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Breathing heavy. Sweaty palms. Heart racing. Light slowly fading. So this is what it must be like to die. Only this isn't death, this is fear.

Hermione jogged briskly down an empty alley with nothing but the moonlight guiding her path. Her keen sense of danger was aroused and she hastened her footfalls. Someone was following her closely, trying to catch her, but she was slightly too fast for them.

As she rounded the corner into the main street, she thought she had lost her follower. Looking around, she no longer saw her pursuer, just bright light flooding the street, so she relaxed and walked on.

Suddenly, she felt someone approach her from behind. A strong, pale hand clamped over her mouth, and she began to struggle as she was held tightly.

'Thought I'd not catch you, little girl?' a rough, venomous voice said into her ear. 'A little Mud-slut like you should know better than to think otherwise. I always get what I want.'

The man pressed his wand into her neck and muttered something indistinguishable. Within seconds, her world went dark and she thought no more.

***

Hermione awoke sometime later to the sound of muffled voices. She looked about the room and discovered that not only was she in some sort of a cage but she was also bound with what felt like an old clothesline and gagged with her own pink knickers. Since she was unable to move, she decided to listen to what was being said.

'Lestrange, why in the hell are you here? You know you are not welcome in my home. Why did you bring the girl to me? I narrowly escaped imprisonment in Azkaban, and the Ministry is just looking for a reason to put me away, damn it! It won't do for them to find an abducted and injured girl in my home.'

'I thought you'd like a treat,' Rodolphus offered.

'I haven't wanted a "treat," as you call it, since Voldemort ruined my family with his insanity. My son almost died at his hands, and my wife ran off because of that prick. I've nearly lost my social standing and everything I love as well. What makes you think I would trade what little I have left for this girl and a lifetime sentence in Azkaban?'

'The war is over and the Dark Lord is dead. Playtime with such a high profile war hero cannot be had, you idiot. There will be hell to pay since you harmed her,' another person whose voice she didn't recognise chimed in.

'Lucius, you've turned into a raving lunatic since Voldemort was defeated. Where is the blood-thirsty Muggle torturer I was friends with?' Rodolphus spat.

'Lestrange, we were never friends,' Lucius said with an odd sort of amusement in his voice. 'Your brother, maybe, but never you. I only tolerated you because of Rabastan and Riddle. I always wanted to drive a knife through your gut, but they would never allow it. However, neither is here to stop me from doing so now.'

'Lu... please... I swear I didn't hurt her,' the man called Rodolphus said with a quivering voice.

'Give me a reason not to, Lestrange, and make it good. Also, if you didn't harm her, explain why she arrived here cursed as well as bound and gagged.'

'I...I just...'

'You just what, Lestrange? Did you want to have a little fun with someone you thought was beneath you? Did you get off on harming just a girl?' asked a man with a familiar deep voice.

'Severus... I didn't really harm her, I swear. It was just a... a small touch. She wasn't even aware that I did it...she was already unconscious. I only had a tiny taste. You see, I could have had more if I wanted. She's only a Mudblood, and so it doesn't count what I did to her.'

'You sick fuck, that's disgusting,' Severus said vehemently. 'Lucius, put your damn serrated knife away. I don't feel like cleaning yet another bloodstain from your marble floor. I'm not a house-elf.'

Nothing more was said; only muffled sounds of movement were heard before she passed out.

***

Two men...one dark, one light...were standing above a sumptuously decorated bed, watching the still-unconscious form of Hermione Granger. Although her breathing was even, the men had worry lines etched in their weary faces.

'Do you think she will wake any time soon, Lucius?' Severus asked as he removed a stray, honey-coloured curl from Hermione's wan face.

'That depends, Severus. I'm not entirely sure if she is still passed out from Lestrange's curse, or if it's pure shock at this point. Either way, she shan't be unconscious long.' He paused for a moment. 'Why so concerned, Severus? She was only your student.'

Severus looked at him and shook his head. 'You don't understand, Lucius.'

'Then explain it to me,' Lucius said, looking at him pointedly.

'She was...'

'Look, she's waking up,' Lucius interrupted and then gestured to Hermione, whose eyes briefly fluttered.

