Chapter 13: At Last

Someone pounded on Mircea's door and she jolted awake. Draco had checked in on her and she had been trying to wake up fully, still drowsy from sleeping potions, as he examined her arms and her scalp. Her new scars were well healed but still shone with pink newness and her hair had grown back in pretty normally, though the new hair was more wheat blonde instead of her usual sand color.

Draco answered the door and Artemis Sudent entered carrying a gown. Artemis was Mircea's superior at the Ministry and she had been given the task of coordinating the Christmas Ball. Speeches and toasts had to be approved by the Dark Lord himself, so she had been tasked with bringing Mircea's dress to the Manor.

"You look awful," were her first words.

Mircea got out of bed, flicked her off, and yanked the dress out of her hands. "If you disappoint the Dark Lord tonight and I'm sure you'll get a chance yourself, you little-."

Draco grabbed Mircea's arm and she stopped herself. She gave him a look of pure poison though and he let her go quickly.

"Heard that Lucius will be looking for you tonight," Artemis sneered.

"What does that mean?" Mircea fought to keep her voice even.

"You haven't heard? You're no longer his caretaker. He's free to do whatever he wishes with you."

Lightheadedness forced Mircea to grab hold of one of the posts on her bed. She felt as though her knees were going to give out. Were they really free now? She could not believe what she was hearing. She snuck a glance at Draco and he looked impassive; the only sign of any reaction was one hand clenched into a fist.

Artemis took their reactions to mean something entirely different and fixed her attention on Draco. "What do you think, Draco? How will your father deliver his revenge?"

Draco looked at Mircea a moment before speaking. "I'm sure he will now be able to take advantage of emotions he has been forced to repress for quite some time. And woe to anyone who would stand in his way."

Artemis gave him an approving smile. "Well, I'll leave you, dear. Should give you time to prepare. You'll need it!"

Draco followed Artemis out, offering to show her to the Dark Lord's rooms. He did not look at Mircea and she was soon left alone with the biggest piece of news since she had been assigned to look after Lucius. Mircea held the dress up so she could look it over. Finally something was falling into place.

Lucius arrived at the Ball with his son in tow, but Draco quickly disappeared; even in the wizarding world it was lame to go to a party with your father. Lucius moved off to a corner of the room to watch people come and go.

Using years of practice, he wore an expression that was expectant but fixed on no one in particular. People may interrupt his thoughts to say hello, but as he seemed to be looking for someone they did not stick around for long conversation. This left him to his thoughts. Lucius had tried to think of a way to let Mircea know how he had received the news. There were a million things he wanted to tell her but he could think of no way that did not involve going to her room and did not involve his son. The manor had been too full of people for him to even dare leaving his room until it was time for the Ball. Besides this, he felt eaten alive by doubt and worry. If she was no longer tied to him there was no reason she should stay in his house, no reason she should not go back home, and no reason why she could not try to find another man. Mircea seemed to have feelings for him but there were millions of men that she could love and marry without having to worry about any repercussions. She had talked in the past of men she had admired in Romania. It would not be easy to just leave now that she was a Death Eater but she would stand a better chance of disappearing and starting new somewhere else than almost anyone else; that was why she had been recruited after all.

It was a good hour until Lucius finally caught sight of Mircea but when he did his heart began to race. Her dress seemed held up by sheer force of will, a black lace dress that seemed to fade into her very skin just below her collarbones and low on her back.

Two things kept him from going to her, however. Lucius had gotten a definite sense that he was expected to seek revenge for the time he had spent under her thumb. If he were to simply go to her, kiss her as deeply as he could, and then take her against a wall (as he wished to do) it would raise more than a few suspicions. The other problem was the simple fact that from the moment she entered the room Mircea actively ignored him. She focused her attention on the one or two men that now seemed interested in her and would even physically turn away if Lucius put himself in her line of vision. And the first time he saw Mircea flirting with another man and allowing him to touch her and kiss the corners of her lips, Lucius headed for the drinks.

