Work Text:
Inappropriately Wet
Malfoy Manor
August 1st 1812
She had been told that there was no family at the manor, she hoped that was true. She was too ashamed of her previous aspersions against the Master. HOW was she to know not to believe the lies of that scoundrel, all because he had insulted her on the first meeting, She had allowed the words to fester, to become a blister on her self-esteem, it had oozed poison into her consciousness.
Then HE turned up and she allowed a fresh new blister to grow. How could she allow her vanity to turn her head the way it had? She, who had prided herself on her astute observations of others characters, had got it absolutely wrong. She was ashamed,
Now she was here with her Aunt and Uncle surveying the famous Manor she had heard so much about. She was uncomfortably aware how much of an interloper she was as she surveyed the beautiful grounds. She was astounded by the beauty of the gardens but nothing to the amount of books there were in various rooms of the house.
Of all this she could have been Mistress…
*
Meanwhile he was sweating from the summer heat and the ride on his favourite pegasus, Jupiter. He did not feel like apparating to his manor, besides this was one of the few times muggles were allowed to view the manor, he had tried everything to get her out of his system. Yet he could not.
Nothing worked.
He went to his favourite duelling club, he even tried muggle duelling with fencing. He had tried the waters in Bath, he had even tried pugilism but nothing worked. She was in his blood, his brain, his heart. The pegasus landed by the shores of the lake situated down an incline, surrounded by bushes, the waters glistening in the August sunshine, tiny pinpricks of sunlight sparkling on the surface.
He yanked off his cravat, unbuttoned his waistcoat, took his jacket off and then took his boots off. The blue of the waters shimmered invitingly. He had tried everything else, maybe a quick swim in the lake would cool his ardour.
Once he made his mind up he stood up and dove into the lake with exquisite elegance. He swam a few widths shore to shore, finishing where his pile of clothes lay and emerging from the waters, the way a handsome merman would have done.
He took the reins of the pegasus, held his clothes in his hands and walked around the corner. All the benefits of the lake water had been for nought as the first person he ran into was her!
*
“Miss Evans?” he stuttered.
“Mr Malfoy!” she exclaimed.
“Are you in good health?”
“I am in good health,” her fine emerald eyes swivelled to the right, blushing at the sight of his wet long blond hair, the chest of an adonis dripping wet, making her mouth water. “You?”
“Excellent health, and er, your family… are they in good health?”
She blushed: “They are in excellent health, yes.”
“And you are in good health?”
She tried not to laugh at his awkwardness; at least he was trying to make conversation. Never had she thought that he would be tongue-tied. The confident, the arrogant, the haughty Mr Malfoy tripping over his words in front of her, she found somewhat endearing.
“Yes, I am,” she sighed.
“Well, I best erm…” he realised his state and how inappropriate it was in front of a lady.
With a courtly bow, he departed.
*
“That was the man himself, I take it?” her uncle said as they walked closer.
All she could do was nod. “As handsome as his portrait,” said her aunt, “although less formally attired.”
“We have to leave!” she exclaimed. “Now!”
They walked to the carriage, she was about to get in by herself, ignoring etiquette that she should wait for a man to hand her in when he turned up again. His hair was still wet, although the rest of him was dry. His cravat was not expertly tied, but at least it covered his neck. She had noticed that he was dressed in forest green.
“May I be introduced to your friends?”
She furrowed her brow, “Yes, of course,” she murmured.
After the introductions, he asked her uncle Granger if he liked to fish. Her aunt took her arm, “There is nothing proud about him at all. Nothing like Mr Weasley mentioned.”
“I cannot account for the change in him?”
“Can you not?” Lily had heard the sly tone in her aunt’s voice but chose to ignore it.
Her aunt almost collapsed against her side, causing Lily to ask for assistance from her uncle, which put her in the path of Lucius Malfoy. They walked side by side amicably whilst he was showing what she had not seen of the estate. When they walked the circuit back to their conveyance, he helped her up in the carriage.
“Do I ask too much for you to be introduced to my sister?”
“I shall be happy to make her acquaintance.”
Once she was settled the driver doffed his cap at the master of the estate as Lucius nodded. The gentle clip-clop of the horse's hooves was drowned out by how her mind was occupied by the handsome noble mien of Mr Malfoy.
It would not be a hardship to be better friends with Mr Malfoy. She turned around and glanced at his form for as long as she could, until the carriage turned the bend towards the gates. She then settled back into the seat of the open-topped carriage.
“So that was Mr Malfoy,” her uncle said. “Friendly fellow, though I shall not take his invitation to fish seriously. He will more than likely drive me off his estate. Great men are prone to whims and inconsistencies!”
It was all Lily could do not to contradict her uncle without giving away her softening feelings towards the master of the manor.