If You Go Down To The Woods Today

Pittwitch: Thank you, I simply love keeping the imagination roaming. And thank you for reviewing.



Catysmom: Well, I love her with either equally. I hope this answers some questions.



Wicraven: Thank you. Here is the update.



Mary: She’s waiting for something from Lucius. I hope you like this one.



Lilbitbord: Yep, but I don’t do easy. Hermione wants some sort of confirmation. As for Lucius – well – he’s not very good with feelings.



La Bibliographe: You better hide that nose further in the Prophet, hon, because it’s still growing. Sorry, but Snape AND Lucius has a good hold on me each. That raven haired lothario, as you described has me wrapped around in his tight wonderful embrace and I don’t care! And La Bib, Lucius Malfoy canon is NOT a nice guy. But I still love him for my sins. And yes, the pickles definitely in her all right. I believe that Snape is a nice guy underneath all that and I would LOVE it if Harry found out Snape did like him as a baby. As for dumping Severus... NO WAY! Sorry, I love him too much. And you can protect that turf all you want, honey, I’m still in love with Severus.



Dee Dee: Writing that scene brought a lump to my throat. I love that you picked up on it. As for Lily and the Ghosts... well I hope this answers your question. And your right – Severus won’t go quietly. As for Blaise and Draco – well, I have someone in mind for Blaise; so don’t feel too sorry for him.



Gaps of Misery: I’ll sum it up for you hey – Hermione is in a fix, she’s in love with two men and don’t know which one she wants. Lily wants Hermione to be with Severus but Draco wants Hermione to be with his father (possibly for other reasons) and – okay, so my summing up has me just as confused. Don’t worry; everything will turn out fine! And I loved your rant about Dumping Severus... that was my reaction.



DB1: So, you’re rooting for Severus. I hope you like this one.



Northstar: I agree they both could give her different things but she has to have one of them. The question remains: “Who is the best for her?” She can only have one of them.



Kira: Lucius or Severus? I’m in the same mess. And yes, I’ve wanted to use Lily for a while. And those are very good questions. But I think I am going to give you a question to think over: “Who is Blaise going to end up with?” I hope you like this next chapter.



J: Well, really... I am so pleased you feel that strongly.



Erin: Don’t worry about Blaise, I have someone lined up for him, there is a spot of bother about Draco though... I am pleased you like this story.



Secret’s Out



Ron was sitting at the Gryffindor table looking at Pansy slightly forlornly as she was talking to Millicent. His eyes narrowed at her. The past week was fun. She had shown him things that he never thought he’d do and he loved them. He loved doing them to her, and he loved her doing them to him. He had even begun to dream about them together as an old couple with grandchildren.



Hermione was too busy moping. It had been three weeks since her life had become a mess. She looked at the two men at the table that had made her life a living hell. Her eyes narrowed at the raven haired one. He had not only changed for that one lesson he had permanently changed.



He smiled at everyone in the hallway, he had offered Neville Longbottom private tutor in Potions, and he kept pestering her with questions on the latest theories, which stopped amusing her fellow classmates and started to freak them out instead. Her peers began to feel sorry for her because Professor Malfoy was just as attentive. What had made everyone raise their eyebrows was the fact that Malfoy Jr was hanging around her a lot. It seemed nowadays that wherever Hermione was she had a Slytherin as a matching accessory.



The only person that remained the way he always was, was Harry. He was still the Boy Who Had Extreme Good Luck. Harry was noticing how despondent his friends were. He looked at Hermione and noticed she hadn’t pulled out her schedule. He turned to Ron and saw that he was just picking up his tomatoes and dropping them on the plate again. He knew what was bothering Hermione, but had no idea what was bothering Ron.



“What’s the matter, Ron?” he asked.



“Nothing,” he sighed. He looked at Pansy again and sighed. “Nothing much anyway.”



He looked at Crabbe narrowing his eyes. The lout was practically drooling over his girl.



“Look, I’m just going to take a walk around the grounds, get a bit of fresh air and then go to class.”



“Yeah,” he sighed.



“Want to come with me.”



“No,” Hermione said. She picked up her egg and placed it in her mouth but started choking.



