Her head was swimming with all the alcohol she had consumed in just the few short hours of the night. Music was playing on a phonograph, curtosy of Katie Bell, and she had tried to get Dudley to dance with her, but that chance disappeared in a fit of giggles and stumbling over each other's feet until they both decided sitting was nice.

"So..." Dudley strung out and Aquila flipped her head to look at him, her hair dancing around her in a fit of curls. She had long since taken it out of its braid. "I take it anything that happened between us would throw your mother into fits."

"Oh, most assuredly," Aquila replied. Giggling, she leaned towards him so she could whisper in his ear. "She'd get over it eventually."

"So, I shouldn't be wandering over-"

She silenced him with a quick motion. She leaned over him and pressed her lips to his own. They had never shared a kiss before. Perhaps it was the alcohol that helped her make such a bold action possible between them. She hardly had a care for that, though, when he firmly gripped her waist and deepened the kiss. Oh, Merlin, this was heavenly. His tongue tasted of chocolate and firewhiskey. He pulled back suddenly, leaving Aquila breathing deeply and staring into his eyes as they watched her.

"I had a dream last night."

Dream? Oh, she had told him to tell her. But that had been the second day of trials. Tomorrow was results day. Aquila leaned back slightly and watced him. "You did? About what?"

"You," he said simply. It would have sounded cheesy coming from anyone else, but from Dudley... Well, it made Aquila's cheeks flush slightly and she smiled slightly as she leaned closer to kiss him.

"You did?" she murmured. "What about?"

How he heard her over the partying crowd, she had no idea, but she kissed him deeply, letting him formulate an answer before he spoke it. But when she pulled away with a small grin on her face, he seemed to have a bit of trouble deciding what he was going to say. "What were we talking about again?"

She giggled, kissing his cheek as she reminded him, "Your dream... Was it a good dream?"

"Oh, it was very good," Dudley smirked. Oh, Merlin. He kissed along her jaw as he spoke, his voice low and his lips unbelievably soft against her. She let her eyes flutter close as he continued. "Let's see... Oh, yeah, we were in this ... this tent." He seemed to lose focus as he kissed her pulse point and Aquila thought she was losing her focus, too. Merlin, since when was he unbelievably good at this? Of course, she didn't want to ask, but... She gasped as his kisses reached her shoulder. Oh, Merlin. "And it was dark and you were... God, you were wearing this unbelievably short dress."

"Mmm, I think I could find a dress," Aquila murmured. His lips paused on her pulse point again, his warm breath gently carressing it.

"Bloody hell..." He seemed to be struggling with something and Aquila's lips twitched as she knew exactly what it was. Opening her eyes, she peaked at him to see his eyes shut, squeezed shut, really, and thinking very hard. "And then there was this..." He paused slightly. "There was this light and it was all around you and God..." He kissed her pulse point again, before resting his head there. "I really need to stop this before we have a problem."

She laughed lightly and moved her head slightly so that she was kissing him. His jaw, his neck, his collarbone. "You smell so good." And he did, like the cologne he always wore. And it always made her knees weak and her head fuzzy. "So good..." She pressed a kiss to the spot just by his ear and his breath stopped. Merlin, she found that spot. "But we need to stop... Yes," she continued more firmly as she gripped each of his shoulders and shifted back a bit so they were eye to eye. "I..." She blushed red and ducked her head. "I've only done this once so... So I just don't want to rush into things..."

He nodded, not seeming put out at all by her admission - or her stopping. "Understood. I said you set the pace."

She nodded carefully and bit her lip. His eyes darted to it before lifting up to her eyes, dark brown, and his... a bluish color. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"Sorry? There's nothing to be sorry about," he assured her. He lifted his arms, letting them rest on her waist and she blushed darkly as she realized how they were sitting. Her straddling his lap like some sort of harlot. But she really didn't want to move. "I'm not going to push you." She smiled and kissed him gently before pulling back again. "I may be a bit of a jerk, but I'm not that bad."

"I don't think you're a jerk," Aquila informed him. "Piers, yes, but you, not even if you tried." She paused, grinning slightly. "Well, maybe if you tried, but not unintentionally a jerk."

"Good," Dudley smirked. She pressed her lips to the edge of the smirk and then pressed her face into his neck. Good. They always ended their conversations with good. Well, maybe not always, but a lot of the times. It was starting to become their thing.

"Good," Aquila repeated quietly. She gasped suddenly and pulled away from Dudley, standing and straightening her jersey which seemed to have gotten mussed up. "Oh, Merlin, my mother has spies here. And she could appear and-and she may take us home before the match tomorrow if she saw that-" Aquila shook her head and glanced around suspiciously. But she couldn't see anyone paying attention to them really. She kissed Dudley lightly. "I'm sorry-"

"Because you won't kiss me in public? Only when the doors are closed?"

She sank into the chair beside him, sighing, "You know that's not why, Dudley. My mother... the only reason is my mother and you know that. If my mother wouldn't ward me in my room for a century because she specifically made me promise I wouldn't do anything with you, I would be shagging you right here, in front of everybody..." She paused, grimacing slightly. "Okay, maybe not shagging. But I'd sure be giving you a right snog session that could potentially make my lungs collapse from lack of oxygen." She slumped in her seat, crossing her arms as she stared at the dark sky above them, the fireworks contrasting greatly. They were two knights, with an army of soldiers behind them, as they clashed. The twins seemed to enjoy making fireworks battle. The knight's swords clanked like thunder and the men behind them charged forward into battle. "We just need to be careful in this crowd."

