Hope everyone had a fun weekend. Now onward with reconciliation!

Thank you all dear readers for reviewing! And thank you, Melanie and other guests to whom I couldn't personally respond.

Let me know what you think of this chapter :)

Lana

Even as Lucius waited for Hermione to arrive, he missed her. It was the feeling he had become very accustomed to in the last ten, miserable days.

When he saw her this morning at Medici Café, it was the closest thing to a sign he'd ever experienced. She hadn't been there all week, and just when he was about to give up on running into her, there she was.

He had to try to explain things to her. Losing her was one mistake he couldn't afford to make.

His first marriage was a practical arrangement; a duty he happily accepted. This felt nothing of the sort. It wasn't a duty but a dream – a beautiful, impractical daydream, that's what she was. But why couldn't he chose the dream over practicality at this point in his life? Just because the previous circumstances made it impossible to make such a choice in his youth, it didn't mean that he couldn't choose a different path now, so why deny himself that dream? Why not take the risk?

But did he really consider rebelling against all that had ordered forty-eight years of his life?

He feared now that he was more than merely attached to Hermione Granger. He was very much afraid that she had become fundamental to his happiness. It was a strange and alarming thought. Lucius had never actively looked for personal fulfillment and gratification. Well, perhaps he had when he a schoolboy at Hogwarts and assumed, with the boldness and arrogance of youth, that he could have anything and anyone he wished; the world was his oyster then. However, for many decades now, he never considered personal happiness to be important in comparison to his other duties and pursuits. After the war, he had seen others find it and, without fully realizing it, he had felt left behind as a relic of the past – of past era, of past ideals, of past conflicts – belonging neither to the present nor to the future. He felt as the last leaf of the fall, clinging and hanging on to the branch, insisting that it was not fall at all but late summer. Lucius resented this feeling but, in Hermione's company, it evaporated; it ceased to exist and only returned when he was away from her and forced to feel the full, formidable fury of his loneliness.

He walked to the window in the downstairs drawing room, and looked out. As if she sensed his longing, Hermione stepped out of the taxi and walked up to the door, ringing the bell. With uncharacteristic haste, Lucius raced to answer it, flinging the door open and inviting her in.

Throughout his life, he has had his fair share of beautiful women, but this witch was in a class by herself. That provocative blue dress of hers showed off her figure to perfection. His eyes couldn't decide whether to look longer at her breasts, derriere, or those long legs of hers.

Lucius held his breath, then recovered enough to speak, "I'm glad you could come. You look gorgeous."

She smiled shyly at him. "Thank you," she said, lowering her eyes in the most beguiling manner. "You're not too bad yourself. And thank you for the flowers." She leaned close to him to plant a small kiss on his cheek.

A rosy blush appeared on her cheeks. The questioning look in her eyes told him she was second-guessing her bold move. His pulse quickened at the sight of her parted lips and flushed cheeks, and Lucius was quite surprised to find himself struggling with his own composure. She was beautiful but, when it came to seduction, he was always in control. Kissing a witch was hardly enough to cause him to lose it.

Usually. Not this time. This time he was entering into an entirely uncharted territory.

Every color in the room seemed brighter around Lucius Malfoy to Hermione. She had the biggest urge to touch him again, but suppressed it. He led her into the drawing room and she took a seat on the sofa, keeping a considerable distance between their bodies, aptly avoiding any accidental touches. She didn't think she could control herself if he were to touch her.

As they drank their first cup, they made small-talk for a while. It was easy not to drown in his eyes when she wasn't directly looking at him. In fact, she was surprised how it almost felt like the old times.

"So I'm curious," Hermione began, "why you've invited me here."

He set his cup aside. "I want to explain some things to you. About my past."

"With Lady Violet?" she supplied.

"Yes." He cleared his throat. "I have given you an impression that I've committed adultery with her in the past. And that's not as simple as that."

"So, what was it?" Hermione asked, steeling herself for what his response might entail.

