"Rodolphus? I have a slight problem."

"I swear I didn't start that rumour!" Rodolphus blurted. "I think it was... Rosier."

Lucius frowned. "What rumour?"

"Oh," Rodolphus looked relieved. "No rumour. What's your problem?"

"I may have done something..." Lucius paused, "stupid," he decided at last, although the words 'wonderful' and 'unbelievable' sprang to the tongue, too. "I've asked Narcissa to Hogsmeade."

Rodolphus grimaced. "Sorry, mate. I would've warned you to wait, if you'd asked me-"

"It isn't that she said no," he interrupted sharply. "The problem is, she said yes."

Rodolphus gave a whoop and punched his friend's shoulder. "Congratulations, mate! You managed to get rid of Francesca and get Cissy on a date all in one night? I'm impressed."

For a moment, Lucius considered explaining his agreement with Francesca, but decided against it. Rodolphus would no doubt think it was brilliant and enviable, but he might also let the situation slip to Bellatrix. He certainly had no gift of tact.

"But Rodolphus, you don't understand," he continued, letting the assumption pass. "I don't think I can be in the same room with her, or - Merlin forbid it- alone with her."

"This isn't like you," Rodolphus said, frowning suddenly. "Not that I don't like seeing you humiliated or degraded every once in a while like the rest of us-"

"Thanks a lot, you stupid fuck."

"-but I've never seen you act like this about anyone," he continued, ignoring Lucius's interjection. "Even Francesca, when you first started dating her. You were a hell of a lot nicer to her than you've been recently, though. Which reminds me, I meant to tell you that if you treat Narcissa like that, she will hex you. And Cissy's very good with spellwork. Creative, too. Just because Francesca lets you act like a dick doesn't mean-"

"I get it, Rodolphus!" he snarled. "And I'm never asking your advice one anything ever again." With a final glare, he stormed off. However, this rather dramatic exit was ruined when Lucius paused, realizing that he had no where else to go but into his dormitory to sulk. Fuming, he spun on his heel and marched back to his seat, daring Rodolphus to say anything.

Rodolphus's eyes shone with mirth, but he kept his lips pressed together, barely concealing his amused grin.

"I don't want to go anywhere in Hogsmeade. We've seen it all and the food is sub-par. What do you think?"

Rodolphus could no longer contain his laughter. "Oh, you want my opinion? I think you're a bloody idiot."

Lucius drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. He was not nervous; Malfoys did not worry. Worry was for lesser creatures, individuals whose lives lacked the security of wealth and influence. Since Lucius possessed both of these in spades, and had incredibly good looks and wit on top it, he never felt stress. Obviously, he was merely tapping his foot and glancing frequently towards the fifth year girl's dormitory out of impatience, and his squirming stomach was doubtlessly the fault of a bad breakfast. He made a mental note to complain about the elves' poor cooking.

He exhaled sharply and the steady pace of his drumming increased.

"Would you knock it off already?" Rodolphus' sharp voice caused him to jump, although he immediately smoothed his expression to one of mild irritation.

"Stop what?" he asked calmly.

"The fidgeting, you moron. You're as jumpy as a virgin on her wedding night waiting to get fucked," he snapped, but then his gaze lit up. "Although to be fair, I guess you are waiting for a virgin, and she is, if all goes according to plan, going to be fucked, though I hope for your sake it won't be on her wedding night..." He snorted. "It would be funny if she made you wait that long."

"Fuck off, Lestrange," Lucius snapped.

"Gladly," Rodolphus replied, grinning as Bellatrix appeared at the foot of the stairs. "If you want me to fuck off, I will... I reckon I'll be doing it a lot more than you in the next couple of months! Come on, gorgeous," he added, turning to extend a hand to Bella. "Time to go."

He threw a smirk over his shoulder as the pair left the common room, and Lucius ground his teeth, and called Rodolphus something under his breath that would have made his mother 'Scourgify' his mouth.

"Lucius?" He whirled at the sound of a small gasp, and saw Narcissa staring at him in alarm.

"Er... I just... Never mind." There was an awkward beat. "Are you ready to go, then?"

She nodded uncertainly, and brushed her toe uncomfortably against the floor. His eyes followed the motion, and traced languorously up along her legs, hips and waist, and came to rest upon the curve of her breasts. They were lovely, really, and while perhaps a bit on the small side, she was a tiny person, and their size was perfectly proportioned to the rest of her. Besides, she'd only just turned sixteen; it was fair to assume she would grow in the next few years. Not that he minded either way, of course. He wanted to know what they would feel like in his palms, soft and yielding as he kneaded them gently... He imagined her sighing and moaning softly in pleasure at his touch-

"Lucius?"

