"Touch her in all ways non physical. Give her intellectual orgasms and allow temptation to drip from her ears. Go down on her thoughts and taste her perception. Learn her soul and she will fill the void of your filthiest imaginations." A.D. Woods

His invitation to continue their morning somewhere more comfortable brought forth memories she'd pushed from her mind many years before. Those fears, however, were alleviated the minute they Apparated.

This wasn't the Manor. Instead they were standing in front of an elegant curved row of brick terraced houses, in what looked to Hermione like the affluent end of town. Kensington, perhaps? Chelsea? She couldn't quite tell, but the houses had that historic grandeur that lent credence to her suspicions.

And, much like the terraces at Grimmauld Place, the house that belonged to Lucius was hidden, only revealing itself when he touched a loose cobblestone on the footpath.

"I would never take you there," he murmured, reading her expression. "It has long been abandoned and ceased to be our home when…"

She nodded, saving him from having to tell her anything more about Narcissa's death. Her fear of having to return to the scene of her torture was a slight in comparison to him having to live in a place where the memories of his brutally murdered wife lingered.

"This is my home now, Ms Granger, and you are the only memory I want here," he said softly, gently stroking the backs of his fingers across her cheek. Cheeks that were heating under the intensity of his gaze. He leaned in closer, his mouth just a whisper away from her ear. "The only memory."

Hermione swayed on her feet. The only memory. Did that mean...?

"Yes, Ms Granger." Lucius' breath teased over her skin, and her nipples tightened, an ache spreading between her thighs. "The pub is not the only place women have not been."

She stared up at him, seeing the hunger in his eyes, the desire, and her countless fantasies condensed into this one moment. This man wanted her, and he wanted her with a hunger he wasn't trying to hide.

Curling his hands around her hips, he pulled her closer, his mouth tilted up, the devilish smile she would have once been wary of now made her body sing. The solid line of his desire pressed against her, already half hard, taking her breath away.

Sweet Circe.

They weren't even inside yet.

"Ms Granger, as lovely as it is to stand under the stars with you, there is so much more I would like to… show you."

"Please," she whispered, the simple word saying more than a thousand of her ramblings could ever express.

Lucius steered her gently along the short path to the front door, but she could sense the urgency in him; a racehorse eager to jump the gates.

He pressed his fingers to the door, which opened with a quiet click. The house was clearly warded, and knowing Lucius, would only ever open to its master. Hermione took half a step back, her eyes wide and searching. A million questions flooded her brain; how in the world had he done this?

Lucius chuckled. "Ms Granger, you can ask all the questions you would like tomorrow. Right now, however, I believe you would prefer that I take you inside."

His home was exquisite, and not what Hermione had pictured at all. They had only just crossed the threshold into the entrance hall and, in what was her first visit to the new Malfoy Manor, once more her breath had been taken away. The comfortable luxury that was his office reflected in his home; walnut panelling, wooden parquet floors, and an elegant carved staircase all gave the interior a warmth she'd not expected. The rich cream walls were broken only by a bold green — a colour so vibrant it looked like it had been painted with satin — which covered the massive central wall housing the fireplace. The effect was masculine and powerful, yet softened by the exquisite furnishings.

A single frame sat on the mantle and she picked it up, studying the candid photograph. It was gorgeous in its simplicity; Narcissa and Draco, mother and son, laughing together, unaware the shot had even been taken.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. Narcissa. Beautiful, womanly, worldly Narcissa. Hermione was sure that she didn't compare.

She turned to face him, surprised to find him standing in the middle of the room, simply watching her.

"Lucius," she whispered. "This is…"

Her words were lost. How could he even possibly think her in Narcissa's league?

Lucius moved closer, taking the frame from her hands and, smiling at the image it held, returned it to its place on the mantle.

"Narcissa meant the world to me and there'll always be a place in my heart for her. Just… not like that." He glanced quickly back at the picture and then his eyes were firmly focused on Hermione. "But know this; her admiration for you was insurmountable."

Hermione's eyes grew wide. How was that possible? Narcissa Malfoy could not have been in awe of her… could she? Although the letter had confirmed it, Hermione was struggling to take it all in.

But Lucius didn't allow her to dwell on her thoughts, moving closer yet.

"Ms Granger, I am going to be totally honest." His eyes bore into hers, the rumble in his voice enough to make Hermione tremble. "I never thought in my wildest dreams, I'd have this chance… with you. Now that you're here, however, I fully intend to show you the difference between a boy and a man. Do you still wish to stay?"

