Disclaimer: I may have mentioned that Harry Potter belongeth to JKR? Well I say it again. Plot mine though!
A/N: I bet no one saw this coming? Your thoughts are most welcome!
Chapter 12
Hermione sat, rattled by her sudden emotional outbreak in front of Malfoy. She had clearly set a trend of behaviour around him that she could not break. Volatile? Erratic? Barmy? All three?
Forget about waiting for the next office meeting. Hermione packed her things and went after Malfoy. She figured he would have returned to his office and apparated there accordingly. The office building was as imposing as any other, undistinguished, and completely muggle looking. In her haste, she hadn't stopped to consider how on earth she would know which level he would be on given that muggles occupied its premises. There would have to be some concealment of the offices of Malfoy Corporation. She entered the imposing foyer and eyed the list of occupants for any sign. There was a listing for MC on level 10; she decided it was a starting point. She reached the lift and hit level 10. Instantly, upon her touch, a button next to it appeared which read 10A. 'How clever,' she thought. The lift recognised her magic charge. She pressed it and waited for her ascent. The lift hummed as it passed through the magic barrier at level 10 and reached its destination. Hermione stepped out, the foyer empty although opulent in its finishes. Two ceiling height glass doors materialised in the wall, welcoming her to Malfoy Corporation, as the lettering, embossed through the glass, indicated. She hesitantly pushed her way through and stepped into a reception area.
The lady at the front desk looked up. "Welcome to Malfoy Corporation, can I help you?" she greeted, flashing her best, and most rehearsed smile. The woman had very nice teeth, perfect for greeting; she would give her that much credit.
Hermione stepped up to the reception counter, made of the finest oak. "Yes, could you direct me to Mr Malfoy's office please?"
"Certainly, if you follow the hallway on your right down to the end and take a left, it will lead you right to his offices." Hermione wondered whether the girl suffered from sore cheeks.
"Thank you," Hermione smile back, feeling obliged to respond to the receptionist's pleasantries. She loved that Malfoy had 'offices' rather than just the one. She followed her instructions, admiring the precious, priceless, and certainly expensive, art work and furnishings that lined the hallways along the way. She turned left, making her way to the end where the second hallway opened into a large meeting area, and the location of the assistant, who instantly noticed her and stood.
"Is Mr Malfoy in?" she asked the male PA who eyed her curiously. She was surprised by how young he looked. What amazed her more was the fact that Malfoy's PA was not female.
"Do you have an appointment?" he questioned, like any diligent assistant. She sighed in frustration to be on the receiving end.
"No, I don't have an appointment, but I just had a meeting with him. Tell him it's Hermione Granger," she stated. He raised an eyebrow, smirking. His reaction clearly suggested his Slytherin traits.
"Just a second," he stood and walked through the imposing double doors behind him. She paced the room, competing thoughts entering her mind. Why was she here? What would Malfoy think? What was wrong with her! She shook her head in an attempt to wash the thoughts from her attention. The doors opened, thankfully disrupting her internal battle.
"You can go in,"
"Thanks, uhm?"
"Mac," he offered.
"Thanks, Mac," she smiled as she walked past, through the doors, to uncharted territory.
"Granger, can't get enough of me in one day?" Malfoy started from his position on one of the couches, a tumbler in his hand that obviously contained something alcoholic. Despite his cockiness, the same uncertainty she had recently identified on his face presented itself. "Never thought you'd actually come to my offices, especially so soon after our first meeting," he continued. "I'm surprised you've entered the enemy base quite freely," he observed before bringing the glass to hips lips. She stood silently for a moment, taking in the magnificent size of his office space before turning her attention to him. His eyes were narrowed and regarding her quizzically, their slate hue deepening. "Why are you here Granger?"
"Aren't you going to offer me a drink?" she responded mimicking his initial sarcasm and avoiding his questions. He merely shrugged, stood up and went to the bar to pour her one, confirming that he was sipping on the firewhiskey. She figured she looked silly standing in the middle of his office and decidedly walked over to the couches, sitting on the one opposite his. A rectangular, rustic coffee table with imposing rivets on both ends, and a Persian rug, rested between them. She placed her things down, and sat rather stiffly, still trying to establish why she was here.
"Do you want it chilled?" he asked with his back still to her.
