Under Your Spell (Closed)

[Cum_Inside]

Lucas Hastings had never disliked Quidditch quite as much as he did at this moment. Although he wasn't athletically inclined, Lucas admired the people who were. At almost six foot tall with quite a lanky build, he only wished he had enough coordination to fly and manage to play anything that resembled a true game of Quidditch. Alas, that was for those much more skilled than he. Lucas did well to not trip over his robes on his way to and from classes. It wasn't for clumsy boys afraid of heights.

Leaning up against the wooden seats on the highest tier of the stands, Lucas was forced to turn his sneer away from the skies where Slytherin and Hufflepuff competed for the first win of the season.

Shifting his eyes away from the game didn't block out the sounds, though.

There was one that always managed to bleed through all the whistles, cheers from the crowd, the trash talking going on between players, and the loud crack of a beater's bat connecting with a wayward bludger.

Light and musical, casual and gentle. Nothing special. At least, Lucinda's voice and her sweet, carefree giggles had been something he'd maybe taken for granted over the years. Now that he was bereft of it, Luke heard the whispers of it everywhere which reminded him just how much he missed his best friend.

It had been two months since the schoolyear started. It was mid November now and he'd only had a few moments with Lucy to himself once they'd stepped off the train. Their separation was a hard pill to swallow considering that they were typically attached at the hip and went everywhere together. It was one of those things that nobody questioned; where one was, the other followed. It had been that way since they were children, growing up just down the street from each other. Lucas wasn't so sure what had happened to forcibly separate them, but he did know that he didn't like it one bit. Lucy swore that she wasn't mad or upset with him, but it felt that way. She always shrugged it off in the carefree way that she had but each time she walked away from him, the hole from her absence widened a bit more and the sting grew. It may have been silly, but not having all of her attention was the worst feeling in the world. He wanted every bit of it at every possible moment.

Lucas had never denied being selfish.

Thinking back on it, reflecting over and over until he made himself sick about it, Lucas had no choice but to admit what had been the catalyst to losing his best friend.

Fucking Malfoy, Lucas sneered, you've always gotta be an entitled prat and steal what everyone else has.

Listening to Lucy raise her voice in excitement whenever Draco Malfoy hurtled by her on his broom made Luke's stomach feel like a doxy had taken up residence in there and was making every effort to be as annoying as possible; watching the way Lucinda made stupid little heart eyes at the blonde boy was nauseating. With a heavy heart, Lucas decided he couldn't do it any longer. Turning his back on the happy couple, Luke made the long trek back to the castle from the Quidditch pitch.

Even his Potions essay on the multiple uses for murtlap spines couldn't be worse than this. Why anyone would choose to hang out with bloody Malfoy, of all people, was beyond Lucas; he was stumped. There was no redeeming factors to be had in that case - sure, he might have been an okay looking bloke but that personality left much to be desired. What did people see in him?

****

Although the game wasn't much for true competition, Lucinda was happy to spend the afternoon out on the pitch. The air was just a bit cool but certainly not chilly, and the leaves were beginning to turn all over the grounds. From here, Lucy envied Draco for being in the sky to see such beauty, but if she was being honest she wasn't focused on anything but him.

Despite being raised in the same social circles, Lucy hadn't been more than an acquaintance to Draco for most of her life. Actually, even up until this summer they really hadn't had much to do with each other outside of social events put on by their parents, who made sure to show the world their wealth and pride in their Pureblood family names. Lucy and Draco had both grown up knowing how best to ply on a fake smile and pretend to be the epitome of a well-mannered socialite, groomed and trained until they could put on a show in their sleep.

Something had changed over the summer for Draco and though Lucy wasn't quite certain what that had been, there was no denying that when she sought him out at the latest family function, conversation had flowed smoothly and they'd both been able to relax and realize that they had some common interests, surprisingly. If you'd asked her last year whether she thought that she'd ever want to be friends with Malfoy she would have laughed in your face, but now...

Draco was more than he showed the world. His mask was so tightly woven that she sometimes wondered if he even knew what was a front and what was sincerity these days. Lucy wanted to reach out and peel it off, maybe even break it, with her gentle fingers against his pale skin to show him what it meant to have someone care about his wellbeing. Lucy wanted to count herself in that minority.

Lord knows that maybe Mrs. Malfoy was the only person that truly did; anyone else just wanted what Draco could be. They wanted the Malfoy heir.

It made Lucy sick.

They didn't see him like she did.

Sure, they saw him for his looks, but that meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. It was no secret that the Malfoys, with their platinum blonde hair, perflectly sculpted jawlines and thin frames, were cut from a different cloth than most. It didn't help that those haunting silver eyes were so magnetic.

Draco, for all that he purposefully antagonized others, was strong and brave, resilient and clever.

Lucy saw him, and she liked what she was seeing. She wasn't stupid; he hadn't even begun to let her in, but the cracks were there. She hoped that the way she felt might be somewhat reciprocated in him the way he did seem to let his guard down when they hung out. If Lucy didn't get her shit together, she'd probably suffer from these unrequited feelings forever -- the more time she spent with Draco, the more her heart skipped beats. If she didn't do something about this soon...

But before she could even begin to straighten any of that out she had to deal with Lucas and find out what his deal was. She missed her best friend but things had been strained for a while and even when they were together she'd seemed to struggle with getting him out of his headspace and feeling better. She had to work harder, is all. As much as she liked exploring her new friendship with Draco, there was nothing like the bond she shared with Luke.

She refused to let him slip away.

We have a hot date after dinner she decided stubbornly. I'm done giving him space to mope around.

But first?

To congratulate her fellow Slytherin on his well-earned victory; Hufflepuff had never had a chance.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Lucy grinned, thick pouty lips pulling away to reveal a set of perfect white teeth.

“Yeah, you’re always amazing on the broom,” she remarked. “I love watching you fly, actually.”

There were a few things she liked about Draco. Some of them were quite shallow, but the more she learned about him, the more she liked. It worked well that Draco was so private and didn’t want anyone in his business because it meant that he really didn’t care to stick his nose in her own private affairs. There was no stress when she was with him - it felt easy.

The years had been good on him, and Lucy was pleased to know that he was interested enough in her company to bother to speak with her and not just ignore her presence.

Now, Draco’s hair was a bit ruffled and there was a bit of a flush creeping down his neck from the effort he’d expended catching the snitch, broom clutched against his side.

Taking the liberty, Lucy curled her hand around his elbow.

“Can I walk back with you? Congrats on your win - like there was ever any doubt.”

 

[Cum_Inside]

Lucy was thankful that Draco didn’t rebuff her, especially when she got a little more handsy with him than she had any other time before. It spoke about his comfort level with her and she liked that. Hopefully it was a good omen and they could work on being close friends instead of acquaintances, now.

Or... maybe they could be even more than that. It was only a thought Lucy allowed herself to think in the dark of night when she was all tucked up in bed and dreaming, because to allow it to bleed into her daily life and potentially ruin the foundation that was only tenuous at best right now would not be good. Lucy fancied Draco Malfoy, even if that was something that she’d only recently admitted to herself.

She liked how brazen he was - not afraid to speak up and able to hold his own in any conversation or disagreement. She enjoyed his cunning wit and intelligence, which he often hid below his snarky personality and sharp remarks. Next to bloody Granger, Draco had the best marks of anyone in the castle: even Lucas, who was more than a little put out about it. Lucas was smart, yeah, but his attention span could sometimes be short and his parents didn’t ride his ass about grades like the Malfoys did. If Draco got a poor test score, the stakes were a bit higher than a howler sent over breakfast. It wasn’t her business, but Lucinda was well aware of Lucius’ very high standards for his son. Her parents talked about it like it was normal, the way Malfoy senior treated his son, but Lucy had to flinch away from the haunted look in Draco’s eyes after a term holiday spent back at the manor.

Lucy had never been so glad to be raised by crazy auntie Holly. At least she didn’t have that kind of pressure on her plate. Her parents still expected her to do well, but they didn’t breathe down her neck 24/7. They’d had her on principle only, as a means to an end. They needed an heir. As long as their child didn’t publically disrespect them or make them look bad, they really had no care to give towards Lucinda. She never wanted for anything, but they were absent from her life other than the few short hours she was forced to play the role of their little princess at social events. It worked out well for everyone involved.

She liked that Draco knew what he wanted in life and had the determination to get it, no matter who stood in his way.

And of course she liked how stupidly handsome he was. She’d be a fool not to see it.

But all of that was only the tip of the iceberg. She wanted to learn everything and anything she could about him until she was able to drown in everything that was Draco Malfoy, devouring every morsel for information as though it was air enough to keep her treading longer in his shadow before she just couldn’t any longer.

She was overjoyed he was finally letting that happen.

They chatted mindlessly on the way back to the castle, but her smile was sweet when she confirmed that yes, she did indeed love watching him fly. It was more to do with how carefree he was in the sky, focused intently on the game and not all the drama and responsibility that weighed him down on a daily basis and how happy he looked on a broom. Plus, he was really freaking good at it.

Watching Draco do something he was confident about was so sexy.

She said as much with a shrug, admitting “I like watching you do a lot of things.”

***

After the incident with the Hufflepuffs in the hallway, Lucy was ready for a bite to eat. She reached for a raspberry croissant, always having been a fan of sweet things, and
picked away at that while she let her eyes roam across the Hall.

Funnily enough, just as Draco mentioned Lucy’s best friend, she watched as said boy sat alone on the far end of the Ravenclaw table with his back to them and his head bowed over whatever book he was reading now. Usually, Lucy might have invited herself over there and made herself comfortable. Despite both her Pureblood status and position in Slytherin, the Ravenclaws paid her no mind when she did such things, used to her presence anywhere their housemate was. It must have been foreign to everyone that she hadn’t been attached at the hip with Lucas all semester.

It felt that way to her, for sure. She’d tried to bridge the gap a few times but he was giving her the cold shoulder for some reason and she absolutely hated it. As much as she wanted to spend time with her current companion, Lucinda had always fancied Luke to be one of the most important people in her life. She didn’t know what she would do if he wouldn’t talk to her.

She needed him, had tried to reach out, but was only met with silence.

It really hurt. She had so much she wanted to talk about, rant about, do with him... But mostly... she just wanted for him to pull her right against his chest and squeeze her until she couldn’t breathe, picking her feet up off the ground and twirling her about until she was dizzy with laughter; that always managed to cheer her up.

Even in those unpredictable moments where he’d be a complete ass and deliver a stupidly wet lick from chin to cheekbone in order to make her either howl in horror or giggle uproariously, depending her mood. Draco would be apalled if he knew. Most people probably would, actually, but Luke and Lucy had little concept of personal space and friendship restrictions; if you loved someone, why did there have to be any rules to how that affection was demonstrated? Watching the way his eyes would crinkle at the corners while he chuckled at her, wiping her face off with the sleeve of her robes and faking affront, Lucy sometimes thought those were the best moments.

Lucy pouted, flicking her eyes back to meet Draco’s stunning silver.

“I dunno,” she mumbled. “The dork won’t fucking talk to me and I don’t know what’s wrong. Things are just... weird right now,” Lucy said finally. “I miss him. I’m going to figure out how to fix it tonight, but the better question is what’s up with you? Since when do you care about Lucas?”

Although the two boys weren’t friends and likely would never be, there was no question that Lucy took no shit about her connection to Lucas. Those that wanted to be friends with her just had to accept that it was a two-for-one, and she had no trouble reinforcing that whenever she needed to. This was no different. The boys were allowed to disagree but to outright fight and be cruel to one another? She didn’t want anything to do with it. She just hoped that they respected her enough for that.

 

[Cum_Inside]

It was no surprise that Draco only barely glossed over his observation, changing the subject and getting up to leave before she could even rearrange her thoughts and respond appropriately. He was like that sometimes; one just needed to take it in stride. Now that she was alone at the table, she made a bit of smalltalk with some of her housemates while she finished up her lunch, shooting several small glances over at the Ravenclaw table, keeping a close eye on Lucas at all times.

Just as he rose and started to shove his books into his knapsack, Lucinda practically bolted from her chair and crossed the Hall in a handful of strides to catch him. Launching herself over the last several feet, Lucy’s arms squeezed tightly about his slim waist as she mumbled: “oh no you don’t!”

Lucas froze with one arm raised to sling his bag up over his shoulder. Confusedly, his bright green eyes peered down at his own life size version of a leech clinging to his side with her face buried against his shoulderblade.

