A Muddy Secret

Good News. I am feeling quite inspired as of late to write this story. I have another chapter for you all. No guarentee that I will continue to update once daily. It probably won't happen. The story is just going particularly well right now...

Lovely Reviewers:

angelnomiko: I don't think he knows very well what to do either. Poor baby! I can't say as I blame her for her difficulties with him.

Citten: Abandoning stories is not my nature though I will admit that I am subject to painful and debilitating writer's block/writer's burnout at times. I have been stuck for monthes and monthes. But as soon as I am back on track with it, it is faster than you would believe. Don't be surprised if I take you up on your offer.

meankitty69: I am glad you like how Lucius is being written. I imagine him very much this way as a youth. The biggest difference in the adult and child Lucius, I think, is the pimp cane. Love the pimp cane! Lucius wouldn't quite be Lucius without a pimp cane. (I like to say "pimp cane.")

Lyssander: Yay a review! *happy penguin dance*

LadyVoldemort87: Remus, Lucius, and Severus are Bringing Sexy Back! Those three are probably my favorites! I love Remus (wouldn't have guessed with the werewolf part in my penname, would you? *winks*). I am in denial about his death...and his marriage...JKR didn't know Remus and I were involved (in torrid love affair). It's terribly romantic! And Severus is just...faints...I shall have to check out that fanfiction.

Snapes_goddess: Guess we know who you like. Nobody could criticize that though! Snape is a hottie hot hottie! Though my penname is no less discreet about one of my three favorite characters. Lupin! Just Lucius naked though? I mean I would want him tied to the bed so I could ravish him shamelessly before releasing him so he could do the same in return. I'd do it too!

IT IS ON TO CHAPTER III!

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~*~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Hermione soaked in the hot shower. She moaned under the spray. She could not remember the last time she was allowed to just soak in the shower almost to her heart’s content. She let out a shuddering breath as she worked shampoo into her hair and soaped up the wash clothe. She ran it over her body washing away all of the dried mud and blood off.

When she stepped out, she grabbed the fluffy green towel that hung on the wall and wrapped it around her body.

Slytherins are so lucky! Smarmy, Pureblood bastards, the whole lot of them.

Hermione walked out of the bathroom and saw a school uniform on her four poster bed. She sneered when she saw the Slytherin tie and patch on her cloak.

Why did I have to be a Slytherin? I’m a Gryffindor. If they knew that, Dumbledore’s words came back to her then. Essentially, “What they don’t know doesn’t hurt them.”

Hermione sighed as she quickly dressed. Dumbledore made her give up the time-turner. Not that she’d had any idea how to use it to get back to her time at any rate.

Where’d Big (at the time and still tall now) Malfoy get the time-turner anyway?

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Hermione.”

Think of the devil.

She did not respond.

“Hermione! We have to hurry. We already missed breakfast, and we have potions with Slughorn this morning in five minutes. We’re going to be late!”

Hermione snatched up the bag that had been provided for her and stuffed the potions’ text in it along with a roll of parchment, quill, and bottle of black ink.

“No, we won’t be late!” Hermione snapped as she slammed the door to her room behind her. “I’ve never been late to a class in my life.”

Lucius watched her storm down the hallway. His eyes had crossed a bit when he smelled her hair as it hit him in the face. Lavendar. It was one of his favorite smells.

“Wait up,” Lucius called to her after shaking himself from his stupor, “You don’t know the way.”

She breathed out a sigh as the blonde haired teen caught up to her.

“Have I offended you in some way?" Lucius asked, looking down at her with wide grey eyes and full lips twisted into a pout. "I try to be nice."

Hermione stared at the ground. He hadn't been rude once, and she was being snooty to him.

“No, Malfoy. I just miss my parents and friends. I am worried about them,” she whispered as they slid into the back of the potions classroom.

“My name is Lucius,” Lucius said, craning his neck to try to look into her eyes. He didn’t respond any further than that, and he took a seat at the front table next to her with his arms crossed.

“Hello class,” Professor Slughorn beamed at them. “We have a new student joining our cozy room today. She has been sorted into Slytherin and recently transferred from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.”

He motioned to Hermione to stand. She rose to her feet.

“Introduce yourself,” Slughorn encouraged, waving a hand to indicate that she should turn around.

Hermione turned and glanced at the students in NEWT level potions. Two wore Gryffindor crests, one wore the Hufflepuff coat of arms, five were Ravenclaws, and she and Lucius were the Slytherins. Lucius was the only real Slytherin; she should be with the Gryffindors she reminded herself.

“Hermione Beaumont,” she said, smiling at the Gryffindors sadly and wishing she could sit with them.

The Gryffindors both straightened up and glared at her. They pushed back from their table crossing their arms.

“You may sit now. You will partner with Mr. Malfoy for this class. He is the only student without a partner.”

Hermione fought back her screams.

What was the conspiracy of people of the time against her to shove her together with a Malfoy? Didn’t they know the truth?

He was a bad man. But he was just a boy right now. Hermione tried to shove back the thought

He was a death eater wannabe who would hurt her. He never hurt her. He never cursed her. He stopped someone from cursing her. Hermione's thoughts made her want to hex herself.

