PLEASE READ: Here's Part Two of the Hogwarts Competition. If you didn't
read the first note posted at the top of Part One then go back and do so.
It might answer some of your questions. Also, if anyone should like to join
a mailing list then leave your email address in the form of an email and
I'll tell you when each chapter is posted. Also, the conversation below is
being held by two different people. Everything in-between two ~~ is one
person's side and everything between two {} is another person's words.
Other than that enjoy Part Two!
~*~
~Oh, look at her.She'll die if we don't help her!~
{And if we help her then we'll be the ones dying!}
~But she's one of-~
{Don't you finish that sentence, do you hear me? Talk like that can be considered treason.}
~Treason to whom? Our land has no rulers.Unless you think those three bigwigs! to be our monarchs! Honestly, I thought better of you!~
{I still don't want to save her. She's human! It's her nature to die when her time comes!}
~But her time hasn't come yet. She has something to fulfill. Even you must know that.~
{I know what she's meant to do!}
~Then let's go and rescue her! We don't have to appear-that'd frighten her husband half to death, wouldn't it?-but we can at least do something to prolong the crash.~
{Well.Maybe.}
~Oh, I knew I could count on you! Quickly now, before it's too late!~
~*~
Draco had caught the Snitch. It had been a close, neck-and-neck descent towards the fluttering golden ball, but Draco's arms were just a bit longer, and he had snatched the ball with one graceful 'swoop'. No one was more proud than Lucius at that moment. Ironically, no one was more horrified than he when he saw, out of the corner of his gray eye, a figure plummeting towards the grass-if it could even be called grass.
With a great cry, Lucius launched himself towards his young wife, thinking only of how frightened Selina must have been when she was in his position, saving him. Lucius had always considered himself a fearless man, but he had always feared failure, and indeed failing to grab Selina in time was the most frightening of all things.
The Cleansweep he was riding, however, wasn't as fast as his normal race brooms and Selina was falling faster than he could fly. Riley was making just as much effort as Lucius to reach her best friend, but with little more success. Riley turned the handle of her broom down in a steep nosedive, and Lucius was quick to follow.
Someone had begun to scream-Lucius wasn't surprised to find that it was one of the Hufflepuffs-and just when he considered it a lost cause Selina all but froze in the air. Her downward descent, which, up until then, had been unrealistically fast, started descending as if falling through water, much like the Quaffles did.
Riley, who had been charging towards Selina, stopped abruptly, causing her broom to do a midair tumble backwards. "Good Merlin, what happened to her?"
Even Lucius was too surprised to move. Now, instead of plummeting to the ground, it looked as though someone was lowering her gently to that abnormal grass. All of a sudden, Lucius got the sense that there were people lowering her to the ground. Or maybe not people but.creatures. Creatures as unnatural as the bizarrely vibrant green grass and swirling wood! As soon as that thought entered his mind, he began shooting towards Selina, his intent on catching her reignited.
Like hell he was going to let some freak of a being touch his wife!
~*~
Selina could see things happening around her, but she couldn't do a thing. She was falling, but she was falling to fast to stop herself. She suspected that even if she wasn't falling that she would still be unconscious.Or at least unable to move her limbs.
Lucius and Riley were shooting towards her on their brooms, but they were going to slow. The ground loomed closer and closer with every second, but suddenly, without warning, two figures appeared by her side. They were beautiful people, one male and his companion female, just as exotic looking as the grass.
The female's hair was a pale shade of grayish purple, long down to the backs of her knees, and it complimented her ivory skin perfectly. Her eyes were a deep jade green, and her shape was tall-she had to be at least six- two-and willowy.
The man was just as wonderful looking. His hair was much darker, a deep shade of magenta, and his eyes were crisp and blue. He was tall as the lady was, perhaps six-six, and they both were breathtaking and regal.
The man closed his hands around Selina's right arm and the woman clasped Selina's legs. They began to slowly descend to the Earth then, as if walking on invisible steps. Selina could see Riley and Lucius and all the others staring at her in shock-she must have started to fall much slower- but then the man said something.
"I'd be careful if I were you," he whispered, and he spoke with a pleasantly lilting accent that was not at all British. They were nearing the ground now, but Lucius had given a start and was racing towards her. The man and woman looked at her husband, his face intent and cold, and where most would have turned and run they merely laughed, as if Lucius were nothing more than an amusing joke.
"Your husband can sense us," the woman said. "It makes me wonder why he can't sense you. After all, you are-"
"??????," the man hissed, using a name that was as foreign to Selina as his vibrant looks. "We agreed not to say anything!"
"Say what?" Words finally came to Selina.
"Say nothing," the man muttered. He shot a venomous look at the woman, and then he looked up at Lucius, who was coming closer with every second. "Your husband can save you now," he murmured.
"Be smart, and don't tell him about us," the woman said. She looked Selina deep in the eyes. "He'll ask you about us, you can be sure about that, but just act like you truly were unconscious. Don't tell anyone you saw us."
"But why can I see you? Why can't they?"
"In that answer lays the answer to everything," the woman whispered. "At all costs you must find that answer, but we cannot begin to explain it to you."
The man reprimanded the woman by slapping her hand, but gave Selina one last soft look. "Good luck, Selina."
"Aren't you going to say goodbye?" Selina asked weakly.
"This isn't even the beginning of goodbye," the man said, and he snapped his fingers.
~*~
Suddenly Selina was awakening. Lucius held her tightly in his arms, and he was flying softly to the ground. When he saw her eyes flutter and open he turned around and called to Riley, who was hovering right behind him, "She's awake, and she looks all right. Maybe a bruise on her stomach, but she's not going to die." He faced her again. "You do feel all right, don't you?" He looked suspiciously around Selina. "Nothing.frightening.happened to you?"
Selina blinked, and then she picked up one the mystery woman's cue. "I don't remember.I just remember falling.And then there was blackness." Lucius looked far from convinced, but he didn't say anything else. He landed gently on the ground, and their teammates landed around them. The Team Jade captain rushed up to apologize, but Pamela sent him one cruel glare, and the chubby young man bustled off to join his friends.
"Are you all right, Mrs. Malfoy?" Madame Hooch asked. "Do I need to call Madame Pomfrey? You shouldn't be traveling anywhere by portkey if you have injuries."
Selina patted her stomach. She winced a bit-the soft flesh was still tender- but made a gesture that showed there were no real injuries. "I guess I'm lucky, huh?"
Riley nodded brightly. "You sure as hell are!" she screeched.
Lucius, however, frowned. "Let's just get back to the real world. I hate this.dimension. It's just so..disturbing."
If Selina had had any second thoughts about telling Lucius about the two strange, exotic people they were destroyed. She would find only fear from him, and she didn't expect to find much more understanding within Riley. As everyone made their way back to where Madame Hooch had said the portkeys were Selina lagged behind. A beautiful, outrageously red flower swayed in the breeze. On an impulse, Selina reached down and plucked the flower, slipping it in her pant's pocket.
"Selina! Hurry up!" Riley and the rest of Team Titan were waving for her to join them around the portkey. None of them seemed to notice that she had taken the flower, and for that, Selina was grateful. She jogged to catch up with her friends and to return to her own world.
~*~
Upon arriving back in her own world, Selina was swarmed by Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey, and three other women who must have been acting as nurses. Apparently, someone had sent a message ahead informing everyone that she had been taken out by a Bludger. Despite her protests that she was absolutely fine she was swept off to a large tent acting as the on-grounds infirmary.
Madame Pomfrey and the three nurses ushered her into one of the cubicles. "Sit on the bed, dear, and unbutton your shirt. I'm going to attend to someone else, but I'll be back in a moment to check you over for any internal injuries."
