Author's Note: Long chapter is long! But also slow to be published, so hopefully the length makes up for me taking forever to get this out. As usual, I love all the favorites/follows/comments. I'm so glad you are enjoying reading this as much as I enjoy writing it.

And also as usual, I own nothing but my own words and any mistakes that might have come along with them.

"You must return to work."

"Excuse me?" I asked, taken aback.

"You must return to work," he repeated. "Immediately."

"Mr. Malfoy, I don't know what possessed you to come to my home and start making demands of me, but I'm not going to return simply because you tell me to."

He smirked. "So we are back to 'Mr. Malfoy,' are we?" He stepped over the threshold, invading my space. "How formal. So unlike the last time we saw one another."

"I told you, that was a mistake. It shouldn't have happened. And as for me returning to work, I think it's best if I transfer to another department. I'll put in my request tomorrow, and we won't have to see each other again."

His eyes hardened and he stepped forward, sending me back until he had me trapped between his body and the kitchen counter. "That isn't going to work," he growled. "I refuse to lose a competent colleague, and I am sure you are aware that any other work would be beneath you."

"It wouldn't be beneath me," I replied, my face growing heated both at the argument and his proximity. "There are several perfectly respectable departments in the Ministry."

"Nonsense." He loomed over me, an undeniable presence that should have been threatening, but all I felt was that familiar rush of desire. "You know that you would not be happy anywhere else. You must return to me, where you belong."

When I felt myself flush red I wondered if I had been incredibly thick. Had he ever actually been talking about work? I swallowed a sudden lump in my throat. "I can't."

"You can." His voice, low and insistent, made me shiver. He lifted a hand to my cheek, thumb stroking idly over the reddened skin. It took all of the remaining shreds of my self control not to lean into his touch.

"No, I can't," I said again. My own voice came out much weaker than I had intended. "I can't just…" I sighed. "It isn't the right thing to do."

"Always so concerned with doing what's 'right'," he scolded softly, though his tone was surprisingly sincere. "Forget about 'right' for a moment. What is it you want?"

I swallowed again, trying rapidly, desperately to convince myself to say what I knew I should. I had to tell him that what I wanted was my life with Ron, my life of normality; that that made me happy. I knew when I said it he would back away, and I would be free of him forever.

"I want…"

For what felt like hours those two words hung in the silence between us. It would be so easy to tell him to go. But I wondered: when did he get so close?

"Yes?" His question was no more than a whisper.

I set my wand down on the counter. I had nearly forgotten that I was even holding it. One of my hands pressed to his chest, possibly to push him away, but instead slid up to curl around the back of his neck, pulling gently. He acquiesced, slow enough that I had time to move away like I should, bending so his lips just barely brushed my own.

Bastard, I thought in the briefest flash. He knew exactly what he was doing, making sure that the final movement was my own. I both loved and hated him for it.

Then I stopped thinking and leaned up the rest of the way.

He responded to the kiss immediately, forcefully, all teeth and tongue and that molten silver heat that burned so visibly within him. My body reacted in remembered pleasure, pressing against him, desire flaring at the feel of his growing hardness against my abdomen. I couldn't help but whimper into the kiss.

The hand not around Lucius's neck slid downward to cup him through his trousers, causing him to groan in the most delightfully frustrated way. For the first time I realized the power I had over this man, and I loved it. I pulled back from him completely and he groaned again.

He glared at me, fire raging in his eyes, face hardened in agonized disbelief. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

A wave of desire rushed through me at the way he practically growled; but I continued to back away, biting on my lower lip, grinning in my triumph. I turned away from him and out of the room, peeling my shirt off and throwing it behind myself so that it would land directly in his line of sight.

The bra came next, landing not far from the shirt. As I walked down the corridor I maintained the same pattern, undressing and tossing articles of clothing aside to leave an odd sort of trail to my bedroom. Entirely nude, I settled back on my bed, propped up on my elbows. I knew I wouldn't have to wait long for him.

Mere moments later he appeared in the doorway. He stood there, transfixed, looking me over like I might be a fine piece of art on display in a museum. Despite the odd sort of bravado I had shown with my little performance, I found myself blushing down my chest at his gaze.

Lucius grinned, predatory, serpentine gaze fixated on me as he crawled onto the bed with graceful ease. I wondered if there was anything this man couldn't do in that deliciously haughty charm of his- and quickly decided that no, no there was not.

"You're thinking too hard about something," he murmured. At some point during my internal tangent he'd bent to brush his lips against my jaw. "I don't care for distractions."