Fuck. He'd been staring much too long. Although it was hardly his fault; she should know better than to wear such a provocative- his eyes dipped briefly to ascertain the type of shirt she wore, and he swore internally again. To be fair, he thought reasonably, it is a very snug turtleneck sweater.

"You look beautiful," he announced gruffly, and to his relief she gave a tiny smile.

"Thank you."

They left the castle, their conversation slightly stilted as they discussed teachers and weather. However, the topics were enough to take them down to the village.

"This is such a darling place," Narcissa commented idly as they moved through the streets.

"Charming," Lucius agreed. "The architecture is unique to the area," he continued, but paused to sneer as they turned onto another lane. "Although, the demolishing of that would greatly add to the aesthetics."

"Oh, not at all!" Narcissa exclaimed. "Maybe it's not the prettiest of buildings in Hogsmeade, but The Hog's Head has incomparable historical value. Most famously, of course, was its role in the goblin rebellion of 1612, but Cliodne stayed there while studying the properties of moondew, and it was the very first thing constructed by Hengist of Woodcroft when he decided to found Hogsmeade here, although many falsely believe that the Three Broomsticks was his home. And Edgar Stroulger, he invented the Sneakoscope while in the Hog's Head, so wary was he of the less savory patrons. You can't criticize it's less-than-glamourous appearance, because otherwise-" she broke off, for Lucius had stopped walking and was staring at her in disbelief. Narcissa flushed. "I'm sorry, I got a bit carried away."

"Do you have a special attachment to that pub?"

She shrugged. "Not particularly. I've actually never been inside."

"Then..." There seemed to be only one other possible explanation. "You like history?"

Narcissa looked rather embarrassed, but replied defensively, "Professor Binns isn't the best teacher, but if you just read about magical history, it's absolutely fascinating-"

"You don't understand!" Lucius laughed, "I'm one of three students in the N.E.W.T level class."

Her eyes brightened with pleasure, and Lucius continued, gesturing again to the grubby building. "Glover Hipworth had business in Hogwarts and had to stay there for most of 1779, and became so frustrated with the colds he kept getting from the drafty rooms that he invented the Pepperup Potion. Alberic Grunnion was so taken with the grit and dirt there, he invented the Dungbomb."

Narcissa beamed up at him as they resumed walking. "What are N.E.W.T History of Magic classes like? I haven't decided yet if I want to continue."

"Well, I'm afraid to say the Binns never gets more interesting, but the subject material..." he hesitated. "It looks at a lot more of the darker parts of history."

She stole a quick glance at him, but he didn't miss the flash of curiosity. "Oh?"

"Right now, for example, we're studying Bans*."

Her eyes flew to his face in shock, and he said quickly, "Just the concept, of course, and places that were once Banned and now the Ban is lifted. During the Middle Ages, for example, a town was once Banned for being too tidy and having residents that bathed daily. For all that it's a Dark topic, there's a fair bit of humour in some of it."

There were only three cities still Banned, three cities that simply did not exist to the Wizarding world. Lucius knew the name of each, but they were generally not spoken in polite company. He wondered exactly what this sweet, innocent-seeming girl could possibly know about Bans, and decided to test her.

"I happen to own a book about Bans," he told her, "Although I'm quite sure it would not be permitted in this school. It discusses past Bans, but also mentions... New Orleans, Prague, and Turin. You could borrow it, if you'd like."

He waited for her to gasp, to stare at him in horror, and he suddenly wondered what exactly it was that he was doing. By all means, he should be listening to her chatter about her petty social life- not pushing to see her reaction at the mention of Bans.

But she did not stumble in fear. In fact, she merely blinked, seeming to consider the offer. "No," she said at last, "no thank you. I think it would upset my mother if she found a book about Bans in my possession."

Lucius nodded, and could not help but to feel a bit relieved, as he owned no such book.

"Just... Just out of curiosity, where are we going?" They had passed out of the town, and were now standing at the foot of great, rocky hills. "Everything is back there."

"We are going to London," he announced, and saw her eyes widen.

"I can't Apparate," she said nervously.

"Not a problem," he assured her, offering his arm. Tentatively, she placed her fingertips on his elbow. "A bit better hold than that, if you don't mind."

Obligingly, she curled her hand around his upper arm. Feeling her lightly squeezing his biceps, he could not resist the urge to brush an imaginary crease from his shoulder, flexing as he did so in order to allow her to feel the swell of muscle. "Actually," he persisted airily, "A bit closer still, I think."

