Finally, things start to get a little steamy. One of my favorite chapters so far. So without further ado, let the games begin ;)

Chapter 6

Hermione woke up the next morning after a restless sleep. The rest of the evening prior had been spent organizing books in solitude, trying to clear her mind. She used magic whenever she could to help her, but some of the bindings were so fragile they would fall apart if it weren't for her gentle touch.

And although she was trying to clear her mind, her entire evening had been filled with thoughts of Lucius.

She relived their entire exchange at dinner over and over in her mind, analyzing it and picking apart its pieces.

Why had he been so aggressive with her from the moment the meal had started? Why the sudden cruelty, and why the sudden anger in her own response? Hermione had never meant to go after Lucius's family in such a way, but she had. What was she trying to accomplish? To make him "open up" to her?

She laughed out loud and shook her head. Lucius was not some wounded animal she could nurse back to health. It was ridiculous to see him like that.

But he was a man with more dimensions than she had initially believed possible…

But it was morning now, and there was no use in living in the past. Hermione groggily dragged herself out of bed and made her way to the dining room, only getting turned around a few times but eventually finding it on her own.

She waited at the door for a few seconds, thinking of what she was going to say to him. What could she say to him? Ask him what was wrong? Apologize for upsetting him? Tell him he deserved to have things go someone else's way for once?

Finally finding her courage, she took a deep breath, pushed open the doors, and…

And Lucius was absent.

Entering the room slowly, Hermione tentatively sat down and realized that there was only one setting.

Feeling disappointed in spite of herself, she ate in silence, struggling to keep her mind from wandering to Lucius, but to no avail.

Where was he…?

After she finished her lonely meal, she had Dipsy escort her to the library, and she dove into her work.

For hours, she continued sorting books alone. Spellbooks on the left side of the room, history on the right, miscellaneous in the center until she could determine what to do with them…

The doors creaked open behind her, and she actually sighed in relief.

She turned around, trying to wipe the relief off her face, but of course those cold grey eyes caught it.

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger. You look quite pleased to see me."

Recovering quickly, Hermione responded cordially. "Good afternoon, Mr. Malfoy. And I am happy to see you, but merely because I was beginning to worry that my brashness last night had cost me our little…agreement."

Hermione was proud of her recovery. She knew deep down there were other reasons she was happy to see Lucius, but she would never admit them to herself, or anyone else, for that matter.

Lucius smirked. "I am a Malfoy, Miss Granger, as you so frequently like to remind me. Once we make a bargain, we stick to it."

Hermione offered a slight smile at this, still unsure of what to say or how to proceed after last night's events.

Lucius said nothing but began to walk toward her. Hermione stiffened, unsure of what to do.

He swept past her and further into the library. "It's looking good in here so far." He looked back at her and nodded.

"Thank you."

Then, there was silence that Lucius broke by clearing his throat and saying, "Well, I'll let you get back to it."

Hermione was taken aback as Lucius moved past her, avoiding all eye contact. He seemed so out of sorts, almost…awkward.

Just as Lucius reached the doors, he spun on his heel and turned back to face Hermione. "Miss Granger…"

Hermione gently laid the book she was cradling back on the table and looked at him expectantly, surprised by the sudden change in demeanor.

"I must apologize for my behavior last night. You were right…those were my wife's robes, and watching the woman in them so astutely pick apart my…emotions about various issues left me on the defensive. It was not right for me to respond so intensely, but even so, my warning still stands: from now on, I would request that you do not bring up my former wife or my son again."

Hermione nodded because it was all she really could do.

"However, I hope I have not ruined you from joining me for future meals."

Hermione weighed him in her gaze, wondering about his motives and intentions. With a Malfoy, one always had to search for hidden agendas or veiled meanings. But as he returned Hermione's stare, he actually seemed…sincere?

Hermione cautiously answered, "I tried to join you for breakfast this morning, but you were absent."

"I had some business to attend to."

Hermione's face revealed her skepticism, but she continued all the same. "Well, I guess I will see you for dinner tonight then, Mr. Malfoy." Sarcastically, she continued, "Perhaps this time my appearance will be more acceptable."

That smirk returned to Lucius's cold features, and he actually seemed quite pleased. "…I will look forward to it, Miss Granger." His grey eyes glinted as he caught her gaze in his, and Hermione felt her breath leave her, if only for a moment.

And with that, he was gone.

What on earth…? The look he had shot her was almost…flirtatious?

No…her imagination was running away with her. Lucius was just toying with her. After all the comments he had made surrounding their fake relationship, her appearance, and her circumstances, he was just trying to get under her skin.

But if Lucius wanted to play games, Hermione deiced that she would make herself a worthy opponent.

Returning to her work with new vigor, Hermione began to plan her outfit for dinner, letting a grin spread across her face. She was going to make Lucius Malfoy wish he was careful what he wished for...

At a quarter to five, Hermione ceased her work in the library. She wanted to leave plenty of time to get ready for her meal with Lucius. She found her way back to her room and stood in front of the vanity, sizing herself up and trying to determine the best way to surprise the stone cold Lucius Malfoy.

If Lucius wanted to play, to try to rile her up to get a reaction, Hermione would do the same. There had already been moments, a few flickers where she had seen his composure crack, if only slightly. And the thought of making calm, cool, and collected Lucius Malfoy break was downright exhilarating.

