AN: Happy new year!


WHEN THE SUN RISES.

He felt like he was floating, his body drifting across the ocean. So light, yet so heavy at the same time. And then his body was sinking ever so slowly. He couldn't feel the water but he felt like he was being submerged in it, his senses getting duller by the second, and then—

"Lucius, wake up. We're almost there," a voice spoke, as soft as the silken sheets in his bedroom. And then something warm touched his cheek.

Lucius groggily opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of Cissa looking at him with a slight frown. Blinking the sleep away, he straightened up.

"You should go get changed," she added. He noticed he was the only one who was still not in his Hogwarts robes.

Rod and Thaddeus were on the other end playing exploding snaps while Bella was in her usual spot by the window, practicing her wand movements while sitting across Lucius were Evan and Priscilla, flirting as always.

"Where is Andy?" he asked. At his question, Evan and Priscilla stopped their conversation and gazed at him, their faces sporting a disgusted look but it was Bella who responded.

"She is over there again by those filthy Mudbloods and blood traitors. If father really ever finds out she is associating with them, it would not be pleasant," she smirked at Lucius, her teeth slightly crooked from chewing her nails. "You should keep a tight leash on your bride-to-be, Lulu. It would not be good for the Malfoy name to have an insubordinate wife."

He gnashed his teeth together, halting the words that desperately wanted to come out. He hated when people called him that name except for Andy and even though he wanted to hex the living daylights out of Bella, she had a point. Instead, he grabbed his case containing his clothes and left without a word, hearing Cissa's admonishment of her sister as he shut the carriage door.

Lucius took a deep breath before he started undressing his shirt, taking care not to touch the fresh wounds on his back as he did so. Eighteen whipping wounds—a parting gift from his father two days before he left for Hogwarts only because he failed to cast the Cruciatus curse on one of their peacocks as was part of his lessons. Despite his pleading, the house-elves refused to treat his wounds. Orders from the Master, each one of them would say. If Lucius wasn't delirious with pain, he would've choked all of them to death. His lovely mother never even deign to check him in his room.

He walked the narrow corridor of the Hogwarts express, his head held high despite the burning pain in his back, the shiny Headboy badge glistening on his left chest as he looked for Andy. And he found her two carriages down near the end and seeing who she was sitting with nearly made the pain he was in disappear, replaced by outright fury.

He slid the door open with a little more force than necessary, rattling the occupants, and Lucius smiled, all bright, perfect teeth.

"Hello, Andy," he greeted. "We missed you back there." Lucius motioned his head in the direction of his—their friends' carriage.

He noticed the bright smile she had dimmed a little at the sight of him and the fury he felt had now turned into something weighty in his chest. He and Andy had drifted apart during their sixth year but when their parents announced their betrothal during the Malfoy Christmas Gala, he thought it would finally bridge the gap between them but it only pushed her further away from him. She rarely spent time with him anymore and all his letters during the summer were ignored. And now here she was, sitting too close with this Gryffindor Mudblood.

"I was just catching up with some of my friends Lu," she said, not even bothering to look him in the eye. "I will be back there before the train stops."

Lu. She used to say it with such fondness and now, it felt like a slap to the face.

"Can I talk to you?" he gritted out and that made her finally look at him but she made no move to stand. "Privately," he snarled and the Mudblood sitting beside her opened his mouth to speak but Lucius glared at him, daring him to voice out his unwanted thoughts.

Andy sighed and immediately stood. She gave an apologetic smile to the other occupants of the room before heading out of the carriage. Lucius gave one last glare to the Mudblood before he followed Andy.

She stopped by the end of the train, near the exit that lead to the back balcony. They were completely alone now and Andy wasted no time. She turned to him, her face flushed with irritation. "What is your problem, Lucius? It would not cost you to be a bit nicer to my friends."

