A/N: Hello all. Thank you for the wonderful reviews, I'm still getting to a few of them, so if you haven't heard back from me, you will. I'm glad you are all liking this so far, and hope you like where this goes from here.
Special thanks To KristineThorne, my very rockin beta, for the wonderful job she did on this.
When the Masks Come Off
Part Two:
She spent two days in her rented room, glad the inn offered an assortment of potions to help heal her after her long and very satisfying night. All marks and bruises healed instantly, along with any aches she woke with later that afternoon.
She went home a day early, a small amount of guilt filling her as she was welcomed home by her husband that evening. Only she couldn't bring herself to do more than give him a very tiny kiss in hello.
A week later and she still couldn't do anything other than a small hug or soft peck on the lips, since she hadn't had the desire to do anything more, at least not with him. Her hope that her insane desire would be quelled with a single night in Lucius' bed had been proven wrong.
If her husband wondered about her distance or distraction, he didn't comment on it. Especially since, she surrounded herself with her work and was always busy when he was around. Something he'd been as well, luckily. Though she knew she wouldn't be able to use work as an excuse forever.
When the bi-monthly Sunday dinner at the Burrow came about, Hermione was sitting in the kitchen, chopping potatoes. One of the few things Mrs. Weasley allowed anyone to do while she cooked. An apron covering her pale blue, sleeveless sundress, a dress that was modest and came to Hermione's knees, she worked on the large pile in front of her.
She heard voices greeting a new arrival but didn't hear who it was, so she stayed sitting and cutting. When the door to the kitchen opened, she heard Molly give a slightly stiff greeting and knew in an instant who had arrived. There was only one person Molly was stiff with and it was someone she hadn't expected or prepared herself to see yet. Even though she knew she should have been.
She kept her face friendly like it always was as she looked up from her task to find him looking at her already. A small smile on her lips, though her heart was pounding and her belly clenched at seeing how delicious he looked, she said hello.
Lucius studied her a moment before returning the greeting briefly. He stayed, chatting with Molly and trying to be nice. Molly stayed stiff, though she did loosen up a small bit the longer he stayed talking to her.
Hermione continued chopping, since with a group as large as theirs, it required tons of potatoes. Her ears listening to Molly and Lucius as she focused on her task, she did her best to calm her heart and keep her hands from shaking.
She almost sliced her finger when she heard Lucius ask if there was anything he could do to help. Her head jerked up in shock at his offer, to find Molly just as dumbfounded. Lucius gave the matron Weasley a charming smile and Molly stuttered out that he could help with the potatoes if he really wanted to give her a hand with dinner.
A slight incline of his head later, Lucius was seated next to Hermione, who gave him another small smile as she paused in her chopping. "Have you ever cut up a potato before?" She asked him, amused since she'd never seen him even lift a raw potato before.
He smirked, meeting her eyes. "No, but having seen you do it as often as I have, it doesn't look too difficult."
Hermione laughed softly. "Hmm." Was all she said, going back to her task, heart still fluttering but at least it wasn't pounding as wildly inside her as it was moments ago. Though the scent of his cologne wasn't helping.
They chopped in silence for several minutes before he spoke again. "Draco said you were at a conference during our party. How was it?"
She glanced his way, very pleased that she didn't look flustered by his question. "Very good. I learned...a lot."
"Did you? How wonderful." He said, putting his chunks that he'd cut into the large bowl in front of them that was only half full and picked up a new, already peeled potato.
She frowned slightly when he didn't go on. She figured he'd have asked more, everyone else had. "How was the party?"
He smiled to himself. "Very...satisfying. I don't think I've ever enjoyed one as much as I did that night."
Hermione swallowed, wondering if she was playing with fire. "Oh? That's good."
His lips curved more as he glanced her way again. "It was much more than...good, let me assure you." Looking back to the spud he was cutting.
Hermione bit back a nervous laugh. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Did Draco and Ginny have as much fun as you seemed to?"
His eyes flickered to hers a moment before focusing on what he was doing again. "I highly doubt it. Though they did say how pleased they were over how it turned out the next morning at breakfast. It's a shame you couldn't join us."
