The lovers stayed in the Astronomy Tower stroking each other's sensitive skin and holding each other until they heard the castle clock strike midnight. They had slowly gotten up and made their way silently back through the castle and back down towards Aria's room. Lucius again felt that thrill of excitement as he snuck around the dark and mysterious castle at night with the woman he loved. He felt like he was a teen back in school again, breaking the rules on any whim.
Aria didn't have to struggle much to convince him to stay with her that night. All it took was an innocent and softly spoken please and Lucius was hers for the night. He had internally scoffed at himself for being such a tender-hearted softy when it came to the young woman he held in his arms, but as he held her while she slept and heard her content, heavy breathing, he wouldn't have it any other way and soon he joined her in sleep as he breathed just as contentedly.
Aria awoke the next morning, fully rested and refreshed but with a slight disappointment that Lucius was not there beside her. She understood though. The castle was bustling with students and professors in the morning and it would be rather obvious if he were to have come out of her room. He must have either apparated or used the Floo back to his room early in the morning before she awoke. She rolled over in her bed and stretched, and she could smell his musky pine-like scent on the pillow and sheets and she closed her eyes briefly in bliss as she breathed it in. She eventually got up and checked her phone for the time and was slightly startled as she realized she only had 30 minutes before her appointment to meet James at the Ravenclaw common room entrance.
"Shit…" she muttered under her breath. She wouldn't have time to go down to get breakfast, thanks to Lucius' warm comforting presence, she must had slept straight through her alarm. She quickly changed into a tight-fitting black pencil skirt and matching black peplum top and over it she put a stylish olive-green blazer. She realized the color green might look like she was playing favoritism towards Slytherin, and in a way she supposed she subconsciously was. She laughed to herself as she put on her makeup highlighting her big green eyes which popped vibrantly against the color of her blazer. With ten minutes to spare, she grabbed a few of the shortbread cookies from Hufflepuff the day before and ate them quickly. Then she rushed out her door, walking as fast as she could in her black heels, and sped down the moving stairs towards the fifth floor where the entrance to Ravenclaw was.
She was glad to see her guide, James, hadn't arrived yet and so she was able to compose herself and catch her breath. Right on time, James arrived. He was a friendly looking middle-aged man, probably about Lucius' age, but unlike Lucius who looked nothing near his age, James really did look his age. His hair was a mousy brown streaked with grey and he wore spectacles which aged him further. He wore a blue sweater vest and grey pants and he looked like one of the students only older. He was exceptionally friendly, if not soft spoken though and Aria smiled at him warmly as he introduced himself.
"Hello Aria, I'm James. Welcome to Ravenclaw tower," he said politely as he nodded towards a grand wooden door with a knocker in the shape of an eagle.
"Hi James! I am so excited to be here. I have been very interested in Ravenclaw house actually. I feel like I might be a kindred spirit," she laughed breathily.
"Really?" James said in genuine interest. "Ravenclaw would be happy to welcome you then," he smiled.
James knocked the eagle knocker once, and then Aria was surprised to hear a rather magical sounding voice speaking out from the open beak of the eagle. It was asking James a riddle.
"If I am holding a bee, what do I have in my eye?"
Aria was struck by the riddle and immediately her brain went into overdrive as she tried to solve the riddle. James was thinking to himself as well, but he was too fast for Aria to catch up to and within about 7 seconds he had the answer.
"Beauty," he said simply and confidently. The door unlocked and immediately opened for James. "Follow me please," he said politely as he smiled over at her. Aria followed him but was still thinking about the riddle, and then it clicked in her brain and she laughed.
"Ahhh I get it now! Beauty is in the eye of the bee-holder! Very clever! I am rather upset I didn't think of it sooner…." She sighed. Perhaps she wasn't a Ravenclaw in spirit after all.
