Malfoy's desires
Chapter five: Beware of the wand.
All names and places associated to Harry Potter belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.
The speeches were finally done, as was the unveiling ceremony. The rest of the evening was for mingling and drinks. But Katherine had had enough of this and just wanted to leave. Taking a quick glimpse at her watch, she noticed that she had another half hour to kill before leaving.
Without another thought, she went to the balcony overlooking London's center core. She only wanted some fresh air to dissipate the headache she felt was coming along.
She went to one corner, leaned on the parapet and closed her eyes. Taking deep cleansing breaths, she felt the knot of tiredness melt away from her shoulders. The air was crisp this evening, making her shiver for a split second. But she didn't mind that since it was relatively quiet right now. Most guests had gone inside to escape from the chilling cold.
'Knut for your thoughts, Miss Cardiff.' a low whisper came from her side.
Katherine's eyes snapped open before looking over shoulder with some trepidation. Her eyes grew wide as her mouth opened to say something. 'Mr. Malfoy?'
He bowed his head to her and then returned her gaze with some amusement. 'At you service, Miss Cardiff.'
'What are you doing out here?' she asked rather bluntly.
He smirked before answering, 'probably the same thing as you... avoiding the unruly crowd inside.'
'Oh! I assumed you loved these affairs since you're always here when they have one.' Katherine said rather shrewdly.
'A man in my position has certain obligations to fulfill. Charitable donations aside, I have to show my solidarity with these causes. Hence my presence at these functions, Miss Cardiff.' he said this casually while fiddling with the clasps of his cloak.
'Well, that would explain your presence then... I guess.' she turned her gaze away from him, to look on into the distance. Another shiver ran along her spine, as the cold was getting a little more intense. She longed for her cloak right now.
Malfoy, being his usual gallant and suave self, took a step closer as he placed his cloak on the girl's shoulders. 'No use catching cold, Miss Cardiff... I'll lend you my cloak for now.' he murmured to her ear as his hands ran up and down her arms.
Katherine stiffened under the man's touch, not expecting such attention from a relative stranger. 'Mr. Malfoy, you shouldn't have done that. I can go inside and get my cloak in quick order.'
Lucius was still rubbing her arms to warm her up, getting the added bonus of being able to get a good whiff of her perfume. He inhaled deeply, savoring the delicate mix of floral and spicy hues within its formulation. It suited her well, he thought wistfully. 'Don't bother with that, Miss Cardiff. I assure you that the cold isn't bothering me.'
Katherine felt slightly uncomfortable now, whishing to end this little exchange in a rather isolated corner of the ministry. She turned to face him, her hands reaching up to remove the cloak. But he stopped her hands by placing his own over her cold fingers. 'Please, keep it for now. I promise to go back inside if I get too cold.'
Her eyes had strayed up to his face, feeling compelled to lose herself within his steel-gray ones. After what seemed like forever, she blinked at him, trying to get back her bearings. Her mouth felt dry as she tried to speak again.
'Very well then, Mr. Malfoy. But I'll be going in soon myself. I'll be leaving at ten as I promised to my department head.' she said in a sudden rush of words. She really needed to go. His nearness was making her feel nervous. Another shiver ran through her, but this time it had nothing to do with the weather.
'Understood, Miss Cardiff.' he whispered to her. His hands went back to her arms, stroking her gently through the fine wool of his cloak. 'You must be chilled to the bone... you're still shivering, my dear.'
She lowered her eyes, avoiding any direct eye contact with him. 'Just a bit, sir. Nothing that a warm bath can't alleviate.' The words slipped out before she could take them back. What a social faux pas she had just committed. Why not just invite him over for a dip and some polite conversation, since you're at it... she thought angrily to herself.
'Oh... that didn't sound right, not one bit. I'm so sorry, Mr. Malfoy. That came out without any real thought.' her cheeks were crimson by now. So much for keeping her cool around the VIPs. If Arthur ever heard of this, he'd scold her to no end.
