AN- okay, okay, im here! im so so so sorry! you have NO IDEA! i didnt abandon the story, i just hit a wall, and then got depressed for ever, not to mention that im on vacation and im not supposed to have internet (no wifi) but then my uncle was magic, and now TADA internet! so here are, like, two chapters, because i'm cool slash dont know when i will update later :) hehehe. okay, so this chapter...well, there was brandy involved (for THEM , not me!!!) (lolz, so true. i dont even think i have seen a brandy bottle in my life! not my family's liquor of choice, i suppose...hehehe!) and...well, its kinda crazy. READ ON, i will shut up. eventually. jk. but really. GOSH!

Hermione had been living a comfortable four days in the manor when, during one of the brandy sessions, Draco made an announcement.

Clearing his throat, he stared at his glass. "I am being sent to France tomorrow, and I won't get back until late."

Hermione glanced at him, then resignedly stared at her glass after she realized he would not look at her.

Lucius sat behind his desk, as usual, and merely commented "Well, then, I suppose we shall see you Friday at breakfast." After a moment of silence, he spoke again. "You seem to be in France so much, I am glad that we took the time to ensure your fluency."

"You speak French?" Hermione said, looking at him, surprised.

"Yes." Draco said matter-of-factly.

"We thought it best to teach him the language of his ancestors." Lucius said smoothly. "Narcissa knew for some strange reason, and I speak for the same reason Draco does."

Draco smirked at his glass. He had a different reason, now.

Lucius continued. "Why, is that so odd?"

Hermione blinked. "Non, entendu."

"How do you know?!" Draco said.

"Granger isn't just an English name, it's French as well," Hermione explained. "My Grandparents taught me."

"Is that so?" Lucius said, mildly impressed.

"I never knew!" Draco said, astounded.

"Well, I didn't know you spoke!" Hermione snapped.

"Okay, okay! Sorry!" Draco said, sitting back.

Hermione sniffed at her glass. "The only reason I was shocked was because I knew too."

"Well, we learn something new everyday." Lucius said, sitting back. "Now, where are your grandparents from?"

PAGE BREAK

Hermione was having an uneventful day, although avoiding Ron was becoming easier with time, and the enchanted wine bottle left her with endless hours of joy, she was nonetheless happy to be home.

It was nearly astounding, how quickly she had become accustomed to the mansion, but, that was a good thing, no?

She had gotten home a little later than usual, giving her only five minutes before dinner. After tossing her purse onto her bed, she quickly about faced and went straight into the dining room.

Lucius had had yet another perfectly dull Thursday, and he had high hopes that Hermione could help alleviate this. The information that she spoke French had been, not shocking, but it had caught him off guard.

Albeit, she could have been at the manor for months, and he could have never found out. But still. He didn't know too horribly much about this person he had welcomed into his home.

During dinner, which was more quiet than usual, they merely talked about work and Hermione's probable promotion.

"Well, Hermione," Lucius sighed, "Do you want to go straight to the library?"

"I do believe it makes more sense." Hermione admitted. And they stood, walking to the library. They walked in absolute silence, each pondering what they would discuss upon arrival after they had already exhausted the topic of work.

Once they entered the library and settled themselves in their usual chairs, Lucius began to speak. "Well, Hermione," he sighed, "that sudden outburst last night was a small shock."

Hermione studied his face. "Outbu…oh! I'm French?"

"Yes."

"That's hardly an outburst."

"Call it what you will, I must say I am…"

"Cat got your adjectives?" She said dryly.

Lucius smirked softly. "Intrigued, I suppose. We really have little to no idea as to who we are."

Hermione pursed her lips in thought. "No, I suppose not…"

Leaning back into his chair, the wizard looked at the witch. "What on earth could be beneath your straightforward exterior?"

Hermione laughed a little. "Not much."

Lucius smiled his angular smile. "I cannot believe that."

Smiling slightly, she thought. "Well…I can play piano."

"Really?"

"I'm not horribly good…but the music I make is pleasant. At the very least."

"Hermione Granger, French pianist."

She laughed again. "Yes, that's me."

He snickered. "Well, come on; have out with it there must be more!"

"No, no, no, Lucius Malfoy! Now it's your turn!" Hermione declared, smiling.

"Do you really want to know those trivialities?" he condescended.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"True. Well…I speak French, this you know. I am not musically gifted so I cannot use your detail. Ah! I am very good with alcohol. I have no idea why, but for some reason, I have always been able to make a good drink."

"Aha, Lucius Malfoy, bartender extraordinaire."

"Nothing less." He assured. "And now, Hermione, I do believe it is your turn."

Hermione looked at the ceiling. "Well…my favorite color is purple. Almost any shade, just…purple."

"H'm. Well, now I get to play, as they say, the same card. My favorite color is black."

"Saw that coming from a mile away." She said, smiling wryly. "Okay, I love cats."

