The legacy of the Diary

Legacy of the diary
By Luciusfan


Chapter 23 – Indecent Proposal

The next day was Friday and a busy day in the classroom for Hermione so she had not had a chance to notice that Severus had avoided her all day. It was good that she had been kept busy as it also stopped her thinking too much about the fact that Lucius had not kept their appointment the previous evening. Had someone intervened? Maybe Dumbledore had found some loophole in a bylaw allowing him to deny a governor access to the school.

Where did she stand with him at the moment? She couldn’t think clearly. The last time they had met had been in the linen cupboard at St Mungos. She could still feel his hard body pressed up against hers...
“Professor Granger?” The Fourth year student brought her back to reality with a jolt and she resumed her instruction in Ancient Runes until the bell heralded the end of that lesson and the end of the teaching day.

~~~xx~~~

Hermione had just finished changing out of her professor’s robes when she heard a soft knocking . She called out for the visitor to come in and turned round to face the door as Severus entered. He walked over to her at her dressing table and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her gently on top of her head.

“Are you coming to dinner?”

“Not tonight, Severus. I’m going to curl up by the fire with a book.”

Severus picked up the book that was open, face down on the table. She was already half way through it. He flicked it over to read the title.

“’Unusual potions and oils from the dark arts’ – still longing to know about that oil?”

Hermione blushed, she wondered if Severus guessed her real reason for wanting to know about it.

“Oh, you know, just curious.”

He studied the book. “Where did you get this from anyway?”

“Oh, I had an old colleague at Durmstrang’s send it to me – they have a much more liberal approach to the dark arts there, you know?”

“What if I told you there was a way to find the truth about the oil and find out the truth about what happened to Harry – both at once?”

Hermione put down the hairbrush she had been using and turned to face Severus again.

“The truth? From Malfoy? Are you serious – that would never happen!”

“With veritaserum it would.”

“He’d never agree to that!”

“It so happens he already has.”

“What? How? When?” Hermione looked at Severus in amazement.

“Well…” Severus’ voice quavered as he thought of how to break the news. “Last night we came to an agreement. He is going to let you choose between the two of us and in return we can administer veritaserum.”

“Choose? What d’you mean? I just pick one of you?”

“Well…sort of. We ‘duel’ for you…” He was becoming tongue tied and his body language betrayed the seriousness of what he was suggesting.

“Severus…what the hell have you done? What’s going on?”

“It was his idea!”

“What?!”

“Well…we fight over you in bed.”

“WHAT!?”

“We make love to you and you choose one of us as the ‘winner’.”

“Bloody hell, Severus, how could you agree to that? What is it to be – a deatheater double rape?” Anger flushed red in Hermione’s face.

“I’m not sure exactly the format he has in mind. I was thinking more of a threesome type thing. But there’s no need for you to suffer this in any way. If you don’t like the idea we don’t have to do it...but…” Severus could hear how rediculus this all sounded and was beginning to wonder how he had ever even entertained such a thought. He began to wonder how he could back down from even the mere suggestion and restore Hermione’s faith in his common sense. But a change had crept over Hermione. He saw a faint smile through her shocked exression, then an overly almost rehearsed look of anxiety and resignation.

“So you think it’s the only way to get Lucius to take the veritaserum?” Hermione seemed as though she was resigned to what was going to happen. Snape tried to understand what she was up to but he could not read her painted exterior, though he sensed she was still not happy.

Part of Hermione was outraged at the thought of either of them thinking that this was a way of convincing someone to love them. It was so arrogant, so confident, so Lucius…and so bloody exciting. And so - part of her was thinking that this might not be so bad. After all, she did like both wizards…
…but wouldn’t they think her some sort of wanton creature to be willing to go through with this? Since part of her was so angry with them for deciding this for her she decided she was not going to let Severus think she would go along with this so willingly.

“I can’t believe you two, I don’t know which of you is more despicable…”

“I’m doing it for some very good reasons, Hermione. We want to know what happened to Harry don’t we? And I want to show him once and for all that you’re mine.”

There was a silence in the room as Hermione went over to sit on the bed. Severus did not move. Hermione’s body language showed how she was feeling. She was furious with him. Or was she?

“Look, there’ll be no use of body binds on you, no curses…and I’ll make you a potion. You’ll be aware, but you’ll feel nothing and you’ll be compliant. It will be like you dreamt it.” Severus’ voice was placating and almost pleading.

The silence intervened again, Severus not knowing what else to say and Hermione wanting to make him squirm. Finally she broke the silence.

“When?”

“Halloween, after the feast.”

“Fine, but I want you to leave me alone until then. I need to think. And I want to brew the veritaserum myself and administer it myself. I’ll need access to more ingredients.”

“Take whatever you need. I’ll work on the other potion.” It felt like it was the least he could offer.

“You should go.” Hermione retorted, sitting down at the dressing table again.

Severus said nothing. In his heart he knew he had just made a very big mistake, but he had to go on with the plan. He walked towards Hermione, planning on kissing her before he left, but she turned her face away from him. Sheepishly, he turned but then lifting his head again and resuming his arrogant manner he strode from the room letting the door close behind him.


