Olivia ran straight home, without calling a cab. Her new flat was blocks away, but running seemed like a penance for whatever wrong she did to lose Lucius. She finally arrived home and collapsed on her new couch…that she was still paying off…and realized that her face was wet with tears. She cried herself to sleep, waking at 2:00 am, still on her couch. Rising, she flooed directly to her office, wanting to empty it well before Lucius arrived. She'd brought a box along and began packing up her few meager belongings. She paused at a photo that was taken by a friend at a small gathering, a fundraiser of sorts, showing her looking at Lucius with such naked longing in her eyes…her expression said it all…and she'd missed it.

'Idiot, stupid! Why on the gods' green earth would a Malfoy ever fall in love with a paid servant? You know that's what you were to him, you never could say no. All he had to do was crook his finger, and there you'd be, pissing all over and wiggling like a damn puppy.' Throwing the photo into the trashcan on her desk, she picked up the small box of personal items, and turned away to go, locking the door for the last time.

Olivia was officially homeless. She'd begun to search for a new job immediately after her two-day cry, for that was all the mourning she could afford. After she was late on her first month's rent, her landlady was 'disappointed'. The second month, and she was given a warning of eviction…the landlady was 'extremely disappointed'. The third month, she'd not had any money left, only a few dollars left in her savings account, and overdrawn on her checking.

She'd finally come across a low-paying job just as she'd begun to give up. It was a horrible place to work, a dirty pub on the more 'seedy' part of London, where every night she had to fend off very drunk, and very horny, customers. Coming home late from work one night she'd found all her belongings thrown out into the yard; her new sofa and loveseat already taken by looters and, all the left-overs that not even vagrants wanted were soaked with the rain that had been steadily falling all day.

Her head and shoulders slumped forward in complete despair until her hair and waitress uniform were drenched. Finally, raising her head, she saw her landlady watching from the window, an expression a mix of elation and disapproval warred on her countenance. It was that look alone that straightened her spine.

'Disgusting old bat...I told her she'd get the monthly rent and back rent on Tuesday, she'd agreed, damn it!' Not able to afford even the 'pay-by-the-hour' sleazy hotel, she took the bus to The Leaky Cauldron and sat in a booth in the very back. When the barkeep told her she'd have to order a drink if she wanted to stay, she ordered straight up whiskey and winced when it burned her throat on the way down. She hadn't eaten all day, so the stiff drink not only warmed her all over, it relaxed her strung out nerves as well. Oh gods, she was so tired, she just wanted to close her eyes...just for a little while, not to sleep, just to rest.

But soon resting led to sleeping, and sleeping led to dreaming.

Dream

She was sitting on a soft mattress, wearing a gorgeous silk nightie, pulling a hairbrush through her titan waves, when she smelled his aftershave. She smiled when she felt the mattress dip as his body crawled in behind her. He took the brush out of her hand, and wrapping his legs around hers to get close enough, he began to run it through her curls. She closed her eyes in ecstasy, feeling the muscles in her neck and back relax under his ministrations. A strong kick had her breath hitch as she covered the spot with her hand.

A dark chuckle next to her ear made her shiver, and a strong, warm hand covered hers. "He grows strong. Hopefully he will let you sleep tonight."

"She grows strong, husband." She said, pertly. "And I don't get much sleep anyway...her daddy keeps me up."

He tilted her head around to kiss her, and was astonished that the fire between them had not diminished after all the years they'd been together. Hunger still burned, the ache to see her face, to feel her softness cradled against him, to watch her fall apart in his arms. With a gentle tug he pulled her back to his chest and began nibbling along her neck, right where he knew she'd go limp with pleasure. Sliding a hand down the front of her negligee he palmed one plump breast gently in his strong hand, smiling when she moaned her pleasure.

"You feel so good," he whispered. "So soft, so beautiful...I love touching you."

He slid off the bed to stand beside her. "Lie down my dear." He eased her back on the bed then kneeled before her. Gently he spread her thighs and draped her legs over his shoulders. She gave a soft moan...she knew what was on his mind, and she wanted it. Inhaling her womanly scent, he whispered "Just like I say...good enough to eat." And he leaned down and devoured her.

