If You Go Down To The Woods Today

angel: Hmm, I’m not sure. I am so glad you’re still enjoying it. Hope you like this one.



pittwitch: Yep, sure let the games begin, and what games there will be.



luciana_malfoy83: Thanks for reviewing this story, and for giving me more encouragement to carry on writing. I hope you like this chapter as much.



BuffyXO: I thought so to, I hate Slughorn as well, and yes it is about time someone shut him up. I would have loved Snape to have told Slughorn the truth about Potter.



Michelline: Hmm, she might or might not be, I’m not sure either on that one. I will try to update as fast as I can I assure you.



Dee Dee: Lol. Calm down! I will tell you to be patient but I know you so well, that you will only have more questions after this chapter. Well, yes. What exactly is going to happen?



Annie: Me to, and thanks. Lucimuse has got a tight hold on me at the moment. I think he enjoys making my life a living hell... hmm, yep!



Criosdan: Hee hee, glad I ain’t the only one. Here’s more Professor Malfoy for you to enjoy.



Gaps of Misery: Welcome back! I missed you! Thank you. I hate that Hermione to, I prefer her to fight back but I do like her to be seduced by a big bad Death Eater.



Ophelia Immortal: Thanks, and I want to apologise for not reading yours lately; I’ve just been too busy writing and other things, I will catch up eventually, I promise. Detentions? Sure thing!



DB: Oh there will be, I promise you. This one will be slightly different to Experience and Hidden Meanings... which by the way I plan on updating soon!



LaBibliographe: Thanks for saying I write Lucius so well, I’ve had plenty of practise. I love Lucius and Hermione, and yes she’s hardly poor and put upon. Hmm, yes, a little rummage around her uniform... yummy! Might use that idea. I hope you have plenty of tissue, coz believe me, you’ll need it soon!



To Blaise’s With Him



Hermione picked at her lunch nonchalantly. She stabbed at the lettuce with her fork before placing her attention on a tomato. She began rolling a cherry tomato around her plate with her fork back and forth. No one had seen her like this for a long time – in fact never. Hermione was always alert and looking around the school picking up on follies and foibles; and trying to find troublemakers so that she could dock points off. Some of the students had muttered that she was a ‘Snape in the making!’ Hermione didn’t care what the general student body thought about her; she was only doing her duty. She loved the way that she was; and now she realised she loved the way she’d been two nights ago.



She sighed when the bell rang. It meant lessons had started up again.



“Good luck, Harry,” Ginny sighed, kissing him on the lips swiftly.



“Thanks,” Harry muttered. He looked at McGonnagall and sighed. He wondered not for the first time if madness was prerequisite to be Head of this school, and if that were the case maybe Snape would have been a brilliant Headmaster after all.



Hermione sighed and got up. She was about to pick up her bag when someone had laid a hand on her shoulder. She winced before she turned around. It was Blaise Zabini. He smiled pleasantly.



“Allow me, My Lady,” he said in his deep chocolate voice.



He leant down and picked up her bag with effortless ease.



“I can carry it, thanks!” Hermione said.



“Oh no, a gentleman should never expect a lady to carry her own bags.”



Hermione rolled her eyes and walked off. Blaise followed. Ginny watched the interaction with interest. She was pleased that he had stopped going after her when he knew none of his friends were looking; and by friends she meant Draco Malfoy. She thought that she would have to be extremely public in her affections for Harry this year and was thrilled when he turned his attentions towards another Gryffindor.



Harry watched it too but he narrowed his eyes at the tall black boy. He had hated ALL Slytherins and Blaise was giving Harry plenty of reasons to dislike him. First he found out that his original intention was Ginny, and second he found out now that Blaise was going after – well – his sister. He always viewed Hermione as a sister. That’s why Krum’s jealousy was so absurd. It would be like Ron being jealous of Harry for dating Ginny... Harry shuddered at that thought and tried to wipe the image of that out of his mind. He sometimes hated having an active imagination.



They weren’t the only people in the Great Hall observing the young couple. Lucius Malfoy was sitting where he knew Snape sat and kept his gaze on his Witch and that boy together. He scowled when he saw Zabini’s hand on her shoulder and he almost growled when he saw him pick up her bag. She didn’t tell him that she had an admirer already.



“Sweet, isn’t it?” a smug voice said to him, dragging him out of reverie.



“Sorry, what is?” Lucius asked in as controlled a manner as he could.



“To think that’s me that’s done that, if it weren’t for my innate ability to pick the best of the best and get them together at my parties those two would never have met.”



“I’m sure you’re overestimating yourself again, Slughorn,” Lucius said smoothly.



