The Affair

Chapter 15: If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don’t Want To Be Right







Missing you isn\'t the problem, it\'s wondering if you\'ll ever come back that\'s killing me. – Anonymous





Hermione sat curled on her sofa Christmas night all alone. The day had been spent at the Burrow opening gifts and eating way too much food. Then, when dinner was over Ron announced that he needed to go to the office. The look on Harry’s face told her all that she needed to know. Something was going on with Ron and it didn’t involve him working overtime, especially on Christmas.







He dropped her off at home, not even wishing her a Merry Christmas before he was gone. She fixed herself some hot chocolate and curled up to watch Its A Wonderful Life, letting herself get lost in the movie. She probably should have been sad that her husband had left her all alone on Christmas, but she wasn’t. It was just easier with him gone some how. If he was gone then she didn’t have to pretend that she was where she wanted to be.





She started when she heard a soft pecking on the kitchen window. She walked through her house, her wand tucked up the sleeve of the sweatshirt she was wearing and opened the little hatch. A small, tawny eagle owl hopped inside and dropped a note card onto the counter then flew away without waiting for a treat.





Meet me outside.





She recognized the elegant scrawl and she couldn’t help the smile on her face. He had come to see her. It had been a week since they gave in to their desires, a week since they had seen each other, spoken or touched. A week that she had been longing for him with every breath she took. She jumped when the letter disintegrated in her hands. He obviously didn’t want Ron finding it.





She went to the front door and poked her head outside but didn’t see him so she trudged back through the house and opened the back door to find him standing on her patio, his leather gloved hands braced on the rail. He was wearing a black leather cloak lined with black fur and a matching hat, he should have looked ridiculous but he didn’t, he looked wonderful. He was smiling at her and she couldn’t help but smile back.





“Happy Christmas.” He said.







“Happy Christmas, Lucius.” She shivered in the cold night air and took a step back into the house. “I’m alone, come inside.”







“Why are you alone on Christmas?” He asked as he crossed the threshold into her house. The first thing he noticed was that it smelled like cinnamon and chocolate, and then he began to notice the décor. She seemed to like rich, earthy colors and dark woods. Everything in her home seemed bought for comfort, not just for aesthetics or because it was expensive and had the right ‘look’. It was small but warm, cozy and inviting, like her.







“He said he had to work.” She closed the door and turned the lock, activating the wards so she would know if anyone, including her husband was coming into the house.







“On Christmas?” He looked down at her with a raised brow and she rolled her eyes.







“I didn’t say that I believed it.” She said softly. “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be with your family?”







“I performed my part. Sat and watched my materialistic spouse open her annual gift of gaudy, abysmally ugly jewelry wondering why I spend perfectly good galleons on such atrocities. I spent some time with my son who was very grateful for the book you suggested, he loved it. I sat at the head of the table during dinner where I was ignored completely as my wife monopolized the conversation by rambling on and on about how no one threw a better dinner party than she.” He said. “Now I am done playing the part and wish to be myself. I am only that when I am with you.”







“Is that right?” She asked, thinking his day had been much like hers, playing the role that everyone expected while wishing desperately that she were somewhere else where she could be herself.







“Well, there is also the fact that I missed you.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small black box with a silver ribbon. “And I got you something.”







“You bought me a present?” She was stunned. Ron hadn’t bothered to get her a gift in years that was just for her. They usually just bought something for the house but this year they didn’t bother.







“I hadn’t planned on it. But after we were together I couldn’t sit in my study without replaying every moment so I went out for some air and found myself in a small wizarding village called Dragon’s Wood. I was in a shop when I stumbled across…well, open it.” He said, placing the box into her hand. She lifted the lid and smiled as she looked inside.







Nestled into a pillow of silver satin was a broach; a silver bow with a little oval watch face dangling from it. She set the box on the counter and held the broach in her hand. It was so simple, so lovely, a perfect, thoughtful gift.







“It’s beautiful.” She said.







“When I saw it I thought ‘Hermione would love this’. Then it occurred to me that it was just a simple watch, not a single diamond or precious stone, just a simple watch.” He laid his cane on the counter and removed his gloves.





“I like simple.” She said.







“I know, just like I knew you would treasure it as though I had given you precious stones. So I spoke to the shop keeper and we added a few things.” He smiled and turned it over in her palm. “Run your finger along the edge.”





