Thank you all so much for your lovely reviews, I am so glad I had most of you fooled right up until the last minute, it really was lovely reading all of your didn't see that's coming. So now you know, where do we go from there...please read on and enjoy. Apologies as always for any errors etc etc etc...
Lucius Malfoy had had more sex in the last twenty four hours or so than he had had in a very long time, and he certainly couldn't remember when he enjoyed so much sex in such a short space of time, not that he was complaining for a moment.
He'd silently poo pooed Hermione's cheeky remark about hoping he had the stamina, he may no longer be as young as he once was, but the dark wizard considered himself fit enough. He looked after he body as well as his mind, but now both mentally and physically he was utterly drained, deliciously so and quite literally, but none the less drained…at the hands, mouth and body of Hermione Granger. His spent cock had slipped from the body slumped over him and his eyes had drifted shit, his own breathing returning to normal and falling in line with hers. Their hair a mass of not quite so silky blonde and wild brunette was splayed across pillows and shoulders melding into one. The sounds of their breathing deepened, and Lucius eyes felt heavier, his body still tingled from her "assault" on him and the fact that she was still prone across him. He could now sleep peacefully in the knowledge that the Unspeakable Hermione Granger was for now completely safe in his bed. Everything else, questions included could wait what was now a few hours until daylight.
Parts of Hermione Granger that she didn't even know existed ached and made their presence felt as she carefully stretched against the beautiful soft bedding. For the second morning in a row she had woken in Lucius Malfoy's bed. This morning however he was still very much in it and she had one arm and a leg casually thrown over his sleeping form.
The suite was lit with some half-hearted light and she guessed it must be a little after dawn. Hermione didn't move any further, not wanting to disturb her companion, save flexing a somewhat numb foot. Never in a million years had she imagined finding herself in Lucius Malfoy's bed, let alone waking up in it not once but TWICE, and most of this had occurred before that incredible revelation of the previous evening, her brain still reeled from his admission. If it wasn't for those aching parts, Hermione would have been certain the last few hours had been a dream, but there was no alarm clock going off and as the slumbering body of the former Death Eater stirred, she knew it was no dream, but thankfully she was waking to a very different reality to what might have been.
She felt Lucius stretch in earnest, knowing he was now fully awake.
"Mmm Hermione Granger in my bed for a second morning." He said softly his tone laced with sleep, his hand coming to rest on the small of her back.
A lazy smile curled Hermione's lips, their minds thinking very much alike and not for the first time.
"I had a similar thought." She confessed easily
"I'd never imagined myself in your bed let alone waking up in it …TWICE."
There was a slightly serious tone in his still rather sleepy voice.
"If this were any other morning my dear, rest assured I would not be allowing you to leave it any time soon."
For a moment she ignored his seriousness, relishing the what might have been.
"Well that certainly takes care of my clearly unfounded remarks about your stamina."
The little vibration of laughter she felt beneath the limbs still draped across him, belied his reply and sternness of his tone.
"I am surprised that you would ever doubt or question it."
"Especially after last night, this morning." She corrected herself, heat suffusing her body as she recalled the sex which had gone on until after midnight.
His hand gently stroked the base of her spine, whilst hers rested in the centre of his broad chest, toying with the smattering of dark blonde hair. It was as if they had all the time in the world.
"I think perhaps we are about even on the surprises level."
Her head might have been resting against his chest, but she could see that brow of his rising in amusement.
It was odd when Lucius had revealed that he too was working for the Ministry of Magic, Hermione had been full of questions, of course she was still a little curious but in just a few short hours the past, who, what, when where's and why's had become far less important, she really wasn't that bothered. Although there was one what, which did remain of paramount importance.
"So what happens now Lucius?"
Hemione felt Lucius take a deep breath, his chest expanding against her cheek.
"Well Miss Granger, between being punished for my deceit and getting some well-earned sleep, I really haven't had much to think about it."