His jaw clenched. "My ex-wife had a rough time of it with Draco's birth. She was rarely interested in marital relations afterwards and expected me to take a mistress. It may seem unconventional to you, but for wizards of my social standings, it is not a controversial concept. Narcissa had a view that the wife wasn't expected to indulge certain fetishes or fulfill darker desires of a husband. She viewed all sexual experimentation as a realm of a mistress, not wife. As long as my liaisons were discreet and private, Narcissa had no qualms about Violet; she was quite happy having a conventional aristocratic marriage."

Hermione chewed on her lip. This wasn't as horrible as she imagined. "It wasn't an open marriage though, right?" she asked.

"No, it wasn't like that at all. More like a sanctioned, one-way adultery. Narcissa very much supported my involvement with Violet," he clarified.

"Is it something you'd expect in all of your relationships?"

He shook his head and rushed to explain, "Of course not. I just wanted you to know that my unfaithfulness didn't stem from any number of excuses. It's not a pattern of my behavior in relationships. It was just how my ex-wife understood our marital arrangement to be. There were no romantic bonds or attachments between us, so that's what she expected of our union after Draco's birth."

"Why didn't you marry Lady Violet then?" Hermione inquired. "She was your social equal, like any of the Black sisters. Why not marry someone who fulfills dynastic obligation and brings you personal happiness? Violet seemed like your best option at the time."

Lucius sighed, launching into a lengthy explanation, "My father highly disapproved of Violet. She was a witch with a past, and that was unacceptable to him. The bedded couldn't be wedded in his eyes. He wanted there to be no questions about the legitimacy of my offspring. I had to choose to either do my duty or throw everything I knew away for first love. I chose duty. My father told me that as his only heir I had to sacrifice certain personal pursuits for greater purpose. And although those sacrifices may hurt, it is a much more honorable thing to do right by your family than abandon it for a romantic illusion. Choosing a young romance didn't seem practical. When deciding on which course my life would take I had to choose the most obvious, most expected route.

"I chose that route and have been choosing it ever since … until after the war, obviously. The war made me see things … made me reevaluate my life … see my own fallibility, but … I can't say with absolute certainty that it morphed me into a completely changed man who can fulfill all your dreams and expectations. I cannot offer you false assurances. I can only hope that you are able to see that any person who lived to be my age is vastly complex, and although I have made many mistakes in my life, I hope I have learned from them.

"Now I am free of obligations to my name and family. I had done what was expected and am free to pursue my heart's desires now. The irony is, of course, that I am in the twilight of my life, but I am finally in a position to make the kind of choices that were impossible in my youth. I hadn't thought life would present me with such a gift again. I was given a second chance before and chose … wrongly. Then Draco and Miss Weasley set us up and … I became completely beguiled by you, simply just by talking to you. You lived through so much more horror and hardship than I ever had, and yet you accepted life and living. While I locked myself away from the world, you embraced it. The more time I spent with you, the more I wanted to live my life again."

It stuck Hermione that all he had revealed to her just now, he'd never told another living being. He was baring his soul to her and the realization of it threatened to bring tears to her eyes. The magnitude of her feelings for him terrified Hermione. She wasn't only in love with him; she irretrievably loved him with all her heart and there was no way to guard or deflect her feelings from him any longer. It was in this precise moment that she knew that there would be no way out of this entanglement with him.

Despite the past circumstances of their lives, she had come to really admire Lucius. He could have turned his back on his familial obligations in favor of personal gratification. He had the power and wealth to get away with it, but his sense of duty held firm despite other temptations. He was her age when he stepped up to take on responsibilities beyond his maturity. No matter where life took him, Lucius had always done everything in his power to protect his family. How could she not admire him for that? How could she not love him?

"I know you're a private person and I'm glad you trust me enough to be so open with me," Hermione told him. "I apologize for jumping to conclusions in the Blue Room and refusing to hear you out. I let my insecurities and fears get the best of me and I unfairly projected your past actions onto our relationship. It was completely unfair. I know that every relationship is different and one case of infidelity doesn't mean that this person will be unfaithful in subsequent relationships. I do, however, wish I'd have known that you have to work with an ex who still has feelings for you."

