Chapter 2

Hermione, though confident in her impending task, didn't want to hinder herself by overestimating her own abilities of seduction, so she sought a little boost of some magical means. Some might call that cheating, but Hermione saw it as her prerogative as an accomplished witch to use every resource available to her.

As a skilled witch with special Ministry security allowances, Hermione was authorized to experiment with certain ingredients that might be seen as "dark" or suspicious if caught in the possession of the average wizard. She took advantage of this allowance, and, while still living in the Ministry flats, had been privately testing concoctions using some rather illicit ingredients.

One such ingredient was the Opti Cresensus flower, a magical plant known colloquially as "sense." Sense had been used casually, albeit secretly, by young wizards for decades. It was enjoyed for its alterations to one's perception, and was often employed as a way to enhance creativity or have deeper experiences with friends. Some over-eager young wizards misused it and became quite "stoned," for lack of a better term, but Hermione believed that, used correctly, sense could be utilized for many different applications.

This was why, for the past year, she had been working diligently to create a targeted, exceptionally potent potion from the flower. Her main objective was to produce a blend that enhanced the intake and synthesis of new information. Basically, she wanted it to help herself gain deeper knowledge and apply it in ways she had never before considered.

Another considerable advantage of staying at the Malfoy Manor was the benefit of having unlimited access to its renowned library. Hermione had long dreamed of perusing the well-stocked collection, knowing that it would contain volumes deemed too corrupt for even the "Restricted" section at Hogwarts. She believed that access to these books could provide her with the breakthrough needed to perfect her potion.

So far, she'd come very close to her goal of creating a concoction that was both cerebral and powerful. However, it still hit a touch too deeply, causing the unofficial volunteer test subjects (herself and her friends) to get a little too hot-and-bothered at times. Not a poor effect, by any means, and Hermione was considering saving this particular recipe, but it wasn't what she was trying to achieve at this point in her trial.

Despite Hermione's dissatisfaction with the current formulation of her potion, she couldn't ignore the fact that, given her current predicament, her too-sexy Sense potion might be just what the Healer ordered. She felt that the potion helped reveal the most sensual, bold aspects of her personality. Men had flocked to her in droves the night she studied the potion's effects on herself at a pub. The normally introverted witch shocked herself with her response to the attention. She couldn't get enough of it. Hermione had never felt sexier than she did while using her potion, and she suspected that it would be perfect to exacerbate the effect she was having on Lucius.

One unusually bright afternoon, not long after the dining room incident, Hermione decided to enjoy her tea with some light reading in the manor's lush gardens. There were several aged trees and thick hedges to tuck herself behind, so Hermione felt secure enough to bring along an exceptionally risquè book that she had discovered deep in the erotica section of the manor's library. Though Hermione was no prude (as evidenced by her recent interaction with Lucius), she was still a bit apprehensive when it came to explicitly sexual literature. Especially since the books found in the Malfoy library were not your average soft-core fluff. However, the unresolved and ever-rising tension that grew thick in the manor's halls left Hermione desperate for some relief for her needs. It also occurred to her that she might come across some possible ideas to further inflame her host.

Her chosen volume, entitled La Ravissant de Céleste, turned out to be a bdsm-heavy bodice-ripper sort, with some dark sorcery thrown in. She had smuggled it out of the library earlier that day, as she wouldn't dare read it in the one place in the manor she and her host both frequented. That would prove to be a wise decision, as the book was quite steamy, and Hermione's face would be unable to disguise her girlish giggles and lustful blushing at the vulgar content.

Hermione settled at a wide stone bench under a tall, gnarled oak near the farthest corner of the sprawling garden. The tray carrying her tea and portable radio, which had floated alongside Hermione during the short walk, descended gently onto the bench next to her.

After a peaceful, if slightly raunchy, hour of reading, Hermione took a short break to stretch her legs. During her break, the radio, which had been playing 90's music from her teen years, began blaring one of her favorite songs. Hermione glanced around to ensure that she remained the garden's only inhabitant, before shamelessly jamming out to Veruca Salt's "Seether." With her eyes shut tightly, wild hair whipping around, and a wide smile on her face, she scream-sang (badly) and flailed along to the song. Usually an annoyingly reserved, almost uptight person in public, Hermione periodically released her hefty build-up of stress this way, or by getting absolutely bombed with Ginny and Luna. Since she believed herself completely alone, and because it had been months since she'd let loose with her friends, Hermione allowed herself this joyous release in the vacant garden.

