Experience

Lyssa: I hope you consider this keeping up the good work.

Mary: Yes, I think that is every male's typical reaction to shopping.

Carol: I will read your fic when I've got time... I am very busy however. Here's more, and yes I want to be his secretary to.

Catstaff: Its amazing how people percieve characters differently. I think that whilst Hermione is a rather bossy person, I don't see her as being a good boss if you know what I mean. Hermione seems to be the 'Greater Woman behind the Great Man' type... I hope you still continue reading.

LaBibliographe: Pleased to seduce you... you will find Lucius to be even more arrogant in this chapter to some extent.

Lady Lynn: Yes. Blaise Zabini... sigh!

Lisa: Writing that scene bought tears to my eyes to. As for LM/HG romance... well... wait.

Pam: Here is another post.

cateye: Severus will pop up soon, trust me... be patient.

sdga: Yes, I prefer my Lucius to be vulnerable.

ShilohDarke: Thanks, I liked writing that scene to. I hope you like the next chapter.

BuckyKattGirl: I most certainly did.

candymac: Good. More LM/HG interaction here.

angel: Yep, Kingsley... but there's competition.

Annie: Cool read on.

Dee Dee: That's an idea... I might just do that.

Cecilia: I'll try, but I can't promise anything.

Kirabates: Hope you like.

Mistress Malfoy: Poor ickle Draco.... never really got to be with his true love. Oh well. I hope you like this chapter.

Criosdan: Thanks, that's great. Here's some more for you.

Citten: I think this is guaranteed to be a long story. The rate it's going... 3 chapters and it's already over 40 pages; so yep. Long story.

Tuesday – Second Day

Hermione had got up earlier than the previous day. She had to decide what robes to wear. She had thought of labelling them, but gave up after two hours. She thought that she’d wake up in a mood and that the mood would dictate to her what colour she should wear. Why they couldn’t mix and match was beyond her. But she had observed that Witches often wore the same colour dress with the same colour robe. She sighed. She wondered whether she should revolutionise that. She shrugged her shoulders and picked up the light yellow robes.

She nodded as she pressed them against her body. She walked to the bathroom and ran herself a bath. She smiled as she thought of walking into the office with the letters placed on her desk ready for her to write all over again. She hoped that she would have a lot to do today. She didn’t want to be one of those secretary’s that sat cross-legged and filing the nails.

Nails? She frowned. She stared down at her hands and began examining them. She tilted her head and looked at them contemplatively. She could see his point. They were not the best looking set of nails. They weren’t horrible but they were just about on the verge of becoming so. Hermione had never thought about her nails. She didn’t even have them done properly for the Ball. She shrugged her shoulders and stopped the bath. She disrobed herself and slunk into the bath.

She sighed as the hot water enveloped her skin. She’d need a cup of coffee before she went to make an appointment at Magicure – the beauticians at Diagon Alley for all Witches, (and some Wizards), and every single Witch that went there came out with almost a permanent make over. Once they changed you; you stayed changed.

Hermione wasn’t sure about this. She kind of liked how she looked. Okay, so she wasn’t Greta Garbo but she didn’t want to be Greta Garbo. She wanted to be herself. She was proud of Hermione Granger; Hermione Granger could use cool logic in the face of fire. Hermione Granger could brew a potion just by looking at the instructions. Hermione Granger could do a whole world of things. She bit her lip and thought about her predicament.

Last night she had dreamt of Lucius Malfoy. She was leading him to a garden full of beautifully kept borders; roses in full bloom, green rolling lawns and a fountain. The fountain was made of silver and it was shaped like a Phoenix with water falling out of the eyes. She did not understand the dream at all. Lucius Malfoy had squeezed her hand and she stepped up to the rim of the fountain. There was an emerald encrusted silver goblet set on the rim of the fountain. Hermione had picked up the goblet and filled it with water. She handed the goblet over to Lucius and he drank from the goblet. She remembered how handsome he was by the fountain with his white silk shirt half buttoned up and the sun playing on his hair.

