A/N: Hello all, I'm so sorry for the year long absence. I've had some personal issues going on. My grandmother went into hospice, and then after she passed there was her funeral to plan and attend. Plus, going through her estate and figuring out what to do with everything. It's been a long process and I've just been physically and mentally wiped. I just happed across a review while going through my emails that begged for the conclusion and made me realize that I'd forgotten about my story. I'm so sorry for the delayed finish.

Here is the next chapter, I hope you all enjoy it and it was worth the wait.

Special Thanks: To my beta TabiPrewett, you have done an amazing job and I very much appreciate your hard work and dedication. Even with all the drama that is involved in being my beta. I really appreciate you. :)

Warning: F word goes flying from Hermione. Though its only said once, and she's mad as hell, so you really can't blame her. Or me. Lol.

Chapter 29

Lucius arrived in an alley not far from Hermione's flat. Taking a deep breath, he made his way up her stairs, towards her door. After checking to make sure no one was around to see, he waved his wand to test her wards. A charm added in, so she didn't feel him using magic on them, as well as, masking his magical signature.

Sure enough, Hermione's wards were strong, and had him specifically blocked from coming inside. One was even placed to keep him from knocking and blocking out the sounds of him possibly trying to shout at her through the door. She really was a clever witch.

Though Lucius was surprised he'd been allowed to get this close to her to the door of her flat. Had it been him, he'd have placed charms on the front door to the building and on each floor of the stairs, in case he managed to get through her first set of wards. Then again, maybe she didn't think he would get through them, or maybe she didn't think he'd even try. Though, more than likely, since this was a place that allowed muggle residents, maybe she didn't want to risk getting into trouble with the Ministry by placing too many spells.

Putting up his charm again to keep her from feeling her wards being messed with, Lucius started the tedious process of breaking them down. Slowly peeling them away, layer by layer, like one would peel an onion. It was time consuming and after peeling away two separate layers, he had to stop when he heard someone coming up the stairs.

Lucius disillusioned himself and hid in the shadows as one of her neighbors came home. When they'd gone inside, and he was alone again in the halls, he went back to work. He was down to his final layer, her wards almost gone, when he was almost caught by a different set of neighbors coming out of their apartment.

A quick spell had the lights overhead dimming more so they wouldn't see his silhouette from the disillusionment spell he placed once again. He hadn't had time to move into the shadows this time, and he didn't want them alerting Hermione to his presence. Just because she wouldn't hear him shouting, didn't mean she wouldn't hear one of her neighbors doing so.

After, Lucius was once again alone, he went back to work, quickly adding in another charm so she didn't feel her wards suddenly drop. A softly muttered spell for the locks, and another to keep her from hearing the door make a sound, or her from hearing his footsteps, he slowly opened her door. Adding in one final spell just in case, one he hadn't used in years. Not since he'd actually been on a raid, before the end of the war.

There was barely any light at all in the room, but Lucius could make out her furniture. He didn't see her anywhere and all the other lights in the flat were out. Moving slowly, his wand out in case he needed it to block a spell. His eyes scanned the room again and again. He felt her magic humming in the air, so he knew she was home, but he couldn't see her.

Lucius silently crept towards a darkened open doorway, and with a quick peek, he found it was her empty bedroom. The large bed drawing his gaze for a moment, it made him wonder if she had bought one this big to fit them both, since she certainly didn't need one so large for just herself. If so, he was an even bigger idiot for ever believing she was leaving him.

With a quick glance in the passthrough between the kitchen and living room, Lucius decided she wasn't in the darkened open kitchen either. She'd have turned the lights on at least in there if she was in that room. The only place for her to be would be the living room, but he didn't see her anywhere.

Lucius' body facing the back of the sofa, he moved to towards it slowly, and what he found made his breath hitch. Hermione was lying on the sofa, on her side and facing the open window across from her. So far, she didn't know he was there, so he took a moment to simply look at her.

She was sad, Lucius could see that by the look on her face, but she looked beautiful still. Having not seen her in almost two weeks, plus the three before the incident in his room, he felt his chest clench at looking at her.

Hermione stared listlessly out the window, she thought she heard a soft sigh, and she decided it must have come from her. No one else is here. She blinked back tears at the sadness the thought brought her. She knew who she wanted with her and the sadness turned to anger.