"My problem?" he scoffed. "I am not the one who ignored all those letters during the summer. I am not the one hanging out now with those Mudbloods. Really, Andy? Gryffindors? You could have picked a better crowd. And you were supposed to be the smart one among the Black sisters."

"Watch your tongue, Lucius—"

"Or what? You will tell your parents how rude I am to your friends? Here, come on," he grabbed her wrist and started dragging her back. "I think I saw a first-year holding an owl in one of the carriages. We will write a letter to Cygnus together. Tell him how his precious Andy is hanging out with a bunch of Mudbloods and blood traitors."

Andy yanked her hand away in one swift move and that same hand landed on his left cheek. The sound of her palm connecting with his skin echoed in his ears. Lucius looked at her then and saw the tears.

"How could you?" voice shook with each word. "You do not get to treat me that way just because our parents dictated me to marry you!"

"Andy—"

"Bugger off," she shoved him and Lucius winced when his back hit the wall. "You want to talk about who ignored who? Look into the mirror, Lucius."

Andy didn't wait for a reply. She turned around and left without looking back. Lucius called out to her despite the pain he was feeling in his back. He called and he called but Andy never looked. His surroundings seemed to distort and the burning sensation became worse. Andy, Andy, Andy, his mind called out to her.

I am so sorry.

SEPTEMBER 23, 1997.

His eyes opened slowly, taking in the derelict wooden ceiling. His mind took a while to catch up with his surroundings but it all came back to him eventually. The ritual. The Dark Mark. The girl.

Lucius lifted his left arm and was greeted with smooth unblemished skin. It felt odd to not see the invasive snake tattoo slithering across his skin and he couldn't tell if he felt lighter because the Dark Mark was finally gone or because of the ritual itself.

Speaking of the ritual…

Panic seized him when he realized that he might've lost his magic completely. And it was only then that Lucius noticed someone was speaking but couldn't discern who it was because his heart was pounding wildly against his chest. When he had finally calmed down, he realized it was Granger who was speaking.

Lucius lifted his head to scan his surroundings and he found her sitting on the floor by the end of the couch he was lying in, a book in one hand. She was reciting a bunch of poetry.

He tried to prop his body up, his left hand clutching on the headrest while his right elbow pushed his body off but the action immediately strained his joints and he fell back with a huff. Unfortunately, the struggle caught the girl's attention.

"You're finally awake!" she scrambled to get up and sat by the small space beside him. Lucius suddenly felt too aware that he was half-naked underneath the covers. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," was all he managed to croak out. His throat felt like every moisture was sucked off.

"I'll get you some water," Granger placed the book beside him and hurriedly went out of the room in search of something for him to drink, leaving him to peruse freely the book she left behind.

Haiku by R. H. Blyth, it said. The book was still in excellent condition despite the minor wear and a few creases on the corners of the cover page. Lucius wondered if the girl knew how to read or speak Japanese and decided to open the book to where she left off.

The book contained both the original Japanese text and its English translation and his eyes immediately landed on one.

For me who go
For you who stay
Two autumns

Lucius frowned. He couldn't understand a thing. Was two autumns a code of some sort? But before he could ponder more about the confusing literature, Granger came back carrying a tall glass of chilled water. She stopped upon seeing him holding her book but quickly recovered.

"It was a gift from my grandmother which was also a gift to her from my grandfather," she explained as she handed the glass to him. "She used to make me read it aloud in the library during the weekends. She said it would help me when I grow up. So I wouldn't feel anxious when speaking to a crowd."

Granger picked up the book and placed it in her enchanted beaded bag while Lucius chugged the water until he felt like he was so full he might vomit.

"That is a valid point," he said, feeling a lot better now that his throat didn't feel like it was being rubbed by sandpaper. "Renowned orators usually practice reading to a small group of people."

"Well, it's not like I'll be speaking to a crowd, am I?" she shrugged.

"You never know. You might find yourself wanting to become Minister someday."

"And end up dead like Nobby Leach?" she gave a sardonic laugh. "No, thanks."

