Experience

angel: Well, I think Molly would understand... anyhow here's an update.



mary: Well, if Lucius caved there wouldn't be a story, would there?



Cecilia: Yep, I like them in cohoots with the other... it makes for a very harrassed Lucius.



ccrawley: Sorry, I do not write Slash! It's not something that I can write, so there'll be no Snape and Ron. I hope that you'll enjoy this update though. I am a Jehovah's Witness; that is why you only get het pairings from me; and a LOT of redemption stories - and that also explains the lack of swearing and certain euphemisms.



Dee Dee: Like I said before; you must have read my notes! There is a reason for it being the best decision Ginny had ever made! You'll find out if you read on.



ShilohDarke: Here's the update. As for four or five chapters... you do know I have to sleep and eat, right?



BuffyXO: Well, Harry/Ginny is the only canon pairing I do like. I am a writer, reader and romantic... I don't mind some rules of literature being broken but the rule of the Hero/Heroine ending up together is the one I HATE being broken. Ginny was the first girl Harry met in PS/SS so that makes her the heroine as far as I am concerned. Thanks for still liking the story.



BuckyKattGirl: What do you mean by that? I know you like it though. Here is more for your pleasure.



Mell: Sorry, its slow for you. Believe it or not its slow for me to.



Citten: Chang has knocked Sirius off the top spot of the least favourite character. I HATE her. I'll be having my eyes closed during that part of the movie. I can predict that will be my least favourite scene... I can't wait for the HBP moment though with Harry and Ginny.



lisa: Oh no, Hermione isn't going to give up that easily. She's got so much more up her non existent sleeve!



candymac: LOL! You'll find out when you carry on reading something.



Universal Randomness: I agree, but we'll see.



Jennifer: I hope this is Slytherin enough for you.



Friday



Hermione looked at her reflection. She nodded. She covered herself with a cloak and walked out of the door. She winked at Narcissa’s portrait and Narcissa smiled back. She made her way down the stairs to get to the Morning Room. Lucius was already sitting there. He looked somewhat pale. Hermione furrowed her brow.



“What’s wrong?” Hermione asked.



Lucius pushed the Daily Prophet towards Hermione and Hermione picked it up. She glanced once at Lucius, and then turned her attention to the paper. She dropped it in absolute shock after reading the Headlines.



“How?” she asked.



“Since Dumbledore died the Dark Lord has been waiting for his moment to strike,” Lucius sighed. “This is going to cause a bit of a headache.”



Hermione sat down and ate what she could. She grimaced; perhaps now wasn’t a good time to begin Phase Two. She ran up the stairs and walked up to Cissy’s portrait and told her what had happened.



“No, our plan is still effective, life goes on Hermione,” Narcissa said. “Just because there’s a war on doesn’t mean you should stop having a little bit of fun, Hermione. If we all thought like that: Harry; Draco, and any of the Weasley’s would never have been born. No, you still carry out our plan. Is that understood?”



“But he’ll be under so much pressure!” Hermione said worrying her lip.



“Hmm, well, pressure has never stopped him before. But I can see him using this as an excuse. So, counteract that by delivering the ‘life goes on,’ line. He’ll understand. Oh, and go through the door next to you. My makeup should still be all right to use. Put some on. I believe you still have time.”



Hermione looked at her watch. She had at least half an hour. She walked in through the door that Narcissa had pointed to and gasped. She walked up to the desk and found that Narcissa’s makeup was colour coded. She knew that Narcissa had meant for her to go for the greys and blacks. Hermione gulped. She picked up some dusky grey eye shadow. She dabbed some on her wrist to see the colour. She smiled weakly. Well, she thought, here goes!



~*~*~



Lucius was just about to get up when Arthur poked his head in Lucius fireplace. Lucius nodded and Arthur stepped through.



“What are we going to do?” Arthur asked.



“I don’t know, Arthur, but we do have to inspect the damage and find any survivors.”



Arthur looked at Lucius and sighed. “I am thankful for my children’s ability to break rules.”



“Why?” Lucius asked.



“My young scamp of a daughter sneaked into the Burrow last night and made her bed with the equally mischievous Potter!” Arthur’s eyes clouded over. “Ah! Brings back memories.”



