A/N: Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts, because we are about to experience some serious turbulence. Really, folks, this one is a game-changer. RileyPotter17 and I would like to thank you for sticking with us for this wild ride. We read and love each and every review, so this one goes out to everyone who has helped fill that magic little box at the bottom of the page. Enjoy, my darlings!

~o0o~

Lucius hadn't blinked for almost half a minute. A chilling silence hung over his wife's boudoir, broken only by the hissing of the serpents Lucius had used to subdue Narcissa's would-be paramour. His stony countenance sent a shiver down Narcissa's spine. Lucius could see the fear mixing with desire in her deep, dark eyes, almost as if she wanted to reach up and make love to him then. He looked down his nose at her.

He turned on his feet for the door, striding purposefully and letting the dull thud of his cane accentuate the pulse-pounding tension. "You have approximately ten seconds to leave this manor before show you why I was one of the Dark Lord's most trusted lieutenants," he said to the man who had helped Narcissa betray him. Lucius leveled his wand at the man and turned the vipers and constrictors he had transfigured back into their original forms of flowers. He stifled a smile; he had used this wand for only a few months, but already he had grown more adept at magic with it than he had with his last tool.

Without a word, the usurper, as Lucius thought of him, apparated, half-naked, leaving him alone with Narcissa. Lucius had a million things he wanted to say to her: how she had betrayed him, how he had poured years of his life into being a Death Eater to protect his family from the Dark Lord, and how, for their entire marriage, he had showered her with everything she wanted, from fine wines to French lingerie and exotic dark magical artifacts for her wing of the manor.

He stopped himself from sighing at this thought. He wanted to retain complete control of the situation. He turned back to face his wife, who seemed paralyzed. She had not moved one inch since her husband had walked in on her. Her deep breaths made her small frame heave, her bare, beautiful breasts completely exposed. Lucius forbid himself from being attracted to her at this moment and maintained a stern countenance.

"You have half an hour to leave this Manor before I contact the authorities and have you removed," he said in an even tone.

Narcissa didn't move. She struggled to speak. "But, Lucius…I…I…all my things…"

"I will make arrangements for your things to follow you to whatever doorstep you next darken with your vile presence." The words fell like poison of the tongue of a coiled serpent.

Suddenly realizing how vulnerable she was, Narcissa pulled a blanket over chest. Lucius saw a glimmer of light dance on her cheek; the light from the hallway danced on the fresh tear tracks on his wife's face. "This is my home, Lucius…"

He strode to the door, holstering his wand. Strangely, in that moment, he thought of Hermione, and the way her beautiful brown hair cascaded down her shoulders, the depth and gentleness of her eyes, and her tender, welcoming lips. He was thankful to be facing away from Narcissa, since a small smile briefly danced across his face. "Not anymore."

"Lucius, don't do this…please…" Narcissa said in a small voice.

Lucius returned to her bed, every thud of his cane instilling dread into his wife's heart. As he approached, tears welled in her eyes and she cowered underneath his perfect form.

He bent over her and, leaning in almost as if to kiss her. For a moment, Narcissa's hopes returned. Her eyes widened and she allowed the sheet covering her naked body to fall. Whether she loved him or not, it was clear she didn't want their marriage to end like this.

In a completely dispassionate voice, he whispered "I want my ring back."

Narcissa tried to slap him, but in one swift movement, he caught her wrist and removed the ring from her delicate, trembling finger. He resisted the urge to tighten his grip around her and make her feel some small fraction of the pain she had caused him. His acidic glare broke her, and she buried her face in her hands as she lay on the bed, completely naked and vulnerable.

He shut the door behind him as he left. He strode to his own bedroom at the far end of the manor, desperately hoping he would find sleep in the comfort of his own bed. Perhaps writing the divorce papers would occupy his time.

The pitiful cacophony of Narcissa's sobs followed him across the manor.

~o0o~

"I don't understand," Ron said plaintively to the woman he loved more than anything. He ran his hands through his hair, trying to make sense of what Hermione was telling him. "Are you saying you want to break up?"

For her part, Hermione felt more miserable than she had at any time in her life. "No, Ron," she put his hands in hers to comfort him, "that's not what I'm saying at all. I just think we need to have a break. You're busy settling in as an auror, and it's taking a long time to adjust to my duties as Head Girl, not to mention all the classwork I have to take care of, and the meetings with Draco" – she found herself using his first name, which troubled her – "and Headmistress McGonagall, as well as quidditch practice with your sister…"

Hermione's head swirled. In the midst of this overwhelming moment, she struggled to remember how her conversation with Ron started. She had taken Ginny's advice to heart, realizing that she needed to be fair and tell her boyfriend that she needed time away from him to figure things out. She owled him for a meeting at the Three Broomsticks on a Hogsmeade weekend. She didn't want to have this conversation with him at the Ministry, or the Burrow. Sharing what she had to say at his place of work, or the home where his entire family had treated her as one of their own for the past seven years, would have been a dagger in Ron's back.

