"Hello, Hermione."

"Luna." Hermione turned away from her dinner and smiled at the girl who had been so brave throughout the war, the girl who had been so kind in the face of relentless bullying. Hermione vaguely remembered when she, too, had referred to Luna as "Loony Lovegood," and she blushed. "How are you?"

"I was wondering if I could speak to you in private," Luna said airily, and Hermione swallowed hard. She pulled herself up from her bench, leaving a curious-looking Ginny and Sophie behind as she walked with Luna beyond the tables and to the Entrance Hall, where it was empty and quiet. Luna gave Hermione a little smile and said,

"I heard that you won a vial of Draught of Magnes in your Potions class. Nobody won it in ours."

"I, erm… mmm-hmm," Hermione said nervously. "I did. Because I got perfect marks."

"I think it was rather irresponsible of Professor Slughorn to prescribe us an assignment like that," Luna said in a drifting sort of voice. "After all, it makes the people who ingest it… you know, not entirely in control of themselves."

"Right," Hermione said tightly, beginning to suspect that Luna knew exactly what was going on. Luna looked Hermione straight in the eye and asked,

"How have you liked lessons with Professor Malfoy so far, Hermione?"

She knew. Luna knew. Hermione gulped hard and shut her eyes. "It was an accident. I dropped the vial after bumping into him, and we both breathed it in. It was a complete and total accident. I never meant for him to -"

"No, I'm sure not… not after everything he's done to you," Luna said softly. Hermione thought of what Lucius had done to Luna, and her stomach clenched a bit. Luna said, "I admit that I would have a hard time being friends with him, myself, but of course with the help of a potion like Draught of Magnes, anything is possible. Including, I think, the notion that a man like Lucius Malfoy might actually begin to believe all the things the potion is making him think."

Hermione remembered the way Lucius had said he didn't want the antidote, the way he had said that he'd fought with Narcissa Malfoy about Muggle-borns. Could it be that he would actually come to believe in rights for Muggle-borns, that he would unshackle himself from the prejudices into which he'd been born and raised? Hermione could only hope…

"Maybe you're right," Hermione told Luna. "I hope you're right."

"I hope I'm right, too, Hermione," Luna grinned. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if people got along, even people who once despised each other? It would be grand, wouldn't it, if the effects of the Draught of Magnes outlasted the antidote?"

"Luna." Hermione shut her eyes and felt emotion wash over her. She wanted nothing more in all the world than for Lucius' new feelings to be real, than for him to stop hating her without the effects of a potion. She wasn't sure why she wanted that so badly, but she did. She breathed in and out heavily and told Luna again,

"I hope you're right."

"We have to talk to her," Ginny insisted. Hermione spat out her toothpaste and began rinsing out her mouth. She and Ginny were getting ready for breakfast, both of them already wearing their uniforms. Hermione had pulled her hair into a thick braid today, because she was tired of it falling into her eyes. She stared at Ginny in the mirror and said,

"I don't want to get Professor Slughorn sacked. He was an old friend of Dumbledore's."

"Dumbledore had some interesting friends," Ginny retorted. "Even you have to admit that."

Ginny began pulling her hair back into a ginger ponytail, and Hermione let out a very deep sigh.

"It was wrong of him to assign the Draught of Magnes, but if we go to McGonagall, I'll have to admit that I accidentally used it. And then she'll sack Lucius, and -"

"Hermione," Ginny said, her fingers wrapping around the edge of the sink, "I'll tell her about the Draught of Magnes. You tell her about the pewter cauldron conundrum."

"The Pewter Cauldron Conundrum," Hermione chuckled, but Ginny shot her a serious look and said,

"Slughorn needs to be held accountable. He's teaching his classes like he's gone senile."

"No, you're right, of course," Hermione huffed. "All right. Let's ask to see McGonagall."

At breakfast, Ginny and Hermione marched straight up to the Head Table. Hermione glanced to where Lucius sat, and he flashed her an emotionless gaze for a moment before turning back to his food. Slughorn was stuffing his face mindlessly. Hermione cleared her throat as they walked up before the Headmistress, and she asked,

"Professor McGonagall? Ginny and I were wondering if we could meet with you to discuss something that's been bothering us."

