o.o.O.o.o

Lucius woke the next morning, to an empty bed. He sat up and felt a moment of panic, before remembering that he'd have felt her crossing the wards. No, she was here somewhere. He got out of bed and grabbed a robe, belting it as he walked to the window and spotted her. Hermione was sitting out in the garden, face turned up toward the soft sunlight with a small smile on her lips. He felt an echoing smile cross his own as he spied on her stolen moment of peace.

"Petal?" he called softly.

"Yes master?" The little Elf popped in.

"I'd like breakfast served out in the garden this morning," he said and she nodded emphatically before popping back out. He went over to his discarded robes from last night and pulled out a velvet bag that he always carried. It had an undetectable extension charm on it, and inside there were a couple of things for Hermione. He couldn't think of a better time to give them to her.

"Good morning," he said as he entered the garden and her eyes opened.

"Good morning, I just…"

"Needed to be outside?" He finished the sentence. He'd felt much the same after his release from Azkaban. Not so very long ago really.

"Yeah," she said.

"There won't be any more locked doors here," he said and sat down next to her. He reached over and took her hand squeezing it tightly. "This place is unplottable and protected by strong wards, but I will not trap you here. If you want to leave, there's nothing stopping you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a length of vinewood, and offered it to her.

"I thought they snapped it…" Hermione's face was a mask of pure shock as she reached out hesitantly and took it.

"Amycus was keeping it as a trophy. I relieved him of it," Lucius said and smiled a little. He had promptly obliviated the man after taking it. "I know how the loss of a wand feels." He still felt the ache of losing his elm wand to Voldemort.

"Thank you." She gripped it tightly for a moment before looking back up to meet his eyes. "If I left, he'd kill you, and probably Draco and Narcissa too." She shook her head.

"Probably." He nodded and reached out to cup her cheek. "But you're not my prisoner, and I won't keep you in a cage."

"I'm not going to leave." She shook her head. "We agreed to finish this together, and we will."

"Then I have something else for you," he said and reached into the little bag again. He slipped the ring onto her finger and met her eyes. "Hermione Jean Granger, will you agree to be my wife?" he asked.

Hermione's jaw nearly fell open in shock, as she looked down at the ring. "You want to marry me?"

"No matter how this ends, I want to have you beside me," he said. With their planned course, it was possible that he would be killed. As Lady Malfoy, she would have protection in the event of his death, and their child would be taken care of. Draco would inherit the title and properties, but he wouldn't be able to disinherit his half-sibling. There was also the small voice at the back of his head whispering that he wanted to make her his, in a much more permanent way.

"But how can we? I'm a prisoner, and if anyone found out…" She shook her head a little.

"We just need someone to perform the ceremony, and I have someone in the Department of Records that can be depended on to misplace the notification until things come to an end," Lucius said. "Don't worry about the repercussions, just answer me for yourself. Do you want to be my wife?"

Hermione looked down at the ring he'd placed on her finger and was quiet for a long moment. Watching her deliberate was nearly torture for Lucius. He wasn't accustomed to being told no, and usually got whatever he wanted. This time, he was less certain of the outcome.

"Is this just because I'm pregnant?" She didn't look up as she asked.

Lucius reached out and gently tipped her chin up so he could see her eyes.

"It's part of it, I won't lie about that," Lucius said gently and his heart ached as he saw the flood of uncertainty and doubt enter her beautiful brown eyes. "But more than that, I want you beside me. I want you in my bed and at my side as we win this war. And when the war ends, I don't want to lose you." It was incredibly difficult to be that open, but he needed to try. For her. "We didn't seek this, but I can't deny that it feels right."

Hermione's eyes searched his face for a long time, before she nodded. "Yes. I'll marry you."

Lucius leaned forward and kissed her gently. "Thank you." He smiled softly.

"Who did you have in mind to conduct the bonding?" she asked him after a long pause.

"I want to ask Severus," he said after a moment, resting his forehead against hers.

"Have him come here, and we'll see if we can get through to him." Hermione said and moved back, taking a deep breath. "We need his help, and I think he's going to need us."

"I'll ask him after I deliver your letter to Lupin." Lucius smiled as a little table, complete with breakfast, appeared in front of them. "Can I join you for breakfast?" he asked.

"I'd like that." Hermione gave him a small smile and together they settled in to enjoy their meal.

o.o.O.o.o

Remus was waiting in the hallway, when Malfoy apparated in. The man looked, less tense than their previous meeting. Despite knowing they could trust him, Remus couldn't help the instinctive growl that wanted to crawl out of his mouth. There was something that just felt fundamentally wrong about working with a man like him, but it wasn't like they had any real choice in the matter. They needed an ally, and his attachment to Hermione made him the only logical choice.

"Malfoy."

"Lupin." Lucius nodded elegantly. "I take it the rest of the Order is willing to take my help?"

"The Order is aware we have a new spy, but only a few know that it's you. They have reservations, but they understand that we need you. And it's not like we have any other choice," Remus said and sighed.

"We need each other and necessity can make for strange bedfellows," Lucius said and took out a letter. "Hermione sent this for Harry."

