NOTE: The rating of this story has CHANGED since I started it. I had forgotten, when I first dubbed this story PG-13, that it gets racy in parts. Please do not read on if you object to adult situations.
Chapter 4
Lucius tapped his cane impatiently and poked his head around the screen that set the waiting room apart from the salon proper. He wondered where Narcissa and Madame Ursuline had gone. A squat, steel-haired witch was having her hair charmed into ringlets, and a hag was having a facial near the window. Otherwise, the row of sinks and chairs was deserted.
He bit his lip in frustration. He had been quite explicit in his request that Narcissa be ready to go to dinner no later than six o'clock. Of course, he didn't doubt for a second that the maitre d' at the Glass Slipper would hold their table. The Malfoys were far too illustrious patrons to risk alienation- but he was bitter of the thought of losing even one moment of their time together or of squandering a single chance to capture her attention from Rookwood. Scowling, he took a seat and snatched up six months old copy of Witch Weekly.
Enchantment in the Bedroom! The cover blared, along with No-Fail Engorgement Charms Every Witch Should Know and Kidnapped By Vampires: How One Witch Survived this Terrifying Ordeal. He rolled his eyes and tossed it back onto the table. Narcissa was right. Witch Weekly was a rag.
Casting his eyes around the waiting room for something else to occupy his time, he couldn't help but notice a cool blonde sitting opposite him, smiling in a mysterious and captivating way. She was staring at him quite frankly. He could feel the heat of her gaze resting on his skin, but he didn't permit himself to meet her eyes. The action was quite rude, and he should have felt annoyed. Instead, he was simply unsettled. In spite of the fact that he hadn't forgotten Narcissa- and that he was annoyed with himself for fancying another girl when he was waiting for Miss Black to appear, he couldn't prevent a guilty glance from the corner of his eyes to drink in her appearance.
She was nothing short of exquisite. Her rosy skin was glowing. Her bosom was plump and tempting, and she was wearing immaculately cut blue-silk robes that brought out the colour of her eyes.
Her eyes. Lucius frowned. There was something familiar about them. Did he know her from somewhere? Intuitively, he felt that the answer was "yes", but he didn't trust himself to take a better look. If he looked up- if he dwelled too long on the near perfection that he had barely glimpsed before, he wouldn't be able to prevent himself from flirting...and he couldn't allow himself to do that. He was waiting on Narcissa- sweet, naïve, trusting Narcissa who deserved to be saved from Rookwood and other men who would drop her in a heartbeat for a pretty face. Well, there was more to her than that. He steeled his resolve. Narcissa might not be the height of fashion or epitome of grace, but he was more and more convinced this was merely a manifestation of the fact that she choose to think for herself, and not according to societal dictates. She was lovely inside- with her vivid imagination and guileless sweetness...but the blonde really was sensational.
He sneaked another look.
Think about Narcissa! He growled under his breath as he forced his mind back on track. He wished that she would hurry up and arrive! Feeling extremely agitated, Lucius stood, stretched, and then looked around the barrier once more.
"Looking for someone?"
It was Miss Black's voice. Lucius frowned and spun around, looking for the girl, wondering how she had managed to creep up without being noticed. He still didn't see her, but he noticed that the blonde was moving toward him. No longer able to resist, his eyes flickered to her face. Suddenly, his mouth went dry.
"Narcissa?"
"Of course," She rolled her eyes heavenward, discounting his question as a joke. "Who else would I be?" There was no time to offer an answer. She had stooped to pick up a miniaturized but obviously still very heavy shopping bag and thrust it into his arms. "You're late."
Lucius nodded, realizing this was his cue to offer some wry retort, but was rendered incapable of speech. He marvelled at the transformation. He had long-since decided that Narcissa was pretty, but now she was...
"Ridiculous!" The girl said, pausing to sigh at her reflection in a mirror beside the door. "Go ahead, say it. I don't care."
Lucius was thinking of something far different, but he still couldn't get words to form.
"What do you think about the hair?" Narcissa asked, but didn't give him a chance to answer. "Madame Ursaline thought black, like Bella," she scrunched her nose. "As if I want to be compared to her!"
