To Regain Glory

Chapter 2

Lucius had always found the holiday season tiring. This year, it was more so. He was attending parties he might not have attended because Phaedra wanted to show her fiancé off to her friends. Thankfully, she was spending the night at her parents' house. He was sitting in the library, staring at the fire, enjoying a glass of very old Cabernet.

When the lamps illuminated, he looked towards the door.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone was in here," apologized Hermione.

"Not at all. I was just relaxing. Would you care to join me in a glass of wine? It's quite an excellent vintage." He hoped she would stay. There were a few things he wanted to discuss with her. Well, one in particular. This was the perfect opportunity for him to ensure that the Malfoy line continued. For months, he had been compassionate and charming, working to earn her trust and friendship, everything Draco appeared not to be. And he was succeeding. While she thought she had been discreet, he had noticed her watching him. His plan was coming to fruition.

She seemed to waver for a few seconds. "All right," she finally replied and took the seat next to him.

He poured a glass for her. "Observe the colour. This is not your average Cabernet. This particular bottle is more than thirty years old."

One thing she had learned from her father-in-law was an appreciation for fine wine. "What was the occasion for opening a bottle this old?"

"An evening of peace in the hectic holiday season. It seemed fitting enough for me. Where is Draco?" The end of the year was approaching, and Hermione still was not pregnant. Lucius had even taken to having the house-elves add fertility potions to their drinks, just in case Draco was not doing as he was told. Even that had not yielded any dividends. He had to take matters into his hands.

"It's his poker night," she replied dryly.

"Ah, I see." While he did not entirely approve of Draco gambling, his son was at least doing so with an influential circle of young men in politics.

As she was finishing her second glass of wine, he decided to ask her some questions about Draco, knowing the alcohol would loosen her tongue. "I know this may be a bit personal, but is Draco paying you enough attention?"

"Whatever do you mean?" she asked evasively.

"Well, I had rather expected the two of you to have started a family by now." He saw Hermione quickly look away from him, and in the light of the fire, he could see a tear streaming down her cheek. "Hermione?" he asked gently as he reached out for her hand. 'Trust me. Open up to me,' he urged silently.

She looked into Lucius' eyes. "Am I ugly?"

"Good heavens, no, my dear. Why would you ask that?"

"Draco seems to think so," she sobbed.

He led her over to the sofa, where he could hold her. "Oh, I don't think that's true. Draco is a little...odd at times, but I don't see how he could ever think you are ugly." Using his thumb, he brushed the tear from her cheek. "In fact, you have the most amazing smile."

"I hate my smile," she replied.

"You shouldn't. I think it's perfect." He tilted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "What would it take for me to see that smile tonight?" he asked softly. A mocking smile curved his mouth. 'Power makes men sexy,' he thought. 'She might not see that attribute in the son, but she will recognize it in the father.' And, one way or another, she would bear the Malfoy heir. Realizing she was incredibly vulnerable, he leaned forward and kissed her. His mouth brooked no defence, no argument, no resistance. Her hands crept to his neck and twined into his hair. He could feel her trembling as he deepened the kiss, devouring her hungrily. Due to the fertility potion she was taking, he knew she should be receptive to his advances. She would react to his pheromones, his desires.

She continued to kiss him and it took little prodding for him to pull her onto his lap. When he broke the kiss, he unbuttoned her robe to reveal her breasts and began teasing her nipples. She moaned at his ministrations, and he could feel her hands exploring his body. He stopped when he felt her take hold of his erection. It had been a very long time since a woman had touched him like that. He stood, wrapped his arms tightly around her, and said, "Hold on."

With a pop, he transported them to his room. Once there, they feverishly worked to divest themselves of clothing, both giving in to the passions of the moment.

*

Much later that night, Hermione lay in Lucius' arms, enjoying his comforting embrace, something she rarely got from Draco. He tended to fall straight asleep after they were done. Then the realization of what she had just done hit her. She bolted from bed and started trying to get dressed. "Oh Merlin, what have we done?"

