"'Revenge' sounds so mean. That's why I prefer to call it 'Returning the Favor.'"

-Simran Gaudi

Present Day

"I think it's time we told Draco."

Hermione, who had her eyes closed as Lucius traced a finger over her facial features, opened her eyes in alarm. "You want to tell Draco?"

"I want to go public and he should know from his father instead of reading it in a Daily Prophet article." Hermione sighed and moved her head away from his hand. He was right, as he often was, so she wouldn't argue, but that didn't mean she liked it. It was because of Draco's temper that she had started to see Lucius in the first place - well, that and the fact that Ginny suggested a revenge plan that had failed in the most beautiful of ways. "What are your thoughts on it?" Lucius wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to his bare chest. They were both naked after some heavy romping in his home and were indulging in pillow talk when he brought the subject of Draco up.

She looked up at his calm gray eyes, eyes that he shared with his son, but this pair was much more warm to her. "We've been together for two years, I suppose we're past due on telling him." She kept the blanket over her breasts, a last attempt at unnecessary modesty, as she turned on to her other side to face him.

Lucius raised a single pale and teasing brow. "Is that a 'yes' then?"

She didn't know why it had been so hard to give in and finally allow Lucius to tell Draco, but then, the only thing that had been easy for her was falling in love with Lucius.

Something that was never her intention.

Two Years and One Week Ago

Hermione felt someone approach her cubicle and knew without looking away from the file in front of her, that Draco Malfoy was standing behind her. "Auror Granger," his drawling voice hadn't changed much since they graduated from Hogwarts. She thought it was a shame as his father was surprisingly much more pleasant. "I see you've failed to get another promotion that would move you out of this shoe-box of an... office. Is that what they're called when they are this small?"

He always knew how to push the wrong buttons. The promotion that went to Marietta Edgecomb should have been hers but instead, their boss decided that the little sneak deserved it over her. "Malfoy, I see you've failed to remove the wand out of your arse." Hermione swiveled in her chair to face him. "And do you really want another Auror assigned to look over your father?" When his only reply was to flutter the muscles in his jawline, she removed Friday's issue of the Daily Prophet from her top desk drawer and flipped to page three. A blown up picture of Draco and Lucius walking in Diagon Alley with Theodore Nott, Sr. took up a fourth of the page. She was aware the outing was just that: a simple outing, but the picture was under a headline that said 'ARE DEATH EATERS ARE REGROUPING?' "Do you really think another Auror would approve your father to leave his home anytime soon when an article just like this was printed?" It was a bit of a low blow, and she would have felt bad for using a friend against his son if Lucius had not given her explicit permission to do so. He was more than aware of how his son treated Hermione.

Ever since Draco had been hired by the Ministry to work as a negotiator for the department of Foreign Affairs and Sports Department, he made it a point to stop by her desk almost every day to exchange verbal blows. She had made several complaints to the head of her department and his, but just like she was top Auror just after Harry, Draco was top Negotiator in his department.

This meant that neither department head was willing to take any corrective action on one of the Ministries' best employees. Instead, they told them both to 'act like adults.'

"Are you going to hold my father's freedom hostage now?" Draco's eyes narrowed and his upper lip twitched. "Going to abuse your power over -"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous." Completely exasperated, she slapped The Daily Prophet paper on her desk and stood so she was standing toe to toe with him. "If I had any ill intent in keeping Mr. Malfoy as my charge, I would have acted on it by -"

"Merlin, you spend too much time around him. You sound like a bloody parrot at this point." Draco loomed over her, trying to use his height to intimidate her. "And get out of my face."

"Get out of my space, Malfoy." Hermione knew her face was red with anger and could hardly bother to be embarrassed by it. "Do you fancy me or something? Nearly everyday I have to put up with your large nose in my cubicle – for what? Do you just rile me up for a good wank later?"

Draco looked absolutely scandalized as he took a step back. "Right, because arguing with a mudblood like you -"

"You take that back!" Hermione was at the point of seeing red. Her hair curled and crackled as her wand hand twitched, itching to hold the vinewood so she could hex Draco into next week.

"Granger! Malfoy!" Both former Hogwarts alumni turned to see Minister Shacklebolt approaching them.

The moment he was in front of them, he spoke in a low tone that Hermione recognized as him being displeased with his employee's lack of self control. The fact he was needing to use that tone when talking to her, made her even more angry as he never spoke to her like that. "What is going on here? You're causing a scene in front of all of your coworkers."

"She threatened to lock my father up in his house, is what she did! He's been nothing but compliant -"

"Oh, I did not!"