"…I'm just asking that we not see each other for a while so I can get used to my new routine."

She added to herself, and so I can figure out my feelings for Lucius Malfoy. She felt guilty even thinking about it, but her professor of Defense against the Dark Arts and Potions had stirred feelings in her body that Ron never had. Hermione knew she was doing something awful, but she needed this. Her self-esteem had been in the trash since her humiliation on the first day of class, and yet she found herself inextricably drawn to Lucius, unable to break free of his seductive aura. It was only fair to Ron to keep him at arm's length while she processed her feelings for the professor…at least, that's what she thought…

Ron sighed "So we're taking a break, then?" he asked. "Blimey, Hermione, I've wanted this for seven years and I've finally gotten it, and now you want to take it away."

Ron's talk of what was his annoyed Hermione. "So you see me as some object that you've earned? As if you have a right to me because of all we've been through?" Her eyes practically drilled into him.

"'Mione, that's not what I—"

"Don't call me ''Mione,' Ron, I hate it," she admitted. She pulled her hands away from his.

"I didn't know that...I'm sorry," he stammered.

"Maybe you don't want me at all, Ron. Maybe you just like the idea of having a girlfriend, but aren't really ready for one. I'm not some prize for you to parade around and use whenever you want to feel good." She found herself dangerously close to admitting that he had never pleasured her. Lucius could, she snidely remarked in silence, hating herself for the very thought. "We're supposed to be equals. But I don't get the idea that you want me for anything other than sex."

"'Mi—Hermione, that's not true at all. You know I've always said you're smarter than me…"

"I'm more than intelligent, Ron. I have a personality beyond being smart." She wanted to cry, but she forced herself not to.

Ron blinked and looked away. "Maybe you're right, Hermione," he remarked quietly. "Maybe I have just seen you as the solution to all my problems. Bailing me and Harry out at every turn, snogging me when I need it, making me look good in front of my family at dinner. Maybe I haven't seen you as a real person. Maybe if we had a break and I was away from you, I'd realize that you're a person with needs and emotions and all that.

And all that? Hermione silently contemplated. Nonetheless she smiled at Ron, who, despite his less than eloquent response, at least seemed to finally understand what she wanted. "That's it exactly, Ron," she told him. "This isn't the end of us. It's just that we first kissed in the middle of the war, and now that Voldemort and all the pain and death he brought into our lives are behind us, I need to figure out who I am and what I want out of life. And it isn't fair to drag you into that. I just need space to figure it out. That's all I'm asking."

Ron returned her smile and gently rubbed her arms. "Hermione, if that's what you want, I'm happy to give it to you."

Give? You're not "giving" me anything, she thought. Although she loved Ron, he certainly wasn't a wordsmith, and thought that he could sometimes be condescending. "Thank you," she said simply.

Ron stood up. "I hate to cut this short, but there's a case that requires my attention. There's been a murder out in the West Country that looks like Death Eaters were involved in, so Kingsley has called me, Harry, and a couple of other aurors from the war to look into it and snatch the perp as quickly as possible." He had become very businesslike; warm, but not as personable as he had been moments ago. "I better get going."

Hermione rose as well and draped her arms around his neck, fingers lacing together. "I still love you, Ron. Please don't forget that." She kissed him.

He returned her kiss aggressively. She closed the distance between them, pressing her body eagerly against his. The bulge forming quickly in his trousers jutted into her stomach and she waited to feel something, anything. But nothing happened. This man, whom she had spent half her life with, whom she had defied the odds and beaten certain death alongside, couldn't stir anything inside her.

She stepped away and smiled. He returned the smile before saying "I love you" and apparating.

Hermione collapsed back into her chair and downed half a glass of firewhiskey. She grimaced at how stupid that had been as the drink lurched down her throat and into her stomach, but she wanted to wipe away the pain of what had just happened. For the first time since the war had ended, at the first opportunity she'd had to really think about it, Hermione realized that, although she would always love Ron as her dearest friend, she might not be able to spend the rest of her life with him.

~o0o~

"…And that, class, is how you block the Cruciatus Curse." Lucius finished his lecture and dismissed class. "Don't forget, your paper on acromantula defense spells is due next week." As students slowly filed out of the class, Lucius was pleased with himself. He seemed to have hit his stride as an instructor. Students' grades had improved significantly as the months had gone by. Even the Longbottom boy showed some promise of being able to defend himself in the case of an attack by a dark wizard.

"Miss Granger, a word" he said to the collective "ooooooh" of those students who were still in the class.

Hermione and Ginny exchanged a look, as if the latter was asking the former if she needed any help. Hermione let out a wry smile which Ginny returned before leaving.

