Redemption

Chapter 6

Lucius was torn between wanting to evict and capture his intruder. Unfortunately, he was unarmed and his intruder was not.

The man moved closer. "Imagine my surprise when I arrived and saw lights on. Imagine my greater surprise to find you."

Lucius tried to keep the fear out of his voice. "What are you doing trespassing on my property?" Or better yet, how are you trespassing?

"Oh, I'm not trespassing. Dear Narcissa gave me access to the manor," he replied smugly.

Lucius knew that Narcissa had been fiercely loyal to him. Surely, the matter of his incarceration would not have caused her to change her mind. "And why would she do that?"

"I find I'm tired of answering your questions until you have answered some of mine."

Lucius stared into those black eyes, Occluding his mind. "Ask away, Severus." The sooner this was over the better. He knew it wouldn't be long until Hermione found her note.

"Let's start with my initial question: what are you doing here? If memory serves, you are supposed to be in Azkaban. If you had escaped, it surely would have been reported in the news." Severus walked around Lucius, examining him from all sides. "The only possible answer is that you are cooperating with the Ministry."

Lucius could hear a commotion in the hall. That must be Weasley succumbing to the effects of the sleeping potion. "I will gladly answer your questions. Perhaps you could come back shortly before dawn?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Expecting company? Who are you entertaining?"

"It's of no consequence. I will explain everything to you, but not at this moment."

Severus took a seat that gave him a clear view of the door. "I think I would like to meet your guest. Perhaps she would be interested in a threesome?"

Lucius found this thought utterly revolting. He knew that he would have to explain something to Severus to get him to go away. "Fine. I am expecting Hermione Granger and she should be here shortly."

Severus was unable to hide the shock. "Hermione Granger? So you are working for the Ministry."

Lucius feared that Severus would run straight to the Dark Lord and inform him one of his Death Eaters had taken up with the enemy. "It's complicated and I don't have time to explain now. Come back shortly before dawn."

"Perhaps I'll stay and watch," he replied with a salacious grin on his face.

This was almost as revolting an idea as Severus joining them. "Come back before dawn. I'll be here." He was straining to hear the sound of her door. "Now, go before you are discovered." He watched Severus reluctantly rise from the chair. "You won't inform the Dark Lord until I have given you my explanation, will you?"

"You know I am never one to behave rashly. I would never waste our Master's time with half a story. I'll see you in a few hours."

Lucius watched Severus disappear without a sound. He was wondering how that was possible since Disapparating always produced a loud crack. He didn't have long to wonder since he heard a soft knock at his door.

**************

Hermione was having a hard time concentrating. Ron had been gone much longer than required for him to lock Lucius in his room. Hermione hoped the two of them had not gotten into an argument. If she could convince Ron that Lucius was being helpful and had reformed, the two of them would have a better chance at convincing Harry than her alone.

Finally, she heard him stomping down the hall. "Everything all right?" she asked when she saw the scowl on Ron's face.

"Fine. He's locked in. No way he's getting out tonight."

"Ron, he hasn't tried to get out since we arrived. You have to admit he's been very cooperative. You haven't seen him cause any trouble, have you?"

"Well, no," Ron admitted reluctantly.

Gupper popped into the room carrying a tray. "Pardon, miss. Gupper thought you and Mr. Weasley might like some hot chocolate."

"Yes, thank you," Hermione said as she took the mug.

Ron took the remaining mug and waited until the elf was gone. "I just don't see how you can trust him. He's a Death Eater."

"He was a Death Eater, Ron. If he still is a Death Eater, he's had ample opportunity to do something dastardly. He's not interested in that anymore. He's given us way too much information to still be on their side."

"Fine, he's our pet Death Eater," he replied petulantly.

She just scowled at him. This was probably the best she was going to get out of him this evening. Besides, going through the books was more important than getting involved in another meaningless argument with him.

*****************

After half an hour and a second mug of hot chocolate later, Ron yawned. "'Mione, I'm heading up to bed. I'm tired."

"Fine," she replied without looking up. When she heard him bump into the doorframe, she looked up and saw him weaving out of the room. She shook her head at how brainless he could be sometimes.

She left shortly after he did. For once in her life, she found herself having difficulties concentrating on books. Her mind kept drifting to the man upstairs and how she felt when he touched her, a man that she couldn't have right now.

The first thing she did was check under her pillow. Lucius had been leaving her little notes every night, sweet gestures of affection. The type of thing that made her feel special. Pulling the piece of parchment out from under her pillow, she flopped on the bed to see what he had written tonight.

My dearest Hermione,

I imagine that these last few days have been torture for you. I know they have been so for me. I had hoped that we might be able to have one last romantic dinner before we left, but alas, it is not to be. Once we return, it will be difficult to spend time together.

I know I have warned against you seeing me, but I find I must be with you one last time. I long to hold you, to kiss you, to caress you...