“Wha?? Lucy? What are you doing?” He uttered, glancing nervously around the Hall. “People are—“

She stepped back with a sneer, hands on her hips. Her voice was like fire when she retorted. “So what?! Who gives a damn if people are watching? You’re my best friend but lately you’ve been treating me like a leper. If I have to make a fool out of us to find out why, so be it! You know I don’t have a problem doing it,” she challenged fiercely. Despite that, though, her smile was sugary sweet; completely at odds from her tone. She tended to get that way when she was focused intensely on something, with nothing but selfish desire burning through her veins.

Lucas let out a nervous chuckle, nodding slowly, before gesturing in front of him.

“Let’s go, then. I really don’t want an audience for this, Lu.”

****

The whole way to their spot, a hidden alcove behind one of the gargoyles on the third floor, Lucas fidgeted with the sleeve of his robes. Lucy walked beside him with her shoulders stiff and a stern expression on her face, tugging at the strap of his bag to ensure he was indeed keeping pace. She didn’t really give him a choice. Of all the things in this world that Lucas Hastings was afraid of, miss Selwyn was at the top.

When they finally reached their destination, Lucy planted her feet and shoved Lucas back into the alcove so that he would have to get past her in order to escape. Although he was wiry in stature, she was only a little thing compared to him, and it was almost comical how he seemed to shrink in on himself away from her at only the touch of a hand, following her directions with ease.

“Talk,” she demanded, one foot tapping impatiently on the cold stone floor, hands once more propped against her hipbones.

She’s so pretty when she’s fired up he thought, still playing with the loose strings at the hem of his sleeves. He didn’t know what to say, wanted to avoid this in general, but eventually... Eventually something had to give. He didn’t want to lose her. He didn’t want to lose her, but he was also done feeling like shit when they were together.

His excuse was weak at best, but it somehow still managed to knock her for a loop when he finally came out with it.

“I thought you wanted to spend time with Malfoy,” he murmured, voice low and hesitant. “You were always looking for him. Sometimes... it was like you forgot I was there. After a while I couldn’t stand it...” He paused, seeming to come to a decision.

For the first time during the confrontation, Lucas’ own voice rose. “I can’t stand being second choice to your sick crush on that weasel!”

Lucy jolted back just as easily as he’d slapped her, with a gasp. She fought her default reaction to respond impulsively, defensively, and really took in the haggard look on her best friend’s handsome face. He’d never once really thought that she was choosing anyone over him, did he? And she hadn’t even been aware of said fancy until very recently, so how...?

Nevermind — nobody knew her better than Lucas did; actually, he likely understood her better than she did herself.

Her plump lips twisted into a frown, pondering what she could say to start untangling this whole mess..

She’d never meant to make him feel isolated, but she did really like Draco... The two of them would never really get along and she wasn’t stupid - forcing the issue would only make it worse in the long run. Her stomach dropped at the unpleasant idea that someday she might have to choose between them, but it would always be Luke... right? He was her best friend. Her soul mate, even.

Knowing him, this had been eating at him all summer.

“I... I’m... I’m sorry,” she finally whispered, at complete odds to her fierce determination only a few short minutes prior. “I didn’t know that I’d been doing it, Luke. I’m sorry; you know I’d never want to hurt you.”

He frowned, too, but there was something cold in his own voice when he answered her back.

“Well you did. Everything this summer has been about your stupid parties with bloody Malfoy and how he’s not the bad guy people make him out to be. Then I didn’t hear from you for weeks until school, and suddenly it’s like I don’t even know you!” He exploded. “I’ve heard more about you from other people than I have from you. It sucks!” By the end of his rant, Luke’s chest was rising laboriously, cheeks reddened from his anger.

Lucy watched in surprise. Lucas was one who didn’t often let his feelings get the better of him; he typically bottled them up fairly well, but sometimes when he was extremely passionate or stubborn about things, those feelings couldn’t help but explode in this way. It was a rare sight. That made her feel even worse about this whole thing.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I mean it. You should have told me to snap out of it.”

Taking a few deep breaths, releasing all his irritation at once, Lucas mostly just felt tired. Like a lightning storm, sucking all the humidity from the air and using the energy in all-consuming show of electricity, all that was left was the rapidly cooling space around them into something more laid-back and quiet.

He was mostly sad when he shook his head and began to elbow by her, dead-set on heading straight to the common room to finish up his homework for Transfiguration. He wanted out of this tense environment, and he wanted it now. Lucinda didn’t even put up a fight, moving robotically out of his way, still somewhat shell-shocked at the turn the conversation had taken. She’d never expected this, but maybe she should have.

“I’m sorry too,” he said, tiredly, pausing once he’d taken a few steps away. “I love you Lu, but something’s gotta give, okay? Either you want to be friends or you don’t, but I don’t wanna be your last option. Let me know when you’ve figured your shit out — maybe I’ll still be waiting.”

With one last solemn glance, Lucas turned his back and walked away.

****

Making her way back to the dungeons slowly, half in a daze, Lucy collapsed onto her bed with a loud sigh.

Although she’d had so much she still needed to say to him, when Lucas got in these rare moods it was often better to let him speak his mind and keep her own mouth shut. That was a difficult task all on its own, but certain times when it took her by surprise, even her need to have the last word in every conversation was silenced by the shock of it all.

Maybe she’d been a terrible friend to him these past few months, but he really didn’t have much of a leg to stand on there, either.

There’d been a disconnect somewhere and Lucy had no clue what had caused the distance.

Well...

She did know, but explaining herself to the person who meant the world to her made her want to choke up and start blabbering. She’d always been the strong one, so she couldn’t let him see her fall to pieces. Lucas would never intentionally try to make her feel like garbage, but she felt immensely humiliated and frightened when she thought back to the event that had caused this chasm in the first place. She couldn’t tell him, because she couldn’t bare to see the horror in his eyes when he looked at her.

No — best to stay mum on the matter and try and repair their relationship now before it got too overwhelming of a task.

She needed to get her priorities straight; Lucas always had been the best at giving her a reality check when she needed one.

Tomorrow is the day I make all of this right she decided stubbornly.

She couldn’t bear to lose him.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Prowling through the corridors, Lucy combed them in great detail searching for her wayward best friend; he’d been doing a good job of making himself scarce lately and she was absolutely steamed about it. Although she knew that she was unlikely to find him if he didn’t wish to be found, having such a great undertaking was keeping her mind off the entire manner. Hogwarts was massive; it was an impossible task.

Just as she plodded her way past Nearly Headless Nick floating by in the opposite direction, she registered voices several feet down the hall, just around the corner. Normally she’d pay no mind, but the dulcet tone of Malfoy senior coated her ears and sent a shiver spiralling down her spinal column; she’d never really liked the man for what she heard whispered in the common room and about the school. He’d never struck her as sociable, despite his very prominent presence in Ministry Affairs, Pureblood Relations, and anything and everything he could sink his claws into.

As she pressed herself to the wall just a few feet from the conversation, she became aware of Mr. Malfoy’s conversation partner — Draco, who seemed entirely too unhappy with the whole scenario, primarily silent and stone still, listening to his father (or tuning him out, perhaps), scared to set the elder off by demonstrating anything but respectful behaviour.

It made Lucy sick — Lucius treated Draco as more a slave than a son. The worst part? Draco allowed it; almost pretended that nothing was wrong. Draco was an entirely different person when his father was involved.

It was sad.

After a few minutes, she could take no more.

Turning back the way she came, Lucy made herself scarce as though she had never been there at all.

****

Lucas was genuinely surprised Lucy hadn’t ambushed him by now, but he’d done well to keep off her radar over the past few days by sheer will alone. He knew her better than to imagine her stepping foot in the library, of all places, even if she was well aware of his passion for reading — there was no way she’d come for him here, so he holed up between classes and partially through the evenings until his own dormitory called to him. It had been relatively peaceful, if one imagined that rowing with your best friend could be any sort of fun, but the tomes in the library proved a great distraction as he worked studiously to advance himself in his classes.

One afternoon shortly before dinner, Lucas stretched his arms and legs after several hours of pouring over an advanced Divination text, eyes and body both sore from how long he’d been sitting and staring at the book. With a sigh, he realized he was long past hunger and probably had missed dinner (he hadn’t), so he began to pack his bag slowly. There wasn’t enough room to fit everything, and so he was busy casting an enlargement charm as he hurried down the aisle to the exit while simultaneously carrying another three books in his arms.

He wasn’t paying attention to where he was going; when he slammed into someone, he opened his mouth to offer profuse apologies before recognizing the person who he’d collided with.

He scowled, but ultimately Malfoy was the last thing he wanted to deal with today. He was dead set on not buying into the clear attempt to aggravate him — this time.

He bent, folding his almost six foot body in half to reach for the nearest book even as he said: “oh, fuck off Malfoy — it was a bloody accident, alright? Nobody messed up your stupid hair or caused any harm, so if you please... I have better things to do,” Lucas muttered.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Lucas hated being made of a fool of.

That normally would irritate him, but something else kept him from really losing his cool even as the books spun and whirled above his head. Malfoy wore an absolutely gloating smirk, but Lucas was more intent on what he could see reflecting back at him from Malfoy’s eyes. The frustration and pain there was not really about the altercation between them, Luke suspected. Although Malfoy was a prat on a good day, he’d never gone out of his way to antagonize the Ravenclaw boy before. As a matter of fact, he’d never even noticed Lucas before this year, seemingly. He’d always been focused more on Potter and his merry crew.

So what had changed?

Lu and Malfoy Luke told himself sadly. Was Malfoy acting up because he was jealous of Lucy’s best friend? But no — it couldn’t be; anyone with eyes knew that the two had been at odds all semester so far. Lucinda has spent more time with Draco than Lucas, so there was no way this was all envy.

It was more than that.

The question was, why was Draco instigating fights with him now, if his problems didn’t centre on his greed for Lucy’s attention? He was missing a big part of the puzzle.

Only his surprised curiosity kept him from rising to meet Malfoy’s taunts. It turned out to be a good thing; just when he opened his mouth to retort, wand at the ready to cast the counter charm to the levitating books, McGonagall’s sharp voice cut through the raucous giggling of those who found it to be a little more than entertaining.

The books hit the floor with a loud clatter but it didn’t detract from the stern words that the Transfiguration professor spoke with absolutely no nonsense.

Intelligently, Lucas had enough mind to keep his mouth shut even though the urge to complain was eating him alive — he’d been targeted and pushed around — because of the unfair chastisement. Lucas hadn’t actually done much more than talk about Malfoy’s stupid platinum hair, which was decidedly ruffled but in a way that still looked perfectly coiffed - not anything like Potter’s wild bedhead that seemed to last all day long and just made him look a bit silly.

Draco was a gorgeous man and he knew it, and it sickened Lucas that he saw it, too.

“You’d like that too much, tosser,” he muttered to himself, before kneeling down to collect the rest of his books.

Just as he grabbed the farthest one, a smaller but much more callused hand brushed over the back of his fingers. Lucas startled, but when he looked up he relaxed. The hand did not move away from his immediately.

He recognized the face of the boy in front of him but his name wasn’t coming to mind. The brunette always seemed to have a perpetual sunny smile on his face and people seemed to like him, based on the group of friends he always seemed surrounded by at meal-times. Lucas remembered this boy pointing with his fork and loud laughter, brown eyes shining in mirth as his housemates leaned across the table to hear whatever story or joke he was telling.

He was wearing his Gryffindor tie today over a white dress shirt, robes splayed wide room revealing a pair of neat black slacks, contrasted by the brightest red sneakers Lucas had ever seen.

“Thanks...” he started, grinning easily, but also leaving the statement open ended, hoping that his cue for introductions might not go unnoticed.

As the other boy’s mouth widened in the most adorable smile, Lucas watched the way those deep chocolate eyes seemed to crinkle in at the corners with interest.

“Parker,” the boy answered, his voice lower and much softer than Luke had expected. “Parker Vance.” Parker gathered the final book and almost in unison they both stood up.

Parker was much shorter and smaller than Lucas, body thin but broad shoulders and sturdy chest transitioning into a trim waistline.

“Don’t let him bother you,” he continued genially. “Malfoy’s just a dick and everyone knows it.”

Lucas couldn’t agree more, really.

****

Draco wasn’t at dinner.

