Another week passed and your days were filled with endless suitors coming to your doorstep to call on you. Some were downright nauseating, some were polite yet nothing special to you, but most of the time you were too busy daydreaming to pay attention to any of them.

Of course your mother chastised you for having your head in the clouds, and she constantly nagged you and reminded you that you would find a husband this season, and there was no getting out of it. You were beyond annoyed at her, but you were too preoccupied thinking of long platinum hair, silver eyes and the scent of pine and leather to heed her warnings. However, you should have realized her threats were serious, especially at the next ball.

At that point it had been about a few weeks, and things between you and your mother were getting to a boiling point. The trip in the carriage to the ball was tense, as right before you left, your mother told you that you would be dancing with none other than that ancient Viscount that she had pushed you on about a month ago at the last grand ball. You had protested with everything that you had, but nothing you said or threatened would convince her otherwise.

By the time you arrived at the ball, you were in a foul mood, tears threatening to spill over. You didn't notice anything about the sparkling and extravagant ball, as you were so worried about the moment you had to dance with the Viscount, who already had put his name on your dance card the moment you arrived, his ancient arthritic hands barely able to write his name down.

As the dancing began, your mother grabbed you by your wrist and shoved you towards the dance floor, the embarrassment and aggressiveness of it all finally causing a few of your tears to fall. As she dragged you, your eyes caught the one man's you hoped you would see. Lucius Malfoy was standing closer to the wall sipping a glass of champagne and looking in slight shock as he saw the treatment your mother gave you, and your bright teary eyes pleaded with him, almost as if silently asking him to save you. You saw him put down his glass immediately and began to follow you, but he wasn't able to make it before the ancient Viscount had your hands in his and the two of you were dancing, awkwardly, to the music of the orchestra.

You wouldn't even meet the stare of the Viscount despite hearing him complimenting your figure in your gown, all the while your ears were ringing with silent rage. As you moved stoically to the dance, your teary eyes finally looked around the room, to the angry face of your mother as she watched over you like a hawk, to the stares of some of your friends as they watched you with pity, to finally seeing Lord Malfoy coming up behind the Viscount and tapping him on the shoulder. You breathed out a sigh of relief. He had come to save you from the situation.

"May I?" He said with that deep voice of his, slightly startling the Viscount.

At first it seemed as if the Viscount would object but after looking up at Lucius, who towered over him with that impressive height and broad shoulders and the fierce stare in those silver-grey eyes, the old Viscount mumbled something but then bowed slightly towards you in propriety and sauntered away looking angered.

Lucius quickly grabbed your hands, easily falling into step in the dance that was currently happening. You were immediately comforted by his large, warm hands engulfing your own, and despite not really knowing the Lord, you instantly felt protected and safe now that you were held by him.

"Thank you," was all you managed to say as you stared up at him in wonder. "How…how did you know I needed help?"

"Any one can clearly see you were in distress," he said, his brows slightly furrowed as he took in the tears in your eyes. "I think many people saw I was in distress…and no one came to help. No one ever comes to help," you said sadly. "Except you."

Lucius' brows were still furrowed and his jaw was pressed hard as if he was angered slightly, "Such is the way of the ton," he said, clearly disappointed nothing had changed since his time away.

Lucius led you across the dance floor in mind numbing grace. He was one of the most talented dancers you had ever had the pleasure of dancing with, and soon enough your sadness and anger began to ease a bit. But not before long, the orchestra ended the song and while the rest of the crowd clapped at the end of the song, your mother was soon by your side looking at you and then up at Lucius, a piercingly angry look on her face.

"If you will excuse my daughter," she said through slightly clenched teeth, "I must speak with her."

You didn't want to talk with her at all, you wanted nothing to do with her, "I would like to stay and dance with-" you began to say but not before your mother grabbed you by the wrist again to drag you off.

"Now!" She said

"Madame…" Lucius said as his silver eyes glanced to where she was gripping your wrist, indicating he was watching.

"Excuse me sir," your mother said angrily as she released your wrist, remembering her propriety, and then turning back to you. "Now." She said once again as she waited for you to follow her.