Lucius, who'd also had the idea to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather, cocked his head to the side as he entered through the shoulder-high hedges of his garden. What was that racket? Had his wolfhounds cornered a cat nearby? As he briskly hurried through the path, mildly alarmed, he realized it was music. And, puzzlingly, some sort of shrieking. To his great amusement, Lucius turned a corner to discover Hermione, some 5 meters away, singing and dancing wildly with her back to him. For all her enticing qualities (reluctant though he was to admit their existence), it turned out that a delicate singing voice was not one of them.

He smirked at the sight of her curved arse and slim hips, clad in a thin, knee-length skirt, swinging slightly off-beat in a manic, yet endearing manner. Her loose brown curls shook wildly over her bare shoulders, evoking comparisons to the lion which represented her Hogwarts house. He tried not to let his mind linger on the animalistic ideas that crept into his head at the image.

Lucius, who had been absentmindedly inching closer to the pleasing sight, was only allowed a moment to enjoy it before he realized that Hermione, who was now rhythmically rotating her body, was going to see him at any second.

Bollocks, he cursed to himself, not really feeling prepared for a confrontation. He hadn't exactly been sleeping well lately.

He had skidded to a halt, but a second before he could decide whether to turn or apparate, Hermione caught sight of him.

Her eyes grew as wide as saucers, and she managed a loud, horrified gasp instead of the small scream that had threatened to escape her throat.

"M-Mister Malfoy-" she spluttered, thoroughly taken aback.

Lucius, desperate to avoid questions of how long he had been watching and how much he had witnessed, glanced around, searching for any excuse to speak first and direct the conversation. Mercifully, his eyes landed on a book that rested on the ground by the stone bench that sat between where he and Hermione stood.

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger," He quickly began. "Ah- you seem to have dropped your book on the ground." He moved swiftly toward it as he spoke, hoping to distract her from her shock at his presence. "Please, allow me to retrieve that for you," he added in a faux-polite tone.

Hermione, frozen to the spot, looked on in abject panic as Lucius bent down and reached for the smutty novel.

"Uh- no, that's quite alright, Mis-" She found her voice and stammered breathlessly.

"Please, it's no trouble at- …Ah, what's this?" Lucius' eyebrows flew upward at what appeared to be instant recognition of the book now in his gloved hand. A sly, wicked smile crept onto his face.

"Why Miss Granger, I'm surprised at you." Suddenly his words dripped out in honeyed, teasing tones.

"This is one of my collection's filthiest editions. And you removed it from the library without permission? I wouldn't have expected this from you." He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly, still wearing the smug smirk on his lips.

"I didn't realize- I thought it was something else," she offered weakly, not meeting his eyes.

The ice-blue eyes in question had found the velvet ribbon that was wedged between two pages near the halfway point of the thick novel, along with several small notes sticking out from a few other areas. He looked up at her inquisitively, though they both knew that Hermione was caught in her lie. She silently cursed herself for not having taken any of her Sense potion earlier that day. She would have had this uncomfortable situation handled, and Lucius would be the one at her mercy, not the other way around.

Hermione sighed, accepting that she wouldn't be able to talk her way out of this one.

"My apologies, I'll return it at once."

Lucius, reveling in the satisfaction of finally having the upper hand, was enjoying the exchange far too much to let her escape so easily. He let the book fall open to one of the marked pages.

"Not so fast, Miss Granger, I'm quite curious as to why you deemed this particular page worthy of marking." His icy eyes, lit like she had never seen them, smoothly scanned the page, then widened theatrically. They looked up to meet Hermione's wide brown eyes, guilty above her violently pink cheeks.

"Dear, dear," he muttered, barely containing his elation.

Lucius lowered his eyes again, and to Hermione's unbridled horror, began to recite directly from the page.

" 'Heavy chains shot from his wand, binding her lithe arms and legs, forcing them apart." The words dripped torturously from his mouth as he deliberately savored each obscene syllable.

" 'He forcefully gripped Céleste's shackled throat with his powerful hand and squeezed as he pressed the thick fingers of his other hand into her trembling quim.' "

Despite Hermione's mortification, her breath caught at the shock of hearing Lucius' velvety voice utter such filth.

"Oh dear, Miss Granger."

Hermione stood rooted to the spot, with no idea of what she could possibly do or say to end this humiliation. She resorted to silently begging the earth to open up and swallow her whole. Her request was apparently ignored.

"My, you are filthy!" Lucius continued in a mock-scolding tone. "I am quite aware that muggle-borns aren't known for being the most sophisticated, but I was under the impression that you were an unrelenting do-gooder, barbaric manners aside, of course."

