𝐎𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 | | 𝕝𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕦𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕗𝕠𝕪

𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬

He was right. The only other person she had left was Victor. Miranda certainly wouldn't give her job back, and she was unsure of how much money Lucius had been giving her the past three years. There was a certain sacrifice involved in finally gaining back her independence, she risked not being able to get back on her feet. Of course she wondered if staying with him was the safe course of action, after all she still had some lingering feelings towards the man she had grown to love.

But the Lucius that stood before her was not the same Lucius she had fallen in love with. This man was cold and wicked and possessive, desperate to continue loving her. His marriage had shattered beneath him (though it was his own doing) and Katherine couldn't help but wonder if his desire to keep her with him stemmed from his fear of being without companionship.

"I accept your terms, Mr. Malfoy. I would like to collect my things now so I can leave."

-

The hour it took for Katherine to pack up her things seemed to last forever. Lucius didn't do much helping; instead he brooded by the door, simply observing the way she aggressively threw her clothes into her suitcase or how she seemed to leave every gift untouched. Achilles sat at her heels (she had insisted that she take the dog along with her), his ears drooping as the pair continued to argue.
"You are not going to take that?" he asked once he saw her skim past the twinkling ring from their stay at the resort.

Katherine glanced down at the ring that had been left abandoned on her dresser.
"I wasn't going to. I don't see the point in it, really, are you sure you wouldn't like to keep it?"
Lucius shook his head, grabbing the piece of jewelry gingerly with his fingers before placing it into her hand.
"Please, keep it. If you take one thing that I have gifted you I would like it to be this."

Nodding along in response, she placed the diamond in her pocket before turning around to glance at her now emptied bedroom, looking similar to when she had first arrived there seemingly so long ago. The ornate wardrobe had been emptied of all her dresses and frocks, her vanity now bare besides the jewelry she had decided to leave behind, the emerald dove and quartz peacock still sitting beside each other. Everything she owned was now neatly packed into a single enchanted luggage.

"I think I'm ready to go," mumbled Katherine as she turned towards the doorway where Lucius still stood, the emerald dove now in his hand. He looked even sadder than he did before, finally realizing that this truly was the end of their era together. Katherine glanced down at the floor as she grasped the handle of her suitcase tightly, wanting to avoid his gaze as much as she possibly could.

"May I have one last kiss?"

One last kiss couldn't hurt if it was going to ease his sorrows. Placing the suitcase on the floor beside her she took a step forward, Lucius immediately leaning his face close to hers.
"While I cannot force you to stay, I need to tell you how much I love you Katherine. These past three years have been an adventure. You have shown me nothing but loyalty and kindness, and I thank you for that," he cooed, letting the back of his hand gently stroke her cheek. A singular tear fell from her eye as she felt the coldness of his lips press against hers.

She didn't kiss him back, simply letting him kiss her until he finally pulled away, taking one final glance at her.
"Can you promise me something?" he asked quietly, taking a step back away from her. She nodded politely as she picked up her suitcase once more. "Promise you will always remember me."

"I promise. Goodbye, Lucius."

The woman knew her words held no weight on her conscious as she sauntered out of her old room. Promises meant nothing to her, he had broken so many of the ones he had made to her she truly didn't care. Their relationship was finally over. Maybe, just maybe, she'd encounter him somewhere else whether it be in passing or in a dream.