Title: Stay With Me
Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Lucius/Hermione, Severus/Narcissa (mentioned)
Warnings: referenced character death
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 761
Summary: Hermione comforts Lucius after Narcissa's untimely death

Notes:

Ring of Fire/King's Cup Challenge: Prompt Used – Lucius/Hermione, Must include a character death somehow.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Potions Class – Write about Character death

Triwizard Tournament Competition: Stage 2 – Write about an interaction between exactly two people

Hermione sighs.

Lucius is pretending to read. She knows what reading and pretending to read looks like, especially where Lucius is concerned. His finger tends to move along the lines in order to keep his place, and he's completely still.

She fingers her curly hair and wonders what she should do. Normally, she'd have all the answers. She usually does. Lucius tends to be a bit emotionally repressed though, and Hermione isn't sure how to comfort him. She's not exactly sure how he feels. Not truly at least. She's pretty sure how she would feel if one of her best friends died, but she has never been married to either one of them. Their situations would be completely different.

She knows she needs to say something, though. Taking a deep breath, Hermione hesitantly steps into the library.

He doesn't look up from his book. His mind is obviously someplace else. He would never be intentionally rude to her, at least not this far in their relationship.

"Lucius?"

If he was less reserved, she knows he'd jump. Instead, his head just looks comes up and looks at her. "Hermione?"

She tries to smile but knows she doesn't pull it off, not with the uncertainty she's feeling. She knows it selfish, but she can't help but wonder, 'Does he regret his decision to be with me?' It's not the time or place for that thought, but it's nagging her conscious all the same. "Do you want to talk?"

"What's there to talk about? Cissa's dead."

Hermione flinches at the frank truth. "I know, but I know how important she was to you and –"

"She was important to me," Lucius interrupts. "And even with our divorce, I still cared about her. She was my best friend, who was dating someone who's like my brother."

"I wonder how Severus is handling things; we should check up on him," Hermione implores.

Lucius absentmindedly nods, and she'll make sure they follow through with that idea. Severus shouldn't be alone right now. "You know, she was the first person to bless my relationship with you. I didn't think I'd get anyone's blessing, especially not within the Pure-blood circle. Not only are you my son's age, but you're a Muggle-born."

Hermione doesn't balk at the fact her blood status is so important. She knows Lucius isn't trying to insult her; it's just the truth that the status of a person's blood is important to many Pure-bloods, even after Voldemort's defeat.

"She told me that I was so happy when I looked at you. I had such a warm smile and happy eyes. How could she do anything but bless you and me? Especially when I did the same when she started her relationship with Sev."

Hermione smiles a bit. "I always hoped she liked me. I know she was always nice to me, but I feared it was just her being polite."

Lucius shakes his head. "Definitely not her simply being polite. She could have let you know if she hated you and still did it under the scope of politeness. All Pure-blood women know how to do that."

"I really wish I knew how to help you," she whispers, allowing tears to fall from her eyes. She hates feeling helpless. After being tortured by Bellatrix, she promised herself that she'd never feel that helpless again. It might not have been the same, but the feeling of not being able to fix everything still reigns within her, and she loathes it.

Lucius puts his book on the table and holds out a hand. "Come here," he gently commands.

Hermione doesn't even hesitate. She runs to him and allows him to pull her on his lap. "I'm so sorry I don't know how to help you. I'm so sorry."

Lucius rubs her back, resting his lips against the top of her head. "Just stay here with me," he says. And then he repeats it to make sure she hears it. "Just stay here with me, and that will help."

Hermione nods and holds him closer. His arms around her are strong and gentle all at once, and for a moment, she can at least pretend that they're not both heartbroken over the loss of Narcissa.

She presses her lips against his neck and feels him shudder against her. He's silently crying, and Hermione knows enough to not draw attention to it. She simply holds him, allowing him to release his pent up despair in the only way he knows how.

And just like he asked, she stays with him.