Well as always my continued thanks for your lovely reviews, follows and favourites. Its so nice reading the James Bond comments from those of you spotting the connections. There are certainly a few in this next chapter, I hope you enjoy it and forgive any errors whatever they might be...ENJOY...
As well as only being acquainted with three rooms inside the large manor house, Hermione was only really familiar with the front façade and she had only seen that in the pitch black. The grounds at the back of the property had so far only been viewed through the windows by the pool and those in the kitchen which had quickly been frosted by the falling snow. She had of course assumed a house of this size must stand in some considerable grounds but until she and Lucius ventured outside a little while later, she hadn't been aware of how considerable. Even the onset of dusk could not disguise just how vast the Malfoy estate was. Beyond the walled gardens she could see some way into the distance, white fields at the base of rolling hills, some surprisingly steep were now covered in thick fresh snow.
Along with various questions Hermione had made a mental note to ask at some point; in just a few short days she was also acquiring a rather long list of things she never in a million years imagined doing. Skiing at Malfoy Manor was definitely somewhere near the top, the notion as ludicrous as the reality. There was also the matter of another mental list, which was similarly lengthening with rapidity, entitled things she'd never imagined Lucius Malfoy doing. Not that until those same few short days ago she had given him doing anything a second thought…
Whilst the sight of a former Death Eater cooking, covered in flour or wearing those banished marigolds took some time to process. The Dark Wizard clad from head to toe in black ski wear, which clung in places to his powerful frame like a second skin was much easier to accept, if still a little disconcerting, for many other reasons. Hermione tugged at the faux fur collar on the jacket she wore, easing it from her neck and allowing the freezing air to chill her rising temperature.
Hermione's bag always contained an extension charm, but just like the party at the Ice Palace she hadn't anticipated that her supposedly relaxing weekend would include any skiing. She hadn't expected for one minute that it would include a few flakes of late snow, let alone the blizzard of white which was falling and now covered what seemed like half of Wiltshire. Fortunately in Lucius's words the ex-lady of the Manor had left one or two surplus to requirement items of clothing behind when she moved out. These included again to quote Lucius, some out of fashion ski wear. Hermione wasn't entirely sure that skiwear went out of fashion, it always looked the same to her obviously untrained eye. A little less transfiguration had been required to modify Narcissa Malfoy's clothing than her son's. Hermione had to admit Lucius' former wife had excellent taste, the dark maroon, faux fur trimmed outfit looking very chic on the young witch, even if it was apparently considered so last season.
"Very becoming my dear." Lucius' sexy tone all but drawled, his grey blue eyes lasciviously skimming her figure.
Hermione avoided returning the compliment feeling it might take the skiing out of the après ski and lead them downhill very quickly.
"Clearly you get more snow in Wilshire than I had imagined." She commented sarcastically, straightening the oversized fury hat which obviously went with the outfit and that she had hidden her wild mane of hair under.
Lucius turned his silvery blue gaze to the darkening vista.
"Draco was a toddler the last time we had snow like this, and I must confess I have never seen it at this time of year. We built a snowman".
A reflective tone edged his voice, and he raised a gloved hand pointing in another direction.
"And sledged down that hill over there."
Hermione once again found herself struggling with a scene that was almost impossible to visualise, this time involving two Malfoys. Father and son building a man from snow and whizzing down the side of a hill on a sledge.
"The skiing was saved for the proper conditions. I have a chalet in the Bernese Alps."
The throw away comment, although still something of a startling revelation was absolutely something Hermione could picture.
Something she didn't have to picture was the strange look which flittered across Lucius Malfoy's face, it was a cross between amusement and enlightenment, his expressive eyes twinkling as they narrowed.
The look was still firmly etched on his almost rosy face as he grabbed her hand and they apparated…again… The weekend was turning into a refresher course on apparation. For once Hermione didn't find herself partially clad in a bedroom, but on a much duskier hilltop. Whilst the snow had been falling heavily and steadily for a little while before they had finally ventured outside, and the scenery she had espied on the Wiltshire estate had included some steeper hills than she had associated with the county. The sight which lay before now her was definitely more Alpine the snow here had fallen for many hours even days. They had obviously not just apparated across the estate.
"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore Toto." Hermione muttered under her breath directing her gaze at the man standing before her.
She once again straightened the oversized hat which had not fared too well with the sudden movement. Her warm boots were now firmly locked into skis and her companion was extending his gloved hand with a second set of poles.
"VERY VERY impressive Mister Malfoy." Hermione acknowledged the sheer power of the magic he had used to achieve all of this.
A little frisson of fear danced along her spine, glad she and this particular Dark Wizard were on the same side. Apparating was an advanced enough ability in itself, apparating two people, on skis and carrying poles to another country was some incredibly powerful and very skilled magic.
He too was evasive of the compliment offered.
"I'm annoyed I didn't think of it sooner. You will be much safer here."
Considering his previous allusions as to how safe she was going to be closeted away with him for the next few weeks and the fact she was standing on a dark much steeper mountain top covered in a lot more snow, Hermione wasn't sure safe was a word she would use at this moment. She couldn't even see the chalet he had mentioned, feeling it was hardly going to be a tiny log cabin nestling amongst the frozen landscape. A rush of adrenaline none the less coursed through her veins. Three quarters of the moon blazed onto the snow crystals below, lighting it up like diamond dust. Hermione had found a pair of lightly tinted goggles with Narcissa's skiing gear and was now glad she had put them in her pocket. Slipping them on she turned her guarded brown eyes towards Lucius.