That was when she woke up. She wondered if the dream had meant anything or whether it was her subconscious just playing havoc with her. It wasn’t the first time her subconscious had given her naughty but nice dreams of certain men that she wasn’t supposed to have had feelings for. She soaped her body and washed her hair. She stepped out of the bath and was about to wrap her body up in a towel when Harry walked in on her.

“HERMIONE!” he exclaimed. His complexion changed from pale and interesting to beetroot red in a second.

“What’s the matter, Harry?” Hermione asked.

“You could have locked the door!” Harry muttered.

“I didn’t think you’d be up yet, Harry,” Hermione said wrapping the towel around her body, and then wrapping one around her hair.

“Hermione, this is a house full of men... what if Arthur had walked in?”

“He’d have walked out again,” Hermione answered. She stepped up to Harry and kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t worry, Harry.”

She walked out of the bathroom leaving a very blustered and turned on Harry Potter. Harry needed Ginny here and he needed her here a lot sooner than Saturday. He had missed her as soon as she said goodbye. He had a very hot dream with her in it the previous night. Seeing Hermione dripping wet and naked this morning did not help matters that was for damn sure. Ron’s going to kill me, Harry thought.

Hermione walked into her bedroom. She dried her hair with her wand. She then opened the draws and brought out her only pair of matching panties and bra set. Thankfully they were yellow. She sighed. She’d probably have to find a matching pair to go with all the new robes she had. She had to clear that with Malfoy... just don’t bring up the words ‘panties,’ and ‘bra,’ and then everything would go well.

She found herself a pair of sheer flesh coloured tights and put them on carefully so that they wouldn’t tear and ladder. She picked up the pair of dainty yellow shoes and placed them on her feet. She walked around a few minutes to get used to the shoes. She then unhooked the dress and unzipped the side of the dress; she stepped in the dress and pulled it up. She threaded her arms through the long sleeves. She grabbed the cloak and wrapped it around her body and clasped it together. She then freed her hair from the confines of the cloak. She found her light makeup and placed a layer of foundation on her face and then put some frost pink lipstick on her lips and light pink eye shadow. She then carefully applied some mascara.

“As good as it’ll ever be,” she sighed.

She walked down the stairs and Harry was there and he immediately looked down on his plate. Hermione giggled. She could not believe that he was being such an idiot. Hermione didn’t feel embarrassed that he had walked in on her naked. She supposed it was the fact that she was not in the middle of a relationship at the moment. She had no hormones zooming around her body unused and with nowhere to go. Poor Harry, she sighed.

Molly had her back turned at this moment; she turned around holding the frying pan. “Oh, Hermione, don’t you look beautiful?”

“Thanks,” Hermione said happily. “Anyway, I have to go.”

“Not without any food inside your stomach young lady!” Molly exclaimed. Hermione checked her watch and it read half-seven. She had an hour but she had a few things to sort out first of all. She knew that Gringotts was open twenty-four hours as it was run by highly meticulous Goblins. She wanted to open her own bank account now that she was getting money to put in there. That could take some time, and she had an appointment to make – she didn’t have time to hang around. So Hermione took two slices of toast and ate them daintily. Molly shook her head disapprovingly. Hermione shrugged her shoulders. She could easily change some of the money to muggle money and buy something to eat on the way to the Ministry. She had a small cup of coffee and kissed Molly on the cheek.

“Goodbye,” she said. Harry mumbled goodbye his eyes never leaving his plate. Ron looked at Harry quizzically. Ron didn’t say goodbye to her at all, as she still hadn’t said sorry for abandoning him whenever he needed her.

She apparated out of the gate holding the money she had earned the previous day. She walked through the Leaky Cauldron and tapped the brick combination to get into the Alley. She walked up to the bank and was surprised at who else was standing there.

“Mr Malfoy?” she asked. Lucius turned around and smiled pleasingly as he noted her in yellow. It was a colour that suited her immensely.

“Miss Granger,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

“I am going to open my own bank account,” Hermione said. “I might as well.” Lucius blushed but Hermione was looking straight ahead and stretched her hand out to open the door, she opened the door and walked through it but turned around and smiled at him. “So, what are you doing here?”