"Oh, don't worry…there have been many, many times I have stood outside of this door unable to get in because I couldn't figure out the riddle. I am only glad I didn't have to humiliate myself in front of you this morning!" he laughed
Aria laughed along with him but only then realized that they had come into the center of a gorgeous room. It was perhaps the most beautiful common room she had seen yet. The ceilings were incredibly high, and she realized they must be in the center of the tower. Large arched windows adorned every side of the room and blue and bronze silks hung all around to create a very royal feel. There was a stunning blue carpet with stars which matched the gorgeously painted star ceiling. She also noticed a beautiful woman in the form of a marble statue in what she could only assume was Rowena Ravenclaw. Aria's mouth hung open in wonder as she took in the gorgeous room.
"This room is incredibly beautiful," she said breathily as she walked around the space. James seemed to be rather nostalgic for the room and nodded his head in agreement.
"Yes. I spent so many peaceful and wonderful nights here. Even the dormitories are decorated like this. Blue and bronze silks with star and eagle decorations. And we boast our own private library," he said motioning over to a side of the room that had many bookshelves filled with various books, texts and volumes.
"That is rather special. I haven't seen any of the other common rooms have their own library like this. I love that," she said as she smiled at James.
"Well myself and the Ravenclaw students heard you were coming and that you loved history, so we figured we would get you a gift that we thought would be perfect for your interests," he said as he walked over to the bookshelves and pulled out a blue leather-bound book. In silver writing on the cover read, The History of Ravenclaw House and its Founder. James handed the book over to her with a smile. "This is for you and we hope you will enjoy reading about the history of our great house."
"How kind of you all! I love stuff like this…thank you so much," she said, with a very genuine smile of appreciation. He smiled warmly back and then spoke.
"So now, why we are here today," he said excitedly as he opened the satchel he had been carrying, which Aria had just now noticed, and pulled out a decent sized black velvet box. He slowly opened the box to reveal a gorgeous silver tiara in the shape of an eagle head with open wings with encrusted blue sapphires and diamonds.
Aria breathed in a breath of amazement at the beautiful item before her. It was, without a doubt, the most expensive of all of the relics, and she could only image it being priceless. James could see Aria was momentarily speechless and continued.
"It was thought to have been completely destroyed during the War as it had been plunged into Fiendfyre to kill the Horcrux that lived within it. However, after the War and during the refurbishment and repair of the castle, the Headmistress entered the Room of Requirement, where the Feindfyre took place, and found it in the middle of the floor, seemingly unscathed. It was rather miraculous. However, you will note if you hold it, it is almost too hot to the touch. The metal seems to be permanently burning."
Aria reached into her bag and put on the white museum gloves she carried with her for occasions such as this. James delicately passed the diadem to her and as she held it, even though the fabric of the gloves she could feel the heat coming off of the metal. She was fascinated yet slightly terrified of the object and gingerly passed it back to James, who put it back in the velvet box.
"Well as I have let the other heads of the houses know, that I luckily have devised a temperature-controlled cooling system for all of the relics to be placed in whilst on display, this helps to preserve them. I think that should also help control the heat of this particular relic…. hopefully…" she bit her lip in thought as she looked around the room at where it could be displayed. Her eyes moved to the middle of the circular room and envisioned in the middle of the starry carpet a beautifully carved, Grecian-style stone pillar in which the diadem could sit majestically atop of. James followed her eyesight and seemed to understand what she was thinking.
"I think there would be perfect. The light from the windows would shine on the diadem and make it look rather otherworldly and epic I would think," he smiled and nodded.
"Exactly," she smiled back. "I want it to be in a place of prominence. There will be defensive charms around it so that it can't be touched; to protect the item and the students."
"Brilliant," smiled James.
Aria got along well with James. They chatted some more on all things ranging from history to books and so much more. Perhaps Lucius was right, maybe she would make a rather good Ravenclaw. As she thought of Lucius, she checked the time on her phone and realized she was running behind yet again. She was due to visit Slytherin next and she had only 20 minutes to spare.
