A Muddy Secret
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Lucius/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
20
Views:
20,436
Reviews:
219
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Lucius/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
20
Views:
20,436
Reviews:
219
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter XII
Lovely Reviewers:
HermioneMalfoyFan - Only if Hermione finds out.
LaBibliographe - I think it was the shock of realizing that he could have lost his son that caused the reaction as much as anything. I quite agree. For a response about Voldemort. Scroll down. Hopefully my loserness doesn't frighten you too badly.
meankitty69 - Voldemort is rather curse happy, isn't he?
Lyssander - Indeed.
Heidi191976 - To learn of Bellatrix, scroll down to the next partition. I offer a short explanation here and a longer one on my author bio page. Hopefully my loserness doesn't frighten you too badly.
LadyVoldemort87 - I hope he took it like a man ought to. *bows and bows* Thank you! Well, Abraxas got a wake up call.
Laur - It'll make sense at the end. I hope.
Utopia - You don't know how big of a loser yet. IRONY IS COOL! For Voldemort's looks explained, read the next partition below, (and then you will know what an e-fucking-normous loser I really am). *smiles rocking nervously* I had him react that way because he finally realized what he'd done, and realized his son could die. Hope my loserness doesn't frighten you off.
Apple - Don't count on it.
~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~
Hello Loves,
Several important questions were asked in reviews, some by more than one person. I will address them as a whole because I do not want to type the explanation twice. Yes, this is AU/AR, but I like to keep a good portion of her reality in here. I hope you aren’t annoyed by the length of explanations. I think about HP far more than what might be considered healthy. *nervous laugh* You will believe that after reading it.
In regard to Bellatrix: I understand your question. If you don’t want to read the whole response, I understand. The short of the long is Bella is the oldest (1951) and should have been gone a year or two before Marauder era assuming that she failed no grades. For a longer explanation, read on author bio page.
In regard to Voldemort: I concede that I may have made him a bit overboard in my description of him, but I don’t believe entirely so. “Dabbling” in the dark arts changed his looks. As stated in the HBP Chapter 20 (I think this is the right chapter), his looks were starting to go as early as 1955. 1955 was when Dumbledore became headmaster of Hogwarts, and Tom went to apply for a job with him. He is described as “waxy and distorted” and the whites of his eyes looked “permanently bloody.”
I am fairly certain that that is the correct chapter. Apologies if it's wrong.
~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~
Well, now that some of you know what a loser I am. Read on if you like. As stated, earlier, it is much longer.
~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~
Where was he? It was half past eleven.
Hermione paced the length of the common room pinching her lips and looking at the clock every two to three minutes.
She bit her lip and strode around the central fireplace in the room in circles.
Where was he? It was getting closer to midnight.
“Hermione,” a timid male voice ventured.
Hermione spun and stared into the shadows surrounding the common room. A pair of black eyes was watching her.
“Severus.”
“What’s wrong? You’ve been pacing for a long time. And before that, you were just holding a book on your lap.”
“I’m worried about Lucius.”
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know. He had to leave the grounds tonight to do something for his father. He said he could be late. But that was,” Hermione said as the tears blurred everything in her eyes. “That was yesterday. I’m worried.”
“Lucius is a survivor. For the most part, he’s been taking care of himself since he was a little kid.”
“What do you mean? He has a mum and dad.”
“He never told you?” Severus asked, shifting from one foot to the other and staring into the fire to avoid Hermione’s eyes.
“Told me what?”
“Nothing.”
“Told me what, Severus?”
“It’s not my place to say.”
“Please, tell me Severus. I’m losing my mind.”
“His mum died less than a week after he was born, and his father is a drunkard who ignored him most of his life. He met his father the first time when he was four years old and was kicked out of the room within five minutes. Most of the time he spent with the house elves just to have company. He always goes shopping for his school stuff alone, even when he was just eleven. That is just what he’s told me. I guarantee that there is more.”
Hermione was crying as Severus told her this.
“Why didn’t he tell me?”
“Lucius isn’t one to whinge about his poor family life. He wants people to believe that it is bliss at home. But it obviously can’t be too stellar. Even the professors have to be aware. He stays here every holiday like me. If home was so wonderful, why not return to it as much as possible?”
Hermione slid into a chair as tears flowed.
