AN: Happy New Year to everyone! I hope it is full of love, laughter, and success!

Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!

If Hermione wanted to defeat Judith Turner, she'd need help. No matter how hard she looked for facts or where she searched for information, she could find nothing on the fashion mogul. Despite extensive internet searches and countless newspaper articles, she knew as much about her as the day they met. The only thing Hermione had to show for her efforts was parchments and printed papers strewn about her kitchen table, making it impossible to dine on it. At some point she should box them, but where would she put the boxes where they wouldn't taunt her that Judith was with Severus, and not her?

She buried her head in her hands. An outsider would believe she was a possessive friend laying claim to a man who was undecided about his feelings for her, assuming his feelings existed at all. Yet, she could not expel the memory of Severus' lips pressed against hers, nor could she forget sitting with him on the Grand Staircase tower on his birthday after dinner. They had not kissed, but they had cuddled in order to keep each other warm. It was closer than she'd been to any man in years, both physically and emotionally. When she'd looked into his eyes, she saw the affection and desire for her, as well as the fear of her rejection. She loved him, and there was a good chance he may love her too.

Or did she imagine everything? For all she knew, he was considering the best way to create a potion which would treat seizures, not considering the depths of his feelings for her. He didn't respond when she'd slipped that she loved him. His silence may be his answer, even if it was one she didn't want to accept.

What if she was standing in the way of his true happiness? Perhaps he and Judith would make an excellent match, and she was an unnecessary complication. Judith was wealthy, well-connected, and did not have people mocking her for her disability. Was it fair to take such a beautiful woman away from Severus so he could spend his life with a woman whose leg was chronically spasming and in pain? Was Minerva correct in that he would grow to resent her for all the things she couldn't do? In five years, would he resent her for tying herself to him and costing him his chance of loving the perfect woman?

A leg spasm returned her attention to the moment. She sighed as she watched it shake. If she and Severus decided to become lovers, how long before he found her leg revolting and told her to either find a cure, or he would leave? She had promised herself no more treatments, and it was one she intended to keep. How long until Severus tested that resolve because he wanted to take walks on the Hogwarts grounds with her?

On the table was an upside edition of The Daily Prophet. It was bad enough she had to meditate on Severus going on a date with Judith tonight. Must she also endure a story about Ron, Lavender, and their perfect, non disabled baby?

How long before Severus thought of having his own child? He never mentioned wanting children, but with the right woman his opinions could change. He would want them to be non-disabled, so would that preclude her from being a potential mother to them? If she did have a disabled child, would he turn his back on them both? Could she put her child through the pain of a father's rejection?

"Ms. Granger?" A smooth voice called from the fireplace.

"Coming," she called as she used her walker to maneuver there. When she reached the fireplace, she stuck her head inside. "Thank you for coming on short notice."

"I didn't have much of a choice. You made it sound so urgent."

"It is of the utmost urgency," she backed away, allowing her guest to enter.

When he materialized, he brushed off his robes. His long, blond, perfectly styled hair flowed in the wind as he expelled the dust from his person. It was enough to elicit a pang of envy. Then again, even non disabled people envied Lucius' grace, so she was not unique in her sentiments.

"Before we continue," Lucius began. "Be aware I cannot discuss the job with you. If you mention it, I will leave immediately. The only reason I can discuss it with Severus is because he is technically an outsider. The same does not apply to you."

"I know, and I would never disrupt the process by trying to influence your vote," she stood up straighter. "This is more important than the job anyway."

"More important?" Lucius raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," she swallowed under his gaze. "I didn't think I'd need to call you concerning this. Severus needs us to help him."

"Severus always seems to need someone's help, whether he admits it or not. Nobody causes his own problems the way he does."

"This one isn't his own making, well, at least not entirely."

"This doesn't involve flying lessons, does it? If it does I must leave and allow you two to handle the fallout."

"Oh for the love of Merlin, I'm not a corrupt Slytherin," she snapped. "I don't want to influence the job process. I want to help Severus in his personal life."

"Have you discussed the problem with him?"

"He doesn't believe there's a problem."

"Perhaps this emergency exists in your head then." He turned to the fireplace.

"Then you'll be able to put my mind at ease," she argued.

"And how would I go about doing that?"

"Who is Judith Turner?"

"Judith Tuner?" He drawled.