"Yeah, ok." He cast a spell to chill the glass and contents, walking back over to her, reaching past the table between them, the barrier, to hand it to her. She reached over, her hand brushing his as she took hold of the glass. She sipped eagerly, welcoming the soothing burning sensation as the liquid warmed her. Malfoy sat across from her, feet propped up on the coffee table, arm slung over the back of the couch, drink in the other hand, curiosity written all over his face. Hermione's eyes wandered over everything but his face, resting on the soles of his shoes that faced her.
"Mac seems quite young to be your assistant," she remarked, breaking the stillness that had engulfed them.
"C'mon Granger, you didn't come here so we could discuss our assistants," he smirked, sensing her discomfort.
"Just making an observation," she retorted.
"Observe all you like," he dismissed. She scrunched her features in annoyance. "Is there something urgent we didn't cover?" he volunteered. How could he switch so easily from being difficult to civil? He really knew how to keep her on edge.
She opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated, and shut it again. She looked over at Malfoy, who had leaned back expectantly. She took a swig of her drink and tried again. "No, not really, I think it's going to be fine. I just wanted to… - I just wanted to apologise for -," she inhaled before continuing, "- for expressing my Ministry grievances. It was unprofessional of me," she finally let out, before exhaling in relief.
He stood, eyeing her rather impatiently. He walked around the barrier and sat at the opposite end of the couch she occupied, sitting on an angle to face her, his left leg bent over the seat. "Granger, you are such a tease, you know that?" he leered.
She looked at him, befuddled, trying to understand. "Actually Malfoy, I really did only come here to apologise for the way I acted earlier, and for calling your proposal stupid. I don't recall mentioning any of those previous incidents."
"Whoever said anything about those incidents, as you so eloquently put it?" he goaded, slightly amused at the progression of their conversation. "Although, I have to say, I don't treat lifts with such indifference theses days," he added leaning forward. She smirked back, frustrated that he had nothing to say about her apology or work related matters.
She finished the rest of her drink in one gulp, and set the tumbler on the table.
"Well then, that's all I wanted to say, so I'll be off," she placed a hand on the seat to lift her self off the sunken couch. His placed his tumbler down, and set his hand over hers in one swift movement; his eyes filled with mirth, yet they were much darker than she had previously noticed.
"Granger, you're in my office, I'll tell you when you're free to go," and with that he leaned across, cradled her cheek with his free hand, and kissed her firmly on the lips. It was brief yet tender and he pulled back slightly, staring at her, as she gaped back at him, stunned. He tasted of firewhiskey, raw and warm. Without breaking her gaze, his hand moved through her hair, he played with her curls, twirling strands around his finger, while his other hand remained rested on hers. His expression changed to one of resignation, "You can go if you like," he continued, as his finger unleased one of the curls, resting on her collar bone, from which he continued his ministrations, tracing along its definition. Hermione remained unmoved, the visible affects of his attention only evident by her shortened breath. She certainly had not expected this, it was too, well, intimate. Something more that lust charged in the air around them. Malfoy leaned in again, hesitating, before his mouth pressed own on her pulse point at the base of her neck, where he sucked gently before pecking, continuing the trail down to the edge of the exposed skin around her shirt that ended in a v-shape just above her cleavage. She inhaled deeply; his hair against her skin was like silk. He lifted his head to face her again, millimetres of space between their lips. He arched his eyebrow at her questioningly, as if to ask, 'why haven't you left yet?' If there was ever a time in her life where indecision was so pronounced in her demeanour, this was it. Hermione was shaking from the sensory overload and internal struggle between mind and body. It did not help that the firewhiskey was clouding her reasoning.
"I don't know what I'm doing," she finally whispered, before closing the gap again. This time, there was no hesitating as Malfoy cupped her face with both hands, and their kiss turned passionate. He leaned forward, pushing her gently back as she reclined, with her head resting on the soft arm rest. Lips locked, Hermione trailed her hands over his broad shoulders and down his arms, feeling the ripples of his firm body that lay beneath his shirt. Malfoy shifted himself so that he was lying on his side, supported by one elbow as he leaned against the back of the couch, half over her as his hand moved from her face over the contours of her body. He traced down the side of her frame, tracing around the side of her right breast, down to the valley of her waist and rising over her hips, before resting his hand on her thigh. She moaned approvingly, bringing both hands to the base of the back of his neck as she combed gently through his blonde tresses, her nails timidly grazing his scalp as she submitted to her mental abandonment.