First, Hermione bathed, rinsing her hair with a jasmine scented shampoo she found in one of the cupboards, then dabbing on some floral perfume. Entering the room in a towel, she rummaged through the wardrobe before finding the perfect dress: short, black, and with a sweetheart neckline. She squeezed into it carefully, then donned a pair of black kitten heels she transfigured to be her size.

Easing herself into the chair in front of the vanity, she set to work on her hair. She soon realized that she would need more than a brush to tame her wild mane, so she took out her wand and worked her hair until it fell in smooth curls down her back.

Hermione moved on to the countless powders, brushes, and shadows contained within the drawers of the vanity. It took minutes for her to rummage through them all and find what she was looking for: basic foundation, mascara, black liner, blue and black shadow tones for a smoky eye, and ruby red lipstick. She debated using blush but decided against it; she somehow always ended up blushing around Lucius anyway, and she hoped that the powder might work to her advantage.

Although she still didn't totally trust it, Hermione rummaged through the jewelry drawers and found two beautiful silver rings set with what she could only imagine were diamonds. In a cabinet next to the mirror, there were hundreds of gorgeous necklaces on display. She finally decided on a simple sapphire chain with a teardrop diamond set in the center.

Looking at herself in the mirror one last time, Hermione couldn't even recognize herself…but she couldn't help but wonder if it might be a good thing if Lucius couldn't either. Maybe this was her first step in shedding her schoolgirl exterior in Lucius's mind, and he might actually begin to take her seriously afterwards...

Suddenly realizing that she was close to being late for dinner, she hurried out the door and down the hall.

When Hermione reached the dining room doors, she didn't let herself pause; she pushed them open confidently and stood in the entryway, looking directly at Lucius.

He was there, just as she knew he would be. Her offer enticed him too much, and she knew his apathy was just a ruse. He loved the battle of wills he found himself engaged in with her, and Hermione would rise to challenge.

As his eyes fell on her, Hermione knew she was victorious. There was a moment of pure shock, followed by another look that overtook Lucius's face before it froze once again into his well-worn mask. But Hermione had seen it slip once again, and she found herself smirking in a very Malfoy way as she strutted across the room, heels clicking on the stone.

"Good evening, Mr. Malfoy. I hope this outfit might be a little more to your liking." Hermione mockingly curtsied.

Lucius smirked. "I must admit, you clean up well, Miss Granger. Shall we eat?"

It was a simple response, but Hermione knew that it spoke volumes. She smiled triumphantly, sat, and began to eat.

Throughout the meal, she was conscious of Lucius's eyes straying to her, but she never looked over at him.

She wasn't interested in truly earning his affection, of course; it was all about the game, and the thrill of the chase.

At his core, Lucius was a man, and Hermione had used her intelligence to manipulate many a man over the years… But Lucius was intelligent, cunning, and presented her with a unique challenge.

Finally when she felt Lucius's eyes on her toward the end of the meal, Hermione deliberately looked at him. He seemed fixated on her neck, eyes traveling north and then south…

He knew he had been caught, jerking his gaze away a second too late. Hermione seized her opportunity and struck.

"Are there cameras around, Mr. Malfoy, or are you just practicing faking your interest in me?"

Looking at his plate but maintaining his composure, he said, "I am merely adjusting my eyes to the drastic change of appearance of my dinner guest, Miss Granger." Lucius paused for a moment before purposefully looking at her. "I still must credit you; there is not a single attribute of your chosen ensemble that I may fault you for."

"Really?" Hermione asked quizzically, dropping her guise of false confidence, even if only for a moment.

Lucius nodded, setting down his glass of red wine. "The dress is exquisite, the jewelry is elegant without being tacky, that wild mane of yours has finally been tamed, and the perfume and makeup is applied to perfection."

Locking his grey eyes onto hers, he added, "Admittedly, I am impressed, Miss Granger."

Hermione tried not to look too satisfied, but she felt herself swelling with pride, more than she initially expected to feel. Lucius had managed to crawl his way under her skin numerous times before, but this night, victory belonged to her. She had proven that the infallible Lucius Malfoy could be impressed by the appearance of a plain Muggle born.

Finished with their meal, Lucius helped Hermione rise from the table, taking her hand in his gloved fingers. He smoothly escorted her to the door.

"Thank you for your company this evening, Mr. Malfoy," Hermione said civilly as they reached the exit. "I hope the meal was…enjoyable for you as well."

Lucius nodded at this, but no matter how hard she tried, Hermione couldn't read his expression.

"I see the game you're trying to play, Miss Granger."

Hermione was taken aback by this.

"Pardon?"

"Just as I was studying you all night, you were studying me. Don't think I didn't notice. If I were you, I would just be a little more wary of who I chose for an opponent."

Before Hermione had a chance to question him, Lucius turned to her, raised her hand to his mouth, and laid a gentle kiss across the back of her hand.

Hermione lost all composure and merely stared at him, slack jawed. A flush wrote a novel across her face, and her dress did nothing to hide the hitch in her breathing.

Lucius smirked up at her, satisfied with her reaction.

"Checkmate, Miss Granger."

And with that, he released her and swept out of the room, leaving Hermione frozen in stunned shock.