Warmness on the Soul (Darquesse and Draco)

Darquesse bit her lip and as she walked through the undergrowth she took a quick look around to see if there was anyone around before silently slipping into a large cave. Sighing softly she slid down a cool stone wall and placed her head in her hands trying to fight the feeling of sadness creeping through her.

Taking out her diary Darquesse began to write in it with a worn quill.

She had hoped her move here would help lift her sadness.

Help lift her silence.

Draco apparated straight into the cave his hands buried in his hair. "Arr." A sound to his right had him spinning around his wand pointing at the intruders face.

"Oh hello." He smiled polietly. placing his wand back up his sleeve. "Are you okay?" He asked moving to sit down on a rock in front of the wall opposite.

Darquesse jolted her head up from her writing and her eyes widened in shock as a man appeared and pointed his wand at her, she stood up at once frantically bowed twice and made her way towards the exit if the cave.

"S-s-sorry sir."

She whispered unsure if he would pick up on her thick accent from this little snippet of speech.

"I'll leave now...if you want me to."

Darquesse looked at him with her large baleful blue eyes and she traced the front of her diary.

He frowned getting back to his seat. "Oh don't leave on my account." He said moving deeper into the cave. "You were here first it's only right you should stay. Would you like to be alone?" He asked turning back around to look at her.

"Oh where are my manors? I'm Draco, Draco Malfoy." He smiled holding out his hand. "Is that... is that an American accent i hear?"

Darquesse smiled a small shy smile but a smile none the Less and she cautiously walked into the cave to follow him, tilting her head to one side she shook it slightly. She wanted him to stay.

"I-I-I'm Darquesse Vermont."

Extending her hand out to meet Dracos her small fingers clasped his hand and shook it softly before she slid her hand out of his.

"Yes, I um I'm from Alabama I just moved here...I don't know my way around real good yet."

She blushed a little bit and looked lightly into Dracos face.

"It's nice to meet you Miss Vermont." He smiled taking her hand and kiss the back of it. "Now we can't have a young lady like your self not knowing where you're going now can we." He smiled going to sit on a rock.

"So what brings you to England Darquesse? Surely your not here to sit in cave." He smiled raising an eyebrow.

Darquesse blushed ferociously as Draco kissed her hand, it certainly seemed like England was full of proper gentlemen and she found herself quite liking it. Winding a strand of hair around her finger Darquesse wondered if she should tell Draco the real reason she was here.

"Well. My family kicked me out. I had to go somewhere and I'd always liked the sound of England so here I am."

Smiling shyly Darquesse moved to sit on the floor in front of Draco.

"I-I-if you don't mind me asking what brings you to this lovely cave here?"

She joked feeling braver than usual.

He frowned not understanding how any famliy can do that he was afterall a family man. "What? How can they do that? A family bond is the strongest bond there is. If you don't mind me asking why did they kick you out?" He asked conjuring up a chair for her to sit on rather than the floor.

"So..." He smiled. "Now you're here what do you plan to do? Get a job? Explore?" He asked leaning back against the wall.

He frowned. "Family problems." Was all he said.

Darquesse went quiet , looked at the floor for a few moments before moving to the chair that he had provided for her with a gracious nod in Dracos direction by means of thank you.

"Our views did not...mesh. I still sneak back every week to watch my sisters baseball games though...she doesn't deserve this separation."

Still looking at the floor Darquesse only nodded at first to Dracos question but then she sniffed and looked up, tracing the light blue veins on her hand as she answered.

"I have a job now, I'm the librarian at Hogwarts...which means I know your um...brother?"

Darquesse bit her lip in case she had gotten it completely wrong.

"Oh I see...well you sure aren't going to tell me, I don't mind."

"Of course family is very important don't break ties with the rest of your family because of them." He smiled weakly.

"Oh really?" His head leant back as his laughter filled the cave. "Brothers? Hades is my son but i'm very flattered that you think i look young enough to be his brother." He smiled.

"No i didn't mean it like that it's just a very long story which im sure you wouldn't want to hear. You have your own problems without having mine dropped on you too." He smiled weakly.

"So librarian eh? Tell me do you have a favourite book?"

Darquesse flushed bright red and her eyes widened as she found out she had made on of the most embarrassing mistakes of her life, but, Dracos infectious laugh soon had her own giggles escaping and she gazed at him apologetically.

"Sorry about that, I um, just think you look good for your age then."

Stroking her cheek softly she looked up into Dracos eyes her own firm and full of resolution. They probably wouldn't be meeting after today so what was the harm in sharing stories?

"Talking...always helps...especially to someone impartial. I'm here if you want to tell me."