Hermione wouldn't give in to the need to see him. She knew what he thought of her and she would not be with someone who thought so little of her. She had more pride and self-respect than that.

Breathing in deeply to push it all away, Hermione froze as a familiar scent hit her nose. Her eyes narrowing, before she let out a sigh as she relaxed again. I'm imaging his cologne now. That's just pathetic, she thought.

Tired of staring at the same view she had for hours, both before and after Draco's visit, Hermione rolled over onto her back. Seeing Lucius standing over her in darkened room, she inhaled sharply as she jerked, startled.

Maybe I didn't imagine his scent. She thought as she took him in, her heart starting to thump faster in her chest. They stared at one another silently for several seconds, before she moved with the speed of lightning.

Hermione was off her sofa with her wand in her hand and pointed at him in an instant. "What are you doing here? How did you get in here?" She used her wand to turn a small lamp on, not sure what was going on, or how he'd gotten into her flat, but she wouldn't face him in a darkened room.

Lucius' eyes still on her, not the least bit concerned by her wand that was back pointing at him, he studied her. Her eyes were red rimmed, her face had a slightly puffy look to it, and her nose was red too. She's been crying. He realized, and it made his heart ache to know he'd hurt her so badly.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Don't make me ask you again."

"I used the front door, and I came to see you." He told her, not moving.

Hermione glanced at the door and saw it was closed, before meeting his gaze again, though she never shifted her wand off of him at all. "I know I have my wards up, how the hell did you get in here without me feeling them drop or shift."

Lucius cocked his head slightly. "I was a Death Eater, my dear, a very talented one. I've had to take down wards in the past that were much stronger than yours and do it stealthily. It's not as if we'd just walk away if we went on a raid and found wards on someone's home."

Hermione swallowed, as she realized she had not even contemplated him tearing down her wards. She had thought just by having them that she was safe from him. "Why are you here? I thought I made myself perfectly clear that I never wanted to see you again."

Lucius fought the ache in his chest at her words. "As I said, I came here to see you. I thought it was time for us to talk."

Hermione laughed bitterly. "Funny, you didn't want to talk the last time we were together. If you came to finish collecting your 'thank you', I can guarantee you won't like what you'll get instead."

Lucius sighed. "You have every right to be angry with me."

Hermione snorted. "I'm glad you see it that way, now get out."

Lucius' eyes darkened. "I know I was a right bastard that night, and while you have every right to feel the way you do, I'm not leaving until I've said what I've come to say."

Hermione glared. "I don't give a flying f-f..." she tightened her lips. "...a flying fuck, why you're here or what you have to say."

"Don't say that word, my dear. It's obvious that you don't like it." He said on another sigh. He didn't care if she used the vulgar language either way, but he didn't see the point in her using it if it made her this uncomfortable while trying to do so. There were other ways for her to make her point without using words she didn't like.

Hermione glared more as her chin lifted. "I'll use any damn word I want. Now either leave on your own, or I'll make you leave. The choice is yours, but you'd better make it fast."

"We both know I'm stronger than you, Hermione. You can't throw me out." He reminded her.

"Maybe not physically, but I can and will make you leave. Now just...go." She said.

He stared at her. She means to use her wand on me. So be it. He thought as he slid his wand back into his cane and rested it against the back of her sofa. He pulled off his outer robes, laying them over the back of her couch. Unbuttoning and rolling his sleeves up past his elbows next, as she stared at him in confusion with what he was doing.

When he was done, he smirked as he slipped the silver serpent headed wand back out again. "Make me."

Her spell flew, a binding curse, but he blocked it easily with his own wand, quicker than she'd ever seen anyone do it before.

His brow rose, smirk still in place. "Care to try again, or are you going to listen to me?"

Hermione growled, her wand quickly slashing through the air again with her silent spell, he quickly, and easily, blocked that spell too as his smirk grew. Both just pissed her off more.

"You're no match for me, my dear, I was trained to duel by a Master of Dark Arts. My father insisted." Moving around the sofa to stand in front of her with nothing separating them, the base of his cane still leaning against the back of her couch.

