The Seduction Game

Disclaimer: All of the Harry Potter characters and the Harry Potter universe belongs to J.K. Rowling/Warnerbros. I am making no money.

Back at last for another chapter.. Let me know what you think. :)

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: REVENGE PT #2: LUCIUS\'S


He was just about to say, “Bring your wand, no matter what Miss Weasley may have stated you have to bring it”, when someone knocked on the door to his study.

Whoever had knocked didn’t wait for him to answer. The door swung open, and there stood none other than ex Death Eater and runaway Igor Karkaroff.

“Igor?” Severus stuttered in pure shock.

Wasn’t the man dead?

“It’s me, old friend,” said Igor wearily, stepping into the room.

“What on – why on earth are you here? You were declared dead,” said Severus, befuddled.
He glanced at Hermione. She’d been pulling on her travelling cloak and preparing to leave when Igor entered; now seemed torn between the desire to stay behind and the desire to keep her appointment with Miss Weasley.

“Go,” Severus muttered to her, his eyes on Igor now, who was smiling.

Hermione, though hesitantly, wrapped her cloak fully around her and made for the door. She sent Severus one last, sceptical look before leaving.

“Cute, that one,” commented Igor.

“You were declared dead,” said Severus again.

“Declared, yes,” agreed Igor, “but I was alive and well. Have been so for quite a while now, in fact. I’ve even gotten a job – in disguise, of course, can’t let them see I’m really alive, that would raise a lot of uncomfortable questions – at the Post Office.”

Severus fell into a nearby chair.

Why – seriously, why? – would Igor Karkaroff suddenly decide that he was alive after all and then seek Severus out? And on this day, of all days; the day when he had intended to make absolutely sure Hermione wouldn’t be blinded by the love for her friend and expose herself to danger by leaving her wand behind.

Hell, she could believe what she wanted. Severus knew Lucius wasn’t finished witem. em. He simply knew. And after the information Draco had provided, Severus wouldn’t be surprised if Lucius was plotting rev revenge at this very moment.

Indeed Igor’s arrival had been very badly timed, and yet Severus needed answers.

Karkaroff was alive.

--

She felt kind of guilty, really.

Had Severus known she actually had left her wand behind in his study, he’d been furious. He’d told her over and over again throughout the last evening that she’d better bring it anyway, because you never knew what could be lurking in the corners.

But Hermione knew that Ginny had her reasons. Also, the girl was about to reveal something special about Severus to Hermione, and for that she’d be willing to take a small risk.

What could Ginny know about Severus that Hermione didn’t?

She was wondering if it might be something about his past, and small butterflies were dancing in her stomach as she made her way through Hogsmeade to The Three Broomsticks. What would she learn today?

What if Ginny had found out why Severus became a Death Eater, or something of the sort?

She was growing steadily more nervous as she entered the pub and made her way up the stairs to the topmost room.

What if she couldn’t bear the news she received? What would happen then with her and Severus? She didn’t want it to end, certainly, but...

What if his dark past held something so unforgivable she just couldn’t stand to be with him any longer? She knew what the Death Eaters had been capable of doing; the very idea of Severus doing something like that chilled her to the core.

She reached the top room and knocked on the door. There was no answer.

She knocked again, and then when there still was no answer she pushed it open and entered.

The room was small and simple – with just a single bed and a small desk – but twas was not what caught Hermione’s attention.

Ginny was lying in a corner of the room, unconscious. Her arm was bent in a weird angle, and her face was badly bruised.

“Ginny...?” said Hermione helplessly.

She knew what had happened even before the door slammed shut behind her. She knew who was responsible even before she turned around to face Lucius Malfoy. She cursed herself silently for not having listened to Severus.

“No wand, dear?” drawled Lucius nastily, raising his own. “You’ll have to forgive the violence,” he said, nodding towards Ginny’s unconscious form, “but I’m not too good with Stunning Spells yet. But then, you’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?”

“W-what do you mean?” stuttered Hermione.

“I know what Severus did, Hermione,” said Lucius silkily, eyeing his wand with interest.220;220;It would appear as though he didn’t quite complete his work... Because I know, don’t I?”

“Er, Lu – Mr. Malfoy,” began Hermione, but he cut her off.

“But quiet!” he snarled. “I have no need for your logical reasoning, Miss Granger. But I have need for you.”

Hermione frowned and backed instinctively away from Lucius.

