Beyond the Veil -- COMPLETE

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Updated 8-16-08


I'm typing this from the Sonoma Wine Country in California. I've been on vacation this week and no, I didn't have any wine. I left that to my family. Wine makes my head hurt. Ironic that I live near some of the greatest wine country in the world and I can't drink it. I guess I'll drown my sorrows in smut-writing.

Another author, Utopia, has written a lovely poem dedicated to my lovely lurkers. Here it is -

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To those of you who lurk in the dark,
Please, step to the light and make yourselves stark!
I do not ask for essays, just a mere phrase,
Even the smallest comment will amaze!
I only wish to know your thoughts,
(And to check my writings are what they ought!)
I write for my pleasure and I hope you find
The time to type me but a few lines.

And for those who always speak,
Your continued comments are a treat!
But move up and make room,
As I think some lurkers will soon bloom!
Make them welcome, for they are shy,
And along with you, to them I’ll reply!
So, whether my words you praise or berate
Keep on reviewing, I do appreciate!


For LaBib, by Utopia.
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Now some answers for my ravishing reviewers -

helensgirl - This was certainly not the last lemon. If I bring more can I have a lemon cake?


doodle – A switch is someone who likes to both dominate or be submissive in certain instances. See -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switch_%28sexuality%29


sisterae – I appreciate the compliment. Yes, Hermione is letting loose and those two are becoming very at ease and tuned in to each other. They will need it.


Jesse – Ah, one of my readers who enjoys the mystery as the whipped cream on the banana split smut. Nice analogy. Whipped cream… hmmm.


blue artemis – Hermione is learning to please Lucius. She wants to reciprocate for his generosity in bed. Lucky Lucius.

pumkin – Wouldn’t you get tired of nonstop smut chapters with no character development? Oh, um, never mind. Let me keep my illusions, okay?


meankitty69 – [Swoon] Jason Isaacs. If Michael Caffee had Jason’s British accent, I’d move to Rhode Island yesterday. Michael’s girlfriend said he’s an animal in bed…


Mrs_Helene_Snape – I would love to ‘read’ Playgirl. I don’t think hubby would like it and I wouldn’t care for him reading Playboy (although it has some spectacular and clever dirty jokes). I do find Lucius completely entertaining as a character. He can do angst, arrogance and broad comedy. What’s not to like, I say, esp. if I throw in a mystery to bounce him off.



Scary Bear Hair – You may relax; Lucius’ maze is not at all like the Goblet of Fire. You think Hermione had the ‘whip hand’, as it were? Well, it seemed to suit Lucius so I guess he doesn’t mind as long as he gets serviced some way. I LOVE knocking Lucius off balance. It’s so entertaining to watch him flounder outside his comfort zone and then re-align himself and try to control things again. His nature is incredibly flexible. And Hermione is steadfast to his chameleon tendencies. So much fun to write.


Snapes_Goddess – I’m happy you like the mystery as well as the smut. I think we have a growing group of three or four now who would like to see the occasional plot chapter LOL. As for your nicely focused questions, I just have to say, um, nothing. Sorry.


Utopia – Yeah, “silly Lucius thinks he’s the boss.” (When Hermione lets him, but don’t tell him that. Because sometimes, switches AREN”T the boss.) The rosebushes DO have thorns. You know, I bet the Hogwarts students all learn that valuable fact when they have their fun in the rosebushes. Yes, there are less arousing nerve endings on a penis – on a scale of 8.5 to 10. Lucius apparently doesn’t need to be in absolute control if he trusts someone. Nice essay!!


Heidi191976 – Thank you, Heidi. Read on!


tambrathegreat – I agree that Hermione is so controlled it is a relief sometimes for her to give up that control to someone who has demonstrated his strength and determination is every bit as resolute as hers. They appear to be developing a sexual balance, which may extend to all parts of their lives together.


