Preliminary Discussions

A couple of days later, Hermione was dozing in her hammock with Acara when Lucius and Draco were finally brought into the village. She had spent the unusually warm morning at the lake with the kids and was enjoying an after-lunch nap when Acara jumped up, leaving Hermione swinging in the breeze. She swore under her breath and scrubbed her fingertips roughly in her hair to wake up.

Hermione's eyes followed her beast toward the door. Acara's hind end was crouched in the doorway as she had poked through the curtain to investigate. Her tail was still, except for the end, which twitched menacingly.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh at her spirit beast. Gryffindor, indeed. Hermione looked down at what she was wearing; it was essentially a long sundress, what most of the ladies wore around the village. Not everyone completed their education to the Mage level, so her robes were more significant than the regular robes that they had in Britain. Hermione decided that what the Malfoys didn't know would be good for her, so she left her little one-room cottage and went to meet the men.

Hermione was not surprised at all to see nearly the whole village gathered around them. In fact, the patrol had brought them to the little amphitheatre. There was very little private business in the community, which was so closely knit that it felt to Hermione like the Burrow multiplied again and again. Hermione approached the crowd slowly and from behind the two blond giants. Lucius had his cane, and she knew there was a wand in there. Draco had a wand out as well; his wand arm was loose, but his grip was ready. She was sure they'd brought extras, but she could easily take care of that.

Just as she was getting to the centre of the circle, a small boy, Kress, ran up and jumped into Hermione's arms. Hermione smiled down at him...so much for standing up for herself like a warrior. She easily manoeuvred Kress over to her left hip and started chatting with the boy as though Lucius and Draco were of no concern whatsoever.

Draco was struck breathless at the sight of Hermione with a child on her hip and that damned cat at her feet. He had always known that he would produce an heir, but it had meant very little to him besides endless copulating... until now. Now he wanted ten heirs, and he wanted them all from that gorgeous witch. He was listening to her talk to the boy, but he couldn't follow along. She would speak in perfect English, and he would speak back gibberish.

He cleared his throat. Hermione and the boy stopped talking to look at him. Draco swallowed, nervous for the first time since the Dark Lord had been vanquished.

"Yes?" Hermione looked at him with her eyes wide, as if she were a school matron and Draco were a wee lad.

"Why can't I understand him?" Draco said quietly, feeling everyone's eyes on him.

Hermione smirked. "They adjusted my universal translation medallion for me. This is a dialect that most of the world doesn't know." She turned to the boy a moment and asked him to get down. When he was standing, hiding a little behind her skirt, she stood up and carefully undid the clasp at the back of her neck. She could speak some but was not yet fluent with the language here, and so she wore the necklace in case she got stuck as she learned.

She turned around to Kress and put it around his neck, where it hung low on his bare chest. Then she scooped him back up and told him he could talk now with the blond men if he wanted. He was shy, however, and still talked quietly into Hermione's neck.

"Which one is the Dragon?"

"The taller one." Hermione turned her body to point to Draco, and the two boys peered curiously at each other.

"Is he going to take you away now?" Kress' tiny voice wavered a little bit. He grabbed the back of Hermione's neck, and Draco felt a little tug in his heart as he felt the little hand on his chest through the brand.

"He is going to try." Hermione smiled and smoothed out Kress' hair, pushing it away from his face.

"I'll fight him."

"You would? For me?" Kress nodded and blushed as a gentle chuckle sounded from some of the men behind them. "That's very brave, but you better wait 'til you are big Mage, yourself."

"But I don't want them to take you."

"They can't take me, I have asylum." Hermione looked pointedly at Lucius as she switched Kress to her other hip.

Lucius rolled his eyes. Laws could be bent with money.

"But the Dragon marked you."

"Without asking me. Do you remember what happened when you took my journal without asking?"

The whole village laughed now, as Kress' eyes got very round, and then he smiled. "You made me give it back."

"...And?"

"You punished me."

"That's right. But Draco can't give any of what he took back to me; he took away things that you can't hold except in your heart." Hermione tickled Kress' chest over his heart, and he giggled. "Besides, he is only a wizard with a wand. Would you like to see his wand?"

Draco was, by now, totally charmed by his witch and the boy, and he would certainly let the boy hold his wand. What Draco hadn't expected was for Hermione to straighten up and fan her fingers in the air before pulling all her fingers together then folding them into a fist. When she opened her fist, there were five wands in her palm.

