Return

Chapter 3: Return

Andromeda ushered Lucius into her home in a lavish manner. Teddy was puzzled by the wizard's torn clothes, but he decided his grandmother and Lucius had had fun playing some rough game. Teddy ran to the closet and returned with a jigsaw puzzle, his favorite one, the best thing to offer to his grandmother's friend. Teddy and Lucius turned the pieces face up while Teddy explained the picture on the box.

"Boys don't mind being dirty," said Andromeda, "but I do."

She looked at Lucius. "You can play a little longer, but then you'll have to take a bath too."

"Do we have to?" wailed Teddy.

A freshly scrubbed Andromeda reappeared in a house coat halfway through the second puzzle.

"We have to finish it," asserted Teddy.

"Okay," said Lucius, "but I need a tub."

"You want to take a bath?" asked Teddy.

"I want to soak my bones and ease my aching muscles while sipping my favorite beverage," said Lucius.

"I wish you hadn't said that," said Andromeda.

"Chocolate milk!" exclaimed Teddy.

Later, after the two males had washed their hair and were soaking in a tub of warm water, there was a knock on the door and a query about their being decent. Andromeda swept in with a tray with two mugs of dark elixir. She set it beside the tub and smirked. "Your beverage of choice, messieurs."

Lucius lifted his Tony the Friendly Bear Mug, inhaled the bouquet, took a sip, swirled it around in his mouth, and declared it to be almost as good a vintage as the hostess. Teddy, observing the performance, inhaled, sipped, swirled, and declared it acceptable.

Later, after Teddy was tucked in, Andromeda glided into the front parlor and saw Lucius in the overstuffed chair. She was in his lap and her fingers were combing his locks, but he seemed pensive.

"Are you going to be a bad boy?" she asked.

"That would be convenient," said Lucius. "It would provide a cover for everything, a cover that everyone would accept: the immoral aristocrat that everyone envies, envies for good reason given the beauty of the Black sisters."

"I would be the virtuous lady swept away by the moment," said Andromeda, "my sense of decency decimated by my harrowing experience with the demons, an innocent seeking solace, but my hero revealing himself to be a beast."

She whispered in his ear. "The spiciness as you begin to slide into me, my sigh, my mild protest, your sliding in deeper, my sigh, my weaker protest, your pulling part of the way out, your sliding back in, feeling my warm slickness caress you, my murmur that I'm your wife's sister, your looking into my eyes as you mount me, the stillness before I begin to move for you."

Lucius replied, "That would be a high point in my life, but I am badder than that."

"How do you mean?" asked Andromeda. "How would that be possible?"

"The comfort your company gives me," said Lucius. "You as a person. Wanting you as part of my life."

"You don't have to say such things, Lucius," said Andromeda. "It might be better if you didn't say such things. There's no reason for dishonesty. You don't have to fill me with flowery promises. I'm not a schoolgirl."

"There's no dishonesty," said Lucius. "There's only ineptness: my speaking poorly and with poor timing. And foolishness: my wanting too much, not a mere fling."

Andromeda was standing. "If you're sincere, it's worse. You have no idea what a monster I am."

She took a deep breath. "I was glad the demons appeared. I wanted there to be more of them. When the two were dragging you off, I was torn between saving you and hurting the other demons."

"But you did save me."

"It was disappointing. I wanted you to be angry at what they did to you. I wanted you to insist we chase the others right then and there. I almost lost it when all you did was make rational plans."

Andromeda radiated intensity. "And after we hunted them down, I wanted you to sate your bloodlust in me - up against a boulder, knickers down, pounding into me. Wild, animal sex."

"Well," said Lucius, "I never believed you were all sweetness and light."

Andromeda flung herself into a chair. "You don't know how long I've been raging, raging for years, trying to keep it hidden."

Andromeda gave Lucius a hard look. "And now you tempt me with romance; you unbalance me; you make me expose myself, my inner darkness. You're cruel. I'll never forgive you."

Lucius stood. "I regret having said things that caused you distress, but I also believe you have no reason to think poorly of yourself. You inherited the dark current that flows through all the Black family, but your keeping it under control is a testament to your character. I even accept that you have reason to blame me and my family for your loses, but you have behaved as a loving sister to Cissy. You have brightened her days in these dark times. You may never forgive me, may never forgive me for many things, but I now think more of you rather than less."

Lucius paused. "I will take my leave."

Andromeda stood. "Your clothes are still in tatters, and you have not eaten after a long day. Allow me to be a worthy hostess."

Mercurial, thought Lucius.

