Strangers Can Change Everything

The cream window drapes billowed through the open window as the warm air from the room was slowly sucked out, and the remaining air became tense.

Lucius stayed silhouetted in the wide doorway. The glint from his eyes was the only indication that he was staring intently at Arabella and his son. The two stayed locked in his gaze until Draco suddenly came to his sense. Of all the people to walk in for fuck's sake! Draco thought frustratedly as he watched his father saunter into the room; the Malfoy trademark expression settled on his face with his left eyebrow slightly raised, and a smug smile creeping onto his lips as if he was enjoying their awkwardness.

"Father, I... this is not what it looks like," Draco tried to explain, almost hitting himself as he uttered the pathetic sentence, but he felt that he had to say something.

Draco glanced to his side and watched as Arabella's eyes grew wider, as the realization that she had just been caught being unfaithful to her arranged marriage and found in the arms of the Master of the house's son dawned on her further.

Lucius continued to wander into the room, his hands clasped behind his back as he responded to his son's comment.

"Oh no, no, Draco. This appears to look exactly like it seems."

Draco looked warily at his father. His tone was not angry but not comforting. Draco glanced again at Arabella's wide eyes, and Lucius saw him watch her.

"She does look awfully shocked, does she not, Draco?" Lucius asked as he came to stand in front of Arabella.

Arabella swallowed nervously as Lucius directed his glinting eyes to her face. This cannot be happening! Her mind almost screamed. She would be in so much trouble. What will he say? What will Blaise say? What will my father say! Her head swirled with horrifying questions, and she almost felt dizzy with dismay until Lucius' strong voice broke through.

"Dear, dear. You are in a mess, Miss Ostivia," Lucius shook his head slowly, but his expression remained cheerful. "Master Blaise will be most upset."

Arabella regained her senses and tried to avoid eye contact with Lucius as he circled her like she were his cornered prey. Lucius gracefully spun around to face his son.

"Well, well, Draco. I am very proud of how long you have been able to resist temptation having been in such young and desirable company," Lucius commented proudly but he spoke with a slightly hidden mocking tone.

Draco clenched his fists, and his eye's blazed as his father chuckled sinisterly under his breath. He is trying to get to me, Draco fumed. He knows that I don't see her just as that. Why doesn't he just with stop his twisted mind games and get on with punishing us or doing whatever he planned.

Lucius took a step back and looked Draco and Arabella in the eye one after the other. "Leave Draco." He said abruptly but his voice still had a playful ring.

Draco looked at his father questionably, but Lucius had his eyes fixed on Arabella's small form, and he offered Draco no answers for his questioning expression.

"Father, I..." Draco began to protest. He was not happy with leaving Arabella to fend for herself alone in the presence of the one man that had mastered the methods of manipulation to such an extent that many people believed that he had been given a special power by his master, Lord Voldemort, who many believed he loyally served.

Lucius cut off his son's protests as if the eighteen-year-old man that stood in front of him was a mere child. His tone was not angry but stern all the same. "Go Draco. I will deal with you later. I need only a little time to talk to your lady desire here. Miss Ostivia and I have many things to discuss, and I do believe that you have already spent enough time with her, to say the least, so join the party downstairs. I'm sure that they are missing you already."

With a quick look at Arabella that he hoped was encouraging, Draco swiftly left, closing the great doors behind him. The wood clattered together, and the noise made Arabella jump, but she looked up at Lucius defiantly, hoping to show no sign of weakness. What will he say? Will he want to punish me? Will he tell my father, oh God he will? He will be furious! I will be sent to live with Blaise or something, and l will never be able to see Draco again.

Lucius watched every move of the young lady in front of him as he led her towards Draco's great stone fireplace where he seated her in a high-backed cream armchair and took the matching opposite seat for himself. Lucius could almost sense her uneasiness.

"Well, my dear. Now that my son has given us a moment's peace, I think that we can sort this all out."

Arabella watched the orange light from the fire flicker across Lucius' cheekbones and strong jaw that Draco had inherited, and she tried to suppress the urge to fall on her knees and beg Lucius to forgive her. She wanted to beg him to keep what he had seen to himself, but she would not stoop to such a level and lose her remaining dignity, which she felt was the only thing she had left.

