author: Lucinda
rating: pg13
main character(s): Gwendolyn Post, Lucius Malfoy
disclaimer: I hold no legal rights to Gwendolyn Post or the Council of Watchers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the evil fire throwing glove woman) created by Joss Whedon. I hold no legal rights to Lucius Malfy or Diagon Alley, creation of JK Rowling.
distribution: Jinni, Paula, anyone else ask.
note: Jinni's weekly poetry challenge #9.
"He was my north, my south, my east and west;
My working week, my Sunday best;
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song.
I thought that love would last forever, ... I was wrong. "
-- W.H. Auden, 'Song IX' from 'Twelve Songs'
* * * * *
Gwendolyn Post stood in the living room of her London flat, a heavy book threatening to fall from her hand. Her eyes burned with the tears that she didn't want to shed, didn't want to have burning in her eyes. Not over him.
Not for Lucius Malfoy. Not for her pale lover.
She'd met him by pure chance, just sort of bumped into him as she'd been chortling gleefully over her acquisition of a real measure of powdered dragon's scales that she'd picked up from some loony woman with too much jewelry. They'd both nearly fallen to the cold sidewalk, and she'd looked up, the apology already forming. The words had frozen as she met those eyes. Glorious pale eyes like the full moon. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking..."
His own words had fallen away as well. "What on earth could you..."
For a few moments, they stood there, and Gwendolyn could feel her stomach fluttering. Was it from the near fall, or from his striking eyes, his long pale hair? It was almost as if time had slowed around them.
Slowly, she lifted her free hand, smiling at him as she hoped desperately that the expression looked real, looked natural. "I'm Gwendolyn."
He'd smiled, shifting the silver serpent headed cane to his off hand as he lifted her fingers for a brush of his lips over her knuckles. "I am Lucius Malfoy. It's a delightful surprise to meet someone like yourself."
They'd gone to a lovely tea shop to settle their nerves, and sipped at fragrant brews and shared harmless small talk. Discussion of the weather, of the comparative values, flavors and flaws of herbal teas as compared to the traditional black tea. Of the difficulty traversing crowded streets with packages. Harmless things.
They'd encountered each other again, walking in Kensington Park one evening. She'd smiled, and offered a tentative wave of her fingers. He'd blinked a moment before smiling at her, meandering towards her with a scarf of dark green wrapped around his throat, and a long black coat to ward away the chill of the evening air.
"Gwendolyn... I hadn't expected to see you again." He'd murmured, stopping just at the edge of her personal space, letting the scent of his cologne, something subtly alluring and exotic and entirely masculine wrap around her.
She'd almost taken a step back, but she'd resisted, instead smiling at him. "Sometimes the unexpected happens. You can't plan out everything in life, after all."
They'd kept bumping into each other, and somehow, she wasn't quite certain when or how, it had gone from coincidence and half sought opportunities to picnics and dates. They gradually had shifted from meandering across parks to attending theatrical productions, and the occasional steeplechase. Gradually, those gave way to romantic dinners, and moonlight kisses.
Within four months, they were lovers. She'd never met anyone so... she couldn't even put it into words, but Gwendolyn had never met anyone quite like Lucius before. In some ways, he reminded her of some of the younger and more interesting Watchers that she'd met, but he wasn't from one of the Watcher families.
She didn't care that he wasn't a Watcher, didn't care that her father would never have appoved. Lucius made her feel so wonderfully alive and appreciated... and he helped her learn more about magic and mystical artifacts. No terribly complex spells or potions, but she was learning assorted little things here and there. Ways to know when someone was lying, or to bring things to hand from a distance. Scrying and a little divination, concealments and repairs... such simple things, really.
Lucius had even showed her to Diagon Alley, the hub of the true magical community of London, and taken her to get a real magical wand - a ten inch holly with a core of dragon heartstrings. They'd celebrated that night with chocolates and kisses.
He'd helped her to get the flat. Using some sort of influence, he'd managed to get her past a two year waiting list, and directly into this nice flat. They'd furnished it together, and he'd practically been living there with her. His influence was everywhere, from the black leather couch with the deep green pillows to the tapestries on the walls, done in the medieval style. Even the charming fire place, not large enough for Floo powder travel, but the perfect size for magical communication. He'd had a silver snake placed on it, it's coils just perfect to rest a pair of wands on.
The snake was gone. Both the wand rest, and surely Lucius as well. The book fell to the floor, narrowly missing her foot. Lucius was gone. He'd left her.
Why? She hadn't noticed any signs, no warnings. They hadn't been arguing. The sex had been great. She hadn't been trying to make any new demands on him. None of the neighbors had objected to anything. Why would he just... remove himself from her life?
Had he... had he decided that she simply wasn't magical enough, after all that they'd shared? Had one of her relatives decided to threaten him away? Or... could it be... had it all been just a game to him?
No, surely not. Surely what they'd shared had been... had been as special to him as it had been to her. Surely he cared about her. This was just... just a minor setback. She could.. they could work around it.
If she could manage something impressive enough, spectacular enough, then nothing and nobody would stand between her and Lucius. They could be together again.
Gwendolyn slowly smiled as she thought of the perfect lever. In America, there was a Slayer... well, two Slayers. Neither of them had Watchers that the Council approved of. If she could somehow manage to gain control... no, guidance of a Slayer... Well, who would stand against her and her charge?