Even that night as she sat reading in the common room, feet tucked up underneath her bum, watchful eyes primarily trained on the door more than actually paying attention to her book, Draco didn’t return.

She waited until there was no more light shining through the huge glass window that stretched floor to ceiling the entire way across the massive sitting room. It prevented the lake water from spilling into the dungeon but offered views entirely different than any of the other houses might see - Ravenclaw and Gryffindor in their towers, and Hufflepuff on the other end of the castle (apparently somewhere near the kitchen? Lucy wasn’t certain) that apparently offered views of the flower-filled courtyard.

Each of their dorm rooms had portholes for windows that allowed them views into the depths of the Great Lake. Sometimes Lucy was certain she caught glimpses of the strangest things... things that might live in her nightmares. Sometimes she could see red eyes staring back through the murky dark of the water. Things were much more reassuring when the light of the sun broke up the water, even if it never really fully penetrated far enough to illuminate the bottom of the lake or the Slytherin common room.

For hours she sat there until it was clear that if she wanted to see him, she’d have to go looking.

****

Quietly, Lucinda dropped onto the ledge next to Draco.

She didn’t acknowledge his question, instead reaching for his fingers, her own sliding across the steady throb of his pulse on the inside of his wrist before dancing over the back of his hand.

“Then we won’t discuss it,” she said softly, agreeably.

Lucy settled back to rest against the wall, same as him, with her side pressed fully against Draco’s and their clasped hand pulled into her lap. She had no concept for personal space, had been told off for that a time or two before, but really didn’t care too much — Draco Malfoy wasn’t the type of man to allow her to touch him this way if he had no desire for it, after all. He was also a big boy and knew how to tell someone off in the most creative of ways, but for some reason he seemed to tolerate her attempts to worm herself into his orbit.

“I’m happy to just be here in the moment with you. But if there’s anything I can do to help... I’m here. That’s the last I’ll say on it - I’m your friend, Draco, and you’re a grown man who doesn’t need a babysitter,” she shrugged.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Those eyes... so deep and enchanting.

Lucy felt a frisson on warmth zap up her spine at the way Draco was staring at her, his long fingers stroking along her soft skin in a gentle manner she hadn’t thought him capable of. He’d never been this open with her before; casual, yes, willing to chat, but never bared himself like this.

Lucy felt hope rising in her chest. Maybe Draco did feel the same way she did but had simply denied it. She wanted to make herself believe that his closed-off, private ways had kept him from understanding what she hoped he was feeling for her. In all actuality, she’d be an idiot believing that Draco Malfoy gave a shit about her, really — as much as he may not be in-tune with his softer feelings, Slytherin house was well aware of just often the Malfoy heir was sating his needs with various harlots around the house.

Well, that’s only a rumour she thought viciously, jealously. Lucinda didn’t want to think about Draco with some other girl. It made her want to hurl like nothing else did (except maybe some bitch taking Lucas away, too, but that was another story). Lucy had always denied the worry bubbling in her gut that Luke might find himself a nice boy or girl to settle down with sooner rather than later and leave her behind. She didn’t want to imagine her boys with anyone but her. That realization... something thick and potent settled into her bones, steaming her from the inside out. She’d have to compartmentalize that and analyze it later.

Right now, with the easy way that Draco stroked her skin and levelled her with that heavy, seductive stare, Lucy felt like the rumours may have been true after all.

When he finally pressed his mouth to hers aggressively like she’d been waiting months for, all hopes that he’d been celibate before her went out the window. Fuck, but the way Draco kissed her... the boy knew what he was doing. His tongue curled around hers and he practically devoured her mouth, and she tried to keep up, but he was pulling away before she could do much more than react.

Her breath was still heavy when he retreated only enough to separate their lips with his forehead resting against hers and his nose brushing against her own.

Her smile was dazed.

But then she realized she needed to come clean if she wanted his continued attention and blooming trust and that smile slipped away like smoke.

“I heard you,” she whispered. “Your father. Today. I’m so sorry, Draco. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I wouldn’t have said anything if you hadn’t have brought it up, but I want you to know— I don’t want to lie to you. I... care about you.”

She pulled back for a moment, eyes dropping to their clasped hands, buried in his lap. She nibbled at her lip nervously.

“Please don’t be mad. I know... I know what it’s like to have a family that puts unfair pressure on you, even if my parents are the opposite of yours. Mine hardly give a shit about me unless I’m acting up,” Lucy murmured. “They don’t micromanage me, but I know there’d be hell to pay if I acted in any way that embarrassed the Selwyn name. I know what it means to be always on guard, acting like Daddy’s little obedient Pureblood Doll.”

Her voice had transitioned into more of a sneer, but her green eyes had slid back up to meet his, something so genuine and broken shining from them. She hoped that he understood what she was saying without feeling that edge like she’d overstepped, but they really did have so many things in common. Lucy didn’t want to lose this opportunity before they even got anywhere.

She squeezed his fingers, the action causing her fingertips to only just barely glance across what made her want to gasp — with their hands in his lap, Lucy’s fingers had met the rock hard edge of Draco’s cock in his slacks. She moved to pull her hand away, not wanting to be too obtrusive, even if she wanted...

Draco’s hand did not allow hers to budge.

For the second time in as many minutes, Lucy felt hope.

He hadn’t thrown her from the tower with her insubordination, and he wasn’t forcing her out of his personal space in lieu of her discovery.

Lucy’s lip turned up at the corners before she was leaning in again.

When she took the initiative this time, her mouth was so hesitant, so gentle on his. She needed him to take what he wanted — to take what he needed to make himself feel better after his miserable day. Lucy just wanted to be that person that gave Draco comfort. In all ways. It wasn’t her place to take charge, but she also wanted him to know just how she’d been feeling and encourage him.

Draco had just been looking for someone or something he could control all along as his life tumbled out of his grasp, wound up in the fists of his father and the Dark Lord’s legacy. If that meant that Lucy had to surrender herself to Draco in order to be that grounding force... She’d do it in a heartbeat. Plus, something warped inside of her had always wanted a man who was strong enough to control that bratty spirit inside of her; weak men made her want to be sick, really, and maybe it was more the Pureblood ideals she’d been raised on, but Lucy couldn’t suffer anyone who needed her to take control of everything. She wanted to be partner to a man who was able to be the dominant lover she’d always needed but still open to her feedback when he was on the wrong path (and only when he asked for it, of course, like Draco was doing now). As much as others might think it was an old-fashioned ideal, Lucy did believe in the way Pureblood wives were supposed to be seen and not heard.

As intelligent as she was, she assumed her parents would be proud of her motivations to be nothing more than a housewife — taking care of the household and her partner with steadfast love and determination, trusting him to make the right decisions for the family. In her dreams over the last couple of weeks, Lucy had been imagining this life with Draco; he was the perfect life partner for her, and Lucy just knew their parents would approve of their union.

Her crush was becoming more of an issue than she’d even recognized; Lucy felt a fluttering in her belly that made her wonder just how deep she’d been falling for Draco over the last several months. She didn’t love him, not yet, but she did feel like she could, if only he kept allowing her inside.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Something in her weakened at the way he pulled her closer. There was something so addictive about knowing that Draco wanted her in the same way she’d been wanting him. Whether or not that was because he was frustrated and looking to relax a bit and she was the closest thing to that, she didn’t know.

She wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth and ask why.

Kissing Draco was intense. He didn’t devour so much as indulge in her, tongue sliding smoothly along hers, tangling and pulling and dancing with her own. His lips were smooth and soft, well taken care of as opposed to chapped like some of the other boys she’d kissed had been. Likely that was due to the immense pride he placed in his appearance. Just because his mouth was soft didn’t mean the kiss was; it was deep and hungry, stealing her breath in a way that no other man had ever done before.

When he pulled back, Lucy felt her heart sinking. She didn’t want it to be over. She hoped that Draco might be feeling at least some of what she was.

Before she could say anything, ask him not to leave her, the clicking of zipper teeth rattled in her ears. Lucy’s brow furrowed in momentary confusion, but there was a sudden realization when her fingers closed around Draco’s hard cock — hot and thick, pulsating against her palm. “Oh,” she gasped, peering down at the gap in his trousers, looking to see where her hand had disappeared to. In the dark, she really couldn’t see it that well. She hoped there’d be more opportunity in the future where she could really admire the toned body she knew was underneath his robes.

Lucy tightened her fingers and gave him one experimental tug, from the base to the top, marvelling at the fairly impressive length and girth of his dick. She needed to know exactly what made him tick and she didn’t want to waste any time.

Turned out, Draco planned to give her a chance to do just that.

Feeling his strong hand fist in her hair, roots tugging painfully against her scalp, Lucy let out a breathy moan of excitement. She allowed herself to be pressed down into his lap, lips tasting the salty accumulation of precum against the crown of his penis before she opened wide and wrapped her lips around the head of him, hollowing her cheeks and sucking.

She closed her eyes, savouring the taste of what she’d desired for so long; not bitter, only a bit salty, but somehow just a hint of sweetness. After a moment of surprising patience from the both of them, Lucy began to bob. This time, her eyes met his as she sucked, tongue curling around the meaty thickness of him, tracing the juicy veins she found there. With slow suckles, Lucy sunk down until her lips caught just under the wide rim of his mushroom head.

Those wicked lips of hers curled into a wicked smirk as she started to bob in earnest, only as quick as the grip on her hair allowed her.

There was challenge in her eyes: with the playfully naughty glint there, and the twist of her red pouty lips, Lucy wondered if Draco would take the initiative and really fuck her face like she knew he needed to. If not, Lucy would take all the headway he let her have and show him just how he deserved to be pleased - with his cock buried in her throat.

Was he the man she thought he was?

She couldn’t wait to find out.

 

[Cum_Inside]

She was fine until she wasn’t — when Draco’s dexterous fingers began to sneak into her waistband, Lucy bowed her face into his neck, breathing fast in her excitement and laying a gentle kiss against his pale skin. She’d been waiting for the moment he saw her and it was finally at hand. With his words, spoken with a deep, promising husk, Lucy felt her panties finally become entirely drenched. Her thighs were a sticky mess.

The soft pad of his fingertips hadn’t quite touched her wet place when something much darker came over her like a bucket of ice water.

***

Lucy stared helplessly at the way Brookes twirled her wand between his thumb and middle finger in a continuous circle. He was snickering at the scene in front of him, enjoying the way Lucinda Selwyn finally looked like a broken doll and not the prominent Pureblood cunt she’d always been.

For years she’d made him look stupid - accomplishing it with only a disinterested flick of her dark eyes away from him when he’d tried and tried to get her to see him. He’d fancied himself in love with her for years, but the moment she made it clear in front a class full of his peers that she’d rather take her chances with a Chinese Fireball than go to Hogsmeade with him in her fifth year (he was a seventh year), he’d began to see the way she was nothing but a poisonous bitch. Her and that righteous Hastings boy acted like they owned this place and it was disgusting. If people could only see her real self... They’d understand.

“Aw, dearest Lucy, I bet you wish you’d let me have you before - else you wouldn’t have to lose your virtue like a common whore,” he spat, ensuring that a huge glob of translucent spittle landed against the cheek that wasn’t currently being pressed into the dirt.

Lucy’s fists curled, mouth twisting into a sneer. Still, she said nothing, biting her tongue. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

She blinked the dirt out of luminous green eyes, mimicking the way she’d once made it clear he wasn’t worth her attention. Micah Brookes watched on, peering from behind his older brother at his yearmate bound in tendrils of magical ropes, burning into her skin. His belly felt awfully sick at what was happening, but Micah didn’t dare disobey his brother Hayden; he only wanted to make him proud. He hadn’t thought that things would go this far when Hayden had told him that he had a crush on Lucy and could he somehow convince her they needed to talk?

Lucy hadn’t bought it, and now Micah understood why. She’d probably always seen the dark intent in Hayden’s eyes when he’d looked at her, almost crazed in his obsession. Micah didn’t know why Hayden just kept wandering around the witch on the ground in a circle, examining her and teasing her - taunting her after he’d ambushed her outside a pub one warm July evening. She’d not been expecting it when he’d disarmed her and bound her tightly. If she had, this story would have probably had a different ending. Lucinda Selwyn, for as lazy as she could be with her homework, was no daft witch. There weren’t many stupid enough to take on the Selwyn heir in a fair fight.

