The End Is The Beginning Is The End

Hermione awoke suddenly.

‘I had a feeling you were here,’ her voice was low, barely audible.

‘And please enlighten me, how did you come by such knowledge?’ Lucius stood at the foot of the great big bed, arms crossed.  His head was tilted slightly, so his long silvery hair covered most of his face, making only his lips visible.

It was eerily beautiful, like some sort of vampire.

She felt the hairs on her neck stand on end, but she willed herself to stay calm.  He was going to come sooner or later, she knew.

‘You give off something like an evil aura.  Or presence. ‘

‘Really?’ The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and she took a calming breath. 

‘I feel afraid.’

He ran the tips of his fingers along the satin bedding, all the while the top half of his face was hidden from her view. 

And he moved towards her.

Smiling like the Cheshire cat.

‘Ah.  Your breathing has changed.’  He stopped , ‘I bet if I checked, your heart would be racing.’

‘Maybe,’ she whispered.

‘I’ve had ample time to…know the many ways your body responds to outside stimuli.’

‘An understatement, I think.’

He did not take the bait.  He merely stood very, very still, and the silence stretched for many moments. Finally she could not bear it any more, ‘What do you want Lucius?’

‘I want you.’

She slowly shook her head, ‘What trick is this?’

‘Think what you want.’

‘I don’t understand.  You want to rape me again?  Torture me?’

‘I spent time thinking this over.  You hate me, correct?’

‘Yes,’ she surprised herself by saying.  If Draco didn’t kill her, Lucius it seemed would. 

Death would be welcome, she supposed, to the alternative.

‘Living can be so hard, but you know this, don’t you, Hermione?’ His voice was low, a soft whisper, ‘I know you hate me, and I accept that. But if I can have you, then that’s acceptable to me.  I don’t need you anymore, not for political gain, but I find that I’m not ready to discard you.’

‘So you want to keep me around to torture me?’ She bitterly spat, ‘I don’t care anymore.  Do whatever you want, you’re stronger than me.’

‘Maybe.’

He began to remove his clothing, and she felt the knots in her stomach tighten.  Of course. 

‘Is this to put me in my place again?  Let me tell you that if you are trying to get me pregnant again I’ll kill it,’

‘I don’t think you will.  You were very distraught when you found out that the other one was killed.  No I don’t think you will do that at all.  You’re far too…nurturing. ‘

‘I hate you,’ she hissed, moving away from him while he continued to undress, not at all in a hurry.  ‘Stay away from me!’

‘Don’t be so upset Hermione.  I don’t need a willing partner, you know that already.’ And he found this amusing because his frightening smile widened, ‘But on the other hand if you do get pregnant you gain something to love, and maybe love you back, and I know that is something you deeply desire.’

‘SHUT UP!’ She screamed, her voice cracking, hating that someone as awful as him should know something so personal.

‘You should have heard the whispers,’ he kicked away his trousers, standing naked and erect, his eyes still hidden, ‘I think you know what I did for you.  What I did to my only child.’

She slapped her hands over her head, ‘I don’t care, I don’t care, leave me alone, go away!’

‘Now Draco won’t mess with my belongings, and no one else will.  It is just me and you, Hermione.’

She was crying now, ‘Why can’t you just let me die, please, just leave me alone.’

With one hand he forced her arms to her sides, with the other he tilted her chin up to his, and she saw him clearly, his eyes glittering dangerously, ‘But I’m evil, you said so yourself Hermione.  Death would be a kindness, and I don’t have that in me to give.’

She tried to pull away, but of course he was too strong. 

He lowered his lips to her ear and softly whispered, ‘I decided that I exhausted every form of torture but one.’ She was trembling, too afraid to speak, ‘But there is still one more avenue to explore.  I am going to make you desire this body.  And I won’t let you die, Hermione.  So don’t try to do anything to yourself.  I forbid it.  And you won’t like the consequences.’

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, so she didn't see him grin, bearing his teeth.

‘Now…shall we begin?’