Obediently, Lucius's eyes swept over her hair. No longer mouse-brown waves, it had been arranged into a perfect fall of golden curls that were bundled atop her head. The style did more than brighten her face. It fully exposed her features to view, framing them perfectly. Messy fringe no longer obscured her eyes. Shadowed and lined to the height of fashion, they shone from her face like two polished jewels. He stared at them for a moment, transfixed. Then her mouth started moving and he let his gaze slide to her full, red-painted lips. Without volition, his thoughts raced back in time. He remembered what it was like to kiss them- how pillow soft they were. He remembered the rough velvet of her tongue, the light scratch of her now-manicured nails...
"I do like the dress though." Failing to notice that Lucius wasn't paying attention, Narcissa turned. The skirt of her robes lifted and spun around her in a delicate swish of silk before settling back to the ground. "The one that I bought for the ball is even better! It's been ages since I've had anything new. Did you know that I'm two sizes smaller than Bella?"
Lucius did not know, but he was not surprised- not that he was certain there was anything that could shock him after this! The new robes hugged her slender body, demonstrating a tiny waist, long legs, and curves that he had no idea she had hidden under her baggy, hand-me-down clothes. He wondered what other secrets she was keeping.
"Well, say something." Narcissa demanded as she finally strode through the door. The bells chimed in her wake and once again as Lucius followed her onto the street. "Is it that terrible?"
"No." Lucius answered carefully, but inside, his mind was screaming "yes!"
"You look beautiful, Narcissa." He said with sincerity he hadn't meant to give. "You look like..."
"Bella?" She finished for him, scrunching her nose.
"No." He assured her, but didn't elaborate. Some of the shock of seeing her was wearing off so now he was forced to admit that he had no right to be surprised. Hadn't he always thought she was pretty? Hadn't he argued to himself that she only needed some polish for her natural beauty to shine through? Yes- so why was he so miserable now that it had happened, now that it was clear to the whole world that the youngest Black sister was just as gorgeous as she was intelligent and sweet?
"Where are we going?" Narcissa asked, stopping in on the sidewalk. Lucius glared at a wizard walking past who had paused to gawk at the stunning girl.
"The Glass Slipper." He said, feeling a little of his confidence return as her eyes widened with excitement.
"Oh, Lucius! Isn't that a bit...I mean...you don't have to- its only me."
"I want to make sure that you're prepared for tomorrow." He cut her off crisply, holding out his elbow so that she could twine her little hands around it and permit him to lead her through the street. He swallowed a smug smile as he thought of how patently inadequate Rookwood's own offering was going to be after a night at wizarding London's most exclusive bistro.
Most of the posh establishments were crowded together at the far end of Diagon Alley, so it wasn't a long walk before they reached their destination. They were early, but Lucius had planned for this.
"Would you like to have a drink before we sit down?" He asked, helping her off with her cloak and leading her into the plush, stately interior of the restaurant.
Narcissa tilted her head in answer. Lucius was amused by the uncommonly understated and elegant gesture. Perhaps she was changing in more than just appearance? The realization was surprisingly bittersweet.
"Mr. Malfoy!" The Maitre d', a trim, graying wizard hurried forward. "And this must be Miss Black?" He said, looking rather impressed. He snapped his fingers and a pair of elves appeared to remove their cloaks, but Lucius waived them away.
Lucius nodded proudly, letting his hand rest on the small of Narcissa's back to hold her close while he spoke with the other man. "I know we're rather early, Bernard." He said easily. "I thought perhaps we sit on the terrace until our table is ready."
Of course, Lucius knew that, if their table wasn't ready, Bernard would be conjuring a new one and evicting whatever couple had overstayed their welcome from the previous booking. He had arranged this plan the day before, requesting that the porch be reserved for his personal use. Nevertheless, the maitre d' played along with the pretence and, nodded his head solemnly. "Naturally, sir. Everything has been arranged as you requested. Shall I send out the bottle you sent over?"
Lucius nodded his head, and then brushed past the man and up a small flight of steps to a secluded balcony. Narcissa was still holding his arm, trailing slightly behind him, so that he had to turn his head when they first stepped outside.
The look of rapture on her face made his stomach somersault and he was reassured that his choice to bring her here had been the right one. Although the restaurant was on a busy street which, in itself, was sandwiched in the heart of London, light blocking wards had been cast so that there was a clear and perfect view of the winter sky. It had only just turned dark, but the stars overhead were so bright and numerous that it looked a though someone had scattered diamonds on a black-velvet cloth.
