When Hermione Fights

Poison

Chapter beta: Dani

Chapter translator: Aivy

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Lucius' POV

My crazy wife, forced upon me by my father, had finally lost her mind. I had noticed her delighted smile when Hermione had sipped on the coffee and when Hermione then grimaced in disgust, I had immediately known what had happened. If she had told me about the invitation earlier and I had had time to think about it, this could have been prevented.

She still had to learn to come to me with something like that, but I was also taken with how good her instinct was, because she had apparently feared something like that happening. I would later ask the elves how the poison got into the cup.

Oh, Narcissa, you would pay for this, like never before under my hands. Nobody harmed my property or my son's!

Whether she knew it or not, she was playing with her life. But as I knew, in her ignorance, she did not want to admit it.

From one second to the next, Hermione had turned pale. She had swayed, her hands had gone to her throat and then she had sunk back as if she had no strength left to hold herself upright. She had placed her hands on her stomach as if she was sick. When I had gotten down on my knees in front of her, I had stroked her sweaty face and worried all of a sudden. No question about it, I had to act quickly, but also deliberately.

I had tried to suppress all emotions that, completely unfamiliar to me, pushed to the surface with force. Firmly forbidding these unwanted feelings that had wanted to arise, I had swept her into my arms. Only then had I noticed and for the first time been ready to perceive what a petite, light-weight person she was. She always radiated such power and presence that one would deem her much more physically strong than she actually was. Even yesterday, when I had buried her under my body, she had appeared so invincible and defiant, but now it was as if she was shrinking in my arms by the second. I looked down on her with profound concern.

She was now lying like dead in my arms, had lost consciousness as soon as I had lifted her up. Before, she had looked at me from her golden brown eyes intensely and trustingly, so that I took a deep breath and hurried even more.

I watched her ribcage rise and fall laboriously as if she had trouble getting enough air into her lungs. Her head rested weakly on my shoulder and I rushed straight towards the dungeons and Severus' laboratory. Only we three men could enter these rooms. That had always been important to me and so the heavy, dark wooden door swung open in front of me, letting me in.

Immediately, the torches flickered to life and lit up the room. When I looked at Severus' pedantically tidy laboratory, which had no equal in terms of equipment, I almost panicked, but I skilfully suppressed it. I now had to keep a clear head, otherwise she would die.

I rushed in and wiped all objects off the table with a determined, impatient gesture. A cauldron flew crashing to the ground, the vials were shattered and some of the ingredients followed. Nothing could have affected me less in those seconds than these things, as I carefully but quickly laid my too light and too lifeless burden on the now empty wooden table. Then I looked around hectically, for I knew time was pressing.

Standing still in the large vaulted room, I systematically searched everything with my eyes. I knew exactly what I was looking for. I might not be a Potions Master, like Severus, but I knew my way around and so I raced towards one of the cupboard doors which contained some supplies. Immediately, I threw it shut again with an annoyingly loud slam - it wasn't here! - and I growled impatiently.

"With that much order one should find what one is looking for right away," I hissed, turned away forcefully, towards the next closet. "Severus... where do you hide it?"