Lucius seemed unconcerned. "I don't know about you, but I believe we had some truly marvellous sex."

"But I'm married to your son. What will he say? What will he do?" She was starting to panic.

He rose from bed and wrapped his arms around her to comfort her, unconcerned about his nudity. "He need never know. You said that he ignores you. Obviously, this was something we both wanted." He nuzzled against her neck.

"Lucius, stop, please. I'm serious. This is very wrong. I need to go." She had no idea what had come over her. Yes, he was handsome, but it never should have happened.

He released her and watched her continue to try to sort out her clothing. "Hermione, remember what you have learned about high society. Do you really think that Draco has gone without sex? Surely you suspect what I do, that he has a mistress."

She had, but she was not willing to admit it to herself. "I try not to think about that."

"If he is finding his release elsewhere, what's wrong with you doing the same?"

While she didn't agree with his logic, it was sound. "But you are engaged to be married, too. That just makes it worse."

"I have little in common with her. Ours will be a marriage of convenience, nothing more. I am merely marrying her to ensure the Malfoy line will survive, since Draco is unwilling or unable to father offspring with you." In deference to her modesty, he had donned his dressing gown. Wrapping his arms around her, he whispered, "I will be here for you."

"I really need to go," she protested weakly. How had she let this happen? Lucius had been kind to her, but that was no reason to sleep with the man. She was married to someone else. True, she did not believe that Draco loved her, not anymore, but that was no reason for infidelity.

*

Lucius was making the final changes for the Holiday Dinner menu. Thirty of his 'closest' friends would attend the dinner, including the Minister of Magic. He had been quite surprised when the invitation had been accepted. Since his release from prison, he had always received a polite declination, even after Scrimgeour was replaced.

"Lucius?" asked Hermione from the door.

When he looked up, he saw that she was nervous about something, as she was wringing her hands. "What is it, my dear?" he asked gently.

She quickly crossed the room, but positioned herself so she could see the door. "I'm late."

He found this statement rather odd. "I wasn't aware that you needed to be anywhere."

"Not that kind of late," she whispered. Still nervously eyeing the door, she continued, "I think I'm pregnant."

He smiled broadly, pleased the Malfoy line would continue. "That's wonderful news."

She started pacing. "No, it's not. It's not Draco's. We haven't been together for months. What are we going to do? I can't tell him."

Repressing his anger at Draco for being wilfully disobedient, he closed and locked the door with a wave of his wand, and he led her over to the couch. "He doesn't need to know. All you have to do is seduce him tonight. That way, he will believe the child is his."

"But I've been trying to seduce him. He just ignores me."

Lucius gave her a sly grin. "Leave that to me. This won't be a problem." This was perfect. He didn't have to disown Draco, but this should ensure that Draco was removed from the Malfoy gene pool. Clearly, the Black blood had been inferior. After all, Bellatrix had been psychotic. Perhaps Andromeda had the right idea when she had married a Muggle-born.

"But what if he suspects it's not his?"

He held her hand in a reassuring manner. "Why would he? Physically, the two of us look enough alike that he would have no reason to suspect anything. And if I pay the child a great deal of attention, he will think nothing of it. I have told him numerous times of my desire to have grandchildren." He placed his hand on her stomach. "This is a marvellous event, not something for you to be upset about. You did say you wanted to be a mother, did you not?"

"Well, yes, but I rather expected Draco to be the father. Will it really work?"

"It will. Just behave as you always have and you have nothing to fear." He kissed her softly on the lips and let her go on her way. She was much calmer than she had been when she came in to see him. He allowed himself a victorious chuckle. If his foolish son didn't want to father the next generation of Malfoys, so be it. The family was better off without him.

*

Draco looked up from his book and watched the mix of rain and snow beating the windows. He would be glad when the weather finally broke; it would make sneaking out of the house easier. Of course, Phaedra was spending a great deal of time with his father and had little time for him. He knew the two of them would have to spend time together since they were engaged, but he was still bitter. Phaedra had been the escape from his marriage. In a little less than two months, they would be living under the same roof, and he hoped that would improve the situation.

