The Unfortunates

Here we are again, at last... Finally back for more or less regular updates (I hope)! This might not be the most exciting chapter yet, I know, but it’s a – what to call it; “bridge chapter”? Anyway, you know what I mean. Enjoy!

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CHAPTER NINETEEN: THE PRELUDE


Lucius Malfoy prided himself on being many things.

For one, he was a wealthy, successful man who happened to be one of the Dark Lord’s most trusted servants.

For another, he was intelligent, respected and thought himself to be stealth and cunning personified. And as such, there was really only one thing he could do on that particular, cold November’s day.

Originally, he’d been scheduled to meet up with Antonin that afternoon, to discuss the latest progress of the Wizard’s Chase. Lucius, thanks to his own cunning, had gotten himself in charge of the potions department of the Chase, whereas Antonin was in charge of hexes and curses.

Alas, Lucius had been forced to cancel the meeting, as his dear guest in the dungeons, Claud, had made quite a racket earlier that morning, smashing half the expensive equipment Lucius had bought for him in the process. Apparently, a potion gone haywire had made the damn, unstable man lose his wits completely and rage at everyone and everything that came across his path, including two rather unfortunate house elves who’d come to take away his breakfast tray.

So Lucius had been forced to cancel his appointment with Antonin to deal with this damn Claud issue. It had been quite an inconvenience, and Lucius’d had to punish the foreigner quite severely for his lack of control; in addition, he seriously suspected his newest employee, the lovely Mira Gideon, had overheard the noise.

And no matter how dumb and naïve the girl might be, Lucius never liked it when someone caught a whiff of his many secrets. Paranoia was, after all, one of the most essential things to have gotten him to where he was today.

Malfoy Manor was empty that afternoon, save for the elves and Miss Gideon and, of course, Lucius himself, though nobody but he and his wife knew that he’d ended up spending the afternoon at home in stead of with Antonin. Draco was out doing petty chores he believed to be important, and Narcissa was entertaining friends she couldn’t stand. All in all, it was an afternoon of little importance.

Or at least, so had Lucius thought. Until he, whilst seated in his study on the first floor, overheard the creaking of feet on floor as someone made their way into the lounge below.

Thanking the gods for the silence of the manor, which allowed him to actually hear this person’s sneaking about, Lucius stood abruptly from his chair behind the desk and made his way out and onto the first landing, making no more noises than a cat would as he peered over the railing and listened for any noises of revelation.

He saw no one, which meant the intruder had already made in to the lounge, but he could clearly hear feet on the floor still; it sounded as though whoever was down there was approaching his fireplace.

Making a quick decision, Lucius swept silently down the stairs to the ground floor and, with deadly silence, reached the door leading into the lounge. It stood half open, and, peering through the opening, Lucius was surprised to see that his intruder in fact was no other than Mira Gideon, fumbling with the Floo powder by the hearth.

Lucius was for a second tempted to make his presence known, and then have her right there on the hearthrug, but curiosity and suspicion made him hesitate to watch what she was doing instead. It was evident she was planning to leave, but where and for what reasons, he wondered?

He watched silently as Mira took her Floo powder from its container, stepped into the fireplace and spoke in a loud, clear voice, “The Leaky Cauldron, London” before vanishing away from Malfoy Manor in a swish of green flames.

Lucius hesitated only for a second before rushing from the door to the entrance hall, where he quickly retrieved his travelling cloak and made a quick announcement to a passing elf saying he’d be leaving for a short while. Swiftly, he stepped outside and left the Malfoy ground before Apparating to a silent, secluded corner of the old pub in Wizarding London.

He was a suspicious man, Lucius Malfoy. When his employee suddenly decided she would spend the afternoon in London without letting him know what her errand was, he was immediately intrigued. Adding to the fact that Narcissa had told him Mira had left for Lilly Barrette’s only the day before, Lucius found he simply had to investigate. One could never be too careful.

Lucius quickly spotted Mira in the close to empty pub; she was waving her greetings to the innkeeper before rushing in quick steps from the pub and out into the streets of Diagon Alley. Lucius followed suit, but kept his distance to ensure she would not see him; that simply would not do.

