Two

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I make no money here.

AN: Many thanks go to my betas, Talesofsnape and Shiv5468, who both answered my plea for a beta so I could post to the lm_hgficxchange at Livejournal. And extra thanks to deemichelle, who helped to polish it up afterward. Thanks also to Tales for the lovely banner.

Hermione wanted to scream. It was only the third day of having that man in her house, and she wanted to kill him. "Lucius!" she shouted. "Get your lily-white arse down here right now!"

The first day he'd fried her laptop when he forgot about her restrictions on magic and had used his wand to cast a warming spell on the entire room, as his majesty was chilly. She'd managed to keep her head and not go berserk on him, showing him how to adjust the thermostat to control the heat.

Luckily she'd done a full backup before he came, anticipating something like this might happen. But still it had taken all day yesterday to go get a new laptop and install all the programs and download her files and bookmarks; and now she was back at square one with a second brand new totally dead laptop. She would have to repeat the entire process again tomorrow. Perhaps she could convince the techie guys at the store that they had sold her a bad machine.

She couldn't figure out quite how he'd managed it this time as she had created a special ward that would not allow him to enter the room with his wand. She had planned to start working on her tech-wards, as she was calling them, this week, but she was spending all of her time replacing computers. She'd also come to the conclusion that she needed to get some cheap, old used equipment to test on. She couldn't very well keep replacing state-of-the-art equipment.

"You bellowed, Miss Granger?" he asked in that cultured, butter-wouldn't-melt-in-his-mouth, voice.

"It's Hermione," she sighed. "Just Hermione. I won't stand on formality here. Lucius, as you know, I have asked you not perform any magic in my home. I realize this is difficult for you, but it's only for a few days until I get these new tech-wards worked out. The first day here, the warming spell you cast fried the motherboard on my computer."

He looked confused by her statement, but she forged ahead. "I spent most of the day yesterday replacing that computer and re-installing all of my files and software, and now this computer is totally dead as well."

Not knowing how to respond to this, he merely stood, hands clasped behind his back, staring about the room. Finally he responded, "I'm... err... sorry for your loss."

Hermione rubbed her fingers across her forehead as if soothing a headache. "Lucius, it's not as if a person has died. You needn't offer condolences. It's a machine. It's just that this is all very frustrating, expensive and time consuming. Did you somehow do magic in this room today in spite of my wards prohibiting you from bringing your wand in here?"

He thought about it for a bit and then frowned. "I do believe I may have Accio'd the book that I was reading from my room. I did it without even thinking, wandlessly."

"Wandless magic is even more powerful," replied Hermione. "Enough to destroy the electronics. They are very delicate and especially sensitive to magic."

"I don't understand the purpose of these electronics. Could you explain it to me?"

Hermione thought for a moment. Then, she proceeded. "Think of Muggle technology as their way of compensating for not having magic. They can do all sorts of things, Lucius. As you've seen, with the flick of switch, they can heat their homes without spells. They have machines to clean their clothes, wash their dishes, sweep their floors. With computers and telecommunications, they can contact people in an instant on the other side of the world."

Lucius looked skeptical at her claims.

She laughed. "It's true, I swear. If my laptop wasn't dead, I'd show you."

He looked pointedly at her lap.

"Not my lap, for Merlin's sake. My laptop computer. There are big computers people keep on their desks and more portable computers like this that they can actually take anywhere with them. I can write a note to my mum, hit a button and within minutes she can read it in Australia. It's faster than an owl or even a Patronus. Or, I can dial them up and speak to them in person without having to get down on my knees and talk into the Floo."

He still looked doubtful, so she pulled out her mobile and hit the speed dial to her parents. Within seconds, she was talking to her mum and even had her say hello to Lucius and tell him where she was.

Once she was off the phone, she proceeded to explain the many uses of her computer for filing, writing, accounting, communicating, storing pictures, doing research, even playing games or watching videos.

He asked many questions and seemed genuinely interested, so she offered to have him come with her the next day to purchase yet another new computer. She stipulated that they would have to bring one of the boys along for security.

*~~*

A few days later, Hermione was congratulating herself on converting Lucius to many things Muggle when the next bomb dropped. She'd decided to stop and pick up dinner on the way home, but the restaurant refused her credit card, saying it was maxed out. She knew that was impossible and figured it was some sort of glitch, so she paid with cash and was on her way. However, as she drove home, she began to worry. Had someone tried to steal her identity, or hacked into her accounts?

Upon entering her home, she was shocked by piles of delivery boxes stacked in her front hall. Shoving boxes aside and climbing over a few, she made her way to her study where she found Lucius, leaning back in the desk chair, clearly engrossed in something on her computer. "Lucius, what in the name of Hades is all this?"

He sat up abruptly, slightly turning the laptop away from her. "Oh, Hermione, you're home. I've done a little shopping. Since I'm not supposed to go out without a guard, I've been using your interwebs, and over the last few days I've ordered a few things. These Muggles are very ingenious; they bring the things right to your very door."

"Uh... Lucius, how did you pay for all of this stuff?"

