Chapter Ten: Paris
Draco and Arianwen arrived back at Malfoy manor at about five thirty in the afternoon, Arianwen had considerably more to drink than Draco and had been hiccoughing at random intervals. They had a nice Christmas dinner with Draco's family and had retired to the games room. Draco was playing wizards chess with his uncle, Narcissa was conversing with Rabastan, and Arianwen was deep in conversation with Bellatrix.
"I assume you're aware of Draco's…allegiances?" Bellatrix asked quietly.
"Yes, he told me he's working on something but he didn't say what, obviously," Arianwen said flatly.
Bellatrix smirked, "and that's one of the things that attracted you to him I suppose? Must be nice to be with a Malfoy, let alone the only one of his friends that's been trusted with the dark mark…"
You couldn't be more wrong, Arianwen noted, she knew plenty of men that had higher status than Draco and that weren't branded like him. However, many years of diplomatic training led her to remain silent, simply inclining her head to the other woman.
"Ah, are your ears burning, nephew?" Draco had clearly given up on the chess game, as his uncle was looking rather smug and had challenged Rabastan to a game instead.
"Should they be?" He drawled, looking between his aunt and Arianwen.
"Your Aunt Bellatrix was just pondering the main reasons that I might find you attractive." Arianwen said emotionlessly, looking at Draco carefully.
"Oh?" he said, looking surprised, "and what did you say?" He smirked at her confidently.
"I said nothing." She said coolly, her words wiping the smirk from his face. Bellatrix looked between them, trying to work out the balance of power in their relationship.
"I said it was your status with the Dark Lord, Draco." His aunt said proudly.
Arianwen raised an eyebrow at Draco challengingly, her expression informing him that she didn't hold the same sentiment as his aunt.
"Come on," he said, holding his arm out to Arianwen, "I'll walk you to your room."
She smiled politely and took it, "goodnight everyone." Bellatrix pouted, irritated that she hadn't got to hear Arianwen's input but she let them go without protest.
They had walked in silence to her room, each lost in their own thoughts. When they reached the doorway to her room, Draco turned to her, ready to wish her goodnight but she interrupted. "Would you like to come in for a bit?"
He hesitated, not wanting to get himself into a situation where he may end up compromising her propriety. She opened the door and walked into the room, turning back when he didn't follow. She frowned, looking disappointed, "you don't have to, of course." She said quietly.
He shook his head, that bloody face, he thought irritatedly, he couldn't resist her whenever she showed any sign of sadness or disappointment. He walked in and shut the door after him, smiling slightly as he witnessed Arianwen's expression brighten.
"Shall we sit on the balcony?" She asked. Draco nodded and they made their way out onto the balcony, they sat down on a cushioned bench and looked out over the grounds.
"Your gardens are lovely," Arianwen said lightly. Every tree was decorated with candles that were suspended around its branches, magically enchanted to not blow out. It lit the gardens with a warm glow, producing a very appealing 'Christmassy' vibe.
"I'm sure they're no better than the gardens around your house." Draco said diplomatically.
"Houses" she corrected, smiling at him teasingly.
Draco laughed, "oh so its like that is it? You think you can beat me?"
"I don't think, I know it." She tried to keep a straight face but the corners of her mouth twitched, giving her away.
"That sounds like a challenge to me."
Arianwen smiled again, nodding once to agree.
"So how would you propose to prove that you're more accomplished than I?" Draco stared at the moon distractedly, trying to think of the best way to beat her.
"Oh well there's so many ways I could prove it to you!" She teased, "how about something active, ice skating maybe? Or riding?"
"As in Quidditch?"
"No," she laughed, "I mean horse riding."
"Definitely not." He frowned, trying to think of other ways to prove his worth, "okay, how about dancing then? The best dancer wins and the other will have to eternally acknowledge the superiority of the winner."
Arianwen laughed, "okay you've got a deal. Why did you pick dancing though?"
Draco kept a straight face, "well I saw that photo of you dancing at Madam Louisa's and…well, it should be a pretty easy victory for me." He winked at her playfully and she threw her head back and laughed.
"You're on, Malfoy!"
He noticed her teeth chattering and her arms start to shake slightly. "Wait here, I'll be five minutes." He said, getting up and striding back into her room.
True to his word, Draco returned five minutes later with two mugs of hot chocolate and a couple of blankets.