"Both of you, stop right now." Shacklebolt looked between both of them in disbelief, but his eyes lingered on Hermione's state a little longer, not having seen her so riled up in a long time. "Malfoy, return to your floor. You have no reason to be up here." With a curt nod and a click of his heels, Draco strode off. Hermione watched as his robes swished through the air behind him. Bloody prat probably charms his robes to float so elegantly. "And you," Shacklebolt pulled Hermione's chair up behind her, encouraging her to sit back down. "Are you all right?"

Hermione inhaled deeply through her nose as she nodded. Her hands were shaking from the adrenaline induced anger she felt. "Yes, I rather think so." She nodded. More to self-sooth than to reassure Shacklebolt. "He does this almost daily, you know."

Shacklebolt sighed. "I saw your complaints – all sixteen of them." He hastily added when she opened her mouth. "My hands are tied though. His department Head has more jurisdiction on his punishment than I do as that's his direct subordinate -"

"And what if a Head isn't doing his job? Who punishes him?" Shacklebolt sighed at Hermione's pointed look.

"I do." He eventually admitted. "But unless you have something more on the Department Head, it would look like I am showing a known friend, favoritism."

Hermione felt her teeth grind together with frustration. Everything Kingsley said was true, but that only frustrated her more. When I am Minister I am going to fix this arse backwards hierarchy. "The lack of balanced powers here continues to astound me with every passing day."

Kingsley patted her on the back of her shoulder twice as he watched her bury her hands in her curls. "How about this, take the rest of the day off. Due to the recent complaint I got from Rita Skeeter about you," Kingsley pointed a finger at the article she flaunted in front of Draco, "I know you've been working outside of your regular hours."

Hermione understood the warning that wasn't being said. Several years ago, over a few butterbeers the Order had shared on a weekend when one of the many funerals were held, she had ended up telling Kingsley about blackmailing Skeeter.

Reminding the re-hired Daily Prophet editor of Hermione's fourth year threat had been risky. Hermione knew that, but she did not spend three years proving that reforming those who were found guilty was much more effective than handing out capital punishments was the best way to do things, only for it to be dashed away with a single article.

"I'm salary, there's no such thing as regular hours for me." She sniffed as she folded the paper up and tucked it back into the drawer she kept it in. "It's hardly lunch time, I am not going back to my flat without spending half of my day here -"

"You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here." Hermione looked up at Kingsley in shock, but he just shrugged a shoulder before starting to walk away. "I'll be back from talking to Arthur about his latest incident report in thirty minutes and when I come back, I want to see this cubicle vacant."

"But -"

Kinglsey was already gone.

Placing her hands to her temples she counted down from ten to zero. By the time she had reached the neutral integer, she was calm enough to gather her things and head to the lift, but not before she sent her patronus to invite Ginny to lunch.

"Hullo, Hermione." Ginny paused and looked at their table, surprised to see food had already been ordered for them. "Steak in the middle of the day?" The restaurant they were seated at had a warm atmosphere and was located next to the English National Quidditch Stadium Ginny and the rest of the Appleby Arrows team trained at. In the middle of the day, it was vacant enough that the chances of Ginny getting approached for an autograph was low. "Did your proposal on Goblins having wands finally go through? We're celebrating, right?"

Hermione's steak knife dug even deeper into the medium rare meat. "No." She knew she was grumbling at this point and paused her attempts to slice her New York Strip to take a deep drink from her glass of Tokara Cabernet Sauvignon. "The ferret."

"Ugh," Their waiter stopped by to take Ginny's drink order, "Fizzy pop, thanks. Got to get back on the broom soon."

Hermione waited until the waiter had walked off to retrieve Ginny's drink before speaking. "He walked up to my cubicle and called me a you-know-what!" Ginny's eyes went wide and she saw the similar bout of ire build in them right before she was ready to send someone a nasty bat-boogey hex.

"Why does he keep harassing you? Is this some weird kink he has?"

Hermione had to use her wine to help swallow the greens she shoved into her mouth before she could respond. "That's what I said!" Hermione rubbed a hand over her face.

"Have you gone to Wizard's Resources? They've kept a lot of wizards in check between you, me, and dad."

"Of course." Hermione shrugged her shoulders and shook her head as she prepared herself to take another bite from her fork. "And our Department Heads, but they just let it happen. He's too good of an employee and they're too short staffed."

"Utter bollocks." Ginny pursed her lips together. "Kingsley?" The suggestion was made half hardly, she knew Hermione well enough she would exhaust all her resources before buying them comfort steaks at noon for an excuse to drink good wine.