Lucius took her hand in his. "I want to earn your trust, and I'll do whatever it takes to do that. If working with Violet makes you uncomfortable, then I'll walk away front he project."

Her eyes widened, then Hermione shook her head. "I could never ask that of you. I don't want to be one of those women. You said that night that you don't let your personal life influence your professional one. Giving up a winery in Portugal would make you lose millions in potential profits."

He gazed at her, his eyes inscrutable as the cloudy skies outside. "I don't care about that. My business will be just fine without that. But I won't be fine without you. If a choice had to be made, I choose you."

A short laugh burst from her as tears sprang to her eyes. "You don't have to choose. I want you to do what is best for your business. I'm not a fan of you spending time with Violet alone outside of work, but I'm not going to insist that you stop working with her altogether."

She closed the distance between them and kissed him on the cheek again. He made an impatient sound and turned his head, capturing her mouth in a kiss. His tongue caressed her in playful strokes, teasing Hermione felt his hands splay across her back hold her to him. She never wanted to stop kissing him, as their mouths insatiably reacquainted with each other.

Lucius pulled away only long enough to be able to trace his fingers over her lips. "I want you to know that I didn't invite you here to seduce you, but I want you. Right now, in my bed. I want to hear your voice echo around my room as I make you come again and again."

In silence, Hermione stood up and pulled Lucius to his feet with her. She looked potently at the door and nodded in consent.

Lucius lifted her in his arms and her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. Her hands sank into his muscled shoulders, gripping him tightly. His hold was gentle, but firm. He knew what he wanted, and he was taking it. The realization made Hermione kiss him even harder and he responded in kind, letting out a low rumble from his throat. The sound was so incredibly sexy, it made her stomach flip.

They tried to make it to the bedroom. Truly. But when Hermione noticed a dining saloon with a long mahogany table, she motioned impatiently to it. Quick on the uptake, Lucius placed her on the cool, sleek surface, slipping his hands down to massage her hips. Hermione's hands enmeshed themselves in his blonde hair as she continued to kiss him. She found herself craving more of him, surrendering completely to their mutual desire.

When his thumb skated over her clit, her eyes flew open and she squirmed in surprise. She didn't expect to feel his intimate touch so soon. His amazing hand scorched her, making her melt under its heat. Lucius's lack of calculated control indicated that he was feeling the same way. He nudged his head to the side to bite on her neck. Hermione threw her head back to offer more skin to his marauding mouth. Lucius welcomed it, pulling her as close as their bodies allowed with his hand between her thighs.

"I missed you," he whispered right before he bit hard on her shoulder.

"I missed you too," she moaned back.

Gently he pushed her back until she was lying on the table. Hermione looked up at Lucius, stunned as he lifted her dress and pulled her knickers down her legs. Within seconds, he was between her thighs, licking at her pussy. His mouth was hot against her, his strong tongue licking up and down with steady speed.

"Oooh! Maybe we should … skip this?" Hermione meekly asked, feeling self-conscious about receiving oral attentions. Ron said going down on her was unsanitary. He said it so casually, as if it all ought to have been obvious to her — obvious that her body was something dirty and undesirable to him.

And she believed him.

She could still hear him explaining how much she repulsed him. What he'd said stung her on the surface, but the poison went much deeper and stayed in her long afterward. Ginny and other witches of her acquaintance never heard their men complain of this act, so Hermione wondered if it was just her. She wondered if all men would feel this way about her. After all this time, she was still wondering. But Lucius was so perfect. Every move was just so right that it was easy to forget her hang-ups.

And his eyes … his burning eyes never left hers. So Hermione watched him eat her like she was his favorite dish in the world.

"Lucius," she moaned out, shaking.

His long strokes stopped immediately and he latched on to her clit, sucking with powerful force, making Hermione helplessly gasp.

