A Muddy Secret

Lovely Reviewers:

Jaime - A better question might be, what will she think of the man that he has become?

LaBibilographe - It is kind of like why Snape wears a billowing cloak. The answer to that is of course that it's a hell of a lot of fun! I should know, I wear a cloak on occasion. People think that I am loony. I laugh at them. It's fun to make them uncomfortable. Werewolfhime has a dark side!

Channeling Bellatrix helps when killing Sirius-like insects. I like some arthropods, just certain orders freak me out. You haven't seen the grasshopper I disected in my zoology class. It was the size of your hand, LITERALLY! It was insideous!

Of course, he will be sad (or maye just cranky!). He dwelled on it for two and half decades! Found a way to send her back and may have been aided by Nimue in that venture!

Avanell - I could use help! I only get error messages when I try. Nimue rocks! I've never read a CW/HG before. I will try to check it out in the next several days!

Jade - I like hugs!

Citten - Only to Lady Nimue. Lucius is still in the dark. Poor baby! What is the longest you've ever been kept in suspence for? seventy-two hours?

meankitty69 - Waiting is over.

onduril - I like Merlin. I like Sam Neil - He is the dinosaur man! YAY! *happy dance* Yeah, I dissected a grasshopper that was easily the size of my hand in zoology class. Even though it was dead as it could be without being alive, it was still the NASTIEST thing I've ever laid my eyes upon. I hope never to see one again.

Utopia - Well, I have sent it to you. Hopefully you aren't offended by it. I gave you warning of the contents before you opened it. I did send it. As I stated in the email, I like my veiled references to favored HP characters. My email is for a special character. gamma.orionis. I have way too much random unconnected knowledge that serves little if any purpose. *wink*

I do not know if I have told you this, But I think that I should trade my flatmate for you. I would greatly prefer you. You are fun! AND YOU WOULD HAVE A BRITISH ACCENT! That would be cool. Bella has more balls than most of the men, especially that Hairy fellow. (misspelled on purpose!) I like some arthropods like shrimp, crabs, and lobster. They're yummy. I like butterflies too but not to eat! They are perty!

I doubt any conclusion is reachable with that debate. He is too damn sexy to start with. I gotta say that right now, my mind is lovin' the strip tease from leather outer garments.

Statement clarified. Hermione doesn't know that Lucius is evil anymore which she knew prior to her escapade. But she doesn't know that the knowledge will carry over when she comes face to face with Lucius as a man in his death eater garb (swoons). Lucius in death eater garb...yummy...where was I? Oh yes I remember...Lucius stripping from death eater garb *licks lips*...Lucius naked...me jumping on Lucius and doing wicked things to him and accepting his seed...This is going the wrong way, huh?

Heidi191976 - What would be fun about that? It's way too easy. Hermione needs more ANGST created by a certain hottie with long blonde hair in black leather death eater outfit! Lucius in death eater outfit...Lucius taking death eater outfit off for me...Lucius doing naughty things to me...gotta go! Lucius is waiting!

Hilda Malfoy - I am so glad that you did! I love your stories! Doctors are hard at work on the cause of my hand troubles. I have more story here.

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Well, I have good news for y'all. The doctors believe my issued to be nothing more malevolent than a pinched nerve in my arms. I shall take anti-inflammatory meds for the week and if it doesn't go away, we move foward from there. It might mean specialists, yuck. Knowing me, it is not so simple. I am just glad it is not circulatory. I am TOO young for circulation issues.

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Hermione fought not to laugh at Lucius as they walked up to the school. She was completely dry and warm while he was soaked and shivering.

“I told her no funny business,” Lucius pouted as he held the door open for her.

Hermione grinned as she walked through the door. Even in discomfort, Lucius was the epitome of a gentleman opening the door and allowing her to enter before him.

“Hermione, I want to change clothes before we go to Dumbledore.”

“If you didn’t try to TELL your grandmother what to do,” Hermione began.

“If she wasn’t psychotic,” Lucius returned. “What kind of grandmother does that?”

“Yours,” Hermione responded laughing. “I rather like her.”

“You can’t be serious,” Lucius stated, “Imperious Curse.”

The wall to Slytherin common room rose, and they walked into it.

Hermione followed Lucius down the boys’ hallway to his room.

“Are you feeling alright?” Hermione asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“I am doing fine. I need a bit more Invigoration Draught, but I’ll be alright.”

Hermione smiled at him before reaching up and hugging him.

“Thank you so much, Lucius,” Hermione whispered in his ear.

Lucius wrapped his arms around her in return.

“For what? For helping Dumbledore?” Lucius asked, letting his chin rest on top of her head.

