Housekeeping first. Thank you as always for lovely reviews follows and favs you are all too kind, and I am so pleased that you are enjoying this. I must apologise for an even slower update this time, my head has not been in the writing zone, due to the loss of one of my dogs. I am trying to use my writing as a distraction but it isn't always so easy. That said I do apologise for any errors etc and hope that you enjoy this chapter. ...

Under the fixed bespectacled gaze of Julius Nihil, Hermione's own eyes drifted briefly to their host. Lucius' bearing was far more menacing and condescending than it had been at any time over the last 24 hours or so that she had spent with him, his dark dress robes highlighting the fact to perfection. His aristocratic tone was decidedly more clipped and intimidating, his always noble head was held higher and tilted with more arrogance than ever, allowing that long sleek, shiny mane of hair of his to fall with elegant superiority down his back making his presence even more powerful and imposing, and Hermione once again saw the man she knew and loathed of old, Draco Malfoy's hateful pureblood father.

"Forgive my tardy manners; Julius." He offered dismissively.

Hermione's gaze flittered between the two formidable men but was once again drawn back to the handsome blonde wizard. If she didn't know better Hermione swore, she saw the tiniest flare of his snooty nostrils and an infinitesimal smirk dance along his lips, her eyes lingering on them a moment longer than they should have, before moving to his expressive grey eyes, they seemed to have an odd glint in their depths.

She realised, the emphasised, menacing condescension was apparently for the benefit of the other two men, as his long fingers continued to dance sensually against the silk at the base of her spine, his others still furled lightly around the silver head of his cane, the green eyes of the serpent once again glinting in unison with their master.

"This is very close friend of mine Miss Hermione Granger." There was an inference on the word close, which leant itself to a very different meaning.

"Hermione, that very important guest I mentioned earlier."

Hermione's lips twitched, she bit down on one of them, a slim brow arching in amusement at his choice of words and introduction…Oh there was a very devilish glint in those blue grey eyes of his now.

"Julius Nihil"

Behind those dark rimmed glasses, Hermione saw Julius Nihil's hazel eyes widen, and a thick greying brow of his own rose. He outstretched a large ringed hand, taking her much smaller one in his firm, grasp, his cold fingers encircling hers.

"The Hermione Granger!" He said in a low baritone voice.

It was a statement, an almost accusatory one at that, not a question. It went without saying that her name was as famous as ever within the wizarding community, and Hermione Granger was still a formidable witch, but now as far most people were concerned she simply dealt in imports and exports, supposedly giving her antics of old a very wide berth and dealing with more inanimate objects.

"Well aren't you the dark horse my friend."

Julius Nihil's narrowed eyes moved slowly over Hermione, an impressed but slightly wary look cast towards his friend.

Hermione felt slight note of tension between the two men, she might only deal in imports and exports but her presence, and Lucius' involvement with her had visibly ruffled Julius Nihil's feathers. Hermione wasn't averse to a little smoothing.

"Aha" She said slowly with a soft laugh, ignoring the inference in Julius Nihil's look and responding simply to Lucius' introduction.

"The very important guest who deprived me of…" Hermione licked her lightly glossed lips with equal slowness, the devilish glint in Lucius Malfoy's eyes all but dared her to say the words, his mouth twitching in expectation.

"The pleasure of Lucius' co…mpany this morning." Her smile was as wicked as Lucius' twinkling eyes.

This time it was electricity that crackled in the air between Hermione and Lucius, and she shifted sensually against the hand which now rested at the base of her spine.

She noticed the look on the other man's face change to one of curiosity and took advantage of his softening features, responding to his unspoken question.

"I did promise him I wouldn't tell you; you weren't my favourite person at the party, and why, it would appear I have broken that promise, but it's a pleasure to meet you Mister Nihil."

The grey haired man surprisingly laughed aloud, the humour genuinely glistening in his eyes.

"Julius please." He insisted.