Hayden’s eyes were menacing as he looked down on her. “There’s nobody to hear you scream, you miserable bitch — I hope you’re ready. I’m going to make it so you never fucking forget my hands on you again!”

Micah’s eyes widened in horror, cold realization seeping through him at the same time Hayden yanked at Lucy’s tights underneath her skirt and undid his own zip. He tossed her wand into the grass several feet away.

Lucy didn’t cry. The entire time she stared determinedly forward at Micah’s shoes, fingernails dirty with the soil she clenched so firmly at, knuckles white.

Micah looked away but it did nothing to detract from his brother’s grunts and the sharp sound of his hips colliding roughly with his yearmate’s rear end. Hayden’s friends who had mostly been quiet up til now were catcalling and jeering at the way such a witch had been taken down a peg or two, laughing and demanding when it would be their turn.

Finally, Micah couldn’t bare it. His stomach heaved and he retched loudly, bile pouring from this throat and into the dirt that Lucy clenched like a lifeline.

****

Lucy gasped, body frozen solid in sick terror. The memory had come on suddenly. With a sob, Lucy pushed desperately at Draco’s shoulders, reciting the same words she’d remembered Micah Brookes murmuring right before she passed out.

“No, no, no,” she babbled, scurrying away on trembling knees. About ten feet away, the adrenaline wore off and Lucy collapsed in on herself in a ball, dark eyes staring blindly forward.

It seemed to take her several moment to come back to herself.

Pushing herself up onto her elbows, Lucy realized that the only person on the tower with her was Draco Malfoy.

Despite being able to overpower her, she recalled the easy way he hadn’t fought her when she’d begun to push him away; he’d given her space, hadn’t moved a muscle, and was simply watching her from his initial post.

Draco wouldn’t hurt her.

They’d been enjoying themselves mutually - Lucy had been basking in their intimacy. She’d wanted it for so long. Draco had not done anything she’d never dreamt of doing with him.

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered, ashamed of herself. “Dr—Draco. I’m so sorry. Please,”
she didn’t know what she was pleading for, but she hoped that he might stay. She didn’t want to be alone, and she certainly hoped that he might be seeing something worth keeping around in her.

“I... I’m such a fucking mess,” she cried. “I want that. I do. I just... I just can’t. I’m sorry.”

For the first time since July 17th, Lucy allowed herself to acknowledge it. The pain and fear bubbled inside her and for the first time, she let herself truly feel it. That night, she’d locked herself off from her rape - more a passive observer that watched from a distance, disillusioning herself from what had really happened. She’d never cried about it — had simply locked it up in a part of her so deep she hoped she’d never have to deal with it. Now, four months later, Lucy cried for the part of her she’d lost.

It hadn’t been her first time, but it had certainly been the last. She’d not trusted any man to get that close to her since.

Not even Lucas. Especially not Luke. How could she face him this way?

Lucy had been knowingly forcing her best friend away because she couldn’t tolerate the heartbreak he’d feel for her if he knew the truth. She’d been pretending to be clueless about the whole thing. Luke was too inherently good and he didn’t deserve to have her poison him, too. Lucy broke everything she’d ever lain her delicate fingers on. She wouldn’t allow it to happen to Lucas; she loved him too damn much.

She didn’t even know who she was anymore. The darkness had been eating at her since July, whispering terrible things in the wake of the pain and rage of the rape... Despite being Pureblood, Lucy had always felt like she fit more into the grey area between Light and Dark. These days, the sun was setting on those ideals she’d held to before her assault and all she could see was either shadow or deep, inky black staring back at her in the mirror.

She wanted to kill those boys for what they’d done. She felt no remorse when she imagined it, either.

That was why it was best to push bright, beautiful Lucas away and isolate herself from him; she couldn’t bare to suck the light from his soul and poison it with her vengeful feelings.

Draco... Draco was different.

He was as broken as her, twisted in different ways. Their jagged edges caught and slid together but with how damaged they both were, Lucy didn’t worry about bleeding Draco dry like she would with Luke.

Draco was the only one who might be able to glue the pieces of her glass soul back together right now, and she knew that she could do the same for him, if only he let her.

“Please don’t leave me,” she said finally, voice weak and exhausted. She didn’t know if she was talking about Luke, but she knew that she didn’t want Draco to go, either.

She’d always been weak.

It had just taken her some time to accept that.

 

[Cum_Inside]

He didn’t leave.

It was so surreal. Her own parents hadn’t wanted her, had abandoned her, but here was a boy she was falling in love with refusing to leave her side after she’d left him high and dry in a nervous fucking wreck. It told her so much about what was blooming with Draco and helped reassure her.

When he helped her stand on her own two feet, a bit shakily, and then led her to the opposite side of the tower to sit down, Lucy curled herself around him to take in the solace he was offering her. Leaning her head on his shoulder and squeezing at his much larger hand, for a while she focused on regulating her breathing. He didn’t push her to talk throughout the entire process.

Finally, after a few minutes had passed, Lucy let out a long, slow breath and said very clearly but with tears in her eyes: “I was sexually assaulted over the summer.“

She took a pause again, turning away from the judgement in his eyes, feeling them boring into the back of her skull like lasers, before continuing.

“I lied the other day when I said I didn’t know what was going on with the distance between Luke and I — I... couldn’t tell him. I was so ashamed. I pushed him away and I haven’t dealt with it. I thought that I could... just ignore it and move past it. That was working until...”

Fiddling with her fingers anxiously, Lucy pressed onwards. “I’m sorry, Draco. I didn’t think it would strike me this way. I’m so embarrassed and I’m so sorry that I ruined this,” she cried. “I want to be with you. I do. Let me make it up to you?”

Her green eyes shimmered in anxiety hoping that this wouldn’t be the end of their short-lived romance. Her fingers twitched towards his pants in hopes that he might be convinced if she finished what they’d started, but his grip on her hand only tightened in warning.

Lucy sat up straight and turned to face him, teeth sinking into her plush lower lip as she waited for him to reject her.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Something in her writhed at the way he said her name like that: so deep and infused with cold assertion, demanding that she answer him. Looking at him from under her eyelashes tentatively, Lucy swallowed down her nerves. It was clear that Draco wouldn’t accept her silence on the matter and she’d already spilled her guts about being assaulted in the first place, so how could she say nothing further?

She couldn’t, but that need to explain was put on hold as Draco decided they should have a more private space to discuss the matter.

Lucy followed him silently, hand locked tightly in his, all the way back to the dormitory. As anxious as she was about being snuck into the boys’ dorm, there was an underlying flutter of excitement at the thought of spending the night when him. Regardless of whether or not the sexual tension got alleviated tonight, Lucy was grateful for the care and attention Draco had already given her tonight.

Watching Draco remove his robes sent a frisson of warmth lancing through her, but not arousal — affection. The desire for him was there, had always been, but there was no avoiding the fact that she cared for him. Despite her previous negative admission, she couldn’t help but smile gently at him.

She turned briefly as he changed, wanting to give him some privacy, but Draco seemed to have no compunctions. His actions were smooth and unhurried, simply casual and comfortable. It was clear that Draco felt good in his own skin, and not for the first time she admired the lean lines of his body, tapered waist and legs that stretched on for what seemed like miles compared to her own tiny 5’2 frame.

When at last he slid under the covers, Lucy finally set to work stripping off her own robes. For a moment, fingers clenched at the hem of her own blouse. She wanted to be comfortable, but that meant sleeping in her panties and thin tank top, which she clearly didn’t have here. She may have slept without her shirt entirely if the situation was a bit lighter, but she figured Draco might think her a whore just as Hayden had called her if she was so eager to reveal her breasts. Better to make use of her proper upbringing and act like a lady. She left her blouse in place but shed her pants, revealing her deep plum lace underwear, before climbing in under the covers and wiggling in close to rest against her chest with their legs tangled.

As she tried to figure out what to say, the quiet sloshing of the lake water invoked a sense of calm in her. It may have also been the steady but soft thump of Draco’s heartbeat against her ear. Finally, with a sigh, she said “Hayden Brookes ambushed me outside a pub a few months back. He’d been a little obsessed with me last year and I told him to screw off but he took that to mean I wanted... It was him and three of his friends that restrained me and...”

Lucy sniffled. “They didn’t touch me, only Hayden, but his brother just stood there and watched. I refused to cry. I refused to give that sick fuck the satisfaction. He raped me three times before they finally left me there in the dirt. I’ve never,” she sucked in a breath “told anyone. Lucas... he’d be so mad. He’s impulsive and pure and sometimes he acts without thinking. I need him to be blind to it all so I’ve been keeping away but I’m starting to lose control, Draco.”

Lucinda buried her nose against his throat, her lips moving against his collarbone in a whisper of a caress as she spoke.

“I’m so sorry that it had to come up this way. I never meant to burden you; you have enough on your plate you don’t need my issues too. I... find it hard to talk about,” she admitted, “and I don’t want you to run because of it; I’m really enjoying what’s going on here and I want more. Please don’t abandon me just because of this. I promise I’ll be better from now on. I won’t be weak anymore.”

 

[Cum_Inside]

Draco’s support made her relax marginally. Now that she knew that he was on her side of the equation and not about to tuck tail and run, Lucy was able to adjust her body to curl into him more comfortably, accepting the embrace and reciprocating in kind. She pressed a kiss to his throat just above the steady beat of his jugular.

“They’re not worth the air you breathe,” she remarked calmly. “I don’t tend to waste my time thinking about it and you shouldn’t, either.”

She paused for a moment, rolling her concerns about Lucas’ reaction around in her brain, carefully considering her answer.

“The whole business with Luke is a bit more complicated. I think I have to tell him but I really don’t want to hurt him that way. Regardless, I can’t leave things the way they are. He’s my best friend. Being without him sucks,” she moped. “I know you don’t like him very much, but he’s important to me.”

Smiling at Draco’s soft affection for her, Lucy peered up at him from her spot underneath him after he’d positioned himself above her as though he was her own personal guardian.

“Yes, Sir,” she giggled, more teasing than anything. Her eyes sparkled with mirth and her grin belied her joke. It was clear she was done talking about it, but ultimately she was pleased in the direction the entire conversation had gone in even if it had been painful to discuss.

With both arms raised above her head, one wrist in his grasp and his other hand wrapped around her throat in a whisper of kiss. For a moment, her belly fluttered at the idea that he might tighten those fingers and cut off her breath as she watched the way his own eyes burned like fire above her. Lucy’s teeth caught on her lip and the hot flicker of interest in Draco’s eyes was nothing short of exciting. Her free hand shifted and slid down his spine, coming to rest on the curve of his hip, fingers gently brushing flesh just above the line of his joggers.

She wanted to thank him for his support, but she didn’t want to be the one to shatter the silence.

 

[Cum_Inside]

She rolled her eyes at his clear irritation at the change of subjects where it had veered towards her best friend. Still, she made sure to somehow comment very flippantly but assuredly at the same time with “I know you don’t get along, but any boyfriend of mine realizes that it’s a two for one deal even if things are a titch on the hairy side right now, so they’ll just have to suck it up, won’t they?” It was presumptuous, assuming Draco even wanted to be her boyfriend, but she hoped that he did. Nobody just looking to get in her knickers would stick around after the dramatic evening they’d just put in.

That was the end of the story. Lucy was well aware of the animosity between Draco and Luke, but both men were important to her. She didn’t expect them to become best friends, but they had to be able to tolerate each other at the very least.

When his body bore down overtop her, Lucy’s thighs fell open a bit more naturally to accept the lean line of his waist against her pelvis. His weight was delicious and although she was caged underneath him, knowing that Draco was physically more powerful, Lucy didn’t feel stressed or anxious despite her confession just a few moments ago. She trusted Draco and this evening had only compounded that. Plus, she was immensely attracted to his mind, his personality and his body.

She wanted this man.

With his visceral reaction to the way she’d addressed him, Lucy thought he wanted her, too.

Any hesitancy was dispelled when he grasped her by the waist and rolled her, coming to a rest with her centre bearing down on the steel length of him in his joggers. With her knees bracketing his hips and his large palms enveloping her plentiful rear, Lucinda began to rock slowly above him. His fingers tensed and pressed into her flesh and Lucy let out a breathy sigh at the way he also bucked up against her simultaneously.