"Yes," she replied. "Severus is dating a woman named Judith Turner, and I can't find anything on her past. I want to know who she is and what she wants."

He smirked. "I always thought you were a rule-abiding Gryffindor who didn't perform searches on rivals, yet this plan is downright Slytherin of you. Are you sure you were sorted into the right house?"

"I'm positive."

"Really, because most Slytherins would turn to a blackmail scheme, and wouldn't care how may rules they broke."

"When it comes to my career, I will follow the rules. When it comes to protecting Severus though, I will use any method possible to ensure his safety." She put more of her weight on her right leg as her left began shaking harder.

"And you think he's in danger?" Lucius asked.

"I don't know," she admitted. "But if we could sit I can explain everything."

"The amusement factor alone will be worth my time anyway." He strolled over to the sofa and sat upon it.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hermione glared at him as she sat on her leather recliner.

"It means I've never seen a woman jealous over someone Severus is dating, nor did I ever think I would. It is an interesting sight, one I would like to continue to gaze upon."

Hermione sighed and shook her head. Perhaps this plan wasn't as well thought out as she believed. Too late to turn back now though.

"Tell me, why do you think Ms. Turner is a danger to him?" Lucius asked.

"When I first met Judith, I was at the Leaky Cauldron with Severus. She rudely interrupted our lunch."

"So you're angry that she spit on your sandwich."

"No, I left before I could eat. I," she swallowed. "I didn't want to see how well their date was going to go."

"Interesting." he scratched his chin.

"Before I left, Rosmerta told me to watch my back around her."

"So you're upset with Ms. Turner because she didn't let you finish your lunch, and she makes the bartender uncomfortable."

"There were other incidents."

"Like?"

"Last December, she attended the faculty Christmas party. She walked in right after Severus and I had had a dance."

"So the danger she poses is that she continues interrupting your time with Severus."

"No, there's more," Hermione argued. "After the evening was over, Neville told me he didn't trust her, and I shouldn't either."

"Right now it sounds like you're tired of being interrupted, and instead of facing your emotions, you want to blackmail her into leaving you alone," Lucius' lips curled up. "I cannot say I disagree with those tactics. In fact, they're impressive."

"This isn't just about her interrupting me. People are telling me she's not up to any good. If she's using Severus to get to me, then he could be harmed as collateral damage. I don't want that," her throat constricted. "I never want him to suffer because of me."

"So instead of being a Gryffindor about the whole thing and expressing your concerns as well as your feelings towards him, you are going with the Slytherin tactic of destroying your rival and swooping in to pick up the pieces of Severus' heart."

"Have you been listening to me?" She snapped. "People have been warning me about her. They're saying I need to protect Severus. That's what I'm doing now."

"Yes, I've been listening," Lucius answered. "You're upset because you have a rival for Severus' affections and feel you must take matters into your own hands. Since you are too afraid to confess your feelings, you're going with a more indirect route to eliminate your rival."

"This isn't about a rivalry. This is about protection. I've tried researching Judith, and I'm finding nothing."

"My you are committed to this conspiracy theory that Ms. Turner is out to destroy you and Severus needs protection from the fallout." He chuckled.

"I," she slumped. "I should let Severus be happy with her, shouldn't I?"

"Well, my feelings on the matter are," Lucius paused as his eyes fell on her wrist. "What is that?"

"This?"

"Yes, that."

She held up her arm, allowing her guest to see her golden bracelet with the dangling emerald heart. "It's something Severus gave me last Christmas."

Lucius's eyes grew big. "He gave you that bracelet?"

She nodded.

"He gave you the one piece of jewelry his mother kept from her youth, and you think you need my help to dispose of a romantic rival?"

"Wait," she examined the heart. "I knew his mother owned this, but I didn't know it was the only piece she had from her youth."

"Yes, it's the one thing she managed to hide from Tobias when he wanted to pawn her possessions, the one thing she made sure to keep in the Prince family. It was something given to her by her own mother, who had received it from her own mother. That is the one authentic Prince heirloom Severus has left."

"It sounds special then," she kept her eyes on it, wondering what it would've taken to keep it hidden, and how Severus and his mother had managed to do so for so long.

"Are you afraid she has recently doused Severus with a love potion?" Lucius asked with no humor in his voice.

"No, Severus is too intelligent not to know the symptoms of a love potion. He would know how to combat it if he ever suspected he was drugged."

"True."

