Chapter 28

"What happened in the corridor? You know, really happened." Lily asked, pulling my dark green, satin comforter over her slender legs. I leaned back on the pillows, enjoying my present position. Who cared if it had taken two hours in detention to get me there? Let me explain. 

We were back in my room. To be more precise, we were on my bed. Now, now, don't get too carried away. I was an eighteen year old, not a dog in heat. We were only talking (and snogging; just a little bit; what good was talking with your girlfriend without a bit of healthy kissing?).

"Well, I was late for dinner, and those Brats of yours" I paused as she threw a pillow at me; obviously she didn't like having the Brats called her Brats "were as late as I was. But, on my honor, I swear Potter started the whole thing. Not me." She looked skeptical. I let out a loud sigh of frustration. "Is it really that hard to believe a Gryffindor started a fight, instead of a Slytherin?" All right, we Slytherins might have been a little sneaky, and cunning. Hell, we still are. But that didn't mean we started all the duels in Hogwarts.

"Yes." She answered without hesitation, but a hint of humor was in her jade green eyes. I leaned closer, so my face was only inches from hers. This was going to be fun. 

"Is it?"

"Y-yes. . ." Ah, my presence was overwhelming, and we both knew it. I leaned in even closer than before; we were forehead to forehead.

"Is it?" I repeated the question. It was just so much fun to tease her like this.

"It might be, yeah--"she barely finished her sentence; I'd moved in for a kiss. 

And she kissed me back, her arms wrapping about my neck. I had to admit, for someone who'd just learned to kiss a few months back, she was good. Then again, I had been her teacher, hadn't I?

She tasted sweet and fresh, and I never wanted it to end. This one was much longer than the one we'd had earlier, but, like then, I still had the same, almost desperate need to hold her like this. Maybe it was the urge to reclaim what was mine, or, more likely, I'd just gotten used to having her so near, it seemed unnatural to have her any further away.

Like all rooms in the lower part of the castle, mine was cold, even with the fire burning so merrily in the background. Lily was my warmth, and I held her even closer to me, not daring to let go. We stopped, more for air than anything else, and leaned back on the pillows. She rested her head on my shoulder.  

"I love being with you like this. You're nice to be with." She murmured, looking up at me from beneath her eyelashes. I stroked her hair, enjoying the feel of it through my fingers. It felt like unwoven silk, bewitched to shimmer; the light from the fire running through it.

"Well, you're nice to be with too." I hadn't just said this to return the compliment; I'd said it because I'd meant it. I liked being around her. She was like a fount of fresh water in a dry desert, and I could never get enough.

"So how was remedial with our dear Professor?" She meant Garednon, of course. By my calculations, he must have been asleep by now, either in his own bed, or on the floor where I'd left him. Still, I felt no pity. I could feel my conscience rousing, ready to prick me with the characteristic pangs of remorse. And this remorse wasn't for him, either. It was for Lily. I didn't like lying to her, but. . . she could never know.

"Nothing, really, he droned on about jinxes and counter curses." I particularly liked the way I'd constructed this sentence; I wasn't lying to her, I was merely implying. My conscience receded back into the deeper recesses of my mind. 

"As usual. I think that's his favorite topic. Maybe it's the only one he knows something about? O.W.L.'s aren't as horrible as I thought they'd be, you know. Everyone makes such a big deal about it, but--" my sudden burst of laughter quieted her, and she looked at me, vaguely annoyed.

"Lily" I said, still laughing (I had no idea what had gotten into me, making me act like some sort of drunken yob), "you're you. You're. . . smart." She arched an eyebrow.

"Like you?" She thought I was smart? Well, so did I. It was a good thing she saw it that way.

"Of course I'm smart—it's the Malfoy in me. "

" And modest too, aren't you?" Hmm, yes, I'd forgotten about that.

"Definitely." Strangely enough, she burst out laughing this time. "What? I am modest." She shook a finger in my face, trying to maintain that look of absolute seriousness women always seemed to have.

"Mother always said truly humble people never admitted they were humble."

"Ah, yes, the all-knowing mother of Lily Evans. I'll have to take lessons from her, eh? They might make that into a N.E.W.T requirement soon." Almost immediately after I'd said this sentence, her face lit up, like she'd remembered something.

No. . . she couldn't possibly have expected me to join her for the holidays. . . that was. . . it was. . . well, to put it gently, it was preposterous. A Malfoy, with muggles? Not ever .  . . no, it just wasn't right. Muggle-borns were one thing, but muggles were a whole different people. Sometimes, I thought they were a whole different species.

