Percival had no idea how long he had been pressing his lips against Lillie's before she pulled back, her forehead pressing to his. Somehow he had managed to find himself in the less than graceful position of half his body laying on the bed and his other half dangling over the edge. Lillie had ended up in an even less than graceful position, her thighs either side of him, her dress hiked up dangerously high above her knee as she bent over him, her hands holding onto his short, cropped hair.
His hands had found her hips, holding them tightly before he felt her pull back and he opened his eyes to look up to her. She said nothing as her nose brushed his and her eyes remained closed, her breathing shallow as a low gulp ran through her throat. Percival moved a hand to her cheek, his fingers stroking along her cheekbone and rousing her from the daydream she had found herself in. Brown eyes greeted her as a small smile formed on her lips.
"I have been thinking about doing that for a while," Lillie whispered and Percival arched a brow.
"Really?" he enquired from her.
"Really," she confirmed, quickly pecking his lips once more, a small moan escaping her as she let her hand roam down his neck to rest against his chest. "Percival…I…I know this might seem forwards and if you want me to leave you be then just tell me, but-"
"-Lillie," he interrupted her. "When have I ever informed you that I wish to leave you? I cannot do it. I want to be with you…just…I do not want you to rush into anything. You have just left your fiancé. You have just found out who I am. I want you to take your time and discover what it is you truly want."
Lillie felt herself smile again then, unable to stop her lips from lifting upwards. She moved towards Percival once again, kissing him with haste again.
"Thank you," she said to him. "Truly, I do not think I have met anyone like you before. The way you speak to me…the way you look at me…no one has ever been so kind."
Percival almost felt his heart break at that information. He had missed out on years of making Lillie felt treasured and that hurt him. It hurt him to think that she had been around people like her mother and John; people who did not deserve to know her. They did not deserve to have her in their lives. Percival would do anything for her. He put her before himself. It was the way it had to be for him.
"Anything for you," Percival managed to speak before slowly sitting upwards, Lillie still in his lap. "Anything you want…you need only ask me."
"And you for I," Lillie whispered to him, stretching her neck forwards to kiss him once more, her eyes closing as she savoured the moment. Percival allowed her to move after a moment, sliding down from his lap and fiddling with the lights, dimming them slightly before she dropped her hands to her hips and Percival let his hands hold his weight as he leant slightly back on the bed.
"Will you stay for the evening?" Lillie enquired from him and he looked nervous, chewing down on his lip as he sat up straight.
"For the night?"
"Just sleeping," Lillie said. "I can sleep on the seat and you can have the bed. I just…I don't want you to go, Percival, not now, not after everything we have just discussed."
Percival nodded then, slipping out of his waistcoat and draping it over the chair as he stood opposite her and moved his hand to her chin, holding it gently. "I will take the couch. You have the bed."
She had no option to protest as she saw Percival settle down on the cushioned seat, his hands tugging at his scorpion cufflinks. He pulled them off and placed them on the coffee table. Rolling his sleeves up, he watched as Lillie tugged out a nightgown from her trunk and wandered into the bathroom, changing into it silently. Letting out a deep sigh, Percival waited until Lillie came back out.
Her hair was in soft waves down the back of her head while her white nightgown went down to the floor, hanging in ruffles down her legs. It was modest, as per usual for Lillie, buttoned up to her neck with short sleeves.
"I can give you some pillows," Lillie said, pulling two pillows from the bed and placing them on the end of the seat as Percival leant forwards, watching her with intrigue. "And there should be a blanket in the wardrobe that you can have. Unfortunately I do not have any men's pyjamas."
Percival stood up then and moved to take the blanket from her as she tugged it from the wardrobe. "That is fine," Percival said to her. "Thank you, Lillie."
"You're more than welcome," Lillie said, smiling to him as he watched her, wondering if he was the reason why she could not drop the smile from her face. She had been constantly beaming for a while now when she looked to him.
"I do have a question though," Lillie said as she went to sit on the bed, slipping underneath the duvet as Percival perched at the end of the bed.
"What is it?" he asked from her.
"I just want to know about your school," Lillie said. "You have told me about MACUSA, but you never told me about your school. I just want to know more."
Percival let his brows furrow. "You're interested in that?"
Lillie smiled. "Of course," she said, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Why would I not be interested? I want to know everything."
Percival took a deep breath and then begun his story. He told her everything about Ilvermorny, what House he was in and what he learned. He listened in awe as Lillie laughed at his stories; oftentimes she let her mouth gape in amazement. He couldn't stop watching her reactions, his eyes focused on her. She had sat up, her legs crossed underneath her as her hands held her kneecaps. Percival had moved closer to her, finally daring to move and take hold of her hands. He held them softly in his grip as she ran a finger to his wrist.
"Why do you have scorpion cufflinks?" she enquired, looking to them and Percival let his gaze wander down.
"My family's sigil has a scorpion," he said.
"Your family has a sigil?" she asked, her tone of disbelief as Percival nodded.
"Many noble wizarding families have a sigil," he informed her. "My family have a long running history in the community."
"So how do you become a wizard?" Lillie wondered, her fingers moving into his as she leant back against the headboard and Percival moved with her, letting his hands rest on top of her knees as she bent them upwards.