"Right."

He was mad. She frowned and looked over the pulsating crowd, her alcohol addled brain pulsing with it, but she didn't have a headache yet. So she cast a sobering charm on herself and put her wand in her pocket. "I'll... I'll go over there. You want space."

"No, I don't. I want to talk."

She glanced at him and he seemed took take a deep breath to relax. "Talk about what?"

"If anything did happen between us, it wouldn't be public, would it?" He seemed to come to this conclusion over whatever evidence he had in his head, because Aquila began to protest, he continued. "And your mother-"

"I told you, my mother would get over it," she interrupted, because that seemed to be the only time she could put to rest his ridiculous theories. "And I never said that we'd be private. I said that we can't do this now. I'd rather my week away from her be uninterrupted by spies and my mother. I don't want to kiss you and think about my mother. I'm saying we can't snog senseless in public because my mother would throw a very public fit over that and I don't want there to be a fit of any kind - because it will be in the newspaper that the recluse wife of a Death Eater throws a fit over daughter dating a Muggle. And that's the press my family doesn't need... that's the press my enemies can't read, because it will put you in danger. It will put your parents in danger... So I'm saying we wait until my mother's spies can't see us, okay?"

It seemed to make sense, because he nodded slowly. "So this is to protect my family."

"Yes, because if it were to wait, and start privately, then no one would take such notice to it and you'd be left alone. And when I say privately, I mean, without my mother's emotional fiasco, okay?" She paused and stared at Dudley, begging him to understand. "I do really like you, Dudley. And I don't want to hide that, but for the next few days, that's necessary. And then whatever happens - well, it happens. But... I don't want this in the papers. So it has to be quiet."

"Alright," Dudley said after a moment. "I just... I don't like the idea of not-"

"I know," Aquila nodded, knowing how he'd finish. They both weren't used to a quiet relationship, it seemed. They'd have to try to start. "You're my bridge, you know. That I need to cross. You're on the other side of it... So I reckon that means that any snogging will only make me step the last two steps."

"Two steps, now? What happened to the length of the bridge?"

She smirked at him, leaning into his shoulder briefly. "You did."

0o0o0o0o0o0

The evening air was crisp as Euryale Black walked silently along the stone path. The hedges were tall around her, as dark as the sky above, and as looming as the decision she had made. She drew her cloak tighter around herself as she neared the end and stood at the door. This was the moment. She could turn back now, turn back and listen to both of her children, or she could continue on and ensure that her children would be protected. Her daughter would be protected.

She beat the knocker twice against the door and waited to be tended to. Aquila would never forgive her for this, but it was for the best. Euryale knew what she had to do.

"Madame Black," an elf greeted. "What business does Madame have in Malfoy Manor?"

"I wish to speak to Lucius about an urgent matter," Euryale spoke sharply. "Where is he?"

"Master is in the study, Madame. Shall Breggin take Madame to Master?"

"Yes," Euryale said crisply and then the elf was taking her hand and they apparated to the doors just outside the study. Euryale dropped the hood of her cloak and took a deep breath. She was in. It was too late to leave, now. She knocked twice.

"Enter," the regal tone of the man she had gone to school with and seen frequently spoke from inside. Her last chance. She pushed open the door and the elf skittered away with a squeak. Lucius looked up at her entrance, but didn't betray any hint of surprise. They hadn't seen each other in years and yet he hadn't aged a day. Then again, neither did she. "Euryale, I must say, I'm pleased to see you. I've received your owl."

"Yes, I'm afraid I couldn't wait until morning," Euryale said regretfully. "I apologize for dropping by unannounced."

"Take a seat," Lucius said, gesturing to the two wing backed chairs in front of his desk. Euryale walked towards one, taking her cloak off and resting it on the back, before she sat carefully. "Tea?"

"No, thank you," Euryale said quietly. "I'm here to discuss the contents of my letter."

"You are sure this is the route you wish to go? Malfoy Enterprises prides itself in its work. But if you should change your mind-"

"I won't," Euryale interrupted. "This needs to be done. She will understand when the time comes."

"When will you inform your daughter of your plans?" Lucius asked curiously. "An hour beforehand? Perhaps days? You know who has returned."

"The Dark Lord's business does not concern my daughter, Lucius," Euryale told him sharply. "My daughter is my concern only."

He nodded once and passed her a scroll of parchment. "All it requires is your signature. I will acquire the other in the morning and seal it." Euryale nodded and took the offered quill to sign. "You understand the terms, of course?"

"It will occur," Euryale said firmly. "I will not let her-"

"And if it were not to occur," Lucius interrupted, "I will have no qualms telling the Dark Lord where your loyalty lies in this war."

She understood the threat. She would not live to see outcome. The Dark Lord would kill her for being a traitor. She knew too many secrets about the dark for her to be dismissed without a second glance. Her husband had discovered them all, and she just needed to pass the word to those in charge of the Order when the time came. "It will occur."

"Then sign." And Euryale signed.