His tone was not as clipped and aristocratic as Lucius' but was none the less refined and still edged with that edgy note of quiet superiority.

"It is a pleasure to meet you too Miss Granger." His cool fingers were still wrapped around hers and he shook her hand in earnest this time.

Hermione's own grip was firm in response, she had always been taught that you could tell a lot from a person by the way they shook your hand.

"Your reputation of old obviously precedes you."

Those hazel eyes remained firmly fixed on her, his hand still holding hers as he continued to speak.

"And whilst I hear you lead a much quieter life, these days, it would appear you are as feisty as ever. I like that."

Hermione acknowledged his words and his compliment with a slight tilt of her head. Oh if only he knew, she mused silently, her smile broadening. She couldn't help but wonder how he, and anyone else for that matter, would have reacted had she been more …honest with her admission.

Sandor Sirron coughed loudly, interrupting the conversation, his dark deep set eyes looking purposely at the man for whom he worked. Julius Nihil nodded curtly.

"It would appear that you are going to look upon me even less favourably Miss Granger, as I fear I must steal our host away for a short time to discuss some important business."

Hermione felt a crashing wave of disappointment rush through her veins, not only at the loss of contact from Lucius' warm fingers at her back, but at the fact that evidently, he was very much involved in some sort of dubious business with the man at the top of the Ministry's most wanted list. She liked to think it was just business, something to do with the hotel, dubious or otherwise, but the Unspeakable was convinced otherwise and already telling her I told you so.

Sandor Sirron had a nasty sneer on his pudgy face, as if he was pleased to be taking Lucius Malfoy away from her. Oh how she'd love to hex the horrible little man, or better still, smack him right on the nose. She hoped he would be leaving with them, and she was not going to be stuck with the odious man again. Fortunately he pompously preceded both Nihil and Lucius, barrelling his way across another room.

"I won't be long my dear." Lucius whispered at her ear, his lips brushing the shell.

Her musky perfume invaded his nostrils and he found himself wanting to run his tongue down the pale exposed skin of her neck and one bare shoulder. Stunning as she looked in the column of silver and red silk, he wanted the shimmering material in a puddle at her high heeled feet…otherwise naked. He withheld the groan that formed on his lips, as his body stirred at the notion, he moved away quickly, following Julius Nihil and cursing him at the same time, twice in one day, this man had deprived him of the delights of Miss Hermione Granger.

A shiver galloped down Hermione's spine, in a heady mix of erotic excitement and inquisitive adrenalin. That intoxicating spicy scent of his cologne combined with his latent masculinity left her in a fog of his own as he moved away. She none the less watched intently, noticing several other wizards and witches take their cue from the two men. Some of the infamous faces known to her, quite literally some of the crime de la crime of the wizarding world, including Dr Vesper Drax, whom she hadn't spotted until now, this witch was currently the top of MACUSA's most wanted list, an expert in potions, mostly of the dark and forbidden variety who made the late Professor Snape look like an amateur. The tall, very slim woman, moved with catlike grace, amidst of throng of mostly men, but they all followed in the same direction and exited the room. Much as Hermione Granger wanted to give the Dark Wizard the benefit of the doubt, it looked as if the Unspeakable was right after all, the man was a fraud. The former Death Eater supposedly turned legitimate, respected businessman could still suck you in, put on a good show and deceptive front when he needed to.

Sighing, Hermione stuck her champagne saucer irritably back into the bubbling pink fountain and refilled it, taking a hefty slug she consoled herself with the fact, that to find out anything for certain, obtain any proof of what was going on, she needed to keep Lucius Malfoy sweet and on side, and she would continue enjoying doing so. The Unspeakable also assured Hermione Granger that standing by the bar sipping deliciously expensive pink champagne would not aid the quest for corroboration or information, mooning around was definitely one of those cons, for not mixing business and pleasure. Hermione eased her way across the room through the remaining guests, glass in hand she followed the direction the three men, and several others had gone in.