“Are you all right?” Harry asked. He leapt over the table and put his arms around her.



“I really don’t think you want to be doing that,” Hermione said between coughs. Harry backed away and she fled the Hall with her hand over her mouth.



Pansy narrowed her eyes and went to follow. “I think I’d better go, Pansy,” Draco said.



Pansy pushed Draco aside and followed Hermione. Hermione hadn’t managed to make it to a toilet. She was clutching onto a pillar so tightly her knuckles were turning white. She was holding onto her stomach and Pansy sniffed. She whipped her wand out and performed a cleaning spell. She rubbed Hermione’s back.



“You all right?” she asked when Hermione had gathered her strength. She looked at the dark haired girl and nodded, smiling weakly.



“I’ll be fine,” Hermione said. Pansy could see her shaking.



“I’m taking you to Madame Pomfrey,” Pansy said. “She’ll have something to settle your stomach.”



Hermione nodded. She saw the ghost of Lily Evans drift out of an alcove frowning slightly. Lily drifted back in. She mused a little and decided to pay Peeves a visit.



“Hello, Peeves,” she said.



“Mrs Potter,” Peeves replied in a tone dripping with false respect. “And what may Peevesy do for Mrs Potter?”



“Do something disruptive, anarchic, and make sure it takes a while for the mess to be cleared up. I need time to talk to a few people.”



Peeves dark eyes glinted. “Mrs Potter married wrong man. Mrs Potter should have been Mrs Snape.”



Lily sighed. “Yes, but that is not important. Go full scale.”



Peeves bounced and rubbed his hands gleefully. He hadn’t had this much fun since the Twins had shouted at him to give Umbridge hell.



“Peevesy will do what Peevesy must,” he said.

Lily was smiling at the thought of all the commotion Peeves could make single-handed. She had to get to the Bloody Baron. He’d put a stop to any affection between the Slytherin men and the Gryffindor girl.



She found him in the Chamber of Secrets. He stood at the statue and sighed.



“What did I start, Mrs Potter?”



“Do not be too hard on yourself,” she said.



“I started this and I shall finish it, Mrs Potter,” he said. “The only thing is I have four candidates to help me with that.”



“What?” Lily asked. “What are you talking about?”



“Mr Zabini, both the Malfoy’s, and Severus Snape.”



Lily narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”



The Bloody Baron turned his gaze at the young ghost. “I am putting a plan in motion to make at least one staunch Slytherin fall for a staunch Gryffindor.”



“What?” Lily asked. “How?”



“I suggested to Slughorn to use a certain Gryffindor girl to gather potion’s ingredients. He took the advice. I sent a Malfoy to the woods. He wooed her like he was supposed to and then I thought that the girl had it too easy. Give her some scope. So, I spoke to Dumbledore and he agreed to the plan. I used his soft spot for Severus as an excuse. The two sons of the men work well for her to - the girl should have been a Slytherin.”



“But can’t you see what you’ve done?” Lily said to him. “You’ve made her feel like a slut!”



“She isn’t a slut,” the Baron replied. “How can a desirable lady be considered a slut? I have always thought it unfair that a man can spend the night in many a good woman’s bed and come off a hero. A good woman cannot do the same with men?”



Lily threw her hands up in the air and groaned. “She has morals.”



“She has choice,” the Baron said. “She needed someone a bit more sensible than her other options and she’s got the choice of four men; two of them are doing exactly what they should be doing.”



“I came to you to see if you could put a stop to all this mayhem, and now you tell me that you’re the cause?”



“Yes,” he said.



Lily looked around the dank, depressing tomb. “This was all your fault from beginning to end.”



“At least I am trying to find ways to get the two houses united,” the Baron glided over to Lily and stood behind her. “It’s a pity we’re ghosts, Mrs Potter!” She turned around and floated off. The Baron’s eyes glowed a little. “A great, great pity.”



Lily had a lot to think about from this. She worked out whom the Bloody Baron was when she was in her third year and even got him to confess it. She looked around and sank down on the floor. It was no use. It seemed that her plans had fallen around her ears. The Bloody Baron wanted this to happen.



