Of cloudless climes and starry skies ; open

[lucius abraxas malfoy]

^{]
Night, lift up the shades
Let in the brilliant light of morning
But steady there now, for I am weak
And starving for mercy,
Sleep has left me alone.}[/I]

Unraveling the exact activities of tonight would be quite strenuous on Lucius’s brain at this point in time. It started with liquor, a vast amount of it. From there Lucius’s perception of what happened in the warmly lit common room is reminiscent of a slide show. It was as if every time he blinked he was in a different span of time. And every so often another gulp of alcohol was placed in there. He saw a good slew of familiar faces, and even more he rarely got to see save for communal activities such as this; the only downside was that it was a portion of his own stores that went towards the little back to school party. Reality swirled like colored paints on a palette; he was present, and yet ambivalent of what was happening around him. And it was so hot inside, with a roaring hearth and so many people circulating around the underwater commonplace, the concept of fresh air was as reachable as a rainbow after a storm.

But leave it to Lucius to make reach for the unreachable. With his school oxford ruffled about the collar and un-tucked, his tie hung flaccid about his neck, and with a square-like bottle of brandy in his hand, he somehow made his way up from the depths of Hogwarts to the main floor, in which he managed to slip out onto the dark, abysmal grounds, bedded with healthy blades of grass and crinkly autumn leaves. On momentum alone, Lucius continued to venture out over the hills. The night was utterly brilliant, though he has yet to notice. The sky was the deepest blue, with complimentary speckles of bright stars as if a needle had poked holes in the universe. The moon was scarcely a sliver in the sky, leaving very little light to relish upon over the grounds. Yes, it was very dark. The skeletal figures of trees marked the way as Lucius swaggered over the thick grass, eventually hitting much softer ground, and then sand.

If there were any light, it was reflected off of the plane of water that stretched out as far as the distant mountains. The Black Lake was rightfully named so, as it seemed more like a sheet of obsidian from Lucius’s view, rather than an actual pool of water. With a little bit of a limp - or stumble - Lucius kicked up the sand as he made his way to the shoreline. Once he got there, whether by impulse or accident, Lucius fell onto his rear, his immediate reaction being to remove his socks and shoes. The young Malfoy then pushed his half empty bottle down into sand beside him as he laid out on his back, the midnight sky his most prominent view. He shimmied down, but mostly around, nestling his tall frame into the bed of sand beneath him, his heels and ankles just resting in the gentle tide of the lake. There was no wind, no impending storm or foul weather, it didn’t even feel cold - but that could merely be from the warmth agent coursing through Lucius’s veins.

What time was it? Ten? Midnight? It had to be the latter, as Lucius could actually tell time back at ten pm, but now as it dared closer to morning and his psyche had been dimmed to nothing more than ticklish warmth and impulsive fancy, he didn't have such skill. Time nor memory was important, he has had a grandiose amount of fun, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint why or with whom. It was no matter, he was in a very content state and vocalized such with a small groan of lazy pleasure. As his feet dabbled in the depths of the lake, his arms were unable to keep still as they slithered up over his belt and limp shirt until the finally laced up behind his head. Lucius Malfoy amiable, content, bearable? He must be piss drunk. And on what better night than this?

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[natalie bane]

It was late, Natalie didn't need burning numbers staring back at her in the dark to tell that. And though their were no windows here under the black lake she was sure the moon still held it's position high in the sky. She was restless and hot, gazing around half blind at the other girls who were totally oblivious to the world around them. How come she seemed to be the only one awake? This meant that there was no one to talk to, like she much cared for their conversation anyway. She was a little agitated, throwing her covers back carefully before swinging around and placing her feet on the floor. The cold stone felt so good against her warm flesh and immediately she made her mind up to venture outside. Sure she'd have to be careful and if she got caught their would be consequences but usually a pretty face and the right words could get you out of anything.

She made her way to the foot of her bed and felt around in her trunk, pulling her school robes out and putting it on over her long green night gown. Her hair was still pinned up and in place, her make up as flawless as when she had applied it (thanks to magic). Of course come morning time she would go through the whole process again because simple charms don't last forever. She slid on a pair of black flat sandals, after all she was burning up and it didn't really matter if it seemed that practical right now or not. If she got too cold, which Natalie preferred cooler weather anyway, she could always come back inside.

After just a few minutes of getting herself together she soon found her way out of the common rooms and up out onto the lawns. The cool air was there to greet her, gently moving across her skin before teasing her and growing still again. Regardless of a breeze or not it still felt a lot better out here. She made her way quickly away from the castle just in case she was spotted but took her time once she felt it was safe to do so. She didn't have any certain direction to follow but she felt pulled towards the lake. Natalie wasn't the type to usually 'milk' beauty out of everything around her but she did enjoy the reflective surface of the cool waters. Certain things calmed her, the lake and the serenity it provided being one of the few here. Without further thought, and certainly no hesitation, she started heading for it.

