The End Is The Beginning Is The End

‘Wake up you fucking bitch!’ He shook her furiously, ignoring the horrified cries of the medics working furiously to save her.

She just lay there, looking pale and corpse-like. 

No signs of life.

Could she be…?

Frantically he searched her wrist until he felt a pulse and then he turned to his medic team, ‘What’s taking so long?’

‘She’s lost a great deal of blood, your grace---.’

'I know!' He snapped

'--because of the child--'

Lucius fixed pale, glittering eyes on the medic, 'You don't want to finish that sentence.'

He continued to glare at him, and the other man stepped away, as if afraid he might be killed, ‘B-but she will be fine, we will see to it.  We’re just preparing the potions right now—‘

Lucius rose so that he towered over the other man, who gulped nervously. He took an intimidating step forward and smiled dreamily at him.

‘Ah!’  He yelped.

'What is your name?'  His voice was light. Airy.  Almost cheery.

'Maridus Wren.'

Lucius took another step forward, ‘Well, Maridus Wren, if she dies, I will peel the skin off of every person here.'

Maridus pale, 'V-very good, your grace.'

'And make you watch.  Then I will start on you.’

Maridus looked for a moment as if he would be break down and run, but he nodded his head up and down, 'Then I will see to it that the mud--'

Lucius narrowed his eyes.

' I mean lady, is what I meant, I shall see to it that she is fine.'

'You see to that Maridus.'

‘O-of course!’ The medic turned and began to bark out orders like a madman.

Lucius turned back to her.

He was losing his fucking mind.  Draco was missing.  His…fuck what was she?

He looked down at her.  She was his prisoner.  His slave.  But his concern betrayed something deeper.  Because no one would care this much about a thing.  And that was what she was supposed to be.

Lucius paced back and forth, having never felt this anxious in his entire life.  To see him now…hell if it wouldn’t cause many to question his sanity.

He clenched his fists.  He would think about that later.  Right now, he just needed to ensure her survival.

There was a sharp knock at the door.

‘What is it?’ He hissed

His head of guards came in and bowed deeply.  ‘Permission to speak.’

‘This had better be good.’ He replied.

‘We have your so—‘

‘I don’t have a son.’ Lucius interrupted sharply.

The guard hesitated, ‘We have the, um, offender in custody.’

A nasty smile lit up Lucius’s face, ‘Wonderful,’ he all but purred, ‘Bring him to the red room…’

The guard looked startled, but who was he to question his lord?  He bowed and left.  All the while thanking his lucky stars that he was not Draco Malfoy.

Lucius glanced back at Hermione.  He wasn’t one to get sentimental but he wanted to touch her.  To hold her. 

Instead he forced himself to tear his eyes away and fixed them on the lead medic, who nervously dropped a glass vial.

He allowed himself one more glance at Hermione before apparating.