She leaned forward to kiss him then. Her lips were damp from her little gasps of pleasure and the way that his powerful body felt rolling against her own sacred place; it was purely something she couldn’t help but salivate over. They shared that sentiment between them with lazy strokes of their tongues in matching tempo with their hips.

Her panties were soaked and she imagined Draco could feel that settling into the fabric of his own pants but she didn’t really care; she wanted him to know.

Breaking their lip lock, Lucy pushed her weight back up so sit proudly on her haunches, green eyes locked on pewter. She raised her arms above her head and pulled her shirt off, deciding that she didn’t give a damn about being proper anymore - here she was riding a man she wanted to do worse things with, eager to show him her breasts and have him devour her. She knew what it meant for him to give her this — letting her take the lead and to not demand that she give him everything. His hands on her ass still guided her and there was something primal about the way he grinded his cock into the crevice of her pussy, even clothed though it were.

“Watch me,” she breathed, revealing her generous but not overly so bust to his eyes. Her nipples were small and pink, dusted with a blush of colour about the size of a quarter. Tossing her shirt onto the floor by the bed, Lucy reached back for his hands and tangled their fingers together.

Her hips began to undulate in a steady rhythm, slow at first but then faster the more she felt Draco’s cock responding to her.

“I think you’re so hot when you’re threatening someone or misbehaving,” she admitted breathily, before adding “and I want you to be mine. I’ve had a crush on you for a while, but this past summer... I knew that we could have something if only you let it. Then things got all fucked up and I thought this would never happen, but...”

She looked down at him with wonder, but also something naughty, too.

“I’m going to ride you until you cum, Draco Malfoy, and we’ll both finally be satisfied like we’ve always meant to be.”

With some sense of determination about her, Lucy leant down once more to whisper in his ear while her arousal built and built until her thighs were trembling from the combined strain of maintaining pace and withholding her orgasm.

“Let me be your baby girl, Sir,” she whispered, with teeth grazing his earlobe.

The first time said in jest may not have been such a big deal, but amongst Purebloods tradition was king; Draco often found himself doing things that may not always be the most appropriate, but Lucy had a fiesty spirit to match his. It was disrespectful for anyone to use such terms lightly without prior consent by both parties, but especially women to their male counterparts. However, his physical reaction earlier had made confidence bloom in her gut that he might accept such familiarity with her. Such things just weren’t done in high society like Lucy had taken the liberty of - most times they required an Oath, but Lucy had never been so sure about committing herself to pleasing a man like she was with Draco and fully embracing the doctrine of the Pureblood Women.

Well... It probably was not entirely appropriate to be pressing her lady bits to his with the intentions of the best orgasm she’d ever had before marriage, either, but Lucy didn’t give a shit.

 

[Cum_Inside]

The admission that he wanted it as much as she did sent wicked shivers racing down her spine.

With his mouth latched onto her nipple, she moaned at the scrape of his teeth against the bud. With his focussed attention, it didn’t take long for her to feel her areolas tightening and becoming engorged with blood. Her clitoris throbbed constantly and she ground all of her weight down against him, basking in the pleasure of it all.

“I’m so fucking wet,” she agreed with a heavy nod, dark hair falling over her shoulder to blanket them like a curtain.

“And I’m all yours.”

Following her declaration, her hips rolled almost in double-time, urgently needing to meet the wave of arousal she could feel settling over her. Lucy knew that she was close, but she wanted to make this even better for him; it just feel terrible to have his hard prick restrained in his joggers like that. He deserved to feel the soft kiss of lace from the seat of her panties.

Really, he deserved so much more but Lucy just didn’t know if she was ready to give that to him yet.

Gentle but demanding fingers curled around his waistband before reaching in to grasp his cock firmly, tugging his pants down just below his ballsack as she lifted just enough to free him. Even with her body positioned above him, the angry reddened head of him was clearly visible and glimmering in the light with evidence of his own excitation - she’d almost never seen that much precum before in her life!

This way she could watch him cum, too, with the aim of painting his abs and chest with a tasty bedtime snack for her. She’d been so close to finding out his unique flavour earlier before things had taken a sour turn.

With the hard way his fingers dug into her hips (painfully, enough to bruise), Lucy felt pleasure. She’d always been masochistic in the bedroom but it was hard to find lovers who enjoyed doling out what she really needed. Somehow she thought that Draco could be that for her. Combined with the easier slide that came from his bare skin against her panties and the words she’d been waiting to hear for a very long time now, Lucy felt her body rocketing towards the precipice.

“I’m going to cum,” she gasped, hips trembling, rhythm disturbed. For a moment, she paused, long broken keen slipping free before she began to rock again, quickly, needily. “Fuuuuuck, Sir,” she whined, fingers clenching over his shoulder blades, nails breaking skin.

Lucinda’s orgasm was intense but she forced herself to maintain eye contact throughout the entirety of it.

She wanted him to see her.

Now that he’d confirmed that he felt the same and was talking about a relationship, Lucy didn’t intend on letting him go.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Coming down from her climax, Lucy wondered if it was possible to have another with only eye contact; Draco was so intensely focussed on her expressions, the way her body moved and the sounds that she made. She could see how tenuous his hold on the tightly wound control he prided himself on truly was.

Just as she came back to herself, Draco worked in concert to finish himself against her protected quim.

She watched in awe at his own face and the way his abs clenched so tightly, straining underneath his warm, soft skin as he exploded. Coating his belly and chest in seed, with one shot even dripping from his chin at the force of his pulses, her tongue watered at the thick, creamy bright white load that dripped into every nook and cranny carved between strong muscle and bone.

She wanted to taste it!

But first...

Her open mouth slanted over his as he pulled her in, teeth and tongues clashing in their need for each other. They kissed as though this was first mouthful of rainwater after the dry season over the savannah, lips sliding and slipping wetly around each other.

As she pulled back, she laughed wildly. It was a tinkling sound, crystal clear like bells.

“I hope I always effect you like that and that nobody else gets to see you this way,” as a mirror to him, the possession there was heavy and settled over the room like a weighted blanket. “Parkinson better fuck right off with that flirting shit,” she pouted. “I’ll tell you that I know better than to lose my face but that girl is stupid if she thinks she can get her claws in you. I’m all yours and you’re mine, too. And I’m going to seal it like this,” she hummed, rising up onto shaky knees. Lucy flung one leg over his hips until she was kneeling perpendicular to him on the bed with her mouth above his groin.

His cock had softened and lay against his thigh drooling one last pearly string of his potent cum clinging to the crown of his prick.

Lucy wasted no time wrapping her lips around him and suckling. Her tongue wound leisurely around the head and then further down his shaft to taste her own musky essence on his cock. She cleaned him carefully and diligently. It was only proper for a woman to look after her man in such a way, especially after he’d done out of his way for her comfort.

It didn’t hurt that she had her own selfish desires met by doing such a thing - the idea of picking up all that cum from his abdomen and chest...

Lucinda smirked naughtily at the first drag of her tongue over his stomach, dipping into his belly button. Salty but not bitter. Delicious, really. Lucy was nothing if not a greedy bitch.

“You won’t want anyone else when I’m done with you,” she promised, redirecting her attention to ensuring she cleansed him of every last drop of his semen.

 

[Cum_Inside]

With their energy expended, Lucy and Draco seemed content to curl up together and go to bed. She kissed the corner of his mouth softly and before she knew it, Draco’s soft breaths against the crown of her head let her know that he was sleeping. There was warm affection in that he really did feel comfortable enough with her to let his guard down like that.

Even with the reminder that Draco and Pansy had once been a thing and the resulting sour taste in her mouth, Lucinda rested her head over his heart and fell asleep to the steady pulse in one ear and the gentle lapping of the water outside the window in the other.

****

Some of her advanced classes became hard to focus on following the events of last night. It still didn’t feel real that she was now exclusive with Malfoy, but as the day started to wear on and they kept meeting in the hallway throughout the day or for the lessons they did have together, that fact started to sink in. As a matter of fact, Draco was not shy about showing his intimacy with her; he wasn’t bothered if people saw them kissing or holding hands.

Realistically she knew that being a Selwyn likely played a big part in that, too, but Lucy was happy. They’d made a lot of progress last night and had some sensitive discussions. If Draco hadn’t ran yet it meant that he did care for more than her Pureblood status. It certainly didn’t hurt, though.

In the class she’d elected to take with Luke this term it was radio silence. He sat on the far end of the classroom and though he kept peeking over at her, he made no move to insinuate himself at her side. Although she’d noticed those longing looks throughout the year so far, today’s was a bit more reserved. When he looked at her, Luke seemed to have both an air of curiosity and sadness about him. It was likely that he’d heard the news about choosing Draco and didn’t like it.

Lucy had been too chicken to track him down after their fight, but Lucy knew she needed to make it right. When they were dismissed, Lucas was up in a flash before she could say anything. Lucy felt the bitterness of her own stubbornness pooling in her stomach.

****

That evening just after dinner, Lucy expected to find her other half in the library. To her surprise when she dipped between the shelves in the M-P aisle, the first thing she laid eyes on was the wide grin of sixth-year Parker Vance as he attempted to lean over Luke’s shoulder, chuckling quietly at something her best friend had said. Vance, being several inches shorter and mostly looking like a fluffy little puppy was quite pathetic, really.

Lucy scowled. Something burned inside her, acidic feeling creeping up the back of her throat.

Lucas Hastings was hers! He didn’t get to do this and make someone else more important than she was. Lucy had no plans to let him slip away and after her discussion last night with Draco, she knew she needed to come clean. Things were changing for her, but not the way she felt for the guy who’d spent his life at her side up until this point.

Maybe in another circumstance she might have moved a little more quietly, steps light and soft, but now her boots clicked on the stone floor as she walked decisively forward. She covered the distance quickly. Vance turned to look at her but before Lucas could shift to meet her eyes, Lucy had pressed herself against his side, stepping in between both boys. She wrapped one arm loosely around his waist.

“Luke. Vance.”

Tilting her head back to meet Lucas’ eyes, she let her rosy lips form a pout and made sure she levelled him with her strongest puppy-dog look. It always got her what she wanted when it came to Luke and she had no doubt it wouldn’t fail now but it wasn’t often she used it on him; he claimed it wasn’t fair and she was always up to no good when she did so.

“Please excuse us,” she murmured coolly to Vance. “Luke and I have some things we need to discuss.”

With her small hand, she curled fingers between Luke’s and began to tug him away.

Her gaze was sharp and may have been mistaken for malicious if Parker didn’t know better, but he didn’t challenge her as he muttered “have at it, Selwyn,” and turned to walk away.

Lucy’s hackles didn’t settle until he was gone.

“What’s that about?” She demanded after they’d also exited the library.

Luke snorted. “Excuse me? I could ask you the same thing.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “You already know so I don’t get why you’re acting daft. Still, the only thing that matters is that I’ve decided I want the both of you; you know that I’m a selfish bitch Lucas Hastings so don’t you dare deny it. Draco knows how important you are to me and I’ve told him that he’s going to have to accept us. I want that for you, too, but I know I have so much to make up for. I’m sorry. Will you please let me try?”

Lucas sighed, watching her face for any signs of insincerity. Although Lucy was his best friend, she didn’t often apologize to anyone, even him. This was twice in as many days. Most people wouldn’t see it, but Lucas could; this was important to her and the uncertainty in her eyes that he might reject her was easily caught.

Lucas detangled their hands but pivoted more fully to face her. He didn’t say anything for a moment but eventually “I love you, Lu. You know that. I don’t know why you’ve pushed me away but I fucking miss you, even if you are a bitch. BUT in order for this to work you’re also going to have to stop being so passive aggressive with my other friends.”

Lucy raised one delicate eyebrow, sneer curling her pretty mouth into something ugly.

“You call him a friend? I’m your friend. I don’t wrap myself all over you like my mother’s vomit-inducing cloying perfume. I don’t look at you like a lovestruck fool, Lucas Hastings.” The scorn in her tone more than obvious now.

Lucas barked out a laugh, ignoring the second mention of his last name. She did that when her feathers were ruffled, bless her.

“Yeah fucking right you don’t,” he mocked. “You wrapped yourself around me like a basilisk just now, fangs at the ready to mark your territory. I’m not blind or stupid, Lucinda Selwyn; you’re jealous and it’s fine but curb it.”