Hermione followed him with her wand and body, not letting him have her back or side for a second. The sofa beside them both as they stood staring, once again, at each other. "Isn't that lovely. I don't care if it takes me all night, I will make you leave. I don't you want you here. I don't want to see you, I don't want to talk to you, and I certainly don't want you near me."

Lucius tilted his head. "If you want me to leave, then listen to what I have to say."

Hermione smiled. "No." Sending a fresh spell towards him, a second one following quickly behind it. Hoping if he blocked the first, he'd miss the second.

Her hopes died when he easily blocked them both. He sighed, deciding just to start without her consent. "I didn't mean what I said to you that night."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine, you said it, now get out. I don't care what you did or didn't mean."

Lucius sighed again. "I'm not finished. I only said what I did that night because..." Hermione's spell flying at him made him stop speaking to block. The little witch was going to seriously piss him off in a moment if she kept throwing spells at him. Her anger was only making her faster at casting them, instead of working against her like with most people. Something he realized he'd do well to remember in the future. Assuming he ever got through his explanation tonight, so that they could have a future.

Lucius' eyes narrowed. "Hermione, I'm going to stop only blocking your spells and start sending my own if you don't quit trying to hex or bind me."

Hermione smirked. "Sorry, I guess my skills as a gracious hostess need work. Now, you know where the door is, since you broke in here through it, so please don't let it hit you on the arse on your way out."

Have it your way then, he decided. His wand flicked out with a disarming spell at her so fast that she almost didn't have time to block it, but she did, just barely. "Beautiful block, my dear. Though, you're going to have to be quicker than that to stop me."

She smirked. Fine, he can stay, I'll go, she decided. With a flick of her wand, her destination in mind, she went to apparate. Only it didn't work. She quickly tried it again, but again it didn't work.

Lucius chuckled softly, drawing her narrowed gaze. "I placed a nice little spell before coming in that stops apparation."

Hermione frowned. "You don't live here. You have no control over the wards in my home." Not understanding.

Lucius sighed once more. "Must I remind you again that I was once a Death Eater? Do you think we hadn't figured out how to stop people from simply getting away by apparation?" Honestly, what did she think they did on a raid all those years ago? Hoped the people they were attacking forgot they knew magic too?

Hermione huffed before stalking towards her door. She'd just leave the old fashion way, on foot. Lucius didn't bother trying to stop her, he already knew she wouldn't get far. She reached for the knob, but her hand flew away. Her anger growing as she tried a second time, even knowing it was useless. When it didn't work, she tried to use her wand to get the door to open, but it didn't work either.

The dark haired woman turned and glared at the blond who was silently watching her. Her fury burning in her eyes at the thought of him having full control of her wards, and at this point, angry too about her inability to leave her own flat. She would not be a prisoner in her own home.

Seeing her fingers twitching on her wand in her anger, Lucius' brow rose. "I wouldn't, my dear." Ready to block whatever she was contemplating sending his way.

However, Hermione was livid and would not be told what to do by a man holding her hostage. Her wand flicked out, and by the color of light flying his way, Lucius saw she was done with simple binding spells. This was a stunning spell. A quick slash of his own wand blocked it, but in his haste, he accidently sent it flying right back at her, instead of making it hit the floor where it wouldn't do any damage.

Hermione's eyes widened when she saw it coming straight for her, and thankfully she threw up a protection spell at the last second. The stunning spell bounced off her shield and hit the floor.

Lucius was glad she was unharmed, but he was furious that she'd endangered herself. A stunning spell wasn't life threatening, by any means, but he refused to be the cause of any further pain or harm to her. "Dammit, woman!" He growled. "You are going to make me hurt you, without meaning to, if you don't stop sending spells at me."

Hermione glared at him. "You already hurt me!" She growled back.

Lucius let out a breath as he stared at her. "I know," he said softly, "and I am truly sorry for it."

Hermione refused to fall for his crap again. "I don't care, Lucius. I don't care if you're sorry, I just want you to leave me alone."

Lucius' lips tightened at her words. "Not until I've said, all I came to say."

Hermione's fingers flexed on her wand. "Then, we are at a standstill. I'm not going to listen to you, and while I can't seem to leave, you won't leave either. Now what, Lucius?" She asked.

