Daughter of Leda

The next morning Hermione woke to find Lucius gone and a note left for her by the bed with breakfast that had been charmed to stay warm for her.

Lioness,

The floo has been opened. The house elves have instructions to help you with anything you may need, and Malfoy Manor will always be open to you.

Regardless of whatever comes...know that I love you. Be safe.

Lucius

Hermione dressed quickly in her clothes that had been cleaned and set out for her. She cast a spell over the note to hide the contents from any but her, folded it, and placed it in the pocket of her clothes. The room she was in had a fireplace and there was a small bowl of floo powder sitting next to it.

Taking a large handful, she spoke loudly.


She fell through the fireplace and landed in 12 Grimmauld Place. Hermione hadn’t been sure the floo would be open at all, and was grateful to find that she could still gain access. It didn’t take long to be noticed by those gathered in the house – among whom were Harry, Ron, Remus, Mr. Weasley, and Tonks. They barely gave her the chance to take a breath before telling her version of events and how she had escaped.

“’Mione, we were worried sick!” exclaimed Ron. “Where the bloody hell have you been?”

“We tried to come rescue you,” added Tonks, “but you were nowhere to be found.”

Mr. Weasley and others added their own comments and concerns, while Remus stood in the background and studied her quietly. She felt his eyes on her, but trusted him not to ask while the others were present. He’d known there were things about her she had chosen not to reveal with the rest – he just didn’t realize what exactly those were.

“Bellatrix cursed me repeatedly using the cruciatus,” Hermione said, carefully slowing her speech and purposefully stumbling over her words. Lucius had coached her carefully on this, and she did not plan to waste the effort. “It hurt...more than I could have ever imagined before. I managed to convince her that the sword of Gryffindor was a mere fake, and bided my time. She grew weary and distracted, and I used the moment to drag myself from the room. I ran and hid. It... it was so hectic and I was so scared that I managed to get lost in the manor, and hid in an out of the way bedroom. I couldn’t find the strength to call out when I heard you there, and then I passed out. When I woke... it had been all but abandoned, the Death Eaters gone to wherever their master is hiding. I found floo powder, and seemed to have just enough luck left that I managed to find the floo open. It would seem that all the manor’s defenses were broken or altered when you broke it, and the Malfoys have yet to redo them.”

There were many questions, and some of her answers were a bit on the dubious side of things. Yet they seemed to buy it, so very happy to have their Hermione back that there was no doubt of her honesty. They offered to find a magical physician to examine her for damage from the curse, but she tactfully refused. She felt fine, she said, and at any rate the damage was done now.


She groaned inwardly when Remus cornered her a few days later. It had really been too easy, and she was a fool to think she’d gotten off that easily. “Yes, Remus? Spit it out, already, I know you are aching to ask me something.”

Remus only sighed for a moment, considering her words and his own thoughts. Finally, though, he found his tongue. “Luck only goes so far, Hermione. There is more to this. Tell me now the truth, before my mind finds false answers to satisfy it.”

She led him into another room, going to the wall where the Black family tree could be found. “I didn’t have time to look before I was captured, but now I know. This spot is faded, not like the burned spots of supposed blood traitors. There is just enough left to make out ‘Phoenix.’ That was my grandfather. A squib from the house of Black.”

“When I was younger,” said Remus eventually, “I asked Sirius about the names that were obstructed on this tree. Even he had a hard time speaking of it. If your family is mostly squibs, there won’t be much you can learn of them.”

“There is more, but you can’t tell anyone,” she said fiercely.

He sunk down into a nearby chair and looked calmly at her. “I’ve already been keeping your secrets. I will continue to. I merely wish to know what sort of secrets it is that I keep.”

Could she confide this much in him? The thought frightened her, but in a very different way relieved her. She was no stranger to secrets, but had always hated them. The idea of having a confidant with which she could speak of Lucius was sorely tempting. But how would he take it? Could Remus handle the knowledge without prejudice? Or would he think her a foolish young girl, easily seduced by Lucius’ bad boy personality? If he only knew the side of Lucius that she knew, he would understand. He’d have to.

But perhaps it would be easier to do so a little at a time.

“Leda did what she could to make things easier for me. She went to a close friend, a pureblood, and convinced them to give her their oath. Actually, it was an Unbreakable Vow. According to the vow, he was to tell the story to all of his children, and they to theirs. They were all to bind themselves to this vow. By it, I, as the descendant of Leda, may ask anything of them in her name and they are bound to do it without limitation.”

His eyebrow rose, and he seemed more than a little impressed. “And what is this pureblood line that is so bound to you?”

“The Malfoys.”

“Ahhh...” he said slowly, recognition giving new light to his eyes. “So that is how you escaped? You used the Vow against them?”

“Not exactly,” Hermione said. “I have spoken to Lucius Malfoy somewhat over the past few months. I wanted to learn more about Leda, and know whether the Vow had survived the generations. In the end I learned he has a conscience, and it was his conscience and not his Vow that led him to save me. I never had the opportunity to ask him using the Vow, so without his making the decision I would have been dead regardless.”

