A/N: WARNING: This fic is going to be dark. There will be depravities, polyandry, torture, abuse, war, non-consensual sex, satisfying smut, infant mortality rates, explicit birth scene, non-explicit mutilation, and the list goes on. I have truly let the freak flag fly for this one. I hope that you find it as riveting and irresistible as I do.

Proceed with Caution. This will be your only trigger warning.

Establishing a Dynasty

September 19, 1997, the Gringotts Goblin's presented Lucius with a key. Now armed with an old prophecy and a contract, the Malfoy's change the tides of war. Their focus centered on one ferocious lioness. Hermione/AbraxasxLuciusxDraco.

1

The first thing Hermione heard was one of the lesser Death Eaters running up the Dungeon steps yelling about their escaped prisoners. Hermione felt a moment of relief and then the fear crashed around her. Harry and Ron had left her to be tortured further in Malfoy Manor. Tears streamed down her face as she realized that they had left her to die. She understood that Harry needed to live; He needed to defeat Voldemort. She really did. That didn't stop the feeling of abandonment that flooded her.

Bellatrix stood, leaving Hermione's prone form on the floor of the drawing room to go search the dungeons herself with fear-filled eyes. Voldemort had already been summoned and that meant they would all pay if Potter had truly escaped. Hermione could hear the shrill panic in Bellatrix's voice as she ran down the stairs to the dungeons. Hermione laid still, waiting for it all to end - waiting for someone to notice her.

Hoping and praying that it wouldn't be Greyback,

Hermione tried to melt into the floor. Inch by inch, she covertly tried to move but when her body didn't respond, she closed her eyes. She couldn't bear to see what was coming.

Hermione flinched as she felt strong hands gently lift her into a strong firm chest. At first, she panicked thinking that her time was at an end. The man was careful though, moving her smoothly so that her battered body wouldn't be jostled more than necessary. Not caring who was offering this kindness, she buried her face in the spicy smelling robes. His arms pulled her closer and she felt safe for the first time in months. She tried to tell herself that whoever had her, most likely wanted something from her and she should be on her guard. Her brain wanted to be scared but her body melted into the embrace.

"Lucius, in here!" A feminine voice whispered urgently. Hermione looked up at her savior, staring in shock as Mr. Malfoy cradled her to his chest. He looked rough as if he had been on the business end of Bellatrix's wand more than once. Carrying her effortlessly, he walked purposefully into the room his wife bid. She shut the door securely behind them.

"Can you stand, Miss Granger?" Lucius asked.

"I don't know." She whispered.

"Try." Narcissa pled, smoothing a hand over Hermione's curls. Lucius and Narcissa looked at each other in worry.

Lucius put her feet on the ground, holding onto her waist to keep her steady. Hermione nodded as she held herself erect.

"Good girl." Lucius murmured before he let her go.

Draco walked up behind her and silently took his father's place, supporting her so that she wouldn't fall.

"It's okay Granger. We've got you." He muttered, his strong arms wrapped around her body. It was surreal, feeling safety with the Malfoys.

Lucius walked in front of her and held up Hufflepuff's cup so that she could see it. "Do you know what this is?"

She refused to answer. Saying anything could ruin everything. Lucius put his hand on her shoulder.

"She definitely knows," Draco whispered. Her throat tightened with anxiety. She would die before betraying Harry, even if Lucius smelt good and Draco wasn't being a complete arse.

"Can you destroy it?" Lucius asked urgently, his steely grey eyes meeting and holding her amber ones. She was shocked, wondering how this would betray the cause but going out on a limb, gave a small sharp nod. He smiled at her before looking at the door, his lips pulled into a frown. They could hear Bellatrix stomping around the house.

"We don't have much time." Draco murmured, his body surrounded hers as he leaned in so that his parents could hear him over her shoulder.

Narcissa pulled Hermione out of their grip and put her beaded bag around her neck and arm.