"But I said I feel-"
"No arguments! You took a Bludger to your stomach, and you need to be checked over!" Madame Pomfrey's sweet, motherly demeanor was replaced by something that resembled a Saber tooth tiger.
With a sigh of resignation Selina sat down on the bed and began to remove her quidditch robes and unbutton the simple undershirt she had on underneath. After shrugging off the undershirt, she began to inspect the large black bruise on her stomach. She pressed the mark lightly and instantly regretted doing so. The skin began to throb, and thankfully, Madame Pomfrey returned a moment later.
"Ah, see? I told you that you needed to be checked over. Now, does it hurt much?"
"It throbs," Selina admitted. "Just fix me up, and I'll be fine."
Madame Pomfrey shook her head. "No you won't. You'll stay here and wait for the Headmaster to say whatever he wanted to tell you."
Selina's stomach clenched unpleasantly. Dumbledore wanted to say something to her? "What do you mean?" she asked, squirming as Madame Pomfrey pressed a glowing wand against her belly. The nurse frowned and waved her hands for silence. After determining that Selina was indeed all right, she answered.
"He wants you to answer a few questions about the circumstances of your injuries," she said briskly.
Selina knew better. "If it's all the same to you then I'll just be on my way. I have to find my friend Riley. She'll be worried."
Madame Pomfrey opened her mouth to protest, but it wasn't her voice who replied. "Sit back down, Ms. Julliard." Dumbledore stepped into the small cubicle. The mood that played upon his face was not totally reprimanding, but Selina sat back down on the bed anyway. Madame Pomfrey made excuses to leave, and then they were alone.
"I assume you want to ask me about Lucius again?" Selina asked.
Dumbledore nodded. "Something to that degree," he said as he sat beside Selina and folded his hands. "Ms. Julliard, your husband is a.shifty man. He's done bad things, dangerous things, and I can't guarantee that you'll not get caught in the crossfire if you don't leave him."
Selina narrowed her eyes. As roguish as Lucius may seem, and as much of a bastard as he was towards most people, he wasn't an inherently bad person.And even if he was, that was Selina's business to handle! "Really, now?"
Luckily for his sake Dumbledore sensed Selina's hostility. "I don't want you to get hurt, Selina. I truly don't want you to get hurt."
"I can handle myself. I'm a big girl." Selina felt so clichéd, using those lines. She knew something was wrong, but she ignored that.
"You're right. You are a big girl. I can't make you do anything you don't want you. I can only ask you to think about what I've said." He gave her a cheery smile. "Now, you really should go and find your teammates. I'm sure that Ms. Duraford is very worried. And I heard Ms. Bryce mention that they'll need your help in the final competition."
Selina laughed nervously and stood with the headmaster. He had changed the mood quickly, and just in time. "Yes, I will thank you." She hurried out of the cubicle and almost straight into one of the volunteer nurses. After apologizing quickly and straitening her robe, she turned back to Dumbledore, a question on her lips. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is the next competition.?"
~*~
"A dance off!" Lucius roared. "I've always said that the man was bloody mad! This just proves it!"
Selina couldn't help but smirk. Since her return to the library fifteen minutes ago Lucius's mood had done nothing but worsen. Really, he looked his best when he was angry.But that was beside the point. The true point was that she had little less than an hour to put together a dance number with Lucius. Early on, she had decided that he would work best with her. Draco was too lazy, Robbie was too shy towards her, Mr. Chang didn't have enough grace, and she just didn't feel like dealing with Snape.
"And why do you get to be in charge?" Lucius asked, turning his anger on the young woman.
"Because," Riley called from a corner of the library, "she's the best dancer I know."
Lucius raised an eyebrow. His expression turned from furious to mildly interested. "Eh? Is that so?"
"My mother was a wonderful dancer. She taught me everything she knew.Waltz, tango, swing dancing.I suppose I'm well enough."
Riley gave a long, braying laugh. "Well enough? Selly, you can dance like the devil!"
Selina's face remained determined as she began to stretch. Lucius, unsure of what exactly he was to do, followed her graceful movements, but his movements were jerky and unrefined. "You're trying too hard," Selina said after watching her 'husband' for a minute. "Dancing takes trying and concentration, of course, but not with such seriousness."
She stood with one fluent motion and held up her hand, motioning for Lucius to be still in his movements. Pamela, who had been the only person to stay and watch Selina and Lucius practice, was quite surprised when her mistress pressed up against Lucius's back. Selina's arms reached up and molded over Lucius's until they could have been the same person. Slowly but elegantly Selina began to do the stretches again, only now Lucius did it along with her. At first, the redhead met with some resistance-Lucius still wanted to do things his way-but after ten minutes the two moved with poise. It was only then that Selina let go of Lucius.
She turned his back to him then, so it was only Pamela who saw Lucius smile softly and rub the back of his arms, as if he could still feel her warmth. "Now let's try to get in rhythm with each other," Selina said, straitening herself to her full height. "After that things will be easier for me to orchestrate." Lucius merely shrugged, and then he held out his arms. Selina placed his right hand around her waist and his left hand on her right shoulder. She wrapped both arms around his neck and began to sway to a tune that only the two of them could hear.
Pamela watched with interest as Selina taught her 'husband' the finer points of dancing. She told him to twirl her, and he did so effortlessly. Lucius said something in a low voice, and Selina laughed warmly. Pamela could only smile and slip away. She wanted Selina to be happy, and if everything worked out as it should, Lucius would make her very happy.
~*~
Oh, but god, was Selina nervous! Team Red had won the quidditch match, "with the help of Saint Potter", as Draco had grumbled earlier. She had no idea how good her opponents were, or but she did know that they were desperate to win. One of the Weasley boys-they all looked the same to Selina-had come by not ten minutes before the competition started. Selina had been around the corner, so she had only heard the snipe snicker about how they were all "going down!"
Now it was just minutes before Team Red's act would go on. Dumbledore was standing in the middle of the quidditch pitch, on top of a large, shiny stage much different from the ones that had been there earlier in the day. "Welcome, everyone, to the final competition!" Dumbledore cried, and the entire stadium cheered with him. "As you may well know, this competition is a dance off." A wave of snickers overtook the crowd. It was apparent enough that no one took this seriously. They had probably just come to see who won: the Weasley's team or the Malfoy's team. "The dance off, unlike the other competitions, allows only two participants. Those two participants will have six minutes to present you all with a dance number that they have worked out before this. They will be judged by the reaction of the reaction of the crowd."
Dumbledore glanced down at a card he held in his hand. "Team Red will be going first. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger will be representing their team." Dumbledore's face creased into a smile, and he joined in the clapping as two figures, the first a tall, gangly redhead and the second the girl Selina had been speaking with, took the stage. The both of them were dressed in robes of deep blue. The girl, Hermione Granger, looked very nervous, but as soon as the soft, melodic music began and the boy's arms went around her then she instantly relaxed. It was evident to all that those two were a very happy couple.
The Weasley boy and his girlfriend were clearly not dancers. They merely swayed together, not bothering to truly dance, simply enjoying the moment. Every so often, the boy would twirl the girl, and she would giggle girlishly. Whatever they lacked in dancing skills, they made up for in the mood they put their audience. Everyone was entranced, and their constant claps and cheers continued into the last spin, after which most everybody, Slytherins not included, burst into an approving applause.
"Oh, Riley!" Selina whispered, feeling a hand upon her shoulder. "We'll never beat that!"
"Yes, we will." Selina jumped when she heard Lucius's voice purring in her ear. She supposed that he was trying to be seductive, but she was too edgy to care.
"But everyone loves them! Everyone can see that they love each other! We don't have anything anywhere near that!" Selina knees were shaking, but that could be credited to the fact that Lucius was massaging her shoulders, and not because she was chilly.