"BythewayLucius,wouldyouliketovisitmyparents?" She said this very quickly, and, to my surprise, she was blushing a little. She looked beautiful when she did that. "Not that you have to, you understand, it's not obligatory or anything--" she'd sounded exactly like this when she'd asked about the 'nature' of our first kiss "but, you know, you've always talked of learning about muggles, and, you know, wouldn't you like to learn first hand? It would be fun. . . a muggles-day-out sort of thing, you know? We can see movies, and, you know, shop a little in muggle—er—shops, and, you know. . ." Her sentence had too many 'you-knows' to be considered grammatically correct—a definite sign she was flustered, as Lily was always grammatically correct.

I looked up at the ceiling (bewitched exactly the same way the Great Hall's ceiling had been; I was rather proud of that particular spell) that was heavily clouded, my head resting on my hands. I spoke; my eyes still fixed one what was above me.

"Only if it rains." This statement had obviously caught her off guard.

"What rains?" I pointed up at the artificial sky above us. She imitated my position, stretched out beside me. "All right then. If it rains." 

I don't know how long we lay there, staring up at the sky. Quite a long time, I suppose.  But, eventually, it did rain. The deal, though on my terms, had been a little unbalanced from the beginning. The sky had been clouded already, after all, and clouds always meant rain. Maybe my subconscious mind had seeped into my conscious at last.

It was strange, looking up at the ceiling like that. The rain was only a few spans away from our faces before it disappeared, strangely reminiscent of meteors disintegrating as they touched our atmosphere. I found myself wanting to feel the rain on me; to feel the cold drops shatter as they touched flesh. Impulsively, I turned towards Lily.

"Do you want to go out? See the rain? I've got a flying carpet around here somewhere--" Flying carpets were somewhat outdated, but they were the best for night viewing. Lying on one and looking at the sky made me feel like the stars were close enough to touch.

She looked at me.

"In this weather?" She didn't sound incredulous at all, in fact, she sounded surprised. But my mood deflated a little; she didn't like the rain?

"Or do you wish to wait until. . . oh, I don't know, rainbows and sunshine?" This was said half-heartedly. Rain was always the best kind of weather.

"No, definitely not; I love rain. I think it's always the best kind of weather." If I hadn't known mind reading was impossible, I wouldn't have suspected her of doing it. Maybe great minds really did think alike. "I thought I was the only one who liked bad weather. Seems I found my equal." She smiled at me, and I smiled back, reflexively now.

Maybe Lily and I had more in common than I thought.

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Author's Notes: Hmm, I've run out of things to say. Oh yes, now I remember. Next chapter is still an entire blank, so, for those of you who are reading this, please tell me if you want to see what Lucius and Lily get up to in the rain J or, I could just skip to a whole other scene, if you want. Your choice J Oh, and please review, please please please please! Lucius is bound to be back from Romania soon, and I'm sure he'd love them, as a welcome back gift, you know J

Thank Yous:

Diabla666-- J hehehe, I loved that part too, Lucius is just so irresistible!!! He's left me his Pensieve to help with the story, and I feel so much closer to him than before. . . *sob* Oh Lucius, I love you *sob* come back!! *cough cough* We all miss you. J

Sarah—I'm always in the mood to hex everyone, and I totally sympathize with your lack of magical powers L Yes, Lucius really *should* be back soon, I don't think he'd leave me with his Pensieve for so long (*whisper* I don't think he really trusts me with it. . . bwehehehe) Ooh, yippee, long chappie J

Chelli—Surprisingly, I do do the writing, except Lucius betas the whole thing, to make sure I've kept him in character, and, when he's gone, he makes Draco come over and do it the beta-ing. *smile* Dwaa-cooo *thump* Ouch, what was that?

*author turns around* *sees Draco*

"Oh, it's you." *Author is disappointed, despite Draco's obvious handsomeness*  "Is your father back home yet?"

*gives a smirk, horribly reminiscent of Lucius* *Author lets out a sad whimper*

"Soon enough, muggle. He's taken a liking to Romania."

* author grumbles*

"And he's forgotten all about me, I suppose?"

*Draco smirks again*

"He's just told me he's gotten you a Romanian, Dragon-meat sandwich."

*Author turns green* *squeaks*

"Dragon meat, you say?"

"Yeah, real delicacy over there. Quite good, really. He's getting me the newest in the line of Firebolts, you know. I can beat that detestable Potter fool now." *Draco cackles evilly, and disapparates*

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