Fic: Till by Losing Rendered Sager (Louis/Dominique et al.), NC-17
Recipient: nuclearsugars
Title: till by losing rendered sager
Pairing(s): Louis/Dominique, Louis/Hugo, Dominique/Lily Luna, Dominique/James Sirius, Teddy/Louis.
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Incest (like woah), referenced past underage sex. Here are the ages I've used: Teddy: 26, Dominique: 21, Louis: 19, James: 19, Hugo: 16, Lily: 16. So that makes Louis/Hugo: (19/16), and Dominique/Lily Luna: (21/16); Minor references to drug use.
Summary: It's that time of year again: the Potter and Weasley kids' annual trek to the Burrow for the winter hols. While there, Louis makes a deal with the devil that goes very, very wrong.
Word Count: ~9,000
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's notes: Sugars! I was so excited when I got this assignment. I used one of your pairings, and then sort of mixed and matched with the others. I hope you take a liking to them as much as I have. :) I also went with your requests for longing, UST, forbidden desire, blue-haired!Teddy, and some wolf influence (though very minor; it may just be wolfish to me. :P). I even managed a bit of your super, not-so-secret kink. ;) I hope you enjoy! Loosely inspired by the movie Cruel Intentions. The pervy bits, anyway. :P Title from a quote from Lord Byron: "For most men (till by losing rendered sager) Will back their own opinions by a wager." Millions of thanks to my amazing betas, M & B!
Louis tossed his copy of Le Quidditch Hebdomadaire onto the carpet and stretched out on the chaise, folding his arms behind his head.
"That shit will kill you, you know."
Dominique brushed her nose with the back of her hand and looked up from the vanity. She met Louis' eye in the mirror.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. As you can see, I am very much alive. Perfect, in fact."
She tucked their mother's antique pendant inside the loose neckline of her blouse. Louis watched as the chain pulled taut and the pendant settled between her breasts, out of sight.
Irritation spiked in his gut when he looked up to find Dominique smiling.
"Or haven't you noticed?" she asked, her smile widening as she folded her arms against the vanity, pressing forward until the tops of her breasts spilled from the neckline. Louis' eyes dropped to the chain as it slid across her skin before spilling over the sides of each breast, warm gold against ivory and blue.
His tongue darted out to lick at the corner of his mouth.
"I've noticed, sister dear. I'm merely looking out for your well-being; I'd hate for you to get haggard before your time."
Dominique laughed, pushing from the dressing table to stand. "My brother; so benevolent."
Ordinarily, Louis would've rolled his eyes at the twist of her hips as she made her way toward the chaise. This time, however, the thin strap of her blouse slipped down one shoulder, and he held his breath as more and more black lace peeked out from behind cream silk.
Finally, her shins hit curved mahogany and he looked up. Dominique braced her hands on either side of him, one knee pressing into his thigh. Her neckline drooped slightly, and Louis pushed his elbows against the cushions, trying for a better look.
Dominique laughed again and Louis looked away, his cock twitching even as the flare of irritation reignited in his gut. He knew that laugh: teasing and knowing and completely transparent. The one she used whenever she had him by the balls.
The chaise dipped as Dominique straddled his lap, her skirt riding high on her bare thighs. Louis studied the progress of her hem as she settled against him, imagining what their father would say if he saw her - short skirt, no tights in the middle of winter. His breath sped up.
Dominique tilted her head as she smiled down at him, and her long blonde hair brushed against the inside of his elbow. Louis fought to suppress a shiver.
"You're always thinking of me, Louis."
The heat from her cunt seeped through the fabric of his trousers, and Louis bent one knee slightly before it caught on the hem of her skirt. Another laugh before two hands pressed his thighs into the cushions. Dominique leaned in, her hot breath sliding along the shell of his ear.
"How shall I ever repay you?"
The smell of her perfume filled his nostrils, and the heat in Louis' belly coiled tighter. Poison, she called it, though Louis knew it was just a mixture of mugwort and rosewood that she brewed herself. When they were younger he used to watch her spray it on the bristles of her hairbrush before she combed her hair at night; just like their mother.
His irritation resurfaced.
"If you really want to show your gratitude, sister, why don't you pull your panties aside and slide down on my cock? Or haven't you got any on?" he asked mockingly, ducking his head as if to check.
Instead of taking the bait Dominique's smile turned greedy and Louis' chest squeezed. This was the smile Louis hated; much more so than the laugh. The smile that seemed real but never kept its promises.
Dominique leaned forward, holding Louis' gaze until the last second, then slowly pressed their mouths together. His hands lifted automatically to her hips even though he'd told himself he wouldn't touch her, and he silently chastised himself as he pushed his tongue into her mouth. The girlish laugh against his lips told him she'd guessed as much.
When Dominique's lips parted he sucked the bottom one between his teeth, biting down until she gasped, her fingers tightening around his shoulders. She pulled free a moment later, pressing a final kiss to the corner of his mouth before leaning back far enough to face him. His hands still squeezed around her waist, but he refused to pull her back down.
Dominique smiled. "I say we make it a bit more interesting."
oOoOoOo
Dominique's lips curved around the end of her cigarette, the hollows of her cheeks filling with shadows before thick, grey smoke spilled from her mouth to swirl in the air above her head.
Louis made a face and hugged his jacket tighter around him.
"This isn't a good idea."
Dominique's eyes searched his for a moment before she took a step closer, her cigarette falling to the ground between them. She didn't bother to stamp it out and Louis watched the red ash fizzle in the dying grass. Her perfume was crowding him, and he had to resist the urge to take a step back.
The last curl of smoke twisted along her skin as she exhaled through her nostrils.
"Don't pretend with me, dear brother."
He looked up and Dominique smiled, the sight of her teeth like a threat.
"After all, there are no secrets between us."
A chill shot up Louis' spine as dozens of memories surfaced and then scattered, and he grasped for which ones might be damning, each one newly suspect in the harsh light of Dominique's smile.
He swallowed as Dominique grabbed the front of his jacket and leaned closer, her eyes darting between his. Slowly, her smile spread, as if she could see the frantic inventory taking place inside his head and found the spectacle delicious.
He relaxed his face and tried to keep his voice even. "Of course not."
Dominique's smirk was knowing, but she let the moment pass unremarked upon. Instead her expression turned playful as she slipped her hands inside his jacket, running her fingers over his chest, her eyes trained on his face. Her fingers caught on a nipple and Louis sucked in a lungful of air when she pinched lightly. He watched her wide-eyed as she continued to twist and pull, his stomach sticking to the back of his spine, every muscle in his body temporarily frozen.
"Besides, you do want to win, don't you?"
She was whispering now, her breath pushing hot and damp across the skin of his throat. Beneath his sweater a droplet of sweat skated down his back, tickling his skin. He thought to brush it away until Dominique's hands moved lower to his stomach.
He nodded once, sharp, and she smiled. "Good."
Her lips brushed across his, quickly, barely enough to count, but he still felt the wetness from her tongue as she pulled away.
"I promise it will be as good as you always imagined."
She pulled her hands from his stomach and smoothed down the front of his jacket with both hands. A final wink before she turned and started up the path to house.
Halfway there she paused and turned back to him. "I'll even let you put it wherever you want," she called out, her laughter ringing loudly in the still air as she skipped the rest of the way to the house.
Even as the echo of her laugh chewed at his nerves, Louis' gut tightened, the familiar combination of anger and anticipation churning low in his belly. He wondered what Dominique got off on more: that he wanted her, or that he was willing to go so far to have her. He shrugged his coat tighter around himself and ducked his head against the wind, following her up the path.
Either way, he decided, he was going to win.
oOoOoOo
Breathy exclamations filled the spaces between kisses. First, to his cheeks and jaw.
"Love winter hols."
Then the sensitive skin of his neck.
"Love when you come visit."
Louis arched, letting his hands settle on slim hips as more kisses were pressed to his throat, the skin at the open collar of his shirt.
This wasn't smart; Louis knew that. It was almost noon and Grandma Molly could call them for lunch any minute. But he'd needed this, this single plot of familiar landscape amid the vast expanse of foreign territory that had stretched out in front of him the moment he made the bet with his sister.
"Oh, fuck, Hugo, yes."
Hugo made a hungry, pleased sound in the back of his throat as he bit down again on Louis' nipple, laving it with his tongue before he kissed farther down his chest.
Louis knew he should stop him. Knew they should wait until tonight after everyone had gone to bed, but-
"Fuck." He tightened his grip on Hugo's hips and pushed up hard against him. "Merlin, that feels so fucking good."
Hugo met his thrust, abandoning the kisses as he ground his arse into Louis' erection with a moan, his own cock a throbbing pressure against Louis' stomach.
Louis reached down and fisted the back of Hugo's copper-coloured hair, crushing their mouths together in a kiss. It was mostly teeth, but Louis felt ravenous as he bit down on Hugo's upper lip, pulling it between his lips and sucking hard.
Hugo twisted in his lap, and blood surged to Louis' cock. Hugo always took every last thing Louis had to give and still demanded more. Harder, faster. Again. It was addictive, to be wanted like that.
"Oi! My foot's falling asleep; move your arse."
And then he did something like that.
Louis laughed, twisting slightly so Hugo could pull his foot from underneath him, accidentally catching Hugo's sternum with his elbow in the process.
"Fuck, Louis! Watch those gangly limbs of yours."
"Yeah, yeah."
Louis found Hugo's mouth again and bit down on his bottom lip next. Hugo groaned, pushing deeper into the kiss. He pulled away again as he sat up, his hands snaking between his legs to reach for the fastenings of Louis' trousers.
Louis sucked in a breath at the brush of fingers against his cock, and he pushed his hips up as Hugo worked open the ties. Hugo laughed, his body bouncing with the motion until the fastenings were loose enough to push his hand inside and grab Louis' cock.