There was hardly any light to see, the moon barely even visible up above. All of this was adding up to put Natalie in a good mood. She never was one for bright, hot days they always seemed to drain her. Right now when it was quiet and dark... and cool, it made her feel content. Her feet were moving gracefully underneath her until she heard a low groan, which made her instinctively jump. Her first reaction was to turn right back around and make haste to the dorms so she wouldn't get in trouble- or worse... have house points docked for her behavior. But automatically her eyes were already roaming the land around her trying to figure out what she had heard. If it had been anyone other than Lucius Malfoy perhaps they would have went undetected. However there was just enough moonlight to make his hair stand out against the dark ground.

She narrowed her eyes as if trying to see better, to study what was laid out before her but it didn't alter anything. She moved closer making as little noise as possible, trying to hide herself partially behind a tree as she started to make out the out line of his profile. A smile crept upon her lips because it didn't take her long to put it together - platinum hair and his sharp features. Of course what Lucius was doing out here, well it was still a mystery. That was unless he had drunk too much. She was sure she saw him drinking something in the common room and the slight smell of alcohol seemed to dwell about him all night. The next question was what was she going to do? Lucius and Natalie weren't exactly friends but it wasn't because they didn't get along it was because they seemed to give one another respectable room. Perhaps tonight would be the night to test the waters, to see if he really lived up to his reputation.

She stepped from behind her tree and forward, her dark eyes still resting on him and waiting for any indication that he knew she was around. Of course he seemed lit and oblivious to her, which gave her the opportunity to make her own entrance which made her feel that much more comfortable with him. "That doesn't look very comfortable. Are you all right?" Her voice came out soft, not wanting to startle him and it did have some genuine concern in it. It wasn't like she was going to grovel at his feet or be at his beck and call but there was no reason she shouldn't start out being civil with him. Who knows, maybe this could be the start of something good.

[lucius abraxas malfoy]

^{]
Night, lift up the shades
Let in the brilliant light of morning
But steady there now, for I am weak
And starving for mercy,
Sleep has left me alone.}[/I]

His toes prickled as if by pins and needles, undoubtedly the cold water was affecting his body in ways he could not quite feel in this state. He only felt a tickling sensation, followed by a coolness usually associated with springtime - crisp and refreshing. It almost made him consider taking a drink from the lake itself, but even in such a state, Lucius could vividly recall the sludge and slime that sat in Petri dishes in Herbology class; and despite his thirst, he was sure that he would never be that thirsty. Switching back and forth between keeping his eyes open and closing them (which was a much more fascinating pass time than it seems from description), Lucius every so often let his eyes wander over the span of atmosphere and eternal universe situated above him. His breathing was slow and mild, the only notion of air being the rise and fall of his broad chest as he sucked in and blew out, the ebbing, dull noise of blood coursing past his ears keeping rhythm - an added tempo to the ambiance of night.

Being so subdued was a very unfamiliar state for Lucius Malfoy - a fact that anyone could contend. In that light, he was much like a lion after finally situated itself in it’s cage at a zoo. The usual attentiveness, focus, and animalistic zeal of any carnal-driven creature wanes with the right drug; haphazard lounging and over-publicized stretching being the most obvious side effects. Thankfully for Lucius, however, this was just temporary - and ironically, he was probably more liked when he was like this - not everyone can bear the scrutiny of his hypercritical, perfectionist observations, comments, and glances. His senses were dulled, however, the usual heightened gifts of hearing and feeling of change in aura had vanished from his body, right along with his willpower to care or wonder. Natalie could have been frolicking nude down the beach and he wouldn’t have known; unless she was screaming hell-Mary’s, caroling old-timey Hogwarts tunes, or kicking sand in his face, he couldn’t possibly know she was there.

Not that he was trying to ignore, oh no. In fact, he was very much trying to absorb everything: the texture of the sand beneath the curves of his back, the giddy, internal warmth coating his body, the slick, untraceable sensation on his tongue, and more. Even if he could see perfectly from his peripherals (meaning other than faint blurs that made his eyes feel dense), shades of black seemed to be the predominant view. The sand even seemed a little more blue and gray than it did during the sunlight hours, the trees were not much more than textured splotches on an otherwise opaque canvas - all the colors that could be seen were cool and icy. As she approached, he remained just as ambivalent to the sound of sand compacting beneath her dainty steps as he was to most every alteration of his settings.

