Warning: non-graphic mentions of rape. If this bothers you (even the mention of it) or is triggery, then I highly advise that you not read this chapter.

There was something heavy pressing down on Lucius. He idly wondered when Hermione had put on weight, but then he felt something sharp pushing against his throat and he struggled up from the depths of a sated slumber.

"Wakey, wakey," cooed a sinister voice.

He pried open his good eye but immediately both widened to stare in horror at the person sitting on his stomach.

Bellatrix gave him a broad smile, revealing stained and partially broken teeth. "You've been a naughty boy, brother." Saliva pooled at the corner of her mouth and dripped onto Lucius' chest.

His eyes darted sideways to see if Hermione was in the bed with him, but she was gone.

"The little lioness is with the Dark Lord," Bella said. Her left hand held her dagger to his throat; with the right she raked fingernails sharp as claws across his pectorals. "He so loves kittens."

The edge of the blade dug into Lucius' skin when he swallowed. "How… long?" he rasped.

She patted his cheek in a parody of affection. "Long enough." Leaning down, she ran her tongue across the thread of crimson fluid oozing onto Lucius' collarbone. "Just as I thought. Dirty." She sat up and backhanded him. "That's what you get for fucking a Mudblood slag."

Lucius' cheek throbbed and he wondered if she'd loosened a tooth. He could taste the copper tang of blood in his mouth. Gathering as much as he could, he spit it in Bellatrix's face. "She's cleaner than you!"

Bellatrix cocked her head to one side and removed the blade from his throat. Giving him a wicked smile, she laid the tip of the blade at the top of his scarred eye, and then with an abrupt motion, slashed it down, reopening the wound.

Lucius screamed, his voice a hoarse shout of anguish, and tried to buck Bellatrix off his body, but she had apparently placed some sort of Binding Charm on him from the neck down, to prevent his thrashing. Searing heat and pain skittered across his face; the agony of his wounded eye seemed to go straight to his brain and it was all he could do to stay lucid.

"Since you like filth, let's see what she looks like now that the others have had a go at her."

She yanked Lucius from the bed by his hair, naked and bloody. He wrapped his hands around the fingers embedded in his scalp and tried desperately to pry them loose, but Bellatrix's nails were dug in deep. Gods, she was strong! His arse scrapped along the floor and out into the corridor, renewing the scrapes and gashes from several nights before.

As they neared the top of the staircase, Lucius heard it: Hermione's dreadful screams. The shrill cries sent a wave of horror straight to his heart and he renewed his struggle against Bellatrix. She paused on the landing long enough to land a blow to the back of his head, knocking him unconscious.

Whimpers and soft cries roused Lucius from his stupor. Blinking furiously, he tried to focus his remaining eye on the scene before him, but the images refused to remain still. His head lolled to the right and he realised he was trussed spread-eagled in the centre of the room. There were shackles on his wrists holding his arms stretched taut above his head, and cuffs on his ankles, spreading his legs wide apart.

"Bella must be losing her touch. I hadn't expected you to wake at all, Lucius."

With an effort Lucius lifted his head to gaze at the Dark Lord, sitting on his throne with Nagini coiled around his shoulders. Bella stood to his right, leaning against the back of the ornate chair, grinning like the lunatic she was. They looked like the perfect megalomaniac couple and he had to force down the bile rising from his stomach. The prone figure at the bottom of the dais, however, was what concerned him most.

Naked, bloody and bruised, Hermione lay curled in a foetal position, her body shaking. There wasn't a single area on her small frame that hadn't been abused, including her hair. It was shorn close to the head, the odd frizzy strand sticking out, the only hint that she'd once had a thick mane. Blood speckled her thighs and buttocks, and the unnatural angle of her right wrist suggested they had broken her wand hand.

Tears filled his eyes as a horrifying sense of déjà vu overcame him. It was like Narcissa all over again, just before she was engulfed in flames. A muffled sob broke from his lips. "I'm so sorry." He was speaking to Hermione, but Voldemort took it as submission.

"Oh, come now, Lucius," the Dark Lord said. "Your contrition leaves much to be desired. I don't believe you're worthy of her." His eyes glittered dangerously. "Bella, make Lucius worthy."

"With pleasure, my Lord." She sauntered down the steps, pausing to kick Hermione viciously in the back before coming to stand behind Lucius.

He heard a flick and something that sounded thick and heavy hit the floor. He tensed, not knowing what to expect.