“Um,” he said. “Well, I was going to open a bank account for you.”

Hermione’s heart sped slightly faster at this confession, and she looked at Lucius with a sweet smile.

“Sorry,” she whispered. He lowered his eyes. Hermione noticed that he had his shoulders slumped slightly. He was hoping to surprise her. He was about to walk away. She ran after him. “Hey, why don’t you do it for me?”

“No,” he said. “No, you’re old enough to do these things yourself. It should be your responsibility.”

“Are you sure?” she asked. She unconsciously stroked his arm with her hand. Lucius withdrew his arm from her touch. “Sorry, sir, I am a touchy, feely, person...”

He nodded trying not to gulp in front of her. Touchy and feely? The old Lucius was beginning to rear his ugly head, but the new Lucius was going to suppress him.

“I tell you what,” he said. “Why don’t you let me buy you breakfast?”

“Okay,” Hermione said. She went back to the bank and walked up to the first Goblin she could. This reminded her of her muggle bank that had an austere feel to.

“What can I do for you, Miss?” the Goblin asked in his sly voice.

“I’d like to open an account,” Hermione said.

“Name?” the Goblin asked bringing his quill out of the inkpot.

“Hermione Granger,” she said. The Goblin turned his head and smiled. Hermione didn’t like the smile. He placed the quill back in the inkpot and opened a draw and bought out a key.

“You have an account with us already,” he said to her in a voice that made her feel stupid. “A man has just been here and opened one up for you depositing a hundred gold galleons in there.”

Hermione was torn between happiness and fuming with indignation. She pitied him; she felt sorry for him, and she wanted to help him but; she can look after herself and didn’t need a hundred gold galleons.

“Thank you,” Hermione said with a tight-lipped smile. “Well, here’s more to put in it.”

The Goblin took the bag and poured the contents out on the desk. He nodded and she left the bank. He counted the six gold galleons she had earned the previous day and then gave them to another Goblin. He whispered to the Goblin the vault number.

She walked up to Magicure and found that it was open. She walked into the shop and there was a blonde buxom Witch with sharp pointed nails painted in purple with silver stripes standing at a desk. Hermione was sorely reminded of Dolly Parton.

“Darling?” a woman asked. “What can I possibly do for you?”

“I wish to make an appointment for six o’clock tonight,” Hermione said.

“Name?” the beautician replied. She dipped her purple quill and had it poised to write the new customers name.

“Hermione Granger,” she said. The beautician frowned.

“Your name is already here,” the beautician said. “A really gorgeous man had just come in and made an appointment for you at 4 this evening.”

Hermione ground her teeth. She smiled politely, however, and said thank you politely to the beautician. She walked out of the shop and into the Leaky Cauldron. Lucius was sitting next the window and gestured to her using his newspaper. Hermione walked up to him and decided to act all surprised... although, what gave him the right to start controlling her life? She liked to know. She sat down and he put the newspaper down.

“So,” he said. “How did it go?”

“Fine,” she said. “I’ve got my key now.”

“Good,” he said.

“Oh, and I’ve got an appointment at Magicure at six.”

“Admirable,” he said. He smirked at her. She supposed he knew that she had found out what he had done this morning. He was waiting for her pride to cave in. He knew he must have damaged it somehow but he would enjoy the game.

I suppose he’s ordered me breakfast now, she thought to herself.

Tom had come to the table with two plates of food and smirked a little at Hermione. Hermione narrowed her eyes at the hunchback. Great, Max Shreck is eyeing me up! She looked down at the bowl of porridge. How on earth did he know she liked sugar on her porridge? Hermione decided to start playing.

“How about we split this?” she asked.

“What? The porridge?” Lucius asked with an innocent expression in his eyes.

“No, the cost,” Hermione said. “I’ll pay for mine and you pay for yours?”

“No,” Lucius sighed. “Because I’ve already paid for it. I knew that would be your suggestion.”

Hermione bit the inside of her cheek to stop her from screaming at him. She ate her porridge carefully and daintily.

