Chapitre Quatre

Back at his flat, Severus couldn't seem to concentrate, Lucius observed. He watched as Severus paced back and forth, then opened the French doors to walk out onto the balcony. Sitting down, Severus stared across the way at the dragon. As Lucius watched him, he saw the younger wizard's eyes light suddenly. Following his line of sight, Lucius recognized Hermione's silhouette cross the room.

"How wonderful life is, now you're in the world..." Severus sang to himself, causing Lucius' brows to rise. It seemed Severus was also in love with Hermione, in this life as well.

Looking back across the cobbled street, Lucius wondered about the curvaceous woman himself. She certainly was different from the schoolgirl he'd known. But he wondered if there was more to the girl. Certainly Severus had seen it; the man had married her after all.

A lilting voice drifting on the breeze stirred Lucius from his thoughts. Beside him, Severus looked up, and they both saw Hermione sitting in the open window. "One day I'll fly away, leave all this to yesterday. What more could your love do for me? When will love be through with me? Why live life from dream to dream and dread the day when dreaming ends?"

"How wonderful life is now you're in the world," Severus responded, but Hermione didn't seem to hear him.

As Lucius and Severus watched, Hermione made her way up the stairway winding around the dragon to the top of its head. Once at the top, Lucius saw her lift her head with pride and heard her words floating on the wind. "One day I'll fly away, leave all this to yesterday. Why live life from dream to dream? And dread the day when dreaming ends. One day I'll fly away... fly, fly away."

As her words died away, Hermione leaned back into a settee, looking into the distance.

Severus got an odd look on his face, pulled his wand from his pocket and held it close. With a crack he Disapparated, then reappeared behind Hermione.

Lucius' world seemed to turn upside down for a moment, and he suddenly found himself opposite of where he had been. With a slight scream, Hermione jumped out of the chaise, wand pointed directly at Severus. She frowned, lowering her wand. "You really need to stop startling me; I would hate to accidentally maim you."

"Indeed, I will make note of that," Severus responded dryly, looking directly at her wand and frowning as well. "I – I was having a hard time concentrating, and I noticed you were up here. I wanted to ask if you meant what you said earlier."

"What I said? What did I say?" She frowned in thought.

"That you loved me – when you thought I was the duke – you said you loved me. Did you mean it?"

"Severus..." she began, shaking her head. "You must realize I am a courtesan. I get paid to give men what they want. And when I thought you were the duke, I was simply giving him what he wanted..."

"But what about what I want...."

"What? Love? I'm not capable of loving anyone."

"What? Not – not capable? But that's horrible!"

"No, it's not horrible. Having a roof over your head..."

"But love is like oxygen, love is a many splendored thing, love lifts us up where we belong, all you need is love!" Severus exclaimed, looking at her intently.

"Oh, please don't start that again," Hermione pleaded.

"All you need is love!"

"A girl has got to eat."

"All you need is love!"

"She'll end up on the street," she groaned.

"All you need is loooooove!"

"Love is just a game."

"I was made for lovin' you baby, you were made for lovin' me."

"The only way of lovin' me baby, is to pay a lovely fee."

"Just one night, give me just one night."

"There's no way, 'cause you can't pay."

"In the name of love! One night in the name of love!"

"You crazy fool; I won't give in to you."

"Don't... leave me this way; I can't survive without your sweet love. Oh baby, don't leave me this way."

"You'd think that people would've had enough of silly love songs..."

"I look around me and I see it isn't so, oh, no."

"Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs."

"Well what's wrong with that? I like to know. 'Cause here I go... again.... Love lifts us up where we belong! Where eagles fly, on a mountain high!"

"Love makes us act like we are fools. Throw our lives away, for one happy day."

"We could be heroes... Just for one day."

"You, you will be mean."

"No, I won't."

"And I, I'll drink all the time."

"We should be lovers..."

"We can't do that."

"We should be lovers! And that's a fact."

"Though nothing would keep us together."

"We could steal time..."

"Just for one day. We could be heroes, forever and ever. We could be heroes, forever and ever. We could be heroes..."

"Just because I... will always love you..."

"I..."

"Can't help loving..."

"You..."

"How wonderful life is..."

"Now you're in... the world..." As their words died, Severus and Hermione looked into each others' eyes and smiled.

"Well... maybe I could love you..."

"Shh..." Severus hushed, raising a finger to her lips. Taking it away, he lowered his mouth, covering hers as they held on to each other. In the sky above, the bohemians shot fireworks as the celebration continued.

~~~~~~~~

Leaving the lovers behind, Lucius floated down through the floor, testing how far he could move from Severus. Off to his left he could hear voices. Drifting pleasantly, he found he could only go as far as the window. But he found that the window belonged to Slughorn, and inside, the duke and Horace were discussing the stipulations of their venture.

"Slughorn, if I am to invest, I find there are certain needs that must be met. After all, it is going to take many Galleons to turn Magie Noir into a theatre."

"Yes, Duke, what is it you require?" Horace asked, grinning so broadly he looked like the cat that had swallowed the cream.

"First, the deed to the Magie Noir. That should be sufficient collateral for the sum of money I will be investing."

Horace's eyes grew wide. "B – but..." He stopped when the duke raised his hand abruptly.

"Secondly, Hermione... she will be bound to me..."

"A binding? Binding rituals haven't been held..."

"It... is what I require, Slughorn. Or my associate, Mr. Riddle, will take care of all of you the only way he knows how." He motioned to a bald man sitting in a chair a few feet away. "Oh, and I want to see the girl tonight. We will have dinner on the veranda."

"Yes, yes, of course," Horace replied with a pained look on his face, sinking slowly into the chair behind his heavy, mahogany desk.

Outside, Lucius felt powerless against the events unfolding around him. He also wondered when the duke planned to bind Hermione to him. If he did, Lucius wondered how strong it would be and if that bond would be strong enough to transcend centuries. Could that be what Trelawney had been talking about when she had mentioned another love for him? Since the duke looked exactly like him, was he the reincarnation of the duke? Was this his past life as well? While he pondered these questions, time seemed to fly, and before he knew it, it was morning.

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A/N: Thank you, Karelia, Sempra, and OSUSprinks for helping me retain my sanity. You guys rock!

Songs featured in this chapter:

One Day I'll Fly Away ~ The Crusaders

**The dialogue between Severus and Hermione in this chapter is: Elephant Love Medley from Moulin Rouge by Baz Luhrmann. It contains excerpts from the following songs:

Love Is Like Oxygen ~ Sweet

Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing ~ The Four Aces

Up Where We Belong ~ Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes

All You Need Is Love ~ The Beatles

Lover's Game ~ Chris Isaak

I Was Made For Lovin' You ~ Kiss

One More Night ~ Phil Collins

Pride(In The Name of Love) ~ U2

Don't Leave Me This Way ~ Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes

Silly Love Songs ~ Paul McCartney and Wings

Heroes ~ David Bowie

I Will Always Love You ~ Dolly Parton

Your Song ~ Elton John