"Oooh." Narcissa exhaled excitedly, rushing to the railing and craning her neck. She didn't spare a glance for the charming, rose-filled courtyard below. "Oh Lucius! It's amazing."
"Surely you've seen it before?" He walked forward until he was standing beside her.
"No. Never." Narcissa answered plainly. Lucius had to smile that, when they were alone, she was still the same, plainspeaking girl who had captured his interest. "I mean. I came to the Slipper for my birthday last year, but I never knew about this."
"Well, I'm pleased you like it." He whispered against her neck. Narcissa stood suddenly straighter, as if a chill had run along her spine. Lucius initially smiled at this reaction, but the look faded when her shivering continued. "You're cold." He couldn't fathom why the Slipper, which had taken so much care to secure this view, wouldn't also have the foresight to cast a warming charm. Nevertheless, it did present certain opportunities. "Shall we go inside?" He asked in what he hoped was a discouraging tone. When she didn't reply, he moved closer, spreading his own cloak so that it covered her shoulders too. "At least let me share my cloak."
In a heartbeat, Lucius's body temperature went from freezing to boiling. Narcissa's back was pressed into his front and every place that their skin connected was like a point of fire. He swallowed and tried to think of something distracting to say, but all he could think about was how close she was.
"New perfume?" He asked, realizing that the exquisite fragrance tickling his nose wasn't coming from the flowers.
"I never had an old one." Narcissa replied, but followed the remark with a musical, if self-depreciating laugh. "One of the ladies that came to the salon made it for me. It's meant to be my signature scent."
"Mmmm..." Lucius seized onto the excuse to nuzzle at the base of her neck, trying to pick out the different notes. "Vanilla....orangeblossoms and..." He paused, frowning, trying to name the final note.
"Narcissus." Narcissa replied. "She thought she was being clever."
Lucius nodded, feeling faintly cheated for not being able to linger and figure it out. "Well, I think it's lovely."
Narcissa shrugged and smiled. "Well, it was an extravagance, but that seemed to be the order of the day." She turned toward him, worriedly chewing her lip. "Oh, Lucius. I don't know how long it's going to take me to repay you for everything! I didn't realize it was so much until after they'd wrapped everything up. I'll speak to my father as soon as—"
"Don't worry about it." Lucius said coolly, surprised that she would even mention it.
"But, the correcting charms alone-"She raised her hand to her cheek where the spectacles no longer sat.
"-were a gift." Lucius completed for her, struggling against the urge to kiss the place where her fingers had lain. "Think nothing of it. Merry Christmas."
"But-"
Lucius was grateful when they were interrupted by the appearance of the waiter. He was followed by a pair of elves porting a heavy silver champagne stand. They placed it near the railing, conjured a pair of cushioned seats, and then left the wizard to deal with the wine.
With proper ceremony, he popped the cork, offered a glass to Lucius to inspect, filled two flutes with the bubbly liquid, and then made a graceful exit when Malfoy nodded his approval.
Lucius offered one of the glasses to his date. "Would you care for some champagne?"
"Yes, please." Narcissa answered eagerly, but she sipped slowly at the drink as though she were unused to alcohol's tang.
Lucius smiled knowingly. "I'll order something sweeter for dinner." He promised.
"No, it's lovely!" Narcissa protested. As though she felt the need to prove her sentiment, she took a long swallow that emptied half of the glass.
Lucius felt he ought to tell her to go slower, but couldn't think of a tactful way to make the suggestion- she was trying so hard to appear grown up and refined!- he decided to let the matter pass. He drained his own flute, and then refilled the glasses.
He gestured toward the seats that had been prepared, but Narcissa shook her head. "I'd rather stand a bit more if it's okay with you?"
"Of course."
She smiled and returned her attention to the sky. "The Blacks are all named after stars, you know...well, heavenly bodies at least."
Lucius's lips twisted into a grin, but he suppressed the urge to parrot the obvious, juvenile line.
"There's Orion." She swept her fingers over the constellation that shared her father's name. "The Andromeda galaxy....Bellatrix.....Sirius and Regulus-"she tipped off the stars for her sisters and cousins. "...and that's Rigel there. You can barely see it. That was my little brother's name." She finished quietly and took another drink.
Lucius hated the sudden note of sadness in her voice. He moved to wrap the cloak around them both again and let one arm slide around her waist. "You've been lonely." He said quietly.