"Salt the whip," Voldemort instructed.

Bella's maniacal laughter echoed into the atmosphere. Lucius heard a muttered Aguamenti, followed by a spell he was not familiar with, though he had a strong suspicion of what it would do. Ridged muscles stood out on his forearms, betraying the immense strain he was putting upon them as he tried to release himself from the metal cuffs.

The first blow struck his back, extending from his shoulder to the top of his buttocks, and it burned like nothing he'd ever experienced. The leather abraded his skin; the salt water seeped into the gash and burned the flesh as hot as Fiendfyre. Lucius clenched his jaw and tried not to scream, but by the third lash, he couldn't hold back his torturous bellows.

"Thirty lashes should bring him down to the level of a Mudblood, don't you think, Bella?"

Bellatrix paused. "Only thirty?" Another crack and Lucius let out a groan. "I think my Lord should make it fifty, at least!"

Dear gods, not fifty. Lucius doubted he'd stay conscious past fifteen. He tensed when he heard the whistle of the whip and shouted when it landed on the back of his thighs.

"Fifty it shall be. You've served me well, Bella. Ah, Severus. I'm glad you decided to join us."

Lucius turned his head to see the dark wizard approaching, and earned a blow across his cheek from Bella for his efforts. He felt blood ooze from the wound, sweat running into it and stinging like the bite of a scorpion, and ducked his face away from the next blow. He caught Snape's furious gaze as the man glanced between Lucius and Hermione on the floor. Could that glimmer in Snape's eyes be pity?

Snape turned his attention to Voldemort. "I'm sorry I was delayed, my Lord."

Voldemort waved off Snape's apology. "It is of no consequence." He rose, petted Nagini, and came down the steps of the dais. "What do you think of my new diversion?"

Snape gave Lucius a brief glance, flinching ever so slightly as another blow was meted out, then returned his attention to Voldemort. "Interesting. Any particular reason for this… untidiness?"

"He was keeping that girl hidden, in my house!"

"My house," Lucius managed, his voice slurred with pain. Another crack of the whip, and he would have fallen to his knees if the iron manacles had not kept him upright.

The Dark Lord's eyes narrowed. "Is that so? Crucio!"

Every wound on Lucius' body increased its intensity a hundred-fold, and he arched his back from the current of agony rippling through his body. Every stroke of the whip was like a white-hot brand seared into his skin. He knew it was only a matter of moments before his eyes would roll back in his head and the pain would cease forever. If he was going to die, he wished for a cleaner death than this.

"My Lord, if I may be so bold," Snape suggested, "If your goal is to kill Lucius, then by all means, continue. However, if you wish to go on punishing him, you will need to stop before he perishes. The man is a milksop, and not used to such rough handling."

Voldemort studied Snape closely, then waved his wand and ended the curse. "Wise, my friend, wise. Cease, Bella."

Through a fog of pain Lucius heard the soggy sound of the whip dragging on the floor. "But, my Lord –"

"Release him."

Broken as he was, Lucius still found the strength to shudder at the sound of that voice. Panting, he whimpered as Bellatrix unlocked the shackles around his ankles, so sensitive was his flesh. He sagged, unable to stand, and the manacles cut into his wrists from the sudden dead weight.

"Severus, take them both to the dungeon. We'll continue our sport tomorrow."

Lucius felt himself lifted, the cuffs removed, carried somewhere. Every nerve, muscle and tendon in his body protested even this gentle treatment. Lucius opened his eyes after a few moments and saw they had reached the top of the staircase that led to the cellar.

"Keep… Hermione… safe." His voice sounded like someone else's. Someone old. Someone weak.

"Shut up, you fool!" Snape hissed. "It's your blatant refusal to obey me that caused this."

"What… happened?"

The iron gate swung open and Snape deposited him on a thin pallet. "I told you not to stay the night with Miss Granger, yet you did. You know that the Notice-Me-Not Charm dissipates if someone follows you, yet you paid no attention. You entered Draco's chambers via the door, not the Floo, as you were previously instructed. Bella was therefore able to follow you and gain access to the rooms."

"Bloody hell," Lucius managed to gasp. "All my fault..."

"Precisely." Snape stood up to leave but Lucius grabbed his trouser leg.

"Is she alive?"

Snape looked down his nose at Lucius. "For now. However, I suspect she wishes it were otherwise." He shook off Lucius' hand and left.

