I'm happy you're all enjoying the story so far! Thank you for all your comments! I know we're all ready for Hermione to ditch Ron, and she takes a huge step in that direction here!


Dancing with Lucius made Hermione feel more alive and at peace than she had all week. It was as if someone had taken a key and unlocked the secret cell door, which held her soul captive. As they moved around the dance floor, time itself lost its significance and stood still. Lucius was a passionate dancer, who showed no inhibitions no matter what tune they danced to. The fire in his eyes and the rhythm of music almost hypnotized Hermione as he spun her around, edging them closer to the French doors that opened onto the fragrant rose garden.

The next song was slower, more romantic. Her head rested on his shoulder as Lucius held her tenderly to him.

Warm breath tickled her ear, as he spoke, "I've been watching you all evening."

She smiled. "If I hadn't known any better, I'd be frightened by such sinister statements."

His chest rocked with silent laughter. "I noticed you're not very thrilled to be here," he said.

"Very keen observation. I'm not. We go every year; it's always the same … until now … until you, it was always an obligation."

"And what is it with me?" he inquired.

"A pleasure."

"I want to be alone with you," Lucius murmured in her ear.

"Impossible," Hermione said sternly.

"Nothing's impossible," he contradicted her. He continued to dance her toward the doors that led to the garden. The cool air of early autumn evening greeted them once they stepped outside. He danced her around, behind the tall bank of hedges that bordered the Minister of Magic's official residence.

"We shouldn't be here," Hermione warned him, but all reprimand was gone from her voice.

"We're not doing anything wrong. I just want to dance with you the way I want to without any blathering onlookers."

A tantalizing shiver ran down her spine. "Just dancing, promise?"

"Of course. Only dancing." His hands moved from her waist to just above her buttocks, gently caressing her through her dress.

"That's not dancing," she chided him.

"My sincere apologies. My hands slipped," he said, leaving them exactly where they were.

Her arms around his neck tightened. "Something tells me it's not true," Hermione murmured into his neck, inhaling more of his intoxicating aroma.

"Then command them to most desired position."

"I can't," she said, gripping his shoulders harder.

It is most desired … in public, at least.

Their bodies floated together as one, as they continued to move in rhythm to distant tune. Emboldened by her acquiescence, Lucius ground her against him. Hermione moaned at the contact against the unmistakable outline of his cock. White light flashed behind her lids, and she quickly jerked away from him. Her eyes locked with his, and she felt her cheeks flush.

The most incredible want pumped through her veins. She wanted to kiss him again. She wanted it so badly she thought her mouth wither and crumble without his touch. But she resisted. Turning away from him, Hermione slowly counted backwards from ten.

"Let's go back," she finally said. "Please."

With a nod, they walked back inside and spent the rest of evening on the dance floor. When it was time to leave, Lucius escorted Hermione back to Ron, who reeked of alcohol.

"Thank you for letting me steal your date, Mr. Weasley," Lucius said in a tone that conveyed something more than mere politeness. Before Ron could make a scathing remark, the blond wizard turned back to Hermione. "You are a marvelous partner, Miss Granger. We must do this again sometime."

She smiled at him and returned his compliment before they bid each other good night.

"Ready to go?" she asked, turning to Ron.

"Am I ever," he huffed, then stalked off towards the fireplace to Floo home without saying another word to her. Hermione suppressed a groan, she knew she'd pay for this pleasure. If this was all she can ever have with Lucius, she'll take it. She'll accept Ron's resentment. It was the minor of two hurts she could inflict on him. If he had the knowledge of her real betrayal, he'd hurt even more.

The next morning, Hermione woke up in a cheerful mood, still buoyant from dancing with Lucius. It was heaven, it was hell, but she still had the time of her life. She knew that Ron wouldn't be as happy with yesterday's events. The moment she greeted him in the kitchen, her suspicions were confirmed – he was angry.

Ron barely acknowledged her presence until she was half-way through her breakfast.

"Do we still have that pain relieving potion?" he asked after he gulped down another cup of coffee.

"You're so grumpy in the mornings," Hermione commented. "And yes. It's in the bathroom. You know you really shouldn't drink so much. Fire-whisky is nothing but headache juice. After so many hangovers, I'd like to think you learned your lesson."

"Well, I wouldn't have to drink so much if my girlfriend didn't spend the whole night dancing with a Death Eater," he retorted.

"I knew you'd be unreasonable about this. You make it sound like it was something disrespectful. It was only dancing. Remember when I returned to Hogwarts for my N.E.W.T.s and couldn't go with you? You attended alone and danced with every pretty witch in the room. And remember last year when you hurt your knee and Ginny was ill? I danced mostly with Harry, and you didn't care."

"Well, Harry didn't act like you were his date! Malfoy showed no interest in dancing with anyone but you all evening!" Ron burst out, slamming his mug onto the table. "And he called you my date! You're my girlfriend, not date! Bloody git!"

"He only danced with me because I'm the only person who didn't act like he had some contagious disease. It was a social event, and we had to socialize with people other than each other. This Othello routine is very unattractive, Ron. You were free to do the same. It's not like I expected you to stay on the sidelines all night. He's a terrific dancer, and I had a good time with him, is that a crime?"

