Her hand was such a delicate thing. Lucius stares at it for a solid moment. She had reached out and taken his arm. She had taken his arm. Just like that. She seemed so unbothered by the touch as well; her facial features had not shaken from their reserved nature. And yet she was touching him.

Lucius felt his heart quicken slightly in his chest. Narcissa looked beautiful today. He liked her in her school uniform, of course- he had always had a thing for those little plaid skirts the girls wore, and Narcissa's skirts always did such favors to her legs- but a break from the uniform did favors for the blonde girl. She wore a white dress that was nearly the same color as her creamy pale skin. And the collar of her dress… Well, it dipped far lower than the modest uniforms and Lucius had to constantly remind himself to look up. Look up, past her long pale neck. Look up, past her delicate jaw. Look into those pale blue eyes, the ones that made Lucius shiver. Those eyes were like looking into a winter stream filled with barely melted ice. They were the coldest attribute that Narcissa Black had in her acquisition, and she knew how to use them.

Those cold eyes were beautiful. And she was touching him, holding onto his arm.

Lucius smiles and leads her into Honeydukes. "What's your preference?" he asks her as he leads her down the isles of brightly packaged candies and treats.

"I'm actually not one for sweets," Narcissa says in her dispassionate voice. She runs her finger along the shelves, tracing along the wood. "It's my sister Andi who has the sweet tooth."

Lucius snorts. "There must be something you like," he says. "Let me guess. Chocolate frogs? No. Exploding Bon-Bons."

Narcissa looks at him with her eyes widening just slightly. "How did you know that?" she asks accusingly.

Lucius smiles, liking the subtle way her eyes widen with surprise and her lips pucker. "So you do have a sweet tooth."

Narcissa pinches her lips together tightly. "I only make an exception for Bon-Bons," she admits.

Lucius's smile grows and he pulls her down the aisle to the corner of the store where the Exploding Bon-Bons are stored. "Let's see," he says, looking at the different flavors. "No, I don't think you'd like the cherry kind. Hmm. Close your eyes and let me buy you a few favors."

"You want me to close my eyes the entire time that you chose a flavor and buy it?" She demands, frowning.

"Yes," he instructs. "Oh, don't worry, Narcissa. You can hold onto my arm for support. I won't lead you astray."

Narcissa rolls her eyes mistrustfully, but she takes his arm again and closes her eyes. Her touch was gentle, but she holds on tighter this time, and Lucius finds himself flexing slightly, showing off the tailored muscles he had gained from years of quidditch. He grins to himself before carefully scrutinizing the flavors of Bon-Bons. He pulls out a few boxes, far more than he was sure Narcissa would have chosen for herself, and takes them up to the counter.

"They're going to think you're crazy," Lucius mutters into Narcissa's ear as they wait in line. He was pleasantly surprised to see the twitch of a smile play at her lips. "Walking around with your eyes closed…"

"They're going to think I'm crazy being here with you," Narcissa accuses pointedly. "Now hurry up and buy the sweets so I can open my eyes again."

"Impatient, impatient," Lucius scolds, his mouth still close to her ear. "I thought ladies were supposed to be filled with endless grace and patience…" He could see the little twitch of her eyes as she rolled them behind her eyelids.

"Buy them, Lucius," Narcissa threatens. "You're making me look like a fool."

Lucius laughs but lays down a few galleons for the attendant before she can spoil it by telling them the price. "Keep the change," Lucius says, grabbing a candy rose and placing it atop the boxes before collecting them all. He leads Narcissa out of the crowded shop, balancing the packages against his side and holding onto them with his spare arm.

"May I open my eyes now, Mr. Malfoy?" Narcissa asks when they can both feel the cool air once again. Lucius was sure he heard a bit of playfulness and a warmth that was typically absent from her voice.

"Mm, not quite," Lucius says, leading her down the path.

Narcissa tugs on his arm, stopping him. "I'm not letting you lead me all around Hogsmeade completely blind, Lucius. I'm opening my eyes." Without waiting for his approval, Narcissa's long lashes part and she opens her eyes. She lets out a surprised gasp, staring at the pile of packages in Lucius's arms. "You did not buy all that, Lucius Malfoy!'

"I did," he smiles. "To enforce my apology."

"It would take me years to eat all of that," Narcissa shakes her head. "Not to mention the size I would be when I finished. Take them back, Lucius. That must have cost a fortune."

"It was hardly anything," he laughs. "Trust me, I can afford it."

"Then it's not much of an apology, is it?" Narcissa asks. "Hardly cost you a thing."

"Oh? Do you not accept my apology, then?" he asks. "What will it take to win you over? Something more expensive? A bracelet, perhaps. Or a pair of earrings."