Shifting to his side, Lucius groaned in misery. The spiky straw and rough canvas poked and scraped at his raw skin. Though he desperately wanted to see Hermione as soon as Snape returned, he could not help but close his eyes in exhaustion. Just for a moment, he thought, just to rest.

The first thing Lucius became aware of was a warm body lying next to him. The second was that the warm body was Hermione. The third, when he tried to move, was that he was practically immobile with pain.

"No," came a pathetic whimper.

Lucius opened his good eye and found that Hermione was curled into a ball beside him, as naked as he was, her breathing shallow and her face so pale it was almost grey. "Hermione?" he whispered.

She froze, then buried her head in her arms as if she were fending off blows.

Lucius tentatively touched her shoulder, dismayed to find her skin fiery. Fever. Damn, no wonder she was shaking like a leaf. "Hermione, can you hear me?"

She raised her head and opened her eyes a little. "Lucius?"

Her face was a mass of bruises and cuts. Tears seeped from the corners of his eyes at the sight of what had been done to her. Cautiously, he laid a palm on her face and stroked a thumb across her cheek. "I'm so sorry."

She winced at the contact but allowed his hand to remain there. "It's my fault."

He frowned. "That's preposterous. Nothing you could've done would have invited that sort of torture."

"I exist. That is all the excuse they need."

He wanted to refute that, but knowing his fellow Death Eaters it was all too true. "What…" He swallowed, barely able to push the words past his lips. "What did they do to you?"

She averted her gaze. "Dolohov and Lestrange… took turns." There were no tears in her eyes and Lucius realised that she was lapsing into shock.

"How badly are you hurt?" When she didn't respond, he waved his hand in front of her field of vision. "Hermione?" She made no response. "Damn."

Her shaking increased and, not knowing what else to do, Lucius pulled her body close. Immediately she started moaning and crying out, punching his chest, clearly desperate to get away.

"She is in no fit state for your amorous intentions, Malfoy," drawled Snape from outside the cell.

How little effort it would take to hate him, Lucius thought tiredly. I wish I could muster it.

Snape opened the gate, made his way over to them and knelt down to inspect Hermione. He ran his hands over her arms and legs swiftly but lightly. "The scaphoid and lunate bones in her wrist are shattered, her temperature is high and rising, and I believe she has multiple internal injuries."

He withdrew two vials of greenish liquid from his breast pocket, handing one to Lucius. Placing his hand gently on Hermione's chin, Snape gradually pried open her mouth and poured the contents of the other vial down her throat. She spluttered and coughed, but swallowed most of it. He waited a moment, then took the vial that Lucius held and repeated the action. Soon afterwards, Hermione's shaking eased and she drifted into a deep slumber.

"She will sleep for several hours. Try not to jostle her too much," Snape muttered.

"Is there anything for me?"

"Think, man!" Snape sneered. "If I were to heal you, I would incur the Dark Lord's wrath. He enjoys meditating on others' pain. Since I need my wits about me in order to get us all out of this mess alive, I shall forego that experiment in testing his patience." He rose, retrieved a small wad of cloth from his trouser pocket, enlarged it, and threw it to Lucius. "This is the best I could do. See that she is dressed before morning."

Lucius paid no heed to Snape's departure. Upon inspecting the bundle, he found a pair of black linen trousers for him and what looked like a long, white chemise-type dress for Hermione. It wasn't much, just a mere slip of a garment, if that, but better than nothing. He hoped he wouldn't cause her further injury when he tried to put it on her; for now he simply spread the thin fabric over her sleeping body, not wanting to disturb her.

He stumbled to his feet, biting his lower lip to keep from moaning as a symphony of aches played across his body. He managed to get the trousers to his calves before he broke out in a cold sweat. Fighting the nausea that threatened to overtake him, he quickly pulled the garment to his hips and then collapsed on the pallet next to Hermione. The gashes on his back burned as the wounds rubbed against the fabric. He spared the woman next to him a brief glance before blackness came over him again.

When Lucius awoke next, the pain had not eased. In fact, the edges of the cuts had hardened and cracked further, parched from the saltwater. Mustering the fortitude to work through the agony, he sat up and gently pulled Hermione into his lap. She whimpered softly and began to struggle.

"Shhh, Hermione. It's me, Lucius."

