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Voldemort rested against the chair with his eyes closed and forefinger resting lightly against his chin. The conversation with Hermione had gone well as he decided it was best to bring them back home. He toyed with the idea that they would be safer with him but honestly he had missed them. He missed returning home to her, and he had missed her youth and innocence.
His mind wondered to his daughter. Young Michela already showed signs of being a powerful witch and under his tutelage he had no doubt she would be more than capable in her own right someday.
Everything he had dreamt of had come to pass. After a few moments he let his head fall back. His mind lingered on his children and in particular his son. In a few months he would have the long awaited heir; a son created in his own image. He smiled at the thought.
Upon his return he had been on such a high and had forgotten to set the wards to his office, and he was caught off guard when the sudden opening and slamming of the door caused him to reflexively stand and pull his wand.
The figure before him stood staring at him eyes red rimmed and mouth slightly agape.
"Why?" the question was whispered so low that he instinctively leaned forward. He looked her over noting her disheveled appearance before bringing his eyes to rest on hers. They eyes were stormy and lacking their usual submissiveness.
He looked annoyed at having been bothered and she took notice of the pictures around the room. She had never been in here before. The homey fill of the room brought with it sadness.
She repeated herself, "why?" she spoke a bit louder finding the courage to do so, "why her?" She spoke while looking at him and inclined her head toward the photos on the mantle.
He walked casually around the desk to stand in front of Bellatrix his lithe frame towering over her petite one.
Bellatrix resisted the urge to step back she would not cower in his presence as she had done all those years before, he was no longer worthy of her obedience.
"Yes, why her? Why the mudblood? You said we," she pointed between herself and him, "would rid our world of them. How dare you deceive me like this; what gives you the right!?" she shouted at him.
The Dark Lord looked affronted before he drew back his hand and slapped her hard knocking her to the floor.
"You dare question me?" His voice was controlled and deadly as he stood looking down at her.
She closed her eyes; it pained her to disobey her master but she would not shrink back into the darkness.
Bellatrix rose shakenly and wiped the blood from her nose with the back of her beaded sleeve.
"You would have none of this without me!"
He looked insulted as he rushed forward and grabbed her roughly by the throat. His top lip rose slightly in disgust.
"You would do well to watch how you speak to me Bellatrix." His voice tinged with a warning.
"Go ahead, do your worst…coward," she managed to choke out through her restricted air way. For a brief moment he appeared to be caught off guard by her words before his face became hard once again. Even Bellatrix was astonished at her sudden boldness.
Anger flared through him and he thought he would collapse from the sheer force of it as it came crashing to the fore front. He threw her to the floor and stepped back.
She bit her tongue as she the full force of the curse ravage her body. Bellatrix refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing her scream; she would die first.
The curse lasted until Voldemort felt himself becoming unsteady. The curse ceased when he dropped his hand. With his free hand, he immediately reached out to clutch for something sturdy to keep himself upright. The desire to collapse into the small chair nearby was overwhelming but he resisted. He refused to appear weak in front of his rebellious follower.
Bellatrix managed to roll onto all fours swallowing the blood that had pooled inside her mouth. She rose slowly, shaking violently as if possessed. She stood hunched over breathing heavily her eyes landing on his.
Voldemort inwardly recoiled at the hatred he found reflected in those black orbs.
"Why won't you answer my question?"
"I don't answer to you or anyone, Bellatrix. You know that," he spoke softly.
Tears began to roll down her cheeks, "I'm not just anyone—Tom."
He upturned his top lip in disgust at the mention of his birth name, but he remained silent not having the necessary strength to delve out further punishment for her lack of respect.
"Why her, a mudblood?" she asked speaking between sobs. "After everything we fought for; I gave you everything just for you to pass me over for Potter's mudblood!"
Bellatrix collapsed to her knees the sudden outburst taking what slither of energy she had left.
He rushed her once again grabbing her by her hair lifting her from the floor onto her feet.
"You better be careful."
He stared at her his eyes cold. He sneered; it was sinister and it made her blood run cold.
"You ask 'why her.' I will tell you then. Bellatrix you are nothing more than a good solider someone that did my bidding and didn't ask questions. You were pivotal in recruiting other purebloods, your family had money and the right connections all of which at the time I needed. You were a means to an end. You served your purpose both as a follower and as a lover."
He tightened his grip.
"You will continue to serve and to respect me and you will serve and respect Hermione. Do you understand?"
A mumbled 'yes' was her response as she closed her eyes tears seeping for underneath the lids.
"I will forgive your outburst here this evening, but next time Bellatrix I will not hesitate to put you out of your misery."
He roughly pushed her away and she stumbled backward until she came to a stop.
"Now go! See if the Winholtz fool will have you. I hear he's looking for another wife. If you want I can give him a recommendation, you were always quite talented in bed I must say," He stated mockingly.
Tears welled up in her eyes once again as she gazed deeply into those of her lord. There was no doubt that he was sincere and she inwardly shrunk in humiliation. She felt worthless and with a small bow she turned and quickly left the room.