"Yes." Narcissa looked down at her feet. "It's silly, isn't it? Being in the dorms and at home..."
"You don't really get on with your sisters."
"Oh, it isn't that." She finished her second glass of champagne and set the flute on the railing. "I love them both, of course- even Andy. It's just...well, they aren't like me." She sighed heavily. Her eyes flashed back toward the sky. "Narcissa isn't a star."
"It's something different." He agreed, "But-."
Lucius gritted his teeth as the door swung open again to admit another elf. "A delivery for Miss Black." The little creature announced solemnly, blissfully unaware of how very close it was to being hefted over the railing by Miss Black's date.
"Delivery?" Lucius asked incredulously, peering around the elf to see a rather agitated looking owl fluttering around the foyer.
"Yes, sir." The elf squeaked with a preposterous amount of dignity, "Quite persistent." He held out his hand and presented Narcissa with an exquisite bouquet of gardenias. "Shall I read the note, ma'am?"
Lucius started to snarl "No." But was beaten by Narcissa's ecstatic "yes". She accepted the flowers happily, giving Lucius a secretive smile that made him wish, rather desperately, that they had come from him.
"My dearest Miss Black." The elf read off the card. "One blossom for every hour until we meet again, Yours, Augustus Rookwood."
Lucius snorted in disgust. It didn't matter that he'd been close to uttering something almost as lovestruck and foolish- he hadn't done- and at least he didn't seem to be drawing his inspiration from a wizarding wireless program. The next thing they knew he'd send singing cupids!
Before Narcissa could protest, he plucked the bouquet for her hands. "Go put those in water." He shoved them at the elf. "We'll get them when we leave." He said, fully intending to forget them.
"But-" Narcissa started to protest.
"But, I think our table should be ready now." Malfoy finished, shooting the elf a meaningful glance. "Please inform Bernard."
"Immediately, sir."
Lucius half-dragged Narcissa off the balcony and stripped away her cloak. The gown she was wearing displayed a delicious strip of smooth, creamy skin filling Lucius with a strong desire to stare, so that he was actually grateful for the next interruption.
"This way Miss, Sir..." Bernard said, rushing forward almost immediately and starting to usher them back into the restaurant proper. He led them along a hushed passageway, up a flight of stairs to a table on a broad landing in front of a window that must have been just above where they were standing before. Through the sparkling glass, the view of the sky was almost as spectacular as it had been outside.
Lucius brushed away the menus. "Tell Louis to make something special." He said brusquely, "And see that we aren't interrupted again."
Bernard nodded and scuttled away, leaving the two young people alone. An elf had carried the champagne inside, and Lucius topped of their glasses, emptying the bottle.
Narcissa sipped thoughtfully. "I'm sorry if the flowers upset you." She said at last, breaking the long silence that had settled between them.
"Not at all." Lucius said through gritted teeth. "Mr. Rookwood's enthusiasm is..." Obnoxious. Cloying. Juvenile... the words streamed through Lucius's mind, but he finally said, "...a compliment to you."
She laughed. The captivating sound took some of the edge off his annoyance, "More like a compliment to your lessons." She said. "He wouldn't give me the time of day before we started- you said so yourself."
"Then Rookwood was blind." Lucius said with surprising passion. "And I was a fool." He added softly.
He hadn't meant to say that. He made a note to go more slowly with the wine. Luckily, a glance to Narcissa showed that she either hadn't noticed, or hadn't minded the remark. She was staring out the window, looking at the stars again. The faint flicker of the candle on their table sparkled in her deep blue eyes.
She didn't look back again until the sound of music below caught her attention. "Oh! They're dancing!" She said, craning her neck to look over the railing.
"Yes." Lucius said, "Would you like to?"
She smiled and arched an eyebrow as if surprised by the offer.
"Well, you'll have to do it at the ball, won't you?" Lucius explained quickly.
The grin on her face faded to a haughty smirk. "Lessons aren't necessary. I know how to dance!" She said with surprising force. Grabbing his hand, she led him back down to the ground floor.
Lucius hadn't gone so far as to plan the music. However, just as if he had, the music switched to a slow, sultry tune almost as soon as he and Narcissa reached the bottom of the stairs. They took a position like the other couples: hands clasped, bodies flush, and began to whirl around the room.