The usually totally professional Hermione Granger struggled to keep her brain in check this morning. His innuendos not helping in the slightest. She wasn't sure if it was the soft fingers circling her back or the memories from the previous evening…
"I suppose we should talk." She suggested a little grudgingly.
"I think perhaps it is more likely to be a barrage of questions on both our parts. May I start?"
Hermione couldn't disagree but was amused by his politeness and the fact that he too had questions.
"Of course Lucius."
"Are you hungry?"
Well that wasn't any one of the questions she'd been expecting, but now he came to mention it.
"Yes I am actually, quite ravenous in fact."
Her brain racing to remember the last time she had eaten. Oh yes her chips, so rudely interrupted by the odious Sandor Sirron.
"Good"
Lucius all but sprang from the bed, the cotton sheet falling from his body and leaving him quite naked. Hermione's gaze wandered over that incredibly fit physique and perfectly formed arse, her own body immediately aware of him and wondering if perhaps breakfast couldn't wait. His expressive grey blue eyes met her hot brown and his lips twitched.
"I think it would be less distracting and probably more productive if we talked over breakfast, if perhaps less enjoyable."
The young witch had to concede he was right; she was already distracted.
"You can safely take the uncertainties out of that sentence Lucius."
The dark wizard kept his mind focused; it would be so easy to stay in bed with her, but he couldn't, talking unfortunately was the priority.
"Why don't you use the bathroom and I will organise some breakfast."
"Okay" she said slipping a lot less energetically from the comfortable bed than him and padding barefoot across the floor to the bathroom in Lucius' opulent suite.
Hermione had to admit a proper shower was just what she needed, refreshing both her mind and her body, allowing the hot jets of water to pummel her skin. The zesty fragrances of the gels and shampoos in Lucius' bathroom were much more masculine than those in her own but she savoured their invigorating feel and tangy essence as they brought her alive. Stepping from beneath the rejuvenating spray and turning of the water, Hermione realised she had no clothes, well except for a very crumpled evening dress somewhere in the next room. Hooked on the back of the door was a standard hotel bathrobe, but beneath it hanging in a very mugglelike fashion were two shirts. Presumably recently returned from the hotel laundry and encased in plastic. Taking one of the large white fluffy towels from a pile on the side, Hermione wrapped it around her wild mane of wet hair. She slid one of the shirts from its hanger, put it on and returned to Lucius in the bedroom.
There was a collective "WOW"
Hermione looking at the veritable banquette of food which had materialised in her absence and Lucius simply at her.
"And I thought getting up and having breakfast was going to be less distracting".
Having donned the newly laundered, very pristine and uncharacteristically pale shirt, Hermione had released her hair from the confines of the towel. Unable to use magic she would not be able to use any straightening of calming charms and would of course have to dry it by hand. To achieve that she was rubbing vigorously at the dark locks. Hermione caught site of her reflection in the long mirror. His shirt consumed her petite frame, she'd rolled up the sleeves midway between her wrists and her elbows their difference in height meant it ended a few inches above her knees, but with her arms raised to dry her hair it was considerably shorter, just about covering her bum and somehow accentuating her long tanned legs.
"Now there are two feasts to choose from."
Hermione had moved from in front of the disconcerting mirror to the laden table, she hurled a fresh croissant at the dark wizard.
"Behave yourself Mister Malfoy, let's talk and eat."
She decanted some juice from a large jug into a glass and offered to Lucius.
"To go with my croissant" He acknowledged with amusement, taking the glass from her outstretched hand, silently grateful that she had lobbed the pastry at him and not the juice.
"So Lucius was that your actual question or…"
She bit into her own buttery warm pastry.
"What exactly did you overhear last night?" Lucius asked taking a sip from the glass, his eyes watching her intently over the rim as she tore off another strip of the soft dough.
Hermione settled herself on a small sofa next to the table of breakfast delights.
"Very little to be honest, nothing new or useful anyway, just confirmation that Julius Nihil is a dangerous narcissistic megalomaniac."