Lucius internally winced at that knowing his father had a hand in Leach's early retirement. Opting for a quick change of subject, he immediately spoke his first concern the moment he woke up. "Where is my wand?"

"I don't think you should use your wand or perform any magic. You're still looking a bit pale—well, paler than usual."

He fixed her with a glare. "I need to know that I am still a wizard."

"Oh," Granger bit her lip and looked away. "Well, your wand is broken so I don't think it's safe to use it."

"How in Merlin's name am I supposed to know I still have magic?" he snapped. The girl was starting to get on his nerves right now.

"Wandless magic?" she squeaked and upon seeing his murderous glare she put up her hands in a placating manner. "Okay, okay. But it's really not safe if you use your wand." A beat and a sigh later, she slid closer to him. "You should use mine instead."

"Your wand?" he asked curiously. This was the second time the girl had offered her wand to him. He refused her first time because he was skeptical about her offer, thinking maybe it was just a test on her part whether she could trust him or not. Now, Lucius knew that Granger was sincere in her offer.

She nodded and pulled out her wand from her holster.

The moment his fingers touched the wooden stick, he knew that his magic was still there. Lucius could feel it thrumming as if the wand he was holding was his own, as if he was holding it for the first time. He couldn't help but close his eyes. It felt good. It reminded him of one of his fondest memories when he got his wand for the first time. This, touching Granger's wand felt so similar. So similar.

He opened his eyes to see the girl looking at him strangely. Lucius cleared his throat and looked down at the wand, inspecting it.

"Try a spell," she insisted. "Lumos or a simple levitating spell."

He did, flicking the wand concisely. "Lumos," he whispered, and just like that, the tip of Granger's wand lightened up without any hitch. There was a niggling voice in the back of his mind saying that her wand worked better than his own but Lucius squashed it down and shoved it in the very back of his mind.

Granger looked just as pleased as him, if not more so which also confused Lucius. He expected her to sound disappointed or incensed. Maybe he would get that reaction out of Potter and Weasley. Looking around, he realized he was all alone with her and the other two were nowhere to be found.

"Where are the others?" he asked as he handed her wand back though was loathed to do so. He already had formed an attachment to it in that short moment it was in his hands.

"Ginny and Harry went to get lunch," she replied as she placed her wand back in her holster. Lucius then noticed that the girl was avoiding his gaze and quickly realized that he was sitting still half-naked.

"Do you have a spare shirt I can wear?" he asked.

The girl's cheeks turned redder and scrambled to pull something out of her beaded bag. "I didn't get to pack anything before we fled the house so I didn't have any extra clothing," she handed him a purple shirt. "That's Fred's—or George's, I think. It doesn't matter since they're identical. Ginny found it while we were searching the jokeshop for something we could find useful but don't worry I altered the size to fit you. If you don't like it there's another—"

Granger immediately ceased babbling when Lucius put the clothes on without preamble. He took his time, buttoning it slowly, avoiding her gaze.

"Thank you," he eventually said. The color looked disgusting on him but it was better than sitting there bare even if her reaction to him was amusing. He looked at her then and noticed she was chewing her bottom lip. "What is it?" Did the shirt really look that horribly on him?

The girl met his gaze briefly before glancing away again. "Uhh, can I ask a question? It's okay if you don't want to answer it."

"If that will get you to stop eating your lip then, fine, ask away," he said in a teasing tone that was soon wiped away when she said her question.

"Who did those scars on your back?"

Lucius tensed immediately as if the scars on his back were just as fresh, as if he had just been whipped by his father senseless. He remembered the countless times he half crawled, half dragged his body back to his room, remembered the constant burning pain and the way his mother always turned a blind eye. He remembered the times he would pass out even before he reached his bed, his body curled by the rug shivering. He remembered his father's insults disguised as lessons as the whip seared his back continuously.

He could tell Granger all those things to gain her sympathy. It would be the final step. The key to overcoming the final barrier of her mistrust.

