Well as ALWAYS thank you so much for kind reviews, follows and favourites, I know I am a bit slow this time around but it is lovely that you are still reading and enjoying my little crossover folly. Do not fear the plot is still very much there and I have been having lots of fun with it and we will be very much back to it in the upcoming chapters. In the meantime I hope you all enjoy this one and of course forgive any faux pas or should I say slip ups ...
"What?" Asked Lucius leaving his own boots under the covered entranceway at the top of the steps and following Hermione inside.
"What!" She repeated walking across a rug laden parqueted floor.
Stopping and standing in front of panoramic windows which went around a third of the level that they were on. Even in the dim light, they showed off the isolated but unadulterated beauty of their surroundings. She heard Lucius murmuring a few words under his breath, presumably warding the place, before uttering a much more audible incendio. A vast rustic stone fireplace burst into life with crackling logs and flames that danced high into a chimney breast which dominated the best part of the room. Her gaze returned to the dark wizard.
"There is one on every floor." He offered matter-of-factly.
"What!" She repeated unable to supress the amusement in her voice, the look on his face compounding her hilarity.
"Shooting, cooking, skiing. Interior design. A swanky hotel in the countryside, Malfoy Manor with a solarium swimming pool." Hermione counted his achievements on her fingers, her brows almost rising with every word.
"Did I miss anything? Oh yes, working for RM. Nothing I would remotely associate with Draco's selfish, disdainful father, and now this" Her abacus fingers flattened into a sweeping hand movement which encompassed the room.
"I think that just about covers WHAT don't you?"
"Hmm." Lucius shrugged off his warm jacket, hanging it on one of several convenient hooks by the door.
"I see what you mean, I suppose I hadn't considered it, things have changed a bit."
"You think." This time Hermione just out and out laughed following suit, and removing her own, well Narcissa's jacket. She popped the skiing mittens into the pocket and tugged the faux fur hat from her head, shaking her long hair about her shoulders.
Lucius took the items from her and cast them to the same row of well positioned pegs.
"I am not sure what surprises me more Mister Malfoy, your seemingly never ending talents or your exceptionally good taste."
He moved closer grabbing hold of her, his strong grip biting through the soft cashmere of the jumper she wore. Hermione felt the blood racing through her body, once upon a time it would have been rooted in fear, now it was sheer excitement, laced with more than a little mischief.
"What makes you think I haven't always possessed both?"
His chilled face was inches from her own. There were several things Hermione could easily hurl at him in response, but they all pertained to ancient history which as she had told him on numerous occasions needed to remain firmly in the past. She couldn't however help goading him, just a little bit, ensuring her retort was well open to interpretation.
"Well up until now you have kept all of those talents well hidden. And me being a Mudblood Lucius, I hardly come under the heading of good taste."
His grey blue eyes narrowed with wicked intent.
"On the contrary Miss Grainger, as I've sampled on copious instances, you taste very good for a Muggle born."
His cold face came closer still his warm lips moving over hers.
"Mmm very good indeed. Cold with the merest hint of chocolate if I am not mistaken."
He kissed her again, his tongue slipping into her mouth, just like the aforementioned chocolate Hermione melted.
His mouth once again left hers.
"Getting warmer but most definitely chocolate."
Despite the thick mittens she had been wearing, Hermione's fingertips were still cold. Feeling obviously more so as she slid her hands beneath Lucius' sweater, allowing them to rest on his decidedly hotter chest. To his credit he didn't flinch or move in the slightest.
Lucius looked from where her hands disappeared under his clothing to her face. The hint of promise and passion were unmistakable, and he wanted her.
"I think perhaps you need warming up a little more." He said slowly, disciplining his aching body to both her actions and those chilly fingers.
A naughty look skated across Hermione's face, her eyes twinkling, an impish smile curving her lips.
"Mmm that sounds like a plan, what did you have in mind?"
Her cool fingertips danced in anticipation against his bare chest and she noticed a similarly naughty look school his features.