"I had the house elves put some food in here," Narcissa whispered. Hermione watched Lucius as he put the cup into her bag. "I don't think I will get much more use out of this," Narcissa wrapped Hermione's fingers around her wand. "Draco will lead you out of here. Please, don't let the Dark Lord win." Tears burned in Hermione's eyes as she realized that the Malfoys were protecting her, helping her escape.

"But I am Muggle-born," Hermione told them confusedly.

"And we will be dead soon and the Malfoy family with fade in the way of the Blacks. I am sorry, Miss Granger. I can't ever make it up to you, the way I treated you, but I can protect you long enough for you to get out. Help Potter save the world." Lucius whispered. To Hermione's complete shock, he pulled her into his chest and kissed her forehead. His large hand smoothed down her spine, stroking her as if she were a nervous filly. Once he let her go, he stepped back and was quickly replaced by Narcissa. She wrapped her long thin arms around Hermione's shoulders. Her trembling fingers absently smoothing her curls.

"Let the last thing we do be for the betterment of wizardkind," Narcissa said as she kissed her temple in the same place as her husband. It was curious the way they were treating her as if she were a beloved family member. Hermione would have to think about that later.

Draco threaded his hands with hers and tugged her to the large floo at the back of the room. He looked back at his parents for a moment, fear flooding his face before he slid an emotionless mask in its place.

"Andrex Cottage." He said as he tossed floo powder in before pushing Hermione through.

"Good luck, son." Lucius's quiet voice broke as he studied his son's face for what would probably be the last time.

Not trusting himself to speak, Draco nodded his head at the both of them. His parents were sacrificing their lives so that Draco and Hermione could get out. Draco knew that it was a long shot for him to survive by running away but staying was certain death. He tossed the floo powder into the grate before stepping into the emerald flames, looking into the melancholy face of his mother once more before calling out his destination. If this was to mean his death, he hoped that his father was right about the outcome. They now put all of their hopes into one tiny Gryffindor lioness.

Draco Malfoy met Hermione's wild eyes as she waited for him. He smirked at her, a weak imitation of what it once was.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"This is a small cottage at the edge of the property. It was a gift from my grandfather to my grandmother when they were alive. It has been useful in smuggling things in and out under the Dark Lord's nose." He muttered. "Let's go. He is already at the house." His jaw was clenched, fear in his eyes.

He grabbed her hand, pulled her out of the cottage behind him, and set a brutal pace, running full out for the forest with their hands still connected.

"Once you get past the first row of Birch trees, apparate. They are the boundary of the property; the wards end there."

Hermione's scream caught in her throat as Voldemort appeared to their left, his wand leveled at them. Draco pushed Hermione out of the way, helping her dodge spells as they ran. Once he untangled his hand from hers, Hermione began to panic once more.

"Disarm me! Quickly!" He said to Hermione. She acted on instinct- too used to making on the fly decisions. She knew that he was a dead man without his wand but if he wanted her to disarm him, there must be a good reason.

"Expelliarmus." She muttered, catching his wand in midair.

"Good luck, Granger!" He said grimly as he stopped and turned around. He held his hands up, palm out, wrapping the family wards around his body wandlessly.

Hermione kept running, instinct screaming at her to turn around and help but she couldn't. It was as if her body was compelled to keep running. Tears streamed down her face as she realized what he was doing for her. He was giving her enough time to escape so that she could destroy the cup at all costs, no matter the sacrifice. She looked back only once to see Draco crumple to the ground, dead. She was held spellbound for a moment in the red flashing eyes of Voldemort before twisting away into the tight tube of apparition. She was free.

She stood shuddering, her arms wrapped around her body for warmth and comfort. The Malfoys had died for her so that she could escape with the cup. All three of them protected her instead of running. She owed them a life debt that she had no idea how to repay. Why would they do that? Why did they act like she was important to them? It was very confusing.

She dug in her bag for the galleon that she had charmed in her fifth year for the DA. This was the Trio's contingency if they ever got separated but she had changed hers so that only Harry and Ron's would respond. It wasn't long before they showed up, hope and wariness set on their faces.