If you feel the same way, I will be waiting for you. You will forgive me for giving Mr. Weasley a sleeping potion that will make him feel as though he has been out drinking all night, won't you? I wish that had not been necessary, but it's the only way I know to keep him from being suspicious tomorrow morning.

I'll be awaiting your answer.

Lucius

She clutched the letter to her breast. This is what she had been hoping for. Hopping up from the bed, she went to the mirror and tried to tame her hair into some semblance of organization. Even though she knew she wasn't likely to be wearing them long, she applied a charm to remove the wrinkles from her robes.

Even though she knew that Ron should be out cold, she still moved quietly down the hall and rapped on Lucius' door. She didn't wait for him to open the door, but slipped in and threw herself into his arms and kissed him passionately.

He found he couldn't keep his hands off her. This reaction was more than he had expected, not that he was disappointed. He could feel her trembling. "This is what you want, isn't it?" Even though she had already told him it was, he wanted to make sure.

She nodded. "It is. I've been thinking about this for quite some time."

"There's no need to be nervous," he reassured her.

"I know, it's just that I've heard..." Girls talked in the lavatory, and over the years, she had heard some rather unpleasant accounts of the first time.

He silenced her with a kiss and guided her towards the bed. "Forget what you've heard. I will take care of you. You do trust me, don't you?" he asked in a calm, reassuring voice.

"Yes." She started unbuttoning his shirt.

Returning the favor, he slowly began removing her clothes. The first things he removed were her shoes and stockings. Gently kissing her toes, he could hear her softly moaning.

When he had her nearly undressed, she whispered, "Take off your shirt. I want to feel your skin."

He threw his shirt across the room. "It's not too cold for you, is it?" He watched her shake her head as he removed the last of her clothing. After admiring her body for a few seconds - he had forgotten how breathtaking a young body was - he rolled off the bed.

"Where are you going?" she asked nervously, afraid that she had done something to drive him away.

"I'll be right back. I have to retrieve a few things from the bath."

She suddenly felt very self-conscious, lying naked on his bed. "What sort of things?"

"Nothing harmful. You said you trust me," he called from the other room.

"I do." It's just that I've never done this.

When he emerged from the bath, he was carrying several small bottles. He paused when he saw that she had pulled a pillow over her body. "Now, my dear, you have nothing to be ashamed of." After setting the bottles on the night table, he pulled the pillow away from her and started kissing her bare skin. "I assure you, you are perfect." He wondered if she might be less nervous if he was naked as well. Considering this was her first time, probably not. He chose to remove his trousers, but left his pants on. Before returning to the bed, he picked up one of the bottles. "I think you will enjoy this massage oil."

"What does it do?" she asked nervously.

He hoped that this foreplay would help her relax. "It is pleasantly warm and will tingle," he replied as poured a small amount of the oil onto his hand before rubbing it on her body. He started by placing his hands on her stomach, slowly working his way up to her breasts.

He was right about how it would feel. She closed her eyes and arched her back to better feel his touch. "Oh, Lucius."

Taking his time, he savoured the moment. This was a rare occurance, and he wanted to make sure it was special for her, that he didn't hurt her. Thankfully, he had the proper potions to make this a memorable experience for them both.

h***********

Once satisfied, he looked into her eyes, pleased to see that she was not crying. "How are you?"

She pulled him close for a kiss. "Marvelous." She hadn't thought it was possible to feel this good.

Carefully, he pulled away from her and wrapped his arms around her. To ward off the chill, he pulled the blanket over them. Picking up the third bottle, he held it out for her. "I need you to drink this." He realized this was not the most romantic part of the evening, but it was necessary.

"What is it?"

"A contraceptive potion. To prevent...anything unexpected from happening."

She took the bottle. "Did you have this planned?"

"Whatever do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"You just happened to have all these potions..."

He reassured her, "Now, Hermione, how would I have planned this? I didn't have any access to my manor prior to our arrival. Besides, we hardly spent any time together before arriving here. How was I to know how positively irresistible you would be?"

"I know. I'm sorry. It just seemed too convenient." She snuggled against his chest and he wrapped her arm around her.

He wasn't sure what to say to her. He was sure that he had planned something to say, but he was unable to recall it. He held her and enjoyed the feel of her smooth skin beneath his hands.

"This changes everything," she said after several minutes.

He had thought she was drifting off to sleep, he knew that he was. He should ask her to leave. As much as he wanted to spend the entire night with her, having her in his bed when Severus returned would be bad. "It does. Do you regret it?"

She rolled over to face him. "No. I...really enjoyed it."

He smiled at her. "I'm glad. This is why I wanted to wait. I wanted to do it right."

She brushed a stray lock of hair away from his face. "Thank you. For taking care of me."

"I will always take care of you if you will permit me."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You are special. I have come to care for you quite deeply." He examined her eyes, trying to determine how far he should continue.

"What are you saying?" she asked.