She stumbled down the stairs and fell to her knees at the bottom. She shook uncontrollably as she finally made up her mind. He had taken everything from her now she would gladly return the favor.
Lucius sat looking at his wife as she delicately cut and ate her steak. She seemed annoyed and he wondered why she even bothered. She wasn't forced to have these strained dinners with him. Their son had stopped pretending years ago and preferred the company of whatever young woman was available that evening. He could't blame the boy.
He watched as she looked everywhere in the room making it known that she was avoiding him and he sneered in disgust. He was a very direct man and such displays caused him great frustration.
"Narcissa," he called her name softly and he watched her become rigid.
She placed her knife and fork down with a loud thud and daintily wiped her mouth with the cloth napkin.
"Yes, dear?"
"Where have you been the last three days?" He already suspected her whereabouts but wanted to see if she would be forth coming.
"Why? It's none of your concern Lucius." She grabbed the glass of champagne and tossed it back.
"Well, Narcissa generally when a man's wife goes missing for days without so much as a word of her departure he does become concerned."
"I assure you I was in no harm." She smiled at him before returning to her dinner, "quite the contrary I came back to you well satisfied." It was the same polite and yet fake smile she had flashed at countless galas and boring dinner parties.
He sighed and continued to press forward.
"That still doesn't answer my question. Where have you been for the past three days?"
"I was out Lucius."
"Obviously, Narcissa. I see this is getting us nowhere so I will be blunt."
She rolled her eyes before adjusting the napkin in her lap, "by all means." She stated under her breath.
"Are you having an affair?"
She stared at him before bursting into a shrill laugh.
"Really, after all of the numerous women you have bedded you now want to play the jealous husband? No, no dear. I will not allow you to play the victim."
He clenched his jaw, "are you fucking someone else? It is a simply yes or no."
She sat back in her chair and looked him over before smiling at him.
"I'll indulge you, let's say that yes, I am fucking someone else, someone that can give me the protection that you cannot."
"Does 23 years of marriage mean nothing to you?"
She waved her hand dismissively before standing.
"Lucius you have truly grown sentimental in your old age," she chuckled placing both her hands on the table and leaning forward.
"Protection?" He rose as well and went to the side cart to grab a glass pouring himself a hefty amount of whiskey. "If you haven't noticed Narcissa we won the war there is no longer an Order to worry about."
She looked annoyed.
"If the after effects of the cruciartius curse are of any indication of your status within his lord's ranks then I have great reason to be worried."
"So that's it, your whoring yourself out for protection. Here I thought you better than that clearly throughout our matrimony I placed on you too high of a pedestal."
He looked at her smug expression and he became sadden although his face gave nothing to allude to his hurt. He did not know this woman, this thing before him. He gently placed his glass on the table.
"For your clarification I haven't bedded numerous women as you say. Adultery has never been my nature; I saw how my father's affairs destroyed my mother. The humiliation gnawed away at her and I vowed to never be that man. You may have not been my first choice as a bride but I have never lain with another woman."
She smirked, "that's charming, dear."
She chuckled before turning on her heels and leaving the room without as much as a backwards glance. She had better things to do than to suffer another boring dinner with her husband, she had hoped the Dark Lord would have gotten rid of him during the war but fortune hadn't smiled upon her. She hoped it soon would.
He sighed and sat back down. He rested his elbows on the table and let his head fall into his hands. Despite what everyone believed about him he loved or had loved his wife very dearly even though she didn't and probably never had returned his sentiments.
Lucius heard soft footsteps and looked up to find Hermione standing only a few feet away.
She noted the unshed tears in his eyes and she repressed the urge to rush to him. She wasn't sure how he'd respond to such a strong display of emotion.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help but overhear I was on my way to the kitchen." She continued to stare at him.
He sat back in his chair, "I'm ashamed you had to hear that. You know we were happy once. Narcissa and I, we really were," his expression forlorn.
"No worries," she began to walk forward stopping directly in front of him.
"I," she paused looking at him, "I don't know what to say."
His smile was weak and he picked up the glass of whiskey and brought it to his lips.
"Does that really help?"
His eyes landed on hers once again and he thought about her question and his response before answering.
"No, it only serves as a means to dull the hurt; if only for a little while," and with that statement he drank the amber contents of the glass and rose to pour himself another.
Hermione sighed, "I am truly sorry."
He chuckled, "as I have told you before Miss Granger, you have nothing to be sorry for. We are both prisoners," he poured himself another hefty amount of whiskey.
"Miss Granger," he turned around his hand still on the decanter a filled glass in the other, "are you aware that my wife is fucking your husband?" He watched her expression carefully.
She dropped her head and sighed, "I had my suspicions but I like everyone else am here to serve and not question."
She rubbed her belly and Lucius could sense her sadness. He didn't like seeing her unhappy.
As if on autopilot he slowly approached her and for the first time that night he picked up her scent of bergamot and sandalwood. He let his eyes roam over her body and Hermione breathed in deep. Silently she hoped he would touch her. Lucius, unaware of her desire hoped that she wouldn't mind him touching her.