With a laugh Darquesse held her hands up in the air and frustradly tugged at her hair:

"I love all books, but, my favourite is the Invisible Man. Do you like to read?"

"No don't appologise that has just made my day." He laughed. pulling down the sleeves of his cloak.

"It's not really my problem, it's Hades' but i can't help but feel as if it's my own. Hades hasn't had the best up bringing he's lost many and an hour ago he nearly lost the son he didn't even know he had." He frowned. "So yeah family problems are the worse especially when there is nothing you can but to step aside and let them deal with it." He sighed.

"Oh i've never heard of that one." He smiled. "Yes i read i'm currently reading a muggle book written by Shakespeare i think his name is. It's quite interesting." He smiled.

Darquesse listened carefully to what Draco was telling her, she was a little confused by it all and thought it was something from one of those dramatic shows on muggle tv.

"It does seem to be the worst thing in the world when you have a lived one in pain and there is very little that you can do about it."

She smiled lightly and placed a reassuring hand on Dracos own with a Lind smile.

"I went through something like this once, you have to wait for them to heal themselves but distraction always works well, at least, it worked well for me."

Her sombre mood was lifted by the mention of Shakespeare Darquesse grinned and smiled broadly at Draco:

"To be or not to be? Romeo o Romeo where for art thou Romeo? Take a pound of flesh no more no less. How do I love thee shall I count the ways?"

"It'll be okay Hades is a smart man, he'll figure it out he always does. But if Arsen is as stubborn as his father then it might take a while." He smirked.

"Hmm a distraction sounds good round about now." He smiled placing his cane to one side leaning it against the cave wall.

"Yes Romeo and Juliet is the one i'm reading. Usually i stick to wizard books but Shakespeare knows his stuff." He smiled thinking of a quote. "Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!/ For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."

Darquesse blushed a little bit at how her comment on 'distraction' might be taken and as she saw Draco lean his cane against the wall she blushed again trying not to look into his growingly handsome face.

"Have you read any other Shakespeare?"

When Draco searched for a quote and came up with that one Darquesse blushed deeper , what a lovely quote to remember and she searched her brain for a similar quote. With a smile she mutters, one hand over her heart while the other seemingly held out to thin air.

"Come night. Come Romeo. Come thou day in night. For thou wilt lie upon wings of the night. Whiter than new snow upon a ravens back."

Chuckling a little Darquesse winked.

"Two households, both a like I'm dignity in fair Verona where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge breaks new mutiny and civil blood make civil hands unclean, but from the fatal loins of these two foes a pair of star crossed lovers take their life."

Biting her lip she looked down at the flood and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Forgive me..."

"No this is my first muggle book, it was requested by an old friend." He smiled. "Im not usually a big fan of muggle inventions."

He smiled watching as she remembered the quote putting all her emotions into saying it. "Wow you're quite the actress. Ever thought of joining a theatre group?" He asked running his hands through his hair. "You'd give the others a run for their money." He smirked turning his gaze to a crow flying past the entrance of the cave.

"Well you certainly know your Shakespeare." He smiled. "No no don't appologise for something your passionate about. I'm glad you can share your passion with me." He smiled polietly. "Now is there any other Shakespeare i should look up?"

Darquesse blushed again and twirled the strand of hair around her finger harder, trying to calm herself down. She had never thought of it. It hadn't been a possibility to her and now she feared it was too late.

"I...I don't think I could be an actress."

She gently brushed stray strands of her long blonde hair from her face as the soft wind blew it in her face. Smiling shyly up at Draco Darquesse bit her lip compiling every single work of Shakespeare she could and finally she settled on a few to reccomend.

"Well your in a sad mood so I dont think Hamlet is for you...I would read A Midsummer Nights Dream or The Merchant of Venice both comedies both equally pleasurable to read."

Darquesse grinned up at Draco and held up her hands as she motioned for him to stay put as she ran to her bag and pulled out one of many books. Holding it out to Draco silently with a small smile.

"Sure you can. I've seen many plays with talentless actors in i would pay double... no i'd pay fives times more to see someone with real talent like you perform." He said.

"I'll tell you what i'll send you some tickets for the next play. Where are you staying?" He asked polietly. "Of course you don't have to tell me that. You don't even know who i am. How about i hide them here under this rock in three days time." He smiled.

"Thank you i'll add them to my book list." He smiled. "So far i have... those two." He smiled giving her a wink. "Yes i could do with a good old laugh. My son's friends are entertaining but nothing beats a good book." He smirked.

He watched her moved only to return with a book for him. "Thank you." He smiled. "Now i feel bad for not bringing you anything." He frowned thinking of something to give her.

