Waiting | Lucius Malfoy

Chapter Nineteen | Falling

The walk back to the house was undeniably awkward. Neither of them spoke, instead choosing to take in their surroundings without a word. Guinevere clutched Lucius' arm as he walked stiffly beside her, again noticing the glances of those around them. She wished she'd worn a warmer jacket, but wasn't sure if she was shaking because of the cold or the scene that'd just occurred.

Unlocking the door, she entered the hallway and combatted the need to have a drink. She needed to be sober for this.

"Can I get you anything?" Guinevere asked, as Lucius hung up his coat and placed his cane in its holder on the coat stand.

"No, darling. I'm fine. I should be fetching you something."

"No, no. Don't worry about the thing with Theo, Lucius. He's always been hot-headed. He'll come round." She hoped that her words sounded convincing. In reality, she knew that this was probably the end of her and Theo's friendship. It wouldn't be long until he'd told Draco and she'd be forced to face the music over the whole ordeal. It was only a matter of time. Now though, she was alone with Lucius and that was the one saving grace of the situation.

He cleared his throat. "Well then, I should be going."

"You're not staying?"

"I thought you'd wish to be alone." He glanced back at her.

"The last thing I want is to be alone when there's a chance that we can be here together."

"Oh. That's unexpected."

"Lucius, what happened back there, I wanted that to happen. Maybe not Theo's reaction, but us, that wasn't a mistake."

"You did?"

"Yes! I've been waiting for this." She let out a groan of frustration. "I have been desperate for you to make a move and yet here we are again, with me having to be in control."

"And you don't want to be in control? That's not like you, Guinevere," he smirked.

"Godric! You are ruining this. What I'm saying is that I don't want to wait anymore. I've spent my life waiting for things to happen and I think I might die if I have to wait any longer for you."

"You're being dramatic," he rebutted, sauntering into the kitchen.

"You're being ridiculous!" She followed close behind him, finding him seemingly captivated by the bay window's view. "Can't we have one conversation without you storming off, for Merlin's sake? We're adults!"

"Guinevere, with the greatest respect," he turned to face her. "I cannot be with you. People would disown you, cut off all communication. You'd have no one. You would forever be lost in the shadow that is my past."

"If they can't see you for you, then I don't want them. "

"You say that now."

"The people who matter know that you've changed." He wouldn't meet her eyes. "Listen to me!" She demanded. "I'm trying to tell you that I want to be with you."

"Darling, you think you want this now, but then you'll be stuck with me. In a few years, you'll look back and wish you did things differently."

"Why are you so against this, Lucius? I don't get it."

"I can't give you everything you want."

"I only want you." Pain corrupted his features and Guinevere took a second to think. "Unless you don't want me."

He looked away. "For Merlin's sake Guinevere, you can be dense sometimes. Of course, I do."

"You do?" She whispered.

"Yes. I have for some time now, but I was being the gentleman and I didn't want to step out of line. I didn't know what your intentions were if you were simply trying to pursue me out of revenge," he ranted quickly.

"I would hope you know me better than to think that, Lucius," she replied, her voice cracking.

"You're hurt."

"Of course, I am! You've just accused me of going after you for the wrong reasons." She was speaking much louder than she'd intended, but her feelings were overriding her brain.

"And what are the right reasons?"

"You listen to me, even when you don't want to," she began. "Even when it's inconvenient to you, you'll stop what you're doing to listen. You don't ask anything of me, yet I feel obliged to go out of my way to impress you. You make me laugh, horrifically I might add, at the smallest of things. I feel like I'm drowning some days and then I'm with you and I'm on dry land..." Tears were threatening the corners of his eyes and Guinevere was taken aback. She'd never seen him cry. Crystal liquid fell down his cheeks, drop by drop until he raised a hand to wipe them away.

"You don't feel the same way?" Guinevere asked. Lucius laughed and for a moment, her heart stopped. She turned to leave, worried that she'd have to find herself once again. Lucius grabbed her arm, turning her back around to face him.

"You are everything, Guinevere," he whispered, clutching her arm tightly.

"I listen to you because you are one of the most unique individuals I've ever met. I make you laugh because I want to see you happy. You light up a room, my love. People look at you, you know, when you laugh. You think it's because they're laughing at you, but they're drawn to your laugh. It's warm. Hopeful. I, my dear, am the one that should be telling you all these things."

His hand caressed her cheek, the cold metal of his ring cooling her burning face. "Before you, everything was black and now it glimmers with silver. It glimmers and twists until I'm caught up in it, captivated by it. By you."

Guinevere let out a sigh and his brows furrowed. "I can't believe this."

"Oh," he retorted. "Have I spoken out of turn?"

"The opposite," She replied, before seizing his lips. This time it wasn't urgent, or frantic. It was gentle. Caring. When Guinevere pulled away, she rested her head against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her, almost afraid to let her go.

"So, my dear, what now?" he murmured against her hair.

"Now, we wait and see what happens." She looked up at him, cupping his face and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

"I thought you didn't want to wait," he teased.