Entropy
Chapter 23 of 24
Rose of the WestDisclaimer: The characters here and the world they inhabit are the creation and property of JK Rowling and her assigns.
After Lucius's stunned comment, it was clear to the witches that the wizards had been listening to their conversation. Hermione looked at the portrait of Cygnus and Druella Black in horror. “Have they heard everything?”
Draco could barely contain his laughter, while Lucius answered with a twinkle in his eye. “You've caught us, ladies.”
Hermione was spluttering, so Narcissa said, from between her teeth, “Come in here, Draco and Lucius.”
Once the four were in the same room, Narcissa opened her mouth in what was likely to be a long scolding. Lucius decided to take matters in hand. “Before you utter anything else, my dear, perhaps it's time to stop trying to manage things at your sister's house. She seems to be managing much better than you.”
“Lucius...”
“Draco, would it be too much to ask you to escort Miss Granger back to her own home? I think she might be grateful for a guiding hand this evening, and I find that there are important matters to discuss with your mother.”
Draco looked at Hermione and stifled his laughter. “Yes, Father.”
Narcissa's eyes narrowed that her authority was being taken from her and watched in angry silence as her son and the young witch left. She turned on her husband. “We need to find a way to recover from this. If that girl—”
“If that girl does anything to endanger our family or its holdings, I'll be surprised.” Narcissa wasn't listening and started moving toward the door as though to catch the pair who had just left. Lucius was faster than she was. Quick as a cat, he swept his arm around her hips and tossed her over his shoulder.
“Lucius, stop! Lucius, put me down! I have to deal with this.” She pounded his shoulders with her fists. His response was a painless but attention-catching thwack on her behind.
“Why did you do that?” she shrieked.
He shrugged. “You hit me first.”
He carried her up to their bedroom and lowered her to the bed, more gently than she expected. She looked up a little warily as her husband leered down at her. Her attitude took new interest as he lazily shed his robe and boots.
“Madam Malfoy, it seems as though someone who lives at this house has idle hands.”
She changed tactics. “I missed you, Lucius.”
“I gather that, too.” He leaned down and carefully plucked the fastenings of her robe open.
“I was so lonely...”
“Lonely enough to fill your time by trying to meddle in your sister's affairs?” He leaned her up to push the robe from her shoulders and unzip her dress.
“Mother wanted to see her properly settled, and I was just—”
“Cissa...” he hissed as her pearly skin and underclothes became visible. Her eyes turned a smoky gray as he traced her bra strap. “Why don't we restore order to our home and let the Snapes—yes, we may as well acknowledge her married name—take care of their own home?”
“What did you intend?”
He ran his hand along her stomach. “Do you really have to ask?”
“Wait,” she said, struggling to sit up, “my potion is just over there.”
“Let's not,” he answered. She looked up at him uncertainly. “If Snape can get your sister pregnant, surely I can do the same by you. Wouldn't your hands would welcome something to do, and wouldn't our house be less gloomy? Let's forget order and introduce a little disorder to it. Draco seemed pleased by the idea of a baby cousin, and he seems to enjoy playing with the Lupin whelp.” He had slid her dress down her legs and now moved back up to press his lips to the inside of her knee before looking intently into her eyes. “Please say yes, Cissa.”
How many years had she begged for this very thing? There had been many good reasons to keep Draco an only child, especially the Dark Lord. When Lucius had pointed them out over the years, she had agreed. The new light in his eyes told her that was all over. “Oh, yes, Lucius, yes...”
She continued to say it as his hands and then his body moved over her.
"I can't believe you knew all along," Hermione muttered into her glass.
"They weren't as discreet as they thought they were."
"They hid it pretty well from me." Hermione signalled for another glass. She frowned at the copy of The Daily Prophet left on the table by its prior inhabitants. "I still can't believe it. Andromeda and Severus as lovers all winter and spring. I trusted her. I told her to keep the Slytherin girls away."
