Lemons ahoy! Disclaimer: JK Rowling is the brilliant person who invented everything Harry Potter. I checked my driver's license, and damn it all, I am not her.

Straightening his cuffs, Lucius looked over his reflection in the mirror.

"Where are you off to?" Draco asked from behind him.

Satisfied with his appearance, the older Malfoy turned and gave his son a smile. "I've obtained a position within the Minister's cabinet."

"Granger gave you a job?"

"More or less." Lucius slipped into his robes. "I was rather... persuasive."

"I bet."

Lucius glanced at him. "You sound irritated."

Draco crossed his arms. "Let's call a spade a spade, Father. You probably blackmailed your way in. Persuasion has nothing to do with it."

Smirking at his son's outrage, Lucius reached for his cane. "Call it what you will; it allowed me to gain entrance into her inner sanctum, and that's where I plan to stay." He narrowed his eyes. "Why are you so concerned about how I achieve my objectives? Is Astoria not fulfilling your requirements, that you are so interested in Miss Granger?"

"Astoria is just fine, thank you very much," Draco ground out, advancing on his father. "But I don't wish to see you in Azkaban again, and your meddling in the Minister's affairs could lead to just that!"

"Calm yourself, boy." Lucius noticed the tension in Draco's stance and the worry creeping into his eyes. He surely hadn't meant to cause his son any undue stress, but in order to remain on constant speaking terms with the Minister, he needed to finagle his way into her good graces. His plan had been to ply her with financial backing for whichever endeavour she wished, but her slap—and the threat of exposure for employee abuse—provided a much easier and more cost effective way for him to achieve his goal. "Once I make the Minister her first million, she'll do anything I say... including keeping me out of Azkaban."

Draco scowled. "You're playing with fire. Literally."

A slow smirk spread across Lucius' face. "All the better to feel the burn of passion."

"Malfoy is here," Remus said in a low tone to a busy Hermione.

Without looking up, she replied, "Show him in."

Remus glared at the blond's back as he followed him through to the inner chamber of the Minister's suites. "I'll be watching you," he warned.

"I was rather hoping you would be," Lucius drawled and then, winking at him, shut the door in Remus' gaping face.

"Lucius, if you're going to work for me you'll have to get used to the idea that Remus is not only my administrative aide, he's also my friend," Hermione pointed out, exasperated. "I won't tolerate your insulting behaviour towards him."

Malfoy sniffed. "I said nothing insulting to the wolf. He threatened me, so I retaliated. End of story."

She rolled her eyes. Dealing with those two was going to be a Herculean task. "Fine," she said, waving her hand. "Here's a contract negotiation, detailing fee rates for certain services we provide to the public sector. Look them over to see if they are reasonable."

Delegated to menial work already? Lucius nodded slightly, though he had to control the sneer that threatened to take over.

Ten minutes later, after he had studied the document, he came back over, sat in the chair in front of her desk, and flung the paperwork on top of the wooden expanse. "Your calculations are wrong."

Baffled, she flipped through the file. "You've barely looked at this. And the calculations are not wrong."

"Miss Granger—"

"Minister Granger, Mister Malfoy."

He acquiesced with a nod. "Minister Granger, there is a flaw in the theorem for subsection two, article nine. You're losing money where you should be making it."

She turned over the pages until she reached the section he had indicated, and scanned through the text. "I don't see—"

"Allow me to show you." He stood, walked around to where she sat behind her desk, and leaned over her shoulder. Using his wand, he shifted the Arithmancy model until it aligned properly and produced the desired calculation. "There, you see? Now instead of losing a thousand Galleons a month, you'll be adding thirty-five hundred to your coffers."

Her mouth hung slack. "How..." She read the theorem again until she could see the mistake. Remus. She mentally groaned. Normally she worked the Arithmancy models, but she had let him do it for this contract, as she had been too busy with another, more important one at the time. Trusting his previous work, she had immediately submitted the contract for implementation. When the money she thought was supposed to be made with the account didn't even make the bottom line, she'd pulled it for renegotiation. Now she knew what the problem had been.

"Thank you," she admitted quietly, a little unnerved that he still stood so close. "I'll send this to Provider Relations, so they can update their files."

He smiled, though she didn't see it. The flaw had been easy to spot, and had made him wonder why she hadn't found it before. Glancing at her cluttered desk, he gathered her busy lifestyle had much to do with it. Making a snap decision to take another chance, he bent low and grazed her cheek with his nose. "Have dinner with me again."