She bustled into the kitchen declaring that mushroom omelets would be quick and they were almost out of chocolate milk and would he mind sherry instead. They ate on the sofa, and every time she refreshed his goblet, she moved closer. The distance between them vanished with the omelets.

"Did you mean the things you said to me?" asked Andromeda.

When Lucius nodded yes, her heart lightened. Followed by a twinge of fear. How easily he could hurt her. How easily he could take away the light by leaving. But he took her hand and guided her to his lap. Her heart soared. Soared over a deep and dark chasm. Her lying broken and rejected at the bottom. He was holding her hand. His stillness at the pleasure of her company. The deep and dark chasm receding into the distance. To the horizon. But still there. Hovering.

"I can't take a meaningful relationship, Lucius. I'm scared."

"We could take our time about this," he said.

"I don't want to wait. I want you now," she said, "but I don't know if I have the courage to face this rationally."

She leaped to her feet in inspiration. "We'll have a duel. It will get our blood up, and we'll go at it without thought of consequences."

"One of your hexes could demolish this house," protested Lucius.

"What kind of wimp are you? Do you want to use prophylactics on our wands?" asked Andromeda.

Do they make them for wands? wondered Lucius.

"It's a matter of your trusting me to be restrained," said Andromeda. "If you don't trust me, how can you expect me to agree to a relationship with you?"

"Very well," said Lucius, "en garde."

"You're too calm," said Andromeda. "I will begin by insulting you until your coolth breaketh."

"Thou art ruthless," she began.

"Nay, dedicated."

"Thou art killer," she continued.

"Nay, protector."

"Thou killeth dreams."

"Nay, nightmares."

"Thou longeth for Blonde."

"Nay, seek Black."

"Thou wisheth soft."

"Nay, desire fire."

"Thou canst take me."

"Nay, win you."

"Thou blood refuseth to boileth, but thou reasonableneth will not saveth thee," declared Andromeda as a flurry of hexes caught Lucius off guard, lifted him in the air, and dropped him behind the couch.

"Stop hiding behind my sofa, you lowlife. It won't save you. I swear by all that's holy I'll shred my aunt's favorite couch to get you. Show yourself. Are you a true man, a true wizard, or a piece of alien slime?

Lucius popped up from behind a chair. "I come in peace for all mankind."

That bit of diplomacy was met by another flurry of hexes. "You will not come in this piece of mankind."

But Lucius merely held his walking stick in front of him. It deflected the hexes as he walked slowly toward her, Andromeda backing up until she was against the wall. He took her the wrists and held her hands above her head. His lip met hers softly. He was drinking in her eyes. Her lips met his eagerly. Her arms were around him, pulling him close.

"It's crazy," he said. "I would do anything to have you."

An urge was stirring beneath her navel. She heard him whisper, "I will be in you. Deep in you. I will stir your darkness."

No, she thought . My darkness is my own, but the urge was growing and she was pressing herself against him and weaving and moaning and she was sagging against him and her feet were dragging on the floor as he waltzed her to the couch and she was pushing and twisting to get her knickers down and her fingers were fumbling with his buttons and she was guiding him into her and moaning as he slid deep in her, deeper than she could imagine, and he was stirring her center and turning her darkness into froth and the froth was engulfing her and primal need was taking her. It was more than Andromeda could bear and she was about to scream when her world shattered.

Awareness was returning and Lucius was holding her.

She recovered enough to say they should rinse off and go to bed. She snuggled around him and fell asleep. Lucius woke the next morning to find a chipper Andromeda offering him tea and announcing that breakfast was ready.

A morning person, he thought. Heaven help me.

Teddy was happy that Lucius was at breakfast, but disappointed he had to leave.

They were in the bedroom, gathering and packing his things, and Andromeda was in her business suit when Lucius grabbed her. His lips were on hers. Her arms were around him and her tongue pushing into him when she broke apart and asked, "Now? While I'm dressed for work?"

For an answer, he dropped her on the edge of the bed. "What a classy lady you are."

"Oh, that's your weakness: elegant women. What a pervert," said Andromeda, but as he nibbled his way up smooth thighs, the accusations faded into pleasurable sighs and her legs opened in invitation. She was pushing her knickers down and her last rational act was to ruck her skirt around her waist. He was pounding gloriously into her and she was moving for him and she smiling with the pleasure of it and it was becoming more than pleasurable and her face was contorting. He was looking in her eyes as he took her and her darkness and enjoyed her intimate ripples. Then, his cock was squirting into his wife's sister and he was filling Andromeda's quim with his jizz.

A glowing Andromeda would drop Teddy off at his grandparents and go to the Lovegoods to help the younger witches sort through the spoils. She would send Lucius home to her sister covered in her love reek.