A/N: Thanks for reading and sticking with us! Hope you like the change of pace in this chapter!

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Chapter 7: Promises, Partings, and Payback

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Lucius lay with Virginia in his plush bed, gently stroking his fingers through the strands of her chocolate hair that were splayed out on the pillow besides his. After their intense lovemaking in the bath, Lucius had dried his mistress off and carried her to the bed where he had tucked her in, still naked, and took his place under the covers besides her. His general annoyance with her had faded to nearly nothing and he was just thankful he had avoided a horrible situation altogether.

"Sir?"

Her little voice sounded so 'cute' to Lucius that he mentally balked at even thinking the word…but there was no other term to describe it. Her eyes were half-closed, causing her thick, long lashes to flutter against her cheeks every now and then and she looked so peaceful resting besides him.

"Darling?" He reached out and stroked her flawless, pale cheek softly, waiting for her reply.

"I'm sorry I asked for too much. I'm sorry that I thought you would ever…" even in her tired, sated state, she still couldn't bring herself to say the dreaded word. Lucius' heart beat picked up once again, knowing full well that Lacey was about to re-enter the conversation. As far as he was concerned though, there was not enough room for two women in his bed at the same time.

"Trust me, Virginia, there is no other woman like you…" Lucius chose his words carefully. That statement was true, and the unwelcome guilt threatened to creep back into his mind, "I'm here with you, right now, not with anyone else, aren't I?"

Virginia nodded, looking up at her lover curiously. She searched for sincerity in his eyes and found it. It still bothered her that he had lied at dinner…but she couldn't deny what he said. He came home to her. He wanted her. A man of his power and wealth could kick her out in a second if he wanted to, and yet he kept her.

"I'm sorry sir, I was just being foolish…" Virginia kept on, not knowing what else to say, but realizing that she should be satisfied with the outcome for now. Although she had no sexual experience before Lucius, she was certain no man could ever look at a woman like Lucius looked at her if there wasn't love there…he just hadn't fully expressed it yet. She was sure that her friends and Maman would agree if she ever had the nerve to tell them what it was like when his crystal blue eyes seemed to bore into her soul every time he made love to her.

Lucius could practically hear his mistress thinking. For every ten wonderful qualities Virginia had, she had some streaks of childishness and poutiness. He knew most pureblood girls were like that-Merlin only knew how difficult Narcissa could be at times, and he kept reminding himself of Virginia's age and inexperience. It was erotic and yet sometimes trying-like now.

The thing with women…and particularly mistresses, as Lucius knew well, was that they didn't forget when you slipped up. He knew that the name Lacey Delaney was probably playing over in Virginia's perfect little head if her scrunched button nose was anything to go by, and there would be no getting rid of her anxiety without a little more help.

"I've been thinking…" Lucius sighed, trying to make the noise sound relaxed, but it wasn't. Virginia perked up a bit and opened her pretty eyes all the way to look up at him. She moved so that she was resting her chin on her hand and this brought the sheets down her body a bit, exposing her right breast, which sidetracked Lucius for a moment as his gaze darted there and he tried not to look at her too hungrily.

"About?" Her voice was breathy and she licked her lips a little. Lucius could feel himself getting hard again and couldn't help but smirk a little and how quickly Virginia managed to gain the upper hand again. For a girl who came to him not knowing what she was doing…she did a damn good job of turning him on without even trying. It only made what he was about to say more genuine and easier to leave his lips, "I've been thinking about us…and I do think we should consider talking about taking the next step… if you'd like…"

Virginia couldn't have moved faster if she had tried. Her sweet reaction put a large smile on Lucius' face as she nearly pounced on him in excitement, "You mean it?"

He kissed her and pulled her down closer to him so that she was lying on his chest, "Yes. But let's not rush. Let's just consider it all, consider what it would be like…" He knew it would make her happy, and part of him-a large part-wanted to spend every waking moment with Virginia. But another part of him dreaded a ring on his finger again and he certainly didn't want to drag Virginia's mother into things just yet. Virginia needed a happy distraction, and he needed a happy mistress.

"But what does that mean?" Virginia's eyes were lit up like it was Christmas morning, her hair falling around Lucius' face like a sweet-smelling chestnut curtain, "Can I tell my friends? Maman? Papa?"