“He’ll be fine. You should go to bed.”
Hermione shook her head before speaking, “I told him that I would wait for him.”
“I’ll wait with you then.”
“Thank you, Severus.”
~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~
Click-Click-Click-Click. Click-Click-Click-Click. Hermione drummed her nails against the ebony wood of the small table to her right as she stared into the flames.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock. The clocks ceaseless ticking was only a reminder of how slowly time was going and how often she looked at it.
“Severus,” Hermione tried.
Severus inclined his head to her and leaned forward to show he was listening.
“He was scared when he left.”
Severus didn’t react any more than leaning back in the chair. He wouldn’t make Hermione hysterical.
“I’m going to go and look for him,” Hermione announced half a minute later. “I can’t stand to sit here another moment.”
“You’ll get Slytherin in trouble.”
“I’m not going to get caught,” Hermione snapped, summoning a cloak and wrapping it tightly around her shoulders.
“I’m staying here.”
“Tell Lucius if he gets here, that I went to look for him.”
Severus inclined his head and sat back in the chair content to wait and see when Lucius turned up.
Hermione walked out of the common room after disillusioning herself. She ran up the corridor as quietly as she could, waving her wand that had a soft light glowing at the tip at every shadow.
Nothing in the dungeon. Nothing on the stairs to the entrance hall. Nothing in the entrance hall.
Hermione shoved the door open and pulled it mostly closed behind her as she ran down the fields waving her wand searching for Lucius. She didn’t dare call out for him. She could be found.
“AWOOOOO!”
Hermione leapt away when she heard the sound and stared at the tree she was close to in terror. Twin yellow eyes stared at her.
The whomping willow’s branches were beginning to twist until a giant limb smashed the ground six inches from Hermione. Hermione leapt back and the branches continued to wail in the air furiously.
Hermione searched the area by the tree and saw nothing.
Where was Lucius?
Hermione ran from the tree and continued the search. She was approaching the gate.
“LUCIUS!” Hermione screamed when she saw him dropping the disillusionment charm inadvertently in her fear as she ran toward the gate.
His face was bleeding a little and his hair was a mess and he was covered in mud and his chest rose and fell shallowly with each breath.
He hung limp in the arms of a tall blonde, bearded man.
Hermione aimed her wand at the man holding Lucius.
“Relashio!” she said as her face contorted in rage.
The man was blasted back thirty feet from Lucius. Hermione swished and flicked her wand at Lucius saying the levitation charm in her head. He hung in the air surrounded by a soft golden light as if dozens of faeries were holding him. She levitated him over Hogwarts gate and rested his body on the ground on some soft grass.
The bearded man had managed to get up and was looking at her wand tip pointed at him through the gate.
“What did you do to him?”
“I didn’t do that. My—” he said, staring at where his son rested in the soft grass.
“You stay away from him,” Hermione said in a low voice brandishing her wand at him. “If you hurt Lucius, I will find you.”
“My son,” the man whispered.
“Never concerned you before,” Hermione said, jabbing her wand in direction again. “Get out!”
The bearded man stared through the bars of the gate at his boy, the only part of his wife that he had. Lucius was hurt because of his father.
“GET OUT!” Hermione screamed not caring at the moment if she woke the castle.
The man disapparated after stooping to pick up his wand. Tears were in his eyes when he left.
As soon as he was gone, Hermione waved her wand in the air.
“Cave Inimicum.” Hermione said, falling to the ground next to Lucius.
“Lucius, Lucius!” Hermione said, brushing a hand over his cheek. “Wake up. WAKE UP!”
Lucius didn’t respond to her. Not a muscle twitched as he laid in the grass.
Feeling the adrenaline pumping through her chest, Hermione began carefully moving her wand over him checking for serious injury. Almost every muscle in his body was strained, and he had several dozen tiny fractures in his ribs. No serious damage to his internal organs though.
“Cough, cough,” Lucius coughed, spitting out a little blood as his eyes opened a slit. “H-H.”
“Lucius, shush. Don’t talk. I’m right here with you. I’m going to levitate you to the castle. You need to go to Madam Pomfrey.”
“No!” he managed to get out forcefully as some more blood dripped from his chin. “Take me to Slytherin. Please, take me to Slytherin. Severus will know what to do.”
“You sh—”
“Slytherin House.”
