Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ This Wild World of Ours ❯ Chapter 3

All Harry Potter characters are owned by J.K. Rowling. Those not recognizable are mine unless other wise stated in an author's note.

 

~

 

Rhianna's eyes opened to stare up at a black, vaulted ceiling. Her body was wrapped in velvet, and a sort of lethargy surrounded her limbs. She shifted slightly to look to her side and found Lucius Malfoy sitting next to her, in a burgundy chair situated next to the black bed she was lying in. The light-haired man took her hand and kissed her forehead, then pulled back his head to gaze down at her worriedly.

 

“Are you all right?” he asked her, concern gentling his usually harsh voice. A weak smile broke out on Rhianna's lips, the old love flaring up yet again in her previously-frozen heart. Lucius smiled back, his other hand stroking her hair.

 

“I'll be fine,” she answered, feeling the rush of emotions that she hadn't felt for five long years. A small headache throbbed at her temples, but she knew it was a small price to pay for trying to stay out of the Death Eaters' path for so long, not to mention the fact that Voldemort had been uncharacteristically kind to her-usually a Crucio curse that he cast would drag on for days, the aftermath almost as bad as the actual curse.

 

Lucius slipped onto the bed beside her, slipping his arm underneath her slender neck and across her shoulders and drawing her to his chest. “I've missed you,” he murmured, his chin resting on her hair. “Five years-it's too long. And no word, no letter, not knowing what was happening to you-I've been so worried.” Rhianna rested her head against Lucius's neck, feeling the comforting vibrations in his neck as he spoke to her. “...Narcissa is at Bellatrix's house, so it's just you and me.” The blonde-haired man paused again, his arms tightening around Rhianna's waist. “Merlin and his owls, I've missed you so much...” Lucius looked down at her, his cold grey eyes meeting her deep blue ones, and kissed her full on the lips. The deepness of it surprised the dark-haired woman, but she put her arms around his neck and returned the kiss, feeling Lucius's hands grasp her hair and tighten their grip. When he pulled away from her, the look in his eyes surprised her immensely-a look of pained longing so extreme that it almost scared her. Rhianna reached up a hand to cup Lucius's cheek, and his hand covered her own.

 

“Lucius...” she began, her eyes filling with silent tears. “I'm sorry. I ran away from you-from us-I'm so sorry. If Voldemort had found me before you got the note to me, he'd have-I'm sorry, Lucius.” Lucius wiped her tears away with his thumb, his usually expressionless eyes filled with a sorrowful understanding that shot right through her heart.

 

“Shh,” he murmured, kissing her forehead again, his hands gently stroking her hair. “It's all right...I know. In a way, I'm glad you never came back, never contacted us-the Dark Lord told us so many times what he would do to you if you did...I'm surprised that he was so easy on you last night, in fact.” Rhianna nodded and let her exhausted hand drop from Lucius's cheek, her eyes slipping closed again in reminiscence as Lucius held her close.

 

Rhianna apparated back to her house from the bar, the letter still in her jacket pocket. Avery opened the door for her when she knocked and smiled viciously at her. “Get the note from Malfoy?” he asked her, the hint of a sexual growl in his voice. The woman glared at him, touched her pocket, and walked up to her room. After locking the door, she sat down on the unkempt bed and pulled out the piece of paper. Lucius's aristocratic scrawl covered the snow-white paper in scribbles, the familiar handwriting bringing fear into her heart yet again.

 

`Love-

The Dark Lord is after you once more. He's on the move and closing in. Take care of yourself-get to Ireland, the Summer Country, the British Isles; anywhere the old magic can still protect you from what lies within him and his black heart. Please, try to shake off Avery. He may be an ideal bodyguard, but he's one of us-and desperately in love with both you and the Dark Lord. If you must find a flawless protector, find Sirius Black-he's no longer with us, but he'll know what to do for you if you tell him that the Dark Lord's after you.

 

`I shouldn't frighten you with what might come to be if he catches you, but I think that you need to know so that you have yet another incentive to stay out of his grasp. He's threatened the Crucio curse, the dementors, Azkaban-all sorts of things that he will carry through. However, he's also come up with an ultimatum for me-to turn you in or see you die painfully when he catches you with his own hands, to watch him-no, I can't say that last part. Love, please stay away from him, for your sake but also for mine. He has no limits to what he can and will do, and I pray long and hard for your safety every night before I let my head hit the pillow. Take care, dearest. Lucius.'

 

The dark-haired woman looked up as Avery apparated into her room and smiled sadistically. “Come along, Rhianna,” he said, taking her arm. “Let's go.” Rhianna tore herself away from the hulking man's threatening grasp and stared at him, a slight narrowing of her eyes accentuating the gleam of hatred in them.

 

“Stay away from me, Avery,” she hissed, pulling out her wand. “Take a message back to your master from me-he may look all he likes, but I. Am. Safe!” She apparated, and Avery cursed loudly, then threw back his head to the ceiling.

 

“Lucius, you traitor!” he roared, his face twisting in rage. “You'll get your due yet when we catch the slut!”