"Here," he said, passing her one of the mugs and setting the other down on the balcony's banister. He placed one blanket over her legs and another around her shoulders.
"Thank you," she said softly, smiling at him appreciatively as he sat back down. "Do you want to come under?" She asked, feeling a little guilty that he was blanketless.
He smiled slightly and arranged himself carefully under the blankets, so as not to spill his hot chocolate in the process. He put an arm around her shoulders casually and was pleased when he felt her shuffle a little closer to him.
"So did you like Brianne?"
Draco chuckled, "yeah she was funny, I understand why Blaise is so keen. How come your other friends weren't there though?"
Arianwen shrugged non commitally, "I dunno', it seemed like a last minute thing, one of the villagers probably spotted me in the cemetery and called the others to a meeting. The boys don't live in Carmarthenshire with Brianne and I though, so they probably didn't know about it."
Draco nodded, well I'm glad I was there over that Gwyn guy anyway.
"And how did things actually go with your father?" Arianwen asked softly, noticing Draco's eyes instantly become cooler and guarded.
After a long pause he spoke, "it was okay. He looked pretty worn out but he was pleased enough to see us so I guess there's that…"
Arianwen wasn't quite sure what she could say to make him feel better, she'd also seen the way dementors effected people and how empty they became. "I'm sure he'll be out soon enough, honey."
Draco's face remained stony, "what makes you think that?"
"Well your Aunt Bella escaped didn't she?"
"She didn't escape," he said flatly, "she was broken out on the Dark Lord's commands and he won't do that for Father unless…" he tailed off broodingly, glaring at the moon as though he hoped it would combust then and there.
He felt her fingers entwine with his own and looked down to see her gazing at him with a look of understanding. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?"
He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, "you're already helping more than you know. Don't be offended if I'm a bit secretive about it, I just want to keep you safe."
Arianwen opened her mouth to protest but then shut it again, deciding to let this one slide. Instead she leaned closer and planted a kiss on his cheek lightly, ignoring the flutter in her stomach as she did so.
Draco traced an invisible pattern over her back and she closed her eyes, enjoying their closeness. After a while, Arianwen's breathing became slower and deeper, she looks peaceful. He kissed her head softly and whispered, "Merry Christmas, Arianwen", she snuggled closer to him as she slept. Draco lifted her carefully and placed her on her bed, he removed her socks and shoes and carefully pulled off her robes. He decided against removing the dress that she was wearing, he didn't want to give her any more reasons to fall out with him. He tucked her in and brushed her hair behind her ear before kissing her one last time and leaving the room.
Arianwen awoke the next day feeling wonderfully content, she pushed her duvet off and moved to the bathroom, quickly checking her appearance in the mirror before she showered. She blushed as she realised that she was still wearing her dress from last night, oh god…Draco must've put me to bed, so embarrassing!
Trying to make herself feel better, she took a long shower and thought about the events of the previous day. Her thoughts went to her father and she felt the same pang of loneliness that she always had when she thought of him. It was odd…not remembering her father's death, but she had come to realise that this might be a good thing for the time being, she didn't want to experience any intense emotion at the moment. She thought of Draco and how supportive he'd been, a small smile crept across her face, he's definitely turned things around for himself!
She wrapped a towel around herself and walked back into her room, singing softly as she went.
"Good morning." Draco's amused voice cut through Arianwen's thoughts like a knife, she jumped, clinging on to her towel for safety.
"Draco! What are you doing here?!" Arianwen squeaked, trying to hide behind the nearest sofa.
Draco chuckled annoyingly, "sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to check if your ready to go to Paris."
Arianwen just looked at him in bewilderment, then down at herself in her towel, isn't it obvious that I'm not ready?!
Draco seemed to understand her train of thought, his eyes danced with amusement as he watched Arianwen become more flustered.
"I'll leave you to get dressed," he smirked, making his way out of the room.
Arianwen sighed, "wait!" Draco turned around, his grey eyes meeting hers curiously.
"I-I don't know what to wear!" She muttered awkwardly. "You haven't told me what we're going to be doing."
Draco inclined his head to her, "indeed, and I'm afraid I'm still not going to tell you just yet," he smiled at her teasingly as her frown deepened.
She opened her mouth to protest but before she could speak, he held up a finger to silence her and walked over to her wardrobe, examining its contents. He pulled out a beautiful golden cloak, "this will be perfect."
