For Love of Power

Prologue

A murmur spread amongst the guests as she entered the room.

She owned respect born of fear as the most powerful witch alive. If not in her own right, then certainly by association.

The best friend of Harry Potter.

The foremost protégé of Severus Snape.

But the ultimate scandal attached to the name of Hermione Granger brought with it, also, her greatest power.

She was Draco Malfoy's mistress.

Chapter 1

The landscape was always beautiful this early in the morning. Not too much sun as to have a glare on the window and distort her view, but enough for her to see the city. Her city. She sipped her coffee and smiled down at the many buildings with her company's logo on them.

Bzz. "Miss Granger."

Hermione leaned back in her black leather swivel chair and pressed a button on the intercom wired to her mahogany desk. "Yes, Margie?"

"Just wanted to remind you that you have a 10 o'clock with Locker and Sons, Inc.," Joy, she thought. Another boring plea to buy this place from under me. "A 12:30 lunch with CC&P," Hermione's mind wandered for a minute, wondering again what the CC stood for; it was a secret well kept, even from the media. "A 3:15 with the Board, and your stockbroker is on line 1." Efficient. Hermione accepted no less. Though Margie was doing a decent job, Hermione still grieved the loss of her old secretary; she was on maternity leave for another three months.

"Tell him I don't have time to play tennis during the workweek," Hermione said impatiently.

"I believe he wants to discuss something of more importance, Miss Granger."

"Very well, I'll take the call. Oh, and Margie?"

"Yes?" hesitated the voice.

"It's Ms. Granger," she said icily. "Take care not to forget that."

"Y-yes, Ms. Gr--" A ringed hand attached to a wrist with a slim gold watch pressed another button and her secretary's voice was cut off. She picked up line 1, still looking out the window.

"Hello." Her voice was smooth and confident, like a black panther's stride.

"Good morning, Ms. Granger." The voice came over as smoothly and as confidently as hers. "I have some frightful news for you. It seems that Mr. Parkinson can't make it today and you'll be free for lunch."

"You devil!" Hermione recognized the voice and laughed, nearly spilling her coffee. "What did you do to Pansy's nephew?"

"Oh, nothing," he said offhandedly. "Merely mentioned that there was a new company opening publicly on the market, and it was rumored to do very well when it does."

She gasped. "He'll be at it for hours!"

"Precisely. Leaving you with a wide-open gap on your schedule. How about 12 at the place next to the WW3?"

"How about not?" groaned Hermione. She turned around and put down her mug on the glass top of her desk. "I love Fred and George's new shop, and I gather they did a bit of reading, as their store's name fits. All the racket in there really does makes it sound like World War III!"

"Ah, the wonders of Muggle history."

She thought quickly. It was rare when she had free time during the weekend, much less the workweek. "Let's pop over to Le Café. I have a meeting at 10, but I can cut it short. The Locker's Ink wants to buy the place." She rolled her eyes. "I'll meet you there at 11."

"Hm...croissants. Sounds delightful. Later, honey."

"Was that an affectionate term, or were you telling me to bring honey for lunch?"

"Not lunch....Dessert." The tone in his voice implied much.

"Yummy." Hermione hung up the phone, and prepared for her 10 o'clock. When they finally arrived, she was seated calmly, but her eyes flashed dangerously.

"Hello, gentlemen," she said as they were sitting down in front of her desk, using that same cool tone she used with Margie. She purposely glanced at the clock with intricate delicate designs chiseled on the rich bamboo board behind the clock, and the two suited men followed her gaze; it was 10:04, and they were late. "With what is it I can help you?"

"Well, Ms. Granger, over at Locker and Sons," The senior Locker started his sales pitch. "We believe that by combining your company with ours, we could make millions, maybe even billions. If you could just look at this papers over here...."

Hermione took the papers and her eyes swept over them before she said, "Gentlemen, I thank you very kindly for taking your time to talk to me; unfortunately, I do not wish to sell at this time."

"Oh, but you've misunderstood," jumped in the younger Locker. "We're not looking to buy, but to merge."

Hermione's eyes narrowed at the belittling attitude. "I do understand. Once our two companies have merged, your employees would take over the jobs that my employees have at this moment, due to the merit system, which I have heard your employees can pass quite easily. Unfortunately, I have also heard that your employees do not work to the best of their abilities." The older man saw his son wince, confirming what she said. She knew the inside of their company well - too well. "So here we have two groups of employees with the same amount of work: one with pay and the other with more. Which do you choose to keep? The answer is obvious. Thank you, gentlemen. The door is open."

The junior opened his mouth in anger, but the senior stopped him and motioned him out. The gentlemen shuffled out with as much dignity as possible, and the door clicked closed before Hermione let her anger loose. Who do they think they are? They're all the same, thinking they can outdo me because I'm a woman. It's not about gender, little boys. It's about power and money, and knowing what to do and the right kinds of people. And I do have that, gentlemen.

The men outside grumbled. Bitch, thought the junior Locker. Doesn't even have a heart. Ice queen. If only Dad had let me talk, oh, how shocked she would be. Damnit. We'll use our info some other time...when we need it most. He looked at the elder, who knew what the younger felt, having gone through it himself. The gray-haired man nodded with assurance, and the younger smirked, planning, scheming....

Hermione shuffled through the reports of the last quarter before signaling for Margie. "Yes, Ms. Granger."

"CC&P cancelled; I'm going out to survey some land. I don't want to be interrupted, and I will be back for the Board meeting. Do see that the Board members get the sheets I've left on my desk."

"Yes, Ms. Granger."