And yet he was not afraid as she finally verbally made her presence known. He did not even seem phased at all, but reacted just the same as he would have greeted a person he had spotted from across the room or sitting next to him on a sofa. “I’m perfect,” He purred congenially, the same conviction that has become a stigma to his person apparent even now; apparently he has already contemplated what exactly he ‘felt’, and besides for the slight undertone of an impending ache in his belly - he really was feeling ‘perfect’, in his perspective at least. After honestly announcing his current status, Lucius turned his head, his cheekbone resting against the inside of his bicep as he finally peered over at his new-found counterpart. While Natalie was not the first character he has seen again after long last of summer and personal agendas, she was one he didn’t think to expect. Natalie Bane was one of the few characters that Lucius could not rightly pin an adjective or status of relationship with. Usually he could tell what would and wouldn’t work within a few glances and seconds of seeing a person, but Natalie was one of those character that fell into the ‘undecided’ categories in his mind. Despite this uncertainty, that didn’t stop the impulsive intuition of conversation to take heed of his mouth.

Even if he would never be able to pinpoint his standing with Natalie, he wouldn’t care. There was interest to be had in a wild card, and mystery was his private craving. For such a know-it-all, he had a strange fondness for the unknown. Looking up at the vertical silhouette of his light-haired and far counterpart, he was obliging to continue their polite conversation onward with enthusiasm. “How about yourself miss Bane?” Lucius inquired, his voice profound and yet tranquil like distant, rolling thunder. Seeing as his tenor was so sharp and poignant when sober, a ’slur’ to him was nothing more than a stronger sense of calmness, rather than chilliness. Turning his head forward again, he gestured thoughtfully to the expanse of sand next to him with the graze of his fingertips over the speckled grains, “Have a seat if you want. What brings you to this hot-spot?” Lucius then asked out of courtesy and curiosity, seeing as he didn't distinctly note Natalie being smashed at the common room (not to say he could distinctly note anything in this state). Though, maybe the lake wasn't too much of a hot-spot right now, but how often this area was romanticized and back-dropped cliche usually kept Lucius away - hopefully not too many swooning couples and emotional underclassman riddled the surf this night.

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[natalie bane]

Lucius' voice filled the darkened space between them and though his words were slightly slurred she believed that he was fine. It was funny to think it might matter if he wasn't. So far he was nothing to her, not saying that he didn't have potential or that she chalked him up as unworthy. Sure Malfoy was a powerful name but not one she depended on. Of course she had heard many stories, being in a pure blood family the Malfoys did do many things for their kind but Natalie was deterred when it came to attaching herself to others that might take away any of her independence. A soft sigh made her bosom drop as she thought of the irony of it. Here she was wanting to claim full independence and yet she was going to be married within the next year. Of course Gabriel was to her liking, had been her choice though her parents wouldn't know that. And soon she would have to give a part of herself up. She didn't see marriage as some type of confinement, well not with Mr.Sutherland. It was just you had to work in-sync with someone whereas you had the privilege of only worrying about yourself before. Of course that holds no importance here. Lucius was a bit appealing to everyone, I suppose. But Natalie wasn't so desperate that the pull he had swayed her like it did others. She had often wondered if he would be 'pleasant' company although she would admit that before she didn't put into account that he could be completely smashed, which was probably pretty right on now. She had just never assumed that it would take her almost seven years to find out.

She watched with interest as he moved his head, turning it to look at her. She could tell that his body functions were suffering but he still seemed to carry some grace about himself. At least he still had style, right? It wasn't as if they had established any sort of friendship or trust. Would he be mad that she was out here now? But his expression didn't show the slightest glimmer of anger. Instead he seemed content, perhaps a bit interested - which would explain why he was asking her how she was. She pursed her lips together for a moment, looking down and making sure that her robes were covering her long gown. It wouldn't have mattered who she had met out here she didn't want anyone to get the idea that she didn't care what she wore, never mind the price she paid for the silky garment. "I'm fine. Thank you." She was carefully concealed for the moment, although she could probably strip down and roll around with him in the sand and he wouldn't recall that in the morning. Lucky for him she would abstain from such behavior, even if it didn't sound half bad.