Arianwen took the cloak from him and nodded, "okay then, I'll meet you outside." She said, gesturing to her door.
He lent down and kissed her cheek softly, causing her skin to tingle and stomach to knot excitedly. "Don't be long." He whispered, dragging his lips away from her face gently. She nodded again, unable to form an actual sentence.
When the door had firmly clicked shut behind him, Arianwen dried her hair and pulled on some tightly fitting dark blue jeans, a woolly white jumper and some light grey suede heeled boots. She fastened the golden cloak on top and applied some light make up, opting for a bold red lipstick to enhance her plump lips.
She left her room and made her way down to the entrance hall, where Draco was waiting patiently for her. He couldn't help but stare at her, she could make anything look good, he mused. Despite his thoughts, he kept his expression neutral and held out his arm for her to take. "Shall we go?"
She smiled prettily at him, "yes, let's."
They appeared in Paris a few minutes later, having used the flu network in Draco's drawing room to reach a common fireplace in the upperclass wizarding village at the heart of Paris.
Arianwen sighed happily, gazing around at the bustling village. It was so picturesque, covered in a blanket of snow with lanterns strewn along the street, and mistletoe hanging from the branches of overhanging trees.
"Come on," Draco's voice disturbed her thoughts, he led her along the street and into a quaint café where they were seated next to the window.
"This is lovely," Arianwen remarked, looking around at the other people enjoying their breakfast and sipping coffee, it was all very romantic. "So what are we going to do in Paris today?"
"Well I thought I could show you a few of my favourite places here, we'll get some lunch, and then do whatever you like before this evening."
"This evening?" Arianwen repeated, eyes growing slightly wider, "what's happening this evening?"
Draco smiled teasingly at her, enjoying her excitement, "ah, now that would be telling!"
She laughed and rolled her eyes at him playfully. A waitress approached the table and asked them what they'd like, speaking in French.
Draco responded, also in French, ordering them both coffees and poached egg on toast. He looked back at Arianwen, a pleased expression on his face.
"Very impressive." Arianwen said in French. Draco's smug smile faltered, he'd clearly thought that his knowledge of the language would impress her, not expecting her to be able to speak it as well.
"Do you know many languages?" Draco asked, his voice remaining cool.
"Not really. Welsh is my first language obviously, and then there's just English and French, I wish I knew more though. How about you?"
Draco shrugged casually, "just French, German, Dutch and Bulgarian, aside from English."
Arianwen smiled, now I'm impressed, "just." She repeated sarcastically.
After breakfast, Draco took Arianwen to an expensive dressmakers. When Arianwen saw the designer's sign, 'Jean-Louis Bernard' she felt a pang of embarrassment.
"Draco," she said, putting a hand on his arm to stop him, "I-um…my accounts have been frozen so…" She tailed off, not making eye contact for fear of rejection.
"Everything's on me today, Ri. I promised to give you the best Christmas, didn't I?" He said gently, tilting her chin up to force her to look at him.
She nodded, "well yes you did, but that doesn't mean you have to buy me things! I really don't want to be a burden on you-"
Draco shook his head, "-enough. I won't take no for an answer. Besides, you'll need something to wear for our plans tonight," he smiled mysteriously and pulled her into the shop before she could protest.
A few hours later, they emerged from the shop. Draco seemed to have had a specific idea in mind for what he wanted Arianwen to wear and made the tailor try multiple different options before he got it right. He'd eventually selected a long shimmering silver dress, it was a similar material to the one Arianwen had been wearing in the picture from Madam Lousia's. The dress was made up of a silver slip that clung to Arianwen's body, it was topped with a floaty sheer silver fabric; the bodice was arranged in a sweetheart neckline with a satin silver piece of material tied across her waist and into a delicate bow behind her. At the back, the top part of the dress was made from an intricate French lace, and wrapped around to make small cap sleeves at the front. The whole effect was mesmerising, so much so that Arianwen knew it couldn't have been remotely cheap, she made a mental note to pay him back one day.
They went for a light lunch, and then Draco took her to some of his favourite places in Paris. They visited several art galleries and an old wizarding museum, ending up in a small, packed book shop. Arianwen had loved every second of it, it was nice to see Draco so invested in something rather than his usual unphased exterior. He had been like a tour guide throughout the day, explaining why he preferred the attractions he'd shown her over other more commonly popular ones. His enthusiasm was incredibly endearing and the more time she spent alone with Draco, the more captivating she found him.
