Chances Taken

First, to those of you kind enough to review I must thank you all. Your words have been very encouraging.

(Voracious Reader – As much as I like Ron, I’ve always believed him to have a very selfish personality. I liked the idea of Hermione reclaiming her self-esteem through her sexuality in a healthy way. I do like to get to the point, unfortunately that tends to make for a shorter story.)

(Citten – Haha there might be a few moments of submission on Hermione’s part. You’ll just have to stick around to find out.)

(LaBibliographe – The office may make a few appearances in future chapters. I do like the idea of showing how Hermione interacts with her coworkers and giving the readers an idea of what her office does exactly.

I’ve always liked Luna and I thought she deserved a larger role. She seemed like a very understanding person and I thought that was exactly the type of friend Hermione needed. Haha, slash was what drew me to fanfiction to be honest so I couldn’t at least give it a nod. The femmeslash won’t be explicit I can tell you that now, I write it poorly.

I always liked Crookshanks myself. He gets glossed over in a lot of fics but its her familiar, there has to be some kind of attachment there yeah?

I like Ron but I like him with Draco haha. I just did not get the whole Hermione/Ron relationship. It just never made sense to me. I know they say opposites attract but I just couldn’t see Hermione settling for him.

Haha I was thinking of a way to describe a demi cup bra without actually calling it that. I figured that got the idea across. The actual lingerie set is real and very lovely. I’m very glad you liked my description of Hermione, as I’ve always loved yours.

Yes, this chapter is all Lucius though Hermione does make an appearance. I just wanted to get everything set up nicely before throwing them together.

Thank you for pointing that out. I write it correctly but I always go back and change it for no other reason than self-doubt. It’s getting ridiculous, really. I’ll be sure to keep it in mind in the future.)

Wow, that turned out a lot longer than anticipated. Again, I’d like to thank you all for taking the time to review and now, on to the story. Don’t worry; the next chapter will be longer.

Warnings – Het (Lucius/ofc)

Authors Notes – I’m not sure if I was entirely clear in my previous authors notes and warnings. While this is primarily a Hermione/Lucius story, there will be instances of Hermione/ofc, Hermione/omc as well as Lucius/ofc though they will be brief. I will make sure to mention such instances at the beginning of each chapter along with the warnings for that chapter.

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Life after the war had been quite dull for Lucius Malfoy. He had lost most of the influence he held over the wizarding world, though his galleons ensured he stayed in power, thanks to his actions during the war. He didn’t particularly care what society thought of him personally, he was a Malfoy after all. Their treatment of his family was a different matter entirely. Narcissa had been a good wife and a loving mother to Draco, she didn’t deserve the scorn of those she’d once called friend.

When she had approached him to ask that they dissolve their marriage bonds, he had not been able to tell her no because though there was no love between them he did care for her. He had given her one of the Malfoy townhouses in London, one of the villas in Italy, and a Gringotts vault. Draco had been disappointed but not surprised. It had taken his son some time to accept that their lives were changing but in the end, he did accept it.

One of the bad things about the dissolution of his marriage was the vast amount of time it cleared in his schedule. Business could only occupy a man for so long and the only friend he still had, Severus, did not appreciate uninvited guests. When he had mentioned his dilemma to Severus, the other man had suggested that he stop whining and get a mistress. He didn’t like the idea of getting a mistress, or the suggestion that he was whining but it did give him something to think about and after making a few discreet inquiries he found a solution to at least one of his problems.

Paradis was discreet and catered to a wide variety of clientele. The fact that it wasn’t monitored by the Ministry made it even better. On his first visit, he chose a lovely red haired whore with pale skin who’d sucked him to completion. After that, his choices varied as he found it amusing to take the wives of those too good to associate with him and there were plenty. He recognized them easily despite their glamour’s; the way they spoke and gesticulated gave them away every time. He’d spent years studying others at Ministry galas and there were certain things one just did not forget.

One evening there was one woman he could not place however. When she was escorted into the room by one of the many staff members, Lucius’ eyes slid over her slowly despite the blonde woman clinging to his side. She wore a black dress that hugged her gently, highlighting the curve of her hips and the swell of her breasts. She was obviously not a regular, the curious look on her face could attest to that. She didn’t appear desperate either as did most of the married women that came to Paradis.