"Who do you think told me I needed to go home?" Hermione was bitter. A part of her wanted to take comfort that she knew Kingsley was trying to be a friend after being her Minister first, but she had been harboring her resentment towards Draco for almost an entire year now. Something needed to be done. "I even told Lu- Mr. Malfoy about Draco's behavior." Hermione angrily stabbed at the fixings on her plate, not meeting Ginny's eyes. While Hermione wanted to properly vent to her best friend, she was more than aware Lucius was a sore spot. "I know he can't do much as Draco is a grown man-child, but he was kind enough to try and talk to him for my sake."

"Mmm." Ginny nodded her head, deciding not to comment.

They ate in silence for a bit. Hermione was on her third cup of wine and was just starting to admire how the rustic lights around the restaurant shined when she realized Ginny had the same look Ron often did in a Wizard's Chess match.

With an impish grin, Hermione plucked a potato off of Ginny's plate to get her attention. "Ginerva Molly Weasley, I demand you tell me what is on your mind." She rotated the potato clad fork in a circle at her friend before she placed it in her mouth.

Ginny hesitated before giving Hermione a sly look. "You're chummy with the Ferret's father, aren't you?"

Hermione's smile faltered, wary of where Ginny was going with the conversation. "Well, I've been his Probation Auror for the past three years, I better be."

Ginny's head tilted to the side, and she readjusted her posture in her seat. "Okay, pretend I'm not Ginny. Tell me about – about Lucius." The name felt foreign coming off of Ginny's tongue and Hermione made a face. The wine was definitely taking affect. "You two are friends, right?"

Hermione nodded. "He's really not the same person anymore, Gin. He talks to me as if I am an equal, which if you've ever read the transcripts of his trial -"

"I have not and will not."

"Fair enough," Hermione waved a hand and pushed her glass of wine away, deciding she was done with her meal entirely. "I wouldn't consider him a confidant like you or Harry, but he's nothing short of a gentleman to me. Especially after his wife passed two years ago..." Hermione shrugged her shoulders before saying the only word she could use to describe Lucius: "He's been humbled." A wry smile appeared on her face. "At least as much as a Malfoy can be, I'd imagine, but he's much more bearable than his son."

Hermione noticed too late that Ginny looked downright mischievous now. "Did I ever tell you how I got back at Pansy Parkinson after I found out the bint cheated on me with Bulstrode?"

"I - No." The abrupt subject change caught a slightly tipsy Hermione off guard, but she wasn't opposed to taking the focus of the conversation off of Lucius. There were times when her stomach fluttered when she thought about how far Lucius had come, and she felt she was nearing one of those times. "What did you do?"

"Let her walk in on me screwing her father at his Estate. Reckon I ruined all cherished memories of her growing up there."

Hermione gasped and placed a hand over her mouth. She stayed frozen like that for several seconds, waiting for Ginny to say she was just having a laugh. It didn't happen.

"Ginny!" The Red-Head just shrugged. "Putting aside how – how -" Hermione tried to grasp the right word. "Home wrecking that is, I could never!"

"You could. You would just need to get over your performance anxiety first."

She raised an eyebrow at Ginny, slightly taking offense to what she was implying, but deflected it with a joke. "I can perform, thank you."

"That is not what that means," Ginny said as she laughed.

"I know, but... I can't. Draco is a creature most foul, but Lucius is kind and I would hate to ruin my friendship with him."

Ginny snorted. "He'd probably thank you for making the offer. It's not healthy to be celibate for so long -"

"I am done talking about this. You know I have to meet with him this week." Hermione waved the waiter down for the check, punctuating the fact that she wanted the topic to be changed immediately.

Ginny just gave her a smug smile. "Oh, I know."

Several Days Later

"Is the tea not to your liking, Auror Granger?"

Hermione nearly jumped out of her seat as her eyes snapped from the bulge in Lucius' trousers, to settle on his face. She had sat there for Merlin knew how long, her tea cup paused midair as if she was going to take another sip, but never did.

A blush rose to her cheeks as she remembered what she had been thinking about. Lucius' hands on her hips, fingers digging into her plump flesh as he slid in and out of her at a back breaking pace - "The tea is delightful as always." She took a sip from her cup before setting it back down, trying to ignore the heat that was practically radiating from between her legs. "And since when did you start addressing me by my last name again?"