Louis watched Hugo lick his lips as he pulled it free, slowly moving his hand up and down the shaft. A small moan slipped from Louis' lips. He knew exactly what that tongue felt like, pressed hard against the veins on the underside of his cock, and the thought made him desperate. Hugo squeezed around the head and Louis lost it.
"Now, Hugo. I want to be in you."
Hugo's head fell back between his shoulders, his eyes rolling into the back of his head until Louis could no longer see them. He ground his hips down one more time, making them both moan, before he toppled off Louis' lap onto the side of the bed.
Hugo shucked his trousers and pants in one go, not bothering with his t-shirt, before he climbed back onto Louis' lap.
Louis sucked his bottom lip between his teeth as he took Hugo in: nude from the waist down, sweat darkening his t-shirt beneath each underarm, his long hair curling against his forehead. He really was fucking beautiful.
Hugo rubbed his bare arse along the length of Louis' prick, and Louis bit his lip around another moan. It was dry, the friction a bit raw, but the heat, the promise of their bare skin, made him dizzy.
He stilled Hugo's hips with his hands. "The lube. Where is it?"
Hugo broke free from Louis' grip, his arse grinding harder as he leaned down to bring their lips together.
"Don't need it; I prepped before you got here."
Louis squeezed his eyes shut as he conjured the image of Grandpa Delacour: his grey, hairy chest, big round belly protruding from vastly undersized swimming trunks. Ever since that fateful trip to Nice when Louis was twelve, the image had proved invaluable at times such as these.
He opened his eyes under a new onslaught of kisses, Hugo's chest pressed against his, his arse still rocking back and forth along Louis' cock. He let out a breath.
"Ride me, then."
Hugo smiled slyly as he lifted onto his knees and reached underneath himself to grab Louis' cock. He lined up the head, and that first press to the slick, hard muscle sent Louis straight back to Nice.
"Open your eyes."
The command was strained, needy, and Louis obeyed in time to watch Hugo slowly slide down onto him, one warm palm braced against Louis' chest, the other curled around his bent knee. Hugo's eyes stayed locked onto his until Hugo was fully seated, his thighs trembling slightly, the vibrations rippling through Louis' stomach. Then his head rolled back, languid and lazy, and the sight of his long, pale, freckled neck made Louis' teeth ache.
Louis reached up and wrapped his fingers around the back of Hugo's neck, pulling him down until their chests pressed together. The new angle made them both moan, and Louis nipped at Hugo's ear, his neck, careful not to leave a mark.
"Want to fuck you so hard."
Hugo answered in a series of breaths: yes, yes, yes, a litany that didn't stop until Louis came deep inside him, both of them sweat-soaked and panting, Hugo's release a cooling mess across his stomach.
They were never much for reveling in the post-orgasm haze, and after a few quick cleaning charms they dressed, making their way from their attic bedroom to join the rest of their cousins in the perennially over-packed kitchen of the Burrow.
As they descended the five flights of stairs, Hugo taking the steps two at a time, they made predictions for that weekend's Quidditch match. Louis laughed when Hugo bet his Christmas money the Cannons would lose, and that Grandma Molly had made at least enough bacon sandwiches to last them through spring.
When they reached the kitchen the noise level was almost overpowering. Albus tackled Louis before he'd even cleared the landing, nearly knocking the wind from him. Louis laughed, pulling away with a grin, and patted Albus on the back before greeting each cousin in turn: he asked after Lucy's first semester at Hogwarts, Roxanne's job at the joke shop, Rose's work with the DoM.
Eventually, Dominique caught Louis' eye, and the knowing look on her face made his cheeks flame. He quickly turned away, laughing a bit too loudly at the punch line to one of Fred's jokes.
As he moved through the kitchen, Dominique's gaze felt like a solid weight against his shoulders, searing accusations into the back of his neck. He glanced over at her again and her smile ripened. He jerked away, heading from the kitchen for the safety of the bathroom, his face hot all over again.
Once inside he spelled the door shut, taking a moment to collect himself before he splashed some water on his face, his pulse racing. It seemed he didn't have any secrets, after all.
oOoOoOo
A few hours later Dominique caught him on his way to the sitting room, her arm like a vice around his bicep. "I see you're already one down. Though I know perfectly well Hugo wasn't much of a feat."
A rush of panic jetted down Louis' spine, and he quickly scoped out the hallway; privacy was mostly an illusion in a house full of his cousins.
"I don't see you making any headway," he hissed, and Dominique's grin broadened.
"Don't you worry about me, dear brother. I'm giving you a head start; be grateful. And now that Grandma is gone, the pitch is wide open. Time to make your move."
She slipped past him into the sitting room, her breasts brushing against his chest as she did so. Louis bit back a groan, turning toward the wall to adjust himself before he followed.
Inside, Albus and Rose were seated on the floor in front of the fireplace, engrossed in a game of chess, and Dominique had already spread herself out on the loveseat, her feet taking up a cushion of their own. Louis took the empty seat on the sofa, glancing over at Lily as she snorted at something playing on the telly, a bowl of Bertie Bott's balanced in her lap.
Louis inched closer to grab a fistful, wincing after he shoved them all into his mouth. Definitely a vomit-flavoured one in there.
He swallowed them down with a grimace and scooted over another inch, chancing a glimpse at Dominique. She was watching him from the loveseat, her lips twisted in a grin. The fireplace shone in her eyes, making them look black, and Louis had to look away, swallowing hard as he turned back to Lily and moved a tiny bit closer.
He could already feel sweat gathering at the back of his neck. Any further and he and Lily would be sharing the same cushion.
Still engrossed in her programme, Lily barely paid him any notice, and Louis watched as she threw her head back and laughed, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. His throat felt tight, and he was sure it was entirely too warm in there. Lily shoved another fistful of Bott's in her mouth, and a sick feeling twisted in Louis' gut. Could he really do this? Sure, there'd always been Hugo, but could he do that with Lily? With any of the others? And all for-
Louis swallowed again.
"So, Lily-"
"Oi, Teddy!" Lily called out, and Louis looked up to where Teddy had just entered the room, pushing Dominique's feet off the arm of the loveseat to take a seat.
"You going to let us get pissed now that Grandma and Grandpa are off in Romania?"
Teddy shook his head, smiling. "You know better than that, Lils. Molly put me in charge, and it'll be my bollocks if you lot get out of line while she's gone. Not to mention you're only sixteen."
He raised an eyebrow, and Lily just rolled her eyes.
"That's crap and you know it. A Galleon says Fred and Roxanne have nicked all the Firewhiskey in the house by now."
Teddy laughed. "I'm smart enough not to take that bet."
His expression sobered into one Louis assumed was meant to be serious. In Louis' opinion, it still needed a lot of work.
"Molly and Arthur only Portkeyed to Romania to meet that bloke Charlie made the mistake of mentioning; they could be back any moment now. So the official line is no mucking about. Understood?"
Lily nodded, but the twist of her mouth told Louis she planned to stay flush in booze and Wheezes for as long as their grandparents were away. He repressed a smile.
"So how's Victoire doing?"
A shiver crept up Louis' neck as he turned to find Teddy's eyes on him. "She- she's good, I guess."
He could practically feel Dominique's eye roll from the loveseat.
"Actually, the wedding planning's been a nightmare. I screamed at her for not writing, but she's hardly been in touch with Maman. Apparently, her future mother-in-law is an absolute horror, and Dad doesn't see why the whole thing needs to be in France, especially when they're in Egypt for the whole year, and-"
Louis tuned out Dominique's prattle; Victoire's wedding was a topic he'd heard entirely too much of over the last six months. Instead, he watched Teddy nod and hum in agreement as his sister talked derisively about imitation French lace, and more warmth slithered up the back of his neck.
Louis had always thought of Teddy as the laid back member of the Potter-Weasley clan, but there was still something intense about him. About his magic, maybe.
Teddy glanced up, and only then did Louis realise he was staring. His chest squeezed, but before he had the sense to turn away, Teddy caught his eye and smiled, discreetly making a face at Dominique's ongoing diatribe. Louis' heart thumped, but he couldn't help his small grin in return.
A few hours later, Louis had witnessed Rose's tenth straight win at chess, and Lily had all but passed out on the sofa beside him, the telly still blathering faithfully across the room. He took a last look at the bowl of Bertie Bott's balanced precariously on her lap and decided the night was a wash.
He stood from the sofa, trying to pretend the loosening in his chest wasn't from relief.
As he stepped past the loveseat on his way to the attic a hand closed around his wrist. Dominique tugged until he bent his ear to her mouth.
"So much for your head start. Come by my room after midnight."
Louis straightened when she released his wrist, his pulse racing again. A thousand questions burned in his mind, and he was almost glad the room was still full; he wasn't sure he could go through with it if he actually knew the answers.
Out of the corner of his eye, Louis saw Teddy staring up at him from his seat in front of the fireplace. He turned to give Teddy an awkward wave and a half-smile goodnight, but Teddy's face remained impassive.
Discomfited, Louis shot one more look at Dominique, who'd closed her eyes again, and left the room.
oOoOoOo
Louis held his breath as he stepped over the squeaky step on the third floor landing.
Dominique and Lily's room was on the second floor, toward the back of the house, and as he stepped off the final landing Louis could see light spilling from the doorway into the hall. He approached quietly and found the door cracked open - just enough to let him see inside without giving him away. He smiled despite himself before taking a deep breath, and peered inside.
As soon as his eyes adjusted Louis had to bite his tongue to hold back a groan.
The only light in the room came from a lit wand on the nightstand, but Louis could see clearly the two beds pushed together in the centre. Spread out in the middle was Lily, bare-arsed naked. Her long legs splayed across the mattress, the ends of her hair brushing the floor as she moved. Dominique was bent over her, her loose blonde hair framing Lily's face as her hand worked between Lily's thighs.
Louis stared at Dominique's fingers as she pushed them in and out of Lily's cunt, wet and gleaming in the wand light. He had to drag his eyes from her fingers to move them over her nude form, tracing every line twice; she was more beautiful than he'd imagined.
