Harvest Moon

Dracosgirl007, mrequecky and of course, Voracious Reader.  Thank you so much for the reviews.  I sincerely appreciate them.  This one is a bit longer.  Hope I’ve explained certain things properly.  I hope you enjoy.

***

Lucius lunged forward only to be pitched back by the barrier.

The false Liren laughed outright at seeing Lucius flail against his confinement.  “Really, Lucius.  You should know better than that,” he said, giving Hermione’s throat a little extra pressure.

“Release her this instant!” Lucius growled.  “Or I swear by all that’s unholy I will hunt you to the ends of the Earth and destroy you piece by tiny piece.”

“I hardly think you’re in a position to threaten me, Lucius.  And honestly, what do you see in this?” the fake asked, turning Hermione slightly toward Lucius.  “At least the muggle woman is lovely.  I can see the interest if only for amusement purposes.  But this is just . . . beneath your usual standards.”

Lucius’ eyes narrowed thoughtfully.  Perhaps if he allowed the false one to think he was losing his temper, he’d loosen his hold on Hermione.  There was also the added aspect of the polyjuice potion wearing off.  He could see the dark bleeding up into the blond hair from the ends.  It wouldn’t be long before the face would start to change.  If he knew who this person actually was, and by certain indicators he presumed he knew them well at some point, he might be able to figure out how to get out of the forcecage and help Hermione.  He just had to keep the other person distracted.

“I hardly think you deserve an answer concerning my very much private love life,” Lucius snarled.  “Especially considering you are a shadow of the monster Liren was.”

The false Liren frowned a little.  “Now you’re trying to make me angry,” he said.  Not noticing that he’s loosened his hold on Hermione slightly. 

Lucius almost sighed in relief.  It wasn’t much, but hopefully it would allow her to breathe until he could figure a way out of this.  Or until Draco and Potter showed up.  Gods, he didn’t know if he could live down being rescued by the boy who lived but he’d take it if it got Hermione out of her current predicament.

“Why exactly am I a shadow of Liren?”  the fake asked. 

Lucius fancied he sounded like a pouting child at that point.  “Simple really.  You took all of those women apart a bit at a time, true enough.  But they were already dead when you did.  Liren would have kept them alive for days while he removed body parts.  He would have enjoyed the sound of their screams.”

“Oh, that,” the fake said, releasing the hand he had under Hermione’s chin to wave it dismissively at Lucius.  “That is simple really.  I had nothing against them.  They were useful in the role I selected for them but it really wasn’t anything personal.”

Lucius’ eyes narrowed.  He had thought he saw a dark shape moving just outside of range of the dome the false Liren had constructed but he couldn’t be certain of it.  Nor did he know if it was a friend, foe or simply an animal.  That is until he saw the shape turn slightly, revealing the profile of his favorite ghost.   He clamped his lips together and glanced away.  Severus would know better than anyone that a ghost wasn’t subject to certain magickal laws.  Namely barriers like the one the fake and Hermione were currently in.  A glance from the corner of his eye revealed his friend carefully shifting the threads of magick.  He frowned a little until he realized there were two other dark shapes moving at the edge of his peripheral vision.  It seemed the cavalry had arrived.

A blast of wand light went through the small hole in the barrier that Severus had so carefully made, hitting the false one directly in the side of the head.  All of the fake’s muscles snapped rigid and in the process, released Hermione.  Both of them fell to the ground, neither moving.

“Severus!” Lucius called, nodding to Hermione.

“Calm yourself, Lucius,” Severus said, gliding through the now weakened barrier.  “She’s still alive.  She’ll be in a world of hurt when she wakes but she’ll live.”

At that point, Lucius did sigh in relief. 

“Exactly how did you managed to get yourself caged, Lucius?” Severus asked, moving over to him.  There was a little smirk on the ghost’s face.

“I’m so happy you find this amusing, Severus,” Lucius grumbled.  “As it happens, that one used Sanguine Spiritus.”

Severus’ nonexistent eyebrows lifted slightly.  “Interesting.  That one hasn’t been used for centuries.  I suppose we’ll have to wait to see who he is before we can get you out of there, Lucius,” he said, gliding back over to peer down at the fake Liren.  “Though it seems we’ll not have long to wait.”

“True enough.  Where’s Draco?” Lucius asked, peering into the darkness, looking for his son.

“Still wandering aimlessly about the castle.  He and Potter got lost evidently,” Severus said.  “In all seriousness though, if Draco doesn’t marry your rescuer, I think you should.”

Lucius frowned, looking confused for a moment before two blondes stepped out of the shadows, neither of which were the younger Malfoy.  He blinked several times, wondering vaguely if he should get those corrective lenses Potter used.  “How?”

“Fairly simple actually,” Luna said.  “Arabella isn’t subject to the same laws of magick we are.  She simply went to the door and knocked.  I waited outside the barrier for the house elf to invite me in as well.  He was kind enough to point the way back here.  You still look confused, Mr. Malfoy.”

“Because I am.  Didn’t that one give the elf some sort of instructions not to let people in?” he asked, nodding to the prone Liren fake on the ground.

“Yes.  But he was rather specific in whom to refuse entry to.  I’m sure the elf thought we were just more of the same sort of people who’d come through those doors never to depart again except in pieces,” Arabella said.

Lucius started laughing.  “Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest, I suppose.”

“True indeed,” Luna said.  She walked over to check on Hermione.  “Pulse is good and strong.  I think he just choked her out.  She should be coming around in a bit then.”

“Excellent,” Lucius said.  “And Luna.”

She looked up at him.  “Yes, Mr. Malfoy?”

“Call me Dad.”