Malfoy broke the kiss, allowing Hermione to catch her breath as he moved his attention back to her neck, nipping and sucking near and around the tender flesh of her ear, eliciting a giggle amongst her sounds of pleasure. She was very ticklish, unbeknownst to Malfoy, who stopped what he was doing in surprise. He looked at her amused. She merely shrugged, her mouth still smiling from her response. Upon seeing his face widen into a genuine smile that reached his eyes, all doubt and inhibition was lost as she moved her hands over his chest and began to loosen his tie. He turned his attention to the buttons of her blouse, slowly undoing them one by one, not opening her shirt until he reached her navel, where he untucked it from her high waisted skirt. They worked silently, the sound of their breaths filling the room, the smell of his cinnamon cologne, her gardenia perfume and a hint of firewhiskey mixed in the air around them. She lifted her shoulders off the couch to remove his tie, and in turn began to undo his shirt buttons. He pulled her hands away at the third button, slightly frustrated. Malfoy sat up on his knees, untucked his shirt and lifted it over his head, revealing his perfectly defined torso that his clothes only hinted at. She inhaled at the site of him as he leaned over, his bare chest inches from her, and he opened her shirt to reveal her white bra with lace trimming. He slid his hands under her material clad shoulders, sliding the shirt off, down her arms and onto the floor.
Hermione could not help but blush at his attention, as she could feel his eyes boring over her almost bare torso, her chest heaving in anticipation and in breathlessness. His feathery touches along her shoulders certainly did not help, as he gently slid her bra straps off her shoulders, trailing his fingers intently down her arms. She was so taken aback by his soft approach, she wanted to turn him over in sheer impatience and demand more physicality. She moved her arms to lock around his neck, pulling him closer. He obliged and their mouths connected once more. From her end, the lust was building but she could not help but revel in his soft approach that was so different from their previous kisses. His tongue moved expertly in her mouth, gently sliding across her bottom teeth before circling around her tongue, teasingly. She returned the gesture with greater fervour, deepening the kiss. She could feel his arousal now against her hip, as her own body heat was growing with desire.
His hands moved over her breasts, teasing her nipples through the material, before moving down to the waistline of her skirt. He ran his hand along the waistband, looking for the zip, finding it on the side before slowly drawing it down. As his hands moved to tug the skirt, she lift her hips upward, his moan reverberated in their mouths, his tongue growing fierce at the grinding contact. He shifted to pull the skirt down, as she moved her hands to his belt buckle, tugging at it impatiently, and then his zip, feeling his arousal through his trousers.
The intensity was building to rocket proportions; the fact that they were still clad only served to frustrate her as she slid her hand into his boxers, and took hold of his hard length. His breath hitched at the contact and he broke the kiss. Their eyes locked as she stroked him in a slow, rhythmic motion. The skirt halfway down her hips, she tugged it down to her ankles and she kicked off her heels as he slid it off completely. She was certain his eyes mirrored hers; clouded with desire as he ran his hands over her thighs, resting on her panty line. He tucked a finger under, testing her reaction. She only grasped him tighter, increasing the pace of her strokes, as her thumb flicked over the tip of his shaft. He took that as a signal to move more vigorously as he removed her panties in one swift motion.
Hermione moaned as air cooled her exposed skin. He moved her hand away from her hold on him, taking both her hands and placing them above her head. Her bra straps hanging off her shoulders, he pushed her bra down to expose her breasts, taking one of her aroused nipples in his mouth, as he gently brushed over the other. Hermione arched her back toward him approvingly as he worked on her nipple, sucking, nipping, teasing it with his tongue. He moved to the other, the exposure to the air increasing her excitement as it cooled the wetness of his mouth that remained. She could feel the wetness pooling between her thighs in heated response. He continued his ministration on her breasts, as his hand moved over her sex, and his finger slipped between the ready folds. He moaned appreciatively, the reverberation heightening her reactions as he sucked on her. Malfoy moved his finger along her folds down to her opening, teasing at the entry as his thumb found her sensory core, rubbing gently. She entangled her hands in his hair as he continued to tease all her sensory spots, heightening her awareness of the escalating pull building within her. Her nerves were on fire, as he dipped his fingers into her.