"We," Lucius whispered, and Selina could practically see him smirk, "have something far more interesting. If they are everything perfect, Selina, then we are everything imperfect. Our faults make us stronger. Our arguments make us wiser."
Selina had turned to look him in the eyes, for she had a feeling that her 'husband' was driving at something deeper, but then Dumbledore stepped up on stage." Splendid! That was simply splendid! All in all, you racked up a nine-point-eight!"
From somewhere behind her Selina heard a hissing voice whisper, "Try and beat that!"
To which Lucius replied, "We don't even have to try!"
"Now it's time fore Team Titan to present their number! Their captain tells me that Lucius Malfoy and his wife Selina will be performing, so please, give them your attention!" Dumbledore began to clap, while others began to make rude noises. The lights in the quidditch pitch went out, as Selina had requested, and she stepped onto the stage in almost complete darkness.
~*~
The music started before the lights went back up. For a few moments, all the onlookers knew was the sweet, slow, dreamy song. It serenaded them, almost as much as the woman standing in the middle of the stage when light flooded the pitch again. She was pretty, though in a way all her own. Her hair was a swirl of unruly red curls, her eyes were green and lively, her smile as sweet as it was strange. Her dress was black and bordered on scandalous. The skirt of her dress swished about right below her knees, but a slit in the skirt came to halfway up her thigh, exposing pale skin and a few freckles. The younger men in the crowd, especially the married ones, found the pale skin surprisingly arousing.
The woman began to dance, and it became apparent that dancing was her passion. The way she arched her body during turns, the way her legs moved smoothly and so intricately, the way her whole body seemed to become a part of the song, and the deep look on her face showed how much she was enjoying herself. Before the crowd could fully take in the woman, however, there was a 'pop' and a man appeared directly behind her.
Lucius Malfoy and his wife Selina.
~*~
Selina did her best to mold into Lucius as he wrapped his body around her from behind. With careful movements they became one, twirling slowly and dipping with style. He buried her nose in her red curls, and had they been anywhere else, Selina would have snarled at him to stop sniffing her. But somehow, at that moment, it all seemed perfect.
"All right, Lucius," she whispered as he twirled her around in a full spiral. "The music's going to pick up in three.two.one!"
Right on cue the tempo changed from sweet and dreamy to fast and Latin. The emphasize the change Lucius actually flipped Selina over his arm. The surprised young woman landed squarely on her feet, but she had little time to stare at her husband before they were off again. They became part of the music with their twirls, dips, and fast-paced footwork. Selina and Lucius had agreed on no real plan because they had been confident enough that they would find their own.
For the first time in her life, Selina was actually glad to be with Lucius. No other would have been able to dance with her like he did. As much as she regretted to admit it no one else would have made her feel so alive. As Lucius pulled her close to his body the moment inspired him to kiss her right on the lips, in front of everyone. Also caught up in the moment, Selina allowed him to.
It was only when the music ended that Selina realized that had forgotten to watch the clock. Their six minutes were up, and they were still kissing. Disgust at her 'husband' for being so forward and disgust at herself for allowing him to seized her body. Oh, lord, what Riley must think of her.With as much dignity as possible Selina broke the kiss. She bowed once and strode off stage, leaving Lucius to stand stupidly in the spotlight.
She was ashamed of herself!
She had been drunk on the attention, or some such thing, and she had allowed him to kiss her! The very man she had been avoiding! The kiss would, of course, lead to a deep conversation, and he might possibly command her to sleep with him.
"Miss Selina?"
Selina froze. It was Draco. Of all the people to catch her after so obviously ditching Lucius it had to be her stepson. Oh, he must think her to be some sort of floozy.
"You were magnificent out there." Draco's tone was measured, as if he wasn't sure exactly what to say, but his face showed how impressed he really was. Riley crept up behind him, and she looked impressed as well.
"He's right. Can't you hear them?"
Selina shook her head. "No, Riley, I can't hear a thing. No one's cheering, no one's roaring, and no one's applauding."
Riley gave Selina a brilliant smile. "That's my point, Selly. You shocked them into silence!"
The other members of Team Titan were appearing around Selina. All but Lucius. She suspected that his wounded pride would not allow him to resurface until it was time to leave. Everyone was staring at her in shocked awe.
"Oh, Miss Selina! You were so beautiful," Pamela whispered, and Selina didn't even bother to correct her friend. Besides, she had a feeling that even if she wasn't really beautiful that everyone else believed she was so. Perhaps it was an enchantment that would only last the night, in which case Selina had only six hours left.
"Thank you, Pamela," Selina said softly. Suddenly she had an urge to escape the crown surrounding her. She knew that she was supposed to be with someone else.
"We're going to win, you know," Riley was saying now, and her smile had changed to a victorious smirk. "I just know it! Did you see their faces?"
"I must admit, Malfoy did come through." Mr. Chang looked reluctant to admit that Lucius Malfoy could be credible at anything, but he also looked strangely proud to be a part of such a team.
"Did you see the way he was looking at Selina?" Cho asked her mother. She thought Selina couldn't hear her. "I don't care what Daddy says. He loves her, Mum. In his own, weird way."
Mrs. Chang shushed her daughter. "Don't talk about such things! Selina Malfoy and her husband have a right to be left to their own affairs!" Mrs. Chang's voice dropped a notch then. "But he did look at her as though he wanted to eat her up, didn't he?" Selina saw Cho nod in the darkness, and all wishes to attend the masquerade fled her. She and Lucius would be the most talked about people after that dance. She didn't want to deal with the probing eyes.
"Pamela?" she called in a near silent voice that only her friend heard.
"Yes, Miss-"
"Just plain Selina, please."
"Well then, Selina, what do you want?"
Selina looked over to where Dumbledore was discussing something with Prof. Sprout. "I'm going to go into Hogsmeade, all right? I'll find Lucius there, and we'll spend the night in some hotel. Separate rooms, of course."
"Of course," Pamela repeated.
"Just make a few excuses for me, will you?"
"Certainly, Miss-er-Selina." Pamela waved as Selina as the young redhead slunk over to where Dumbledore was. Once she was sure that her new friend was out of earshot she muttered, "Separate rooms? Ten galleons say they make it to bed before midnight."
~*~
Lucius had been utterly and completely humiliated, more so then the swimming incident earlier that day. He had kissed Selina-God strike him down with lightening for doing a thing such as kissing his wife-and she had walked off stage as soon as she could! She had left him there, standing in all the blinding lights, looking like a lovesick schoolboy. If anyone had doubted that there were troubles in his new marriage, now then that display had made them believers.
After making a hasty exit on the opposite side of the stage as Selina, Lucius had tromped on down to Hogsmeade. He had made his way to the Three Broomsticks, and there he proceeded to get drunk on cheap wine, for Malfoys never got drunk on anything as common as beer or the strong whisky that Hagrid downed. Madame Rosemerta looked as though she wanted to stop sending him alcohol, but he did give generous tips, and the money won out. It wasn't until the seventh glass of wine that the intoxicating red liquid stopped coming.
Lucius tried to flag down one of the barmaids so that he could take the matter up with one of them, but all of them avoided him like the Black Plague. Eventually Lucius was able to find the source of the liqueur drought. Mind you, all he saw was the back of the woman's head, but he was sure as anything that the short, curvy redhead speaking with Madame Rosemerta was his wife.
'Damn her, with all her gutsy American ways.Thinks she can leave me hanging and then comes down and tells the bartender not to give me anymore wine!' Lucius glared at his wife, who was sharing a good laugh, probably at his expense, with Madame Rosemerta. She turned around for a second, and her laugh was cut short when she saw the dour look on his face.
