A/N: It's been really fun writing Lucius' character so far! I hope you guys like his character so far (because there is going to be a lot more of him in the future of this story :)) -Kate

Chapter 5

His eyes slightly widened at the mention of his real name and his eyebrows went up quizzically.

"I beg your pardon?" Lucius said in an even tone.

"I just finally recognized who you were." Hermione quickly recovered, "There aren't many wizards known to have white-blond hair like yours." She had known that the Malfoy families had always been very popular, so she had no doubt that the ordinary wizard wouldn't have known this was Lucius Malfoy. Thankfully, he seemed satisfied with her answer and didn't ask any questions.

"Fine," Lucius' voice startled Hermione out of her state, "you can follow me, I apparently need to be nannied."
Now that Hermione looked at him again, there was no mistake that it was Lucius. The eyes, the hair, and just his overall demeanor were a dead giveaway from the start.

He continued on his path, with a quick sweep of his cloak, going at a slower pace than before. Normally, Hermione would've usually tried to engage in conversation while walking, but knowing this was Lucius made it way too awkward.

"I could've sworn it was right here," Lucius said, stopping by a rack of prophecies. He eventually took out his wand to aid his search. "Lumos."

"What is it you're looking for?" Hermione asked, hoping to speed up the process. "May I suggest 'accio'?"

"'May I suggest accio,'" Lucius mimicked in a high voice. Hermione ignored his rude behavior and repeated the question she had asked before.
What is it you're looking for?"

Lucius gave a frown of disapproval, and reluctantly answered Hermione's question. "My pocketwatch."

"That's what you were looking for?" Hermione said with disbelief, "your pocket watch is in the pockets of your cloak."

Lucius immediately shoved his hands into his pockets and his face slightly tinged with pink from embarrassment. He pulled out his pocket watch and examined it. Hermione could have laughed if she was in the same situation with someone other than Lucius.

"How did you know where it was?" Lucius asked, raising his eyebrow suspiciously.

"I'm not an idiot," Hermione expressed rolling her eyes, "Earlier, I saw you take out your watch and put it back in your pocket."

"Fine," Lucius said, still not entirely convinced, "follow me."

Hermione followed him closely by the light of his wand. The trip seemed much longer this time than when they had originally come. The room was completely silent except for the sound of Lucius and Hermione's footsteps as they twisted and turned through multiple isles. When the door finally became in sight, Lucius turned to face Hermione.

"How much money do you have?" Lucius asked with a mischievous smile.

"Not much," Hermione responded, skeptical about his question, "why do you ask?"

"You do need a place to stay, don't you?"

Hermione nodded, knowing where he was going with this. "You're suggesting I stay at the Leaky Cauldron."

Lucius looked at her as if she had read his mind, "It is one of the only places in London where wizards like ourselves can stay."

"I have hardly enough money, for just one night," Hermione pointed out, "I can't believe I forgot extra money."

"That's too bad," Lucius said in fake sympathy, and looked away from Hermione's eyes. He looked to the door and opened it, letting Hermione step outside. He followed her and locked the door behind him.

"It is extremely late," Lucius said, still not meeting Hermione's eyes. When they arrived at the main lobby of the Ministry, it was almost completely vacant.

"Grab my hand," Lucius told Hermione, now looking her in the eyes. Hermione was immediately opposed to the idea, and stepped away from him.

"We're going to apparate," Lucius explained, unsure why she was so afflicted with the idea of holding his hand. Hermione reluctantly held his hand, when she touched his hand she expected it to be ice cold like Draco's, but instead found it warm and soft. Hermione felt the sensation of apparation and found herself in the bar of the Leaky Cauldron.

It didn't surprise Hermione that the Leaky Cauldron was bustling with wizards and witches at such a late hour. Most of them had probably stopped by for a drink after work. A short and stubby man, who looked more like an oversized garden gnome, approached Lucius and Hermione.

"Would the couple like something to drink?" The man asked in a wheezy voice. Hermione's eyes widened and promptly told the man that Lucius and her were not together.

