Mastering Temptation

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Name It And It’s Yours







Hermione sat on the floor in Lucius’s study, files spread out all around her. Draco was sitting across from her and Lucius was in the chair behind her.





“Lucius, you really need to hire another assistant.” Hermione said, looking over a document in her hand.





“I don’t want another assistant, you can not be replaced, my dear.” He said distractedly as he went through the file in his hands. “You are more efficient one day a week than most people are in a month, if I can’t have you full time I will settle for Saturdays.”





“Did it ever occur to you that maybe I would like my Saturdays free, what if I have a gentleman friend I would like to spend some time with?” She asked, setting one file aside and reaching for the next.





“Ha!” Draco scoffed. “The only man who’s been in your bed in the last three years is me and I was so pissed I honestly couldn’t recall where I was.”





“Thanks, you twit.” Hermione kicked him hard.





“You really shouldn’t tell a lady that you don’t recall sharing her bed, Draco.” Lucius said, his attention still focused on the paperwork in his hands.





“I wasn’t telling a lady, I was telling Hermione. Besides it's not like I shagged her, I just passed out in her bed.” Draco said. Hermione narrowed her eyes and stared at him for a moment.





“You were awfully drunk, are you so sure we didn’t?” She asked, tilting her head to the side. Draco looked up, his face suddenly flushing.





“Um….you would have told me if we had, right?” He asked nervously.





“Would I?” She had a soft smirk on her lips. “Perhaps it just wasn’t worth mentioning.” Hermione heard Lucius chuckling behind her. Draco looked slightly embarrassed and worried for a moment, and then he saw her slow smile and knew that he had been had.





“You are not funny.” He said, pointing his finger at her and glaring. “And you stop laughing old man; I doubt you would be worth mentioning at your age.” Lucius looked up from his documents and raised one brow as he stared at his son.





“Believe me, drunk or not, I would have been worth mentioning.” Lucius drawled. “Now, get back to work and figure out who is siphoning funds from my textile company.”





“I think I found your culprit.” Hermione said, handing a file back to Lucius over her shoulder. “The younger McNair, he has been making several large withdrawals from the petty cash accounts over the last six months with no documentation or receipts.” Lucius looked over the file while Hermione gathered the mess in front of her into a neat, orderly stack.





“Brilliant work, Hermione. I will be paying McNair a visit Monday morning.” Lucius closed the file and sent it sailing through the air to his desk.





“Does this mean we are done for the day?” She asked, leaning back against the front of his chair. “I’m starving.”





“Lunch will be served soon enough. How do you like working for Severus?” Lucius asked, shoving her hair aside and off of his trouser leg.





“I like it fine, though I am thinking that perhaps I should consider another job.” She said softly. She hated the idea of leaving the position she had coveted for so long, and she hated the idea of losing the constant, close contact with Severus, but she just couldn’t justify working for the man she was intimately involved with.





“Why would you do that? You love the school and you have wanted that job for as long as I can remember.” Draco said, shifting over so he could lay his head on her lap. He took her hand and laid it on top of his head. “Scratch.”





“Are you part cat?” She grouched as she started scratching his head. “My reasons for considering a new job are personal; I don’t really want to talk about them.”





“Are you alright? He’s not being a git is he?” Draco looked up at her worriedly.







“No, he’s fine.” More than fine actually. She smiled when her thoughts turned to the night she spent in his bed and the morning after.





“You can come back to work for me whenever you are ready, Hermione. I would love to have you back.” Lucius said, patting the top of her head as though she were dog.





“Thank you, Lucius.” She laughed. “I’ll think about it.” Hermione heard the soft whoosh of the floo being accessed and looked back at Lucius.





“Are you expecting company?” She asked.





“Severus, he’s coming for lunch.” Lucius said just as the man stepped through and into the study.





Severus stopped, his brows lifted in surprise at the odd scene that greeted him. Lucius was seated like a king in his oversized wingback chair while Hermione sat on the floor at his feet reclining against the front of the chair. Her legs were stretched out in front of her, crossed at the ankle with Draco lying with his head in her lap while she scratched his head.