"Thank you so much for the offer, Rosie,"-since when did she know Rosemerta enough to call her Rosie?-"but I think Lucius here needs to get up to our room as soon as possible." Selina pursed her lips in a haughty manner, but her eyes were shining with mocking and mirth. "After all, who knows who might see him in this state? He might damage the Malfoy name!" She was mocking him! The little Southern vixen.
"Need any help, honey?" Madame Rosemerta looked mildly worried. "This one has a nasty temper."
Selina put her hands on her hips. "I can hold my own, Rosie. Room ten's for us?"
"Best in the house, and it's on the house. Anything for the daughter of Esme Julliard." Madame Rosemerta tossed Selina a golden key and winked.
"I'll say goodbye in the morning when I leave," Selina promised as she made her way to Lucius. Lucius noticed that Rosemerta was standing nearby, despite Selina's assurances that she would be all right. The pretty bartender had a deep scowl on her face, directed towards Lucius, just daring him to make trouble. Lucius decided not to give her the satisfaction of being right. He allowed Selina to help him up from his booth, and he did his best not to stumble after her.
Selina walked briskly-Lucius knew she did that just to vex him-towards the back of the Three Broomsticks. There was a simple wooden door in the back- Lucius had never noticed it before-and she stuck the golden key in the lock. "Room ten, Selina Julliard and Lucius Malfoy." The lock jiggled for a second, and then the door swung open with a small 'click'.
"Come on, Lucius. You don't even need to walk up the stairs. Rosie says that they move magically." She grabbed his shirt-he was still wearing the black ruffled V-neck silk shirt she had forced him to wear for the dance off-and dragged him onto the first step. As she had said, they began to move upwards, towards the second floor, magically. When they reached the top of the stairway, in fact, the floor moved them down the hallway until they reached a door with a silver ten on it.
"This is it?" Lucius asked.
Selina nodded and wordlessly stuck the key in the door. She pushed it open and stepped inside. "There's only one bed, and then there's a couch. I'll take the couch, okay? Unless you want the couch. I think it might be closer to the bathroom, and you might be making some runs in the night."
Lucius frowned. "I insist that you take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch." He followed her into the inn room and found the couch, which was in the small room right off the kitchen.
Selina, however, continued down the hall and into the bedroom. Just before closing the door to the bedroom, she gave him a strange look. She looked as though she wanted to say something, but her pride was getting in the way. Finally, she shut the door, leaving Lucius hanging once again.
~*~
So, the game's on, isn't it? Now it's not just you I'm after-it's your husband.
Do you really think that he jumped in that lake of his own free will? No, he needed a little.encouragement.
Don't worry, I didn't want to kill you.No, I just wanted to mess with your mind.But I didn't mean for that Bludger to take you out. And I definitely didn't mean for those two dolts to save you.
Make you mistake, honey. Those two won't be giving you any hidden messages any time so. I'll make sure of that.And I'd make sure that, if I were you, that I wouldn't go looking too deeply into their little riddle.
Their kind isn't too popular in this world, and the deeper you look, the more you'll find out about your kind.
As always, Selina, sweet dreams.I'll be watching you.
~*~
Lucius was having one hell of a night. The couch was lumpy and the material was scratchy, and the thin blanket that he had found in the closet was no help with the drafts that breezed through the inn room. Around midnight he got up to go and fetch another blanket. As he passed in front of the bedroom door he heard a cry-Selina's cry, to be more exact.
At first Lucius thought that she was merely talking in her sleep. He continued on to grab his blanket, but his hand froze when he heard another cry. This one was much more anguished than the last, and Lucius was suddenly reminded of Selina's stay in the hospital and how pale she had looked. Without a second moment's thought, he rushed down the hall and into her room. When he saw his wife's state he was momentarily floored.
During the course of the night Selina had thrown off her covers. She had entangled in the dull white sheets, and she was writhing within them, as if someone was physically attacking her. Great, terrified sobs escaped her lips, and a coat of sweat plastered her hair to her forehead.
"No, no, no! Oh, please, no!"
A string of petrified words escaped Selina's mouth. Lucius's stunned spell was broken, and he rushed to the bed to awaken her. Taking her in his arms, he shook her gently and then harder when she wouldn't wake up. Her condition wasn't much different when she finally did awaken then when she had been asleep. If anything it worsened.
"Where am I? Where am I? Oh, god, it's watching me!"
She began struggling in Lucius's hold, and when he wouldn't let her escape she began shrieking as loudly as she could. Afraid that her cries would bring other guests or Madame Rosemerta herself, Lucius began to soothe Selina by rubbing her arms and whispering, "It'll be all right." Eventually- and thankfully-Selina's shrieks were calmed to quiet sniffles. Only then did she truly awaken. Lucius saw her eyes flutter in the dim lighting of the room, and she looked around her wildly, apparently confused as to how he had gotten there.
"Is it gone?" she asked in a voice that was barely her own.
"It? Who's it?"
Selina looked around her again. Her green eyes had narrowed, and she even looked at Lucius suspiciously. "It haunts me. It wants me." She sounded childishly afraid and alone. "I must sound crazy to you." She pulled her knees up to her chest and sighed deeply.
"I don't think you're crazy." Honestly, Lucius didn't know what to think about Selina's nightmare. He pretended, though, that he meant what he said. He kept rubbing her arms, and after a while, he even chanced kissing her bare shoulder. Selina shivered, but that only caused her to begin shaking. "You know, a good shot of vodka always calms my nerves." Selina looked up. She looked intrigued, and Lucius continued. "Rosemerta should have some liquor around here. Wait for a second, and I'll get you some."
He stood from the bed and made his way to a cabinet he had seen earlier. Sure enough, he found several bottles of alcohol. He selected a large purple bottle and a small glass from the cabinet and returned to the bedroom. Selina had brought her legs up to her chest, and her hand reached for the glass as soon as Lucius had poured the amber liquid. She coughed as she downed the first glass, but after the second and third-Narcissa had always been a girl to hold her drink, so he didn't think to deny Selina booze-she seemed to be in her own. It was only too late that Lucius realized that Selina was the type to get drunk after only a few sips of alcohol.
Her new smile was too big, she giggled too much, but the moment she leaned over and kissed him, Lucius stopped caring.
~*~
Selina was awoken the next morning by a gentle breeze. She lay in bed, enjoying the cool air on the back of her neck, until she realized that the cool breeze was actually warm, and that it wasn't actually a breeze but someone's breath. Memories from the night before began streaming back slowly. She had had too much to drink-Lucius kept giving her glasses of that booze that had burned her throat so wonderfully-and she had gotten an urge to taste Lucius's lips, to see if any alcohol from earlier that night still clung to his lips. One thing had led to another and now.
Selina could only remember that their coupling had left Lucius sated and sleepy and her feeling empty but tired. She had felt no real pleasure, and she had rolled away from him as soon as he was done. She had fallen asleep soon after him, but somewhere in the course of the night, his arms had found their way around her waist. In the struggle to free herself from his embrace, Selina awoke Lucius. He gave a groggy groan, sat up, and put his hand to his forehead.
"Bloody hell, I've got a hangover," he muttered. He groaned again, and then he rolled over to the opposite side of the bed. Selina, who had just started to feel the pangs of her own hangover, thought that he hadn't noticed her until she tried to go to the bathroom. "Last night." he said, trailing off in hopes that she would finish his sentence.
"Was a mistake. I was drunk. Under the influence. Don't you think the same?" she turned around to face Lucius. He had stood to his full height, which Selina was reminded was a good nine inches taller than she, and a dark, stormy looked crossed his face.
"I suppose it was," he muttered, and Selina could not truly find any reason for him to be angry. Still, as she stepped out of her shower twenty minutes later, she found all traces of him gone. He had left only a note, written in a hurried scrawl, that he and Arielle would be going over various documents and that he would be back at the manor late that evening.