Lucius smiled when Hermione was assigned to be his partner. He had not worked with a partner since fifth year.

“We will be begin the brewing of Felix Felicis. It is essential to be able to brew it for passing this class, and if we don’t start now, we won’t finish. I do caution all of you about the potion. Not that I feel you need it. As NEWT level students, you know. Do not drink it until it is done, it is a potent poison until that point. Also I will only allow you to take the potion from the room after the graduation ceremony. Wouldn’t want you all to be caught cheating on your tests.”

Hermione looked at the other faces in the room.

The one Hufflepuff looked offended at the idea of cheating. The Ravenclaws sat back and crossed their arms looking as if they would never find cheating necessary. The Gryffindors’ looks were directed at the back of Lucius’ head and reminded Hermione of how she felt when she stepped in hippogriff dung at her first care of magical creatures lesson. She bent her head and looked at Lucius.

Lucius smirked and winked. It happened so quickly that Hermione was not sure that she hadn’t imagined it. The expression on his face was soon replaced with wide innocent eyes and a curious tilt to his head and puffed out lips.

“Professor Slughorn, surely you don’t believe any of your NEWT level students would cheat,” he said softly and sweetly.

Slughorn fixed Lucius with a tight-lipped expression, but chose to leave Lucius’ comment without response.

“The instructions for what you will have to do for the week are on the board. You will be expected to come at all times when steps are necessary. Begin,” Slughorn said, waving his wand.

The instructions appeared in a soft scrawl on the board.

Hermione quickly began to copy the instructions down.

“What do you think?”

She jumped at the silky voice that whispered in her ear and glared when grey eyes smiled back at her. She didn’t bother to answer him, opting instead to continue copying instructions.

“Do you want me to get the ingredients and the cauldron set up?” Lucius asked, biting his lip.

WHY WOULDN’T THE WITCH TALK TO HIM? He was Lucius Malfoy. She was infuriating! WHY WOULDN’T SHE LOOK AT HIM? She was stuck on herself. Plenty of pretty girls liked Lucius Malfoy. He could have had any one of them. NO GIRL IGNORED LUCIUS ABRAXAS MALFOY! Most would gladly sacrifice their wand hand to be partnered with him, and it was easy enough to manipulate those who didn't intrinsically know into thinking it. He could feel the reddening of his face and almost sense the steam coming out of his ears as if he’d taken pepper-up potion.

Hermione Beaumont will be my girlfriend by the close of next month! He vowed in his head. No girl said no to Lucius Malfoy. He was handsome, he was rich, and-and-and HE was a Pureblood who could trace his blood to Viviane! DID SHE KNOW NOTHING?

“Why won’t you talk to me?” Lucius pouted, as he set up the cauldron and got the fire going beneath it at the proper temperature. “Hermione.”

Hermione looked up at him.

“Good you have the cauldron set up,” she said in a business like tone as she stood up.

“Yes,” Lucius responded, rolling up his sleeves.

“You ought to copy the instructions, now,” Hermione said, glancing at his pale, unmarred left forearm.

It was damn hard to look away from those beautiful eyes. It was damn hard to ignore that smooth voice and his winning smile. She could hear that it was not quite the same richness as it would have in the future, but it was still quite knicker-soakingly beautiful.

She bit her tongue at that thought. Lucius Malfoy was not attractive! He was a Pureblood supremest git! He wanted all Muggle-borns dead. There was not a redeemable bone in his body. Maybe she could change him. Her eyes widened at the thought, and she almost laughed. No one would ever be able to change the stubborn minded fool.

Lucius waved his wand at the parchment he had out on his desk without a word. The quill lifted out of the ink bottle and began to write with elegant letters what was written on the board.

“How did you do that, Malfoy?” Hermione asked, sliding her outer robe off and undoing the top button on her shirt.

It was not a spell she’d seen before. She had seen self-inking quills and quick-quote quills, but not a spell that would copy what was written on a board.

“A Slytherin second year came up with the spell, Severus Snape. He is a dark one, though,” Lucius said with a smirk that said he knew he had impressed her. “And my name is Lucius. Please call me by my given name as opposed to my surname. Or are you just so impressed by my surname that you can’t help repeating it whenever necessary. I am worth hundreds of millions of galleons.”

Finally she was figuring it out even if he had to take her by the hand to make her understand. She would know he was wonderful, rich, powerful, respected. She would love him as all the other girls did. She would pay attention to him!

Hermione rolled her eyes in his face as she pulled her hair back to be sure that it would not contaminate the potion.

Professor Snape was in second year. That was useful information. She frowned as she realized that she should stay away from him. So much of her future rested on his shoulders. It hardly seemed fair when she thought about it. Snape is in second year. That would mean Harry’s parents are here, James Potter and Lily Evans. And Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. Why couldn’t she be in Gryffindor? She would at least be able to fabricate a reason to talk to them then. As it was, they would pay her no mind.

Hermione sighed as she stirred the cauldron anticlockwise fifty stirs without looking at Malfoy...Lucius again.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~*~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Hope it was good. What you were hoping for. Drop a review please.