He saw Hermione lurking in the door. "Did you need something?" he asked politely. He had learned to be polite to her because his father always seemed to hear when he wasn't.

She had smile on her face as she approached him. "I have wonderful news, darling. I'm finally pregnant."

Draco was momentarily taken aback. "Are you sure?" That would explain the nausea she had been experiencing recently.

She sat on the arm of the chair and wrapped her arms around him. "I've just returned from the Healer to verify. Isn't it wonderful? Can we have a big party to announce it in March?" she asked cheerfully.

"Uh, sure. That sounds great." He forced himself to smile at her.

"Excellent. I'll set it up for early March so it isn't too close to your father's wedding. This is going to be wonderful." She kissed him and flitted out of the room.

Draco was left pondering how this had happened. He had been very careful about ensuring he didn't get her pregnant. There had been one night, shortly before Christmas... He had a hard time remembering exactly what had happened, but he did remembering waking up with her snuggled against him. She must have tricked him.

At the very least, this should make his father happy, and hopefully he wouldn't have to hear any more about not fulfilling his duties as a man.

*

As the wedding approached, Lucius found he was tiring of Phaedra. She was very much like Narcissa, concerned mostly about appearances and name-dropping. Unfortunately, she was being very proper about the courting process, something he found odd considering she had been previously married. She was insisting they wait until they were married, that she didn't want to risk the scandal of getting pregnant out of wedlock. He only hoped the situation would improve once they were married. As long as she could be the prim and proper pureblood wife, the situation was acceptable. He could always find his diversion elsewhere. That arrangement had worked for centuries.

Staring at the contract on his desk, he found his attention drifting to Hermione. Pregnancy suited her and she was looking quite radiant. She was just starting to show. Normally her robes concealed that fact, but he had caught sight of her in her Muggle clothes. While he normally didn't approve of things Muggle, those jeans she had been wearing today hugged her curves and left nothing to the imagination. It had taken a great deal of control for him not to shove her against the wall and have his way with her. The thought of being with her again made him smile.

"Are you thinking of me, my love?" Phaedra asked.

"Of course I am, my dear. What else would bring a pleasant smile to my face?" he replied smoothly.

She moved behind him and wrapped her arms around him. "What is that? Some boring contract? I wonder if you might have a few moments to talk about the wedding."

"For you, anything." He let her lead him to the sofa.

"I've been thinking about your best man. Do you really want Severus Snape? I mean, you know so many other people, and he doesn't really like social gatherings."

"Phaedra, my darling, you know what Severus means to me."

"I know, I just thought it would be better for everyone. We could have someone...a little less surly, and then he wouldn't be obliged to be such a visible part of the wedding."

"He's already agreed. It's not as though I can just rescind that offer. It will be all right. He has agreed not to scowl, though I think we will all be better off if he doesn't smile."

She laughed at his little joke. "I guess I'm just getting nervous. I mean, it's only two weeks away."

He rubbed her arm. "Everything will be perfect. The meal is chosen, the flowers are in bloom in the hothouse and the invitations are mailed. And you've selected your dress, so that leaves very little to be done. If the weather doesn't cooperate, Severus and I will charm the garden so that it is sunny and dry."

"Thank you," she replied.

"Now, if you don't have any other questions, I would like to finish going through that 'boring contract' so I can have everything ready for our honeymoon."

"Of course. I'll see you at dinner."

Once she was gone, he once again started thinking about Hermione. Perhaps he would take tea with her this afternoon? He remembered Phaedra saying she was meeting with some of her friends. Draco was in meetings at the Ministry all afternoon, so no one should interrupt them. Perhaps she would be amenable to another liaison?

"Ippy, I'll be taking tea in the conservatory with Mrs. Malfoy."

"Yes, Master."

*

When teatime came, Lucius went to the parlour to find Hermione. "I thought you might like to join me for tea?"