He paused briefly to examine her reddened face, but when she offered no immediate explanation, he continued.

"But as turns out, you don't spend your free time filling your little head with more useless facts to regurgitate, as I expected from you, but filling it instead with cheap smut." He looked down to consider the book in his hand and corrected himself. "Well, quite expensive, rare smut, but smut nonetheless." He now wore a hint of pride in his smirk.

"I can't tell you how disappointing I find this development, Miss Granger. And yet, how exciting for you, that you've been discovering the more… provocative tomes my collection has to offer."

The closest thing to glee that Hermione had ever witnessed on Lucius now danced across his irritatingly handsome face.

Hermione decided she had no choice but to own up to it, and found her nerve at last.

"Well, Mister Malfoy, your library is said to house the least censored collection of magical texts in the country, if not the continent. So, having unfettered access, I wanted to verify that for myself." Hermione was proud of the fact that her voice barely shook. Please, don't let him bring up my bookmarks, she pleaded with no one in particular.

Lucius raised his brows again.

"And here, all this time I assumed you were doing important research for the Ministry." Gaining a boost of his own nerve, he pressed on.

"If you're ever seriously curious as to the reaches of my collection, just ask, and I will gladly introduce you to the contents of my private catalogue." Lucius closed the little distance that had remained between Hermione and himself. Her nose was filled with the scent of the expensive, spiced cologne that emanated from his pristine, jewel-green robes. He, again, towered over her impressively, mirroring their previous positions in the dining room. This time, however, he was determined to remain in control of the situation.

Lucius' narrowed blue eyes probed deeply into Hermione's, and she began to feel very naked in front of him.

"If you think this-" he gestured with the book, "is of interest, just wait until you explore the works I deemed too filthy to sit on the shelves of the main library. I might even be persuaded to give you a… private tour." He finished softly, his voice noticeably huskier than it had been before.

Hermione swallowed hard at this implication, trying not to focus on the fact that Lucius' now-darkened eyes had not left hers in an unbearably long time. The prolonged contact left her heart pounding and her center aching. Her head swam with the possibilities. What would he show her? What would he do to her? She fought inwardly for a moment.

Take him up on his offer, right now-

No, blow him off, the arrogant prick-

Get on your knees and ask if you can call him Daddy-

Oh, shut up and get inside, you horny fool-

Lucius, sensing her inner turmoil, decided to end this exchange while he still had the upper hand, albeit reluctantly, as he was having more fun than he'd had in ages.

Not a moment too soon, either, as he could feel a familiar stirring below his belt. He'd been half-hard throughout their entire encounter, but that half was rapidly increasing to full, and he wanted to leave with his eager counterpart unnoticed.

"Consider it, Miss Granger, and do let me know. You know where to find me." Lucius leaned in, nearly close enough to feel Hermione's trembling sigh on his own face, which was now also lightly tinged with pink.

"In the meantime, I'll graciously allow you to keep this-" He gently thrust the book into her hand. "-checked out, as a personal favor. Just, please, do wipe it down and return it when you're through."

His lip twitched as he fought to hold in a snicker as Hermione once again looked mortified.

"And Miss Granger," He lowered his voice to its suggestive, honeyed tone once more. "I sincerely hope you enjoy the rest of La Ravissant. I've always favored chapter thirty-two. Let me know what you think of it, if you're so inclined."

Hermione, now barely controlling her shallow breathing, gave the smallest of nods.

Lucius offered a gentle "Good afternoon," then gracefully turned on his heel and strutted away, exuding more cockiness than Hermione had witnessed from him in all the weeks she had been staying at the manor.

Finally able to collect herself, Hermione collapsed on the bench in exhaustion from what she had just experienced. She was dizzy from the mix of panic, excitement, shame, and desire that had simultaneously and unrelentingly flooded through her.

She stayed seated for a long time, trying to fully calm herself and decide her next course of action.

At this moment, only one thing was clear to her. She wanted, more than anything, to accept Lucius' offer to explore his private book collection alongside him. She was desperate to learn of, and possibly experience, his depravity first-hand.

Before she could commit to such a momentous decision, Hermione decided to do something quite Hermione-like. She would not make a rash decision, however tempting it was, before weighing all the possible consequences. She decided to sleep on it.

...

End of chapter note: Thanks again for reading! This chapter was so fun to write. Please let me know your thoughts! :)

P.s. I know Emma Watson can sing, but I always got the impression that singing was not one of Hermione's many talents.