Slughorn grinned. He shook his head. “Oh come on, would he have even considered her if he hadn’t have had the chance to meet her at more social occasions?”



Lucius sighed and swept an uncaring glance at the Slytherin table. “Well,” he said. “I best make my way to the classroom.”



He got up and walked down the side of the Great Hall where all the Slytherin students stopped talking. Slughorn might be the Head of House but hardly any of the Slytherins respected him as he was almost akin to being a blood traitor. They had hoped now that another Slytherin was teaching at Hogwarts that this one would become the new Head. He certainly had earned their respect more so than Slughorn.



Lucius kept his eyes on the students for as long as he could tolerate them, which was only a few moments before he walked out of the door towards the classroom.



~*~*~



Blaise looked at his prey with a hunters gleam in his eyes. She didn’t know it yet but he was going to pounce on her some time later in the evening. He was fed up of just looking at her. He wanted to touch her. She turned around and looked at him with her eyes smouldering with anger.



“You can stop play acting now, Zabini, give me back my bag.”



“Who said anything about play acting?” Zabini asked with a smirk on his face. Hermione gritted her teeth.



“Just, please, give me back my bag,” she said in as nice a tone as possible.



“Why?” Blaise asked. “What’s wrong with me carrying your bag for you, Hermione?”



Hermione faltered. She had never heard ANY Slytherin call her by her first name, apart from Lus – er, Professor Malfoy, but he didn’t count.



“I don’t like anyone touching my things at the best of times. Least of all Slytherin men!”



Lucius had turned up at this point. He could see that there was quite a crowd of them outside the doors, but he’d make them wait. Besides he was just as interested in what she had to say, as was anyone else within listening distance.



Blaise chuckled. “What are you afraid of, Mia? Why are you afraid of me? I am sure that if I was Draco, you’d have slapped me in the face by now.”



“Don’t think I’m sorely tempted,” Hermione seethed.



The Slytherins around Blaise were grinning wildly. They thought that Blaise hated her as much as their last leader did. Only Lucius knew what was really going on inside the dark Slytherin’s mind, and he didn’t like it.



“So, why haven’t you? Do you want to know what it’s like to be kissed and touched by a real man rather than a Weasel?”



“FYI, Zabini, Ron and I didn’t break up because of his lack of skills in the bedroom!”



Lucius chuckled. He knew that was a bald lie if ever he heard one. He broke her last night in the glade.



Ron had heard that statement and turned to see a scowling Lavender Brown; this was news to her. He had told her that he had never slept with Hermione.



“So,” Zabini sighed looking at Ron for a second. “Why did you break up with Weasley?”



Ron glanced once at Hermione and then at Blaise.



“I’m not telling you that,” Hermione hissed. She was almost bubbling over with the urge to kick him in his balls.



“As far as I know you’re still available, aren’t you?” Blaise asked with a smug smirk playing across his face.



The Slytherins stopped grinning; had one of us asked one of them out? They all thought together. They exchanged various glances at one another. Lucius had heard enough. He stepped out of the shadows and waved his hand at the door.



“A demonstration of what is going to be taught today,” he said smoothly. He swept a glance around the children. “Well, what are you all waiting for? Get!”



They all rushed into the classroom; Hermione sat at the back of the classroom in the corner. Hoping against hope that Crabbe and Goyle would sit in front of her so that she’d be shielded from his view. Blaise followed her and pulled the chair out and was about to sit next to her when Lucius noticed.



“Mr Zabini,” he said. “You can sit next to Potter! Miss Granger: you come sit in the front.”



Hermione groaned. Zabini bit the inside of his cheek. He noticed Potter didn’t look too happy about it either. He gave her, her bag back and she walked to the front of the class. Why had he done that? For once she wouldn’t have minded sitting next to a Slytherin at the back of the class. Snape would have just left her there. He might have even given her points for it.



She sat in the corner though hoping that he didn’t mean right in front of him.



“Mr Longbottom, switch with Miss Granger please?”



Neville looked at Hermione and she looked at Neville. He shook his head. Hermione got back up again glaring hatefully at the now turned back of Lucius Malfoy. Lucius was writing something on the blackboard. Hermione sat down; only to find herself sitting next to Crabbe. Great!



Lucius turned around and placed the chalk carefully on the desk before him. The class could see one word etched there. WANDLESS. Hermione sucked in her breath over her teeth.



“I know for a fact that had Snape continued his position here this is what he would have been teaching you for this year. I also am not entirely incompetent in this art. Can anyone tell me what the value of Wandless Magic can do?”



Hermione had to sit on her hands. She was NOT going to answer any questions from him if she could help it. Lucius smirked.