Oh, why did he have to do that? He had been cordial, his interacting with Remus notwithstanding, and he had just made her an impressive amount of money in the first hour he'd been her financial aide. Why did he have to whisper such things in her ear?

Shifting away, she glared at him. "I'll ask you to remain professional, Mister Malfoy."

"Lucius, please." He followed her retreat.

"Mister Malfoy," she grated. "If you don't keep your distance, I don't care what kind of deal we have, I will report you to the Aurors for sexual harassment."

"Really?" He gave her a predatory smile. "How will it look when I show them the memories of the kisses we've exchanged, hmm? I don't think they'll be inclined to believe you."

Her lips thinned, and she blushed scarlet. "You are a complete bastard, you know that?"

"For asking you to dinner?" He looked at her derisively. "No wonder you're still single."

That hurt. Her pride, her ego... her heart. She'd tried to make a go of it with Ron right after the war, but they were too different; they wanted too many different things from life. Ron was now married to Susan Bones. They had two lovely children, and Hermione couldn't begrudge him a single moment of happiness. Harry had married Ginny soon after the end of the war and they had two strapping boys with another little one on the way. But Hermione? Though she had casually dated in her early twenties, she now only met with wizards during business functions, soirees, or grand balls. Not exactly conducive to meeting a potential mate, especially when she was considered the most powerful woman in the Wizarding world.

She schooled her features. "Yes, I'm single. You know why? Because I don't have the time to deal with men who feel insecure regarding my job and have even less patience to deal with power-hungry idiots like you!"

He leaned in close. "I have more power in my smallest finger than you will ever have in the full of your term. Do not mistake me for some power-hungry fop who is going to fumble for your affections. I simply asked you to dinner." He leered at her. "Though I can now see that spending time in my company is distasteful to you. Pity, I had thought you would enjoy a nice dinner and decent conversation."

With a snort, she stood and looked him in the eye. "I've had plenty of dinners with good conversationalists."

"Name one."

"Severus Snape," she returned quickly. "He's been extremely helpful and—"

"No offense, but he's not inclined towards you," Lucius cut her off. "Though he has a talent for witty repartee," he conceded begrudgingly.

"Not inclined towards me? Because I'm a Mudblood?"

He frowned. "Blood purity is the last thing that Severus is concerned with. You should know that." Daringly, he reached out to graze the back of his knuckles along the slim line of her jaw. "It is the last thing I am concerned with as well."

"I don't believe you," she whispered and stepped away from his touch. "The Lucius Malfoy I know based everything he was on the standing of blood purity. I doubt fifteen years have made a difference in a lifetime of hate."

"Then you know a ghost," he hissed. He clutched her arm when she tried to escape his presence. "That man..." He swallowed thickly. "That part of me died long before Potter met Voldemort during the final battle," he admitted. "And as for myself, I am truly sorry for the distress I have caused you."

"Distress?" she cried. "I was tortured on your parlour floor, while you stood there and watched!"

"I had a part to play," he countered. "Had I not done so, you and your precious Potter would be dead now, along with my own family!"

"Ever the consummate actor. Was that it, Lucius?" she spat back. "Funny how the rest of us never went home when the show was over."

His eyes widened, and he relaxed his grip, though he didn't let go. "I can only apologize so much before it becomes insincere."

"Then we are in agreement on one thing," she said before moving away to a large cabinet. She opened it and extracted several hefty files. She carried them back to where he stood and shoved them into his chest. "Here. Do your job."

Wrapping his arm around the cases she thrust at him, lest they fall, he watched as she sat once more, perused a parchment that lay atop a sizable pile, and ignored him. "Do I have an office?" he asked quietly.

"What?" she asked more harshly than she intended. Shaking her head, she muttered, "Erm, not at the moment. I'll find one for you before tomorrow, though."

"Am I to be resigned to the escritoire until then?"

Blowing out a pent up breath, she sent him a look that wavered between pity and irritation. "I know it's small and not what you're used—"

"It's fine," he said quickly. Removing himself, he made his way to the roll-top desk and laid the files on top. Braving a side-long glance at Hermione, he noticed the tight grip on her quill, the forced scratching of the nib, the miniscule tremor of her body. Though his intent was to seduce the woman, he found himself respecting her for more than just her power, and suddenly felt compelled to smooth things over. Walking back to stand in front of her, he said, "I do wish you'd reconsider and join me for dinner."

"You never give up, do you?" She threw down her quill and looked up at him, only to pause. His gaze was genuinely concerned and it threw her off-balance. "Why?"

"The obvious reason is we both need to eat."

"And the unobvious?"