"Pet, there's no engagement ring on you yet…I just want to tell you that I realize our courtship has been a long one and I am considering making things more serious between us. You are my darling and I just want to show you what you mean to me…" Lucius had a way with making his words sound so enchanting that even though they weren't saying much at all, they made Virginia smile brightly, "Now, we can talk about the rest in the morning, but I have other plans for right now…"

He caught her lips and rolled over so that he pinned Virginia down on the bed, making his way down her body through scorching kisses.

*.*.*.*.*

"So, what is a pretty girl like you doing in a pub like that?" Robert asked Lacey as he led her outside, his hand on her upper arm to guide her. He led her around to the brick side-wall of the Leaky, out of the crowd in front swearing loudly, smoking, and laughing.

"The Leaky is my second home sometimes. The team is always out together. Sisterly bonding you might say," Lacey shrugged, "I could ask you the same thing…why are you all the way in London at this pub?"

"Needed a vacation…and doing a little bit of scouting too…for the reserve team," Robert replied, moving a little bit closer to Lacey and pushing a stray strand of her messy hair back behind her ear. Lacey didn't think much of it, just grinned widely up at him-who was even quite a bit taller than she was-still in awe that a man she had too many Quidditch badges of to count was standing right next to her.

"I don't mean to be that girl…but your play in the last five minutes of the match against Australia….I can't even begin to tell you how much it influenced my diving technique…really…" Lacey went into full Quidditch mode, rattling off matches and plays and techniques as if they were the most common facts in the world and Robert stood with his mouth slightly agape for a moment. He found her rambling endearing, if not a little manic, and put his hand on her shoulder to make her pause. She looked up at him, lips rosy and parted, in the middle of a thought.

"You don't really want to talk shop do you?" she finished, more than slightly embarrassed and he shook his head, laughing a bit. He scratched the back of his head absently, as if contemplating something as he stared off into the distance and Lacey leaned back against the rough brick wall.

"Well, to be honest, when I saw you in there, I just wanted to get you alone, you are gorgeous you know…" he moved a step closer to her and snaked his hand around her waist. His head bowed a bit and the next thing she knew, he was kissing at her neck…but it felt bizarre…he was sucking at her tender skin too hard and everything was much too wet.

Lacey didn't know if it was the night air that sobered her up, or a serious change in herself, but him touching her wasn't something she wanted.

He was handsome, fit, and talented…but to Lacey, he just wasn't…

Lucius

His name rang out in her head and she instantly pushed Robert off her, telling him to stop. He looked confused for a half of a second, but then moved back in to kiss her again. Lacey blocked him with her arm against his chest once more.

"Ah, feisty, I like that…you know Lacey, you don't have to pretend not to want it. I've read enough articles about you to know what you are like. You're my type of girl…" he went on, his hands groping her body and with another hard shove she had put some distance between them and drew out her wand.

"You are no stranger to the gossip columns either, and you know bloody well most of it is bollocks. I'm not sure what type of girl you think I am, but I can tell you I'm not your type…actually…more like you aren't my type!"

Robert didn't seem to understand that what Lacey meant by that was a 'no way in hell are you to ever get near me again' because he stepped in front of her and cornered her with her back against the wall again, fiercely kissing her. Lacey closed her mouth and eyes and a bright flash of light suddenly burned past her eyelids and she opened them quickly when she heard what could only be described as a cackle of delight.

Over Robert's shoulder was none other than Rita Skeeter in a hideous violet skirt suit with green fur trim, having her magicked floating camera snap pictures of her and Robert. Lacey put a palm on each of Robert's shoulders and used the leverage to knee him swiftly in the crotch, causing him to jolt back, cursing wildly, and allowed Lacey to get farther away and immobilize him with a simple spell as she walked towards the pseudo-reporter.

"How come whenever a good-looking man suddenly comes on the market, I find you with him Miss Delaney?" Rita smirked, her quill poised to write down Lacey's reaction.

"I find it flattering that you have nothing better to do than follow me around, but you might want to get your facts straight. I am not interested in Robert Green and I never will be," Lacey nearly growled at the older blonde who quickly went to writing on her pad of paper. Lacey grabbed it out of her hand and ripped it quickly in two and threw it on the ground before turning to stomp away.

"Where's dear Mr. Malfoy? Not here to save you?" Skeeter simpered and Lacey threw a scathing glance back in the woman's direction as she walked back over to Robert leaning against the wall, still doubled over but the spell had worn off.

