Seven

Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I'll never attempt to make any moolah out of this.

The sun tickled her awake the next morning, and Hermione stretched, untangling herself from the embrace Lucius had held her in. While stretching, she remembered the weird dream she'd had.

Fuck. That wasn't a dream.

"Nah. Wasn't a dream. Was all real," Lucius mumbled as he opened his eyes.

"Sex magick?" Hermione asked, just as incredulous as the night before, and was suddenly very wide awake.

"Yes, love. Nothing we haven't done before. It's just... being more aware, is all." He yawned and pulled her closer towards him, one hand caressing her stomach, making his intentions very obvious.

For the first time, Hermione was not tempted to give in to him. She wanted answers. In words.

"Lucius! Stop!" She sighed. It was nearly impossible to resist him when he had his hands everywhere on her body. But the need for answers won. "How exactly does it work?" Hermione asked. Saving the world by means of sex magick was simply unfathomable.

"I'm not entirely certain this moment," Lucius admitted. "When Karl and Lola explained it, it made perfect sense to me. However, I seem to have trouble remembering details."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Honestly, Lucius! If I didn't know better, I'd suspect you're saying all this just so we can shag more often...even more."

Lucius smirked. "Well," he drawled, "that surely is an acceptable bonus, wouldn't you say? But it is not so simple." His face turned serious. "We will have to practice making love consciously."

"Consciously?" Hermione asked tartly. "I'm not aware we've ever shagged while unconscious."

Lucius let out an exaggerated sigh. "What ever happened to that famed brain of yours? Up to now...and correct me if I'm wrong...whenever we've made love, it was for pleasure. No other goal than that, correct?"

"Of course," Hermione agreed. "Isn't that what sex is all about?"

"Usually, and for the vast majority of humankind, yes. The difference between sex and sex magick is that the parties involved are aware that situations can be created if they focus on a particular goal, especially at the very moment orgasm washes over them. The male and the female create, and the female grounds the creation in this reality." He smirked again. "Naturally, it takes lots of practice to create this way."

It was a lot for Hermione to take in. Furthermore, she had an inkling that focussing on a goal other than pleasurable sensations when Lucius's hands and mouth performed a magic of their own might prove very difficult.

It did. By evening, Hermione was convinced it was not doable, and despite having received plenty of physical satisfaction, she felt frustrated, albeit on a different level. "I'm a failure," she wailed. "I couldn't even focus on the wish to have another day's leave!"

"Don't fret, love," Lucius soothed her. "Lola did warn me that it would take time and practice. And taking back the wizarding world is a rather large task, but it's not as if we have to be ready by tomorrow."

A resigned sigh escaped Hermione. "True, but how much time do we have? I only hope we'll improve soon." She did not hold a lot of hope, despite Lucius's reassurances.

"Come. Let's get ready and go out for dinner. We'll just have ourselves a nice evening." He pulled her up from the bed and then walked towards the wardrobe to choose suitable robes.

When both were dressed and ready, Lucius smirked. "I shall get you used to longer-distance Apparating. There is this wonderful lobster place in Maine." He took her hand and, with a pop, Apparated them first to a deserted alley where he whispered, "Detroit. Good for a short stop-over, but there are more interesting places to see." Another pop and they found themselves on a beach.

It was dark, but the waxing moon provided sufficient light for Hermione to be able to admire the ocean. She took a deep breath. "Ah, beautiful! Salty air and no heat!" She realised that long-distance Apparition with Lucius was nowhere near as bad as Apparating alone had been.

"I hoped you'd appreciate that. In summer, this area always reminds me of the Cornish coast," Lucius said and smiled at her. Then he pointed at some lights a short distance away. "There's the restaurant. Wizard-owned, and it offers the best lobster I've ever eaten."

As usual, Lucius was right. Hermione did not recall an occasion of eating tastier lobster. She leaned back and sighed contentedly. "This was a wonderful meal, and I think I've eaten about twice as much as I normally do."

Lucius laughed. "Yes, same here. But who could resist such great food... Besides, considering today's practice of... our project, we were bound to be starving.