This seemed to quiet her. He carefully touched her face, which wasn't as swollen thanks to Snape's potions. He caressed her cheeks with tender fingers, prompting her to slowly open her eyes.

"Where am I?" Her voice was rough with overuse, from screaming for help that had never come.

"We're in the cellar. Snape brought us here." Lucius cradled her close. "He gave you something to heal your internal injuries. He didn't dare heal the visible ones, it would be too obvious."

She nodded and let him hold her for a few moments. "What happens now?"

Lucius pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I honestly don't know."

"What is this?" She fingered the white slip.

"Snape wanted you clothed before he came for us this morning." Lucius helped her sit up, his lips trembling at the sight of the bruises blotching purple and green on her back. He touched them lightly. "I'm so very sorry," he whispered.

She shied away from him, pulling the slip to cover her chest. "There was nothing you could've done." She donned the makeshift dress and then sat down, wrapping her arms around her knees and rocking back and forth silently.

Lucius knew the witch was hurting, had been emotionally and physically battered and violated, but he had no idea how to comfort her. Not that she would welcome him at that moment. "I admit that I am probably the last person you want to speak with right now," he said slowly, "but I understand the concept of what happened to you, if not the actuality."

Chin resting atop her knees, she murmured, "You know nothing." She turned her head away.

"Tell me then," he pleaded softly.

"Leave me alone, Lucius. I don't want to remember right now." She tugged at the shorn hair on her nape.

Lucius was saved from pleading with her to look at him by the appearance of Snape. He looked ragged and even a little fearful as he opened the gate and entered.

"Miss Granger," he acknowledged quietly. "If you could stand, please."

"Where are you taking her?" Lucius demanded, his heart starting to beat in triple time.

"Don't worry, Malfoy. You'll be front and centre." Snape motioned for Lucius to stand as well. He handed Hermione a long, sharp white object. "This tooth was taken from the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts."

She turned it over in her hands, examining it. "How did you know about this?" she asked, her eyes narrowed.

"That is for me to know and you never to find out," he said grimly. "Now, there is a fold in the skirt of your dress. Hide it there. I cannot guarantee that Nagini will be near you so this is just a precaution. But if she comes near, strike hard and fast on the top of her head."

He handed Lucius a black-handled athamé. Looking closely, Lucius saw that the runes for 'righteous power' and 'victory' were carved into the hilt.

"Place it in your trouser pocket," Snape instructed Lucius. "It is the only weapon I can give you at the moment. I strongly suggest that you avail yourself of a wand if you find one lacking an owner."

Snape turned and looked over his shoulder, stared at the entrance for several minutes, and then nodded. Lucius exchanged a puzzled glance with Hermione, but before they could question Snape, he returned his attention to them and bowed his head.

"Lucius," he said in such a low voice Lucius had a hard time hearing him. "In my chamber, there is a box hidden behind the fourth bookshelf. In it, you will find all that you need."

"What do you mean? Need for what?" Lucius, already on edge, felt his pulse increase exponentially.

Snape ignored him and turned to Hermione. "I regret I was not present to stop the atrocities that were visited upon you last evening. I won't ask your forgiveness, for I do not deserve it. But know that I would have intervened, had I been here."

Hermione took Snape's hand and squeezed it. "I know you would have. And there is nothing to forgive."

Light suddenly flooded the stairwell and Lucius tensed, sensing the same swift reaction in the other two. "Snape! What is taking so long?"

"Don't test my patience, Bella." Snape waved his wand and a set of wrist cuffs appeared on both Lucius and Hermione. "This way." He led them past the gate and up the stairs, his eyes darting every now and then into the darkness.

"The white does not suit you, Mudblood."

Hermione said nothing and stared straight ahead, not reacting to the Dark Lord's taunt. Lucius felt a flicker of pride at her resistance.

"Bad kitty has no tongue!" Bella laughed. She circled around Hermione, poking with her wand. "I bet I can make puss howl." Rodolphus, standing to Voldemort's left, sniggered appreciatively.

Nagini was coiled next to Voldemort's throne, but now Lucius saw her head rise, her tongue flicking like mad, scenting the air. The Dark Lord noticed her movement and reached over to pet her. She would not be soothed, however, and became increasingly agitated. Her long body quivered, as if gathering itself for a strike.

"My Lord," Snape said in a fawning tone, "Perhaps Nagini is hungry?" He gave Hermione a calculating look. "I know it is not her usual fare, but would the Mudblood will do?"