"Do you think Judith is holding something over him, something that makes him return to her despite giving you priceless family heirlooms?"

"From what I understand, he only remains with her because of the bet. She's pleasant to date, and he doesn't want to subject himself to anyone else."

"Has he said anything else about her, anything else which implies he has any affection towards her?" Her voice sounded much more pathetic than she'd intended. Then again, she'd been nothing short of pathetic all evening.

"He tells me very little about her," Lucius admitted. "To be blunt, he believes the relationship is casual at best, an annoyance at worst."

"I don't think she understands that," Hermione slouched. "She gave him a cauldron with the New York skyline engraved upon it as a belated birthday present."

"Did he keep it?"

"He asked me if he should, and I told him it was too beautiful to discard."

"Wait, you're deciding which gifts he keeps?"

"No, he just asks for my advice."

"Okay," Lucius pinched the bridge of his nose. "You two are overcomplicating things."

"How?" Her leg spasms became more violent.

"Isn't it obvious? He is a man in love with you, and you are a woman in love with him. If you two would share your feelings this whole Judith thing would be resolved. You two would ride off into the sunset, and could spend as much time together as you wanted. Neither of you would need to fear being interrupted again."

"But Severus said he's too damaged to love."

"He also said he was going to keep that bracelet stowed in his vault until the day he died, yet it is on your wrist."

"It is a beautiful bracelet," she took another glance at it.

"It is a lovely bracelet for a woman he loves," his voice softened.

"What if he decides it would be better on Judith's wrist?"

"If he believed that, it would either be on her wrist, or in the vault so he could give it to her."

"That bodes well for me, but perhaps not for him. What if she is the kind of woman to get angry if she feels she's been double-crossed? Could she try to harm Severus if he told her he desired a cripple over her?"

"i believe she would be upset for a few days, but so many men fawn over her she would find another in little time at all."

"She seems overly interested in Severus."

"Is it so difficult to believe she could see in him the things you do?"

"No," she shook her head. "I don't know why more people don't see the Severus I do. If they did, they would realize he's an easy man to love."

"He only shows you that man because he loves you enough to be vulnerable," Lucius' voice was gentle. "You've earned his trust, loyalty, and his love. That is why he's willing to expose his deepest desires to you, and why he'd willing to give you such sentimental and expensive jewelry."

"Even if he does love me, you have to admit a woman with no past is odd."

"True," he admitted. "Come to think of it, I know little of her life before she created her skin care empire. It never hurts to have protection against someone, especially if there's a chance they could fly into a jealous rage at your best friend."

"So you'll investigate her past?"

"It's piqued my interest anyway. It's been quite some time since I've blackmailed anyone. I wouldn't want to get too out of practice."

"Wait, you want to blackmail someone?"

"Not at this precise moment, but one should always plan for the future."

"Would you blackmail me for having this meeting?"

He huffed, "If I did I would not be much longer for the world. Severus would not rest until I was destroyed if I ever hut you."

"Could it change Severus' affection for me?"

"Nothing I could say or find out about you would change Severus' affection for you. He will defend you from anyone by any means possible."

She twisted her lower lip, wanting to believe his words, yet finding it difficult to do so.

"Let me put this in a way even an insecure dunderhead can understand," he continued. "At our New Years Party, he spent much more time talking about you than anyone else. His first priority is you, and has been for years, though he's too terrified to admit it."

"I haven't been a priority for anyone in years," she didn't dare say that she hadn't been a priority for anyone other than her parents.

"You are the highest priority for Severus. Why else would he spend so much time helping you learn to fly if he cared nothing for you?"

"He doesn't want anyone else to have that job because they'll mock him?"

"If that was his main concern, he'd apply for the position himself," Lucius replied. "He loves you, and just as importantly, you love him."

She gulped.

"You are imperfect, as is Severus. The question is are you perfect for each other."

"He's perfect for me," she fidgeted. "I couldn't think of a man more perfect for me than him."

"Then be a Gryffindor and go after what you want. Talk to him and tell him how you feel. I promise, you won't regret it."

"Okay."

Lucius stood. "I'll look up what I can on Judith Turner, but you won't need anything I can give you to win his love. Severus will run to your side the second you tell him you want him there."

Before she could respond, Lucius took out the floo powder, called out his address, and left. For a few long moments Hermione sat in her chair, wondering if she'd ever find the courage to tell Severus how deeply her love ran.