"A brandy by the fire." He kept his own face straight as disappointment replaced the expectation on hers.
"Or perhaps a Cointreau we have plenty of ice." He said dryly.
Hermione's line of sight drifted back towards the stone fireplace and the roaring crackling fire in its belly. There were two large seemingly very squishy sofas in a neat L shape arranged before it. They were covered with soft warm looking throws and some equally inviting oversized cushions. She removed her cold hands from Lucius' chest and absently pushed down the trousers of her skiing outfit. The rustling sound of them falling accentuated by the silence both inside and out. Hermione wriggled herself free and allowed them to fall completely to the floor, giving Lucius a cheeky grin as she stepped from them.
"An excellent idea, we can talk about our plan for Operation Grand Slam." She said moving across the room, leaving the clothing exactly where it had fallen.
Lucius slipped the braces on his own trousers from his shoulders and grasped the metal toothed fastening lowering it slowly. The garment slid to the floor in one easy movement and like Hermione he stepped from them, leaving them exactly where they had fallen.
Lucius all but sneered at the idea of having to talk about work.
"How about we enjoy what is left of what was supposed to be your long weekend of relaxation and talk about that on Tuesday." He suggested, watching as Hermione avoided every suitable seating surface and sank down into a huge fur rug set before the blazing fire.
"Fair enough." She agreed easily, looking up at him from the floor.
"You might want to warm your hands a little." He said, desperately trying to keep the disdainful sneer on his face.
Hermione did as she was told extending her hands and purposefully rubbing them before the dancing flames.
Nodding his approval Lucius disappeared down a tiny flight of steps, he returned moments later carrying a tray containing two brandy glasses, a mini ice bucket and an oddly shaped bottle. He placed it on an oval, studded leather table and sat himself down on one of the sofas.
"Mandarin Napoleon XO Grande Reserve." Hermione read the label aloud.
"But of course it is." She quipped.
Not for one minute anticipating it to be a bottle of supermarket own brand. She really should be used to his taste for the finer things, especially it seemed when it came to alcohol. But she was nonetheless impressed, even with the shape of the bottle, half expecting that when he opened it a genie would pop out and grant her three wishes. She placed a fingertip on the base of one of the balloons and pushed it carefully across the tray towards the dark wizard.
"So tell me Lucius, is there another riveting story behind this beautiful place or did you just buy it?"
The cork in the crackled glass came out with a squeak and a dull pop, he poured a small measure into both glasses and smirking added a couple of chunks of ice. Mirroring Hermione's action, Lucius gently pushed the glass back to her by its base.
"It's a liqueur rather than a brandy so it is rather strong."
The words were delivered in his now customarily knowledgeable fashion, ignoring her question and assuming from her reaction that she had not had it before.
Hermione was hardly going to guzzle it in one go, but there was something rather attractive and quite sexy about the way he spoke to her. Swirling the ice around in the rounded glass, she took a tiny sip. He was absolutely right about one thing it was rather strong, but it was also very nice and incredibly warming. She waited for the burning liquid to clear her throat before she spoke again. Licking her sticky orange lips.
"It's delicious very different from the Cointreau except of course for the orangey zest. So…?"
Lucius took a sip from his own glass taking a moment to savour it before addressing Hermione.
"I bet you taste of chocolate and orange now." He observed, his tone now just plain sexy.
"Quite possibly. But until you answer my question you won't know."
Lucius loved a challenge and this feisty young woman definitely knew how to challenge him. There might well be a very serious side to why they were here, it would at some point involve work, but one thing was certain it was not going to be dull. His eyes narrowed and his body twitched in arousal.
"It would appear to be my evening for recounting stories then."
Hermione savoured both the warmth of the liqueur and of the fire lapping at her back.
"I am all ears Lucius."
Lucius conceded, once again settling himself back, this time in a far more comfortable chair to recount the story. Perhaps it was her training, but Hermione Grainger definitely had a knack extracting information.