Hermione hesitated, lowering her eyes, his stare was too intense. She wanted to give herself to him, wanted to let him do whatever he wanted with her body, but it all seemed too close now. Too real.

And he was right, he was a man. The only other person she had been with was truly a boy.

She looked back up at him, his expression hadn't changed. He was simply staring at her, waiting, and looking like he would do so for eternity.

She breathed deeply, steadying her nerves and lifted her hand to him. She nodded once, shivering as his hand took hers. He smiled at her, and her heart took off at a gallop. He was so beautiful like that — rugged and worn from the war, but aged in a way that pushed him past handsome and right into breathtaking.

He kissed her fingers, and then in a surprise move, he gracefully turned her around, wrapping one solid arm around her waist and drawing her back against him. He swept her hair over her shoulder, his breath hot on her skin as he ghosted his lips along her neck, never actually making contact.

"Ms Granger," his voice was low in her ear. "I will carry you to my bed. I will show you intimacy. I will show you how one so perfect is meant to be treated. I'm going to be all over you and I will not stop."

Lucius slid his fingers along her jaw, touching her chin lightly and gently turning her face towards his. He paused, his mouth just a breath from hers, whispering how exquisite he thought she was before pressing his lips to hers in the softest kiss she could have ever imagined. It was nothing like the sloppy slobbering she had been subjected to for years. No, this was slow and gentle and deep, and her breath was already coming in gasps.

Hermione let out a soft sigh as his hand moved to her throat, her own reaching up to grip his wrist.

Lucius broke their kiss, immediately lowering his hand. "No?"

She turned in his arms and was struck by the emotion on his face; fear that he had scared her. Reaching up to stroke his cheek, she reassured him. "This is all so new, that's all. And I'm not accustomed to being dominated."

Lucius' lips twitched, amusement colouring his face.

"What?" Hermione pulled her hand from his face, her cheeks heating with embarrassment. Ron had always wanted to choke her, or spank her arse — some latent mummy issues she was sure — but she had never allowed him to. Lucius' touch, however, had been gentle and his reaction confused her. "What did I say?"

His hand touched the side of her throat, sliding slowly down to her collarbone, his fingertips tracing along the fine curve to her shoulder.

"I do not wish to dominate you, only to worship you."

His fingers continued on their journey, drawing goosebumps down her arm. He circled her wrist, bringing her palm to his lips.

"For you see, Ms Granger, I hold you in the highest of regards. You are in my heart and I wish upon you no harm. I wish only for your pleasure."

Not for the first time this evening, time stopped.

His words melted over her. Highest regards. Her pleasure. What was that like? To be appreciated? To feel pleasure given to her by another? She'd not ever known it.

She had dreamed for so long that there were men were like this. Strong and determined, confident and powerful. Soft and caring, with eyes only for one.

She had also dreamed that one day, one of those men would be hers.

Lifting her hand slowly, she placed it over his heart, feeling the steady beat through the soft cotton of his shirt. She stared at her fingers splayed across his chest. In his heart?

His hand came up to cover hers and she lifted her eyes to look at him.

"In your heart?" She whispered, almost fearful this was all a lie. But the swirl of emotion in his cool grey eyes allayed her fears.

"Ms Granger, your place in my heart has long been held."

"Oh," she breathed. Unable to think further than the words he had just spoken, she slipped her fingers through his hair, pulling him down so she could kiss him.

Lucius went easily to her, keeping the kiss slow, allowing her to lead. His arms wrapped around her and she savoured the feel of his solid frame against her. His lips were firm, tasting of expensive scotch and the chocolate parfait he had devoured back in his office whilst she had eaten the sensible sandwiches — his sweet tooth allowing her a tiny glimpse into the similarities between him and his son.

A tiny moan escaped her when his tongue slid across her lip. She instantly opened for him, allowing him to explore her mouth, and the heady rush of passion that had been missing in her life almost overwhelmed her.

Reaching down between them, Hermione spread her hand over the front of his trousers, pulling a deep groan from his chest. He broke their kiss, pulling her hand from him with another groan.

"Lucius?"

His hand was still firmly on her wrist, his eyes closing for a second as he swallowed.

"This isn't something to be rushed." His throat clicked as he swallowed again. "We will not fumble around like uncultured swines. You are a fine wine, meant to be savoured."

He leaned down and pressed his nose to her neck, breathing in deeply, and she sensed he was fighting his own internal war to not strip her naked and throw her to the floor.

"I'm old-fashioned, I know." He lifted his head. "I want to make love to you tonight, Ms Granger, fucking can come later. Tonight..." He released her hand and cupped her face, "tonight I want to go slow. I want to learn your body, draw out your pleasure, linger over those places that make you gasp."