Lucius flashed her a grin and she had to play off the sigh that escaped her. After their first year of her being his Probation and Life Coach Auror, she had finally taken notice of how handsome Lucius really was. It had been a random thought that made her realize how attentive to detail he was when it came to his own looks – something that she had always appreciated in a man after she spent six years at Hogwarts with Ron, who could barely get through a meal without decorating the table. She had turned to Lucius that day, and decided to take a chance and voice her question:

"Mr. Malfoy," She started as they had only started to get a feel for each other. "Forgive me for getting off the topic of our discussion, but is there a reason why you only dress in formal wear?" His eyebrows raised at the unexpected question and she thought she may have crossed a line. "You don't have to answer that of course."

He took a moment to mull over how he would answer the question before something akin to a sad look crossed over his face. "It was just how things were back then." The downcast look in his eyes intensified, even when one corner of his mouth perked up into a tiny smile. "Narcissa used to joke that a man dressed in a fitted suit was as good as lingerie to the female eye."

"I see." She quickly changed the subject, as his wife had only passed several months ago and she did not want him to dwell over the fact more than he already did regularly.

From that day forward though, it was like her eyes had been opened. By the time she ended up leaving the manor that day, she did not find herself disagreeing with the late Narcissa Malfoy.

"My, my, whatever is on your mind must really be troublesome." Lucius chuckled as Hermione's eyes refocused as she was brought back from the memory. "Is it anything I can help with? I might still be able to sway a head or two at the Ministry, if need be." He set his cup down and leaned forward, interested in what she had to say.

Ginny would think so. "No, no. It's..." Hermione heaved a sigh before closing the leather folio she kept her notes in. It was actually a gift that Lucius gave her this past Christmas. As she thumbed the small metal plaque in the corner that read PROPERTY OF HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER, she thought that maybe if she told Lucius what was really on her mind he would get a laugh out of it. At the very least, if he reacted with distaste to what Ginny had said, it was bound to stop the fantasies she kept imaging him in. "Your son hates me."

Lucius' face immediately lost all traces of amusement. "I've asked him to stop pestering you."

"Yes, but he's always had a knack for not listening." Hermione was hit with several memories of Draco their first year. The time when he stole Neville's remembrall was the strongest. "I had vented my frustrations with Draco to Ginny – Ginerva Weasley -" she elaborated, although she doubted he needed the clarification. Within the first year of Hermione having to work with Lucius, she coordinated an exercise that involved him sending an apology via owl to anyone still alive, that he had wronged in the name of Voldemort. Ginny sent back two howlers - one for her and the other for him. "She suggested that we..." Hermione looked up at him and hid her grin behind the back of her hand for a moment, fighting to keep her composure. It wasn't often she was nervous enough to resort to laughter, but her relationship with Lucius wasn't like anyone she ever had before. "She thought that we could stage a bit of a scene that might help humble Draco if we let him walk in on us." She finally let out the laugh, but it soon died on her lips when Lucius didn't join in.

Lucius refilled their tea cups, although hers was still half full. He placed a sugar cube in it knowing she liked her cup a sweet, while he preferred to drink his straight. "Ah, Phineas did tell me about that, but if the goal was to have his daughter, Pansy, get knocked down a peg or two," he paused and nodded his head to the side in thought. "It worked."

Hermione cleared her throat and straightened in her chair, ignoring the warmth that was rekindling in her lower abdomen. "It did?" Her mind raced with the prospect of finally having Draco off her back. If all it required was to sleep with the man before her... What am I thinking? I'd lose my job if Lucius said anything. She deflated in her seat. "I didn't think gentlemen talked about that kind of thing."

"Phineas isn't a gentleman. I am." Lucius took a long drink of his tea, hoping the gaze he kept on her was meaningful enough to let her know that he wouldn't say a word if she didn't. "My son is a bastard, Hermione. I would know, I raised him. I don't think Miss Weasley has a terrible idea at all."

Lucius looked at his pocket watch once more. It was practically a nervous tic at this point although it was more than apparent that he was in fact nervous. What was causing him copious amounts of distress wasn't that he hadn't touched another witch since Narcissa's passing, it was that he was unsure how this encounter would affect his relationship with Hermione. When she said that she considered him to be a friend, he secretly cherished it as he was quite lonely with how little he left his home.

"Is it time yet?" Hermione didn't lean forward in her eagerness like he would have expected another witch her age to do as she was aware of his boundaries at all times. Since his rehabilitation courses had started, he noticed she always acted older than her age, and very much like a lady – something that eventually helped put him at ease as time went on.

"Yes, usually Draco is walking through that door in the next five minutes." Lucius forced himself to stare at her, watching her reaction to his words. The fire crackling before them made reading her slightly challenging due to the dancing light, but she looked determined. Maybe even eager?