Their wands were wisely raised, pointed at her. They were smart to believe they could be entering into a trap but when they saw Hermione standing alone and battered, they ran to her, wrapping her in their arms.

"We tried coming back for you, 'Mione! The wards were too tightly set to penetrate. We thought that we lost you!" Harry said. "How did you escape?"

"The Malfoys saved me. They died so that I could escape with the cup." She sniffled.

"They died?" Ron asked in disbelief. "The cup? The Horcrux?"

"Yes, the Horcrux! Mr. Malfoy put it in my bag before they smuggled me out. You-Know-Who killed them. They gave me their wands."

"They who?" Harry asked, eyes bright with excitement.

"Narcissa put hers into my hands and I disarmed Malfoy."

"Well done!" Ron said smiling.

"If they were helping you why did you disarm him?" Harry had a grim look on his face.

"He told me to. You-Know-Who caught up to us right before we crossed the wards. Malfoy met him wandlessly so that I could escape. I had just enough time."

"Let's go to Bill's," Harry said looking around suspiciously.

Ron leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Bill Weasley lives at Shell Cottage."

With a sickening squeeze, the Trio stood just inside the wards around Shell Cottage. The moment Hermione realized she was safe, great wracking sobs tore from her body and her legs began to shake, unable to support her body. She fell to her knees, her face buried in her hands. The day was catching up to her. The fear of capture, the torture, the abandonment, the unexpected help, and their subsequent deaths crashed around her, making her grief more profound. How could she repay them if they were dead?

She felt strong arms lift her for the second time that day. She looked up at Bill's scarred face and a sob stuck in her throat. For one breathless, irrational moment, she thought it was him.

**HGHG**

Two years later

The Trio looked at each other grimly and knew that this was the end. They had traced the diadem to Albania and back. War had permeated everything, and the world was overcast with a grey pall. Its inhabitants bowed under the burden of the new order. The Ministry and Hogwarts were both under Voldemort's control, leaving no safe haven left. The Muggle-borns were close to being wiped out and the Trio had even begun suspecting that the new Muggle-born babies that appeared on the magical register were hunted down and killed in their cots. Why else would SIDs be on the rise? It was no coincidence.

Hogwarts was the last place they should go but was the very place they needed to infiltrate. The likelihood of any of them surviving the night was slim but they didn't waver in their determination. They needed the last Horcrux, the diadem, which was hidden in the room of requirement.

A small resistance group led by former DA members had beheaded Nagini only the week before. It had lifted the spirit of the resistance until Voldemort delivered swift retribution. Every captured male that was held in Azkaban was killed. Twelve of their peers died that day. Still, it left only one more Horcrux to destroy.

Harry explained to Hermione and Ron that he remembered using the diadem to mark the place where he hid Snape's old potion's text in sixth year. The only problem appeared to be how they were going to get in. Hogsmeade was on permanent lockdown, and the hidden passages were being patrolled by various Death Eaters. Only one was conspicuously left open. They spent days watching it, spending their time in shifts, using the Hog's Head as their base of operation. They determined after a week of spying that Snape either didn't know about the hidden entrance or he left it wide open on purpose to trap them. Either way, it was their only chance and they had no other choice but to take it. Harry hid under his cloak and Hermione disillusioned both Ron and herself. With a hushed anxiety, they walked the streets of the miasmic town.

Silencing charms adorned their feet, which allowed them to walk unhindered into Honeydukes with the next customer. Once the shop was cleared for the night and the proprietor left, the Trio snuck down into the storeroom. Thankfulness and relief fell from their lips when they found the passageway unsealed. They slipped into the tunnel, wands held aloft and ready for a fight. Seeing nothing but cobwebs, they crept along the abandoned corridor. It took them longer than they remembered to reach the one-eyed witch. Hopefully, the passageway was just unknown. Hermione wasn't as relieved as the boys. She had a horrible feeling about it but kept her own counsel. It wasn't like they had any other options.

