AN: Sorry it has taken so long, I've had a lot with school and not to mention my other stories I am working on. I hope you all are enjoying it thus far. I know I am :] Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, they mean so much to me! In five reviews, I'll post the next chapter. R/R everyone!
"I knew it, bloody knew! What I tell you, Van? Didn't I tell you he wanted you, go on, admit it. I was right! Did he try to cop-"
"Astoria! Stop hounding her about it, besides, I'm positive he tried to feel her up." grinned Daphne, quickly dodging out of the way of an oncoming pillow.
"Not you too!" growled Vanessa, burying her hands in embarrassment. " I should never have told the two of you." Both Astoria and Daphne's jaws dropped, mocking anger.
"Not tell us? What the hell would you wanna do that for? It's not like we're gonna tell anyone." said Astoria rather loudly, Vanessa smacked her lips together, "You won't have to if you don't lower your bloody voice!" she whispered angrily, tossing a glance up to the staircase behind them. She was rather surprised no one had come down from their dorms to tell them to keep it down. The stone walls in the common room tended to have a rather loud echo.
"Well, sorry, just a little excited for you, no need to go off." grumbled Astoria, laying her tired head on the arm chair, her eyes blinking slowly.
"Sorry, just a little paranoid I guess. It's just, so...I don't know." she fell onto her back, her legs dangling over the arm chairs. Doing so brought back many memories of the past five years. The three of them would always gather in the common room at the middle of the night, rather to sit and talk, sit and cry, or just sit and enjoy each others company. Vanessa smiled at the thought, she was glad she had Daphne and Astoria, even if they did have loose lips at times.
"Well you better start believing it kiddo, you've got a date tomorrow night. Did he tell you to wear anything specific? Did he tell you to wear anything at all?" giggled Daphne. Vanessa rolled her eyes as she heard the sisters chuckling.
The idea of having sex was too much for Vanessa's mind to handle at that time. She didn't know if she would be okay with that in a month, a few months, a year, ever? She cut off the unpleasant thoughts that were beginning to trickle through, she was having a good night, still on a high from the kiss, she didn't want the idea of IT and what he did to ruin that.
"He didn't mention anything, all he said was meet me at seven in the common room and to not be late. Nothing too specific." Vanessa replied just before a yawn escaped her, her body sinking comfortably into the leather, her eyes begging for some much needed rest.
"Da it Vaessa, shu uh." Daphne mumbled through a yawn, whacking Astoria in the side as she stretched.
Vanessa chuckled with her eyes closed as she listened to the two sisters exchange smacks, her body slowly giving in deeper to its inner sloth. The last thing Vanessa heard before her eyes eased shut was a low thud of one of the girls falling off the couch.
"-doing down here?" someones very annoying voice called from behind Vanessa, being slowly pulled from her comfortable sleep. She groggily peaked her eyes opening, immediately slapping a hand over her eyes, mumbling under her breath.
"Wha?" groaned Vanessa, sitting up fully, her wavy, tangled hair covering her eyes. A low chuckle came from the corner of the room, she flipped her head in that direction, flipping her hair out of her face. Draco was standing with his arms folded over his chest with an amused grin, "You actually fell asleep down here?"
Vanessa fell back on the couch, adjusting her eyes that were watering from the sudden wake up. "Yeah, we all did. We've been known to do that." she said while she chuckled at the sight of her two friends who were sleeping awkwardly on the small couch across from her. Draco bounced down from the steps, his arms folded across his chest, "So, going to just admit that I was right or am I going to have to squeeze it out of you?"
Vanessa screwed her eyes up at Draco, who, at that moment, had quite the triumphant smirk plastered on his face. She had a sudden urge to slap the look off of his face, but decided it better if she didn't. "I don't know what you're talking about, Draco." she answered dryly, lifting herself off the comfortable couch, cracking her neck as she did so.
"My father?" the way he said it made it sound more like a statement rather than a question. Vanessa felt her cheeks warm at the mention of Lucius Malfoy, "I see that. Besides, I think everyone with a pair of eyes saw the way you two kept looking at one another all day yesterday."