He stopped in front of her and gently reached out to place his hand under her chin lifting her head so that they were once again gazing into each other's eyes. His eyes fluttered to her full lips and she ran her eyes over his features. It had been a while since she had been this close and she couldn't help the heat that had begun to stir between her thighs.
She could feel her nipples hardened and she wanted him to stop touching her and yet she didn't want to say the word. Before Lucius realized what he had done he heard the thud of the crystal glass making contact with the floor. Before his conscious mind could catch up to his body's responses he had his hands buried deep in her hair.
He felt his manhood spring to life and her small hands clawing at his shirt and the softness of her lips as they parted and their tongues met dancing as one.
He pulled back reluctantly out of breath, "look at me," he voice was low as if strained and Hermione opened her eyes to find a pained expression settling into his features, "is this what you want? If we go there we can never go back, I could never go back, Hermione."
She stared deep into his eyes and placing her hands on either side of his face, "yes, more than I have wanted anything."
He felt the sincerity in her words and crashed his lips onto hers.
He apparated them to his bedchamber and slowly backed her up until the back of her legs hit the large bed. He broke the kiss and kneeled before her.
Slowly he began to remove her slippers and reached under the mid-length night shirt to remove her shorts bringing them down her lean legs. Her could smell her sex. The scent furthered awakened something primal in him and due to her advanced state of pregnancy he fought the urge to pounce and take her roughly.
Gently, he pushed her back and she took the message and pulled herself onto the bed. He now stood looking down at her. Lucius lightly kissed her knee caps as he gently spread her legs and once again kneeled.
"What are you doing?" she propped herself up on her elbows and leaned over to the side to see him over her belly.
He smirked at her and put his index finger to his lips winking at her before burying his head between her legs. She gasped when she felt his tongue dart out at her sex and she allowed her upper body to flop back on the mattress. He lapped and nibbled at her core as if starved. He took in her scent and her taste. All his life he had had the finest of everything but nothing could compare to the flavor on his lips.
He could feel her body tense as he continued to please her with his mouth. Lucius' knees had begun to ache and his manhood throbbed in anticipation of its own release. He stood tearing at his clothes like a mad man before crawling on top of her. Placing his cock at her entrance he looked into her eyes waiting for her consent.
"Yes, Lucius. I need you."
He brought his lips down to hers and slowly kissed her. He had never been needed. Lucius entered her and they both gasped. He felt like he belonged there and she had never given her self like this to her husband. For Lucius, she was willing to give him all.
He had taken Hermione for what felt like hours and tears had sprang to her eyes at the thought of after tonight she would only see him in passing and nothing more could happen between them. Just when she had a choice it was taken away. She thought of her husband and what this would mean if he discovered her treachery. He would no doubt kill Lucius and she bit her lip to keep from wailing aloud.
As if sensing her distress, Lucius stopped.
"What's wrong sweetheart?"
She fluttered her eyes open to find him staring down at her his face laced with concern.
"I don't want you to die." she stroked the side of his face.
He smiled down at her, "I don't want you to die either."
"Do you think he would kill me?"
He looked away from her he wouldn't entertain the thought of the Dark Lord hurting her. He brought his eyes back to her face and she noted the fierce determination in his eyes.
"I won't let that happen."
Hermione searched his face for any deception and she found none. Tears began to roll down her checks and Lucius kissed them away.
"It will be alright Hermione, I will make sure of it," he whispered starting at a slow pace. He kissed her tenderly and once they were exhausted she lay with her head on his chest.
The two lovers laid awake long into the morning. Hermione had cried and Lucius had consoled her.
"I should leave and get ready. He'll be here soon. This can never happen again," she whispered stroking his chest her heart breaking at the thought of never touching him again.
"I know," he continued to play with her hair relishing in the softness of her curls.
Hermione breathed deep as she sat up; she knew if she didn't rise now then she never would as the urge to stay in that moment with him forever was too tempting. She kept her back to him as she dressed. Lucius watched her and slowly rose from the bed and began to dress as well.
Neither spoke a word and once both were fully dressed Lucius took her hand and led her into the hall and back to the side of the manor that had been declared as her home. They stood at the entrance to her room. She didn't want to look at him and have him witness the unshed tears. She moved to pull away from him and he tightened his hold on her hand.
"Lucius," she whispered.
He released her hand and watched as she walked away the door closing signifying their end to their early start.
He turned ready to walk away when he heard the door open. He spun around as Hermione ran into his arms pulling him down to kiss him.
Lucius wrapped his arms around her pulling her tight. He never wanted to let her go and thoughts of killing his master for over 20 years entered his mind.
Hermione broke the kiss first, "I don't want it to end," she looked up at him through her damp eyelashes.
"I don't either. Hermione I will fight for you. I'm ready to die for. Just know that one day I will kill him and we will be."
She looked at him breathless.
"What about my children?"
He held her at arms length, "I love anything and everything of yours. I will love them as my own."
She believed him and in that moment she knew she loved him.
"I am in love with you Hermione, now go and get ready."
He turned on his heel abruptly and left her in an emotional storm.