The Green Fairy – Hermione is certainly blooming as a full, sexual partner. She’s intelligent enough to spread her wings in all aspects of her life. I hope Lucius isn’t enamored of submissive females LOL.

jw – Sorry, jw, there is no Hogwarts in this story. Basically I didn’t think of it. Next story – I promise. More plot twists coming up!

nitesfool – Oh dear, you mean I was castigated for my cliffie? And now my smut? LOL At least I got a new term. I hope you’ve recovered from your frustration. I finally delivered on what you wanted – Hermione and her ‘lolly’. It sounds like you’ve opened up a new avenue for your personal activities. Lovely. I hope you enjoy yourselves!

Citten – You must be getting VERY used to my style [grin]. I agree that Hermione can be ALLOWED to take the dominant role on occasion and that Lucius would like that quite well. I will continue in my style – a mystery and smut woven all through the tale, with everything character-driven.


Muffy – Yay, another mystery lover. There was definitely mutual satisfaction in that gazebo.


CoCo.M – Oooh, your description of Lucius in the gazebo got ME hot. Will Hermione explore that next painting? Do ducks fly?


sheherazade – They look like they will embrace a sex life that switches off the dominant partner to the enjoyment of both. Curtain-raiser – snicker. You were in a maze? Did you find the center? What a lovely compliment that you’re enjoying the smut. Thank you! I’m honored.


Clare1984 – The paintings aren’t over yet. Perhaps it would be better to put down your drink while reading the story. Hermione is learning quite a lot from Lucius. He’s teaching her some life lessons as well. Let me know when the hazmat suit comes in and how well it works for your quest. [grin]


rachellehcar – More actual plot this chapter! LOL


Utopia – Your poem is wonderful! I’m putting it at the top of this chapter. Perhaps we’ll meet a few more of our lovely lurkers. I’d like that. I’m also happy you recognize the faithful reviewers, our mainstays as authors.


Damiana – The lemon dance? I would really like to see that! So will you do a plot dance if this next chapter has plot in it? The opinions of who was dominant in the last chapter are all over the board. The only one who didn’t get a vote was the house elf (and I’m not sure but what little house elf Atlas also has his own ways to get what he wants).

And now...

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Chapter Thirty-Five


A New Project

“If I might just ask…” Hermione’s voice trailed away diffidently. They were sitting in the library in front of a roaring blaze on the gray velvet sofa two days after their gazebo afternoon, relaxing from the effects of another excellent dinner furnished by the house elves. Hermione had asked at dinner if culinary expertise was something elves were naturally accomplished in or if they learned it somehow. Lucius’ predictable answer had been, “How the hell should I know?”

Lucius gazed at his wife for a few seconds, letting the question she had started to ask dangle between them. When another few moments passed and it seemed she was incapable of voicing her unceasing thirst for knowledge aloud, he repeated her query with a mien of long-suffering patience, “Yes? If you might just ask…what?” he said, mildly curious but disinterested overall in assuaging whatever burning need she had for information this time.

“Well,” she inhaled as though the necessary courage was to be found perfuming the air, “I just wondered what it was like in Azkaban. I mean,” she hurried on when she saw his impatience changing to irritation, “I mean, you look so unaffected by all those years of prison. Crabbe Senior went mad and I know a lot of other criminals-” she backpedaled when she saw his eyes flash at the word, ‘criminals’, “uh, prisoners, died or went mad in there after many less years than you put in. I guess I’m a little impressed with your, um, stamina?”

Lucius wanted never to be reminded of those years of harrowing, humdrum hell, but he was caught by her phrase, ‘impressed by your stamina’ enough to essay a bit of an answer. He settled himself more comfortably and began, “Mostly it was mind-numbingly boring. The same sparse routine every day, enough food to keep me alive and thanks to my benefactor keep me healthy - although I still thought about not eating it sometimes - four walls to look at, no windows, no sunlight, merely an abundance of candles.” Lucius thought it was no business of Hermione’s to what use a few of those candles were put. “The isolation was perhaps the worst. I was in my cell alone with no outside contact with others except for the guards bringing my food twice a day and occasionally inspecting my cell.” Lucius snorted, “I don’t know what they expected to find.