“So,” Lucius sighed trying not to have a small smile creeping along his lips. “What do we have to do?”



“We have to get to Hogwarts and assess the damage,” Arthur said. Lucius nodded. He went to get his travelling cloak but Arthur looked at him quizzically. “Not you,” Arthur said. “Ron and I are going along with Kingsley and Harry. Someone has to hold the fort. Besides, isn’t there the Zabini case to sort out?”



Hermione entered into the room just at that moment. Arthur turned to greet Hermione and his eyes widened. Lucius swung his neck around and his jaw dropped. She was – for want of a better word – stunning.



Lucius blinked and blushed and then turned around to look at Arthur. “I will want to inspect the damage someday.”



“Of course,” Arthur said. “But as Head of the Department of Aurors you can’t be seen to get your hands too dirty.”



Lucius nodded. Someone had to sit behind the desk to sort out the paperwork. He used to love doing that but now he wanted to get in and help; but he couldn’t. That was the whole point of underlings. He looked at Hermione and shook his head. The makeup was perfect.

Hermione held out her hand. “Shall we go?”



“Let’s go by floo this time,” Lucius replied. “Sorry, it’s just that I don’t trust the streets at the moment.”



Hermione looked at her reflection in the mirror above the fireplace and nodded. Lucius led her into the fireplace and grabbed a pinch of floo powder and shouted the destination. Arthur quickly hurried in. Lucius clamped Hermione to his side and she held onto him. Floo travel was not her favourite way of travelling but it was marginally better than a portkey.



When they reached their destination Arthur tipped his head to one side to observe them together. He had to admit that there was a sort of connection between the two of them. Hermione hung Lucius cloak up on the stand and Lucius took her cloak from her shoulders and then promptly dropped it.



Arthur couldn’t see as Lucius was covering her. Hermione turned around and Arthur could see Lucius visibly shaking. She smirked at Lucius. Arthur chewed his lip.



“Hermione, could you make me a cup of coffee, please?”



“Certainly,” Hermione said. She bent down and picked up her cloak and dusted it down with her hand and hooked it up next to her boss’ cloak. She stepped around him to face Arthur. Arthur’s eyes bulged out of his sockets at what stood before him.



Hermione was standing there brazenly wearing something that could only be described as two handkerchiefs sown together. He looked down and she was wearing stockings with knee high black leather boots. The skirts of her dress, which was also black, covered half of her thighs and the cut of the dress was low and revealing. It was also corseted and showed of every curve to its advantage. Arthur blinked.



“If only Molly was here!” he moaned. He had to make a quick dash out of the room wishing Lucius all the luck in the world in his heart. If she could make a happily married man rethink his vows what was she going to do to a single man that had been denied life’s greatest pleasure for so long? Hermione laughed. “Oh well, obviously not that desperate for a cup of coffee.”



“You did bring a change of robes I trust?” Lucius asked in a soft voice. Hermione turned around and looked down at her dress.



“No,” she said. “Why, is there something wrong?”



Lucius counted up to thirty in his head. “No, there is nothing wrong.”



He had not calmed down. She walked past him and he caught a whiff of her perfume. He blinked with surprise. Why was she torturing him? He looked at her. This girl could have any wizard she wants: why him? And what is more she was wearing styles and colours he could not resist. He would have to have a stern word with Cissy about this. He was sure that whatever plans Hermione had in her pretty but annoying little head were somewhat improved by Cissy’s interference.



“Good, because I haven’t.”



“People will see you,” Lucius said.



“You have a problem with that?”



“Men,” he fumed. “Men can see you.”



“Ah, this has something to do with that: ‘If I can’t have you then nobody can,’ rule isn’t it?”



Lucius gripped the back of his chair; his knuckles almost glowing white, as his eyes glowed with incandescent rage. Hermione could tell she might have crossed the line, but until he let his passions avalanche onto her then she would continue playing these games.



There was a light tap on the door and a boy strode into the office without Lucius invitation. Ron had walked into the office. He was prepared to say sorry to Hermione before he saw what she was dressed like; and to whom it was geared.



He looked at Lucius and frowned at the blond man. He shook his head. “Mione,” he said. “Can I talk to you a moment?”



“Sure, Ron,” Hermione said. She got up and led Ron to the coffee room. “What did you want to talk about?”