"You're just a bloody tease and a stupid bitch!" Robert gasped out, trying to stomach the pain and standing up a little straighter. Lacey still kept her wand pointed at him, "Nah, I'm just a girl, trying to keep pervs like you from grabbing at someone they have no right to. Besides….I see your game Robert. I'm sorry your ex's career just took a shitter, but there is no way you are going to play power couple with me…ever," she told him, her voice unwavering and turned on the spot to set her body in motion for apparition, thinking hard of the exact place she wanted to be.

She knew it was late but there truly wasn't any one she wanted to see than the man who had come into her life so unexpectedly and turned out to not be as bad as she thought he was. In fact, he made her feel like a princess when Lacey was only used to feeling like 'one of the guys' and as she walked the long, dark path up to Malfoy Manor, she felt as if butterflies had taken up permanent residence in her stomach.

Lexi, Lucius' house elf, greeted Lacey and let her into the foyer, twiddling her little fingers nervously as she did so.

"I know its late and I'm sorry to disturb you guys, but could you wake up Lucius? It's important. Tell him its Lacey…" she asked of the house elf who seemed not to know what to do with herself for a moment.

"Missus Delaney should go home…Master is with Mistress and they are sleeping," Lexi nodded as if that was the end of the conversation, her buggy eyes looking up at Lacey as if they hoped she would just leave.

"Mrs. Malfoy is here?" Lacey looked up at the double staircases leading to the second floor, wondering why his ex-wife would suddenly come to visit, but it didn't deter her from wanting to see him, "Lexi, please, could you get Lucius for me?"

The elf nodded with panic in her eyes and dissaparated, reappearing at the foot of Lucius' bed and the 'pop' started Virginia awake. She was a light sleeper, always had been, and even after Lucius giving her multiple orgasms with only his tongue, she was still coherent enough to note that Lexi was in the room, wringing her hands.

"Sir, your elf…" Virginia whispered sleepily, tapping Lucius on the shoulder and the blond grunted before sitting up and narrowing his eyes at his house elf.

"Master, you have a visitor," Lexi said tentatively. She knew better than to say who it was, knowing how upset Virginia had gotten the last time she mentioned that Lacey had been in the house.

"It's two in the bloody morning, what do they want?" he growled and Lexi jumped a little at his tone and looked dangerously close to hitting herself with something.

"To speak with you. They are in the foyer, please come," Lexi asked, hoping her master wouldn't be angry with her and she disappeared. Lucius stumbled out of bed, fumbled for some silk pyjama pants, and walked towards the door, "I'll be back in a moment, go back to bed darling," he called over his shoulder to Virginia.

Taking the steps down the staircase two at a time, Lucius' blurred and sleepy vision finally adjusted and he saw Lacey waiting for him at the landing, "What in Merlin's name are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too," Lacey crossed her arms, saddened at his reaction but she tried her best to put on a front of nonchalance.

"Of course it's nice to see you, I just wasn't expecting you. You can't just waltz in and out of here on your every whim!" He was exasperated, and clearly preoccupied, and regret slowly crept across Lacey's face. She looked down at the floor and toed an invisible rock with the tip of her black combat boot.

"Well…I kinda thought I could. We are dating, aren't we?"

The words hung in the air awkwardly and with every passing second, Lacey wanted to just curl into a ball and disappear. She felt exceedingly small, and she never felt that way. She stuffed her hands in the pockets of her leather blazer and nodded in silence, "Yep, alright, I get it."

"What do you 'get'?" Lucius ran a hand over his face, still trying to wake himself up. He couldn't have been more jumpy if he tried. Any second he knew Virginia would come looking for him and it would all be over. And yet…he was dumbstruck by how beautiful Lacey looked wearing tight dark jeans and a slouchy white shirt with her leather jacket, masses of hair falling over her shoulders. He was also profoundly upset that he had taken the vibrant smile off her face that he liked so much, and he didn't know how to fix it.

"You don't want me here…"

"Lacey, I do…trust me I really do…but can we talk in the morning?"

"I thought everything was going well today…whatever, it doesn't matter…look, something happened tonight and I thought I could come to you but I was clearly wrong. Sorry to wake you up," Lacey shrugged sadly and began to turn to leave when Lucius caught her arm and pulled her back towards him, kissing her softly and holding his hand up to her cheek, softly caressing it.