Oh gods, what is he going to do?

Think reasonably, she commanded herself, fighting the rising panic. He’s been Obliviated, he can’t know too many spells, he won’t be able to kill you –

“I lost a lot of my basic knowledge thanks to your dear Severus,” continued Lucius. “But thanks to my guardian I have learned quite a few useful li spe spells, believe it or not. Now, this one is quite powerful, but I believe it is as my sister-in-law Bellatrix once said – if only you want it badly enough... Let’s see if you remember this one, Miss Granger... Imperio!”

Whatever Hermione had braced herself for, it certainly wasn’t this.

How was it possible that he could cast the Imperius Curse after the Obliviation?

Obviously, it had to be as he had said – he wanted it badly enough, and his body and mind had in fact done it before, despite the memory loss...

And all reasoning and contemplations on this vanished as Hermione felt the curse take fully hold of her.

She was floating... No longer thinking, no longer trying to work it all out... No longer plotting. Sas fas free to just relax and enjoy... Obey, and you’ll be fine...

Lie down on the bed, Hermione, and free yourself from those impractical clothes of yours.

Sure, why not? I’m floating... I’m – NO, PLEASE; FOCUS – I’m floating...

Fight it, a voice whispered.

Hermione didn’t hear it, and helplessly she lay down on the bed, her eyes never leaving the beautifully ugly, smirking face of Lucius Malfoy.

--

“You are his guardian?”

“Tragic, I know, but true. I am bound by the curse, Severus, what else can I do? I just hope he tires of me soon and lets me be.”

Severus snorted. “Sounds likely.”

“Doesn’t it? And – oh, look at the time!” said Igor, faking surprise as he gazed down upon his wristwatch. “I’m really late... Got to get back to work, Severus. Just one last thing...”

“Yes?”

Faster than Igor himself would have tho pos possible, he whipped out his wand and pointed it straight at Severus.

“Obliviate!” he exclaimed.

And missed.

Because at that moment, the door had swung open and that girl which Lucius had not stopped obsessing about, Hermione Granger, had entered, and Severus had turned at the sound, causing the curse to shoot past him and hit the wall.

Shit, thought Igor, panic rising. He’d stayed for too long – he was supposed to have left by the time Lucius sent the girl back. Now he had to get out of there...

Miraculously, Severus didn’t seem to have noticed the curhat hat had been sent in his direction. He was too startled by the stiff form of the Granger girl that stood in the door.

Praying for his lifgor gor jumped to his feet, grabbed his cloak and pushed the girl out of the way as he ran for it. Scampering through the corridor, he quickly reapplied the charms that hid his actual appearance and made for the doors.

Oh gods; he’d screwed up. He was only supposed to keep Severus busy, to make sure he wouldn’t go after Hermione. He’d done a bit more than that, hadn’t he?

“Talk about whatever necessary to keep him occupied,” Lucius had said, “and then do a simple Obliviate once it’s time to leave.”

To keep him occupied long enough, Igor had actually had to tell the story about how he’d escaped the Dark Lord and thus owed his life to Lucius through the curse. He’d had to tell all about him being the guardian, too, to make sure Severus remained unfocused upon where his precious little girlfriend was.

And now he’d screwed up. The memory charm had missed. He was in deep shit.

Or...

Well, he wouldn’t be, would he, if he accidentally forgot to tell Lucius the&#he’d missed... He could trick the curse; make it believe it would be for Lucius’ best if he didn’t tell about the missed charm. Yes, that would be it...

It d wod work. He could feel it already; he didn’t feel obligated to tell Lucius about the incident. He wouldn’t be punished, and his job would be done! Lucius had probably gotten what he wanted from the girl anyway, and Severus would surely be busy enough for a while...

If everything worked according to plan, Severus would never even remember Igor’s visit; he’d be too caught up in what the Granger girl had to say.

Igor was safe.

--

Severus was completely taken aback by Hermione’s appearance.

At first sight, she really looked just fine – but for him, who knew her well enough by now, he could see something was wrong. Her posture was too stiff; her hair was a bit ruffled up and her face was pale.

“Hermione?” he said questioningly, helping her out of her cloak. He just about noticed that Igor fled the room, but he found that right now he didn’t care.

“Severus,” said Hermione stiffly, backing away from him as he was about to pull her into his embrace. Something was definitely wrong.

“What is it?” he asked gravely, searching her face. It seemed so... blank.