Remus took a deep breath, processing the information slowly. “Lucius Malfoy with a conscience,” he said eventually, the hint of a growl touching his voice. “I’m happy to see you alive, Hermione. I just never would have expected his conscience would be enough that he would work against Voldemort.”

“I don’t understand the situation fully either, but I’m grateful,” she said. The words were all true, though her meaning was different than how she knew he’d take them. It didn’t matter, though. No one needed to know that Lucius claimed to be in love with her, or that she... believed the feeling might be mutual. It didn’t matter, because at the end of the day he was still married and they were still on opposite sides.

“Be careful,” said Remus. “If you need anything, tell me. Don’t take risks on your own just because you have one Death Eater on your side.

“I’ll be as careful as I can be,” Hermione answered softly.


The higher ranking Death Eaters had banded together on the Lestrange property for the moment, planning to move on to another stronghold before the ministry found them. Voldemort had gone into hiding, leaving them with his orders and planning to resurface when the time was right. Some left each other alone, others spent time in conversation. It left everyone with time to think. Too much of it.

Lucius watched his son mingle with the rest, Draco’s hair hanging loosely about his face and his expression set in a permanent sneer. What have I done to make my son so unhappy? He knew the answer, and it made him grimace.

“Draco?” he said when his son made his way over towards his father.

“Yes?” Draco’s face seemed surprised, as if he had expected his father to ignore him. Truth be told, Lucius had been quiet lately. Quieter than normal.

Lucius led him into a side room and quickly placed silencing spells around them. He sighed. “I need something from you, my son.”

“Of course, father,” Draco said formally. He was on guard, and Lucius couldn’t blame him for it. He had taught his son well. Perhaps too well, in some ways.

“You remember the Vow I had you take the day before you left for your first year at Hogwarts?” Lucius asked carefully. He remembered the day as if it were yesterday. He had told Draco of Leda, and the family’s duty to her, gotten him to take the Vow, and then they had never mentioned it again. Until now, that is. He wondered how suspicious his son must be because he had brought up such a subject, and directly, no less.

“Yes...” Draco said, still careful. “What about it?”

“I need a further vow.”

“I see,” said Draco flatly. “What would that vow be?”

“To protect the daughter of Leda, first and foremost.”

Draco stared at him. “Why do I get the feeling you are hiding knowledge from me? Waiting until I take the Vow to spring the daughter’s identity upon me?”

“Because that’s exactly what I’m doing,” Lucius said bluntly. There was no point in lying.

“I see,” Draco answered evenly. “I will agree under one condition – you tell me her identity first.”

“You won’t like it,” Lucius warned. “You won’t want to take the Vow if you know.”

Draco’s response was straightforward and no nonsense. “I’d rather take a Vow I didn’t want with full knowledge than in ignorance, only learning later what I’ve done.”

“I can respect that. I only fear for us all, but you would have to learn eventually regardless.” Lucius took a deep breath before continuing, and reinforced his silencing spells. It wasn’t as if anything would have happened to break them, but risking Hermione was one of the last things he was willing to do. He only decided to tell Draco in order to protect him further. Had he doubted Draco’s family loyalty, he never would have made the decision. “It’s Hermione.”

“I’m sorry. Who?” asked Draco, dumbfounded. It wasn’t that a Hermione didn’t come to mind when his father said the name. It was that it was beyond his initial comprehension to believe that she could possibly be who his father spoke of.

“The know-it-all Gryffindor you so despised when growing up,” Lucius clarified.

Draco laughed. “Despised, indeed. But how?”

“Her family isn’t muggles. Not fully,” his father explained. “She has several squibs, and her great-great-grandmother was Leda herself. She has quite the personality, hidden behind her ‘know-it-all’ ways.”

“Oh, I know,” said Draco ruefully. “There was a time when all I wanted was her attention, though I hid behind insults to get it. I think now I’ve grown up enough to accept that the feeling isn’t mutual and moved on. Our disdain for mudbloods helped with that, I think.”

Lucius grimaced at his sons wording, but only after his eyes had widened slightly. “I would prefer you didn’t use that term unless there were Death Eaters present. Only for appearances, and our family’s safety, will I permit it.”

His son’s eyes really did widen, and missed nothing of his father’s affection for her. “Something you want to tell me, father? I know you and mother have only mutual respect. Could it be I’m not the only Malfoy to notice her?”

“That may well be,” said Lucius, coughing uncomfortably. “The Atreus women have always been appealing to us. The point is, I am a married man, and respect her too much to ask her to be a mere mistress. I just want her safe.”

“You’re a married man?” repeated Draco questioningly. “Since when is such a trivial detail enough to stop you? Could it be that you have already pursued her and been rejected?”

Lucius stared at him blankly, refusing to answer. There is much he would confide in Draco if it meant her safety, but such a thing was not something he deemed necessary.

“Alright,” said Draco after sensing that nothing would draw the answer out. “I’ll do it.”

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A/N: Thanks so much for all the kind reviews! My muses abandoned me for a little while (so, so sorry for taking two weeks to update) but I made this chapter a little longer than my normal to try to make up for it. Hope you enjoyed, and please review! :)