"Excellent idea, Severus!" Voldemort waved Nagini towards Hermione and Lucius had to restrain himself as the serpent made its way down the dais steps.

And still, Hermione did not react. No movement, no awareness of impending danger could Lucius see in her countenance. She simply stood there, immobile as a statue. She didn't even respond when the snake twined around her feet, curling its way up her legs.

Lucius made as if to move towards her, wanting to stop this madness, but the tip of a wand at the back of his head prevented him from completing the first step. "I still owe you thirty-nine lashes," Bella purred in his ear.

"You can't collect them if I'm dead," Lucius said with a bravado that he didn't feel.

She laughed. "I can if I make you an Inferi."

Nagini coiled around Hermione's hips and then stopped, swivelled around to face the Dark Lord, as if sensing impending danger, and hissed. She swayed her head back and forth uncertainly then began making her way back down Hermione's body, but the witch had other plans.

"Not this time," Hermione growled. With a sudden swift movement she raised her hands high and plunged the Basilisk tooth straight down into Nagini's brain, just behind the eyes.

"No!" Voldemort shouted, his wand raised.

Several things happened simultaneously. Bellatrix leaped towards Lucius with a cry of rage while her husband Rodolphus turned on Hermione. Lucius ducked out of the way just as Bellatrix let loose the Killing Curse and saw it scorch the wall behind Voldemort's throne. He spun quickly, athamé in hand, and sliced at his former sister-in-law. She jumped out of the way barely in time, her expression incredulous.

"Where did you get that blade?" she hissed.

"I pried it from the stinking corpse of your black-hearted mother!" Lucius snarled and swiped at her again.

"Ha! You couldn't have. I killed my mother and I still have the bloody axe to prove it!"

A stray hex caught Lucius across the thigh and he crumpled to the floor. "Insane bitch!"

Bella leaped on him like a fox on a rabbit, pinning Lucius down with her knees as she straddled his chest. "Why, brother, you say the sweetest things." She took aim with her wand, pointing it at Lucius' heart, and then suddenly, her eyes grew wide and she slumped forward.

Lucius angled his head to see who or what had caused Bella to fall, but saw only Snape engaged with Voldemort… and losing ground. He looked for Hermione and saw her avoiding Rodolphus as best she could, covered in what he assumed was Nagini's blood. The snake lay motionless several feet away.

Not pausing to think, Lucius pried Bella's wand from her grasp, and crawled out from underneath her body. He limped towards Hermione, dispatched Rodolphus with a Killing Curse, and collapsed at her feet.

She bent low and winced. "Lucius, you're bleeding badly."

He glanced down at his leg and paled. Bella's hex might have nicked an artery with as much blood as was soaked through his trousers and onto the floor. He handed Hermione Bella's wand. "Here, fix it if you can. I'm too exhausted to manage a healing spell."

She sliced the fabric and peeled it back from his thigh, grimacing. "Hold still."

Lucius heard her mutter an Episkey and several other charms; his thigh burned for a moment but he could see it healing as the flesh began knitting itself back together. He was about to stand when he saw Dolohov and four other Death Eaters enter the room. Hermione had her back to the door but she caught Lucius' eye and nodded, apparently sensing their approach.

Turning quickly, she yelled, "Reducto!" They both watched as Dolohov flew backwards and crashed against the wall, landing on the floor with a sickening thud.

Lucius glanced around to determine the position of the other Death Eaters. They had formed a loose circle around the combat still raging between Snape and Voldemort and were paying no attention to anything else for the moment. He grabbed Hermione's hand and dragged her to an alcove that he knew had a hidden passage. He had never revealed its whereabouts to anyone, not even Draco or Narcissa, but it would provide Hermione safe passage to the centre of the hedge maze in the east gardens.

"What are you doing?" she objected, refusing to be pushed into the darkened corridor.

"I can't guarantee your safety if you remain here. Now go!"

She gripped Lucius' wrist firmly with her unbroken hand. "Not without you!"

"I must stay and help Snape. We owe him our lives." Another hard shove, which she fought against.

"I can help too! I have Bellatrix's wand and you can use Dolohov's."

Lucius pulled her close and wrapped one arm around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Please go, Hermione. If you care for me, even the merest inkling, I beg of you to go now."

"Hermione, do as he says."

Both Hermione and Lucius looked around for the owner of the disembodied voice, finding no one. The voice was familiar though, sending chills up Lucius' spine.

