A Muddy Secret

Lovely reviewers:

CPIG - Things for Lucius just have to be complicated, don't they?

Utopia - Cellular Biology would be too small and complicated for me. I *heart* animals and the ecosystem and energy transfer to higher trophic levels and food webs and decomposers and microbes and etcetera! Sounds nice. You opened up the peanut can with the jumping snakes by asking about the majors. I could bitch for days (My English teachers would be proud of me for that!) so I have chosen to restrain myself. If you want to read the long version, I can send you an email about it. I would rather not take up a substantial portion of space venting about the inadequacies of American universities. The short of the long is over here, it's not so difficult.

L.C. was supposed to be P.C. (Politically Correct!)

The favor is if you would be willing to read the original project I am working on for my creative writing class? *puppy dog face* I should warn you that it is graphic and might be (Fine! it is!) disturbing. It is NOT happy. It is VERY dark!

Hermione would be an AWESOME Dark Sorceress! She would be good to her minions but would they respect her. After all, didn't Niccolo Machiavelli once say, "If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared." Gotta love those Italians! Voldie is definitely of this crede, I think. Whereas as Lucius might conform to another statement of Machiavelli's "A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance may drive him to despair." especially in the case of this story.

Lucius' grams has a QUIRKY sense of humor, don't you think? *wink*

LOVED THE DRACO AFRAID OF WEREWOLVES! SO CUTE!!! Lucius is a good daddy to comfort Draco!

HermioneMalfoyFan - I was planning to. He is my only friend on campus. Mostly becuase I get some pleasure from disturbing the populace here. What has me worried is that it goes away and comes back. It went away for a month or so, and came back worse.

Poor Lucius, I ought to be nicer to him, huh? The beast shall be explained in the future, I believe. If I forget, remind me to explain about it! It might be explained in the sequel.

You are so sweet. I would have worried if you were gone!

Avanell - I think it might be more than anything that I am not smart enough to put it up on the sight. I tried several times and got error messages every time! *sweatdrop* I'm a dope!

Heidi191976 - Look forward now!

Lauriurix - GOOD!

LaBibliographe - I don't think that there is a child in existence that doesn't want to be loved by their parents. The magic of what was going on there will be explained. (It might be in the sequel. If I forget, remind me. I know how it works. I just haven't explained it yet.)

Still working on the writing assignment actually. It is rather stressful to write it. It is one of the darkest things I've written in many a month. Thank you for the tip on typos. I fixed them!

Citten - I like how grams punished him! Ah, the muses. I like them much!

*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*

SCARRED FOR LIFE! SCARRED! I just had to do battle with the Order of the Orthopterans! WHY me? *shudders*

I was just baking oatmeal cookies and minding my own business when a GIANORMOUS grasshopper got into my kitchen. *sniffles* Why couldn't it have been a lepidopteran? I like them. This was an Orthopteran! IT was HIDEOUS! GROTESQUE! It had no hair and evil compound eyes and nasty ugly hopper legs! I need HUGS! I don't like killing things, even Buggies! Need a hug? Pwease!

Well, the chapter is here, after a brutal battle on the part of werewolfhime. I channeled my inner BELLA and the insect was Sirius (in my mind!). I won! I LOVES BELLA! She is the most WICKED of all the HP females.

*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*

Hermione smiled as butterflies skimmed the lake’s water and blue birds twittered in the trees.

“Grandmother Nimue!” Lucius called, taking Hermione’s hand in his.

Waves broke the mirror like surface rolling out from the center of the lake as a woman wearing a silver circlet with a blood colored ruby about her head and a long silver dress floated out of the water. She stood on the surface of the rippling water of a lake holding a wand made of a pale colored wood. Her eyes were pale grey, and she had long silvery blonde hair that floated out radiating on what could only be waves of her magic. The trees around blew back from the apparent force of her power. A soft smile was on her face.

“Lucius, my grandchild.”

Lucius didn’t respond as the woman strode toward them. He glared at her. What she did was evil!

“Well, don’t stand there like a lump, give your grandmother a hug!” the woman said when she reached the shallows. She held her arms out insistantly.

Knowing better than to refuse the Lady, Lucius released Hermione’s hand and stepped forward without looking his grandmother in the eyes as he embraced her.

Hermione was shocked. The woman looked to be no older than fifty, and she had to be more than fifteen hundred.

“Who is this that you’ve brought with you?” Lady Nimue asked, smiling at Hermione as she held her grandson.

Lucius turned to Hermione.

“This is Hermione, Grandmother. She is very special to me.”

“I would imagine,” Lady Nimue said, tilting Lucius’ face so he was forced to look into her eyes. “What have you done child?”

“I’ve come to ask a favor of you, Grandmother,” Lucius said not releasing the woman.

“What can I do for you, child?”

“I would like golden time-turner sand.”

“Why?” Lady Nimue asked.

Hermione watched fascinated as some thin slivers of ice shot out over the water in a snowflake like pattern from the feet of the woman.

“Cousin Albus needs it for his research,” Lucius responded as Lady Nimue held his chin forcing him to meet her eyes. “Beyond that I know nothing of what it is intended for.”