"That would be wonderful," she replied as she accepted his hand.

He kissed her cheek before placing her hand on his arm. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better. I think the nausea is finally subsiding. I didn't realize how tiring it would be."

"You don't look tired. You actually look quite radiant."

"Thank you," she replied quietly, somewhat embarrassed by his compliment.

As they took tea, he asked, "Is Draco treating you any better?"

She shrugged. "He seems excited about the baby, but he's still rather ambivalent about me. I don't mind, though."

"Are you sure? I recall Narcissa... Well, let's just say that she was quite appreciative of the attention I showed her." Lucius recalled how Narcissa's sexual appetite had grown when she was pregnant. She had been open to experimentation, and that had been the best sex of their marriage. He shifted in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable from his erection as he imagined re-enacting those positions with Hermione. Hopefully, she would also experience an increased libido. The forbidden nature of their romance aroused him and he wanted it to continue.

Hermione saw the look on his face and quickly changed the subject. "I'm fine, really. I am hoping to get him interested in decorating the nursery."

He was disappointed that she hadn't accepted his offer, though it was only a matter of time if Draco continued to ignore her. Perhaps he could ensure his son had plenty of work to do? "If he doesn't help, and you would like a second opinion, I would be more than happy to provide it."

"Thank you. I really appreciate everything you are doing for me. You know..." she trailed off.

Reaching across the table, he patted her hand. "There is no need to thank me. You are part of the family, and I will do everything in my power to preserve the family and its reputation. If there's anything you need, just ask."

*

Hermione lay in bed, waiting for Draco to return. Her nausea had finally passed, and was replaced with something much more pleasant. She rubbed the gentle swell of her abdomen. Today, she had decided to visit her parents and let them know the good news. She never thought she would be happy about clothes not fitting, but when she had been unable to button her jeans, she had been ecstatic. After all this time, it was still hard for her to believe that she was pregnant.

Draco had been working long hours lately, but she hoped he would be home soon. She thought about talking to Lucius and seeing if he could let Draco come home earlier from time to time.

When she heard the doorknob turning, she threw off the blanket. "Draco, darling," she purred.

Draco quickly hid his surprise. "I hadn't expected you to still be awake."

She rubbed her hands along her body, fondling her breasts. "I just had to wait for you."

"Not tonight. It was a rough day. Besides, I didn't think you were feeling up to it."

Rising from bed, she crossed the room and started undressing him. "I'm feeling much better and I've been thinking about you all day." She rubbed her thigh against him.

He gently pushed her away. "This really was quite a trying day. I had to visit four companies, I'm completely exhausted from all that Apparating, and I have a splitting headache. All I want tonight is a drink and to get some rest." He gave her a soft smile. "Perhaps tomorrow night?"

She frowned and grabbed her nightdress off the chair. "Dammit, Draco. It's been weeks and I finally feel ready and you do this."

He placed his hands on her shoulder. "I'm really sorry. This really was a bad day. With the wedding coming, I've been completely swamped with work preparing for Father's absence. Once he's gone, things will slow down, and I can find some time for you. I promise."

She pulled away and threw herself to bed, making sure to keep her back to him.

Draco quickly changed into his pyjamas and joined her in bed. Knowing that she was mad at him, he stayed on his side of the bed.

*

Draco waited quite some time for Hermione to fall asleep. He thought it was ridiculous that his father insisted they still share the same room. The woman was pregnant; what more did he want? After all, his parents hadn't shared a room. Perhaps he could use her pregnancy as an excuse to have his own room? After all, he needed his rest to ensure his mind was sharp at work. It would have the added benefit that he would not have to deal with situations like he had this evening. Though, he did have to admit that he had found it somewhat arousing to be greeted like that. He reminded himself that she was beneath him, no matter what his father believed.

He heard her breathing slow and knew that she was asleep. Slipping out of bed, he had only had a couple of hours before she would be waking to go to the bathroom. For not the first time, he wondered if he would be able to continue his liaisons with Phaedra after they were living under the same roof.