"Oh, I watched you and knew I needed your little card with the numbers on it, so I borrowed one of yours."

Hermione gulped, closed her eyes and counted to ten, took a deep breath and counted to twenty. "You borrowed my credit card? Lucius, that little card is linked to my bank account, and there is a limit on how much I can charge. How much did you pay for all of this stuff?"

"Hmmm... I'm still a bit unsure of the conversion rates you explained to me, but in wizard funds I'd guess around two thousand Galleons," he commented, nonchalantly.

She sank to the sofa, stunned into disbelief. "Two thous... but that's ten thousand pounds."

"Is that a problem? I'll have Draco transfer the funds into your Gringotts account to cover all the expenses. Perhaps I could get one of those little cards for myself."

Hermione groaned and rubbed her forehead; this was getting to be a habit. She was going to have a perpetual headache as long as he was around. Sweet Salazar! She'd created some kind of monster! An internet-junky, shop-o-holic... The next thing she knew, he'd be into online gambling and porn.

At that very moment she heard moaning and grunting and heavy breathing coming from her computer. "Oh, yes... yessss. Oh baby, that's it, more... Oooohhh baby, you know what I need... harder, give it to me harder!! Please, oh pleeeeease... Oh, oh, ooooohhhh!"

Hermione turned very slowly to stare at Lucius, who actually had the grace to blush. "What in the name of Godric's goatee is that?"

"I found some... err... very interesting things on the lines today," he explained. "When you said that you could simply type a subject into Gaggle and it would give me a multitude of responses, I doubted you, but you were quite right."

"Online and Google," she corrected. "So I suppose from the sounds currently emanating from my computer that I should assume that you have discovered online porn?" Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose and had a sudden mental image of Lucius sitting in her study, in her own leather desk chair, his blond head thrown back in ecstasy as he watched porn and wanked to his heart's content. And the really sad part was, she wasn't nearly as disgusted by the whole picture as she felt she should have been. In fact, she was rather turned on by it all. "Ummm, Lucius. What you do with yourself... er... or rather when you're alone, is your own business. But I'd rather not come home to find porn on my computer."

"I understand completely. That's why I ordered a laptop for myself. Would you help me set it up after dinner? And could you explain e-bay to me? And why is there a site called Amazon? I thought the Muggles were unaware of the Amazonians."

Hermione sighed. Well at least it would keep him away from my computer, she thought.

*~~*

The next several days went more smoothly. There were no more computer deaths. Hermione was able to somehow keep her mind off visions of Lucius wanking to internet porn and was even able to spend some time working on her new project.

She had come to the conclusion that it was possible for her to ward the study, which protected the computers from magical residue from elsewhere in the house. So, for example, she could do magic in her bedroom or the living room and it would not affect the computer in the study. But it didn't allow her to use magic anywhere in the study itself. This was not entirely practical, as she at times would like to take her laptop into the kitchen or her bedroom. So she began shrinking the area contained by the wards until it was just a small portion of the study in the area immediately around her desk. This seemed to work, and she could safely do magic anywhere else in the room.

She decided that the next step would be to make the wards small enough and strong enough that she could cast them on the area directly around the electronic equipment itself. This would enable her to take it anywhere she wanted as long as the wards were in place. But the trick was not to fry the thing while she was in the process of casting the wards. It was slow going, but she was finally making some progress.

*~~*

Unable to sleep, Hermione wandered downstairs with the intention of having a cup of chamomile tea to calm her nerves. She was just in the process of pouring the boiling water into the tea pot when, not used to having someone else in the house, she was startled by a movement in the hallway. This caused her to splash herself with the hot water.

"Oowww!" she cried, setting the kettle down quickly and turning to run cold water on her hand.

Lucius rushed to her side, grabbed her hand while pointing his wand at it and murmuring first a pain relieving then a healing spell. "You silly girl, what were you thinking? You're a witch, and quite a powerful one at that. Why are you sticking your hand under cold water rather than healing it yourself?" he chided her.

Great Godric, had he just paid her a compliment? "I guess old habits die hard, Lucius. My instinctive reaction is to first respond by Muggle means."

He examined her perfectly healed hand, his fingers softly caressing the skin on the back as his thumb traced circles along the sensitive flesh of her inner wrist, sending delicious shivers down her spine. He spoke softly, so softly that she had to lean close to hear his words. "Well, I suppose you have already taught me that Muggle means are not all bad, after all," he concluded with a small smile.

Hermione suddenly realized how close they were, and that Lucius wore a silky dressing gown that had come untied and gaped open revealing that underneath he wore only a pair of Slytherin green silk boxers. So much naked skin, suddenly it was hard to breathe. She felt a flush wash over her as she wondered what his lips would taste like, and then what other parts of him would taste like as well. She became a bit off balance as she mentally pictured herself sliding his robe off and pushing him back against the counter while she slipped down his body, touching, kissing, licking and tasting every bit of all that lovely naked skin until she knelt before him to take him in her mouth. With a gasp she pulled back and stepped away from him. What on earth is wrong with me? This is Lucius Malfoy for Circe's sake.