As the Christmas punch warmed him, Lucius fought to keep his emotions under control. The last thing she had told him had been to try to dissuade him from expressing his true feelings for her. And he had been more rough and caustic with her than he had ever been with Narcissa… All of the nasty things he had said to her, all of the times he had physically bullied her, and all of the times he had been flippant about her feelings or her past began to replay themselves in his mind. The only solution that occurred to him was to get completely hammered, so he set about doing this.

Mircea, however, had noticed him the moment she entered the ballroom. Lucius looked more handsome than ever, in gorgeous black silks and satins with touches of silver. His hair was worn long and she suppressed a smile at the thought that it was probably because he could not tie it to his satisfaction. Mircea could feel eyes on her though and so she turned away from him. Artemis had given her a sense of what to expect from those present: everyone now knew she no longer held the reigns over a fellow Death Eater who had been forced to work below her very publicly. And their fights had never been quiet or private, so everyone knew there was bad blood between them.

She had arrived at only one good solution: stick tight to the one or two people who were now interested in her, play the single witch, and try to sort everything out later that evening. But there was no way to communicate this to Lucius and she hadn't been able to speak to him since the Dark Lord had turned the tables on them. Mircea saw the look Lucius gave her when she flirted with someone from the Gringott's offices and her heart fell. She could not stop watching him over the shoulders of the men she was with as he nursed drinks and glowered.

The time for the speeches arrived and the entire room crowded forward. Mircea moved back to the far side of the room; the room was lined with thick curtains and instinct drew her there automatically. Lucius, standing some distance behind her, followed her with hollow eyes and began to raise a new drink to his lips. A long pale hand took it from him and he found himself looking at Severus Snape.

"Pull yourself together," Snape snapped at him quietly.

"This is the only way I can enjoy a party anymore. Revenge is not as sweet as some might think," Lucius retorted, trying to get his drink back.

"Do try to be a little less thick, Malfoy."

"Be clear or go away."

"She hasn't taken her eyes off you since she arrived. She's watching you now."

Lucius looked up in time to see Mircea turn quickly back to the speaker. A glowing feeling that was not from the alcohol began to fill him and a small smile grew on his lips. He kept his eyes on her and before long he saw her sneak another glance at him. When their eyes met, a blush crept across her cheeks and she turned back around quickly.

"Do be cautious," Snape drawled and walked away. He had fulfilled the tiny amount of action his conscience had nagged him to take. Statistically, they could not both survive the war that was coming so they may as well take the time they had now. Clearly, they were both being too stupid to admit what he had seen coming months ago, so he had laid their excuses to rest.

Lucius stood straighter, pulled his jacket and cravat back into perfect neatness, and slipped silently behind the curtains nearby. He crept along the wall until he reached Mircea. He knew he needed to wait for the right moment so he took the chance to think. Was he sure this was what he wanted? He was not the kind of man to just have someone and throw them away. And was it really worth the risk? Surely he could love someone else! But he had watched her sleep, he knew the fiery look in her eye by heart, and he had wrapped his heart around the feeling of holding her in his arms. There was no one else he wanted to love like this. And he needed to tell her all of this, to say stupidly sentimental things that slightly embarrassed him but were still very true. At long last the first speech ended. The crowd broke into loud applause and he took action.

Mircea felt someone take her hand and draw it into the curtains. She recognized his touch at once and followed automatically. Lucius pulled her behind the curtains with him, his arms wrapped around her, and before she could even react he kissed her fervently. Mircea had no idea what had prompted this but she kissed him back just as deeply. This was everything both of them had wanted. The world outside of their little sheltered space continued on, but for them time stopped. They were free to admit how deeply they felt and to express it in ways that they had not allowed themselves before.

Both of them were intensely aware of how much this was not the right time or place though. Forcing himself to break his lips from hers, Lucius leaned forward and whispered into the shell of Mircea's ear.

"I have something I must tell you. You will find me in my office."

And then he was gone. Only Severus noticed Lucius leaving as the applause rang out for the end of the second speech.

