The Curse and The Cure *Snamione*

Chapter 5.

5

"An Arthur Weasley to see you Minister.  Are you available?"

Hermione looked up from the paperwork littering her desk, and faced her assistant, a small, elderly elf called Maple.  She smiled at the little elf; she'd been assigned to Hermione at the start of her tenure in The Minister's Office, and had become an invaluable aid in that time and she was also head of her household staff at The Minister's Residence - a position the little elf held proudly. Hermione had ensured her living and working conditions and pay were favourable and had given her a little waistcoat and skirt on her first day, so whilst Maple was a 'free elf' she served Hermione out of respect and loyalty and not command. It was a relationship that suited both parties well.

"Thank you Maple.  Show him in."

Maple bobbed a little curtsy and ushered Arthur in and left the room closing the door after them.

"Hello Arthur" said Hermione, warmly, coming  around her desk to hug him.  "It's lovely to see you as always."

He hugged her back, then held her at arms length to get a good look at her.

"What's the matter?" He asked with a furrowed brow "Haven't you been sleeping? You have black bags under your eyes.  Tell me.  What's troubling you girl?"

"I'm fine Arthur." She replied demurely "I'm just a little tired that's all."

"You can't fool me Hermione Granger.  You may be The Minister of Magic and all grown up and the like, yet you'll still be that little girl who used to come to me for a cuddle at the burrow when Ron was being mean to you.  I think of you as one of my own, you know, just as Molly did, and I know something ails you, so tell me else I shall just keep annoying you until you do."

Hermione smiled through tears that threatened to spill.  "Oh Arthur" she said hugging him to her as if her life depended on it.  "It's all so very horrid!"

This time she couldn't stop the tears and Arthur took her hand, leading her to a large sofa in one corner of her office, sat her down and produced a box of tissues. 

"I've been seeing a lot of Severus just lately.  He's not at all well; the bite he suffered during the battle is killing him and I made him a potion to help his symptoms."

Arthur nodded.  "I know love.  He confided in me some time ago."

"I've been trying to source the Maltswift Horn he needs for a cure - even though it's completely forbidden - but I had an idea a Goblin might be able to find it so I got in touch with a Goblin Mediator..."

"Lucius Malfoy?"

"Yes.  Yes thats right... wait? You know he's a Goblin Mediator?" Arthur nodded. "Am I the only one who didn't know?" She shook her head a little and sniffed, wiping her nose on the tissue. "Anyway, Lucius and I had dinner a few days ago to discuss the meeting with the Goblins, and he.... he kissed me."

"Oh"

"I pushed him away and he apologised.  We'd both had a bit to drink, but when I got home Severus had broken through my wards and was waiting for me.  One thing led to another and WE ended up kissing but he said he could smell Lucius on me and then... then asked me if... if I had allowed Lucius to do other... things to me! He was so vile.  I slapped him and he left and I've not seen him since.  Oh Arthur.  What should I do?"

He looked at her through his bespectacled and kindly eyes, wishing more than anything he could take away her pain.  Only that morning he'd called on Severus to pick up some potions and what she had just told him would explain some of the Potion Master's foul mood.