'Arielle DeSanders.What a cheap hat trick!' As the young Southern girl tore up her 'husband's' note, the steam practically coming out of her ears, she denied herself any grief. So Lucius Malfoy wanted to play dirty and make a fool out of her? He had no idea with whom he was fighting.
~*~
~Oh, look at her.She'll die if we don't help her!~
{And if we help her then we'll be the ones dying!}
~But she's one of-~
{Don't you finish that sentence, do you hear me? Talk like that can be considered treason.}
~Treason to whom? Our land has no rulers.Unless you think those three bigwigs! to be our monarchs! Honestly, I thought better of you!~
{I still don't want to save her. She's human! It's her nature to die when her time comes!}
~But her time hasn't come yet. She has something to fulfill. Even you must know that.~
{I know what she's meant to do!}
~Then let's go and rescue her! We don't have to appear-that'd frighten her husband half to death, wouldn't it?-but we can at least do something to prolong the crash.~
{Well.Maybe.}
~Oh, I knew I could count on you! Quickly now, before it's too late!~
~*~
Draco had caught the Snitch. It had been a close, neck-and-neck descent towards the fluttering golden ball, but Draco's arms were just a bit longer, and he had snatched the ball with one graceful 'swoop'. No one was more proud than Lucius at that moment. Ironically, no one was more horrified than he when he saw, out of the corner of his gray eye, a figure plummeting towards the grass-if it could even be called grass.
With a great cry, Lucius launched himself towards his young wife, thinking only of how frightened Selina must have been when she was in his position, saving him. Lucius had always considered himself a fearless man, but he had always feared failure, and indeed failing to grab Selina in time was the most frightening of all things.
The Cleansweep he was riding, however, wasn't as fast as his normal race brooms and Selina was falling faster than he could fly. Riley was making just as much effort as Lucius to reach her best friend, but with little more success. Riley turned the handle of her broom down in a steep nosedive, and Lucius was quick to follow.
Someone had begun to scream-Lucius wasn't surprised to find that it was one of the Hufflepuffs-and just when he considered it a lost cause Selina all but froze in the air. Her downward descent, which, up until then, had been unrealistically fast, started descending as if falling through water, much like the Quaffles did.
Riley, who had been charging towards Selina, stopped abruptly, causing her broom to do a midair tumble backwards. "Good Merlin, what happened to her?"
Even Lucius was too surprised to move. Now, instead of plummeting to the ground, it looked as though someone was lowering her gently to that abnormal grass. All of a sudden, Lucius got the sense that there were people lowering her to the ground. Or maybe not people but.creatures. Creatures as unnatural as the bizarrely vibrant green grass and swirling wood! As soon as that thought entered his mind, he began shooting towards Selina, his intent on catching her reignited.
Like hell he was going to let some freak of a being touch his wife!
~*~
Selina could see things happening around her, but she couldn't do a thing. She was falling, but she was falling to fast to stop herself. She suspected that even if she wasn't falling that she would still be unconscious.Or at least unable to move her limbs.
Lucius and Riley were shooting towards her on their brooms, but they were going to slow. The ground loomed closer and closer with every second, but suddenly, without warning, two figures appeared by her side. They were beautiful people, one male and his companion female, just as exotic looking as the grass.
The female's hair was a pale shade of grayish purple, long down to the backs of her knees, and it complimented her ivory skin perfectly. Her eyes were a deep jade green, and her shape was tall-she had to be at least six- two-and willowy.
The man was just as wonderful looking. His hair was much darker, a deep shade of magenta, and his eyes were crisp and blue. He was tall as the lady was, perhaps six-six, and they both were breathtaking and regal.
The man closed his hands around Selina's right arm and the woman clasped Selina's legs. They began to slowly descend to the Earth then, as if walking on invisible steps. Selina could see Riley and Lucius and all the others staring at her in shock-she must have started to fall much slower- but then the man said something.
"I'd be careful if I were you," he whispered, and he spoke with a pleasantly lilting accent that was not at all British. They were nearing the ground now, but Lucius had given a start and was racing towards her. The man and woman looked at her husband, his face intent and cold, and where most would have turned and run they merely laughed, as if Lucius were nothing more than an amusing joke.
"Your husband can sense us," the woman said. "It makes me wonder why he can't sense you. After all, you are-"
"??????," the man hissed, using a name that was as foreign to Selina as his vibrant looks. "We agreed not to say anything!"
"Say what?" Words finally came to Selina.
"Say nothing," the man muttered. He shot a venomous look at the woman, and then he looked up at Lucius, who was coming closer with every second. "Your husband can save you now," he murmured.
"Be smart, and don't tell him about us," the woman said. She looked Selina deep in the eyes. "He'll ask you about us, you can be sure about that, but just act like you truly were unconscious. Don't tell anyone you saw us."
"But why can I see you? Why can't they?"
"In that answer lays the answer to everything," the woman whispered. "At all costs you must find that answer, but we cannot begin to explain it to you."
The man reprimanded the woman by slapping her hand, but gave Selina one last soft look. "Good luck, Selina."
"Aren't you going to say goodbye?" Selina asked weakly.
"This isn't even the beginning of goodbye," the man said, and he snapped his fingers.
~*~
Suddenly Selina was awakening. Lucius held her tightly in his arms, and he was flying softly to the ground. When he saw her eyes flutter and open he turned around and called to Riley, who was hovering right behind him, "She's awake, and she looks all right. Maybe a bruise on her stomach, but she's not going to die." He faced her again. "You do feel all right, don't you?" He looked suspiciously around Selina. "Nothing.frightening.happened to you?"
Selina blinked, and then she picked up one the mystery woman's cue. "I don't remember.I just remember falling.And then there was blackness." Lucius looked far from convinced, but he didn't say anything else. He landed gently on the ground, and their teammates landed around them. The Team Jade captain rushed up to apologize, but Pamela sent him one cruel glare, and the chubby young man bustled off to join his friends.
"Are you all right, Mrs. Malfoy?" Madame Hooch asked. "Do I need to call Madame Pomfrey? You shouldn't be traveling anywhere by portkey if you have injuries."
Selina patted her stomach. She winced a bit-the soft flesh was still tender- but made a gesture that showed there were no real injuries. "I guess I'm lucky, huh?"
Riley nodded brightly. "You sure as hell are!" she screeched.
Lucius, however, frowned. "Let's just get back to the real world. I hate this.dimension. It's just so..disturbing."
If Selina had had any second thoughts about telling Lucius about the two strange, exotic people they were destroyed. She would find only fear from him, and she didn't expect to find much more understanding within Riley. As everyone made their way back to where Madame Hooch had said the portkeys were Selina lagged behind. A beautiful, outrageously red flower swayed in the breeze. On an impulse, Selina reached down and plucked the flower, slipping it in her pant's pocket.
"Selina! Hurry up!" Riley and the rest of Team Titan were waving for her to join them around the portkey. None of them seemed to notice that she had taken the flower, and for that, Selina was grateful. She jogged to catch up with her friends and to return to her own world.
~*~
Upon arriving back in her own world, Selina was swarmed by Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey, and three other women who must have been acting as nurses. Apparently, someone had sent a message ahead informing everyone that she had been taken out by a Bludger. Despite her protests that she was absolutely fine she was swept off to a large tent acting as the on-grounds infirmary.
Madame Pomfrey and the three nurses ushered her into one of the cubicles. "Sit on the bed, dear, and unbutton your shirt. I'm going to attend to someone else, but I'll be back in a moment to check you over for any internal injuries."
"But I said I feel-"
"No arguments! You took a Bludger to your stomach, and you need to be checked over!" Madame Pomfrey's sweet, motherly demeanor was replaced by something that resembled a Saber tooth tiger.