"Oh darn, I really have to go, I am so sorry I must have lost track of time, I was enjoying our conversation too much," she laughed and smiled.
James blushed slightly. "Well I am sad to see you go…" he said with a genuine tone of sadness.
"Thank you for a wonderful morning and I am glad we were able to work together," said Aria politely.
"Me too," said James as he blushed again. "Perhaps I will see you later? Maybe at the Samhain Ball?"
"Oh…um ya I will be there," said Aria awkwardly. She wasn't sure if James was about to ask to go with her, but she was already hurrying out the door and didn't give him time to speak further. "Thank you again!"
Had she missed the signs that James had perhaps had a crush on her? She wasn't too sure, but she had realized lately that she didn't notice other men anymore, sexually or flirtatiously or any other way. She was so dedicated to, and in love, with Lucius that she unintentionally ignored any flirting or looking that came her way and she in turn never looked at other men; she simply had no interest consciously and subconsciously.
She smiled as she made her way all the way down to the dungeons. It was as if a magnet was pulling her in the direction that she knew Lucius would be. When she finally arrived, she was greeted by none other than her love who had been waiting for her arrival. He looked as strong and elegant as ever in his black cloak and snake-head cane at his side. She was on time, but she smiled to herself as she thought about him wanting to be early so that he was there when she arrived
"Miss De La Cour, what a pleasure," he said through his honeyed voice as he looked at her with hungry and passionate longing.
"Good afternoon Mr. Malfoy," she said as she looked up into his eyes. "I am so excited to be touring Slytherin today."
"Well, we are delighted to welcome you," he said looking down at her with a smirk. He turned towards a plain stone wall and muttered something under his breath. Suddenly a door appeared, and Lucius opened it and held it open for her so she could step in.
As she stepped passed him, she breathed in his heavenly scent of spearmint and musk. As they walked through the dark corridor and into the common room, she briefly felt his hand touch her waist and squeeze. Her heart fluttered at his brief touch and she longed for him, but knew they had work to do at that moment. The contrast between their work relationship and their private relationship was practically comical.
They stepped inside a room, which had an other-worldly, haunted feel to it. The room itself was dark and lit dimly with green lamps which reflected off of the stone walls and floor. The room was decorated with fine silks in various shades of green and the couches were all rich looking black leather sofas and chairs. The feeling of the room gave Aria a chill but also a sense of power. She looked towards the windows and realized that the light that shone in was a murky green color. She stepped closer to the windows and realized it was water…. they were under water!
"Oh! I did not expect that!" she said slightly taken aback and getting an instant feeling of claustrophobia.
"We are under the lake," Lucius said matter of factly. "It can be rather jarring if you aren't used to it."
"Quite," she laughed nervously.
"This might make you feel better; as a token of thanks from Slytherin House for helping us preserve and protect Slytherin's Relic," he said as he reached into the deep pocket of his black cloak and pulled out a black velvet pouch with a green silk ribbon tied around it. He handed the delicate pouch to her and she opened it gently and pulled out a beautiful pearl bracelet. The pearls on the bracelet weren't white however, they were a deep sea-green and when they hit the light, they almost shined silver.
"This is stunning Lucius, thank you!" she said as she put the bracelet around her tiny wrist. It fit her perfectly.
"Don't thank me completely," he laughed. "It really was the idea of some of the older Slytherin students. The Slytherins have a connection to the lake since we essentially live under it..." he trailed off briefly and then continued. "Plus, anything I give you will always be much more precious…just like you are to me…" he said so softly she almost didn't hear. He briefly raised his long fingers to her cheek and brushed it lovingly yet briefly and then dropped his hand.
"Now Miss De La Cour," he said instantly going back to his fake professional act, which made her giggle slightly, "here is the object I believe we are both here about," he said as he pulled from his other pocket a beautiful golden locket with a green jewel encrusted 'S' on the front.
Aria reached into her bag and put on her white gloves as he handed her the locket. She examined it gently; it was a beautiful piece of history, but she noticed in the middle there was a gash that separated part of the 'S'.