She walked out of her office and into the North end of the hallway, as it is rarely used by anyone but the custodians. The clicks of her heels were padded by the red carpet. Up, click click click, turn, click click click, and up again; three times she did this, until a door popped open. She smirked - I wasn't top of the class for nothing - , happily remembering when she figured out how to make a temporary room. Not a Room of Requirement, unfortunately, nor her spacious office, but an empty room - a closet, really - with a wooden floor and wooden walls. "Appareo!" Moments later, she arrived in Le Café.

She appeared inside the waiting area outside the swanky restaurant, shielded from the outside world. It welcomed her entrance with its French double doors and she walked in. As she waited for the host, she looked outside and giggled at the people approaching the outer doors, but, coming within ten feet of the place, veered away. Hermione didn't love having to use the Muggle Repellant Charm, but she had to admit, it had its usefulness.

"Ah, Mademoiselle Granger, bonjour!" The garçon kissed her hand and led her to a table. "Eet 'as been too long seence you 'ave seen me! 'Ave you anozzer luvair?"

Hermione laughed as he pulled out a cushioned chair and seated her. "No, Henri, I do not have 'anozzer luvair.' I still run free and alone."

"Eet ees a shame! Eef I did not 'ave my Nicky, I vould snap you up in a mini-second!" He grinned childishly at her and handed her a menu.

"Merci, Henri, that is a compliment coming from you." She smiled at the homosexual and his spotless beruffled white shirt. "I'll wait for my friend to come before I order."

"Very well. A cappuccino vile you vait?" She nodded, smiling at how well he knew her. Maybe it was the fact that he was gay that he knew she needed a little caffeine to relax. While Henri brought her a steaming cup, Hermione took a compact from her black Gucci leather purse and opened it up to look at the mirror. She smoothed out her hair and adjusted the angle of the mirror to tame a particularly wild piece - Damn my naturally frizzy hair. No matter what I try, there always seems to be one piece sticking out some place - when someone else's face filled the mirror. Recognizing the face, Hermione turned around and watched the approaching figure.

"Granger." A smirk played at the corner of his lips as his eyes burned with an intensity that only could possibly be surpassed by the bubbling lava from a volcano.

"Malfoy." She returned the straight face.

"Chipmunk."

"Ferret."

"Perfectionist."

"Mama's boy."

He paused. "Beautiful," he said quietly, taking her hand from his seat, noticing again how deep the dark brown eyes could be.

"Sexy." She played with the strand of blond hair that fell across his eyes.

"Irresistible."

Hermione gave a small grin. "Unattainable."

"Making it so much more naughty and better," Draco said, leaning forward to kiss her. He always loved to taste her; her delicious mouth was filled with so many surprises. He could tell so much just from running his tongue around her mouth. Like today, he could taste only coffee in her mouth. Must have been a long morning. He ran his fingers through her curls and pulled away. "Hungry?"

"For you." She put her hand on his leg and squeezed it, giving him a soft smile but those intense longing eyes.

"Mmm....I meant for food." He pulled his mind away from her implications. "I'm starving."

They ordered some food and while they ate, they talked. Hermione recalled her meeting with Lockers & Sons, Inc. "They still think that just because I'm a woman that they can do a better job than I can!" she spat. "I would never sell my company to such chauvinistic pigs!"

"They just don't know what a brilliant mind you have. After all, not every knows that you were the top student at Hogwarts."

"You're just trying to get me to stop complaining."

"If I wanted to do that, I'd have done this." His lips locked with hers as they again lost themselves in each other's mouth.

"Let's go," Hermione said huskily. They paid for the check - Hermione insisted on paying for her part - and went to their apartment. She loved it, and, she remembered fondly, she wasn't even the one to pick it out. This was the place where they spent their first magical night together....

She had had too much to drink and was in no condition to Apparate. Draco himself had a couple of heavy drinks, including one with mysterious ingredients, but he lost a game and that was the consequence. If he could find that bloke...but at least he was better off than Hermione. She was giggling and could barely stand up to walk. Her blouse, fashionably picked specifically for the occasion, was now unbuttoned to the point where Draco could see her black lace bra. Holding her arm around his neck, Draco half-dragged Hermione to an empty apartment ("Dra-co! Let go of me this instant! Look at the beautiful moon!" It was a sign for a barbershop. How Hermione confused it for the moon in the sky, Draco thought, I will never figure out. I can't believe how ridiculous she sounds when she's drunk.) and laid her down on the floor, first transfiguring his unused silk handkerchief into a warm woolen blanket for her to lie down on.

He took off his sports jacket and sat on the floor next to her. Hermione sat up and giggled once more. "Wasn't that party absolutely fab?"

He internally groaned. Why am I doing this? "Yes, absolutely."

"I'm glad Monique assigned me to go, even though I'm just a typist, or whatever I'm called in that damned fancy-schmancy boutique. 'Assistant.' Met a lot of people. Wish Harry and Ron...were...here." Hermione faltered as she remembered Ron. She seemed to sober up quickly. "He was a good guy, Ron. We just never made it happen at the right time. Either he was mad at me, or I was mad at him, or we were both just too damned scared!" She angrily pounded the floor with her fists. "Why didn't I get over my stubbornness? Why didn't I just step back for once? Why didn't a take a chance? Why...why...oh why?" Hermione pulled her knees towards her chest and let her hair fall over her face. Draco felt like a truck slammed into him. Hermione, who was never seen with crying, not even after Ron's death, flooded her eyes with tears.

Draco hugged her as her body silently shook, and they rocked gently back and forth. Draco looked out the giant glass window letting in the moonlight, thinking about the years after graduating from Hogwarts, particularly their last year in school. She did a knockout job, grade-wise, but that was expected. She was certainly wonderful at battling in the Forbidden Forest, saving a few people whose backs were turned. She'd never know it, thought Draco. But it was I she saved from the Cruciatus Curse when she Stunned one of the Death Eaters. He wondered what the hell had happened to Hermione ever since after the War.