Chapter 3

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Chapter 3

Narcissa smiled serenely at Harry, cast a Scourgify spell to clean up the drink he'd spewed, and went to sit beside him. "I think that you heard me perfectly well, did you not?"

"No, I don't think so! There's no way you said what I thought you said..."

She laughed, just a little. "I do hate to repeat myself, so please listen carefully. I want you to repay the dept you owe me by marrying me. There. Was that clear enough for you?"

"But... but... I can't... You can't... We can't! I'm going to marry Ginny!" Harry yelled, poking himself in the chest.

"We most certainly can! No, you're not going to marry Ginny," she told him very deliberately. "You're going to marry me. You can research it, but due to the debt that you owe me, you must comply." Narcissa raised her hands and then lowered them as if it was done.

"Why? Why would you want to marry me? You hate me!"

"Hate's such a strong word, don't you think, Mr. Potter?" she asked as she leaned back against the couch and folded her arms across her chest.

"No, Ms. Black, I don't. We both know how we feel about one another. So, I'll ask you again. Why?"

"There are several reasons I have for choosing you, and none of which I'm obliged to share with you. My reasons are my own. All you have to do is pay off your debt. And really, you're getting a much better deal than you thought you would, aren't you?"

"What do you mean 'a much better deal'?"

"Must I spell it out for you, then? Why would you despair over a Weasley when you could have a Black? You're going from slim pickings to the cream of the crop. Really, you ought to be thanking me."

"No, I won't be thanking you. There must be something else I can do to repay you."

"I'm sure that there are lots of things, but this is what I chose. Once my divorce from Lucius is final, we'll begin making plans."

"No."

Narcissa sighed and then shrugged. Standing, she walked to the fireplace, looking up at the portrait of her current husband. "Fine, do your research then. I'm sure that once you've finished, you will begin to see things my way."

"That's where you're wrong. I'll never see things your way, no matter what I find when I research. I want Ginny. I'm in love with Ginny! Would that not bother you? To be married to a man who truly wants another? Who would close his eyes when he was with you and imagine another?"

That hit a bit too close for her. "Enough! I'm growing tired of this pointless conversation, Potter. Leave now; do your research. Say your goodbyes to the Weasley girl. Once my divorce is final, I'll contact you."

Without another word, Harry stood and Disapparated, and Narcissa sighed with relief. She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, glad that was over.

She turned and once again looked up at the picture of Lucius.

"It won't work, you know," Lucius sneered at her from the picture. "That boy will never satisfy you the way I do, and I'm sure I won't allow my wife another husband. I'd kill him first."

Narcissa let out a very unlady-like snort. "For the past few years, you've done nothing to satisfy me because you've been to occupied trying to satisfy all the other witches in England." She turned to go, then stopped, calling a house-elf. Pointing to the picture, she instructed, "Please remove that to storage at one, and all other pictures of Lucius." She paused during her instruction. "Except the ones in Draco's room."

As she walked out, she had the satisfaction of hearing the painting call out to her. "You cannot do this, Narcissa! Cissy! Ciiissssyyy!"

Ginny was just lying down to rest after a long night of trying to talk some sense into Hermione. She had tried her best to talk her friend out of meeting with Snape.

Nothing that she'd told Hermione had swayed her at all. If Ginny didn't know better, she'd swear that Hermione was interested in the bat. Shaking her head in denial, she leaned back on her fluffy pillows. "No, she couldn't be. Not really..."

When she heard the lock on her door, she jumped. Sighing, she flung the covers off of her and stomped to the door, jerking it open.

Her eyes narrowed when she realized it was Draco Malfoy on the other side. "What?" she asked irritably.

Draco smiled and held out a pink tulip for her. "Good morning, Ginevra."

She looked down at the tulip and then back into his eyes. "What's so good about it?"

He raised his eyebrow. "Not your rude behavior, that's for certain."

"Look, Malfoy, I didn't ask you to come here. As a matter of fact, why are you here?"

He dropped the hand holding the flower, realizing she was not going to accept it. "I wanted to take you out to breakfast and perhaps to the Quidditch store since Gra...er...Hermione will be busy with Severus." He looked her up and down. "But perhaps you're not feeling well? You look as if you haven't slept all night."

"I feel just fine. No, I don't want to go anywhere with you. What's going on here anyway? Why are you suddenly being nice to me, wanting to spend time with me? You hate me and my family, and you always have. Not to mention Harry."

Draco cocked his head in a considering manner. "School's out, Ginevra, but I do agree about not mentioning Potter."

"I know that school's out! But I think that it's safe to say that our feelings for each other go a bit further than Gryffindor versus Slytherin, don't you think? And stop calling me Ginevra! The name's Ginny."

Draco shrugged. "Perhaps they used to, Ginny, but things change. People change."

"Not that much, Draco. Not really. Our fathers still hate one another, don't they?"

