Ghostly Curse

Ch 3

Ch 3 - Silken Sheets

Hermione finished unpacking without magic and without the house-elf’s help as well. She thanked him for wanting to help, but assured him that she could handle it on her own. She had refused both Narcissa’s and Lucius’ bedchambers with the request instead to take a room that wasn’t already marked as another’s property.

When Mud balked at her desiring the secondary suite across the hall from the master’s chambers, she had explained, “I do not want Mr Malfoy to feel as if I am trying to take over what little space he has, Mud. Besides,” she smiled. “This chamber is just as big, and has a tub instead of a shower.” When the little elf still looked bewildered she whispered, “I prefer baths.”

As she stood back to survey her room, complete with a few things she’d brought from her old place Lucius suddenly became visible again. Standing beside her, he gave the room a nonchalant shrug. “So, you’ve made it your own. That doesn’t make this your home.” He muttered.

Rolling her eyes, she answered, “I have legal documents that say different. They are binding, Lucius. Even in the wizarding world.”

Angrily, Lucius swung to face her. “I do not recall giving you leave to call me by my given name. You may hold the title to Malfoy manor, but it would serve you well to remember that it has been in my family for five generations.” he quirked an eyebrow at her. “It will not be yours for long. I can assure you of that.”

Hermione returned his angry glare with a stubborn look of her own. “Right… You know, I think I should make my first order of business clearing out your clothes and personal possessions. Maybe then you wouldn’t feel such an attachment to the place anymore.”

She smiled at the dangerous flash in his eyes. “Yes. Perhaps all you need to be able to let go of this place is simply not to recognize it any longer.” Turning to walk away from him, she muttered, “Maybe then you could move on.”

Lucius stared after her, shocked at her impudence. “I’m not dead! I very well heard Mud explain it to you!” He paused as Hermione turned back to face him. When her eyes met his, he felt a catch in his chest for a reason he dared not to give name to. With a shake of his head to banish such thoughts that seemed to drift freely and unbidden from nowhere, he continued, “My body is hidden somewhere under my very nose, yet I cannot find it.” He gave her an admonishing look.

“I would think such a cruel jest would be beneath you, Miss Granger seeing how you are such an advocate of kindness to the helpless.” He let his voice become soft and cajoling to make himself seem more a victim in her eyes.He was disappointed when she crossed her arms before her and shook her head.

“So, what are you doing about it?” She asked simply.

Looking somewhat confused, he asked, “Pardon me?”

Rolling her eyes, she stepped closer to him and began listing, “Bella kills Draco, and her sister,” she paused and gestured at him. “your wife. Then she traps you here without your body. You know all along that your body is here, in the manor, yet what have you done to try to locate it?”

He drew back, affronted. “I have searched every charted inch of the property. I would have found it if it was in plain sight!”

Hermione’s eyes lit up at his words. “So, there are parts to the manor that you don’t know?”

Sighing, Lucius nodded. “Well, of course. There are many hidden chambers of the manor. It’s nearly as big as Howarts, for Merlin’s sake! What would you expect?”

“I would expect the great Lucius Malfoy to quit acting like a baby reciting over and over; poor pitiful me, and start exploring the places he wasn’t familiar with if it meant he could gain his life back!” She threw her hands up. “Not to mention free you to hunt down the death-eating witch that dared to take it from you!”

When she fell silent, she waited for Lucius to strike back at her for hitting such a sore spot. Instead, he only turned and crossed to the bed to sit. After he sat there without saying a word for a full minute, she asked. “What are you doing?”

He shrugged. “I’m waiting.” He didn’t even spare her a glance as he continued to sit on the foot of her bed.

Finally, exasperated, she asked, “Waiting for what?”

He met her eyes then and smiled. “For you to get ready for us to go exploring.”

Hermione scoffed at him and shook her head. “It’s nearly midnight! I’m not going anywhere, except to bed!”

Alarm crossed Lucius’ features and he stood. Slowly he asked, “But, what about my body?”

Shaking her head, she took a step away from him. “Oh no! I’m not going to go hunting for your body in the middle of the night, in a manor that I only barely know the layout to.” she chuckled incredulously. “You’ve got me confused with Harry!”

Lucius blinked at her, surprised. “But I thought you-”

Hermione backed away from him. “You thought what? That I’d go off in the dark on a wild goose chase with the soul of a wizard who never even liked me to begin with? You’re whacked! I’ve been moving my belongings all day, and getting ready for a new life. A Death-eater free life.” She waved her hand at him in a farewell gesture. “No… this is where we part ways. You can go float through the halls… go count your endless portraits of generations before you… I,” she pressed a hand to her chest. “am going to bed now.”

Lucius recovered from his shock and gave her a once over with silver eyes. “You can’t very well go to bed like that, can you?”The witch quirked an eyebrow at him. “Like what?”

He gestured to her clothes. “I daresay, no witch would go to bed fully dressed, and you surely wouldn’t want to go to bed without a bath?”

“Well, of course I plan on cleaning up…” She stopped and looked at him oddly. “Why do you ask?”

Lucius let the evil gleam in his eyes come out as he returned to his place on her bed. “Well, I refuse to give you the privacy you need to accomplish such a goal. Until you help me, that is.”

Dropping her jaw, Hermione stared at the spirit who was now lounging on her bed, an overly confident look on his face. After a moment, she began chuckling and nodded slowly. “Oh, I get it. You seem to think that I’m some meek and modest witch who would be bothered to allow you glimpses of her body.”

She let herself laugh for a second more before she began unbuttoning her shirt and let it drop to the floor. Her eyes held his as she slipped her jeans down her hips and then stepped out of them. Then, easing her under things off as well, she stood fully naked before Malfoy and found herself enjoying the flush that had come to his cheeks as he took in every inch of her nudity.

When his eyes moved back to hers, she said softly, “You have mistaken me for a modest, virginal witch with fairytale visions of the future.” She pulled the ribbon from her hair letting it fall in long curls past her hips. When she looked back to him, he saw pain in her eyes. “I assure you, I am neither.”

Gesturing to the bed, she turned to make her way to the bath. “I sleep on the right side. Stay or go as you wish, but believe me. I won’t put up with you hogging the covers.”

As she turned and walked away from him, he missed the shaky breath she released. When she closed the door to the bathing chamber, she leaned heavily against it. “Oh Hermione!” she whispered softly to herself. “What in the bloody hell did you just do?”