Diamond in the Rough
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Lucius/Hermione
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
30
Views:
79,572
Reviews:
375
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Lucius/Hermione
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
30
Views:
79,572
Reviews:
375
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Preparing for Battle
*******************************************************************
Lucius stepped out of his fireplace into his library. Tossing his robes over the couch, he heard a knock at the door. “Enter,” he called out. Draco stepped into the room. The manor wards let Draco know his father had arrived home. They often enjoyed pre-dinner cocktails and unwound together by discussing their day’s events. The father and son had become quite close after Narcissa’s death.
“You are looking quite pleased with yourself Father. Good day at the ministry I take it?”
“Indeed,” Lucius smiled. He seated himself in his favorite chair next to the fireplace. He made an elegant flick of his fingers and a fire burst into life within the large, ornate hearth.
Draco walked over to a beautiful, dark, elaborate, oak cabinet and poured two fingers of his father’s finest fire whiskey into two crystal tumblers. He turned towards his father and handed him one of the tumblers
Lucius took a sip of his drink and looked at his son. “Draco, you are aware that the marriage law passed yesterday are you not?”
“Yes, Father.”
“Have you run the test, as I asked you to?”
“I did.” Draco sat down and sprawled lazily onto the rich brown leather couch across from Lucius. As he lifted his drink to his lips he saw his father watching him impatiently, tapping his finger on the rim of his glass. Draco smirked, “The witch I was matched to was several years behind me at Hogwarts, a Ravenclaw, her name is Susannah Fawcett, and her family is from Ottery St. Catchpole. Quite pretty actually, she’s a half blood and works as a Healer at St. Mungo’s.” Draco took a sip of his drink, leaned back into the plush cushions and watched his father.
“Ahh, lovely, we haven’t had a healer in the family for quite some time. Is she aware of you as yet?”
Draco smiled, the firelight painted his face in warm tones and in that moment Lucius thought he looked remarkably like his mother. His heart warmed.
“We had lunch today. It went quite well. I was pleased.”
“Excellent.”
The two men enjoyed a comfortable silence. “You are aware that I also fall under this marriage law?”
“Yes, I know.” Draco smirked into his glass.
“Something amuses you my boy?”
Draco laughed outright. “How did she take the news?”
“How did who take the news?”
“Granger, Why else would you have been pumping me for information on her several weeks ago?”
Lucius smirked back at his son, looking approvingly at him, “I thought I had extracted information from you in a most discreet manner.”
“Well, it would be discreet if I didn’t know you so well and I would never turn down the opportunity to enjoy your most excellent wine cellar.” Draco raised his tumbler in mock salute. The two men smiled fondly at one another. Draco looked at his father and quirked an eyebrow in question.
“She hasn’t realized the advantages of the match as yet.” Lucius downed the remaining liquid in his glass.
Draco snorted his fire whisky, coughing and laughing loudly. Raising an amused eyebrow, Lucius said, “Draco, take care, that fire whiskey is 100 years old and does best gliding down your throat not the front of your shirt.”
“Forgive me Father,” Draco chuckled and waved his wand and spelled a quick scourgify on his shirt.
“I intend to move this fairly quickly Draco; she will be coming to the manor tomorrow night for dinner. I’ve already scheduled a civil ceremony for Saturday at the ministry. I would like you to stand with me.”
“Of course, I take it you are moving this quickly because this is Granger we are discussing?” Draco finished his fire whiskey as well.
“Quite right. I do not want her spending too much time looking for ways to inveigle herself out of this law. She is remarkably bright.”
Twilby, the head house elf popped into the library and announced that dinner was ready. Lucius set his glass down and stood up smiling down at his son, “Draco you were right, she is quite challenging. Perhaps tomorrow night would be an ideal time for you to get to know your Ravenclaw better in more intimate surroundings.”
“Got it, you want me out of the manor. By the by, how did you get her to agree to come to the manor?”
“I didn’t give her a choice.” Lucius sniffed as he walked towards the door.
“Oh Granger must have loved that.” Draco smiled to himself and followed his father out of the library.