~~~xx~~~

The next day was Saturday and Hermione decided to walk down into Hogsmeade. She needed to get away from Severus and the school and, well, everything. She avoided the rest of the school throng shopping for things for Halloween and slipped into the Three Broomsticks and ordered herself a butterbeer.

She had seen the hooded figure in the corner of the bar but paid him no attention as she sat and sipped her butterbeer and thought about things. She slipped her hand into her cloak pocket looking for more money to buy something to eat but absent mindedly pulled out the crystal oil bottle which had been there since last week when she had been in the Leaky Cauldron with Severus.

She was staring so intently at the little bottle that she had not noticed the figure leave the corner and slip into the seat opposite her.

“You want to know more about it?”

She jumped. “Lucius?!”

“Shhh. Let’s not advertise it.” A perfectly manicured hand slipped out from beneath the robes and he covered her two hands holding the bottle with his own.

It was electrifying. Sparks shot up both of Hermione’s arms and tingled their way down her spine. Why did he have this effect on her?

He withdrew his hand and slipped the hood slightly back so that she could see his face.

“What do you want Lucius?” She tried to keep her voice calm and collected.

“Have you thought about the duel?” He asked carefully.

“That’s what I’m doing now. That’s why I’m not with Severus, I need time to think.”

“You’re not thinking about the duel, you’re thinking about me!”

“You are so conceited!”

“So why were you gazing at the oil so intently? Want to know more about it? I can tell you, you know!?”

Hermione let go of the oil bottle and sat back in her chair feigning disinterest.

“You want to know. You have to know.” He teased.

“Then tell me.”

“I can tell you it’s not any ordinary oil.”
“I guessed that much!”

“It’s a potion, with a charm and a few spells thrown in for good measure. It’s governed by magic but also by logic. It’s intelligent.”

“But what does it do?”

“I should say judging by the fact that it’s empty that you know fine well what it does.”

“I spilled most of it.”

“Shame.”

At that moment both witch and wizard lunged for the bottle. Lucius was faster, but the bottle didn’t disappear.
When he sat back it was there again.

Full.

Hermione gaped at it in amazement “Lucius?”

“Yes my dear?”

“Tell me about it?”

“Why don’t we go somewhere more private?”

“No. Tell me here.”

“But you want to know about it because you want me. Why not just have me?”

“I want to know what it does, I want to know what happened to me – did you put a spell on me to make me love you?”

“I have never done that, Hermione.”

“Then what?”

“The oil simply shows you who you truly desire. If you are with another wizard you get an apparition of your desired partner.”

For a moment Hermione was dumbstruck – if what Lucius was saying was true it meant that he really was her ‘heart’s desire’. She thought back to the dream Severus said Dumbledore had removed from her memory – she longed to see it again. So that meant she was not meant to be with Severus. She was meant for Lucius. Of course the heart is regularly overruled, but the results are never good. She swallowed back her feelings and looked up at Lucius’ hooded figure.

“And when you’re alone, what does the oil do then?” Hermione could almost not bear to know the answer.

“Ah yes, well, that’s where the summoning charm comes in to play.”

“Summoning charm?” She asked tentatively.

“Yes, it summons your lover to you, wherever he may be.”

“You mean, that night in my room, you were actually there?”

“Oh yes, I was there… you could have opened your eyes you know, I wouldn’t have disappeared.”

“Hermione buried her face in her hands not knowing whether to be embarrassed or angry.”

“Actually I was just about to go out to dinner with Cornelius Fudge – you do pick your moments, Hermione. But I have to say it was well worth it. I particularly enjoyed tying you up” He smirked.

Hermione’s gaze levelled on the full bottle of oil knowing full well that he was telling the truth – that was the only way he could have known.

“Take it, you know you want it.” He offered, then added, “Since you won’t come with me, take the oil and summon me to you tonight. Of course you realise that now I know your heart summoned me, I know you love me, you can’t hide any more, Hermione”

“No!” Hermione sat back, defiant, folding her arms.

Lucius reached out and picked up the oil. He held it out to her, tipping it gently from side to side.

“Go on, take it, its yours. Use it with Severus if you’d rather not actually summon me – you’ll still get as much pleasure. You’ll still be with the one you want.” He waved the bottle in front of her, watching her wrestle with her conscience.

His patience paid off. Hermione reached out to take the bottle from Lucius.
As her fingers closed around the cut crystal sphere she felt a sharp tug just behind her navel then everything went black.

The next moment she was standing facing Lucius in a great marble hallway. Both still holding the bottle.

The bottle that was also a portkey.