His tongue plundered her fragrant softness as his finger circled her clit. He loved every cry, every moan, every whisper of his name that came from her luscious lips. It wasn't long now...he replaced his tongue with his fingers, curling them upward to rub circles around that special spot as he laved that bundle of nerves at the apex of her sex and watched as she arched her back, crying out his name. Her hips rose up and down as she rode his marauding fingers, and she grasped his head to make sure his mouth stayed where it was, as though he would miss this...he chuckled and felt her shiver.

'It's time,' that voice in his heart said, and he totally agreed.

Surging up, her legs slipping off his shoulders and settling at his elbows, he spread her as wide as he could and, bending over her entered her with one deep thrust. Pulling her closer to the end of the bed he slid in to the hilt, and they both groaned their approval. Grasping her hips, he pulled out, causing her to arch her back and make a sound that wound its way around his heart. He pushed back in, then slowly out again. He loved watching himself appear and disappear into her, it was one of the most powerful aphrodisiacs he'd ever known. It wasn't long before she was panting his name...begging him for more, stretching her legs as wide as she could and he could not resist the siren's call.

Leaning forward, he surged within her, pounding into her until she cried out, "Lucius!", then he felt the velvet fingers of her warm sheath contract around him...and he let go and flew.

He gently pulled out of her, and she shivered, still feeling the aftershocks. Wordlessly he did a cleansing spell, then helped her under the covers and joined her. Kissing her tenderly, he pulled her into his embrace, he smiled as she wound around him like a vine.

Feeling safe in his embrace, she slept the sleep of the innocent.

The door fairly blew open with a gust of wind and a loud, rowdy party came through, calling out to the barkeep. Olivia woke with a start fearing that either some youths were bent on mischief, or her stalker had returned. When she was safely under the protection of the Malfoy name, Lucius in particular, the bastard had been forced to have a Security Spell placed on him and, if he should ever show his face around the office or her new flat, Lucius stated that he'd be delighted to use the Cruciatus curse, the devil be damned.

But now was a different, she no longer had a powerful wizard to keep her safe and she'd begun to catch glimpses of him around again, late at night, skulking about the pub, outside of the small grocery store where she could get bread, peanut butter, jam and plastic ware (the owner of the pub refused to let his workers eat lunch, not that any would after picking up or washing dishes with rubbery canned vegetables, congealing gravy and watery, disgusting soup) at a local coffee shop where she'd enjoy a specialty coffee once a month, and once at a local park…watching, always watching. So far, he hadn't come any closer than across the street, but he knew she could see him and that he brought unsettlement, panic, and terror.

Smiling to himself, he began to put his plan into place. He used one of those pre-paid cell phones to call the other. Speaking softly, he told his audience of where the bitch worked, that she was evicted from her flat, and that she was no longer under the Malfoy bastard's protection. Then, he tossed the phone into the garbage, and walked off. He'd whistled a merry tune. All of the sudden, he was in a wonderful mood...the little bitch would get her comeuppance, and he was promised the leavings, to use as he wished. He only hoped she wouldn't be left unconscious, he wanted her aware of every foul thing he did to her.

When Lucius opened his office, the following day after the Holiday, he did what he'd always done in the past. He automatically called out to Polly for a tall carafe of Earl Grey for it was a cold, rainy and blustery day. It was officially Winter, and snow lay thick in the country and had turned the cobblestone streets to a muddy, disgusting mush. Stoking the fire, he wondered where the elf was, surely, she'd heard him. When she popped into the room she was carrying a platter with scones, clotted cream, the pastries from the shop across the street, that he'd become addicted to, and the piping hot tea with milk and sugar cubes.

"Will your Lordship's new secretary be joining you?" Polly asked politely.

"No…" he let out a long sigh. "No, Polly…she didn't work out. She just wasn't…" he stopped himself.

"Miss Olivia." The elf answered. "I liked her quite well sir, she was…we elves call those like her as having an old soul. When you've been through lifetimes of pain and suffering, it either breaks, or shatters the soul or it refines them, as gold is purified in fire. And her soul, was as refined as any I've seen in the whole of my life, sir. She's seen much of pain and suffering."