Reaching the far side of the ice sculpted room, Hermione looked warily at the curtain of tinkling faux icicles which hung across a locked doorway leading from the palace itself. She had no idea what was beyond it, or what to expect. She could find herself right in the middle on an extremely dangerous, very unfriendly room. But something in her witch's instinct told her, that a meeting of the crème de la crème of Dark Wizarding minds would not be happening just behind a tinkling curtain of faux white icicles. Extracting her wand from the concealed pocket, Hermione pointed it discreetly at the frosted lock.

"Alohomora." She murmured quietly.

The door opened, and she moved through that to, into what she really thought would be some secret chamber or corridor, but actually was a little surprised to find herself back in the main hotel. Perhaps conjuring a concealed room within the ice palace was asking a bit too much, even of a skilled wizard like Lucius Malfoy. Hermione glanced around wondering where Julius Nihil and the others had gone, she was just along from the Ludos bar and there were three tightly closed doors about her. Having been left at the party and assured by Lucius that he wouldn't be long, she could hardly pop her head round the door and make out she was looking for the ladies. Hermione wished that she had an extendable ear like the one Crookshanks had stolen from Fred and George Weasley when she, Ronald and Harry had been trying to eavesdrop on the Order. Had she been on an official assignment it might have been something SIDD would have provided for her.

The Spells Incantations and Devices Department at the Ministry of Magic, affectionately known as SIDD, did precisely what it said on the door. The quartermaster was an eccentric old wizard in charge of providing operatives with new spells, incantations and devices that might come in handy on their mission. Although Hermione wasn't entirely sure that even SIDD would have thought to have provided her with an extending ear…just in case.

Leaving her glass in a large plant pot, much to chagrin of an onlooking portrait, which frowned angrily at her. Hermione tried to inconspicuously listen at the first heavy door, causing the portrait's frown to deepen and it to tsk loudly, shaking its head in disapproval. Hearing nothing she moved carefully on to the second, her high heels clattering on the polished wooden floor, again she could hear nothing coming from behind the locked timber. Before she had even reached the third, Hermione heard a muffled cacophony of sound reverberating from inside, nothing distinguishable though just voices, everyone seemed to be talking loudly all at once, which was most unhelpful and of no use whatsoever. She moved closer, putting her own ear against the cold oak. The noise level had reduced, and she could now make out a solitary voice, there was no mistaking the aristocratic tones of Lucius Malfoy clearly addressing the assembled group, Julius Nihil and Sandor Sirron included. Hermione glanced furtively around her, pressing her ear harder against the door, even the unmistakable tenor of Lucius Malfoy did not travel plainly trough aged oak.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I will dispense with the pleasantries except to thank you all for being here and hand the floor over to Julius."

Hermione could hear the hum of appreciative tones as Lucius, presumably stood aside to allow his friend to speak, knowing he was the mastermind behind whatever criminality was afoot and was about to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together. The assembled witches and wizards all having their own particular fragment and waiting expectantly to hear how they fitted into the jigsaw and what came next.

Hermione decided that Harry's cloak of invisibility would actually have been more beneficial than the extending ear, Julius Nihil's low baritone was far less audible than Lucius Malfoy's clipped tone and she struggled to hear any of his words through the thick door. Even if it wasn't locked, cracking it open would be foolhardy even for her, she cursed under her breath, not noticing the large metal handle had begun to turn.

"Wizards have achieved miracles in every field of endeavour except for crime… Operation Grand Slam"

She heard these words with much more clarity, her mind racing as to what they could mean and what had preceded them, suddenly realising as the door creaked loudly that it was already actually opening and was why she had finally been able to hear Julius Nihil's speaking.

"Crap" She muttered straightening and quickly walking away, grabbing her glass from the plant pot as she went, her heels once more clattering on the polished wooden floor.

"Hermione…" If the slimy tone of Sandor Sirron was not enough to stop her in her tracks then, the sweaty fat fingers around her arm, and sharp tip of a wand at the nape of her neck certainly were.