“And to answer your question about stamina, part of my talent, if you will, was to place myself in a temporary stasis, designed to be broken whenever someone opened my cell door or at sundown, not that I could see sundown. In that manner I was able to obliterate hours of paralyzing tedium every day. As a side effect it helped minimize the loss of some of my muscle tone, although I also exercised regularly.” Lucius’ face suddenly mapped all the remembered shock and petrifying horror of his experience being shut away from his family and his world for those long years, showing the shadow of a tortured soul who had survived, but whose mind had indelible scars he would carry throughout the rest of his life.

Hermione looked away to give the wizard a moment of privacy to recover himself. She didn’t feel sorry for him – he had received only what he had richly deserved, but he had served much of his sentence and his freedom from prison had only come at the cost of everything else he had ever had in their world. Just like her.

No, she didn’t feel sorry for him, but she mentally extended a forgiveness to him she knew he wouldn’t want to hear. Her inner resistance to him as a companion had eased with familiarity and dawning affection into something less fraught with anxiety - a more sympathetic regard, perhaps. A sense of calm stole over her, easing her heart of its need to protect itself against her unruly feelings of attraction to him.

A witch would have to be blind not to see the masculine Malfoy allure he exuded as easily as he breathed, but she hadn’t before felt this added underlying tenderness that was beginning to creep into her awareness of her handsome mate. Hermione wasn’t quite sure she liked the feeling, her distrust always hovered in her subconscious, but the cold voice of caution grew weaker with each waking day beside this man.

She could see he was making every attempt to abide by his ‘new leaf program’ even if his most challenging obstacle was being kind to the house elves. Some things never changed. His progress with them had stalled after managing to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to the elves for their efforts. It amused Hermione no end to see him struggle with the words, looking like he’d just bitten into owl scat. She had a strong suspicion the house elves were getting their jollies from watching him, too. They always conscientiously waited for him to dismiss them, knowing he had to come up with those hated words when he gave them leave to go.

“I have another topic I’d prefer to discuss this evening,” Lucius abruptly ended his unhappy reminiscences with the change of subject.

“And that is?”

“My plan for changing the attitude toward the Squibs, which is gaining a life of its own. I see daily small snubs among some of the Purebloods and even among some of the more common -”

“Common?” Hermione glowered.

“Well, what other term do you suggest?” Lucius irritably waved the objection away, wanting to get on with the conversation. “Shall I just say nonPurebloods, then? To continue, I’m seeing this attitude change all around and we need to put a stop to it before it gets too inexorable to contain.” Lucius accio’d a parchment from the library table where he had left it before dinner. He opened it on the low table in front of the sofa, but it snapped closed again. Before he could pull out his wand to charm the parchment open, Hermione jumped up from her seat and went to the mantel, gathering four of the dark green jade columns of various sizes resting there and bringing them back to the table. She quickly weighed down each corner of the parchment and sat again.

Lucius smothered his grin and hoped his wife didn’t look at him because he didn’t think his attempt at nonchalance would keep the look of unholy glee out of his eyes. When he was sure he could keep the amusement out of his voice, he merely said, “Thank you, my dear,” and forged ahead.

“This is my mock-up of a new school for Squibs. I have a piece of property adjacent to Hogsmeade, but closer to Hogwarts where I plan for the school to be built. It took me a while to obtain the various zoning easements, but I have them all now. The school will be close enough to Hogwarts that the two entities could be allied in some manner. The last thing I want is for the two to be rivals so we need to figure some way to have them belong together.” Lucius looked at his wife, “What do you think?”

“The idea is brilliant. You must have been working quite a lot on this to have this type of detail. But what would you teach Squibs that would make them special?” Hermione had put her finger on the exact problem and Lucius beamed at her.

“Very good, Hermione. We need the Squibs to have some function that they can carry out better than the magic folk. My suggestion is to have them be envoys or infiltrators or spies or emissaries – the word can reflect the final nuance we decide on - to the Muggle world. Of all the magic folk, they have the best chance of mingling with the Muggles. They won’t constantly be trying to use magic for every little thing like we would. Thus, they wouldn’t give themselves away in the Muggle world. They can learn the Muggle ways and bring our world more knowledge of the rest of that growing excrescence of humanity we have to live beside. In our day and age, we are dangerously ignorant of their world and we were incredibly naïve and unsuspecting. If we had known what was afoot in the Muggle realm, perhaps we could have been forewarned.”