But he didn't tell her all those things.

"It was a long time ago," he said. "It was an accident."

She stared at him disbelievingly and Lucius returned her gaze, daring her to call him out on his lie but seconds ticked by and Granger only looked away.

A soft "Oh," was all she said.


Lucius had just finished shaving when Potter and Weasley finally arrived, carrying shrunken cartons of food. The rich aroma coming from it made his stomach rumble, reminding him that he hadn't eaten for nearly three days.

"Chinese takeout!" Potter said as he and Weasley laid it out on Fred and George's desk. "The ones in that wooden basket are xiaolongbaos. The wontons and jiaozis are in this box," he raised the box with the red mark on top of it. "I don't know which you'll like so I got both the stir fry noodles and the pork chao fan. There's kung pao chicken—oh, you're alive!"

Two heads swiveled in his direction while Granger merely continued to open up the boxes. Now that he was near, the scent was more intense and it had taken every ounce of willpower left in him not to shove Potter away and have a go at the selection of cuisine laid out before him.

"So… you're not a squib?" Ginny asked with a smirk and a hand on her hip.

Despite himself, Lucius smiled faintly. "Unfortunately."

"What a shame," she clucked her tongue in mock disappointment before offering him a carton. "Have a kung pao chicken. Harry swears it's good."

"It is!" Potter cried before eating a piece of jiaozi in one bite.

Potter and Weasley eventually settled on the floor while Lucius and Granger sat on the couch. The former continued to debate which food tasted best. Granger would interject sometimes to voice her opinion but like Lucius, she mostly ate in silence.

"How do you feel?" Granger asked as she finished the last bite of her stir fry noodles.

"Disgustingly full," he said into the now empty takeout box. The last time he ate this much was when he was eight. When both his parents went to a Ministry event and had to leave him home with the house-elves for company. His mother normally watched his diet, saying she didn't want him to end up like the Goyles who looked like they fell asleep inside the kitchen.

"Oh, come on," Weasley moaned. "The food isn't that bad."

Lucius blinked at her a few times. He felt like he had eaten himself into a stupor. "I never said the food was bad."

"Hmm," the ginger replied, seeming appeased but she looked at him again. "But you said 'disgustingly'? Oh, never mind. I'm too full right now to argue."

Weasley placed the takeout boxes beside her and laid down on the floor, arms spread out. He looked at Potter who was settled against one of the wooden crates looking pleasantly dazed. Even Granger looked like she was about to fall asleep sitting. Lucius wondered how long he had been unconscious.

"Hermione," he nudged the petite witch sitting beside him. "How long has it been since the ritual?"

Granger looked at him, her movements were a little sluggish. "Three days. Why do you ask?"

"The three of you looked like you have not eaten since then," he pointed out. "Judging by how much you ate just now."

"We barely ate, actually," she admitted sheepishly before looking away. "I packed a few cans of non-perishables but that was only good for a day. The jokeshop didn't have any food stored and we were scared then to go outside. We couldn't risk moving you as well so we decided it was best to stay indoors."

That explained it, Lucius thought. "Why now? Why did you decide to go out now?"

"We were really starving," it was Potter who answered. "It's either die from starvation or get caught by Death Eaters. I'd rather risk the latter."

"But we were careful though," Weasley chimed in. "We kept our heads down and used a lot of Glamours. Hermione also did that spell again so Greyback wouldn't be able to find our scent."

Lucius remembered that spell as well. It was ingenious of her to come up with something on such short notice. But he should stop being so surprised at this. The girl had a gift—something he had grudgingly admitted. The way her mind worked reminded Lucius of his friend, Severus, and, sometimes, the Dark Lord when he was still in his youth. If Granger was born a Pureblood, Lucius was sure the Dark Lord would've swayed her to fight for his cause and that thought alone brought shivers down Lucius' spine.

The three teenagers misunderstood his physical reaction. Weasley snorted while Potter and Granger herself gave him a sympathetic look.