His eyes softened and he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her as he pulled her into his chest. He enjoyed the way she nestled closer, face seeking his collarbones and her own delicate arms squeezing his waist tightly. He smiled, kissing the top of her head just as Draco had done last night, inhaling the scent of her shampoo like he hadn’t been able to do for months.

“I don’t know if Malfoy will have my balls for this,” he muttered, loving the way Lucy giggled, before continuing in. “But if you really did set him straight he’ll have to get used to it. You’re my best friend and nobody matters to me like you do. Even when you’re being a mighty fine cunt I still love you. This thing with Parker is new but I don’t want you chasing him off if I have to put up with Malfoy.”

Lucy brightened, pulling away to cup his cheeks excitedly.

“You mean it? You’ll do it? Oh, Luke! I’ll behave if it means that you’re mine again,” she conceded, ignoring the painful twinges at his acknowledgement of the blooming something between him and Vance. Despite their conversation sounding almost romantic in nature, both of them we’re oblivious to it. It was just how their relationship had always been. Close. Unbreakable.

Lucy pressed a sloppy kiss to his cheek, hanging off him like a gorilla, practically, at her short height. Lucas laughed and spun her around, basking in the glow of being in the bubble of her happiness for the first time in months. People gawked at them but said nothing, feeling like some of the heavy tension that had blanketed the castle all year had lessened at their reconnection.

Luke sobered. “I don’t know what’s happening between Parker and I and I don’t know what made you walk away from me, but I’ll give you the time you need to come clean with me, Lu. I just... I know there’s something you’re not saying and it’s okay, but...”

She nodded, gaze dropping. She swallowed back a glimmer of anxiety.

“I know,” she whispered. “I want to, but it’s not easy. I promise I will. Just... can we talk about something else for now? We’ll revisit in the future.”

Just like that her expression closed off and Lucas stopped pushing. With her small hand curled around his elbow, they walked to dinner. Lucas said goodbye to her in the entryway of the Great Hall, not eager to be put together with her new beau so soon, and she watched him head over to Ravenclaw only to be joined by Vance once more. Some would say she had hearts in her eyes as she stared at his back, but Lucy remained steadfast in her belief that she was really glaring daggers at Vance in her intensity.

****

Micah Brookes remained silent in stunned confusion when Malfoy first joined him. The conversation was vague at best but when Draco’s tone turned decidedly nasty, Micah almost urinated on himself. Somehow he knew what was coming.

Lucinda had been close to Draco since the start of term and he’d heard the whispers all over the castle today they were more. Word spread fast here, after all. He just hadn’t thought that she’d ever be able to swallow down her pride and admit what had happened to anyone else. It was clear Hastings didn’t know, since he’d never made a fuss all year and the indomitable best friends seemed to have split, but Micah hadn’t dared count his chickens.

When Malfoy leapt across the table and grabbed for him, voice raising and collected face morphing into something dangerous, Micah couldn’t help but release a terrified whimper as he pissed himself. In shame and horror, Micah began to cry, looking back at Draco with scared eyes.

“I was a coward. I couldn’t stop him. I don’t know where he is. I swear it. I’m so sorry but I know that won’t change what happened. I couldn’t do anything,” he sobbed, inconsolable in a babble of words. “It was my fault. It was my fault. Oh, God. It was all my fault!”

 

[Cum_Inside]

Micah had nothing to offer - with his horrified panic and giant heaving gasps, bordering on hyperventilation at the idea of Malfoy sinking his claws into him, Micah could only shake his head numbly and repeat “I don’t know” continuously until Draco had no choice but to abandon his line of questioning. Micah was useless.

Hayden hadn’t told Micah anything when he’d left the country after graduation - Micah thought he was in America last time he’d heard his parents talking about it late one evening before Micah had departed back to Hogwarts for the next term. Micah was perfectly fine with the not knowing — after spending night after night reliving Lucinda’s rape, he couldn’t close his eyes without seeing her haunted expression glaring back at him.

****

Lucas rose to his full height, intent on giving Malfoy exactly what he deserved for being such a prat. Before he could strike out Malfoy had turned his back and walked away and if there was one thing that Lucas was not it was a coward; he wouldn’t hit anyone when they didn’t see it coming but sometimes he really really wanted to.

Parker clutched at Lucas’ arm, fingers curling into the dip of his elbow.

Lucas’ fists clenched and he blew out a deep breath, eyes roving over to Lucy who watched them with an inquisitive stare. She offered a smile and a wave of her fingers and Lucas found himself relaxing immediately. He rejoined Parker on the bench.

“Ignore him,” he said roughly. “I want you here and that prick doesn’t get to decide who I spend my time with. Next time... Next time I’ll show him just how it is.”

Parker sighed, curving that hand on Lucas’ arm up his bicep and over his shoulder.

“He does it because he knows he can get a rise out of you — he wants attention, Luke. It’s better to let him be.”

Lucas nodded, digging into his shepherd’s pie.

“I can’t just let him say the shit he does, though,” he defended, what might have even resembled a pout curling his handsome face into something a bit sour. “He needs a reality check.”

Parker laughed and said “oh, darling — you won’t be the one to change Draco Malfoy no matter how hard you work at it,” and that was the end of it because it was true; Lucas had no rebuttal to that.

****

Lucy shifted over a bit to give Draco a bit of room on the bench next to her. “Making your rounds?” She asked, raising one delicate dark eyebrow. “Isn’t Lucas in a wonderful mood? Best be careful — that look he gave you as you walked away was enough to turn anyone to stone. It’s great that we’ve fixed things and he’s in better spirits really,” she said conversationally, before continuing. “I don’t think he’d sucker punch you, but one can never be too sure about these things darling, even if he doesn’t want to disappoint me.”

 

[Cum_Inside]

Lucy rolled her eyes good-naturedly at Draco; she could see through him, even if he didn’t seem to understand. She was no stranger to his need to be in the spotlight. The fact that Lucas had other people he was focusing his attention on was probably driving him bonkers. It was proof in the way he told her about the confrontations he’d had today, even if she didn’t love that Micah now knew that Lucy wasn’t exactly keeping quiet about her rape. And Parkinson... that was a problem that wouldn’t be solved in a day. Parkinson was the fly in Lucy’s pumpkin juice.

“Oh yes, everything is fixed,” she replied easily. “We had a good heart-to-heart and a snuggle earlier on before his beau-to-be came looking.” Lucinda reached to flake off a chunk of the pork in front of her, summoning a knife to spread butter on a roll at the same time as she eyed the dessert options critically. When only silence greeted her comment she had to add: “Luke isn’t exactly the straightest boy around - he’s too pretty to only roll around with the ladies, Draco. He keeps his options open. It’s not exactly a surprise, is it?”

Just as she finished, she looked up to catch the eyes of said person. A wide smile covered her face and she almost stood to meet him until she saw his accompaniment. As much as Lucy understood Lucas’ sexual preferences, it didn’t mean that she liked seeing him flashing his relationship with other people about her face; she was greedy, after all. It really was the pot calling the kettle black for her to call Draco out on his attention-seeking behaviour.

Watching him stride so purposefully forward, Lucy knew what was coming wasn’t going to be good. There was a determined set to her best friend’s mouth that always meant he was looking for trouble. “Lucas,” she greeted, voice soft and open, trying to prevent him from the storm she knew was coming.

The hard set of his brow did soften a bit, eyes a bit gentler as he regarded her, before he turned his gaze back on to Malfoy bitterly.

“What’s your problem?” He demanded. “You’ve been a right twat lately and I put up with it because life is easier when Draco Malfoy is treated like a prince and not the tosser he actually is. I’d love it if you could just back the fuck up and take your nose out of my love life that would be wonderful. You don’t know how lucky you are that Lu chooses to slum with you, so I advise you to take advantage of every moment you get with her!!”

His voice rose with every word until he finally reached the end of his tirade.

Parker gasped, surprised himself by the exclamation - although he was appreciative of the idea of being Lucas’ boyfriend, having been interested in the other boy for quite a while now, having Lucas put it clearly that Parker may be included in his love life was a pleasant thought. Especially that he’d made it so clear to Lucinda Selwyn and Malfoy that they may have to get used to his presence in Lucas’ life.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Lucy paused, head turning slowly at the hostility in Draco’s tone when it came to Lucas’ sexuality. Her voice was measured but firm when she answered him, with one hand grasping at his to keep him calm. “Lucas,” she emphasized, “has not been straight for many summers now. Personally, I don’t care either which way.”

Just as she said it, the tempers between both boys seemed to erupt in a fit of bickering.

She saw the way Luke’s eyebrow drew up, corner of his mouth twitching in his anger. That was the expression he made just before he did something rash — the last time she’d seen it was a few months ago when he’d cursed poor Finley Hawthorne with boils in the most inconvenient of places. Thinking about it now made her flinch in discomfort.

Apparently Lucas still had some surprises up his sleeve - instead of going for his wand like she might have expected, he struck out with a fist lightning fast and caught Draco across the chin. He was positively boiling with repressed desire to teach Malfoy a lesson.

“You leave him out of it,” he glowered, teeth clenched. “It’s not your business who I make my bed with, Malfoy, and you’ve no right speaking to us that way; it seems Daddy didn’t teach you manners after all, with his head so far up his own arse!”

Lucy moved forward, small hands outstretched to place one palm in either of their chests. She didn’t think either boy would make a further move if they thought they might hit her, but she also didn’t really know if she was correct in that assumption, either.

“Boys,” she said firmly, loudly. “Stop acting like children,” Lucinda scolded, pretty mouth curled petulantly.

Parker frowned then, and it looked like he might open his mouth to deliver some kind of retort, but the icy look that Lucinda pinned him with stopped him in his tracks. “And you — keep quiet, Vance.”

Lucas whipped around to face her, incredulous. “You don’t get to tell him to shut up, Lu!”

She sneered. “I do when he’s the problem here.”

And that — well, Lucas gaped at her silently, immensely disappointed in her. For a moment he didn’t know what to say, but then his expression closed off and he turned to look at Parker.

“I think we’re done here, then. C’mon, Parker. We don’t need their shit.”

Glancing over his shoulder at Lucy, he remarked “I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but that was uncalled for and you know it.”

He never once stopped to realize that it was uttered from a place of jealousy — even Lucy didn’t recognize the nauseated feeling that settled in her belly at the thought of Lucas directing his attention elsewhere at first. Even after a few months of being distant, she couldn’t fathom anyone else being good enough for Luke. She wanted to keep him all to herself. Standing there in his shadow, feeling the waves of tension and irritation bleeding off of him, Lucy knew.

Looking up at him, Lucy didn’t see her best friend — she saw a man who was desirable to many. For so long she’d pushed it off to the wayside, pretending that she didn’t know. Finally, she couldn’t hold it back any longer.

Although she was quickly developing feelings for Draco, Lucy couldn’t ignore the way she felt for Lucas Hastings.

Lucy was in love with her best friend.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Maybe it was just how wound up Malfoy made him, but Lucas didn't even realize that he'd taken Parker's hand and led him away until they had turned a few corners and headed up the stairs towards the Ravenclaw common room. It was a testament that Parker said nothing about it either until they were almost outside the portrait. With one tight squeeze to Lucas' hand, he forced them to stop.

"Luke," he said quietly, "what are we doing right now?"

Turning around to look at his companion and the concerned expression on his face, Lucas felt the irritation and stress bleeding out of him immediately.

"I'm sorry," he responded. "Malfoy just makes me so angry. That and Lucy giving me shit... And not even about me," Lucas rambled, "but treating you that way... I can't stand it!"

Parker chewed on the inside of his lip while he debated the next steps and exactly what had transpired in the Great Hall. So many things had been said and the younger boy needed to know exactly where they stood. Taking one step closer into Lucas' space, Parker freed his hand from Luke's and curled it around the other boy's elbow instead.

"What are we doing, Luke?" He repeated carefully, the true measure of his words heavy in the air.

Lucas took a deep breath.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I know I've been causing you a lot of trouble."

"Stop," Parker demanded. "Don't you do that. It's not like you've gotten me into anything. I want to be here. I just... you said... you told Malfoy to butt out of your love life. Did you mean that? Or am I just being crazy thinking that..." His attention dropped, eyes on Lucas's feet, his own shuffling nervously. He was pretty certain that he hadn't imagined the easy flirting and casual touching over the last few days and that certainly meant that Lucas wanted to be more than friends, right? Parker had thought the elder was cute for so long and it still felt a bit like a dream that he'd actually somehow caught his eye.