After a romantic dinner in a little brasserie, Draco took them to a hotel at the centre of town, where he'd arranged a lounge for them to get ready before their mysterious plans that evening.
Arianwen went to the ladies bathroom and dressing area and found the dress they'd bought earlier, draped over one of the chairs. She changed into it carefully and looked at herself in the mirror, wondering how to have her hair. She opted to have it in a sleek flowing style that curled bouncily at the ends. She tucked one side behind her ear so her defined cheekbones became more apparent. She applied some shimmering golden eyeshadow and used some new mascara that Brianne had bought her for Christmas, it made her lashes look even longer and thicker than usual. The finishing touch was her lipstick, which was a subtle reddy-pink shade, just darker than her natural lip colour to enhance them as naturally as possible.
When she emerged into the main lounge, Arianwen saw Draco leaning slightly against the wall opposite the door she had just come through. He looked extremely impressive, dressed in a fine white shirt that clung to his muscular form, well tailored black suit trousers and a thick dark green robe, embellished with silver thread along the hem.
"Good evening, Draco" she greeted softly, smiling elegantly at him.
A small smile formed on his lips as he took in her appearance, "good evening," he walked over and kissed her hand gently, "I have a present for you." He pulled a large flat black box from his pocket and gave it to her.
"Draco, I can't possibly accept anything else from you!"
"Yes you can" his voice was firm." Just open it," he said pushing the box closer to her.
Arianwen flicked open its catch carefully and opened it, she gasped. Inside lay a twinkling diamond necklace, it's chain was made up of small semicircular diamonds, with others weaving along its length in a vine like fashion. At the base of the chain was a large teardrop shaped diamond, which sparkled brightly from all angles, such an expensive cut would have cost a fortune.
Arianwen stared at him in shock, opening her mouth to deny such a lavish gift but something about the look in his eyes told her not to, he seemed to really want her to have it. Draco took the necklace from its case and placed the box down on a side table, using his spare hand to steer her towards a large full length mirror at the back of the room. He positioned her in front of him and carefully brushed her hair over one shoulder, she shivered slightly at his touch. He fastened the necklace behind her neck and put her hair back in place, brushing his lips against her cheek as he did so. "There," he whispered, placing an arm around her waist, "you're perfect."
They gazed at each other from the reflection of the mirror, each admiring how well suited they looked together.
"Draco, I-" Arianwen was struggling to find the right words to thank him for his efforts that day, she turned to face him but kept their bodies close. "Thank you…for everything, I really don't deserve any of it." She whispered, eyes wide with gratitude.
"Arianwen," he said firmly, taking her delicate hands in his protectively, "you deserve all the happiness I can possibly give you."
She smiled at his words, eyes glossing over with tears, it was a bittersweet moment as she new he was referring to the emptiness she felt from the loss of her parents. They leaned closer instinctively, their lips just touching…
"Mr Malfoy!" The voice of one of the hotel staff interrupted them along with three loud knocks.
"Noooo…" Draco groaned quietly, his lips still against Arianwen's. With a long sigh, he pulled away from her and went to answer the door.
They were escorted from the hotel by a member of the hotel's staff. He led them towards one of the many elegant horse drawn carriages in the courtyard and clambered onto the bench at the front to steer the horses.
"My lady," Draco held his hand out chivalrously to help Arianwen climb into the carriage.
She smiled at him as she took his hand and took a seat in the carriage. They were taken past most of the major sights in Paris and eventually arrived at an historic looking building, probably built in the times of Ancient Rome.
Arianwen wondered what they'd be doing at such a marvellous building; her confusion must have been evident on her face as she heard Draco laugh softly from the other side of the carriage.
"We're going to watch the French National Orchestra, they're meant to be one of the best in the world."
"Ooh!" Arianwen exclaimed in delight, "what a wonderful idea, thank you!"
As they walked through the grand hall and up the stairs to their seats, Arianwen stared at the intricate paintings covering the ceilings in awe.
"It's quite beautiful isn't it," Draco mused, following Arianwen's gaze to the cherubim depicted above them.
"It really is, I love French Architecture so much, I wish there were more buildings like it back home."
