Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Lucius was growing concerned about Hermione. While he could not show a lot of overt interest in her in the work environment, he was able to keep tabs on her to a point. He had reviewed the logs and seen that she was coming in earlier and leaving later than everyone else.

And while he did not normally like spying on people, he knew that she was not spending much time at home – and it was not because her husband was there.

Since nothing had been reported in the Daily Prophet, he also surmised that she hadn't yet filed for divorce. And while it was obvious she was not happy in her marriage, he also knew how scandalous divorce was in the wizarding world. His sister had been forced to leave the country after she had divorced her husband, and at the behest of his father, he had cut off all contact with her.

But for Hermione, he would do everything in his power to spare her the ostracizaton that Delilah had gone through. That was why he had sent her to Reg. For now she was resisting using his services, nervous about the cost, but as time passed, he had no doubt that she would accept Reg's assistance, especially if she understood why he wanted to help.

While he did not know exactly where she was spending her time, he had a very strong suspicion and headed over to the library. He saw her sitting in the history section and slid into the chair across from hers. "Hiding at the library, Hermione?" Lucius asked.

She looked up from her book. "I prefer it to sitting at home alone," she replied simply and closed her book.

He thought she looked tired and could tell that her estrangement with her husband was taking a physical toll on her. "There are other places to go for company," he stated simply.

"At those types of places, people generally want to talk to you. I'm not much of a conversationalist," she replied morosely.

"My dear, you do yourself a great disservice with that statement. I think that you are a wonderful conversationalist." He knew that she needed someone to pick up her spirits, and it looked like he was the only one willing to help her. Clearly her friends had abandoned her, which was not surprising considering her closest friends were her in-laws. "Come, the library is closing soon, and you look like you could use some company."

She smiled wanly. "I could. Thank you." She neatly stacked her books and let him lead her out of the library.

They walked in silence until there were at a nearly deserted area. He stopped and turned to face her. "If you will permit me?" he asked as he held out his hand.

She cautiously took hold of his hand, and he Apparated them to his club.

"Have you eaten yet?" he asked cordially, even though he was reasonably sure he knew the answer.

"No, I went straight to the library from work," she replied, her voice betraying her level of exhaustion.

"Well then, I will insist that you join me for dinner. I can't let you go hungry," he replied casually.

As they ate, he made it a point to keep her mind off of her personal life disintegrating. Instead he engaged her on such topics as world travel and some of the latest articles in the journals. Their conversation made her perk up, and they both learned that while she knew a great deal about the Muggle sights of the world, she was not was well educated on the wizarding ones. A part of him wanted to promise to show her some of the sites he'd mentioned that she'd never even heard of, but he knew that was not possible at this moment. He would have to wait before he could do that.

For now he had to support her in whatever decision she was making and not push her to make the one he wanted. While he knew that she would never be happy with Weasley, he also recognized that he could not seem to force the issue with her. He had to make her come to that realization on her own. Given the fact that she had not mentioned Weasley often while they were at Merlin's Cove, he took that as a sure sign that their marriage had become loveless.

Lucius was not entirely sure how she felt about him, but for now he would cultivate their friendship in the hopes that when the time came it would grow into something more.

When he made her laugh, it warmed his heart in a way he had not felt since Narcissa's passing. It was a musical, mirthsome laugh, a genuine laugh, not the sort of false laugh he received when making a joke in a social circle. He had not lied to her when he had said that she made him feel years younger.

There were times now at the half century mark where he did start to feel his age, that his younger years were behind him, even though he was still in the prime of his life. It would be another twenty years or so before he would be considered middle aged, and he would not be considered elderly until much closer to the century mark. But prior to letting her into his life, he had lost much of his zeal for living

Now that he had found another woman worthy to be his wife, he did not want to lose her. Unfortunately, because she was married, he would have to proceed with caution. Of foremost importance was helping her navigate the mine field of wizarding divorce. While he personally did not care if scandal surrounded her divorce, he knew that it might have consequences for his holdings.

"Goodness, look at the time," he said as he heard the clock chime eleven. Neither of them had realized how late it was.

"Is it really that late?" Hermione asked, her voice slightly slurred from the copious amounts of wine they had drunk.

"I'm afraid it is." He rose from his chair, intending to be a gentleman and helping her from her chair. He just didn't realize how much help he would be giving her as she proved to be very unsteady on her feet. "Careful, my dear," he said as he wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her.