He wanted to buy himself time to come up with exactly what he wanted to say, and he also just couldn't stand there and not kiss her for a second longer. It was becoming increasingly clear to Lucius that he was a better man than he once was in some ways, but he was too old to be caught between too women like this. He didn't know how he could relish in such a situation one moment and hate it so much the next.

Lacey ended the kiss before Lucius was finished, looking very much as if she wanted to slap him hard across the face. Her blue eyes were brimming with anger but she kept still, "I gave you a chance. I put it out there. I let you know I'm interested. Why won't you do the same for me?"

Lacey's bluntness was something he admired about her, but being on the receiving end of her questions would make any man squirm.

"Lacey…I…." so many words were on the verge of rushing past his lips but he pulled them back. He wanted to make apologies and promises, but the girl sleeping upstairs made that impossible.

"You what? Go on…grow some fucking balls and tell me you aren't interested…or you think I'm just some slag. I've heard it all before. You won't hurt my bloody feelings," she raised her voice and Lucius wasn't thick…he plainly saw that it was all bravado and she was deeply hurt and possibly even embarrassed. He suddenly felt so restricted and tied to the mistress he had promised the world to seconds ago. He thought he could keep them separate but there they were, once again both in his house in the same moment. Lucius felt so vulnerable standing before Lacey in only his sleeping pants and mortified that he ever called himself a gentleman when he could act like this.

"Lacey I am very, very interested in you. I just…I have some things to take care of. Give me a few days and I'll make it up to you. The Ministry is exceedingly busy and…" Lucius started to lie to try and buy himself some time and excuse himself for his poor behavior, but a little voice interrupted their conversation.

"Lucius? Where are you?"

It was Virginia, and it echoed through the upstairs hallway where the bedrooms were. Lacey raised her eyebrows and Lucius froze in place, knowing that the younger girl would be at the top of the staircase in seconds.

"That doesn't sound like the Ministry…" Lacey rolled her eyes, trying to hide the strong feeling of being punched in the gut…and she knew, even having only met the woman once, that it wasn't the previous Mrs. Malfoy either, "It's funny, really, I came here to tell you I was at the pub with the team and this guy tried to take advantage of me and that bitch Skeeter caught it on her camera…because I wanted you to know…and trust me…but I guess it really doesn't fucking matter now," Lacey said softly but the anger in her voice was clear, and this time Lucius didn't reach for her when she left the Manor. He stood and watched her go and then looked up at the top of the stairs to where Virginia was standing in one of his shirts barely skimming the tops of her thighs. She had only just gotten there, and barely seen the flash of brown hair leave the Manor.

"Was that Lacey?" Virginia asked, trying to keep her voice even, "I heard yelling…"

"I sent her on her way, you know how possessive some girls get…I talked to her once at a match and she thinks she senses a spark…" it was painful for Lucius to say, and he honestly didn't care if his lies weren't matching up or if Virginia still believed she saw them at the café. He wanted to make sure he didn't ruin what he had fixed with her already, and he would do anything to not let things regress.

"Well," Virginia seemed to be contemplating his answer but she saw the girl storm off and there had definitely been an argument. In an odd way, Virginia felt as if it was over-that there might have been something between Lucius and Lacey Delaney before, but it was gone now, "Come back to bed?"

"Yes, darling, of course."

As Lucius walked up the stairs towards his mistress, his mind stayed with Lacey. As much as what had just transpired would be the perfect opportunity for him to forget her and walk away, he simply couldn't. He knew, even as he grasped his mistresses' hand, that he had to find a way to see Lacey again…he wanted to find a way to be with them both…even for just a little while longer.

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Lacey walked slowly across the lawn of Malfoy Manor, immobilizing the creepy white peacocks with her wand just for the hell of it. With the back of her hand, she wiped away the tears that flowed from her eyes and sniffed back her emotion.

She had fallen for him…and still was falling for him…even if it was clear that the French girl living with him was more than just a promise to her wealthy father. Lacey couldn't understand why she had been so stupid and blinded, even when she knew that a Malfoy couldn't be trusted.

Even though the logical part of her knew this, her body ached for him and her heart hurt as well. Swallowing back another wave of tears, Lacey decided to apparate to the one place she knew she shouldn't, letting her reckless streak overtake her, hoping that even if he never found out, that she would be satisfied knowing it would piss Lucius off.

A/N: Thanks for reading! More to come soon! Who do you feel worse for…Virginia or Lacey? Tell us what you think! Any little word in that lonely box will do!