“Am I interrupting?” He asked. He felt an odd surge of jealousy rush through him. They looked like a family sitting there like that, and he felt like an interloper.





“Not at all, we were working actually.” Lucius said, gesturing towards the stack of files sitting beside Hermione. “I’ve talked Hermione into working for me one day a week.”





“Guilt tripped me into it is more accurate. He refuses to hire a new assistant.” She said.





“I want only the best, my dear. And unfortunately you were stolen from me so I have no choice but to share. At least it’s with someone I actually like.” Lucius said, patting her head again.





“Will you stop that, Lucius; it makes me feel like one of your blasted hounds.” She said, laughing as she pulled her head from beneath his hand.





“Do you always make her work sitting at your feet?” Severus asked, trying hard to keep the possessive edge from his voice.





“Don’t you?” Lucius asked, a wry twist to his lips as he looked up at Severus. His eyes narrowed a bit at his friend’s curious behavior. “Sit down, Severus, lunch isn’t ready yet.”





Severus walked over to the sofa and took a seat at the end nearest the odd little threesome.



“Care to explain him?” Severus asked, gesturing towards Draco. Hermione looked down and realized that the young wizard had gone to sleep in her lap, his face turned into her stomach.





“Draco likes for me to scratch his head, he tends to fall asleep.” She said. She snapped her fingers and a throw pillow flew from the sofa and into her hand. She tucked it under his head as she slid her legs from under him. When she got to her feet it was to discover that her legs had gone numb and buckled beneath her, sending her falling backwards onto Lucius’s lap.





“Well this is a first.” Lucius laughed. “I’ve never had a Gryffindor in my lap before.”





“Oh, hush before I tie a knot in your hair.” Hermione said, flexing her leg until the pins and needles sensation went away and she was able to stand on her own two feet again. She walked over to the sofa and sat beside Severus. “What brings you to lunch?”





“He invited me. Why are you wearing a Slytherin Sweatshirt?” Severus asked, staring at the black fleece with the Slytherin crest on it.





“Thor over there spelled the house so that if I wear anything Gryffindor it automatically transfigures to Slytherin when I walk in.” She said.







“Hermione, dear, I told you, if you are going to compare me to a Norse deity at least make it Odin, not some hammer slinging laborer.” Lucius said, stretching his legs out.





“Don’t kick Draco, Lucius.” Hermione frowned when Lucius nearly kicked his sleeping son in the head. Lucius rolled his eyes and angled his feet further away from Draco’s head.





“There, is that better?” He asked. “You fuss over him too much, Hermione.”





“I’m not fussing over him; I just don’t want you to kick him.” She said before turning her attention back to Severus. “Did you eat breakfast?” She asked. Lucius started laughing and Severus closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the sofa.





“Yes, I ate breakfast, would you like to check with the house elves that cleared the tray away?” He asked.





“No, I believe you.” She said, smiling at him. A small house elf popped into the room and announced that lunch was ready before popping back out again with a smile for Hermione. Lucius decided it was a good time to nudge the side of Draco’s head with his foot.





“Don’t do that, Lucius.” Hermione scolded. Draco opened his eyes and stretched, his mouth open wide as he yawned.





“Is it time to eat?” He asked. “Oh, hey Uncle Sev, here for Mione’s birthday lunch?”







“I wasn’t aware it was a birthday celebration.” Severus said looking over at Hermione. “I did not know that it was your birthday.”





“It’s tomorrow actually, but sleeping beauty there is going to the States tomorrow for a week, so we are celebrating today.” She said.





“Why are you off to the US, Draco?” Severus asked.





“Business, an American wizard has controlling shares in a company I am interested in acquiring and he wants to sell. Plus I plan on buying a motorbike.” He said with a bright smile. “Harley Davidson to be exact.”





“I wish you wouldn’t, Draco. You’ll break your neck.” Hermione said, picking up the pillow Draco had been sleeping on and tossing it back to the sofa.