Hermione's heart climbed into her throat. She had only ever known fast, unfeeling, hurried sex. "I've thought about this with you, what I want you to do to me," she said, her voice shaking. "What I want to do to you."

"Tell me what is it that you want me to do?"

"Take me upstairs."

Lucius undressed her slowly, his body hardening as every smooth inch of her skin was revealed. He had been incorrect; exquisite wasn't nearly enough to describe her.

He spent an age concentrating on the rise and fall of her chest and the breaths that fluttered as goosebumps rose in the wake of his trailing fingers. He walked around to stand at Hermione's back, removing her shirt from behind, opening her bra and slowly peeling it away from her body. She shook with need, her curls the only barrier between her skin and his firm body.

She was shocked when he stepped back.

"I have no intention of using magic to hurry this along," his smile evident in the lilt of his voice, "but perhaps it might be easier if you remove those… that footwear."

Hermione's nerves calmed as she laughed. "They're Converse," she replied. "I have about a dozen pairs."

He watched amused as she toed off each trainer and raised her legs to remove the small multi-coloured footies underneath. Next she reached for the button of her jeans but Lucius quickly moved forward, the heat of his body surrounding her again as he took over.

Pushing her curls over one shoulder again, he traced delicate kisses along her skin while flicking open the button and slowly pulling down the zip. Strong hands pushed the waistband of the jeans downwards, her pale blue panties joining the heavy denim. Stepping out of her remaining clothing, Hermione stood naked in the middle of Lucius' bedroom.

He whispered against her skin how beautiful she was, how he planned to treasure her, worship her, love her. Hermione raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck, arching her body as Lucius' hands explored and teased.

"Lucius…" she whispered. "Let me undress you, please… please, Lucius."

She turned in his embrace, her nakedness fully exposed to his stare. Hermione couldn't read his expression as his eyes roamed her body, her hands shaking from the need to cover herself but her mind forcing her to be strong, be open.

He had removed his jacket as soon as they'd arrived, leaving it across the back of a chair in the hallway. Hermione held up his right wrist, turning it over and placing a kiss in the palm of his hand whilst undoing his silver cufflink. She repeated the motion with his other hand, carefully removing his watch as well.

"Wait there," she grinned, stepping back and walking over to his queen-size sleigh bed. "Which side is yours?"

"The left," he replied, shakily, taking the moment to open his waistcoat and remove his own shoes and socks.

Hermione placed his accessories on the bedside locker and glanced up at the nearest window.

"I like the view from my side of the bed," she quipped, walking back over to Lucius, not minding one bit that his eyes were not focused on her own. She reached out to push his waistcoat away from his shoulders, following her actions by opening his shirt buttons just as slowly as he did hers. His trousers were next, his tailored clothes heaped on the floor like wet towels following a teenager's shower.

Neither of them cared.

"I'm overdressed for the occasion, Ms Granger." They both looked down at his silk shorts, his hardness pulling the material away from his body. "It seems I require your assistance."

She laughed, her fingers trailing along the waistband. Pausing, she dug her teeth into her lower lip, and looked up at him through her lashes. She stepped back slowly, holding in the laugh at his raised eyebrows.

"Mr Malfoy, I believe I'd rather watch the show." She climbed slowly onto the bed, propping herself against the pillows, and waved a hand at him. "Please continue."

He laughed, shaking his head. "You're a little too much, Ms Granger. What happened to that shy kitten that I met earlier tonight?"

"You got her naked, and…" Hermione brushed her fingers across the curve of her breast, "she turned into a tiger."

She found herself quite content at the thoughts of no longer being a lion.

Lucius' mouth curled into the smirk she so loved. "Yes, she did."

Her teeth dug into her lip again, her breath catching as his hands tugged at the waistband of those oh so stretched shorts. He smirked again, lowering them and letting them drop to the floor.

She drank him in; beautiful, smooth skin, broad chest, strong arms, and… oh… this man was perfection.

Her breath shook as she exhaled. Merlin help her. Never in her life had she wanted so much to put her mouth anywhere on a man besides his lips. The most impressive erection she'd ever had the pleasure of seeing jutted out towards her — thick, long, and with moisture already gathering at the tip.

"Fuck." She whispered. The word was harsh, uncouth, but… Fuck!

Lucius chuckled, the bed dipping under his weight as he crawled up to join her, not hesitating to lower his mouth to her skin.

She was laid out across his bed, gloriously naked, Lucius beside her. His hand was splayed across her stomach, his mouth deliciously hot and wet and assaulting her nipples and breasts.

