A/N: Thank you all for the kind reviews! I know my updates are sporadic, but please, don't worry - I promise not to abandon anything. Many thanks to Krissy, SweetTale4U, and Muggle Jane for helping me out with this story - I'm lucky to know such talented people.
Disclaimer: The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling, Scholastic and WB. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story.
Chapter 10
The next day went by quickly. All three of her lessons for the day went by without any incidents- the students were well-behaved. All in all, it was a good day.
Around three, Hermione received a note from Lucius. It read that Minerva had granted them both permission to miss dinner in the Great Hall. Lucius also stated that he was looking forward to the evening alone together.
It made her heart flutter excitedly. She couldn't stop thinking about that night. Yes, she had spent time alone with Lucius, but this time it was a date. They would be alone on a date.
Her insides squirmed at the thought. She'd be all alone with Lucius.
Glancing at the clock, she saw it was time to get ready. Hermione quickly showered and got dressed. She wore a grey sweater dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. It stopped just above her knees, revealing the perfect amount of skin.
Hermione put her teaching cloak on over her dress, just in case she ran into any students on the way to Lucius's quarters.
Deeming herself ready, Hermione made her way to the third floor. Appearing outside of Lucius's office, she knocked three times on the door. Her heart pounded nervously in her chest.
What if this was a mistake?
She pushed the nagging thought from her mind as the door opened. Lucius smiled at her from the other side. He was dressed impeccably as always. He wore black dress pants with a dark grey shirt tucked in beneath a black vest. His long, blond hair was tied back with a ribbon.
"Hermione," he greeted her, stepping aside. "Come in, please."
"Thank you," she murmured, stepping inside his office.
"I have dinner set up in my chambers if you'd like to eat." He motioned towards a door on the far side of his office.
"That sounds lovely," Hermione said, giving him a smile. "I'm quite hungry."
"Perfect." Lucius smiled. He held the door open for her once more.
Hermione made her way into his private quarters, her eyes wide in surprise at what she saw. There was a small table set up in the center of the room. On the table was a bouquet of roses and candles. The lights were dimmed and the fire roared in the fireplace. Soft, instrumental music played somewhere in the background.
It seemed Lucius was truly set on wooing her, if the state of his room was anything to go by.
"Is it too much?" he asked, a small note of worry in his voice.
She turned to face him, a genuine smile on her face. "No, Lucius, it's perfect. No one's ever done anything so… romantic for me."
He smirked. "I'm pleased, then. I was worried it might have been too much, but I wanted to show you that I'm genuine in my wish to pursue you."
"So you pulled out all the stops?"
Lucius nodded. "I did. I admit that I am a bit rusty, as it's been years since I've wooed a woman. I hope you can forgive any mistakes that I am bound to make."
Hermione smiled at him. "I think I can do that."
"Wonderful. Why don't we sit down?" Lucius held the chair out for her. She sat down in it, and he pushed her in. He then swiftly moved around the table and sat down across from her.
"What will we be drinking?" Hermione asked, glancing at the wine glasses.
"I have more of that elven-made wine, if that's acceptable to you?" He watched her carefully to gauge her reaction.
Hermione blushed, but nodded. "That wine was delicious. That would be fine." She gave him a reassuring smile.
She found it ironic that both she and Lucius were acting so nervous. Lucius had always acted so confident around her, and it was interesting to see him nervous. It certainly reassured her that he truly was interested in her.
Lucius poured them each a glass of wine. He handed it to her, and watched as she took a sip.
"Delicious," she murmured, enjoying the sweet flavour. "What do you have planned for dinner?"
"For a starter, we'll be having mushroom hazelnut salad. For the main meal, we'll be having chicken stuffed with spinach and feta cheese and twice-baked potatoes." He smirked at her. "And for dessert, we'll be having chocolate mousse."
Hermione's eyes widened excitedly. "Oh, I love chocolate mousse!"
"I know," he murmured, still wearing his smirk. "I've noticed how excited you get when they serve it during dinner. You always eat two or three servings."
She blushed, smiling. "Yes, I do love chocolate mousse. Although, I'm rather embarrassed you've noticed my eating habits. I don't usually indulge myself so often."