Hermione faltered a moment. For the party? Or for breakfast? She wondered, before pushing it away. He didn't know it was me. "Maybe next time." She said vaguely.
He shrugged, not looking at her. "Maybe, though you're more than welcome to."
Hermione swallowed again, but didn't comment. They continued chopping in silence when Molly sighed at seeing Luna chasing the garden gnomes outside again, the blonde girl smiling as they ran from her, the creatures giggling madly the whole time.
"Luna, dear...really, you're only encouraging them." Molly said tiredly before going out to run interference.
Alone, Hermione felt her heart rate speed up a fraction. "I didn't think you liked joining us here for dinner." She finally said.
Lucius paused in cutting to look at her. "Maybe I wanted a chance to see...everyone again. It does get rather quiet at the Manor when Draco and Ginny leave it. The silence can be...deafening at times."
She met his gaze, seeing him searching her eyes and she sighed. "Why are you really here, Lucius? The silence hasn't ever been a problem in the past, at least it didn't seem to bother you before."
His head tilted as he set his knife down. "Honestly?"
She nodded, pausing in her chopping as well. "Yes, I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want an honest answer."
"I had a bit of an epiphany after the party." He told her, still watching her as he set his knife down.
Hermione frowned. "An epiphany? What kind of epiphany?"
He considered his answer for a moment. "That there is more to...you than I realized."
Her eyes grew fractionally wider. "What are you talking about?" Trying to fight the panic bubbling up inside her.
His brow rose. "Really? You want to play that game, my dear?"
Hermione swallowed again, trying to keep a slightly confused look on her face. "Really, Lucius, I've no clue what you're talking about."
His hand moved to slip onto her thigh, just under her apron but on top of her dress. "Don't you?"
"Lucius, I'm married. " She said softly, her hand finding his, but she couldn't push it away with him clamping down on her leg, not painfully, just firmly.
His brow rose more. "And yet you still came to my party and climbed into my bed."
Heart thundering in her chest now, Hermione tried again to not let anything slip, as the knife in her other hand clattered to the table softly. "Lucius, you said yourself that Draco told you I was out of town."
His lips quirked. "You think I wouldn't recognize you, regardless of your green hair and lovely dress? I wouldn't recognize you even though you disguised your voice? I thought you gave me more credit than that."
Hermione stared, her mind racing. Fuck! "Lucius..." She started, but he cut her off.
"My dear, your eyes gave you away. That wasn't the only thing, but you didn't change the color of your eyes, or your mannerisms, or how lovely you look when something clings to your body. I've seen you swimming at the Manor with Ginny and my grandson, so I know every delicious curve of your body, my sweet. Though I must say, you look even more lovely naked." He told her.
His lips curved again as he spoke. "Besides, that painting outside my room isn't just anyone's favorite. I've known it was yours for a long time now. Not many in the magical world even know who Kandinsky is, but you do. I purposely didn't say the artist's name to see if you would."
At her silence, he went on. "Plus, your charms wore off before you left. Your hair was just as wild, curly, and brown as it always is not half way through the night, though I guess you were too distracted to notice. Not to mention, your voice went back to normal before I even got to fully slip inside you that first time. Apparently that charm requires focus, which I know you didn't truly have at the time either."
Bullocks! Breathing rapid now, she panicked. "Why...? If you knew...why...?"
His brow rose again. "I told you, my dear. I've wanted you since I first laid eyes on you...well, since you reached full adulthood anyway. I saw you at Draco's wedding and couldn't keep my eyes off of you. Why do you think I've been around as much as I have?"
Hermione's lips were slightly parted in shock. "I thought...you were here for...well...Draco."
His lips curved even more. "I see Draco enough at home. The only...family gatherings I've attended outside of my home, were the ones I knew you would be at, though I've not made it to all of those either. I had only found out that you wouldn't be attending my party, or supposedly not attending, the day before the party. Otherwise, I wouldn't have told Ginny I'd be there. By the time I learned that you wouldn't be there, it was too late to back out without drawing suspicion."
