AN: So, I didn't get five reviews
But I did get two, which made me very happy. So, I decided to update for the two of you that did review and those of you that just recently added this story to your favorite's or put the story on alert. I do hope to get more than two reviews on this chapter. I've worked very hard to make this a well written and well rounded story. I appreciate feedback more than any of you could imagine. Enjoy everyone. R/R:)
6/12/10 EDIT: I decided to edit a few things in this chapter as a reviewer's suggestion made me do a double take. I forgot that I actually put this in my story and got a bit red in the face when I read it lol. There have been a few things that I've wanted to fix in this story. I'm never satisfied. I would personally like to thank the reviewer who brought this to my attention. I really thought I had edited that part out but apparently not. I thought I had fixed it after uploading it, but I didn't. Now I feel really stupid lol. I hope this little fix helps a lot, because when I read it, I didn't like it, and it felt rushed. Sure, I think Lucius is a bit of a 'go off half cocked' kind of guy, but not in the way that I wrote it in this chapter. Hope this helped. Review:)
Vanessa couldn't control the muscles in her face, her cheeks had pulled her lips into a smile that could not be erased. Her whole figure seemed to tingle with warmth and heightened sensitivity, having her dainty hand clasped in his made her feel significant and somewhat special. As Lucius led the way, he would occasionally glance down at her, a half smile pulling at his thin lips; Vanessa's face flushed every time. As he led her deeper down corridors she'd never been to, Vanessa began to lose track of where she was, confusion wafting over her.
"Lucius?" questioned Vanessa, her brows raised and scrunched in the middle. Lucius met her eyes at the sound of his name, he ran his hand over Vanessa's.
"Yes, Vanessa?" the way he purred her name made Vanessa want to grab her name out of mid air and hold it against her heart.
"Where are you taking me?"asked Vanessa. Lucius led her around the corner, before a portrait of what Vanessa thought strongly resembled dancing trolls, Vanessa tilted her head to the side in curiosity at the portrait, a giggle bubbling up in the back of her throat. Lucius looked down at her, curious to what she was laughing at, when he saw what was causing her laughter, a smile split his lips.
"Always was my favorite." chuckled Lucius, he released Vanessa's hand, and he began to pace back and forth in front of the wall. Vanessa peeled her eyes in confusion, she watched as he passed the wall for a third time, her confusion becoming more apparent across her face as he stopped.
"What're you-" Vanessa paused as she noticed the wall begin to cave in slowly, layers of the wall disappearing before her very eyes. She took several steps forward before she stopped at Lucius's side.
"You know what this is, don't you?" asked Lucius, looking over her surprised face with an amused smile.
"Of course I do." said Vanessa, watching the wall form into a large wooden door. "This is the Room of Requirement, some call it the 'come and go room'. It only appears if the seeker is in real need of it, and it's always equipped for the seeker's needs."
Lucius opened the door for her, looking over his shoulder as he did so. "My, Vanessa. It seems as if you may be one of the only people I've met that have read 'Hogwarts, A History' fully. I must confess myself impressed." smiled Lucius, he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth as he watched Vanessa's eyes widen at the sight of the room.
Vanessa's eyes hungrily soaked up the vision of the dim lit room, the lights a haunting hue of dark green. The walls were mirrors that were nearly opaque, the green lighting made it even harder for her to attempt to see her reflection. There was a small round table, set for two, in the center of the room. Vanessa felt her whole body flow with electricity.
"Look up." whispered Lucius into Vanessa's ear, brushing the hair away from her neck, she felt her skin raise in pleased goosebumps. Vanessa glanced up at the ceiling, her breath caught in throat at the beauty of it. Thousands of candles floated above them, their yellow and blue flames clashed beautifully with the green hue in the room.
"Lucius. This is, this is beautiful." breathed Vanessa, her eyes still averted to the ceiling, admiring the candles as they weaved throughout one another slowly, as if they were dancing with one another.
