I SPY || 𝕝𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕦𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕗𝕠𝕪

Chapter 9. Romeo & Juliet

           Astrid awoke to the early morning songs of the birds outside her window, the golden morning rays of light crept in through the windows casting their glow across the walls of her room. Lying on her side with her legs pulled up to her body Astrid inwardly groaned as she stretched out her legs, her muscles ached to the bone, as she stretched out her long limbs her foot touched something under the feather filled bed covers. Her breath was caught in her throat as she remembered she did not go to sleep alone. Memories of the night before flooded in and a shiver ran down her spine. As smoothly and carefully as she could Astrid lifted her head, which now resembled a bird's nest, a tangle of blonde waves, and she looked over her shoulder taking a peek at the man beside her.

Lucius was laid on his side, his own hair a tousled mess, his face was buried in her own blonde locks, his body curved around her own but at the same time gave her enough room to feel comfortable and not squashed. Astrid soon became aware of the weight that shackled her down, Lucius' arm draped over the small of her waist. Astrid closed her eyes, hoping a solution would come to her quickly before he awoke, she did not have the courage to face him after their night together. She felt sick with guilt, she wanted to feel regret, she searched her body for even a hint of it but she couldn't fine any, but the guilt there was plenty of.

Deciding she needed to get out Astrid attempted to smoothly shuffle her way to the edge of the mattress, inch by inch she shuffled over until she slipped down out of Lucius hold as she ducked out of the bed. A sigh of relief as she studied the mans face for any sign of stirring, there was none.

Astrid suddenly became aware of her nakedness, and the dirty, sweaty, sticky feeling that covered her body. The girl plucked her wand from her side table and tiptoed into the bathroom, and gently clicked the door closed.

"Quietus," Astrid whispered as she tapped the door, quietening the sounds inside the room.

Astrid stepped into the walk-in shower and turned the rose shaped knobs, the water sprinkled at first, followed soon by a whooshing stream of water, Astrid let it fall down over her face and body, closing her eyes she took in the feeling of the warm water hitting her, washing away her shame. Astrid took her time; she didn't have any Hogsmead duties that weekend and so she intended to enjoy her shower. She washed and conditioned her blonde locks, which when went stretched down to the small of her back. She scrubbed at her skin roughly with her orange scented body wash, as if she was scrubbing away her sins.

You slept with him, Astrid reminded herself mentally, he's a death eater, an utterly evil human. Astrid rested her forehead against the cold tile as she let the water fall down her back. You enjoyed it, her brain scolded her, you enjoyed him, a married man.

Astrid was so wrapped up in her thoughts she never heard the door to her bathroom click open.

"Are you okay, my dear? You've been a long time," Lucius purred from the doorway, Astrid glanced over to his figure, her head still pressed firmly against the cold tile. The man was still unclothed, but his body was blurred slightly by the steamy glass of the shower. Go away go away go away she thought to herself closing her eyes.

"I'm fine," She dismissed, turning herself around so her back was now firmly pressed against the cold surface, sending chills through her bones. She pushed her wet hair back running her hand over the silky locks and rested her head back against the tile. A single tear slipped from her closed eye and down her cheek, masked the water droplets covering her sun-kissed skin.

Lucius padded into the bathroom, circling the glass shower enclosure until he came to the shower opening. He entered the steamy shower, the water drenching his body as he stepped up to his lover, cupping her face. Astrids eyes fluttered open, droplets of water clinging to her thick dark lashes she stared into the eyes of the man who had taken her so lovingly the night before, the eyes of a murderer, a torturer, a death eater she reminded herself.

"What is wrong my love?" He asked tenderly, Astrid shook her head no, scrunching her nose she pushed his hands from her face.

"Don't call me that," She griped, lowering her eyes and turning her face from him.

"I've offended you," He spoke lowly, furrowing his brow.

"No," She breathed, "I just... I'm... I can't... you're..." Astrid stumbled for her words. She wanted to just forget the mission, pull out and go back to just being a professor, the others were right, she was not strong enough for undercover work. She thought she was just pretending, playing a role, she thought she could seduce him, pull out all his dark secrets and disappear into the night like it was nothing. She thought herself immune to his charms and good looks. Astrid sighed as she gave up trying to explain herself.

Lucius tucked his hand under the girl's chin, gently clutching it with his thumb he tilted her head back to face him. Her watering eyes told him everything her words couldn't, he sighed deeply.

"You feel ashamed, guilty," he read her eyes like it was a morning paper, they reflected her inner turmoil, he didn't have to look into her mind to see, her eyes were an open window to her tormented soul.

"Last night... was the best night I've ever had with anyone," She admitted in a whisper, "But it was a mistake,"

Lucius could feel her retreating from him, his charm hadn't been enough to pull her from her morals and allegiances entirely, he could not let her push him away for his sake.

"You don't mean that, you're just... scared," He sighed, resting his forehead against hers. She shook her head no lightly against him, her nose brushing his.

"You don't understand," She held back a sob.           

"Help me to," He whispered, his wet hair falling against Astrid's freckled cheek.

"You know who my father is, you know what he did during the war, you know what he is a part of," She whispered. 

"The order," Lucius hummed distastefully, pulling away from her and allowing the shower water to wash over his head and down his back, his hair sticking to his toned shoulders. He rubbed a hand over his face pushing back his soaked white locks.

"Lucius, I'm... I'm with them too, the order," She admitted, this wasn't news to Lucius, it was the entire reason he was pursuing her in fact, but he acted surprised by this news anyhow, keeping up his charade.

"Astrid, you silly girl," He groaned pulling her to him and placing a kiss on her forehead. His surprise to her next words was genuine.

"Are you going to kill me?" For reasons he buried his heart pinched as she spoke, her voice quivered, her fear was real, and the source was him.

"Of course not, why would you ask that?" He whispered against her forehead as he smoothed down her hair, she placed two hands on his chest delicately.

"You serve you know who, and I am part of the group fighting against him, we are on opposite sides of a war Lucius," She explained, pulling back and looking into his eyes with her sad blue orbs. She knew she shouldn't be telling him any of this, and it was probably going to lead

"Like Romeo and Juliet," Lucius whispered.

"And you know what happened to them don't you?" Astrid asked. "I thought you didn't approve of muggle books?" Astrid added, furrowing her brows.

"Shakespeare was brilliant, for a muggle," Lucius smirked for a second, before his face dropped back to his stony cold gaze. "I'm not going to let you anybody hurt you Astrid, I will protect you,"

"Why? Why would you help your enemy?" She interrogated, Lucius took her hands in his, lacing his fingers with hers, he could feel her coming back to him, falling back into his net.

"Because I feel myself being pulled to you like nothing before, all I think of is you, night and day, I would let the Dark Lord strike me down if it meant spending another night with you, I am utterly, completely infatuated with you Astrid Moody,"

Hook, line, sinker.