Hermione was shocked as truth poured from Lucius’ mouth. She would have thought he would lie to the Lady, knowing the Lady’s dislike for Albus. He was telling only truth to her. Why?

“Lucius, why would I help Albus?” Lady Nimue asked. “I am still displeased with him. And you well know why.”

Lucius nodded trying to pull away from his grandmother. He hated it when she held him this way and forced the truth from his mouth. She could do that to any of her grandchildren while lies spilled from her lips, though he didn’t ever feel she’d lied to him.

“Lucius, I would like to speak to your friend alone,” Lady Nimue said, holding his chin firmly.

Lucius nodded as he was released. He trembled a bit as he hopped back from the Lady. He moved quickly to Hermione and wrapped her in his arms leaning down to whisper.

“Don’t look into her eyes, they’re like Veritaserum. I wouldn’t recommend lying about anything either though. She’ll know.”

“Lucius, enough of trying to impart secrets about me to your friend. Stand by that tree while I talk with her.”

Lucius released her and looked at his grandmother.

“Don’t give me that saucy look,” Lady Nimue said, snapping her fingers as he took a place by the tree.

A thin silver line appeared around him trapping him within it.

“What did you do?” Hermione asked, looking at the line.

“Several wards to protect our privacy from him and the like,” Lady Nimue responded. “The time-turner sand is for you, isn’t it?”

Hermione turned wide-eyed to the woman who stood on the wavy surface of the lake.

“I read your mind, dear. I am a Legilimens; I believe that is the word wizards use for it.”

“I wasn’t looking in your eyes though.”

Lady Nimue laughed.

“I don’t have to look you in the eyes to read your mind.”

“You were holding Lucius so he looked directly into your eyes.”

“My grandchildren have many more defenses against those magics, natural occlumens to any other but me. It would hardly be fair to them if they couldn’t lie at all to me. They are still helpless if they are looking into my eyes. But as I was saying, the time-turner sand is for you, is it not?”

“Yes,” Hermione responded.

“Why are you going to the future? Why should I help you?”

“I’m just going back where I belong,” Hermione said, and before she knew it, she was pouring the whole story out to the Lady.

During Hermione’s tale, Lady Nimue had caused water to swirl up and form a chair for her.

“So, my grandson sent you back in time?”

“Yes, Lady. I just want to go home. Everything makes so much more sense then. I don’t know what I knew then. I don’t know that I will know when I get back what I know now.”

“When you knew what was to occur, that you would surely find your way back, why did you choose to make friends with Lucius? Why kiss him?”

“Dumbledore thought it was a good idea.”

“He always liked to meddle,” Lady Nimue hissed. “Well. I can surely send you home. That is not the problem.”

“What is?”

“Nothing that you need to be aware of at the moment. All will be made clear in time.”

Hermione frowned at that. Dumbledore always seemed to think the same thing. And say it too! She had to bite her tongue. She couldn’t tell if the woman was making a joke or not.

“I will speak with both you and my grandson now.”

Hermione nodded and looked toward Lucius who was scowling and tapping his foot.

The silver line blocking the conversation from him disappeared.

“IT’S ABOUT BLOODY TIME!” Lucius snarled as he strode toward them.

“Don’t you swear or talk to me in that tone,” Lady Nimue said in a soft voice that would inspire more fear than adult Snape’s quiet, deadly voice when he threatened to poison Trevor.

Lucius stuck his lip out sullenly, and Lady Nimue reached out and grabbed him holding him so his eyes met hers.

“Not fair!” he pleaded, pushing at the woman.

"What is done will be undone and will be redone at the proper time," Lady Nimue said, snapping her fingers to summon a sparkling time-turner from the water. She draped the chain about Lucius' neck before releasing him.

“I’ll be sending you both back by way of water,” Lady Nimue informed them, and she motioned Hermione to her.

Lady Nimue handed Hermione a slip of parchment paper. Hermione unrolled it and looked at the Latin written on it, “Ad Mea Verus Tempus Transporto.”

“That is the spell that should do what Albus intends. Be sure to tell him that precision is critical.”

Hermione nodded.

“Both of you take my hand,” Lady Nimue instructed, holding a hand out to each.

“None of your tricks, Grandmother,” Lucius said, staring at the woman suspiciously.

“No tricks, Lucius,” the Lady said with a sweet smile.

Hermione and Lucius each took one of the Lady’s hands, and she led them to the middle of the lake. The Lady spun them in the circle after they were entirely submerged. The Lady ascended with them to the surface. Out of the corner of Hermione’s eye, she saw two large tentacles.

Once out of the water, the tall towers and turrets of Hogwarts greeted Lucius and Hermione’s eyes. Hermione let out a sigh, and Lucius sputtered as the Lady dropped them off at shore.

“I’ll see you after your NEWTs, child,” Lady Nimue stated.

Lucius scowled at her as he stood on the shore dripping wet as the Lady turned around and disappeared.

*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*

The insect was very upsetting! I still need hugs!

Well I hope that that was delightful enough for now. Please drop a review. They make me happy.

*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*~-~-~*