“Oh, come on, surely someone must be able to give me a good use of this form of magic?”



To everyone’s surprise Neville raised his hand up. “Yes, Mr Longbottom?”



“In case you’re wand gets taken off you in a duel and you have to get it back, sir?” Neville suggested; he was determined not to let the fact that this man almost killed his parents put him off learning this lesson properly.



Lucius raised his eyebrow and nodded. “Yes,” he said. “What about another suggestion, this time I’ll volunteer someone myself. Miss Granger?”



Hermione stared up in horror at the man before her; she was trying ever so hard to keep her eyes on his.



“It can also be used to take the enemy at a disadvantage,” Hermione said. She was damned if she was going to call him sir after his little act of making her play musical chairs.



“It can also be used to take the enemy at a disadvantage, sir,” Lucius said to her. “But if you’re wily and clever enough then yes it can. Oh, and detention, Miss Granger, for not showing me due respect!”



“Slimeball,” Harry muttered.



“What was that Potter?” Malfoy asked. “Slimeball?” His voice lowered to a deathly whisper, the class all turned to the Boy Who Lived. “Detention for you to, Potter.”



“But?”



“Would you like fifty points off your house record to, boy?” Lucius sneered.



Harry sank back into his seat. Zabini smirked next to him. He was pleased that Lucius had positioned Hermione where he had. He could see her coils softly brushing against her jaw line. Blaise smiled a little as his mind briefly wondered over the thought of leaning over to tuck those curls behind her ear so that he could look properly at her beautiful profile.



Hermione had gone bright red. For once she wished Harry had spoken out a bit more. He’d lost more than that once before; and it never bothered him before. Besides he was right. He was a slimeball.



“Can anyone of you perform wandless magic?” Lucius asked. He swept his eyes over the classroom. “Not ONE of you knows a simple spell in Wandless magic?”



Hermione knew a few; but she wasn’t going to volunteer. Harry knew a few to, and he wasn’t going to volunteer either. Hermione looked around the classroom hoping that someone would at least try to make the effort once in a while apart from her. In the end Zabini shot his hand up.



“Yes, Mr Zabini,” he said irritably with a slight edge to his tone of voice. He knew he had good reason to come here. This was it! He’d kept his eyes on Hermione for far too long. He wasn’t about to let her go to this idiot.



“I can do one, sir.”



Lucius sighed. “Go on then, Mr Zabini. Choose your partner!”



“Mia?” Zabini asked. Hermione turned around and glared spitefully at this boy.



“All right,” she said in a tone that spoke to anyone in the room that he was for it. Harry and Ron almost felt sorry for the Slytherin. She’d been practicing on them for a while now.



She got up off the chair and walked to the desk, Malfoy looked at the way she was walking and grinned. He didn’t know what it was that she had in mind but he could tell that Zabini was for it.



Zabini strutted to the front of the class full of confidence and he turned around. Hermione brought her wand out and laid it on the desk. Zabini did the same. Zabini was just about to undo her blouse with Wandless Magic before Hermione sighed and casually flicked her wrist his way. He felt his body freeze; he had the full body bind curse thrust on him and he fell face flat on the floor.



Everyone apart from a few Gryffindors were shocked at this. They all turned to Hermione and Ron leant over and whispered:



“Told you, brilliant but scary!”



Hermione picked up her wand and sat back down on the stool, and looked calmly at her Professor. He blinked and shook his head.



“Well, that is what I call a brilliant example of how to stop your enemy charging at you. Merlin knows what Mr Zabini wanted to do to Miss Granger,” Lucius turned to the boy on the floor. He looked up at the class. “Shall we leave him like that, Miss Granger?”



Hermione looked at him and shook her head. “No, sir, I don’t think we should.”



“Pity,” he murmured. He nudged the semi conscious Zabini carelessly with his foot. “Oh well.” He casually flicked his wrist and Zabini found life come back to his muscles. “Well demonstrated Mr Zabini, twenty points to Slytherin.”



Huh! No points to Gryffindor, Harry noted to himself. He’s as biased as the last one.



Hermione looked at Lucius through narrowed eyes. She sucked in her breath and shook her head as he walked up to her.



“Now, after that excellent demonstration, Miss Granger, what is the theory of Wandless Magic?”



“It’s to do with the focus of the mind, sir.”



“True, so what is the main point to keep in mind when you’re practicing Wandless Magic, Miss Granger?”



“Concentration, sir,” she said in a whisper.



“CONCENTRATION!” Lucius bellowed. Some of the people he noticed were slipping off into dreamland and that was not going to happen in his class. The offenders were soon wide-awake. “Which some of you seem to lack!” Harry rolled his eyes.