"Did he ever attend any of your Death Eater meetings before?" she asked.

"Who?"

"Greyback," Potter replied. "I was ten feet away from him when they ambushed us but I could still smell him. It's like someone threw a dead rat in my face. I couldn't imagine how he must've smelled when you and Hermione were so close to him."

"No," he shook his head. Even the Dark Lord was disgusted by the werewolf and that was saying something. "Greyback did not have the Dark Mark on his arm and even if he has it, only the Dark Lord's inner circle are allowed to attend the meetings."

"Figures," Potter mumbled.

"Hey," Weasley sat up and rested her head on her hands. "Now that Malfoy's awake, should we start moving out now?"

"That's right," Granger said then turned to him. "We don't know how long we're going to be safe here. We think it's best if we keep moving."

"And where are we going to stay next?" Lucius asked.

"Well," the girl shuffled in her seat. "We haven't actually figured it out yet. We were hoping you have an idea where the next Horcrux might be."

Three pairs of eyes stared at him, waiting for his answer. Lucius wanted so badly to say Malfoy Manor but he knew that now wasn't the right time yet to bring it up. He gritted his teeth and thought a silent apology to his wife.

"Shouldn't we focus first on how to destroy that locket?" he looked between the three. "Where is it, by the way?"

Potter reached inside his shirt and pulled out Slytherin's locket.

"Are you sure you should be wearing that again given what happened?" Lucius raised a brow at him. An awkward tension permeated the air around them. Truth be told, he couldn't care less but he didn't want Potter getting in the way of his plans.

The boy's eyes hardened. "I'll be fine," he hissed through his teeth. "It doesn't affect me anymore."

They all knew it was a lie but at least Weasley was there now to keep him in check.

"Even if we found a way to destroy it, I don't really think it's safe to do that here," Granger said. "We should find a remote location."

"We could go camping," Weasley shrugged. "But we'd be open for a possible ambush in a forest."

"There are protective wards we could set up," Granger suggested. "I have here the tent we used during the Quidditch World Cup."

"That's great, Hermione, but we still don't know how to destroy this Horcrux," Potter pointed to his chest where the locket rested.

"Could we just stab that thing or burn it?" Weasley asked.

"Unless we have a basilisk fang or a venom of it at least."

"The ring," Lucius said and the three turned their attention to him. "You said Dumbledore destroyed it. Did he tell you how?"

Potter opened his mouth and closed it again when no words came out. He then mumbled a couple of expletives when he realized that he had no idea how the ring was destroyed.

"I don't know," he said defeatedly. "He never really did tell me anything useful, did he?"

"Don't be like that Harry," Granger said softly. "Maybe it slipped from his mind or something."

"Like how he forgot to tell me that he used to live in Godric's Hollow as well?" Potter waved her off. "It's fine, Hermione. I'm over it."

Clearly, you aren't, Lucius thought then cleared his throat. "Dumbledore must've found a way to destroy a Horcrux without using the Basilisk venom. Can't you think of anything he might've used?"

"You do know he could've used anything? Some invented spell or instrument?" Granger said. "He gave Ron the Deluminator in his will. It's an invention of his that takes the light from its surroundings."

"Well, we could start there," Lucius urged. "Do you know any other things he invented or owned?"

"There is Fawkes, his phoenix bird," Potter explained. "I don't know where it is now. Phoenix's tears can heal but I don't know about it destroying Horcruxes."

"Well, he also left me a copy of his Beedle the Bard but we all know it's useless in destroying a Horcrux," Granger snorted. "He also left Harry the snitch he caught in his first year. The one you swallowed?"

Potter gave a weak smile. Weasley sat up straighter this time. "Hey Harry, didn't Dumbledore's will also mention giving you the sword of Gryffindor?"

"Yeah," Granger seconded. "Unfortunately, it wasn't Dumbledore's to give away. Shame, really."