“Stop worrying about me. Come on, time to eat.” He said, rubbing his hands together and heading out the door.





“Now that is one I never have to fuss at to eat, its all he does.” Hermione said, watching Draco leave the room followed by his father. Severus was standing by the door waiting for her to join them. When she reached him she peeked around the corner to make certain Draco and Lucius were out of sight before leaning into him and smiling.





“Are you going to give me a proper hello?” He asked, setting his hands on her waist. Hermione put her arms around his neck and leaned up for his kiss.





“I missed you this morning.” She whispered. “I thought you were coming over last night.”





“A student riled Peeves who decided to throw a tantrum resulting in a school wide mess. It was very late by the time it was all taken care of. I should have sent word, I’m sorry.” He said, kissing her quickly.





“You’re forgiven.” She said, smiling.





“Are you two coming or not?” Draco’s voice carried down the hall and Hermione stepped back from Severus reluctantly.





“We’d better get to the dining room before the get suspicious.” She said, reaching up and brushing her fingers over his jaw. She slid past him and made her way down the hall towards the dining room with Severus following behind her admiring the soft swing of her hips encased in tight denim. She really did have a fantastic walk.







“What took you two so long?” Lucius asked, eyeing Severus with interest.





“A problem that came up at school. The students are taunting Peeves and he threw a tantrum.” Hermione said, smiling when Severus pulled out her chair.





“It’s the weekend, forget about the school.” Lucius said. “Now, Hermione, tell me what you want for your birthday, name it and it’s yours.”





“I don’t know…Draco already bought me a gorgeous dress I was going to wear when we go out tonight.” She said, laying her napkin in her lap. “OH! I know, I want you and Severus to go with us tonight.”





Draco choked on his lemonade and stared at her incredulously over the table as he wiped his chin.



“You want to take them to London with us?” He asked.





“Yes, I want them to go to London with us.” She said, smiling. Looking from Lucius to Severus and trying not to laugh at their horrified expressions.





“Wouldn’t you rather have diamonds? Perhaps some new clothes or a bigger house?” Lucius asked, willing to give her anything, regardless of the cost to keep from having to go to a muggle nightclub with them.





“Nope, you said name it and it would be mine. Well I’m naming it, I want you and Severus to join Draco and me in London tonight for dancing and drinks.” She said. Lucius frowned and with a resigned sigh he smiled and nodded at Hermione before turning his attention to Severus.





“Severus, can you get away from the school tonight so we can join Hermione and Draco in celebration of her birthday?” Lucius asked, a slight scowl on his face.





“Uh…well I suppose I could, wouldn’t it be better if Lucius and I joined you somewhere for dinner? Then you and Draco could go to the club afterwards?” Severus asked, Lucius readily agreeing that it was a brilliant idea.





“No. I want you to come with us to the club, but joining us for dinner is also a very good idea. Everyone can meet at my house around seven.” She said, smiling at Draco who was shaking his head at her in amusement. Hermione couldn’t wait to get the two former deatheaters into a muggle nightclub; it would no doubt be a night to remember.





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OK, sorry for taking so long with the new chapter. I was distracted by a twisted take on A Christmas Carol that wouldn’t let me focus on this story until I wrote it out. Anyhow, I look forward to writing the next few chapters more than you can imagine…..a night out with 3 gorgeous wizards in a Muggle club…..how can that not lead to fun, especially when one of them hates muggles with the exception of Hermione of course. And who knows, perhaps Sev will have a special surprise for his witch…. : )







Goldentrio – I can say without a doubt that when they finally come together it will rock both their worlds. : )





Littleoldme – SB/HG isn’t really my thing either, but I do like a good challenge, and what could be more challenging than trying to write something good with a character I am not particularly drawn to?





Dresoul - Im glad to make you happy, and I hope my writing continues to do so





Gertie - I cant tell you how happy I am that you are enjoying it enough to think about the story throughout your day. Thank you so much for that bit of encouragement.





Sampdoria – So you are ready for Sev to go in for the kill are ye? Soon, love, very very soon! LOL