She had to say something, try and explain, but there was nothing that she could say.

Lucius leant back in the grand chair and he spoke softly to her. "Miss Arabella, I see that you are obviously distressed. The shield that you use so well to block out the world is falling, and the panic floods your eyes. I understand this. You worry about your father, the innocent reputation you must uphold, and your arranged marriage. All of these are important to you, as you are come from a very important family. The scandal would be devastating. The Zabini family will whisk you away, and the marriage brought forward to settle the family tie before anything else would happen. Draco would be far from your reach forever."

Arabella listened to Lucius' words with a feeling of hopelessness. He's going to tell my father, tell Blaise, Arabella sorrowfully concluded. All of her plans, her attraction to Draco, her hope for better things was going to be torn away from her when her father's wrath reacted to the news. She had to do something, but what was there to do?

"Arabella, Arabella, what a situation this is. I feel for you, I do. I see the way that my son looks at you in comparison with Master Blaise. Your father has grown unhappy with your arranged marriage and I too see the various flaws in the match. You are obviously not happy with the arrangements either. I wish I could help, but the works are in motion, but may be if I..." Lucius faded off as he gazed into the fire; the corners of his mouth almost twisting into a smile behind what looked like a sympathetic expression.

Arabella warily watched him. She knew what he was doing; trying to pretend that he was on her side. She could sense that he wanted something from her, but what she could not imagine. However, as Arabella tried to decipher what Lucius' interior motives were she realised that she had no other choice but to question him as he wished her to do and fall into the trap that he had placed so openly. This man held her fate in his hands, and his strong fingers could so easily crush it, but there was nothing else to do.

"My Lord, what do you wish to say?" Arabella asked carefully.

Lucius leaned forward a little, and his eyes danced with mischief but he responded in the same soft tone that he used so often to entice his victims.

"My dear, the events that I have witnessed tonight are ones that I have no problem with but many others do. I can help you, and Draco, but I need you to do something for me, not much, but you are the only one."

Arabella bit her lip anxiously. She knew that this was not a good idea but Lucius offered such an easy solution and he had even said that he didn't mind her and Draco being together. But warning signs flashed inside her mind. She knew that Lucius was up to something, he only did things if he knew that in some way that he would profit. She decided that she would just have to deal with the consequences of helping Lucius Malfoy when they came.

"I will do anything, sir," she finally resigned, her head bowed down. At that, Lucius relaxed in his chair, proud that he had succeeded in gaining what he wanted.

"All I want of you, my dear, is for you to tell your father that you don't want to marry Master Zabini, and your secrets are safe," Lucius responded.

Arabella's forehead creased into a confused frown as she wondered why Lucius would want this. It was something that hardly concerned him. However, she still remained suspicious.

"My father will not be happy, my lord."

"Ah, we shall see, but it is necessary. Will you be able to fulfill my requirement, Miss Ostivia?"

Arabella sighed deeply, worried about what strange plan she was getting involved in, but she nodded all the same.

"Good, good, well that is sorted then. You and Draco can remain the way you are as long as you do what I ask, and no one will know of it. I'll make sure of that." Lucius got up slowly and walked towards the door, the low light from the fire cast his shadow all over the room. As he drew close to Arabella, she remained looking at the ground; her hands still clasped nervously in her lap and tangled golden strands of hair that had been loosed by Draco covered her shoulders. Lucius gracefully moved strands of her hair away from her face, and she almost felt overwhelmed by his towering presence that stood so high above her. She instinctively backed away.

Lucius chuckled at her reaction but leant forward ever so slightly and ran a cold finger along her jawbone.

"My son is very strong-willed, but I cannot blame him for wanting to kiss you. After all, you are more than desirable. In that dress, I do believe that no man could resist," Lucius whispered so softly that she shivered. He then left purposely, with the ends of his floor-length black jacket billowing behind him.

Arabella let out a huge sigh as she heard the door open and close behind her. She flopped back in the cushioned chair. The intensity in the air began to lift, but she still did not feel any less tense or anxious. She just wanted to see Draco. Their kiss hadn't left her mind throughout the whole ordeal.