"It's funny though," Lucius chimed in. "You Gryffindors prided yourselves for being righteous and your nauseating moral high ground and yet you have the sword of Gryffindor which is a sword made of Goblin's silver."

"What's wrong with Goblin's silver?" Weasley asked, her tone curious with a hint of sarcasm in it. "Apart from it being made by Goblins?"

"It is considered a very dark substance forged by Goblins using their magic that is why it is coveted among the community because of its powerful properties. It imbibes only that which strengthens it."

All of them flinched when Granger suddenly stood in a swift move. She began rummaging inside her beaded bag until she pulled out a brown leather book.

"Uhh, Hermione?" Potter called her.

Granger ignored him and continued to pace back and forth across the room while erratically flipping the book. She eventually stopped and looked up, her gaze zeroing in on Potter.

"Harry, you said you stabbed the Basilisk with the sword, right?" Potter nodded his head but didn't elaborate further. Granger went back to the couch and dropped the book she was holding there. Weasley and Potter stood as well and followed their friend. "Lucius is right, Goblin's silver absorbs only that which strengthens it so when you stabbed the Basilisk…"

"The sword absorbed the properties of the venom! We can use it to destroy Horcruxes!" Potter exclaimed, face alight with excitement. "You're brilliant, Hermione! You know that?!"

Granger ducked her head and blushed, still not used to being complimented. "It's nothing, really. It was Lucius who gave me the idea."

"Maybe it was what Dumbledore used to destroy the ring. That's why he wanted me to have it in his will."

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news but we don't have the Sword of Gryffindor with us right now," Ginny sighed. "And we don't know where it is."

"It's in Hogwarts. Where else could it be?"

"Well, the Ministry could have taken it and hid it. Remember your screaming match with Scrimgeour?"

"I cannot believe you have no idea about your own house's artifacts," Lucius finally spoke and the three swiveled their heads in his direction once more.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Granger looked affronted.

"There were stories about that sword when I was still in Hogwarts," he explained. "About how it is sentient like a wand and responds to Godric Gryffindor's chosen successors. They say that whenever a 'true Gryffindor' needed it, the sword would present itself."

"Wha-what? H-how?" Granger stuttered. "Is that true?"

"Who knows," Lucius shrugged. Though he found it funny that a sword that was used to destroy the darkest and foulest of magical objects would in and of itself be similar in nature to the forces it was being used to fight against. "Only Harry here can tell since he is the only one who has ever used it."

"I'm not entirely sure," Potter pinched the bridge of his nose, obviously trying to recall what happened during the Chamber. "Fawkes came in carrying the sorting hat and I remember Tom Riddle mocking me about how could a hat destroy a giant Basilisk. The creature was there and I just kept thinking that I had to save Ginny. When I looked back at the hat, I saw the hilt of the sword poking out and I just grabbed it."

"So, the sword presents itself to Gryffindors when it's a matter of life and death," Granger frowned. "We've been in worse situations or something similar but I don't see the sword appearing."

"Maybe you need the Sorting hat?" Weasley suggested. "Maybe they're like a package deal?"

The three began exchanging ideas and Lucius decided to tune them out. It was no use debating when they had nothing concrete to go by. Thinking about it now, by wizarding law it was believed to belong to Gryffindor's chosen heirs, however by Goblin culture it should have been returned to the artisan or their family, a cultural law that should have been honored by the purchaser and made the wizarding possession of the sword tantamount to theft regardless of Gryffindor came to own it. That was how it should be, no matter how Lucius hated the Goblins. A family heirloom should stay within the family.

"Harry!"

Lucius was snapped out of his thoughts when Potter suddenly hunched over while clutching the scar on his forehead. The boy's eyes were squeezed shut and he was panting so hard. Lucius couldn't help but feel anxious. He realized that Potter only had these episodes when the Dark Lord was feeling angry and right now, Lucius could only hope that anger wasn't directed at his wife.

