𝐎𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 | | 𝕝𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕦𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕗𝕠𝕪

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐌𝐲 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞

We found each other
I helped you out of a broken place
You gave me comfort
But falling for you was my mistake

Lucius looked better and better every single day, and the fact Katherine took care of him absolutely helped his morale. With winter and the holidays approaching, Narcissa had returned home to the manor to see Draco and make sure things were orderly. Katherine had agreed to stay at the cottage with Lucius, at least until he was feeling better and was prepared to make the journey home. They enjoyed the cottage life together and it satisfied Katherine's desire to experience some sort of domestic bliss with him.

Except for the fact that they hadn't slept together since before he was taken to Azkaban.

Katherine, of course, didn't pry. There was no point, Lucius Malfoy was about as stubborn a man as could be. For the time being, they just wanted to enjoy each other's company, for Lucius to recover from the hell he had been through. She knew that, eventually, the time would come, and when it did she would melt in his strong hands like she used to. They still had plenty of intimate moments, like sharing a hot bubble bath or slow dancing in the moonlight on particularly nice evenings. The cottage was a getaway that disconnected them from the rest of the world despite an unspoken worry of what was to come. They didn't leave the house much, only to get groceries, and Katherine usually went alone. But on Christmas Eve, she decided there was no point in them staying cooped up inside. The town, which was occupied by Muggles, was quaint and had lots of small cafes and shops. The only issue would be getting Lucius to go.

"Good morning, Lucius."

His eyes peeked over the top of a newspaper, his eyebrow raised. He was sitting at the kitchenette, drinking a cup of coffee as he usually did every morning. It was hard to get him to adjust to a less-magic filled life (Katherine had decided it would be risky for them to use magic in case his wand was being tracked and locked his wand in a drawer) and there had been multiple arguments about how he was absolutely not okay with being reduced to the same level as a muggle. "Yes, dove, what is it?" he replied coldly, the newspaper pages crinkling as he turned a page.

"It's Christmas Eve, you know. I thought it might be fun for us to go visit the town, they have really beautiful lights and one of the largest trees I have ever seen in Centre Square. I can't name one time that you've left this property since you arrived here. You need to get out, and since the only occupants are muggles you should be safe." She pouted, taking a seat next to him at the kitchenette. He slammed his paper down on the counter, giving her a stern look.

"No. I will not be caught frolicking amongst Muggles. We can spend the holiday here, there is a warm fireplace, you can make hot chocolate or some other treat I'm sure. That is a much better spending of time than going to spend the holiday in town." he responded, taking a sip of his coffee. Katherine frowned, her eyes rolling as she leaned against the countertop.

"You are no fun, Luci. Truly a man of selfish nature, not wanting to go into town to spend Christmas with the woman who took care of you when you were at your worst. It's a pity, really, that you can't put aside your own personal prejudice to do something kind for once. I'm trying, you know, trying really hard to make this little vacation or whatever it is nice before we inevitably have to return to whatever shitshow the wizarding world is going to be when we return to England. So please, just suck it up for once your incredibly privileged life!"

Katherine won the argument, of course.

She and Lucius strolled down the cobblestone streets of the quaint little town, snowflakes tickling the bare tip of her nose, a furry black cloak keeping her warm in the cold. Lucius, dressed in his own black wool coat, was holding her hand tightly to keep their hands all toasty despite both of them wearing gloves. They blended in well, no one questioning their arrival at the town. While her partner seemed grumpy, Katherine couldn't have been more excited. Bright twinkling lights surrounded them, the sound of carolers filling her ears. While she loved spending Christmas at the Manor, there was just something so whimsical and enchanting about celebrating in a little village.