***********************************************************************************
After Malfoy had left her office, Hermione slowly slid down against her office door and sat on the floor. She dropped her head against her knees. She had never felt so helpless and impotent in her life. She was at a complete loss as to what her next steps should be. She was well and truly cornered. Damn him.
It was very late by the time she stepped out of her fireplace into her flat. Behind her the fireplace flashed green and she saw Harry’s face in green flames. “Hermione, the marriage law passed yesterday. I think you are on the eligible witch list.”
“I know and I am.” She pulled her robes off and turned to look at Harry.
“’Mione, I’m coming through.” Hermione groaned and sunk down onto her couch. Harry shot out of the fireplace and staggered slightly, he never had gotten the hang of floo travel.
“’Mione, if you hold off as long as possible from taking the test, it will give us time to see if we can get you out of this law.”
Looking up at him she wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or to cry. “Oh Harry.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. Harry rushed over to her and knelt down in front of her. Taking her hands in his, he asked, “Mione?”
“I received an owl this morning; my test took place this morning.”
“WHAT? So soon, Hermione, Who? Who were you matched to?”
“Lucius Malfoy,” Hermione grimaced.
“WHAT? That is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard, the test result is obviously wrong.” Moving to her fireplace, he angrily grabbed floo powder and said, “I’m contacting Kingsley.”
“Harry, I already talked to him, after I had the test run three times,” she sighed.
“What happened with Kingsley?”
“He says I have to follow through with the match.” Harry looked at her horrified. “What is he thinking? We need to talk with him again; Hermione there must be some way out of this…”
“Harry, he says I’m too well known, if he makes an exception for me, others will be beating down his door requesting he make the same exceptions for them.” She didn’t tell him that Kingsley also said he didn’t want to use her as the example for what happens to a witch or wizard that doesn’t agree to the match. That betrayal hurt far too much.
“I spent all afternoon researching this law. Whoever wrote it did an amazingly thorough job, it appears to have been written to be absolutely foolproof. There doesn’t appear to be anything I can take advantage of.”
Harry dusted the floo powder off his hands and came over to sit down next to her. He put his arm around her. “What if we petition?” He asked quietly.
“I thought of that but it would take months. According to this law, I have to be married to Malfoy within the month.” Harry shook his head. Hermione closed her eyes and let herself lean against him. She was beginning to feel a mind numbing headache coming on.
“He has actually set up a civil ceremony for Saturday morning.” She gritted out between clenched teeth.
“This Saturday? ‘Mione, no…” Harry looked appalled.
“I’m caught Harry, as surely as a rat in a trap. I don’t want to have my wand taken away. I don’t think I could live happily without magic. Though truth be told, I don’t know how I’m going to be able to live with Lucius Malfoy, that arrogant, self-inflated snob.” She felt herself begin to anger again at his high-handed tactics this afternoon.
“You know, the law doesn’t require you to go out of your way to make this a happy marriage. It’s mostly focused on producing kids. You may have to marry him Hermione but it doesn’t mean you are selling yourself to him. You won't be his slave, you will be his wife. Besides that, we will stand by you. This Saturday; you won’t go through this all by yourself. Hermione, you are not alone in any of this.”
Hermione smiled weakly at Harry. “Thanks Harry, that means a lot to me.”
When she woke up the next morning the day was cold and dreary. “Oh, wonderful.” It certainly matched her mood. She notified her boss that she was taking the day off. She poured herself a big cup of tea, settled herself on the couch to read all of the statutes and provisions issued within the marriage legislation. She needed to arm herself with as much information as possible for the discussion she would hold with Malfoy senior this evening. The egotistical, dictatorial, domineering sod.
The wizarding law puts forth the following edicts:
1) The wizarding ceremony of marriage must be consummated within 72 hours of the ceremony
2) Couples are required to live together
3) Weekly consummation is mandatory
4) Children must occur with one year of the consummation
5) The wizarding marriage is considered a magical life bond
Hermione pushed the parchments to the side. Oh Gods, she was going to have to live at Malfoy Manor. Worse than that she was going to have to have sex with Lucius Malfoy. Oh Merlin, he was such a cold stick. She picked up a pillow from her sofa and pressed it against her face and screamed into it. Damn him.
