Chapter Text
Lucius Malfoy would never have thought that he could feel so comfortable in an ordinary Muggle bar in south London. About a year ago he stumbled upon it by accident and both the cosy but classy interior and the surprisingly well-stocked selection of drinks had made him return. He also enjoyed the anonymity. The short time in which he could just sit unrecognized in a corner and enjoy a drink had become infinitely valuable to him and therefore he now frequented this bar regularly. Why not? The manor had been empty since Draco moved out and after the divorce from his wife, and apart from the library, it didn't offer much variety. Sometimes he missed Narcissa - she was still a dear friend to him. They even met for a cup of tea from time to time and chatted a little. But the evenings remained a bit dreary.
Here in the bar, on the other hand, there was always a lot of activity and the cheerful mood rubbed off on him, even if he was just a silent observer. Every now and then he was shocked at how much he had changed but then comforted himself with the thought that it might not be the worst. Nowadays, change also seemed to bring a lot of good. At least he couldn't deny that it was extremely beneficial for his sleep quality that the dark lord was no longer among them for good.
He was just taking another sip from his glass when something grabbed his attention. It was nothing special about a new person walking into the bar - there was usually a lot of coming and going. But this young woman who headed straight for the counter looked more than familiar to him. With little grace, she let herself fall on a stool and now sat with her back to him. He recognized her anyway. What made the famous Hermione Granger go to a bar alone and order a drink of the stronger kind? To his amazement, she drank her glass, which was apparently also filled with whiskey, in one gulp. Lucius hadn't seen the young witch in a long time, but this behaviour struck him as very strange. As she ordered another drink, he got an absurd idea. Surprised by his own impulsiveness, he got up and walked over to her.
"Well, Miss Granger. Did you find a dog-ear in one of your books, or what drives you into such excessive drinking?"
Amused, he pointed to her second empty glass. Hermione Granger, on the other hand, almost fell off her stool in shock. The two whiskeys she drank in record time were certainly of no help.
"Mister Malfoy! You can't just sneak up on people like that!"
The young witch collected herself surprisingly quickly and continued sharply:
"Someone could hurt you out of a reflex. It would be the best to get rid of this habit as soon as possible!"
"I assure you, Miss Granger, that I had no intention of frightening you. I beg your pardon."
The mocking grin that he could not suppress belied his words and he knew it too. Almost regrettable, he thought, because he was actually sorry to have upset the young woman in such a way. Up close he could see that she looked worn and dejected. The spark of her fighting spirit with which she had met him previously vanished and Miss Granger turned to the bartender. Another drink appeared before her and was eagerly received.
"Yes, yes, of course. And my cat can fly. Anyway. What are you doing here and why are you still staring at me like an idiot, Malfoy?"
The third whiskey clearly wasn't having a good influence on her manners, Lucius knew that much. However, he found it very difficult to answer her question. He had followed an impulse that he did not quite understand. Still, he kept a straight face and went on playing the game.
He quickly pulled another barstool towards him and then sat down on it as elegantly as possible.
"You know, Miss Granger, I've seen a lot. Which makes it very hard to surprise me. If this uncommon occasion should be the case, I'm not willing to simply ignore such a rarity. And when the famous Hermione Granger storms into a Muggle Bar in South London and ravages the alcoholic stocks of this establishment with almost militant determination, then this is very promising. "
Lucius briefly raised the glass in her direction and took a much more moderate sip than his counterpart.
The answer was initially only a disdainful snort and she pensively swirled the brown liquid in her glass back and forth.
He almost didn't hear her when she replied in a low voice:
"Please go, Mr Malfoy. Just leave me alone."
Lucius was shocked to see that the witch was fighting back tears. That was more than he could handle.
"Of course, Miss Granger. I wish you a pleasant evening."
Without waiting for another word, he got up and retired to his usual corner.
It took him a moment to process the conversation. Since when was he so easily put to flight? The two of them weren't exactly friendly, even though she actually testified for him and his family after the war, Merlin knows why. He would be the last one to help her through a life crisis or even a broken fingernail. And she was probably more than happy not to have him around. The few conversations they'd had in recent years had been polite but reserved. He probably should leave now, but something made him stay.
Like a spider on the edge of its web, he waited for his prey to move or do something interesting. But he was disappointed. Hermione Granger just sat there sipping her drink and not moving an inch. Nobody joined her and no one from the rest of the golden trio could be seen. But what surprised him the most was the fact that she was still here at all. Actually, he had expected that she would leave as soon as possible after their short encounter. But she sat there stoically without even looking at him.
In the meantime, he had finished his drink and the little game was getting boring. It was time to go.
Just as he was about to take his coat, Granger got up with a jerk that almost knocked the stool over and walked towards him.
