Very Nearly Veela

Chapter Twenty Three – Sorting Things Out

AN: I didn’t mean to overstew the story with the last chapter I posted, nor put it at more of a standstill. Hoping this chapter would explain more things, and get things moving along the way it was. And stop the reviewers from sharpening their knives for my gullet >w>;

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It was midmorning by the time Ron and Draco decided it was time to show face.

Lucius, reading the newspaper peered over the top as the two lovers entered the kitchen, his cool steel gray eyes observing them before the two noticed he was there. Draco’s face paled immediately, and he quickly grabbed Ron’s arm in warning.

“Finally come out have you?” Lucius asked, his tone even, not letting the two boys know his true intentions.

“Yes father.” Draco held onto Rons hand firmly, standing up to his father.

Narcissa’s words seemed to echo in the back of his mind.

"Don’t upset the Weasleys."

Keeping his gaze even, a plan formulating in his mind he stood up.

“Have fun while you can.” he said simply before exiting the kitchen.

Looking after his father's retreating form, Draco turned to a very apparently confused Ron.

“That was rather calm wasn’t it?” Ron asked warily.

“Don’t be fooled, he’s up to something,” Draco replied, entering the kitchen more fully to see the spread the house elves had set out. “And from his calmness this morning, I’d be more on my guard then ever.”

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Severus pored over his notes, trying to figure out where he was going on, and trying to identify if the process he was taking to purify Hermione of the Veela curse would have the same effect upon the Blood Bond.

Hermione sat across from him, compiling a shopping list of what they would need, when they heard the floo go in his kitchen.

“Severus, are you in?” Lucius’ tones could be heard, and without a word, Severus cast a Disillusionment charm upon Hermione, indicated she go hide, and stuffed his notes on the blood bond under his seat.

“I’m in the study Lucius,” he called out, and a few moments later Lucius appeared.

“Ah glad to have caught you while you were in. May I?” Lucius gestured toward the seat where the Disillusioned Hermione was crouching behind.

“No! Not that chair,” Severus burst out, indicated a chair closer to him.

At Lucius inquirious twitch of his brow, he hastened to explain.

“That chair has a bad spring, and if sat upon in the wrong manner, can cause a rather unpleasant side effect.”

Giving Severus a hard look, and then being apparently satisfied with the explanation, Lucius settled back into the chair, with a loud groan.

“Something horrible has happened,” he began.

At Severus’ nod, he continued.

“That idiot son of mine has gone and married a Weasely, and no, not the daughter which I could have tolerated. He happened to go marry the son. Ronald, the one that always seemed to be in the shadow of putrid Potter.”

“I know,” Severus replied.

Giving a start, Lucius stared at his friend incredulously.

“And you didn’t think to stop it?”

“Oh I tried, as they happened to be brawling in my house, but I didn’t expect them to form a blood bond.” was the amused reply.

Giving a snort, Lucius sat back in his chair, and with a flourish produced himself a glass of what Hermione assumed to be very strong Firewhiskey.

“Gods I feel as if everybody is keeping secrets from me now a days.”

“So early in the day Lucius?”

“For what? To get drunk, or muse about how crap everyone around me is being?”

“Originally I meant your drink, but if it means you’d shut up about how crap everyone around you are being, I would say that as well.”

“Gods Severus, you’re rather nastier than usual,” Lucius commented, before his eyes fell upon an errant parchment.

“Working on breaking the Veela curse? Who was it, some low down ministry worker, who got cursed? Now Severus let me guess. I’m sure I remember the name. Amanda Thistlebottom? No? Hmm . . . all right, you seem on edge, tell me.”

“Hermione Granger,” Severus replied, not liking the turn the conversation was going.

“Oh the little Mudblood?” Lucius flicked his wand, the parchment flying neatly into his hand, “working on breaking the curse so she can get back to normal? Don’t see why she would want to do that, seeing as she was nothing but an eyesore before, I suppose she’s only just passable now.”

Hermiones blood began to boil. Merlin she hated Lucius, and the flippant way he was talking about her. An eyesore! Only passable now?

She was tempted to come up from behind the couch and show him how passable she was, the only thing stopping her was the stern look Severus was slyly shooting at her.

He must have had a reason to treat her like some unwanted baggage to hide behind the seat, and cooling down, she continued to hide.

“Buggered if I know Lucius. The only thing I know is if I don’t help find a cure for her, she’ll be in my hair for far too long.”

“Oh, is she here now?” Lucius turned around, as if expecting her to pop out of a book.

“No, I sent her to do some shopping for ingredients, out of her pocket of course. No need in wasting mine on her.”

“Ha, still as stingy with money as before? Even after finding the cure to lycanism.”

“Most days I wish I hadn’t bothered,” Severus muttered.

“How come? Too many people owling you to cure them now?”

A curl of his lip was the only response Severus gave, before trying to change the topic. “Tell me, why are you here? Very rarely do you do social calls without a warning.”