"We should start then." If he had not spent several hours with her three times a week, he wouldn't have been able to pick up the signs that implied she was just as anxious as he. She drank the rest of her wine in large gulps – yet she still managed to keep a refined air to her. Hermione stood and took several steps closer before sinking into the couch cushion next to him, her lithe muscles taut with mild hesitation. She tucked a curl behind her ear before taking a deep breath. "Are you still okay with going through with this, Lucius?"

The corners of his mouth pulled upwards at the sound of his name. Lucius could count on one hand how many people still held him in high esteem. He firmly believed that he ended up allowing Hermione to change him for the better because she had always taken the time to show him respect. "As a proper gentleman, I should be asking you that, Hermione." He hoped she perceived that he wanted to treat her with the same amount of integrity.

"Of course." She gave him a small smile in return.

Lucius slowly put his glass of wine down before he placed his index finger beneath her chin while the pad of his thumb rested on top of it. It was his way of testing the waters and when her eyelids slid down so they were now half open, he pressed his lips to hers.

Their kisses were soft as they acquainted themselves with each other, but they quickly intensified. Soon, Lucius had one hand on the back of Hermione's neck and he offered to deepen the kiss by running his tongue at the fullest point of her bottom lips. A small, delighted sound escaped her as her tongue met his. It had in fact been too long since he had felt physical affection like this and he didn't realize how hungry he was for it until they broke apart to catch their breath. That was when he noticed that he had one hand wrapped around her waist from pulling her to sit on his lap.

Hermione let out a soft and sexy laugh seeing Lucius look slightly abashed with their current position. She had the sense that he was going to ask if she was still okay with going through with the plan, so she caught his bottom lip between her teeth and gently sucked before letting it go. It was all the reassurance he needed and she was now free to trail soft kisses down his jugular as she made quick work of the buttons of his dress shirt, exposing the white undershirt beneath it.

Lifting a leg, she straddled him and used both hands to push the white shirt off of him. When she had also freed him of the undershirt, she threw it towards the doorway for Draco to find when he walked in.

"What did he say to piss you off so much?" Hermione looked down at Lucius, thinking he may have been put off that she threw his white clothing on to the floor of his house, but he actually looked amused.

She smiled, but bit her lips as she relaxed the muscles of her thighs, allowing herself to sink deeper into his lap. Feeling her entrance against his hardened length practically made Lucius' already large pupils blow to the point that the silver of his irises were just a thin line. "I'd rather not spoil the mood, but let's say revenge has been long over due."

Hermione reached behind her for the zipper and Lucius started to straighten up. "Allow me -"

"No." Hermione put a firm hand on his chest to keep him down. "Now is not the time for you to treat me like a lady, Lucius." Hermione thought that she would need to kiss Ginny the next time she saw her for suggesting this devious plan when his eyes widened at how forward she was being. She knew that Lucius would always let her stay in control of the situation, he was a gentleman though and through after all, and she decided she was going to take full advantage of it.

Hermione grasped the pull tab of her zipper and slowly pulled it down, drawing out the sound it made while she kept one arm grasping the front of the off-the-shoulder, sweetheart neckline of the dress. She stood before she let the ruby red gown drop to her stilettos. She wore no bra, which left her full, pert breasts on display along with the red lace thong she wore. This was the most sensual thing she had done since her relationship with Ron and even though she was aware tonight had been built more on the terms of a business contract, she wanted to give him a show. It was worth it when she saw his adam's apple bob when he swallowed, right before he gripped the fabric of his trousers to readjust himself.

When she approached him again, she situated herself on her knees before she pushed his legs apart and started to unbuckle his belt. When she pulled down his trousers, she pulled his briefs along with them and made sure she was careful not to hurt him. She felt the coil in her lower abdomen tighten at the sight of Lucius' cock standing at attention for her, the tip adorned with a drop of pre-cum. There was something about the sight of seeing a man so rigid that did things to her.

Lucius had not even processed what was about to happen until Hermione had the tip of his dick in her mouth. She let out a moan as her tongue rolled over the head, cleaning off the pre-cum. "Ah! Hermione," Lucius was more than aware his fingers were digging into the delicate felt designs of his couch, but he did not care. He cleared his throat, not liking how concupiscent he had sounded. "This is very forward of you, if you're not -" He cut himself off with a groan as she hollowed her cheeks and slid herself down to the base of his cock. She pressed her tongue against the vein on the underside of his penis before sliding back up to the tip and gripping his length with both hands. She used one hand to slowly pump him while the other lightly twisted around the head of dick, gliding with ease from the saliva she left for lubrication.

"Did you want me to stop? Because I rather like doing this." She removed her hand from the tip and replaced it with her mouth. She sucked on it at first before she let her tongue take over again.

