Chapter Five
Lucius drummed his fingers impatiently on the wooden table. Although she wasn't technically late yet, Virginia was pushing it - the clock was going to strike eight any second now. Lucius Malfoy did not like to be kept waiting.
His cold eyes bore into his wife, seated mutely opposite him. In the absence of the girl herself to take out his frustration on, he stared at Narcissa, waiting for her to meet his gaze, which she was stubbornly avoiding. She'd been wary of him since the incident with the elf earlier; he recognized this type of behaviour from her. The fear had been much more common in the earliest years of their marriage, but occasionally reappeared, at times like these.
She finally glanced towards him, and he raised an eyebrow, the tapping of his long fingers slowing ominously. Narcissa's eyes darted to the clock. "It's not quite eight yet, Husband." Husband, Lucius thought sneeringly. She must be on edge tonight.
"I am aware of that," he drawled, his eyes narrowing. He didn't miss Narcissa's small gulp. "Thank you, wife."
Draco, who had been sitting to Lucius' right, chose this moment to cough. Lucius turned on him: "Manners, boy!" he snarled. In all honesty, Lucius wasn't entirely sure why he was in such an utterly foul mood. Business was prosperous at the moment, he'd made significant financial gains that very day. He'd even taken out a slight annoyance on the girl's elf - it had been in his way. It won't make that mistake again, he mused.
Something was bothering him, something he couldn't quite place. Something about her. The girl. Virginia. Aside from the elf-incident, he hadn't had anything to do with her since the dinner of the previous night, but he couldn't shake her from his thoughts. The way she'd looked in Narcissa's cloak when she'd appeared in the doorway, her modest demeanor, her elegant beauty - Stop it, Lucius!, he scolded himself. She's for Draco.
The clock struck eight. Lucius inhaled a sharp breath, and slammed his fist down on the table. Narcissa jumped in her seat. Draco flinched, almost unnoticeably. "She's late," he sneered, his tone contemptuously low. "Narcissa, bring her here at once." His wife stood immediately and darted from the room. Draco sat still as a rock, a sour expression plastered across his face. He was still sulking. It was infuriating.
Lucius continued to drum his fingers, the speed increasingly with every second he was kept waiting. The elves lining the room shifted uncomfortably. Fortunately for them, he chose to ignore it. If it had been Narcissa who'd been late... A cruel smirk spread across Lucius' lips - he would have ensured she was punished. He swallowed, and felt a surprising heat rise in him, as images of Virginia flashed through his mind, completely helpless and at his mercy... Stop it, man. He repressed the desire growing within him.
*.*.*.*.*
"Virginia," Narcissa called, and the girl hurried her steps to meet the older woman.
"I'm sorry," Virginia panted slightly, "I got lost. I thought I would be early-"
"Come now, Lucius doesn't like to be kept waiting." Narcissa took her arm and led her briskly towards the dining room. The two paused before the closed door, and Narcissa took a minute to straighten the strap of Virginia's dress, before nodding and smiling weakly. As if on cue, the door swung open, and Narcissa stepped in, Virginia on her heels. Draco and Lucius rose, as was custom. There was a tense silence.
Virginia paused before she took her seat, and met Lucius' eyes with bravery: "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Sir." Her nerves were not betrayed by her voice, and Lucius was slightly impressed, despite himself. And, Heaven help him, the way she called him Sir... He nodded curtly, and she sat down, the men then following her lead.
The four were served in silence, with only the sounds of silver spoons hitting china to fill the air. Narcissa kept her gaze lowered, although she was surprised that Lucius had said nothing more about Virginia's lateness. Draco fixed his eyes on an imaginary spot on the pristine tablecloth. Virginia smiled in thanks at the house-elves who served her. Lucius watched Virginia intently. He couldn't help himself - the way the candlelight was hitting her cheek bones in that light... Stop it, Lucius. This is getting ridiculous.
"Virginia," he said suddenly, taking the others by surprise. She raised her eyes to his in acknowledgment, and was surprised to find that he didn't look angry. His tone had lost its terse edge as well. "Have you settled into your room?"