Lucius couldn't help but notice the blush that came over Hermione's face and felt her pulse race beneath his fingers before she abruptly pulled away from him. What is going on in this little witch's head, he wondered.

She grabbed the mug and poured her tea. "I couldn't sleep," she explained nervously. "I thought some herbal tea might help...chamomile. My mum swore by it."

"Hmmm... yes, Severus as well," replied Lucius, pulling down another mug and holding it out for her to fill. They sat awkwardly for several minutes, sipping their tea and saying little. Hermione finally stood abruptly and announced that she was going back to bed and then rushed from the room.

She got to her room and slammed the door shut behind her, locking it both with wards and the Muggle way. Slipping beneath the covers, she lay there for a while, thinking about what had happened downstairs. Gods above, I can't be lusting after Malfoy. It just isn't possible. It must just be the tension, she thought as her hand slid down to touch herself intimately. Before long her fantasies played out in her head as her fingers eagerly stroked and circled over and over, just as she liked it, and soon she was crying out her release.

Lucius was on his way back to his room when he paused by her door. He could hear her moans and knew exactly what she was doing in there. He leaned his forehead against her door frame, his cock hardened as he pictured her, and he knew precisely what was happening behind that door. Before very long he heard her cry out as she came; he swore he heard his name on her lips. He wandered slowly back to his own room, reflecting on what had just happened. He closed the door quietly and proceeded to finish what the witch had started.

*~~*

Things were a bit awkward at breakfast the next morning, but nothing was said regarding the previous evening's activities. They had fallen into a routine for meals, as Hermione had held true to her word. She refused to wait upon Lucius Malfoy like some sort of glorified servant, and while he had little experience in cooking or cleaning, he had been more than willing to share the work. Since neither of them normally required a full English breakfast, they had got into the habit of coffee and toast for the morning meal. Hermione had developed a taste for a good cup of coffee as her drink of choice in the morning, and Lucius had adapted to her habit after the first few days. So she made the coffee while he buttered the toast.

While sipping their second cup of coffee, they heard the pop of Apparition and a knock on the door. Hermione checked and then opened the door to admit Ron and Draco. Lucius observed closely her interaction with the two men. Weasley greeted her with a quick, brotherly buss on the cheek while grousing over her choice of coffee over good English tea. She teased him right back, saying if he wanted tea he was capable and more than welcome to make it himself, which he proceeded to do, asking where she kept the tea.

Lucius couldn't help but take note of, and wonder a bit about, Draco's easy familiarity with Hermione. He brushed a quick kiss across her lips, then leaned in to whisper something in her ear. This caused her to giggle as she gave him a bump with her hip. Draco's arm draped across her lower back to rest on her opposite hip and pull her close to him in a quick hug. He noted that while Weasley didn't even know where she kept the tea, Draco knew where the silverware, mugs and napkins were as well as where to find the marmalade and juice. In fact, he seemed quite at home in Hermione's kitchen.

Hermione popped more toast in the toaster, passing the first two slices to Lucius which he automatically buttered without even thinking about it. Draco eyed his father quizzically; he'd never seen Lucius bother to butter toast. Draco looked at Ron, who had noticed it as well and who just waggled his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders at him.

While they finished their breakfast, Ron and Draco brought them up to date on what was happening with the investigation. Lucius asked many questions, but the boys kept their answers fairly general, unwilling to reveal too many details, which irritated Lucius to no end. Draco soon took his leave, assuring them that they were making progress, while Ron made more toast and finished off the pot of tea he'd made.

After Draco's departure, Lucius complained about being cooped up in Hermione's house and the lack of physical activity. This caused Hermione to recall the types of things she'd been imagining doing to him, and she blushed to the very roots of her hair as she gathered the dishes and quickly turned away.

Ron seemed puzzled by her reaction, but ignored it, turning instead to Lucius. "Draco says that you were quite the dueler in your younger days. Do you still practice?"

Lucius looked at him and nodded in response. "Why, yes. I participated in numerous competitions and held several awards in my youth. I do still practice on occasion...when I have a competent partner to work-out with, that is."

"Hmmm... Mione, do you still have the basement workout room warded to prevent outside detection of magic?"

Hermione looked at Ron and realized where he was going with this topic. "Yes, Ron, it's still warded and magically expanded, so if you'd like to take Lucius down there, you could both work on burning off some of that excess energy."

"Great!" exclaimed Ron. "Whadda' ya say, Mr. Malfoy? Care to give me a lesson or two?"

Lucius eyed the eager redhead for a moment before agreeing. "Give me a few moments; I'll go up and change. Then, I'll join you downstairs."

Ron bounded down the stairs as Lucius headed the other way. Hermione stopped him with a hand on his arm. With a smile she warned him, "Don't let Ronald pull the wool over your eyes, Lucius. He acts like a big goofy doofus, but aside from Quidditch, his two favorite pastimes are wizard chess and dueling. He's one of the best in the whole Auror department."

Lucius' eyebrow arched in response to her warning. "Ah, good to know... I do so love a challenge." His eyes roamed over her, and his words seemed to take on a double meaning.

tbc