Potter had now sunk to the floor and Weasley kept calling to him but the boy couldn't seem to hear her. Granger was pacing the floor again, wringing her hands in worry.

"Where is he?" Potter kept murmuring.

"Harry you need to close your mind!" Weasley was raising her voice now.

He eventually snapped out of it and it was the longest minute in Lucius' life. He sprang and went over to Potter as well. "What did you see? Who was he looking for?"

"I don't know," his voice was weak. "He was in a village—a-a magical village. He was looking for someone. There was a woman who answered the door and she says something that got You-Know-Who angry and he…h-he killed that woman and her family."

Potter pressed the heel of his palms to his eyes while Weasley rubbed his back soothingly.

"Harry, you're supposed to shut him out," Granger said tiredly. "There's a reason why Dumbledore wanted you to use Occlumency. He knew the connection was dangerous, that You-Know-Who can use it against you."

"I know. I hate it more than you do," Potter whispered. "I hate the fact that he can get inside me, that I have to watch him when he's most dangerous. But I'm going to use it."

"Dumbledore—"

"Forget Dumbledore," he snapped. "This is my choice, nobody else's. I want to know who was he after and why."

"Did you recognize the place?" Lucius asked, diffusing the tension by redirecting the discussion to what Potter saw instead.

"No," he shook his head. "But it didn't look like an ordinary Muggle village."

"He is likely looking for something," Lucius mused. "During the summer, he ordered the others to abduct Ollivander."

"The wandmaker?" Granger asked. "But why?"

"Like I said. He is likely looking for something important."

"Did he…" Weasley trailed anxiously.

"Ollivander is in the Malfoy dungeons. I don't know what happened to him after I left."

"Could he be in Godric's Hollow?" Potter asked. "It's a magical village, right?"

"Harry—"

"Hermione, please," the boy pleaded.

Everyone was watching her, even Lucius himself. Frankly, he thought that it was a dangerous idea but arguing with Potter in this state was pointless. Everything hinged on Granger's answer and from the way her shoulders slumped, Lucius already knew what her answer was going to be.

"In and out quickly. Not more than an hour," Granger leveled Potter a look. "If anything looked a tiny bit suspicious, we're leaving immediately."

Lucius was beginning to hate Tuesdays.


Hermione sat by the window of Fred and George's office, looking down at the uneven cobbled pathways of Diagon Alley outside the jokeshop. It was past midnight and the rest were already asleep. Harry and Ginny had taken turns going on watch since they arrived here so Hermione thought she'd volunteer this time now that she had rested enough after the ritual. A muggle radio they found in one of the storage closets was keeping her company for the night. It was playing a piece of music she couldn't recognize but was pleasant enough.

But the sound wasn't enough to drown out the thoughts that were circling inside her head at the moment.

Hermione worried constantly about Harry and that dangerous connection he had with You-Know-Who. She worried it might consume him completely to the point where he would do something reckless. It felt like every day, Harry was spiraling down a path neither she nor Ginny couldn't pull him out of.

It was frightening, truly. Because she loved Harry and the thought of him gone sometimes left her crippled. Like a chunk of herself was beginning to disappear as well along with him. But there was nothing she could do about it. She could only try and help him as best as she could, hoping they would come out of it alright in the end.

And there was the matter with Lucius.

It was something Hermione had been putting off for a while, refusing to put a name on it because she knew that there was no going back once she acknowledged it. But she was afraid as well that if she kept ignoring it, the more it will persist until it might explode one day and the mess would be impossible to repair.

She was attracted to Lucius Malfoy.

And it wasn't just the physical aspect of it.

It wasn't love, no. But then again, Hermione hadn't been really in love in the first place to tell the difference. She and Ron never really got to explore their feelings further and with Viktor, it was just that—a simple innocent crush. All she knew was something was pulling her to the Malfoy patriarch, compelling her to dig deeper into the persona that was Lucius Malfoy. She wanted to open him up like a rare book and read and understand each word. She wanted to know about his world, his childhood, his fears, and his dreams.