Sensing she was still reluctant to leave, Lucius snatched Bella's wand from Hermione and forced her inside the narrow passageway, firmly shutting the door after her. He could only hope she would make her way through to the other side, and await him in the family sepulchre at the heart of the hedge maze. Maybe she would even forgive him his selfishness in wanting her to remain alive and safe.

With the entrance to the passage secured, his attention turned back to Snape and Voldemort as they traded curses, hexes and spells, both obviously attempting to inflict as much damage as they could. The remaining Death Eaters lay scattered amongst the ruins of the chamber, presumably caught in the cross-fire of the intense battle.

"Give up, Snape," Voldemort snarled, hurling another curse at the weakening wizard. "The only person that could have killed me is long dead. You will never win!"

Bloody and bruised, Snape aimed his wand once more at the Dark Lord. "I would rather die on my knees fighting you than on my feet in your service again."

"Wish granted. Avada Kedavra!"

A jet of green light flashed towards Snape, but he was not there to meet it. Instead, he was violently pushed to the side by some unseen force, landing on the floor, unmoving. Voldemort whirled about in confusion for a brief moment in search of his unseen opponent, but Lucius, whose attention remained on the fallen figure, noticed a slight shimmer hovering above Snape's prone form.

Lucius dared not make a sound, fearful of drawing the Dark Lord's attention to himself, but he couldn't help the gasp of astonishment that escaped his lips when the shimmer changed its texture and fell to the floor, revealing a pale, gaunt, but very much alive Harry Potter.

"No!" Voldemort hissed. "You are merely a substitute, a Polyjuice replica. The real Harry Potter is dead!"

"Care to prove that, Tom?" Harry looked like a defending angel, standing protectively over Snape. "You have no more Horcruxes left. No more pieces of your soul with which to bargain for immortality. This is it. Your time has run out."

"Insolent impostor!"

Voldemort's wand arm came flashing down, but the moment the Dark Lord cast, Harry did the same, their spells fusing together in a clash of power that was blinding to behold. Not once did the boy falter, even where lesser wizards would have crumpled. Which reminded Lucius of Snape.

Edging around the embattled pair, Lucius made his way to where Snape lay. He knelt down beside him and felt for a pulse. There, but faint. It would do no good to try and heal Snape himself; he was too exhausted to conjure, and if he attempted anything, he might cause permanent damage to himself and Snape.

The struggle between Harry and Voldemort rose to a climax as the Dark Lord reared back, casting the Killing Curse, while Harry countered with Expelliarmus. Then it abruptly ceased. The silence in the aftermath was thick with apprehension. Only when Voldemort collapsed in a pile of ashes did Lucius' heart thud in his chest with tentative joy.

Gone. Voldemort was gone. For good, this time.

Lucius gave a strangled half-yelp, half-sob that conveyed his utter relief and unrelenting grief at all that had passed. He didn't even realise he was crying until a shaky hand landed on his shoulder.

"Is he okay?" Harry asked, peering at Snape.

"Alive," Lucius muttered with a sniff. "Barely."

Harry then did a most peculiar thing. The boy sat and lifted Snape's head to rest in his lap, stroking back the sweat and blood-soaked strands that obscured Snape's face.

"He kept me alive and hidden for almost a year," Harry said softly. "I was in a coma. I guess time passes differently in the Afterlife. What seemed like an hour or two there, turned out to be months here." Green eyes met his. "I'm sorry about Narcissa and Draco."

Lucius acknowledged his apology with a nod. "I didn't know that Snape was helping you."

Harry caressed the sallow cheeks of the man in question. "I'm still not a hundred percent healed, but Severus told me what happened with Hermione and you, and I knew I couldn't wait until I was in top form. It had to end."

Snape stirred in that moment and slowly opened his eyes, which widened when he beheld Harry looking down at him. "Is it… done?" he whispered.

"Yes," Harry replied quietly, smiling.

"Was it enough?"

Tears filled Harry's eyes as he nodded. "We're alive because of you. You can rest now."

Lucius was in awe at the scene before him. Two of the most embittered enemies he'd ever known were now allies, perhaps more than that if what he was witnessing was anything to go by.

Deciding to give them their privacy, he rose. "I must find Miss Granger and hope that she isn't too angry with me."

Harry grinned. "Just promise her your library and she might forgive you."

"Which one?"