“Oh right,” Lucius took a gulp of his drink, before continuing, “I want you to somehow break the Blood Bond. There is no way in the nine levels of hell that I am going to allow the only Malfoy heir to be married to a man, and thus producing no offspring.”

A long pause followed, where Severus sat apparently in deep thought.

“You know your son could die from this?” finally came the reply.

“I don’t care, he’s dead to me already by marrying a male bloodtraitor. I’ll pay for anything you need.”

“I don’t know,” Severus stalled.

Hermione could hear Lucius get up.

“I knew you wouldn’t be that easy to convince, but when I mean anything you need, I’m also including full access to my entire library. And I’m not just talking about the ones in the public library, but those ones that you and I know I shouldn’t have, but have mysteriously slipped through the Ministry searches.”

Trying to stifle her gasp, Hermione stared as Severus put on the best act of his life, as he seemed to carefully weigh the options. Part of her wondered, if he was so good with acting with Lucius, what else he was good at acting the part as.

It was clear Lucius had no idea that Narcissa had already approached Severus on the same topic, except that it happened to be her separating from him.

“Oh I suppose, alright.” Severus finally conceded.

With a rather icey smile, Lucius gripped Severus' shoulder.

“Good, I knew you wouldn’t fail me.”

“Well with such a generous offer, how could I refuse?” came the reply.

“Ha, I always knew you had a weak spot for knowledge Severus.”

Lucius walked across the room, touching the spines of the books emphasizing his point.

“Now tell me, is the little Mudblood staying with you here?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Splendid, I look forward upon seeing her on my next visit.”

“If you can catch her.”

Turning to fully look at his friend, Lucius noticed the rather challenging look upon Severus’ face.

“My dear friend, are you implying that you have a, vested interest in her?”

“Perhaps. I’m just warning you to not overstep your boundaries, or else my work may end up in the wrong hands.”

“Surely you’re not threatening little old me? Whatever would I do to such a filthy little thing?”

“You don’t fool me Lucius, she may be a Mudblood, but with her current Veela, ah attributes, not even you could resist.”

“Hmm, Severus I would say you’ve grown rather fond of the Mudblood if I didn’t know you better.”

“All I’m saying is that she’s no use to me after being with you.”

“So you’re saying that after you’ve had your way, she’s fair game?”

“Lucius, I’m surprised at you for even considering a Mudblood.”

A "fwumf" sounded as Lucius threw himself back into the chair, before letting out a sigh admitting, “Lately pickings have gotten rather slim, and a Mudblood seems like just the spot to pick up the days entertainment.”

“Gods Lucius, you make them sound like a cheap form of entertainment.”

“Oh trust me Severus, you’re a lot worse than me when it comes to women. I at least don’t lead them to think things that aren’t.”

A pregnant pause followed this statement, before Severus hissed, “Don’t you dare compare me to you. At least when I’m done they can still walk with dignity.”

“Ha! You twisted little snake, dignity? If that’s what you call dignity, it would explain a whole lot about you.”

Silence fell, the air full of the tension of ill intent.

Lucius finally broke it, by saying, “Well I need go get going, things to do.” before standing up, and leaving the room, pausing at the doorway.

Lucius' eyes swept the room and seemed to rest upon the chair of which Hermione was hidden behind.

“If the little Mudblood were here, I’d tell her to be more careful of you than of me Severus.” he said, before entering the floo in the kitchen.

Hearing the floo go, Severus held up his hand as he went to inspect that Lucius was really gone. Satisfied that he was, he re-entered the room.

“Come out.”

Shakily standing up, Hermione removed the spell, rubbing the cramp in her leg.

“Why did you want me to hide?”

Resting his eyes upon her, Severus replied, “To let you get a taste of the real Lucius. I figured that would be the best warning possible, because no doubt if he sees you like this, he would turn on his charm, and attempt to woo you to his bed.”

Making a face, she sat down on the chair, stretching her legs out infront of her.

“I wouldn’t fall for it.”

“Oh, but wouldn’t you?” he purred, circling closer. “You see, Lucius can be very charming . . . and when he wants something badly, he will spoon feed you any lie to get it.”

“Alright, Severus I’ll believe you,” she smiled up at him, before she furrowed her brows. “Except, what did he mean you two were the same when it came to women?”

Giving Hermione a curious look, Severus replied, “It turns out we have much more in common than you think. I don’t believe in love either. And whenever I seem to get involved with a woman, she tends to take it that next step without informing me. So when I tell her the truth, she hears what she wants to hear, and breaks down.”

After many years as a spy, Severus had found that telling a lie mostly filled with truth did the trick.

From his posture, and how he spoke, Hermione could feel that he was telling the truth, and she gave him a nod to tell him that she understood.

“Now show me the shopping list, so I can double check that we have everything.”

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AN: Figured I’d set Lucius up, and set some boundaries concerning how Lucius would interact with Hermione. I hope this helped to explain my track, since I really failed last time >//> Sorry for really mangling the story.

@ anonfornow – I really have no idea what you mean about me having Hermione getting set up to be raped by centaurs and Lucius. O3o I think your imagination must be running wild.