He chuckled warmly as he took another step toward her. His hand came up, gently pressing her chin to tilt her face up. His eyes bored into hers with some hidden intent. 'Do not worry, I don't get offended that easily... Miss Cardiff.' he purred at her, enjoying how the surrounding lights reflected warmly within her eyes. She might be feeling embarrassed right now, but he was feeling something quite different.
Again, her mouth went dry as she gazed up at him. The warmth of his fingers on her face started to wreak havoc over her fading defenses. But her luck started to turn, when somewhere in the distance, a clock tower started to chime in the hour. Ten o'clock, she thought with some relief.
'Ten o'clock... time for me to leave.' she said with a definite note of relief in her voice.
He lowered his gaze for a moment, before looking at her again. 'Cinderella has to leave the ball.' he said with amusement. 'Wouldn't want you to turn into a pumpkin on such a lovely night.'
Katherine laughed gently, 'I believe that Cinderella's chariot turned back into a pumpkin at midnight. But we could use that idea in an alternate version of that story.' she laughed some more, feeling a bit less strained than before.
'Yes, I must agree with you. But I would change another little piece of that story.' he baited her with grin.
'What bit would you change?' she asked innocently.
'Well, the prince might give her the kiss that would annul the charm that her fairy god-mother had placed on her.' He eyed Katherine with smoldering eyes, his intentions quite clear right now.
'Oh!' she replied at a loss for words. 'That could be possible, but it would change most of the story right after that.'
'Yes, it would. But I rarely read children's literature anymore, so I wouldn't miss it much.' he stepped closer to her, their faces just a centimeter away from each other.
Their breaths mingled as their gazes locked one more time. 'Miss Cardiff... You'd better run away, or I might not be able to control myself any longer. Unless you desire to stay?'
Her mind went blank before his words meant anything inside her hazy mind. She gulped, 'Yes, I really do have to go, sir.' but she didn't move right away.
Lucius bent his head, touching his lips to hers with infinite gentleness. His hand came up to cup her nape, pulling her even closer into the embrace. He gently brushed his mouth over hers, feeling the softness and warmth that was her own.
Katherine's senses began to swim giddily as his lips and then his tongue, slowly initiated such pleasurable feelings in and around her mouth and lips. Merlin! Could this guy give a kiss! She felt helpless but thoroughly alive as her hands reached up to lie flat on his chest. She could feel the heat emanating through the few layers of clothing that covered his broad chest, making her feel a bit more randy than was necessary.
He pulled back from her, the fingers of his right hand coming up to stroke her bottom lip with sensuality. He took in the feverish light that now illuminated her eyes and the slightly swollen lips of a woman that had just been kissed. The feelings it stirred within him shot right through to his loins. But this was neither the place, nor time to act upon such feelings. As much as it pained him, he released her from his embrace, taking a step back to give her some space.
'Run along, Miss Cardiff. As I said before, if you don't leave now, I won't be able to stop myself.' he said, though his voice sounded so much huskier now.
Katherine snapped out of her haze and reached up to remove his cloak from her shoulders. 'Thank you for the cloak... ' She managed to say. 'Have a good evening.'
She gave him one last wondering look, before turning on her heel to enter the ballroom.
His gaze stayed on her departing figure until it disappeared within the crowd inside. He placed his cloak upon his shoulders, still thinking about the kiss he had just shared with the lovely Katherine. He could still smell her perfume wafting gently around him. Bringing up one side of his cloak, he sniffed it appreciatively, picking up the softly feminine aroma it now held. He smiled, thinking about ways he could meet with her again.
He lifted his chin proudly, pulling his shoulders back with some satisfaction. This had been a very interesting evening... very interesting, indeed.
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Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read the story to this point. Your reviews are more than welcome. Now, I'd like to ask you guys a small question. Should I end the story here, or continue on and maybe get a lemon out of this story? Maybe a little intrigue is more to your liking? Leave your suggestions within a review and I'll answer each and everyone.
Thanks again for your support!