"Oh, I'm feeling a bit light-headed," she said as she leaned against him for support.

He enjoyed the feel of her in his arms, but knew it was only because she had overindulged. Once he was sure that she would not lose her balance, he reached down and picked up her glass of water. "Take a sip of that and wait a moment for it to pass."

After a few moments, the color returned to her face and she seemed slightly steadier on her feet. "I'm feeling a little better. Thanks."

He kept his arm wrapped around her waist. "Perhaps I ought to escort you home. I'm not sure that you are up to Apparating," he offered, knowing that he was right and that she would Splinch herself if she tried.

She looked as though she was going to protest, but said, "I think you might be right."

Once they were in the lobby, she gave him her address, and he expertly Apparated them to her front door.

"How is it you aren't as drunk as I am?" she asked as she fumbled for her keys.

He could tell that her eyes were losing focus. "My dear, I don't think you are quite as used to wine as I am."

"I s'pose not," she replied as she finally managed to get the door open.

He wasn't sure that she would get to bed without help, so he let her lead him to the bedroom where she collapsed. He pulled the covers aside and gently removed her shoes before moving her to that side of the bed and covering her. As he drew the covers up, he leaned over her, marveling at the delicate features of her face, the faint freckles on her nose, the perfection of her lips. Without thinking, he bent down to bestow a kiss on those perfect lips. He paused, his lips coming within a ghost's whisper of hers, so close that he could feel the faint caress of her breath on his lip. Just as he was about to press his lips against hers, she muttered "not tonight." He realized how precariously close he was to indelibly ruining any chance he could have with this woman by behaving so impulsively, and he shifted his potion carefully and placed a slow chaste kiss on her forehead.

After kissing her gently on the forehead, he whispered, "Sleep well, Hermione." He then made sure her flat was secure before he Apparated home to his cavernous, soulless manor. He knew why Hermione was spending so much time library...the same reason he did. It was the same reason he preferred walking the halls of his empty buildings at the end of the day. He had finally grown tired of the loneliness.

He had never really thought of himself as a lonely man, but he realized that since Severus' death, there were not many he would consider a true friend. There was Connor and there were a few others who he was more prone to confide non-personal matters in, but he had never kept a coterie of friends. And of course he had shunned female attention because he knew they were not interested in who he was, but rather in being the next Mrs. Malfoy. It had been much the same when he had courted Narcissa.

He had patiently waited to earn Narcissa's favor, and he could do that again with Hermione. Patience was one thing he had in abundance.

He walked the empty hallways of the manor for some time, not really noticing the sumptuous surroundings that had always been a part of his life. Ever since Narcissa's passing it had ceased being a home and had turned into a house, a very empty house.

Yes, Draco and his family would come for visits from time to time, but he got the impression that Draco found the house as empty as he did, and they never stayed for very long.

He wondered what Draco would think of him pursuing relationship with one of his classmates. He knew that Draco had found accepting the Muggle-borns easier than he had, probably because he had been forced into the Dark Lord's service rather brutally. Draco was encouraging him to find another woman, but he seriously doubted that his son meant with one his age.

That was another bridge to be crossed when the time came. His love life was not up for debate by his son. The hardest part would be to convince Hermione. Earning her friendship had not been that difficult, but convincing her to advance their relationship would be something different. Of course, she had not once referred to him as Draco's father, so perhaps that was a good sign.

He stood on the balcony looking over the garden and gripped the railing. The more time he spent around her, the more difficult he found it to control his desires. Tonight he had almost lost control, and he was sure that he had nearly ruined any chance that he would have with her.

"You have to be careful," he admonished himself. "Take your time, be patient."

She was worth the wait, and he would do what he could to protect her, to keep the wizarding world from destroying her reputation. It was the least he could do for her. Given time she would see how right they were for each other.

On Saturday morning, Lucius finally addressed the mail that had been piling up during the week. On top of the stack was another letter from Delilah, and he smiled at the thought of reading another letter from his sister. She had tentatively reached out to him in her first letter, apparently not sure if Lucius was sincere, but since then they had been writing back and forth, trying to cover nearly twenty years' worth of estrangement. He thought their relationship was almost to the point where he could consider extending an open invitation for her to visit when it suited her. He knew that would be a difficult invitation to accept given the circumstances under which she left the country, but he hoped that in time she would come.