I shivered, grinning. "It's your own fault, since I happened to be thinking about you."

His lips traveled down the sensitive curve of my neck. "Hmm...I suppose that is better. Although I'd prefer to have your attention focused on me in other ways."

My hands slipped under the hem of his shirt, tugging gently at it. "What sort of ways?"

"Don't play coy, you know exactly what sort of ways."

I couldn't help giggling. "I do. But you're going to need to be far less dressed if I'm going to give you any of that sort of attention."

He clicked his tongue in a mock reproachful fashion. "So demanding, my dear."

"Yes. I've waited long enough."

He smirked and undressed himself quickly, discarding his clothes on the floor before returning to me. I reveled in the sensation of his heated skin against my own.

"Much better," I sighed happily.

"Hmm," he hummed in agreement.

He lowered his head to mine, capturing my lips once more. Again I marveled internally at how wonderful it felt to kiss him- how natural, how right. I never wanted to stop. His tongue swept past my parted lips to tangle with my own, and I reveled in the burning taste of him, stoking the flames of my need ever higher.

One hand slipped down between my thighs, teasing. I reluctantly broke from the kiss to groan.

"Lucius…"

"Yes?"

"Enough teasing. I need you."

"As you wish."

He took only a moment to adjust himself, positioning at my entrance before thrusting inside me.

Finally. The word seemed to shout at me in my mind. It felt like it had been ages since we had last joined rather than mere days. My body was thrilled at the sudden fulfillment, banishing entirely the ache it had felt without him.

"Yes…" I moaned aloud. Both of my legs wrapped around his waist in a familiar movement, everything within me already so attuned to him.

"Gods," he growled in return. "Too long...it's been too fucking long since I've been inside you…"

The logical side of me wanted to point out that it had only been three days. That part was drowned out by the side internally shouting in agreement. My body felt soothed and inflamed all at once, the ache of missing him replaced by fulfillment and the white-hot burn of pure pleasure. Overwhelmed, I simply moaned louder as an acknowledgment.

"Lucius…" I barely realized his name had escaped my lips. "Yes, Lucius…"

"So perfect," he muttered, his voice so low I wondered if he even knew that he had spoken aloud. "So wet, and tight, and perfect for me…"

The words caused a rollicking wave of pleasure to surge within me, his every motion pushing me toward the inevitable. I couldn't contain my own sudden vocality.

"All for you," I agreed in what I normally would have thought was a degrading and embarrassing fashion. In the moment, with him, it seemed the only right thing to do. "I am perfect for you, and you are perfect for me...I've never felt like this before...Lucius…"

"No, you haven't." The force of his thrusts cut the edge of his usual arrogance. "Only with me. Only ever with me…"

I whimpered my agreement. "Yes…"

Somehow he seemed to already know my body so well, he could see that I was near the edge, as he sped up the motion of his hips while he slipped a hand down between us to expertly rub the spot at the apex of my legs.

"Come for me," he growled, nearly animalistic in his intensity. That was all it took.

"Lucius!" I screamed his name out to the corners of the room, letting him hear the pleasure he had given me.

He followed immediately after, my own name on his lips. "Hermione…"

When we had finally ridden out the waves of aftershocks he slipped out of me with a groan, falling back at my side on the bed. I turned and settled against him, panting but feeling like I could breathe better than I had in days. My head settled on his chest and I inhaled a deep, greedy breath.

Leather and parchment and sated desire.

The scent filled my head and threaten to overwhelm me, but I found myself utterly relaxed at it. I breathed deep again.

"What are you thinking about?"

His voice from above me was a surprise in the quiet of the room, but a welcome one.

"How good you smell," I answered honestly.

He chuckled, a rich sound that reverberated through his chest and seeped into my very skin. "Do I? I wasn't aware."

I heard the smirk in his voice and giggled against his chest, delighting in it. How had I never realized just how beautiful each part of him was? I remembered quickly that the last time this happened, we had both been almost entirely clothed. Wonderful as it was, I much preferred the luxurious feel of skin against skin. He stroked my spine with one lazy hand, the other resting near my hip. I let out a happy sigh and took it in my own with the intention to lace my fingers through his, but he flinched at the contact before freezing entirely. It didn't escape my notice.

"Lucius?"

I wondered suddenly if something was wrong, if everything was about to turn sour as it had three days earlier and I had made a horrendous mistake. My hand still held his.

"Don't-" he began, and suddenly I realized the reason behind his reaction.