Well she had no intention of making this easy for him. She had a few stipulations of her own she intended to deliver to him. Threaten her with the possibility of losing her job will he?
She looked at herself in her full length mirror. Her smile spread into a wide grin, he would absolutely hate it. He was such a pureblood fanatic, he more than likely held old school ideas on what a witch should wear and how she should behave. She already knew he didn’t like her to use foul language. The patronizing, ostentatious prick.
She had dressed in the most muggle clothing she could get her hands on. She wore her favorite pair of jeans that were frayed and ripped, a baby doll Foo Fighters band t-shirt, genuine leather cowboy boots her parents had given her from their trip to Texas five years ago and she topped it off with a pink zippered hoodie. She had pulled hair up into a messy bun and skewered it with an ornamental chopstick. She had sewn a side pocket onto her jeans that sat between the inside of her knee and calf. She slipped her wand into it. She looked around her room for last minute touches and saw the bubblegum sitting in a tin. “Perfect.” She thought to herself as she unwrapped a piece of gum and put it in her mouth.
***************************************************************
An austere eagle owl had tapped at her window earlier in the day. A parchment with the Malfoy crest, Hermione rolled her eyes when she saw it, was attached to its leg. Hermione gave the owl a piece of biscuit and unfurled the parchment.
Miss Granger,
Within this parchment is a port key to Malfoy Manor which will activate precisely at 7:00 pm. Dinner is formal.
Lucius Malfoy
A small crystal snake fell into her hand. She snorted, he was so unoriginal. She had no intention of dressing up to have dinner with Lucius Malfoy.
**********************************************************
He claimed she’d be more work than he anticipated, she smiled to herself, snapped a bubble with her bubblegum, he had no idea what he was getting himself into with her. The damn pompous, conceited bastard. Her eyes glinted with malice.
The crystal snake began to glow, Hermione picked it up and felt that familiar tug on her navel. She lifted her chin as if preparing for battle. “Here we go!” She thought.
A/N:
Let the games begin!
Lucius stepped out of his fireplace into his library. Tossing his robes over the couch, he heard a knock at the door. “Enter,” he called out. Draco stepped into the room. The manor wards let Draco know his father had arrived home. They often enjoyed pre-dinner cocktails and unwound together by discussing their day’s events. The father and son had become quite close after Narcissa’s death.
“You are looking quite pleased with yourself Father. Good day at the ministry I take it?”
“Indeed,” Lucius smiled. He seated himself in his favorite chair next to the fireplace. He made an elegant flick of his fingers and a fire burst into life within the large, ornate hearth.
Draco walked over to a beautiful, dark, elaborate, oak cabinet and poured two fingers of his father’s finest fire whiskey into two crystal tumblers. He turned towards his father and handed him one of the tumblers
Lucius took a sip of his drink and looked at his son. “Draco, you are aware that the marriage law passed yesterday are you not?”
“Yes, Father.”
“Have you run the test, as I asked you to?”
“I did.” Draco sat down and sprawled lazily onto the rich brown leather couch across from Lucius. As he lifted his drink to his lips he saw his father watching him impatiently, tapping his finger on the rim of his glass. Draco smirked, “The witch I was matched to was several years behind me at Hogwarts, a Ravenclaw, her name is Susannah Fawcett, and her family is from Ottery St. Catchpole. Quite pretty actually, she’s a half blood and works as a Healer at St. Mungo’s.” Draco took a sip of his drink, leaned back into the plush cushions and watched his father.
“Ahh, lovely, we haven’t had a healer in the family for quite some time. Is she aware of you as yet?”
Draco smiled, the firelight painted his face in warm tones and in that moment Lucius thought he looked remarkably like his mother. His heart warmed.
“We had lunch today. It went quite well. I was pleased.”
“Excellent.”
The two men enjoyed a comfortable silence. “You are aware that I also fall under this marriage law?”
“Yes, I know.” Draco smirked into his glass.