Lucius watched as she scanned the assembled group of witches and wizards alike. He noticed several sets of eyes appraising her as well. When her eyes swept over him they stilled and his lips turned up into a smirk as her cheeks pinked. The woman pressed against him on the chaise lounge pouted as she noticed his preoccupation, running her fingers along the inseam of his trousers. He didn’t push her away; instead, he adjusted his position to give her more access.

The woman didn’t look away, her eyes fixed intently on the manicured hand skating along his thigh. As it brushed against his prick Lucius inhaled sharply and the woman bit her lip. He watched as the color in her cheeks spread down to her breasts and he wondered just how far down it went. The woman beside him, Veronique, he thought her name was, leaned in to whisper into his ear as she cupped his cock in her hand and squeezed gently, “Let’s go upstairs.”

At his nod they rose, Veronique leading the way with a triumphant smirk. Lucius followed along behind her, ignoring the exaggerated sway of her hips to watch the face of the woman he’d been admiring so intently. She seemed unaffected and as he passed her, the soft scent of honey assaulted his senses. It was intoxicating, calling to him as surely as any voice. His prick throbbed as he imagined nuzzling along her throat, drinking in the sweet smell of her as she called out his name.

Pushing his fantasies aside, Lucius followed Veronique out of the room and up the stairs. The manor house was large, only slightly larger than Malfoy Manor was with a grand imperial staircase leading up to opulent rooms. If you followed the staircase to the right you’d find tastefully decorated rooms for lighter play while the staircase to the left led to rooms fitted for those with darker desires. Veronique led him to the right, glancing coyly over her shoulder from time to time. He found her attempts at flirtation tasteless of a sudden; she’d already been paid for her services.

Once they stepped inside one of the many bedrooms Veronique began to undress. Lucius opted to keep his clothes on, choosing instead to unfasten his trousers and free his aching cock. She eyed it hungrily, dropping to her knees to take him into her mouth. At the feel of her lips wrapping around the head of his prick Lucius closed his eyes with a sigh. Sinking his fingers into her hair, he guided her movements, his mind conjuring images of that woman. He pulled her back with a moan, looking down with a sneer as she groaned in disappointment.

“On the bed,” Lucius ordered, releasing her hair so she could get to her feet. She moved quickly, lying on the bed with her legs spread as if to entice. “On your knees.”

As Veronique rolled over onto her stomach and then up onto her knees, Lucius fisted his cock slowly. Her glistening folds assured him that she was ready and he moved forward until his knees pressed firmly against the edge of the bed. Holding himself steady, he sunk into her with a sigh. She wasn’t as tight as he would have liked and at that thought his mind wandered back to the sitting room or more importantly, to the woman in the sitting room.

Lucius allowed himself to imagine it was her beneath him, that every practiced shriek Veronique emitted was a moan of pleasure. Thrusting harder, he saw himself gripping her luscious hips, running his fingers along her curves. She would beg he knew, beg him for more and he would oblige her. With his eyes closed it was her clamping down around him and with a roar of completion, he let himself go. Pulling away, his eyes snapped open at the sound of Veronique’s voice.

“Mmm, that was particularly… inspired.” She purred, rolling over onto her back.

Lucius was momentarily amused by her choice of words but declined from commenting. Instead, he produced his second wand and cast a quick cleansing spell before tucking himself back into his trousers. With a nod of his head, he turned and headed for the door. Upon his return to the drawing room, he discovered that the woman he had become inexplicably focused on had disappeared. Strangely disappointed he decided to end the evening and after retrieving his cloak, he took the small business card from his pocket and whispered the word that would take him home.

Upon his return to the Manor, Lucius entered his study and poured himself a glass of brandy. Settling down before the fire, he sipped at his drink slowly, his eyes narrowing as his thoughts turned to Paradis once more. He seldom took interest in things outside of his business or family, even his pursuit of pleasure was a casual thing. He had often believed, and been proven right, that one’s obsession often led to one’s ruin. He couldn’t help but wonder if a woman he knew nothing about would be his.