Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

For Emma, for the drabble game.

Prompts - LuciusAndromeda, Tattooist!AU

Word Count - 1375.

She Watched Him Leave

She worked slowly, her focus on the skin beneath her fingers. She had done this tattoo before, many times in fact (too many), but she refused to let the quality of her work slide, just because she found the work distasteful.

When it was done, she cleaned the skin with saline and a wipe, and wrapped it.

Meeting the client's eyes, she muttered, "Keep the wrap on for a couple of hours, and apply," she paused to hand over a small tube, "this cream twice a day for ten days. For the first twenty four hours, try not to get the tattoo wet."

The man, a man with long blonde hair and smokey grey eyes, listened intently before he nodded his head to show his understanding.

"Thank you, Miss -" He cut himself off, raising his eyebrow at her.

"Black," she replied, reluctantly. "Andromeda Black."

"Ah, of course. I'm acquainted with your sister, Bellatrix."

She nodded. "I know. That's all, sir. The payment has already been dealt with."

He smiled, his thin lips turning up. "And if I should like to tip you for your fantastic work?"

"Tips have been included in the original payment, sir."

He stood then, offering his hand for her to shake. When she took it, he raised her hand to his lips, and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

"Until we meet again, Miss Black."

She watched him go with an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. When the bell dinged on the shop door, she pulled herself together. She had appointments - real appointments - to deal with.

…

It was two months later when the blonde man returned to the shop. He was still as handsome as she remembered, and yet, when their eyes met, the discomfort she'd felt at his attention returned in full force.

"Miss Black," he greeted regally, his eyes taking in the artwork lining the walls of the reception area. "I'd rather like for some more work to be done, original work this time."

Andromeda nodded slowly. It was common, for the people who got that tattoo to return to her for more work. She knew better than most the addiction of tattoo's once the first one is done. Almost her entire body was covered in them.

"What would you like?" she asked, opening up her pad to take notes.

"I find myself taken with having a dragon tattooed on my shoulder blade, reaching up over the front," he replied, pointing with his hand to show her what he meant.

Andromeda nodded, the familiar feeling of excitement beginning to fill her. It would be a difficult tattoo to do, and the difficult ones were always her favourites.

She lived for a challenge.

"I'll have a draft drawn up for you within… the next fortnight," she said when he was finished explaining colours and size. "But I'm thoroughly booked up for the next six weeks, so I won't be able to book your appointment until after then, I'm afraid."

He nodded amiably, leaning on the desk.

She showed him her next appointments, and he chose one.

"Name?"

"Lucius Malfoy."

Andromeda blinked. "You're Narcissa's boyfriend?" she asked, looking up at him.

He smiled, that same thin lipped smile from the first time she met him.

"We are… dating," he offered, his eyes bright and alert. "However, Narcissa, I believe, want's things I cannot give her, so I do not know how long it will last."

Andromeda bristled. That was her little sister he was talking about, and as much as Andromeda did not care much for her family, she was still irritated by Lucius' words.

"If you don't believe it will last, why are you stringing her along?"

Lucius had the audacity to chuckle. "Since I'm fully aware that Narcissa is currently curled up in bed with Rabastan Lestrange, I do not believe it is me that is doing the stringing. I am a lot of things, Miss Black, but unfaithful is not one of them. I'll be back in two weeks to have a look at the drawing."

He left the shop once more, leaving Andromeda with more to think about than dragons and tattoo placement.

…

"It's stunning," he declared, having spent five minutes examining every detail. "I would be proud to have you place this work on my skin."

Andromeda felt her cheeks heat and she knew she was blushing. "I'm glad you approve," she replied quietly, taking the drawing back. "With the detailing, I'm fairly sure that you're going to need at least two appointments to finish it completely, so I've pencilled you in for a further appointment three weeks after the first."

Lucius nodded. "Any excuse to spend more time with you, my dear."

Andromeda stared at him. He watched her with expectant eyes, but she didn't know quite how to respond. He reached out to take her hand, and after kissing her knuckles, he left.

An internal battle was being fought inside her, half of her wanting nothing to do with a man who bore the mark of the Death Eaters, because she knew what that gang could do to people. She may do their artwork because she had little choice, but it didn't mean she approved of them. The other half of her was deeply intrigued by Lucius, his elegance and impeccable mannerisms attractive to her.

It didn't hurt that he was absolutely gorgeous, of course.

Shaking her head, she put the dragon drawing away and pulled out a fresh piece of paper. She wasn't due her next appointment for forty five minutes, and the distraction would do her good.

It was only when the bell dinged to alert her to the arrival of her next appointment that she realised she'd drawn a very detailed grey eye, framed by the blondest of eyelashes.

…

He winced as she ran the needles over a sore spot, and she apologised quietly.

He waved her off, but sighed in relief when she put the tattoo gun down.

"We're done for today," she told him, wiping carefully at the abused skin. "You sat well for it."

"Pain is not unfamiliar to me, I have a rather high threshold."

Andromeda nodded. "Same thing as last time as far as the aftercare goes, and so long as you heal up properly within the next three weeks, we'll be able to finish it up at the next appointment."

"Thank you, Miss Black," he replied quietly.

"Andromeda," she corrected, stepping away once she'd finished wrapping the tattoo. "My name is Andromeda."

…

"It's done."

She brought him a portable mirror so he could admire the front, and then, when he stood, she held the mirror up so he could see the reflection of the back of the tattoo in the large mirror that was on the wall.

"It's beautiful work," Lucius complimented, eyeing it critically. "Absolutely impeccable."

She smiled, nodding. She didn't believe in false modesty, and it was beautiful. Some of her best work, she'd wager.

"Thank you."

Her smile widened. "Thank you," she replied. When he looked at her quizzically, she added, "it is not often I get to stretch my abilities so much. It was very much my pleasure to do this."

He put his shirt on carefully over the wrappings, and buttoned it up before he picked up his coat to hold it over his arm.

"I'd very much like to see you again, Andromeda. Outside of this lovely little shop of yours."

"I…" she broke off, not knowing what to say. I like you but can't abide the gang you're part of along with my older sister would not go over well, she thought.

"Forget the Death Eaters for the moment," he murmured, stepping closer to her. "And tell me that you don't want to see me again. If you can look me in the eye and tell me that, I'll leave you alone."

"I… I… I can't."

He smiled, and leaned his head down to brush a kiss against her cheek. "Then I'll pick you up this coming Friday at seven pm."

She could only nod her agreement, and watch him leave. At least this time as he closed the door behind him, she knew he'd be coming back.