A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I am so glad it seems like everyone is on the same page after last chapter :) This chapter is pretty much the final chapter, next one is the sappy epilogue that I can't help but write, so you can read that if you want to, but it's not necessary. I really hoped you enjoyed this tale. More than once I really thought that I'd bitten off more than I could chew. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) to find out about future fics that I am working on.
Please let me know what you thought of chapter twenty three and be on the lookout for chapter twenty four soon!
As soon as Hermione got out of Grimmauld Place and out onto the street, her heart practically pounding out of her chest at what she was about to do. She knew now that she loved Lucius and she wanted to give it another shot with him, if he'd still have her.
She didn't need to think twice about where he would be, and shut her eyes apparating away to the entrance of Knockturn Alley, not caring if any muggles saw her popping away. She'd helped vanquish the darkest wizard alive when she was still a schoolgirl, the Ministry owed her at least one muggle obliviation.
Hermione made her way to The Bottle and Glass, stopping for a moment to straighten her hair. She was glad that she'd decided to dress up for dinner with Harry and Ginny. It wouldn't do for her to confront Lucius looking frumpy.
Taking one last deep breath, Hermione strode into the bar with confidence. She made a beeline for the silver-blond hair sitting at the bar. When she got to his side, she was breathless. "Lucius, I need to talk to you." She said.
He turned to face her, incredibly surprised to see Hermione standing there. Hermione hoped that he hadn't given up on her, or moved on with some other witch who would be too happy to screw away his sadness. Perhaps sensing her concern, his face transformed into a smirk. "Of course, shall we move to one of the snugs for a bit more privacy?"
Hermione bit her lip before nodding fiercely. She watched as his eyes widened, perhaps surprised that she did want to be so alone with him. Reaching for his drink off the bar, Hermione led the way to the snug.
When he closed the door behind him, Hermione was mindless, throwing herself against him in a desperate embrace, lips pressed tightly against hers. Lucius froze for a moment, as though this reaction was the last thing he'd expected from her. Her worry that he might have moved on from her renewed.
But then, he wrapped his arms tightly around her body, and kissed her back, tongue pressed firmly against the seam of her lips until she opened herself to him, and they met in a pleasurable tangle. He moaned into her mouth and she knew then that he'd missed her just as much as she'd missed him.
He mapped her mouth, remembering all the little flicks and movements that she'd loved in short lived relationship. Hermione felt her body responding to him, and though she'd like nothing more than to apparate back to her flat with him, she had to establish just what was going on between them before they could take it any further.
Pushing at his shoulders, Hermione pulled away from him. Lucius reluctantly let her go. They stood together, slowly regaining their breath, and both nervous of what was yet to come. "Sorry...I just…" Hermione started, only to see the stricken look on his face. "Let me start over. I came here, because I had to tell you that I, that I love you Lucius."
He looked momentarily stunned at her words, the depth of what it meant sinking in. He made a move to kiss her again, eager to reestablish their relationship, only to have Hermione turn away from him laughing. "Wait, wait...I think we need to talk a bit more first."
Lucius smiled at her - genuinely - a smile that reached his gray eyes, tiny little wrinkles at the corners of his mouth and eyes. "I love you too, Hermione. You know that." He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the words.
Hermione shook her head, feeling silly. "I thought maybe you'd have, moved on from me already." She blushed, feeling the full weight of her insecurity for a moment.
"What made you change your mind?" Lucius asked, tucking a wayward curl behind her ear.
"Well, Ginny invited Ron to dinner with Harry and I tonight. He wanted to give us another go." Lucius stiffened at her words, a sneer automatic on his face at the thought of Hermione and Ron Weasley together. "I realized last June, I would have done anything to be with Ron. But now, I know that all I want is you."
The depth of affection in her words did shock Lucius. Gryffindors were so open with their emotions, and it had taken a lot for him to open up with Hermione, even if she didn't realize it. He'd been married to Narcissa for over 20 years, and he'd only told her he loved her once, and that was right after Draco had been born. But, he knew that he'd have to open himself up if he wanted Hermione's heart.
"Can I please take you home now and ravish you?" He asked, eager to be with the witch who'd plagued his thoughts for so long.
Hermione giggled, but stopped him. "Wait, first I have to know...are we in a proper relationship?"
"As if you have to ask." Lucius scoffed. "Of course we are. I'd like you to be my girlfriend….if you'll have me." He said, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically nervous. He'd put his heart on the line and now it was up to Hermione what she'd do with it.