“Yes,” Hermione said, wishing to elaborate but stopping before she did.

She couldn’t leave things this way with him. She had to tell him goodbye. She would not remain here more than a day or two longer at most. Dumbledore was, no doubt, as eager to send her back as she was to go back.

Dumbledore would surely tell the students that she died. What other explanation could he give?

She had to leave a message for Lucius. He had to know. He was her friend. She pulled back from Lucius.

“Lucius, I have to take care of something. I’ll be in my room; come and get me when you are ready to go to see Dumbledore.”

“Sure,” Lucius said.

Hermione hugged him again.

“I care for you, Lucius Malfoy,” Hermione whispered, leaning up and kissing his cheek.

She turned and raced down the hallway and through the common room.

When Hermione got to her room, she warded the door so she would hear no one except Lucius and be heard by no one including Lucius.

She went to her desk and lifted out a blue envelope. On it she wrote “To Lucius Malfoy.”

With careful thought, she penned the few words she’d leave for him, and she slipped the parchment into the envelope before raising her wand and she pressed it to the envelope. Radiant, golden notes of music flowed from the tip of the wand. She sealed the note with a powerful spell that would only allow Lucius to open it. She set it in the paper holder on the desk.

“Hermione, open up,” Lucius called.

“I’ll be right out,” Hermione said, stowing her wand in her pocket before joining Lucius.

“As soon as we drop the things off with Dumbledore, we have to go and check on our potion.”

“Yes,” Hermione agreed.

Lucius offered her his left arm. She placed her hand on it, and they left the common room.

“Lucius,” Hermione began. She couldn’t bear keeping it a secret any longer. She wouldn’t be with him much longer anyway. He deserved some truth.

“Yes.”

“I-” but she couldn’t continue.

“What is it Hermione?”

“I’m not what you think.”

“What do you mean?” Lucius asked.

“My parents didn’t attend Hogwarts,” Hermione said delicately.

“Oh, is that all? My mum attended Beauxbatons and my father Durmstrang. I don’t care that they didn’t attend here, but why did you say they did?”

“I didn’t want you to hate me.”

“I could never hate you,” Lucius said, placing his right hand atop hers where it rested on his arm.

“My parents went to private school.”

Lucius’ attention perked at that. Private Schools were notoriously expensive in the wizarding world. He could more than have afforded it, but they were rarely boarding schools, and his father had wanted him out of the house so he’d been packed off to Hogwarts. Most of his family had attended Hogwarts. His father was an exception, and all had belonged to Slytherin house due to their ties with the Lady.

“Ah, Mr. Malfoy and Miss Beaumont, it’s good to see you both again so soon. It seems your sojourn into the Realm of the Lady went well.”

“She summoned us to the lake and returned us here,” Lucius said, frowning at the thought of being left cold and wet by the woman and of the illusion attack and the lightning sand. “And you have the time-turner and the spell for my research?”

“Yes, sir,” Lucius said, removing a time-turner from his neck. The body of it was made of thin glass and the tops and spinner were made of onyx. It was small and dangled from a pewter chain.

Hermione removed the small piece of parchment with the spell.

“Here, you are sir,” Hermione said, passing it into his wrinkled hand.

“Miss Beaumont, I would appreciate it if you would accompany me to my office. I need to discuss some information in regard to your transfer papers from Beauxbatons.”

“Yes, sir,” Hermione replied. “I’ll be right down to help you with the potion, Lucius.”

Lucius nodded.

Hermione and the headmaster rode side by side the stairs to his office.

“It is time for you to go home to your time,” Dumbledore said, cutting right to the point. He slid the time-turner across the desk to her along with the parchment that had the spell.

“May I have just twenty-four hours, sir? To say goodbye to Lucius.”

“I thought you wanted nothing to do with any Malfoys,” the headmaster said with much twinkling in his eyes.

“I’ve since reformed my opinion. I’m not sure I want anything to do with him in the future,” Hermione replied. “But only time will tell.”

“Well said,” Dumbledore said, and his eyes continued to twinkle. “You may have time to say goodbye in your way to Lucius. I do not want you telling him that you are from the future though.”

“I don’t intend to say that I am from the future to him,” Hermione said cautiously. She had said nothing direct about it.

“Best you make your way to work on your potion,” the headmaster said by way of dismissal.

Hermione nodded and left the room quickly stopping at the door to look back at the man whose death date she could mark, whose funeral she remembered.

“Thank you for everything sir,” Hermione said. “It’s been informative.”

With those words, Hermione left the office.

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I hope y'all are happy. Drop me a review please!

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