"It is exquisite, but damaged…" she said as she looked at Lucius and noticed he was smiling down at her. Lucius had been enjoying looking at his lover as she concentrated. He loved seeing this side of her. Her extreme intelligence and wisdom only enhanced her beauty.
His smile faded slightly at her statement. "Yes. When the Horcrux in it was destroyed…it was stabbed with the Sword of Gryffindor. The very sword you saw yesterday."
"I see," she said as she listened to him and learned more about the item she was holding. She frowned slightly as she realized it most likely wouldn't be able to be repaired. "I don't know if a mark such as this, by something so powerful, can be repaired…I'm sorry," she said as she handed him back the locket.
"Perhaps it will remind people of its history even more…" he said with a shrug of his shoulders.
Aria looked around the room, wondering where the best spot to put the locket on display would be. She noticed that just like the Gryffindor common room, there was a grand fireplace and above the fireplace hung a portrait of a beastly serpent.
"It is odd, but the Gryffindor common room is actually set up similarly to Slytherin's…I think the locket would best be displayed right here on the top of the mantlepiece, under the portrait of the serpent," she said looking over towards Lucius to gauge his reaction to this suggestion. "That is where Gryffindor will be displaying the Sword in their common room…I think it works well the same for Slytherin too."
"Hmmm…" he said as he thought about her suggestion. "While I don't think any Slytherin would like to be compared to Gryffindor, I think that spot is the most ideal too…" he said as he nodded his head in agreement.
Aria laughed slightly at his response. "Well hopefully the Slytherins and Gryffindors won't be seeing each other's rooms…so maybe they won't know…unless they are naughty and sneak out of their rooms late at night…like someone I know…" she said as she stared at him with a glint in her eye and her eyebrow slightly raised, as she teased him.
She then explained to him her methods on using the protective charms and regulated temperatures to protect the relic as it was on display. While he was listening to her, she also couldn't help but notice him slowly walking closer and closer to her the whole while, until he was finally right in front of her.
With the most seductive of drawls he spoke, "I think Miss De La Cour, that I must show you the dormitories, so you get more of a feel for Slytherin house."
"Hmmm," she said as she smirked back at him, understanding his meaning immediately. "I think that would be a wise idea as well Mr. Malfoy."
"Follow me then," he said as he turned on his heel and led her through an arched wooden door to the right of them.
As soon as she stepped through the door Lucius led her down a long hallway which forked off into other different smaller hallways. It was slightly like a large stone maze, but the walls were elegantly decorated with wall sconces blazing with green fire and portraits of what she assumed were other notable Slytherins.
"These are the Slytherin dormitories…" Lucius said as he led her down one of the longer hallways that forked off to the right. "However, the only door you really need to know is this one…" he said as he stopped at a door that was lit in an otherworldly glow by the blazing green flame of the fire from the wall sconce. He opened it and led her into a beautifully decorated room. It reminded her a lot of his magical tent that they had stayed in while in Scotland. A large four poster bed with deep green velvet drapes dominated most of the room while a few dark wooden wardrobes and bookshelves and tapestries lined the walls. A large dark fireplace warmed the room and Aria stared mesmerized into the green fire inside then looked back at Lucius.
His gaze was intense, and she could tell he wanted her desperately. She adored it and she gave him a look back as equally as passionate. She stepped close to him and put her small hands on his chest. His breathing was rapid, and she could tell he was about to rip her out of her clothes at any minute.
"You know, they really should have a portrait of you hanging in these halls. You are the greatest Slytherin of all time…to me anyways. You are so strong, powerful and brilliant," she said, knowing she was inflaming his ego to astronomical heights. She leaned in a kissed and bit his neck gently, breathing in his musky scent as she did so.
He closed his eyes in pleasure and a deep groan could be heard emanating from his chest as she kissed and nipped at him. "Flattery will get you everywhere my dear…" he said as he continued letting her love him.