She watched as he motioned for her to sit on the sand beside him. Her first reaction was not to, after all how many ladies did you see sitting down on the dirty ground? Her face had screwed up in confusion for a moment as if wondering why Lucius would even ask her that but it soon fell. There was no reason to be rude and it wasn't like there was an audience around her. Sure she'd sat on the lawns several times but she had always used a blanket to shield her from getting dirty. It seemed that this time she wouldn't have the privilege. She took a few steps towards him and carefully sat down, keeping her feet up close to her because she wasn't very optimistic about dunking any part of her in the lake. Despite the fact she didn't think she would sitting here, she actually felt comfortable now that she was. Perhaps the fact that Lucius was calm was contagious and affecting Natalie. She couldn't help but smile and give a soft laugh when he called it a 'hot spot'. It was funny what kids found to be appealing these days. The lake was nice, tranquil but it wasn't a spot she really tied with romance. It was dirty and it held a big squid along with all other sorts of gilled and finned slimy things. But that wasn't the biggest turn off, no the fact that you could hardly turn around without someone on top of you killed almost all romance that was to be had at Hogwarts. If you were lucky you could find an abandoned room but more than likely someone would find you not long after. Snogging in public wasn't really her style, didn't do good for the image she worked to keep up. So romance for Natalie was far and few between and definitely not what she was expecting tonight.

"I couldn't sleep. It got too hot in the dorms." She glanced over her shoulder and down at him, being truthful in her response. "I know it's a bit of a risk sneaking out here this late but sometimes you've had all you can take." She studied his face for a moment, surprised that he was as awake as he was. "What brought you out here?" Her dark eyes scanned the ground around them and they fell back onto his face. "Dare I assume you managed to come alone?" She was teasing a little at the fact that he was the most popular guy at school. No matter what he did there would always be someone in his shadow trying to fall in his footsteps. She was surprised that he seemed to manage sticking to himself as much as he had. And even now here while he was so calm and peaceful and probably easily persuaded there was no one to try to take advantage of the situation, well almost no one.

[lucius abraxas malfoy]

^{]
Night, lift up the shades
Let in the brilliant light of morning
But steady there now, for I am weak
And starving for mercy,
Sleep has left me alone.}[/I]

Funnily enough, Abraxas Malfoy had the same idea about his son. Style, tact, and grace meant everything to him; if he had ever caught wind about Lucius behaving like a sloppy teenager, Lucius would be in over his head. There was a plan for him, one that involved the perfect exterior, Lucius was groomed for politics or some sort of public office career, even if his true core characteristics were far from it. Being involved in government, after all, had many benefits, fame and power being the obvious ones. So, what sort of future minister or ambassador wants to get caught with revealing photos or hear shocking interviews involving illicit behavior? Even with that weight on Lucius’s belt, he couldn’t resist on human urges - there may be some teenager left in him after all. Albeit, Lucius never relinquished this boyish quality about himself save behind close doors or in the dark, but he has yet to learn how to curb his self-indulgence. And considering his Slytherin attributes, he may never will. He will just have to conduct two very different lifestyle choices simultaneously; one that is straight and narrow, and another that is secretive and spontaneous.

The activities of right now fell under the latter category. While admittedly he was amongst other people when he began consuming alcohol, he accurately predicted his actions - making sure that everyone else was far more intoxicated than he was by the time he actually got started. And then of course, this happened. His patience may have one this night, but the result was a small overhaul of the beverages he provided for his house mates. While all in good fun, he really was only lucky that he didn’t run into an administrator, or even a tattler. Natalie, in his currently optimistic opinion, wouldn’t rat him out, merely because she was breaking rules herself, and doing so in lesser clothes as he was. In fact, he was supposed to be the dutiful prefect in this situation - but hey, what’s the fun in being an obvious hypocrite.

Lucius, continuing with his earlier momentum, rolled fully onto his side, his hand lightly pressing onto the grainy lake sand for support that sifted and moved beneath him. He made accommodations for where she sat herself, giving enough sandy space between them for personal boundaries, yet he still remained fully stretched out for his own pleasure. With one elbow submerged in the soft ground for stability, that very hand entangled itself into his hair - albeit in a slightly messy way - keep his head propped up for the conversational-aspect of the setting; otherwise he would have probably rested his head against the ground if only to feel the coolness against his skin. “It was hot,” He agreed innocently, ironically no sign of ill-omen or double-meaning encased within his short sentence.

“I needed to get out, too,” He admitted quite frankly, the honesty only snubbed by his inherent apathy about what came from his mouth. Not that alcohol was anything close to vertiaserum, but Lucius seemingly had no qualms in bluntly revealing his intentions when under the influence - to anyone that knew him, that was no normal at all. Even the smallest thing Lucius felt obligated to conceal it, from the happenings of a slow day to how much homework he has accomplished, he relinquished nothing with ease - right now being the exception. With a small grin, he added, “And unless someone followed me out here, I do think I’m alone. Save you, of course.” Lucius drummed his fingers silently on the sand, rupturing the balance of each grain near his fingers as his digits then mimicked a small raking motion if only to sate his current desire to move in one way or another.

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