Since Hermione was stunned at his words and unable to speak, he went on. "I'm curious though...why the charade that night? You knew who I was and I knew it was you."
He knew. He knew the whole time. Those words kept reverberating in her mind. It took a moment for more thoughts to get in. That's why he didn't question who I was. That's why he kept looking at me oddly before we went into his bedroom. Fuck!
"Hermione?" He said softly.
She looked at him. "I...I didn't think...I didn't want to be recognized."
"I had gathered that much already, my dear. Why?" He asked again.
She swallowed. "I'm...I'm married. I didn't want..."
"To get caught?" He finished for her, still surprised that she did it at all. He wouldn't have pegged her for the cheating kind.
She sighed. "Well, yes...but that wasn't it, not fully. I didn't want you to be put in an awkward position."
He leaned closer to her, his mouth next to her ear, as his hand shifted slightly on her thigh, his fingers slowly pulling her dress up and finding the bare skin beneath it . "I happened to enjoy the awkward positions we got into that night." Nipping her lobe softly when he felt her shiver as he spoke, only making her do so again.
Hermione leaned away from him, looking up at him while still holding his hand from rising any higher, though with it touching her bare skin it had the heat in her rising. "I didn't think you had even really noticed me before then. You never...looked at me that way."
He chuckled softly. "How should I have looked at you, my sweet? Like I wanted to pin you to any and every available surface just so I could bury myself inside you again and again? Those thoughts did run through my mind many times, but as you pointed out, you're married."
Her heart was pounding at his words and more heat filled her body. "I wasn't married at Draco's wedding."
His eyes skimmed over her face. "No, but you were already dating the redhead you ended up marrying and I didn't know you were even interested. You've hidden your desires very well too, my dear. Had I known...I'd have done my best to have you naked before my son's wedding was even over."
Thoughts racing at hearing this, Hermione asked the one question that was all but screaming in her brain. "Now what?"
Lucius's lips quirked. "That depends on you, my dear. I...want more than one night. More than just two or three nights as well. I was thinking that a nice...arrangement could be made."
Hermione blanched slightly. "I can't. The guilt from once is bad enough to live with, I can't cheat again. Besides, maybe I don't want another night."
He leaned in again, hearing her slight indrawn breath at his nearness. "Oh yes, you do."
"If I say no?" She asked. "Are you going to...do anything? Threaten to rat me out or blackmail me?
His lips curved once more. "No, though threatening to...rat you out, as you put it, would technically be blackmail, my dear. I don't need to blackmail you. I'll just try to convince you otherwise."
She opened her mouth, but Molly came storming back inside just as Lucius pulled away from her. The older woman picked up her spoon and stirred the contents of the simmering pots on the stove. "That girl...I swear. Hermione, you really need to explain to Luna why she needs to stop chasing those gnomes."
Lucius' hand slid up her thigh and Hermione's breath hitched. "Yes, Mrs. Weasley. I'll try." She said, forcing her voice to stay normal and not squeak out. Her hand trying to stop Lucius' from moving any higher while shocked that he was doing this in front of the matronly woman at all. Even if her back was to them and the table hid his actions.
Grazing her inner thigh, Hermione jerked slightly and again tried to pry his hand away, but his lips only curved again as his eyes raked over her face. Her eyes were blatantly telling him no and to stop, but he was ignoring her.
"Hermione, dear." Molly said, gaining Hermione's attention as the woman turned again. "Are you done with the potatoes?" Not seeing Lucius' hand under the table or the young woman's apron.
She shook her head, knowing she'd have to let go of Lucius' hand to cut the rest of them up. She was afraid of what he'd do if she let go of him too.
Molly gave a tight smile. "I see Lucius lost interest in chopping, but I really need those finished, if you don't mind, dear."
"I'm terribly sorry, Molly. I was trying to watch Hermione to see to best way to do so. My cuts were very uneven and slow compared to hers. Its my first time at this, as you know." Lucius said pleasantly, looking cool and calm as he saw Hermione chopping again.
