Face to Face

Thanks to everyone that has taken the time to read my version of Beauty and the Beast. I borrowed JKR's characters, cause I thought if given the right situation, and series of events, they would be well suited to the parts. More chapters are coming soon, although, I believe it will be a while before there are any juicy lemony parts... This story is demanding to be savored... So I guess, good things come to those who wait.

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Face to Face

Lucius sat in his private library, staring at the different ingredients that could be combined to make the unique fragrance that would be a captivating mixture to someone of Hermione Granger's coloring, skin tone, and personality.

The common mistake people made when choosing a fragrance for themselves was that they most often chose something simply because it was popular. More times than not, that same fragrance would often end up abandoned and unused because it did not blend well with the oils within their skin and made for a less than pleasant fragrance.

The fragrances Lucius had used in Hermione's bathing blend had most certainly agreed with her body type. With that knowledge, he had a fairly good idea as to what would be agreeable to her.

With a steady hand, Lucius blended lavender, orchid, and rosewood together with a special oil that was meant to bond with the skin of the user. If she liked the scent, and continued to use it, then over time, her body would claim the special scent as its own, and she would no longer have need of the perfume.

When the ingredients were mixed, he spoke a simple blending spell. The liquids swirled around the bottle, blending together, turning into a lilac-rose colour.

Smiling, he held the bottle up to inhale the aroma. Closing his eye, he felt momentarily overwhelmed by the tightening in his loins. If Miss Granger had ever had trouble catching the eye of someone of the opposite sex before, she definitely would not have that problem any longer.

Placing a crystal stopper over the bottle, he thought of the sight he had witnessed that morning. He had been very pleased to see she could enjoy the bath. Standing, he spoke softly, "Serenity." There was no reason to raise his voice. Her senses would pick up his summons if he but whispered her name.

Within seconds, Serenity was before him, a warm smile on her small face. "Yes, Sir?"

Lucius handed her the crystal bottle. "I have yet one more present for Miss Granger. Would you deliver it to her rooms for me, like you did the others, please?"

Serenity beamed and nodded. "Oh yes, Sir. I shall place it beside her bed."

Lucius smiled his thanks to his small friend before turning away, disgusted momentarily with the way he used to treat her kind. He tried to not dwell on the man he used to be.

He had given Serenity and the other house elves their freedom to try to make amends for the terrible way he had once treated them. The elves had taken their freedom, and left him quickly. All but two. Serenity, and her life mate, Fizbot.

Fizbot worked in the kitchens and did not ever really have much to do with anyone that was not house-elf. He had wanted to leave with the rest when Lucius freed them.

However, Serenity had felt pity for Lucius. Now alone and scarred, he would need their help. She had convinced Fizbot that Master Malfoy would need them, even if he would not ask.

Although he had never actually said the words "thank you" to Serenity or her mate, he was grateful to them for not deserting him in his hour of need.

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Serenity snuck quietly into Hermione's room. Moving to stand beside the bed, she noted the breathing of the guest with a smile. She was deeply asleep and showed no signs of waking.

With the smile still resting on her lips, she set the bottle down on the night stand beside the big bed. With a final glance in Hermione's direction, she turned and started to creep from the room but stopped, eyes widening, when she heard the person in the bed speak.

"Serenity?" the drowsy voice called from the bed. "What is this you've brought me?"

The young house-elf stopped and bit her bottom lip in worry before turning to face Hermione. "I was delivering a present from the Master," she answered softly.

Hermione looked warily at the bottle. "Is this a present to be added to the other two?"

Serenity feigned confusion. "I do not know what Miss is talking..."

Hermione cut in, sitting on the side of the bed. "The shampoo and soap, Serenity. Or do you not know about those?" A silent thrill ran through her at the idea that perhaps Lucius had brought the soap into her room himself. She quickly brushed the thought aside and looked at the elf expectantly.

Serenity tilted her head. "The Master only means to greet you and help make your visit to the Manor pleasant," she said defensively. Tears were gathering in her eyes, and she looked like she was about to cry.

Hermione was immediately penitent. "I'm sorry, Serenity," she said softly. "I was only curious. Of course, I am grateful to Mr. Malfoy for his graciousness while I am to be a guest in his home," she added in a serious voice.

Serenity's face broke into a huge smile and she bobbed her head. "I will tell him you liked the gifts, Miss," she said swiftly, before turning and leaving Hermione alone in the room.

Looking at the bottle, Hermione wondered if it was a good idea to even consider smelling it. What if it sends me into a horny uproar that just simply has to be helped? Would it be a means for him to try to take advantage of my body?

No sooner had the thought entered her mind than she dismissed it. If Lucius Malfoy wanted to take advantage of a woman's body, Hermione reasoned, it certainly wouldn't be hers. She doubted very seriously that the man would have any true interest in her.

With a sigh, she gave in to the curiosity and grabbed the bottle. Opening it, she inhaled just a tiny amount of its scent, and waited... Nothing happened.

Growing braver, she dabbed a small amount on her finger and rubbed it into her wrist. Bringing her wrist to her nose, she inhaled a fragrance that was very beautiful and fitting to her.