Hermione's mind was spinning. The man she most desired, but never thought she would ever have, was causing her entire body to tingle from the way his mouth roamed over her.

"You have no idea… " He murmured against her skin. "I've waited… forever for you."

Oh, this man was going to kill her.

She was breathless, made even more so when his hand slipped between her legs and stroked her inner thigh.

He lifted his mouth from her skin to stare down at her, his hand moving higher. She held her breath in anticipation, waiting, wanting, needing him to touch her.

His gaze never left hers as his caress brushed over her, a feather-light stroke, his fingers gone before she fully registered they were there. His smirk returned as he did it again… and again… and again.

Her breath left her lungs in a burst as his touch became firmer, slipping between her folds, and cursing quietly when he found her drenched. His thumb landed on her clit and she cried out, her fingernails digging into the hard muscle of his shoulder.

"Perfection," he murmured, sliding his fingers deep inside her. "Sweet, fucking, perfection."

Hermione arched off the bed, Lucius' fingers curling inside her body, his thumb circling outside. She cried out again, and his mouth descended on her again, teeth scraping her nipple.

Teeth and fingers and tongue. Teasing, taunting, sliding through her, tasting. It was too much. Her body seized, clenching hard around his fingers, and a pleasure so pure washed over her.

"Lucius." It was all she could manage. He had just given her more than she had ever experienced, and she knew that he was far from finished. Smiling with so much love in his expression when she finally opened her eyes, he leaned down and kissed her softly, withdrawing his fingers.

"Ms Granger, you are a sight to behold."

He moved over her, cradling her head, and kissing her deeply. Her hands stroked over his shoulders, down his back, curving around his hips and finally, finally, she wrapped her hand around the sublime piece of manhood that she had so longed to have inside her.

Lucius hissed at her touch, pulling back from her mouth and watching her hand slide along the sizeable length of him. Her fingers were light, exploring, feeling… the warmth of him in her hand, the pulse of his heart beating through his body, she gasped at the sensations she felt passing from him to her.

He began to rock against her — a hint of how their lovemaking would feel for them both. Lucius couldn't keep his eyes away from her strokes. He was so close to her folds, so close to where his fingers had brought her such joy moments before. So close… and yet…

"Stop… stop, please."

"You feel so good," she moaned, "so hard for me, Lucius. All for me."

"Always for you," he sighed, "but I need…"

He moved until he was completely over her, adjusting their bodies until her hands were back around his neck, sliding across his broad shoulders.

"What do you need, Lucius?" Her dark eyes glowed with lust as she felt him slide easily into her waiting body.

"I need to feel you around me," he whispered, his movements achingly slow. "I want you to know how it feels… to have our bodies joined in this way, so close… so perfectly close. Feel me, Hermione, feel me make love to you."

A single tear slid from Hermione's eye; the emotion of his words, the touch of his skin, the feel of his body moving within her…

A man was making love to her.

A man was holding her in his arms and making her feel beautiful.

A man was taking his time with her pleasure, worshipping her like a goddess, telling her of his love without words.

That man was the one she'd longed for.

It was all she'd ever wanted. All she'd ever wished for but never had with… no, his name was lost to her. They were all lost to her. All she had now was her future and she was in his arms and he was in her.

She knew from his eyes that he didn't just want her. He loved her. And Hermione knew she could love him back.

The feel of his breath warming her skin, his stare as he kept eye contact with her, the caress of his fingers…

He moved a little to the side of her body, sliding his hand down to bring her more pleasure.

"Lucius," she begged, "I won't… I can't…"

"You will." He kissed her tenderly. "You're with me now. You're mine."

Her second orgasm washed over her, cleansing her body and mind of everything but him.

Lucius rolled them effortlessly, and the sight of her above him had his control wavering. His body was tight, desperate to move beneath her, aching to fill her womb.

She was staring down at him, eyes wide in surprise at the shift. Hermione didn't think he'd allow her the control he was obviously willing to give.

He couldn't take his eyes off her body, the rise and fall of her chest as mesmerising as it had been when he'd first undressed her.

"This is…" she closed her eyes and he waited. She shifted, once, the movement rocketing a tremor along his spine.

"Tell me, Hermione," he whispered. "Tell me what this is."

She opened her eyes, the lustful look that had almost pushed him over the edge too soon, was staring back at him. "This is… deep. So deep."

He groaned.

This woman was going to kill him.

His hands went to her hips, encouraging her to move. She began slowly, rocking over him, her body tender from her second orgasm but flowing with anticipation of his own.

