The Three Keys

A/N: I do not own any Harry Potter Characters, just my Laurel and her family.


A/N: As I’m in a wistful, sappy kind of mood presently, I thought I would take a moment to bend your ear and once again extend my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to all of you for supporting me so faithfully and kindly and for coming along over to AFF to continue on with my story. (Can’t forget either my new readers here, Dragon34 and ALP)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, happily so I might add, that you mean the world to me and if I had not received so many wonderful emails of support and encouragement this last ousting from FF.net I would have just scrapped my stories all together and washed my hands of the whole blooming thing - I was that discouraged. I would have HATED myself for doing it, but I fear I would have anyway.

So thanks too for seeing me through this difficult time, which I must grudgingly admit, I am still trying to get past. Unfortunately my writing has suffered from all the hurt that I felt, but I’m getting better. So, gracias muchas from the bottom of my silly, sentimental heart.

I’ll do my best not to get mushy on you again.

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CH 20 - A VISION COME TRUE – IN LAUREL’S EYES

Previously:

Draco strode right up to Laurel giving Teeny a cold, dismissive look, turned and offered his hand. Potter be damned, Draco certainly didn’t expect to meet anyone he’d even give a second thought to tonight, yet here she was, and a muggle no less…

No more pretenses, he wanted her and he was going to get her. Draco gave his best, dazzling smile, bent low and kissed her hand, letting his lips brush against her knuckles, slowly, seductively his eyes met hers…

“I’m Draco.”

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Laurel was pleased upon entering the club to see it packed to capacity and playing great hip-hop music, (her favorite!) She was ready to dance and began scanning the crowd for someone….someone in particular?...to catch her eye.

She was feeling good as they reached the bar. Teeny, using her charms and flirting outrageously, easily cleared a space for them and as Tad ordered drinks, Teeny immediately began fending off suitors. Laurel had forgotten that she usually got left in the wake of the blonde beauty…. Somehow, she frowned now remembering very clearly, it seemed that men always chose this pretty blonde over her… Laurel rolled her eyes watching Teeny as Tad returned and handed her a drink…a Cosmo…’How typical.’ she thought as she sipped and smiled prettily at him.

The more she drank, the cuter Tad looked. Laurel suspected keenly that this was Tad’s objective as he had been obligingly supplying a continuous flow of alcohol to her all night. Laurel smiled to herself, thinking ‘Sorry Tad, I won’t be that drunk…ever!’ She continued sipping and turned to take in the crowd again. Laurel was admiring (and being admired) as she glanced around, eyes bright and flirtatious…when she suddenly caught her breath…

Laurel coughed loudly and sputtered, her eyes watering as her drink went down the wrong pipe…Tad's brow furrowed as he eyed her and awkwardly began patting her back until Laurel shook him off with an irritated wave of her hand and snapped her head back in the direction she’d been looking…

‘BE THERE…BE THERE!…OH GOD!’…HE was standing there…

Her heart began to pound fast, her body suddenly alert and tingling, hands clammy and shaky. It was HIM, the man from her vision! She knew it!!! She waved off Tad’s arm around her shoulder now and focused on him.

He was tall, at least as tall as Tad, if not more (from this distance, it looked that way.) He was dressed all in black, a black suit, black shirt – no tie, his shirt open, exposing a strong neck, looking incredibly sexy, and impossibly bored. He had a startling head of short, light blond hair, and was simply thee most gorgeous male she’d ever seen. He was leaning against the bar with one arm draped over it and scanning the dance floor with lazy, half-lidded eyes. She drank him in….GOD he was a dream, her pulse raced even faster.

‘Look over here’ she commanded him silently….’LOOK AT ME!’ she willed him to look her way. Dutifully, his eyes turned in her direction, scanned the crowd around her and stopped on her… Laurel held her breath, her anticipation palpable as their eyes locked from across the room.

He made no move, simply grinned and winked at her and continued surveying the crowd.

Laurel was crushed! More than that, she was ANGRY!

’Ohhhh OK!’ she fumed, eyes narrowed…’Sooo, we’re gonna play that game are we??....Fine, I love a challenge.’ Laurel had FOUND him, he was actually here. She was POSITIVE it was the man from her vision!!! She HAD to meet him and she was going to. She was going to get him to her, no matter what.