His eyes blazed. "You didn't have to dance with him for so long! And you certainly didn't have to look like you were having that good a time!"

She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling both guilty and defensive. "Well, how was I supposed to look? Sullen and miserable?"

"I don't like the way he looked at you. I don't like him!" he said, raising his voice. "You should just drop that case. No other Solicitor-General ever took charity cases, so you don't have to either."

"So just because you don't like someone I can't be friends with that person?" she asked, bristling at his tone. "I'm not going to leave him hanging. I'm seeing this through. It's not charity, when he's paying me so well for it. More importantly, I like spending time with him," she admitted sincerely. "He's been nice to me, and he and Scorpius could use more support after what they've been through."

Ron turned pink, his jaw shaking. "You and Harry are so freaking blind when it comes to this family, it's ridiculous! Keep feeling sorry for them! If the shoe was on the other foot, they wouldn't have lifted a finger for you."

She groaned into her juice and tried to pacify him, "Ron, let's just not argue, okay? The Ministry's closed today, so let's just enjoy one of the few days we have off together."

He stormed off from the table without another remark. Hermione picked at her toast. If she was an impulsive, selfish person, this row would be a perfect prelude a break-up discussion. As it was, she dreamily stared off into space, reliving the dances she had with Lucius.

(LINE1)

Despite the fact that her black court robes would cover her attire, Hermione wanted to look her best for their court date. She needed to look professional and confident. Why she chose her newest soft jersey dress in lilac for this purpose was another matter entirely. True, the dress was professional, but it also accentuated her body, giving her an undeniably sexy air. She even added a swipe of mascara and lipstick, and spritzed a dash of her favorite perfume behind each ear.

What's wrong with me? she scolded herself. She never wore perfume to court before. But then, she never attended it with Lucius Malfoy. She excused her actions with another reason: her twenty-fifth birthday. That could very well count for the extra efforts she was making this day.

It was to the credit of her professionalism and experience that Hermione argued the Malfoy case with equal measure of passion and persuasion before the judge without being distracted by the new personal developments with her client. The counter-argument only took five minutes and sounded weak in comparison to hers. It never even discounted the evidence she found about the notification requirement. She left the courtroom feeling extremely confident, especially once the judge set the verdict date for next Monday. The fact that judge only set aside the weekend for decision was a good sign. In her experience, it meant that the decision was already made in their favor; skipping to the next week day was a mere formality.

She enthusiastically shared her views with Lucius, feeling happy for him.

"Why don't you take the rest of the day off and join me for lunch at the Manor in an hour?" he suggested. "I know we have a lot more than the verdict to celebrate."

Hermione's buoyancy slightly faded, as she silently considered her answer. She shouldn't seek opportunities to be alone with him.

"We really shouldn't get ahead of ourselves with celebrations, Mr. Malfoy," she cautioned.

He smirked. "I happen to know a more important reason for us to toast. If I'm correct, it's somebody's birthday today."

Her face broke into a wide grin. "You're correct."

"Come then. You've worked hard for me when you didn't even have to take this on. I owe you." He winked at her.

Unable to turn him down, she nodded. "I have some things to drop off at the Ministry, but I'll be there. One hour?"

"One hour," he echoed.

Hermione returned to the Ministry and informed her secretary of her absence for the rest of the day. She tossed off her court robes and touched up her make-up, before taking the Floo Network to Malfoy Manor.

Lucius greeted her. She wanted to ask Scorpius to join them, but was informed that he was busy with his tutor. Ushering her outside, Lucius took her along their picnic route, except now a gazebo stood there, overlooking the shimmering azure lake.

"When did you have this done?" she asked in amazement.

"Oh, not long after you hurt your ankle," he said as though it was the most ordinary thing to do. Hermione looked around and the grounds seemed to be greener and better groomed.

In the middle of the gazebo stood a picnic table. As they got closer Hermione could see a spray of lilies and pink roses with birthday sign hanging above them. Next to them stood two crystal glasses and a bottle of champagne. She surveyed the beautiful layout and smiled at him.

"You didn't have to do this!" she gushed. "But I'm so touched that you did. Thank you, Mr. Malfoy."

"Please, call me Lucius. I insist," he said. "May I offer you a glass?"

She nodded, looking out onto the pair of swans swimming nearby. They toasted to her birthday, and soon after the house-elf brought them their lunch. Hermione was relieved that things were normal, that the tension from the Blackstone night wasn't there anymore.

After they finished eating, she felt something soft land on her shoulders. She looked up. Red and gold rose petals rained down on her, playfully swirling around her. Laughing, she got up and twirled with them. It was very reminiscent of Zeus's seduction of Danae. Few minutes later, it all stopped, and she looked at Lucius in astonishment, not sure what to say about his unusual present.

He came up to her. There was an undisguised admiration in his eyes. "You look so beautiful in this color that no other woman in the world could ever do it justice," he said.