"Yes, I suppose that they do. But do we have to mimic them? It's never been you that I hated anyway, you know."

Ginny leaned against the wall by the door, eyeing him skeptically. "Why do you care? What are you on about?"

"I would just like to get to know you better. That's all. Is that so hard to believe?" he asked her, getting aggravated.

"Yes, actually. It is. And do you know something else?" She leaned forward and poked him in the chest. "I don't trust you. I know that you and your friends are up to something; I just can't figure out what. But you can bet I will." She nodded her head for emphasis.

"Paranoid, are you?"

"When it comes to you and your lot? You better believe it. In the meantime," she said as she backed slowly back into her room, "bugger off!" she told him as she slammed the door in his surprised face.

Severus sat, scowling into his black tea while Lucius paced the room. "You know I have a breakfast meeting with the Granger girl, Lucius. If I didn't know any better, I would say that you're purposely trying to... sabotage our little bet."

"Don't be ridiculous, man! Who cares about the bet at this moment? Did you not hear me? Narcissa is up to something. I was informed of a meeting with Potter. What could that be about?"

Severus shrugged one shoulder, unconcerned. "It's none of your business now, Lucius."

"That's where you're wrong, Severus. It's definitely my business."

"Your wife is divorcing you, man!" Severus shouted. "You've done this to yourself. Did you think that she would continue to sit idly by while you had your affairs and do nothing?"

Lucius expelled a deep breath and sank into the chair beside Severus'. "I couldn't stop. I had lived that way and done those things for so long that I didn't see any reason for me to quit. I was happy enough."

"Yes, you were happy. Your wife, on the other hand, was miserable. Could you not see it? And then when she asked you for the one thing that would actually make her deplorable life tolerable, you denied her. What did you expect?"

"I just can't believe she's going through with a divorce. I had planned to break off the affairs, you know. Or at least be more discreet." Lucius shook his head.

"Liar," Severus accused. "You say that now because you're being held accountable for your actions. You know, Cissy is a beautiful, loving wife, and most men would be honored to have her. But not you, no, not you. Nothing is ever good enough for you, is it?"

Lucius stared at his closest friend for a moment and then began to laugh. A little at first, and then so hard that he had to bend over to hold his stomach. "Of course! She's not going to divorce me. She knows she can't do any better. This is a scare tactic! She wants me to believe that she will so that I'll give her a baby and..."

"Be faithful?" the headmaster asked sarcastically.

"If she wants another child, I'm amenable. I wasn't before, but I don't see the harm in it," Lucius went on as if Severus hadn't spoken.

"I'm very afraid, old man, that you're in for a very rude awakening. I don't believe that she's going to take you back now."

Lucius smirked and looked deeply into his friend's eyes. "Would you care to make a wager on it?"

Setting his cup down, Severus rose. "No. Now, I've got to go. I'm going to be late as it is, and I don't want the girl to think I've stood her up."

Laughing again, Lucius stood to see his friend to the door. "Yes, run along, Severus. I'm even in a good enough mood to wish you luck. I think you'll need it."

"Less luck than you'll need if you think you're going to get your wife back," Severus informed him as he walked out the door.

Severus still heard the laughter as he walked down the hall towards the dining room.

Hermione sat at the table, looking around the dining room. Professor Snape was ten minutes late, and she was beginning to think that he wasn't coming.

She was surprised that she felt disappointed. Standing and putting the money on the table for her juice so that she could quickly leave, she said to herself, "Ginny's right. They must've been up to something."

"I hope you don't mean me, Miss Granger," Severus said from behind her, causing her to startle.

Placing her hand over her heart, Hermione said, "Professor! You scared me!"

"Call me Severus. I hope you're not leaving? I'm so sorry to be late."

"Well, I thought that you'd changed your mind." She smiled. "And I have to say, I'm glad that you didn't. Would you like to sit?"

"I would, yes. Have you eaten?"

"No, I was waiting for you," she admitted and then blushed. "Er, what I mean to say is that I thought it would be rude to start before you'd gotten here."

Severus smiled softly. "Quite right. What would you like to have?"

"I think the seasonal fruit looks good."

He nodded and then motioned for a waiter. "The lady will have the fruit, and I'll have the cheese omelet with tea, no cream, no sugar."

After the waiter left, Hermione struggled for something to talk to him about. She couldn't imagine that they had too much in common. "Um, how are things at Hogwarts?"

He raised an eyebrow at her question. "Perfectly fine, thank you. Even better, perhaps, now that there are less... rule breakers in our midst," he teased.

She cocked her head, knowing very well he was talking about her, Harry, and Ron. "Oh? You mean to say that there is no longer a Slytherin House?" she asked in mock surprise.

He stared at her across the table as the waiter appeared placed their food in front of them. Once the waiter left, Severus picked up his tea and toasted her. "Touché."

Hermione smiled. "I have to admit, I'm very surprised that you wanted to meet me here and take me to the bookstore."