Lucas, conscious of the way the atmosphere felt a bit heavier, stepped in even closer at the same time he pulled them both further off to the side. His hands were gentle but still firm enough that when they curled around Parker's neck, fingers buried in the soft hair at his nape, that the other boy looked up at him in curiosity.

"You're not crazy," Lucas breathed, ducking his head and leaning in. He paused only a hair's breath away from the Gryffindor's mouth, space between their lips warmed with their breaths. "I know it seems like it came out of nowhere but I meant every word even if I could have said it in a more private setting."

Parker chuckled, eyes sparkling. "About as obvious as a bull in a china shop, you are. Maybe it means we need to send Malfoy a thank you card," he teased.

Lucas' mouth twisted into something a bit more displeased but his voice was still calm and even somewhat humorous when he answered with "can you please not say his name when I'm about to kiss you?"

Parker said "oh," a bit reverently, shocked, humour gone in a flash, replaced with something a bit more serious but still with just a tinge of playfulness. "Then what are you waiting for?"

Lucas kissed him then, their lips pressed together in something not quite chaste but definitely slow and exploratory.

****

Leaning against the portrait with her arms crossed, Lucinda waited. She understood that Draco had an explosive temper but it was a bit frustrating for him to have abandoned her to go work off his irritation with Crabbe and Goyle. As much as she wanted to chase him, she'd figured that letting him cool down was the best plan; she needed to give him space.

She was quite the picture to anyone who ventured close and most people entered the common room without meeting her eyes.

Parkinson was not one of those - her shit-eating grin was disgusting and Lucy sneered back at her, silently challenging her to start a fight.

Parkinson, curse her, wasn't bright enough to get the memo that she was better off saying nothing and moving along.

"Aw, look here - Selwyn the homewrecking Slut all by her lonesome. Did Draco throw you out already? Pity that he wasted any of his time with you, but I'm so pleased that he's come back to his senses so quickly."

Lucy barked out a laugh, posture straightening and body pushing away from the wall.

"Don't be jealous Pug," she snipped, "I'm quite secure with my place in his life. Unlike you I don't need to breathe down his neck 24/7. I know that sounds foreign to you because you can't seem to keep anyone around, but acting like a poisonous leech doesn't do you any favours."

Pansy was positively livid, fingers clutched tightly around her wand.

"Say it again you vicious whore and we'll see what happens to you!"

Lucy's words were positively a purr. "Go ahead darling and we'll see if Draco ever forgives you for cursing his girlfriend," she shrugged. "My bet is no, but you're welcome to it."

Before Parkinson could even stop spluttering in outrage, a monotone drawl stopped her in her tracks from a few feet behind her. "I recommend you don't take that bet, Parkinson. Lower your wand. Now," Snape ordered, seeming to melt out of the shadows of the dungeon like smoke. "Otherwise you can spend tomorrow evening in detention with me instead of with your precious Malfoy. The both of you."

Lucy raised her chin and offered her Head of House a pleasant smile in a fashion reminiscent of the Pureblood Mannerisms that had been ingrained in her since birth.

"Of course, Professor -- I'll be on my way if you'll excuse me," she said, giving up her sentry position entirely. With one last calculated glance over her shoulder at Pansy, Lucy disappeared into the common room, content to settle into one of the large chairs in front of the Lake window while she waited for Draco to settle and return to her.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Lucy slid her bum a bit closer to Draco, reaching out to brush the back of her fingers tenderly across his jaw. Her eyes were soft when she fixed him with a knowing expression. “Of course I did,” she said, like it was ridiculous for him to have ever thought otherwise.

“I’m sorry,” Lucy murmured. “I didn’t think he’d hit you. Are you okay? I think you’ve had a bit of a shocking evening, what with...” she paused, remembering the way Draco had seemed to become incensed at the revelation of Luke’s sexuality. Still, it wouldn’t be changing anytime soon and neither would his place in her life, so Draco needed to get used to it. Even knowing that, Lucy herself felt disgust roiling in her belly at the thought of Lucas dating anyone else.

She let her hand drop to settle onto one of her boyfriend’s thighs. “I won‘t ask you to apologize to him because I already know you won’t, but I will beg you not to go around calling him a fag — that certainly won’t endear you to him at all and you’re both big parts of my life. You and Luke don’t mesh and I get it but he’s my best friend. You don’t have to like each other. Hell, I don’t love his little boyfriend” she sneered, “but I have to put up with him. Please, for the love of all that’s holy, please try and put up with Luke. For me?”

Lucy pouted, puckering her full bottom lip. “I’ll give you something very nice if you do,” she encouraged, voice just a bit huskier now, hoping that he’d catch her drift. She leaned in, breath warming the flesh of his ear. “I promise, Sir.”

 

[Cum_Inside]

The last week had been nothing short of phenomenal. The glow of a new relationship hadn't quite worn off and Lucas found himself spending less time in the library and more at Parker's side playing around down by the lake or wandering the corridors together just talking, laughing, and settling into their relationship. Lucas wasn't shy and it was no surprise to hear that he was dating Parker Vance -- Lucas had been out for more than a year and his housemates seemed to keep any concerns to themselves (if they had any), and they had nothing bad to say about the young Gryffindor who was nothing less than polite and friendly to everyone he met, other than Malfoy, of course.


It was weird, though; sometimes Lucas felt himself turning over his shoulder at the way the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as though someone was behind him. There was nobody there. By the end of the week it had happened more frequently than Luke liked and he was getting tired of the way it felt that he was always under someone's scrutiny.

Lucy just rolled her eyes at him when he complained about it but the way she seemed to lose her focus and stare out at nothing might have been a little concerning if Luke had been paying more attention instead of just babbling away over breakfast. On one such occasion when Lucinda failed to respond to him, Luke raised one dark eyebrow and had to repeat her name three or four times before she snapped out of it, casually shrugging her shoulders and saying "I don't know. Maybe you have a stalker. Don't ask me -- I can't imagine why anyone voluntarily wants to spend their time chasing after you with the amount of time you spend in all sorts of sinful embraces with your new beau," she said almost nonchalantly if not for the clear snark in her tone.

Lucas frowned, aiming his fork at her. "Oh come on, Luce, like you and Malfoy are any better."

Although Lucy kept her feelings from showing on her emotive face as best she could, she raised from the table and gathered her things. "Speaking of, we have class. See you."

Lucas watched her go with his mouth opening and closing like a fish, uncertain as to what had set her off this time. After a moment he let out a sigh and dropped his fork, murmuring "moody lately," and reached for his pineapple juice.

****

Although he didn't say anything to her, Lucy knew.

The way Draco kept his activities quiet and didn't announce what he was up to meant that he was doing something he knew he shouldn't. Draco was someone who wanted people to know what he was up to most of the time. The fact that he was seeking privacy told Lucy all she needed to know. When he met up with her in the evenings to spend some quiet time together, he was very close lipped even to her.

That didn't mean that it was hard to figure out. She saw the way his eyes were always drawn to Luke or Vance whenever the two were in the vicinity and how he would perk up whenever she mentioned her best friend though he tried to pretend he didn't give a shit either way. It was easy to follow him Wednesday evening after dinner; Lucy had pretended that she was on her way to her chess club when really she gave him a small headstart and snuck off after him to find out where he was spending a few hours every night before meeting up with her in the common room.

Even though some things were obvious to her, who had spent so much time watching Draco Malfoy prior to dating him (heck, why did that sound so creepy?), Lucy hadn't really managed to put the pieces together until he caught him lingering outside one of the rooms just down the hall from the History of Magic classroom. There were hushed voices inside but Lucy couldn't make out any words. Almost forty five minutes later, Draco seemingly decided he'd had enough, heading back the way he'd come. Lucy had to duck behind one of the statues to avoid being found out, and she waited for a few minutes before creeping a little closer to the classroom.

She saw Vance first, sitting up on one solid wood desk with his legs on either side on either side of Lucas' hips (because that tall lanky frame and wild hair definitely belonged to him). He was laughing, smile wide and face pressed against into Luke's shoulder. Occasionally the two boys traded kisses back and forth in between bouts of conversation and it felt so insanely private that Lucy couldn't watch for very long as the boys got to know each other in some ways that were more intimate than others.

There was a knot in her stomach that made her want to be sick. A few days after her realization that she was also in love with her best friend, watching him with someone else felt much worse than it ever had in the past. Hearing about it had been enough of a devastation, but actually seeing it... On the way back to the common room, Lucy had to pause to kick angrily out at the stones, telling herself that it settled the nausea and anger boiling inside of her just enough that she could play it off and pretend that nothing untoward had happened; she wasn't enough of a poor sport that chess club should piss her off so much and Draco would most definitely question her.

She never let on that she knew.

****

Luke was surprised to get to class and not find Malfoy already present - despite his reputation, there was nobody who could dispute his grades or work ethic. Eclipsed behind Granger, Malfoy was definitely top line in Potions. Lucas was never late but Malfoy was typically already there by the time he arrived. It was strange that for the first time all year Luke was first. Not only that, but he still wasn't present by the time Snape began discussing their next project, partnered, and despite himself Lucas began to worry.

Considering how much Malfoy respected Snape, Lucas had a hard time understanding just why the other boy would be late. That is, until he realized exactly what was going on; not only a project where they were going to be working in pairs, but clearly written on the assignment list... Hastings and Malfoy. Had the other boy already known somehow? It was unlikely, but stranger things had happened.

Lucas allowed his fists to clench underneath the desk but said nothing. He remembered clearly the discussion he'd had with Lucy about her relationship with Malfoy. Coldly, she'd refused any mention of Parker, but because she meant the world to Luke he was inclined to do what he could to keep her happy. Even if that meant putting up with Malfoy.

Do it for Lu he repeated in his head, working himself up mentally. Don't antagonize him and it will be fine. Over before you know it.

Lucas said nothing as Malfoy finally arrived, situating himself next to Lucas on the bench and quietly reading over the instructions before handing the parchment over.

Lucas considered the suggestion evenly. Draco's mind for Potions was unrivalled in their year and Lucas, although intelligent in his own merit, couldn't really seem to match up to the natural talent Draco had for it. It must have been a shock to the other boy when Lucas did not argue and instead replied with: "that makes the most sense to me, actually. Just tell me what you need me to do and I'll follow; you're better at Potions than I am."

The compliment was terse but genuine. Lucas couldn't even bring himself to regret saying it, before grabbing his quill. "Let's write down all the ingredients we need and I'll go collect them."

 

[Cum_Inside]

Lucas, for all of his intelligence, was not the best at Potions. He could read and memorize the instructions perfectly, but getting the timing down for adding each individual ingredient or handling them perfectly was not his strong suit. Despite not staying long, Lucas would have likely shocked both his Professor and partner one more time by responding with a comment he'd never make in any other circumstance: he was lucky to have Draco as a partner.

He knew that the other boy would likely have to carry some of Lucas' weight during this project and he felt terrible about it, but so far Malfoy hadn't complained too much. Actually, he'd even attempted to make some awkward small talk. Lucas had to admit that it was nice being in the same space as Malfoy and not fighting like cats and dogs. Lucy would certainly be impressed; Lucas sure was.

It wasn't his typical MO to be difficult; Draco just brought out the worst in him. Lucy had made it clear how disapproving she was over her boys desire to wind each other up constantly, and Lucas had sheepishly promised her that he would try and be better. Today was the first step towards grudgingly accepting Malfoy as his best friend's partner.

Lucas was appreciative that Draco let him gather at least some of the ingredients; considering Draco's skill and the fact that his Potion's grade stood high above the rest, Lucas doubted that he'd trust anyone but himself to gather everything they needed to make a stellar potion. Still, with the other boy watching his every move, Lucas didn't feel any pressure to perform - intrinsically, Lucas understood Draco's need for control and it didn't bother him. Probably letting go was quite difficult for the other boy, and Lucas didn't feel the need to pick at that vulnerability to incite Draco's open wounds to bleed.

He had no control elsewhere. Luke didn't know the ins and outs of his entire family situation, but he'd seen brief hints that life wasn't as great as it should have been for the Malfoy heir; the way his smirk and boundless confidence disappeared when his father was present, or the responsibility that Lucas knew was heavy on his shoulders. That plus being the son of one of You-Know-Who's most esteemed Death Eaters (in rumour). Maybe to the rest of the world, Draco hid his insecurities well, but like Lucinda, Lucas saw how carefully controlled Draco's actions were to the point that the person he showed the world was only a mockery of the man underneath.