And with that inscrutable statement, she disappeared with a 'POP', leaving Lucius alone with his thoughts; a rotten thing to do as guilt was an unfamiliar, and negative emotion to the Malfoy men, and usually was avoided at all cost.

Before he could stop himself, he stood and walked into Olivia's now empty office, noticing at once realizing that he couldn't smell her fragrance anymore. Lowering his head and closing his eyes, he allowed himself to grieve his decision to push her away. Polly was right, his Livvie was an old soul, he should've never mistrusted her, he needed to find her, at once! Opening his eyes, ready to spring into action, his gaze fell to the side of her desk and spied something in the trash.

He approached the trashcan and picked up a framed photograph. It was at a fundraiser held at the beautifully restored Malfoy Manor, and all the elite Board Members of the Ministry had been invited. It was the social event of the year, so he'd asked Olivia to work behind the scenes making sure that wine flowed and the hors d'oeuvres made their rounds, in short keeping the caterers on schedule and well compensated. She'd worked so efficiently that he had no worries that the fundraiser would be successful. He thought he remembered the moment the picture had been taken, he'd looked over at her to give her a mental thumb's up wink, and she smiled.

But this photo must've been taken just after...and he felt as though he'd been sucker punched in the gut. It's as if he's seen her for the first time. Her expression was completely open, gazing at him with pure love; a naked, and painful longing in her eyes as she gazed at him…utterly exposed, no guile in her countenance. He'd definitely made a mistake. He, a Malfoy, had quite possibly made the worst mistake of his life. He doubted she could tell a lie convincingly enough to save her life.

Immediately, he disapparated to the Minister's office, then covering his ears at her shriek when he appeared. "Lucius Malfoy, how dare you apparate into my office without express admittance, from ME!" as she was revving up to go further down this same avenue, he interrupted her quickly.

"Minister Weasley!" Lucius had to bellow just to get himself heard…bloody woman. Her mouth fell shut in astonishment at his cheek, and before she could work up another diatribe, he began. "Can you tell me the address of the girl I thought you'd picked out to be your spy? The name was Olivia?"

Temporarily distracted by the question, she blurted out "What nonsense are you going on about…spies indeed, Lucius!" she couldn't quite meet his eyes, however, so she knew something.

Sighing, he stated, "Fine, shall I curse you now, or give you another chance?" watching as she opened her mouth again, he said "Don't be obtuse, I haven't got the time. The address, if you please."

"Alright, alright. I did have someone I'd planned to put into your office to…" she was interrupted by him.

"Spy on me. Yes, I get it." But here Lucius had done her an injustice.

"No, not spy," she wrinkled her nose at the word. "Gracious Heavens, Lucius, do you see James Bond around every corner? Of all the nonsensical things…it was for her benefit that I'd attempted to procure the job. She was a sweet, charming woman that would've desired nothing but your comfort and happiness. In other words, a retired spinster by the name of Pottsworth. Dear heavens, Lucius. Have you sacked that gentle creature because you thought I'd..? Then I couldn't give you her address even if I wanted to. The flat came with the office, if you fired her, she'd be forced to quit it."

For once in his life, Lucius was speechless. The enormity of what he'd done hit him like a freight train. He'd thrown her out like she was nothing but trash, with the kind of callous cruelty he'd been known for before the War. Stunned to silence, he felt his legs begin to buckle, and felt around behind him for the chair, alarming Molly.

"Lucius, are you all right?" she was afraid he was having a heart attack, and she came to him at once. "Are you ill? Sit still, let me call Draco..."

"No!" his tone was louder and more desperate than he'd meant. "No, Molly...thank you. Is Harry available? He may be of use in finding her."

"May I ask then, why...since I assume you fired the girl for a reason, why do you want to know her whereabouts now?"

Lucius audibly swallowed before raising tortured eyes to meet hers and simply said, "I am in love with her."

She sighed heavily and put a hand on his shoulder, "Then let's find her together. But first, there is something you need to know about her past. It will shock you, but it will also answer questions that you've been asking..." and she began telling the nightmare childhood that had made Olivia the woman she was.