Molly rolled her eyes and turned her back again, giving Lucius an opportunity to slide his hands farther up Hermione's thigh. The slightly altered breathing the young woman was doing was the only thing that might give her away.
Grazing the lace covering her heated mound, Hermione jerked slightly and he had to bite back a chuckle, even as her eyes stared daggers at him before she looked to her chopping again. Though, she did squeeze her thighs shut on him, intriguing him that it took her so long to do so to begin with.
A smirk on his lips, he pulled his wand with his free hand and sent a slightly altered version of the leg locker curse at her under the table. The spell still made her legs freeze, but allowed them to be shifted into any position he wanted them to be. It didn't take much to make them part again either, even as her wide eyes fell on him again. She gave a tiny shake of her head no at him, mindful of the woman that still had her back to them.
With a twist of his wrist, he was under her knickers and stroking the outer part of her core. Hermione swallowed, meeting his gaze again and seeing the heat in his eyes as he parted her folds. She had to bite her lip to keep from gasping at the first touch to her nerve center.
Her hands starting to tremble, he stroked the tiny nub as she tried to concentrate on her cuts. The sinful pleasure of his hands streaked through her and made her cuts just as uneven as his had been.
Focusing all her energy on keeping her breathing normal and her moans behind her closed lips, Hermione wasn't sure how long she could keep it all inside her, when suddenly Molly set her spoon down with a slam, startling Hermione so bad that she squeaked in alarm.
"Dammed girl is chasing them again." Molly said before stalking outside for a second time.
As soon as the older woman left, Hermione's hand grabbed at Lucius's wrist. "Lucius please..." She whispered, still unable to shift her legs at all. Her wand sitting a good ways away and she couldn't focus to call for it.
"Please, what my dear? Did you want this?" His fingers slipped inside her and quickly found a spot that had her gasping as pure pleasure shot through her. She had to grab onto the table with her free hand and bite her lip to keep from crying out.
"Please...stop. Someone's going to see you." She said in a low, but strained voice.
"Then, tell me you'll meet me outside. I want you, I want to feel you like I did that night, my dear. I want to bury myself inside you and make you explode around me. You know you want me too, otherwise, you wouldn't be as wet as you are now, my sweet." He all but purred at her.
Hermione swallowed. "I...I can't."
He found that spot again and had her gasping just a bit louder this time when he stroked it. "Yes, you can. You want me too, you just need a bit more persuasion, I think. She'll be back soon, shall I give you what you want now? Or should I make you suffer until you give in?"
His thumb circling over her hidden bud as his fingers stroked over her magic spot inside her, he had her panting in mere moments. "Tell me you'll meet me outside, my sweet. Or anywhere that means I can have you." His voice growing harsh as his desire to have her mounted.
Hermione saw Mrs. Weasley headed their way. "Okay, just stop." She whispered, and Lucius pulled his hand from her mere moments before Molly entered in again.
Hermione kept her eyes on the potatoes she was chopping again and as soon as Molly turned her back, Lucius brought his hand up and sucked his fingers clean. Only making Hermione's body throb in desire and ache for what he wanted too.
A flick of his wand had half the remaining spuds chopped and in the bowl in front of Hermione. A little while later, another flick finished them off. Molly hated them using magic in her house, but it was possible that Hermione had chopped them all with how long she'd been gone.
The final one done, Lucius removed the spell on her legs and stood. "I think I'll take a walk before dinner, Molly."
Molly barely spared him a glance and said that was fine.
Lucius looked to Hermione. "Draco said there was a lovely orchard out back, Hermione. Would you mind showing it to me?"
Hermione met his gaze which was still full of heat and nodded. "Sure, Mrs. Weasley has a wonderful assortment of fruit trees in it. I'm all finished with the potatoes, Mrs. Weasley. If you don't need anything else, I'll give Lucius a quick tour outside."
Molly waved her away. She'd rather do the cooking herself anyway and she was behind thanks to Luna and her silly gnome chasing. "That's fine, dear. Dinner should be ready in an hour, make sure you're back by then."