"I'm glad you like it." replied Lucius, his hand found Vanessa's fingers, he led her over to the table, pulling out her chair for her. Vanessa sunk into the soft cushioning of the chair and thanked Lucius over her shoulder. Lucius took his seat across from her, Vanessa could've sworn she felt the blood flowing through her heart stop, if only for a second. In that particular lighting, his gray eyes look an oceanic blue, the sight reminded her of the shore in front of her nonna's home, the same color as the water that she played in as a child. The lighting brought out more than the unique coloring of his eyes, for his cheekbones seemed accentuated and prominent, as well as his strong jaw that he always kept elevated. To Vanessa, he looked as though he belonged in a noble family, he looked so aristocratic and polished. Vanessa couldn't take her eyes off of him.
"Are you frightened, my dear?" asked Lucius, his words were soothing like a hot cup of tea. Vanessa softly smiled, exhaling through her nose.
"No. Quite at easy actually." she replied, their eyes holding onto each other longer than before.
"I was worried you might be. Quite worried you wouldn't show up actually." chuckled Lucius. His deep laughter was infectious, Vanessa couldn't help but laugh as well.
"No, I tend to keep my word. I wouldn't have stood you up, I promise." she said sincerely, resting her elbows on the table, her posture more upright and alert. Lucius reached for her hand, laying his hand near hers, allowing her to come to him. Vanessa rested her slightly shaking hand in his, the warmth that radiated off of him seemed to travel up her hand, arm, and spread throughout her whole body. Her hand still shook from the small bit of intimidation she felt alone with Lucius.
"Not nervous are you, Vanessa?" asked Lucius in a lower voice that made Vanessa's stomach do a flip.
Vanessa pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded, Lucius began to run his fingers over the palm of her hand.
"That makes two of us." replied Lucius, surprising Vanessa with his response, she could see the sincerity swimming in his blue eyes.
"And what do you have to be nervous about?" asked Vanessa. Lucius looked her over, his eyes moved over each arm, both shoulders, her long brown hair, up to her neck and face, all the while his own bottom lip remained in between his teeth. Vanessa giggled at his habit, the same habit she always did when she concentrated.
"I'm with a beautiful and intelligent young woman, how could I possibly not be nervous." said Lucius, lacing his fingers with hers. Vanessa could feel all the blood in her body racing into her cheeks.
"Well, thank you." said Vanessa, her eyes dropping down to their intertwined fingers. It felt natural and calming to have her hand in his, a feeling she had never had with any man, so at ease and soothed by the mere touch of their hand. She looked back up at him, their eyes met once again, holding onto each other, almost daring the other pair to try and look away, for they would surely fail.
"I can't describe how at ease I feel with you. It's refreshing." said Lucius, his eyes peeled in curiosity at her, a kind smile pulled at his cheeks. She knew just what he meant, she felt the same way. She felt no need to pretend to be something she wasn't, more importantly, she didn't feel as though she were being eyed like prey.
"I know exactly what you mean." Lucius smiled at her response, the two exchanged smiles before he asked, "Now, tell me if I'm right or not. You do like chops, don't you?" asked Lucius, a smile pulling at his lips as he tapped the tip of his wand on the table. Her blank plate was filled immediately by steaming chops and a side of mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables; a full glass of pumpkin juice appeared in front of her as well.
Vanessa leaned forward in her seat as she took in the smell and the sight of Lucius; she hadn't thought it was capable for a Malfoy to smile that way. "Very good. Kind of, um, strange that you know this is what I like to eat. Not watching me all the time are you?" questioned Vanessa with a flutter of a giggle in her voice. Lucius dipped his head toward her as if her were to tell her a secret. "Not all the time." Vanessa quirked an eyebrow and chuckled before taking a gracious sip of her pumpkin juice. Lucius laughed nervously, "You don't think I'm being literal do you?" the two of them laughed, almost anxiously. "I asked Draco to tell me what you liked. Though, I did try to find out myself, but my eye sight isn't what it once was."
