Chapter 1 ~ Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus

The decision to come back to the now completely restored Hogwarts, had not been an easy one to make. She had thought long and hard before concluding that even without Harry and Ron, returning to her former school to finish her exams was indeed the right thing to do.

Hermione Granger tugged on the hem of her grey woollen skirt. It couldn't have shrunk since she left her room, that was just silly, but for some reason it now felt ridiculously short beneath her long Gryffindor robe. At almost twenty, wearing a school uniform made her feel more like the star of a pornographic film, than a pupil, and she squirmed uncomfortably. Hermione straightened her scarlet and gold tie, for the umpteenth time and ran a somewhat useless hand over her still rather unruly mass of hair. It was nowhere near as wild as it had been when she was a child, but the products to keep it in check still took up most of the space in her bathroom.

Hermione could hear voices coming from within Minerva McGonagall's office. One female, obviously the headmistress herself, the other was male, probably one of the other Professors, its identity muffled by the heavy wooden door.

As the headmistress called for her to enter, the wisdom of her decision to return suddenly eluded her. A strange sense of apprehension creeping up her spine and a distinct chill caressing her skin. Hermione's stomach churned, she hadn't felt this nervous at school since the then, Professor McGonagall had placed the sorting hat on her precocious 11 year old head.

Entering the room fully Hermione found herself unexpectedly in the embrace of the older witch, her emerald green robes engulfing her in a comforting warmth.

"I am delighted you decided to come back." The headmistress wise blue eyes sparkled with tears as she spoke, finally releasing Hermione from an almost bear like hug.

Hermione took a small step backwards, smiling fondly at her former head of house. Her nerves gradually settling, she cast a cursory glance around the cluttered, almost homely office. Her eyes finally falling upon the owner of the second voice: Warm brown locked with piercing grey.

"Miss Granger, what a pleasure to see you again and looking so… grown up."

Hermione's faced flushed, she felt the heat spreading slowly from her cheeks, creeping down the slim column of her throat. She resisted the urge to fiddle yet further with her tie, even though it now felt as if were strangling her. Under the penetrative and deliberately slow assessment, heat continued to suffuse her entire body, feeling sure the red glow would be visible through her pristine white shirt, Hermione willed her arms to remain at her side. In the presence of her Headmistress she bit back the retort that sat on the tip of her tongue. Finding her own gaze however just as unhurried, and dare she admit appreciative, as that of Lucius Malfoy, as she took in his imposing presence. The twinkle in his slate grey eyes, the quizzically raised dark blonde brow, and the ever so slight twitch of his lips, alerted her to the fact, that her own somewhat inappropriate appraisal, had not gone unnoticed by the formidable dark wizard.

If Minerva McGonagall noticed any tension of any kind in the room she said nothing. Turning her attention once more back to the tall blonde man.

"Lucius are you sure I cannot get someone to walk around with you, it's no trouble?"

"Minerva, I know these halls and rooms as well as I know my own home, I am sure a little rebuilding and redecoration has not changed things that much."

His words were soft and indulgent, as if he were placating a child. He flashed an uncharacteristic smile, not his usual sneer, but a genuinely affectionate and rather devastating smile, at the clearly uneasy Headmistress, who visibly relaxed at his assurances, but did not look entirely convinced.

A "little rebuilding and redecoration" thought Hermione, that's the understatement of the year. The school had been all but destroyed, raised to the ground in the final battle. Glancing surreptitiously at Lucius Malfoy she drew and odd comparison between the former Death Eater and the school she loved so dearly. Recalling the last day she had seen both. Both shadows of their former selves, both brought to their knees as it were by the Dark Lord. Behind her the school had lain in ruins, reduced to a pile of burning rubble and ashes. Before her had stood Lucius Malfoy a man whose life was in ruins, unkempt and in fear for his life and that of his family. Strange how she recalled his presence with such clarity. He too it would appear had been restored to his former glory. More than a little rebuilding and redecoration of his own, she mused.

