Lucius was exceedingly grateful for the facts that the Floo Network existed and that Hogsmeade was fully within the system, for he could simply not picture himself sitting on the train as if he was a schoolboy once again. In fact, it would have even been worse than that, he grimaced, considering the only thing that made the long trek from London to Scotland bearable was being surrounded by one's mates. As he stepped from the large fireplace in the back of the Three Broomsticks, an overwhelming sense of nostalgia swept over him. Had it really only been less than five months since he'd last come here on a Hogsmeade weekend with Narcissa and Nott? It felt as if a lifetime had passed since he wore a Hogwarts uniform.

Speaking of that particular witch, it had certainly felt like three lifetimes since he had seen Narcissa. Craning his neck to peer around the pub, his gaze was suddenly snatched by the sight of a gorgeous young woman walking through the door. He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. His gorgeous young woman.

Narcissa smiled out from under her honeyed hair, which she had left down and flowing. No doubt she had done so with the fact that he so loved it down in mind, Lucius smirked, for that witch never did anything that didn't have several layers of forethought behind it. Somehow she looked ridiculously more mature compared to the last time he had seen her, he mused as she wound through the tables towards him.

She all but voiced his thoughts as she neared. "Happy Halloween, stranger. I almost didn't recognize you – wherever did my boyish lover go?"

Lucius frowned, restraining himself from reaching out and snogging her senseless right there in the middle of the room. The blasted woman seemed perfectly composed. "Since when have you seen fit to deem my romantic advances 'boyish'? You have always seemed rather satisfied by them, or else perhaps you are simply an exceptionally good actress."

"No, I suppose I worded that poorly," Narcissa's eyes flashed as they grazed down his black-clad body in a way that made Lucius' collar suddenly far too constricting. "You were boyish yourself. Your lovemaking has never been."

Merlin's shorts, Lucius grinned down at the blonde, finally allowing himself to touch her as he led her to a booth towards the back of the pub with a hand on her lower back. Been in each other's company for all of two minutes and the tension is bloody palpable.

The booth they occupied was blessedly out of the way and practically out of sight from the majority of the pub. It was thanks to this that he allowed himself to raise his leather-gloved hand to her flushed check and pull her to him in a kiss which as undoubtedly too passionate for a public setting. She responded in full, snaking her manicured fingers into his hair and succeeding in taking his breath away by the time he pulled back. "Merlin's balls I've missed you, Cissa."

Her laugh was throaty, much unlike anything she usually sounded like in front of others. But Lucius, as always, was a different story. He helped her in shrugging off her outer robe before doing the same with his own, gesturing to the new barmaid for two butterbeers. "I've missed you too, you have no idea how much."

"Oh, I probably do. Here at least you have plenty of our friends; at the ministry it's just me amidst countless dusty old officials." Their drinks arrived at that moment, and Lucius removed his hand from where it had been resting rather high on Narcissa's thigh.

"Thank you, Rosmerta," Narcissa smiled prettily at the barmaid.

"No worries, Narcissa," she smiled widely. "And this must be your famed Lucius Malfoy, aye?"

Lucius smiled and held out his hand for a shake, which she returned firmly. The witch's attention was much more taken up by Narcissa than himself, Lucius noticed, his smile turning into a smirk.

"She's wonderfully attractive, don't you think?" Narcissa smirked as well, raising an eyebrow towards Rosmerta's retreating form.

"Goodness, Cissa, you really have been suffering without me hm?" Lucius leered, pecking her on the temple. "I mean if you're desperate to go after some poor barmaid."

Narcissa scoffed. "I'm not going after her, don't make me sound creepy. She admires me too; I notice every time I'm in here."

"Well I can hardly blame her for that," Lucius said as he took a swig of the warmed drink. His eyes lost much of their teasing quality as he appraised his girlfriend over the rim of his mug.

"And besides," Narcissa's smile softened as well, reaching up to sweep a stray piece of hair back from Lucius' face. "You know I'm yours."

"I do."

The pair became somewhat lost in the gaze of their partner for a long moment, each drinking in what they had missed for so long now.

Finally Lucius remembered himself, clearing his throat. "How's the 'friend-making' mission that your mother sent you going?"

Narcissa rolled her eyes, taking another sip of her butterbeer. "I suppose dismally, although I can't say I'm too stressed about it. There are plenty of girls here that I get along with just fine, but they tend to always be in the company of the few I cannot stand. Why should I torture myself by surrounding myself with useless people?"

Lucius chuckled. "Highly undiplomatic of you, Cissa."

She shrugged, finishing her drink. "And this is why you're the one in politics, deary. Potions don't care who your friends are."

"How's Severus doing, speaking of potions?"

"As solemn as ever," Narcissa sighed. For all that she never saw much point in bending over backwards for the mere comfort others, the boy was someone she was always careful to include in conversations and activities whenever possible. "I'm afraid there is a full-blown rivalry between my cousin's little gang and him. He's skipped to fourth year potions, though, and makes for much more interesting conversation than many of the students older than him."