"Of course I'll have you." Lucius grabbed her arm at the confirmation, and Hermione squealed as he suddenly side along apparated her. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised to find herself in a lavishly decorated, but decidedly masculine bedroom.
"Where are we?" She asked, her heart beating in her throat. She knew that he hadn't done it on purpose, but his bringing her to his bedroom at Malfoy Manor was highly symbolic. It was a sign that she wasn't just a hidden little secret, in a one bedroom flat in London.
"Malfoy Manor. Now, hush witch, let me ravish you." He said, walking her back until she was deposited on his feather soft bed. He was much too eager for any kind of toying with buttons and used his wand to divest them both of their clothes, leaving Hermione in just her underclothes and himself completely naked. He wanted to enjoy his time unwrapping his present.
He contented himself with kissing on the mouth, languid and sensual, until she was rocking her covered sex gently against his leg. Breaking away, he kissed his way down her neck, sure to leave on or two love bites where she loved to be kiss, on her pulse point and a delightful spot behind her ear that made her moan.
Reaching behind her, he found the clasp of her bra easily enough and opened it, revealing her pale globes to him, each one tipped by hard, rosey nipple. When they'd been carrying on the year before, he hadn't taken enough time to really look at her. To appreciate her. He knew that he was starting at her, but she was so gorgeous, with tiny waist and rounded hips.
His concentration was broken by Hermione's hands in his hair pulling him to her breast, and a breathy little whine. "Lucius...please." He loved the way that she was in command of her pleasure, always letting him know what she needed. With lips wrapped around her nipple, tongue flicking the bud back and forth, he trailed his hand down her stomach, leaving a trail of goosebumps in his wake.
His finger played with the waistband of her knickers until he felt her fingers tightening in his hair. Then, he slipped inside the lace fabric, hissing at the molten heat he found, her slit positively dripping. Burying his finger inside of her, he couldn't wait to be inside her.
It seemed she couldn't wait either because she was grabbing his hard cock in her hand, moving up and down in tantalizingly soft motions. "Hermione...I need you." He groaned, unable to wait another moment.
She nodded, helping him to get her knickers off. He positioned himself at her entrance before pushing himself in, aided by Hermione's ankles locked around his backside, pulling him inside of her.
One look in her shining brown eyes and Lucius knew that all his heartbreak of these last months had been worth it. Dropping his head to kiss her lips again, he set out a brutal pace, desperate to show her just how much he needed her.
Almost immediately, Hermione felt herself hurdling towards her peak, her body feeling taut as a bow. Every movement of his hips pressed against her clit, sending her closer and closer, and the steady motion of his cock was hitting her in all the right places. Wrapped completely around his body, Hermione thought that she might scream if she didn't come.
Blinding hot light seemed to pulse through her body when she was finally sent over the edge, coming with a cry. Her cunt was fluttering around him, desperate to take him with her. Lucius stilled above her, filling her, as he followed not two thrusts after.
Hermione sighed, her chest heaving with the effort, as she thought about how perfect she felt in that moment. Lucius rolled off her after a moment, though unwilling to break the contact. He pulled her body, holding her tightly against his chest, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I love you." He said, utterly spent.
She snuggled into his warmth, her body still shuddering with the afterglow. "I love you too."
Hermione and Lucius could only stay in their warm protective cocoon at Malfoy Manor for a while before reality could come back into their lives. Hermione wished she'd never have to leave, never have to disturb the new balance of their relationship, but she knew that it couldn't be.
She'd waltzed right out of Grimmauld Place the night before with no explanation, and now that they were in a real relationship, Hermione knew that she'd have to bring her friends up to speed with her relationship with Lucius. She wasn't keen to share all of the details, so she would let them think that it was something that was only recenly occuring.
After telling this much to Lucius, he agreed to dinner at her house later that night. Hermione was a ball of nerves knowing that this could really make or break her relationship with them, but if they couldn't accept her, it was finally time to move on.
Harry, Ron, Ginny and Daphne all wrote back to her quick invitation for dinner, and Hermione got to preparing a nice dinner. Cooking all day gave her something to focus on, though Lucius did his best to distract her with kisses and touches.
Hermione was a bit excited when Daphne showed up first, seeing as she knew the most, and this new development was the least likely to shock her. Daphne took one look at Lucius, standing in Hermione Granger's small muggle apartment, only to let out an excited squeal and wrap Hermione in a tight hug. "Are you for real?" She demanded.
The Gryffindor girl nodded. "Yes, Lucius and I have decided to give a real relationship a shot." She said, with a shy smile. She knew that Daphne thought she was silly for not giving into all of Lucius's romantic intentions for so many weeks, when he was clearly trying to make things right with her. "But now, I need you to help tell my other friends."