"My dears," trilled McGonagall, setting down her knife and fork, "Is something the matter? Out with it!"

"Erm… could we talk…" Hermione gestured to the empty corner of the Great Hall. Owls started flying in with post for students, so people were sufficiently distracted as McGonagall rose and made her way past the row of teachers on one side of the Head Table. When she walked behind Lucius, he stared at Hermione and flicked up the corners of his lips. Hermione tried not to smile back, but she failed. She let out a little breath as she and Ginny walked over to the corner with McGonagall, who was wearing a towering green hat today.

"Headmistress," Ginny said carefully, "We don't want to disrespect anyone teaching at the school, but we've got a serious problem with one of our professors."

"You mean Lucius Malfoy," McGonagall guessed, and Hermione and Ginny exchanged glances. Hermione shook her head and said,

"Actually, Headmistress, it's Professor Slughorn."

"Professor Slughorn," repeated McGonagall in disbelief. She glanced over her shoulder at the Potions Master, who merrily discussed something with Professor Sprout. McGonagall turned back to the girls and demanded, "What's he done wrong?"

"Well," said Ginny urgently, "He assigned us a potion called Draught of Magnes. It's a peace potion, but Hermione and I don't think it is a moral thing to assign, much less to give away to a student. After all, it causes people to act and think against their will, and we don't agree with that."

"Your brothers… may Fred rest in peace… thought nothing of selling love potions, Miss Weasley," McGonagall reminded Ginny, her thin brows arching. Ginny looked abashed and said,

"Well, I didn't agree with everything George and… and… Fred… did. Ma'am."

Hermione's eyes burned a little as she thought about Fred. She shifted the conversation and said,

"Ginny and I burned our Burn Healing Gel into tar the other day in lessons, Professor McGonagall, because we were using a pewter cauldron. The potion requires a copper cauldron to be done properly."

"You girls want me to… to, what? Sack our Potions Master and find a new one? Because you disagree with his curriculum?" McGonagall shrugged. "What is the purpose of coming to me with this? I assume no harm has come to anyone from the Draught of Magnes - the worst I can imagine is a Slytherin and a Gryffindor finding themselves friends, and what would be the harm in that? As for the cauldrons, I think Professor Slughorn wanted to challenge you. It is possible to brew Burn Healing Gel in a pewter cauldron, ladies; I did it myself during my NEWT year. I must say that I find your concerns just a tad frivolous."

"Frivolous?" burst Ginny, and McGonagall's face tightened. Ginny puffed a breath and said, "We're just worried someone's going to get hurt, Headmistress."

"I will hear no more of this, girls," said McGonagall. "If the worst your Potions Master is doing to you is assigning you peace potions and difficult gels, I must advise you to simply work harder and you'll find you achieve the marks you desire."

"This has nothing to do with marks, Headmistress!" Hermione cried, but McGonagall held a hand up and said,

"Professor Slughorn has been respected at this school for many decades. I will not discredit him now over Draught of Magness and Burn Healing Gel. Now, ladies, go eat your breakfast before you run out of time."

She turned around and marched off, and as she did, Hermione caught Lucius' eye. He frowned curiously at her, but Hermione just shook her head and said to Ginny,

"Well, that didn't go as I'd hoped."

Lucius received a letter that morning from Narcissa, but, as he'd promised his wife, he did not read it. He carried it with him, sealed with the Malfoy coat of arms in wax, up to the third floor and went into his office. He set the letter down on his desk and aimed his wand at it, and he hesitated. He nearly tore the letter open and read it, but instead he whispered,

"Evanesco."

He watched the letter dissolve like salt in water, fading into the air and into Non-Being. He pinched his lips and heard students coming in downstairs, and he blinked a few times as he realised it was seventh-year Gryffindors and Slytherins. He still couldn't make the students like him, which didn't affect him. The only one who affected him was Hermione Granger, and she did drive him somewhat insane.

The night before, he'd been lying in bed thinking about kissing her neck, thinking of her fingers grasping at his scalp, and he'd touched himself to completion. He hadn't been able to help himself; she'd made him wild with a desire he'd never actually felt towards a witch. He'd been faithful to Narcissa during their marriage, but they'd been an arranged couple and there had never been intense heat between them. Their lovemaking was mostly plain and unremarkable. Their kisses occasionally sparked a little reaction within Lucius' body, but everything had become routine after twenty-three years.