With a sigh of resignation Selina sat down on the bed and began to remove her quidditch robes and unbutton the simple undershirt she had on underneath. After shrugging off the undershirt, she began to inspect the large black bruise on her stomach. She pressed the mark lightly and instantly regretted doing so. The skin began to throb, and thankfully, Madame Pomfrey returned a moment later.
"Ah, see? I told you that you needed to be checked over. Now, does it hurt much?"
"It throbs," Selina admitted. "Just fix me up, and I'll be fine."
Madame Pomfrey shook her head. "No you won't. You'll stay here and wait for the Headmaster to say whatever he wanted to tell you."
Selina's stomach clenched unpleasantly. Dumbledore wanted to say something to her? "What do you mean?" she asked, squirming as Madame Pomfrey pressed a glowing wand against her belly. The nurse frowned and waved her hands for silence. After determining that Selina was indeed all right, she answered.
"He wants you to answer a few questions about the circumstances of your injuries," she said briskly.
Selina knew better. "If it's all the same to you then I'll just be on my way. I have to find my friend Riley. She'll be worried."
Madame Pomfrey opened her mouth to protest, but it wasn't her voice who replied. "Sit back down, Ms. Julliard." Dumbledore stepped into the small cubicle. The mood that played upon his face was not totally reprimanding, but Selina sat back down on the bed anyway. Madame Pomfrey made excuses to leave, and then they were alone.
"I assume you want to ask me about Lucius again?" Selina asked.
Dumbledore nodded. "Something to that degree," he said as he sat beside Selina and folded his hands. "Ms. Julliard, your husband is a.shifty man. He's done bad things, dangerous things, and I can't guarantee that you'll not get caught in the crossfire if you don't leave him."
Selina narrowed her eyes. As roguish as Lucius may seem, and as much of a bastard as he was towards most people, he wasn't an inherently bad person.And even if he was, that was Selina's business to handle! "Really, now?"
Luckily for his sake Dumbledore sensed Selina's hostility. "I don't want you to get hurt, Selina. I truly don't want you to get hurt."
"I can handle myself. I'm a big girl." Selina felt so clichéd, using those lines. She knew something was wrong, but she ignored that.
"You're right. You are a big girl. I can't make you do anything you don't want you. I can only ask you to think about what I've said." He gave her a cheery smile. "Now, you really should go and find your teammates. I'm sure that Ms. Duraford is very worried. And I heard Ms. Bryce mention that they'll need your help in the final competition."
Selina laughed nervously and stood with the headmaster. He had changed the mood quickly, and just in time. "Yes, I will thank you." She hurried out of the cubicle and almost straight into one of the volunteer nurses. After apologizing quickly and straitening her robe, she turned back to Dumbledore, a question on her lips. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is the next competition.?"
~*~
"A dance off!" Lucius roared. "I've always said that the man was bloody mad! This just proves it!"
Selina couldn't help but smirk. Since her return to the library fifteen minutes ago Lucius's mood had done nothing but worsen. Really, he looked his best when he was angry.But that was beside the point. The true point was that she had little less than an hour to put together a dance number with Lucius. Early on, she had decided that he would work best with her. Draco was too lazy, Robbie was too shy towards her, Mr. Chang didn't have enough grace, and she just didn't feel like dealing with Snape.
"And why do you get to be in charge?" Lucius asked, turning his anger on the young woman.
"Because," Riley called from a corner of the library, "she's the best dancer I know."
Lucius raised an eyebrow. His expression turned from furious to mildly interested. "Eh? Is that so?"
"My mother was a wonderful dancer. She taught me everything she knew.Waltz, tango, swing dancing.I suppose I'm well enough."
Riley gave a long, braying laugh. "Well enough? Selly, you can dance like the devil!"
Selina's face remained determined as she began to stretch. Lucius, unsure of what exactly he was to do, followed her graceful movements, but his movements were jerky and unrefined. "You're trying too hard," Selina said after watching her 'husband' for a minute. "Dancing takes trying and concentration, of course, but not with such seriousness."
She stood with one fluent motion and held up her hand, motioning for Lucius to be still in his movements. Pamela, who had been the only person to stay and watch Selina and Lucius practice, was quite surprised when her mistress pressed up against Lucius's back. Selina's arms reached up and molded over Lucius's until they could have been the same person. Slowly but elegantly Selina began to do the stretches again, only now Lucius did it along with her. At first, the redhead met with some resistance-Lucius still wanted to do things his way-but after ten minutes the two moved with poise. It was only then that Selina let go of Lucius.
She turned his back to him then, so it was only Pamela who saw Lucius smile softly and rub the back of his arms, as if he could still feel her warmth. "Now let's try to get in rhythm with each other," Selina said, straitening herself to her full height. "After that things will be easier for me to orchestrate." Lucius merely shrugged, and then he held out his arms. Selina placed his right hand around her waist and his left hand on her right shoulder. She wrapped both arms around his neck and began to sway to a tune that only the two of them could hear.
Pamela watched with interest as Selina taught her 'husband' the finer points of dancing. She told him to twirl her, and he did so effortlessly. Lucius said something in a low voice, and Selina laughed warmly. Pamela could only smile and slip away. She wanted Selina to be happy, and if everything worked out as it should, Lucius would make her very happy.
~*~
Oh, but god, was Selina nervous! Team Red had won the quidditch match, "with the help of Saint Potter", as Draco had grumbled earlier. She had no idea how good her opponents were, or but she did know that they were desperate to win. One of the Weasley boys-they all looked the same to Selina-had come by not ten minutes before the competition started. Selina had been around the corner, so she had only heard the snipe snicker about how they were all "going down!"
Now it was just minutes before Team Red's act would go on. Dumbledore was standing in the middle of the quidditch pitch, on top of a large, shiny stage much different from the ones that had been there earlier in the day. "Welcome, everyone, to the final competition!" Dumbledore cried, and the entire stadium cheered with him. "As you may well know, this competition is a dance off." A wave of snickers overtook the crowd. It was apparent enough that no one took this seriously. They had probably just come to see who won: the Weasley's team or the Malfoy's team. "The dance off, unlike the other competitions, allows only two participants. Those two participants will have six minutes to present you all with a dance number that they have worked out before this. They will be judged by the reaction of the reaction of the crowd."
Dumbledore glanced down at a card he held in his hand. "Team Red will be going first. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger will be representing their team." Dumbledore's face creased into a smile, and he joined in the clapping as two figures, the first a tall, gangly redhead and the second the girl Selina had been speaking with, took the stage. The both of them were dressed in robes of deep blue. The girl, Hermione Granger, looked very nervous, but as soon as the soft, melodic music began and the boy's arms went around her then she instantly relaxed. It was evident to all that those two were a very happy couple.
The Weasley boy and his girlfriend were clearly not dancers. They merely swayed together, not bothering to truly dance, simply enjoying the moment. Every so often, the boy would twirl the girl, and she would giggle girlishly. Whatever they lacked in dancing skills, they made up for in the mood they put their audience. Everyone was entranced, and their constant claps and cheers continued into the last spin, after which most everybody, Slytherins not included, burst into an approving applause.
"Oh, Riley!" Selina whispered, feeling a hand upon her shoulder. "We'll never beat that!"
"Yes, we will." Selina jumped when she heard Lucius's voice purring in her ear. She supposed that he was trying to be seductive, but she was too edgy to care.
"But everyone loves them! Everyone can see that they love each other! We don't have anything anywhere near that!" Selina knees were shaking, but that could be credited to the fact that Lucius was massaging her shoulders, and not because she was chilly.
"We," Lucius whispered, and Selina could practically see him smirk, "have something far more interesting. If they are everything perfect, Selina, then we are everything imperfect. Our faults make us stronger. Our arguments make us wiser."