Dear Lucius,

I have so enjoyed hearing from you after all these years. It sounds as though Draco has grown into a wonderful young man, though that seems so difficult to believe. He is stuck in my mind as the young boy of five he was when I last saw him, and now he has a son of his own. Have we really gotten that old?

A few months ago, Lucius wouldn't have thought twice about being a grandfather. In fact Scorpius had been one of the bright spots in his life, but now... With all the time he spent around Hermione he most definitely did not feel that old.

I fear I have nothing new to write to you. I have already told you all about the girls and daily life on the farm here is rather boring compared to your world of business acquisitions. I would love for you to meet my family. If your travels ever bring you to Italy, please do stop by for a visit. I think that you would like Vittorio, though you might want to brush up on your Italian as his English is not so good. If you would like to meet your nieces, your visit would have to be this upcoming week as they return to school the following week.

Delilah

Lucius would have to check his schedule, but he was sure that he could find time for a trip to visit Delilah in the next week. It would be good to finally see her again. And hopefully she could be convinced to come to visit his family at some point.

Looking at the clock on the mantle, he saw that it was nearly lunchtime and that Draco, Astoria and Scorpius should be arriving soon. His reply to Delilah would have to wait until later. As the weather was clear, he decided they should spend time in the garden. Lucius had always enjoyed the garden. It did not feel empty like the inside of the manor did.

Lunch was pleasant with conversation ranging from young Scorpius' latest antics – he had taken to chasing the garden gnomes at the inn – to how well the inn was going, and how Draco was looking for another property to buy. He had recently hired a manager to help run the inn so he would have more time to devote to expansion. He was investigating an old wizarding castle on the Island of Skye with the possibility of reviving the adjoining and long defunct Firewhiskey distillery. Astoria told him of their plans to decorate each of the rooms in themes depicting the wizarding clans and Lucius couldn't help smiling proudly at his son's success.

So far Draco had shown no interest in the family business, but Lucius wasn't worried. He knew that he was still young by wizarding standards and in good health. Besides, he thought that Draco would gain valuable business experience from being on his own for a while.

And the fact that Draco was doing so well proved that point. When Draco had first enquired about the old family castle, Lucius had decided it would make a suitable wedding present. He had been a bit shocked when Draco had informed him the castle would become an inn, but Lucius was not one to take back a gift, so he had watched and waited to see how Draco did with his first business venture and had been pleasantly surprised. Lucius had not originally approved of Draco converting the old family castle into an inn, even though no Malfoy had lived there for close to two hundred years, but the renovations he and Astoria made pleased him as did the inn's success.

After lunch, Astoria took Scorpius to go explore the garden and chase the fairies and butterflies that made their homes amongst the myriad of flowering trees and shrubs, leaving father and son to talk.

"So... who is she?" Draco asked probingly, looking away from his son gleefully trying to catch a fairy.

Lucius was taken aback by the question and arched an eyebrow at his son as he asked, "Whatever do you mean?"

"Come now, you look happier than I've seen you in a long time. There is a spring in your step, for Merlin's sake, Father. So who is this new ladylove of yours? Is it Elsa?" asked Draco curiously.

"So you approve of the idea of me being in love with another witch," he replied evasively, hoping that his feelings towards Hermione were obvious to Draco only because of their close relationship as father and son. He turned to watch Scorpius squealing in delight as a flock of fairies started circling around the boy, just out of reach of curious little hands. How he missed the sounds of a happy child.

"I miss Mum, too, but I think we both know she wouldn't want you to be alone and miserable for the rest of your life, so yes, I approve."

"Then I shall inform you when I have found my ladylove." Now was not the time to reveal anything to Draco, especially since the object of his affection did not know how he felt about her. If Draco, like everyone else who read the gossip pages, wanted to believe his change in demeanor was because of his interest in Elsa, he would not do anything to change that opinion.

Realization dawned on Draco. "Then she doesn't know how feel about her."

"As I told you after the war, courting a woman is a slow process to be undertaken gradually, especially given who we are," Lucius replied in a calculated manner.

"I'm sure she will be flattered. After all, what woman wouldn't be flattered to be courted by you?" Draco said as he grinned and held his glass up in salute.