Lucius' hips involuntarily twitched at what she was doing. He sank further into his slouch and he thought he could hear reason telling him to keep his back straight, but he could barely form a complete thought, let alone act on one. His head was thrown back in another groan after she started to bob her head up and down after she had slid down to the base of his cock.

With some concentration, he forced himself to gather her tresses in one hand to keep it out of her way as she started to slip into a well paced rhythm. The last thought he had before he abandoned all further pretenses of trying to be overly polite was that Draco needed to piss her off more often.

Lucius pushed himself closer to the edge of the couch and spread his legs a little bit more for her, encouraging her to massage his balls. It didn't take long for Hermione to pick up on the cue and soon, Lucius' hips were rolling in ecstasy. He wanted to be in her, to ravish her as she did him and have her turn to putty. Sweat was starting to run down his pectorals when she started to hum and moan around his length. He was aware that the fire that was crackling in front of them was only a small factor in affecting his body temp.

When Lucius started using his grip on her hair to increase her pace, she hummed and he nearly saw stars before he pulled her away from him completely. She was surprised he wanted to stop, and thought something was wrong at first"Is something wrong? Did I hurt you?"

"No. I -" he cleared his throat. "I need you."

His honest and unguarded moments were the most rare moments of all, but she looked forward to each one of them. She was proud of how far Lucius had come, but after years of working with him, redeeming his namesake, she didn't expect one of his honest moments to be now. The confession made her heart skip a beat and she found herself suspended in a moment of clarity: She liked being needed by him.

Grabbing his wrist, she pulled him forward and he discarded the trousers that were bunched around his ankles. Hermione scooted so she was in the middle of the persian rug, her heels still on and her legs crossed. She played it cool and fixed a sly smile on her lips. "How do you want me, then?" Hermione wanted to blame her next brave maneuver on the wine, but she knew it wasn't true as she slid onto her stomach and put her ass in the air, presenting her entrances to him in the most wanton way. "Do you still see me as a lady, Lucius?"

He was almost overwhelmed with how perfect Hermione Granger was. He wanted to tell her in that moment that of course he saw her as a lady, but he also saw her as the seductress he would be bedding tonight.

As he pulled the strings of her thong down, he thought about how she was the idyllic balance between serious and humorous, well-read yet full of wonder. It was in that moment that she was on her knees before him with her chest pressed to the floor of his home that he accepted that he didn't agree to her proposition to simply get back at Draco for being the insolent prat he was.

He did it because he wanted to spend an evening with her where she didn't have to see him as a task to be completed for her job.

At the thought of his son, Lucius almost started to ponder where his son was, but his mind immediately went blank again as he lined himself up with Hermione's slick, pink slit. He no longer cared if Draco was going to come home tonight or not, he was going to enjoy Hermione.

When he slowly pushed himself inside of her, she whimpered before letting out a moan. She felt absolutely amazing around him and he gripped her hips to the point he thought he might accidentally bruise her. His mild concern dissipated when she relaxed even more into her arch as she readjusted her knees. Her walls seemed to clench around him as he rocked his hips back and forth. Hermione was sighing with pleasure as she let her eyes flutter closed, facing away from the fire. He had just put a hand on her clit when they were finally interrupted

Except it wasn't because Lucius' front door had opened, he had received a floo call.

"Father? Please tell me you're there reading and drinking tea like you always do on Saturday nights." Lucius paused mid-stroke as he looked down at Hermione. Draco didn't like putting his head through on a floo call which gave Lucius time to verify what Hermione wanted to do next.

She turned her head to face the green flames and was relieved to see that Draco did not stick his head in. It would have been a little too close for comfort if Draco had a front row seat to witness the debauchery happening in the middle of the sitting room. He processed the barest traces of a smirk before she started to move back and forth, effectively riding him while still bent over in front of him.

"Something like that, Draco." Lucius had never felt so dizzy from pleasure in his life. The moment was completely surreal and that he was in danger of waking up from a dream at any moment.

"You sound distracted, reckon it's a good read then?" Lucius bit down on the expletive he was dying to have fall from his lips as he watched Hermione's ass bounce on his cock. Throwing caution to the wind, he resumed what he was going to do before he was interrupted and swiped at Hermione's clit. He saw her literally bite back a moan as she put her knuckles in her mouth, trying not to alert Draco that she was there.

A devious smile appeared on Lucius' face. Well, that won't do. He slid lower into his stance and took hold of both of her forearms in one hand, allowing him to hold them on her back as he took over. He went fast, causing the sound of his balls slapping against her arse to fill the air.