Lucius thought the solution was obvious, but he pointed it out to her anyway. "Well, either we stand here all night, or you can listen to what I have to say."

Hermione knew he was right, knew that she didn't have much choice. It irked the hell out of her too. "Fine." She said begrudgingly.

Hermione moved and sat on the sofa, her arms crossed over her chest. Not trusting her to actually sit without trying to send another spell at him when his guard lowered, Lucius quickly sent a final spell and disarmed her.

Catching her wand when it zoomed towards him, Lucius pocketed both wands, a silent and wandless spell on hers to keep her from being able to call it back to her. Seeing her eyes narrow as a growl escaped her, he quickly spoke. "Sorry, my dear, but I feel better knowing you can't hex me now."

"Is this supposed to make me listen to you any better? Because, really Lucius, I seriously doubt I'd believe anything you told me right now anyway." Hermione said.

Lucius nodded, before he moved towards her kitchen. She watched him go, though not towards the door as she'd like, a frown upon her face. "What do you think you're doing?"

The blond man started opening up different cabinets. "I'm making us a drink to have while we chat. Now, would you like..." He paused looking inside her cabinets at what she had available. "...tea or wine?"

Hermione snorted. "Clearly what I want doesn't matter to you, because what I want is for you to leave."

Lucius glanced towards her in the pass through, "I've already said, several times now, I'm not leaving until I've had my say. Now, tea or wine, my dear?"

Hermione sighed. "Wine." Not adding in the please or thank you she'd been raised to on principle alone.

Lucius seemed to realize this, he knew she said please and thank you to everyone, and bit back a smirk. Grabbing up the bottle of red wine he saw, he picked up her wine key that was hanging beside the cabinet, and he opened it fluidly with the ease of someone used to doing so. With his back to her, he acted like he was looking at the label, while also looking for glasses, but he was palming the vial he'd pulled from his pockets.

Adding its contents to the whole bottle with his back still turned from her, glad Severus had given it to him. Severus had said only a few drops would suit his needs, but if Lucius used the whole tiny vial, it would kick in fast and stay with the drinker for hours. Lucius didn't want it fading too quickly, so he used it all.

Finding her wine glasses, Lucius moved back to the living room. Taking a seat on the sofa as well, doing his best not to get annoyed by her scooting away as much as she could. Which wasn't that much, only a few inches, really.

Lucius poured each of them a glass, and he didn't even let it breath as it should, before he took a sip. Seeing him drinking, she also took a drink. It wasn't up to his standards, but at the moment, he didn't care. The wine had a purpose, especially with what now was mixed with it.

"I should start at the beginning." He said, and when she didn't do anything but take another sip, he went on. "When I saw you at the Christmas party, I couldn't take my eyes off of you." Ignoring her rolling her eyes. "I stood in a small hidden loft and simply watched you a good portion of the night. When I finally went down, it was because I had to speak with you. Your reaction to me...was saddening because I really did want a chance to get to know you. I wanted to make amends for my past deeds against you, but I wanted to know you too."

Hermione didn't say anything, but she didn't roll her eyes again either. He hoped that was a positive sign, and he went on. "I went to the Ministry and when we had lunch, even with the morose topic mixed in, I enjoyed spending the time with you. I started coming by just to see you, to try to get you to come to lunch with me, and I used the guise of coming to eat with Draco, but I really couldn't have cared less if he did join us. When you wouldn't go with us, I would bring you things back because it gave me an excuse to talk to you for just a few more minutes."

Hermione breathed in deeply. "I get it Lucius, you were attracted to me and wanted to clear your conscience. You got to have both. Me shag you and your conscience clear. Are we done?" Taking another drink from her glass.

Lucius fought for patience. "No, we are not. I hadn't intended on acting on my attraction to you, not until we kissed in my office. Even then, I hadn't fully decided, but you were addicting."

Hermione snorted, but he went on. "After the Valentine's party..."

"A party you arranged to have Severus stand me up for." She said, cutting him off.

Lucius hadn't known that she knew, but he nodded. "Yes, I did. I traded a favor he owed me, for him to ask you to go with him, and then not show up so that I could show you that I really was a decent man. I had already been invited to go, but I wanted you to go with me, and I didn't think you would. So, I wanted to be able to rescue you from a dateless night and let you see that I had good qualities too."