“Something amuses you my boy?”
Draco laughed outright. “How did she take the news?”
“How did who take the news?”
“Granger, Why else would you have been pumping me for information on her several weeks ago?”
Lucius smirked back at his son, looking approvingly at him, “I thought I had extracted information from you in a most discreet manner.”
“Well, it would be discreet if I didn’t know you so well and I would never turn down the opportunity to enjoy your most excellent wine cellar.” Draco raised his tumbler in mock salute. The two men smiled fondly at one another. Draco looked at his father and quirked an eyebrow in question.
“She hasn’t realized the advantages of the match as yet.” Lucius downed the remaining liquid in his glass.
Draco snorted his fire whisky, coughing and laughing loudly. Raising an amused eyebrow, Lucius said, “Draco, take care, that fire whiskey is 100 years old and does best gliding down your throat not the front of your shirt.”
“Forgive me Father,” Draco chuckled and waved his wand and spelled a quick scourgify on his shirt.
“I intend to move this fairly quickly Draco; she will be coming to the manor tomorrow night for dinner. I’ve already scheduled a civil ceremony for Saturday at the ministry. I would like you to stand with me.”
“Of course, I take it you are moving this quickly because this is Granger we are discussing?” Draco finished his fire whiskey as well.
“Quite right. I do not want her spending too much time looking for ways to inveigle herself out of this law. She is remarkably bright.”
Twilby, the head house elf popped into the library and announced that dinner was ready. Lucius set his glass down and stood up smiling down at his son, “Draco you were right, she is quite challenging. Perhaps tomorrow night would be an ideal time for you to get to know your Ravenclaw better in more intimate surroundings.”
“Got it, you want me out of the manor. By the by, how did you get her to agree to come to the manor?”
“I didn’t give her a choice.” Lucius sniffed as he walked towards the door.
“Oh Granger must have loved that.” Draco smiled to himself and followed his father out of the library.
***********************************************************************************
After Malfoy had left her office, Hermione slowly slid down against her office door and sat on the floor. She dropped her head against her knees. She had never felt so helpless and impotent in her life. She was at a complete loss as to what her next steps should be. She was well and truly cornered. Damn him.
It was very late by the time she stepped out of her fireplace into her flat. Behind her the fireplace flashed green and she saw Harry’s face in green flames. “Hermione, the marriage law passed yesterday. I think you are on the eligible witch list.”
“I know and I am.” She pulled her robes off and turned to look at Harry.
“’Mione, I’m coming through.” Hermione groaned and sunk down onto her couch. Harry shot out of the fireplace and staggered slightly, he never had gotten the hang of floo travel.
“’Mione, if you hold off as long as possible from taking the test, it will give us time to see if we can get you out of this law.”
Looking up at him she wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or to cry. “Oh Harry.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. Harry rushed over to her and knelt down in front of her. Taking her hands in his, he asked, “Mione?”
“I received an owl this morning; my test took place this morning.”
“WHAT? So soon, Hermione, Who? Who were you matched to?”
“Lucius Malfoy,” Hermione grimaced.
“WHAT? That is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard, the test result is obviously wrong.” Moving to her fireplace, he angrily grabbed floo powder and said, “I’m contacting Kingsley.”
“Harry, I already talked to him, after I had the test run three times,” she sighed.
“What happened with Kingsley?”
“He says I have to follow through with the match.” Harry looked at her horrified. “What is he thinking? We need to talk with him again; Hermione there must be some way out of this…”
“Harry, he says I’m too well known, if he makes an exception for me, others will be beating down his door requesting he make the same exceptions for them.” She didn’t tell him that Kingsley also said he didn’t want to use her as the example for what happens to a witch or wizard that doesn’t agree to the match. That betrayal hurt far too much.
“I spent all afternoon researching this law. Whoever wrote it did an amazingly thorough job, it appears to have been written to be absolutely foolproof. There doesn’t appear to be anything I can take advantage of.”
Harry dusted the floo powder off his hands and came over to sit down next to her. He put his arm around her. “What if we petition?” He asked quietly.