Suddenly Lily's back arched, pulling Louis' attention back to her. He bit his lip as Dominique took one of Lily's nipples in her mouth and sucked, and Lily's mouth fell open around a silent moan. When she released it a moment later Dominique's smile was uncharacteristically warm. Lily's hands tangled in her hair, pulling her close, and something painful squeezed in Louis' chest as Dominique pressed her mouth to Lily's ear, whispering something too soft for him to make out.
Louis watched as Lily's hips started to rock against Dominique's hand, and he pressed his palm tight to his prick as Dominique straddled one of Lily's thighs, rubbing against her bare skin as Dominique's fingers worked faster inside her. Soon the low hum of Dominique's voice filled the air; louder than before, but the tone still soft, and that sick feeling returned tenfold, even as Louis' cock hardened inside his pajamas.
Lily moaned, and Dominique's voice grew urgent as Lily's hips pushed harder and harder into Dominique's fingers, until her thighs squeezed shut around Dominique's hand, her arse lifting clear off the bed.
Dominique pressed her mouth against Lily's, drowning out her cry.
Louis watched as the last tremors poured from Lily's limbs, her body shaking as her lips moved over Dominique's skin, fingers still tangled her hair. His prick was hard, but the sensation was dulled by the tightness in his chest. Dominique was still rubbing her cunt slowly against Lily's thigh, whispering in her ear, and the softness in her tone was even clearer now that Lily had quieted.
Louis swallowed, Dominique had never… would never-
He slowly stepped back from the door and turned down the hall toward the staircase.
oOoOoOo
"…and then I asked him - nicely, mind - if he'd be so kind as to move his fat arse over, and the berk had the nerve to look offended. After he'd stolen my bloody seat!"
Louis chuckled, shaking his head. Teddy had something of a talent for getting into rough ups wherever he went. Of course, according to Teddy, they were never his fault. It was a running joke in the family that he was determined to live up to his grandmother's burnt hole in the Black Family tree.
Teddy shot Louis a smile over his shoulder from the stove, clearly pleased with his response. "You want mushrooms in your fry up?"
Louis nodded. "'Course."
"Right, that's Albus. So anyway, then the guy's wife comes over, and the two of us get into it, and I'm like, 'Look, the fact is, this is my seat-'"
"So did you like the show last night?"
Louis stiffened as Dominique took a seat next to him at the table. He glanced at Teddy, whose back was to them, his spatula slicing through the air as he continued to act out the fight between himself and the Falcon fan's wife.
"It was fine," he answered tightly.
Dominique laughed. "Sure. I bet you barely made it back to your room before you had your prick out."
Louis' face heated and he took another peek at Teddy.
In truth, he had made it back to his room, but as soon as he was safely under the covers he'd wanked so hard it'd practically hurt when he came. He could have just woken Hugo up, but he felt… wrong about the whole thing. After that, he'd got less than an hour's sleep all night.
"Wasn't that hot," he lied before dropping his voice to a whisper. "And you acted like you were doing me a favour with all that ‘head start' rubbish. There's no way that was your first time with Lily."
Dominique grinned, and a distinct wariness settled in Louis' belly. Lately, he was finding it difficult to tell the good ones from the bad. "No, it wasn't. And I bet you fully appreciated that as I was slowly sucking her-"
"Shush!" Louis hissed, his eyes darting back to Teddy. "Are you fucking crazy?"
She leaned into him, and Louis felt the curve of her breast warm and solid against his arm.
"I don't know, am I?"
The cold press of her pendant seeped through his shirt, a touchstone to reality. A flash of panic cut across his mind. If his sister was stupid enough to give that shit to Lily… Dominique's hand squeezed around his thigh, and Louis jerked so hard he banged his knee against the underside of the table.
"Fuck. Let go, Dom," he gritted out.
Louis felt hot, and itchy, and the smell of Dominique's perfume had curled inside his nostrils and was making him dizzy. He tried to pry her fingers from his leg with one hand, but her nails only dug in deeper.
Just then Teddy turned, smiling, likely having reached a place in his story that required a response. His eyes darted from where Dominique's breast pressed against Louis' arm to where her hand disappeared under the table, and his grin faltered for a second. Louis thought he must've imagined the slight tightening of Teddy's jaw because the next moment it was gone.
"Hey, Dominique. Can I make you a fry up?"
Dominique smiled at him, and Louis immediately recognised it as the bad sort. Her grip on Louis' thigh slowly relaxed before her hand withdrew altogether.
"I'm fine, Teddy. I was just going."
She pushed away from the table, her chair tipping onto its back legs before it clattered loudly to the floor as she stood. Louis winced at the scrape of wood on wood, while Teddy just stared after her as she stormed from the kitchen, his spatula slowly dripping onto the floor.
Footsteps echoed loudly on the stairs before a door slammed overhead and the kitchen quieted to the slow sizzle from the stove.
Teddy's narrowed eyes were already on him by the time Louis looked back up. The look felt invasive, and Louis struggled to meet his eye and not squirm in his seat.
"Just one of those moods, I guess," he shrugged, but his laugh sounded weak even to his own ears. He hoped it would pass for fraternal understanding, instead of… whatever. But when Teddy looked unmoved Louis suspected his flaming cheeks had undermined the façade.
Teddy continued to stare, and after a long pause Louis finally had to look away. He concentrated on the grains of wood in the table, hoping the moment would pass. After a minute he tried again.
"So what happened afterwards? In your story."
When he didn't get a response, Louis glanced up to find Teddy still studying him with that same scrutinizing expression. This time there was no mistaking the tightened jaw. Louis quickly stood.
"Um, I'm really not that hungry anymore. Sorry, Teddy. I'm sure Albus will want it. Or James, because of the mushrooms. I- I'll go check."
He beelined for the stairs, grateful for the solitude of the staircase and the chance to catch his breath. Another week left at the Burrow; he wasn't sure he could make it. He'd never wished so fervently for his grandparents' return.
As he passed the room Albus and James shared with Fred on the first floor, the distinct sound of moaning floated into the corridor. Louis paused, deliberating for a long moment and hating himself for it, before he stepped off the landing with a curse.
His hand wavered before he slowly pushed open the door.
The first thing he saw was Dominique's long, blonde hair, her head tipped back as she sat on the far edge of the bed closest to the door. Bunched fabric pooled around her waist, and he could tell her shirt was unbuttoned as it draped loosely around her sides.
Louis craned his neck, and he could just make out the dark head of hair peaking out between her thighs.
He hesitated another second before he carefully slipped inside and shut the door.
His jaw clenched at the slick sounds of James' mouth moving over her, even as heat tingled in his belly. He stepped closer, footsteps muffled by Dominique's moans, and stopped when his shins hit the bed frame.
Encouraging pants of yes, yes, there dotted the air, interspersed with breathy moans, and the hungry sounds of James' mouth. Dominique's arms were braced behind her, her fingers digging into the coverlet as she tipped her head back farther, mouth puckered around another sound of pleasure.
Without thinking, Louis leaned one knee onto the bed, reaching out to run his fingers over the back of her hand.
Dominique paused for only the briefest of moments, an abrupt instant of silence before another moan filled the space, this one even louder. Emboldened, Louis knelt on the bed completely, shuffling forward until there was only a hair's breadth between them. He could see James' head completely now, messy from where Dominique's hand was guiding him on.
James stilled between her legs, and his head started to lift before Dominique tightened her grip.
"Do not move, James." The movement ceased, and Dominique let out another moan. "Yes, fuck, right there."
Dominique leaned farther back, forcing Louis to backpedal. He could still see the top of James' head, but he suspected James no longer had the range of motion to see him, should he open his eyes to look. Given Dominique's directive, Louis very much doubted that he would.
Louis glanced at Dominique, whose eyes were shut, and her satisfied smile made something bitter pool in the back of his throat. He ran his palm down over her shoulder until it covered one of her breasts before he pinched her nipple hard.
She moaned, grinding her cunt against James' face, and something flared in Louis' chest. It passed as quickly as it came, though, his anger dampening at the sight of his hand around her breast. For so long he'd dreamt about it, but now the picture of their skin together seemed almost faraway.
Louis' fingers gentled as he ran the tips over her skin, barely grazing her nipple. She shivered and he paused to marvel at the tremors pulling at her limbs; it was startling to see Dominique do anything that could be considered involuntary.
He shifted his attention back to her breast, mapping the bright blue veins with his fingertips, following the rush of blood across translucent skin. When he finished he traced them again, this time with his fingernails, and her body jerked as they scraped across her skin. When he was through, he almost expected to see blood pebbling in their wake.
"Fuck, James, so close. Don't move."
Louis snatched his hand away as Dominique's body curled forward, her stomach pulling against her spine. He looked down at James; damp hair bunched between Dominique's fingers, his hands braced on the insides of her thighs, eyes squeezed shut as his mouth moved over her again and again.
Louis slid carefully off the bed and walked backwards toward the door, watching as Dominique's body shook, her garbled directions less and less coherent. Something heavy settled in the pit of his stomach, and for a brief moment he thought he might be sick.
A high-pitched moan that sounded too loud in his ears broke through his reverie; the beginning of the end, he was sure.
Louis quickly opened the door and slipped out.
oOoOoOo
Louis' stomach grumbled as he hopped off the landing at the bottom of the stairs. He was starving, and he hoped Grandma Molly had set a preservation charm on those bacon sandwiches from the other night.
But as soon as he stepped into the kitchen he was pulled up short.
Dominique was sat at the table, Lily perched between her legs on the edge of the chair, her fingers running through Lily's hair. He watched her lace the strands together, weaving them into a loose plait before shaking them out and starting all over again. He felt his hands go numb as Dominique said something Louis couldn't decipher, her voice soft again, and Lily ducked her chin, leaning back against Dominique's chest and murmuring something equally soft.
Dominique's smile was warm as she pulled Lily's hair to one side to whisper in her ear, their heads bent together, foreheads touching. Lily laughed - affectionate and private - and Dominique pressed a kiss to the skin there, her mouth still curved in a smile.