Lucius' spirit just didn't light on fire for Narcissa these days. In the wake of his Azkaban stint, he and Narcissa had been… well, cordial but distant. After their defection, they had clung emotionally to one another as refugees of sorts. But they'd stayed in their own bedrooms and had only really spoken at dinners. Once Lucius was informed by Kingsley Shacklebolt that he was to go to Hogwarts for the term, Narcissa had been despondent about losing her husband again. But Lucius had felt only mild discomfort about leaving his wife for so long. Why, he wondered now, had he and Narcissa drifted apart so thoroughly, even before the potion?

And now, with the potion, Lucius felt like he didn't know Narcissa at all. He felt like she was a stranger, the way she had gone storming into the Minister for Magic's office yelling that Shacklebolt was a Blood Traitor. Lucius felt like Narcissa had a bit of her sister Bellatrix's madness buried in her soul. She had that streak of Black wildness emerging, now that Draco and Astoria and Lucius had confronted her about Muggle-borns. She was like a cornered cat, hissing and spitting. And Lucius just couldn't live with that. Not with the Draught of Magnes. Perhaps once the antidote was complete, he and Narcissa would pair up again more easily.

And, of course, there was Hermione Granger.

Lucius sighed and made his way out of his office, walking down the steps and stalking to the chalkboard. His walking stick and boots clack-clack-clacked on the stone floor as he walked. The class went quiet as Lucius approached the board. He aimed his wand at the chalkboard and wrote,

Protective Enchantments - Cave Inimicum, Protego Maxima, Fianto Duri… other examples?

"Now," he said, turning to the class and avoiding Hermione's eyes, "There are many protective enchantments to guard a space. I have written the three best-known examples on the board, but there are many more. Some of you may have experience using them. More examples, if you please."

Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger immediately raised their hands. None of the Slytherins did, so Lucius just rolled his eyes a little and said in the most droll voice he could mustre,

"Miss Weasley."

"There are Security Spells and Muggle-Repelling Charms," she said, "and there's the Disillusionment Charm. You can also make something Unplottable."

"All fine examples of protection, especially of a space which must be kept Magical without Muggle interference. Five points to Gryffindor, Miss Weasley."

Ginny looked absolutely shocked at having received praise and points from Lucius Malfoy of all people. Hermione grinned, and the rest of the Gryffindors looked awfully pleased. Hermione raised her hand more eagerly than ever, and Lucius prompted,

"More examples, Miss Granger."

Hermione looked very serious as she said, "I have experience using these… in a frozen forest, hiding from Snatchers."

Lucius tightened his jaw and nodded. "Go ahead."

"Protego Diabolica. Protego horribilis. Salvio hexia."

"I hope you are all writing all of these down," Lucius said, "as you'll be quizzed on them at the end of the week. Five points to Gryffindor, Miss Granger. Actually, erm… ten points. Five extra for having practical use of the spells."

The Slytherins looked enraged then, and one, a plump boy, flung his hand into the air. He was a Mulciber, and his father was in Azkaban these days. Lucius cleared his throat and said,

"Yes, Mr Mulciber?"

"Last year, in Hogsmeade and on the school grounds, the Carrows used Intruder Charms. The Caterwauling Charm, in particular."

"Yes, they did." Lucius huffed a breath. He felt dizzy all of a sudden. "That was… very wrong of them."

The young Mulciber looked furious, but Lucius carried on,

"You have all forgotten the most powerful and important Protective Enchantment of them all. The Fidelius Charm."

"I don't think all of us have forgotten the Fidelius Charm, sir," Hermione said without raising her hand. "It was meant to keep Lily and James Potter safe. Because the Secret-Keeper revealed the Potters' location, Harry Potter's parents were killed and he defeated Voldemort the first time."

"Right." Lucius didn't feel like granting points for that answer. He licked his lips and said, "Let's practise wand movements and incantations for the more basic enchantments we have discussed."

The rest of the lesson went well, and Lucius reminded himself that he wasn't such a bad teacher, after all. He did a good job conveying information to students. They learned from him. That was what a teacher was meant to achieve, and he was doing a fine job of it, he told himself. As the students packed up their bags and chatted among themselves, Lucius walked over to Hermione and muttered,

"A word after class, Miss Granger?"