As soon as her eyes sprang open, she saw the two men and began to scream as loudly as she could. Severus took a step towards her and tried to sit down on the bed.

'NO, DON'T YOU COME ANY CLOSER!' Hermione screamed loudly enough to make Lucius wince.

'Hermione, calm down; it's just me. It's Severus,' he said softly.

'NO! I don't know who you are, but you cannot be Severus. I... I saw him die not more than a month ago,' Hermione said as she started to cry.

'Let me prove who I am, Hermione, and then I will tell you what you want to know.' Severus watched Hermione wipe the tears from her eyes with her delicate hands.

'Fine. Tell me something only Severus would know...our safe word,' Hermione muttered in a rough voice.

Lucius' mouth fell open, and he cocked his eyebrow at Severus. 'A safe word, Severus? Are you serious? Did you and she...'

'Oh, do close your mouth before you attract flies, Lucius.' He looked at his childhood friend, who opened and closed his mouth a few more times, obviously gobsmacked his friend had had such a relationship with a former student.

'And to answer your question, Hermione, our safe word is "kit." Is that enough to prove who I am?'

'I suppose it is. I have questions, though: where am I, how did I get here, and most importantly, how did you survive? I saw you die, Severus.'

'Hermione, slow down. Let me answer one question at a time.' Taking a steadying breath, Severus braced himself for what was to come. 'You were abducted by Rodolphus Lestrange and brought here, to Malfoy Manor. Lucius...'

Hearing Lucius' name alerted Hermione to his presence in the room with her and Severus.

'Please don't let him hurt me,' Hermione pleaded.

'Relax, Miss Granger. I have no intention of harming you or anyone else, well, with the possible exception of Lestrange. You act as though I have nothing better to do with my time other than torturing you.'

'How am I to know that, Mr Malfoy? You were evil, a Death Eater, and you have tortured me before. Given the facts, I'm not inclined to trust you.' Hermione looked at Lucius, who was standing with his arms folded across his chest and looking down at her with a mildly amused expression upon his handsome face.

'Whoa, whoa, whoa... I am not a Death Eater and have not been for a while. Though I won't deny being evil. I won't torture you unless you ask for it. If you'd look around, you would see that you are not in my dungeons nor are you bound in any way. If I wanted to torture you, you would not be staying in my guest suite, I assure you.'

Hermione looked around the room wearily, taking note of the change of scenery. Sometime after she had passed out, she had been moved. She was no longer bound and caged; instead, she was in a softly lit room and lying on what felt like a feather bed. This was vastly different, and it made her wonder if she had merely dreamed the kidnapping.

'So, you're not going to hurt me?'

Lucius smiled at her and said, 'Not today, Miss Granger, though from what I can infer of your and Severus' relationship, I can't promise he won't.'

'Ha bloody ha, Lucius,' Severus said sarcastically.

'Then why am I here?' Hermione looked to Severus and then Lucius, as if hoping to find the answers written on their faces.

'Alas, Miss Granger, you won't like the answer I have. As Severus said, Rodolphus Lestrange abducted you and brought you here. He wanted retribution for the fall of his master and the death of his wife, Bellatrix. He made the mistake of assuming I would want to indulge in a little playtime.'

'And you don't?'

'Hmph... This is seriously getting old, Miss Granger,' Lucius huffed. 'My desires at the moment have nothing to do with this conversation. Now, unless you really do want me to gag you, I'd suggest you refrain from asking any more questions... at least until I am finished.' Lucius sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

'I apologise, Mr Malfoy, do continue,' she said sarcastically.

'After having a little chat with Lestrange, I hand delivered him to the Aurors because he was the one Death Eater they hadn't found, and then Severus and I came to check on your health. It is apparent that whatever curse was used on you caused no lasting damage. And since he didn't do any significant harm, you are free to leave and rejoin your little friends, where you will undoubtedly regale them with stories of your horrifying experience at the hands of a Malfoy.'

'Oh honestly, Mr Malfoy!' Hermione said indignantly. 'I wouldn't tell tales of things that obviously didn't happen. I may be a lot of things, sir, but a liar is not one of them. If I were to lie, I would make sure it was well worth my time, and no offense, but there is nothing I could gain from lying about you. You don't have to worry about blackmail either. There is nothing you could offer me that I would remotely want.'