Louis reeled back, gulping for air as he choked on the intimacy of the moment, the reality of it like a slap to the face. It was too much, all of it, and he felt panic claw at the inside of his chest, so sharp he thought he might be bleeding.
He turned, his head spinning, and nearly ran toward the sitting room. He needed space. Air. Some time to think, for once in his fucking life.
Louis exited the kitchen and turned the corner, and ran smack into Teddy. He stepped back, stumbling a little. His nerves felt frayed, the image of Dominique and Lily still licking at the inside of his skull; he couldn't think straight.
"Oh, Teddy. Sorry. I just-"
Teddy stepped away, his jaw set, and the steely look in his eyes was like a punch in the gut.
"Watch where you're going," he said, and the clipped tone felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over Louis' head. The startling clarity wasn't much better than the confusion from a few moments ago, he decided.
When Louis didn't say anything Teddy's gaze sharpened. "Pull yourself together, Louis; I have enough to worry about." His eyes narrowed as he looked over Louis' shoulder at the entrance to the kitchen, and stepped toward the door, knocking Louis' shoulder as he went.
Louis felt the blood drain out of his face, his skin prickling and cold. He found he couldn't move, so he just stood there in the corridor, staring unseeingly at the chipped wooden wall for what felt like forever.
Finally, his grumbling stomach pulled him from the daze and drove him back into the kitchen, where thankfully Dominique and Lily had already gone. But Louis found he didn't have the energy to make himself anything, so he sank down in one of the chairs at the kitchen table, his forehead pressed against the cool wood, and slept.
oOoOoOo
The water rippled with a soft kerplunk, and two frogs jumped from their pads to the safety of the hard earth at the edge of the pond. Louis watched them blankly; sleep had eluded him again last night, and at the moment he didn't have the capacity to feel badly for anyone but himself.
He dragged his fingers through the grass in search of another pebble.
So far he'd managed to avoid Dominique all morning. He needed to think, and without her getting in his face and fucking with his head. He'd already resolved to call off the bet, that much was clear; it was ridiculous, and wrong, and there was no way they wouldn't get caught.
A wave of nausea washed over him at the thought of trying to explain to Grandma Molly what he and his sister had been up to. He shook away the thought; it wouldn't come to that.
He just wasn't sure how Dominique would take it.
Louis threw another pebble into the pond and tried to count the number of watery rings it left in its wake before they disappeared. He reached for another rock.
"I got to seven; you?"
Louis looked up as Hugo took a seat next to him on the bench. He threw the pebble.
"Only six."
They sat like that for a few minutes, Louis tossing stones into the pond, Hugo counting out the rings, until Hugo's voice cut across the peace.
"What's up with you lately?"
Louis said nothing and tossed another stone into the pond.
"You go straight to bed every night, you leave before I'm up, and you've been in a foul mood practically since you got here."
Louis shrugged. "Just haven't been sleeping well."
There was a long pause, and Louis thought it might be over until Hugo fidgeted in that way he did when something was really bothering him.
"I thought I did something."
Louis' gut twisted, but he had no idea how to respond to that so he said nothing, and once again they lapsed into silence. He hurled another stone into the pond, a little harder than necessary, and one of the frogs gave an offended croak.
After a few minutes Hugo shifted and Louis panicked, afraid he was about to leave.
"Did I make you?"
It came out rushed, all in one breath, and Louis could already feel the heat seeping across his skin. He chanced a look at Hugo, who was staring at him with a look of complete confusion.
"Make me what? Are you all right, Louis?"
"Yes, fine," he said quickly. "It's just- The stuff…" Louis shifted uncomfortably. "The stuff we do together. When we first started, did I make you? Did I- Did I force you into it?"
He looked back over at Hugo, who appeared even more confused than before. He didn't look the least bit embarrassed, however, although Louis was sure his own cheeks rivaled Hugo's hair in intensity.
"Are you mad? Of course not. Louis, what the hell is going on?"
"Nothing," he said, too quickly again.
Hugo looked worried but said nothing, and when he got up a few minutes later and walked back toward the house Louis didn't try to stop him.
Once alone again, Louis let out a deep breath. He'd practically obliterated the pebble crushed inside his fist, and he let the bits of stone and dust fall to the ground. The wind outside was picking up, but the cool air felt good on his cheeks. His heart was still beating wildly, but he felt… better.
Footsteps crunched behind him, and Louis' shoulders seized up, all the muscles in his back tightening along his spine. He started to turn.
"Listen, Hugo, I really don't-"
"No, you listen."
A sudden chill wrapped around Louis' chest and squeezed as Teddy stepped around the bench to stand in front of him. His hair was a deeper blue than usual, and his accusing glare made Louis feel like a trespasser: a stray animal that had been caught nibbling in the garden.
Teddy took another step closer, his body casting a threatening shadow over where Louis sat shrinking on the bench.
"I just saw Hugo slink away from here like a kicked puppy." His voice was sharp, and Louis could feel its edges cutting into his skin. "I don't know exactly what the fuck is going on here, but I want you to cut it out. Hugo is your cousin, for fuck's sake. I don't care what you get up to in your house, but this ends now. Am I clear?"
Louis' eyes had dropped to his lap, and he waited a second to make sure Teddy was through. He could hear the harsh, fasts breaths from Teddy's nostrils, and when he didn't say anything more, Louis gave a solemn nod, his eyes staring hard at the fastenings on his trousers.
Teddy didn't move though, and the air around them crackled. Louis didn't look up, and he didn't dare move. He could feel Teddy's magic building, pressing in against him, and he wouldn't have been surprised if at any point Teddy started to paw at the ground, preparing to charge.
But nothing happened, and a minute later Teddy turned and walked back through the garden toward the house, leaving Louis alone by the pond.
As soon as the back door slammed shut, Louis wrapped his arms around his chest, grabbing onto each shoulder as he curled in on himself. He stayed outside a long time, staring unseeing into the pond and praying to feel warm.
oOoOoOo
"Listen, can we talk?"
Louis looked up from the table where Roxanne, Molly and Lucy were playing what felt like their hundredth game of Gobstones.
Teddy stood just inside the doorway, rocking back on his heels, his hands tucked into the front pockets of his denims. He looked almost… embarrassed, as though he was the one who had been scolded like a child for fucking around with his cousin the day before.
"Sure," Louis said, and followed Teddy out the back door of the house, letting it swing shut behind him.
Teddy leaned his forearms against the small fence Uncle Harry had built around the hedges and stared out into the garden. Not sure what else to do, Louis followed suit, trying to act calm even though his heart felt like it was trying to beat free from his chest.
"I talked to Hugo."
Louis' shoulders tensed, ratcheting up towards his ears before he relaxed enough to nod. He'd stayed out in the garden until after dark the night before, and when he woke up this morning Hugo had already left to play Quidditch with Albus, Fred and Lily. He had no idea what he might've said to Teddy.
"I'm sorry."
Louis turned to Teddy, surprised. He certainly hadn't expected that.
Teddy ran a hand through his hair, now back to its normal shade of blue.
"He told me it was just, you know, fucking around. I had thought… I was worried it was more to him, when I saw him yesterday." He gave Louis a sheepish smile. "Sorry if I was a bit harsh."
Louis nodded again, feeling completely off balance. He was glad to hear Hugo wasn't upset, though he'd suspected Teddy had had it all wrong. But now they were talking about Louis fucking his cousin again. Worse still, Teddy was making it out to be some typical adolescent drama.
Louis had the sudden urge to take off down the street and never look back.
"Your sister…"
Teddy's voice had lost the sheepish quality, and Louis' stomach twisted. If he didn't want to talk about Hugo, he really didn't want to talk about Dominique.
"Yeah, I know, she needs help," he said, and then laughed darkly. "Though I suppose that sounds like a joke coming from me."
They were quiet for a few minutes, and all Louis could think about was how much Teddy really knew. If Louis should say anything more. Try to explain. Though, in truth, Louis couldn't really do that himself.
Finally, Teddy broke the silence.
"You know, you might want to think about a relationship with someone you're not related to. Just for a bit of a change, I mean."
There was a trace of humour in Teddy's voice, and Louis laughed again. A little hysterically this time, because it was true, and how fucked up was that?
He ducked his head before he looked back up at Teddy. "Yeah?"
Teddy smiled, and it felt like a Niffler was suddenly rooting for gold in Louis' belly. "Yeah."
The backdoor banged open then and they both turned to see Dominique standing in the doorway, one hand on her hip, the other propped against the door. She glared at Louis and he met her eye squarely, his jaw tightening before he turned to Teddy with his most solemn expression. "Let's- Let's talk later, yeah?"
Teddy nodded, smiling again, and it felt like the giant weight that had taken up residence on Louis' chest finally relocated.
"Go on. I'll be around."
Louis held Teddy's gaze a moment longer before he nodded, and turned to follow his sister inside the house.
oOoOoOo
"What do you mean the bet is off?"
Dominique's voice was low, and more than vaguely threatening. Louis didn't think he'd ever seen her so hacked off. Then again, he didn't think she'd ever been so close to not getting what she wanted.
"I mean it's off. I'm not doing it anymore, and I think you should stop too. It's- It's not right."
Louis braced himself.
"You fucking hypocrite!" Dominique shrieked, and Louis silently thanked Merlin for the miracle of Silencing Charms. "You've been fucking Hugo for years and you have the nerve to get all high horse on me now?"
Louis' face flooded with heat. Even given how fucked up his relationship with Dominique was, talking to her about Hugo was a new level of humiliation.
"We were experimenting, Dominique; that's all. It shouldn't have gone on this long, but it's done now. Okay? And you know I can't tell you what to do, but you and Lily… You should stop too. It's not fair, to either of you."
Dominique looked apoplectic, but Louis refused to back down.