Vanessa began cutting at her chops, taking glances up at Lucius, it was difficult to not just sit and stare at him. "Tell me, Lucius." she paused to half smile to herself for a brief moment, "What is it that you do?"
Lucius paused to dab at the corner of his mouth before he answered, his eyes flickered over her shoulders and arms for a moment, "I'm afraid I have a rather uninteresting answer."
Vanessa tutted, "It can't be that uninteresting, you seem to be living quite comfortably." Vanessa had noticed then just how relaxed she seemed to be as she scooped a spoonful of potatoes in her mouth.
"Well, that's a different story." laughed Lucius. "My job, however, is as a Ministry Official." Lucius's face seemed to slacken at the thought of his job, an almost bored expression peaked on his features.
Vanessa swallowed another sip of juice, "You seem so enthusiastic about it." laughed Vanessa. Lucius caught her eyes once more, and stayed there a moment longer than a casual glance. An amused smile pulled the corners of his mouth into his cheeks.
"I'd hate to scare you off by going into the details." chuckled Lucius. Vanessa was momentarily taken a back by his sense of humor. The idea of Lucius Malfoy making her laugh had never crossed her mind. The only times she had seen him he was so stoic, bold, and seemingly unamused by anything, but this was a whole different side to him that she had never expected or predicted that she would see. It made her body flood with warmth and a yearning to get closer to him, and find out more about Lucius Malfoy.
Vanessa watched with a half smile as Lucius explained what he was really at Hogwarts to do, but Vanessa wasn't truly listening, the reason why he was there didn't really matter to her as she watched him speak. His posture was perfect and straight. She had noticed that he liked to use his hands as he spoke, he would work his hands around in front of him as though he were working dough, turning it and pulling it. As some of the words Lucius was saying slipped in her head, she noticed, as though she hadn't before, that she wasn't with a teenage boy, she was sitting across the small table from a grown man. A man. For some odd reason, it had only hit her as she sat across from him and watched him talk and work the imaginary dough between his hands. The thought was oddly comforting and appealing. Lucius had much more experience in life than anyone she had ever dated or associated with. He had been through being a teenager, love, a marriage, a child, a divorce, and even a war. Part of her was blatantly intimidated by the prospect of being with him, the other half was enthralled and felt a spark of curiosity towards what could be in store for them. However, Vanessa had not forgotten what her mother had told her about Lucius, his affiliation with Death Eaters. She kept the unpleasant thought in the farthest back space in her head, yet she still kept it there for later use.
"Now, my dear, tell me about you." said Lucius, folding his napkin on his plate. Lucius rested his hands down on the table and pulled himself closer to the table. Vanessa ran her tongue over her lips and bowed her head, she wasn't used to a man being so interested in her.
"There's not that much to tell." confessed Vanessa, a bubble of laughter peaking out.
"Of course there is. Why do you think I would've asked you to dinner with me?" chuckled Lucius. Vanessa almost jumped as his fingers began to drum over her knuckles.
"To be honest, I haven't the slightest idea why you asked me to dinner." laughed Vanessa, relaxing her shoulders.
"I brought you here because I'm curious about you."admitted Lucius with a grin, sipping at his own glass. "Please, appease my curiosity." chuckled Lucius. Vanessa's lips parted in laughter, the smile on Lucius's face seemed sincere and charismatic.
"All right. I'll appease your curiosity." giggled Vanessa, earning a cock of the head and grin from Lucius. Vanessa went into explaining about her own self, what she liked, what she didn't. To Vanessa, her stories seemed so miniscule and insignificant, yet she had to remember, she was still a teenager and the only battle story she had to tell was too fresh to mention.