Yes, that would be just about perfect.
end Broken Posts.
rating: pg13
main character(s): Gwendolyn Post, Lucius Malfoy
disclaimer: I hold no legal rights to Gwendolyn Post or the Council of Watchers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the evil fire throwing glove woman) created by Joss Whedon. I hold no legal rights to Lucius Malfy or Diagon Alley, creation of JK Rowling.
distribution: Jinni, Paula, anyone else ask.
note: Jinni's weekly poetry challenge #9.
"He was my north, my south, my east and west;
My working week, my Sunday best;
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song.
I thought that love would last forever, ... I was wrong. "
-- W.H. Auden, 'Song IX' from 'Twelve Songs'
* * * * *
Gwendolyn Post stood in the living room of her London flat, a heavy book threatening to fall from her hand. Her eyes burned with the tears that she didn't want to shed, didn't want to have burning in her eyes. Not over him.
Not for Lucius Malfoy. Not for her pale lover.
She'd met him by pure chance, just sort of bumped into him as she'd been chortling gleefully over her acquisition of a real measure of powdered dragon's scales that she'd picked up from some loony woman with too much jewelry. They'd both nearly fallen to the cold sidewalk, and she'd looked up, the apology already forming. The words had frozen as she met those eyes. Glorious pale eyes like the full moon. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking..."
His own words had fallen away as well. "What on earth could you..."
For a few moments, they stood there, and Gwendolyn could feel her stomach fluttering. Was it from the near fall, or from his striking eyes, his long pale hair? It was almost as if time had slowed around them.
Slowly, she lifted her free hand, smiling at him as she hoped desperately that the expression looked real, looked natural. "I'm Gwendolyn."
He'd smiled, shifting the silver serpent headed cane to his off hand as he lifted her fingers for a brush of his lips over her knuckles. "I am Lucius Malfoy. It's a delightful surprise to meet someone like yourself."
They'd gone to a lovely tea shop to settle their nerves, and sipped at fragrant brews and shared harmless small talk. Discussion of the weather, of the comparative values, flavors and flaws of herbal teas as compared to the traditional black tea. Of the difficulty traversing crowded streets with packages. Harmless things.
They'd encountered each other again, walking in Kensington Park one evening. She'd smiled, and offered a tentative wave of her fingers. He'd blinked a moment before smiling at her, meandering towards her with a scarf of dark green wrapped around his throat, and a long black coat to ward away the chill of the evening air.
"Gwendolyn... I hadn't expected to see you again." He'd murmured, stopping just at the edge of her personal space, letting the scent of his cologne, something subtly alluring and exotic and entirely masculine wrap around her.
She'd almost taken a step back, but she'd resisted, instead smiling at him. "Sometimes the unexpected happens. You can't plan out everything in life, after all."
They'd kept bumping into each other, and somehow, she wasn't quite certain when or how, it had gone from coincidence and half sought opportunities to picnics and dates. They gradually had shifted from meandering across parks to attending theatrical productions, and the occasional steeplechase. Gradually, those gave way to romantic dinners, and moonlight kisses.
Within four months, they were lovers. She'd never met anyone so... she couldn't even put it into words, but Gwendolyn had never met anyone quite like Lucius before. In some ways, he reminded her of some of the younger and more interesting Watchers that she'd met, but he wasn't from one of the Watcher families.
She didn't care that he wasn't a Watcher, didn't care that her father would never have appoved. Lucius made her feel so wonderfully alive and appreciated... and he helped her learn more about magic and mystical artifacts. No terribly complex spells or potions, but she was learning assorted little things here and there. Ways to know when someone was lying, or to bring things to hand from a distance. Scrying and a little divination, concealments and repairs... such simple things, really.
Lucius had even showed her to Diagon Alley, the hub of the true magical community of London, and taken her to get a real magical wand - a ten inch holly with a core of dragon heartstrings. They'd celebrated that night with chocolates and kisses.
He'd helped her to get the flat. Using some sort of influence, he'd managed to get her past a two year waiting list, and directly into this nice flat. They'd furnished it together, and he'd practically been living there with her. His influence was everywhere, from the black leather couch with the deep green pillows to the tapestries on the walls, done in the medieval style. Even the charming fire place, not large enough for Floo powder travel, but the perfect size for magical communication. He'd had a silver snake placed on it, it's coils just perfect to rest a pair of wands on.
The snake was gone. Both the wand rest, and surely Lucius as well. The book fell to the floor, narrowly missing her foot. Lucius was gone. He'd left her.
Why? She hadn't noticed any signs, no warnings. They hadn't been arguing. The sex had been great. She hadn't been trying to make any new demands on him. None of the neighbors had objected to anything. Why would he just... remove himself from her life?
Had he... had he decided that she simply wasn't magical enough, after all that they'd shared? Had one of her relatives decided to threaten him away? Or... could it be... had it all been just a game to him?
No, surely not. Surely what they'd shared had been... had been as special to him as it had been to her. Surely he cared about her. This was just... just a minor setback. She could.. they could work around it.
If she could manage something impressive enough, spectacular enough, then nothing and nobody would stand between her and Lucius. They could be together again.
Gwendolyn slowly smiled as she thought of the perfect lever. In America, there was a Slayer... well, two Slayers. Neither of them had Watchers that the Council approved of. If she could somehow manage to gain control... no, guidance of a Slayer... Well, who would stand against her and her charge?
Yes, that would be just about perfect.
end Broken Posts.