Disclaimer: Not mine. This is another wonderful work of the infamous Lindsay, of "the Alyssa and Lindsay", (yes, THAT Alyssa and Lindsay"!) lol. Read and review! Songfic to Billy Joel's "An Innocent Man".

An Innocent Man

The party was wonderful. They always were. Corinne sat at the head table with her friends. She crossed her legs and felt the long silky black material of her dress swirl around her calves. The black set off her fire red hair which was swept up off her face. She looked classically beautiful, as they all did.

Her eyes wandered through the hall. The best families of the wizarding world were here. The people were impressive, but she found her eyes moving to the back of the room. There sat the only family that rivaled the girls' wealth. But their reputation was so tarnished that no one cared. Yet she still gazed into platinum solver eyes that belonged to none other than Lucius Malfoy.

He checked that no one from his family was watching him, then ran a hand through his white blonde hair and smiled at her. Her heart flipped over about 6,000 times as she smiled back.

She and Lucius had been dating secretly for a month. No one knew or had any idea. Not her family, not his, not even her friends.

He patted the empty seat next to him. She shook her head, "I can't", she mouthed. She glanced down her table. Lauren was arguing with Lindsay about something. Alyssa was gone, and Pam was burning napkins. Slowly, she moved her chair back, and snuck away without anyone realizing she was gone.

She hurried across the dance floor, her heels clicking, trying desperately not to fall in them, and fell into the chair next to Lucius.

"Enjoying yourself?" she asked.

He covered her hand with his under the table, "Immensely. You look like a real drama queen in that outfit."

She smiled, "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Well, you know what they say about Gryffindors, all bravery, no common sense."

She squeezed his hand under the table.

"Pam! What's going on with everyone!" Lauren shouted at the head table. A few minutes later she, Alyssa, and Lindsay all disappeared into a fireplace. Corinne wondered where they were going, but not enough to leave Lucius.

"Do you want to go outside?" he whispered to her.

She nodded. She stood up and walked out the doors, Lucius following behind her. The party was being held in her family's summer home in the south of England. Outside the door from the hall, Lucius meets her again and they walk down to the beach.

This far away from the hall, however, she felt fear creep into her system. Lucius was her boyfriend, yes, but she had a hard time overcoming her cold feelings toward his family. She knew he was feeling pressure from his father to join Voldemort. He had told her how Severus Snape had already joined and had the Dark Mark on his left forearm. He had trusted her with this information. He had trusted her. Why couldn't she trust him?

He tried to hold her hand when they reached the beach, but she pulled back. She couldn't get it out of her head. Beneath his expensive black robes, did he have a skull and serpent branded on his arm?

They sat on the sand and watched the waves roll in. Inside she was a conflict of emotions. She loved being with him, but would she be able to overcome her negative feelings for him?

She hadn't realized she had been staring at his left arm. All of a sudden he yanked up his sleeve.

"There, ok, there's no mark, now will you act normal please?" His arm was mark-less, and she immediately felt stupid.

"That wasn't bothering me," she mumbled, looking away.

"Of course it was! It's been bothering you since we started going out! You don't trust me!"

"Yes I do!"

"No, you DON'T!" he said, turning her face so he was looking in her eyes. He must have seen something in her eyes, because when he spoke it was nothing more than a whisper.

"Some people stay away from the door

If there's a chance of it opening up

They hear a voice in the hall outside

And hope that it just passes by

Some people live with the fear of the touch

And the anger of having been a fool

They will not listen to anyone

Sp nobody tells them a lie

I know you're only protecting yourself

I know you're thinking of somebody else

Someone who hurt you

But I'm not above

Making up for the love

You've been denying you could ever feel

I'm not above doing anything

To restore your faith if I can

Some people see through the eyes of the old

Before they ever get a look at the young

I'm only willing to hear you cry

Because I am an innocent man!"

Corinne realized that she had tears running down her cheeks. He reached up and wiped them away for her. It was times like these when she knew he couldn't be a Death Eater. Times when he would look into her eyes and tell her he wasn't. But when they got back to school and people, she lost her faith.

"I promise Corinne," he said.

She looked down. She couldn't believe.

"Some people say they'll never believe

Another promise they hear in the dark

Because they only remember too well

They heard somebody tell them before

Some people sleep all alone every night

Instead of taking a lover to bed

Some people find that it's easier to hate

Than to wait, anymore

I know you don't want to hear what I say

I know you're gonna keep turning away

But I've been there and I can survive

I can keep you alive

I'm not above going through it again

I'm not above being cool for awhile

If you're cruel to me I'll understand

Some people run from a possible fight

Some people figure they can never win

And although this is a fight I can lose

The accused is an innocent man!"

"I'm sorry," she said. She had tried so many times to get over it. She really had. She apologized with her eyes. His face was resigned in a look of sadness and rejection.

"You know you only hurt yourself out of spite

I guess you'd rather be a martyr tonight

That's your decision

But I'm not below

Anybody I know

If there's a chance of resurrecting a love

I'm not above going back to the start

To find out where the heartache began

Some people hope for a miracle cure

Some people just accept the world as it is

But I'm not willing to lay down and die

Because I am an innocent man..."

He squeezed her hand, stood up and started to walk away down the beach. She had seen the most horrible sadness in his eyes. He was so hurt and she was responsible. Her heart was breaking as she watched him walk away. That's when she realized he wasn't a Death Eater, and she had never thought he was. She was just afraid.

...And now he was walking away. But she loved him.... Did she just say that? She loved him? Did she? She saw his tall form and felt her stomach flip over and he heart drop. She loved the way his hair reflected the moonlight and they way his arms were always crossed over his chest. She did love him, and she loved him more than she had ever loved anyone before, and she had been afraid. Not of him, but of something greater and more powerful than she had ever experienced.

...And now he was walking away. She could stay hiding, and never know love for what it was, or she could meet it full in the face. She might get burned, but didn't all the stories say it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all?

"Lucius wait!" she yelled, getting up. He turned to face her. She tripped over the hem of her dress getting up and stared running toward him. Her shoes got soaked when she got close to the water, and salt from the ocean stuck to her face. She tripped again as she got closer to him, but he caught her. She loved the arms that caught her too. She took strength in those arms before looking up at him.

"I love you," she said.

"What?" he asked.

"You see, I thought I didn't trust you, but I was being stupid, my mind was playing tricks on me, I really loved you, but I was scared. But now I know I was scared, so I'm not scared anymore. And I know I-

He put his hand over her mouth.

"You talk too much."

But he was smiling.