Selina had turned to look him in the eyes, for she had a feeling that her 'husband' was driving at something deeper, but then Dumbledore stepped up on stage." Splendid! That was simply splendid! All in all, you racked up a nine-point-eight!"
From somewhere behind her Selina heard a hissing voice whisper, "Try and beat that!"
To which Lucius replied, "We don't even have to try!"
"Now it's time fore Team Titan to present their number! Their captain tells me that Lucius Malfoy and his wife Selina will be performing, so please, give them your attention!" Dumbledore began to clap, while others began to make rude noises. The lights in the quidditch pitch went out, as Selina had requested, and she stepped onto the stage in almost complete darkness.
~*~
The music started before the lights went back up. For a few moments, all the onlookers knew was the sweet, slow, dreamy song. It serenaded them, almost as much as the woman standing in the middle of the stage when light flooded the pitch again. She was pretty, though in a way all her own. Her hair was a swirl of unruly red curls, her eyes were green and lively, her smile as sweet as it was strange. Her dress was black and bordered on scandalous. The skirt of her dress swished about right below her knees, but a slit in the skirt came to halfway up her thigh, exposing pale skin and a few freckles. The younger men in the crowd, especially the married ones, found the pale skin surprisingly arousing.
The woman began to dance, and it became apparent that dancing was her passion. The way she arched her body during turns, the way her legs moved smoothly and so intricately, the way her whole body seemed to become a part of the song, and the deep look on her face showed how much she was enjoying herself. Before the crowd could fully take in the woman, however, there was a 'pop' and a man appeared directly behind her.
Lucius Malfoy and his wife Selina.
~*~
Selina did her best to mold into Lucius as he wrapped his body around her from behind. With careful movements they became one, twirling slowly and dipping with style. He buried her nose in her red curls, and had they been anywhere else, Selina would have snarled at him to stop sniffing her. But somehow, at that moment, it all seemed perfect.
"All right, Lucius," she whispered as he twirled her around in a full spiral. "The music's going to pick up in three.two.one!"
Right on cue the tempo changed from sweet and dreamy to fast and Latin. The emphasize the change Lucius actually flipped Selina over his arm. The surprised young woman landed squarely on her feet, but she had little time to stare at her husband before they were off again. They became part of the music with their twirls, dips, and fast-paced footwork. Selina and Lucius had agreed on no real plan because they had been confident enough that they would find their own.
For the first time in her life, Selina was actually glad to be with Lucius. No other would have been able to dance with her like he did. As much as she regretted to admit it no one else would have made her feel so alive. As Lucius pulled her close to his body the moment inspired him to kiss her right on the lips, in front of everyone. Also caught up in the moment, Selina allowed him to.
It was only when the music ended that Selina realized that had forgotten to watch the clock. Their six minutes were up, and they were still kissing. Disgust at her 'husband' for being so forward and disgust at herself for allowing him to seized her body. Oh, lord, what Riley must think of her.With as much dignity as possible Selina broke the kiss. She bowed once and strode off stage, leaving Lucius to stand stupidly in the spotlight.
She was ashamed of herself!
She had been drunk on the attention, or some such thing, and she had allowed him to kiss her! The very man she had been avoiding! The kiss would, of course, lead to a deep conversation, and he might possibly command her to sleep with him.
"Miss Selina?"
Selina froze. It was Draco. Of all the people to catch her after so obviously ditching Lucius it had to be her stepson. Oh, he must think her to be some sort of floozy.
"You were magnificent out there." Draco's tone was measured, as if he wasn't sure exactly what to say, but his face showed how impressed he really was. Riley crept up behind him, and she looked impressed as well.
"He's right. Can't you hear them?"
Selina shook her head. "No, Riley, I can't hear a thing. No one's cheering, no one's roaring, and no one's applauding."
Riley gave Selina a brilliant smile. "That's my point, Selly. You shocked them into silence!"
The other members of Team Titan were appearing around Selina. All but Lucius. She suspected that his wounded pride would not allow him to resurface until it was time to leave. Everyone was staring at her in shocked awe.
"Oh, Miss Selina! You were so beautiful," Pamela whispered, and Selina didn't even bother to correct her friend. Besides, she had a feeling that even if she wasn't really beautiful that everyone else believed she was so. Perhaps it was an enchantment that would only last the night, in which case Selina had only six hours left.
"Thank you, Pamela," Selina said softly. Suddenly she had an urge to escape the crown surrounding her. She knew that she was supposed to be with someone else.
"We're going to win, you know," Riley was saying now, and her smile had changed to a victorious smirk. "I just know it! Did you see their faces?"
"I must admit, Malfoy did come through." Mr. Chang looked reluctant to admit that Lucius Malfoy could be credible at anything, but he also looked strangely proud to be a part of such a team.
"Did you see the way he was looking at Selina?" Cho asked her mother. She thought Selina couldn't hear her. "I don't care what Daddy says. He loves her, Mum. In his own, weird way."
Mrs. Chang shushed her daughter. "Don't talk about such things! Selina Malfoy and her husband have a right to be left to their own affairs!" Mrs. Chang's voice dropped a notch then. "But he did look at her as though he wanted to eat her up, didn't he?" Selina saw Cho nod in the darkness, and all wishes to attend the masquerade fled her. She and Lucius would be the most talked about people after that dance. She didn't want to deal with the probing eyes.
"Pamela?" she called in a near silent voice that only her friend heard.
"Yes, Miss-"
"Just plain Selina, please."
"Well then, Selina, what do you want?"
Selina looked over to where Dumbledore was discussing something with Prof. Sprout. "I'm going to go into Hogsmeade, all right? I'll find Lucius there, and we'll spend the night in some hotel. Separate rooms, of course."
"Of course," Pamela repeated.
"Just make a few excuses for me, will you?"
"Certainly, Miss-er-Selina." Pamela waved as Selina as the young redhead slunk over to where Dumbledore was. Once she was sure that her new friend was out of earshot she muttered, "Separate rooms? Ten galleons say they make it to bed before midnight."
~*~
Lucius had been utterly and completely humiliated, more so then the swimming incident earlier that day. He had kissed Selina-God strike him down with lightening for doing a thing such as kissing his wife-and she had walked off stage as soon as she could! She had left him there, standing in all the blinding lights, looking like a lovesick schoolboy. If anyone had doubted that there were troubles in his new marriage, now then that display had made them believers.
After making a hasty exit on the opposite side of the stage as Selina, Lucius had tromped on down to Hogsmeade. He had made his way to the Three Broomsticks, and there he proceeded to get drunk on cheap wine, for Malfoys never got drunk on anything as common as beer or the strong whisky that Hagrid downed. Madame Rosemerta looked as though she wanted to stop sending him alcohol, but he did give generous tips, and the money won out. It wasn't until the seventh glass of wine that the intoxicating red liquid stopped coming.
Lucius tried to flag down one of the barmaids so that he could take the matter up with one of them, but all of them avoided him like the Black Plague. Eventually Lucius was able to find the source of the liqueur drought. Mind you, all he saw was the back of the woman's head, but he was sure as anything that the short, curvy redhead speaking with Madame Rosemerta was his wife.
'Damn her, with all her gutsy American ways.Thinks she can leave me hanging and then comes down and tells the bartender not to give me anymore wine!' Lucius glared at his wife, who was sharing a good laugh, probably at his expense, with Madame Rosemerta. She turned around for a second, and her laugh was cut short when she saw the dour look on his face.
"Thank you so much for the offer, Rosie,"-since when did she know Rosemerta enough to call her Rosie?-"but I think Lucius here needs to get up to our room as soon as possible." Selina pursed her lips in a haughty manner, but her eyes were shining with mocking and mirth. "After all, who knows who might see him in this state? He might damage the Malfoy name!" She was mocking him! The little Southern vixen.