They crept through the silent castle and released their collective breaths of relief only when they entered the Room of Requirement. The room of hidden things seemed even more massive now than it ever had before. Having already studied Harry's memory of the day he hid the book, they split up and searched up and down the different rows, desperately hoping that Voldemort had left his final Horcrux alone.

Hermione heard a triumphant shout from Harry and the first genuine smile overtook her face since the Malfoys had died. She sprinted down the row, retracing her steps. They met at the door and looked at the piece of history that Voldemort ruined. With twisted lips, Hermione looked at Rowena Ravenclaw's defaced diadem.

Hermione reached into her bag and grabbed the Sword of Gryffindor before handing it to Harry. Their eyes met. This was it, the last fragment of Voldemort's mutilated soul. It was the last stop before facing the man himself. Hermione was filled with apprehension. The hardest part was to come. She wasn't sure if Harry was ready or if he ever would be. A small part of her wondered if this was the end for the three of them. Morbidly, Hermione wondered how it would feel to die. Would it hurt? Would Voldemort play with them before allowing their deaths? She loved Harry but didn't have very high hopes of winning at this point. What else could they do but trudge on? They couldn't stop, now that they were so close to the end.

Harry swung the sword and hit the Horcrux perfectly. It screamed and melted into a mangled hunk of scrap and they let out the deep breaths they were holding. Hermione's face pinched with fear. She half expected to hear Voldemort's rage despite knowing he couldn't feel the piece of his soul dying.

"Now we need to get out of here and strategize. Our best chance to win would be to fight on our turf, not his. We need as much of an advantage as possible." Harry said. They nodded. This was something that they already discussed and agreed on. They needed to get out of the school as fast as possible.

Once again, they were disillusioned or hidden under the cloak as they left the room. Things were looking pretty good. They hadn't met a single person in their time sneaking through Hogwarts. The ease should have clued them into one of two scenarios. Either they had inside help or they were being led into a trap. Later, Hermione would decide that it was a bit of both.

As they turned the last corner to the one-eyed witch, they came face to face with Voldemort himself. Several ranks of Death Eaters flowed behind the Trio, surrounding them in the hall.

With a wave of his wand, Hermione and Ron lost their invisibility, baring them to their enemies. They stood proud and fierce, already mentally prepared to die. Harry was still under the cloak. Hermione hoped that he would take the opportunity to leave if he could.

With another wave of his wand, Voldemort tried to disarm them. Hermione blocked his attempt, but Ron wasn't as lucky. His wand sailed through the air, landing in the open palm of their greatest enemy.

"It's such a shame that you are a blood traitor. I do hate the waste of killing one of such pure blood." Voldemort rasped inspecting the wand he now held in his palm.

Hermione clenched her teeth and made to move in front of her friend.

"But it is you who I regret the most." Voldemort continued, staring at Hermione. "I even thought about forging documents to change your blood status, little Mudblood. If I could have your brain and talents at my disposal…" He paused, savoring the thought of her betraying Harry. "Even some of my followers have expressed interest to have you, for my most treasured followers to overlook your unfortunate birth is quite a compliment. Wouldn't you say? Will you join us?"

"Hermione would never join you." Ron spat. Hermione would have rolled her eyes to the ceiling at Ron speaking on her behalf, but she kept herself in check. She needed to keep an eye on the wands surrounding them and make sure Harry got out.

Laughter filled the corridor.

"She would, under the right circumstances," Voldemort said confidently.

At that moment, Harry covered Hermione with the cloak, coming face to face with Voldemort. He pushed her to the hidden passageway. She stumbled. No way in hell was she leaving them, but the choice was taken out of her hands as Snape grabbed her and forced her through the hump of the one-eyed witch. The last thing she saw before descending was Harry's body hitting the floor moments before Ron's. Tears coursed silently down her cheeks as she flew down the hidden passageway.

She ran the whole way back to Honeydukes. Not caring that it was night or that someone would see the shop door open seemingly of its own accord, she ran through the streets setting off the caterwauling charm and left the wards moments before dementors found her. She apparated back to their base camp alone and hopeless. Everyone who protected her died. The Malfoys, Harry, Ron and many, many others.