“Us,” Ron said. “Look, Hermione, we’ve been friends for a long time right.”

Hermione nodded. “Six years.”



“Well,” Ron sighed. “I don’t think we should be friends any longer.”



“What?” Hermione blinked. “Ron, you hurt me, twice! Yet both times I was prepared to forgive you. If you hadn’t decided to kiss Patil in the Common Room I would never have been driven in the arms of Blaise Zabini. Who, by the way, is not bad for a Slytherin.”



“Yeah, its your taste in men that worries me,” Ron said. “You seem to like the enemy.”



“What are you talking about?” Hermione blinked.



“You seem to go for Slytherins; the worst sort!”



“Like?”



“Lucius Malfoy for a start,” Ron said; he made his hands into fists. “He’s just a pig!”



“He isn’t, Ron!” Hermione said hotly. “Believe it or not he won’t even touch me. NOT because of my heritage, but because he’s still madly in love with his late wife which; by the way; I think is rather romantic. I want him to touch me. I honestly do. But he won’t.”



“You never wanted me to touch you!” Ron said.



“It’s a good thing we never did,” Hermione said. “You’re right. We can’t be friends. I would say that it’s officially over for the three of us, wouldn’t you?” Ron nodded. “At least you still have Harry.”



“I’m not talking to him at the moment either,” Ron said.



“Why not?” Hermione asked.



“He and Ginny, well, they had sex!” he blushed right to the tips of his ears.



Hermione smiled. “Is that it?” she asked warmly.



“She’s my sister, Hermione!”



“You know, that’s probably the first time I ever heard you use the H in my name,” Hermione said sighing.



Ron offered a weak smile and walked out of the room. Hermione’s heart had exploded with Ron’s desire to cut him from her for life. It was irreparable. Six years had been torn; ripped; and rent asunder from her heart and she broke down and wept. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and she was brought into a hug. She wept for the death of her friendship.



She turned around expecting to see Lucius but was faced with Snape. For once she was glad he was watching her. He held her in his arms and smoothed her hair. She looked up and smiled weakly at him. Severus looked in her wide eyes and tilted her chin up.



He leant down and brushed his lips on hers. “Know this, Hermione, I would never desert you.”



Hermione nodded and her hands crept up Snape’s chest and encircled around the nape of his neck. She tiptoed up and brushed her lips on his. He stroked his hands up her back and buried them in her hair. He sucked a little on her lower lip making her moan, and then he slipped his tongue inside her mouth. She melted into his embrace. Perhaps Ron was right about her; perhaps her taste in men did border on the exotic.



His tongue made love to her mouth in a beautiful dance. He held her closer to his body and the kiss grew more intense and much more powerful. Hermione felt that if Lucius doesn’t take her soon she’d have no choice but to let Snape have her, at least he was wanting and willing.



She moaned his name and sighed as his mouth was seducing her by the minute. He stopped kissing her and she was breathless as she stared up into his eyes. They were glistening with mischief. Hermione thought of Puck from Midsummer Nights Dream. He stroked a coil behind her ear.



“I bet he’s finding it very difficult to resist you, isn’t he?” Snape said. Hermione nodded not resisting the urge to grin wickedly. “Well, if it was me I’d have taken my chance day’s ago.”



She turned around and looked at the door. “I best get back to work. I have a tonne of things to do, and what with the Death Eater attack on Hogwarts I have to go.” She narrowed her eyes as something he said previously occurred to her. “Were you there?”



Snape tilted his head to one side and ghosted a finger along her lips.



“No,” he sighed. “But I knew about it.”



“Why didn’t you tell me?”



“I did as much as I could, Hermione, believe me,” Snape said. He held her tightly to his body. He then held her at arms length and looked in her eyes. “Do you trust me?”



Hermione looked into his eyes. “Yes,” she sighed, “I trust you.”



“Good,” he said. “Look, let me continue to do what I can.”



She nodded. He smiled. He let her go and she walked back into the office. Lucius was talking to Rufus.



“You were in there for a long time,” Lucius said. “I suppose you were making coffee?”