"Now, wait, wait just a moment." said Lucius, bowing his head and rubbing his pale brows as if he were suffering a headache. "You mean to tell me that you support the-"
"Chudley Cannons, yes. There's nothing wrong with them!" said Vanessa almost defensively. Even though everyone knew the Chudley Cannons were not the best team, far from it, Vanessa still supported them. Vanessa was fiercely protective over them.
"Oh, there's nothing wrong with them, except they haven't one a ruddy thing since eighteen ninety two!" laughed Lucius. Vanessa locked her jaw but couldn't manage to keep her composure and began laughing along with Lucius despite herself.
"Still, they always try their hardest, no matter what. No matter how many losses." replied Vanessa as she tried to suffocate her laughter.
"Try over a hundred losses." chuckled Lucius under his breath, yet Vanessa caught it and cut him a look. "I'm only stating facts, Vanessa. No need to be angry with me."
Vanessa looked back up at Lucius and smiled, her fiery temper was suddenly diffused and washed out as Lucius rose from his seat; his palm extended toward her. "Please, my pet, indulge me in a dance." asked Lucius. The scent of his cologne grazed underneath her nose, she recognized the delighting scent immediately. It was a rather expensive cologne. Vanessa rested her hand in his; the feeling of her hand in his ceased to produce warmth inside her, radiating on her skin. As Vanessa rose from her seat, she realized there was no music playing and her naturally arched brows creased in the middle.
"Lucius, there isn't any-" the soft humming of a violin cut her off, an before she had the chance to rest her hand on Lucius's shoulder, the sound of an entire orchestra softly filled the room. To her surprise, as Lucius put his hand on the curve of her waist, Vanessa did not flinch or play a flashback inside her head. The warmth of his hand seemed to glide her stomach into his, with her hand wrapping around to his blond hair covered neck. His hair was nearly as silky as her own, she couldn't help herself as her fingers delicately played with a strand. She had to look up quite a bit to reach Lucius's eyes, for he was much taller than her and seemed to loom protectively over her as they swayed to the soft melody. Lucius pulled Vanessa in closer so that her chest was pressed almost entirely against his own, his hand worked it's way around to her back and held it there.
Vanessa didn't realize his hand had left hers until she felt it wrap around to join his other on her back. Her own hand had joined the other on the back of his neck, her fingers ran over his pulled back hair; her nails tickled the back of Lucius's neck, he chuckled as she drummed them there. Vanessa couldn't find words as she stared up at the attractive sight that was Lucius, his eyes now seemed a lighter shade of blue, the color of the sky on a clear summer day. Her eyes flickered over Lucius's lips, the small curve on his thin upper lip, she noticed the small wrinkles on the sides of his mouth; Vanessa smiled at them, knowing they were there for good reason. As she looked back up to him, she realized he must have been looking over her own pout because his eyes rose almost immediately. The urge to taste his lips once again washed over her and this time she didn't fight it; she gave in fully. Her full lips covered Lucius's thin lips. He pressed his lips against hers eagerly, his hands tightened around her and pressed her body completely against his own; her feet rose off of the ground a mere inch. His lips tasted of wine and excitement, she couldn't help but break a smile into the kiss as his teeth nipped at her bottom lip. Vanessa felt one of Lucius's hands leave her back and cup one side of her face; his thumb kneaded across her cheek. Vanessa rested her hands on either side of Lucius's neck and pulled him, if possible, even more against her.
The two stood in a heated lip lock for several moments before parting for air. The other chuckled as their eyes met once again. Vanessa couldn't help but grin at Lucius's flushed expression; his gray eyes seemed glazed over with delight and his lips wet and shiny.
"Perhaps we should, um." Lucius paused mid sentence, he laughed unexpectedly as he looked back down at Vanessa. She rested her hands on either of his shoulders and took in the sight of a speechless Malfoy. Surely, this was a rare event.
"Take me back up to my dorm?" asked Vanessa. Lucius's eyes widened just a fraction. "To sleep. It's getting rather late." as soon as Vanessa had said that, Lucius's shoulders relaxed underneath her hands.