He'd talked things over with Hugo, and after inordinate amounts of stammering on his part, and an equal amount of laughing on Hugo's, he felt much better about the whole thing. Well, much less like drowning himself in the back pond, at least.
But Louis had seen the way Dominique and Lily were together, and he couldn't imagine at least one of them not winding up hurt in the end.
"Fuck you," Dominique spat, her hands curling into fists at her sides. Her skin had turned blotchy and red, and Louis couldn't help think how much more furious she'd be if there was a mirror around.
"And what about your prize?" she asked. "Not interested in that either?" She narrowed her eyes. "You seemed pretty eager while you were watching James lick me off."
Given the current temperature of his face, Louis would bet his broom this conversation would prove fatal in the end, but he still refused to look away. Dominique had always been, well, Dominique. But Louis wanted something else now. Something more.
He pulled himself up and reached for a confidence he didn't entirely feel, bolstered by the flicker of hope beating in his chest.
"Well, you seemed so eager to put on a show, dear sister. Who was I to prove a poor audience?"
Dominique's jaw tightened, but Louis kept on.
"And, no, I'm not interested anymore. Like I said, it's off. All of it."
Dominique stared at him for another minute, her chest heaving, and then in a flash of movement she drew her wand and a Stinging Hex flew across the room.
Louis was quicker at Defence, though, always had been, and he blocked the hex an instant before it connected with his left shoulder. He stared at Dominique, her wand still tightly gripped in her hand, and kept his arm poised for another attack, both of them breathing hard.
After a moment she lowered her wand, still glaring, and a second later turned on her heel, cancelling the Silencing Charm as she went. The door to the attic slammed shut and Louis' Shield Charm dissolved in the air. He fell to his knees and took a deep breath.
oOoOoOo
"So, I talked to Dominique."
Louis took a seat on the sofa and had to bite his lip not to fidget the moment Teddy looked up. He had no idea how Teddy got on in the world; Louis was a complete mess every time Teddy turned those eyes on him. Surely, he wasn't the only one.
When Louis only continued to stare, Teddy reached for his wand and aimed it at the door to the sitting room, spelling it shut. After a beat he cast a Silencing Charm, too, and then turned to Louis expectantly.
Louis took a deep breath and met Teddy's eye.
"I told her I was done with… everything."
Louis hesitated, looking for clues as to how much more than that Teddy knew. Teddy's face betrayed nothing, however, and so Louis bravely forged on.
"I talked to Hugo, too, and we agreed it was time to stop. Past time, I know that," he added quickly. "And I told Dominique to stop things with- with Lily. I don't know if she'll listen, but I told her it wasn't fair."
"And the white powder she keeps in that necklace of hers?"
Louis mouth opened, startled. Maybe Teddy should've been an Auror after all; though Louis doubted Uncle Harry would be impressed with these particular findings.
"Don't look so surprised," Teddy laughed. He tucked his chin toward his chest as he smiled slyly at Louis. "I can be observant, you know."
Louis scrambled to recover, and he hoped to Merlin he wasn't already blushing. "I know that! And I've been after her to cut that shit out for years."
Teddy looked at him approvingly, and now Louis was definitely blushing. Goddamn Veela blood.
"Nice work, kid."
The smile that had threatened to break free dissolved in an instant, and Louis' heart sank nearly twice as fast. Kid? He'd really thought… But, of course, that was stupid, after everything. Louis silently cursed himself.
"Yeah. Thanks. I've got to…"
Louis stood to leave, but his wrist was caught before he could get far, and he turned right into another one of those hypnotising stares.
They looked at each other for a long moment before Teddy tugged on Louis' arm, pulling him forward until Louis had to brace his hand against the back of the sofa. Their faces were close now, and Louis could just make out the blue tint of Teddy's eyelashes.
"Did you know I call everybody kid?"
Teddy's breath felt warm against Louis' face, and he smelled of tea. Louis shook his head and Teddy nodded slightly in response.
"Drives my boss mad."
Louis blinked. He wasn't sure what to make of that. Did that mean-
Before he could wonder any more, Teddy's lips pressed against his, warm and soft, and it was like firecrackers went off in Louis' chest, little sparks of blue and red slicing him open from the inside.
His lips parted and Teddy slipped his tongue inside. It was slick and wet, and Louis couldn't help his moan as he dropped his knee to the sofa, pressing closer until he'd nearly crawled in Teddy's lap.
Teddy pulled back, chuckling, before he pressed another quick kiss to Louis' mouth.
"So," he started, and Louis couldn't imagine how stupid he must've look just then: grinning back at Teddy like he'd just cast a Lumos for the first time. "You think a fine, able-bodied Beauxbatons graduate like yourself might be interested in dinner, with, say… a promising young writer for the Quibbler?"
Teddy looked at him, and his expression was so earnest, so incredibly modest, it was almost stupid.
Louis leaned down and pressed his mouth to Teddy's. "I may be." He kissed him again. "First, though, let's see if we can rid you of this ‘kid' habit."
Teddy laughed, already pulling Louis closer, his arms wrapping around Louis' back as Louis' legs straddled his hips. He caught Louis' bottom lip between his teeth. "Deal"
Louis grinned. Now this was more his kind of wager.
~fin
Final A/N: The infamous line delivered by Sarah Michelle Gellar in Cruel Intentions is, "You can put it anywhere," which was adapted here to: "I'll even let you put it wherever you want."
Title: till by losing rendered sager
Pairing(s): Louis/Dominique, Louis/Hugo, Dominique/Lily Luna, Dominique/James Sirius, Teddy/Louis.
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Incest (like woah), referenced past underage sex. Here are the ages I've used: Teddy: 26, Dominique: 21, Louis: 19, James: 19, Hugo: 16, Lily: 16. So that makes Louis/Hugo: (19/16), and Dominique/Lily Luna: (21/16); Minor references to drug use.
Summary: It's that time of year again: the Potter and Weasley kids' annual trek to the Burrow for the winter hols. While there, Louis makes a deal with the devil that goes very, very wrong.
Word Count: ~9,000
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's notes: Sugars! I was so excited when I got this assignment. I used one of your pairings, and then sort of mixed and matched with the others. I hope you take a liking to them as much as I have. :) I also went with your requests for longing, UST, forbidden desire, blue-haired!Teddy, and some wolf influence (though very minor; it may just be wolfish to me. :P). I even managed a bit of your super, not-so-secret kink. ;) I hope you enjoy! Loosely inspired by the movie Cruel Intentions. The pervy bits, anyway. :P Title from a quote from Lord Byron: "For most men (till by losing rendered sager) Will back their own opinions by a wager." Millions of thanks to my amazing betas, M & B!
Louis tossed his copy of Le Quidditch Hebdomadaire onto the carpet and stretched out on the chaise, folding his arms behind his head.
"That shit will kill you, you know."
Dominique brushed her nose with the back of her hand and looked up from the vanity. She met Louis' eye in the mirror.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. As you can see, I am very much alive. Perfect, in fact."
She tucked their mother's antique pendant inside the loose neckline of her blouse. Louis watched as the chain pulled taut and the pendant settled between her breasts, out of sight.
Irritation spiked in his gut when he looked up to find Dominique smiling.
"Or haven't you noticed?" she asked, her smile widening as she folded her arms against the vanity, pressing forward until the tops of her breasts spilled from the neckline. Louis' eyes dropped to the chain as it slid across her skin before spilling over the sides of each breast, warm gold against ivory and blue.
His tongue darted out to lick at the corner of his mouth.
"I've noticed, sister dear. I'm merely looking out for your well-being; I'd hate for you to get haggard before your time."
Dominique laughed, pushing from the dressing table to stand. "My brother; so benevolent."
Ordinarily, Louis would've rolled his eyes at the twist of her hips as she made her way toward the chaise. This time, however, the thin strap of her blouse slipped down one shoulder, and he held his breath as more and more black lace peeked out from behind cream silk.
Finally, her shins hit curved mahogany and he looked up. Dominique braced her hands on either side of him, one knee pressing into his thigh. Her neckline drooped slightly, and Louis pushed his elbows against the cushions, trying for a better look.
Dominique laughed again and Louis looked away, his cock twitching even as the flare of irritation reignited in his gut. He knew that laugh: teasing and knowing and completely transparent. The one she used whenever she had him by the balls.
The chaise dipped as Dominique straddled his lap, her skirt riding high on her bare thighs. Louis studied the progress of her hem as she settled against him, imagining what their father would say if he saw her - short skirt, no tights in the middle of winter. His breath sped up.
Dominique tilted her head as she smiled down at him, and her long blonde hair brushed against the inside of his elbow. Louis fought to suppress a shiver.
"You're always thinking of me, Louis."
The heat from her cunt seeped through the fabric of his trousers, and Louis bent one knee slightly before it caught on the hem of her skirt. Another laugh before two hands pressed his thighs into the cushions. Dominique leaned in, her hot breath sliding along the shell of his ear.
"How shall I ever repay you?"
The smell of her perfume filled his nostrils, and the heat in Louis' belly coiled tighter. Poison, she called it, though Louis knew it was just a mixture of mugwort and rosewood that she brewed herself. When they were younger he used to watch her spray it on the bristles of her hairbrush before she combed her hair at night; just like their mother.
His irritation resurfaced.
"If you really want to show your gratitude, sister, why don't you pull your panties aside and slide down on my cock? Or haven't you got any on?" he asked mockingly, ducking his head as if to check.
Instead of taking the bait Dominique's smile turned greedy and Louis' chest squeezed. This was the smile Louis hated; much more so than the laugh. The smile that seemed real but never kept its promises.
Dominique leaned forward, holding Louis' gaze until the last second, then slowly pressed their mouths together. His hands lifted automatically to her hips even though he'd told himself he wouldn't touch her, and he silently chastised himself as he pushed his tongue into her mouth. The girlish laugh against his lips told him she'd guessed as much.
When Dominique's lips parted he sucked the bottom one between his teeth, biting down until she gasped, her fingers tightening around his shoulders. She pulled free a moment later, pressing a final kiss to the corner of his mouth before leaning back far enough to face him. His hands still squeezed around her waist, but he refused to pull her back down.
