Sorry for the wait :( The next chapter is already in progress, I started it on a plane while travelling without my laptop, before I had finished this one :)
Side note - I am compiling a list of magical trades as it were that apprenticeships could be offered in, any suggestions for my list feel free to add in the comments.
Hermione looked around the restaurant that she had selected to meet Lord Malfoy in, it was opulently decorated and she knew that without Harry's adopting her into his family and making her his Heiress she would never have stepped through the door herself unless on the arm of a Lord. She felt a little out of her depth, but not as much as she had when she had sat down to brunch at Malfoy Manor. This outing was nothing compared to that, and the little discomfort she got from waiting in such surroundings was a small price to pay for the answers she hoped to get out of the Malfoy Lord.
She had booked a table for them in a secluded area of the restaurant that would allow for privacy and had booked it for a much longer period of time than she would need it for. She had wanted to allow herself to have some time in the restaurant before Lord Malfoy arrived in order to let herself become accustomed to her surroundings by the time that he arrived. She knew that he would be much more at home in the restaurant than she would which would give him an advantage over her. However she knew that it would be totally unacceptable to take him somewhere like The Leaky Cauldron for lunch, or worse out into the muggle world where she would feel more comfortable.
By the time Lord Malfoy arrived, perfectly on time, she had centred herself and was feeling calmer about the situation she found herself in. They shared pleasantries, enquiring over each other's health and other trivial things even though they had seen each other only the day before, and ordered their food before getting down to more important matters than the weather.
As soon as their food had arrived Hermione surrounded them with a rather complex web of privacy charms and spells, including one to detect animagi. Lucius raised an eyebrow at that one, but she just smiled at him, "Have to make sure there are no beetles hanging about."
At his smirk she felt she was right in her assumption that he knew exactly who she was talking about, Draco would have no doubt have informed him of the acid tongued reporter flying about Hogwarts during the Tri-Wizard Tournament looking for an article.
"So which of my books was it that caught your interest that you need this much privacy to discuss?" Lucius asked directly, taking the more Gryffindor approach and just charging in to the conversation when it looked like Hermione was formulating how to ask to borrow his books.
Hermione just laughed at his bluntness not having expected it from him, "There were several different books that caught my interest in your study that I would love to have a look at, however that is not why I asked you to lunch."
Lucius looked at her as if trying to gauge what it was she wanted to speak to him about if the point of lunch wasn't to harangue him into allowing her to read his library. She could tell when he realised that she had caught on to what his actions recently had been about and that this lunch was to find out exactly what his intentions were.
"My brother is not the most observant of wizards," Hermione confessed, "so I have no doubt that he has no idea that you intend to pursue him now that he is available. I however can see your actions recently as part of a campaign to woo my brother, what I want to know is to what end?"
Lucius seemed to consider his words for a moment, probably not having expected her to come right out and ask him his intentions. Many people forgot that she was not a Ravenclaw at times with her love of learning, and that she was actually a brash Gryffindor.
"Bonding." Lucius answered simply, telling her nothing but the end result he hoped for, only continuing when her glare fixed on him, "I am hoping he will bond with me eventually, to become my friend, my lover, my partner, my bonded husband."
Hermione hadn't expected Lucius to answer straight away, or expand on his statement at her glare, he really was acting quite Gryffindorish in manner today, although the mild truth charm she had weaved through her wards was probably helping. She thought on his words, he seemed sincere and he was looking for more than just a quick fumble in a broom shed. Harry could certainly do worse for himself than the Malfoy Lord, at least the man wouldn't be after Harry's money the man had enough of his own. Although the Lord would certainly have his work cut out for him, Harry had never even spoken of any indication that he was attracted to males at all.
"And if he is not receptive?" Hermione asked, while personally she thought it would be a good match Harry may believe otherwise.
"If I truly believe that there is no interest I will settle for his friendship." Lucius spoke candidly, "However if I feel that he is just holding back and that there are some feelings on his part I will pursue him with all I have."
Surprisingly that actually reassured Hermione that he was serious about his campaign. She couldn't stop herself from thinking about how he may tell Harry that he wanted a relationship with him and almost ended up giggling in the middle of the restaurant at the thought of the dumbfounded expression that was sure to cross her brother's face. She questioned him some more about his plans, refusing to be involved with helping him win her brother's heart, but advising him to be clear and honest about his intentions towards him and to always be truthful with him.
The more she thought about it the more she thought that they could actually be a really good fit for each other. They would balance each other quite well not just in looks but in temperament as well. Harry could be quite brash at times, whereas nearly every action Lucius took was calculated in some way. Harry already respected the other man and counted him among his friends, although she hadn't told Lucius that, it was readily apparent to her. Harry valued Lucius' opinion on things, and not just because the man was helping him navigate the role that he had been left woefully unprepared to fill.
His association with Lucius had been good for him so far, it had certainly helped to give him direction again. After the war they had returned to Hogwarts for a few weeks before they had ultimately decided to leave, instead accepting the Ministry of Magic's offer to sit their NEWTs early. Hermione had then spent next few months trying to cram all the required knowledge into their brains. Ron barely lasted a few weeks before he decided that he wasn't going to take the exams and applied to the Aurors instead, but both she and Harry had persevered. She had gotten all Os and had then gone into the Ministry and begun work on her Mastery's but Harry who had passed with a mix of Os and Es had floundered a bit. He had spent most of his time on the orphanage until Lucius had contacted him about learning his place in society, from that he ended up finding something that he himself had an interest in and started on a path to a Mastery of his own.
Hermione spent the rest of the meal speaking about magical theory with Lucius, the man quite knowledgeable on the subject before making a request of access to his library, knowing that it was unlikely that he would refuse. They parted company not long after she declined his request to return to the manor that evening to peruse his books, citing a prior engagement, she arranged to do so the next evening. Apparating to the international floo terminal she took the floo connection to Paris intent on searching out her cousin to find out what plans she had for helping the situation between Harry and Lucius along.