She was obviously angry, Lucius could see that much with ease and he had to suppress the urge to pull his wand. This time it was she who sat down next to him without being asked, but it was clear that the following conversation would not be pleasant. She gave him a look worthy of a basilisk.
"Oh, you know, Mr Malfoy, while you're here we can actually chat a little."
It was mostly the alcohol that was speaking, but probably also a lot of suppressed anger. Anger that should be taken seriously, he had no illusions. This Muggleborn was not to be trifled with and Lucius could definitively do without a scene today.
"Usually I'd love to, Miss Granger. Unfortunately, I'm just leaving. Give my regards to your flying cat."
That was the end of it for him and he just got up to leave.
However, one simple question made him stop in motion:
"What have my parents ever done to you, Mr Malfoy?"
It took a moment before he understood where she was going with this question.
"Of course nothing, Miss Granger. They were tactical variables. Nothing more, nothing less."
She clenched her hands - such an answer was of course unsatisfactory. But it was just the truth.
"How brave! Chasing two innocent dentists. Did it make you feel powerful? Did it distract you from how pathetic you actually are?"
Lucius Malfoy met these allegations with the same straight face as always and leaned down to the Muggleborn witch.
"Miss Granger, I don't know what you expect from any of this, but I'm afraid I can't help you."
Again he wanted to go and leave Granger with her anger and accusations, but a hand grabbed his arm with a surprisingly strong grip and pulled him back.
"Because of you Death Eaters, I had to obliviate my parents and they still don't remember me. I've lost them forever and there's no one left to yell at. All of them are gone, dead or in Azkaban. All of them except for you. So now sit with me and face what you've done. You owe me that!"
"How dare you to..."
But the tirade got stuck in his throat. Big brown eyes stared at him in anger as tears began to pool again. The sad truth was that she was absolutely right and he could no longer escape that. So he sat down without a word and waited.
The young witch had obviously not expected that he would comply with her request. The irritation was quite apparent and she probably hadn't planned that far. Or... planned any of that at all. So Lucius took the first step:
"I am sincerely sorry for the loss of your parents, Miss Granger. It is very unfortunate that you had to pay this price."
That wasn't even a lie he realized. Having to make such a decision, especially at this age, was a terrible burden.
"How dare you, lying to my face like that?" Granger hissed at him after a few seconds.
"As if the fate of a couple of Muggles and a Mudblood gave you sleepless nights! You don't care about anything as long as you can save your own skin! You do nothing but treat others like dirt! I shouldn't have testified in court for you. I betrayed my family by doing so! Them and so many innocent victims!"
He accepted all of this in silence. There was nothing he could say.
"Tell me the truth! Were you there when they destroyed my childhood home? Did you enjoy it?"
"No"
"No what?"
"No, I was neither involved in the destruction of your home, nor would I have particularly enjoyed it. I am a businessman, a pragmatist. Destroying things for no reason is not in my nature."
For a moment, Granger looked like she was going to slap him for his heartless answer, but she seemed to accept it. A heartbreaking lecture on morals, remorse, and penance would have gotten him in a lot more trouble.
"You're a bastard, Malfoy. You know that?"
"Such an allegation is not new to me. But I repeat my question: What do you expect from this conversation? My apology has brought you no peace, and even if I am a skilled wizard - I cannot work miracles. So what do you want? Yelling at me and showering me with accusations? Yes, it is obvious how much it helps you. You look even more miserable than before."
"I can'T believe it. Now you even insult me?"
The witch was about to jump in his face.
"That wasn't my intention. I just think that you are wasting your energy right now."
"If you had something like a heart, you would understand. You have no idea how consuming it is when you keep believing that you have found a solution. And the disappointment when it doesn't work for the twentieth time and you're still a stranger to your parents. It hurts so bad and it makes me so, so angry. I know you weren't actively involved in the hunt down of my parents, but you're all I can get."
"Maybe I understand you better than you think. Why else should I sit here and listen to your 'compliments'?" Lucius replied softly when Hermione finally took a break.
She just snorted contemptuously.
"Sure. Poor, poor Lucius Malfoy. My heart breaks. Would you like a cup of tea and a hug? With or without a cookie?"
He couldn't help but smile at the absurd thought.
"I'll have to decline. But if this is so important to you, I'll be happy to listen to you for a while longer. Perhaps you want to blame me for the fact that your cat has choked up a hairball and that the sun is only moderately honouring us with its presence today. But don't forget that I'm the worst person imaginable for a therapy session."
"Oh, I have no doubt about that. Especially the 'worst person'- part. You know what? I've had enough for today. I definitely won't spend my mother's birthday with you!"
Before Lucius could reply, she jumped up and stormed out of the bar.
At least now he had an explanation for Miss Granger's strange behaviour. Her mother's birthday justified the drinks and even the insults. He decided to forgive those missteps and returned to the manor.