Dominique smiled. "I say we make it a bit more interesting."
oOoOoOo
Dominique's lips curved around the end of her cigarette, the hollows of her cheeks filling with shadows before thick, grey smoke spilled from her mouth to swirl in the air above her head.
Louis made a face and hugged his jacket tighter around him.
"This isn't a good idea."
Dominique's eyes searched his for a moment before she took a step closer, her cigarette falling to the ground between them. She didn't bother to stamp it out and Louis watched the red ash fizzle in the dying grass. Her perfume was crowding him, and he had to resist the urge to take a step back.
The last curl of smoke twisted along her skin as she exhaled through her nostrils.
"Don't pretend with me, dear brother."
He looked up and Dominique smiled, the sight of her teeth like a threat.
"After all, there are no secrets between us."
A chill shot up Louis' spine as dozens of memories surfaced and then scattered, and he grasped for which ones might be damning, each one newly suspect in the harsh light of Dominique's smile.
He swallowed as Dominique grabbed the front of his jacket and leaned closer, her eyes darting between his. Slowly, her smile spread, as if she could see the frantic inventory taking place inside his head and found the spectacle delicious.
He relaxed his face and tried to keep his voice even. "Of course not."
Dominique's smirk was knowing, but she let the moment pass unremarked upon. Instead her expression turned playful as she slipped her hands inside his jacket, running her fingers over his chest, her eyes trained on his face. Her fingers caught on a nipple and Louis sucked in a lungful of air when she pinched lightly. He watched her wide-eyed as she continued to twist and pull, his stomach sticking to the back of his spine, every muscle in his body temporarily frozen.
"Besides, you do want to win, don't you?"
She was whispering now, her breath pushing hot and damp across the skin of his throat. Beneath his sweater a droplet of sweat skated down his back, tickling his skin. He thought to brush it away until Dominique's hands moved lower to his stomach.
He nodded once, sharp, and she smiled. "Good."
Her lips brushed across his, quickly, barely enough to count, but he still felt the wetness from her tongue as she pulled away.
"I promise it will be as good as you always imagined."
She pulled her hands from his stomach and smoothed down the front of his jacket with both hands. A final wink before she turned and started up the path to house.
Halfway there she paused and turned back to him. "I'll even let you put it wherever you want," she called out, her laughter ringing loudly in the still air as she skipped the rest of the way to the house.
Even as the echo of her laugh chewed at his nerves, Louis' gut tightened, the familiar combination of anger and anticipation churning low in his belly. He wondered what Dominique got off on more: that he wanted her, or that he was willing to go so far to have her. He shrugged his coat tighter around himself and ducked his head against the wind, following her up the path.
Either way, he decided, he was going to win.
oOoOoOo
Breathy exclamations filled the spaces between kisses. First, to his cheeks and jaw.
"Love winter hols."
Then the sensitive skin of his neck.
"Love when you come visit."
Louis arched, letting his hands settle on slim hips as more kisses were pressed to his throat, the skin at the open collar of his shirt.
This wasn't smart; Louis knew that. It was almost noon and Grandma Molly could call them for lunch any minute. But he'd needed this, this single plot of familiar landscape amid the vast expanse of foreign territory that had stretched out in front of him the moment he made the bet with his sister.
"Oh, fuck, Hugo, yes."
Hugo made a hungry, pleased sound in the back of his throat as he bit down again on Louis' nipple, laving it with his tongue before he kissed farther down his chest.
Louis knew he should stop him. Knew they should wait until tonight after everyone had gone to bed, but-
"Fuck." He tightened his grip on Hugo's hips and pushed up hard against him. "Merlin, that feels so fucking good."
Hugo met his thrust, abandoning the kisses as he ground his arse into Louis' erection with a moan, his own cock a throbbing pressure against Louis' stomach.
Louis reached down and fisted the back of Hugo's copper-coloured hair, crushing their mouths together in a kiss. It was mostly teeth, but Louis felt ravenous as he bit down on Hugo's upper lip, pulling it between his lips and sucking hard.
Hugo twisted in his lap, and blood surged to Louis' cock. Hugo always took every last thing Louis had to give and still demanded more. Harder, faster. Again. It was addictive, to be wanted like that.
"Oi! My foot's falling asleep; move your arse."
And then he did something like that.
Louis laughed, twisting slightly so Hugo could pull his foot from underneath him, accidentally catching Hugo's sternum with his elbow in the process.
"Fuck, Louis! Watch those gangly limbs of yours."
"Yeah, yeah."
Louis found Hugo's mouth again and bit down on his bottom lip next. Hugo groaned, pushing deeper into the kiss. He pulled away again as he sat up, his hands snaking between his legs to reach for the fastenings of Louis' trousers.
Louis sucked in a breath at the brush of fingers against his cock, and he pushed his hips up as Hugo worked open the ties. Hugo laughed, his body bouncing with the motion until the fastenings were loose enough to push his hand inside and grab Louis' cock.
Louis watched Hugo lick his lips as he pulled it free, slowly moving his hand up and down the shaft. A small moan slipped from Louis' lips. He knew exactly what that tongue felt like, pressed hard against the veins on the underside of his cock, and the thought made him desperate. Hugo squeezed around the head and Louis lost it.
"Now, Hugo. I want to be in you."
Hugo's head fell back between his shoulders, his eyes rolling into the back of his head until Louis could no longer see them. He ground his hips down one more time, making them both moan, before he toppled off Louis' lap onto the side of the bed.
Hugo shucked his trousers and pants in one go, not bothering with his t-shirt, before he climbed back onto Louis' lap.
Louis sucked his bottom lip between his teeth as he took Hugo in: nude from the waist down, sweat darkening his t-shirt beneath each underarm, his long hair curling against his forehead. He really was fucking beautiful.
Hugo rubbed his bare arse along the length of Louis' prick, and Louis bit his lip around another moan. It was dry, the friction a bit raw, but the heat, the promise of their bare skin, made him dizzy.
He stilled Hugo's hips with his hands. "The lube. Where is it?"
Hugo broke free from Louis' grip, his arse grinding harder as he leaned down to bring their lips together.
"Don't need it; I prepped before you got here."
Louis squeezed his eyes shut as he conjured the image of Grandpa Delacour: his grey, hairy chest, big round belly protruding from vastly undersized swimming trunks. Ever since that fateful trip to Nice when Louis was twelve, the image had proved invaluable at times such as these.
He opened his eyes under a new onslaught of kisses, Hugo's chest pressed against his, his arse still rocking back and forth along Louis' cock. He let out a breath.
"Ride me, then."
Hugo smiled slyly as he lifted onto his knees and reached underneath himself to grab Louis' cock. He lined up the head, and that first press to the slick, hard muscle sent Louis straight back to Nice.
"Open your eyes."
The command was strained, needy, and Louis obeyed in time to watch Hugo slowly slide down onto him, one warm palm braced against Louis' chest, the other curled around his bent knee. Hugo's eyes stayed locked onto his until Hugo was fully seated, his thighs trembling slightly, the vibrations rippling through Louis' stomach. Then his head rolled back, languid and lazy, and the sight of his long, pale, freckled neck made Louis' teeth ache.
Louis reached up and wrapped his fingers around the back of Hugo's neck, pulling him down until their chests pressed together. The new angle made them both moan, and Louis nipped at Hugo's ear, his neck, careful not to leave a mark.
"Want to fuck you so hard."
Hugo answered in a series of breaths: yes, yes, yes, a litany that didn't stop until Louis came deep inside him, both of them sweat-soaked and panting, Hugo's release a cooling mess across his stomach.
They were never much for reveling in the post-orgasm haze, and after a few quick cleaning charms they dressed, making their way from their attic bedroom to join the rest of their cousins in the perennially over-packed kitchen of the Burrow.
As they descended the five flights of stairs, Hugo taking the steps two at a time, they made predictions for that weekend's Quidditch match. Louis laughed when Hugo bet his Christmas money the Cannons would lose, and that Grandma Molly had made at least enough bacon sandwiches to last them through spring.
When they reached the kitchen the noise level was almost overpowering. Albus tackled Louis before he'd even cleared the landing, nearly knocking the wind from him. Louis laughed, pulling away with a grin, and patted Albus on the back before greeting each cousin in turn: he asked after Lucy's first semester at Hogwarts, Roxanne's job at the joke shop, Rose's work with the DoM.
Eventually, Dominique caught Louis' eye, and the knowing look on her face made his cheeks flame. He quickly turned away, laughing a bit too loudly at the punch line to one of Fred's jokes.
As he moved through the kitchen, Dominique's gaze felt like a solid weight against his shoulders, searing accusations into the back of his neck. He glanced over at her again and her smile ripened. He jerked away, heading from the kitchen for the safety of the bathroom, his face hot all over again.
Once inside he spelled the door shut, taking a moment to collect himself before he splashed some water on his face, his pulse racing. It seemed he didn't have any secrets, after all.
oOoOoOo
A few hours later Dominique caught him on his way to the sitting room, her arm like a vice around his bicep. "I see you're already one down. Though I know perfectly well Hugo wasn't much of a feat."
A rush of panic jetted down Louis' spine, and he quickly scoped out the hallway; privacy was mostly an illusion in a house full of his cousins.
"I don't see you making any headway," he hissed, and Dominique's grin broadened.
"Don't you worry about me, dear brother. I'm giving you a head start; be grateful. And now that Grandma is gone, the pitch is wide open. Time to make your move."
She slipped past him into the sitting room, her breasts brushing against his chest as she did so. Louis bit back a groan, turning toward the wall to adjust himself before he followed.
Inside, Albus and Rose were seated on the floor in front of the fireplace, engrossed in a game of chess, and Dominique had already spread herself out on the loveseat, her feet taking up a cushion of their own. Louis took the empty seat on the sofa, glancing over at Lily as she snorted at something playing on the telly, a bowl of Bertie Bott's balanced in her lap.