She stayed in the camp for three days hoping that the boys weren't actually dead, that somehow, they would come back to her. When they didn't, she began to think of ways to get them back. Over the years, she had heard whispers that a time turner was owned by the Malfoy family and that it was never recovered after their deaths. If they had one and it hadn't already been found by their master, the best place to search was the Manor. Now that the owners were dead, the place had been abandoned, Voldemort instead made Hogwarts his base. A grotesque militant school that was a Death Eater training ground.

Deciding that she had nothing to lose by searching the Manor, she resolved to go first thing in the morning. The longer it took her to find the time turner, the less likely she would be able to fix anything. She felt the weight of time passing, a ticking clock hanging over her head.

She woke up bright and early the next day and tore down the wards, packing all of their things into her beaded bag. Knowing that if she was successful, they would need it all again very soon. She apparated to the same copse of birch trees that she fled from two years prior.

Draco's death flashed through her mind. She dwelled on the specific point in her memory that he crumpled to the ground, his wand had dug into her palm as she clenched it. Her mind conjured the sensory input of that moment and it was imprinted on her mind, branded there as if it was happing again in front of her very eyes. Her breath was stilted and constrained as she tried to focus herself back on the task at hand. She couldn't afford to lose her wits now.

For a moment, she wondered if she would be able to apparate directly into the house with the entire Malfoy family decimated but decided not to take the risk. Carefully she walked to the Manor, keeping an eye out for anything unusual. Memories coursed over her again. An anxious fearful family that didn't have to help her but did anyway. The soft soothing hands of Narcissa, the masculine strength of Lucius, and the protective sacrifice of Draco. She had never for one moment forgot that they were the only reason she survived that day. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had saved each other so many times but it wasn't the same. They were family. She felt the choking stranglehold of the life debt that she now owed Snape. Two life debts that she had no idea how to repay. One, because the owners of it were all dead and the other because he was so firmly planted behind enemy lines.

The Manor was dark and smelled strongly of decay. She wrinkled her nose and began the arduous task of searching room to room. Most of the chambers had been ransacked, the priceless heirlooms stolen or given away as prizes.

It saddened her to a small degree. Not that she especially liked the Manor, but it was the Malfoys and she now held them in high regard. When she found Lucius' study she smiled with satisfaction. It was somber with heavy wooden furniture, dark drapes, and his lingering smell, even after all of these years. She rummaged through the drawers and all of the nooks and crannies. The time turner wasn't here. Hermione was sure that this would be the one place they would hide something so valuable. Wouldn't it be kept where Lucius could keep a close eye on it? She left the room a little lost. Where should she look next? Her head snapped up. The library.

It took her twenty minutes to find it but find it she did. She felt like Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She gasped as she walked through the double doors. This library was one of the most incredible places that she had ever seen. The shelves towered to the ceiling, where hundreds of thousands of magical texts resided. Her inner swot danced with excitement, her stomach clenching with regret. If she had known Malfoy had this in his home, she might have been nicer to him in school. Then again, maybe not. She thought, wrinkling her nose. He was a prick in school.

She looked around at the books. One of them caught her attention right away. It was bound in blue leather with gold scrolling embossed on the spine. It caught her attention because it was the only thing in the whole building that was gleaming, devoid of even a speck of dirt. It drew her like a moth to a flame. She was held spellbound as she eased the heavy tome off the shelf and into her arms. She looked in the space it left, hoping just this once that it would be easy, and the time turner would be there for her to find. She put a lid on her disappointment once she realized the empty s place had only held the book that she was now clutching in her hands. Gently, she switched her hold on the book, turning it over and looking at the beautiful ornate cover.

She took it to the large window seat, needing the minimal amount of light the dirty windows had been able to filter through. She put the book in her lap and let it fall open, hoping it would give her a clue of why it was the only book without dust. She leaned in over the pages that had been referenced many times; if the wear on the pages were any indication.