"I have a soft spot for them too."

"Really?"

"Yes. Especially black ones."

Hermione sighed melodramatically. "Moving on, um…trivial details…I ran away from home at the age of six."

"You did what?" Lucius said, leaning forward.

"Well…it was only for a few hours. Mum and dad found me."

"Why?" he said smiling at her in a confused manner.

"I have no idea. It was unintentional, I suppose. I just…well, I wanted to go someplace, and decided to do it myself."

"Where?" Hermione sucked in her cheek, clearly expressing the fact that she did not want to reveal said fact. Lucius raised his eyebrows. "Where could it be so bad for a six year old to go?"

"I just…its so cliché Hermione, I…"

He sat back. "Someplace to do with books."

She blushed. "The public library. It isn't really that good a story, I just went to the library, worried my mother for awhile, then dad decided that he knew the exact spot I was at, and bang there we were." After a second, she laughed a little. "I must have been a sight, a little girl straggling into the library, hauling an alligator,"

"An alligator?" Lucius said, grin spreading across his face. Something in the fact that he was smiling so made her smile as well.

"Yes, my alligator. He was just a little stuffed creature…I still have him, actually."

"How…reminiscent of you."

"Of course." She realized something, then sat up with a mischievous smile. "That's two secrets! You owe me two!"

Lucius scrunched up his face, moaning. "Oh, no! You couldn't possibly do that to me!"

"Can and am!" she said gleefully.

Groaning, he stood. "I am going to need another brandy. Do you need more?"

"Yes, please!" she said, smiling cheerily.

"I must say, seeing you like this is very odd indeed. You like having the upper hand, that is becoming clear." Lucius said, pouring the liquid from its decanter.

"Its always fun." Hermione said, accepting her glass. "Two secrets, please!"

"You're almost childlike! Let me think, give a man a second." After a moment of silence, he spoke again. "I can't think of anything worth saying."

"That was a cop out!"

"A what? Never mind, I understand what you were saying. I am very sorry, but I cannot think of anything of interest."

Hermione glared at her brandy. "Well…can I ask you questions then?"

"Only if I can do the same to you. After all, we must play like nice children and take turns."

"Fine!" she declared. "But I get to ask two from you first!"

"Of course." He submitted. Lucius smirked as she sucked on the inside of her cheek. "Not so easy, now is it?"

"Hang on, I've got one!" she said defensively. "Now, on the night Ron and I broke up, why did you follow me?"

Lucius raised his eyebrows. "Quick left to the jaw, that didn't take long."

"…what?"

"That is a bigger question than I was expecting. Now, I do believe I was feeling a bit stifled. I went outside and, lo and behold a solitary figure walking along the ice. This figure was not headed towards the village, but off into the unknown distance. I had, as did most of the other members of that particular dinner, witnessed your unfortunate mishap with Ronald. I deducted that it was you, Hermione Granger, and as I said before, you weren't heading anywhere, so you were either running away or crying your eyes out."

"Very fruity language."

"Thank you. It's the brandy, now do you want me to finish?"

"Yes."

"So, I watched you, as any good soul would, and as soon as you fell, gracefully, no less,"

"Thanks." She sneered.

"I," he resumed, smirking at her, "Came over to you. You were, obviously depressed, for…I am not really sure what reason, actually, and you needed to get off of that ice."

"Oh. Well, thank you then…okay, well…second question. Uhm…why are you opening your home to me…then."

"Didn't we go over that last question?" he inquired.

"No."

"Aha. Well, then, I suppose I 'opened my home' as you so charmingly put it, because you were distraught, you had nowhere to go, and…well, you had been kind to Draco and myself after I was released from Azkaban. And for that, I am grateful."

"Well, you were making an effort; I decided that I could too. But, thank you, anyway, I really do appreciate living here."

"Not at all. I do believe that, however, it is my turn to ask you a question."

"Alright." Hermione sighed.

"Hmm, a question I want to ask Hermione Granger…the possibilities are endless…"

"The answers are not."

He snickered a little. "Ah, well. Now, why did you and that measly Weasley-"

"You made a rhyme!?"

"Yes, I told you, exposure to brandy. Now, you and that thing over there, why on earth did you decide to break up there, of all places?"

"It wasn't my choice! He just…said it! Nothing to be done. And…I must say, I wasn't expecting to be as hurt as I was."

"Natural."

"Indeed. My turn. Now, lets move on to something brighter." She smiled. He eyed her warily. "Did you ever sleep with a stuffed animal?"

"No." he said flatly. "However, Draco was very fond of rabbits when he was younger, he has this mangy stuffed thing, well, I think he still has…"

Hermione laughed. "But you never had one?"

"No."

"Fine, but I highly suspect you are lying." Hermione said, still grinning.

"Hm. What…is your middle name?"

"That's easy, no big thing. It's Jane. What is YOUR middle name?"

"I don't have one."

