Soulmates at First Sight

Comfort

Arthur ended the meeting only after making sure all of the witches and wizards in the room made sure to be vigilant and safe and he vowed that he and the Ministry would get to the bottom of the situation. This made Aria's stomach turn unpleasantly. Mostly everyone stayed in their seats and chatted and gossiped amongst themselves, but instinctually at the same time, both Aria and Lucius got up from their seats and left the room and went straight to his office. No one noticed them leaving together, since everyone else was so absorbed in their own conversations.

Aria made it into Lucius' office first, the scent of him an instant comfort to her nerves, and he was there beside her quick enough as he shut the door behind them hastily. The instant his door was closed, Aria turned to him and practically fell into his arms. He held on to her tight, wanting to make her feel safe and protected.

"Lucius, I'm scared," she said as she still clung to him, her face buried in his chest. "I had wanted that nightmare with Paulo to be left behind, and now here it is back again, out in the open for everyone to see. I don't want them to know he attacked me that night...I don't want to be involved in this case..." she said, her tears starting to fall.

Lucius said nothing, but instinctively stroked her soft blond hair, and gently rocked her back and forth in his arms.

"Now there is someone after the new-comers too...erasing our memories...attacking us..." she said through her tears.

Lucius slightly tensed at that. He couldn't tell her that Paulo had in fact been attacked and memory wiped by him, and that there was no wizard out there specifically attacking the ambassadors, but at the same time he really didn't want her to worry about possibly being attacked. He wanted to do nothing but keep her safe and let her know that he would keep her protected no matter what.

"Aria, I will keep you safe. You have nothing to fear my love," he said as he continued stroking her hair and kissing the top of her head. He felt a slight pang of guilt at keeping the truth from her, but he wasn't ready for her to face his darker side yet, nor was he ready to really confront it himself. However, he knew that he had done what he did for her sake and because that vile man had tried to harm her. He knew he would move heaven, hell, the whole universe, just for the sake of the woman he held in his arms. If there was an investigation by the Ministry and he was found out, he would admit to his treatment of Paulo, but he hoped they would leave Aria alone. He didn't want her to have to face that night again.

After a while, she finally calmed down, the scent of the man she loved, lulling her into comfort. She wanted to feel safe like this forever. She knew the next few days, while the uncertainty around them grew, she wouldn't want to be alone and so she asked him the only thing she could think of at that moment.

"Lucius...can I stay with you the next few days at the Manor? I don't feel safe spending time alone in my flat."

Lucius cupped her beautiful face in his hands and leaned it upwards so that she was looking up into his eyes.

"You don't even have to ask," he said giving her a soft smile. He so desperately wanted to just ask her to move in with him all together; something he had wanted to ask before, but he still wasn't sure that is what she wanted yet. Their relationship had moved fast as it was, he would wait for her to make that call. "I was hoping you would be with me during the nights anyways," he said through a naughty smirk.

That made Aria laugh a bit and smile beautifully, something which lightened Lucius' emotions and guilt about the situation. Her smile, as bright as the sun, could always do that to him.

She wiped the last of her tears and reached her hands up to cup his face as well, so that the two of them held each other in tender embraces.

"I always need you during the night...and during the day...actually all of the time..." she laughed again, her mood brightening considerably.