Hermione tried to hold back her whimpering, but Lucius was feeling way too good for her to resist. Draco's end of the call seemed to quiet immediately, straining to hear anything else. Hermione looked up at Lucius with a grin of her own. "Did you need something? I'm quite busy."

"Uh, well, I-"

Hermione was delighted to hear Draco sound so flustered. It was obvious he knew what he heard, but didn't want to admit it to himself, let alone confront his father over a floo call. Giving in to the feeling of his cock inside of her, she allowed herself to moan freely as Lucius made quick circles over her nub. "Oh, Lucius! Fuuuck." Her moans made Lucius groan as he tried to focus on not reaching his orgasm before she did.

"Oh bloody hell! If you have a witch over – Oh, never mind, sod it all!" The floo call disconnected, but Lucius' hips didn't dare stutter or pause as he continued to claim Hermione.

"Lucius, I'm so close." The carpet was wrinkled beneath her hands and her knees. She knew she would have rug burns when she got up, but she already accepted that it would be completely worth it.

He released her arms so she could brace herself, but put his newly free hand into the base of her skull so he could grab her hair. "Come for me, Miss Granger." His voice was a purr and the moment she called out his name one last time, her legs nearly gave out with the intensity of her orgasm. Her pussy tightening around his member took away the last of his will power and he spilled inside of her. Lucius bent forward, his chest pressed against her back as his hips juttered until he was finished.

The extra weight was too much for Hermione's weak legs and Lucius just had enough time to catch himself as she slid to lay flat on her stomach. He had one hand beside her head and the other was placed near her shoulder. Before he could relieve his knees from the ache they felt, Hermione rolled on to her back to look up at him. Lucius would have moved, but Hermione grazed his sharp cheekbone with one finger, her eyes looking over his distinguished face.

She looked like she wanted to say something, but he spoke first in the event she would have tried to say that this had been a mistake. Now that he had experienced what it was like to have her in the most intimate of ways, he didn't want to resort back to their professional relationship.

"If it's not too forward to say, Miss Granger, I would very much like to keep you in my company on a regular basis. Outside of our mandated meetings."

A grin split across her face and she nodded. "I would like that."

Present Day

"Yes." Hermione finally said. "We should tell him."

Lucius blinked once at the twenty-seven year old witch before him. She had fought him tooth and nail on telling Draco – or anyone other than Ginny and her parents – about their relationship since the very start. It frustrated him to no end, but he loved her enough to respect her wishes, just as she had respected his when not many others had.

Instead of replying, Lucius reached behind him and non-verbally accio'd a small, blue, velvet box. Hermione gasped when she saw it and lifted herself on to her elbows, not bothering with trying to remain covered anymore. "Lucius," she gasped.

"Miss Granger," He began, but she interrupted him with a glare.

"Stop that."

He grinned before licking his lips and starting again. "Hermione," He amended. "There is not another witch alive I would want to spend the rest of my days with. Would you do me the honor of becoming not just my wife, but my life partner?" He opened the box, but Hermione hardly glanced at the heirloom. Lucius noticed this small fact and he nearly swooned himself. It wasn't hard to fall for the witch when she only ever sought to know him - to see him.

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to be by your side for the rest of my days." Her eyes and nose were already pink from the tears of joy that were making her cheeks wet.

After he slipped the heavy ring on to her hand, they shared a kiss. It wasn't heated or sensual like the ones they had shared minutes prior, but it was deep and intimate on another level. Through the kiss they conveyed their feelings for each other, and neither of them thought it to be anything short of beautiful.

Hermione smoothed down the front of her full, knee-length skirt for what must have been the hundredth time. It was really only the eighth, according to Lucius' count, but it hardly mattered to Hermione. "You're going to ruin the delicate fabric with the oils of your hands if you keep doing that." Lucius heard rather than saw her become even more tense as he made her tea. Three cubes of sugar and a minute of stirring later, he served her the cup in an offering to help ease her nervousness.

Draco glanced between Auror Granger and her charge, his father, with alarm. He did not like what he was seeing at all. "I take it my father is not in trouble and the end of his probationary period is not in danger?" He set his eyes on his old school mate as his father placed a cup of tea in front of him next. Draco's pupils were near pin-pricks and he knew that even the firewhisky his father added to his tea would do nothing to quell the anger he felt.

"It's not. Lucius has done everything he has needed to satisfy the Ministry's requests."

Draco's eyes narrowed at that. "I bet." Draco practically snarled.

"Draco." Lucius snapped with a low hiss.

"Please do not tell me you two are shagging." Draco ran his fingers through his fine blonde hair and gripped it. "I would rather you be sent to Azkaban."