The older woman was glad that Hermione was getting Lucius out of her kitchen too. The man annoyed the hell out of her with his presence alone. She'd owe Hermione one for getting him to leave and would be sure to tell the young woman that later.
Lucius grinned at Hermione and offered her his arm. "Shall we?"
Hermione knew she didn't have much of a choice, though she planned on giving him a few choice words as soon as she was sure they were alone. She didn't care if her body was still humming with unsatisfied desire, she was mad at what he had done. Taking his arm, she led him outside.
Harry and Ron were busy watching Luna as she tried to coax the gnomes out again, the twins were hiding in their room on a new project, Arthur and Charlie were tinkering around in the basement, and Ginny was snuggled up with Draco in the den since their son was napping.
Everyone was otherwise occupied and didn't pay them any mind, something she didn't understand since normally someone was always bugging her. But not today, not when she would welcome a good excuse for a distraction.
Inside the orchard, far away from prying eyes, Lucius cast a warning spell should anyone come near it, and then, he had Hermione pinned to a tree within seconds. Not giving her a chance to protest either before he was snogging the hell out of her.
Her body was already on fire from what he'd done earlier, and angry at him or not, she was melting against him within moments of him kissing her. A wave of his hand made the bark of the tree feel nice and cushiony on her back and then he was lifting her into his arms. Her legs instantly found and wrapped around his waist without her even giving them permission to do so.
Still kissing her, he used another spell to make her knickers vanish and placed a contraceptive spell too. Before she could even think about anything, he had unbuttoned his trousers and freed himself, before plunging inside her. He swallowed her gasp at how quickly and fully he filled her.
Not even giving her time to adjust before he was thrusting inside her. Each drive of his hips was deep and hard as he warred his tongue with hers. Breaking the kiss, she moaned as he filled her again and again, her arms wrapped around him, hanging on as he gave her exactly what her body was craving.
"Merlin, woman...still so tight. " He groaned. "So bloody wet...and wonderful."
Her nails digging into his clothed back at how much pleasure he was giving her. "Lucius..." She moaned out, only to have him driving harder and faster into her now that she said his name. "...please."
He nipped at her neck, making her body shudder. "Please what, my sweet?" His pace increasing more as he felt her starting to tighten around him.
"More." She said on a whimper, giving in and welcoming all that he could give her.
His hand moved to cup her neck and he crushed his mouth to hers, hoping it helped to muffle her sounds of passion, before he reared back and slammed into her. He swallowed her cry, her body starting to shake as she neared her release. He did it again, and again, grunting softly as her fingers dug into his clothed back more and more with each one.
Her walls starting to pulse, he shifted his hold on her, using his hand that had been on her neck to cover her mouth as he hammered into her with everything he had. She clamped down on him, her scream mostly silenced with his hand as she went flying into her orgasm.
"Bloody hell woman..." He grunted softly, his own release nearing as he continued to pound into her soft and tight body that shivered and convulsed around him. "...can't get enough...must have you...again."
The only thing keeping her from bringing everyone at the Burrow running to them due to her cries and screams was Lucius' hand on her mouth, as he sent her tumbling over the edge again. Her walls vibrating and clamping down so hard it was a wonder he could keep up his thrusts, even as he let out a long groan of pleasure.
Her back pressed hard into the soft cushioned tree behind her, she wasn't sure she'd survive the next wave that was building inside her. It was so strong and intense that it had her vision blurring as she cried out more and more.
"Scream for me, witch. " He groaned. "Let me hear...how much you...love what I give you."
When it hit she shrieked his name, long and loud. His hand muffled most of it, but had she been coherent, she'd have worried that the others heard her back at the house. Lucius bit his lip to keep his own roar of completion inside him as he detonated inside her with a final slamming of his hips, once, twice, three times.
Both gasping for air, he sagged against her, removing his hand so she could breathe as he held her tightly to him. Hermione rested her head on his shoulder, still shaking from the force of her releases, but knowing she'd never felt anything as good as Lucius shagging her.