Turned slightly, his arm revealed the black mark I had seen so many times, in such horrible circumstances. It had faded only slightly, and would remain permanently on his otherwise unmarred flesh. My hand left his to ghost upward, stopping at his forearm, my fingertips tracing the familiar lines of the interwoven skull and snake. His breath hitched, and when I looked up I saw the depth of incredulity in his eyes.

"It's alright," I said softly. I had no idea where the words came from, or if he would even want to hear them.

"How?" He sounded lost, hollow, guilt-ridden. "How can you possibly…"

"You don't still believe in it, right? You don't still think this way?"

"No."

The immediate response shocked me. I'd expected at least a moment of hesitation.

He sighed heavily and began to speak again. "I spent a great deal of my life harboring the beliefs I did, Miss Granger."

We're back to 'Miss Granger', then? I thought to myself.

"I believed in my cause as much as you did in yours. Why should I have had any reason to question it? But the war changed everybody, not only you and your companions. I realized, not quickly enough, that I had lost everything to a madman. My home, my freedom, and very nearly my son...and for what? I'll admit, I do still struggle with...acceptance…but I no longer agree with the Dark Lord's particular vision. The clarity has allowed me to release some of my previous prejudices."

"Like me," I responded without thinking. "I doubt this would have happened had you still held your past beliefs...although if I am being perfectly honest, I have half-expected you to find yourself disgusted of me and run the moment we've finished. Part of me is surprised you're still here now."

"I couldn't. With other muggleborns, perhaps…"

I couldn't help a laugh even as I hit him in the chest. "You're sleeping with other muggleborns?"

"No, just the one. But she's quite enough for me."

The warm glow I felt at that tempered by another niggling question. "Lucius?"

"Hmm?"

"What about your wife?"

"I assure you, she isn't a muggleborn."

"You know that isn't what I meant." I rolled my eyes before looking up at him seriously. "How can we keep doing this? You have a wife, I have Ron…"

"I know," he replied, a bit too hasty. "I'm well aware of that."

"I can't hurt him."

"I believe that particular ship has already sailed, my dear. Whether or not he knows of it, the damage has been done."

"How can you be so cavalier about this?" Annoyed, I started to get up. He stopped me by tightening his hold on my waist, and though I wanted to be upset at the subtle possessiveness of it, I couldn't help the irrational glow of delight that swelled within me.

"It's merely honesty. Now that we've begun this, there's hardly a chance that someone won't be hurt at some point."

I sighed. I knew he was right, but I had no more desire to think about it. Luckily he seemed to have the same thoughts, as he fell silent and simply returned to holding me, one hand lifting to idly stroke my hair while the other maintained a gentle grasp on my waist.

Time passed, minutes stretching into hours while we stayed lazily reclined on the bed, settled in our relaxed embrace. Eventually I lifted my head to check the time and my stomach sank.

"It's getting late," I said, unable to keep the misery from my voice.

"Yes," he agreed. It lifted my spirits slightly to hear that he sounded just as dejected as I did.

We rose simultaneously, I threw on a robe and and together we located Lucius's discarded clothing so that he could redress. He cast a quick cleaning charm over himself before doing so, in moments returning to the poised and self-possessed man he displayed to the world. I felt a sudden rush of desire for him return; it took all of my control not to just tear his clothes off and pull him down to the bed once more.

I saw him out, passing the trail of clothing I'd left behind on the way to the front door. It made me blush a slight pink, and from the corner of my eye I saw the hint of a smirk on his lips.

"You will return, then?" he asked in the entryway. "To the Ministry, of course."

"Of course," I echoed. I nodded after a moment. "I will return."

Something that looked like relief flashed across his face. "Good. Then I shall see you there."

A sudden awkwardness threatened to overtake the moment, both of us not quite knowing how to part, until he suddenly bent to capture my lips. I whimpered in surprise and kissed back, immediately winding my arms around his neck. When he finally pulled away he left without another word; I heard the distinct pop of disapparition a moment later.

My return trip to the bedroom was accompanied by the sinking feeling of loss. A certain wretchedness joined in somewhere between my picking up all of the clothing on the floor and surveying the room when I stepped back inside it.

A pang of guilt wrenched through me as I eyed the rumpled bedding, sheets twisted and pillows strewn about, one of them halfway across the room on the floor. I wished briefly, desperately that the guilt had come from remorse at what I'd done- at what I'd done in the bed I shared with the man I supposedly loved- but I knew with an even worse realization that I didn't regret it at all.

The guilt swelled and festered when I finally admitted to myself that I knew I wanted it to happen again- that without a doubt, I needed this (whatever 'this' meant) to continue.

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