“I suppose with one hundred and six galleons I can’t afford to buy my own breakfast?” Hermione asked sweetly.

Hermione saw it then. He blushed. She giggled. He was almost cute when he blushed. At least it proved he had blood.

“I am sorry, Miss Granger, but I felt I had to do that.”

“And I suppose my making sure my homework is the required length and on time doesn’t qualify me to make my own beauty appointments?”

Lucius at this moment in time was in between wanting to strangle her and wanting to kiss her. He was only trying to make her life a whole lot easier. She looked up at him coyly.

“Well, for that I have no excuse,” he mumbled. Hermione looked at him and saw the hurt in his eyes and was immediately sorry for what she did. “I only wanted to help you.”

She sighed before placing another spoonful of porridge in her mouth. “Sorry, it’s just that I am the one that’s used to doing things for other people. And in the first ten years of my life I had to practically look out for myself. I am not used to someone taking this much interest in me.”

“What about Potter?” he asked.

Hermione shook her head. “Not even Harry.”

“So, you don’t mind?” Lucius asked.

Hermione laughed. “No, but please, no more!”

He nodded his head. “I promise.”

They ate breakfast in companionable silence. He remarked on the weather a couple of times. Hermione had the sudden desire to want to sit next to him and snuggle against him, but immediately checked that. She smiled at the thought though. She finished her porridge and Lucius checked his watch.
“Alas,” he sighed, “time for work.”

Hermione sniggered. She got up and smiled as he offered her his arm and she accepted. Tom watched the two of them and smiled. He had so many times seen Hermione Granger in his pub but she was never as beautiful as she was this morning, he sighed. ‘Lucky devil,’ he muttered as he wiped a beer mug. He whistled a merry tune about a pub keeper and the landlady. A naughty ribald tune that some of the other punters gave disapproving looks to.

~*~*~

Hermione and Lucius arrived at the Ministry holding hands although neither knew it. They walked to the lift and Arthur was standing in there with his son. Ron looked at the connected hands and frowned. Hermione followed Ron’s gaze and a blush crept along her face and cheek. She nudged her boss and he noticed. He immediately let go. Arthur scowled at Lucius. The lift pinged and Arthur and Ron left the lift leaving Lucius and Hermione on their own.

“Ron’s not happy with the fact that I am working for you,” she said.

“Understandable,” Lucius said, “he likes you, you know.”

Hermione’s expression darkened. She wasn’t sure whether she liked him anymore.

“If he likes me then explain why I caught him kissing another girl in the Common Room all because I was too busy for him?”

“The dog!” Lucius exclaimed. He meant it to. Why would anyone want to kiss another girl when they had her?

“It’s all right,” Hermione shrugged. “I told him that we’re to remain friends and never try dating again.”

“That’s possibly best,” Lucius said. Hermione nodded. She stared straight ahead. She waited for the lift to stop and it opened, as she stepped out of the lift she bumped into someone.

“Sorry,” she said.

“Your forgiven,” a boy said. Hermione looked up and narrowed her eyes as she was looking directly into the eyes of Blaise Zabini!
“Perhaps I am not that sorry after all,” she said stiffly. Blaise sighed.

“We need to talk,” he said.

“Sure!” Hermione exclaimed. “Just like we did before?”

Blaise shrugged his shoulders. “I’m offering to talk to you like a mature person.”

Hermione gritted her teeth. It wasn’t him that woke up that morning cold and lonely; it wasn’t him that felt shame at being used. Lucius looked between the two of them and something stabbed at his chest. This young upstart had hurt her to. What is wrong with young men today? he thought. There is a beautiful, intelligent woman and they don’t know what to do with her. I do, yet I can’t. Life’s a bitch!

Hermione walked up to the office door she opened it; stepped into the room, and walked up to her desk. There was a bunch of flowers on her desk. Lucius had noticed them too. Hermione picked them up. She looked at them and sniffed them. They were a dozen yellow roses.

Good thing they weren’t red, Lucius thought. He walked up behind her and touched the silky petals of the roses.