"Cheesecake for afters?" He looked at her questioningly.

Gods. I'm already stuffed... But... cheesecake! Hermione gave in. "I cannot possibly resist cheesecake."

"You shouldn't. It's the best," Lucius assured her. "And when we're done eating, we'll walk it off on the beach. 'Tis the perfect night for a walk...of the romantic sort."

When the couple returned to the beach, Hermione stopped for a moment to take off her shoes. The light-coloured sand looked soft and inviting. Lucius took his boots off, and they strolled along the shore, holding hands, shoes and boots floating silently behind.

Lucius slowed down and then stopped completely. "An auspicious night, my dear. The air is brimming with magic here, what with the moon close to peaking." He looked up at the near-circle of the moon. "We should take this as a sign to try magick once more."

His voice, now seductively low, sent shudders through Hermione's spine, and she turned into him. "If you put it like that..."

Lucius first took her cloak off, then his own, and Transfigured both into one large blanket, which he Spelled to lie pristinely on the sand. Next, he picked his witch up without effort and placed her on the blanket. Bending down, he teasingly nipped at her neck.

Hermione felt his erection press against her front and arched her body up against him. She felt his hand cupping her still-clothed breast while his mouth moved from her neck, trailing kisses downwards until it reached her other breast. He growled lowly and Spelled her clothes off, which neatly folded themselves on the edge of the blanket, although entirely unnoticed by the couple. Hermione moaned softly and ran her nails down his back as the sensation his hand and mouth ignited a fire somewhere deep inside her.

When both his hand and his mouth stilled, she whimpered. Lucius Spelled his own clothes off his form and lifted his head to meet her eyes. "What is it we aim for, Hermione? Tell me! What do we wish to create?" he whispered urgently.

"A... another... another day of leave," she said and was surprised she could utter the answer relatively coherently.

"Good girl," he crooned and captured her lips in a searing kiss before returning his attention to her breasts.

Lucius once more pulled away from her, reminding her again. "Concentrate on wanting a day's leave, Hermione." Then his hands and mouth slowly moved downward, one hand still kneading her breast, finger and thumb flicking her taut nipple, while the other hand lightly stroked her body, heading downward, and his mouth moved along her stomach, softly grazing her very alive and very aware skin with his teeth.

He softly bit the inside of her thigh before shifting his body to place his erect member at her entrance. He thrust, and Hermione arched her back, digging her nails into his shoulders. Just as she felt the fire begin to kindle deep within her, Lucius hissed, "A day's leave, love. Keep that thought!"

"Adaysleave, a daysleave, adaysleave," Hermione's mind...or maybe her voice, she had no idea...chanted as her breathing quickened and Lucius's thrusts sent her over the edge, followed almost immediately by his own orgasm from the feel of her muscles clenching around him.

He spilled himself inside her, moaning, "Yes... You did it..."

They both felt the shift in energy...slight, but nevertheless noticeable. "Strange. Everything seems to be clearer," Hermione said as they lay on the blanket, her breathing becoming more even once again. "Not that I've ever had problems with my eyesight, but... everything looks sharper, with more clarity."

Lucius chuckled and nodded. "I knew you weren't talking about eyesight, love." He frowned momentarily. "Let's go home and note down what exactly we did differently this time and at what point we felt the energy shift." He got up from the ground and held out his hand to pull her up. When they were dressed, the couple Apparated back to Taliesin West, again via Detroit.

The rest of the summer and early autumn was taken up by Hermione's work, practice of sex magick...always with the same goal of Hermione receiving a day's holiday...and ever-increasing the distances of Apparating. Lucius had been right: Hermione did get used to it. Apparating from Phoenix straight to Manhattan no longer posed a problem.

For Halloween, Lucius suggested a visit to Buenos Aires. "It's a Saturday, so let's leave early and stay overnight. There are some wizarding hotels there, and many restaurants offer excellent fare. Plus, it'll be a pleasant change of scenery."

