"DISCLAIMER: HP belongs to JKR. The story line and all new characters, new character development, new developments are my intellectual property.

A/n Let's hear what Lucius has to say. Poor Voldie, sniff

Father and Lover's Woes

Lucius, was it you? Didn't you know that I wasn't at fault? If you thought I was guilty, why did you ask your father to come and help me?"

"Yes, I was the one. I received an owl telling me to alert her relatives; probably from someone who didn't like Bellatrix. Once my father told me how upset you were, I was afraid to tell you. At that point in time, it seemed that I was doomed no matter what."

He stopped, not sure how to state his position. Voldemort indicated that he should continue.

"I was afraid of Bellatrix, she could have convinced you that I had helped her, but chickened out and rescued the witch. I called Dad because you looked so upset. I was worried since I had helped Mrs. Granger to get away, besides you had just learned that she was Grindenwald's grandchild, and I figured her loss would feel even worse."

"Mom what is he saying?" Hermione was horrified, was she related to the two greatest monsters of the last century?

Jean turned and looked at her daughter.

"Darling, my parents were 25 when they were murdered. You should know that they were good and kind. I never told you but I saw the killer; I also didn't tell you that I was saved by people you knew. The same ones who went that day with the real monster to kill us." Jean felt bad for lying to her daughter all her life.

"I was adopted by the Grangers, who are magical, but not practicing. I am magical with a damaged core. One evening..." Jean only told Hermione that she remembered Dumbledore.

"He chased calling me the bad seed after killing my parents. Did you know that my young parents were barely 18 when I was born. She married the only wizard she had loved since they were children. He was a young wizard whose only sin was being Grindenwald's grandchild."

Hermione sat on the ground holding her head. "That is not all, I lived in fear to be found, or that Dumbledore would recognize you, but he never did. Nor did he recognize my dad when he went to Hogwarts." Her mother's voice was barely audible.

Hermione's mind was a mess, knowing that she fought Dumbledore was bitter. She wanted to vomit, tears ran down her cheeks. She couldn't stop thinking of her mother when she was a little witch, having to see Dumbledore snuffing her parents. Who were the ones who had helped him? She hated them already. She wanted them to suffer.

Lucius stood to leave the room, the couple was in a world of their own. He needed to think, and was worried about his former deeds.

"Mr. Malfoy wait," Hermione stood up, and Brutus moved next to her, the three of them left the room together. Lucius, grateful to be alive, closed the door behind him after Pepita who came out last.

He was sorry because he had not told Voldemort the entire truth. Bellatrix, once she recognized Hermione, she had threatened to tell Voldemort that Lucius had known all along, and Lucius had been a coward. He had known for a long time, but said nothing. Why? Honestly, he didn't know what to believe.

He was grateful at Hermione's words which soothed and calmed him, "Thanks for helping my mother, I can only imagine your fear of Voldemort finding out."

In the room, Tom Riddle's heart beat disorderly. The thought that he had shared his body with Bella before his body was destroyed, and just recently, made him sick. He wished he had been loyal and wanted to ask for her forgiveness, maybe he should. Better, he would ask Lucius, he had more experience.

He had his love sitting with him. He might be repulsive to Jean, but he wanted her like before. He had never stopped wanting her. he breathed her in and wished that he wasn't aroused. He moved his hand up her thigh.

He could imagine the warmth of her sex, and the need to touch her grew and was painful. It was odd, he never had an arousal since he came back. The sex with Bella was magically fabricated, but he was seduced by the idea of feeling.

Not so now, no need for pretense, he was truly hard and throbbing. Still, he didn't want to force his body on hers.

He was certain that the brutal rape was still with her, so he only kissed her head. He couldn't help that he wanted her as much as he did that first time; his body shuddered, with very little contact he would come for the first time since he came back. His desire was fierce, and she noticed.

"Tom, I haven't had normal sex since I was with you last. Robert loved me, but not like that. We pleased each other with limitations. He had a great love, someone not from this country. He was murdered because he loved Robert. Poor Robert, such a tragic life."

He was angry on the spot, "No normal sex until that bastard McNair raped you" Yes, I know, no more killing." He held her tighter.

"I need to tell you, I was crazed with pain when they told me you were dead; I was so distraught that Bella got away with her crime, I was an idiot not to suspect." He wanted her badly, he wished he could ask, but how could he?

"My love, I won't ask you to be with me. Don't worry, I know you wouldn't want me. I am a monster after all." He sounded full of self-pity.

"You are wrong, I want you, and it angers me. I am leaving, but not because you look like this. Rather, because you are cold and hard, and discriminate those who you deemed inferior. But even worse you kill without remorse. The child you killed to come back, He was your daughter's friend, why, how?" She crossed arms, defying.

He cringed, but had no answer. Once again, he wished that he could be different for her. For now, he was grateful that she stayed sitting on his lap.

His mind went back to that first time. Thus, he held her tighter, aroused and sad. She let him and felt his hardness against her. Had he pressed she would have accepted him because she was hungry for him. If she closed her eyes, Tom looked like her beloved from long ago.

After much arguing he agreed to let them go. He still had the property he had bought from her parents. She knew that they would have to live quiet lives under a disguise, and accepted the limitations he demanded.

They left in the middle of the night. Though he allowed Hermione's most trusted friends to accompany them. She agreed to rotating guards. They were quiet and sullen and not known to Hermione. When she asked their names, they answered, "They are not important. What is important is that we will die to protect you."