Louis inched closer to grab a fistful, wincing after he shoved them all into his mouth. Definitely a vomit-flavoured one in there.
He swallowed them down with a grimace and scooted over another inch, chancing a glimpse at Dominique. She was watching him from the loveseat, her lips twisted in a grin. The fireplace shone in her eyes, making them look black, and Louis had to look away, swallowing hard as he turned back to Lily and moved a tiny bit closer.
He could already feel sweat gathering at the back of his neck. Any further and he and Lily would be sharing the same cushion.
Still engrossed in her programme, Lily barely paid him any notice, and Louis watched as she threw her head back and laughed, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. His throat felt tight, and he was sure it was entirely too warm in there. Lily shoved another fistful of Bott's in her mouth, and a sick feeling twisted in Louis' gut. Could he really do this? Sure, there'd always been Hugo, but could he do that with Lily? With any of the others? And all for-
Louis swallowed again.
"So, Lily-"
"Oi, Teddy!" Lily called out, and Louis looked up to where Teddy had just entered the room, pushing Dominique's feet off the arm of the loveseat to take a seat.
"You going to let us get pissed now that Grandma and Grandpa are off in Romania?"
Teddy shook his head, smiling. "You know better than that, Lils. Molly put me in charge, and it'll be my bollocks if you lot get out of line while she's gone. Not to mention you're only sixteen."
He raised an eyebrow, and Lily just rolled her eyes.
"That's crap and you know it. A Galleon says Fred and Roxanne have nicked all the Firewhiskey in the house by now."
Teddy laughed. "I'm smart enough not to take that bet."
His expression sobered into one Louis assumed was meant to be serious. In Louis' opinion, it still needed a lot of work.
"Molly and Arthur only Portkeyed to Romania to meet that bloke Charlie made the mistake of mentioning; they could be back any moment now. So the official line is no mucking about. Understood?"
Lily nodded, but the twist of her mouth told Louis she planned to stay flush in booze and Wheezes for as long as their grandparents were away. He repressed a smile.
"So how's Victoire doing?"
A shiver crept up Louis' neck as he turned to find Teddy's eyes on him. "She- she's good, I guess."
He could practically feel Dominique's eye roll from the loveseat.
"Actually, the wedding planning's been a nightmare. I screamed at her for not writing, but she's hardly been in touch with Maman. Apparently, her future mother-in-law is an absolute horror, and Dad doesn't see why the whole thing needs to be in France, especially when they're in Egypt for the whole year, and-"
Louis tuned out Dominique's prattle; Victoire's wedding was a topic he'd heard entirely too much of over the last six months. Instead, he watched Teddy nod and hum in agreement as his sister talked derisively about imitation French lace, and more warmth slithered up the back of his neck.
Louis had always thought of Teddy as the laid back member of the Potter-Weasley clan, but there was still something intense about him. About his magic, maybe.
Teddy glanced up, and only then did Louis realise he was staring. His chest squeezed, but before he had the sense to turn away, Teddy caught his eye and smiled, discreetly making a face at Dominique's ongoing diatribe. Louis' heart thumped, but he couldn't help his small grin in return.
A few hours later, Louis had witnessed Rose's tenth straight win at chess, and Lily had all but passed out on the sofa beside him, the telly still blathering faithfully across the room. He took a last look at the bowl of Bertie Bott's balanced precariously on her lap and decided the night was a wash.
He stood from the sofa, trying to pretend the loosening in his chest wasn't from relief.
As he stepped past the loveseat on his way to the attic a hand closed around his wrist. Dominique tugged until he bent his ear to her mouth.
"So much for your head start. Come by my room after midnight."
Louis straightened when she released his wrist, his pulse racing again. A thousand questions burned in his mind, and he was almost glad the room was still full; he wasn't sure he could go through with it if he actually knew the answers.
Out of the corner of his eye, Louis saw Teddy staring up at him from his seat in front of the fireplace. He turned to give Teddy an awkward wave and a half-smile goodnight, but Teddy's face remained impassive.
Discomfited, Louis shot one more look at Dominique, who'd closed her eyes again, and left the room.
oOoOoOo
Louis held his breath as he stepped over the squeaky step on the third floor landing.
Dominique and Lily's room was on the second floor, toward the back of the house, and as he stepped off the final landing Louis could see light spilling from the doorway into the hall. He approached quietly and found the door cracked open - just enough to let him see inside without giving him away. He smiled despite himself before taking a deep breath, and peered inside.
As soon as his eyes adjusted Louis had to bite his tongue to hold back a groan.
The only light in the room came from a lit wand on the nightstand, but Louis could see clearly the two beds pushed together in the centre. Spread out in the middle was Lily, bare-arsed naked. Her long legs splayed across the mattress, the ends of her hair brushing the floor as she moved. Dominique was bent over her, her loose blonde hair framing Lily's face as her hand worked between Lily's thighs.
Louis stared at Dominique's fingers as she pushed them in and out of Lily's cunt, wet and gleaming in the wand light. He had to drag his eyes from her fingers to move them over her nude form, tracing every line twice; she was more beautiful than he'd imagined.
Suddenly Lily's back arched, pulling Louis' attention back to her. He bit his lip as Dominique took one of Lily's nipples in her mouth and sucked, and Lily's mouth fell open around a silent moan. When she released it a moment later Dominique's smile was uncharacteristically warm. Lily's hands tangled in her hair, pulling her close, and something painful squeezed in Louis' chest as Dominique pressed her mouth to Lily's ear, whispering something too soft for him to make out.
Louis watched as Lily's hips started to rock against Dominique's hand, and he pressed his palm tight to his prick as Dominique straddled one of Lily's thighs, rubbing against her bare skin as Dominique's fingers worked faster inside her. Soon the low hum of Dominique's voice filled the air; louder than before, but the tone still soft, and that sick feeling returned tenfold, even as Louis' cock hardened inside his pajamas.
Lily moaned, and Dominique's voice grew urgent as Lily's hips pushed harder and harder into Dominique's fingers, until her thighs squeezed shut around Dominique's hand, her arse lifting clear off the bed.
Dominique pressed her mouth against Lily's, drowning out her cry.
Louis watched as the last tremors poured from Lily's limbs, her body shaking as her lips moved over Dominique's skin, fingers still tangled her hair. His prick was hard, but the sensation was dulled by the tightness in his chest. Dominique was still rubbing her cunt slowly against Lily's thigh, whispering in her ear, and the softness in her tone was even clearer now that Lily had quieted.
Louis swallowed, Dominique had never… would never-
He slowly stepped back from the door and turned down the hall toward the staircase.
oOoOoOo
"…and then I asked him - nicely, mind - if he'd be so kind as to move his fat arse over, and the berk had the nerve to look offended. After he'd stolen my bloody seat!"
Louis chuckled, shaking his head. Teddy had something of a talent for getting into rough ups wherever he went. Of course, according to Teddy, they were never his fault. It was a running joke in the family that he was determined to live up to his grandmother's burnt hole in the Black Family tree.
Teddy shot Louis a smile over his shoulder from the stove, clearly pleased with his response. "You want mushrooms in your fry up?"
Louis nodded. "'Course."
"Right, that's Albus. So anyway, then the guy's wife comes over, and the two of us get into it, and I'm like, 'Look, the fact is, this is my seat-'"
"So did you like the show last night?"
Louis stiffened as Dominique took a seat next to him at the table. He glanced at Teddy, whose back was to them, his spatula slicing through the air as he continued to act out the fight between himself and the Falcon fan's wife.
"It was fine," he answered tightly.
Dominique laughed. "Sure. I bet you barely made it back to your room before you had your prick out."
Louis' face heated and he took another peek at Teddy.
In truth, he had made it back to his room, but as soon as he was safely under the covers he'd wanked so hard it'd practically hurt when he came. He could have just woken Hugo up, but he felt… wrong about the whole thing. After that, he'd got less than an hour's sleep all night.
"Wasn't that hot," he lied before dropping his voice to a whisper. "And you acted like you were doing me a favour with all that ‘head start' rubbish. There's no way that was your first time with Lily."
Dominique grinned, and a distinct wariness settled in Louis' belly. Lately, he was finding it difficult to tell the good ones from the bad. "No, it wasn't. And I bet you fully appreciated that as I was slowly sucking her-"
"Shush!" Louis hissed, his eyes darting back to Teddy. "Are you fucking crazy?"
She leaned into him, and Louis felt the curve of her breast warm and solid against his arm.
"I don't know, am I?"
The cold press of her pendant seeped through his shirt, a touchstone to reality. A flash of panic cut across his mind. If his sister was stupid enough to give that shit to Lily… Dominique's hand squeezed around his thigh, and Louis jerked so hard he banged his knee against the underside of the table.
"Fuck. Let go, Dom," he gritted out.
Louis felt hot, and itchy, and the smell of Dominique's perfume had curled inside his nostrils and was making him dizzy. He tried to pry her fingers from his leg with one hand, but her nails only dug in deeper.
Just then Teddy turned, smiling, likely having reached a place in his story that required a response. His eyes darted from where Dominique's breast pressed against Louis' arm to where her hand disappeared under the table, and his grin faltered for a second. Louis thought he must've imagined the slight tightening of Teddy's jaw because the next moment it was gone.
"Hey, Dominique. Can I make you a fry up?"
Dominique smiled at him, and Louis immediately recognised it as the bad sort. Her grip on Louis' thigh slowly relaxed before her hand withdrew altogether.
"I'm fine, Teddy. I was just going."
She pushed away from the table, her chair tipping onto its back legs before it clattered loudly to the floor as she stood. Louis winced at the scrape of wood on wood, while Teddy just stared after her as she stormed from the kitchen, his spatula slowly dripping onto the floor.
Footsteps echoed loudly on the stairs before a door slammed overhead and the kitchen quieted to the slow sizzle from the stove.
