She who walks in Darkness

The next few days passed peacefully as each adjusted to their new surroundings and life together. Lucius was often not there, having been called away to his offices frequently for work. As Draco still seemed almost afraid to come near Thea, avoiding eye contact and situations in which they would be alone together, she made full use of Narcissa’s free time and indulged the older woman’s desire for a daughter to spoil.

Shopping trips had become an almost daily occurrence, being whisked off to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade at a moment’s notice and once even an evening trip to Paris when Cissa decided a new ‘special’ gown had been an absolute necessity due to an upcoming event that she would not extend upon.

Despite her reluctance to go clothes shopping and her barely masked horror at the number of galleons Narcissa seemed to want to lavish upon her, Thea found herself enjoying this particular trip. She’d always wanted to go to Paris having read about it as a child and its beauty surpassed all she had imagined. Streetlights had lit the evening sky, casting a warm glow that reflected off the surface of the next to them.

The shop Cissa had insisted on taking her too had been modern and chic, white and chrome surfaces with clean lines as clothes racks surrounded them, and each with one of a kind tailored dressers on, price on request only. Cissa had shown her joy at the occasion by having Thea try dress after dress on, each so beautiful that she almost felt a fraud wearing them, as if the dazzling materials and extortionate price tag were simply an effort to buy herself into a world where she was not sure she belonged.

After trying on the final dress she had turned around to stunned silence from both the seamstress and Narcissa until each let out a soft sigh of pleasure. As she had turned to face the mirror she understood why, this understated dress allowed her own beauty to shine through instead of competing with it. Instead it complemented her, a deep blue, as dark as the night sky, looked almost black until the slightest movement sent shimmers of light across it, emphasizing the piercing azure of her eyes. Elegant and modestly cut, it was made of a light silk, strapless and grasping her torso as if it were a second skin, a cut away back making the material scoop down before falling into a delicate full length skirt, so light that the smallest of breezes made it ripple.

After both the seamstress and Narcissa had gushed over her, emphatically agreeing that she must have this dress, that it had clearly been designed by Merlin himself for no other but her, Thea accepted a blush rising up her cheeks at their kind words and they had departed back to the mansion.

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It came almost as a relief to Thea when Narcissa told her regretfully at breakfast that morning that she had business to attend to and thus would be unavailable that day. Whilst Thea had grown to care greatly for the woman and appreciated her kindness and company she still enjoyed a little time to herself as well!

 She considered seeking out Draco amongst the sprawling grounds and rooms of the mansion but decided against it, feeling the warmth rise to her cheeks as it so often did when she thought of the stormy eyed blond. Regardless of his past attitude he had grown into a handsome man, lean and muscular with a strong chiselled jaw and the sexy slow smirk that was so one with his characteristics. There was something about him she couldn’t put her finger on, it was almost as if he called to her, drawing her to him. She had to admit that she was most comfortable within his presence, ironic considering their shared past. However every time she had tried to initiate interaction these past few days, a small smile or a few friendly words spoken over the breakfast table, his pained expression had said everything, he wasn’t interested, couldn’t stand to be in her presence even as a Pureblood. She snorted in a somewhat unladylike fashion, well, if it hurt him so much to be near her then she would make herself scarce, no point wasting emotions on a ferret anyway!

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He had been watching her for days, trying to initiate contact, constantly chided by his parents for not making enough effort. He could feel when she was near him, the small smiles she sometimes shot him sending him into reels of silent delight as he revelled in her apparent pleasure. But those smiles had become fewer and fewer, her appearance in his presence becoming less frequent. Deciding it was time to man up he decided to search her out. He knew where she’d be, her place of solace was the library. He’d watched her go there when his parents weren’t around to take all of her attention, or else late at night after she thought everyone was sleeping, creeping along the hallways to settle into the large armchair in front of the fire. He told himself he followed her for her own protection, to ensure her safety wandering the house alone at night, but he knew that wasn’t true. He just wanted to be near her, to relax in the knowledge that her body was so close, taken any opportunity he had to do so when his damned mother wasn’t whisking her off all over the place for shopping trips! The one trip he had deigned to come along on he had watched with an almost amused expression as his mother had dragged the poor girl from shop to shop looking at gowns and shoes, jewellery and accessories whilst Thea had been staring longingly at every book shop they had passed. She seemed obsessed with knowledge he thought to himself, not unlike himself she seemed to take every opportunity to read and held intelligent and witty conversation over the dinner table, jumping to answer any intellectual question his father asked, a know it all he smirked, almost like…

He shook the unwelcome thought out of his head, it was no use thinking such things. Whilst it was true he had always silently lusted after Granger, been impressed and endeared by her knowledge and attitude as well as her loyalty to her friends, it would not be a good thing should she turn out to be Thea, he had caused too much pain and angst there.

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She had made her way to the library and had just spotted the book she wanted, a leather bound copy of Fantastic Beast and where to find them. Unfortunately it was just a little out of her reach, being as petite as she was and she was just considering looking for a step ladder somewhere as she stretched up to reach it without success when she felt warm slender finger brush against her own.

“Need some help?” a deep masculine baritone asked as she turned in shock, falling flush against a warm and sculpted chest.