With one last look of desperation back at Lucius you bowed slightly to him said "thank you" quietly and then followed your mother to a more quiet area, but not before you turned back to Lucius who ever so slightly nodded his head to the left, where there were doors leading out into the gardens, as he started walking in that direction. You would know where to find him then.

Your mother pulled you into a side room and shut the door quickly. "How could you?!" She started yelling at you. "How could you sully our good name by dancing with that Marquess Malfoy?!"

"He saw me in distress! He was being a gentleman!" You yelled back, finally having enough. You realized then you greatly disliked your mother. She never cared about you, only what looked good for the family in society.

"What have I told you about leaving your feelings behind, and be a proper lady! It's all of those ridiculous books you read!"

"Sorry I'm a human being!" You yelled back, not backing down.

"And how dare he interrupt your dance with your betrothed. How uncouth!"

You weren't sure if you had imagined it, with all of the anger boiling inside of you, but you surely misheard what she had just said. "…did you say…betrothed?"

"Indeed!" She huffed.

"What?! To that old Viscount?! I never agreed to this! When did this happen?" You said as fresh, hot tears began streaming down your face, unable to believe this was real.

"You have no right to request to approve or agree to something! I told you that you were getting married this year and since you have failed to make a match as of yet over these years, I finally made the decision for you!"

"NO!" You screamed as you ripped the dance card from your wrist and threw it at your mother's feet.

"It's already confirmed! You can't ask for a better match. The Viscount has influence and money and he's promised to provide for you and our family. You are marrying the Viscount," she said firmly. "Mother…mother please no…I can't! You can't do this to me" You said as your tears flowed, as you tried to plead to any ounce of love or empathy your mother had for you.

She didn't flinch an inch towards showing any sign of compassion, "This isn't one of your novels about love. Remove yourself at once from your fairytale worlds and be reasonable. This is a good match and you cannot get out of it now. The contract is signed," she said crossing her arms.

You felt like crumbling. You couldn't believe she hadn't told you…had done this to her own daughter. You couldn't wrap your mind around what had just happened. All that you knew was that you needed to get out of this room and away from your mother. All of your dreams and hopes for any type of happy life died and you couldn't help the stream of hot tears now that wouldn't stop. They were tears of sadness of course but more than anything, anger. "Well..are you going to go out there and find your betrothed and apologize?" Was all your mom had to say to fill the horrible silence.

Your anger and almost hatred towards you mother was now at its peak, and with a look of pure fury at her, all you managed to say was "Never," as you ran out of the room and towards the garden, as your mother yelled your name after you. You ran, the ballroom a blur of gilded chandeliers and crystals, until you finally made it outside into the fresh air. You kept running, into the more hidden part of the garden beyond the outer hedges, your body both knowing your mother wouldn't bother to go out this far to find you and also knowing that Lucius Malfoy would be there waiting. The only person who had ever done anything for your own happiness your entire life, despite barely knowing him.

Finally within an inner area of the expansive garden you saw the tall and elegant form of Lucius Malfoy, as he stood there, seemingly waiting for you patiently. As he heard you approach he immediately walked over to where you were. "Are you hurt?"

You appreciated the fact that the first thing he wanted to know was if you were okay. Your mother must have looked quite enraged if his first thought was that she physically hurt you. "Physically I'm fine," you said as tears still fell. You put your hand to your chest, your heart feeling so bruised, "But I'm not well."

"I am sorry if I have caused you any trouble," Lucius said moving closer to you slowly, not wanting to alarm you. "I know I am not a desired person to be around in society."

"I don't care about any of that," you said looking into his eyes. "You are the only person who has ever done anything to help me…the only person to never have judged me."

Lucius looked down in humbleness, clearly not knowing what to say, however he finally said what he needed to. "In my time away from society, I realized how to be more empathetic…not only to myself but to others."

"I wish the rest of society would learn that lesson," you said as the angry tears fell.

"And now…" you continued, "now I am to marry that…that vile Viscount!" Lucius' silver eyes seemed to stutter at that revelation and his jaw clenched slightly, clearly in distaste. However he kept his mouth shut, clearly not wanting to say anything improper.

