Always You

Chapter 44: Decisions

Malaya sat in a dark corner within the Hog's Head, her hood pulled up high over her head to shield her face as much as possible. The bar was empty except for two men sitting at the counter. One continued to eye her, which she tried to ignore. 

She waited while holding her wand tightly under the table. Finally, the bell that alerted the bar tender to new patrons rang and Lucius Malfoy walked inside. 

He scanned the bar until his eyes landed on Malaya. For a moment, he didn't seem to recognize her. Then, he made his way to her table and sat himself down. 

"Foolish of you to meet me in such a public place," he said. 

"Safer than some dark, deserted alley," she shot back. 

He was quiet for a moment. "Is Draco also coming or was that a lie?" He threw a piece of paper on the table.

Malaya looked at it quickly. It was the letter Draco sent him, the one asking Lucius to meet with him alone and not tell anyone. 

"He's not coming." Malaya looked back toward Lucius. She didn't need to open the letter, she had instructed Draco on exactly what to write. 

"I can't say I'm surprised you used my own son to deceive me," he said quietly. "But how did you convince him to help you?" 

Malaya shrugged. "Do you ever think to yourself that you may not know your son at all?" 

"Did you really ask me here to lecture me about my parenting?" 

"Somebody has too," she muttered. 

Lucius leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "What is it that you want, Malaya?" 

"First, I need you to know that I am pointing my wand at you from under the table and if I see your hand go anywhere near your Dark Mark or your pocket, I won't hesitate to kill you." 

Lucius cocked one eyebrow. "Feisty. Anything else?" 

"I also have someone watching the place from the outside," she lied. 

"As do I," he said. 

"You're bluffing." 

"Care to find out?" Lucius smirked. 

Malaya looked toward the bar. The old bar tender was eyeing them warily. 

"Would you really kill me, Malaya?" Lucius whispered. "Could you really do that after all we've been through?" 

"You got me kidnapped-" 

"You got yourself thrown in that cellar," he interrupted. "Shall we go through the order of events together?" 

"You wouldn't hesitate to give me up to You-Know-Who," Malaya whispered. "Why should I hesitate to kill you?" 

Lucius put a hand over his heart. "You wound me, love. Do you really think so low of me?" 

Malaya looked down at the table for a moment before meeting his gaze. There was a hint of playfulness in his eyes. "Was any of it real, Lucius?" she finally asked. 

Lucius's face set, his expression more serious. "This is why you tricked me into meeting with you?" 

"Can you just answer the question." 

"Of course it was real, Malaya," Lucius hissed. "I am not so cold-hearted that none of it meant anything to me." 

"Why don't I believe you?" 

"Perhaps it is easier to tell yourself that I am evil and ruthless in order to justify your feelings." 

"What feelings?" Malaya furrowed her brows.