The Oddest of Couples

Making sure she hadn´t been followed by any of the group she was travelling with, the red-haired woman hurried down the winding lanes of Diagon Alley, turning into the brick-walled passage that lead to Knockturn Alley.

She had, of course, made appropriate excuses, but then, she always had plenty to spare, when she had business to attend to.

Business down in Knockturn Alley´s gloomiest haunts.

It was a grim place to visit, no matter how often she had passed through. The once-red bricks of the walls were stained with soot and grime, blackened so deeply that not even a trace of their original colour shone through.

The arched passages were dull and dank, the only light coming from the far ends of the streets, barely enough to even see where you were going.

Keeping to the shadows, she gasped when a hand caught her by the elbow, whipping around to find a familiar face gazing down at her, a heartbeat before equally familiar lips came down and greeted hers.

The kiss was intense, sweet and delicious as only forbidden fruit could be.

It had been building since the moment they had parted, so many long weeks earlier, before they had been forced to separate and rejoin their families, to depart from Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

"You managed to slip away," he whispered, drawing her to him.

"How could I resist?" she replied huskily. "It's been so long since I´ve seen you."

"But you don´t have long," he finished.

Her brown eyes were full of apology. "They´ll be looking for me soon," she replied sadly, shivering as his fingertips brushed her cheek. "And they would probably kill you with their bare hands if they saw us together."

"Ah yes," His lips lifted in a half-smile. "All the Weasley boys. A veritable army."

"Would you just shut up and kiss me?"

The slight smile widened. "Always pleased to oblige a lady," he said, as his lips came down on hers again, her hands sliding up his robed arms to his shoulders, one of his hands fisting in her flaming hair, the other holding her hip, fingers palpating the skin in a sensual rhythm.

Staggering back, she allowed herself to be pressed up against the filthy wall, plunged back into the shadows and away from prying eyes, gasping as his lips came off hers and moved down her throat. A shaking moan escaped her as he nipped the corner of her jaw.

"Don´t stop," she whispered desperately, her head sinking back against the wall, her eyes closed. "Please...don´t stop..."

"We don´t have much time," he reminded her, his lips brushing her ear and making her tremble against him, his body pressed to hers. his teeth scraped over a sensitive spot at the crease of her jaw making her clutch at him.

Brandy-brown eyes opened, dark with need. "We have long enough," she replied softly, one of her hands running down his chest and sliding beneath his robes, his grey eyes closing as she found what she was looking for, his clothing parting beneath her nimble fingers.

"You´re a minx, you know," he groaned.

"Only for you," she answered, greedily pulling his hungry mouth back down on hers, the kiss slower and more gentle this time, although no less intense because of it.

A soft mewing sound escaped her throat as she felt one of his familiar hands slowly slide beneath her robes, drawing skirt up, running up her warm thigh, his fingertips as cold as ever.

Shuddering with pleasure as he explored her body, she felt his hand pause and murmured approvingly as his fingers drifted in a circle on her skin, his warm kisses moving across her face.

"Well, well," he breathed hotly against her temple. "You really were eager...this is the first time that we haven´t had to...bother..." His words became staccatoed as her hand moved beneath his robes. "With...no underwear..."

"You either," she panted, touching him. "Please...we don´t have much time..."

It wasn´t exactly the most romantic of settings, that could certainly be said, but she knew she would never feel passion like that in the man above her, as they made love in the shadows of Knockturn Alley.

His hands, lips, face were all buried in her hair one after the other, his breathing halting, seemingly intoxicated by her scent. When free from her hair, his hands roamed her body, making her writhe against him, moaning.

"You´re delicious..." he gasped against her ear. "So sweet...so wonderfully sweet..."

Her cheek pressed against his neck, her skin flushed and shimmering with sweat, she couldn´t find the words to reply, her fingers biting harder into his back to drive him to a greater passion.

The wall was rough and hard against her back, but she didn´t care, her eyes reduced to slits, her mouth open and plaintive little whimpers escaping her with every stroke of her lover´s body against hers.

"So good..." she gasped, arching against him dizzily. "So good..."

One hand bunched in her hair and drew her face back to his, their mouths melding together in a scalding kiss, which ripped every last breath from her body as she felt him crash against her.

His lips smothered her cries of pleasure, swallowing them greedily, her shaking hands raking ridges in his back through the thick clothing.

Shaking, still held up between him and the wall, his body still intimately interwoven with hers, she gazed up at him, breathless, a dreamy expression on her face. "I love you," she whispered.

His body moved against hers again, a shudder of pleasure rocketing through her.

"Oh God..."

"Say it again," he panted hoarsely, his hands sliding down her body to hold her fast.

"I love you," she breathed, his mouth burning against her throat.

"Again," he repeated, moving harder against her.

"I love you," her voice was shaking.

"Again..." he gasped, her lips stroking his jugular.

"I love you..."

"Don´t stop," he choked out, meeting her mouth in a searing kiss.

"I love you..."

"Truly?" Every word was trembling.

"Yes..." she arched up against him, a gasp escaping her. "I love you!"

"Not him?"

"Only you," she moaned. "Love you... you... love..."

He was shaking violently as he claimed her mouth in a heated kiss. It was fire, power, passion and everything she had always loved in the man moving within her. Breaking away from her lips, he buried his face in her hair.

"I love you," he gasped hoarsely, his lean body jerking wildly against hers, her arms locking tightly around him as he brought their bodies together, pulling her over the edge with him.

Slumping back against the wall, panting and breathless, she felt his hot breath against her sweat-dewed throat, as uneven as her own. One of his hands was spread on the dark wall behind her, his weight braced on it to prevent him from crushing her.

Unwilling to relinquish her hold of him, she buried her face in his broad chest, the familiar masculine scent flooding her senses, always so strong and dominant and so absolutely delicious.

She couldn´t say how long they remained like that, only that it felt right, but - all too soon - he drew back and looked down at her.

"You have to go," he said softly, his hand untangling from her fiery hair.

"I wish I didn´t, you know," she replied, as their bodies finally parted. Smoothing her clothing and robes down carefully and waiting until he had done the same, she reached up and brought his lips down over hers once more.

"I know," he acknowledged into the kiss. "But you must. You have your place and I have mine."

Stepping back from him, she adjusted her robes. "When can I see you again?"

"We can arrange something I´m sure," he replied softly, one hand rising to straighten a loose curl of hair that was tangled around her ear. "You have an excuse for taking so long?"

She smiled slightly. "We lost Harry when we used Floo powder. I suspected it might happen. Claimed I was looking for him down here."

"Cunning little witch," he chuckled. "You ought to have been a Slytherin."

"Perhaps," she smiled faintly, rising on her toes to claim one last kiss. "You better go as well, before your precious treasure," sarcasm dripped off the words, "starts getting concerned about you."

"And we both know that will never happen," her lover said, brushing a last kiss over her lips. "Until next time, ma cher."

"I love you, Lucius," she slowly drew back out of the stretching shadows, leaving him enveloped in them.

His head bowed slightly, he raised his eyes to her and smiled. "And I you, Molly," A wicked glint shone in his eyes. "I´ll see you soon...perhaps...Flourish and Blotts in half an hour?"

"I suppose we might just happen to be there," Molly Weasley replied, returning the smile, although it was bittersweet. "Forever, Lucius."

"And a day, ma belle."

Turning, she walked away, never looking back.