"I can't…" you said, breaking the silence, "I can't go through with it…it can't be him…"

"That man…is quite unsavorable," Lucius said quietly, letting you know that he was on your side.

"I would never have agreed to this match. My mother doesn't care though. All she cares about is status and money…I have always wanted…more," you said as you looked up at Lucius, to see if he knew what you meant by that.

"I understand," he said as he briefly reached for your hand and held it gently in his, that deep voice that had been slowly becoming your only comfort outside of your books. "I wish there was something I could do…I fear that my opinion however doesn't hold much sway.." He continued, as he dropped your hand, much to your dismay.

As you looked up into his kind, silver eyes, and then examined the rest of his beautiful face, you had the strangest idea pop into your head, and quite an improper one at that, but suddenly the thought consumed your entire mind and body and you knew immediately that it was something you had to ask of him, no matter how insane it may be. You knew once you asked him there was no going back, and if he were to reveal what you were about to ask of him to anyone, it could ruin you forever. Despite all of that though, you somehow knew you could trust him.

"I need it to be you," you said shakily as your eyes glanced down a bit and your cheeks flushed.

"What do you mean?" Lucius asked, one of his eyebrows quirking up slightly.

"I need it to be you," you said again, as you swallowed hard but continued speaking, "it can't be him…to…take me for the first time…as a man does to his wife on their wedding night," your cheeks were burning red by this point, but you kept your resolve and still looked into his eyes with determination. "It can't be him…please."

For the first time you saw Lucius' calm demeanor falter, and this time he was the one looking down, his cheeks only the slightest bit pink, but you could still tell your demand affected him.

"I…I …Miss Y/N," he said quietly, as if anyone could be listening, "that would be quite improper….I-"

"What my mother is doing to me is wrong…I want…no, I need my first time to be more. Perhaps it is my silly romance novels after all, but I just…please," you said as you reached out your hand this time to gently take his.

His silver eyes moved from your own to briefly look down at your lips as he slightly licked his own with his tongue, almost as if he was finally realizing what you were asking, and that the temptation of that ask was consuming him. His gaze flicked back up to yours, the silver of his eyes seeming to burn molten.

"I mustn't," he said breathily, as you noticed his jaw clenched harder, as if he was holding back.

"Please," you begged again, just as breathily as he was.

"If anyone were to find out…" he said, as his chest breathed in and out quickly, "I don't care about myself, but I would ruin you…" he continued, his lids going heavy as he said that, as if his words held a double meaning, although you were half sure he meant your reputation.

"No one will ever know…just us," you said as your eyes portrayed all of your determination towards him. "Please," you pleaded yet again.

Lucius looked at you for quite a few long seconds as you could see his brain trying to process everything behind his silver gaze. His jaw clenched once more and then unclenched, and with one last look at your plush lips he gazed into your eyes with a look that made the heat from your cheeks rush straight to your core, "I can't deny you when you plead with me like that, you have no idea what it…what it's doing to me."

"Say yes then," you said quickly.

He didn't waste another second before he said in a deep, husky voice "yes."

You felt your thighs slightly clench together and your heart was beating so fast you were surprised it didn't beat straight out of your chest. Before you could say anything, Lucius spoke.

"I will send my carriage for you tomorrow night at 10 o'clock. It will be waiting for you around the corner, so as not to attract any attention. Will you be able to sneak away from your household?"

"Yes," you said breathily, as you felt lightheaded at the thought. It would be only too easy to sneak out your window and down the trellis to escape. You had done it many times before.

"You are sure about this?" He asked as his eyes looked to where you were still holding his hand.

"You are the only man that has ever treated me with respect or has ever noticed the true me…if I am to be cursed to marry that despicable Viscount…I will give my body to someone I choose."

Lucius looked at you as if he was seeing something truly amazing and it made your blush come back into full force. You perhaps wondered if you honored him by choosing him to do this task…that someone else in the world trusted him this much.

Not saying a word, he raised your hand up to his lips and kissed it, his silver eyes looking at you as he did so.

In that one moment you knew singlehandedly that you had made the right decision. Whatever were to happen tomorrow, you knew in your heart it would be incredible.