Lucy had been pretty tight-lipped about any other details of Draco's personal life, but Luke didn't need to know. Draco had led a shitty life, likely, just the same as Lucinda had, though maybe in a different way.

Lucas would try his best to behave and make this project go as smoothly as it possibly could.

Without the antagonistic colouring their interactions had taken on lately, Lucas was a bit more relaxed even as Draco continually brushed up against him or invaded Lucas' personal space. From here, Lucas could see why Lu was so lost on Malfoy. He was definitely handsome, and now that he didn't have to focus on coming up with the best insults, Lucas was struck by how wonderful the other boy smelled for the first time ever. That aristocratic face, high cheekbones, slate eyes that had so many different layers to them, and slender but sturdy frame, tall and carefully wound into one man that was more than he showed the world.

Lucas filed those thoughts away for later analyzation.

When he responded to the other boy, his voice was soft, quiet, and no hint of malice or negative intent. Lucas hoped Draco saw that he planned to be cooperative and not make it harder than it had to be.

"Lu is very excited about Yule. She'll look gorgeous in her dress and all eyes will be on her."

He didn't want to add: You're lucky she's chosen you or I'm going with Parker because he figured that would change the tone of the conversation, but he also couldn't keep skirting around certain things if they were going to be partners for a while.

"I'm taking Parker and I don't want to fight about it, Draco; I want to get along with you," he said, easily, hoping his gentle tone would be enough to circumvent a fight before it began. "I know you don't like it, but you asked, and he's my boyfriend so..."

And then, Luke answered the question Draco posed about the potion, changing the subject.

"Arelia leaves, rolled and diced finely. Sprinkled over the top of the mixture and not stirred in until the potion changes into a minty colour," he recited. Although he was not the best at Potions, Luke's ability to memorize was a skill that had served him quite well. With Draco's technical ability, he was certain they could pull this off.

Just like the potion, the future was looking a bit lighter now.

 

[Cum_Inside]

Although Lucas wasn’t surprised at Draco’s ability to successfully brew the potion, he wasn’t expecting the peaceful moments between them following their completion and delivery to Professor Snape. For the first time ever, Lucas watched the tightness seep out of Draco’s shoulders and the way a small but genuine smile crept across his face. There was pride in his eyes and Lucas found it refreshing instead of more than slightly annoying as he usually did — likely because this time, Malfoy’s pride wasn’t the result of making some poor bloke cry.

Draco Malfoy was intelligent and deft when it came to Potions especially, and instead of being an arse about Draco’s gleeful babbling (because that’s definitely what was happening, the more Draco rambled on), Lucas pretended to be oblivious while Draco preened next to him at the attention without being boastful in the least.

Well he thought, maybe just a bit boastful after all, but even that was tinged with the odd feeling that Draco had managed to pleasantly surprise Lucas today by being somewhat selfless for once.

“We?” He murmured, resting one elbow on the table and his cheek in his palm, staring thoughtfully at the place their fingers kept brushing. “You did the work,” he shrugged easily. “I was the ball and chain around your delicate little ankle, but thanks for carrying my weight without complaining. You accomplished what no one else did.” Although normally those words could be taken as a way to take the piss out of someone, Lucas was hoping Draco would take it as the compliment it was and not a dig; he didn’t think he’d ever be able to be entirely courteous because light-hearted joking and teasing was in his blood. Draco didn’t deserve kid gloves or for Luke to act entirely fake around him if they were ever going to get used to each other. Plus, it was fairly obvious when either of them were searching for a fight and this strange occurrence certainly wasn’t it.

Turning his attention back to the topic of Lucy, ignoring the way Draco’s eyes bore into the side of his face, Lucas straightened up and added “and her dress is killer, by the way. You’ll definitely be fighting the blokes off your girl by the end of the night.”

Just then, one last cauldron exploded. Snape’s booming irritation was loud like a thunderclap but Lucas drowned it out as Parker sauntered in, arms full of books for all of his classes today. He’d forgotten his bag and Lucas had to fight off his smirk at the reminder of how terrible Parker was at Transfiguration.

Rising smoothly from the bench, Luke gathered his singular book and shrunk it down to fit easily into the pocket of his robes. As he turned to greet Parker, Malfoy’s voice stopped him and he peered curiously over his shoulder at the platinum-haired blond. He was not expecting the words that met his ears and he had to take a moment and replay them over again, shifting back to face Draco Malfoy entirely, eyes roving over his face slowly.

Lucas considered him quietly, searching for any hint of mal-intent in his tone or expression. It sounded like a trap but there were no visible signs of anything untoward. Then again, Malfoy was an accomplished liar...

As Parker reached them, right hand ghosting around the curve of Lucas’ waist to squeeze tightly in a gesture of greeting before continuing on to his seat, Lucas ignored his boyfriend almost absentmindedly, so caught up in Malfoy’s strange request.

Some part of him knew that he should say no; any evening stuck with each other would surely lead to fighting. There was another part that argued back, thinking about the fact that they’d need to be able to get along some day for Lucinda anyway. Currently, Lucas happened to agree. He also happened to think it was a good idea to extend the olive branch considering just how long they were going to be working on this project together. That and the fact that Malfoy seemed to be the only thing keeping Lucas from living his best life lately, it didn’t seem like a terrible idea.

Lucas’ deep brown eyes focused on intense but sincere slate grey.

With both hands in his pockets, Luke offered one more shrug.

“Sure. Why not? I’ll buy since you did all the work. 7:30,” he said, turning and walking decisively away.

If Malfoy changed his mind so be it — Luke wouldn’t be out anything to take along a textbook and so some studying over a butter beer.

****

Parker hadn’t been too pleased. Actually, he’d been speechless for a moment, with his mouth gaping like a blowfish. When he had been able to speak again, his words were a bit disdainful but mostly horrified. “So wait — you’re telling me that Ferret face wants to go for drinks,” he said slowly, lounging on the the bunched up sheets of Luke’s bed on his back, hands tucked behind his head as he stared up at the curtains of the four-poster. The dormitory was empty save them, and Lucas was getting ready to go out for the night.

Lucas shot him an unimpressed glance at the nickname. He’d never liked it and in fact, Lucas had told someone off more than once for using it. Although Draco could be a right prat, it had been wrong to hex him like that. It hadn’t been funny at the time and it still wasn’t.

“Malfoy,” Lucas enunciated “is a decent partner when you get over the whole spiteful prick business. He did a good job brewing our potion and didn’t actually raise hell over how useless I am with Spindlewood barbs so I figure it’s worth a try.”

Lucas smoothed out his dress-shirt in the mirror, meeting Parker’s eyes in the glass.

“And Lucy is pretty important to me, Parker. Malfoy isn’t going anywhere by the looks of it, so I need to be able to put up with him. If that means getting a pint and not fighting like little boys...”

Parker pouted, sitting up and swinging his legs off the side of the bed.

“It doesn’t mean I have to like it,” he said haughtily, before standing up and crossing the few feet to Luke’s floor-length mirror that Lucinda had smuggled in for him last winter (she said he was too vain to go without and okay, maybe just a bit). Parker wrapped his arms around Luke’s waist and pressed his face into the elder boy’s neck. “In fact, I think he’s a dick. I think you’re wasting your time. I think...”

Fingers snaked up underneath the hem of the cotton button-down and into the waistband of Luke’s trousers. “I think you and I could have a much better evening tucked up in bed, baby...”

Lucas’ teeth sunk into his bottom lip, pondering that for a moment. It was definitely true, but Lucas didn’t make a habit of standing people up. Even Malfoy.

Lucas grasped Parker’s naughty fingers, spinning in his arms. He leaned down to press a chaste kiss on his boyfriend’s mouth, husking back “you know I want that, Parker, but I can’t. Not tonight.”

In the end, Parker did manage to convince his boyfriend for a quick mutual stroke session before he left. In doing so, Luke’s dress-shirt ended up with a small white spreading stain which meant that he had to change his outfit for the tenth time before he was finally satisfied (again). Parker felt a bit vindicated but also upset that Lucas wouldn’t be meeting Malfoy with the evidence of Parker’s prowess visible for him to see and steam over.

****

Sitting there in one of the back booths, twiddling his fingers nervously, Lucas wondered if this was a bad idea. Not even an hour ago he’d told himself that he couldn’t ghost on Malfoy and now that’s exactly what was happening to him. Malfoy wasn’t coming. It wasn’t quite 730 yet but the other boy would have to be masochistic to show up. Draco Malfoy was a great many things but Lucas didn’t think he was that at all.

Almost a quarter down on his flagon of butter beer, Luke debated on leaving (or maybe ordering Firewhiskey instead).

Every time the door opened Lucas looked up anxiously only to be let down every time.

This was stupid. He felt like a boy on his first date except the fact that this was anything but a date: as a matter of fact, Lucas was pretty sure that if Draco ever got wind that Lucas had ever even hinted at a date between them that the other boy would do worse than Avada Kedavra him: he’d probably feed him to the lake monsters piece by little tiny piece.

Lucas Hastings was not going on a date with Draco Malfoy; this was simply a peace agreement between two enemies.

So why did it feel like more?

 

[Cum_Inside]

As Lucy pondered the fact that not only had Lucas or Draco not murdered each other in their shared classes, but had actually managed to work together successfully, she was quiet. When Draco added that her boys were going out for drinks, she was pretty sure her Pureblood composure dropped into her shoes as her jaw hit the ground. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing! Surely she was dreaming.

Except that Draco seemed serious about it as he pressed himself against her. Working her fingers into his pants and around his pulsating length, she popped the button on his trousers and stroked eagerly. This evening would probably only be made easier on both boys if she could get her boyfriend off first, working out as much of his stress as she could.

Needless to say, that never happened — Crabbe and Goyle burst through the door just as Draco’s exclamations of pleasure were becoming louder and Lucy had to fight off her pout when he pushed her away and tucked his cock back into his pants.

Kissing him goodbye sweetly, Lucinda curled her fingers against the flesh of his neck and murmured: “I’m proud of you, Draco. Please behave. Luke isn’t hard to get along with — honestly.”

****

The internal debate of whether or not he should run continued until the moment that Lucas caught the blinding flash of platinum blond and deep emerald in the doorway. At that moment, Lucas felt this funny little flip-flop in his chest just a moment before time seemed to slow down. Draco hadn’t noticed him yet, but the look on his face when he spotted Luke and made his way through the pub was something warmer than resentment. It was surprising, but not as much as the initial invitation had been; the closer Draco got to the booth, the more Lucas seemed to hold his breath.

Exhaling slowly when the other boy slid into the booth, Lucas wrapped long fingers around his flagon and lifted it to his mouth as a distraction. He was grateful that Malfoy took the liberty to go ahead and begin rambling the moment he got his drink, because the casual nature made Lucas relax even subconsciously. Pressing his body back against the booth, Luke tried to ignore the sharp punch of Draco’s cologne and focus on his words instead.

It figures. Of course he’d want to talk about Potions.

Without realizing, Luke’s eyes focused on the bob of Malfoy’s adam’s apple as he talked.

“Uhm,” Luke said slowly, taking a moment to realize Draco had stopped speaking “I’m not sure I’ll be any good to you if it gets more difficult than today. I’m pretty clumsy, really. I guess I’ll just have to sit back and shut up and do what you say, but I can’t help but feel bad that I’m basically dead weight.”

He fiddled with his fingers a bit, eyes darting back to a more appropriate place — the boisterous bar maid flirting with a couple sixth years a few tables down. Anywhere that wasn’t Draco’s body, really, because staring at his adam’s apple had led down and down and down until Lucas was almost peeking underneath the fabric of Draco’s shirt where open buttons placed the other boy’s alabaster skin on a teasing display. That was certainly anything but appropriate.

“Buying drinks was the least I can do. Actually, I feel like I’ll be doing it a lot this term to bribe you into putting up with my atrocious potion making. Ask Lucy; I’m smart as hell but they call me butterfingers for a reason,” he joked, trying to cut the tension.

During his comments, Luke shifted subtly to throw one arm over the back of the bench behind Draco’s shoulders, stretching out in order to be more comfortable. It opened him up to being a bit more in Draco’s personal space, but so far he didn’t look like he was about to hex Luke, which did wonders to calm him even further.