"All of them." Harry sobered his expression. "Tell her I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner."

Lucius grimaced. "I think we'll both be saying that a lot in the future. It was my carelessness that led to her… abuse. I doubt I'll forgive myself for my lack of attentiveness." He pointed to the hallway. "Snape's chamber is down the corridor and to the left if you wish to rest and see to his needs. Whatever I have is at your disposal."

"Thank you, I will." Harry gently lifted Snape's head from his lap and stood. "You'd better go to Hermione." With that, the boy levitated Snape's unconscious form to follow him and he disappeared down the corridor.

Hermione was sitting on a marble bench staring at the weeping willows that swayed in the slight spring breeze, when Lucius found her. She looked chilled, so he surreptitiously cast a Warming Charm on her.

She blinked rapidly and then frowned. "I'm very cross with you right now, Lucius Malfoy."

He had anticipated her anger, yet he still winced at her tone. "I refused to risk you in that way, Hermione. You and I were both compromised. However, if the outcome had been unfavourable, you would have remained safely hidden until you could have made your escape."

"And you?"

"Do you really think I would've survived once my true loyalties were discovered?"

She gave him a shrewd look and shook her head. They both knew what awaited them if the Dark Lord remained in power. She touched her lacerated lip with her tongue, probing it. "Voldemort?"

Lucius sat down next to her and took her right hand gently in his. "First things first, shall we?" Knowing it would sap what little magical reserve he had at the moment, but not caring in the least, he murmured numerous charms and healing spells to mend her broken wrist as best he could without Skele-Gro.

Though he knew it was painful, she did not cry out, and his esteem for her rose several notches. When he was done, she wriggled her hand, flinching every now and then. "Thank you," she murmured.

Was she blushing? Lucius thought it fetching, but given the state of things, he refrained from saying so. "Shall we go inside? There's much to discuss."

"But Voldemort?"

Lucius smiled. "Dead."

She closed her eyes in apparent relief, then opened them. "And Severus?" she asked apprehensively.

"Alive, though only just." He took her hand again, rubbing circles on the back. "There is someone you need to see."

He led her out of the maze and back to the Manor. Upon reaching Snape's chambers, Lucius knocked on the door. He heard someone approach and took hold of Hermione's elbow in case she fainted.

When the door opened and revealed a weary Harry, Hermione screamed and launched herself at the young man, both of them tumbling to the floor. Lucius stepped inside and sat in a chair beside the bed to observe the reunion.

It was sloppy, messy and loud. Both of them hugged each other tightly, letting go only a little so that they could speak face-to-face, talking rapidly and non-stop. They exchanged a plethora of kisses, a few of which Lucius thought were a little too friendly. But then he glanced at Snape, lying on the bed and watching them as well, a contented look on his face.

And then Lucius saw it: Hermione… in tears. It was the first time since the night she was captured that he'd seen the girl cry.

"They'll be at this all night," Snape rasped.

"Perhaps," Lucius agreed quietly. He honestly couldn't begrudge them. "Do you still wish me to look behind your fourth bookshelf?"

Snape snorted, shuddering. "Merlin, no. In fact, I may Obliviate you when I get my strength back."

Lucius smirked. "Good. I have no desire to know how honourable you truly are. Bloody Gryffindor in Slytherin clothing if you ask me."

"Take that back," Snape groused, lapsing into a coughing fit.

"You're in no condition to make demands." Lucius stood and laid his hand on Snape's shoulder. "Thank you though, my friend. For everything."

Lucius paused at the door, watching Hermione and her dearest friend. He had no right to ask her to stay, none at all, but his heart ached when he thought that she might leave when Harry did. For all that had been done to her, for all the prejudices that had been held against her, for all that she had suffered at his own hands, he could not ask her to stay. The bond that united them for a year and a day still throbbed beneath his skin, reminding him that whatever they had shared was only temporary, a means to an end.

But he still wanted her to stay.

He cleared his throat, attracting Hermione's attention. "Good night," he said. Not waiting for her reply, he slipped out the door. Halfway up the staircase, he felt a hand slip into his.

"If I didn't know you better, Lucius, I would say you are running away."

He paused on the top step. "I am merely counting my losses and trying to save face," he said bluntly, his fingers twining with hers despite his words. "I cannot compete with the Boy Who Refuses To Die."

"No one is asking you to compete with Harry," she assured him as they turned and walked down the long hallway. "He has his own interests, I have mine."