Hermione was brought back to the present as he moved, with elegant, cat like grace across the room.

She had to confess to being more than a little taken aback by the ease of conversation and countenance that transpired between the two former enemies.

"Well as long as you are sure" The Headmistress was saying.

Lucius Malfoy turned to Hermione, his trademark blonde locks cascading about his shoulders as he inclined his head; their translucent pallor a stark contrast to the navy, almost black, beautifully tailored robes he wore.

"Miss Granger, a pleasure as I said."

He flashed a not quite so indulgent, but decidedly sexier smile in her direction. His grey eyes twinkling just a tad mischievously, causing Hermione to flush once more. A rather different kind of heat flooding her body.

"I am sure that Draco will be equally as pleased to see you when he returns tomorrow."

He paused briefly, for effect no doubt thought Hermione, not rising to the obvious bait, but her mind spinning none the less at the revelation. The last thing Draco Malfoy was going to be, was pleased to see her.

Once again she was catapulted back in time. His clipped aristocratic tones and the mention of his son's name reminding her of her very first encounter with the enigmatic and disdainful Lucius Malfoy, all those years ago. She could still see his face as he looked down his nose at her in Flourish and Blotts, a derisive sneer curling his lip, as her name fell from his cruel mouth. A mouth, she now found her eyes inexplicably drawn to. Something else she felt certain the ever observant wizard hadn't missed for a second.

"I myself will look forward to seeing you again, soon I hope."

In a swishing of expensive fabric, a waft of spicy aromatic cologne and a few clicks of metal upon the stone floor, Lucius Malfoy was gone, leaving a rather flustered and somewhat confused Hermione Granger in his wake.

Warm fruit scones, strawberry jam, clotted cream and a self-refilling pot of tea, accompanied the following hour or so of conversation and a surprising amount of gossip that ensued with Hogwarts newest head.

Lucius Malfoy's heady cologne still seemed to linger in the air, and at times Hermione found her mind wandering. She could still see those usually cold grey eyes of his twinkling. Every time she recalled his blatant appraisal, a little pool of heat burned low in her belly and she felt her cheeks flush. This was Lucius Malfoy she reminded herself, vigorously spreading more cream on her scone. Why was she thinking about him at all?

"Just between you and me" Minerva McGonagall was explaining. "I don't think Draco is that keen on returning. His father might have changed, but he's still not a man you argue with."

Hermione's ears pricked up, pulling her attention away from the thick red jam, and listening intently as Minerva McGonagall shared perhaps a little more than she should about Messrs Malfoy junior and senior. The heavily loaded cake stopped midway between the pretty tartan edged tea plate, and Hermione's open mouth, when the Headmistress conspiratorially told her just how much time, effort and not to mention money, Lucius Malfoy had invested in the rebuilding of Hogwarts. Surmising, once more, "just between them" it had probably taken his mind off his wife leaving him and of course it hadn't done his social standing any harm at all.

The scone finally made its way into Hermione's mouth, she chewed thoughtfully, not wishing to appear too intrigued or curious about the former follower of the Dark Lord. Fortunately the Headmistress went on without any prompting. Pouring Hermione another cup of tea, she continued. The young witch listened, totally absorbed in the almost unbelievable revelations.

Hermione was still pondering those revelations as she headed back to the Gryffindor common room, trying desperately to equate what she had heard with the man she knew from her younger days. She didn't need a NEWT in arithmancy to deduce it didn't add up. She was so deeply wrapped up in her thoughts and musings, and what the Headmistress had imparted, that instead of finding herself in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, Hermione looked up only to find herself in the Hogwarts Dungeons.

Despite the extensive works carried out on the school, they were still cold and musty and they still gave her the creeps. How, or more to the point, why in Merlin's name had she ended up here?

"Are you lost Miss Granger?"