Hermione looked up at the two men. "Five wands? Five! And I'm sure they are all registered with the Ministry? Down, Kress." Hermione was not feeling playful anymore. "The hawthorn wand, Draco?" Draco nodded fearfully. What was she going to do to his wand? She let Kress hold the wand. "Lucius?"

Hermione had seen a livid Lucius before, but right now, he practically radiated angry, aggressive energy. Acara began to growl softly, and the people surrounding them watched with bated breath. Hermione looked into her palm and chose the shortest wand, holding it in her fingertips before incinerating it. A high-pitched squeal spread through the village for a few seconds before silence returned. All eyes were on Hermione.

"Well, Lucius?" The wizard continued to be silent, most likely dumbfounded by her actions and abilities.

She picked up the longest wand and heard Lucius take a deep inhale. She incinerated the two now left in her open palm. The squeal was louder now, and longer, more of a screech. She squatted in front of Kress and took her necklace off of him, sliding it into the pocket of her shift. When she stood, she pointed Lucius' wand at him and began advancing slowly.

"This is your favourite wand, Lucius? Do you hex house-elves and little children and helpless Muggles with this wand?" Hermione was approaching the two men, wand trained on Lucius' chest, smoke coming from her palm as it wrapped around the implement of malice. "How many Imperios, Lucius? How many Crucios? How... many... Avada..."

"No!" Draco and Lucius yelled at the same time. For the first time in her life, Hermione saw fear in Lucius Malfoy's eyes. Hermione lunged forward and grabbed Lucius Malfoy, Disapparating them out of the village.

When they landed, Hermione shoved Lucius away from her, but he didn't lose his balance. Instead, he proudly gathered himself together and looked at her as one would look at an eight-foot tall scorpion.

Hermione was rolling his wand in her hand. She hadn't held a focus object since she'd broken hers all those months ago. This was a powerful wand. She could feel it. It was encouraging her. It was like sliding back into her favourite pair of shoes, or her copy of Hogwarts: A History. It was as if she were about to remember something really important any second now. "Mr. Malfoy, do you know where my parents are?"

This was certainly the last thing he thought he'd be asked at this point. "No. No, I do not, Ms. Granger, but I can help yo..."

"Do not... offer to help me, you vile piece of shite!" Hermione looked at him with wild eyes. "That... was a rhetorical question. I know you don't because I am hiding them from the likes of you!

"So, you may be wondering why I asked you at all, if I already knew the answer. I assure you, Lucius, that I've not gone stark raving mad. I am asking you because you have been ruining my life. Even before the law, you were doing it. Before the moment I stepped onto the Hogwarts Express, before your son ever heard you say Mudblood, for your whole forsaken life, as have all Malfoys through all of the generations of your wretched inbreeding."

At this Lucius frowned and looked a little bored. Another lesson in morals. Joy. It wasn't until he saw the base of his wand smouldering that he put an impassive look on his face.

Hermione had spent many hours thinking of the ways in which she hated Lucius Malfoy. She had made mental lists of his every shortcoming, every malicious deed, and every underhanded manoeuvre. Now, face to face with him, feeling fire in her blood and the power of his wand in her hand, she had nothing but adrenaline, and no outlet for it. She stuck his wand in her pocket and turned to face out over the cliffs, always keeping Malfoy senior in the periphery. Hermione closed her jaw tight and breathed deeply a few times until she sighed through her nose. "How much did you pay for me?"

Again, Lucius was shocked. The woman had a mind like none other. Lucius cleared his throat. "Outright, or bribes included?" he asked smoothly. No sense in beating 'round the bush now, was there? It was with great relief that he saw her smile and chuckle softly.

"Just me."

"One hundred thousand Galleons," Lucius replied with a light in his eyes. That was quite a sum, even for a Malfoy.

"That's a lot of Galleons for a Mudblood," Hermione replied, peering through the brush until she saw Acara coming toward her at a vigorous pace.

Lucius raised his eyebrow, clearly expressing his emphatic agreement. "I spare no expense for my son." He paused to watch the girl and the cat reunite as if they had been separated for days and not minutes. "Shall we sit?"

Having Acara nearby put Hermione at ease, and since she wasn't going to do any of the violent things she had long dreamed of doing to Lucius, she thought maybe this could be cordial. The damned brand meant that she wouldn't be rid of the git any sooner than she would be of Draco, so she could try to be polite.