She did not often wear colognes because they had a habit of being too overpowering. But this was a simple, exotic scent that just seemed to add itself to her own natural body chemistry. She smiled as she added just a little more to her neck and cleavage.

Rising, she went to the wardrobe and selected a sleeveless dress to wear. It was a pale blue that was fitted over the bodice but loose from the midrift to the calf where the dress stopped. Spaghetti straps held the dress in place.

Working a simple taming charm, she tamed her hair into calm ringlets that fell in gentle waves down her back. A similar charm cleared the sleep from her eyes, and gave her face the appearance of a fresh application of simple make up. Her cheeks were just a touch rosy. Her eyelashes looked a tiny bit longer and fuller. Her lips shone as if a lip gloss had been applied.

It was a simple look. Something she did most every day, before she went to work. She saw no reason to slack from that habit just because she was in Malfoy Manor.

She went to inspect herself in the mirror. The reflection spoke softly. "Oh... Master Malfoy would be very pleased. If he ever came out of his rooms."

With a raised eyebrow, Hermione answered, "I didn't do this for him!"

She felt a little anger when her reflection inside the enchanted mirror nodded sarcastically. "You keep telling yourself that, missy, and maybe one day you'll even believe it!"

Shaking her head, Hermione turned away and went to put on her sandals. Squaring her shoulders, she whispered to herself, "As if I would be trying to impress a Malfoy..."

Yet, even as she swore to herself it was not her intent, she had a sneaking desire to see the man. She reasoned it was only because she wanted to see if his good looks were really gone, as Lavender Brown had said, after Snape had rescued him from Voldemort. It had been the talk of the whole community.

Harry and Ron had cracked jokes about him for weeks until Hermione had lashed out at them, simply because she could not stand the idea of them saying cruel things about someone who had been hurt in such a way.

"It puts you on his level, Harry," she had told him. "What makes you any better than the man he was if you mock his pain?" Her look turned to Ron, and she pinned him with a hard glare. "And what about Draco? You two were becoming pretty good friends with him, for a change. Can you just dismiss the death of your friend that way? If it was me, could you just dismiss my death as if it meant nothing?"

The memory of that conversation made her want to reach out to Lucius. As a friend. She wanted to offer him her ear, if he had need of one.

"Silly chit!" she chided herself. "He wouldn't want to confide in you," she sighed, "and that isn't what you are here for, anyway." Leaving her room, she headed to the library.

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Lucius sat in his private library. He had entered through the grand library entrance, which was a hidden door. He knew Hermione would see the portion of the wall that was open. He knew she would be too curious to stay away. He ran a hand down the left side of his hair, making sure the damaged part of his face would not cause the poor girl to faint.

He would not stay once she was here. He would retire to his chambers. He had no desire to have her stare. He only wanted her to know she was welcome to make use of his private collections. She would need them.

He expelled a sigh when he heard her in the main library. His good hand moved to check that his hair was covering the damaged half of his face. It would be only a few more moments before they would be face to face. Another few moments before he would see the disgust in the depth of her eyes.

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Hermione walked into the library and straight towards the table where she had left the books she had been looking through the night before. She started to reach for the last book she had looked through, when out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a section of the bookshelves was pulled out of place.

Actually, when she turned to stare at it, she could tell it wasn't truly a part of the wall, but a doorway.

The book forgotten, Hermione moved to look into the room beyond the entrance. A soft gasp escaped her lips at the sight before her. It looked like a study. It was still a fairly large room. But it was much more cozy, and comfortable. There were a matching leather-bound chair and couch sitting before a warm, inviting fire.

Moving deeper into the room, she turned and surveyed the walls. Once again, the bookshelves were filled from floor to ceiling. But these books looked much older than the others. There were actually several shelves that held what appeared to be scrolls.

Awe lit her face at the idea that some of these books could be older than Dumbledore's own mentors. "Wow," she whispered reverently.

A deep voice startled her out of her phantasm. "Yes, it is quite impressive, isn't it?"

She swung towards the sound of the voice so fast that she lost her balance and fell with a thud to the floor.

Instantly, the owner of the voice was beside her and lifting her into his arms. In a daze, all she could do was stare at the platinum mane that was close enough for her to touch. It was Lucius. As he carried her, she could feel his walk had a slight limp.

When he sat her down on the sofa, she sat in stunned silence, looking at him curiously. The side of his face she could see was as perfect as it had always been. His hair was the same length. But it fell towards his damaged side, effectively hiding that side of his face from her eyes.

When he straightened, the only part Hermione could see of him that was no longer as it had once been was his hand. Instead of holding his hand open, it was as if he was gripping something within it.

Forcing herself to look from his injured hand back to his face, she said softly, "Thank you. I feel like a clumsy fool." Looking down to the floor, she waited for any snide remark he might send her way. He had always had a scathing remark anytime they were anywhere close to each other, and she had come to expect it.

"Not at all," he answered in a gentle voice that stunned her even more. "I startled you," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "It was thoughtless of me."

Turning, he moved back to the wingback chair he had been sitting in. Eyes wide, she watched his progress, not daring to speak.

When his good eye once again found hers, she was numbed by the gentle smile he offered her. "I can tell you liked my gift, my dear. It becomes you." He gave her choice of dress an interested gaze. "As does your dress my dear. It is quite becoming."

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