Lucius returned the salute and flashed a confident grin. "Indeed." He wanted to believe those words, but he knew that Hermione was far more complex than your average witch.

"Well, if you need any advice, let me know," Draco offered, and they both had a good laugh about the son offering the father dating advice.

"I assure you that I am more than capable of handling this on my own," Lucius replied confidently.

"Well then, I wish you the best in your pursuit and I look forward to meeting her."

Lucius tried to keep his expression neutral since he knew that Draco already knew the object of his affection. He hoped that Draco would be so pleased for him once the reality was revealed.

Lucius returned to Frankfurt on Monday to finalize the merger contract. Everything seemed to be in order and this should be nothing more than a mere formality, but he knew that there was always something that crept up at the last minute and threatened to derail a deal. There was always that 'one more thing' that someone wanted. For once, he was not the one who would be presenting that one more thing. The deal was quite favorable toward his interests, and he knew that Elsa had very little choice if she wanted to see her company survive.

It was mid-afternoon when he and his party arrived. With him was his personal assistant, team of three lawyers and translator. He detested traveling with a large retinue, but new that it was necessary for the final step of the merger when there were far too many details for one person to keep track of.

He was escorted to the conference room where Elsa had a similar contingent with her. She smiled fondly at him. "Mr. Malfoy, a pleasure to see you again. I look forward to finalizing our merger."

He returned her smile. "As do I." He knew that once this was concluded that he would have more time for Hermione, and he thought she might require his guidance.

They all took their seats at the table, other than Reg, who as the senior attorney would be handling the paperwork. Lucius waited patiently as Elsa and her team conducted a final review of each piece of paper before signing it. He knew that it was a very big step to agree to give up control of a company that had been in the family for generations, and he would not rush her despite his desire to conclude his business as quickly as possible.

It was early evening before everything was satisfactorily signed and notarized for filing with the proper agencies in both countries. He rose and offered Elsa his hand. "Congratulations and welcome to the Malfoy Industries family. I know that you have made the proper decision for the future of the Kesselwerks."

"I'm sure that I have and look forward to what I can learn from you. Now that our business is concluded, I believe a celebratory dinner is in order." She was still holding his hand and softly rubbing the back of it with her thumb.

"Of course. Though I believe that proper protocol is that dinner is my treat." He smiled and fought the urge to pull his hand away from hers. He really did not want to go to dinner with her, but it would have been improper to decline the invitation.

"If you don't mind, might I suggest a marvelous restaurant in Paris? Nothing here in Frankfurt seems proper to celebrate something of this magnitude," she said with smile.

He saw the glint in her eye, but could think of no good reason to deny her request, nor could he think of a suitable restaurant within Apparition distance. Even though the merger was technically complete, he would still be working closely with her for the next month or so to advise her on the rebuilding of her business, and he did not want to do anything that would sour their relationship. "I shall defer to your judgment. I'll meet you at the Rue de Magique," he said before she could offer to Apparate him to their destination.

She let go of his hand and looked slightly disappointed. "It's not far from the Apparition point."

Lucius walked out of her office and gave a few last instructions to his team before they left to return to Britain. Once he was clear of the gates, he sighed and did his best to mentally prepare for the celebratory dinner he was about to share.

When he arrived at the Rue de Magique, he had some time to window shop before Elsa arrived. Unfortunately all the nearby shops catered to women, and he presently had no one to bestow any of the lovely gifts he was admiring.

He was looking at the display of a jeweler's when Elsa slid beside him and looped her arm in his rather presumptuously. "They have very lovely pieces, ja?"

"That they do," he responded as smoothly as possible. She had changed out of her professional robes into something definitely suited for an evening out. Her deep blue dress hugged every curve and displayed an almost obscene amount of cleavage. Ever the gentleman, he added, "You look quite lovely."

She smiled warmly at him. "Thank you. Since we are celebrating I was in the mood to wear something more festive. I'm glad it meets with your approval."

He wasn't sure that he did approve, but there was no diplomatic way to tell her so. "Shall we?" he asked, hoping to end the evening as quickly as possible, though he knew that was still several hours away. Her behavior was precisely why he had done nothing to let anyone know that he was interested in pursuing a social life, why he had let the right witch run into him – quite literally.

She led him down the road to a very posh restaurant, and definitely one that catered to couples. This was the type of restaurant where he used to take Narcissa for an intimate dinner, not where he expected to go to celebrate a business deal.