Rufus looked up and he blinked. He shook his head; whatever was going on in this office he didn’t want to know, but there was something odd and no mistake. When he had spoken to her yesterday she seemed reasonable if a bit stubborn; but today she looked as if no matter what anyone had said she would not compromise. He stared down at her legs and surveyed what she was wearing. He looked up into Lucius face. He smirked at the murderous expression held in his eyes.



“No,” Hermione said, “no I wasn’t. I had a long talk with someone.”



“Oh,” Lucius said. “I saw the Weasley boy leave this room a while ago.”



“I needed to get over what he said,” Hermione replied back. “It took a while.”



Lucius peered closely at Hermione and noticed that her hair was slightly messy and her lipstick was slightly smudged. With whose help I wonder! Lucius thought to himself.



“Oh well,” he sighed. “I am sure my guest would like a cup of coffee?”



“Love one,” Rufus said.



Hermione nodded weakly and walked back into the room and made three cups of coffee. She walked straight back out again and placed them in front of the men. She went to her desk and began to copy out more letters; she was straining to hear what the two men were saying. A few moments later she heard the scrape of the chair on the floor and she turned around to see that Rufus had stood up and he was leaving the office. When Rufus had left Lucius turned to Hermione:



“Where is he?” he asked in a low growl.



“Who?” Hermione asked innocently.



“Snape! That annoying pain in the neck! Where is he?”



Hermione shrugged her shoulders. “He could be anywhere by now.”



“So you don’t deny that he was here?” Lucius asked.



“He was,” Hermione said coolly.



“You don’t deny that he touched you and kissed you?” Lucius asked.



Hermione blinked back her surprise and she almost smiled. “So what if he did?” she asked.



“Did he kiss you?” Lucius asked in a threatening tone.



“Yes,” Hermione replied. “Yes, he did kiss me.”



“And you didn’t think to stop it?” Lucius asked in a soft voice. Hermione could feel the lava of emotions boiling beneath the surface of his words. Soon the volcano would erupt and (hopefully) some of that heat would come her way.



“No,” she replied coolly. “I was distressed.”



“Distressed about what?” Lucius growled.



“Ron and I are no longer friends,” she replied. “He said that we have to go our separate ways. He also can’t forgive me for something.”



“What is that?” Lucius sneered.



“He can’t forgive me for – for – liking you,” she stammered. “Our friendship was obviously not that strong, was it?”



Lucius was in conflict he had got his emotions all heated up so that he could burn her with his fury but when he had heard that he was the cause of her friendship breakdown he actually felt sorry for her.



“What can’t he stand about the idea of you liking someone he doesn’t?”



“He has this childish view that if he hates or likes someone, then everybody should hate or like that someone. He doesn’t allow for differences of temper and personality.”



Lucius smirked. “He tars all with the same brush?”



“Yes, also your history goes against you,” Hermione said. “You did give his little sister a weapon that almost killed her.”



“I have apologised most profusely to both Molly and Arthur about that,” he said.



“I know,” Hermione sighed. “But Ron can’t see what I can see.”



“What’s that?”



Hermione blushed and looked down on the floor. Ah, now the siren is coy? Lucius thought with great satisfaction.



“That this time round you are genuinely sorry for you’re past actions; that you loved your wife and child immensely, and that you have a heart.” She looked up at Lucius and walked up to him. “Lucius,” she sighed taking his hand and leading it up to her breast. “You can touch me. I have come to admire you a great deal, but if you won’t touch me then I am going to let myself be touched by another man that so obviously does want to touch me.”



Hermione brought his fingers close to her mouth and began sucking them; Lucius closed his eyes and tried not to let her affect him. She looked up and sighed. She stepped closer to him.



“We mustn’t,” Lucius breathed. “We shouldn’t.”

“Why not?” Hermione murmured. “Even your late wife has told you that you can. Yes, you loved her but I -,” she stopped and paused at what she was going to say next. “I think I love you.”



Lucius could not believe his ears. Did she say what he thought she said? That she thought that she loved him?



“I think I love you to,” Lucius replied. “I don’t know what to do, Hermione.”



He sank on his knees and held his head in his hands. Hermione wrapped her hands around his head and held him to her abdomen where the top of his head met the bottom of her breasts; he was placed right underneath her beating heart.



“I want you so much,” Hermione whispered. “I can’t wait much longer for you.”



“You’ve only known me a week,” Lucius said.