Hermione nodded and levitated him gently and moved as carefully as she could to be sure that Lucius was safe.
“AWOOOO!”
Lucius’ mouth trembled at the sound.
“Were-werewolf,” he managed.
“We’re safe,” Hermione assured him. “That creature is far from being able to hurt us.”
He accepted this as he had no other choice, and Hermione carefully maneuvered them into the castle and down the dungeon stairs swiftly to the common room.
“Parselmouth.”
The wall rose and Hermione moved them through it.
“Severus,” Hermione called.
The twelve-year old boy stood from where he’d been sitting contemplating what had become of Lucius.
“What happened Lucius?”
“Cru-Cruciatus curse.”
“Hermione, take him to your room. I must get potions.”
Hermione stared at the boy as he issued orders confidently.
“Draw a bath for him,” Severus added as he disappeared down the boys’ hall.
Peering around the corner carefully and seeing no one, Hermione got to her room quickly.
She placed Lucius gently on the bed and pressed her lips to his temple before whispering to him.
“I am going to draw a bath for you.”
Lucius nodded. She was an angel.
Hermione moved about her bathroom quickly turning the knobs to get a nice warm bath flowing for him. She looked at the relaxation bubble-bath but decided not to add any.
A soft knock at her door announced the arrival of Severus.
“Who is it?” Hermione asked.
“Severus.”
“Prove it,” Hermione demanded.
“You saved me from three Gryffindors, Potter, Pettigrew, and Black, when I was hanging from the one-eyed, hump-backed witch.”
“Come in.”
“Lucius,” Severus said, approaching the bed.
He held three vials of potions in one hand, a robe tossed over his arm, and his wand in the other.
“I’ll take care of his bath,” Severus said quietly, swishing and flicking his wand at the muddy boy on the bed.
Hermione nodded.
"He will stay here tonight. I will keep watch over him."
Severus nodded agreement as he moved the incapacitated blonde into the bathroom. Hermione leapt after them when she heard Lucius’ cry of pain.
Severus shook his head at her and shut the door.
Hermione paced nervously about her room. She removed the mud from the bed with a simple spell. She pulled the covers back so Lucius could be slid under them easily. She fluffed the pillows. The whole time she carried on these meaningless tasks, she kept her hearing strained to hear what was going on in the bathroom.
About half an hour later, Severus re-emerged this time Lucius was a bit more alert and had an arm slung around Severus’ shoulders. Hermione rushed to them and slid her arm about his waist and his arm about her shoulder.
“Are you going to be alright?” Hermione asked, looking up at Lucius’ healed face.
“I need sleep.”
“Of course,” Hermione whispered. “You shall stay here so I can keep watch over you.”
Lucius managed a weak nod.
“I shall check on you after I have some sleep, Lucius.”
Lucius nodded his thanks to the boy. He was lucky to have befriended such a talented wizard. He couldn’t have gone to the infirmary with the burned flesh on his left forearm. He could have been in bad shape. He was lucky to have Hermione who came looking for him and found him in his father’s arms. He scowled at the thought. He could have ended up in serious trouble if she hadn’t come.
“Will he be okay?” Hermione asked as she opened the door for Severus who held the headboy’s soiled clothing.
“Yes, but he must rest. Lucius is a survivor. It will be no different this time.”
“Thank you, Severus.”
Severus’ brows rose, and his eyes widened.
“For what? Lucius is like a brother to me.”
“You don’t hear it enough. Thank you, for everything,” Hermione said, reaching out and wrapping her arms around the younger boy.
Severus stiffened and waited until she released him.
“I’ll be by in the morning after breakfast. I will sneak food down here for both of you. Lucius ought not to be left unattended.”
Hermione nodded to the somber boy before he walked away.
She turned to Lucius shutting the door. He was already fast asleep. She took a seat on the bed next to him and brushed his hair back.
Why was he subjected to the cruciatus curse? What father let that happen to their child?
Seeing Lucius safe allowed her body to relax, and she noticed the aches of her own. The pangs worry caused. She blinked her eyes several times before lifting her legs up onto the bed to be comfortable. Reclining next to him and putting her head on a pillow couldn’t hurt, could it? Before Hermione knew it happened she was asleep.