Narcissa narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "I've Apparated with my parents before, and I think this hold should suffice."

"True," he agreed, "I'm sure with your parents it would. They've been Apparating for- oh, at least a couple of decades now, wouldn't you say? I, on the other hand, have been able to do so for a very brief time, and it would be tragic to arrive in London with only your hand."

The threat of being splinched was convincing enough for Narcissa. She moved closer, and he lifted one of her small, delicate hands and laced her fingers with his, and wrapped the other arm around her waist, as though they were dancing.

Immediately, Lucius realized this had been a mistake, and that his plan had backfired. There was no way he would be able to concentrate well enough to Disapparate them to the restaurant, when all her could see, feel, and breathe was her. Her chest rose and fell softly, and he could feel the warm puff of her breath against his robes. The sunshine gleamed off her silky hair, and he inhaled her scent deeply. She smelled of something both floral and sweet, mouth-wateringly luscious, in his opinion.

"Are we going?" she asked at last, glancing up at him curiously.

"Yes," he replied carefully, moving his hand to press more firmly to her back. Focus, focus!

They were sucked through the tube of Apparation, and for less than a second their bodies were meshed as though one, twisted together in time and space.

And then they were standing on a sunny boulevard. Narcissa took a small, quick step backwards, wriggling her fingers to assure she was still intact. Then she glanced around, and froze.

"We're not in..." Her eyes moved over the posh buildings, and the elegant men and women moving over the cobblestone street. "This isn't Ambrosi Alley, is it?"

Lucius smirked, enjoying her obvious awe. "It is indeed. Come, we have reservations for lunch."

Wizarding London was composed entirely of Alleys, ranging from the bustling Diagon Alley, to Dark Knockturn Alley, the scandalous Amor Alley, and this, the most elite lane in regards to dining, Ambrosi Alley.

Her eyes swept the street eagerly. Her parents dined here on occasion, but she'd always been deemed too young to attend; they believed their money would be wasted purchasing such exorbitant meals for a fifteen (sixteen, now, she reminded herself) year old girl. Many of the grand buildings they passed appeared to be closed, though staff could be glimpsed through the window.

"Many of them only open for supper, and spend the rest of the day preparing- the very best ones, in fact. I shall have to take you back here to see it in all its splendor some evening. We'll be dining at Somptueux today, but my favorite is The Halcyon."

Narcissa nodded in acknowledgement, gaze still roving. Finally, she asked, "Do you truly think I'm dressed properly for Ambrosi Alley?"

He glanced once more at the black cashmere sweater and tidy grey skirt. "You're fine. It's only lunch, after all."

She supposed he was right; after all, Lucius seemed casual enough. He wore neatly pressed black trousers and a white shirt she guessed to be poplin, with the top two buttons unfastened and the sleeves pushed up carelessly past his elbows.

"And here we are," he announced. They had stopped before an elegant building with stylish but discreet gold letting above the glittering French doors declaring 'Somptueux'. Looking around, she spotted on the opposite side of the boulevard a restaurant that was not only closed to the public, but appeared to be out of business. This stuck her as odd in such a well-to-do district. She was about to ask, when Lucius said, in a refined tone, "Shall we go?" He offered her his arm and she accepted it gratefully.

"Good afternoon, Édouard," he greeted the maître d' with a brief, cordial nod and. The man, impeccably groomed and round of face, beamed warmly up at Lucius.

"Mr. Malfoy, welcome. And my dear Miss-" he paused, his warm smile flickering for a moment in confusion.

"Black," Narcissa offered, albeit a bit coldly. Lucius gave the man a dark look.

"Our table, please."

Édouard, looking terribly flustered, lifted two menus. "Of course, this way." He led them to a small, private table near the large picture window that looked out onto the opulent street. "Your usual- I hope this is satisfactory, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yes," Lucius replied airly, not deigning to notice the waiters the flurried about, spreading napkins upon their laps and positioning silverware and crystal glasses. He held out his hand, accepting the wine list with little expression. "The '45 Mouton, I believe," he drawled, before glancing across the table. "If that's alright with you?"

Strictly speaking, she did not drink wine. On special occasions she had champagne, but generally only little sips of even that. "That sounds fine," she replied.

"Thank you," Lucius dismissed them with a brief nod, but caught Édouard's sleeve as he moved away. "And I hate to have to bring this up, Édouard, but I think after what happened at Jerome's two weeks ago..." He twitched his head in the direction of the empty, shut-down restaurant across the Alley. "Well, I think you know I wouldn't be able to show you any sort of clemency if the same thing were to happen here."

