Ice and Flame

Chapter 2

  Catherine couldn't wait the evening to come. It seemed that day lasted forever. The girl looked through her dresses in the wardrobe choosing what to wear tonight. First she chose a long black velvet hip slit dress. No, it was too simple. Maybe green? No, she wore it today. Blue with open shoulders? Also no. Everything was inappropriate.

  When she looked through almost all of her dresses, she found her scarlet dress which she has bought at mugles' shop decades ago. It was long hip slit dress, just like the black one. This dress was satin. Black shoes with heels decorated with silver snakes matched perfectly.

  Catherine has always prefered red lipstick and black eyeliner. This makeup highlighted her beautiful face features very well. This time she added a little bit silver eyeliner to black. She left her hair loose, just corrected her curls. She put some perfume on her wrists and ear lobes.

  One hour left before the meeting with Lucius. Cath was sitting in front of the mirror and thinking about grey-eyed blonde-haired man. He made double impression on her. On the one hand, she couldn't bare such pompous peacocks like Lucius. But on the other hand, there was something magnetic in this man, she wanted to know him better. At the same time she felt nervous. She wanted to drink a glass of fire whiskey for courage. But she didn't do thet because she didn't want Lucius to notice smell of alcohol from her and think she's an alcoholic.

  'Fuck, Cath! You behave like a fool!You don't need this peacock. I'll have a dinner with him and after that I'll tell him to fuck off. But this fucker is really handsome' she thought looking into the mirror.

  Knock at the door distracted her from her thoughts.

  "Come in" she said.

  Actually Catherine didn't expect anyone. She saw severus standing in front of her door. She was a little surprised with unexpected visit.

"Hello, Severus. Come in" she said.

 Severus slightly rose corners of his mouth. This meant smile.

"Anything happened?" she asked.

"Can't I come to you without reason?" he replied.

"Severus?" she looked at him with suspicion.

"Well, ok. I just wanted to remind you to be careful. And don't do stupid things"

  He stepped back and looked at her outfit.

"You look gorgeous, by the way" he said.

  "Thank you, Severus. You're real friend. You know that I can stand for myself. Thanks for your care, I'm flattered. And thanks for your compliment. You don't say such things often" Cath replied.

"True that you can protect yourself. Well, have a nice evening, my friend" Severus said.

"Thanks again, Sev" she said.

  Severus nodded and left her room. Katherine looked at the watch hanging on the wall. It's time to go.

  She went downstairs to the hall, where Lucius was waiting for her. He stood with his back towards the ladder. When Cath saw him she felt shiver in her knees. She almost dragged her foot in her high heels. Usually she wore them perfectly.

'What the...'she thought 'Get yourself together, Cath!'

She calmed down and slowly went downstairs. Actually she wanted run to lucius like an arrow. But she couldn't behave like this like now. Otherway he will think that she's crazy.

  Lucius heard the sound if knocking heels and turned around. He just froze in place looking at gorgeous girl who was going downstairs. It seemed she was shining like a goddess.