~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~
I hope that this was enjoyable. Drop me a review. Apologies if the explanations are too thorough. I tried to take out what was my personal opinions about some of it. If you want to talk about it, I am willing.
~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~
HermioneMalfoyFan - Only if Hermione finds out.
LaBibliographe - I think it was the shock of realizing that he could have lost his son that caused the reaction as much as anything. I quite agree. For a response about Voldemort. Scroll down. Hopefully my loserness doesn't frighten you too badly.
meankitty69 - Voldemort is rather curse happy, isn't he?
Lyssander - Indeed.
Heidi191976 - To learn of Bellatrix, scroll down to the next partition. I offer a short explanation here and a longer one on my author bio page. Hopefully my loserness doesn't frighten you too badly.
LadyVoldemort87 - I hope he took it like a man ought to. *bows and bows* Thank you! Well, Abraxas got a wake up call.
Laur - It'll make sense at the end. I hope.
Utopia - You don't know how big of a loser yet. IRONY IS COOL! For Voldemort's looks explained, read the next partition below, (and then you will know what an e-fucking-normous loser I really am). *smiles rocking nervously* I had him react that way because he finally realized what he'd done, and realized his son could die. Hope my loserness doesn't frighten you off.
Apple - Don't count on it.
~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~
Hello Loves,
Several important questions were asked in reviews, some by more than one person. I will address them as a whole because I do not want to type the explanation twice. Yes, this is AU/AR, but I like to keep a good portion of her reality in here. I hope you aren’t annoyed by the length of explanations. I think about HP far more than what might be considered healthy. *nervous laugh* You will believe that after reading it.
In regard to Bellatrix: I understand your question. If you don’t want to read the whole response, I understand. The short of the long is Bella is the oldest (1951) and should have been gone a year or two before Marauder era assuming that she failed no grades. For a longer explanation, read on author bio page.
In regard to Voldemort: I concede that I may have made him a bit overboard in my description of him, but I don’t believe entirely so. “Dabbling” in the dark arts changed his looks. As stated in the HBP Chapter 20 (I think this is the right chapter), his looks were starting to go as early as 1955. 1955 was when Dumbledore became headmaster of Hogwarts, and Tom went to apply for a job with him. He is described as “waxy and distorted” and the whites of his eyes looked “permanently bloody.”
I am fairly certain that that is the correct chapter. Apologies if it's wrong.
~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~
Well, now that some of you know what a loser I am. Read on if you like. As stated, earlier, it is much longer.
~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~
Where was he? It was half past eleven.
Hermione paced the length of the common room pinching her lips and looking at the clock every two to three minutes.
She bit her lip and strode around the central fireplace in the room in circles.
Where was he? It was getting closer to midnight.
“Hermione,” a timid male voice ventured.
Hermione spun and stared into the shadows surrounding the common room. A pair of black eyes was watching her.
“Severus.”
“What’s wrong? You’ve been pacing for a long time. And before that, you were just holding a book on your lap.”
“I’m worried about Lucius.”
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know. He had to leave the grounds tonight to do something for his father. He said he could be late. But that was,” Hermione said as the tears blurred everything in her eyes. “That was yesterday. I’m worried.”
“Lucius is a survivor. For the most part, he’s been taking care of himself since he was a little kid.”
“What do you mean? He has a mum and dad.”
“He never told you?” Severus asked, shifting from one foot to the other and staring into the fire to avoid Hermione’s eyes.
“Told me what?”
“Nothing.”
“Told me what, Severus?”
“It’s not my place to say.”
“Please, tell me Severus. I’m losing my mind.”
“His mum died less than a week after he was born, and his father is a drunkard who ignored him most of his life. He met his father the first time when he was four years old and was kicked out of the room within five minutes. Most of the time he spent with the house elves just to have company. He always goes shopping for his school stuff alone, even when he was just eleven. That is just what he’s told me. I guarantee that there is more.”
Hermione was crying as Severus told her this.
“Why didn’t he tell me?”
“Lucius isn’t one to whinge about his poor family life. He wants people to believe that it is bliss at home. But it obviously can’t be too stellar. Even the professors have to be aware. He stays here every holiday like me. If home was so wonderful, why not return to it as much as possible?”
Hermione slid into a chair as tears flowed.
“He’ll be fine. You should go to bed.”
Hermione shook her head before speaking, “I told him that I would wait for him.”