Vanessa felt the fire flicker brightly on her cheeks, she bowed her head in embarrassment. It must've been true, she assumed. Even though subtly was her specialty, she was doubted her actions were anything but subtle around Lucius Malfoy. "It's inappropriate for the both us, your father and I, to have the thoughts that we do about one another."
"Inappropriate? Is that what you want to call it? Look, Vanessa, I know you and I don't have the best track record with one another, but I am willing to put aside the," Draco paused, obviously choosing his words very carefully at the sight of Vanessa's perked brows, "differences you and I share. Blood related and what not. My father obviously thinks you something special, otherwise he wouldn't be acting the way he has been. Vanessa, can I tell you something?" Vanessa had to bite down the smirk that pranced behind her lips, she nodded quickly.
"Breathe a word of this-"
"Get on with it will you?" Vanessa said hurriedly. Draco's brows met in the middle, he clicked his teeth before beginning again.
"I haven't really seen my father look at a woman the way he looks at you. Mind you, he's been with a handful since my mother but, he never looked at them the way he looks at you. Truth be told it's a bit unnerving, but what say do I have about what my father takes interest in? What I'm trying to say is, as long as you treat my father well, I'll attempt to-"
"Keep your mouth shut about my friends?" quipped Vanessa, folding her arms underneath her bust.
Draco clenched his jaw, "You're a real mouth piece you know that?" Vanessa nodded in agreement, smiling at his obvious frustration. "You should be being nice to me, considering you're going on a date with my father."
"How do you know about that?" said Vanessa as her cheeks blushed a bubblegum pink.
"Just a suggestion. Next time you talk about something in the common room, make sure Astoria is nowhere in sight. Do you have any idea how loud she is? Does she know the walls down here echo."
Vanessa began to chuckle silently, she knew someone had to have heard, given Astoria's boisterous tone. "We tried to tell her that." she said through laughter. Draco half grinned as he gave Astoria a once over, had Vanessa not been quick enough, she would've missed it.
"Well come on, we should wake them up so that you all have enough time to put yourselves together." said Draco, standing back up off of the couch, smoothing over his front.
"How considerate of you, Draco." chuckled Vanessa, pulling her hair up into a ponytail as she stood up next to Draco, observing his pale, pinched, features.
"We have an accord?" questioned Draco, holding out the palm of his hand to her. Vanessa smiled a genuine smile as she shook Draco's hand.
"We have an accord." she agreed, giving his hand a squeeze before releasing it.
Draco looked over at the still sleeping sisters, both he and Vanessa tilting their heads in thought. Vanessa chewed on her bottom lip, running it through her teeth repeatedly. "I have an idea." she grinned, grabbing her wand off of the table behind them.
"What are you doing?" asked Draco, pulling out his own wand as she gestured for his.
"Going to wake them up of course. They did this to me not too long ago."
Draco gave her a questioning look before she flashed her row of teeth, a playful glint in her eyes that had been dormant for several months. "You know the levicorporus spell, correct."
Draco chuckled, "Yeah, I used that on Longbottom last-" he stopped as Vanessa gave him a warning glare. Seeing as how she had a wand in hand, Draco closed his mouth without a word.
"On my count. You get Astoria. 1, 2, 3. Levicorpus!" called Vanessa watching in amusement as both Daphne and Astoria were pulled into the air by their ankles. Both sisters eyes flew open, a yell erupting out of both of them, arms flailing as if they were drowning. Daphne beginning swinging in mid air, attempting to pull at thin air. Astoria was simply shrieking at the top of her lungs, slapping at Draco, who's face was flushed with laughter, and such a violent shade of red he appeared to be choking. Vanessa clutched her stomach and her wand fell to her side at the look on their surprised faces. At that, both Daphne and Astoria crashed into two heaps onto the small couch, hitting each other in the face with their legs.
"Oi Cunningham, I'll kill you!" screeched Daphne running after Vanessa, who at the sight of Daphne's angered, flushed face, ran up the staircase and into their shared dorm.