The nearness of his body worked its magic on her again. Hermione stepped back to get out of his aura, knowing she must be beet red. Why did he have this effect on her? She was quickly losing her resolve.

"Happy Birthday," he said seconds before his mouth captured hers in another one of his bone-melting kisses.

She kissed him back without hesitation. There was nothing more to say on the subject; they'd said it all.

"I've been dreaming of this ever since the last time," she confessed in between their kisses. "I thought I'd go mad." Her heart pounded so hard in her chest, she was sure he could hear it.

"Me too," he said.

Hermione was so happy in this moment. It didn't matter that he was married, and that she was with Ron. She didn't even care that she was meeting Ron later for dinner at Wordsworth's.

"You've been fighting this every step of the way, but you have to admit that it's real now. Only fools think they have a choice when it comes to love," Lucius said, holding her tightly.

She felt as though she could kiss him in this paradisiacal place forever. And she almost did. Time flew and soon it grew dark around them.

"I have another surprise," he told her, directing her attention to the dark waters. "Watch."

"What am I looking for?" she asked, not sure what she was supposed to be seeing.

Then the night boomed around in her in the most vivid explosion of colors.

Fireworks! For her!

They popped and crackled in the air. White, violet, green, red, blue, and fuchsia lit up the sky in dazzling display. In lieu of a grand finale, a birthday message appeared in brilliant bold letters: HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY!

"That was amazing … incredible… You're incredible!" She turned to face him and found herself only inches from his face again. She didn't think her heart could take anymore excitement for one day. The attraction between her and Lucius was overwhelming.

His lips were centimeters from hers, as he softly spoke, "Hermione, admit it: this is real. Inconvenient, wrong, whatever else you want to call it, but real."

She swayed on her feet. "But we're not free to act on this connection. I never had any ambitions to become someone's Madame de Pompadour. I'm really attracted to you, but this … I can't do this. I know you can't do anything about your situation now, but I don't want to be a cheater. This has been the most perfect day … the best birthday, but I just can't. I have to go meet Ron for dinner at Wordsworth's. I'm sorry. I must go."

Feeling the tears sting her mascaraed eyes, she fled from him. She ran past the house gates, and Apparated to the restaurant. She did her best to appear happy and in good humor for Ron, who seemed oddly nervous. Throughout the meal, he kept taking her hand in his to tell her how much she meant to him and how sorry he was for their rows all week.

Hermione's worst fear materialized, as he reached one hand into the pocket of his jacket. He wasn't about to propose, was he?

A dry lump formed in her throat. She didn't know what to say to that. They weren't ready … she wasn't ready … she didn't want to be married … not to him. How does one turn down a proposal gently?

"Miss Granger, what a surprise to see you here tonight," the familiar voice drawled at her side.

She slowly exhaled in relief. Hermione needed time to stall, to think what to say. She didn't even care to dwell on Malfoy's reasons for showing up tonight; she knew it wasn't a coincidence, but she didn't care.

"May I join you for dessert?" Lucius asked.

"Sure," Hermione blurted out. Ron shot her a glare.

"Um… no. I'm trying to have a private moment with my girlfriend," Ron said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, really? I do apologize for my interruption, then. If I had sensed something, I wouldn't have intruded on you. I'll leave you two to … your moment," he said, before moving off to be seated at the next table, right in her line of vision.

Ron cleared his throat. "What I was trying to say before I was interrupted is … I love you, Hermione." He reached into his pocket again, and held out a velvet box. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

He opened the box. The ring inside nearly blinded her. It was a square-cut diamond; the gaudiest she had ever seen. Why would he think she'd be impressed with jewelry that does nothing but advertise how much money was spent?

Lucius caught her eye. He looked pallid, but otherwise unreadable.

She closed the box and pushed it back into his hands. "It's something couples talk about in advance," she said. "This isn't a romance novel; it's our lives. People have to have multiple discussions on this subject before even thinking of looking at rings."

"But we have talked about it!"

"Very hypothetically. And we've agreed to get married only when we were ready to start a family," she said, squeezing his hand.

He brushed it off. "Well, aren't we? We've been together long enough. It's not like we're rushing into anything."

"But it doesn't mean we're in a good place to start a family," Hermione pointed out. "I'm not ready and neither are you."

"But I am ready!" he insisted, running a hand through his hair.

She looked at Lucius again, who continued to watch the scene before him. She tried to explain it to Ron, as convincingly as she could, "You think you are, but you're not. Neither of us is around enough to adopt a pet, much less have a child. Who's going to stay home with the baby? You'll have to switch to nightshifts for the near future, because I can't be at home during the day. And I'll still have to take time off to give birth and recover. I'm not ready for all that. You're just thinking of all the fun things you can do with the child like when you see Harry with Teddy. However, that's only one small aspect of being a parent. You have to take other scenarios into account and think whether or not you can handle the bad with the good. I'm not ready for that right now."

"We could still get married. We don't have to have kids right away." The hopeful look on his face made her feel even worse.

She looked down at the tablecloth, hating herself. She didn't want to hurt him, but agreeing to marry him right now would be a huge mistake.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "but I can't marry you."