Narcissa hadn't been lying. In between burying herself in books she must have carved out time for practice. She was as light and skilful on her feet as any partner he'd ever had. Although his attention never drifted from his companion, he could sense the other dancers around them making room, or pausing to simply watch the graceful pair.
There was a smattering of polite applause when they were through, and the couples cleared the floor as the music shifted into a more up-tempo song.
"I believe the waiter has brought our hors d'oeuvres." Lucius said, reluctant to leave.
Narcissa nodded and they returned to the table.
Their places had been set with a glass of white wine and a lovely little pillow of pastry stuffed with a mushroom and chicken filling. They were relatively quiet as they ate and drank.
"This reminds me of the wine we drank last summer in France." Narcissa mused as she sampled a swallow and savoured it thoughtfully.
"A family property?" Lucius asked, tasting it himself.
"My aunt's home." Narcissa nodded. "It's a lovely place on the Southern Coast. Have you been there?"
"We have a villa near Marseilles." Lucius confirmed.
"Oh! I'm sure it's lovely."
"It is....do you like to travel?"
"More than almost anything." Narcissa continued to drink her wine. Almost as soon as her glass was empty, an elf appeared to fill it up. Her cheeks were growing pinker, and her smile larger, but it didn't occur to Lucius to complain. "I want to see the entire world!" She announced brightly.
"The entire world?" Lucius said, smiling at her.
"Well, all of the nice parts." She corrected, smiling a little lopsided grin that Lucius hadn't noticed before but was certain he would dream about that night. "Australia and Argentina and Antartica and Antigua and..."
She faltered for a moment, blinking in confusion as if she'd lost her place but laughed when Lucius quipped: "And those are just the A's!"
They continued discussing travel for a while. Then their plates and glasses were removed and replaced with bowls of soup and goblets of shiraz.
Narcissa took a bite of her soup, declared it delicious, and then concentrated on her wine. She must have noticed Lucius's scrutiny because she giggled and announced, "I'm not really allowed more than half a glass at dinner...usually."
It was on the tip of his tongue to warn her that she ought not to overdo it now, but the next words out of her mouth stunned him so completely that he was physically incapable of speech. "You're very handsome, you know, Mr. Malfoy."
Lucius felt his heart thud almost to a stop. He wasn't quite certain how to respond. He was pleased that she thought so, of course, but-
"The ladies downstairs are all staring." She whispered, and must have been on her knees on the chair because she seemed to be crawling across the table toward him.
Lucius felt obliged to mention that the ladies weren't actually staring at him. They were, in fact, glaring at Narcissa who, in her current position, was treating the male patronage of the restaurant to a generous view of her décolletage.
"Er....thank you, Narcissa." He said, moving his wine glass at the last possible moment before she would have knocked it over. He wanted to push her back into her seat but had taken enough wine himself that he didn't quite trust himself to touch her naked skin.
"They're jealous." She whispered in a voice loud enough to be heard throughout the restaurant. "They think that you are going to take me to bed."
Lucius choked on his soup and, sputtering, was disturbed to find that his wine was the only liquid available to wash it down.
"You could, you know." She giggled. He didn't know how it had happened, but she was suddenly sitting in his lap. "The door between our rooms doesn't lock. Daddy broke it trying to get into Andy's room when she was in there with some boy." She slid her fingers down his shirt. "No one would ever know."
"I...er..." Lucius's chest felt tight. His trousers felt tight. He had no idea how he was going to get out of this situation. Feeling rather desperate, he pushed her back into her seat. With what he hoped was a subtle flick of his wand, he turned her wine into water.
Unfortunately, his efforts were wasted, as Narcissa simply reached around him and took his glass.
"This tastes like grape juice." She said in a giggly tone.
"That's because it's made from grapes," Lucius explained.
"I know that silly." Narcissa said. She tilted her head, smiling goofily at his lips. "You're silly."
"And you're drunk." Lucius saw no further need to tiptoe around the truth. Their server arrived with their meals but he could see they would remain uneaten. He instructed the elf to take them back to the kitchen and wrap them to go.
"Don't look so frowny!" Narcissa said, pouting. He wished she looked less delectable that way. "You should smile."
"Why?" He snapped.
"I love your smile." Her hands reached forward, plucking at the corners of his mouth and tugging them upwards. "It makes me feel..."