She stepped back a bit after her ministrations to observe him. He really was such a strong and amazing form of a man and wizard. His iconic black cloak hung off his body and she just now noticed that it was lined and stitched with a brilliant emerald green. Underneath the cloak, his amazing, muscular form was concealed under a crisp white button up shirt and tight black pants. He was extremely elegant and impressive, and his clothed form was almost as impressive to her as his naked one.
"Now allow me to show you why Slytherin is the best of the houses…" he said as he briskly removed his wand from his snake-head cane. With a swish of it, her clothes immediately disappeared, causing her to jump a bit out of shock at her sudden exposure. She flushed slightly, which only managed to make Lucius smirk with delight.
After the initial shock of being exposed so suddenly, she made her way over to the big four poster bed and sprawled out on it, enticing him with her welcoming and ready body. "Please show me Mr. Malfoy," she said looking up at him with innocent green eyes. She knew she was driving him wild with her innocent sounding plea, and it only made her more and more aroused as she felt herself becoming wet and ready for him.
As Lucius stared at her body sprawled out on the bed, his ever-growing erection became almost painful as it strained against his tight pants, aching to be released. He removed his rich, black robes and let them fall to the floor. He then began slowly unbuttoning each button in his shirt; agonizingly slowly until his taught form was revealed. He then unzipped his pants and his cock was finally released from its restraints. He saw Aria's emerald green eyes, so emerald they matched the green of the room so perfectly, take in his throbbing cock and a tiny moan escaped her lips in anticipation. She was so beautiful and was acting so innocent, Lucius' mind was turning numb and he had to have her; to dominate her in the most delicious of ways.
He grabbed his wand again and flicked it as he used another wordless spell. Aria was always impressed whenever Lucius used magic without speaking, as it was a sign of a rather powerful and skilled wizard. However, as she went to reach out to him, to bring him down onto the bed to her, she realized she couldn't move her hands from above her head. Black silk ribbons were tied around the bedposts on one end and then tied around her wrists at the other. She gasped in a breath of shock and stared back at her lover and saw his eyes glint in the firelight and his eyebrow raised in haughty arrogance.
"Cunning and resourcefulness are qualities of a well-bred Slytherin my love," he said as he knelt down to the bed and leaned down over her. He gently and seductively kissed her forehead, her cheeks her lips and then finally down to her neck where he kissed and sucked it slowly. He then spoke into her neck in a whisper, his warm breath causing her skin to tingle all over. "But we can also be exceptionally loyal…let me show you how loyal I am to you…" he whispered as he began kissing his way down her tingling body.
His mouth made his way from one breast to the other as he kissed and sucked each tender nipple to hard points of pleasure. He slowly licked and kissed his way down her stomach feeling the rise and fall of her rapid breath beneath him and hearing her soft moans of pleasure as he lovingly teased her expectant body.
Finally, he came down to her hot and ready core and gently kissed all around her pelvis bones and upper thighs. Aria bucked her hips up by reflex as her body instinctually craved more from the God-like man who was giving her such pleasure.
"Please my love…" she begged him. She so desperately wanted to guide his head down onto her where she craved him the most, but her wrists were tightly bound. Lucius smirked as he saw her wrists straining to reach out, but he wouldn't deny her any longer.
He moved his head so that he was back at her sodden core and kissed her softly on her swollen clit. She moaned aloud in pleasure and he complied even more by beginning to lick and suck with much skill all the while rubbing his soft hands up and down her silken thighs as he reveled in her sweet juices. His tongue was so skilled and so adept at what it was doing, and it was driving her closer and closer to her release. The tip of his tongue was circling her clit so perfectly it felt as if the nub itself was on fire.
"Yes, yes…." she breathed heavily, "So good. I love you so much."