"He'll be very glad to get it." Remus thawed a little and accepted it. "Can I offer you some tea, or a coffee?"

"A coffee would be acceptable," Lucius said, trying to hide his disdain over the gloomy décor of the house. He followed the werewolf into the kitchen and made himself sit down at the table. "Did you take care of Mundungus?"

"Yes, he won't be selling our secrets to Avery ever again." Remus' jaw was tight. He'd hunted the man down and made sure of it, personally. It was possible that Dung had been responsible for the leak that had ultimately killed 'Dora. He poured Lucius some coffee that was keeping hot on the stove. He set down some sugar and cream for him to amend as he liked.

"Good," Lucius said and passed him a piece of paper. "That is a list of the Dark Lord's unmarked assets within the Auror department. I imagine you can make good use of that."

Remus' eyebrows rose as he accepted the paper. "We certainly can. How is Hermione?"

"As well as one can expect," he said. "She is relieved that we're working together, and I'm trying to see to her comfort as well as I can." They had decided to conceal their ultimate plans from the Order…for now. He somehow had difficulty imagining that Remus would be entirely pleased to learn that Hermione was already pregnant and about to tie herself to a man like him.

"That's something, I guess," Remus said. "Let her know we're thinking about her."

"I will." Lucius managed not to grimace at the slightly burnt taste of the coffee. "I will continue to see what I can discover that might be useful to you."

Remus just nodded awkwardly.

"I'll take my leave. I can't risk being missed." He lied easily and stood. The coffee was not nearly good enough to justify spending too long in the dark, dank tomb of a house. No wonder Black had been so desperate to escape it.

"When will we hear from you again?" Remus asked.

"We'll meet back here in a week, same time," Lucius said and nodded curtly.

o.o.O.o.o

Hermione was relaxing out in the sun when Lucius and Severus arrived. She knew he'd planned to speak to Severus about being the bonder for their ceremony, but she hadn't honestly expected it to be so soon. Her heart stuttered a little as Lucius' eyes met hers, and she gave him a small smile. She sat her book down on the table that Petal had brought out for her, and stood. It was incredibly difficult to remain calm and collected, but this was desperately important. They *needed* Severus' help to defeat Voldemort, and somehow they had to try and convince the extremely paranoid wizard to trust them. She was sure he had very good reasons for going it alone, but he was intelligent and would have to see the reason in them working together. Surely.

"Miss Granger, it's a relief to see you looking better than the last time I saw you." Professor Snape nodded elegantly.

"Thank you for saving me. Lucius told me that you were the one who discovered what the Dark Lord had been doing," she said.

"I'm glad we caught it in time," he said. "Now, why did you bring me here? Clearly, it's not because Miss Granger is in need of healing." He looked at Lucius.

"We require your assistance with a delicate matter, and we also need to have a serious conversation without the risk of listening ears," Lucius said. "I will require your word that you will not repeat a word of this to anyone, even if you decide not to help us."

"You have my word," Severus said seriously.

"Petal, can we have some tea?" Hermione called and gestured for her former Professor to come and sit down.

"First, for the favour. Narcissa and I have dissolved our marriage," he said to begin. "I've asked Hermione to be the new Lady Malfoy, to ensure that she and the child are protected in the event of either my death or…other outcomes," he said. "I need someone to perform the bonding ceremony."

"You've already arranged for the notice to be…hidden, until the ideal time?" Severus' face was carefully blank.

"Of course. It will remain secret, until such time as I am ready for it to be known," Lucius said.

"I would ask to speak with Miss Granger privately, before I answer either way," Severus said.

"Hermione?" Lucius looked at her.

"It's fine." Hermione reassured him. "I don't mind."

Lucius stood and gave her a formal bow as the tea appeared on the table. "I'll be inside if you need me."

Hermione watched him go and looked back at the other wizard. "You're worried about me," she said, trying to read the expression in his dark eyes.

"Not just you, but yes," Severus said seriously. "You're aware that most marriage bonds are for life. They can only be dissolved under very specific circumstances, and even then only if a less permanent bond is employed. I doubt very much that Lucius will be interested in anything other than the older, more unbreakable form of the bonding magic."

"I know. I also know that we're both probably going to die in this war, and it won't matter to me very much if the name on my headstone is Granger or Malfoy." She swallowed thickly. "If I even end up buried in a proper grave." Her parents probably hadn't been given that dignity.

"And if you do live? Are you prepared for the realities of being his wife?" he asked, a bit of sympathy leaking through his usual inscrutable mask.

"If we live, I'll worry about it then," Hermione said quietly. "He's been kind when he had no real reason to be, and we've come to an understanding about things. There are worse fates than being married to someone who respects you." At the core, she'd always been a pragmatist. The parts of her that had dreamed about falling in love one day had died on her living room floor, drowned by the screams of her parents. All that remained was the survivor now, and she let her former Professor see that in her eyes. "He hasn't hurt me and I don't think that will change. As for the rest of the world, I really don't care what they think of me."

Severus nodded quietly, his eyes searching her face for a long moment. "I don't believe Lucius will allow you to come to harm, Miss Granger," he said quietly.