When they entered the maître de greeted her warmly in French. "Mademoiselle Elsa, a pleasure to see you again."

"Robert, you are too kind," she replied in English. "We will need a table for two."

He looked down at the book on the podium. "Oui. Though I am afraid it will take a few moments for your table to be ready, so perhaps you would like to enjoy a drink at the bar?"

Elsa looked to Lucius, who replied in perfect French, "We'll wait at the bar, then."

When they were seated at the bar and had ordered cocktails, Elsa said, "Ah, vous parlez français."

From the gleam in her eye, Lucius began to wish that he had not instinctively responded in French. "I do," he replied, switching back to English. He felt any of his comments were less likely to be misunderstood if he used his native tongue. "I have spent quite a bit of time in France as I own a chateau near Toulon."

"A lovely city, though I prefer Marseilles. It seems you are full of surprises." She gave him a playful grin.

"I believe that most people are quite full of surprises. Even after twenty years of marriage, Narcissa continued to surprise me." He hoped that bringing up his deceased wife might dampen Elsa's advances.

"Good surprises, I hope."

"For the most part," he replied simply. "Though unfortunately not all surprises in life are good."

"That is true. I will consider my good fortune that you were interested in my company." She raised her glass in salute.

"It is a business arrangement that is beneficial to us both," he replied, returning her salute.

"Hopefully very beneficial," she said suggestively.

Before Lucius could say anything to explain that it was merely a business arrangement, the maître de arrived to show them to their table.

While he was perusing the menu and wine list, Lucius was considering how to proceed. He knew they would be working together quite closely as he helped her reorganize her management structure, but he didn't believe it was fair to let her think there was a chance their relationship could be something more. When their waiter arrived he ordered a bottle of wine, escargot for appetizer and duck confit with ratatouille for his meal, while Elsa ordered the foie gras with fig compote.

"I hope that you will enjoy the wine. It's a personal favorite," he said realizing he had chosen the wine without consulting her.

"I'm sure that it will be excellent. You have impeccable taste."

Thankfully, he was saved from further conversation by the sommelier's arrival. The wine was excellent as he had expected. Once the glasses were poured and they were left alone, he raised his glass in toast. "To a successful business partnership."

"To a successful partnership."

He had the distinct impression that her omission of the word 'business' was not accidental. Setting down his wine glass, he said, "While I know that the acquisition is technically complete, there is still quite a bit of work remaining to restore your business to its former glory."

"Which will require guidance from you. I'm looking forward to working together and learning from you." Under the table, she let her foot brush against his leg.

He shifted away from her touch. Clearly, he was not getting his message through to her. "I will try to be as instructive as possible so that we can restore the Kesselwerks to profitability quickly." He was trying to remain practical, but she was being very flirtatious. When Narcissa had still been alive, he had the occasional witch flirt with him, and he had found it flattering, but now, he was definitely finding it uncomfortable. Had he not had his sights set on Hermione, he likely would have been interested in getting to know Elsa better. He decided to shift the conversation to something more innocuous, such as the upcoming Quidditch World Cup tournament. Thankfully it was something on which she was knowledgeable.

Over dessert of crème brûlée, they had a lively discussion about opera. Lucius was a bit unsettled to learn that they shared the same favorite opera, Morgana. He would have thought she would have preferred one of the Germanic operas. As the conversation wound down and the bill was settled, he said. "It has been a lovely evening, and I look forward to doing business with you, but as I have a full schedule tomorrow, I must take my leave of you."

Elsa did her best to hide her disappointment. She had clearly hoped the celebration would continue after dinner. "Of course. I shall look for your owl."

He rose to his feet and gently took her hand in his. "I look forward to working with you," he said, hoping it sounded professional.

Once outside he walked down the street to the Apparition point, not noticing someone slinking away in the shadows.

A/N: As always my deepest thanks to my beta, beaweasley2. She catches those niggling little errors and has been a great sounding board to keep the plot on track. I'll try to keep updating this at least weekly, but the kiddos are out for summer break and the chapters posted here have no caught up to what has gone through beta, so I do ask for your patience. There is some really good stuff coming up.

Thank you again to everyone who has taken the time to review. It really means a lot to me to know folks are enjoying this story. Virtual cookies for all reviewers.