Hermione conjured a comfortable set of lounge chairs and a coffee set. She poured some for him before taking some for herself and leaning back to relax. Acara jumped up and draped herself along the wide back of Hermione's chair, her tail flicking contentedly.

Lucius cleared his throat. "May I ask you a question?"

"Certainly, though I reserve the right not to answer it."

"Why all this?" He swirled his hands around, and she knew what he meant.

"This was my plan for after N.E.W.T.s anyway. The Law just forced my hand. I had looked at other places, like Colchis, but this was everything I wanted. It came highly recommended."

Lucius wrinkled his nose at the bitter aftertaste of his coffee and utter shock that someone would recommend this place. "Good gods, by whom?"

"Professor Snape...but that's not open for discussion." Hermione levelled her gaze at the older man.

Lucius simply raised his eyebrow thoughtfully. What an interesting morsel to be considered later. "But as a Malfoy, you could have done anything in Britain."

"Being forced to marry and procreate is hardly anything," Hermione responded coldly and looked out over the ocean. They were on a high peak that had beautiful panoramic views.

"You don't want a family?"

"That is besides the point."

"Then what, pray tell, is the point?" Lucius was losing patience. Not that he hadn't loved travelling with his son, but, really now, he had things to do at home.

Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but then she shut it without a word. Once again, she started but changed her mind. Finally, she asked, "What do you do all day, when you aren't traipsing across the globe trying to apprehend unwilling Muggle-born brides for your son?"

Lucius chuckled. She was witty. He hated that she was; she had no right being so... many things. "I help shape the government to structure the world as I would like it to be structured."

Hermione rolled her eyes. That was a very pretty way of saying I do what I want to get what I want so I can do more of what I want. "And your wife?"

"She assists me when needed. Mostly she enjoys herself."

"And this is the same for all of your associates?"

"Yes."

"So, if Mrs. Malfoy said to you tomorrow, I'd like to run for Minister, you would say...?"

Lucius snorted. "Lay off the opiates, Cissy." The answer was out of his mouth before he could stop himself. No wonder the coffee was so bitter, it was drugged.

Hermione smiled a smile that would have indicated to Harry or Ron that she was about to make a very valid point, but Lucius had no idea.

"Is your wife unintelligent?"

"Certainly not; she is very competent." Lucius looked indignant on his wife's behalf.

"But you wouldn't vote for her for Minister."

"No."

"Because her place is...?"

"In the home."

"Because...?"

"That's what witches do." Lucius wasn't getting the point, and they were looking at each other as if the other was completely thick.

"Would you like to know what I do here?"

"Yes, please enlighten me."

The statement was so steeped in sarcasm, Hermione wanted to smack the smirk off his ridiculous face.

"I serve the Head Council, I manage the refurbishment of the library, and I gather supplies in the morning."

"Yes, well, you aren't married."

"Right, I won't get any real responsibilities until I marry. Vamisa is the head of the Treasury. She's got a dozen people under her. Paruin runs the public works. All new engineering projects are designed by her. She manages twenty."

"Until she has children..."

"Vamisa's children are nearly grown, but she's been in the job for... 28 years. Paruin is on her eighth. Kress is one of hers." Lucius could see now that Hermione was trying to illustrate that she was capable of doing more than looking pretty at parties while the boys have their little club. He was unimpressed. It meant next to nothing for him as Wizarding Britain's pre-eminent lord, and one of the richest wizards in the world. His attention was quickly drawn back to his wand as it started to smoulder as Hermione rolled it in her hand.

Lucius tried to lean forward, but he was frozen in his chair. He couldn't move or talk. He tried to glare at Hermione, but she just smirked at him. Again, she twisted her wrist and fingers, and he watched his shirt appear in Hermione's palm. She stood gracefully, and took Lucius' empty cup out of his hand and set it on the tray. Then she crawled into his lap on the chair to straddle his legs and moved to touch his face.

When he flinched, she chuckled menacingly. "Lucius, you can't really expect me to believe I disgust you. I know I do a little bit, but you're covetous of power, which I have in spades, and we have a long history, don't we? Much more intense than I have with Draco." Lucius was grinding his teeth. "Here you are, a big, strong wizard, a very powerful wizard..." Hermione tickled her fingers across his collarbone, and his nostrils flared. "I'm going to give you a choice now, more choice than you've ever given me, really. Ready?"