When he could breathe normally again, he spoke. "You can't deny it, Hermione. We're good together. You want me, want everything I give you."
Hermione lifted her head wearily. "It doesn't make it right."
He met her gaze. "Is it right to deny how good we are? To deny the pleasure we give each other? Can he do to you, what I do to you? Have you ever screamed as loud for him, as you have for me?"
"No." She whispered, knowing it was true. "Never."
His hand cupped her cheek. "I'm not asking that you leave him. I'll share you, if I must, but don't deny me either."
Her eyes searched his. "You'd really be alright with sharing me?"
Lucius sighed. "Not really. But I'll take you any way I can get you."
Hermione swallowed. "I need to think about this. I'm not sure I can really keep up with cheating on him. I only...did what I did, because you were driving me insane. I wanted to rid myself of my lust for you by finally having you."
He stroked his cheek with his thumb. "Did it work? Do you think you've purged me from your system?" He shifted, pressing into her more, reminding her that he was still inside her. "Feels like I'm still in you, my sweet."
Hermione sighed. "No, it didn't work. Now that I...know how incredible it feels to have you, I can't...I haven't been able to let him..."
Lucius' brow rose. "Have you since me?"
When she nodded, he smiled, unable to help himself at hearing that either, and he went on. "Maybe the answer is clearer than you think, my dear. Your body wants me more than it wants him. Do you want a life full of mediocrity? Or do you want a life full of passion and pleasure like I can give you?"
"I can't hurt him, or the others. They'd never forgive me for leaving him for you." She said softly.
He leaned in and kissed her gently. "My sweet, you do what you need to do. I won't force it either way, but I refuse to walk away from you though. I can't live without having you, not when I know just how magnificent you really are. But if you do choose to end things with him...we can be discrete until a sufficient amount of time passes, if you want. That way you don't feel so guilty about causing anyone any pain, and so they are not as angry with you."
Hermione frowned slightly. "Let me think about it, Lucius." She said, hoping he understood.
He kissed her again. "Alright, my sweet. I must insist that you come to me though. I can't keep myself away from you for too long. This past week has been hell with me wanting to come find you and carry you to the nearest bed."
Her lips curved. "Okay."
He removed himself from her and let her down gently. Making sure she had a solid footing before releasing her. He used his wandless magic to fix their rumpled appearances back to looking like they had before he pinned her and shagged her rotten. He'd barely moved away from kissing her again, when his wards that he'd placed went off and vibrated his wand, alerting him of someone's coming near them.
He turned from her, his normal arrogant mask in place. "It really is quite a lovely assortment of trees. Molly has done well with what she chose to plant."
Hermione frowned at the sudden change in him, but heard the approach of someone and understood. "Yes, she has. I wonder if she plans on planting anything else."
"Hermione." Her husband said as soon as he came into sight, smiling at her.
Hermione gave him a small smile in return. "You made it." Guilt filling her once again for what she'd done with Lucius, though she did her best to hide it.
Lucius looked at the redhead and gave an incline of his head in hello, "Weasley." He said in greeting, mentally smirking at having just shagged the poncy man's wife silly without his knowledge. "I think I'll go see what Draco is up too." With a small bow at them both, he walked away.
"Mother said you were out here. She says she owes you one for saving her from Lucius annoying her in the kitchen. Don't see what the big deal is myself, but you know how she gets." The redhead said, giving Hermione an annoyingly smug look.
Hermione sighed. Guilt eating at her or not, she knew Lucius was right. She wasn't happy and she didn't get what she needed from her husband, she shouldn't have married him. She only had because she thought he could give her all she needed. Both mentally and physically.
With what her next words could make happen settling inside her, she spoke. "Percy, we need to talk. This isn't working."
Neither aware of the blond man that was still within hearing distance. Who was smiling happily as he finally left Hermione and her husband to speak privately. Already forming plans in his mind at what her statement implied.
A/N: Yes, you read that right. She married Percy instead of Ron, and I figured it was time for a nice twist in my usual stories. More coming soon, I promise. Take care and please leave me your thoughts.
