𝐎𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 | | 𝕝𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕦𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕗𝕠𝕪

𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲, 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲, 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲

"In my dreams I have a plan
If I got me a wealthy man
I wouldn't have to work at all,
I'd fool around and have a ball"

The idea had struck her while she was visiting her friend in Greece. She had been wandering on the sandy shores of the beautiful beach when she spotted a couple she found particularly odd. An older man, in his late 40s, had his arm wrapped around a young, stunning girl no more than 20. She was dressed head to toe in luxury brands, a pink margarita clasped in her perfectly manicured hands. Katherine Farrington was envious of the beautiful lifestyle the girl must've lived. She made a mental note to herself to throw herself upon the next old geezer she saw so she too could live in excess.

And that time did come.

The redhead strutted down the hallway of her workplace, the headquarters for the wizarding beauty magazine The Celestial, a stack of magazines clutched in her hands. She had gained a measly-salaried internship there after she graduated Hogwarts, a proud Slytherin, one who made a vow to never turn to the dark side her house was known for. She had other dreams, ones that included her becoming a well-known designer of luxury dress robes and elegant evening gowns for the most high-profile witches and wizards.
But alas, Katherine was stuck as a lowly intern, for now, hoping to eventually obtain enough money to scrape together a down payment for a studio. Although she adored her job, she loved who she worked for a little less. She pushed open the heavy door to the Editor's office to find her boss sitting on a large velvet chair, a figure she had never seen before standing directly next to her.

Miranda Skeeter was the most nightmarish woman any witch or wizard could have the unfortunate pleasure of working for. As the sister of the Daily Prophet writer Rita Skeeter, she was definitely the most demanding and annoying of the two of them. Miranda demanded absolute perfection out of every intern she hired, and many didn't last more than a few weeks. Katherine had lasted 2 years, though the idea of quitting had most definitely crossed her mind more than once.

"Katherine, darling, you should've worn something else today. I have a guest, but I guess your eyes aren't working at the moment since you barged in here so rudely." Miranda mumbled without looking up, scribbling something on a notepad in front of her. Katherine glanced down at her black pencil skirt and emerald blazer. She didn't think it was that bad of an outfit. A little sexy, maybe, but nothing unprofessional or scandalous. At the mention of the guest, however, she looked up to see a tall man standing in front of her.
His hair was long and a platinum blonde color tied back with a black satin bow that fell gracefully on his back. He looked about 40 years old, though he had aged gracefully and was still immensely attractive in her eyes. In his large, veiny hands he held a cane that had the head of a serpent with glistening emerald eyes as the handle. He wore a black suit with shiny golden buttons that had snakes embossed on them and tall black leather boots on his feet. The man stared at her, his silver-blue eyes piercing through her skin. Katherine offered a weak smile in return, and he half-grinned back at her before turning to Miranda. "Ah, Miss Skeeter, you haven't introduced me to her."

Miranda didn't look up from her papers as she did a shooing motion towards the other woman. This was a daily occurrence, Miranda being dismissive and unappreciative of her. "That's Katherine Farrington, my intern, she's just here to drop off this week's magazine proofs, and then she'll be making her way out. No need to worry about her." She mumbled as Katherine handed her the stack of magazines quietly, but the man smiled and did a polite half-bow towards Katherine. "Lucius Malfoy, pleased to make your acquaintance."
Shuffling her feet, the girl returned the smile softly. He was intriguing, captivating, seemingly drawing her in with just one spoken sentence. "I best be on my way then, Miss Skeeter. You have a lot of editing to do. It was lovely meeting you, Mr. Malfoy." She said before turning towards the door. A hand suddenly placed itself on her shoulder, her head spinning around to see Lucius staring at her. "Actually, if you would, stay for a second. Miss Skeeter, do you remember what I was just discussing with you? About how I am in need of a young, pretty girl to accompany me to a few important matters?"

Miranda looked up for the first time since Katherine had entered, a shocked and sour expression on her face. "What, not her? That must be a joke. Mr. Malfoy, you don't want her, she's not like us. Her place will forever be at the bottom of the feeding pool. I can assure you that I have tons of other beautiful witches who would be much better escorts. I'm talking models, singers, artists-not some lowly intern." It took all of Katherine's willpower to not stand up for herself. She was a big believer in picking her battles, and she did not want to argue with her boss in front of Lucius. Deep down she knew one day she would be like them. She was like them once, but all of that changed in her youth when she had lost everything, though she would never let Miranda, or anyone else for that matter, know.

"With all due respect, Miss Skeeter, I do think Miss Farrington is perfect for what I need her for. Just let me ask her." Lucius smirked as he walked towards the girl in front of him. Even his walk sent shivers and sparks to flow through Katherine's body. "Miss Farrington, is there something you're working towards? Something you may need financial assistance with?" She nodded politely in return. "Yes, sir. It's my dream to become a designer. I just need help putting a down payment on a studio, that's all, and enough to buy a sewing machine and some fabric. I really want to make gowns and dress robes for all of the most important wizarding families. That's why I'm here at The Celestial. So I can get my name hopefully out there." Lucius nodded. "And your last name, Farrington, sounds...familiar. Did your parents attend Hogwarts?" he asked.

"Yes, they did Mr. Malfoy. My father was Arlo Farrington and my mother was Blythe Winslow. My whole family was sorted into Slytherin too, besides my sister Elowen. She's in her fourth year, I think, and she's the only one Gryffindor. I graduated about 6 years ago." Katherine stated, rubbing the back of her neck. What was with all of the questions about her family? Did her past really matter that much? Of course, she had heard of the Malfoy family and their pureblood ideals, so she wasn't completely shocked.

Lucius inhaled sharply and his eyes looked empty for a second. "Ah, yes. I remember your parents. It was so...terrible when they died. During the last bits of the Wizarding War, correct?"

"Yes. Elowen was just a baby-can I ask why you're asking me all these questions? I'm not sure why my family-"

"Katherine, do not be rude! Mr. Malfoy, please explain to her before she says anything else that might make you change your mind." Miranda mumbled. Katherine could tell she was getting more annoyed by the second by Lucius's growing interest in her little lowly intern, and she was loving it.

"Ah yes. You see, Miss Farrington, I need someone to accompany me to a few important events coming up. My wife does not like to concern herself with meetings and such, but I'm afraid going unaccompanied would not be a good look for me. I just need a lovely young lady like you to keep me company. I can offer you room and board in my manor and some money in return for your time. And you would have to take a leave of absence from The Celestial if you are willing to do that. Narcissa is more than willing to share me so don't worry about having to sneak around." He winked. She knew that it had to be much more than just company, but obviously she was not going to ask such questions while her
boss was sitting next to her.

Katherine's head shot up as she glanced between Lucius and Miranda. This was it. Her ticket out. Her way to fame and fortune and to get the fuck away from Miranda Skeeter and all her demands. To finally get her way to the top.

"Absolutely, Mr. Malfoy. I would love to. Miranda, I quit."

All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It's a rich man's world