He gave her a breathtaking smile. "Severus is not as beautiful to look at."

Red tinged her cheeks at his insinuation. "Oh, I'm sure he has his merits. For example, his hair is now much longer and silkier."

Lucius arched a brow. "And how do you know this?"

Unable to prevent the small chuckle that left her mouth, she said, "One of the first things Severus marketed was a line of products designed to help unmanageable hair. I was his guinea pig, of sorts." She ran a hand through her wavy locks. "His Perfect Coif serum is a godsend."

The more she stroked her curls, the tighter his trousers felt, his erection burgeoning with every strand that flitted over her fingers. "Yes, well..." He cleared his throat. "Tonight at seven, then?"

"I didn't say yes, Lucius."

"You didn't say no, either," he quickly pointed out.

Sighing heavily, she nodded. "One dinner."

He smirked. "You said that the last time."

"Damn it, do you want me to go or not?"

"Oh, I do so love it when you swear," he purred. His smirk turned wicked. "I wonder what else you can do with that sharp tongue of yours."

"Lucius..." she warned, though not sternly.

He laughed in spite of himself. "Don't worry, I'll behave."

For now.

So began a series of business dinners wherein Hermione and Lucius discussed the day-to-day workings of the Ministry, argued political stances, and decided how funds should be applied or where they'd be most beneficial. Occasionally, they would leave straight from work, but she noticed after a few weeks that she managed to go home more often than she used to before Lucius had entered her life.

They always dined in public, and he would bow upon greeting her at her doorstep. After he bowed, he would take her small hand in his wide, strong one and bestow a kiss to her knuckles. It really shouldn't have sent shivers up her spine like it did.

As time progressed, the kisses to her hand became lingering, and she swore, at one point, she felt his lips part, the moisture of his mouth and the heat of his breath caressing her senses, shooting straight to coil tightly in her belly with need. Of course, she tried to rationalise her body's responses, or ignore them altogether, which only served to wreak havoc upon her still very healthy libido. She truly couldn't help that she found him so very appealing, intellectually as well as physically.

It soon became obvious he no longer cared about blood status. This had become most apparent during their last dinner, when he'd taken her to a French restaurant that was frequented by pure-bloods. They'd drawn quite a bit of unwanted attention, but he had insisted that the foie gras glazed with fig gelée was excellent and had been adamant that they stayed. While sipping their Perrier Jouet Fleur De Champagne, circa nineteen ninety-eight, an old associate of Lucius' had approached their table.

"Lucius, darling!" the stunning blonde cooed. "So good to see you again."

Though he rose to greet her, he did so only perfunctorily, shaking her hand with a slight nod. "Catherine."

The blonde's smile faltered somewhat before she turned to glance at Hermione. "Wining and dining, I see?" She had a calculating look about her.

So did Lucius. "Catherine, this is Hermione Granger, Minister for Magic," he intoned.

The blonde's eyes widened and a wicked smile spread across her face. "Oh, I see... mixing business with pleasure!" Batting her eyelashes, Catherine leaned across the table to Hermione and whispered conspicuously, "Make sure he shows you the swing."

Hermione arched a brow in contempt. "Whatever 'instruments' Mister Malfoy has in his possession are of no concern to me, Madam."

"Catherine," Lucius hissed, prying her clutching hand from his arm, "you're drunk." He shoved her away. "Shall I have Avery come and collect you?"

She pouted. "I'd rather you collected me, lover."

Lucius' jaw squared in annoyance. "I think your glamour is fading, Catherine... I can see your crow's feet."

An audible crack filled the air when her hand met his jaw. "Bastard!" she shouted so loudly that the whole restaurant became silent. "You think because you're fucking the Minister for Magic, you can do or say whatever you want? Where's your loyalty?" she shrilled.

Motioning with his eyes to the manager of the establishment that this particular patron needed to be removed, Lucius stepped away from her before he did some serious damage. "My loyalty remains where it always has," he told her while glancing at Hermione. "With my heart." He returned his attention to the irritated woman before him. "Your idea of fidelity is not having more than one man in bed at the same time."

Hermione couldn't help herself; she snorted with laughter. This incensed Catherine to the point that she threw a curse at the Minister. For a brief moment, Hermione was once more staring into the insane face of Bellatrix Lestrange, awaiting the Cruciatus curse, but then Lucius stepped in the path of the spell, taking the full brunt of the stinging hex.

"Lucius!" Hermione cried. She jumped from her seat and caught his sagging form before he hit the floor in pain.