"Yes you do! Its common knowledge, pureblood families all have ridiculously long names!"

"Fine. So maybe I do have one. But I really don't think it is that important."

"I asked, you have to answer!"

"This is despicable."

"You are despicable."

"So?"

"So."

"So…can I tell on Draco instead?"

"No. I can wring information from him later."

"Unfair."

"It's a name! I'm not going to run around the schoolyard, spreading it about. How childish do you think I am?"

"Not very."

"So tell me!"

"Well…"

"If you say the brandy made you forget, I will be most upset with you."

Lucius glared at her from across the desk. "Which name? I am assuming you want the first one."

"Two?"

"Unless you want to get technical, in which case, I have three."

"Ridiculously long!" Hermione said triumphantly.

"Not so! One is familial, the other is a name according to one arcane custom or another, and the last, well, like I said, its technical."

"Ah."

"So, do you really need to hear them?"

"Yes. Or I can ask a different question and get the names from Draco later."

"I can always tell him not to ask."

"Doesn't mean he'll listen."

The unlikely pair glared at each other, Hermione thinking he was being a baby for not being proud of his names (or at least faking pride), and Lucius mulling over how vilely persistent she could be.

"Fine. Ask a different question."

Hermione pondered her choices. She began to realize that this had been a very odd Q & A indeed. She needed to ask a good, meaty question…

Her mind instantly jumped to Narcissa. She batted that thought away immediately, she already knew the answer and it was entirely too impersonal. This is Lucius Malfoy, and here she is, asking him questions about his favorite color.

But, her mind unceremoniously drew a blank. Suddenly (as was mentioned, they were drinking) she giggled for a second before saying "Do you like your hair up or down?"

Lucius blinked and raised both eyebrows before an utterly bemused smile spread across his face. "Ah, yes. My hair, the envy of every girl."

"Well-" Hermione began to protest.

"Now, now. I was merely speaking in the general sense. I, for one, would not have my hair this long if I didn't want it that way. I do rather love it," he mused, playing with the ends of one lock of blond hair betwixt his fingertips. "Though, I must say, the only answer to that question would be both."

"Indeed."

Lucius seemed to ponder for a moment longer, then asked "What is your favorite book?"

Hermione fell backwards into her chair with a groan. "That's impossible! I have read too many, I can't pick!"

Lucius gave a little snicker. "Is that so?"

Hermione smiled wistfully at him. "Yes. I thought you knew that, O Omniscient one!"

"I know you read a lot. That is not to say that you do or don't have a favorite."

"As he doesn't deny the omniscient bit." Hermione mumbled to her glass, which merely sat on her stomach and stared at her. Glancing up, she saw Lucius smirking at her comment, and she had to smile as well. "Okay, fine. I don't have one, or two, or three favorites. I just like most books I read."

"Fair enough."

"Merlin."

"Getting tired?"

"No! A little. I mean to say, that questions are coming harder and harder…oh!" Hermione's eyes glinted and she grinned. "What is your favorite Shakespeare?"

Hermione had fully intended for him to be baffled, no, pointedly confused (Lucius, Baffled? The thought was insanity) or something, but he merely threw back his head, laughing. "Oh, I don't know. I am rather fond of the Comedies, save one or two, but I suppose it is a tie between All's Well, Much Ado, and…As You Like It."

"Really?!"

"Were you expecting Tragedies? Or my favorite three…I suppose that the Merry Wives of Windsor is there as well…"

"You…but…" Hermione trailed off.

"Oh! Yes, yes, Shakespeare. I, in my true omniscient state," he threw a smirk her way, "am assuming that you have read them all. So, in the play Midsummer Night's Dream, when Oberon and magic pop up, or in Macbeth and the witches, as two meager examples, you must have realized a connection. Magic is a common occurrence, and, he is a classic playwright. While he is an odd choice for pureblood reading…or education, for that matter, I nonetheless have read most of his works."

Hermione blinked. "That is bizarre! Well, I mean, you have the license to read what ever you want, but I never expected…"

"Then why did you ask?"

"I don't know!"

"Well, now that I have taught you a lesson, what is your favorite Shakespeare?"

Hermione blinked again. "Well, actually, I like the Comedies as well. Much Ado About Nothing is a personal choice."

"I would have expected-"

"Romeo and Juliet?

"Yes, actually."

"I cant stand it. They die, that is the worst possible ending! They kill themselves when they were so close! It is truly terrible!"

"H'm. Well, I do believe we should be off to bed, or merely stop drinking; otherwise Draco will undoubtedly wonder why he is eating with two comatose people."

Laughing, Hermione stood with him. "Agreed. Goodnight, Lucius!"

AN- woot! another chapter! and you will (hopefully) find the next chapter very satisfying. lolz. okay, shutting up, but still, i think there was something i was supposed to say...i dont remember. okay, i'll just tell you next chapitre! ehehehehe!