JKR’s, not mine. Unfortunately.

Many thanks to Anogete for beta reading.

*****

Lucius Malfoy was sitting comfortably in an armchair before the crackling fire, perusing the Daily Prophet and contemplating a little scheme to twist things in his favour when the door flew open, and Hermione strode in briskly. She was still dressed in the outfit she had worn for her foray into Muggle London and looked distinctively unhappy.

Lucius quickly schooled his face into a look of worried concern in case that he was the reason for Hermione’s expression. ‘What’s the matter, dear?’

‘This,’ Hermione answered, thrusting a voluminous book into his hand. The title on its garishly coloured front cover read The Saviour of the Magic World: the Final Battle or Love Conquers All.

‘Oh dear, have you picked up some trashy Muggle novel again?’

‘Worse. This is all over the place. It seems to be the biggest publishing event of the year.’

Lucius started to flip through the book, stopping here and there to read a few lines. ‘Curious.’

‘That’s not the word I would have used. Apparently, someone told bits and pieces of our fight against Voldemort to some Muggle writer who turned it into a novel and got it all wrong.’

‘So?’ Lucius still failed to see what had Hermione so riled.

‘Wait till you have read more.’

Lucius pulled Hermione onto his lap so that they could look through the book together. ‘This is ridiculous.’

‘It’s complete and utter rubbish. Oh, and you are dead,’ she said to Snape who had just come in.

‘Am I now?’ he murmured as he strode over to the other two to find out what Hermione was talking about.

‘Do I look dead to you?’ Snape came to stand behind the armchair to take a look at the book that seemed to be the reason for Hermione’s outburst. Parting her hair and kissing the back of her neck, he asked, ‘Does that feel dead to you?’

‘Mmmh, not sure, do that again.’

Lucius meanwhile had found the epilogue. He smirked. ‘Hermione, is there something you have been meaning to tell us?’

Hermione read the page in question. ‘Eeww.’

The blond wizard closed the book with a snap. ‘I think it’s safe to assume that this does not present a danger to our world. Let’s have dinner and go to bed early.’

Hermione smiled at that prospect. ‘Good idea.’

Before he followed the other two, Severus threw a last glance at the novel and pulled out his wand. ‘Evanesco!’

With a satisfied sneer he watched as the book disappeared.
.

~ fin ~