What followed was somewhat surreal. Hermione alerted the Aurors, who were always near-by in case of emergencies, with a non-verbal spell issued when Catherine first became belligerent. They arrived just before she could fire off another one, restrained the bitter woman, and dragged her off for questioning and detainment. Harry just happened to be in the area when the alert was issued, and stayed behind after the others had left.

"You okay, Hermione?" He had always thought of her as his best friend, not the Minister for Magic.

Patting a cool cloth on the rash spreading over Lucius' skin, she sighed. "Yes, I'm fine." She had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing at the sight the blond provided. "Though Lucius could use some salve to help with the welts."

"I have an ample supply at home, thank you." The man in question shrugged off her ministrations to stand and pull on his robe. "If you don't mind, I'll see you home and then bid you a good night."

Disappointment clouded her eyes, but she nodded. "Of course." She hugged Harry and said she'd be in touch with him the next day.

Apparating to the entryway of her sizable house, she was loath to let go of Lucius. "I want to thank you," she said softly.

"There's no need. She was clearly out of line." He rolled a shoulder, wincing in pain. "I was doing my duty by protecting you."

Hermione swallowed past the knot in her throat. "Oh, I see." His duty. The business dinners were really just that: business. Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes to bury her tender emotions behind a wall before opening them again. "You may have leave for the rest of the week," she informed him in a neutral tone.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Why? Did I act unaccordingly? Did I step out of line?" His irritation was growing. "Or do you want your precious Lupin to mangle what I've done?"

Frowning, she shook her head. "What are you talking about? I was giving you the time off to heal, you suspicious git!"

"No," he barked.

"No?" Hands on her hips, she matched him in intensity. "I'm your boss, for lack of a better term, and I say you need to take some time off."

"I refuse to be away from you."

"What?"

"I don't believe you're deaf," he answered snidely. "I won't be away from you."

She rubbed her temple, exasperated. "Lucius, it's Wednesday. I'll see you again on Monday. It's not that long."

His face instantly softened. "It is to me," he whispered.

Worry creased her brow. "Tell me what's wrong."

He blinked rapidly to recover himself. "Nothing." He looked askance. "I'll see you on Monday, then." Before she could say another word, he Disapparated away.

It was now Monday morning, and she anxiously worried her bottom lip. He was late. Lucius Malfoy was never late.

"You okay?" Remus asked as he poked his head in her office.

Shaking herself out of her reverie, she nodded. "Fine. A little tired, perhaps."

"Busy weekend?" Setting her usual large mug of tea in front of her, he sunk down into one of the chairs facing her desk. "Malfoy isn't here yet."

Maybe it was his tone or the insinuation that accompanied it, but all she knew was that her ire grew the more Remus sat there. "I gave him leave, remember?"

"Oh, yes... that's right." He took a sip of his own tea. "I was hoping his Lordship had finally given up and decided this game was not to his liking."

"Well, you'd be wrong," said Lordship growled from the doorway.

Hermione had to stifle a snort when Remus spilled his hot tea all over his groin.

"Bloody hell!" Lupin yelped. He murmured a quick Evanesco for the mess and turned to Malfoy. "You're late."

Lucius glanced at Hermione. "My apologies. I had an investment meeting that ran longer than expected."

"It's okay." She stacked a folder atop the ever growing pile in front of her. "You really don't have any set schedule. You're more of a consultant."

Remus smirked at the look of discontent on Lucius' face. "I'll prepare your schedule for today, Hermione." He left, firing a knowing smile at the blond.

Once the door clicked shut, Lucius approached her desk. "A consultant?"

She looked up at his tone. "Well, yes. I mean, you're already on the Board of Governors. You have more money that Midas and you have the ear of the Goblins at Gringotts. Why do you need another full-time position?"

"This has all been temporary?"

Steeling her reserve, she glared at him. "You blackmailed your way into this office, Lucius. How permanent did you think I'd let it become? Besides, I've given Harry a full statement along with several Pensieve memories as corroboration to what happened on that day. He thinks you were a right git about the whole thing, but mostly made up for it when you blocked the spell aimed at me." She inclined her head. "My thanks for that."

Lucius flinched slightly before his spine stiffened in recognition of her attitude. "I see." Raising his chin a notch, he looked down on her imperiously. "Well since you only wish to consult with me, Minister, I'll be leaving now. Do Floo if you need someone who knows how to make you money."

The way he said 'Minister' sounded almost hateful to her ears, and her soft heart couldn't allow him to leave like that. "Wait! Where are you going?"