"Of course, absolutely. You're right. It's getting," he cleared his throat and regained his statuesque posture. "it's getting late. Right. Come, my dear." said Lucius as he extracted his hands from Vanessa's back and intertwined their fingers.
Vanessa couldn't help but feel as though a blanket of security and protection had just been draped over her shoulders; an impenetrable blanket that Lucius had wrapped her in. She couldn't describe it, or the intense happiness that she had over their most recent kiss. That night, she had seen a completely different side to Lucius that she had not expected to see at all. A humorous and relatable side that drew her into him, like a ship to the searching light of a lighthouse. Yes, he was a grown man, and yes, it was inappropriate for her to be with him the way she had been all night, but she didn't care. She didn't care that he was twice her age. Somehow, that was more comforting than anything. As for his ties to Death Eaters, she would ask about later. She had decided that bringing up whether he was a Death Eater or not on a first date was not the best idea.
Lucius tightened his grip on her palm as they rounded the corner to the Slytherin common room. Immediately, Vanessa looked up at him, her brown eyes drawing down the glass like gray eyes of Lucius, who placed a short kiss on her full pout. "I want to see you again, soon." Lucius drawled out quietly against her lips; his forehead resting on hers.
"Next Saturday, let's meet here. Same time." whispered Vanessa, mimicking Lucius's smile to her answer.
"Next Saturday. All right then." smiled Lucius before pressing his soft lips against Vanessa's.
"I have a question." Vanessa drew her bottom lip between her teeth and held it there before continuing. "What are we? What does this make us?" Vanessa nearly rolled her eyes at her own question.
"Well," he paused to clear his throat, "I think we should see how everything plays out and enjoy one another's company. No need for titles and formalities just yet." Vanessa took a small step back, just enough to look Lucius in his eyes.
"So you enjoy my company?" asked Vanessa with a hitch in her voice. Lucius looked over at her is if he were inspecting an interesting animal.
"On the contrary, you bore me to death." said Lucius, deadpan.
"Well aren't you just the charmer." she laughed as the corner of his lip disappeared into his cheek. Lucius pulled her closer to himself and ran a hand over her head, "I do enjoy your company, Vanessa, very much so actually." his voice was smooth and comforting like a warm cup of tea on a January morning.
"Oi! Will you two keep it down, it's the middle of the bloody night." growled the angry old man in the portrait. Vanessa and Lucius glared over at the painting, which threw a few choice swear words their way before nodding off.
"We have a date. Next Saturday." stated Lucius once again, running his hand over her brown hair.
"Yes. Same time. Same place." said Vanessa, her eyes darted all over Lucius's face; hungrily soaking in his polished features. Lucius placed a kiss a top Vanessa's forehead and gently ran his thumb over her cheek.
"Goodnight, Vanessa. Pleasant dreams, my dear." purred Lucius. Vanessa replied with the same before Lucius turned and disappeared down the corridor. Vanessa giggled quietly to herself, running her fingertips across her tingling wet lips.
"Hey. Hey!" called Vanessa to the sleeping fussy old man in the portrait. "Oi!" she practically yelled at him. He jumped from his seat, a startled look on his face.
"Oh it's you. Shouldn't you be-"
"Cruciatus." said Vanessa with a warning glare at the elderly man. He waved open the door.
"Yes, yes, all right. Damn children." Vanessa heard him huff to himself as she passed into the common room, her skin lit alive with goosebumps. She skipped up the stone steps to her, Daphne, and Astoria's shared dorm, eagerly awaiting the warmth of her covers. Just as Vanessa was about to open the door, she stopped and secretly prayed to God that Astoria and Daphne were fast asleep. Vanessa shut her eyes as she carefully and quietly pushed open the door.
"So, how was it?" Vanessa didn't have to open her eyes to tell that it was Astoria. Vanessa had the feeling it was going to be, yet again, a very long night.