“This is the Peace Rose,” he said. “Someone wants to make up with you.”

Hermione scoffed. Something fell out of the flowers and Lucius bent down and picked it up. He handed it to her. Their fingers touched briefly and they burnt at the touch. Lucius coughed awkwardly as he strode up to his desk. He gripped it hard before swallowing.

Hermione opened the little envelope and gave out a strangled sound. He frowned. If anyone’s upset her... All right, Lucius, he thought. Stop this, you’re acting like she’s yours and you’re jealous. She’s not yours, and never will be! So, stop acting petulant because someone has given her flowers!

Hermione read the message again and again. Lucius watched as her eyes scanned it several times.

“What does it say?” he asked.

“It says,” Hermione began, clearing her throat. “You light up the darkest place of my soul; You warm the coldest place of my heart; Only you can make me whole; Otherwise I am torn apart. Signed, BZ.”

“Blaise Zabini?” Lucius asked.

“Well, I hardly know anyone else with those initials.” Hermione sighed and sniffed the flowers once again. “Why?” she asked.

“Because he’s not an idiot,” Lucius mumbled. “He knows a good thing when he see’s it unlike Weasley Jr.”

Hermione blushed. Lucius Malfoy had just called her a good thing. She smirked a little at that. She sniffed the roses again and sighed. She liked the little white flowers to. She went to the little coffee room wondering if there was a vase she could put them in. Hermione found one and filled it with water.

She placed the flowers in the vase and put the food in there. She walked up to her desk and placed them in the corner. She sat down and began the tedious chore of writing letters. Memo’s zoomed in and out of the office; Hermione wrote down the appointments the memo’s contained in a little diary already on the desk. Once she had finished the letters from the previous day Lucius had read through them again whilst she was writing answers to this morning’s mail.

“Come in,” Lucius drawled when someone had lightly knocked on the door.

Blaise Zabini walked in. He was holding something and he glanced at Hermione. Lucius flicked his eyes between the two of them.

“Miss Granger,” Lucius said. “Why don’t you make me and my guest a cup of coffee?”

“Irish or regular?” Hermione asked.

“Regular,” Lucius and Blaise said. Hermione walked into the little room and ladled the permanently hot water into some mugs to warm them up. She put some coffee in the caffitiere and ladled some hot water into it afterwards. She was just about to find some biscuits when she heard the door open and shut behind her. She turned around and Blaise stood there blocking the door.

“Will you be reasonable and talk to me now,” he said.

“Reasonable,” Hermione said with a slight edge to her voice. “We’ll talk reasonable when you apologise for acting like a complete jerk!”

“I was about to,” Blaise said. Hermione’s biting comments died on her lips and she had nothing else to say.

“What?” she asked.

“Sorry for acting like a completely insensitive jerk, but I got scared.”

“Scared?,” Hermione said her voice rising an octave. “Well, think how I felt when I woke up all on my own and you not wanting to talk about it when I tried to and acting all smug with Parkinson hanging on your arm like she owns you. The bitch sure got over Draco pretty damn quick didn’t she!”

“I want to make peace with you,” he said. “Do you want to at least know why I got scared?”

Hermione sighed. “Hit me.”

“Okay,” Blaise said. “I got scared because I woke up to the most beautiful girl in the world sleeping peacefully and – and – I realised that I cared about you.”

“Strange way of showing it,” Hermione muttered.

“I know, it is pretty mixed up,” Blaise said. “But I thought that if I went out with Pansy I could get over you. But the truth is, Hermione, I want to be with you.”

She blinked. She turned to the coffee pot and pressed the plunger down carefully. She emptied the mugs of the water, and then she poured the coffee in the mugs and poured some cream in the cups. She handed one to Blaise.

“I don’t know, Blaise, you hurt me.”

“Then that means that you have feelings for me, right?”

Hermione stammered; her mouth opened and closed like a codfish. Blaise stopped when he came near her. He tilted her chin up and looked deeply into her eyes.

“I – I guess so,” Hermione stammered.