This time Lucius played host, filling one of the bone china cups with steaming hot tea and passing it to Hermione. An unamused smile on his face.
"So you heard nothing about operation Grand Slam then?"
He lifted the sugar bowl, Hermione politely declined shaking her head. Still shaking it as she responded negatively to his question.
"No nothing."
Lucius poured himself a cup of tea and sat down on the sofa next to Hermione.
"I am sure that you recognised a few of the other guests at the party too."
Sipping on her tea, this time Hermione nodded.
"Of course, Vesper Drax for one."
A knowing look settled on Lucius' pale face.
"Vesper was probably the most important person in the room" He explained.
"She'd make Severus Snape look like a novice when it comes to potions and has been working exclusively for Julius for years."
Lucius added some sugar to his own brew, stirring it methodically, he continued to speak.
"Vesper has been concocting something called Deltanovem Potion, it is a highly concentrated weaponised form of the Imperius Curse."
"Weaponised?" Hermione repeated, intrigued and horrified but nonetheless ravenous, taking a crispy rasher of bacon from a magically heated plate and nibbling on it, waiting for Lucius to respond.
"It is much stronger, the effects last much longer, are resilient to any form of counterspell and is totally impossible to resist. It isn't applied or cast in the usual way, and it can be used on hundreds of people in one go."
Hermione instantly stopped munching; her mouth remaining open in horror. She had heard of this before but never with such a dangerous spell or charm.
"You mean like Newt Scamander did with the swooping evil extract and the Thunderbird back in the 20s?"
"That is exactly what I mean Hermione, only there is no good involved in its use whatsoever."
"But how on earth could you use something like that on such a large number of people?"
"Well Julius isn't dropping it on an entire city but then he doesn't need to. Not when he intends on using on the heads on NAWTO."
Hermione's mouth fell open a little bit more. NAWTO, The North Atlantic Wizarding Treaty Organisation had been set up after the first wizarding war in 1982, it was a political and wizarding alliance between communities in both Europe and North America. They looked after the defence of the Wizarding World, security and crisis management. A Wizarding Secretary General was diplomatically elected by the 29 member countries, the current incumbent of the post being Dirk Luns a Dutch Wizard who had held office for almost 4 years now. The NAWTO headquarters itself was located in Brussels, and as a rule they would meet once a year, unless of course there was anything adverse going on. This year was to be no exception, things were supposedly very quiet in the Wizarding World and the next summit as they called it, was due to happen in June, just over 8 weeks away.
"Merlin's beard" Exclaimed Hermione.
"The NAWTO summit in Romania?"
"Precisely."
Hermione suddenly looked a little sceptical.
"But the security for those things is ridiculously high, surely it would be impossible even for someone like Julius Nihil to..."
From the look on Lucius's face Hermione gathered it was indeed possible and between Julius Nihil and Vesper Drax they had figure out just how to do it.
"Yes Hermione, the security will be tight, but not as stringent as it would be here in England or in America, that is what Julius is banking on. The heads of all 29 magical member countries will be in attendance including Kingsley Shacklebolt and Samuel G Quahog from MACUSA. Imagine what you could do if you had all 29 member heads under an Imperius Curse."
Truthfully, Hermione didn't really want to imagine, that was one hell of a Pandora's Box to be opening, the possibilities were endless, and infinitely terrifying.
"You of course knew that Julius had been gathering together various old friends, acquaintances and practitioners of the Dark Arts?"
"I did. I interrogated a couple of them captured by Aurors when I was in the Caribbean."
"Yes RM told me you had; but they knew nothing."
Hermione shook her head in agreement, it was odd hearing him speak in this way, knowing the things she had done and of the man she considered her boss, appearing he was now their boss.
"None of us did, not until last night anyway. You might not have known anything about my involvement with the Ministry until last night, but I'm sure you've being putting a few pieces of the puzzle together since then."