He held his breath, hoping for a breakthrough. "What?"
"Less Narcissa-like."
"What's wrong with being like Narcissa?" he asked stroking her cheek and forgetting to stop her when she took another sip of wine. She took a long drink, and then used maddening care to lap the dregs from the corners of her lips. Lucius watched uncomfortably as her pink velvet tongue flicked over her skin.
"Narcissa-like is boring." She said in a disgusted tone. "Narcissa-like is strange and quiet and ignored." She was crawling over the table again, staring at him intensely with her aquamarine eyes.
"I don't think so." He countered slowly.
"No. You don't." She tilted her head thoughtfully, "Why?"
Lucius squirmed. "We should go, Narcissa." Lucius said, standing up abruptly, very grateful for the loose lines of his robes.
He hurried forward and took her arm, guiding her steadily down the stairs. "Do you have a portkey, sir?" Bernard was hovering anxiously near the doorway. Lucius shook his head. They'd have to floo, which was a risk itself with Narcissa so lashed, or spend the night in London.
Considering his options, Lucius finally decided that the latter would be best. Bellatrix and Rodolphus would hardly miss them, and he didn't want to take Narcissa out in this state.
"No." He said at last. "We're going to stay in my flat."
"Very well, Sir. Do you require transportation for the...er...young lady?"
"Please."
He wrapped Narcissa in her cloak as Bernard signalled the elves. A few moments later, a covered rickshaw appeared at the door.
"Oooh!" Narcissa said, clapping her hands in excitement. "It's like China. Are the elves Chinese?"
"No, Narcissa." Lucius said patiently. He slipped Bernard a handful of galleons in payment of their meal and to hopefully secure their welcome should they choose to grace the restaurant again. Nodding to the older man, he helped load Narcissa into the contraption.
As soon as they were inside and he had told the address to the team of elves pulling the cart, he turned to Narcissa. Her arms were tucked around his elbow and her head had fallen heavily against his chest.
"Sleepy?" he asked hopefully.
"Not yet." Narcissa answered in a teasing tone that made his stomach clench in dread.
It didn't take long before they stopped at Lucius's building. He alighted, and then handed Narcissa down, catching her as she almost fell.
"Where are we?" She asked.
"At my flat." He informed her. "For you to go to sleep."
Her smile broadened. "You are taking me to bed!" She giggled.
Lucius lacked the patience to correct her. Instead, he focused on helping her inside the foyer, and then to the lifts that took them up to his top floor loft.
Lucius had been in the country for most of the fall, so the flat had an air of disuse. He was glad to see, at least, that the elves had kept things up. Narcissa nodded appreciatively as she looked around. "Very nice." She commented, flopping onto a white plush sofa. Reaching around her, Malfoy removed her cloak, and then knelt to take her shoes. "I'll bet you bring a lot of girls up here." She babbled.
"Not as many as you'd think."
"I bet I'm nothing like the girls who usually come."
Of course, that was true. Lucius couldn't remember a single woman in recent memory who possessed as much substance as Narcissa, or who captured his interest so completely, but he didn't say so. Instead, he took Narcissa's arm and hefted her to her feet.
"Time for bed."
Narcissa was past the ability to walk on her own. She leaned heavily on Malfoy for support as they wove down the hallway to the bedrooms of the flat. Lucius stopped at his mother's room, ushered Narcissa inside, and made her stop beside the bed.
He undressed her like a child, trying not to pay attention to the contrast between the mature, stunning gown that framed her figure and the little girl knickers that she wore beneath.
These last he left clothing her body and summoned one of his shirts from the other room. "Lie down, Narcissa." He coaxed when she was finally dressed.
She was obedient at first, but abruptly sat up. "I don't feel so good." She moaned.
"Do you-?"
But he didn't have the sentence completed before she vomited onto the sheets.
Lucius grimaced and looked away. Finding the bellpull, he summoned an elf to clean up the mess and change the bed, and then led Narcissa to the en suite in his adjoining room.
Steering her toward the skin, he assessed the damage. She'd been sick down the front of the shirt and had ruined her bra as well. There was nothing to do but remove the offending garments and replace them with something else. He carefully stripped away the damp clothes, cast a refreshing charm on her mouth and then wetted a cloth and dragged it across her skin.