"He may not want me to come to harm, but there are no guarantees that he can anticipate everything. Especially with what we need to discuss with you. Will you perform the bonding ceremony?" she asked him.

"If that's what you want, yes." Severus nodded. "I would be more comfortable if you took some time to think about this, but I can also understand the desire to move quickly."

"Thank you, Professor Snape," she said.

"I'm not your Professor anymore, Miss Granger." He shook his head and looked pained. "Given my friendship with Lucius, it would not be inappropriate for you to call me Severus."

"Then I'd prefer you call me Hermione." Hearing him call her 'Miss Granger' just made her heart ache. She didn't feel like that person anymore. "Petal, can you let Lucius know that he can come back out now?" she asked the little Elf, and tried to hold onto her composure.

"Very well, Hermione," Severus said as Lucius came back out.

Hermione gave him a reassuring smile as he joined them, letting him know that she was ok. "Severus has agreed to perform the bonding," Hermione said first. "Now for the larger reason we wanted to see you." She moved directly to the point. "I know you lied about knowing the location of the Order's Headquarters, just like I know that Dumbledore was already dying when you killed him. Madam Pomfrey was never very good at dark curses, that's why you had to help her after my run in with Dolohov. The Headmaster's hand was black and withered, for something that potent he would have turned to you for help. The night he died, he drank endless amounts of a horrendous poison, he was never going to make it to morning. You're still loyal to the light." Hermione held his eyes intensely. She watched as what little colour he had in his cheeks drained.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Severus finally replied, jaw clenching.

"Yes. I do," she countered. "We're going to destroy the Dark Lord, with or without your help, but it would be a lot easier with it," Hermione said. "Please. We've trusted you with this secret, now I'm asking you to trust us with yours."

Severus stood in a sudden explosion of movement, pacing a little on the patio. It was clear that they'd spooked him. Hermione spared a look to Lucius, and he was sitting very still.

"How can you possibly hope to destroy him?" Severus looked at them, conflict waring on his face.

"By finding and destroying his Horcruxes, and then killing him," Hermione said. "We've already worked out what and likely where most of them are. But there's still at least one unaccounted for, and we could use another head to work it out." More than anything else, her former Potions Master was brilliant and they could certainly use his intellect.

"Horcruxes?" Severus looked ill all of a sudden and sat down again. "How did you find out?"

"The Headmaster told Harry last year, and then Harry told me and Ron," she said, not sure why he looked so gutted.

"Albus told me, that there was a piece of the Dark Lord inside Harry…that in order for him to be ultimately killed, Harry had to die," Severus said very quietly. "Once that happened, I was to step in and finish it." The last part was only barely above a whisper.

Hermione felt instantly ill and her vision swam. She felt Lucius reach out to steady her, but she turned and looked at him. The pure horror of this news was crushing. Not Harry.

"He was certain that the boy was a Horcrux?" Lucius asked.

"He didn't use that word, but yes. He seemed very sure," Severus said. "Narcissa came to me last summer, after you were imprisoned. She made me swear an Unbreakable Vow to protect Draco, and to finish his job if need be. The Dark Lord had tasked him with killing Dumbledore. I swore the Vow, but I had no intention of doing it. I was content to let it kill me, and hoped that the discovery of my true loyalties would distract from Draco's failure enough to let him live." He ran a hand through his lank black hair. "I never expected Albus to push me to fulfill it."

"So he set you up to be a murderer," Lucius shook his head in disgust. "All you'd done for him over the years, and he was content to put a massive target on your back and hope you were good enough to stay alive long enough to kill the Dark Lord. Not caring that they'd lynch you a moment afterwards for killing their great hero."

"There has to be some way to save Harry," Hermione finally said.

"Now that we know what it is…we can look into the matter, but I can't promise that there will be a way to spare him," Severus said. "I believe he neglected to name the magic when he told me because he knew I would try very hard to find an alternate solution. Killing Harry and destroying the vessel is the most straight forward way to deal with a Horcrux. It's practically foolproof. Albus never liked taking risks, unless he was certain of the outcomes."

"What did he care, it wasn't his life he was playing with." Hermione couldn't help the bitterness that came through in her tone. She'd trusted Albus Dumbledore, looked up to him. Hell, once upon a time, she'd wanted to be just like him. And all along, he'd been preparing Harry not to win some war, but to die at the appropriate moment. It disgusted her.

"When you're focused on a specific end, it's easy to justify all manner of wickedness," Lucius said quietly. "Will you work with us, Severus? I'd feel better about the odds with you at my back."

"I will," he said after a moment. "Hopefully we can end this, before more innocents suffer."

"Together, I think we can." Lucius offered Severus his hand.

Severus shook his hand and then offered it to Hermione. "We'll find a way to save him, if there's one to be found. I have a great many books that could prove useful. I know if the answer is their pages, I'm confident you'll find it."

Hermione took his hand and shook it. She realized this was the first time he'd even remotely complimented her. "Thank you, for all of it." She meant that.

He nodded very slightly and sat back in his chair. "When did you wish to have the bonding?" he asked Lucius.

"Sunset is the most…traditional time," Lucius said.

"Then sunset it is," Severus agreed.