"Don't be embarrassed, Hermione," Lucius stated. "I find it incredibly attractive that you eat what you want. So many witches half starve themselves these days. It's refreshing to see that you are not one of them." His grey eyes locked onto hers. "I truly find it attractive," he repeated. The look he gave her was smoldering.
Hermione bit her lip as she shifted in her chair. A jolt of desire ran through her body, settling in the pit of her stomach. Lucius looked incredibly sexy at that moment, and she was pleased that she decided to give him a real chance. He obviously desired her, and when they weren't fighting, the two of them got along quite well.
At that moment, a small elf appeared, holding a tray that contained their starters. "Master Lucius, I've brought the salads as requested," the house elf said, giving a small bow.
"Thank you, Floppy. I will summon you when we're ready for the next course." Lucius set a salad in front of each of them.
"Of course, sir." Floppy disappeared with a small pop.
Hermione had gotten over her S.P.E.W. efforts quickly during the few months at Hogwarts. Each teacher was assigned their own house-elf to clean their rooms, wait on them, and complete other errands. Hermione herself had Winky, as she requested. She and the small elf got along quite well.
The two of them ate their salads in silence. Hermione enjoyed the freshness of the greens, and was pleased with Lucius's choice. After their salads, they ate their main course, and then soon ate dessert.
As Hermione ate her chocolate mousse, she tried not to think too much. Her evening with Lucius was going quite well, but she was afraid something would happen to ruin it. They had made small talk during the main course, and it had left her feeling pleased. She could only hope that nothing would happen to ruin it.
"You needn't worry, Hermione." Lucius gave her a sympathetic look.
She obviously didn't hide her emotions very well as he knew what she was thinking. It was uncanny the way he could do that, much like Luna just knew. "Sorry," she murmured apologetically.
"Don't be sorry. Your fears are justifiable. I know that I am not always the best-behaved person, and that I often speak without thinking. It won't be happening again. I didn't realize it was hurting you as much as it was, and for that, I am sorry." He reached across the table and took her hand. He squeezed it gently. "I won't be so careless again, Hermione, so rest your worrisome thoughts."
She smiled at him. "Lucius," she sighed.
He released her hand. "You've got a bit of mousse there." Lucius moved his hand to the spot and gently wiped away the chocolate.
Hermione laughed. "How did you know I wasn't saving that for later?"
Lucius let out a laugh of his own at her words. "You needn't do that, Hermione. I would be more than pleased to order you chocolate mousse whenever you desire." He shot her a smile that made her insides melt. "Your wish is my command."
She blushed. "My current wish is to move to the couch. Is that acceptable?"
"More than acceptable," Lucius said, standing. He moved around the table and took her hand. After helping her up, the two of them walked over to the couch. They sat on it.
After debating with herself for a few moments, Hermione decided to scoot a bit closer to Lucius. She moved close enough that their sides were touching, and after pausing once more, she rested her head on his shoulder.
They sat like that for a few moments, enjoying the warmth from the fireplace and the soft music in the background.
"This is enjoyable," Lucius said after a few moments. He glanced down at the small witch by his side. "Have you found the evening to be satisfactory?"
Hermione smiled. "More than satisfactory," she murmured, blushing. "I'm glad that I accepted your invitation. I know I've been so hot and cold with you, and for that, I apologize. We just fight so often, and you make me so mad all the time."
"All couples fight," Lucius pointed out.
"We're not a couple," Hermione quipped cheekily. "It's only been one date."
Lucius stiffened next to her.
"Relax," she said gently. "I'd be more than happy to go on a second date with you."
A smirk appeared on his face once he heard her words. "Then I hope you will allow me to court you properly, Hermione."
She smiled. "I'd like that, Lucius."
"I would, too," he stated. "You truly are an incredible witch, Hermione."
She sighed. "I don't understand your interest in me. That's why I was so resistant at first. What could an older, rich, good-looking wizard like yourself want with me?"
Lucius bent his hand and pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head. "I know I've made many mistakes in my life, Hermione. I've lied more times than I can count, but believe me when I say that it's you that I want."