He smiled picking up a rock. "Here." He said taking her hand and placing it in the centre of her palm. "This shows my gratitude." He smiled holding her hand as the rock turned into a white rose.

Darquesse smiled shyly averting her gaze from Dracos face, she never thought she would be good at something that involved public speaking and it made her happy to think that she would be.

"You believe so? I...I well I'm not normally this talkative I'm much quieter."

When she listened to Draco tell her he would leave her tickets for the next Shakespeare show Darquesse shook her head wildly and clenched her hands into small fists on her lap.

"I couldn't possibly accept such an offer...however much I want to. Um...if you look over there that's my bed. I haven't got a house yet so you already know where I live."

With a smile Darquesse giggled at Dracos lack of literature knowledge and age would have to change that! As the book was taken out of her hand and a White rose placed into it she gasped and bit her lip looking up into Dracos eyes Darquesse leant forward heart beating slightly and pecked his cheek.

"Thank you but you didn't need to give me anything it's not like you had to be prepared to meet a random girl in a cave."

He smiled. "Well there is always time to start. My son is quite the public speaker so i've picked up a few tips if you ever want to give it ago. A beautiful woman like you should be free to speak what she believes in. Without having to appologise for it." He smirked.

"And why not? I'm paying and i'm offering them to you. There is no need to pay me back if that is why you wont accept them." He frowned. "I have two tickets it would be a shame to waste one."

He glanced over to where she pointed and he shook his head. "Oh no we can't have that." He frowned. "Why don't you come stay at my place until you get yourself sorted." He suggested. "My house is big enough so it wont be a problem. What do you say? I can't let you stay here on your own anyone could turn up." He said concern filling his voice.

"Oh but i did. I never take without giving back and im certainly not going to stop that with you. You deserve more than this Darquesse and if you let me i'll help you get back on your feet to where you really belong."

Darquesse blushed ferociously and she didn't think it was possible for her to blush any more, Draco had called her a beautiful woman. Nobody had said that to her before. Her eyes full of confusion Darquesse gazed up at him with large wide eyes.

"You mean...like a date?"

She asked in a quiet voice. Darquesse if course had dates before but none of them to the theatre none of her suitors had ever been cultured enough to take her out anywhere like that.

"No! I couldn't! It would be too much of a burden. Please you don't have to do this I can make do here."

At the twinge of concern in his voice Darquesse moved closer to Draco so that her warm breath played across his cheek not wanting to kiss him yet, just in case, instead she whispered into his ear:

"Although I wouldn't protest to seeing you again."

He smiled. "Of course if that is what you wish." He said taking hold of her hand to kiss the back. "I would love to escort you to the Shakespearian play Romeo and Juliet as my date." He said going into a little bow.

"Nonsense i live in that house with my son and i never even see him. You wont be a bother promise. I would never have asked you otherwise." He smiled. "But... if it would make you feel any better you could stay in one of the other houses i own. I could even charge you rent if it makes you happy. But i'd prefare it if you came to stay at the manor is it so much safer there." He smiled.

He watched her move forwards close enough for him to feel her breath against his cheek. "You could see me more often if you took my offer." He smiled as he whispered back in her ear, his lips just brushing against her ear as he moved away.

"Well I would quite like it...but only if you want to go as my date, please dont feel pressured into it."

Darquesse blushed at the feeling of his lips against her ear and even at this simple touch she bit her lip and felt a flutter of her heart in her chest. She thought for a moment, Draco wanted to let her stay, she wanted to spend time with Draco...the conclusion was logical.

"You're sure? Then, I'd love to stay at your manor and I promise I won't bother you it will be like I'm not even there."

With a grin that could be described as mischievous Darquesse brushed her lips against Dracos so lightly they barely even touched.

"Unless you'd like to see more of me."

"Of course not. Have you heard of the Malfoy's?" He laughed. "We dont do anything we don't want to." He smirked glancing down at his watch.

"Yes i'm sure the manor is big enough to hold a hundred people comfortably." He smirked. "You will be no bother." He smiled listening to her words.

"Well then there is that." He smiled. "I would love to see more of you, living in a big house can make you feel very lonely." He frowned placing his lips against hers before pulling back to see her reaction.

Darquesse smiled at the words that left Dracos mouth he was such a kind gentleman just like she had always dreamed of meeting. She was about to answer him but her thoughts were cut off by his lips touching her own.

"Draco..."

She whispered tracing her tingling lips with a light finger, before she titled her head to one side and brought her soft lips to Dracos pressing them gently together gently working them together.

"Thank you...you are too kind."

Pulling away and kissing the crook of Dracos neck Darquesse gazed up into his eyes.

"If there's anything I can do to repay you...?"