She sighed. Who would put a stop to it if he wouldn’t? She looked at the wall opposite her and wished she could bang her head against it.



~*~*~



Hermione was stunned. She looked at Pansy who had her head tilted to one side and she smiled. Madame Pomfrey smiled at her and walked away. Hermione sat up.



“I can’t be!”



“Oh this is going to be so much fun!” Pansy exclaimed. “I can’t wait!”



“This is not funny, Pansy, this is serious. From what Poppy said there is no doubt that the father of the baby is Lucius Malfoy. What do I do?”



“Oh for Merlin’s sake,” Pansy said in a blunt voice. “Please marry him for crying out loud.”



“But I’m not entirely sure of his feelings for me,” Hermione said. “I’m not even sure of why he has feelings for me at all. Even sexual ones.”



Pansy rolled her eyes. “Look, even if you’re not going to do it for your sake at least think of the child. Doesn’t he deserve to know who his real father is?”



“I won’t hide the truth from my child,” Hermione said. “But I can not bring a child into a loveless marriage. And I am certainly not going to abort it!”



“That’s good to hear,” Pansy said. “Hermione, I can understand why you’re frightened. The step of becoming Mrs Lucius Malfoy is a big one: He’s got money, Mansions, and power. You’d be stepping way over your league but, honey, haven’t you done that already?”



“What are you saying?”



“I am saying that haven’t you already taken a giant leap by coming to Hogwarts and learning things that no one in your family has learnt before?”



Hermione snorted trying to hold in a giggle. She heard the Star Trek theme playing in her head but held back.



“Yes,” she said. “But that was different, Pansy. Then it was more of an innocent leap. Now, it’s a knowing leap. Sometimes there are things that is much better to do without too much knowledge.”



She looked out the window behind Pansy and sighed. Pansy looked closely at the brunette before her. “Hermione, take the opportunity and run with it.”



“And how do I introduce him to my parents? ‘Hello, mum and dad, do you remember Mr Malfoy? You know, the man who teased Arthur to the point of reaction in the bookshop and brawled publicly? Well, guess what, I am going to have his baby and we’re going to get married. See you!’”



Pansy laughed. “Okay, sweety, you’ve got to think for yourself. Your parents love you, don’t they?”



“Yes, but they don’t like Lucius. My father has said it a thousand times – If you bring home that blond kid you’re going to find yourself in deep trouble!” She looked at Pansy. “He meant Draco.” Pansy nodded. “I just can’t do it. My parents mean more to me than anything else in the world.”



“Okay,” Pansy sighed. “You’re in our world now. In our world marriage to the father of the child is essential. I know that it is not entirely fair on the mother but there you have it. So far no one has been able to change the law. A lot of people see the sense in it to.” Pansy chewed her lower lip. “I seem to remember you trying to convince Ro – er, Weasley to marry that Brown bitch.”



“If I had have known the truth I would have told him to stay away from the cow.”



Pansy laughed. “So would I!” she said without thinking. Hermione looked up it wasn’t what she said; it was how she said it.



“Oh gods!” the brunette raised a hand to her mouth. “Pansy you must think me so selfish. I should have realised.”



“What?” Pansy said sharply.



“You and Ron!”



“What about me and Weasley?”



“You and Ron? Oh, I should have seen it. Ron’s been calf eyed over you. I’ve seen him grit his teeth whenever he see’s another man go to you but I just thought it was because they were Slytherins. Now it makes sense.”



“There is nothing going on between Weasley and I,” Pansy denied blushing.



Hermione chewed the lower of her lip. “He’s not a bad kisser you know!”



“I know that,” Pansy snapped, she raised a hand to her mouth and her eyes widened.



“I should imagine that he’s not that bad in bed either,” Hermione continued slyly.



Pansy said in a resigned voice. “The best.”



Hermione giggled. “Pansy, I’ve told you my sordid love life. Let’s hear yours.”



“Won’t it be weird for you, I mean he’s your best friend.”



“I wanted him to,” she said. “We broke up and that was probably the biggest mistake I’ve ever made in my entire life, Pansy. If you have feelings for him go for it. At least you won’t be hindered by blood separation and angry parents.”