In light of how badly the evening had gone, it seemed cruelly perfect that the part of her body she'd soiled happened to be the middle of her chest. It was pure torture trying not to notice the creamy swells that he was cleaning, or to ignore the rose-tipped nipples beading into pebbled knots beneath the touch of his hand.
He was hard again. Given that he had shucked his robes at the door of his flat, his condition was fairly obvious. He hoped that Narcissa was too drunk to notice. She certainly wasn't making things any easier by the way she draped across his arms or laid her hand lightly against the fingers wielding the cloth.
"Do you think I'm pretty, Lucius?" She asked quietly and very near his ear.
"I think you're beautiful." He answered truthfully.
She was staring past him now, looking thoughtfully into the mirror. "It's the hair." She said.
"No."
Narcissa's brow furrowed and she looked up into his face, but he was looking down, and their noses bumped. His first reaction was to jump away, but he had waited too long to succeed. Narcissa's hands had already shot around his neck and were dragging him against her lips.
This is wrong! Lucius admonished himself as Narcissa pulled him flush against her skin. He could feel the heavy curves of her bosom pressing hot and soft into his shirt and her fingers skittering beneath the fabric. "We can't." he panted, but didn't make any real attempt to stop. His fingers rooted into her hair, pulling the platinum locks out of their pins. He wanted to ruin her, to turn her back into his Narcissa again before he spoiled her completely.
"I wanted it to be you." She whispered against his ear. Lucius had no idea what she was talking about but he nodded his head. He bit his lip to suppress a moan as she rolled her hips into his. "I made you want me." She said as if this was an achievement to extol. "I made you want me yesterday too."
A soft whimper was her only response. Lucius knew what he had to do. He knew that this couldn't go any further, but he felt physically incapable to stop. His fingers were coursing over her body, refusing to obey his commands. She won't thank you for this! His mind was screaming. She doesn't know what she's doing! She doesn't know that it's you! But his heart was countering, just as loudly, that this might be his only chance.
Tomorrow night, she would be with Rookwood. Rookwood would wine her and dine her, and Lucius didn't think for a second that his rival would play the gentleman even as well as Malfoy himself-a very low standard indeed. Rookwood was the man that Narcissa really wanted. She would give herself to him, fresh and innocent, never knowing how much more she deserved.
"I need you." Narcissa puffed into his ear. If possible, she pressed herself even closer. He felt as if he were inside her already, melded on some level that he couldn't explain.
He couldn't fight it. It might be wrong, but he had been wrong before. He'd be wrong again. It was a mistake that he wanted to make. Groaning aloud as the last of his restraint was broken, Lucius walked her backwards into the other room- his father's suite.
Until they entered the hushed chamber, their caresses had been frantic and unrestrained. Now, however, he stilled her hands. He cupped her chin. Then, with aching tenderness, he brought his lips to hers; kissing her with a gentle passion that expressed, better than his words ever could, his wish that the illusion was over. When then finally broke apart, he led her to the bed. Gathering her body in his arms, he draped her onto the mattress, kissing every inch of her skin as he arranged her limbs and finally stripped the knickers away.
His legs were shaking so badly that he could barely stand again when he dragged himself away, shucking his own rumpled clothes. His body felt like a spring that had been wound too tight. The slightest further provocation would break him completely. It physically hurt to look at Narcissa. Sprawled beneath him, her lithe young body was the picture of innocent perfection.
Lucius knew that she had to be a virgin. She'd only been kissed by Remington Flint once before- and Rookwood, he added bitterly. He owed it to her to be slow and careful, and to make sure that this is what she really wanted.
He crawled carefully over her, lowering himself until his flat, rippled stomach lying on her own. She felt criminally good, like sinking into a warm, soft pillow and he was nearly sick with anticipation of taking her for real. Still, he cared about her too much to rush headlong forward. She was drunk, but it was still possible for her to know what she was doing. He had to know that she was making a rational choice- that she was choosing him.
"Narcissa," He said through clenched teeth, forcing himself to hold his body a little apart. "We don't really have to do this..."
Lucius groaned when she didn't answer straight away. He had to hear her say "Yes, Lucius." He needed to know that she wanted him- that it wasn't just an alcohol-induced substitution for another man. "Narcissa, tell me..." but she still didn't speak.
Lucius's heart froze in his chest. She had fallen fast asleep.
TO BE CONTINUED
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