Laurel paused then, fighting back what the implications of meeting him tonight meant...’Trouble!’ her mind shouted at her, ‘Danger!’ her mind warned…

But, as her eyes feasted on him, Laurel’s raging hormones got the better of her – He was just so impossibly gorgeous, so, so male... Laurel quickly pushed away the warning bells and welcomed the fast surging desire flooding over her, as a possessiveness that she had never felt before swept over her senses.

’Oh My God, Possessive Girl…CHILL!’ she chided silently, ‘But I KNOW him, or I WILL know him’, she argued with herself. ’He was looking at me!’ she reasoned, remembering her vision. Laurel purposely ignored the fact that his stare, so fierce and protective had been from fear for her safety, which she knew damn well…

Laurel chewed on her lower lip for a moment and made her decision…it was an easy one.

‘He’s going to meet me tonight if I have to go stand on his head.’ Laurel turned, putting her drink down at the bar with a forceful thud and fixed a calculating gaze on Tad, arching her brow as she swept her eyes up and down Tad's body she grinned, ‘He’ll do jussst fine.’ Laurel quirked a grin at Tad's blatant ogling of some long legged, short skirted blonde with fake boobs, who when she glanced at Blondie, was also openly leering at her, smug smirk on his face.

Laurel’s grin faded and her eyes narrowed dangerously, “Ohhhh, no you don’t Blondie.” she whispered, rolling her shoulders in a deliberate, slow sexy motion, smoothing her dress and giving a toss to her curls…all this meant to get attention…and she got it. Tad’s eyes were on her now, she gave him a wide inviting smile…”Dance?” she purred.

Tad put his drink down at once and wordlessly took her hand leading her – to her great pleasure – to a spot on the dance floor very near HIM. (Laurel, who had taken dance lessons for years, was very good, and if she wanted to get a male’s attention there was no better way than on the dance floor.) An evil little grin played across her lips as she cast a quick glace to make sure she was in his sights and began moving slowly with Tad to the rhythmic pulse of the music. She kept her back to the boy purposely…the sexy beat of the music thrumming as she put her arms around Tad’s shoulders and moved her hips with his, slow and enticing.

It had been a long time, (seemed like forever) since Laurel had been dancing and a really long time since she’d actually felt pretty and desirable. It was about time she decided, that she began to let herself feel again, trust again…

She glanced up at Tad, desire was written on his face and in every movement of his body against hers. She let his hands stroke her sides and back and let him pull her closer, just a bit. Here Laurel took the lead for a moment and steered them sideways, so she could peek coyly at Blondie.

‘AHHHH,’ she let the cool satisfaction run over her, ‘Success!’ He was looking at her, fully turned around, back resting against the bar, arms crossed as he openly watched her dance. Laurel tilted her head back and looked up at Tad…he was gazing down at her, (she suspected, trying to look down her dress) and she fought the urge to roll her eyes…’Focus Laurel…’ she scolded herself and turned to glance back at the boy again. Their eyes met and held, her heart skipped several beats and she recovered quickly, arching a brow at him, giving her best ‘COME GET ME’ look, and an inviting smile. Laurel shook her head letting her curls tumble down her back as she pressed her hips closer against Tad’s. ‘I certainly am Bold Girl tonight!’ she thought wickedly.

Much to her startled surprise she felt Tad’s body respond to her and looked up at him, wary now, jolting her out of her thoughts…. ‘Ohhhh, yeah…I forgot, I’m dancing with someone else…Oops.’ (Laurel had NO IDEA, the true effect she had on men.) She was so focused on the other boy she had quite forgotten the person who was her unknowing partner in seduction holding her fast in his arms…

“Have I told you how absolutely beautiful you look tonight?” Tad said in a low voice, his eyes hungry.

Laurel, who had been feeling more than a little tipsy after several drinks, became instantly alert. “Thanks.” she managed in a controlled voice. She didn’t like the look in Tad’s eyes at all and was just about to suggest going back to the bar when she felt his hands grasp her hips pulling her close and then they ventured lower, his fingers splaying wide as he gave her bottom a strong, suggestive squeeze.

