you plan on keeping your wand handy. I doubt, with everything I've heard, that she'll listen willingly. You'll probably have a few hexes thrown your way too. She's rather feisty when she's angry."

Draco nodded at that. "Damn right she's is. She gave me donkey ears just for making fun of her arse. Feisty isn't what I'd call her." Bitchy was more like it, though he was smart enough to never say it.

Lucius smirked at both men in front of him, stuffing the necklace in his pocket. "Feisty is certainly putting it mildly, and you deserved the ears and tail that day, Son." Taking a breath, Lucius shook his head. "You realize that she may be stubborn enough to tell me to go to hell and not believe a word I say."

Severus frowned. Lucius is right. Hermione might not believe him at all. Thinking of an idea, Severus slowly smiled. "I'll be right back."

He was gone with a roar of green flames and the two remaining men waited. It wasn't long before Severus was back, a vial in his hand and a smirk on his lips.

A/N: Woohoo, Lucius has a plan. Any guesses on what Snape gave him? Or how Lucius is going to use it? We're almost done with the story guys, just fyi. More coming soon and please leave me your thoughts.