"I have other pressing matters, ones that actually require my attention." He opened the door, but it was slammed shut before he could make his exit.

Hermione's eyes were alight with fire and indignation as she strode over to him. "I require your attention."

He scoffed. "You require nothing more than a stiff shag to remove the wand that's lodged in your arse."

At least this time it was Lucius' other cheek that received the slap. "How dare you?"

"How dare I, Madam?" He swiftly cornered her against one of her bookshelves, his powerful arms blocking any escape, even as he left no space between their bodies. "I'm not the one who can't make up their mind about what they want," he chided with a menacing sneer.

"What are you talking about?" she rasped. Her mind spun wildly while his frame was pressed flush with hers, feeling wonderful yet frightening at the same time.

Taking up his cane, he caressed the slope of her neck with its smooth, cold, serpentine head. "You possess unparalleled intelligence, exceptional natural magical talent, and have even acquired the most powerful position in our world." He spun the ornament so that the snake's fangs grazed her ear lobe, eliciting a gasp from her. "But what you really want—nay, what you really need, is to be loved for your own merit and to be completely possessed by that love."

Dropping the cane to the floor, he deftly pulled the glove off his right hand with his teeth. He reached downwards until he was able to grab the side of her pencil skirt and bunch it in his fist, his voice turning the red shade of pure seduction as he poured it into her ear. "Stripped bare of all but the very essence, the precious fragility of your femininity," he drew out in a throaty purr. Tugging the fabric higher, he relished the feel of her soft skin beneath his searching palm. "All your deepest desires lying there, raw and exposed, ripe for the taking by a wizard who is capable—no, not capable—worthy, of worshiping you as you deserve."

When he reached her hip, he dipped his fingers past her knickers to cup her arse. "To give you the one thing you cannot attain on your own for all your brilliance." Squeezing her full bottom, he pulled her leg high until it was wrapped around his hip. With his mouth hovering just over hers, he whispered, "You and I both know... that wizard is me."

He pressed his lips to hers, and she responded feverishly as if she'd been waiting a lifetime for that very moment. His lips moved against hers with hunger, yearning and tasting, shaping her pouty mouth to his, their tongues meshed in a duel that left them both breathless. Panting, Lucius wasted no time in lifting her other leg to drape around him, so he could thrust against the apex of her thighs.

"Gods, you're so warm," he breathed against her neck. He skilfully moved the silky fabric of her knickers aside and traced her swollen labia, his fingers soon coated with her wetness.

"Yes," she hissed, moving into his questing fingers. "Touch me."

"I'll do more than touch you, love," he assured her. "I'll give you what you so desperately need." He bit down on the crux of her shoulder and had her clawing at his back. "Give yourself to me."

She arched her hips in answer to his demand. "Anything. Just make this ache go away."

Ripping the flimsy material protecting her sodden quim, he pulled down his zip to let his hardened length free. "Hermione, look at me," he commanded, aligning his tip at her entrance.

"I want this," she pleaded. She placed a gentle hand to his face and brushed her thumb over his cheek.

Her action nearly undid him. Pressing the thick head of his cock inside her wet core, he pulled her to him before he thrust home. Both of them gasped from the impact. Leaning his forehead against hers, he grunted, "Hold on."

She tightened her legs around his waist and followed suit with her arms around his neck.

Uncaring that he'd leave bruises upon her flawless skin, he gripped her hips hard and drove into her welcoming depths, her back repetitively hitting the shelf behind her with a dull thud. "Muffliato," he muttered, never breaking his pace. It wouldn't do to have the nosey wolf banging down the door in a poor attempt to rescue her.

When she laid her cheek against his and panted, "More," in his ear, he immediately began pistoning into her faster, his bollocks slapping her nether lips with a delicious pain that urged him to pound even more furiously into her.

He nearly lost his gait when she bit down on his earlobe. "Hungry?" he asked hoarsely.

"For you," she panted, angling her hips for deeper penetration.

"Gods, witch, how I've wanted this," he admitted, before sinking his shaft deep inside her once more. "Come for me, Hermione."

His thrusting, combined with his plea, sent her over the edge and into the abyss. "Lucius!" she screamed, burying her face in his neck.

Her grasping core pulled at him, and he soon joined her, shouting his completion to the rafters and flooding her with his seed. Held securely within each other's embrace, they panted, their chests heaving in the aftermath.

"Don't go," she whispered, unwilling to move.

"Never, love," he promised and kissed her forehead.

Outside, several objects and a couple of chairs lay in shambles, courtesy of Remus, who had heard nothing, but smelt everything.