“I’ll wait with you then.”
“Thank you, Severus.”
~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~*~-~
Click-Click-Click-Click. Click-Click-Click-Click. Hermione drummed her nails against the ebony wood of the small table to her right as she stared into the flames.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock. The clocks ceaseless ticking was only a reminder of how slowly time was going and how often she looked at it.
“Severus,” Hermione tried.
Severus inclined his head to her and leaned forward to show he was listening.
“He was scared when he left.”
Severus didn’t react any more than leaning back in the chair. He wouldn’t make Hermione hysterical.
“I’m going to go and look for him,” Hermione announced half a minute later. “I can’t stand to sit here another moment.”
“You’ll get Slytherin in trouble.”
“I’m not going to get caught,” Hermione snapped, summoning a cloak and wrapping it tightly around her shoulders.
“I’m staying here.”
“Tell Lucius if he gets here, that I went to look for him.”
Severus inclined his head and sat back in the chair content to wait and see when Lucius turned up.
Hermione walked out of the common room after disillusioning herself. She ran up the corridor as quietly as she could, waving her wand that had a soft light glowing at the tip at every shadow.
Nothing in the dungeon. Nothing on the stairs to the entrance hall. Nothing in the entrance hall.
Hermione shoved the door open and pulled it mostly closed behind her as she ran down the fields waving her wand searching for Lucius. She didn’t dare call out for him. She could be found.
“AWOOOOO!”
Hermione leapt away when she heard the sound and stared at the tree she was close to in terror. Twin yellow eyes stared at her.
The whomping willow’s branches were beginning to twist until a giant limb smashed the ground six inches from Hermione. Hermione leapt back and the branches continued to wail in the air furiously.
Hermione searched the area by the tree and saw nothing.
Where was Lucius?
Hermione ran from the tree and continued the search. She was approaching the gate.
“LUCIUS!” Hermione screamed when she saw him dropping the disillusionment charm inadvertently in her fear as she ran toward the gate.
His face was bleeding a little and his hair was a mess and he was covered in mud and his chest rose and fell shallowly with each breath.
He hung limp in the arms of a tall blonde, bearded man.
Hermione aimed her wand at the man holding Lucius.
“Relashio!” she said as her face contorted in rage.
The man was blasted back thirty feet from Lucius. Hermione swished and flicked her wand at Lucius saying the levitation charm in her head. He hung in the air surrounded by a soft golden light as if dozens of faeries were holding him. She levitated him over Hogwarts gate and rested his body on the ground on some soft grass.
The bearded man had managed to get up and was looking at her wand tip pointed at him through the gate.
“What did you do to him?”
“I didn’t do that. My—” he said, staring at where his son rested in the soft grass.
“You stay away from him,” Hermione said in a low voice brandishing her wand at him. “If you hurt Lucius, I will find you.”
“My son,” the man whispered.
“Never concerned you before,” Hermione said, jabbing her wand in direction again. “Get out!”
The bearded man stared through the bars of the gate at his boy, the only part of his wife that he had. Lucius was hurt because of his father.
“GET OUT!” Hermione screamed not caring at the moment if she woke the castle.
The man disapparated after stooping to pick up his wand. Tears were in his eyes when he left.
As soon as he was gone, Hermione waved her wand in the air.
“Cave Inimicum.” Hermione said, falling to the ground next to Lucius.
“Lucius, Lucius!” Hermione said, brushing a hand over his cheek. “Wake up. WAKE UP!”
Lucius didn’t respond to her. Not a muscle twitched as he laid in the grass.
Feeling the adrenaline pumping through her chest, Hermione began carefully moving her wand over him checking for serious injury. Almost every muscle in his body was strained, and he had several dozen tiny fractures in his ribs. No serious damage to his internal organs though.
“Cough, cough,” Lucius coughed, spitting out a little blood as his eyes opened a slit. “H-H.”
“Lucius, shush. Don’t talk. I’m right here with you. I’m going to levitate you to the castle. You need to go to Madam Pomfrey.”
“No!” he managed to get out forcefully as some more blood dripped from his chin. “Take me to Slytherin. Please, take me to Slytherin. Severus will know what to do.”
“You sh—”
“Slytherin House.”
Hermione nodded and levitated him gently and moved as carefully as she could to be sure that Lucius was safe.