He was close, she could feel it. The way he gripped her hips, the muscles in his stomach contracting with every deep breath, the gasp as he cried out her name…

Hermione trembled as a warmth like nothing she'd ever felt before filled her body. She was stunned by its intensity, like a fire had raged through her, destroying her unhappy memories and bringing her only joy.

She felt reborn.

Beneath her, the man who had lost so much, learned — in that moment — what it felt like to live again.

The lovers lay together for hours, wrapped together, both hard pressed to believe their mutual fantasy had come to fruition.

Hermione was on her side, half draped over Lucius' chest, sleep-warm, her mass of curls a tangled mess around her head. His hands had not stopped touching her, moving along her thigh, her ribs, the curve of her breast. The quiet peace between them was better than anything either could have imagined.

She finally understood what it meant to be with a man. His attention to her, his touch, his quiet words whispered into her skin, the way he had brought her the most exquisite pleasure she had ever known, had overwhelmed her.

And now, the warmth of his body beside her, the languid way his fingers were tracing all over her skin, the way he answered her never-ending questions without rolling his eyes in annoyance, were reasons enough for her to know that this hadn't been a mistake.

"Why me?" Lucius asked, breaking the quiet calm.

She looked up at him, startled by his question, "What?"

"Of all the men on the planet, why me?"

She propped herself up on one elbow and smiled down at him. "You intrigued me, Lucius. You were a contradiction that I couldn't quite work out. Something wasn't adding up. Draco's hatred was far too over the top, as was your own. I mean, the flouncing, Lucius, really?"

His hand went to his chest, feigning indignation. "The flouncing was over the top?"

"A little bit." She laughed and then asked, "The diary you gave Ginny? You knew it would fall into the right hands and be destroyed, didn't you?"

He looked surprised. "You are far more intelligent than I realised."

"Brightest witch of her age, remember?"

He leaned up and kissed her. "That title is grossly incorrect. Brightest witch of all ages, would be more apt."

Hermione's cheeks flushed at the compliment, but she poked one finger into his chest. "No need for flattery, Mister, I'm already in your bed."

"Get used to it, Ms Granger. The compliments and my bed." He smiled quickly then looked away. "That diary almost got Ms Weasley killed."

"It did," Hermione touched his cheek, bringing his gaze back to her. "And I know that was never your intention."

"How would you know such a thing?"

"Draco," She smiled at his confusion. "A page from a book on Basilisks somehow found its way to me."

"Brightest witch, indeed." He murmured, eyes full of awe.

"That's when I knew the Malfoys weren't all they appeared to be. No one would tell me anything; walls of silence would go up at any mention of your name, which only made me more curious. So, over the next few years, I found everything I could about your family line, researching as far back as I could." She bit her lip. "It is possible that I know more about the Malfoy line than you."

"I don't doubt it."

"I found generations of elite purists, as was expected, but the more I delved, the more I came to see where the changes started. Your own father was the catalyst. He saw the inevitable and became a spy for The Order. He realised the mistakes of past generations, changing the way he thought, and in turn encouraged you and Draco to do the same." Her fingers drew lazy patterns across his chest. "And the more I discovered about you, the more I began to see a man who was so much more than what he allowed the world to know."

"And what was it that you saw?"

"That you were misunderstood." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "You are loyal and courageous, not the coward everyone thought. You are kind, with an unwavering devotion to your family and those you love. And you were determined to do what was right, despite the threat of death."

"But I have raised my son to be the same..." Lucius hesitated. "And, ah, he is your age."

"Draco? Oh, no." Hermione laughed. "Sure, he's definitely got… something." She paused, leaning down to place a single kiss on his chest. "But he's not you, and he never will be. And your age has never been a question for me."

"I'm pleased to hear that, Ms Granger."

"Are you ever going to call me by my name?" she asked. "Or am I to be known as Ms Granger for eternity."

Lucius touched her face, smiling up at her, "You will not be Ms Granger for eternity... Hermione. I make that promise to you now."

Her eyes lit up at the sound of her name coming from his lips. She moved over him, her thighs parting over his hips. Leaning down to rest her forehead on his, her dark curls fell around him; a shelter to block out the world.

"It's always been you, Lucius." She smiled at him, Narcissa's words echoing in her mind. "You intrigued me as a child, and you have captivated me since I learned who you really are. You are the man I have always dreamed that one day would be mine. A good man. A loyal man. A protector. A man who has sought redemption. A man who does good in the world. You are all of that and more."

She eased up and he slid inside her, each groaning at the feel of the other. She paused, leaning down to kiss him.

"So much more."