Over her shoulder, Draco saw a face that looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. It wouldn't have bothered him, but once Hermione had mentioned Andromeda's name, the wizard started staring at Hermione.
Hermione took her drink and started her complaints again. "So typical of a Slytherin, to promise she wouldn't let the other girls flirt with him. Of course not. She wanted him all to herself. And all this time, she pretended to be my friend, encouraging me to just wait until he was ready to move on with his life."
By the third or fourth iteration, Draco was starting to find this conversation tedious, and that wizard was starting to bother him. "Hermione, do you suppose it's time to go home?"
"I can't go home." She winced. "Oh, Merlin, I have to tell all this to Harry. What will he think about it?" She slurped down the last of her drink. "And I can't face Ron. He'll be entirely too delighted, if he doesn't stop being my friend altogether because of my father." She made a sound halfway between a hiccup and a sob.
"There must be someplace I can take you..."
Hermione leaned up and looked with renewed interest at the paper. She looked at Draco and pointed at a picture. "Can you get me into this hotel?"
Draco looked at the picture and sighed. "Yes, the concierge owes me a few favors. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
Hermione sat up straight and nodded her wobbling head. "Of course I do. Besides, it's not as if my family will care what I do."
Draco supported his step-cousin and knocked on the door to the penthouse suite. Fortunately, the person Hermione had hoped to see opened the door. He and Draco sized each other up.
"She's part of my family now," said Draco, "and I can promise that you will pay if you don't treat her properly. Do you understand?"
"Of course."
Draco turned back to Hermione. "Are you absolutely sure?"
She smiled and walked into the suite, leaning up into the other wizard, who gently supported her. Then the door shut and Draco was free to go back home.
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Latest 25 Reviews for Stars are Blind
60 Reviews | 5.77/10 Average
Go Lucius! You shut that bitch up haha. Still can't believe she was seriously talking about murdering the baby! But I suppose she would have thought about it and thought against such an abonimable thought, right? Especially since she wants another baby so much herself. Hope she gets considerably busy with her own life very soon! Because she needs it!! I shudder at what a daughter would have to put up with from her though, or maybe she would soften with her own daughter, who knows? Let me guess, Hermione has decided to go get comfort from Viktor Krum cos she's feeling rejected and is craving attention haha, and who is the person who Draco recognised and bothered him... Curious! Hoping for a longer chapter next :P
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Thanks for the review!Very clever suppositions! Yeah, Narcissa needs something to keep her busy. Lucius will try to fill that gap as well as he can, LOL!
If this is how the Malfoys take the news, I can hardly imagine how the rest of the wizarding world will react. I'm unsettled by Narcissa's belief in her ability to reverse the situation, but at least Lucius and Draco seem somewhat accepting. I look forward to the next chapter as soon as possible. Thanks!
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Yeah, Narcissa is quite a piece of work.I think she's got an uphill battle now, though. Thank you for the review!
Hi, I just discovered that there is this sequel. What a unique thought of linking Severus with Andromeda! It works really well here--good job!This chapter: Severus now sees first-hand what it means to raise a baby. He surely realises that he had been in no position to raise his daughter adequately 19y back. I actually wonder how seriously he was asking for her--had he even thought it through?? Most boys that age wouldn't, and he definitely wasn't overly mature but seeking recognition among all the wrong people! Nevertheless, Hermione is going to need some time and someone who listens and moderates carefully. Could that be Molly perhaps? Looking forward to another chapter!
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Excellent points, all! I don't think young Severus worried about what to do with a baby other than what he hoped it would get him. So yeah, not thinking it through, for sure. And yes, Hermione needs to find herself some good advice. The question is whether she'll actually find it or follow it. Thanks for the review!
How many people know of her affection for Severus? Poor girl will have some heavy humiliation to deal with if the public are aware, hopefully not too much though. I hope her attitude improves a lot!