"Sounds good to me," Hermione agreed. She didn't mind going anywhere with Lucius. And ever since the law had changed, imposing identification for Portkey travellers, Apparating had acquired a touch of rebellion to it, making it rather attractive. It was not...yet...illegal to Apparate; however, Portkey travel was strongly encouraged and continued to be free.

Initially, the cost of a Portkey had been scrapped as an incentive for travellers. But three months later, it was still free. Hermione and Lucius often wondered how the Ministries covered the cost involved with staffing the Portkey checkpoints and making them. Eventually, Hermione decided to owl Harry; maybe he'd know. She would draft a letter, then take it with her the next morning, and visit the owlery in Mesa on her way home.

Hermione arrived in her office, early as usual. She had just completed going through her parchment mail and turned her computer on to check her electronic mail. It started, but then there was a click-like sound, and the PC as well as the lights and air conditioning system shut off. "What the hell..." she mumbled and walked out to the reception area.

"What's going on, Abigail? My office has no..."

"I know." Abigail held up her hand. "By the looks of it, the entire area is without electricity." She pointed to the window, and Hermione saw that the traffic lights were out, and there were no lights in the office building on the other side of the road.

The phone rang, and Abigail picked it up. Hermione's thoughts strayed. Why does the Ministry insist on using Muggle housing here... It's so inefficient. They surely could get around the problem of magic interfering with electricity like they did in the Ministry in London...

Abigail's voice ripped her out of her thoughts. "The power won't come back on today by the looks of it. There was an earthquake in the San Diego area, and the power plant serving this area was damaged." Abigail shrugged.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Bloody inefficient Muggle systems," she grumbled. Then she thought quickly. It was Friday, and the office would be closed over the weekend. The phone in the office was only installed for the benefit of the American staff who were married to Muggles. Her mind made up, Hermione addressed Abigail. "Right, we'll shut the office down for the day. I can't do much without a computer, and I have no intention of getting bored just sitting here. Send owls to the staff out in the field and inform them. And tell them to go home when they're done. You can go, too." Hermione remembered her letter to Harry. "Oh, and Abigail, would you do me a favour?"

"Sure, Miss Granger."

Hermione handed her the letter. "Can you take this to the owlery and send for me. That'll save me the trip there."

Now she could go straight Taliesin West, and if Lucius was home, they could leave today for Buenos Aires, making it a long weekend.

"Darling, I'm home early!" Hermione shouted as she opened the door into Taliesin West.

Lucius came out of the kitchen. "Wonderful! We can leave for Buenos Aires, yes?" Then he frowned. "How did you manage to have nearly the entire day off?"

Hermione laughed and told him about the earthquake hitting the power plant. Lucius shook his head in confusion. "I've just come back from the diner, not even five minutes ago. The news reported nothing." He frowned. "Strange, that. Normally, they're very quick reporting disasters..."

Hermione never failed to be amused by Lucius's fondness of having breakfast at a Muggle diner and watching the news on its large TV screen, but now it occurred to her that it was strange, indeed, if the earthquake had not appeared on the news. It had been well over an hour since the power cut. She whispered, not quite daring to lend the thought voice, "Is our magick working?"

"I don't know," Lucius said slowly. "But it is certainly a possibility." Then he grinned. "Let's pack some clothes and leave. We'll have plenty of time to practice at the hotel. And this time, we'll create three days of leave for you."

With only one stop, in Brazil, Lucius and Hermione arrived in Buenos Aires shortly before dinner time, given the time difference. Lucius pulled a piece of parchment out of his robe. "Entrada al Paradiso. Yes, this is the one," he confirmed, looking at the sign of the building in front of them. "Let's get to our room, and, oh, I should let Severus know we're in the area."

They entered through a revolving door into the lobby, which reminded Hermione more of some shady Muggle establishment than a wizarding hotel. Deep-red, plush chairs sat on a darkish-pink rug, surrounding two low, distinctly heart-shaped, purple tables. Lucius approached the old man behind the desk. "Yo comprendo tu tienes manera de entrarle en contacto Severus Snape."

"¿Quién Dice?" the old man enquired.

Lucius offered a thin smile. "Yo soy Lucius Malfoy, pero Lola dijo tu haces."