“I thought of that but it would take months. According to this law, I have to be married to Malfoy within the month.” Harry shook his head. Hermione closed her eyes and let herself lean against him. She was beginning to feel a mind numbing headache coming on.
“He has actually set up a civil ceremony for Saturday morning.” She gritted out between clenched teeth.
“This Saturday? ‘Mione, no…” Harry looked appalled.
“I’m caught Harry, as surely as a rat in a trap. I don’t want to have my wand taken away. I don’t think I could live happily without magic. Though truth be told, I don’t know how I’m going to be able to live with Lucius Malfoy, that arrogant, self-inflated snob.” She felt herself begin to anger again at his high-handed tactics this afternoon.
“You know, the law doesn’t require you to go out of your way to make this a happy marriage. It’s mostly focused on producing kids. You may have to marry him Hermione but it doesn’t mean you are selling yourself to him. You won't be his slave, you will be his wife. Besides that, we will stand by you. This Saturday; you won’t go through this all by yourself. Hermione, you are not alone in any of this.”
Hermione smiled weakly at Harry. “Thanks Harry, that means a lot to me.”
When she woke up the next morning the day was cold and dreary. “Oh, wonderful.” It certainly matched her mood. She notified her boss that she was taking the day off. She poured herself a big cup of tea, settled herself on the couch to read all of the statutes and provisions issued within the marriage legislation. She needed to arm herself with as much information as possible for the discussion she would hold with Malfoy senior this evening. The egotistical, dictatorial, domineering sod.
The wizarding law puts forth the following edicts:
1) The wizarding ceremony of marriage must be consummated within 72 hours of the ceremony
2) Couples are required to live together
3) Weekly consummation is mandatory
4) Children must occur with one year of the consummation
5) The wizarding marriage is considered a magical life bond
Hermione pushed the parchments to the side. Oh Gods, she was going to have to live at Malfoy Manor. Worse than that she was going to have to have sex with Lucius Malfoy. Oh Merlin, he was such a cold stick. She picked up a pillow from her sofa and pressed it against her face and screamed into it. Damn him.
Well she had no intention of making this easy for him. She had a few stipulations of her own she intended to deliver to him. Threaten her with the possibility of losing her job will he?
She looked at herself in her full length mirror. Her smile spread into a wide grin, he would absolutely hate it. He was such a pureblood fanatic, he more than likely held old school ideas on what a witch should wear and how she should behave. She already knew he didn’t like her to use foul language. The patronizing, ostentatious prick.
She had dressed in the most muggle clothing she could get her hands on. She wore her favorite pair of jeans that were frayed and ripped, a baby doll Foo Fighters band t-shirt, genuine leather cowboy boots her parents had given her from their trip to Texas five years ago and she topped it off with a pink zippered hoodie. She had pulled hair up into a messy bun and skewered it with an ornamental chopstick. She had sewn a side pocket onto her jeans that sat between the inside of her knee and calf. She slipped her wand into it. She looked around her room for last minute touches and saw the bubblegum sitting in a tin. “Perfect.” She thought to herself as she unwrapped a piece of gum and put it in her mouth.
***************************************************************
An austere eagle owl had tapped at her window earlier in the day. A parchment with the Malfoy crest, Hermione rolled her eyes when she saw it, was attached to its leg. Hermione gave the owl a piece of biscuit and unfurled the parchment.
Miss Granger,
Within this parchment is a port key to Malfoy Manor which will activate precisely at 7:00 pm. Dinner is formal.
Lucius Malfoy
A small crystal snake fell into her hand. She snorted, he was so unoriginal. She had no intention of dressing up to have dinner with Lucius Malfoy.
**********************************************************
He claimed she’d be more work than he anticipated, she smiled to herself, snapped a bubble with her bubblegum, he had no idea what he was getting himself into with her. The damn pompous, conceited bastard. Her eyes glinted with malice.
The crystal snake began to glow, Hermione picked it up and felt that familiar tug on her navel. She lifted her chin as if preparing for battle. “Here we go!” She thought.
A/N:
Let the games begin!