He nodded in agreement. "Would you like to live in France?" He asked, because you would love my family's estate here.
"Oh I would love to of course, but I don't know if I could go so far from Wales, I wouldn't want to abandon my duties!"
"Ah I see, we'll just have to holiday here then." He kept a straight face but his eyes twinkled teasingly.
She laughed, "Draco! Planning our future already, are you?"
"Well with such an intelligent, kind hearted woman on my arm, can you really blame me?" He gave her his most charming smile, causing her to blush deeply.
"You really must stop being so charming, Mr Malfoy." Arianwen said, eyelashes fluttering coyly.
"Why would I do that?" Draco's eyes seemed to be boring into her soul, trying to read her.
Arianwen's lips parted as she stared into his steel grey eyes, unable to break his gaze, "because I'll end up falling madly in love with you."
She spoke without thinking and her eyes widened as she realised what she'd said. Surprisingly, Draco didn't seem to mind her statement at all, in fact he smiled softly, giving her the same look that he'd given her on Christmas Day in Carmarthenshire. He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear, "then I'd better continue."
Arianwen's stomach erupted in butterflies, her heart jumping with joy and excitement.
The concert was every bit as incredible as Draco had hoped, they were playing a long symphony that had started out gut wrenchingly tragic but had now moved to a romantic concerto. He watched as Arianwen sighed contentedly and sat back in her chair with her eyes closed, allowing the melody to wash over her. The warm light of the dimly lit lantern above her was reflecting off the necklace he'd given her, making it sparkle gently. His eyes moved down to her chest, the light highlighting her cleavage as it rose and fell with her slow breaths, he gulped, trying to ignore the tightening he felt in his body every time they were in close quarters.
Merlin, how does she have this effect on me? Control yourself for god's sake!
When the orchestra had concluded their performance for the interval, Draco guided Arianwen through to a large ballroom where couples were dancing and other men and women stood in groups, talking merrily and sipping wine and champagne.
Everyone clapped politely as the tune finished and the dancing ceased, Draco turned to Arianwen and bowed, "may I have the next dance?"
Arianwen took his hand and curtsied, "of course."
They moved elegantly onto the dance floor and waited for the next waltz to begin. When the music began again, Draco held her tightly and led her around the room assertively. They glided along gracefully, each executing their steps perfectly. Draco could feel her heart beating through her chest as they went and could smell her perfume as they span around, to say he was entranced by her would be an understatement. When the dance ended, Arianwen and Draco's eyes locked, both looking intensely at each other. It was as though a great wave of calmness came over him as he gazed into her soft green eyes, he felt his stomach dancing with anticipation, wanting to kiss her.
Their eye contact was broken as she curtsied delicately, he bowed and they walked off the dance floor, greeted by the admiring smiles and claps of those watching.
"I think it might be a draw, you know," Arianwen said softly, squeezing his arm.
"What?" He was still in a daze, "oh, our competition! Yes indeed." No longer bothered by the outcome of their playful competition, he gestured to a nearby balcony and she nodded in understanding.
It was refreshing to be met by the crisp evening air on the balcony. Arianwen broke away from his arm and walked over to the balcony's edge.
"Wow," she muttered in awe, "the view is unbelievable. Look, Draco, come and see!"
He walked over to her, looking out over the River Seine, where the reflections of the street lights were bouncing off it enchantingly. "So would you count the evening as a success so far?" He asked casually.
She turned around to face him and smiled, "how could I not? You're very good at this Draco, I suppose you've had a fair amount of practise on Pansy or others like her?" Her smile faltered at those last words, her eyes growing wide with her expected disappointment at his response.
"No, never. This is my first ever voluntary date."
Her smile grew again and she moved closer, planting a small kiss on his cheek, "clearly you're just naturally wonderful then."
He felt himself laughing at this, he put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, kissing her forehead softly. She tilted her head upwards so that their eyes met momentarily before hers fluttered closed, his lips moving slowly downwards to meet hers…finally, they met. It was the most tender kiss either of them had ever experienced, he caressed her cheek with his spare hand, hearing her make the softest of moans as their kiss grew deeper and deeper.
A/N: Hello everyone, sorry for taking so long to upload this chapter. I'm currently travelling about so won't be able to update as regularly, but will be back to normal by September time. I'll do as much as I can though! Let me know what you think of the new chapter :)