"Oh, payback will be hell for you little one! Let me be the first to promise you that." promised Astoria with a wave of a finger in Vanessa's face. Vanessa merely laughed, a smile that felt so foreign and new crossing her face. It felt good to smile, to be free of the constantly panicked look she so frequently wore.
The entire day had seemed to just flow, like a running river with no rocks in the way, just smooth and relaxed. Her mood had seemed to do a one eighty, almost anyways. For once in nearly four months, she wasn't consumed with the thoughts of the past, instead, the present and potential future kept a permanent grin on her face.
"What are you all grinny about. Oh, that's right, I forgot. You have a date tonight!" Astoria practically hollered, causing both Daphne and Vanessa to smack Astoria's arms.
"Shut up!"
"Keep your ruddy voice down." Vanessa whispered in a strained voice as the three entered the barely filled Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, the back of Lucius Malfoy meeting Vanessa's eyes. She felt her face flush with color.
"Christ, Astoria." growled Vanessa, more to herself than to anyone in particular. She kept her eyes on Lucius' back as she took her seat next to Astoria, running her bottom lip through her teeth.
The class began to fill slowly, the usual groups of three and four finding their seats as they continued to chatter amongst themselves.
Lucius kept his back to the class, writing specific page numbers on the black board. Vanessa couldn't keep her eyes off his long blond hair, even as she talk quietly with Astoria. Even just the sight of his back made Vanessa nervous, her breath catch in her throat, and her cheeks exude warmth. So when Lucius turned around, that warmth became a strong, burning, sensation; her heart beating off pace inside her ribcage.
Lucius and Vanessa's eyes met, locked inside a burning and curious stare that nearly threw the other off balance, each as equally fascinated by the other. His piercingly ivory hair framed his structured and smooth face, his glass eyes like searchlights seemed to liquify her own brown stare, peeling away the skin to peek inside her mind; rummaging through the muscles and tissue to get a better look inside. One side of her mouth tugged into her cheek, a tiny comma shaped dimple forming in the corner; her cheeks blushed furiously at his one sided smile, the warmth radiating off of his thin lips. Their eyes stayed momentarily fixated together, drinking in the vision of them, attempting to perform telekinesis; an unwavering desire to know what the other was thinking. They both had seemed to realize that they were holding their gaze for far too long as Astoria began to giggle behind closed lips; a coy and knowing glint in her wide eyes.
Vanessa pulled her eyes away, instead directing her gaze at Astoria, eying her with a firm expression, her lips pursed and brows raised high. She was looking at Astoria the way a stern teacher would a disruptive student; demanding their silent respect. Vanessa knew, of course, why Astoria was laughing. Because she was right about Lucius.
Damn her for being right.
Lucius clasped his hands together, drinking in a deep breath, releasing it slowly as if to cherish its nourishment. "Today, you all will be reading a short chapter out of the text book that Professor Umbridge has assigned to you."
Vanessa and Astoria exchanged bored eyes, Astoria's head falling into the heal of her hand, flicking the top of the book in frustration. Vanessa ran a hand through her wavy brown hair, tucking a stray piece behind her ear, twirling the ends of it between her fingers, her eyes still on Lucius' attractive form. She couldn't seem to take her eyes off of him, the way his lips curved as he spoke, the very pitch of his voice; soft and low, masculine and powerful, yet a hint of gentleness hidden between the rolling of his 'r's.
Before long, the whole class, including Vanessa, had their noses buried in Chapter Two of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard. Vanessa couldn't understand what a text book could possibly teach her about defensive spells and how to counteract them, the book that was grasped in Vanessa's palms merely told her risk free and secure ways to perform spells and how to defer possibly dangerous situations.
Well that's not going to help me one bloody bit if I come across a Death Eater now, is it? They'd have Avada Kedavra'd me before I'd even open my mouth!
So stupid, she thought bitterly, reading what was put before her felt like an insult to her intelligence, as if fifth years were mindless cattle they could herd in any direction they pleased. Of course a fifteen year old couldn't possibly have seen the Dark Lord return, he had to be lying. Just thinking of it made her slam her own book shut, causing Astoria to jump. Vanessa dropped the relatively light book down onto the desk, a loud smack resonating from the books impact.
