Somehow

Disclaimer: None of the characters in here belong to me...yadda yadda.

A/n's: Wahey.an Arthur/Lucius fic! Woo.I have to dedicate this to Mizzy, who has written so many good A/L fics and let me read them, even some special ones just for her :D So thanks, Mizzy, even though I know this fic isn't as good as any of ur A/L ones!



Lucius stood, ankle deep in the snow, hands in his pockets, staring at the cold water of the lake. The color of the lake mirrored his grey eyes. His long hair tied at the back was nearly as pale as his skin, but it had a blond sheen to it.

He raised his eyes from the water and glanced at the surrounding landscape. It was mostly white, snow covering everywhere. It was his first time he was staying over at Hogwarts. His father had decided that some renovation was needed at Malfoy Manor, and so had told Lucius to stay at Hogwarts while the said redecoration was taking place.

Lucius scowled. He had not wanted to stay at Hogwarts. But his father had made it plain that if he went back he would be left to sleep outside. So Lucius had - with a bad grace - accepted to stay Hogwarts.

A figure making its way towards him caught his eye. Fiery red hair made the person stand out vividly from the background. Lucius smiled involuntarily. It was quite obvious that Arthur Weasley hadn't seen him. He was walking along dreamily, as he had a habit of doing, wandering aimlessly where his feet took him.

A few months ago, Lucius and Arthur had been enemies. After all, one was in disreputable Slytherin, while the other in famed Gryffindor. One rich, one poor. One a muggle hater, one a muggle lover.

But then, due to some idea of some bright teacher, their classes had been assigned to work on some projects. But - and here came the point of the assignment - Slytherins and Gryffindors had been paired up together.

Lucius and Arthur had both been horrified at having to work together. In fact, for the first week or so, they had done nothing but quarrel and insult each other. The second week they had pointedly avoided each other. In the third week, they had agreed to a truce for as long as they had to work together.

They had started working hard on their potions assignment, each eager to finish the project and never see each other again. Work was started with animosity, then it turned to indifference, then to grudging admiration on both sides. Both had good brains, and when they forgot everything except their projects, they worked admirably together as a team. One would come up with an idea, and it would be eagerly seized upon by the other, and improved.

By the end of the project, they had become friends. Lucius had been quite sorry when the project - which received full marks and a few points each to Slytherin and Gryffindor - had been completed. They never returned to the outright hostility they had harbored before, even if they rarely ever spoke again.

Instead, if they passed each other in the corridors, they nodded to each other and passed on. Occasionally they exchanged a few words, mostly on some work, and sometimes even shared research, but beyond that, they never spoke anymore.

Arthur was getting nearer now, and he still hadn't seen Lucius. Lucius was rather hard to see, what with wearing white clothes and his blond hair and pale skin, but still, Arthur was rather close now. Lucius chalked it down to Arthur being so dreamy. Really, for such an intelligent mind, he spent too much time in his own private little world.

"Sleepwalking?" Lucius called out dryly as Arthur was within hearing range. Arthur jumped slightly.

"Oh, hi, Lucius. I didn't see you," Arthur smiled pushing back his hair from his eyes. Arthur's hair was slightly longish, and the ends of it curled round the nape of his neck.

"I noticed. What are you doing here?"

"Just walking around. It's a nice morning. Happy Christmas, by the way."

Lucius snorted. "Same to you. Got any nice presents?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth he could have kicked himself. He knew the Weasleys didn't have much money, and he had started hating to mention it, ever since he had started regarding Arthur as a friend. He could be ruthless to enemies - to friends he tried being nice. Arthur however, merely smiled again.

"Oh yes. Did you?"

Lucius nodded, and the subject was dropped. He wasn't about to mention all the expensive presents he had gotten. The nicest one he had received was in his pocket at the moment, a thin necklace with a silver snake pendant. Its eyes were emeralds, and he had liked it from the moment he set eyes on it. He ignored the fact that his mother had hinted that when he found a girl he liked he should give it to her. He had no intention of settling down yet.