It didn't take much later for Ron, Ginny and Harry to show up. Ron walked through her floo first, with a swagger that suggested he thought that they were getting back together. Why else would she invite the three of them over?
Then he saw Daphne, his eyes narrowing. "What is she doing here?" He groused, before he laid eyes on Lucius. "What is he doing here!" He shouted.
Ginny and Harry tried to come through the floo, only to run into Ron's back. "Oi, budge up Ron." Ginny said, her eyes puffy and red. She pulled Hermione into a hug. "I'm so sorry for the way I've been acting. I should never have assumed…" She trailed off seeing the other occupants.
Hermione cleared her throat. "Well, I have some...news for the three of you. I thought we could sit for dinner."
The six of them sat around the table, Ron glaring daggers between Daphne and Lucius, who was sitting entirely too close to Hermione in his opinion. Harry looked on edge, and confused, but he seemed willing to talk with an open mind.
Finally, the tension of the silence became too much for Hermione. "Well, I don't suppose that there is any point in waiting any longer. Lucius-" Ron's sputtering at the use of Lucius's given name made her pause. "Lucius and I are in a relationship." She said firmly.
"What the hell Hermione? He's a bloody death eater!" Ron exploded. "It's because she's been hanging out with you." He viciously accused Daphne. "You lot of snakes."
Hermione ran her hand over her face. "Listen. My relationship isn't up for debate. I need you to be happy for me, or I don't think that we can continue to be friends." She made direct eye contact with Harry. "All last year, it has seemed that you haven't had my best interests at heart, so I need you to do this for me now."
"No bloody way!" Ron answered for the three of them. Ginny was crying openly at the situation. "Hermione you and I are meant to be together."
"You have an odd way of showing that." Lucius sneered at Weasley. "Hermione is a beautiful, intelligent witch and she deserves to be treated with respect. I've come to learn that." He said sullenly, squeezing Hermione's hand under the table.
Harry was looking at Lucius shrewdly, before he nodded. He could tell that the older man clearly cared for his friend, much more than he was letting on. "Okay, Hermione. I don't particularly like it, but I will give it a shot for you. I'm not making any promises that I will be friends with or even like Lucius, but I will give it a shot."
"I refuse to let you date this snake, Hermione." Ron said with finality, positively seething, annoyed that Harry wasn't backing him up in the situation.
Hermione felt her ire rise and sent a powerful stinging hex at her friend, leaving a large red welt where it struck him. "Then you can leave, Ronald. I am through with you."
He looked like he was going to say something else, but Harry put a hand on his shoulder. "Leave it Ron. You should go home." The redhead stood and left in a swirl of angry green flames, headed to the Burrow, calling Harry a traitor.
Hermione turned to the other redhead at the table, who was still crying from the fallout with her brother. "Ginny?" Hermione asked quietly.
Ginny nodded. "I'll be happy for you Hermione. I don't want to lose your friendship. And I am sorry for making you doubt me." She said, sincerity shining in her eyes. Harry gave her a proud kiss on the cheek, and Hermione felt herself relax. Hermione could tell that Ginny and Harry had had a lot to talk about last night, namely Ginny's meddling.
After tears were wiped away, the remaining five began a stilted conversation about Hermione's new job. The conversation became a bit more loose once they began discussing Quidditch. It wasn't something she'd normally discuss, but it gave her hope that this might actually work out alright.
December, 2000
"Hermione Granger! What is that on your hand?" Daphne asked as soon as Hermione arrived at her apartment for a quiet gift exchange with Theo. It was after the holidays, but the girls still have gifts to give one another since they hadn't seen each other since before Christmas do to all the drama with Harry and Ginny's wedding.
Mrs. Weasley had nearly caused a scene when Hermione was dancing with her date, Lucius, saying that she would never forgive her for all the heart ache she'd caused Ronald. Luckily, Ginny defused the situation, reminding her mother that it was Ron that had ended things with Hermione, and in a terrible way too. Sufficiently cowed, Molly had hidden away from Lucius's angry glare.
Hermione blushed, giving Daphne her left hand. "Yes, Lucius asked me over the holidays and I've accepted. I can't believe it's actually happened." Hermione gushed. It was all that she ever wanted. To get married and have a family.
She just never expected she'd want it with Lucius Malfoy of all people. She was over the moon, though, and she knew that she'd made the right decision. The papers would talk about how soon it was in their relationship, but she didn't care.
She loved him and that's all that mattered.