Hermione studied the man seated beside her. Hearing him say "us" was also a little disconcerting, but he had to maintain appearances.
"A lot of the pieces of more than one puzzle are falling into place. Firstly I assume, that I was sent here for a reason not just to recharge my wand and enjoy a lie in. RM however chose not to tell me that reason because this way my reactions would be more genuine, more surprised if I was kept in the dark."
Lucius looked a little sheepish.
"Actually that was my idea, your reasoning is correct though. It just felt you and your reactions would be more honest if you still saw me as the man you once did. Your actions would be more forthright if you saw me as the enemy and of course it would keep my cover safe."
Hermione felt a warm flush spread through her body, oh her actions had certainly been forthright, but again she had to concede Lucius had been right in his assumptions.
"RM knew from the outset that Julius would look to me for the perfect meeting place to gather the cabal together. We knew each other from the old days, along with many of the others, he was naturally aware of this place and me having the party was the perfect cover. RM was also adamant that he wanted you here, you are his best operative."
Hermione appreciated the praise but felt it a tad misplaced.
"Hmm clearly not so much in this case as I managed to get myself caught."
Lucius replenished his empty teacup.
"I think that might indirectly have been down to me also. Keeping you in the dark was excellent from certain vantages but it also meant you were perhaps not as sharp as usual and allowed your guard to slip a little, which put you in danger, for that I am sorry. In my defence however, I knew Julius would come to me to deal with any issues."
Hermione could easily have been angry at both Lucius and Ralph Messervy for not telling her everything upfront, but there was a much bigger picture to be seen and more at stake than her bruised ego. What had been done had been done for the good of the mission, arguably a mission she hadn't known, well not entirely known, she was on, but that was irrelevant. Especially after what Lucius had told her so far.
Hermione's brain was in full Unspeakable mode now and it was actually nice, a relief even to be able to talk to Lucius freely, a tad strange but good nonetheless.
"Well it all adds to my creditability as just a person in the wrong place at the wrong time, keeping both of our covers as it were, intact. But getting back to Julius Nihil, how in Merlin's name does he think he is even going to get near the NAWTO Summit then?"
Lucius couldn't withhold a smile; keeping Hermione in the dark had been dangerous but also inordinate fun, being able to finally talk to her and work with her was also going to be dangerous but for very different reasons, it was also going to be joyous and something of an honour.
"One person missing from the party last night Antonin Dolohov, Julius rightly deemed it far to risky for him to be seen."
"Dolohov!" Hermione exclaimed, the name sending a chill through to her bones.
She'd come up against this most dangerous of Death Eaters at the Department of Mysteries. Hermione knew he was responsible for the death of Remus Lupin and had it not been for Harry's intervention she would have suffered a similar fate at this sadistic Dark Wizard's hand.
"Noooo! I thought he was rotting away in Azkaban."
"I think everyone did, I hadn't heard anything about him in years. I simply assumed he'd been captured after the Battle of Hogwarts."
Lucius Malfoy certainly did not have an unblemished past, he'd committed his own share of heinous deeds but compared to Antonin Dolohov, he was a saint.
"The wizard in charge of security for the NAWTO summit is Dimitri Ouromov, he is Dolohov's cousin. The family resemblance is apparently uncanny, so much so they could be mistaken for twins."
Hermione listened intently as Lucius went on.
"They will be swapping places 24 hours before the summit. Now we all we need to do is stop it."
Lucius tone was as blasé as his words, but he knew just how much of a task it really was. But Hermione seemed unfazed.
"Why do we need to stop it?" She asked in all seriousness, her remark being met with two incredibly raised browns, followed by a questioning look of consternation.
Lucius opened his mouth to speak, finding himself uncharacteristically at a loss for words. He was right she was unfazed, but he could see an animated look on her face, her eyes were sparkling with intent, he knew something was going on in that sharp mind of hers, a plan of her own racing around…dare he ask what it was?