When he arrived at the small cottage, he was quickly embraced and she demanded, "Where have you been?"

"Fucking Mudblood took forever to fall asleep." He pushed off Phaedra's robe and noticed that she was already naked. "But enough about her. Are you ready?"

"I'm all yours," she replied as she pulled him to the bed. "Tonight we secure your line as the Malfoy future."

Draco was more than happy to indulge her since he didn't know when he would get the opportunity to be with her again.

*

Shortly after they returned from their honeymoon, Phaedra walked into Lucius' office at the Ministry with a huge smile on her face.

"What an unexpected surprise?" he said cheerfully as he rose to kiss her.

"A good one, I hope."

"Seeing you is always pleasant. What brings you here?"

"I thought you should be the second to know. I'm pregnant."

"How wonderful. Congratulations." He had not expected it to happen so soon, but he would not complain. He laughed softly. "I wonder how many people can say that their child and grandchild were raised together. I do hope they will get along well."

"I'm sure they will. While I don't mind telling Draco and Hermione, I would like to keep it quiet from the others for a while longer."

"Of course, darling."

"We already have a garden party planned for late summer. Don't you think that would be the perfect time to make the announcement?"

"I do believe you are right. Did you want to go to lunch and celebrate?"

She thought for a moment. "That sounds like a wonderful idea."

Lucius had partially hoped that she would turn him down. But he led her out of his office and to his club for lunch. That maitre d' fawned over Mrs. Malfoy until Lucius gave him a glare that drove him off.

As they ate, he maintained a polite façade, pretending to take interest in her inane babblings. She easily switched topics from how to decorate the nursery, saying that she didn't have the same tastes as Hermione and would have to have a separate nursery for their child, to hoping she wouldn't have stretch marks, varicose veins, or gain too much weight. He smiled slightly and nodded as he let his mind wander to Hermione, and how he longed to caress her, to feel the child growing within her, to experience the aroma her shampoo. The swell of her stomach was incredibly erotic. He would have to make some time alone with her. He enjoyed the power he had over her.

Finally, she returned to the more mundane topic of maternity fashion and how she had stopped by Madam Malkin's and had been unimpressed by the selection, but that she knew the most charming seamstress in Paris, and could he please arrange for the woman to come stay at the manor to design a new wardrobe? After all, Mrs. Malfoy had to always look elegant. He nodded in agreement as she continued on about which fabrics draped best.

Realizing her conversation would be no weightier than fashion, his mind once again drifted to Hermione and planning how he could get her in bed again. Perhaps with Phaedra's new obsession, he could find more time to spend with Hermione?

He realized that Phaedra had stopped talking. "I'm sorry, dear. I was working on a very difficult letter when you arrived and my mind must have drifted."

*

Draco had concealed himself in an alcove. He didn't like the way Phaedra was behaving and he frowned in displeasure. She claimed that she didn't care for his father, but watching her, he found it hard to believe. Now that she was pregnant, she didn't have any reason to dote on Lucius like that. She should have been finding a way to spend her time with him.

As it was, he had a hard time fending off Hermione, even with the separate bedroom. He couldn't lock his door without drawing the wrong sort of attention, and she had this habit of crawling into his bed. He had hoped that she would not be one of those women who experienced an increased libido when pregnant, but he had not been so lucky. The way his life was going, Phaedra would be the one so affected instead. He had only been with her once in the month since her return. This was not definitely going according to plan.

He watched from the shadows as she planted a passionate kiss on his father's lips. Turning away in disgust, he waited until she walked past and pulled her into the alcove.

"What do you think you are doing?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same thing. Was that really necessary?" He had her pinned against the wall.

"Of course it was," she replied smugly. "I need to make him think that I am faithful to him, that I wouldn't dare stray. That way, he won't suspect there's anything between us," she purred.

Hungrily, he devoured her mouth in a kiss and released her arms. She wrapped them around him and pulled him close.