“I know,” Pansy sighed. “But it’s scary.”



“Try having four of them,” Hermione said. “Listen, Pansy, its clear you fancy him. I can see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice.”



The Slytherin girl sighed and sat down on a chair. “I just don’t know, Hermione. I think that -!” there were screams coming from the Hallway and the two girls looked at each other.



“I’ll go and check it out,” Pansy said.



Hermione sat back and sighed. She held her hands over her stomach and rolled her eyes. Lucius was sure to make his case for her more strongly than before. She looked at the ceiling. She groaned in frustration. Snape’s face floated in front of her.



~*~*~



Lucius Malfoy was trying to keep his temper amongst the mayhem. He looked at the other teachers who had their strategy all lined up. He looked enviously at Severus who especially had everything under control. He walked away from the commotion. He had a throbbing headache and he was worried for Hermione.



He had seen her run off with her hand covering her mouth. He slammed the door to his office and picked up a mirror. He was about to make himself look better and find her when he felt a cool breeze on his neck. He turned around and noticed Lily Potter standing behind him.



His eyes widened as he contemplated her. “What can I do for you?” he sneered when he composed himself.



“What you can do is decipher your feelings for Hermione for me,” Lily said coldly.



“Why is that a problem for me to decipher?” Lucius asked. “I want to marry the stubborn little wench!”



“Why?” Lily asked. She floated over to the wall and flicked her hair behind her ear. “You want to marry her – why?”



“I want to marry her because I care about her,” Lucius said. “She is the best sex I’ve ever had; she is also highly attractive, young, and I need her!”



“To what? Re-affirm your masculinity?”



“No,” he replied. “I do care for her. I want to marry her. Somehow there is something inside of me that wants to protect her against all the odds. I need her, and she needs me.”



Lily looked him up and down. “I haven’t forgiven you!”



Lucius sighed. “I am genuinely sorry, Mrs Potter. My wife and I were going through some difficulties. I didn’t think.”



Lily looked down on the floor. “She’s carrying your child,” she said. “I know what it is to.”



“Do you know whom it is she loves?”



Lily sighed. “It is definitely either you or Severus but apart from that, I do not know.” She looked down on the floor and sighed. “I won’t lie to you, Lucius. I hate you! But I like her. And unfortunately, I do believe you.”



“So, you’ll help me?” Lucius asked.



Lily sighed. “I should but really you should help yourself. You’re good at that.”



Lucius rolled his eyes. “Well, at least tell me where she is?”



“She’s at the hospital wing. You’d best floo there.”



The blond man nodded. He walked over to the fireplace and took a pinch of floo powder. He floo’d to the hospital wing. He stepped out of the fireplace and saw her talking to Pansy. He saw Pansy leave the room and he gathered his courage and walked up to her.



He was about to reach out and touch her when he heard her murmur Snape’s name. She had her eyes closed and her hands folded across her womb. She looked sweet and wonderful.



“Hermione,” he whispered. “Please be thinking of me. Please?”



Hermione turned her head and opened her eyes. She saw Lucius look down on her with a concerned smile on his face.



“Hello,” she sighed.



“Hello, Hermione,” Lucius said. She looked at her hands. He wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her. He wanted to stroke aside her hair. She looked pale.



“Are you all right?” he asked.



“Fine,” Hermione said coldly.



Lucius knew when she turned away that all he wanted was for her to be happy. “Hermione,” he said. He stroked her head and leant down to kiss her. “I will take care of you.”



Hermione sighed. If only he had said: I love you, she might have been won over.



“I understand that, Lucius.”



His heart grew a little inside his chest as he continued stroking her hair aside and holding her hand ever so tightly in his.



“Good,” he said.



Pansy walked in to see Hermione sleeping and Lucius cradling her against his bosom. He rocked her gently; neither knew she had walked back in the room. She slipped out quietly with a smirk on her face.



~*~*~



Ron was pacing up and down the bedroom in the Gryffindor Tower. Peeves most recent bouts of mayhem meant that there would be no lessons for today. He was confused about Pansy; he also was not very good with keeping it to himself as he felt it would burst him in two if he had to. He just had to tell someone. Harry, he’d tell Harry!