Laurel’s eyes darkened dangerously, she pulled back from him totally now, indignant….’Uh-oh…’ “What do you think you’re doing Tad?”

He smiled then, as he yanked her back close again…”I’ve wanted to hold you like this all evening.” his was voice husky as he dipped his head to whisper in her ear. Laurel wasn’t really scared or worried about him, ‘As if…Perv!’ she fumed. But, she was definitely annoyed. ‘Great, just what I need to deal with now…a randy Tad…’ She chanced a peek at Blondie again and gasped, her eyes flying wide – he was gone!

“DAMN IT!” she snapped.

“What?” Tad said, looking surprised.

Laurel looked at him completely irritated and pulled herself away. She was just about to walk off the dance floor when Teeny appeared at their side with HIM, LAUREL’S BOY in her arms!

He gave her a wide, sexy smile, she suspected that was the only kind of smile he had, and watched curiously as Blondie eyed Tad with a suspicious, narrow eyed glare. Teeny beamed, “Hey!” as she wrapped her bony arms around his waist and pressed her little body against him provocatively.

Laurel simply looked at him; her eyes wide, almost angry and then gave Teeny a blatant look of disgust. Laurel wasn’t surprised though to see Teeny with him. She always had to have the very best, and clearly he was the most gorgeous man here, not to mention impeccably dressed, (Laurel could spot tailor made clothes anywhere, this suit was expensive), wealthy (he positively oozed it), and sexy beyond words…

Laurel watched them dance, her body slowly going numb, aching at the way his hands held Teeny’s waist, the way his hip swayed, she watched them through his open jacket, her eyes hypnotized by them…the way they moved…Gulping, Laurel looked to Teeny, she was whispering in his ear, letting her lips get too close and brushing his ear every so often. ‘SLUT!’ she seethed.

Tad, completely oblivious to what was going on whispered to her, “You know, Teeny seems to have found someone to play with, why don’t I get you a drink and we can go sit at a booth”….long suggestive pause…”and…talk.” Not even waiting for an answer, he began pulling Laurel from the dance floor.

Laurel’s face changed instantly, “I don’t think so.” she said icily, trying to hold her ground. Tad was much bigger than she and he simply tugged her a little harder and she snapped to him, his arm snaking around her waist as he guided her from the dance floor. ‘OK, NOW I’m pissed.’ She glanced back at Teeny and the boy, they were still talking, his head bent low listening to her, he didn’t see Laurel leave.

"Tad,” Laurel’s voice was cool as she stopped at the edge of the dance floor, “You know what, I think that’s a great idea. Go get me something tall, fruity…and expensive to drink.”….’Like you’ she finished silently. He looked at her, a little surprised and she snapped, “Well, go on then!” Laurel gave him an imperious stare and turned her back on him to glare with narrowed eyes at Teeny and HER BOY!

He was looking down at Teeny with a bored expression, which surprised Laurel as Teeny always had some poor fool falling all over her. His eyes drifted up and caught hers. She stared him down. He raised his brows inquiringly at her with an amused expression on his face and she tilted her head at him and waggled her finger towards her.

The song was ending and obligingly he took Teeny’s hand and led her back to the bar in Laurel’s direction. Her heart began to beat fast again as he neared, his eyes locked on hers. She watched approvingly as he came toward her with long purposeful strides, Teeny at his side, looking more than a little irked. He stopped in front of Laurel, turned away from Teeny and with a stunning smile, offered his hand.

Even though the music was blaring around her, even though Tad stood at her side - arm outstretched with drink in hand and the crowd was mulling all around them, in that moment, when his hand touched hers, and she looked into those amazing, silver eyes…the world fell away and she only saw him.

Their eyes locked and she felt her knees go weak as he bent and kissed her hand, his eyes never leaving hers, his lips so soft against her skin, inviting, promising….

“I’m Draco.”

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A/N: Well there ya have it folks...Our Draco has met his match...So did you like the two perspectives? I wanna know! I COULD have posted the next chapter that REALLY works well with these two…But I think I’m gonna torture you a bit and just leave it till next time…GRIN!

On deck…Draco and Laurel together…Drinks, Dancing, Dragon Talk, Harry and Ron and a few Death Eaters thrown in just to keep things interesting!