"I can't wait…" she whispered in pleasure. He did not retreat, the speed and depth of movement of his fingers increasing. She lifted his head from his attention on her breasts and guided his lips back to hers, showing her appreciation at his ministration, mimicking the movement of his fingers inside her with her tongue. She was not going to last at this rate, and within seconds she was climaxing around him, her mouth still on his, breathing hard, as she bucked up to meet his unrelenting strokes. She could feel his hardness only inches away from her pulsing sex. "Malfoy!," she goaded moving her hand down to take his shaft. He stopped her, chuckling against her neck as he broke the kiss and nestled in his favourite spot, it seemed.
"How do you think I feel, Granger," he whispered against her neck, his baritone voice deep with desire. Hermione moved under him so that he was positioned at her entrance. He groaned in anticipation as his shaft hit her inner thigh, the tip touching her folds. His pants, still on, were not desirable. "Your pants, Malfoy!" she reminded, or rather, insisted. He chuckled again and moved to rid himself of his remaining clothing. She lifted to unclasp her bra completely as he removed his clothing. They regarded each other carefully, as if for the last time, before they submitted to their nakedness and embrace. He leaned back over her, their chests touching satisfyingly. "You sure you want this?" he whispered, as if they needed to reach a verbal accord, in preparation for any aftermath reactions. She nodded, and with that he entered her. They both moaned at the contact.
One again, Malfoy nestled his head in the crook of her neck, keeping still for a moment as they revelled in their most intimate embrace. He began to move within her, deepening his thrusts as she responded to his rhythm, her hands on his shoulders, gripping for support as their skin against the leather of the couch gave away the sounds of their movements. They were muted by their breathlessness, enjoying the concentrated explosion of nerves as she felt the wave of her climax building once more. Malfoy picked up the pace, driving into her, then slowly sliding out, before reversing his motions. It only served to increase her desire tenfold as she peaked. "Granger!" he panted as he reverted back to a single, wanton pace, that brought them both to climax simultaneously, the wave of her senses crashing down as her walls contracted against him as she felt his release. She hoped their sounds were shielded by the walls of the room. They remained locked in their embrace and she was certain he could feel her heart beat against his chest. She ran her fingers through his hair again, a final touch to their contact before she gestured for release. She could hear him breathing against her neck, his rate returning to normal.
"Malfoy?"
"Mmmm?" he lifted his head to look at her. She smiled self-consciously. He took that as signal to move off her. He shifted away and sat up next to her. Hermione was scared to look at him and quickly hurried to put her clothes back on. She turned away, sitting up as they silently re-dressed.
"Are you decent?" she asked not wanting to turn around without knowing. She heard a laugh.
"Yes, Granger, I am decent," he replied, the amusement in his voice evident. She turned hesitantly to face him. They stood staring, an air of disbelief of what had just happened surrounded her. She felt suffocated. What had she done? She needed to leave, albeit a late decision now was more the time to do so than ever. Looking for her shoes, she could see them behind him on the floor. He followed her gaze to her heels. He leaned over and picked them up, walking over to her with her shoes in hand. He smirked at her as he stood before her. "Looking for these?" he quipped. She glared back before she grabbed one, leant her arm on his shoulder as she slid it on, repeating the action for the other shoe. He stood in amusement. "Nice, shoes Granger." She looked at him, his voice was husky, his eyes had that same look they had moments ago in their never to be repeated activity. She regarded him with puzzlement.
"This was a mistake right?" she started.
His expression changed instantly to one of inscrutability. "Granger, it was inevitable," he announced cockily.
"You are such an arrogant arse," she snapped, realising her stupidity at what had just happened. She gathered her things in haste, her back turned to him as she fought back her need to unleash her anger, for it would be at herself, not him. His attitude was not surprising.
"Granger," he pleaded suddenly, almost quietly. She turned abruptly. He walked over to her, lifting his hand to play with her locks. "It was inevitable because I wanted it. And, I know you did too," he whispered before leaning in to kiss her cheek, rendering her speechless. The charge in the air around them returned, she could not face him any more.
She stepped out of his reach and headed to the door, not saying a work but turning to look back at him briefly. Outside his office, she smiled wearily at Mac. "Bye Miss Granger," he said with a sly look on his face. She acknowledged him with a curt nod and continued on her way. She hoped the receptionist wouldn't be at her desk, but that wish went ungranted.
"I trust everything went well with Mr Malfoy?" she chirped.
Hermione mimicked her smile this time, replying, "Just Great," the undertones too vague to be understood.
"Bye then," she heard her reply as Hermione pushed through the heavy glass doors and into the foyer. And, to think the day was only half complete left her feeling quite bewildered.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