She looked at him, her cheeks going red. "I've got the first exam of the term in Ancient Runes right after this, sir."

"Ah. Erm… come to my office at the end of your lessons today, then," Lucius said, and Hermione sucked in air. Ginny Weasley, beside her, pretended not to be listening. Hermione said softly,

"I'll be here, sir."

She turned to go then, walking out of the classroom with Ginny Weasley. Through the open doors, Lucius saw Hermione catch up with Luna Lovegood in the corridor, and his stomach lurched as he realised the blonde girl had been held hostage in his own home.

He spent the rest of the morning teaching Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws - first fifth-years, then third-years. He went to lunch and tried not to stare at Hermione. He eyed the students whom he knew were Muggle-borns, and he wondered distantly what their parents did for a living. Perhaps some of them were train engineers or black cab drivers. Perhaps some worked in offices. Were they really as inferior as Lucius had always thought? They were different. Their world was separate and completely unable to mesh with the Magical world. But did that mean they should die? Did it mean they should suffer? Or should they be left to live in contented ignorance of magic?

Lucius still couldn't wrap his head around marrying a Muggle. The idea of a witch or wizard falling in love with someone who could never fully understand magic was incomprehensible. But should it be illegal? Should it be publicly shamed? He really wasn't certain anymore.

He had seventh-year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs after lunch, and Luna Lovegood earned Ravenclaw ten points by naming nearly every Protective Enchantment. That was Lucius' last lesson of the day, and he went back up to his office to wait. He sat at his desk and remembered how he'd Vanished Narcissa's letter. Should he have read it, he wondered? No, he thought. He had been right to Vanish it. There was knocking on his office door, and Lucius called,

"Enter."

The door swung open slowly, and Hermione Granger came walking inside. Evening light streamed through the windows of the round room, but it was still mostly bare in here. Hermione looked around and asked gently,

"Aren't you going to decorate it?"

"I thought not, but I'm open to suggestions," Lucius said. Hermione grinned and asked in a teasing voice,

"Do you trust me?"

"I never, ever thought I would trust you, Hermione Granger, but, yes, I trust you," Lucius said. Hermione laughed a little and shut the door. She aimed her wand at the window to the right of Lucius' desk. She waved it and incanted,

"Aulaeum. Viridi Holoserica."

Green velvet curtains were Conjured and hung neatly around the window. Hermione repeated the step at each window, and then she aimed her wand at the floor and said stoutly,

"Stragulum. Viridi Exemplaris."

A beautiful, Turkish-style rug appeared, round and encompassing most of the small circular office, appeared. Lucius raised his blond eyebrows and assured Hermione,

"I think you'll do just fine on your Transfigurations and Charms NEWTs."

She smiled broadly and tipped her chin up rather imperiously. "You called me here; you wanted to see me after class. Why, Professor Malfoy?"

"Why do you think?" He narrowed his eyes at her. He rapped his fingers on the desk and informed her, "I wanted you."

Hermione's eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. Her cheeks pinked as she came walking around the desk.

"You…" She neared his chair, taking off her rucksack and setting it on the ground, and he rotated until he faced her. She let out a shaking breath and asked, "You wanted me?"

"Yes," he whispered. "I did. I do."

"Lucius," Hermione said, and he shut his eyes and shivered. His cock started to flush in the neat pinstriped trousers he wore beneath his woolen robe. He felt the pressure in his chest of arousal building, felt the coil of heat in his abdomen. He reached out and brushed his fingers over Hermione's, and he murmured,

"Say my name again, will you?"

"Lucius," she repeated. "Lucius, I've been wanting you all day."

"Oh." He opened his eyes and held up his other hand. He beckoned to Hermione with one finger and played with the fingers of her other hand. "Come here, Hermione."

She approached him and slowly put a knee on either side of Lucius' thighs. She lowered herself onto his lap, sinking down until the only thing separating them were his trousers and her knickers. He knew she could feel his erection. If she was repulsed, she didn't show it. On the contrary, she ground down onto him, lacing her arms around his shoulders. Hermione lowered her face towards Lucius' and brushed her lips against his, and he hummed onto her mouth,

"Yes, this is just fine."