'What if I offered you money to keep quiet?' He said jokingly.

Hermione shook her head and laughed mirthlessly at him. 'Hehe... typical Malfoy solution: throw money at a problem to make it go away. It shows no creativity, no finesse.'

'Are you criticising my methods, Granger?' Lucius scowled at her.

'No, no. You mistake me. I'm not after your money; you don't have anything I want. I have no reason to try to blackmail you. In fact, I believe I am the one who owes you a debt.'

'How so? I'm definitely interested in hearing this.' Lucius sat at the end of the large, blue and silver bedecked sleigh bed and leaned back against the cherry wood frame, his long, slender legs stretched out and resting near Severus.

'When I was still bound and gagged, I woke up briefly and heard parts of your conversation with Lestrange. From what I remember, he had intended to torture me and then probably kill me so I couldn't report on what had occurred.' She watched Severus and Lucius exchange an unreadable look, and then she proceeded.

'You and Severus saved me from most of what he had intended to do.'

'Most?' Severus queried.

'Well, I was abducted, and since you and Mr Malfoy weren't aware of Lestrange's plans, you couldn't stop him. But other than that, I give you both credit for saving my life, and as such, I'd like to find a way to repay you.'

'Nonsense, Hermione.' Severus looked at her and smiled softly

'Not so hasty, Severus,' Lucius interrupted. 'That's quite an offer she is making and it's one that will require careful consideration.'

Severus smirked at Lucius and swore silently to himself. From the smirk on Lucius' face, he knew exactly what his friend was considering.

'I know what you're thinking, Lucius, and it isn't going to happen. So stop picturing it,' he said as he hit Lucius none too lightly on the leg.

'Why, Severus, I have no idea what you mean. I was just thinking she might have to save my life one day.'

'Right, if that's your story...' Severus trailed off.

'It's my story, and you can't prove otherwise,' Lucius laughed.

'I could, but I won't.'

Turning back to Hermione, who had her eyebrows furrowed, he said, 'There is nothing to repay. You would have done the same for me if the chance arose.' He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips, brushing a gentle kiss across her knuckles.

'But, Severus, it did arise. And I couldn't help you.'

'Don't worry about it. Lucius took care of me and managed to keep me out of Azkaban.'

'What?' Hermione gasped. 'How did he keep you from going in front of the Wizengamot?'

Hermione couldn't believe Lucius had saved Severus from more than death. He had saved him from losing his freedom as well. It seemed as though Lucius wasn't as evil as he let on, or he had seriously changed in the matter of a few months. Only time would tell which it was.

'Lucius had a bit of blackmail on the Minister and the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, so he threatened to make it public knowledge if his request wasn't granted. About a week later, my criminal record and the warrant for my arrest disappeared. The Minister gave a public speech, and I was free.'

'Why didn't I hear about any of this? How come no one told me you had lived?'

'You didn't hear about it because you were in Australia. As for why no one told you I survived, I can't tell you because I simply don't know. I suppose they had their reasons.' Severus shrugged his shoulders.

He really didn't know why no one had told Hermione, unless of course someone knew of their relationship. But that was impossible. She wouldn't have told anyone he was her dominant, would she? If she had, it would explain why people would want to keep her away from him. They would be afraid for her.

***

Several hours later, well after dinner and drinks had come and gone, Lucius yawned. 'You and Severus are more than welcome to stay here for as long as you need, but I am afraid I have to retire.'

'I probably should return to the flat. The boys are bound to be worried. They've not heard from me in what, two or three days? And I disappeared without as much as a note explaining where I went. They're probably thinking I got kidnapped.'

Lucius and Severus laughed, and then Lucius said, 'Well, they're not wrong, now are they?'

'Indeed not, Lucius.' Hermione grinned and strode to the door.

'What will you tell them?' Severus inquired before he enveloped her in his strong embrace and kissed her.

'I'll tell them I spent the weekend with old friends,' she said with a wink.

'I like that, Hermione.' Lucius kissed her hand briefly and she Disapparated away.

This was written for the LMHG Exchange. I used the following prompt: Hermione is captured soon after the war ends.

Thanks to the wonderful kittylefish for betaing.