Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

A Simple Proposal	By : Tri Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Lucius/Hermione Views: 26265 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 6
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, its characters, locations, and everything in between. I make no profit from this story by using the characters and places. My only gain from this is reviews and writing practise.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
The tapping on the window was excruciatingly matching the painful throbbing of her head. Hermione covered her ears with her pillow, praying that the soft cushion could drown out the noise. When the blaring music of her alarm came in full force, merging with the tapping, the young witch gave up. While most girls woke up with only a few strands of hair all puffed out, Hermione’s hair in the mornings mimic a wild bird’s nest. It wasn’t like she thrashed in her sleep to get it this way and yet; her hair was standing on ends.

She slammed her fist against her alarm, shutting it off sent vibrations through her body. At least, one noise was taken care of. One down, two to go. The knocking on the window pane was getting louder. Hermione expected a little tawny owl with a copy of the morning’s Daily Prophet; instead she saw a large horned eagle owl clawing at her window. It looked ready to rip into her flesh if she didn’t open the window soon.

Carefully, Hermione untangled herself from her sheets and made her way to the window. She unhooked the lock and pulled the window up, letting in a flash of angry feathers. The owl swooped its massive wings in her small room as it lowered itself on her hand stitched quilt. Its claws were wrapped wound a thick ribbon which was attached to a box half the size of her bed.

The eagle-owl cawed at her, it yellow eyes flaring at Hermione’s lack of a quick response. Crookshanks was hissing and snarling from his spot on the floor, his hair sticking on ends.

“Easy there,” She said softly, holding hands up in a calming gesture.

She didn’t want to wind up having to pick up feathers and cat fur off the floor later. Hermione grabbed a stale owl treat from a bowl on her desk. Tossing it in the air, the eagle-owl swooped up and caught it mid-air. The eagle-owl was unhappy with her treat but the bird knew it wouldn’t get another treat and took off through the window.

Crookshanks was miffed and swished his tail as he stalked out of her room. Hermione looked towards the large box stretched across her bed. It was a dark blue box, thick as a suitcase, and held together with sky blue ribbon. In the middle of the ribbon was a large seal with a large triangle with a line in the middle as it’s right arms tilted in a forty-five degree angle. Hermione knew the rune, Fehu a mile away but she never seen a label like this. After a scan of any enchantments, she found it to be harmless.

Still, she was cautious as she removed the ribbon from the box. As she lifted the lid, Hermione was greeted with the sweet and slightly scent of vanilla and caramel, and a letter with her name resting on top of a cushion of blue tissue paper.

Her heart sank as she saw the large M on the large green seal on the back of the envelope. It was from Lucius Malfoy, there was no way to doubt that.

Good Morning Miss Granger,

I am pleased that you made this decision to become my apprentice. I received word that you signed the contract last night, as I knew you would. From this day forth, you shall become my apprentice and I pray you abide by all the rules. As a token of my gratitude (and that I cannot have my apprentice walking in threadbare clothing), this gift that my bird Baldur has delivered, is something you will find better suited for a woman of your station. I find that you will this gift acceptable, as I know you shall.

I look forward to seeing you,

Lord Lucius A. Malfoy

The arrogance came off the page like perfume sprayed on a love letter. Hermione knew that Lucius was tactical as well as a great businessman but, one thing she hated was being one step behind. He knew she would sign the blasted contract no matter what. As she read the letter, she could hear the husky baritone voice of his speaking every word, as if he was right in the room. That thought made her feel vulnerable, the idea that he would be seeing her in her underwear. It sent a shiver down her spine, prickling her skin into Goosebumps.

Hermione shook her head, clearing her thoughts of him; she had a whole day ahead of her. She didn’t believe Lucius about filling her office overnight; that was not done. She walked over to the large box still resting on her bed. Gently, she lifted the tissue paper like opening an ancient tome.

At an instant, her eyes formed into size of galleons. “Oh, Merlin’s balls…”

~~

Ever since she stepped into the elevator, Hermione had been fussing with her clothes like a child going to picture day. Logically, she knew no one was staring at her but still, that nervousness of people’s eyes on her still remained. Her fellow Ministry workers might not be looking at her outfit but rather at her, probably why she was still here. As the elevator descended through the floors, Hermione saw more and more people holding boxes of their belongings, holding back tears of failure. She wondered if Lucius hadn’t stepped in to offer her support, she might be heading to her office today to get her belongings.

She could only hope that she wasn’t marching to her career’s funeral.

Hermione pushed herself down the hallway toward her office, noticing how empty it was. A sick feeling started to pull her down, that maybe the Malfoy patriarch showed her the glamour of salvation but in reality was a means to a gateway to hell. Hermione stopped in front of a mirror nearby, she didn’t want to face the end looking like she had been through it already.