Lucius moaned back in pleasure at her words. He wanted her so badly, but he wanted to make her come even more and so his tongue sped up as it flicked up and down and around. Her hips bucked back and forth in rhythm with his tongue and her arms strained against her bindings, but the pain somehow seemed to bring her more pleasure. It didn't take much longer for her to orgasm intensely all over Lucius' soft lips. She screamed out his name several times and his brain fogged over with unbridled lust, and before she could even come down from her orgasm, he had plunged himself into her, his hard cock stretching her walls so amazingly. Lucius' mind went blank for a minute as he felt her tightness all around him. Her recent orgasm had made her even tighter and he found it almost hard to move within her. He leaned upwards and took both of her ankles and put them over his shoulders so that he could go even deeper inside of her. Both of them screamed out in bliss at the position and the angle in which he was now making love to her fiercely.
Aria wanted to reach her arms down and run her hands down along his muscular chest as he thrusted into her hard each time, but all she could do was let him take control as she couldn't move her arms and now that her ankles were up and on his shoulders, he really was the only one in charge. Aria reveled in his dominance. He truly was great in every sense of the word. A great wizard, a great lover…a great man. All hers. He reached his right hand down to her clit again and began rubbing her as he continued plowing into her. She screamed out in delight again and it took no amount of time at all before she was coming again. The feeling of her pulsating around him and getting so tight he could hardly move again caused his body to tense up and come with her. He grunted powerfully as his come spurted up into her as he thrusted several more times.
For a while they lay frozen in position, not wanting to break their bodily connection, but Lucius looked up and saw her wrists getting rather red and so he reluctantly slipped out of her, got his wand and waved it over the bindings, and she was finally released. He immediately got back into bed with her, took her wrists in his large hands and began rubbing them softly. He brought them up to his lips and kissed them, as if willing them to heal with his kisses.
Finally, Aria spoke, "I must say I do rather like Slytherin house…it might just be my favorite…although I may be biased," she laughed slightly. Although how could she not now have a special place in her heart for the Slytherin common room and dormitories.
"I am glad you were able to experience and witness some of our greatest assets and traits," he said with a honeyed voice. "I am sorry if your wrists hurt though," he said as he kissed them some more.
"I liked it, a lot," she smiled at him. "I told you before that I love every side to you…even the powerful and dominant side. It really does rather turn me on."
He raised his eyebrow in that haughty expression yet again but leaned in to kiss her tenderly.
"Lucius?" Aria asked meekly after a while of lying in blissful silence together.
"Yes?" he answered back huskily.
"You mentioned loyalty. Do you mean it?...I mean, I know we have been together for such a short amount of time…and it's been intense to say the least, but if there was anyone else you may have been seeing, I think I would understand. We never really talked about actually being an official couple. Maybe in America it is different…in America until you actually officially decide to be a couple, boyfriend and girlfriend, whatever you want to call it, nothing is really set in stone." She was rambling again, the type of rambling she did when she was nervous.
"Aria, do you question my loyalty? When I said it, I meant it with all of my heart. You are my soulmate and I think that goes beyond the realms of simple boyfriend and girlfriend. Since you have come into my life I haven't even noticed or acknowledged other woman…honestly the thought of even being with anyone else slightly nauseates me…" he said with a grimace.
Aria smiled in relief and laid her head on his chest in comfort. "I have felt the same too. I don't even notice men anymore…. I think today the Ravenclaw representative was flirting with me and I couldn't even comprehend it…" she slightly laughed.
Lucius didn't respond aloud but he grimaced even more and slightly tightened his grip on her. She smiled at his possessiveness.
"Aria, as long as I have you, there will never be anyone else," he said as he kissed the top of her head.
"I want you Lucius. I want you forever," she responded back.
Lucius' heart swelled as he heard what she had said. Forever. It was what he so desperately wanted to, and the realization that they wanted forever together was another sort of revelation to him. He had thought he would have had forever with his ex-wife, Narcissa, but back then when he thought of their forever it had always been muddled with hardships and incompatibility and humiliation. Now when Lucius thought of a forever with Aria, his soulmate, it was something entirely different.