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
I don't think her feelings were too obvious to anyone outside the family, and Severus completely misread them. By not actually having her tell Severus what she thought, she gets to save face, but the fact that Andromeda has tried to be so helpful, through her own ignorance, is going to be a sore spot. Or maybe I've really balled this up. We'll see. ;)Thank you for the review!
Man is she a little shithead! "some lovesisck mortal" but I guess she is terribly confused regarding her affections and probably feeling a bit disgusted at the same time! hahaha I do feel sorry for her, but she's still been a bit of an annoying idiot the whole time anyway thoughout this story. Looking forward to what comes next :)
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
It was meant to show that she's a bit enamoured with something she's constructed in her mind rather than what he reallly is. She's just turrned 19, by my calculations, and her growing up got interrupted, so now she has to catch up. She'll be ok, though.Thank you for the reveiw!
Poor Hermione! Narcissa is to blame too, of course, she could have guessed something earlier, having known all the pertinent people, and maybe Hermione would not have acknowledged her feelings. Do you pair her with Tim, I wonder?
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Yes, a lot of people should have known better. Hermione hasn't quite made a fool of herself to Severus, but she suspects a lot of people will be laughing at her, now, and that's going to be unbearable. Tim would be an interesting pairing, for sure. We'll have to see how things progress.
Wow! I just spent a few very enjoyable hours catching up with this story. If you are going where I guess you are it will get even more exciting. I really like how you bring a minor character to life, thank you! Your Andromeda is a remarkable woman.
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Thank you! I love Andromeda myself, because I love her husband and daughter, and she must have had some amazing internal resources to survive everything.
Yayyy! So excited! I hear what Joan is saying about Andromeda's problem with Sev/Hermione dragging out a bit, but it looks as though things will turn around very soon! Don't stop updating pleeease xx
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Thank you for the review! I'm afraid I dug a bit of a hole in this one, but hopefully it's going to work out soon.
I have spent the better part of two days reading The Life and Times of Perseus and this story so far. What an enjoyable time it has been! I've not read other stories about Andromeda and Ted so your stories are wonderfully filling that void for me. At this point I'm somewhat frustrated that Andromeda can't just tell Severus that Cissy told her he would marry Hermione. It seems as though there is quite an ongoing, long-standing miscommunication that, from my perspective, is beginning to drag this story out. But I am thankful for your recent update, and I hope you will continue to update regularly. Thanks for yor beautiful work!
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
In a nutshell you're describing the reasons why this story went on hiatus, LOL Hopefully the next few chapters will pull things out of the doldrums. Thank you for your honesty, and for taking the time to leave a review. I appreciate it.
Oh my, another great twist! I'm so looking forward for more!
What a patchwork family!
Hmm. I'm not sure that Hermione would up and fail her NEWTs if she found out, and surely it would be less stressful for everyone in the mean time. But I suppose Severus will do what he will, and there is no making him understand.
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
I don't think she'd fail her NEWTs, but I think she might get distracted enough that she didn't get 106%, LOL. Over-protecting her future seems to be one of Severus's little fixations, thereby furthering the family pasttime. Thank you, again. :)
Oh, I missed two chapters! I need to put this story on alert since I apparently can't be trusted to see it when it comes up. Oh, that Umbridge makes me so mad! Leave it to the ministry to try and leave poor Teddy totally without because of who his guardian is.But I hope Andromeda was listening this time when Severus tried to reassure her. Wonderful man.
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Umbridge is pretty evil, but she saves us writers from having to write someone else that way, if that's a benefit, LOL?I think Andromeda is starting to pay attention. She needs to stop being fixated on the other idea. Of course, fixation seems to be a family trait...Thank you for reviewing! I so appreciate it.