"I have, thank you, Sir." Again, 'Sir'... Lucius shifted slightly in his chair, the fire growing inside him.
"And it's to your liking?" he asked gruffly. What was she doing to him...?
"Very much so." He nodded, and picked up his fork, beginning to eat. His focus on his dinner practically non-existent, however, his eyes quickly found themselves trained on Virginia once again. She glanced up and met his gaze inadvertently, before quickly looking away again. He spotted a faint blush rising in her cheeks. Am I having a similar effect on her? he wondered, half hopefully.
Virginia, meanwhile, was trying her hardest not to do or say anything that might irritate Lucius, while simultaneously attempting not to be too put out by her future husband's coldness. She was convinced that Draco hadn't once acknowledged her, apart from rising when she entered. She could still feel Lucius' eyes on her, and couldn't work out why he was being so...nice, if he was still angry. Or maybe he's not, she mused, but that didn't explain why he was watching her eat so intently. Either way, she tried her hardest not to return his probing gaze, and ate her food quietly.
*.*.*.*.*
The dinner passed uneventfully; the five courses were served with no issues, and no more harsh words were spoken by Lucius, whose temper quickly dissolved as he grew increasingly intrigued by the girl. If anything, he was growing frustrated. If she'd been any other woman, he had to admit to himself, he would have found a way to make clear his desires to her, to have her himself. But she wasn't any other woman: she was to be married to his son. Draco's lack of enthusiasm only served to frustrate his father more.
Lucius' thoughts strayed to his most recent mistress, a young auburn haired woman, Lila. He'd ended things with her over a month ago - she was boring him. He was still with Narcissa once, maybe twice a week, but their passion was no longer present. He hadn't felt the urges he was suffering now for a good while. There really was something about Virginia...And she clearly had no idea what she was doing to him. Which only made it worse, somehow.
As the elves cleared the dessert plates, Lucius made a snap decision: "Virginia, I'd like to see you in my office." The girl's eyes snapped up to meet his, alarm clear in them. She gulped and nodded, and looked to Narcissa, as if for permission, or perhaps reassurance. His wife gave the smallest of nods.
Lucius rose first, followed by his family and Virginia, and waited by the door for Virginia to make her way over to him. She looked petrified. He held the door open for her, and she walked in front of him. Narcissa followed them out, and Lucius watched as she ascended the stairs, shooting Virginia a small smile, Draco heading in the opposite direction, probably to his quarters.
"Come," Lucius commanded, and strode off, Virginia following a few steps behind. Her mind was racing - what did he want? Was she in trouble? She tried to hold her head high as she walked behind him, through the winding corridors, until they reached his study. He held the door open for her, and she stepped in, inhaling his deep, scented cologne as she passed. He didn't leave her much room, and she was forced to come very close to him.
"Have a seat, Virginia," he offered, his velvet voice sending a shiver down her spine. She perched on the edge of the seat he'd indicated, and forced a smile on her face, trying to hide her nerves.
Lucius turned his back on her, and strode over to a side board, pulling a old-looking bottle of something off a shelf. He produced two tumblers, and Virginia could hear the tinkling as whatever it was he was pouring landed on the ice in the glasses. He returned the bottle, and walked back towards her, carrying a tumbler in each hand. The liquid was a deep amber in colour, but Virginia didn't know what it was, only that it looked distinctly alcoholic. Lucius took the seat closest to hers, and handed her a glass. His hand brushed hers as he did so, and she suspected that it wasn't accidental.
Lucius watched as Virginia took the tumbler, and noticed that she didn't take a sip until he had. She drank the smallest amount, and tried to conceal a grimace - he'd given her the strongest brandy he had, one of his personal favorites. He smirked as she swallowed, and gave a small cough. He drained his glass in one go, and saw her pretty grey eyes widen. He set the tumbler down on the table to his left, and Virginia followed, a hand coming quickly up to touch her hair, as it by habit. Perhaps a nervous habit...Lucius found himself longing to feel her hair. Stop it, man.