“That hasn’t stopped you from giving me half your bank account. That hasn’t stopped you from giving me your slate at the Leaky Cauldron; or even giving me a home when I thought I would have none,” she stroked his hair tenderly; she tangled his hair inbetween her fingers.



“I wish that I could grow a new heart,” he said.



“You don’t have to,” Hermione whispered. “Just make room in the one you’ve already got. I am quite prepared to share myself with Narcissa. I know that it would be vindictive of me to ask you to completely eradicate her from your system, and I wouldn’t want you to. But, please, Lucius can you try and give yourself to me?”



Lucius got up off the floor and stroked some of her hair behind her ears with his hands and cupped her face in them. He rubbed the pad of his thumbs underneath her eyes and leant forward. Her heart was racing. Please, she sighed, kiss me?



He brought her face closer to his; his hot breath fell on her face like a spring breeze and his lips touched hers. It sent ripples of fire right into her belly and she opened her mouth. He slipped his tongue inside her mouth; she welcomed it more than she did Snape’s. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips harder on his causing him to moan. He wrapped his arms around her waist and spread his hands on her butt and pushed her forward. She smiled against his lips as they caressed and massaged hers.



They didn’t know how long they kissed and they honestly didn’t care. Lucius began to feel a little of the pain he had been suffering ease from him as her sweet tongue played and danced with his. He stroked her hair and his hands wandered down to the hemline of her skirt and as soon as she felt his hand on her thigh she moaned louder; indicating to him that was enjoying his tender touch on her thigh.



His fingers brushed against the skin still trapped underneath her skirt. Hermione felt her hands slide down his back to his butt. She was just about to bring her hands around to the front of his trousers when there was a light, persistent rap on the door. Lucius had to stop kissing her.



“Come in,” he said; he tried not to breath too heavily. It wouldn’t do for the Ministry gossips to find out. Hermione righted herself as much as she could and walked to her desk feeling like she was floating on air.



“Hello,” it was Harry Potter. Lucius grimaced.



“What is it Potter?” he asked. “If you’re here to talk to Hermione I suggest you do so in the lunch hour.”



“Actually, I was sent here. I need your permission to do something.”



“What is that, Potter?”



“I want to go to Hogwarts and help clear up the debris and damage, and to find survivors.”



Harry swung his gaze round to Hermione and smiled. Lucius was shocked at the boys seeming ignorance of what Hermione was looking like and wearing.



“I suppose I can give you permission,” Lucius said. “Although, I was informed that your most loved one actually managed to escape it.”



“Yes, she’s still trying to get over that,” Harry said. “You have no idea how that scared her.”



“I am sure she was terrified with the knowledge that she could have been there.”



Harry nodded. “But a lot of my friends weren’t so lucky.”



Lucius smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Of course, Potter, you may go.”



“Kingsley say’s he needs to see written permission,” Harry said.



Lucius nodded and sat at his desk. He dipped his green quill in the black ink and wrote a short note.



I, Lucius Malfoy, Head of the Department of Aurors, is willing to give Harry James Potter, intern, permission to go to Hogwarts and help the other, trained Aurors in their work.



He handed it over to Harry and Harry smiled. “Thanks.”



“No problem,” Lucius said.



Hermione sighed. “I want to be there to.”



“So do I, Hermione, but as Arthur so rightly, and smugly said; there has to be someone here holding the fort. I suppose I could get that Dursley brat back in here to see if Azkaban is making him more disposed to cooperate.”



Hermione looked at Lucius and smirked a little. “Hmm, what shall we do to amuse ourselves between now and then?”



Lucius looked into his coffee mug. “You can make yourself useful and bring me another cup of coffee, wench!”



Hermione narrowed her eyes and got up; she stormed up to Lucius and grabbed hold of his mug. She went into the coffee room; whilst Lucius watched the young Witch storm into the room he sighed; tapped his fingers on the desk and as soon as the door closed he said:



“I can play games to, Miss Granger.”



A/N - Hermione's gone from Nice Girl Next Door to Vamp overnight! Ron is a giant big doofus! Snape's heading the right way for a smacked bottom! And Lucius has games of his own! What will be in store for the most wonderful couple in Fanficland next time? I think I need a lie down with an alkaseltzer!