Lucius sighed. "I wanted you, Hermione. I wanted you so much that I was willing to scheme a bit to get you. Nothing too bad, but I wasn't above using Severus owing me a favor, to get you. When I found you that night, I couldn't believe what that woman was saying to you. I only said what I did to help you. Part of me hoped that what I said would come true, that you would be my lover one day."

Hermione's jaw clenched, but she stayed silent. The quicker he said all of this, the quicker he'd leave and let her lay back down to have another good cry.

"What Miss Brown did to you...I had nothing to do with it. I didn't want you like that, which is the only reason I didn't take you that night, no matter what wonderful things you asked me to do to you." He said.

Hermione frowned and held up her hand. "Wait...what things?" She didn't remember asking him for anything and he'd never told her she had.

His lips curved slightly, taking a sip of the wine himself, wondering briefly if hers had started to kick in yet. "My dear, you would blush if I repeated them. Though, to be honest, I've done my best since that night to do everything you had asked of me."

Her cheeks started to pinken slightly. "What things?" She couldn't stop herself from asking.

You asked for it, my sweet, he thought, taking a breath. "You asked me to take you that night, hard, deep, and fast. You begged me to run my hands and mouth all over every inch of your beautiful body. You offered to let me take you any way I pleased, as long as I would simply bury myself in you over and over again. You wanted me to make you scream until you were hoarse, though you did go into much more detail than that, as you said it. Shall I go on and tell you exactly what you asked for?"

Watching the heat rise more and more in her face, he had to bite back a small smile. He really did enjoy making her blush, but in his defense, she did look absolutely lovely when she blushed.

Lucius noticed her breathing increase slightly, noticed the small amount of lust fill her eyes too. She was embarrassed to have asked for any of that, but she was also aroused with her memories of them doing all the things they'd done since then. She forced it away and shook her head no, taking another drink of her wine. A long one.

Seeing the heat in her eyes, even briefly, it gave Lucius hope. If she still wanted him, even just a little, she didn't hate him, not fully anyway. "I wanted you to want me because you wanted to sleep with me, not because some potion made you do it."

"When you came to me that first night that we made love...I can't tell you how thrilled I was to have you willing to let me have you. I wanted you so much and there you were, wanting me back just as much." Lucius told her.

Hermione stopped him again. "Lucius, I'm well aware of all of this. Why are you bringing it up?"

Lucius thought about how best to answer her, taking another drink. "I want you to understand that I never touched you while thinking of you as anything, but a woman I was attracted to and quickly coming to care for."

Hermione's hand clenched around her drink, having heard enough, she finished off the last of the wine in her glass. "I don't want to hear this, and I don't believe you, Lucius. No matter how much I wish it were true." She stopped in confusion. She hadn't meant for that last part to come out.

"It matters to me if it's true, but I don't believe it." She said, stopping again with a slight frown. What the hell? I meant to say it doesn't matter.

She shook her head, missing the slight smirk on his lips before he drank more of his wine. "I meant to say that it didn't matter what you said." She said.

He finished his own glass of wine, swallowing it all down before speaking. "Does it matter though?"

No. She thought. "Yes." She said before frowning again, more this time.

"Have you missed me, my dear?" He asked her, watching her intently.

Yes, but I won't be telling you that. She thought. "Yes, but I don't want to tell you that." She said, frowning and not understanding why her words where not being said as she intended.

Her eyes grew wide suddenly as she looked at her empty glass, knowing she'd never admit any of this on her own. "What have you done to me?"

Lucius smirked. Only what I had to. He thought. "I...what did you call it...oh yes, I slipped you a mickey. I put a potion into our wine, my dear."

Hermione's narrowed her eyes and she stood. "What did you put in my wine?" Not the least bit charmed that he remembered the mugglism she'd told him about months ago, or that he'd used it today. Well, not much anyway.

A/N: Well he's gonna be in trouble, and so is she. It's a cliffy and I'm sorry, but I promise it wont take nearly as long to get a new update. This story is completed and will be posted regularly until the end, which is just another couple of chapters anyway. Until next time, my lovelies. Take care and and as always, please leave me your thoughts.