Arthur seemed to have drifted off again, staring at the lake with eyes that were not seeing it. Lucius shook his head, then a smile curled around his lips. Looking around he spotted a dead branch lying a few paces off. He picked it up and concentrated, and managed to transfigure it into a psychic whip.

A psychic whip was - as its name implied - a whip which the holder could control with his mind. He flicked it towards Arthur, and the whip snaked around the red head, pinning his hands to his sides. Lucius laughed aloud at the astonishment on Arthur's face as he felt his arms tied around him.

Arthur struggled to get free, but Lucius was concentrating on it and it was quite a useless attempt. Finally Arthur laughed.

"Ok fine, you got me. I'll try to stay awake. Now let me go?"

A grin covered Lucius' face. "Not yet!" He made his way closer to the lake's edge, and then pulled Arthur over by the whip. Arthur was reluctant to move - he didn't want to be pushed into the lake - and so Lucius had to pull him over.

However once he got Arthur where he wanted him, Lucius didn't do anything to him. He just pointed at the ground and told him to sit. Arthur grimaced at the cold snow which would soak through his pants, but he knew by experience it was no use arguing with Lucius. As soon as he had sat down - arms still pinned - Lucius sat down right next to him.

Arthur caught a glimpse of a tentacle breaking the surface rather far out, and stared at it. Even after it disappeared he found himself wondering about the creatures in the lake, and how they lived and.

He came back to himself with a start, realizing that he had drifted off again. He turned his head towards Lucius and realized with surprise that Lucius was studying him intently.

"What are you." he started to ask.

"Shh!" Arthur was shocked into silence at the vehemence in Lucius' voice. He stared at the blond in silence. Lucius was still staring at him. Suddenly Lucius leaned over and placed his right hand on the Arthur's cheek. Arthur didn't know what he was supposed to do, and besides he was still tied up, so he opted to do nothing.

Lucius started speaking, in a fast, low, whisper. "I'm sorry but I have to do this. If you hate me for it I'll cast a memory spell afterwards, so you won't have to remember, but I'm going to go mad if I don't do this at least once."

Arthur opened his mouth to ask him what he was on about, and that's when Lucius kissed him. Arthur's eyes opened wide as Lucius' tongue explored his mouth. When Lucius broke the kiss he stared wide eyed at his Slytherin friend, mouth still wide open.

"Lucius, what." Lucius attacked him again, this time pushing him over into the snow, his need obvious in the fierce way he attacked Arthur's lips. This time Arthur responded, a feeling suspiciously like desire sparking inside him. Lucius was the most handsome guy in the school after all. And Arthur was the only Gryffindor Lucius had ever bothered with. That had to mean something.

Lucius broke the kiss off again, and this time he kissed Arthur's jaw, his face, nibbled his ear and then turned his attention to Arthur's neck. Arthur could only gasp and writhe underneath him.

"Please, Lucius, untie me," he gasped. He thought that Lucius hadn't heard at first, but suddenly the grip around him relaxed, and his hands were free. Immediately he tugged at the band that kept Lucius' hair tied up, then ran his hands through the blond mane and tugged him up for another kiss.

"You're so beautiful," Lucius murmured to him, as Arthur ran his hands over Lucius' sensitive spine, sending shivers up and down it. Arthur snorted but didn't reply.

Suddenly Lucius sat back, kneeling over Arthur. Arthur blinked at him. "What are you.?"

Lucius dug his hands inside his pocket and took out the necklace he had received that morning.

"Here, take this."

Arthur took the chain in his hands and studied it. Then he turned uncomprehending eyes onto Lucius. "What do I do with this?"

"Keep it, silly. It's my Christmas present to you." He knew it couldn't last. There was no way it would. But he wanted to give Arthur at least something to remember him by, when it was all over. Arthur was more than special.

"I can't accept this!"

"You will take that or else," Lucius mock-threatened him.

"But I didn't get you anything," Arthur protested.

"You've already given me a present," Lucius smiled down at him. He decided he quite liked the idea of staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. Then he leaned over to brush his lips to Arthur's.

"Happy Christmas, Arthur."