Narcissa sighs and shakes her head. "I accept your apology from earlier. The one you made with merely your words, Lucius. Buying me things… That doesn't matter to me. Not chocolates, or jewelry. I just want you to be sincere with me."

Lucius looks her over slowly. "Are you saying no to my chocolates?"

"I will accept one box," she says generously. "And the chocolate rose. That is all. You may dispose of the rest how you see fit."

Lucius laughs but sorts through the boxes before pulling out a certain flavor. "Devonshire cream," he tells her, handing her the box. He sets the chocolate rose on top for her. "My personal favorite flavor. I think you'll like it."

An amused expression crosses her face, but it's only there for a moment. This girl didn't let any emotion stay on her face for more than a second and Lucius knew he'd have to read her expressions quickly to get any idea what she was thinking.

"Are you going to tell me now?" she asks softly.

"Not yet," he replies. "Care for a butterbeer?"

Narcissa rolls her eyes. "You're still trying to buy me over."

"Everyone loves butterbeer," he says, touching her wrist softly. He smiles at her coercively.

Narcissa shakes her head. "This is as far as I go until I know your condition, Lucius. And then I'll decide if I want to get butterbeer with you."

"If I ask you now, you're going to say no," he says.

Narcissa looks at him with such intelligent eyes that he gets the sudden feeling she knows what he's going to ask. "Ask," she commands softly.

Lucius leans in to her, his fingers going from her wrist to her face, tracing her soft skin with the tips of his fingers. She leans against his hand gently. "Kiss me," he says softly, his face already close to hers. He hovers his lips a few inches away, so close that he can feel the wind from her lip when she replies to him.

She leans in barely, but her lips don't meet his. "I'll give you a choice, Lucius," she whispers softly. "A decision for you to make. You can either kiss me here, right now, or you can have a second date. Your decision."

Lucius hesitates, wanting to close the gap between their lips and kiss her. He smiles at her, a bit bemused. "Is this a date, then?"

Narcissa rolls her eyes. "If you want to play games, I'll leave right now, Lucius. I think you have a good idea the kind of person I am. I don't like to play around. If that's what you're after, then kiss me right now and let me move on with my life. But if you're mature enough to see us as something more…"

"What if I want both?" he asks her. "To kiss you now and have that second date?"

"You're not going to get both," she tells him. "So make a decision, Lucius Malfoy."

He lets out a sigh, hesitating for one moment longer before pulling away. "You're cruel, Narcissa Black," he says as his hand drops. He sees Narcissa let out a small breath.

"No," she says. "I'm just not interested in being a conquest, Lucius."

"You know that's just going to make me want you more."

Narcissa shakes her head. "I'm not playing a game with you, Lucius. I only want to make it clear to you what you are pursuing if you plan on pursing me. If you're looking for something cheap and disposable, look somewhere else. Do you understand? Because if we're not clear from the start, one of us is going to get hurt."

Lucius looks over this girl, a rush of different emotions swirling through him as he tries to think logically. He was attracted to her. That was more than obvious to him. She was beautiful, with delicate fine features and an untouchable presentation. But there was more than that. Lucius found himself craving her time, her discussion, her personality. He wanted to know her, both physically and mentally. But he was standing at the edge of a precipice. This girl could change him. "You're a risk," he tells her, trying to buy himself time to think.

"Make a decision, Lucius," Narcissa repeats, ignoring his comment. "If I walk away now, I won't be back."

Lucius lets out a breath. "I want you, Narcissa," he tells her. "I just want to be certain to myself that I want you for the right reasons."

"Take the second date, then, Lucius," Narcissa says softly. "Think it over. Think me over. Think about what you are willing to give me, because I won't settle for less than perfection. You're a risk to me, too, Lucius. A risk to my reputation. You've proven so far that you know me well enough to know what my reputation means to me. I know you well enough to know I'm asking a lot of you, but I can't settle for less. I just can't."

"I'll take the second date," Lucius says. "I'll take the second date, Cissa. Just know that it doesn't mean I don't want to kiss you right now."

Narcissa gives him a small smile. "I don't remember giving you permission to call me Cissa yet."

"Then give me permission, Cissa, because I want to call you by your name."

Narcissa laughs softly but nods, taking his arm again. "Alright, Luce. You can call me Cissa."

"Luce?"

"Would you prefer Mr. Malfoy?" Narcissa asks with just a hint of playfulness in her voice.

He smiles softly. "Will you go get butterbeer with me now?" he asks, holding out his arm.

"Of course, Mr. Malfoy."

"You can call me Luce."

"Of course, then, Luce." Her delicate white hand wraps around his arm again and Lucius smiles to himself, enchanted by the look of her hand alone.