"I don’t know if you will agree, but perhaps at some point we could have a special force of Squib Aurors who become experts in Muggle weapons also. Such a sub-group could be a shield for us and a possible deterrent element within the Muggle world. It’s just an idea,” Hermione said.

“We’ll add it to our plans,” Lucius decided. “In any case, trying to re-annex our Squibs into our mainstream of wizardry before they are completely shunned may solve the whole disaster we’ve come from. I’m hoping the Veil has sent us to reunite the magic folk and avoid the New Wave Master altogether. It’s worth a chance, and it needs to be done anyway. The atmosphere in the wizarding community about Squibs almost has the overtones of an incipient lynch mob at times.”

“I agree completely. Some of the teas I go to do have the distressing whispers of Squibs as inferiors who shouldn’t be there.” The little witch shuddered. “Is this your completed drawing of the new school?” Hermione asked, bending over the parchment. If a new school could help head off the powder keg of bigotry, she wanted to help.

“Not even close,” laughed Lucius. “It’s an unfinished scrawl next to what I really want. If you could look at it and make whatever changes or additions you see, I’d like that. I’ve been out of school a lot longer than you. Plus, you’ve been to a Muggle school and also have a much better idea of lessons that could be taught to our Squibs about getting around in the Muggle world. Could you design the classrooms and laboratories or whatever is needed?”

“I’d be thrilled,” she answered. “And we could cross over some of the classes with Hogwarts so the students there could learn a few Muggle ways and the Squibs could understand how magic is learned and what a wizard or witch is capable of, in case they need to draw on the wizarding community for help in solving a Muggle problem they’ve identified that threatens to boil over onto us.”

Hermione was becoming enthusiastic about the new school, “For millennia the wizarding world has closed itself off from Muggles and except for the Muggleborn and Halfblood children coming into our world, magic folk have little understanding of their culture and, more important, their advances in their technology and medicine and other fields. The wizarding community can certainly learn from Muggles even if I do understand that it would be best if they knew little about us. Human nature being what it is, the Muggles as a whole wouldn’t react kindly to our magical ways. Even I accept that.”

“One important thing,” Lucius said. “You just complained about my using the term ‘common’. I think the word ‘Squib’ carries a poor image also. I want a better term for them. Right now a new baby is born and it gets labeled Squib when it shows no magic ability. I want a more positive term for that baby. The term should give it a function in our society instead of being labeled a failure. Do you have any ideas?”

Hermione sat and stared at the fire for a while mulling over some terms, but none of them really suited the situation. Lucius reached over and wove his fingers in with hers as she thought, holding hands as he patiently waited. Many minutes later she came out of her brown study and realized her husband was gently smiling at her and holding her hand. She looked down at his much larger hand, idly watching his thumb smoothing over the back of hers and soothing her.

“That’s it!” she said, holding up their entwined fingers. “Links! We can call them Links. That’s a positive name and provides them with a calling if they so choose.”

“Ah,” said Lucius. “Yes, I like it. Very well, the new school will be called ‘The Malfoy School for Links”.

“Malfoy?” Hermione sputtered. “You’re going to name a school for Squibs – er, Links – with your family Pureblood name?”

“If I’m paying for the entire frigging school, my name should go on it.”

“Well, if you want there to be no school rivalry, you should name it the ‘Hogwarts School for Links’. That way, the cachet for both will be the same because everyone will assume the schools are one and the same.” Hermione saw she was dashing the fantasy of her husband, but she stood her ground.

“Dammit, Hermione. It is extremely irritating when your arguments are so annoyingly persuasive. My name would have sounded quite elegant for the school, but I do see that separating them, even with a different name, would perhaps cause a schism. Very well, we’ll call it the Hogwarts Academy…no, the Hogwarts Cross-Cultural Academy for Links.”

Hermione agreed, letting Lucius grumble a bit more for form’s sake before redirecting him to the parchment. “Do you want me to make a copy or may I have this one to work on?”