I thought sure he would tell Hermione, and what is it with wizards anyway? I'm like Andromeda -- touch me when I say 'no' and get hexed (or a knee to the groin), whichever works best. ^_^
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
My beta reader is a bit impatient with Severus over this chapter, too, but the poor fellow seems to be a bit chicken when it comes to confrontation with witches. I guess Stanley thought that if he pressured her she would just fall into his arms. I'm glad Andromeda was able to hex the guy, even if she didn't mean to. Thanks for the review!
it is understandable that Andromeda is unsecure in the marriage, I think Severus is behaving badly - he is in a way cheating on both women, I hope he soon will come to his senses
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Everyone's got a secret and a reason for thinking they need to keep it. He'll come to his senses... eventually. Thank you for the review!
Page turner. I've just read it all in one go! Finding it hard to gauge exactly how Severus feels - A's worries about him are strange, and, I'm assuming, due to her own lack of confidence, but there's a certain manipulative quality to him here that I distrust. Also, his relationship with Hermione is a bit of a question mark. I have to admit I'd prefer a HGSS but am now a bit torn over what should happen. I don't want H or A hurt. Looking forward to what you have planned :)
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Thank you, again!
Page turner. I've just read it all in one go! Finding it hard to gauge exactly how Severus feels - A's worries about him are strange, and, I'm assuming, due to her own lack of confidence, but there's a certain manipulative quality to him here that I distrust. Also, his relationship with Hermione is a bit of a question mark. I have to admit I'd prefer a HGSS but am now a bit torn over what should happen. I don't want H or A hurt. Looking forward to what you have planned :)
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Well, he's not very good at the whole romance thing, and there's a secret or two he's keeping from everyone. I'm not going to tell you what will happen next, but I can promise a happy ending for everyone. My stories end that way with very little exception.Thank you for the lovely reviews!
Response from Tilly (Reviewer)
Yay! I love happy endings!ps - sorry about the duplicate posting :/
Ugh they should ban Narcissa and Druella from the house. Andromeda needs to get a backbone where those two are concerned. Love how Severus is so tender and loving with Andromeda. Can't wait for Andromeda to see that this is a real relationship, not temporary. Hope you update soon.
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Wouldn't it be better if we could just decide not to be related to our relatives any more? LOL.Thank you for the lovely review! The next chapter had some major retooling and is in process right now. I hope to get it posted in a few days.
I love this already, I loved The Life and Times of Perseus,and your Andromeda. Both she and Severus deserve some happines, but we will see where you will lead them
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Thank you, again! I hope you enjoy what happens to them as they recover from the war.
Beautiful chapter. I think that says it all. ^_^
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Thank you. I'm so glad that you're enjoying this.
Aww, I love that Andi is finally letting herself go, but her emotions are bittersweet.
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Thank you! She's so sure she knows what will happen that she thinks she already knows the answers, so she won't ask the important questions.
finally!!!!!! at long last....... and draco taking care of teddy..... that's a nice touch
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
I couldn't wait any longer, myself. ;) Thank you for the review!
I liked where she looks up to the sky and can't decide if Perseus is pursuing or pulling away. So evocative. ^_^
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Thank you! I'm so glad you saw that the way I hoped I wrote it. It was an important moment for her.
this was mean........... let them get close and let severus realise what she fears........
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
It is mean, and I know I'm on the edge of drawing it out too much. The next chapter will be different, I promise. Thanks for the review!
Ugh, Druella is still alive and as awful as always. Andromeda needs to get a backbone and kick Narcissa and Druella out and take the suitors with them. Severus has made his feelings clear. I hope Andromeda is listening.
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Yeah... Druella is still alive when Harry and Sirius look at the family tree in OotP, so I guess she's still around, putting her nose where it's not wanted.Andromeda is listening to too many people. Given all the things they are all telling her, she might not understand it all.
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Whoops! I meant to say thanks for the review, too! :)
Ah, schemes within plots within machinations. Good job. Can't wait for the next chapter. ^_^
Response from Rose of the West (Author of Stars are Blind)
Thank you! It's coming! It's true that everyone has an angle here. Most of them are Slytherins, after all. ;) I hope you continue to enjoy it!