Lucius wrote the word concentration on the blackboard. The rest of the class was a basic lecture on the various skills and prowess needed in Wandless Magic; and at some point he doubted that any of them apart from Mr Zabini and Miss Granger had the brains for this type of class. Harry was gritting his teeth by the end of it; stabbing his quill extra hard on the parchment before him as he was writing the notes.



The bell rang and Hermione breathed a huge sigh of relief. It would be good to get out of there. She wanted air. They all made for a mad rush to the door. Hermione was always the last one to get up as she was always making one last extra little note.



“Miss Granger, stay behind.”



Hermione sighed, and she looked at Harry, and Ron with a ‘go on ahead’ look. They nodded. Lucius was almost tempted to boot the boys out of the classroom. He walked up to the door and closed it with his hand. He turned around to look at the young woman before him and smiled evilly.



“What is it now, sir?” she asked.



“Oh, come now. When there’s no one about you can call me Lucius.”



Hermione chewed the inside of her lip and slung her bag over her shoulder, crossing the strap across her chest as she did earlier in the day.



“Please don’t make this harder on me than it already is,” she said.



“Why, who’s making it hard on anyone? You’re making me hard just by looking at me like that!”



“Then you shouldn’t be on your own with me,” she said. She stepped forward but Lucius blocked her way.



He stepped forward closing the gap between them. He noticed that there was a single tear escaping from her eye. He reached out and let it fall onto his finger. He brushed her cheek.



“I think you’re lovely, Hermione,” he purred. “You know that.”



“Stop it, for goodness sake, don’t do this to me.”



“Don’t do what?”



“You know bloody well what!” Hermione said. “Don’t do this to me, please. I can’t let this happen between us.”



Lucius stepped closer towards her. He was making her nervous and he liked that. She was about to admit to something he knew that.



“Can’t let what, happen between us?” he whispered leaning closer to her so that his breath fell on her face; it made her quiver with delight.



“This,” she whispered in reply. “Last night was wonderful and I woke up happy, deliriously so, and then you turn out to be a teacher. I can’t go near you now.”



“Nonsense,” he purred again. “We can do this if we’re discreet, I am sure that with so many deaths the Ministry would welcome love.”



Hermione looked up at that word. “Love?” she asked.



“It could happen between us, Hermione. I like you a lot now, and you have been in my mind for a long time.”



Hermione gulped. “I – I can’t, sir. If you hadn’t have become a teacher then maybe, but now... and besides all my friends hate you!”



Lucius chuckled. “You lost your argument there. I don’t care who hates me. I do care if you do though. Do you?” Lucius asked.



She looked up through her long lashes that were being almost soaked with tears. “No,” she said. “For some reason I don’t.”



“Good,” Lucius murmured. “Let me kiss you, Hermione, please?”



Hermione bit her lower lip and looked around the classroom. Lucius rolled his eyes again before wrapping an arm around her waist and dragging her forward before crushing his lips on hers. She started kissing him back as she ran her fingers through his hair.



“Let me leave now,” she murmured. She slowly let her arms fall back to her sides and stepped away.



“Oh, Miss Granger, don’t forget I have put you in detention,” he smirked.



Hermione took one last look at him before she fled the room.



Well, Zabini, beat that! he exclaimed triumphantly. He walked up to his blackboard and rubbed the words out with a flick of his hand. He licked his lips and savoured her sweet taste.



~*~*~



Hermione fled back to her bedchamber. She needed to be alone for a while to clear her head. He had mentioned love. Last night wasn’t about sex after all. She thought that she might have gained an interesting lover. Perhaps there was some dark side of her personality that wouldn’t have minded that they continue on as lovers whilst she found the more suitable husband.



But he had mentioned love. As if he was thinking about something more than just being lovers. He was thinking about her as a – oh Merlin? He wanted her as a wife? No, that was well nigh impossible! She knew that Narcissa was dead, but she didn’t think that he’d want to chain himself so soon after his first marriage had just been annulled through death.



She shook her head and sat on her bed. She laid her head in her hands and lay on her back. She looked up at the ceiling of her room and sighed. She would just have to show him that she was not quite ready to be married just yet.



A small smile spread across her lips. She knew exactly what to do. She was not going to let Malfoy think that just because he was handsome, rich, and an extremely good kisser and smooth talker that he could win her heart at the drop of a hat. No, she was going to show him that she had OTHER options.



Perhaps she might go out with Blaise Zabini after all.



A/N – Hmm, so Hermione is put in detention. She plans on making Lucius WORK for her, and she’s going to use another Slytherin in the process... wow. I’m going to need a fan! Please keep the great ideas coming people!