She hardly looked like she could ever step into the mouth of hell, with superiority and confidence stitched into her clothing. The gift that Malfoy had sent her was a new working outfit for someone at a high station in power without sacrificing her gender. It would be something that a boss would wear without closing up casual dressed employees. Hermione couldn’t believe how muggle Lucius went and she couldn’t believe how he knew her measurements.

A periwinkle blouse hung off her shoulders, the collar came together to form a scarf like tie down her chest, coming to rest above her breast. The material of the blouse was soft, a light cotton that ended in satin at the cuffs. A black waistcoat fitted around her torso snuggly, with periwinkle strips going vertically, showing off her curves. The skirt even had a wand holster attached to a belt; it was loose enough so Hermione’s wand won’t dig into her thigh. Malfoy even went beyond by having her initials sewed into the holster.

A tight black pencil skirt ended modestly above her knees, it left her a lot of room to move her legs despite how it formed around her thighs. Hermione had pulled on black tights underneath the skirt, glad she had shaved her legs the other night. The heels that were in the box were far too high for her to wear, as she knew she would be tripping over them in a second, so Hermione put on a pair of low heel shoes, even though the blackness had dulled over time.

Hermione wasn’t so worried about her hair, as she had accepted her wild hair years ago, but she still couldn’t help but pull her hair into a chignon that rested at the back of her neck. Letting her wild hair out would have dulled the appeal of her outfit.

The young witch took in a breath, hoping that she wasn’t dressed so nicely for a huge disappointment. She was never late for anything but today, her nervousness and fears had dulled her sense of time. Hermione was nearly an hour late. She had to face the music sooner or later.

Unlike the other doors on the floor, where she knew Departments had been disbanded, the golden lettering of “The Department of Rights and Regulations for Magical Creatures” was still visible on the foggy glass. Hermione swallowed once more and turned the handle and thrust herself into the office.

The sight of it all hit her before the world became noisy. Where the night before, where the desks were empty and clear, as if there hadn’t been an occupant for years, there were actually people behind each desk. Each one of them was busy with either decorating their desks with personal belongings or chatting up with their neighbor. She hasn’t seen this many people in her Department that Hermione could have sworn she walked into another Department.

The noise quieted then when one by one, each of these unfamiliar faces turned and looked Hermione. Each one of them were suddenly eager, as if they were expecting her to do something entertain. Hermione opened her mouth to speak and she was one syllable from asking why they were there when a voice sounded behind her.

“Miss Granger?”

Hermione whirled around towards a woman standing behind her, as if she appeared from thin air. The woman’s chestnut colored hair swept over one shoulder of a gray suit jacket, curled up in a way that looked both casual and elegant. She looked like if she just took off her jacket, then her white silk blouse and gray skirt would mean a night on the town. This woman exhumed elegance and sophistication like years spent learning how to balance a book on her head.

Hermione swallowed hard, “Yes?”

The air of elegance subsided as the woman smiled gently, like seeing an old friend. “Good morning. I am Astoria Greengrass, your new secretary. It is a pleasure to meet you.” She was speaking as if she wasn’t worried about the many eyes on them.

Astoria offered her hand towards Hermione, and she couldn’t help but notice the huge size diamond on her hand. Hermione took her hand and shook, noticing right away how smooth her hand was. Her name rung bells of familiarity but Hermione couldn’t find the source.

Astoria took a moment and joined Hermione at her side, the new witch turning her to face the many eyes. Astoria looked younger than her but; Astoria was nearly a few inches taller than her. The woman rested her hand on her arm. “Miss Granger, I would like to be the first one to introduce you to your department. Everyone, this is the brilliant witch we will work together to achieve our goals.”

At Astoria’s voice, everyone’s face balloon to smiles and agreeable nods. The young witch was carrying the room. Hermione looked over everyone, counting at least a dozen of people in the room, wondering when this dream would end. Lucius actually filled her entire Department with people! What kind of magic did he pull?

“Miss Granger hopes that you start on reviewing on the projects your predecessors left behind. Their work is yours now. Miss Granger will hold a Department meeting shortly.” Astoria continued, addressing Hermione’s new employees. “Is that acceptable?”

Hermione gave a tiny start when Astoria’s soft green eyes stared at her. She was so caught in her own thoughts that she led Astoria, who was supposed to be her assistant, take over. She felt her cheeks burn from embarrassment. She wasn’t expecting something like to happen.

The muggleborn witch cleared her throat; her voice was a better attempt at authority than she thought possible. Maybe Astoria’s earlier words were having an effect on her. “I look forward to getting to know each one of you. If you have any questions, feel free to come to my office anytime. Together we can save lives and build a bridge to a bright future.”

As claps sounded their mutual agreement, Astoria led Hermione towards the familiar path towards her office. Astoria kept herself at Hermione’s pace, “I have dossiers on everyone here. I put them in your office for you to review. I would recommend that you take the time to review them.”