As Lucius followed the prostitute, he found he was actually surprised when she was leading him back to House of Lilly Barrette’s, though he knew there really was no reason for surprise; after all, it had been her home once, and surely she still had familiars there.

Mira slipped inside the discreet brothel, and after a few seconds Lucius followed her, careful not to let his appearance be shown as he entered the rather nasty-looking pub (or whorehouse, as some would say).

He immediately caught sight of Mira again; she was seated by the bar, apparently exchanging indifferent small-talk with the dumb-looking brunette behind the counter. Mira kept glancing around the room, as though expecting to spot Lucius in some dark corner, but her eyes never fell on him and she continued her conversation, her body language revealing her restlessness.

Lucius swept further into the pub, settling himself by a table in the other end of the room. From here, he would not be spotted by Mira, but he could still see her and easily spot it if she was up to something.

It took a few minutes before anything happened.

The entrance door to Lilly Barrette’s was opened again at that point, and at once Lucius felt the atmosphere changing; the man entering was nothing like the rest of the crowd present. He was clad in black, from head to toe, his shoes were thick boots and his travelling cloak was covering every inch of him, even his face as he had his hood up. Without so much as hesitating or glancing around, the stranger made his swift way over to where Mira sat, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Mira turned; her expression changed the moment she laid her eyes upon the man, and without so much as speaking a word she took a hold of his arm and jumped off her chair, leading him across the room and through a door in the back.

No one but Lucius seemed to notice this strange occurrence.

He quickly stood from his chair and walked in swift movements over to the door through which Mira and the dark clad one had disappeared. However, as he’d almost reached his goal, the brunette from the bar rushed in front of him, stopping him.

“Sorry, Sir,” she squealed happily, “but may I help you with something?”

“I – I am to meet someone,” said Lucius icily, glaring at the girl with outmost hatred. “Through here. So if you would please –”

“I beg your forgiveness, Sir,” said the girl and looked as though she didn’t even know what such a phrase meant, “but who are you here to see? If I may ask?”

Lucius glared, wanting more than anything to say, “no, you may not”, but knowing that would amount to nothing, and answered, “Mira. Mira Gideon.”

The brunette raised her eyebrows.

“Sorry, Sir,” she said, “but Mira doesn’t work here anymore.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” snapped Lucius, “I saw her only a second ago; she was talking to you by the bar.”

“Yes, she still comes by to visit, but she has actually quitted working here,” insisted the brunette. “So if you would please step away from the door, sir –”

“What are you fussing about, girl? I have seen other men walk through her before, you have not questioned them!”

“They were all with someone though, weren’t they?”

Lucius hesitated to answer, befuddled.

“Exactly,” said the brunette knowingly. “Unless you’re looking for – er – company, I’m afraid I can’t let you through this door, Sir. My humblest apologies.”

“In that case,” said Lucius through clenched teeth, furious at how difficult this all turned out to be, “I should very much like some company. Get one of your girls for me.”

He wasn’t interested in any girl’s company, quite the opposite in fact; there was nothing he wanted less right now than some squealing female disrupting his thoughts, but if that was what it took to get him through that door and closer to Mira and her secrets, then so be it.

“Certainly, Sir!” smirked the girl happily. “What price class were you thinking of?”

“Price... ah, yes,” said Lucius, his hand reaching inside his robes to pull out his money – only to discover that he had none.

Damn it all! Of course he had none; he’d been rushing so to follow Mira that he hadn’t thought to bring anything at all save his wand and his travelling cloak. He was just like any other, ordinary wizard in this horrid pub now, desperate for something but too poor to afford it.

“Well?” said the brunette impatiently, frowning at him.

“I – I seem to have left my money at home,” said Lucius hesitantly, his right hand still desperately rummaging his pockets for anything of use. Whatever it took; he just wanted to get through that door!

But he found nothing. Nothing!

“Well, then,” said the girl dismissively, waving a hand at the door, “I suggest you go home and get your money and come back when you have it!”

Her snappish behaviour took him by surprise; apparently it was policy here at Lilly’s to turn women into bitches if your pockets happened to be empty. Glaring furiously at the brunette, Lucius raised himself at his full height again, sneering as he said, “You and your dear employee will live to regret this, mark my words.”