Vanessa noticed Lucius raise his head with an almost disturbed look on his face, the expression slipped off of his face as he noticed that it was Vanessa who was the source of the loud noises. She immediately wiped the frustrated look off of her face, popping a small, tight lipped smile on her full pout. Looking away from him as fast as she could, she didn't need her face to be more flushed than it already was.
Moments after Vanessa's small temper tantrum, Lucius rose from his seat at the front of the class, his towering blond form drawing Vanessa's ever wandering eyes straight to him, like the first beams of sunlight finding the flowers beneath their covers of winter snow; warming their pedals. "Can anyone tell me the derivation of the spell Expelliarmus?" questioned Lucius, his hands folded behind his back, chin slightly raised.
Vanessa thought hard about the Latin her mother had tried to teach her the previous summers.
Expelliarmus. Expel, expelli, armus.
Before she got a chance to think the whole word through, Hermione's hand shot through the air, stiff as a board and anxious, her bottom nearly rising out of the sight. Vanessa smiled at Hermione's eagerness and lust for knowledge; to know everything she could, to be the first to answer every question, and for it to be the correct answer. Lucius seemed to be trying to avoid the obvious, his own ever wandering gaze searching for any hint of a raised hand from anyone else but Hermione. Vanessa couldn't help but feel bad for her, and at the same time be reminded that Lucius Malfoy, like his son, had a prejudice against muggleborns and half bloods. The reminder cut her cold and sharp, like the edge of a jagged blade.
"How about you, Ms. Cunningham?" the way his voice curled around her name made her toes tingle in her shoes.
"I'm sorry, sir. I don't know, but obviously Hermione knows the answer." Vanessa said as politely as she could, polishing her dazed expression with a smile. She felt her weight shift to one side of her seat as he inched closer to her, his eyes fixated on her face. She kept her eyes fixed between his brows, not wanting to get trapped in his sea of swirling gray.
"I believe I asked you, not Ms. Granger." the way he hissed out Hermione's last name made Vanessa bit her tongue, hard. She didn't even know the answer to the question and he was making her scavenge every crevice of her brain to figure out the answer. Vanessa couldn't help but sit with a confused expression on her face as she dissected the word, averting her eyes to corner of room where the wall and ceiling met.
All right, think Vanessa. Expelliarmus. Okay, expel. Expello, like repel.
"Well, Expello, as in the repel and armus, like arms, like armor. Tools or weapons. It means to expel the weapons." Vanessa breathed a sigh of relief as Lucius gave her a warm, congratulatory smile.
"Well done, Vanessa." he inclined his head slightly, giving her face a once over, Vanessa felt all the blood rush to her head, the sound of her heart pumping the many gallons of red liquid filled her ears, Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
"I thought it was kinda cute." giggled Astoria, referring to the days' D.A.D.A. Lesson, before taking a large bite of a turkey sandwich. Having missed breakfast, their stomachs had begun growling like mad at the smell of lunch. Vanessa stopped mid bite to look over at Astoria and tilt her head, brows meeting in the middle.
"How the hell was it cute? He put me on the spot." said Vanessa, resuming her eating of fruit salad.
"He was testing you, doll. Just seeing how intelligent you are. You know, playing with you."
Vanessa clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth at Astoria's statement, it sounded completely idiotic and pointless. But yet, it made sense, it was a guy thing to do. Put her on the spot and make her sweat. She turned over a piece of watermelon before popping it into her mouth, she was far to anxious about her up coming date to even speak. What she would wear, what perfume. Was it even right to do so? Did she really feel up to something like a date?
It's a date, nothing too personal.
As if reading her mind, Daphne asked, "Got any ideas of what you want to wear?" Vanessa wrinkled her nose in thought, she hadn't really the slightest clue. Lucius didn't tell her to dress up or down, he just said show up.