Blaise leant down and tilted his head to one side and smirked before he brushed his lips against hers. He set his coffee down and wrapped an arm around her neck and dragged her closer to him. He gently sucked on her lip causing her to moan and part her lips. He slipped his tongue inside her mouth and stroked his tongue on hers. Hermione drowned and caved into the kiss.

“How about we go out tonight?” he breathed.

“Okay,” Hermione said. She had walked past him holding Lucius coffee. She whipped her wand out of the top of her dress and warmed it up with a spell and walked out of the room. Blaise followed with a loping grace. He put a hand on her side and pecked her on the cheek. Lucius watched the display with mixed feelings.

“How are your friends going to cope with that?” Lucius asked. Hermione swore she heard a slight harshness to his voice.

“Are you okay?” Hermione asked.

“Fine,” he said. “Thanks.”

She furrowed her brow. She shrugged her shoulders and went back to her desk. She picked up the letters and sipped at her coffee reading through them. Lucius watched her. He had heard the conversation and part of him was growling in contempt at Blaise and the other part of him was pleased. If she had a boyfriend she’d be less of a temptation, right?

Hermione wrote the replies and looked at his appointments.

“You’ve got a meeting with Umbridge at 2pm,” Hermione said. Lucius groaned. “If she gets up herself just do horse trots with your fingers underneath the desk; she’s scared of them now.”

Lucius grinned. His kind of secretary, he mused. She looked at the appointments and shrugged.

“No more?” he asked.

“No,” she said.

“Do you want me to be there at Magicures?”

“Sir, what did we talk about?” Hermione said. Lucius winced.

“Fine,” he sighed. “Go on your own.”

“I will,” she said.

“Don’t blame me if they mess it up though,” he said slyly.

“Mess it up?” Hermione asked. “What do you mean?”

“She can be overbearing you know,” Lucius said. “But I suppose you can handle anything.”

Hermione smiled weakly. “Perhaps, for this visit only. It is the first time after all.”

“Exactly,” Lucius smirked.

Hermione looked at the light in Lucius eyes. She felt a little uncomfortable with him looking at her with his eyes shining like that. Hermione turned around and continued with her replies. Lucius drank his coffee and tried his best to ignore her. He had to give her something to do after lunch so he stopped her replying.

“There was one thing I forgot to show you yesterday,” he said. “Come.”

Hermione got up and followed Lucius out of the room. He took her back to the lift and he pressed a button. Hermione felt her stomach go up into her throat as the lift lurched upwards. She was thrown slightly off balance and she fell into Lucius. Lucius caught her and his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Hermione looked up into his eyes and he looked down into hers. He squeezed her gently before releasing her from his grip.

“Sorry, sir,” Hermione blushed. “New shoes.”

Lucius said nothing and just stared straight ahead; his face revealing nothing of the emotional turmoil he was feeling within himself.

The lift doors opened effortlessly. Lucius handed her out of the lift and walked into the door straight opposite. He opened the door and he held it for her to walk through. Hermione was stunned to find herself in an aviary.

“Wow!” she breathed. As soon as she spoke an eagle opened an eye lazily and glided down to her.

“Ah!” Lucius exclaimed. “It seems that you’re adopted.”

“What?” Hermione asked.

“A bird adopts you,” Lucius said. “This golden eagle has adopted you. It takes some of us ages to get one to like us.”

“I have an affinity with golden eagles,” Hermione said. “I held one when I was six. The keepers told me not to touch it. I did! It didn’t mind.”

Lucius smiled. “You’ll have to use him.”

“I don’t mind,” Hermione sighed. “What is his name?”

“That’s up to you,” Lucius said. Hermione looked at the eagle. She couldn’t think of a name good enough... oh yes. She looked at the bird and sighed the name:

“Icarus.”

Lucius smiled at the name. Hermione smiled at the bird and stroked his feathers. He was not surprised in the least that the eagle had adopted Hermione. He swore he saw the two shimmer and entwine in each other... he frowned at that thought. Surely that could mean, couldn’t it?

A/N - Could be what? Hey, I know, sorry ain't gonna talk. How did you wonderful reviewers like that one then?