A somewhat amused sounding voice drawled from behind her, the tell-tale clicking of a cane tip, metal against the cobbled stones edged closer. Despite the chill of the corridor, Hermione once again felt that strange heat course through her veins, like hot liquid honey, warming her body from within. It intensified as the clicking grew louder. And then suddenly silence engulfed the dimly luminated corridor. A bizarre electricity crackling without sound in the air. Hermione could feel Lucius Malfoy's intimidating and overwhelming presence just inches behind her. That spicy aromatic scent of his, invading her nostrils. Her body tingled with something a lot more frightening than fear. His proximity was such that she could hear his even breathing, shivering slightly, and almost feeling as if his hand had brushed over her back.

Hermione reminded herself that she was no longer a child; maybe that was the problem, a little voice chided in her ear. She shut it out and turned to face him. Her brown eyes locking with his mesmerising grey for the second time in a short space of time. Had Lucius Malfoy always been so devilishly handsome? His imperious presence all but taking her breath away. Oh Hermione Granger was lost all right, but geography had absolutely nothing to do with it….

She should despise the man, be reviled by his mere presence, the way she always had been, but something had changed. According to Minerva McGonagall it was Lucius Malfoy. Losing so much had ensured he had seen the error of his ways, the building she now stood in, was in part testament to that.

Perhaps Hermione herself was just older and hopefully a tad wiser. She no longer viewed things with childish naiveté or simplicity, but looked at the bigger picture. Much as she wanted to believe that, take the intellectual high ground, loath as she was to admit it, any changes she felt had little or nothing to do with being older and wiser or seeing the bigger picture. In fact there was no wisdom whatsoever in what Hermione was thinking about Lucius Malfoy, and that "bigger picture" made her heart beat a little faster, and her palms sweat. They were not the only place that felt unusually damp!

"Like you Mister Malfoy I know this building too well to be lost. I….."

Hermione wished she had a book or something with her to clutch, she didn't know what to do with her hands and fiddling would make her look nervous.

"I just thought I would have a little wander round before dinner" She continued. "See if anything had changed."

The moment she said it Hermione bit her lip.

"And has it Miss Granger?" Came the immediate response. Lucius Malfoy didn't miss a beat. His tone soft and menacingly low.

The tension hung in the air like one of the candles in the Great Hall.

Hermione would need to choose her words very carefully. It would be all too easy to find herself in way over her head…..but then again, it would be no fun spending an entire term at Hogwarts without a distraction or two, some intrigue and a little excitement.

Was Lucius Malfoy really the distraction she wanted? Something told her he could certainly provide the intrigue and more than a little excitement. She held his penetrating gaze with frightening ease, but could she hold her nerve.

"Well on the surface Mister Malfoy, everything seems to be just as it always was" Hermione paused, a small smile lifting her lips. "That daunting and foreboding exterior, that carefully crafted façade, but once you get beyond that hidden away is something quite magical."

Hermione saw something flicker in those cold grey eyes of his, a muscle twitched ever so slightly in his taught jaw. She noticed his gloved hand tighten around the serpent headed cane. And a sardonic smile curved his lips.

"It's old Miss Granger and has seen its share of trouble and hurt. Looks as we know can be deceiving, it might not be as you imagine it to be."

Hermione's retort was sharp, almost defensive: "Not by wizarding standards Mister Malfoy and I have the strangest feeling that despite everything, it's stronger, more resilient and has a capacity for so much more. It certainly looks as impressive and imposing as it always did, perhaps more so."

They weren't talking about the school and both of them were well aware of the fact.

A familiar smirk curled Lucius Malfoy's lip and for a moment Hermione was daunted by that foreboding exterior. The school motto flashed through her mind as he moved forward. The façade dropping as he obliterated the small expanse of space between them. The kid of his gloved fingers was surprisingly soft as he took her chin roughly between his thumb and forefinger, tilting her head back. Hermione took a sharp intake of breath, but remained steadfastly where she was. The tickling had been done, the "dragon" was awake.

"The brave little Gryffindor" He said in his clipped aristocratic tones. His face mere inches from hers.

"The sexy Slytherin!" The words were out before she could stop them.

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