"I just would like to book a room here, for the night," Hermione explained.

"Understood," The man responded, shifting his eyes from Lucius to Hermione, "one room for both of you?"

Hermione shut her eyes in frustration, and clarified again that her and Lucius were not a couple.

"Right," The man said in a suspicious tone. "One room for the lady, and the lady only," the man said, writing the information on the clipboard he had in his hand, "would the lot of you like something to drink?"

"No thank you, I'm really quite exhausted and would like to get to my room," Hermione replied.

"Yes, but one drink could be exactly what you need after the exhausting day you've had," Lucius retorted.

Hermione glared at him, but Lucius had already pulled out his pouch of coins. "So is that a yes?" The stubby man asked, unsure of the mixed responses he was receiving.

Before Hermione had a chance to respond, Lucius offered to pay for two drinks and Hermione's room. He handed the man several coins from the pouch and the man scurried off without another word.

"Why did you pay for my room?" asked Hermione, confused by Lucius' kind gesture.

"It's the gentleman's thing to do," Lucius said with a cocky grin. He removed his cloak and placed it on the coat stand stationed at the door. He then proceeded to pull out a chair for Hermione to sit in. Hermione accepted the offer and sat down.

"You said you would tell me more about the prophecy," Hermione reminded, she had a feeling he was going to keep trying to dance around the subject.

"I will," He assured, "but it wouldn't be smart to talk about it in a space as public as this one."

"And you are smart, aren't you?" He asked in an almost sarcastic tone.

"Fine," She agreed. She had no idea what the Black prophecy would contain, but she could respect the decision to keep it private and away from prying ears.

Soon enough, the stubby man came over to the table, balancing two drinks on a tray. Lucius took his and passed Hermione hers.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, not recognizing the liquid in her cup.

"Dragon's tongue," Lucius answered, taking a sip. Hermione reluctantly brought the cup to her lips, the name didn't sound like the most appetizing drink. She let herself take a quick sip to analyze how it tasted.

As soon as it touched her tongue, it felt as if fireworks went off in her mouth. Different flavors, with every pop. Orange, now trecale tart, now chicken. Lucius had obviously seen Hermione's expression when she had tasted it, because now he was watching her curiously, trying to hide a smile.

"First time trying it?" Lucius said, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Hermione nodded, afraid to open her mouth. The flavors just kept coming.

"Take another sip," Lucius suggested, nodding towards her cup.

"I'm smarter than that." Hermione immediately closed her mouth, because when she talked she blew out a small lick of fire.

Lucius smiled and Hermione could've sworn he almost laughed. "Take another sip," He repeated in an amused voice.

Hermione obeyed and took a small sip from the cup in front of her. To her surprise, it tasted nothing like the first and brought a cool minty taste. She dared to open her mouth again and was relieved when no fire came out.

"I can see why it is called dragon's tongue now," Hermione recalled her incident with the fire.

"Brave of you to take another sip after the first, I thought you would've been more stubborn than you were," Lucius mentioned.

"I'm just surprised I had never heard of this drink before," Despite being a muggle-born she had had an extensive knowledge of many things of the wizarding world. She had studied countless books to learn all that she could. She didn't exactly study wizarding cook books, but she would've thought she was bound to hear of a drink this intriguing.

"Thank you for paying for my stay," Hermione said after they had both finished their drinks. It humored Hermione how Lucius had no idea that he was helping his future son by paying for her stay.

Lucius simply nodded in response.

"Well, I best be getting to bed," Hermione said, standing up and pushing in her chair.

"If you want to ask me privately about the thing we had discussed, I'm sure you'll be able to find me" Lucius noted, getting up out of his seat as well, "until then."

Hermione and Lucius parted ways, Hermione going to the room she was to stay in, and Lucius heading to the exit of the pub. When Hermione had finally got to her room, she laid herself on her bed, pulling a nightgown out of her beaded purse. As soon as she hit the covers of the bed she fell into a dreamless sleep.