Mircea forced herself to wait about ten minutes before leaving the hall as well. Time had never passed more slowly in her life and her heart was hammering so loudly she was sure others would notice. The question of where this could go and what would they do persistently tried to poke holes in her mood, but she forced it away, focusing instead on what Lucius could have to say to her. Once she left, Mircea worked her way out into the main atrium before kicking off her heels and hurrying through the Ministry as quickly and silently as she could. She reached her office and threw open the door.

Lucius had his back to her when she entered. He turned to her in one fluid motion and the look he gave her when she entered the room melted her completely.

"I didn't know if you would come," he murmured, pulling her into his arms.

"I've never been very good at staying away," she replied, easing his coat off of him.

"I have been meaning to tell you, Persephone…"

"Yes?" she whispered, only daring to breathe the word.

"I love you."

Relief combined with pure happiness and she could not suppress a lovely smile. She kissed him with everything in her and they charmed the room as quickly as possible. Finally they were able to dissolve into the passion that thrummed between them for so long like a reverberating cord.

Mircea finished re-pinning her hair and Lucius planted a kiss on her neck. She smiled at him, but there was hesitation in her smile, and she shooed him away. He watched her for a moment, trying to stifle the uneasiness that was creeping in at the edges of everything. She met his eyes in the mirror and gave him a quick half-hearted smile that was clearly intended to make him feel better. He turned away and finished buttoning his waistcoat, caught between grinning at what had just happened and worrying about what he may have damaged. When he turned back to her, he saw Mircea standing by the door.

"I'll head down. Wait a while and come in the northern doors." Mircea was trying to look at ease but her manner was strained, and she kept her distance from him.

"Of course."

"You really should at least hit me or something. If people have noticed–"

"Damn them. I really could not."

"I'll get someone else to then."

"I'll find the man and kill him."

But instead of smiling her wry smile, Mircea sighed and left without even so much as a kiss. Lucius was perplexed. Granted it had been literally years since he last romanced a woman, but this had not been bad from what he remembered. And she had seemed very affectionate afterward as well. The thought of her lips against his skin as they lay naked and wrapped around one another made his skin tingle with pleasure. But now… she was distant and cold. Almost angry.

Mircea hurried through the halls of the Ministry ready to scream. How had she given in? How could she be so selfish? Hearing him say he loved her had disarmed her completely. But it did not excuse her current behavior. She had, not twelve hours ago, been tortured at the hands of the Dark Lord himself. She was falling so far down the ladder and so fast that it gave her vertigo. Lucius barely stood a chance of getting through all of this alive as it was and now she was going to wrap him up in her demise and tie his neck to the same millstone that was currently sinking her? She had once been strong enough to give up everything to protect those she cared for; what had happened to that person?

She had to get rid of Lucius and fast. It would take emotional brutality after what had just happened to convince him she was nothing but a shallow whore. She had to cut him deep enough that he would never want it again. She walked back into the party and grabbed a hold of the man she had flirted with from the Gringott's offices.

"Dance with me," she commanded playfully. And he was only too happy to oblige.

Lucius waited a good amount of time before returning to the party below. His visions of subtly flirting with her from across the room were shattered when he spotted her in another man's arms. This man was holding her far too closely, was trailing his lips along her shoulders in a way that made Lucius see red, and was holding Mircea's attention completely.

Lucius and Mircea's eyes met across the room and with a sickening deliberateness she tilted her face to the other man's and kissed him.

Lucius was filled with rage and pain. He had told her he loved her. He had made love to her and had never felt this way about any other woman. He had worshiped Narcissa, but Mircea stirred up every strong emotion in him and he felt much more deeply when he was with her. It had alarmed him when he met her but now… She was his match, his equal, and she had used him. Mircea was right; he should have hit her when he had the chance.

Well, Lucius told himself, everyone has been expecting to see a good fight and I'd hate to disappoint.

Mircea screamed in surprise when she was yanked backward by her hair. Her surprised dance partner did not even have time to respond as he was blasted off of his feet. The party had been winding down already, but those who had been about to leave stayed, hoping to witness whatever was coming next.

She clawed his face mercilessly and Lucius swore at her loudly, throwing her to the floor. She fell hard on her side, skinning her elbow, and glowered up at him defiantly.