Ron smiled and was about to walk out of the bedchamber when Harry had walked in.



“Just the person I wanted to see,” Ron said.



Harry looked at his friend. “Why?” he asked.



Harry couldn’t remember the last time Ron had a problem he wanted to confess to him but he did remember that he began with those very words.



“Harry, I’ve been seeing someone,” Ron began. Harry rolled his eyes. Ron seemed to be playing catch up with everyone else in the Castle. “She’s not a Gryffindor.”



Harry’s ears perked up at that. “Oh,” he said. He thought that Ron and Luna would make a great couple.



“She’s a Slytherin,” Ron said. Harry’s face fell. Ron gulped, as he was about to make his confession. “I’ve been seeing Pansy Parkinson for a couple of weeks now.”



Harry groaned. He shook his head. “First Hermione and now you? Don’t you remember what you said to me about Slytherins when we first came here? You influenced me not to go in that house.”



“I know, I know!” Ron exclaimed. “But Pansy is not what you think. She’s smarter than she makes out in the classroom; she’s sexy, and she’s right for me. She’s the more fun version of Hermione.”



Harry quirked an eyebrow up at that statement. “Really,” he said sarcastically. “I always thought you hated her.”



“I did, Haz, I really did,” Ron brushed his hand through his hair. “But I can’t help it. When I’m with Pansy I feel like I’ve come alive.”



Harry threw his hands up in the air. “Yeah, whatever, Ron!”



“Harry!”



“Look, I expected something like this from Hermione. She’s always gone on about unifying and getting together. I expected you to be different though.”



“Well perhaps Hermione’s right!” Ron said. “Perhaps it is about time we all got our butts into gear and tried to get along!”

“Well don’t expect me to join the fun, I’m sticking with Ginny!”



Ron rolled his eyes. “Fine, be a prat!” He exclaimed. “And neither Hermione or I are expecting you to have a Slytherin either, we’ve just decided to go for a Slytherin.”



“In Hermione’s case the whole house,” Harry said darkly. Ron narrowed his eyes at his best friend.



“What’s the matter with you mate?”



“Nothing!” Harry snapped.



“No, tell me!”



“It’s just that,” Harry said. “I don’t think that I’d be able to hang around with the two of you if you’re going to be dating Slytherins.”



Ron threw his hands up in the air and kicked a corner of the bed to prevent him from wringing Harry’s neck.



“You know something, maybe Sirius might have scrambled your brains!”



“What’s that supposed to mean?” Harry asked.



“Maybe your idolization of him has blinded you, Harry. I think that maybe you are just as bad as Draco was!”



Ron hobbled out of the room to see if he could find Pansy. He thought that Harry had a few brains kicking about inside his head, but it seemed that he was wrong. Harry was just as biased as any Slytherin. Or maybe perhaps Harry always wanted things to stay the same.



He found Pansy standing against a wall with her arms under her breasts.



“Hermione knows,” she breathed out.



“And how does she feel about us?”



“She say’s we should go for it.”



Ron grinned and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “And I will go for it.”



Pansy blushed. “I think that maybe I do love you, Ronald Weasley.”



“I know for sure that I love you, Pansy.”



He tilted her chin up and placed his lips on hers. She opened her mouth just a little bit wider to let Ron’s tongue in her mouth. He slipped it inside and held her close to his body.



Neither noticed Lily drift by with a smile on her face. If only Lucius had said those words this might all have been solved by now. She looked at the two young people kissing in the hallway and sighed. “ Blessings be on you,” she said. “ May you two be fruitful, and may you be wise and happy all the rest of your lives.”



Ron stopped kissing Pansy. “Did you hear anything?”



“No!”



He looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. “Doesn’t matter!”



She giggled.



Lily drifted away from the scene knowing she did the right thing.



A/N = So, The Bloody Baron’s behind it all. Lily and Peeves look chummy ... and all Hermione needs are those three little words, which Lucius doesn’t know how to say. And I would love it if you all guessed at that girl I have in mind for Blaise.