Unlike Susan, Astoria looked ready for everything. Even her desk, settled outside Hermione’s door was organized and labeled like a soldier’s arsenal. Everything was neat and organized, from color coded to labeled and set in alphabetic order. Hermione’s heart lifted in kinship.

“Thank you, Miss Greengrass,” Something about her last name was familiar but, she couldn’t place it. It wasn’t a name she recognize from Gryffindor house.

“Please, call me Astoria.”

“Then call me Hermione.”

Hermione had her hand on the knob to her closed door when she turned her head back to Astoria. By now, Susan would have run to get Hermione her morning tea or sit down to work yet, Astoria stood there, as if she wanted to say something.

“Are you alright, Astoria?” The girl’s heart-shaped face was pinched as if she was sucking on something sour.

Astoria started, as if Hermione told her an earth shattering truth. “There are new…changes to your office. I hope….if there are any problems, I will be gladly to assist in every way.” She was skirting around the truth, Hermione realized, whatever it could be.

Hermione gave one passing glance at Astoria, who had taken to sit at her desk and busy herself like their conversation never happened, before opening the door to her office. Astoria was right; there were a lot of changes to her office. It was twice as big as was the night before, no doubt due to an enlargement spell. The faded mustard colored walls of her office were gone and replaced with a soft maroon color with pearly white trimmings. Her desk used to be made from cheap wood, with dents and scratches from years of use, but it was replaced with an expensive looking desk with clawed foot ends. Behind her desk were two large bookcases, separated by a waist high bookcase, all of them filled with her own books and her personal pictures of her family and friends. Above the lower bookcase was a French style window that was enchanted to looked over the busy streets of muggle London. It was an office suit for a boss.

Hermione picked up one of the dossiers off her desk when she heard voice behind her. “What took you so long, Granger?”

She knew that voice like the cold shudder that always went down her spine every time she heard it. Hermione spun around her aged heels, her wand drawn out faster than she could blink. Sitting by the door, in a desk similar to hers, his feet resting on top of the desk with a folder in his hands was the biggest scorn of her childhood. Draco Malfoy.

Draco looked up from the folder, looking unimpressed by the wand pointed straight at him. “Do put that wand down, Granger, before you poke an eye out.”

“I would rather poke your eye out,” Hermione hissed. “What are you doing in my office?”

“Our office,” he corrected her like it was a matter of fact.

“Excuse me?” The witch held back a curse, more worried about it damaging her office rather the little pureblood before her. “‘Our’ office? What in Merlin’s name are you on about?”

Draco snapped the folder closed, and stood up from the desk and walked the small distance between them. He wasn’t as tall as his father but, Draco Malfoy had that arrogant pride in every muscle of his body, like each step he took was a gift to God. That’s what Hermione always thought of him, like he believed he was a blessing to the world but, ever since the War, Draco had lessened his “blessing” to the world. He still had that prideful smarmy look about it but, he wasn’t about to showboat everything.

“Didn’t my father tell you anything?” He asked, stopping a distance away from her wand. He knew exactly how dangerous Hermione could be with a wand if provoked.

“No,” Hermione replied shortly. The only time she really spoke to him was yesterday and a letter this morning. He said nothing about his son working in her office.

Draco grimaced and let out a puff of air, like speaking to her was deflating him. “He wants me to help you run this Department. He wants us to work together.”

It was Hermione’s turn to frown, “You have your own Department-”

“I worked for a Department, it wasn’t really mine.”

“Your Department,” she carried on like he never spoke. “Was the one who voted to cut our, my funding by that cruel law of yours. It was your Department that nearly closed mine.”

“Granger, it wasn’t just my Department that hurt yours. There were other factors in it as well.” He was probably right but, it didn’t make Hermione want to agree. “We were just the last hay that broke the horse’s spine.”

“It is ‘the last straw that broke the camel’s back’,” Hermione corrected his butchering of the muggle saying. “You were the last straw that broke the camel’s back.”

“I’m glad you agree,” That smarmy smirk on his face was just begging to be slapped. “If you have any problems about this, we can go talk to my father.”

Hermione tighten her grip on her wand. “Oh, I intend to.”

--

Lucius’ head sprung up as like a crack of a whip, the doors were nearly blasted through. Standing in the door like a female Samson, Hermione stood with flushed cheeks. He could hear his secretary screeching for her to stop and not go in. The witch didn’t seem to hear it and Lucius watched as she marched her way to his desk, her old shoes pounding into his carpet. Her hair had sprung free of her bun; he could feel the magic electricity off her.

“Good morning, Miss G-”

“Explain yourself!” The girl was young but, she certainly had, as the muggles called it, spunk. She slammed her hands on his desk, rattling the tea cup nearby.