"You make me feel like I have never felt before. I know that with the war raging, it's ridiculous to make any plans for the future." He tried to sound embarrassed.

She ran her hands through the fine hair on his chest. "Oh, I don't think that it is. I wouldn't mind making plans."

"Do you mean that? You want to make plans with me?"

She draped her leg over his body and snuggled against him. "I do. I know the others don't trust you, but I do. And I know that you care for me." She snuggled against him for a few more minutes. "Do you love me?"

"I do indeed." He wasn't sure if he meant it or not, but he knew it was what she wanted to hear. After a few minutes, he kissed her softly several times to ensure she was awake. "Hermione, you should return to your room. If you are here in the morning, it will negate the trouble I went through."

"I just love how it feels when you hold me. I know I won't get to feel it again for a while." She called for her wand and pointed it at the clock. "There. I've sent an alarm. I'll be up before dawn." She snuggled back against him.

She felt so good nestled against him that he wasn't going to argue.

********************

When the alarm went off, he gently nuzzled her awake. "Hermione, it's time for you to leave."

She nuzzled against him. "Five more minutes," she groaned.

"Darling, it's nearly sunrise. You must go in case Weasley is up early."

"I'd forgotten about him," she replied as she yawned and stretched.

He admired her body and found himself wondering if they could have a quickie before she had to go, but he dismissed that thought. Even so, he found himself caressing her soft skin. "We can't afford to forget about him. Remember, just be yourself. If you try to act like nothing happened, it will look suspicious."

"I know." She leaned over and kissed him before getting up from bed. "I love you."

This was the last thing he had expected her to say, even after her question last night. "As do I. I only wish we had more time together."

After she was dressed, she sat next to him on the bed. "So do I. It's going to be hard being around you, but not being able to be with you."

He smoothed her hair. "You're strong. I know you can do it. Now, it really is time for you to be going." Once she was gone, he rose from bed and wrapped his robe around his body.

"So, you really did it?" Snape asked from behind him.

"How do you do that?" Once again, he hadn't heard Snape arrive and this bothered him. He had no idea how long Snape had been in the room.

"Inconsequential." Snape surveyed the room and saw the decanter on the desk and helped himself. "I'm amazed you really did it. Now, I believe you had a tale to tell me?" He took a seat by the fireplace.

"First, tell me about my son."

"You are in no position to demand anything, Lucius. I have the upper hand. If I am convinced by what I hear, you get to live. If not..." he shrugged. "I turn you over to the Dark Lord."

Lucius continued to Occlude his mind. "It became obvious to me that I was not going to be rescued from prison. Given the fact that the others were sprung shortly after his return, I found this odd. I knew that I couldn't do anything to support the Dark Lord's rise to power from behind bars, so I used any means necessary to get out of that prison. Since the Dark Lord is not in control of Azkaban, I was forced to make a deal with Ministry forces.

"In return for providing them information, I was placed under house arrest. Now, before you say anything, the information I have given them is more than a year old and was nothing that they hadn't figured out on their own."

"And having Granger, is that one of your perks?"

Lucius sneered. "That is a little side bet. In the off chance the Dark Lord is defeated, I intend to use her to regain my place in society."

"You don't believe our Master will be victorious?" Severus asked cautiously.

Lucius leaned forward in his chair. "Come now, Severus. I know you had an ulterior motive when you took that job at Hogwarts. You played both sides for a very long time. I'm not going back to Azkaban. She is my insurance, just as Dumbledore was yours. Though I must say, I was quite surprised you did the old man in. I thought for sure you would hide under his wing until the end."

"We aren't here to discuss me. Why should I not tell our Master that you are working for the other side?"

Lucius had hoped to draw Severus away from that topic. "Because I am in a unique position to learn what the Order is doing, a position that you used to hold. Of course, I can only report once, but rest assured, when the time is right, I will. I will provide our Master with the opportunity to defeat them once and for all." He hoped that Severus would believe this.

"And what about your plaything?"

Lucius waved his hand dismissively. "She is just that. I know she is shunned since she's a Mudblood. If the Dark Lord sees fit to let me keep her, I won't complain."

"But you said you would use her to regain your place in society..." Severus prompted.

"Yes. Look at it this way: she is close to Harry Potter who will undoubtedly be a hero. If they are successful, they will all be lauded as heroes. I will use that to regain my position. No one would believe that a hero of the Order would get involved with a Death Eater. Everyone would be forced to accept the fact that I have reformed." He smirked at Severus. "You see, it's a win-win situation for me." He leaned forward, "Now, old friend, what's your way out?" He could feel Severus trying to break past his block and forced himself to break eye contact.

"Afraid of what I might see?" Severus asked snidely.

"Not at all. You know I don't approve of people going into my mind. I believe I asked you a question. It's not like you to not have a way out."

The two men stared in silence for more than a minute before Severus finally spoke. "It so happens that you have something I want."