"You are born with wizarding blood usually," Percival informed her. "There are some whose parents have no wizarding ability, but they discover that they are wizards."
"How odd," Lillie said. "Can you imagine what might happen if someone's parents discovered that their child could make something fly one day?"
Percival let his lips quirk upwards at hearing her. She said nothing further as Percival saw her close her eyes for a moment. He suspected she was drained. He could not blame her. He moved his hands from hers and stood up, his lack of contact enough to make her peel her eyes open. She looked up to him as he bent at the waist, a hand going to her cheek, sweeping her hair behind her ear.
"Get some sleep," he urged from her, kissing her tenderly on the forehead.
"Promise me that you will still be here in the morning," Lille whispered and Percival nodded.
"I promise."
…
Percival didn't want to have to hide. He didn't want to have to keep his relationship hidden, but he knew that there was no other way. He had to keep Lillie away from anyone who might recognise him. Being seen together by the wrong person would be too dangerous for both of them. He didn't think he could handle Lillie losing her memories again, not when she had just remembered who he was.
He had awoken that morning having felt refreshed and able to do anything. He had watched as Lillie had slept, knowing that if she had awoken while he gazed at her then she might have had some choice words about that. But he had struggled to do anything but watch as she let her lips pucker up as she slept, soft breaths escaping her. She had her hands balled under her pillow, her cheeks scrunched up as she rested on the fluffy material.
Percival had dressed himself in the bathroom, washing his face and swilling his mouth with water before he wandered back into the bedroom. By that time Lillie had awoken, propped up on her elbows as she looked around for him. Percival smirked as he saw her lips widen at the sight of him.
"I thought you'd gone," she mumbled sleepily and Percival shook his head.
"I told you that I had no intention of leaving," Percival responded. "How did you sleep?"
"Peacefully," Lillie admitted, flopping onto her back once more and closing her eyes again. "I need to go out today and find a room to rent. I cannot stay in this hotel forever, although the thought is very appealing."
Percival chuckled at that, sitting down on the edge of her bad and fiddling with his cufflinks. "I can imagine," he informed her. "If you struggle to find somewhere then my apartment is always open to you, Lillie."
"That is very kind of you," Lillie said, feeling her cheeks warm up. "But I think I should find somewhere of my own. We…well…I thought that we intended to take things slowly?"
"We shall do," he assured her in a whisper. "But I just want you to know that you are not alone."
"Thank you," Lillie whispered. "It means a lot to me, Percival."
"Of course," Percival said to her. "I shall walk out with you. I need to go to work this morning and finish some paperwork. Perhaps I can return this evening? We could…well…talk some more, if you wish?"
Lillie beamed. "I would love that," she said and Percival watched as she flung herself out of the bed and moved around the bedroom, heading to the wardrobe and pulling a dress from it. "I'll only be a few a minutes and then we can go."
Percival nodded, watching her head into the bathroom. She changed with haste, brushed her teeth and washed her face. She dragged her hairbrush through her hair once she came back out, settling down at her dresser while Percival watched her, unable to stop himself from smiling softly. He couldn't help but watch her and feel a sense of happiness that he hadn't felt in years.
"Nearly done," Lillie promised him as she finished combing her hair. Standing up, she tugged at the blue dress she wore over her tights, tugging at it down her arms before reaching for her grey coat and folding her body into it.
"You look lovely," Percival said before he could stop himself and Lillie wondered how many times this man could make her blush. He moved towards her, unable to stop himself from wrapping his arms around her waist, his hands splayed over her back as he peered down to her.
"This is not taking it slowly, is it?" Lillie checked with him as he chuckled and let his forehead rest against hers. Without saying anything else, he moved his lips until he had pressed them against hers, the motion soft and tender and he let one hand wander back to hold her chin softly.
He pulled back after a moment, sighing lowly before he pecked her on the forehead.
"That's because I struggle to think coherently around you, Lillie Montford. I always have done."
…
Walking down the sidewalk, she tugged at her pink coat, the fur collar of it tickling her neck as her short hair didn't cover her nape. Wandering along the sidewalk, she kept her gloved hands in her pocket before she spotted an unusual sight. She remained on the other side of the street, but there could be no denying that the man she had spotted was Percival Graves. She struggled to ignore the happiness he was feeling at that moment in time, finding it very odd.
Whenever she was around him he held an aura of being closed off. She couldn't read what he was thinking. She never had been able to. He was a strong Legilimens himself. But he seemed slightly less closed off and she wondered why that was. It was only when she saw a woman appear by his side, emerging from the hotel, did she understand. She had her fingers tugging at her coat, buttoning it up as she looked up to Percival.
He peered down to her with an intriguing look, his eyes wide and his smile beaming. He bent down after a moment and let his lips press against the woman's cheek before he crossed the road and left her alone. She kept staring after him for a second, but she soon went on her own way, hands in her pockets as she focused on where she was going.
The woman remained intrigued as to what she had just seen. Was Percival Graves seeing someone? And who was this woman? All Queenie Goldstein knew was that she had never seen Percival Graves seem so enamoured.
…
A/N: Do let me know what you think!