Lucius could only close his eyes and drop his chin in acceptance. Hermione held his wand up between her fingertips at his eye level.

"Now. I could destroy this instrument of evil...don't panic, it wouldn't be like what I did with mine...I would incinerate it, and then you could work to purify your magic. Don't. Panic. Lucius. Pure magic wouldn't make you impotent. Do you think I am impotent? That's right. I am far from impotent. All right, so that's option one. Option two is that I brand you not unlike Draco branded me. See these inscriptions that I've put on your beautiful wand...these are ancient empathy signs. It would bind you, Lucius, from doing harm to others or harm to yourself. Whatever you cast you will receive. No more Imperius, that one is moot with this, which is fine... and I'm sure you'd not risk it with Avada, but can you imagine a Crucio by your own wand? That would be a very powerful Crucio, I think. Bella's was strong, I remember personally, but yours might be even stronger."

Lucius let out a shaking breath. He loved his wand like he loved his arm, like he loved his mind. Possibly, he loved it more than his wife. He'd had that wand since he was a child. It was to be encased in his tomb with his remains, as were the wands of Malfoys throughout the generations.

But the things she could do. She was proving more and more that these mages were not just wizards but something better. Draco had made her the gateway to a new era for his family. What could she give him?

Lucius looked at Hermione imploringly.

"Need a hint? All right, well, I'll simply say it is better to walk into your fate because you will it than it is to be dragged into it by someone else's will. So, what will it be? Binding yourself to your wand or incineration?"

Lucius felt his voice come back to him and took a deep breath. He hadn't had this much anxiety since he took the Dark Mark.

"Brand me."

Draco's first instinct when Hermione had disappeared with his father was to chase after them, but he quickly remembered that little Kress had his wand.

"Kress?" Draco asked as he peered down at the boy who was just as shocked as everyone else by what had just happened. The little boy looked at him as though he really were a dragon and not just an unarmed wizard. Granted, Draco knew some wandless magic, but nothing like what they had here. Looking at the boy's wide, scared eyes, he began to panic. In this instance he wished his reputation had not preceded him. "Does anyone speak English?"

Luckily, an attractive little woman walked forward and took Draco's hand. "My name is Marcela, Draco, let me show you where you will stay."

Draco gratefully dropped his head and thanked her, breathing a sigh of great relief.

They had walked leisurely for about fifteen minutes when Marcela touched his arm and whispered, "We are being followed, yeah?" She indicated that someone was behind him, and he turned to see who it was.

Kress was peeking at them through the tall grass a little ways off. One big brown eye was visible over four tiny fingers, and Draco wanted to laugh. "What should I do?" Draco asked, wanting to put the little boy in his corner; he thought that if he could make little Kress like him, surely Hermione would see how good he was, too.

"Let him stalk you like prey. He and Acara play many days that way while Hermione works."

"All right." Draco stood up as tall as he could, pretending that he hadn't seen him and walked a little slower, listening for the boy to make a noise. When they were just outside a little cottage, Draco could easily see Kress in the grass about three feet away, ready to pounce. Draco froze, waiting for the moment that Kress made his move. It was a short wait, as within seconds, Kress roared and ran, jumping toward Draco, who caught him up and threw him over his shoulder.

The boys were laughing, Kress delighting in the strong arms of this giant man, and Draco forgetting himself as he tossed the boy around. Draco, Marcela, and Kress came up to one of the guest cottages. Draco put Kress down as he approached the small door. He had noticed that he and his father were head and shoulders above all the men, but he hadn't stopped to consider the practical ramifications of this. The doorway was wide enough, but he'd have to be on constant watch or he'd crack his skull open.

Inside, it was delightfully cool. On either side were a hammock and a chair, with a large table and chairs in the centre. Three doors on the back wall led to two closets on either side of the loo. A nice clay hearth was tucked into a little alcove between the door to the loo and to one of the closets.

"Meals we take in the centre," Marcela announced as she sat at the table, sighing as though she'd had a very long day. Draco watched with fascination as a chinchilla sprang out of a small pouch Marcela had laid to rest on the table. It curled in on itself on her lap, and her hand absently stroked it.

Draco was distracted from the adorable creature by Kress, who hopped up and down muttering gibberish. Draco looked at him in panic.