Hermione fingered for her wand and silently cast a translation charm. She'd had no idea Lucius spoke Spanish, or maybe he had just been better prepared and cast the spell before entering the hotel.

The old man gave the couple a scrutinising look and seemed satisfied. "And who might Lola be?" he asked but grinned as if he were engaged in playful banter.

Hermione was grateful that he sounded perfectly English now.

"A dweller of Agharta. Her partner is Karl," Lucius replied.

"I believe you." The man turned around and produced a key. "Your room is number sixty-eight. Enjoy your stay. Los Amigos have wild Atlantic sole on offer tonight."

Lucius thanked him and motioned for Hermione to enter the only corridor leading further into the hotel.

The room was pleasant and showed no resemblance to the style displayed in the lobby Hermione noticed with relief. An owl was dozing outside the large bay window. When Hermione took off her cloak and threw it carelessly on the bed, it floated immediately to the wardrobe next to the door, closely followed by Lucius's boots, which hurried to the shoe shelf underneath the wardrobe.

Hermione watched open-mouthed, and Lucius laughed. "Never stayed at a decent wizard-run hotel, love?"

She shook her head. "Certainly not one so full of contradictions! When I saw the lobby, I thought we'd mistakenly entered a brothel..." Lucius snickered, and she cast him a glare, "...only to find a really nice, tastefully decorated room with added benefits." Only Lucius would find a place like this, she thought.

They settled in quickly. As soon as Hermione took her reduced luggage out of her robe pocket to enlarge it back to its normal size, it did so itself. When she unzipped it, her clothes flew out by their own accord and arranged themselves neatly in drawers and on hangers. Her toothbrush, moisturising potion, and bath salts ...the latter two in glass vials...gently floated, a foot below the ceiling, into the bathroom where they carefully settled themselves next to the sink.

"I could get used to this... really," Hermione said and added, "Shame its only for the weekend."

"I'm glad you like it. We can always come back for longer. Argentina is a rather fascinating place. As is Chile, which isn't far.

"For now, though, I suggest we get ready for dinner. The sole at Los Amigos is not to be frowned upon. Their escargots are very good, too."

Hermione shuddered. She'd always thought herself quite adventurous when it came to trying new dishes, but snails would never be on her list of new things to taste. "I'll leave the escargots to you. Thanks, but no thanks," she said and rolled her eyes when Lucius smirked.

The first word that came to mind when they arrived at Los Amigos was cute. Surrounded by what was obviously accommodation for the well-to-do, it stood out with its small front and eclectic colouring. At a second glance, Hermione realised that the entire facade comprised one mural, depicting various scenes of magical life.

"It is said that if you look long enough, you'll find yourself on the mural," Lucius explained amusedly. "Most first-time visitors to Los Amigos spend a while here, admiring the artwork before going inside. I did, too."

They spent a while perusing the mural, but eventually, Lucius suggested to enter the restaurant.

Hermione suddenly realised how hungry she was. With the power cut and the decision to leave early, she had forgotten about lunch. "Yes, let's go in. I'm starving!"

"See? Sometimes, an American breakfast is handy. I've not felt hungry until now," Lucius said.

The interior of the restaurant was as unique as the exterior. Parts of the walls were covered by colourful fabric, others with small murals, and yet others hidden by tall, deep bookshelves filled to bursting, which gave the large room a very informal atmosphere. Tables and chairs in chocolate-brown and teal seemed haphazardly splattered throughout. Some were occupied, but there were plenty of empty tables, too.

When she saw a woman approach them, Hermione silently re-cast the translation charm so she would understand any exchange between them.

However, when the woman had reached the couple, her face turned into a wide, genuine smile. "You must be Mr Malfoy and Miss Granger! I realise you expected to dine alone, but Karl asked if you might care to join him and Lola," she said with a heavy Spanish accent.

Lucius turned to Hermione and raised his eyebrow. "Are you ready to meet inhabitants of the inner earth, love?" he asked his speechless partner.

A/N: For details of the prompt, please see chapter 1.

My beta is the most awesome beta in the world. It's SW69 of course. Thanks, love.