"My Treasure"

Christmas 1971, 1 month later

With a heavy sigh, Serenity pushed herself off of the dark leather couch. As her hand left the support of Lucius's knee, he reached up to grasp her wrist.

"Where are you going?" His blue eyes were wide, welcoming her back. She smiles, running her fingers through his hair and remaining standing.

"I'm hungry, so I'm going to get a sandwich. Do you want one?" His eyebrows drew together and hooded his eyes. He frowned ever-so-slightly, his bottom lip jutting out as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

"I'll just get the elf to prepare it and bring it here." He opened his mouth to shout for the Malfoy's house elf, but was promptly silenced by Serenity's hand covering his mouth. She shakes her head at him, leaning into his touch.

"Don't. Elves made my food every day at Hogwarts, I like making my own food, so it can be just right." Lucius' eyebrows raise as if to say 'how do you make a sandwich wrong?', a look that earns gentle laughter from Serenity. "You don't just slap two slices of bread and a bit of cheese together Lucy." She continues playing with his hair, catching his gaze with her own. "You have to spread the butter evenly, cut the cheese to just the right thickness and, then, once it's all together..." she claps her hands together in front of his face, "you squash it down flat."

Lucius shakes his head and takes her hands in his. The only space between them being their hands and Serenity standing over him. The room looked much larger as they remained where they were, the large fireplace at one end illuminated the room; the light of the fire cast shadows over their faces, dancing in the slight breeze the night brought in through the window. Beside the fireplace stood a looming Christmas tree, the ferns almost ebony in the shadow of the corner, but the red and green decorations accentuating its presence. Another sofa was adjacent to them, a long glass coffee table separating the two on a cream rug that brightened the room. The walls were lined with bookshelves and portraits of long-deceased Malfoys and famous wizards. And, among all of this, heavy floor-to-ceiling black drapes hung over the windows, partially drawn to allow privacy to the room. In the centre of the ceiling hung an iron chandelier which, with a wave of a wand, could be lit at any moment, but the teens chose to keep only the firelight.

"You're a guest." Lucius mumbled as he dragged her down to sit with him again. "And, Father won't be back for a week or so... let me treat you." She giggled as she sat on his lap.

"With a sandwich?" The smirk on his face made her thankful to be sat down as she felt her knees weaken at the sight. Bring her hands up to his lips, he kissed her knuckles and looked up at her through his eyelashes. The touch was fleeting yet still her heart was all aflutter.

"Whatever you want... even if it's simply a sandwich." The corner of her mouth lifted, she had nothing left to say to him. What could she say to him? Since he greeted her on platform 9 and 3/4, everything he had been telling her felt weighted with emotion. She had never felt as seen and understood as she did with Lucius, never felt more loved.

Love... that word had been floating around a lot recently. The most recent one was in the letter Juliet had sent during the final week before everyone left for Hogwarts. She had disappeared the day after her seventeenth birthday: she had accompanied Lakita and Serenity into Hogsmeade, where Lucius and Vaughn had met with them, before disapparating. The note in question was a wedding invite. Apparently Vaughn had confessed his love for her and in the same night. The wedding isn't for another year, when Juliet, Serenity and Lakita graduate from Hogwarts, but it was a cause of wonder as to where the two of them had run off to and whether Juliet would return to complete her seventh year. Despite this, Serenity still couldn't help but wonder about Lucius and what the ache in her chest whenever he smiled at her really meant.

She leaned forward, leaning her head on his shoulder and feeling hesitant. Her heart was beating at a rate she had never experienced before. "Thank you," she murmured. His arms squeezed her tightly, his heart unknowingly matching hers. His eyes scanned the room for a few minutes, unsure what to do now. Sandwiches and elves no longer seemed to be a problem anymore. The air coming in through the window seemed to have paused, leaving only the slight glimmer of moonlight and the calm fire to illuminate them. The light surrounded them, leaving the room dark and feeling barren. Not that it mattered to either of them.

Lucius guided her to sit upright again, keeping her face close. For a moment, he played with the treasure chest pendant hanging around her neck before looking up at her and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. They repeated the same action for a few minutes until Lucius pressed his palm flat against Serenity's back and pulled her closer, if that was even possible. She sat above him, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. When they pulled apart, the two of them were breathless. Serenity's eyes were closed in a moment of bliss as their foreheads rest against each other. Lucius muttered something through ragged breaths.

"What?"

"I'm in love with you." Her eyes snapped open, seeing the small smile on his face and promptly searching for any sign that he had not said that. But, from his dilated pupils to the steady rise and fall of his chest, she had never seen him look more sure about anything else before. "I'm in love with everything about you. Your smile, your confidence, your flat sandwiches. All of those stories I heard about pirates finding hidden treasure, the muggle ones a neighbour used to tell me as a child, which infuriated Father in the most terrifying way, I knew they weren't real. The muggle stories are never true. But I understand now- they're not pirates hunting gold. They're lovers finding the person they cannot live without. It's you. I'm the pirate, you're my treasure. Priceless and irreplaceable, worth fighting for. I am so in love with you, Serenity Rier." Her fingers trace his jawline, feeling him just to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Her hands and eyes drifted down to his chest where she finally felt his rapid heart beating in his chest. Smiling and looking up at him again, she doesn't fight the tears.

"I love you, too, Lucy." They kiss once again. "Can I have my sandwich now," she says between kisses. He laughs and nods.

*

A grandfather clock struck midnight in the corner of a study on the Rier estate in a guest house. Lucia had enchanted it to appear inactive from the main house as Christian, Merrit and her mother Haley arrived the night before. The three of them were situated in the lounge along with Lucia, Dexter, Irene and Erin. The teenagers were sat around the coffee table playing exploding snap and leaning away in an attempt to avoid any explosions. Their parents were on the small and fraying couches, sipping on mugs of tea and discussing the ministry and Haley's well-being.

On the final chime, Merritt glanced out of the window, catching two figures slinking around the downstairs study that looked out on the garden. Excusing herself, she left the room and summoned her wand. Her trip to the window had her heart racing. She had no idea what would happen if Chadwick or Dara saw her yet, her peaked curiosity and light footsteps aided her in her adventure. After all, if she could avoid Serenity in an empty Hogwarts corridor, she could avoid the gaze of her prejudiced family in the dead of night.

As she sidled up to the window, she peered into the room. The candles on the wall were lit, the fire dull and Chadwick was sat in a chair with its back turned to the window. She could make out the hook of his nose and his skinny arm, where the loose skin seemed to sag on either side of the arched armrest. Dara was sat on the opposite side of the room, the fireplace cutting off the top of her head unless she leaned on her left hand. As Dara ran her hand down her face, Merritt could see the exasperation and hatred the woman held for him despite their various agreements.

Their voices were mere rumbles through the glass, and, despite how much she strained, Merritt could not hear a single word of their conversation. Dara's face moved out of view as she stood up and Chadwick wrestled with the chair in an attempt to stand. His arm twisted as he propelled himself off of the chair and the dark mark stood out on his arm. The black ink juxtaposing his pale skin looked out of place, too perfect on such frayed and ruined skin. The sight made her feel sick to her stomach, there was no doubt Dara had the same mark under the arm of her robe.

Backing away from the window, Merritt broke into a sprint and didn't stop until she was safe in her room in the guest house and writing a letter addressed to 'Serenity Rier, Malfoy Manor'.

A/N

Oy vey, this took all day.