𝒜𝒻𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓂𝒶𝓉𝒽 | 𝒟.𝑀.

53 | ﴾ Rightful Dispositions ﴿

I woke up to a familiar warmth of sunlight blaring in through my signature Malfoy wall of windows. It was a crisp yet bright fall day outside. Orange leaves were drifting through the air and plastering themselves face first onto the glass as though to beg for mercy.

I blinked open my dry eyes several times before I realized that I was looking at an odd section of the ornate ceiling panelling. It was extremely hot where I was lying, and I craned my neck to see that the fire was still blazing next to where we had fallen asleep on the carpet making love. Draco was passed out on his stomach with his arm bent around me and his face towards the fire. His absurdly long platinum hair was a mess against my shoulder, and I craned my neck to take in his tight bare ass.

I reached my fingers down to teasingly pinch him and he instantly groaned in irritation, "Fuck off Madeleine, you know I don't like that."

I slapped his back side once, and he turned his bleary eyes to me, the crystalline pigments glittering in the sunlight. His arm dragged me fully underneath him, then he yawned and tried to go back to sleep with his head on my shoulder.

I panted slightly from the weight of his body, too excited to fall back asleep even though the sun was barely rising, "France, France today right?"

"Yes. At a normal hour, we're not peasants," he griped sleepily.

"Do peasants not sleep in?" I chirped in his ear.

"Are you deaf? Go back to sleep," he grumbled.

His abs tightened against mine with a terse breath as he lifted his head and ran his hands up my arms, pinning them high above my head. I suddenly felt unbelievably naked below him and he gave me a condescending glare, shaking my Ministry cuffs in emphasis, "You, little lady, can spend the entire day in these cuffs if you keep getting on my nerves. You've woken me up at an ungodly hour. Don't forget that I hold all of the power to relinquish you."

"You talk about me like I am your property," I teased, arching my back under his tight grasp.

"You are my property," he whispered, pushing a kiss onto my cheek before leaving me on the floor stunned. I stretched like a cat on a bed, making ridiculous squealing noises while he wandered around, changing and organizing.

The mood had depressed once we were cleaned up and ready to go. I clutched at the small bag I'd bothered to pack, now dressed in an extravagant mauve bouffant dress as would likely be deemed appropriate by my honorable family. I'd straightened my hair and put it up in a tall ponytail on the back of my head with the expectation that it would still be sweltering there no matter what month of the year.

Draco had darned an equally noble silver suit with a matching bow tie, reappearing from his bedroom downstairs with a sickened expression. I bit my tongue at how striking he looked with his sharp features and tight dress clothing, and he ignored my flirty gaze with practiced ease.

He took my hand anxiously. "Only if you want this," he pointed out. I knew that he was oozing with personal dread but there was really only one path forward, and that was to make things right.

I nodded and he disapparated us expertly to the very pristine and embroidered white gates that led to my family's centuries old villa estate in Southern Antibes, France. Before us on the decorative gravel driveway, the wrought iron accessway had woven into it a massive 'D', signifying our historic surname and property line. The air was absolutely scorching and humid, intermingled with the trademark perfume of the Balearic Sea beyond.

The last time we had visited, it had taken nearly an entire day to drive there due to the complex nature of the war at the time. Draco didn't waste a second commenting on his relief at not having to do all of the physical labour to achieve our global position. "That would be eight hours of my life taken back," he muttered barely audibly.