Hermione ran her fingertip along the edge of the watch face and the smooth silver backing began to glow, then letters began to appear. My soul’s salvation. glowed in soft, golden light then vanished as soon as she stopped touching it.





“It is spelled to appear at your touch only.” He said.







“Lucius…it…oh…” She didn’t know what to say, the words were so beautiful, the gesture so thoughtful.







“Wait; there is one more thing that is special about this gift.” He said. “Put it to your ear and listen.” She held the little watch to her ear and her brow furrowed.





“The ticking…it doesn’t sound like ticking….” Lucius took her other hand and pulled her close. He opened his cloak and pressed her palm to the center of his chest. The soft rhythm beneath her hand was the same as that sounding in her ear. “Your heartbeat.”





She was moved, deeply. She never would have thought that Lucius would have such a sweet side, or that she would ever get to see it.





“So you can listen and think of me when we are apart.” He took the broach and pinned it to her old sweatshirt. “I must say, you look rather…interesting.” He smirked.







She suddenly realized that she was dressed for bed. She looked a fright with her hair all twisted up in a sloppy bun, an oversized grey sweatshirt over a pair of flannel drawstring pants covered in skiing snowmen and a pair of bright pink fuzzy slippers. She blushed and tugged awkwardly on the sweatshirt.





“I was going to go to bed when I was finished watching the telly.” She said, gesturing towards the living room.







“You have one?” His eyes lit up and she felt warm inside. He looked so excited.







“There are some muggle things I just can’t live without.” She said.







“I would sometimes go visit Severus and watch his television, he would order take away and we would watch for hours.” He said wistfully.







“You should get one.” She said softly. “Put it in your study or in your bedroom.”







“Would you watch it with me?” he asked.







“In your study?”







“In my bedroom.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tight against him.







“You are trying to befuddle me.” She whispered, her hands resting against his chest.







“No, I am trying to seduce you.” He whispered back.





“You can’t…Lucius….please.” His lips were traversing the side of her throat, leaving tiny, nipping kisses on her skin.







“Please what?” He asked, his hot breath tickling her ear just before he bit the lobe softly.







“Don’t make this more difficult for me.” She whimpered when his teeth grazed the tight tendon where neck met shoulder. She heard the wards on the house hum softly, Ron was accessing the floo. “You have to go! He’s on his way home!” She pushed at his chest but he wouldn’t let her go.





“Kiss me.” He said, holding her firm.







“Lucius, Ron is on his way home, if he finds you here…”







“Kiss me and I will go.” He persisted, rubbing his nose against hers.







“Lucius…”







“Kiss me.” She groaned and lifted her lips to his. What she intended as a quick peck on the lips turned into a full throttled open mouthed, tongue twining, breath stealing kiss. When they pulled apart she swayed in his arms, her head swimming. “Happy Christmas.” He whispered, pecking her lips gently and letting her go before he slipped out the back door just as Ron walked into the kitchen.







“What are you still doing up?” He asked, going to the icebox and withdrawing a bottle of beer.







“Oh…um…”







“What’s that?” He asked, pointing to the broach pinned to her sweatshirt.







“Oh….an owl brought it…its….its a Christmas gift from the Malfoys.” She was amazed at how easily the lie spilled from her lips.







“Huh…nice.” He turned around and went back into the living room. He flopped onto the sofa and propped his feet on the coffee table and used his wand to change the channel from her movie to some sports news channel for wizards talking about Quidditch.





“It’s late.” She said, standing behind the sofa.







“Go on to bed.” He said distractedly. She sighed and made her way to her cold, lonely bed. She lay down and removed the broach from her sweatshirt and laid it on her pillow. She closed her eyes and thought about Lucius, his kiss, his touch, the way he had made her body come alive. She fell asleep listening to the rhythm of his heart beating softly from her watch.













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Up super early this morning, stupid mouse got in the house and scared me half to death around 3AM and couldn’t go back to sleep….now I have to get up and go to work and buy some humane mouse traps….urgh, I hate living in the country, too many critters to contend with!!!





Sorry for not answering reviews….will get to them on Monday’s update I promise!!! But I will answer a reviewers question about works in progress….I finished a short Remus story, only 15 chapters, worked little more on another Remus that comes and goes in short bursts(the reason I don’t post until a story is done) wrote some Christmas oneshots for a friends challenge that is going up shortly and worked on another Lucius tale because I love him. =) Yes, I have a very hyperactive mind….Oh, and I began another original after over six months of research for it…..lets hope the editor likes it =)