"But why? What's so special about me?" she asked, curious about his answer.
"Draco always spoke so highly of you, despite your blood-status. I suspect that he had a small crush on you during your times at Hogwarts. When I saw you at the Ministry, I admired your dueling skills. You were quite advanced despite only being in your fifth year. You fought with a passion that I'd never seen before. When I saw you again in my home, I could only admire you even more. You held yourself together better than anyone else I'd ever seen. Even when Bellatrix was torturing you, you didn't lose your resolve." He paused. "I wish I could have saved you some of the pain."
"You couldn't have," Hermione assured him. "It only would have made things worse. I know now that you were protecting your family, Lucius. That's nothing to be ashamed of."
"But I am ashamed," he said quietly. "Anyways, I suppose I realized I was attracted to you during my trial. The testimony you gave for me shocked me. You defended me greatly, even though you hated me. It left me wondering why a beautiful, young witch like yourself spent so much time defending me. You obviously did your research."
Hermione blushed. "I did. I know your actions during the war were a result of you protecting your family. You didn't have a choice towards the end."
"And I will be forever thankful that you saw that. You helped keep me out of Azkaban, Hermione."
"Stop," she murmured, her face an even deeper red. "You don't need to say such things."
"They're true," Lucius pointed out. "After Narcissa divorced me, I couldn't get you out of my mind. I wanted to get to know you on a more personal level, but I couldn't figure out how. When the Board of Governors approached me about teaching at Hogwarts, I immediately said yes. I had known you would be here."
Hermione smiled. "And here we are. You're getting to know me on a personal level."
Lucius smirked. "I'm enjoying every minute of it." He paused for a moment. "I'm sorry about Severus. Luna told me that he was rather rude with you. He has been my friend for a very long time."
"I know," Hermione stated. "His words, though hurtful, made sense to me. He only wants the best for you, Lucius. You're lucky to have such a friend."
"Yes, I am. We've been together since the very beginning. Without him, I wouldn't have survived the first war."
"Then I am grateful to him, because without him, I wouldn't have you." Hermione snuggled deeper into his side. "I want to take things slowly, Lucius."
"I understand," he said, agreeing. "I would never push you farther than you are comfortable."
"Really?" she asked, somewhat surprised. "You're okay with that?"
"Of course I am. Should I not be?"
"No, no," she said quickly. "I'm happy that you don't mind moving slowly. I just thought you'd be more interested in the… er…"
Lucius laughed. "Hermione, I've stated my intentions to court you. If I was only interested in the physical aspect of things, I wouldn't have done that. I hope to be with you for quite some time, so I see no need to rush things."
Hermione melted a bit at his words. Lucius was certainly sweeter than she made him out to be. Luna was right. She always saw the worst in Lucius, but now she was seeing the best in him.
"This has been fun, Lucius, but I need to go. I have a few more essays that need to be graded for tomorrow." She looked at him apologetically.
"Understandable, my love," Lucius said as he stood. "May I walk you to your rooms?"
She considered his offer. "That would be nice, thank you."
After putting on her teaching robes, the two of them headed to the first floor where Hermione's office and rooms were located. They made small talk as they walked, mostly discussing the new use for dragon blood that had been found.
"Here we are," Hermione said, pausing outside the portrait leading to her rooms. "Thank you for a wonderful evening, Lucius."
"May I kiss you?" he asked, leaning forward slightly.
Hermione's eyes widened, but she quickly nodded her head. "Yes, please."
Gently cupping her cheek, Lucius tilted her face upwards. He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her.
Hermione sighed as he pulled away. The kiss was short and chaste, as she had wanted, but it left her wanting more. She knew they had to go slowly, however.
"Thank you, Hermione, for gracing me with your lovely presence this evening."
She blushed. "Good night, Lucius." She stood on her tiptoes and quickly kissed his cheek before turning and disappearing through the portrait.
Lucius watched her go with a smile on his face.
Hermione smiled too, doing a small happy dance once she was alone in her room. The evening had gone better than she had expected, and she couldn't wait to see what would happen next.