𝐎𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 | | 𝕝𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕦𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕗𝕠𝕪

𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐚

But I must admit it, that I would marry you in an instant
Damn your wife, I'd be your mistress just to have you around

Katherine was walking down an ornate aisle, faceless guests sitting in chairs on either side of her. She held a bouquet of red roses tightly in her hand, a gorgeous veil draping around her shoulders. Her dad was next to her, walking her down the aisle. At the front of the aisle in the middle of an archway stood Lucius, wearing an all black suit and an emerald tie.

She reached the front of the altar, her father slowly lifting the veil to reveal her face. She stared at Lucius, who gave a small smile in return. The pair turned to each other as they held hands, another faceless man beginning to speak.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Lucius Abraxas Malfoy and Katherine Adeline Farrington..."

Katherine's eyes shot open, her arm moving to wipe the sweat off of her forehead. The rain had stopped and the room had warmed up, which caused her to toss the covers off of her. Turning to the side, she noticed Lucius was missing. Dread filled her mind as she slipped out of the bed, fixing her silk pajamas. She glanced around the room for a moment before noticing a dark figure outside on the balcony. She tiptoed towards the glass door, sliding it open letting the cool outdoor air hit her face.

"Lucius? Is that you?" She whispered. The figure turned around, and she sighed from relief as she recognized his silhouette.
"It's three in the morning. What are you doing awake?" he asked, beckoning for her to come join him outside. She strolled on to the balcony, staring at the view ahead of her.
"I just had a weird dream, that's all. Why are you awake at this hour?" Katherine answered.

"I just needed some fresh air, dove. Don't let me keep you awake. You need your beauty rest after all." Lucius murmured as he gently let his hands run through Katherine's hair. She shook her head in response, leaning against the railing letting out a small sigh.
"No, I don't think I will. Besides, the bed feels so lonely without you." she hummed, letting her fingers trail gently on his arm. He slapped her hand away in response, keeping his eyes forward. "Lucius, if something is wrong you can tell me."

"It's just you. You're all alone. I couldn't fall asleep, thinking about-" he paused for a moment before shaking his head. "Feeling guilty about, rather, the fact that this little arrangement takes so much from you. You have no friends besides my wife, and I do admit that I caused you to lose your own best friend. And I cannot marry you, I cannot give you children, you have no home of your own and no career. While I certainly don't regret this or anything we've done, I just wonder sometimes if I'm somehow taking something from you."

Katherine felt her heart shatter. Was this truly how he felt? Like he was robbing her of divine happiness? That sentiment was the farthest thing from the truth. And she wasn't going to take it.
"Lucius, you have taken nothing and given everything. I don't want children until I'm older, I could care less about marriage. I value people, experiences, and obviously monogamy isn't my thing. What we have, what we're doing...it works. I am happier now than I have been in what feels like eons. So please, don't worry about somehow stealing my life away. I'm only in my 20s, after this arrangement comes to an end we'll part ways, I'll open my business, and I'll leave this behind to grow my own life. Maybe then I'll settle down with someone, have some kids of my own. But right now, in this moment...this relationship is what matters."

Lucius looked down at her and Katherine could tell he was smiling. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. "Come on, dove. It's late, let's get back to sleep." He mumbled, him and Katherine heading back inside after a moment. The two slipped themselves under the covers, Lucius wrapping his arms around her protectively this time as they dozed off.