Lucius shut the door behind Ginny as she left. Only he and Hermione were left in the room. "You're quite adept at this subject, Miss Granger," he praised her. She had grown used to his courtesies, but the thought of Lucius Malfoy offering her a compliment still seemed so foreign to Hermione.

"Thank you, Professor Malfoy," she responded, sounding more girlish than she had intended. "You're a very good instructor."

If the remark had any positive impact on Lucius, he didn't show it. "Why don't you take a seat, Hermione? This might take a while."

Hermione planted herself on a desk. "Am I in trouble, professor?" Her heart raced.

"No," he answered evenly. "I think it would be best, however, if we discussed our recent entanglements."

Hermione blushed. Yet at the same time, she felt extremely satisfied that she had been able to attract a man as handsome as Lucius Malfoy. Even after all he had done as Voldemort's servant, the girls of Hogwarts now constantly remarked on his physic and their guesses at his "adeptness with a wand." Hermione had rolled her eyes at the puns, but she had also heard rumors about how good he had been at "extracurricular activities" during his time as a student. No wonder he could attract someone as beautiful as Narcissa.

"What is there to talk about, Professor?"

"I recently went through events that prompted me to file for divorce," he said darkly.

Hermione felt a strange sense of happiness upon hearing this. "I'm sorry to hear that, Professor."

"Actually," his tone lightened, "it's quite liberating. I can finally throw away the last vestiges of my past and start to move on with my life. With who I am now." He felt a sense of relief being able to finally share his feelings with someone. This was just the first of many, many things he wanted to tell Hermione.

"That's good," she remarked. She thoughtlessly began to twirl her chestnut curls.

"Very good," he remarked, drawing closer to her. Without warning, he began to stroke her cheek with the back of his hand. She shivered and moaned at his touch, eyes widening with desire.

"Lucius," she breathed. It was the first time she had ever used his first name.

"Yes, Hermione?" He responded in a voice deep enough to crack even the most strong-willed witch's will. And at that moment, Hermione didn't feel very strong-willed.

"Please take me." She leaned back seductively on the long table, propping herself up with her elbows and gazing directly into his eyes.

Wordlessly, he climbed on top of her and kissed her passionately. He made his way from her lips to her neck. With one hand, he nimbly removed her robes to expose a white cotton bra. With the other hand, he laced his fingers into hers and guided her to his enormous bulge. He broke the kiss momentarily to stare into her eyes. "You're beautiful, Hermione," he told her.

She smiled, feeling coy from his compliment and unzipped his trousers. "You're quite handsome yourself, sir."

Her submissiveness made Lucius even harder. He pulled his trousers down his legs, revealing a dark pair of boxer-briefs and an enormous bulge. He guided the Head Girl's hand beneath the briefs and kissed her cleavage. His hands moved down her arms, thumbs gently rubbing her tender inner elbows and pinning her arms to the table and to her sides.

Hermione gasped at how huge his cock had become. Lucius moaned as she tightened her hand around it, gently running from dome to hilt. She smiled, partly out of how turned on she was and partly because of her pride in being able to seduce him.

He leaned over her and said darkly "Granger. I want to take you. More than anything. But it shouldn't be here".

First time? she mused silently. So he already plans for a second time? Hermione bit her lip and nodded in agreement.

"But at least let me give you something," he told her. He dismounted the desk, strong thigh muscles rippling as his trousers fell to the ground, and he removed her plaid skirt to reveal a pair of glided white panties with small decorative bows. He smiled at how girlish and feminine she dressed.

She gasped in surprise. She was completely vulnerable, but she loved the caress of her professor's hands against her thighs. Hermione was also slightly embarrassed by the large stain on her panties that he had induced.

She nearly lost herself when he gently brushed his cock against her thighs, then gently removed her panties and began to rub her entrance. She moaned his name and begged for more, and he obligingly slid two fingers inside her. Hermione's eyes popped open to see him leaning down over her, once again bringing her hand to his enormous cock. It was resting so close to her head she could clearly see the outline of it against his boxer-briefs. She wanted him to fill her with it, as embarrassed as she was to admit it to herself.

She climaxed quickly, her fingers practically digging into his cock as she held on for dear life and rode out the best orgasm she had ever had. And the first legitimate one from a man. Pleasure traveled all over her body as he played with her clit, traveling up her spine and down her legs. He knew exactly what she needed, and he gave it to her so perfectly. She had no idea her body had been missing this. At that moment, she could feel cum spilling out of his cock onto her fingers, and she smiled as she gasped for air.

"That was incredible," she gasped. The arrogant look he usually wore returned to his face at her compliment.

Lucius stroked her hair and kissed Hermione gently on her lips, pulling away to stare into her eyes and let his own rake her magnificent body – her small but sexy breasts, her perfect navel and gorgeous thighs, and that perfect spot between her legs. "I'll owl you before the end of the week. We can despoil every inch of my manor."

Told you it would be big! Let us know what you thought. We'll be back soon!