“I’m sure we will, Mr. Malfoy,” said the little brunette, apparently unaffected. “But rules are rules, after all. Even you follow some, don’t you?”

His eyes wide at her rude comment and baldness, Lucius quickly swept from House of Lilly Barrette’s before doing something he’d later regret. The girl was right, of course, rules were rules and rules were to be followed.

But fuck it all, he’d lost his chance to find out what Mira had been up to... Why had she returned to Lilly’s after having resigned, and why would she drag a man as suspicious as that through the backdoor? What business could they possibly be conducting?

Lucius could certainly imagine a few, but he refused to believe Mira was cunning enough to pull off working as a prostitute in addition to working for the Malfoys. So what was the deal with this mystery man? Who was he?

And, most importantly, what had he done to catch a girl like Mira Gideon’s undivided attention?

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There was silence for a total of three minutes and twenty-two seconds before either of them dared speak. When one did, it was Hermione.

“I’m glad we chose to meet here,” she said.

Severus quirked an eyebrow. “How so?”

“Just... I guess I’m growing paranoid from living at Malfoy Manor, but today it felt as though someone was watching me as I made my way here.” She shrugged. “In any case, if someone did follow me, all they saw would be me returning to old territory. That’s not too bad, right?”

Severus gave in to a small smirk. “I shouldn’t think so.” He looked around the empty room, taking in his surroundings. It wasn’t particularly nice; rather just tolerable, and clearly imprinted the fact that they indeed were on the first floor of House of Lilly Barrette’s.

“So, where is your little friend?” asked Severus, trying desperately to keep the conversation going to avoid any more awkward silences.

“Mandy, you mean?” asked Hermione. (Gods, it felt strange to think of her as Hermione, and no longer Miss Granger! But there was no way he would allow himself to address her so formally now... If nothing else, that would only serve as a reminder to their lost past.)

“She’s taking a few hours off. She was happy to lend me her room though; she seemed to believe I needed to relieve myself of some tension worked up at the Manor, of all things...!” Hermione laughed a bit, nervously, as she let the implication of her friend’s words sink in.

Severus certainly caught the double meaning of the quote, and caught himself thinking quite unethically on how he’d go about relieving Hermione of that tension...

Honestly! Keep that brain of yours from running amok, Severus.

Yes, yes – I am trying, you know.

It was still befuddling and altogether new to Severus to get such foreign and indecent thoughts about a relation, and an ex (more or less) student at that; his mind fought a constant battle as his exterior maintained its calm:

The sensible half of his brain argued that she was half his age, a know-it-all and still technically a student, and that he was, after all, not a man who bothered much with women in any case. The impulsive half of his brain, the one that yearned for change and certainly got better on with his heart than the sensible half, argued that Severus at this point in his life actually deserved a bit of love and care, and that Hermione’s age and who she was shouldn’t get in the way of that if Severus indeed did feel something.

Glancing over at Hermione, catching her eye, Severus seriously suspected that his sensible half was fighting an already lost battle.

Providing of course that she felt the same... Which he still had no guarantee of.

“So... er,” said Hermione then, observing him with a hint of nervousness. “You said you wanted to talk, Professor?”

“What? Ah, yes,” said Severus, snapping back to reality, “that I did, Hermione.” He made a point of saying her given name before continuing: “Undoubtedly, I decided last night that there are a few things which you and I ought to discuss.”

She raised her eyebrows.

“Don’t you find?” he added dryly.

“What – oh, yes, of course,” she stuttered, her gaze flickering.

What was this? Was she... nervous? Hesitant; or perhaps she just didn’t want to discuss it? Severus felt his insides grow cold; had he interpreted her message from last night completely wrong? If that was the case, then why had she contacted him today as well, giving him an opportunity to meet her and talk?

Perhaps she was just, as a part of him suspected, nervous. And in that case, he probably had to push the issue to get her going...

“Clearly a few things have occurred between us which need contemplation,” he said curtly, beginning to pace the room. “As is obvious, we can’t have such events occupying our thoughts and disrupting our rather important work. You do agree, don’t you?”

“Y-yes, I do.”