Édouard swallowed. "Mr. Malfoy, you know nothing of that sort would ever happen here-"

"See that it doesn't," he cut in succinctly. "That will be all, Édouard."

Once the other man had left, Narcissa asked quietly, "What happened?"

"Oh," Lucius's lip curled in distaste. "The food there was... tainted. I had no choice but make public my knowledge and it was... less than beneficial to the restaurant's image. As you can see, it is no longer in operation."

"Couldn't you have just gotten the waiter fired?" she asked. Shutting down the entire business seemed a little extreme.

"After what he did, I couldn't tolerate an establishment that would ever hire such scum in the first place. Anyway, let's discuss something more pleasant. Have you looked at the appetizers yet?"

"Er... I'm not sure."

"The wild Iranian Osetra cavier is quite good... We could share that, if you're like."

"Yes, that sounds lovely," she agreed quickly. He smiled at her approvingly, and set the menu down. A server return with the wine, and waited while Lucius sampled it and deemed it suitable before pouring them glasses.

"Now that we have that out of the way," he began, voice warm. "Tell me a little more about yourself, Narcissa. Besides that you have an appreciation for history of magic, of course."

With a rather nervous laugh, as asked, "What would you like to know?"

How long will it take you get you into bed? "What are your feelings on... I don't know, popular culture?"

Narcissa began to speak, and he met her eyes with an intent expression, nodding every so often. They were so, so blue, a bright cerulean with indigo flecks. Her long black lashes swept upwards in dainty spikes, full and dark. He wondered, not for the first time, if she used a spell to enhance them.

The caviar arrived, along with blini, crème fraiche and small golden spoons. Lucius watched with utter fascination as she carefully prepared the starter and took a careful bite.

"Oh! Mmm, this is wonderful!" she exclaimed, obviously taken aback but the rich flavor, salty and yet nutty. She took another nibble, and her tongue flicked across her lips to capture every delicious morsel. Her eyes slid shut and she resisted the urge to moan with pleasure- the food was undoubtedly the best she'd ever tasted.

Lucius's stomach clenched, and he fisted his hands beneath the table. Breathe, focus. Merlin, he wanted her. Did she have any idea what she was doing to him? Every sip of wine caused him to imagine the warm, sweet dampness of her mouth...

He rose abruptly and swept the table clear, shoving several hundred galleons worth of food and drink onto the floor. Plates shattered and the silver clanged but he didn't hear any of it- he moved around the small table to pull Narcissa to her feet and then sit her upon it. Their lips met in a frenzy, and he couldn't wait and longer. He shoved her skirt up, and his long fingers slid stealthily along her inner thigh, groping desperately for the silk of her knickers. He found his goal and yanked sharply downwards, and she lifted her hips to let the fabric fall to the floor.

Lucius's breaths were coming in low pants as her petite hands deftly unfastened his belt and curled around the waistband of his trousers. She grinned mischievously as she tugged him closer, nipping playfully at his neck and giggling softly to herself. However, her laughter quickly melted into gasps as he inched his fingers up to find her pleasantly slick and began to caress her with firm, sure strokes-

"And what would you like for your main course, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Er..." he cleared his throat uncomfortably. "The seared Kobe beef," he announced roughly, "with the truffled herb salad."

Narcissa smiled at him as they handed over their menus and the server left them. "I've been entirely monopolizing the conversation; I do apologize. Tell me what you think," she encouraged.

Fuck. Okay, okay, calm down. Girls only talk about two things. It's either clothes or other people. She asked my opinion, and since I don't know her friends, it must be about clothes.

"I agree with you," he announced.

"About... all of it?" she seemed slightly taken aback. Lucius nodded.

"Every word." He wondered if she would notice him re-adjusting himself beneath the table. It couldn't be helped, though, unless she became marginally less attractive before he had to stand up. He found himself suddenly hoping she'd spill whatever she'd ordered down her chin.

Because then he could lick it off.

No, no, no!

"But surely you must have some interesting insights as well."

"About clothes?" he blurted in disbelief before he could stop himself. Narcissa frowned.

"What do clothes have to do with anything?"

Fuck. "I mean... about the clothes your friends were wearing?" he guessed.

"My friends? Really, what are you talking about?"

Lucius exhaled sharply. "Would you mind -ah- recapping the conversation up to this point?"

Immediately, her face flushed an angry pink. "You haven't been listening to a word I've been saying!" she hissed, eyes flashing dangerously.