"Is that so?" Lucius paused in front of the door to his bedchamber. "And what are your... interests?"

She tilted her head in a thoughtful pose. "Rebuilding the wizarding world, for a start."

Lucius arched a brow. "Yes, of course." What a fool, to think that he could possibly be one of those 'interests'.

He opened the door and entered his bedroom, assuming – hoping – that Hermione would follow him inside. She hovered in the hallway, however, twisting her fingers nervously.

"Well?" Lucius asked, afraid to give voice to his wish.

She looked askance, then at the grand bed. "Would it be all right if I stayed with you tonight?"

His heart leapt, and then he realized fully what her plea meant. She'd been violated in the most horrific of ways, and yet now she was anxious to be with him. Sleep beside him. It must have taken great courage just to verbalise the request.

Amazing as it was, she trusted him.

He nodded and held out his hand, grateful when she took it. "There are some gowns in the armoire. The bath is through there. Take as long as you need."

She chose a dark blue gown from the collection and disappeared into the loo. Lucius sat on the edge of the bed, wincing from the wounds still plaguing his body. He contemplated taking a shower once Hermione was done, but exhaustion crept over him and he stretched out on the bed, his eyes closing before he knew it.

He was awakened by gentle hands on his back, lightly touching each gash with a cloth saturated with what smelled like dittany. Oh, the feeling was blessed relief.

"I'll need to ask Snape for more dittany tomorrow. I haven't yet healed the marks on your legs and low back," Hermione said. She handed him a soft cotton shirt. "You should wear this to bed. It won't snag on the scabs as they heal."

Carefully, he pulled the shirt over his head and sighed. The fabric didn't tug or pull at his enflamed skin, making it much easier to obtain some semblance of sleep. He thanked her and they both burrowed under the duvet, he muttering a Nox to douse the lights.

He wanted to touch her, cradle her close, but he feared she wouldn't let a man that close to her ever again. Barring Potter, of course. And that thought brought a surge of jealousy such as he had never felt before. She had mentioned that there was no competition between him and Potter, yet when it came right down to it, he could visualise her walking hand-in-hand with the young, powerful and dignified wizard so clearly he had to close his eyes against the terrible ache in his heart.

"May I hold you?" he finally whispered, his heart overtaking his mind.

She turned towards him and budged closer, burying herself against his body. His arms enveloped her in his embrace and he laid his head atop hers.

"Thank you," he said softly.

Her response was to nuzzle his chest. Just when he thought she had drifted off, she murmured, "You'll have to give me some time, Lucius. I know what they did to me was wrong, but..."

"You know it wasn't your fault," he said, knowing that no words of his could possibly hope to heal the injuries she'd suffered.

She shrugged. "To them, my blood status was an excuse. I don't compare what they did to me with what you and I shared. But I just feel… dirty."

Lucius kissed her brow, hating Dolohov and the others that much more. "You're not. They could never sully your soul."

Her slender arms wrapped around him and she buried herself further into his chest. "I need to come to terms with that," she said, her words muffled. "Just give me time."

"You can have all the time that you need," he reassured her. Hope flared bright as phoenix fire. Did he dare voice his desire for her to remain? What was the worst that could happen? His hopes crushed into fragments too small to see, that's what. Bloody hell. In for a penny, in for a pound. He took a deep breath, then spoke. "Will you stay? Here, with me?"

She touched the scarred side of his face and smiled. "We're married, aren't we?"

"Only for a year and a day. After that, the bond dissolves, and you'll be free."

"Oh." Her thumb stroked one of the healing gashes on his back. "Do you think…"

He pressed his lips to her temple. "Yes?"

"Do you think you could come to like me?"

Like her? Like her? If he didn't know better, he would say he was half in love with the witch already. "I like you very much, Hermione."

"Oh! Well, that's good."

Did she have to sound so surprised? He rolled his eyes and yawned. The woman was going to be the death of him, eventually. "Go to sleep, Hermione. You need it."

She nodded and settled against him, her breathing slowing. He was about to give in to slumber's deep pull when he heard her whisper, "I'm quite fond of you, too."

He smiled to himself. It was going to be a very rough road ahead for all of them. The healing process was just beginning. But Lucius would be there, every step of the way, now that he knew he was worth something, that he was worth saving. Hermione had shown him that.

He planned on taking the rest of his life to return the favour.