“Ginny told me a lot of things, Severus,” said Hermione quietly. Her arms hung loosely by her side, both hands curled tightly into fists. “About your past.”

Severus closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

So. That was what it was, then. She’d learned about his past, and she couldn’t handle it. Gods, he’d so dreaded this... He had of course suspected that she wouldn’t bear it.

And yet he’d clung to the hope that maybe, just maybe, she’d look beyond his past and remember him for the man he was today... And possibly forgive him. Choose to stay with him.

Oh, well. So much for that little flicker of hope.

Severus took a few steps back and turned away from her.

“I take it you didn’t like what you heard,” he said, his voice sounding more pathetic than he would have thought possible. A knot in his stomach and throat made it difficult to talk.

“No, I didn’t,” she said. “You should have told me.”

“I would!” he argued suddenly, turning to face her, his strength renewed. “I would eventually! And you said yourself it was I who was to decide the right time. Miss Weasley had no business telling you.”

“She obviously felt I deserved to know,” said Hermione coldly. “And she was right, wasn’t she? Had I known you were like this, Severus, I would never even have spoken to you back at the conference, much less fallen in love with you.”

Her words stung deep within him. She’d just admitted she’d fallen in love with him... And that she now wished she hadn’t after all.

Gods, how he wanted to be any other man now... Any other man with a better past and would still have a chance with Hermione.

She couldn’t leave him now. She just couldn’t. They’d come too far for her to care about his past, hadn’t they? Didn’t she care about him for him, and not for him as he used to be?

“My past is not relevant in this,” he said, “not really. You claim you fell in love with me at the conference; well – the man you claim you fell in love with is not the man you heard tales about from Ginny Weasley.”

“You used to be,” she said, her eyes locked firm on his. “And now I think you still are.”

He drew a deep breath. How could she think that? She knew what kind of man he was now! She knew he’d never hurt her!

Didn’t she?

“I am not,” he said quietly.

“I think you are.”

Her voice sounded so harsh and emotionless, not like Hermione’s at all. It was as though Miss Weasley’s words had turned the beautiful, intelligent and considerate woman he adored into someone who’d throw away everything they had simply because of a past that was just that – a past. She wasn’t acting like the Hermione he knew... Oh, if he’d only predicted this was how she was going to react, then –

Hang on.

She wasn’t acting like the Hermione he knew.

Didn’t he know her well enough by now? Would she really be this ice cold when learning about his past? His considerate, forgiving Hermione, wouldn’t she ask him for his version? Ask him to explain it to her?

Yes. She would.

She would not do as she was doing now: Telling him she regretted everything they’d had together, telling him it was all over and that she couldn’t believe she’d ever fallen in love with him...

That was not his Hermione.

“You seem determined in your case,” he said darkly, his eyes now scanning every inch of her without really knowing what he was looking for.

A hint. Something, anything, that would prove to him that this wasn’t his Hermione. But she looked every inch as she always had; every little freckle was in place.

“I am,” she said coldly. “You should be ashamed of yourself, Severus. Just thinking about you sends chills down my spine.”

There. This was NOT his Hermione, it simply could not be. She’d never say he should be ashamed of himself; she would never talk to him like this! It was not her, he was certain of it.

“Is that so?” he said absentmindedly, just stalling for time as his eyes raked over her, desperate in their search now.

They stopped at her still tightly clenched fists.

“Yes, it is. Gods, the thought of me actually falling in love with the greasy Potions Master... One could almost suspect I was under some kind of curse at the time!”

She was laying it on too thick now; Severus grew more certain by the second.

Some kind of curse.

Without even hesitating, Severus threw himself at her and grasped both her fists in his hands, ignoring her desperate cries of protest. He forced the fingers of her right fist apart, but they revealed nothing. When he turned to the left fist, his heart almost stopped beating.

He could already see it. Even before he’d pried her fingers apart he could see the small piece of black silk cloth that was sticking out between two of her fingers. He opened her fist and got a hold of the cloth.

It was indeed silk, and very expensive at that. It looked like a piece torn from someone’s robes, and Severus knew the robes hadn’t belonged to neither Hermione nor Miss Weasley.

No, they’d belonged to someone else altogether. Someone who, no matter how poor or wealthy they may be at the time, would never degrade themselves to simple robes of cheaper material.

Someone like Lucius Malfoy.


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How\'s that?!