That mouth of his was spectacular. It was all she could do to hold back her more embarrassing screams. She broke the eye contact and lay her head back on the table. Her hands roamed about, trying to grab at anything for some control. The table's surface was too sleek; the only feasible option was his head. Fisting her hands tightly in his hair, Hermione reveled in his groans. His appreciative noise made her grind herself more against his mouth, as he continued to suckle on her. She grasped his hair tighter and his tongue flicked at her clit in response. She jerked and gasped, feeling him smile against her. He did it again and received the same reaction. Feeling herself close to orgasm, her new confidence faltered. Hermione had never come with someone's mouth on her.

"Lucius, please … you have to sto—" Her weak protest was cut off by a swirl of his tongue on her clit as his grip on her thighs tightened and he kept her where she was. He tortured her with more hard sucks, and all she could do in response was shiver. So she gave in and just let herself relax. Lucius Malfoy was truly the best kisser in every sense of the word.

As her body rocketed towards her orgasm, Hermione released his hair and quickly leaned on her elbows to watch what he was doing.

"I'm going to come," she warned. Lucius's eyes continued to pierce hers as he licked and sucked on her clit.

She was almost there … almost there …

Then she reached the peak of her climb, and everything stopped. Her cry echoed around the empty room as her climax shot through her. She was twitching and writhing in his hands with each passing orgasmic wave. Lucius continued to hold her until she slowly came down and collapsed back on the table. Her eyes were closed, and Hermione thought she could fall asleep right there. She didn't want to move. She was sated … satisfied … complete. By the time she opened her eyes again, Lucius stood over her, watching her with tenderness.

A tear escaped from the corner of her eye. Hermione tried with all her might not to cry, but she was too overwhelmed. His own expression was coated with lust.

"Take me," she whispered to him. He kissed her immediately before pulling her forward and unzipping her dress, sliding it over her head.

"This dress looks so good on you," he mumbled. "My cock almost burst when you walked through the door."

"I'm glad you like it," she said innocently.

"I like it better off." Lucius wasted no time in unlatching her strapless bra. Within moments Hermione was nude in his dining room.

He looked her over, shaking his head as he watched her lean back on her elbows, opening her thighs wide.

He unbuttoned his shirt. Hermione watched, wetting her lips, as it opened like the stage curtain of an opera house, revealing his abdominals in undulant overture; the stark recitativo stromentato of his chest and climaxing in the broad, knee-weakening aria of his shoulders.

"You're unbelievably sexy," she told him. He smiled and reached for his belt. In no time, he freed himself.

He moved swiftly, filling her in one movement. Hermione's fingers dug into his arms, and he let out a low moan, staying still for a moment. The pressure was almost painful as her tight muscles finally adjusted around him.

"Are you all right?" he asked, and she nodded in reply, smiling.

"I couldn't wait to be inside you. Ten days was too long," he said, kissing her neck.

Hermione wrapped her arms around him as he began to thrust inside her with excruciating slowness. Soon she was begging him to move harder. He happily complied, straightening out of her embrace to drive into her faster.

"Don't stop," she moaned, raising her hips to meet him thrust for thrust. She loved the way he pumped into her. His heated skin glistened over with a slight sheen of sweat. He continued to watch her face as he fucked her, his hands hot on her hips, digging deeper into her flesh. She could tell he was close: his body tense, ready to spring.

"You missed this?" he grunted through his teeth.

"Yes. You feel so good!" she responded, her body climbing higher and higher once more. "You're going to make me come again."

He ground harder into her. "Then come." He pounded faster and harder into her, seeking his own satisfaction.

When his hand touched her clit, Hermione exploded in another orgasmic blast. With an animalistic roar, Lucius followed her, filling her with his own release. Completely drained, he collapsed on top of her, and she held him to her chest.

"You're unbelievable," he said between his panting breaths.

"So are you," Hermione returned. "We should break up more often."

"I still maintain that we were never broken up," he said into her neck.

Lucius raised himself up to look into her face. A question lingered in his storm-gray depths for a second before he voiced his desires aloud, "Stay the night."

She tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. "Are you sure?"

"Would I have asked otherwise?"

In lieu of an answer, she kissed him.

"Is that a yes?" he asked.

"Yes."