"Need any help, honey?" Madame Rosemerta looked mildly worried. "This one has a nasty temper."
Selina put her hands on her hips. "I can hold my own, Rosie. Room ten's for us?"
"Best in the house, and it's on the house. Anything for the daughter of Esme Julliard." Madame Rosemerta tossed Selina a golden key and winked.
"I'll say goodbye in the morning when I leave," Selina promised as she made her way to Lucius. Lucius noticed that Rosemerta was standing nearby, despite Selina's assurances that she would be all right. The pretty bartender had a deep scowl on her face, directed towards Lucius, just daring him to make trouble. Lucius decided not to give her the satisfaction of being right. He allowed Selina to help him up from his booth, and he did his best not to stumble after her.
Selina walked briskly-Lucius knew she did that just to vex him-towards the back of the Three Broomsticks. There was a simple wooden door in the back- Lucius had never noticed it before-and she stuck the golden key in the lock. "Room ten, Selina Julliard and Lucius Malfoy." The lock jiggled for a second, and then the door swung open with a small 'click'.
"Come on, Lucius. You don't even need to walk up the stairs. Rosie says that they move magically." She grabbed his shirt-he was still wearing the black ruffled V-neck silk shirt she had forced him to wear for the dance off-and dragged him onto the first step. As she had said, they began to move upwards, towards the second floor, magically. When they reached the top of the stairway, in fact, the floor moved them down the hallway until they reached a door with a silver ten on it.
"This is it?" Lucius asked.
Selina nodded and wordlessly stuck the key in the door. She pushed it open and stepped inside. "There's only one bed, and then there's a couch. I'll take the couch, okay? Unless you want the couch. I think it might be closer to the bathroom, and you might be making some runs in the night."
Lucius frowned. "I insist that you take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch." He followed her into the inn room and found the couch, which was in the small room right off the kitchen.
Selina, however, continued down the hall and into the bedroom. Just before closing the door to the bedroom, she gave him a strange look. She looked as though she wanted to say something, but her pride was getting in the way. Finally, she shut the door, leaving Lucius hanging once again.
~*~
So, the game's on, isn't it? Now it's not just you I'm after-it's your husband.
Do you really think that he jumped in that lake of his own free will? No, he needed a little.encouragement.
Don't worry, I didn't want to kill you.No, I just wanted to mess with your mind.But I didn't mean for that Bludger to take you out. And I definitely didn't mean for those two dolts to save you.
Make you mistake, honey. Those two won't be giving you any hidden messages any time so. I'll make sure of that.And I'd make sure that, if I were you, that I wouldn't go looking too deeply into their little riddle.
Their kind isn't too popular in this world, and the deeper you look, the more you'll find out about your kind.
As always, Selina, sweet dreams.I'll be watching you.
~*~
Lucius was having one hell of a night. The couch was lumpy and the material was scratchy, and the thin blanket that he had found in the closet was no help with the drafts that breezed through the inn room. Around midnight he got up to go and fetch another blanket. As he passed in front of the bedroom door he heard a cry-Selina's cry, to be more exact.
At first Lucius thought that she was merely talking in her sleep. He continued on to grab his blanket, but his hand froze when he heard another cry. This one was much more anguished than the last, and Lucius was suddenly reminded of Selina's stay in the hospital and how pale she had looked. Without a second moment's thought, he rushed down the hall and into her room. When he saw his wife's state he was momentarily floored.
During the course of the night Selina had thrown off her covers. She had entangled in the dull white sheets, and she was writhing within them, as if someone was physically attacking her. Great, terrified sobs escaped her lips, and a coat of sweat plastered her hair to her forehead.
"No, no, no! Oh, please, no!"
A string of petrified words escaped Selina's mouth. Lucius's stunned spell was broken, and he rushed to the bed to awaken her. Taking her in his arms, he shook her gently and then harder when she wouldn't wake up. Her condition wasn't much different when she finally did awaken then when she had been asleep. If anything it worsened.
"Where am I? Where am I? Oh, god, it's watching me!"
She began struggling in Lucius's hold, and when he wouldn't let her escape she began shrieking as loudly as she could. Afraid that her cries would bring other guests or Madame Rosemerta herself, Lucius began to soothe Selina by rubbing her arms and whispering, "It'll be all right." Eventually- and thankfully-Selina's shrieks were calmed to quiet sniffles. Only then did she truly awaken. Lucius saw her eyes flutter in the dim lighting of the room, and she looked around her wildly, apparently confused as to how he had gotten there.
"Is it gone?" she asked in a voice that was barely her own.
"It? Who's it?"
Selina looked around her again. Her green eyes had narrowed, and she even looked at Lucius suspiciously. "It haunts me. It wants me." She sounded childishly afraid and alone. "I must sound crazy to you." She pulled her knees up to her chest and sighed deeply.
"I don't think you're crazy." Honestly, Lucius didn't know what to think about Selina's nightmare. He pretended, though, that he meant what he said. He kept rubbing her arms, and after a while, he even chanced kissing her bare shoulder. Selina shivered, but that only caused her to begin shaking. "You know, a good shot of vodka always calms my nerves." Selina looked up. She looked intrigued, and Lucius continued. "Rosemerta should have some liquor around here. Wait for a second, and I'll get you some."
He stood from the bed and made his way to a cabinet he had seen earlier. Sure enough, he found several bottles of alcohol. He selected a large purple bottle and a small glass from the cabinet and returned to the bedroom. Selina had brought her legs up to her chest, and her hand reached for the glass as soon as Lucius had poured the amber liquid. She coughed as she downed the first glass, but after the second and third-Narcissa had always been a girl to hold her drink, so he didn't think to deny Selina booze-she seemed to be in her own. It was only too late that Lucius realized that Selina was the type to get drunk after only a few sips of alcohol.
Her new smile was too big, she giggled too much, but the moment she leaned over and kissed him, Lucius stopped caring.
~*~
Selina was awoken the next morning by a gentle breeze. She lay in bed, enjoying the cool air on the back of her neck, until she realized that the cool breeze was actually warm, and that it wasn't actually a breeze but someone's breath. Memories from the night before began streaming back slowly. She had had too much to drink-Lucius kept giving her glasses of that booze that had burned her throat so wonderfully-and she had gotten an urge to taste Lucius's lips, to see if any alcohol from earlier that night still clung to his lips. One thing had led to another and now.
Selina could only remember that their coupling had left Lucius sated and sleepy and her feeling empty but tired. She had felt no real pleasure, and she had rolled away from him as soon as he was done. She had fallen asleep soon after him, but somewhere in the course of the night, his arms had found their way around her waist. In the struggle to free herself from his embrace, Selina awoke Lucius. He gave a groggy groan, sat up, and put his hand to his forehead.
"Bloody hell, I've got a hangover," he muttered. He groaned again, and then he rolled over to the opposite side of the bed. Selina, who had just started to feel the pangs of her own hangover, thought that he hadn't noticed her until she tried to go to the bathroom. "Last night." he said, trailing off in hopes that she would finish his sentence.
"Was a mistake. I was drunk. Under the influence. Don't you think the same?" she turned around to face Lucius. He had stood to his full height, which Selina was reminded was a good nine inches taller than she, and a dark, stormy looked crossed his face.
"I suppose it was," he muttered, and Selina could not truly find any reason for him to be angry. Still, as she stepped out of her shower twenty minutes later, she found all traces of him gone. He had left only a note, written in a hurried scrawl, that he and Arielle would be going over various documents and that he would be back at the manor late that evening.
'Arielle DeSanders.What a cheap hat trick!' As the young Southern girl tore up her 'husband's' note, the steam practically coming out of her ears, she denied herself any grief. So Lucius Malfoy wanted to play dirty and make a fool out of her? He had no idea with whom he was fighting.