He was finding himself ever more intrigued by her, and leant back in his black leather chair. He placed his elbows on the arms of the chair, and steepled his hands in front of him, as she shifted uncomfortably before him, tugging at the hem of her dress to pull it further over her knees. When she finally met his eyes a minute or so later, she found him stroking his lower lip with his forefinger. She found his silence and the look in his eyes remarkably unnerving.
"I really am sorry I was so late for dinner, Sir," she said after a moment of silence had passed, her soft voice lilting in the charming manner that most Beauxbatons women developed. Despite this, Lucius thought she sounded slightly cold - maybe as a result of her fear, or perhaps she was still upset over her damned house-elf.
"It is forgotten, Virginia," he replied, trying to sound forgiving. Her eyes darted away from his again, and he resigned himself to what must follow. His voice was stiff when he said it: "I'm sorry about our little incident earlier - perhaps you are unused to the nature of our dominion over the house-elves?"
Virginia's eyes met his in surprise, and he saw her trying to work out what to make of this almost-apology. "Uh...Thank you, Sir..." she said at last, uncertainly. Lucius leant forward in his chair; he was less than a meter away from the girl now.
"Call me Lucius." Virginia nodded, and Lucius seized the moment, placing a firm yet gentle hand on his stocking-clad knee. His gaze never left hers, and he saw her eyes widen as she inhaled quickly.
Virginia sat rock still as felt Lucius' hand on her knee. His eyes were dark as he looked into hers, and she hoped her eyes might give away her fear, so that he'd stop. He didn't. She didn't know what to do - normally if a man his age rested a hand on her, she'd assume it was a friendly gesture, but Lucius' expression and the way he'd been watching her so intently had her wondering if it was something more. Not to mention her instinct, which was telling her to get away from him, and as fast as possible.
In fact, if it hadn't been her host, and future father-in-law, touching her, she would have done just that. She would have stood up immediately and told him that she wouldn't stand for such behaviour. She knew as well as anybody that she could come across as meek and mild, but when it came to it, Virginia Renwick had a heart of fire, and a flaming self-respect that rivaled even the most fearsome Gryffindor.
As it was, however, something was stopping her from getting away from this man. It was partially due to her fear of him, partially due to her inbred manners and their guest-host relationship, partially because she knew that whatever she did now she would have to face every time she saw him. And, she had to admit, something slightly more, although it was a minute part of her reasoning, more subconscious than something she was even fully aware of. The way he was looking at her...Intimidating, yes. Frightening, perhaps. But so...intense. It set her heart racing, and if she was being completely honest, not from nerves alone.
So she sat still, and made no move to run from him, as Lucius began to gently caress her leg. His other hand came up to cup her cheek, and she could smell the alcohol on his breath as he exhaled, too close to her cheek to be even vaguely appropriate. Her intuitions were being confirmed - he had been doing more than assessing her all those times she'd felt his gaze on her. She gulped and tried to sit still, like a deer caught in the hunter's path.
"Are you looking forward to marrying my son?" Lucius murmured, his voice reverberating into her ear at such close proximity, and it struck her as a completely incongruous question. She tried to think of a suitable answer, but it was hard to think which him so close to her.
"It came as a surprise to me..." she finally managed, and Lucius ran a long, cold finger across her cheek, letting it rest momentarily on her lip, before he cupped her chin, and pulled away slightly to look at her head on.
"You were my choice for Draco, did you know?" he asked, his voice low and smooth as velvet. A shiver ran down Virginia's spine, and it took all of her strength not to pull back from his intense gaze, or break eye contact. He leaned in close again, his lips tickling her ear. The words he spoke next carried more meaning than Virginia cared to contemplate:
"I always get what I want."
{Aaah, oh Lucius! Please tell me what you think! What would you do if you were Virginia? What do you think Lucius really wants? What's Virginia going to when she finally gets away from him? Will she tell Narcissa?}