Lucius leaned against his chair, “Whatever do you mean, Miss Granger?”

Hermione looked bloodthirsty; her brown eyes were alit with flames one might find in the bowels of Hell. “Why is your blasted son working for me? Is this a way for you to gain power? Are you just using me to get your son his own Department?” Was that a hint of betrayal in her anger?

Lucius looked over her tiny shoulders towards his door to his son. From here, he could see the red hand print against Draco’s pale cheeks as clear as day. Draco was rubbing his flesh, as if he could rub the sting away. His shoulders were slack, as if he was a child caught with a club and a broken vase at his feet. When silver eyes met similar eyes, Draco passed his father an apologetic tight grin.

“Miss Granger,” he moved his eyes back to the fiery witch before him. The heat from her anger really gave her rather…attractive glow to her. Lucius moved up from his desk and approached the angered witch like a lion tamer to a crazed lioness. “Hermione.”

“What?”

Lucius gestured for Draco to enter, who reluctantly did so as he shuffled in, Draco didn’t even look at Hermione as he sat down in on the chairs in front of the desk. Lucius kept his eyes on Hermione, despite her small height; she was not someone Lucius would trifle with, especially in this state. He remembered walking into the bathroom at L’Jean and seeing how much destruction this little witch could bring. The bathroom was like as if a tornado and a hurricane merged into one another in a super-nova of a storm. As it was because Raul Guerra was being himself.

As easy as picking up fine china, Lucius placed his hand against her arm. Through the material of the shirt, he could feel her jump at the unexpected touch. Lucius wished she wouldn’t do so, if she was nervous around him, it would make the apprenticeship difficult. The pureblood eased Hermione into the chair next to Draco, who had pulled himself far away her as much as possible.

Lucius looked between his startled son and his angered apprentice, wishing that he could sigh and spell this day away. “Miss Granger, Draco is your employee. Someone I hand-picked and spent all night and morning, getting him to join your Department. He agreed only if he could work with you personally, which I agreed to it because I know how valuable Draco can be for the Department. He has skills that would serve you well. He has a way of finding loop-holes and getting things done. Draco will also work as my proxy.”

Draco smirked at the muggle-born, “I told you, Granger,”

Hermione face twitched, as if she wanted to reach over and slap his other cheek but, she kept her place in her seat. “We won’t work well together. We hate each other.”

“Hate is such a harsh word. I know you secretly want to see my little dragon-”

“Draco!” Lucius couldn’t keep his calm demeanor any longer. His silver daggered eyes turned to Draco, making him shrink in his chair. “I will not have you speak to Miss Granger in such a foul language. Apologize to her.”

“But, I was-”

“Now!”

Hermione lips twitched into a tiny smile for him, so small that Lucius swore he imagined things. He felt his heart twist and speed up at the smile.

“I’m sorry, Hermione,” Draco muttered. Lucius knew that the best he could do right now.

“Now, Miss Granger,” her small smile faded as he turned back to her. “I believe that one of my conditions for my help that you must accept my choices at employees at all cost.”

Hermione cheeks whiten, as the anger washed away as this realization hit her. “I…I wasn’t expecting him to be one my employees.”

“And yet, you still lashed out at him. Do you want my help or not?”

The witch looked at the ground sheepishly, “Yes. I do.”

“Good,” Lucius reached over and cupped her chin so he could see into her eyes. How come one woman have such a wide range of emotions yet, she kept them all in check? Her brown eyes were still warm, as if they were pools of melted chocolate, despite her anger fading from her voice. “I will let this go for now. If you go against my rules again…I won’t be as kind. Is that understood, Hermione?”

Her breath caught in her throat, she couldn’t nod her head with the grip on her chin. “Y-yes…I understand…”

“Good,” he dropped his hand his side. “I expect civilly between the both of you. Now, go.”

Both of them stood up quickly from their chairs, Draco rushing to the door as quickly as he could. Hermione was halfway out of the door before Lucius called out her name.

“Yes, sir?” she looked at him, her wild strands of hair falling down. She looked like a woman who just finished a quick shag in the closet. Lucius shook his head at himself for even thinking that, it was too vulgar for a man his age to think of a young woman having a quickie in the broom closet. But, with her untamable hair, flush that had returned to her eyes, and her wide eyes…she certainly looked the part.

“I look forward to having you at my home this weekend.” Lucius purred out, enjoying the way Hermione’s throat moved up and down as she swallowed in nervousness.

Hermione didn’t wait for another word and took off through the doors. Alone, Lucius sat back down in his chair, his fingers tapping on his lips as he watched her retreating form. “Looking very much to this weekend….very much so.”

--

Author’s Note: Oh, Lucius, you sleazy dog you. Dressing up our Hermione and getting her all riled up, silly boy.

I hope you guys like this chapter. Please, review!
- 5
- 6
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

A Simple Proposal