"Oh? Why is that?" he asked and then put a bite of his omelet in his mouth.

"Coy doesn't suit you, Severus. It's no secret that you can't stand me and my friends. Ginny was extremely suspicious, you know, and tried very hard to convince me not to meet you. And though I did meet you here, I have some reservations myself."

Severus picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth. "I see. Well, let's get something clear straight away. I do not, nor have I ever, hated you, Hermione. What I hated was the constant danger that you not only put yourself in, but also the others around you as well. And without any regard for the well being of others.

"I've always considered you an extremely bright student, and I thought you might be an interesting person to spend some time with."

"Bright?" She chuckled. "You mean a know-it-all?" Then she sobered. "I suppose I ought to apologize to you for some of the things that we've done, but part of that's what brought us to where we are now, so I can't regret it."

Severus narrowed his eyes and laid his fork down on the table. "You can't regret it? No, I don't suppose an innocent like you would regret much about that time. When I think of the times I had to go before the Dark Lord and lie and evade, be punished..."

He stopped himself from exploding. He didn't want to lose the bet before he'd even finished breakfast with the girl.

Hermione watched, fascinated, as he pulled his anger back. She instinctively placed her hand over his in a comforting gesture. "Then I do apologize, Professor. I never thought, and I should have, especially after I realized you were a spy."

He expelled a deep breath. "Yes, well. It's done now, and thanks to your buddy, the Dark Lord will never punish anyone again."

Hermione looked deeply into her former professor's eyes. "But it's not that simply, really, is it? You still have to live with the past. And remember."

Leaving his hand under hers, he told her, "You live with what you have to."

"Yes," she agreed.

Severus pulled his hand from underneath Hermione's reluctantly and asked, "Are you ready to go to the bookstore?"

Smiling, she said, "Yes, I am. I can't wait to see it."

He stood and offered her his arm. "Shall we then?"

As Hermione rose and took his arm, she thought, This is going to be an interesting afternoon.

Lucius was livid. He'd spent most of the morning on Floo calls with his contact at the Ministry. He hadn't like what he'd found out about his wife.

He decided he was going to have take a quick trip home to straighten her out before continuing his vacation. The only problem was, he couldn't Apparate directly into the house. He began to bang on the door.

"Narcissa! You open the door this instant! There is something wrong with the wards here! Narcissa! CISSY!"

When the door burst open, Lucius was surprised to see Narcissa rather than his house-elf.

"Must you carry on so, Lucius? Really," she admonished.

"What is the meaning of this? What can I not Apparate into the manor?"

"Honestly. Under the circumstances you can hardly expect me to allow you into my home to come and go as you please."

"Have you lost your mind, woman?" he asked dangerously low. "There are no circumstances here."

Narcissa lifted her chin in challenge. "Don't be absurd. I know that you received the divorce papers. Don't try to deny it."

"There will be no divorce. Nor will there be a marriage to Potter. Get notion out of your head now. You are and will remain my wife."

"No, I will not remain your wife. And there will be a divorce. You can't stop it, not with the evidence I have on your affairs and your refusal to have more children with me."

"I changed my mind about that. I told you that I would give you more children, Cissy."

"Oh, yes. Someone else for you to abandon and leave all alone while you're out doing Merlin knows what. Well, no thank you."

"This divorce you're after is not going to happen. Face it."

"Make no mistake. It will happen. I've left no stone unturned, Lucius. I'm well within my rights to do this, and it will happen."

"You will not marry Potter! I'll kill him first!"

Narcissa smirked evilly. "Well, you're certainly welcome to try. Better men than you have tried. And failed."

Lucius growled. "You can't convince me that that boy wants to marry you. He wants to live in squalor with the Weasleys. He won't do it."

"Oh, but he will. I've seen to that just as I've seen to you." She lifted her lips. "Kiss me goodbye, darling. It's the very last time your cheating, lying lips will ever touch mine."

Narcissa gasped as Lucius dragged her to him and kissed her passionately. She struggled in vain to fight him off. When he finally released her, she was gasping for breath.

"You're mine. It would be wise for you to remember that."

Narcissa wiped the back of her hand over her lips. "Me remembering that I belong to you was never the problem, Lucius. Our problem has always been that you can't seem to remember that you were supposed to belong to me as well."

She lowered her head and wiped the falling tears. "I've nothing more to say to you. I will have your things sent..." She looked up. "Where are you staying?"

"Never mind about that. I'll be back."

Resigned, she nodded. "With a mistress then."

"NO! Not with a mistress! I'm staying in room 302 at the Leaky Cauldron." He didn't see the need to tell her he was currently on vacation.

"Okay, I'll send your things there. Goodbye Lucius."

"Narcissa..." he started, but she shut the door.

"You may have won this round, my dear, but this war is far from over," he said to the door just before he Apparated back to the Hilton.