"He didn't say anything specific so I'm just guessing something normal." Both Daphne and Astoria looked rather unimpressed.
"Something normal? Really, Vanessa? How about one of your summer dresses, that white one looks great on you, it emphasizes your cleavage." Vanessa narrowed her eyes at Astoria.
"I want his attention on my face, not my cleavage, Astoria." All three girls chuckled, all three casting their eyes up at Lucius, who was reading a book beneath his fingers. His face was relaxed and calm, his brows occasionally peaking in interest at something he was reading. Vanessa ran her hand through her hair and chuckled, she was beginning to feel face becoming warm, once again. He had this affect on her, warmth would run over her, surge through her veins at the very sight of him; each vertebra straightening out and relaxing each tense muscle, spreading the comfort throughout her whole body. The feeling was undeniably wonderful, a feeling of which she reveled in.
Somehow, Astoria had convinced Vanessa to wear the white summer dress she had suggested at lunch, the very dress that hugged her cleavage tightly, along with the rest of her svelte figure. The straps of the dress were small and covered a mere inch of her shoulder, the hem falling a modest two inches above her knees. She had done nothing to her hair, merely brushing out any of the knots that seemed to form for no reason deep in the back of her chestnut brown hair. Her makeup was as she usually did it, her eyes dark and makeup fair. Being as critical as she was, Vanessa turned sideways in the mirror, running her hand over her stomach, examining the way it looked in her figure hugging dress. She feared how it might look when she sat down. Her head buzzed with a million anxious voices, the only thing that seemed to silence them were Astoria and Daphne's praises and promises of a good night.
"It'll be fine, Vanessa. Stop worrying so much, you haven't a reason to anyways." soothed Daphne, rubbing Vanessa's shoulder reassuringly.
"Besides, you look beautiful. I don't think he'll be able to keep his hands off you." giggled Astoria, a kind smile parting her lips.
"Well he damn well better." chuckled Vanessa, before slipping on her flats, running her hand over her dress again and again. Her nerves swarmed through her like angered bees that had just had their hive destroyed.
Astoria, Daphne, and Vanessa stepped down into the always cold common room, all three turning to one another, hopeful smiles floating amongst the trio.
"You'll be fine. I know you will. Just try to relax." cooed Daphne in a maternal tone. Vanessa quietly thanked them both, giving each friend a tight hug that seemed to scream 'I'm scared!'
"Don't spare any dirty detail!" yelled Astoria as she and Daphne began to crawl through the common room door. Vanessa laughed loudly, "There won't be any dirty details!" yelled Vanessa.
Content with waiting, Vanessa took a seat at the couch she had fallen asleep on the previous night, folding her hands in her lap, legs crossed. Her heart fluttered away in her chest, like a bird begging to be released from it's cage; to be free from the restraints of her ribs. Her foot tapped anxiously on the table in front of her, desperately wanting the wait to be over soon.
As if on cue, "Glad to see you keep on time." purred at voice behind her, she had to stop herself from jumping at the sound. Vanessa turned around only to met the divine sight that was Lucius Malfoy, his blond hair pulled back, resting down his back, by what Vanessa assumed as a bow. His polished features seemed to extenuated by the lack of his hair on his shoulders, his eyes a stronger hue of grayish blue.
Vanessa rose from the couch, striding over to where he was standing a shy smile cross her full pout, her tongue dancing behind her teeth; words bouncing off of her taste buds. Lucius looked her over fully, giving a genuine smile at the sight, "You look beautiful, Vanessa."
She felt as though the words dancing on her tongue had dissolved to mere saliva on her tongue, words and actions failing her. "Thank you. You don't look half bad either."
"Not half bad?" he chuckled, "I'll take that."
Vanessa chuckled as well, her laughter parting her lips, exposing her pearly rows of teeth. Lucius extended his hand to her, offering his gloved palm to hold. She placed her small hand delicately in his, the feeling of how comfortable it was to do so, washed over her. No pressure or anxiety, no force. Her smile widened ten fold, the muscles in her body relaxing as pair made their way out of the common room and out into the abandon hallways.