"The Chalet was built by Le Comte Hilary de Bleuchamp, a very distant French ancestor of the Malfoys."
Hermione was definitely all ears; this already had the makings of a much more interesting story than how Lucius learnt to cook; it also came with the added bonus of some Malfoy history which was beginning to intrigue Hermione more and more.
"Le Comte Hilary was banished from France by his own family for practising magic that was considered too dark and too dangerous even by Dark Wizards. Despite the possible repercussions his family would have nothing more to do with him. He built this place away from everyone to continue those practices and make himself more powerful, to what ends is unclear. But shut away out here, instead of becoming more powerful he simply ended up leading a very lonely and reclusive existence. In his old age a spell from the dark ages backfired on him and he was killed. Sir Ernst de Bleuchamp was the last of the direct family bloodline, when he died my father was the nearest, although still very distant relative that could be traced, and he inherited it. Thus on his death it passed to me."
Hermione seemed once again fascinated by his tale, there was certainly more to it than the ancestral de Bleuchamps. He drew himself away from the firelight dancing in her hair and her rosy face to continue.
"In happier times we holidayed here from time to time, Narcissa liked to come here to entertain and show off. Salazar knows she looked the part and she loved to pose as if she were queen of the slopes. But she never actually skied. She entertained, I skied."
He gave a hollow laugh, adding a dash more liqueur to their glasses and another cube of ice.
Hermione glanced around, she could see why the ex-Mrs Malfoy liked to come here, she could also see how perfect it was for entertaining, but somehow from what she remembered of Lucius' snooty, aloof wife couldn't actually see her in this very modern, very Muggle setting.
"Usually Lucius my imagination is very good, and I have to admit I never knew your ex wife that well, but I just cannot picture her here."
Lucius laughed again, this time it was a much more genuine sound.
"No my dear you are quite right. You of course remember what Malfoy Manor was like in the old days before my refurbishments?"
She nodded, another mouthful of alcohol warming her insides.
"This place was just like it, except more remote, cut off at times buried in snow and ice."
The picture of Malfoy Manor in the snow she had envisioned earlier sprang back into her mind and despite the alcohol and the fire Hermione felt a chill run through her veins.
"It was much more befitting of Narcissa as is her historic Castle in the snow now."
Cold and icy were two words Hermione had no trouble in associating with Narcissa Malfoy, but she kept that firmly to herself.
"I came here after the war". His tone was quieter and more reflective.
"I was a pariah just like Le Comte. Because of my arrogant stupidity and beliefs I had destroyed the Malfoy name. My marriage to Narcissa was all but over and my relationship with my son was tenuous to say the least."
Hermione listened silently as the mood of the story changed, these were personal revelations that Hermione had never imagined hearing from Lucius Malfoy.
"I'd been here for a few weeks; I hadn't gone outside at all, I sat here I imagine just like he did. It would have been so easy to have stayed, hidden away become a reclusive old man, and died alone up here, thus repeating history. One morning I woke up, I went outside onto the terrace it was such a beautiful cold day, the sun was shining, fresh snow had fallen over night and I decided to ski. I felt an exhilaration that I had never enjoyed before and odd kind of freedom. I stayed for a while longer and made up my mind that history was not about to be repeated. I had enormous power too, the power to change whatever I wanted to. Starting with myself, I tried to change things with Narcissa, but it was too late for that."
Lucius seemed to check himself realising perhaps he had revealed more than he had intended.
"The renovations at the Manor and my acquisition of Firefly all happened after her departure. My moving on and moving with the times I think is the expression."
Lucius Malfoy had certainly done that and then some, Hermione's brain was still trying to process most of what she had discovered about this man in the last few days, even more so now with his personal, one might say heartfelt disclosure. It really was nigh on impossible to equate him with Draco's father she had known of old. Elegant soft furnishings and skiing were just two more implausible things to add to the mix. She didn't dwell on his more personal admission, the way he had moved on with his remarks indicated to her that he was done with talking about that and she felt it better to leave it that way.