“AWOOOO!”
Lucius’ mouth trembled at the sound.
“Were-werewolf,” he managed.
“We’re safe,” Hermione assured him. “That creature is far from being able to hurt us.”
He accepted this as he had no other choice, and Hermione carefully maneuvered them into the castle and down the dungeon stairs swiftly to the common room.
“Parselmouth.”
The wall rose and Hermione moved them through it.
“Severus,” Hermione called.
The twelve-year old boy stood from where he’d been sitting contemplating what had become of Lucius.
“What happened Lucius?”
“Cru-Cruciatus curse.”
“Hermione, take him to your room. I must get potions.”
Hermione stared at the boy as he issued orders confidently.
“Draw a bath for him,” Severus added as he disappeared down the boys’ hall.
Peering around the corner carefully and seeing no one, Hermione got to her room quickly.
She placed Lucius gently on the bed and pressed her lips to his temple before whispering to him.
“I am going to draw a bath for you.”
Lucius nodded. She was an angel.
Hermione moved about her bathroom quickly turning the knobs to get a nice warm bath flowing for him. She looked at the relaxation bubble-bath but decided not to add any.
A soft knock at her door announced the arrival of Severus.
“Who is it?” Hermione asked.
“Severus.”
“Prove it,” Hermione demanded.
“You saved me from three Gryffindors, Potter, Pettigrew, and Black, when I was hanging from the one-eyed, hump-backed witch.”
“Come in.”
“Lucius,” Severus said, approaching the bed.
He held three vials of potions in one hand, a robe tossed over his arm, and his wand in the other.
“I’ll take care of his bath,” Severus said quietly, swishing and flicking his wand at the muddy boy on the bed.
Hermione nodded.
"He will stay here tonight. I will keep watch over him."
Severus nodded agreement as he moved the incapacitated blonde into the bathroom. Hermione leapt after them when she heard Lucius’ cry of pain.
Severus shook his head at her and shut the door.
Hermione paced nervously about her room. She removed the mud from the bed with a simple spell. She pulled the covers back so Lucius could be slid under them easily. She fluffed the pillows. The whole time she carried on these meaningless tasks, she kept her hearing strained to hear what was going on in the bathroom.
About half an hour later, Severus re-emerged this time Lucius was a bit more alert and had an arm slung around Severus’ shoulders. Hermione rushed to them and slid her arm about his waist and his arm about her shoulder.
“Are you going to be alright?” Hermione asked, looking up at Lucius’ healed face.
“I need sleep.”
“Of course,” Hermione whispered. “You shall stay here so I can keep watch over you.”
Lucius managed a weak nod.
“I shall check on you after I have some sleep, Lucius.”
Lucius nodded his thanks to the boy. He was lucky to have befriended such a talented wizard. He couldn’t have gone to the infirmary with the burned flesh on his left forearm. He could have been in bad shape. He was lucky to have Hermione who came looking for him and found him in his father’s arms. He scowled at the thought. He could have ended up in serious trouble if she hadn’t come.
“Will he be okay?” Hermione asked as she opened the door for Severus who held the headboy’s soiled clothing.
“Yes, but he must rest. Lucius is a survivor. It will be no different this time.”
“Thank you, Severus.”
Severus’ brows rose, and his eyes widened.
“For what? Lucius is like a brother to me.”
“You don’t hear it enough. Thank you, for everything,” Hermione said, reaching out and wrapping her arms around the younger boy.
Severus stiffened and waited until she released him.
“I’ll be by in the morning after breakfast. I will sneak food down here for both of you. Lucius ought not to be left unattended.”
Hermione nodded to the somber boy before he walked away.
She turned to Lucius shutting the door. He was already fast asleep. She took a seat on the bed next to him and brushed his hair back.
Why was he subjected to the cruciatus curse? What father let that happen to their child?
Seeing Lucius safe allowed her body to relax, and she noticed the aches of her own. The pangs worry caused. She blinked her eyes several times before lifting her legs up onto the bed to be comfortable. Reclining next to him and putting her head on a pillow couldn’t hurt, could it? Before Hermione knew it happened she was asleep.
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I hope that this was enjoyable. Drop me a review. Apologies if the explanations are too thorough. I tried to take out what was my personal opinions about some of it. If you want to talk about it, I am willing.
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