Marcela spoke back to him. When the boy finally stilled and quieted, Marcela explained, "We are having roast pig, it is his favourite, but we haven't caught pigs big enough to slaughter in two or three weeks, so he is very excited!"

Draco nodded and smiled at the boy. First thing to do would be to get his translator updated. He couldn't stand not understanding what people were saying. He sat down at the table and noticed some old Daily Prophets had been left out for them. There was a large messy pile that seemed to go back for months.

As he was just about to pick up the one from when Hermione had broken her wand, they all heard a cry of great pain in his father's voice. Draco was up and out of his chair in a heartbeat, but he had already forgotten what he'd just been thinking, and hit his head on the doorway, knocking himself unconscious.

Hermione was dozing with Acara in the chair by Lucius' hammock. She had brought him here directly after branding him. Apparently, Lucius Malfoy had never used a hammock before, because it had taken him several tries and plenty of foul language to get settled. When he was reclining somewhat comfortably, Hermione gave him a salve to put on his chest that would help the brand heal faster.

After relaying the tale of how Draco knocked himself out, Marcela charged Hermione with the care of the men and made sure Kress left Draco's wand at the table. Hermione was alone until supper was ready, when Kress was allowed to bring the bowls over and eat with whomever was awake, which turned out to be just Hermione. Immediately upon arriving at the cottage, Hermione had put her necklace back on and was very glad. She had felt somewhat bereft without it.

The day had been exhausting, and Hermione wished she could just crawl into her hammock and while the day away. Instead, she'd called on Harry with her Galleon, and they'd written to each other for two hours after dinner. He'd even managed to make her laugh. It was good to talk to someone who knew all she knew about the situation. She had practically fallen asleep when Draco's voice croaked from across the room.

"What'd you do to my father?"

The question was a fierce accusation, and Hermione resented it immediately. She had told him not to come here, after all.

"What he asked me to do." Hermione rubbed her eyes and got up to check on Draco.

"Somehow, I doubt that." Draco tried to sit up, but Hermione pushed him down. It was the first time they'd touched in reality since Hermione had broken her wand, and there was a physical jolt in her arm that she had to actually shake off.

"I fixed his wand so he couldn't do any more harm, and then I gave him two options: keep his wand and get branded, or I incinerate his wand. He chose branding."

"Yeah, some choice." Draco managed to sound disgusted through his bleary state.

"More choice than I had." Blue light was shimmering from her fingertips, and she announced that he would be fine.

"Still on that, are we?" Draco reached out a hand to wrap around Hermione's waist as she stood by his hammock. Acara growled lowly the instant his hand reached the curve of her waist. They felt the jolt again, but less now, and Hermione tried to back away, but Draco's grip was firm. Draco smiled at her wearily. "Don't fight, Hermione. I know you can feel it. It's us."

Acara's growl grew, and she prowled over to Draco's hammock and bared her teeth.

Hermione was considering burning his hand, but was still feeling a little guilty about doing it in the dream, and so she just stood there. "It's not real, Draco. It's a lie you made up." Hermione spoke softly, not wanting to wake his father up with an argument.

"Then why don't you take a lover? I'm sure one of these short fellows would be happy to take you to their hammock," Draco sneered.

"You know why. Until you undo this mark, which you won't, you are the only sexual outlet I have." Hermione twisted a little to gesture toward the table, which had five clay pots on it. "There's food on the table if you're hungry."

Draco's belly growled now that he was aware of that option, but it was too nice holding Hermione's curve to give it up.

"Just let me kiss you once," suggested Draco smoothly as his hand moved down the curve of her hip.

"Tired of stealing kisses, then, are you?" Hermione spat as she swatted his hand away. She had no way of knowing what he'd done to her while she was at Hogwarts. Seeing him now reminded her of her ignorance for months and months. If Hermione hated one thing in herself, it was ignorance.

"I've never kissed you." Draco brought his hand up and smelled, searching for her delicate scent. "I did other things, but I've never kissed your perfect mouth."

The way he'd admitted to other things made Hermione cringe, but she also couldn't deny the heat in his voice when he spoke of her mouth. It made her want to vomit. She walked over and touched each of the pots, heating them up. She moved to the chair and gathered her journal and quill and then moved to the doorway.

Her voice was sad and angry when she finally looked at him again. "You are the most disgusting individual I've ever had the unfortunate curse of knowing, Draco Malfoy. Come, Acara." Hermione pushed through the curtain and walked toward the setting sun.