"I believed I raised a son to have much more respect when speaking in front of ladies." Lucius was frowning at Draco. Hermione wanted to chastise him about the archaic views he had the habit of slipping back into, but now was hardly the time.

Instead, she focused on opening up her own dialogue with Draco. "You shouldn't talk to your father like that, you know."

Draco raised his head immediately and it was like they were back at Hogwarts again, or more recently as he still took time out of his day to annoy her, her office. "I didn't ask for your advice, Granger. I may not know how to speak to my father, but at least I never had to obliviate him because he would have been tortured if -" Hermione immediately landed a hand on Lucius' arm to stop him from coming to her defense. She had always been able to stand her ground against Draco, and this time would be no different.

Hermione, who had been hiding the striking engagement ring up until that moment, moved her fringe out of her face with her left hand. The sun from the nearby window cast a glint on Draco's face when she did so and she savored the look of his blanched face at the sight of it. "What is that?"

"This?" Hermione looked down at it as if she was appraising it for auction. She did this in the light so the collection of diamonds and sapphires practically blinded them all. If the rewards of her revenge plan came to fruition two years too late instead of never, who was she to complain? "I suppose this means I'll be your step-mum." She looked up at Draco who looked as if he was about to start spitting, just as Lucius choked on his tea. "So I suppose I'll take the responsibility of teaching you to respect your elders."

Lucius failed to hide a smirk behind his own cup of tea. He knew exactly what Hermione was doing, and he wouldn't stop her from toying with his son if he wasn't going to act his age.

"YOU WERE IN THE SAME YEAR AS ME -"

"Lower your voice, Draco."

Draco looked at his father for help, but Lucius schooled his features into a hard mask that hid his amusement at the spectacle happening in front of him. "She won't ask again."

"How are you going to marry someone my age? What would mother -"

"The only permission I need to marry Hermione, is Hermione's permission alone." Lucius took a deep breath through his nose and when he spoke, there was less venom present in it. "I've always loved your mother, and I still do, but that doesn't mean Hermione can't have a place in my heart. I know you and Hermione have your differences," Hermione and Draco both glanced at each other at that, but neither party corrected him on the pure abhorrence they reserved for each other. "But we're getting married and I would prefer you to stop this at once. Treat her with the respect she deserves and she will reciprocate it. You're too old to be bullying others whenever you see fit."

"I'm too old?" Draco glanced between his father and Hermione once more before he picked up his Ministry Robes from the antique couch he sat on. "This is ridiculous. You'll both be the laughing stock of the wizarding world." He shrugged on the robes before he turned around and faced his father. "I can see the headlines already: 'War Heroine set to marry ex-Death Eater, her Ministry War Spoil'. Wonderful to know she'll have a elderly trophy husband."

Lucius stood and Hermione jumped up to place a hand on Lucius' chest. He looked down at her, beyond livid at what his son was saying, but she shook her head, her curls swinging from side to side in their ponytail. "He's just in shock," she whispered to him. "Don't say anything you'll regret."

She always had a way of calming him and he temporarily forgot Draco was even standing there until he scoffed a moment later. Before anyone could say another word, Draco spun on his heel and exited the room. Then there was the sound of the front door slamming, announcing that Draco had taken his leave from Lucius' home.

A tense silence fell between the couple and Hermione wanted to desperately break it so she could properly gauge how Lucius felt at the moment. She could only imagine that was feeling extremely torn. "You think he's coming around?"

Her soft, joking tone pulled him out of the rabbit hole his thoughts were going down. "I'm sorry you had to experience that." He wanted to say that his son was a kind boy who knew how to act, but he couldn't. Not only would he hate to lie to Hermione, there would be no point. I really buggered being a proper father.

"Pish posh," She waved a hand. "He'll always see me as the bad guy." She wrapped her arms around Lucius' waist in a comforting hug. "The type of girl you wouldn't bring home to mother," Hermione placed a kiss over the pulse point in his throat, eliciting a rumbling in Lucius throat that she recognized as him chuckling. "The type who might seduce your dad. You know the one."

Lucius let out a bark of laughter at that, remembering how they even came together in the first place. "Considering I have you wearing my mother's ring, I'd agree that I do."

Hermione released his waist and took his face in her palms, gently bringing his forehead to hers. "It'll be okay." She didn't tell him that Draco would come around, as she didn't know if it would be true, but she wasn't going to allow him to remain in a self-deprecating state of mind he had the habit of reverting to.

Lucius ran his hands up her sides before he rested them on her shoulders. "I can believe it when you say it."

A/N: Special thanks goes out to my Beta, IReallyEnjoyForgetting