"It's a rather Muggle expression but I'm getting used to you having very much moved with the times Lucius."
He saluted her with his glass and an inclination of his blonde head seeming to acknowledge more than just her words.
"I decided to do the same to this place, somewhere in my business head was an idea to make it a wizarding winter retreat, a snowy version of Firefly with winter sports and plenty of après ski. But then after my game of golf with RM I wasn't sure if I had the time to dedicate to another Hotel and after everything was complete, well I couldn't make up my mind if I really wanted to allow strangers up here."
She could understand his feelings about the place from her own perspective and his, although they were of course very different.
Hermione took another small sip of her drink before replacing the glass on the table. She couldn't help but smile at the scarlet nail polish which still glinted perfectly back at her. The therawitch's words whispering in her ear "It makes the wearer feel very feminine and sexy." Her brown eyes met Lucius' blue grey across the table, and she whispered silently back, "No I think it's actually him that makes me feel very sexy and feminine."
"From a purely selfish point of view I'm glad you didn't, and I think you are too."
She gave him a soft understanding smile but said no more about his own feelings.
"I love that it is remote, cut off and buried in ice and snow. It's a perfect place for us to hide, work and enjoy some winter sports and … après ski."
She paused just long enough for her words to sound like an invitation.
An invitation he was quick to rsvp to.
"Can I taste the chocolate and the orange now?" He asked in a husky tone.
"You can taste whatever you like Lucius."
She moved back away from the table; the enormous rug splayed out beneath her.
Lucius needed no further encouragement, putting down his glass he had her pinned into the soft carpet with cat like speed and precision. His hard body covering her, his lips moving softly over hers.
"MMM delicious, the flavour of this Muggle keeps improving."
Hermione wrapped her legs about his lower body, pulling him harder against her own. Her arms snaking about his neck.
"Well I've enjoyed some winter sport, so how about the après ski this particular dark wizard mentioned."
The tension in the air since Hermione's capture and subsequent death had caught up with them. Here they were away from everyone and everything. They were both completely safe. There really was nothing else to think about as they practically tore at each other's remaining items of clothing, the sound of heavy breathy filling the air. Hermione pulled him back against her, running her hands through the long hair which tumbled about his face, nipping his lower lip as he kissed her hard. Her back arching into the hands which slid over her slender body. Her moans at his touch went from soft whimpers to throaty cries of passion as his body fused with hers. Everything felt different here in the snow including him, the sex was slow and languorous. It was something that couldn't be rushed. The fire within them burned and roared as hotly as the fire in the grate and together they coaxed it out of each other, pleasure and sweat tingling on their skin. Their cries and groans melded as one just like their bodies until finally they lay sated in each other's arms breathing steadily as one.
Lucius acciod one of the throws from the sofa and a couple of cushions, making them more comfortable. Hermione's hand traced the contours of his torso beneath the soft material.
"Who would have ever imag…."
"Shhhh." Lucius said cutting her off as he kissed bare neck.
The bucket of ice was just within Hermione's reach on the low table, she dipped her fingers in and took out a sliver of what remained of the frozen water. Lucius lifted his head, watching as she brought the icy shard up and down her chest, between her breasts and across her swollen nipples. Hermione shivered with pleasure as the cold penetrated her warm skin sending waves of delight coursing through her body.
Lucius watched entranced the slow deliberate action arousing him as much as it obviously did her. Then she rubbed what was left of the sliver across his shoulder, her lips moving to the droplets falling off of the fast melting ice. He returned the favour, lapping at the drips which had fallen onto her breast.
Hermione continued to slide her tongue along the inviting grove beneath his collar bone, Lucius body reacting to its touch, remembering the things she could do with that tongue, things that most men could only dream about. Even this most innocuous of actions was no exception.
"MMM I think we have had enough ice for one day my dear." He gently removed the tiny fragment of ice from between her fingers, tossing into the fire which spat in protest. Heated passion taking over for a second time that evening.