Curiosity

Hermione Granger-Snape frowned as she tugged her dress down over her hips, the skirt falling to just above her knees.
"Remind me again why we invited them?" she asked, sitting in front of her mirror to put her makeup on.
Her husband Severus smirked as he stood behind her, straightening his tie.
"Because they are our friends."
"Our friends?" Hermione repeated, setting down her lipstick with a dull plunk.
"Okay, my friends," Severus acquiesced.
"They aren't even that," Hermione replied, brows furrowed as she looked back at her reflection.
"Even with all he's been responsible for, it does us more good than harm to invite them."
Severus leaned down and kissed the top of Hermione's head. "Just say hello, and then you won't have to speak to either of them for the rest of the night."
"Fine," Hermione said, dabbing perfume on her wrists and behind her ears. She grabbed her stockings and carefully pulled them up, making sure the elastic stayed at her thighs where it belonged, then she slipped on her shoes, leaning over to fasten the buckles at her ankles.
"How do I look?" she asked, straightening.
"Beautiful, as always," Severus responded, stepping forward and taking Hermione into his arms. She smiled up at him and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.
"Let's party," she said, grinning as she stepped away.
They left the room and made their way down the stairs to the ballroom, where the party was already underway.
Severus and Hermione roamed the room together for a while, each of them introducing the other to people they had never met before.
Before long they came upon the Malfoys and Hermione gritted her teeth, forcing a smile.
Severus squeezed her arm reassuringly and Hermione relaxed only slightly.
"Narcissa," Hermione said as kindly as she could, stepping forward to air kiss the other woman's cheek. Narcissa's hands were cold on Hermione's arms.
"Hermione," Narcissa replied, her voice as icy as her flesh.
Lucius was surprisingly more genial, taking Hermione's hand and kissing it; Hermione suspected he'd been drinking already.
As Severus and Lucius began to talk, Hermione and Narcissa eyed each other warily.
"That's such a lovely dress," Narcissa murmured, looking Hermione over. "Wherever did you get it?"
"A store in Muggle London," Hermione replied.
"Of course." Narcissa's lip curled ever so slightly and Hermione forced a smile.
"I'm going to go check on the kitchen, excuse me."
Hermione stepped away, grabbing a glass of champagne from a tray floating nearby.
As soon as she was past the kitchen doors she poured herself a stronger drink.
The night wore on with much merriment. Hermione received many compliments on the food throughout the evening, all of which she passed on to the house-elves.
She couldn't help but notice Lucius Malfoy watching her throughout the night, even though she tried her best to ignore him.
After a few hours she found Severus, lightly touching his arm.
"I'm going out to the garden for a bit," she said when he leaned down to hear her.
"Are you okay?" he asked, looking at her.
"Fine. I just need some air." Hermione smiled and kissed Severus before making her way through the guests and out to the garden.
She breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of the surrounding flowers as she moved deeper into the maze of trees and shrubs.
After a few moments she heard footsteps and thinking Severus had chosen to follow her turned around, smiling. Her smile quickly faded when she saw who it was.
"What are you doing out here?" she asked disdainfully.
"And here I thought you were delighted to see me," Lucius said, pretending to be hurt.
"I thought you might be my husband. Or at least someone I'd enjoy talking to."
Hermione turned and began to walk away. To her chagrin, Lucius's footsteps followed.
"I'd like to compliment you on a lovely party," he said airily.
"Thank you," Hermione replied flatly.
"It's too bad Draco couldn't come."
"Indeed." Hermione stopped walking and gazed suspiciously at Lucius. "Why are you following me?"
Lucius shrugged. "I thought we could have a nice chat."
"Oh, knock it off," Hermione snapped, annoyed by his nonchalance. "What do you want?"
"To satisfy my curiosity," Lucius said simply.
"About what?"
"You."
Hermione frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Me. What's curious about me?"
Lucius stepped forward, close to Hermione; she didn't back away.
"I've always wondered," he began softly, "what it's like."
"What what's like?" Hermione could feel a tingle in her stomach, goosebumps forming on her flesh as Lucius brushed past her.
"To have sex," Lucius whispered, his lips brushing Hermione's ear, "with a Muggle-born."
A shiver ran through Hermione, though not one of total displeasure.
Lucius circled behind Hermione, his fingers trailing across the nape of her neck, under her hair. He lowered his lips to her other ear.
"To fuck a Mudblood," he breathed, resting his hand on her almost bare shoulder.
Hermione's breath caught in her throat as Lucius moved to stand in front of her. His fingers made a lazy trail up her neck to under her chin and he slowly tilted her head up with his thumb so that her brown eyes met his grey ones.
Her lips were parted slightly and Lucius could feel her pulse racing. He lowered his head, inches from kissing her.