"I-" Lucius felt his shoulders slump in defeat. She was right, of course, and he had no defense that wouldn't further offend her. She had too much class to storm out of the restaurant and cause a scene, but he knew this would be the last time she let him take her out. "I've really fucked this up, haven't I? Sorry," he added quickly, seeing her eyebrows lift at his language. "Messed up, I meant."

She nodded stiffly, and gazed pointedly away from him and out the window as she took a tiny sip of wine.

"I'd really like to hear what you were saying," he continued hopefully.

"I was discussing- well, I suppose not discussing, merely prattling off into air- the current political climate, but if you'd rather I talk about fashion, then by all means-"

"No, please, don't. I... I'd like to hear your opinions, actually." It surprised even him that this was very much true. "I'm not used to women having anything worthwhile to say," he told her, then cringed when he realized exactly how that sounded. "What I mean is, you're much more interesting than most of the women I spend time with."

"And you're simply not used to listening?" Narcissa quirked one eyebrow.

"Er... that's right."

She rolled her eyes. "Why don't you start? I feel ridiculous repeating myself."

Again, dangerous territory. He had quite strong political opinions that, if she did not agree with, could be interpreted as somewhat offensive. "If you're referring to this feeling of Wizarding superiority- I quite approve of it. I think that the Mudbl- sorry, Muggle-borns- should not be admitted into our society; they don't understand it and they taint the culture. I find it disgusting that any self-respecting Witch or Wizard would marry a Muggle; the filth and ignorance of the creatures is intolerable. So I am very much in support of this Voldemort man who claims that he will purify our race."

His view, he knew, was rather pitiless, and girls often liked softer ideas. However, his political opinions were something he simply would not water down.

"You know," she was looking up at his with an amused little smile. "If I hadn't known for sure that you weren't listening to me, I'd think you were just trying to copy what I said."

The rest of the evening went much better; Lucius couldn't remember the last time he'd had such an mentally stimulating conversation, especially with a female. However, just because he found her mind interesting as well, he knew better than to hope it might lessen his desire for her body. When it came time to Apparate them back to Hogsmeade, he permitted her to merely lay her hand on his arm. Much to his delight, she left it there as they walked up to the castle.

"I had a very nice time today, thank you," she told him with a sunny smile as they arrived to the hidden common room entrance. He needed to go to the library, but walked her down to the dungeons anyway, and not for entirely chivalrous reasons.

"As did I. I'd like to go out again next Hogmeade weekend."

She was leaning back on the wall, and as he spoke, he lowered the timbre of his voice and rested his forearm against the stone near her head.

"Yes..." she dropped her gaze, blushing in the dim light. "Yes, I'd like that too."

Lucius felt his breath catch in his chest. He was going to kiss her. After all these desperate daydreams and fantasies, he was finally and actually going to kiss her.

With utmost care, he lifted his free hand to stroke her cheek, marveling at just how silky her pale skin was. He slipped it downwards to rest cupping her long, elegant neck, and focused on her lips. They were slightly parted, and he could hear the air moving swiftly between them. They were pink and perfectly shaped, full and tempting, the top one dipping into a fascinatingly flawless Cupid's bow. They look moist and inviting, and his tongue darted over his own lips and he tried to suppress a shiver of anticipation. He let his eyes slide shut and leaned forward...

And forward. His mouth met with empty air, and he raised his head, blinking in confusion. Narcissa had shimmed away from the space between his body and wall, and was standing several feet away, not quite meeting his eye.

"I... I have to go."

She spun and moved quickly into the common room, and then up to her dormitory for good measure, leaving Lucius entirely speechless in the corridor.

Her hands were trembling as she pulled off her sweater, the one she'd intentionally chosen as the least-revealing of her tops. She had suspected when he'd asked her out that he hadn't had much interest in her personality, a suspicion that had been proved multiple times during their lunch. And yet... disproved, as well. His eyes had shone with intrigue even more often than they'd glazed over with lust, and he had seemed genuinely curious when she spoke. There were moments, fewer and fewer after the first long stretch, when he'd shake his head suddenly and politely ask her to repeat her last sentence (or three), but he'd asked her out again...

She sank onto her bed, burying her face in her hands. She'd wanted to kiss him, but needed to know for sure that he was intending on dating her for more than that.

(*Bans are a concept thought up by PeevesthePoltergeist and mentioned in chapter 75 of the story 'What Seems Like Forever'. I borrowed the idea with permission, and the explanation of what they are can be found in the second half of that chapter)