Constituendum dynastia

This spell will only work once per wizard in his lifetime. Resurrecting the dead in their intended forms is tricky and can only be done if the caster has pure intentions. For a wizard to be able to summon the people he needs the most from the dead, he must first have a close relationship with the house he attempts to resurrect. The more powerful the wizard, the more witches he would be able to bring back. The record for most resurrected witches went to Sebastian Gaunt who resurrected seven of his wife's dead family members. They had been lost to the great goblin wars and Gretta Fawley Gaunt was the last of her line.

Hermione looked out the window with calm reflection. Harry and Ron were both the last of their families to die. Could she bring back wizards who weren't technically blood relatives? If so, maybe she could bring back Dumbledore too! If she could only choose one house to resurrect, who would she choose? Could she even choose?

She faced the book once more and turned the page searching for the spell. Once she located it, she spent the next two days memorizing the ceremony.

It was with the rising dawn that Hermione found herself back in the library preparing the spell for casting. It was the most complicated and intricate piece of work that she had ever encountered and was excited to begin. Continually she had to push down the niggling feeling of unease that tried to surge up and drown her whole body, but she was nothing if not persistent. This was how she intended on bringing Harry back.

With a giddy energy, she finally set the last rune in a circle reinforced with magic that had been detailed in the book. Some of the spell work she already knew. Some of them she could guess at their function, but the majority was too advanced for her. Perhaps if she had enough time to study them properly she would know but she didn't dare wait. She still felt the weight of time hanging over her like a guillotine. So, without fully understanding the complicated magic that surrounded her, she began to chant the spells in the order she memorized them.

The runic circle glowed. Time slowed to a standstill. The ticking clock paused in its perpetual motion. She picked up the small silver knife that she had imbued with runes in preparation and sliced her hand. She watched as her blood flowed quickly, dripping into the stone basin. Once she collected enough, she wrapped a bandage around it. The book had warned her not to try using any magic while the circle was activated. She didn't dare deviate. Moving on, she added the required ingredients in the order the book specified. It was exact, and she was careful, going as slow as she needed.

As she added the final ingredient, the Manor began to shake. Books fell around her as the circle held, keeping the space protected from outside interference. Hermione bit her lip. It was just a matter of waiting now. The completed potion flashed a white-blue light that permeated her chosen perimeter. Hermione looked up as the first man materialized in front of her. He was tall with white blond hair and grey eyes. Obviously, a Malfoy. He was stockier than Lucius and shorter too. His hair was a little longer than chin length and it was gathered into a queue at the nape of his neck. He smiled at her, his eyes wandering down her kneeling body. He looked to be the same age as Lucius. A relative perhaps?

He stepped aside as another came through the light. This man was wearing the long black tailored robes of Lucius Malfoy, looking not a day older than the day he died for her. She smiled, happy to see him, even if she was confused. She had not even thought about bringing the Malfoys back.

"Good girl." He muttered in approval. His smirk teased her with his smug 'I knew this would happen all along' look. He leaned over and cupped her cheek, beaming at her with admiration.

She turned her head away as Draco Malfoy stepped through. The look of surprise forcing a chuckle out of Lucius. He dropped his hand and moved back, allowing Draco room to see Hermione.

"Bloody hell Granger, always the overachiever, aren't you? Father is going to sing I told you so until the end of time. We will never be able to live with him now." He snarked before walking up to her and ran his hand over her hair, smoothing it back from her face. She was shocked at the tender gesture, half expecting that he would call her Mudblood despite the fact that he had died for her previously.

"Thank you." He murmured just loud enough for her to hear. He pulled her body against his legs for a quick awkward hug, before stepping back as the runic circle shuddered with its release of the second between time. The clock began to tick once more, and the power of the circle diminished quickly, flickering out. The books that landed on top of the magical enclosure, crashed to the floor around them. Once the dust settled there was only one thing in the forefront of her mind. She was alone in the ruined library with three Malfoy men who were looking at her in the same way a hungry wolf would track his prey.