"So it is," Hermione whispered. She kissed him then - she kissed him. She brought his lip between her teeth and then swept her tongue into his mouth. He groaned a little and felt like he was on fire. His veins were hot and his stomach was fluttering. His cock was pressing up against Hermione's knickers, and he wanted nothing more right now than to jam his fingers into her and feel her wet and warm around him. But instead he rubbed at her bare thighs, his fingers trailing under her skirt and sliding up to her knickers. He toyed with the waistband, and Hermione sucked in air hard. She ground more fervently against Lucius' cock, rocking forward and down, up and back. She kept rocking, and Lucius was sure he was going to lose himself right there.

She kissed him again, this time moving her hands into his hair as she did. Her lips pressed hard against his and her tongue was eager as her fingernails traced through Lucius' tresses. He shuddered where he sat and squeezed at her hips under her skirt, his fingers digging into her flesh and his thumbs rubbing over her soft skin. Faster and faster she moved on him, her fingernails massaging his scalp and her mouth urging his to react. His cock throbbed and ached; he could feel himself about to spill. Everything was tightening; everything was winding up inside him like a violin string about to snap.

"Hermione," he mumbled against her mouth, and he used his hands to move her harder against his cock where he held her thighs. "Oh, Merlin. I'm going to -"

"Yes," Hermione panted, and in response, Lucius brushed his thumb over the crotch of her knickers and felt that they were soaked through. He grunted and she moaned against his mouth, and then -

And then there was knocking on the office door.

Hermione flung herself off of Lucius' lap and cleared her throat roughly, dragging her wrist over her swollen lips and staggering backward. She adjusted her school skirt and was scarlet-faced. Lucius felt his eyes go round as the full moon as he reeled where he sat. He had been right on the verge of climax; he and Hermione had almost…

Someone knocked again. Lucius shut his eyes and adjusted his chair until his exceedingly obvious erection was hidden. He dragged his fingers through his mussed hair and called out,

"One moment." He turned to Hermione and said tightly, "We'll talk again soon, Miss Granger."

"Yes, Professor," Hermione whispered. She headed for the door and put her rucksack back over her shoulder. She opened the door and stood face-to-face with a third-year Hufflepuff, a freckle-faced girl called Maeven House. Maeven surveyed Hermione and then asked,

"Am I interrupting a meeting? I just had a quick question."

"I've just finished asking Professor Malfoy a question of my own," Hermione said very tightly. "Good to see you, Maeven."

"You, too, Hermione," said the girl. She walked past Hermione, who rushed out of the office and pattered down the stairs. Maeven House left the office door open and said,

"Professor Malfoy, I just have a question about Boggarts, if you have a moment."

By now, Lucius was utterly snuffed out, as though all the frenetic energy he and Hermione had built up had been actively sucked out of the office. He coughed quietly and told Maeven,

"Go ahead."

"I was just wondering, sir," Maeven said, "Whether Boggarts are classified as Beasts or Beings."

Lucius' mouth fell open. This was what he and Hermione had been interrupted for? His luscious encounter with Hermione had been rudely interrupted for this?

"As I stated in lessons, Miss House," Lucius said icily, "Boggarts are Non-Human Spiritous Apparitions, classed as Non-Beings. Anything else?"

"Oh, right. I couldn't find the answer in the text. I must have missed it in note-taking. Sorry. Thank you, sir." Maeven House bowed her head and then turned to go, and Lucius angrily called after her,

"Miss House, next time try a peer first."

"Yes, sir," said Maeven, smiling dully. Lucius watched her go, and he buried his face in his hands once he was alone. He thought of Hermione, wanting her more ferociously than ever, hating her less than ever. He looked at the portrait of himself, Draco, and Narcissa on his desk, and he sighed. He flipped the portrait until it was face-down on the desk, and he shut his eyes.

Notes: Anyone else feeling nasty things towards the poor little Hufflepuff with the dumb question? Haha. But things got pretty steamy between Hermione and Lucius - this was more than just kissing. Seems like McGonagall isn't going to address the Slughorn problem. It would really suck if anything else happened with that guy, right?

Right?

As always, thanks so much for reading. PLEASE REVIEW.