"Go on, coward," she hissed at him.

He pulled his arm back, ready to hit her so hard her ears would ring. But he caught her eyes and saw hurt in them so clearly it stopped him in his tracks. Missing pieces clicked into place so suddenly he actually let his hand drop and took a step back from her. He knew what she was trying to do, and he knew why. But all eyes were on him and whispers were starting throughout the room. He turned to walk away from her and then spun on her, hitting her with a spell that left her lying on the floor unconscious. He picked her up, carrying her over one shoulder, and made his way to the Floo networks. Everyone stood aside for him as he passed by and no one spoke until he was gone.

Mircea awoke to find herself tied to a bedpost and with a head full of fog. Part of her wondered if some kinkiness had gone awry. However her eyes landed on Lucius and the look of pure wrath he was giving her and she began to struggle with her bonds. Nail marks ran across his forehead and nose and she knew she had done more just than that to make him angry. Worst of all, this was what everyone wanted, what everyone thought she deserved.

"Spare your wrists!" he finally snapped at her, tired of her struggling. "You'll speak to me, witch, if it's the last thing you do!"

Mircea stopped trying to get free and stared him down instead.

"Have I dissatisfied you in some way that you now whore yourself out to others?" Lucius asked, fighting very hard to keep his tone level.

"Yes."

A vase by her head exploded as Lucius lashed out in anger.

"And where would this dissatisfaction lie?"

"I thought I desired you. I now realize I do not. You are a risk I am unwilling to take." Mircea nearly choked on the words but she was able to deliver them convincingly. His expression in the silence that followed hurt her deeply.

"Enough lies. I demand the truth."

"The truth?" Mircea sat up as best as she was able. "The truth is you are an arrogant, spineless has-been. You are Ministry trash and you are a failure as a father. Your wife abandoned you as you lay rotting in Azkaban and I would be a fool not to do the same now. You are a pleasure to look at and I have sucked the last drop I could from you. You are no longer of any use to me."

Lucius had been preparing himself for what "tactics" she was likely to use though, and he retaliated with full force. "And you? You're the orphan of traitors. You were so stupid as to think you could reach higher than those of us who were here long before you. And now you serve a minor position in an office no one cares about. You are horribly scarred and small. You were never of any use to me."

Mircea was so shocked she could not fight back. Her emotions were already running extremely high: she had made love to the man she loved, she had made the hard decision to force him away from her, she had been nearly beaten by him. And now every wound of hers that he knew of had been ripped open anew. She tried and failed to keep from crying.

The bonds on her hands disappeared and Lucius tried to take her in his arms.

"Get away from me!" she snapped through her tears.

"No," he replied simply. "No matter how horrible you are, no matter how many men you throw yourself at, no matter how you abuse me I will not go away. I know you and I know what you are trying to do. It will not work."

"Lucius, we cannot do this! There is too much danger in it and…" Mircea trailed off, fearing she would break down completely.

"And what…?"

"And if I were to lose you, I would lose the only thing I care about. You must let me protect you! And to do that we must not take this any further!"

"But why, Persephone?"

Her teary eyes met his. "Because I love you, Lucius."

He moved toward her, longing to make up for the brutal words he had used, but she moved away from him.

"Say it again… please," he coaxed.

"I love you."

"And I love you. If we let this slip by we will regret it forever. I know we could be killed for it, but I cannot let the fear of death stop me from loving you. I am a coward and I have tried."

Mircea did not reply. She pulled Lucius to her, kissing him roughly as he eased her onto her back.

The next morning Lucius awoke to the feeling of Mircea running her fingers over his skin.

"Thank you," he murmured.

"What for?"

"For being here. I was afraid I would wake up and find you had disappeared forever."

Mircea was disarmed by his emotional honesty. She had decided before drifting off into sleep that she was committed, come what may. She had not voiced that to him though and it surprised her that he admitted his fear.

"No. You'll have to try much harder to get rid of me now," she soothed, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Good," he replied, snuggling closer to her. "If I must be stuck with anyone, I want to be stuck with you."

Reviews get previews! I'm going to try to publish at least once a week but we will see.