"Let's ski off those calories then shall we?" She said propelling herself forwarded with the lance like poles.
Her skis made a gentle hissing sound as she moved over the powder snow. She had no idea where she was going or what the terrain was like, but she instinctively knew he would follow. The deep virgin snow gave her more confidence, any danger was forgotten in the sheer joy of speed, remembering her technique and the mastery of the snow. As she gathered pace Hermione really didn't care where she was going. She turned slightly to the left hoping to catch a glimpse of her companion. Her skis bit against the slope, throwing up a shower of moonlight crystals and she saw him moving with equal grace and tempo towards her.
From behind his own uncharacteristic goggles Lucius Malfoy's silvery blue gaze watched; Hermione skied as she did everything else fearlessly. It was a long time since he had been on skis himself and the feeling was exhilarating, the cold night air against his body was invigorating as was chasing the delightful Miss Granger. He caught her up just where the slope levelled out. Pulling to the edge of a cliff, she came to a perfect clean stop.
"You ski very well my dear." Lucius said his usually pale face now definitely glowing from the chilled air.
"You seem to enjoyed being chased. Probably happens all the time."
She gave him a rueful smile. "Less often than you might think."
She pointed into the sparkling whiteness below. "I'm guessing that is your chalet".
Nestled amongst some very precarious slopes and a myriad of fir trees. Looking almost as if the mountain had been built around it was a stunning chalet. The feeling she'd had about it hardly being a tiny log cabin were right well the small part anyway. Even in the darkness she could see how beautiful it was and how large.
Lucius nodded.
"It is and all of the surrounding grounds and slopes. It is totally private, no one is allowed up here and of course it is protected by Muggle-repelling wards. Like the Manor and Firefly it also has a lot of refinements I think you will enjoy."
Hermione didn't doubt it for one second. A mass of stone, wood and glass, balconies, and overhanging levels, even at this distance she was impressed. This time she followed Lucius Malfoy, the ski down to the chalet a little more intricate than the straight slope they had come down. He zigzagged expertly amongst the tall trees as if it were a professional obstacle course and she followed, he didn't need to show off his prowess, but she got the feeling it was all for her benefit. She was impressed but kept her thoughts to herself. Hermione mimicked his every move, staying in perfect synchronisation behind him. They came to a ridge Lucius leapt over it, sailing through the air for about ten or fifteen feet and landing like an Olympic champion. Hermione wasn't going to be outdone, if all else failed there was an aresto momentum but hopefully she wouldn't need that. She went over the ridge with a little more speed than her companion and almost spilled, but she caught her balance as she landed, thankful that he hadn't seen her rather ungainly jump and even more awkward landing.
He stopped at the next ridge. She pulled up beside him and stopped.
"I wasn't going too fast for you was I?" He enquired a very Malfoyesque sneer tugging at his lips.
"Not at all." She responded brightly trying to keep any hint of breathlessness from her voice.
This man certainly was an enjoyable handful and so full of surprises. She was truly thankful they were working together, if not she felt she would undoubtedly have met her match. The idea of Lucius in cohorts with Julius Nihil did not bear thinking about.
Without warning he pushed off again with his sticks and soared down the slope towards the chalet. Hermione couldn't help but laugh out loud, he really was enjoying himself, who would have thought that the former Death Eater would be quite so sporty and enjoy so many Muggle past times…and he had the cheek to say that she enjoyed being chased. She followed him downhill before finally coming to a halt at the stone covered entrance way to the chalet, throwing up another shower of silvery moonlit crystals.
The typical Swiss mountain construction was even more impressive up close, and bigger. The word chalet conjured up that stereotypical image of a quaint wooden building tucked away in a wintery landscape, of course it wasn't. Well the landscape was wintery but here endeth the stereotypical similarities. Hermione couldn't wait to see the refinements Lucius had mentioned. Once upon a time she would have been expecting the Malfoy Manor she knew from her younger days in the snow, as cold and ominous as the surrounding terrain. But from the little she had seen of the once terrifying house in the English countryside she knew that was no longer the case and she sensed Chez Malfoy on a Mountain top was going to be like the man himself equally full of surprises.
"Lumos" Lucius said putting down his poles, slipping his boots from the ski locks and removing his goggles.
The chalet lit up on three vast levels casting a warm lemony glow across the surrounding snow and the trees close to the house.
The word WOW sprang to mind but didn't formulate as an actual sound, Hermione was for once lost for words, casting off her own skis whilst still looking at the beautiful, illuminated building.
Lucius concealed a smile at her almost childlike reaction, casting their skiwear away with a wave of his hand.
"After you, my dear." He said, into the quietness only snow could offer.
He used the same hand to gesture for Hermione to proceed him up a lit timber staircase to once side of the majestic structure. The snow had been cleared from the steps, but her thick footwear crunched on the gritted surface. The heavy stable like door at their top opened slowly and after discarding her wet footwear Hermione stepped inside.
That Lucius Malfoy was full of surprises became somewhat of an understatement. The stunning Spa and Hotel he'd taken a large hand in creating, the work he'd had done on the Manor paled against the sight before her, surpassing anything that she could have imagined. None of the three fitted with the haughty, cold hearted man she had once known, but as she had come to learn, maybe expect over the last few days this Lucius Malfoy was nothing like that person. The room and view which spilled out before her, took her breath away, they were certainly not something she could associate with Draco's menacing hateful, pureblood father. But with the man who Ralph Messervy had perceptively recruited to work for him? Well that was proving to be another story entirely.