“Use that one. I have another. How quickly can you at least add some more detail to the plans? I have an appointment with the Minister in two days and I want to present the plan and the parchment together. In the meantime,” the blond wizard declared, “I’ll work on the administrative structure I want for the school. I’ll tie it into the original Hogwarts administration, but it should have its own Headmaster, I think. Merlin knows I do have experience in how the Hogwarts School was run.”

“You have experience in how it will be run in the future. You don’t know how it is run in this time period.” Hermione pointed out what to her was the obvious.

“The administrative structure of Headmaster and the Governing Board of Hogwarts have been in place for nearly all the time the school has been in operation. There has been no change in hundreds of years, therefore, I am well acquainted with the structure, Miss Know-It-All,” Lucius jabbed at his wife’s aggravating correction. I also know exactly where the pitfalls are, so I can perhaps generate a slightly better model for my school.”

“That’s Mrs. Know-It-All and I’ll just bet you know where all the dirty shortcuts are since likely you invented some of them,” Hermione shot back, peeved at the nickname she disliked.

Lucius preened and nodded regally as he accepted what he viewed as Hermione’s accolade, “Exactly. I’m the best person to create a solid administrative structure impervious to obstruction. I’m pleased you see that.” He stood up from the sofa and said he was for bed, waiting politely for Hermione.

Hermione just rolled her eyes and carefully removed the jade columns, returning them to the mantel. When she turned around she found Lucius grinning at her. Really, she thought, sometimes his values clashed so much with hers, it was as though they inhabited two different planes of existence. Luckily those two planes collided quite satisfactorily in bed. Hermione sniggered to herself as she walked over and put the parchment back on the library table. Returning to her husband, they clasped hands and apparated to their cozy bedroom.

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Two days later, Lucius was shown into the Minister’s office. “Minister,” the blond wizard greeted Grogan Stump with a formal bow, waiting politely for the Minister to indicate he might be seated before the man’s desk.

“Do you care for tea?” Minister Stump asked, more as a gesture than anything else. It was after mid-morning tea and almost lunchtime. He indicated a leather-covered chair before his desk and sat himself.

“Thank you, no,” responded Lucius, sitting in the proffered chair, adjusting the tails of his dark green superfine jacket to avoid crushing the material. He sat back in the chair and stretched out his long legs clad in a brown pair of the tight pantaloons fashionable in his stratum of society. A swath of black waistcoat covered his chest under the modest, pristine display of white shirt and neckcloth linen. His ever-present cane was propped against the side of his chair.

“I appreciate your seeing me today, Minister,” opened Lucius. “I wished to apprise you of some plans of mine that will affect the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – in a positive way, I hope. But I am here to discuss my plans and work out ways and means for uniting Hogwarts with my enterprise.”

Grogan Stump contemplated the wealthy wizard in silence for a moment. Then he said mildly, “And what enterprise is that, Lucius?” Minister Stump saw that although this Malfoy was much younger than the previous one, this wizard’s comfort with his own self-worth was, if anything, stronger than his uncle’s. This man might not enforce the inimical influence on Squibs that his uncle had, but his agenda could possible be even more frightening if he chose to wield his wealth-based power adversely.

Lucius answered the quiet question, “I’ve decided to found a new school with the name The Hogwarts Cross Cultural Academy. I have a nice property quite near Hogwarts on the same side of Hogsmeade that will be perfect for the new school. It will be designed to educate our Squib children for their important role in our wizarding society.”

“Important role?” The Minister looked confused.

“They will be the perfect magic people to be our eyes and ears in the Muggle world on a more intensive basis than relying on the prattle of Muggleborn and Halfblood children coming to Hogwarts. Muggleborn and Halfblood teachers will initially be able to teach our Squib children about the Muggle world. When enough Squibs grow up learning the Muggle culture, they can take over some of the teaching duties. There should always be courses on what magic skills we as magic people possess, though, so the Squibs know how we can help them. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry can team with the new Academy for some cross-teaching.”

Lucius leaned forward in his chair, “There is a wealth of information to be mined from any culture and we should always be armed and informed about any other culture that so impacts our own. We’ve managed to keep out of their way so far, but before the Black Plague, they were in danger of overrunning us. I foresee it happening again and this time we should be prepared.