Lucius asked Hermione to accept Brutus, the wolfhound who had turned into her shadow. He asked that Dobby went with them as well.

The day they left, Voldemort went into a state of inertia.

He didn't want to fight anymore and just sat pining away. He moved into the room where Jean and Hermione had stayed, and forbade anyone from changing their bed linens. Love had melted another chunk of his frozen heart.

His room filled with Pensives collected from all those who had been around his daughter, and he lived his life submerged in Pensives.

Power Shifts - New allegiances -

Winds of Peace-

Lucius was tired of war, Snape was the same. Mulciber was afraid to be punished for terrorizing Hermione. With McNair gone, others were afraid he would find out how they had helped Bellatrix.

Some of the Death Eaters wanted to fight, but most were dreading the future. Dolohov was neutral, he admired Tom's magic and would go either way. However, if there were peace, he was planning to bring his family over. They would stay with his half-sister while he found a suitable place.

While the Lestrange were loyal to him and would do as he said, Rodolphus's heart was now consumed with renewed jealousy. Though after he had seen Jean, he could understand Tom. He was now conflicted but glad that Bellatrix was no more. He was trying to figure out what to do, because, perversely, his jealousy was complex and went two ways.

One day, Tom, Lord Riddle, as he demanded to be called, made a decision. After watching Hermione's life, he figured out about the time changers and got a hold of a couple.

Meanwhile, Lucius brought back a scroll from Hermione. It was a formal and cold thank you note with directions to a Shaman deep in the Amazon's jungle. It is for my mother's sake's. She mourns the person you were. He is reputed to make the impossible happen...

He did just that, he located the Shaman, who in turn demanded that Tom undid a great wrong. Tom wanted to be whole, thus, armed with the Shaman's advice and a few items, he used the changers and went from place to place reclaiming most of the Horcruxes. "My advice will only work if love is the driving force,"were the Shaman's parting words. During his travels he also found time travel's limitations, and there were more than a few.

After a couple of months, Tom was nearly normal in appearance; the Shaman had been correct, love was partly responsible for the changes, which had begun before Tom's quest. As Lucius had smartly noticed, his hissing had stopped after seeing his witches. So it was that both wizards, Tom and Lucius became aware of love's healing powers.

While he time traveled, Tom didn't change anything, not after a few bad experiences. Those had made him afraid that he would never meet Jean or have his daughter if he made a wrong change. Not that it was always a choice, there were times just not open to him.

As to where Nagini was, nobody knew or dared to ask.

Voldemort finally decided to see his witches. Within a couple of months was handsome and whole, but for the slightly off skin tones. He still needed to collect a couple of Horcruxes because the limitations outside his control.

On the day he had chosen, he was very stressed, his hands trembled, thus, he asked Lucius, his right hand, to help him dress.

Lucius, whose job was to turn Tom into a gentleman, was now teaching Tom how to behave around his witches. He had also advised him in love matters.

"Lucius what should I buy for her? What should I tell her? I have no idea how to be around her. I was rather crass when I first met her. I need to to say the right words to express my feelings to my two loves." Tom looked at Lucius expectantly, he wasn't proud to reveal his feelings to Lucius. Tom was extremely intelligent and knew that he needed help with his witches.

"Tom, just show Jean how much you care, don't be proud, be candid, open your heart to her. Do the same with your daughter; it will pay." Lucius knew that lies or false praise would be a sure way to lose.

He taught Tom good table manners; how to do small things for his witches, some basic courtesy rules, and other miscellaneous trivia. However, Lucius knew that he could never change Tom's nature.

Moreover, keeping in mind that Malfoys mostly came out on top, he decided to be 100% loyal and to whatever needed to enforce Tom's law. It was not only smart but necessary.

"Do you have the flowers and the chocolates ready?" Tom asked after he was prepared to go. He looked like an anxious groom, never before so elegant, not a hair out place. He was even wearing a fragrance made by Severus for the occasion.

Yaxley who was within ear shot, thought he was hallucinating. Lucius noticed the looks all around at seeing Voldemort wearing fine wool and silk robes, along with a starched white shirt worn with a green and silver silk cravat. He was loaded with flowers, gift-wrapped packages, and a large box.

They had heard that today was the day, thus all hopped that it went well, afraid of his anger if it didn't.

Tom looked at the younger Death Eaters, "Be warned, each one of you, I hope to bring my daughter and her mother back with me. I know that most of you mistreated my child. Thus, at the lightest slight from your part, you and your families might go the same way of McNair."

He looked at Draco, "I have heard particularly bad reports about some of you that made her life miserable. I have also seen many Pensives of her life at Hogwarts, which are a source of concern."

Draco was wondering whose Pensives they were. He looked at those around him but nobody seemed to react.

"By the way, if young Draco wasn't Lucius' son, he would be long gone along with his goons, Crabbe and Goyle."

He said nothing else, readied to Apparate away loaded with his stash of gifts; however, at the last minute, he remembered something.

He 'talked' to Lucius who came back carrying two giant stuffed bears wearing southern Germany costumes. He had brought them from a recent trip to the shop in Nurenberg, along with other items.

When the others saw the bears, they were sure that Voldemort had lost it, and everyone was afraid for their futures and their lives.

"Erase those thoughts if you want to keep your dicks and bollocks attached to your persons. It will be wise to fear for your lives, hold that thought." He looked all around with such evil that made many hearts ache. He looked away and Apparated. Everyone was frozen waiting for his return.