Lucius smirked again, having caught wind of Narcissa's frustration through her letters. "Did you ever end up snapping when Ethel Bulstrode yet again brought up her engagement compared to your lack of one? I'm tempted to give you a ring just to get her to lay off."

"Oh, I ended up pointing out in front of a packed commonroom how, unlike with her and Basil Macmillan, a silly band of gold isn't all that's keeping you and I faithful to each other."

Lucius let out a low whistle, shaking his head and grinning. Each day seemed to prove to more of the world that you did not want to get on Narcissa's nerves. He knew he probably shouldn't find her ruthlessness so attractive, yet here he was, entirely enamoured.

As Narcissa smiled at him, however, his stomach squirmed as he remembered the question he had been meaning to ask her. He finished his drink before speaking, attempting to sound as nonchalant as possible. "So, have you heard anything from your sisters recently?"

Narcissa grimaced and shook her head. "Nothing of value, anyway. Andy has written a couple times with simple, sparse updates form home – I feel as though she is not there often – and Bella hasn't bothered whatsoever."

Inwardly breathing a sigh of relief, Lucius motion for another round of drinks. "I'm sorry, Cissa, that's frustrating." And for the best, he thought. He was not sure how to bring up to Narcissa the meeting he had had with the strange, mysterious man all those weeks ago when she had just left for Hogwarts. Hell, he hardly even knew himself what everything was about – the man he was instructed to call his lord had mentioned needing someone good and familiar with the legal system working for him. Someone to make things official, to explain the inner workings of the ministry to him and the group at large. He had agreed, for this man practically screamed exclusivity and prestige (for all that he was terrifying), and thus had begun the weirdest kind of internship he could have imagined. So far he had merely looked over paperwork – strange, intimidating paperwork, but nothing too different from his everyday at the ministry – however he was vaguely aware that there was much more happening below the surface of this organization. And what an odd organization – Rodolphus was part of it, as were Evan and Avery, and a couple other of his former peers. Including, and this is where things got tricky, Bellatrix. He didn't trust her to not be telling everything to her baby sister, especially if she thought it might cause distance between Narcissa and himself. But, it appeared as though she had neglected to mention anything yet, and for this he would be grateful. He smiled as he clinked glasses with Narcissa, who smiled back at him brilliantly.

Narcissa too, however, was not being entirely truthful, and her insides squirmed slightly at the thought. It was fact that Andromeda's letters had been few and inconsequential, but Bellatrix had actually bothered writing within the last month or so. Multiple times, in fact. For all that her letters never said anything so explicit that they would lead to a direct association between her and the recent attacks, every single letter had been full of sly updates on her continued involvement with the Death Eaters. Narcissa had not mentioned her meeting with the Dark Lord to a single soul; she flat out refused to even discuss the situation with Bellatrix, which left her letters to her sister to consist only of updates of Hogwarts life. She especially did not want to mention the man to Lucius, seeing as the Dark Lord had asked after their relationship back in the summer. She desperately wished to keep Lucius and the strange man separate as long as possible.

"So, Mr. Malfoy," Narcissa eventually clearing her throat and shifting closer to the man, not wanting to tarnish their visit with such dark thoughts. "I must admit I was surprised you would miss out on the first All Hallows' Eve Ball of your adulthood for a silly visit to Hogsmeade."

"I would have been surprised too, if silly Hogsmeade did not happen to be the place I am able to see a girl as delectable as yourself," Lucius leaned in to kiss Narcissa again – he had quite a few missed kisses to make up for. "Dancing is significantly less enjoyable when it's not with you."

Narcissa's whole body melted as she always did when he spoke so sweetly, however she kept her face as impassive as she could. She tutted and shook her head mockingly. "What an awful sap you're turning into without me, Malfoy; you'd rather sit in a crowded pub just staring at me than be waltzing with other women, hm?"

"I mean yes, I would. You simply make everyone pale in comparison. However," his grin turned rather predatory, causing Narcissa's pulse to pick up. "I did not plan on just sitting and staring at you tonight, darling."

Narcissa's lashes fluttered as he leaned towards her. "O-oh?"

"We are in an inn, you see love. Right above us are multiple empty beds, just waiting for a couple like us to grace them with our bodies."

"That is horrendously trashy," Narcissa admonished, sniffing in disgust. "Makes us seem like a one-night stand, or adulterers."

"Are you refusing?"

"Not at all, in fact I already have such a room arranged. It pays to flirt with the barmaid."

Lucius' smile looked like it would split his face in two as Narcissa drained her mug and took him by the hand. On his way past the bar Lucius placed an exceedingly generous amount of gold on the counter, not missing the knowing smirk Rosmerta sent their way as they hurried through the back door and up the narrow, rickety staircase behind it. Thanks to Narcissa's enthusiasm the couple barely made it through the first open door, let alone onto the bed, and Lucius felt all the stress that had been knotting up his body draining away as she began unbuttoning his shirt, her deft fingers quickly followed by her sweet mouth. Despite the growing political tension in the world and the daunting presence of this new Lord, the two of them had a very happy Halloween indeed.