“If our Squibs can infiltrate their society, their educational institutions, their research, their entire fabric of life and keep us informed and knowledgeable, we can better protect ourselves if anything dire happens. We might be able to avert a few of their senseless wars with a timely intervention of a bit of magic if we knew what was going on in their ranks.”

Minister Stump was nonplussed by the scope of the plan Malfoy was unveiling. He had long decried the way the Squib population was being more and more sidelined, especially with the hatred of the previous Malfoy helping to exacerbate the situation. But the old wizard hadn’t done anything illegal. Getting wizarding families to select against Squibs unfortunately wasn’t against the law, although it should have been. Listening to Madam Armbruster at the ball, Minister Stump now had a suspicion that perhaps more was going on under the surface than overt bribery. If so, then this new idea might be a godsend for the magic community. Especially if Malfoy was willing to pay for the entire thing.

Stump was no idiot and he knew at some point, the cost of the new school would devolve on the Ministry, but to have such an enterprise started and bankrolled from private funds was very attractive on several levels.

“I’m listening,” Stump said.

Lucius set out the parchment with the plans on it, including the additional details that Hermione had painstakingly drawn. Lucius included a second parchment filled with details for the administration and organization of the academy. Both men studied the parchments for nearly an hour with Stump asking questions and both of them making some improvements as they went along. Minister Stump began to be excited by the idea and said so.

Lucius finally rolled up the parchments and sat back again. “The term Squib is such a nonentity sort of name, don’t you think?” Lucius inquired, mostly rhetorically. “It merely identifies our children born without magic instead of giving them a societal function of their own. I believe I’ll name the school the Hogwarts Cross Cultural Academy for Links. All Link children will be taught to function in the Muggle world as well as our own, providing a secure bridge between cultures to promote our safety in this world we share with the Muggles.

“Links will be the perfect magic citizens for the duty. They won’t be tempted to use magic to get out of any situation. Rather they will learn how to manipulate Muggle morés to keep themselves – and us – safe. We all know the Muggles have just finished another of their interminable wars and Muggle wars rarely give us any advantage, while often blindsiding us with danger. Having magic-based Links watching them will help us survive in an increasingly complex Muggle environment where they are polluting the cities with their coal-burning and we can see that they are creeping closer and closer to our lands. We need to protect ourselves and the Links can be our guardians.

“As a bridge to the rest of Hogwarts I further propose that the Links be known as the fifth house of Hogwarts, equal in rank and given all the ceremony of the other four houses. The animal associated with them on an escutcheon can be the lynx, in honor of their name.” Lucius sat back and waited. He’d embroidered the plan a bit more than he had run past Hermione, but he thought the ideas were easily within reach of their community.

“There will be differences,” Stump warned. “The Lynx house wouldn’t be able to compete in Quidditch, for example.”

“Perhaps,” said Lucius, “but there will be other athletic events or games that can be added which don’t need magic. Prowess is prowess in many arenas. I realize the exams and lessons will be different to a marked degree, but at least this gives the Squibs – or rather Links – a better chance in our society than they have now. If they are represented as the guardians of the entire wizarding world it gives them a special place instead of no place.”

“I must admit I’m impressed with your plan and the reasons behind it. You do understand you are flying in direct opposition to your uncle’s lifelong antipathy for the Squibs.”

“I do. You’ve heard of the Muggle phrase, ‘divide and conquer’? I believe Uncle in his ignorance was dividing us right into a future disaster. Well,” Lucius rose and gave a short bow to the Minister, “I want to return to my home and let my wife know how this meeting went. She has been instrumental in helping me fine-tune the plans and she designed much of the school.”

The Minister rose from his chair, “Please extend my thanks to her along with the gratitude of the wizarding community. I believe this will be a wonderful thing for our kind. I know the families with Squibs, uh, Links, will welcome the dispersing of the intolerant miasma that has infected us all.” Stump bowed in turn and Lucius left, a relieved smile on his face as he exited.

tbc...


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So, a plot-rich chapter. Lucius and Hermione have chosen a path to try to re-route wizarding history. Will it work?

Reviews are always a joy for me to read. Please make my day (as another Harry said years ago in a Clint Eastwood movie). Thanks!!

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