It made her nervous. As happy as she was to see them alive again, she was mildly disappointed that she didn't also pull Harry and Ron. She accepted that she didn't get to choose and knew that she would mourn for them, and soon. Maybe the Malfoy men could gift her with that hidden time turner. She watched them, her eyes flicking to one then another unable to help herself from staring, for once without anything to say.

"What the hell happened to this place. It looks like shite." The unidentified Malfoy said as he looked around.

"Now Father, we have no idea what year it is or what happened. We can fix this in time." Lucius said while watching Draco as he offered Hermione his hand. She took it with an absent smile and he pulled her up, her body hauled close. She was staring at his chest and could tell that the son cut a similar figure as the father. When did Draco get a body like this? She wondered as she gulped. Perhaps she was out of her depth. It was hard to concentrate being so close to Malfoy, so she turned around and walked up to the third Malfoy.

"I'm Hermione Granger." She said holding out her hand.

"Abraxas, Love, the Paterfamilias. What happened to our ancestral home?" Abraxas asked, sliding into a flirty smile. The breath caught in Hermione's throat, her hand was immediately smothered in his larger ones as he brought her knuckles to his lips. She was definitely out of her depth. She had little to no experience with this type of flirting.

"After I escaped and You-Know-Who murdered Draco, I heard he left this place and let his other Death Eaters loot. No one has been in here for at least a year. It has been a little over two years since you died." Hermione said looking at Draco.

"Why are you here, Love?" Abraxas had moved closer slowly, the backs of his fingers brushing her skin as he slid them down her arm.

"There was a rumor that the Malfoys had hidden a time turner. I was searching for it. I needed to bring back Harry and Ron, they died almost a week ago." She looked up at Lucius as she attempted to brush Abraxas' hands off of her. "I thought maybe this spell would bring them back."

"Why, were they of the same house?" Abraxas was getting rather handsy and Lucius and Draco only watched with amused tolerance. He moved into her space, surrounding her with his overwhelming presence.

"As good as."

"Well, then it wouldn't have worked. The title of the spell really tells it all. Didn't you translate it?"

"No, I was in a hurry and the rest was in English."

"It is the spell to establish a dynasty with a fallen house. Singular."

"But the book said a wizard brought back seven of his wife's relatives."

"Gaunt. Yes, he married them all."

"No."

"Oh yes, Love." Abraxas lifted his hand and laced his fingers through her curly hair. She craned her neck back to look at him in the eye and he seemed only too pleased to help as he clenched his fist lightly and guided her head back. His intense stare pinned her in place.

"I take it the Dark Lord isn't dead?" Lucius asked from somewhere behind Abraxas cutting in before the conversation could go any further.

"No." She whispered feeling like a failure.

"Bloody fucking hell," Draco swore. "I guess you didn't predict everything, Father."

"We will just have to defeat him, won't we, Love?" Abraxas said ignoring his grandson, his eyes smoldering, turning her insides to goop.

"At least we aren't branded any longer," Draco muttered into her hair as his finger traced her spine. Hermione could feel the heat of him on her back and Abraxas' overwhelming presence commanding all of her attention in front of her.

"First things first, we must raise the wards around the Manor," Lucius said.

"The second you do that, he will come," Hermione muttered.

"Then let him come." Abraxas leaned in, his hand still on her jaw, holding her in place. She could feel his breath on the side of her neck, tendrils tickled her with each puff of his warm breath. His lips were so close to her ear, she shivered. This was the most erotic thing she had ever experienced.

"Do you want me to tell you a secret, Love?" He purred.

"Ungh." She groaned. She felt like she was going to explode, her knickers were undoubtedly ruined by now.

"I'll take that as a yes," His voice lowered, rasping seductively in her ear. "When we end this, they will never hurt you again and anyone who stands in my way will be absolutely obliterated."

Abraxas released her and backed up, watching as her glazed eyes tried to focus. He chuckled, a low smooth sound, like silk against bare skin.

"That, Love, is a promise. The Malfoys always protect our own."