"No," she whispered. Lucius was prepared to ignore this barely audible protest but Hermione raised her hand to his chest, pushing him back.
"No," she said again, louder, more firmly. "We can't do this. We're both married. Severus and Narcissa-"
"Never need to know."
Hermione looked back up at Lucius.
"This does not mean that you love Severus any less, nor I Narcissa. Neither does it mean that you and I hate each other any less. Sex is not about love or even like. It's about satisfaction."
Lucius was moving towards her again.
"I can't lie to Severus," Hermione said softly, feeling her protestations becoming half-hearted. "You know how accomplished he is at Legilimens. I could never hide anything from him."
"But why should he use Legilimens on you? He trusts you more than he's ever trusted anyone else, and you will have given him no reason not to. After tonight all shall be forgotten."
Hermione stared at Lucius. She could still feel her hatred for the man boiling in her veins but there was an undercurrent of desire so intense that she didn't know if she could trust herself to resist for much longer.
"No," Hermione said again. "I won't talk about this anymore. I'm going back inside."
Hermione walked resolutely forward, her heels clicking sharply on the stone pathway.
Lucius's arm shot out as Hermione passed him, his hand grabbing her arm and whipping her back around. He pulled her close, pressing her body against his, and kissed her.
Hermione didn't resist, returning the kiss hungrily, clutching at Lucius's suit jacket.
Lucius ran his tongue over Hermione's lips and she opened her mouth, deepening the kiss.
She clawed at his jacket, pulling it down his arms, possessed by a desire to remove his clothing. His hands moved down to Hermione's hips, bunching her dress up and hooking his fingers over the waistband of her panties, pulling them down. She stepped forward, out of the panties, pushing Lucius back until he sat heavily on a bench nearby. She straddled his lap, arching her back as his hands moved up her thighs, under her dress, his fingers exploring, feeling her arousal.
Hermione gasped sharply as she felt him insert one, two, then three fingers inside her. She moaned, gripping Lucius's shoulders, burying her face in his neck.
She gasped again as he withdrew his fingers, leaving her quivering with anticipation, aching with desire.
Her hands moved quickly to his belt, her fingers hurrying to unbuckle the buckle, unbutton the button, unzip the zipper.
She drew him out, erect and ready for her.
She shifted slightly, guiding him inside of her, lowering herself slightly to take him as deeply as she could.
Lucius reached up, pulling the strap of Hermione's dress down to reveal her bare left breast, nipple hard with her arousal.
As Hermione's hips moved Lucius took her nipple in his mouth, rolling the sensitive nub between his lips as his other hand reached up to play with her other breast through the fabric. He pushed the remaining strap down, and began suckling on the other nipple.
Hermione was moaning, short little bursts of sound with each thrust. Lucius's breath and hands felt hot on her skin, although that may have just been the flush spreading on her torso.
She could feel herself getting close to her climax and she moved a little faster, tightening her grip on Lucius's shoulders.
Lucius had abandoned her breasts, his eyes closed and his hands tightly gripping her waist.
Hermione cried out with her orgasm, throwing her head back and staring up at the night sky, liberally peppered with stars. It looked like something out a dream to her, her mind caught up in its blank euphoria. Her thighs and knees tightened, clenching around Lucius.
She felt him come, heard him grunt, his hands tightening almost painfully on her waist.
They leaned into each other, breathing heavily, not speaking.
After a few minutes Hermione stood carefully, pulling her dress straps back up, and turned to retrieve her panties as Lucius stood.
She handed him his jacket as he approached her and then turned wordlessly and walked back to the house, smoothing her hair as she did.
Lucius followed soon after, straightening his jacket and tie.
Hermione found Severus rather quickly, taking his arm in hers and leaning into him.
"Feeling better?" he asked.
"Yes," Hermione replied, smiling up at him. "Much."
"Good." Severus kissed Hermione, returning to his conversation as Hermione rested her head on his shoulder.
Across the room Lucius approached Narcissa, kissing her cheek and stroking her hair. She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest for a few moments.
When the party had ended and Hermione and Severus were dressing for bed, Hermione smiled.
"It was a good party."
Severus nodded his agreement as he climbed into bed, watching as Hermione smoothed lotion over her arms and legs before she too got into bed.
"You didn't even have to talk to the Malfoys that much," Severus said as Hermione snuggled up against him.
"Hardly at all," Hermione replied. She smiled up at him and kissed him.
"I love you," she said, staring earnestly into his eyes. He smiled slightly.
"I love you, too."
Severus reached over and used his wand to turn off the lights.
Neither Hermione nor Lucius ever thought of their time together, not even acknowledging it with any faint sort of nod of the head or prolonged gazing.
Because really, no one ever needed to know.