“Good,” said Severus, in a very business-like voice. “I know I for one found myself pondering a lot last night, as I am sure you have realized, and it will not do to have relevant questions remaining unanswered, as they can be rather... disruptive.”

Pausing for effect, Severus looked at Hermione again and was satisfied with her rather befuddled expression. Yes, it was clear to him now, that face to face with him she certainly needed a little push to express her honest opinion.

Now, he could only hope and pray that her honest opinion would be in his favour...

“Yes,” said Hermione then, her chin suddenly raised, and she looked determined. “Yes, I agree, Professor – I thought a lot about it too. What happened – well, let’s just say I’d never expected anything like that to happen. It caught me by surprise, as it did you too, I’m sure, and it’s been, well, distracting, I won’t deny that.”

Severus fought not to show any sign of emotion at this. Her words were good news, right? Though she presented them as platonic as he had presented his, surely there were implications behind what she’d said...

Distracting; that’s good, isn’t it?

“So what do you propose we do?” asked Severus formally, glancing at her.

“Me?” said Hermione, blinking. “It was you who wanted to talk, Sir; I guess I kind of figured you had already worked all of this out.”

The hell I have!

“Is that so, Hermione?”

She shrugged. “I figured you wanted to make what it all meant clear and then just get on with things, Professor...”

“Ah,” he said in a silky voice, taking a step closer to her, “and what did ‘it all mean’, would you say?”

“I,” she hesitated, “I – haven’t you made up your mind about that?”

“Oh, I have,” he replied with ease, “I believe the question is, Miss Granger, have you?”

At this, she went dead silent, obviously quite taken aback by his blunt advances.

Though his expression revealed none of this, Severus felt as though he was tilting on an edge, hovering between life and death – after all, when all came down to it he had no idea what to expect from her, or what she felt and thought about it all... What if she thought it all to be just a big, embarrassing mistake?

He was sure he’d die if she was to reject him, here and now...

He hadn’t confronted any women on issues such as this for over twenty years, as it happened, and back then it had been disastrous. Experience had taught him that such advances weren’t popular when coming from him, but... but perhaps it would be different with Hermione.

He could only hope so.

“I don’t quite know,” said Hermione in earnest then, apparently suppressing her nervousness in order to become the oh so familiar, sensible girl Severus knew yet so little about. “I’ve spent hours thinking of it, but now that I’m here it seems I’ve got nothing to say... Stupid, isn’t it?”

“I know the feeling,” said Severus, telling her the honest truth and thus making himself vulnerable. “Though I must admit, the feelings I’ve been experiencing as of late I had never thought myself to experience ever again. I am a bit at a loss, I’m afraid.”

“You’re not the only one,” smiled Hermione. Then, apparently gathering all of her courage around her, she added, “Feelings, you say...? Such as...?”

Gods, woman, do you want me to cry out my soul to you?

Severus discovered within a second that he had no answer he particularly wanted to give Hermione to that question. And he couldn’t exactly tell her that – what would she think then? – so what was he to say?

Settle for the third alternative: Say nothing. Do something instead.

Severus moved, slowly, closing what space there was between him and Hermione before opening his mouth again. Her big eyes were focused on nothing but him, as though waiting, expecting something.

“You asked me what feelings, Hermione,” said Severus in a mere whisper, his voice like silk. “If you allow me, I’ll show you...”

At these words, he slowly leaned down, close to her face, brushing her lips with a feather light kiss. He remained there, making no more advances lest she wouldn’t want him to, waiting for her to accept or refuse him.

Suddenly, Severus felt a hesitant hand find its way up his right arm and to his shoulder, holding him in his place. Another hand mimicked this movement on his left arm, and before he knew it he was pulled into another kiss, this one just as strong, needy and passionate as that of the day before.

The only difference was that this time, there was something else added to the mingling emotions: Genuine care, and something which could, if nothing else, perhaps be described as a prelude to love...?


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A/N: Ah, if nothing else, then at least we managed to give Lucius a bit of a hard time in this chapter... Huge thanks to my beta and friend JessiokaFroka, for her brilliant assistance, and of course to my brilliant readers and reviewers! Love you all!