Hermione told herself that it was because of the Unbreakable Vow and the ritual they made together but there was nothing in the books that mentioned about the connection formed in these cases. Maybe it was her own curious nature or something else in play. But each day that passed and the more she got to know the bits and pieces of him that he refused to say or show, Hermione felt like she was being pulled closer.

And it was a dangerous thing because there was still some rational part of her brain that told her not to trust him.

And there was the glaring matter that he already had a family that he so desperately wanted to save. It was the only thing that stopped Hermione from labeling him as evil in her mind. Despite his flaws as a human being, it was clear that he loved his family enough to do the things he didn't want to do just to save them.

If Lucius asked her to go to Malfoy Manor and save his wife, Hermione knew that she wouldn't be able to say no.

"You should get some sleep," said the one person she didn't want to face right now. It seemed fate liked to test her resolve. "No one is going to attack us, I think. Even villains need their sleep."

Despite herself, Hermione smiled.

"And you? Why are you awake at this hour?"

"I couldn't sleep."

Lucius made his way over to her, and she admired how graceful and at ease his movements were. He was careful not to make any noise as he stood across her on the other side of the window.

"I have slept for three days. I just want to stay awake for a little while longer this time."

"I understand," she said. After she was removed from her petrified state during her second year, Hermione stayed awake in bed that night, unable to sleep as well.

Looking at Lucius now as he leaned against the wall, she couldn't help but recall their earlier conversation.

Who did those scars on your back?

It was a long time ago. It was an accident.

Why did he lie? She was expecting him to make a big deal out of it, to say some tragic story that would gain her sympathy but he did the exact opposite. And it left Hermione confused.

It was the kind of inflicted scar one would get in their youth, when the wounds had finally healed and the skin had stretched due to maturity. Who would do this kind of thing? Even if Lucius was a horrible person, no one warranted that kind of monstrous treatment.

Hermione wanted to open up that topic again but was afraid of his reaction. The way he had closed off when she asked it the first time frightened her.

"What is on your mind?" he asked.

She looked at him. "Lots of things. Harry. The trip to Godric's Hollow. Horcruxes," You, she added in her mind.

"I am not too keen on the trip as well."

Hermione huffed. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Do you think you can reason with Harry when he is in that state?"

She leaned back in her chair. He had a fair point as always, but still, it wouldn't hurt to speak up sometimes. Hermione hated making the decisions because the responsibility always fell to her if things went haywire. She sent a glare in Lucius' direction.

They stayed like that for a while as the Muggle radio played another song. The volume was low but not low enough that she couldn't clearly hear.

"We never did finish that dance, didn't we?"

Hermione looked up, confused. "What dance?"

"Is my dancing skills that horrible that you already forgot?" at her still confused look, Lucius sighed. "The dance during your birthday."

"Oh, that," she blushed. "It's fine, really. I had a lovely time."

"Nonsense," Lucius pushed himself off the wall and offer his hand to her. "It would be completely ill-mannered of me to not finish it."

"It's fine, really, Lucius," when he showed no sign of retreating, Hermione gave up and slip her hand in his.

Lucius' hands were still callused and cold but he held her hand in a surprisingly gentle way, pretty much the same as the last time. And the next thing Hermione knew was they were swaying to the soft music coming from the Muggle radio. She was pressed much closer this time and she could smell a whiff of lavender, the body wash he was using during their stay in Hermione's home.

This was a dangerous thing she was treading on but Hermione decided to let go for just this night only. Tomorrow, when the sun was high above the clouds and the world was finally awake, she would keep her distance and focus on winning the war. But for now, she would have this.

For now.

As they swayed to music, a pair of bright blue eyes watched them from the other side of the room.


AN: I feel like I've watched Succession so many times that I've written Lucius with Kendall Roy's characteristics in this chapter. Anyway, let me know your thoughts! x