Teddy's narrowed eyes were already on him by the time Louis looked back up. The look felt invasive, and Louis struggled to meet his eye and not squirm in his seat.
"Just one of those moods, I guess," he shrugged, but his laugh sounded weak even to his own ears. He hoped it would pass for fraternal understanding, instead of… whatever. But when Teddy looked unmoved Louis suspected his flaming cheeks had undermined the façade.
Teddy continued to stare, and after a long pause Louis finally had to look away. He concentrated on the grains of wood in the table, hoping the moment would pass. After a minute he tried again.
"So what happened afterwards? In your story."
When he didn't get a response, Louis glanced up to find Teddy still studying him with that same scrutinizing expression. This time there was no mistaking the tightened jaw. Louis quickly stood.
"Um, I'm really not that hungry anymore. Sorry, Teddy. I'm sure Albus will want it. Or James, because of the mushrooms. I- I'll go check."
He beelined for the stairs, grateful for the solitude of the staircase and the chance to catch his breath. Another week left at the Burrow; he wasn't sure he could make it. He'd never wished so fervently for his grandparents' return.
As he passed the room Albus and James shared with Fred on the first floor, the distinct sound of moaning floated into the corridor. Louis paused, deliberating for a long moment and hating himself for it, before he stepped off the landing with a curse.
His hand wavered before he slowly pushed open the door.
The first thing he saw was Dominique's long, blonde hair, her head tipped back as she sat on the far edge of the bed closest to the door. Bunched fabric pooled around her waist, and he could tell her shirt was unbuttoned as it draped loosely around her sides.
Louis craned his neck, and he could just make out the dark head of hair peaking out between her thighs.
He hesitated another second before he carefully slipped inside and shut the door.
His jaw clenched at the slick sounds of James' mouth moving over her, even as heat tingled in his belly. He stepped closer, footsteps muffled by Dominique's moans, and stopped when his shins hit the bed frame.
Encouraging pants of yes, yes, there dotted the air, interspersed with breathy moans, and the hungry sounds of James' mouth. Dominique's arms were braced behind her, her fingers digging into the coverlet as she tipped her head back farther, mouth puckered around another sound of pleasure.
Without thinking, Louis leaned one knee onto the bed, reaching out to run his fingers over the back of her hand.
Dominique paused for only the briefest of moments, an abrupt instant of silence before another moan filled the space, this one even louder. Emboldened, Louis knelt on the bed completely, shuffling forward until there was only a hair's breadth between them. He could see James' head completely now, messy from where Dominique's hand was guiding him on.
James stilled between her legs, and his head started to lift before Dominique tightened her grip.
"Do not move, James." The movement ceased, and Dominique let out another moan. "Yes, fuck, right there."
Dominique leaned farther back, forcing Louis to backpedal. He could still see the top of James' head, but he suspected James no longer had the range of motion to see him, should he open his eyes to look. Given Dominique's directive, Louis very much doubted that he would.
Louis glanced at Dominique, whose eyes were shut, and her satisfied smile made something bitter pool in the back of his throat. He ran his palm down over her shoulder until it covered one of her breasts before he pinched her nipple hard.
She moaned, grinding her cunt against James' face, and something flared in Louis' chest. It passed as quickly as it came, though, his anger dampening at the sight of his hand around her breast. For so long he'd dreamt about it, but now the picture of their skin together seemed almost faraway.
Louis' fingers gentled as he ran the tips over her skin, barely grazing her nipple. She shivered and he paused to marvel at the tremors pulling at her limbs; it was startling to see Dominique do anything that could be considered involuntary.
He shifted his attention back to her breast, mapping the bright blue veins with his fingertips, following the rush of blood across translucent skin. When he finished he traced them again, this time with his fingernails, and her body jerked as they scraped across her skin. When he was through, he almost expected to see blood pebbling in their wake.
"Fuck, James, so close. Don't move."
Louis snatched his hand away as Dominique's body curled forward, her stomach pulling against her spine. He looked down at James; damp hair bunched between Dominique's fingers, his hands braced on the insides of her thighs, eyes squeezed shut as his mouth moved over her again and again.
Louis slid carefully off the bed and walked backwards toward the door, watching as Dominique's body shook, her garbled directions less and less coherent. Something heavy settled in the pit of his stomach, and for a brief moment he thought he might be sick.
A high-pitched moan that sounded too loud in his ears broke through his reverie; the beginning of the end, he was sure.
Louis quickly opened the door and slipped out.
oOoOoOo
Louis' stomach grumbled as he hopped off the landing at the bottom of the stairs. He was starving, and he hoped Grandma Molly had set a preservation charm on those bacon sandwiches from the other night.
But as soon as he stepped into the kitchen he was pulled up short.
Dominique was sat at the table, Lily perched between her legs on the edge of the chair, her fingers running through Lily's hair. He watched her lace the strands together, weaving them into a loose plait before shaking them out and starting all over again. He felt his hands go numb as Dominique said something Louis couldn't decipher, her voice soft again, and Lily ducked her chin, leaning back against Dominique's chest and murmuring something equally soft.
Dominique's smile was warm as she pulled Lily's hair to one side to whisper in her ear, their heads bent together, foreheads touching. Lily laughed - affectionate and private - and Dominique pressed a kiss to the skin there, her mouth still curved in a smile.
Louis reeled back, gulping for air as he choked on the intimacy of the moment, the reality of it like a slap to the face. It was too much, all of it, and he felt panic claw at the inside of his chest, so sharp he thought he might be bleeding.
He turned, his head spinning, and nearly ran toward the sitting room. He needed space. Air. Some time to think, for once in his fucking life.
Louis exited the kitchen and turned the corner, and ran smack into Teddy. He stepped back, stumbling a little. His nerves felt frayed, the image of Dominique and Lily still licking at the inside of his skull; he couldn't think straight.
"Oh, Teddy. Sorry. I just-"
Teddy stepped away, his jaw set, and the steely look in his eyes was like a punch in the gut.
"Watch where you're going," he said, and the clipped tone felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over Louis' head. The startling clarity wasn't much better than the confusion from a few moments ago, he decided.
When Louis didn't say anything Teddy's gaze sharpened. "Pull yourself together, Louis; I have enough to worry about." His eyes narrowed as he looked over Louis' shoulder at the entrance to the kitchen, and stepped toward the door, knocking Louis' shoulder as he went.
Louis felt the blood drain out of his face, his skin prickling and cold. He found he couldn't move, so he just stood there in the corridor, staring unseeingly at the chipped wooden wall for what felt like forever.
Finally, his grumbling stomach pulled him from the daze and drove him back into the kitchen, where thankfully Dominique and Lily had already gone. But Louis found he didn't have the energy to make himself anything, so he sank down in one of the chairs at the kitchen table, his forehead pressed against the cool wood, and slept.
oOoOoOo
The water rippled with a soft kerplunk, and two frogs jumped from their pads to the safety of the hard earth at the edge of the pond. Louis watched them blankly; sleep had eluded him again last night, and at the moment he didn't have the capacity to feel badly for anyone but himself.
He dragged his fingers through the grass in search of another pebble.
So far he'd managed to avoid Dominique all morning. He needed to think, and without her getting in his face and fucking with his head. He'd already resolved to call off the bet, that much was clear; it was ridiculous, and wrong, and there was no way they wouldn't get caught.
A wave of nausea washed over him at the thought of trying to explain to Grandma Molly what he and his sister had been up to. He shook away the thought; it wouldn't come to that.
He just wasn't sure how Dominique would take it.
Louis threw another pebble into the pond and tried to count the number of watery rings it left in its wake before they disappeared. He reached for another rock.
"I got to seven; you?"
Louis looked up as Hugo took a seat next to him on the bench. He threw the pebble.
"Only six."
They sat like that for a few minutes, Louis tossing stones into the pond, Hugo counting out the rings, until Hugo's voice cut across the peace.
"What's up with you lately?"
Louis said nothing and tossed another stone into the pond.
"You go straight to bed every night, you leave before I'm up, and you've been in a foul mood practically since you got here."
Louis shrugged. "Just haven't been sleeping well."
There was a long pause, and Louis thought it might be over until Hugo fidgeted in that way he did when something was really bothering him.
"I thought I did something."
Louis' gut twisted, but he had no idea how to respond to that so he said nothing, and once again they lapsed into silence. He hurled another stone into the pond, a little harder than necessary, and one of the frogs gave an offended croak.
After a few minutes Hugo shifted and Louis panicked, afraid he was about to leave.
"Did I make you?"
It came out rushed, all in one breath, and Louis could already feel the heat seeping across his skin. He chanced a look at Hugo, who was staring at him with a look of complete confusion.
"Make me what? Are you all right, Louis?"
"Yes, fine," he said quickly. "It's just- The stuff…" Louis shifted uncomfortably. "The stuff we do together. When we first started, did I make you? Did I- Did I force you into it?"
He looked back over at Hugo, who appeared even more confused than before. He didn't look the least bit embarrassed, however, although Louis was sure his own cheeks rivaled Hugo's hair in intensity.
"Are you mad? Of course not. Louis, what the hell is going on?"
"Nothing," he said, too quickly again.
Hugo looked worried but said nothing, and when he got up a few minutes later and walked back toward the house Louis didn't try to stop him.
Once alone again, Louis let out a deep breath. He'd practically obliterated the pebble crushed inside his fist, and he let the bits of stone and dust fall to the ground. The wind outside was picking up, but the cool air felt good on his cheeks. His heart was still beating wildly, but he felt… better.
Footsteps crunched behind him, and Louis' shoulders seized up, all the muscles in his back tightening along his spine. He started to turn.
"Listen, Hugo, I really don't-"
"No, you listen."
A sudden chill wrapped around Louis' chest and squeezed as Teddy stepped around the bench to stand in front of him. His hair was a deeper blue than usual, and his accusing glare made Louis feel like a trespasser: a stray animal that had been caught nibbling in the garden.
Teddy took another step closer, his body casting a threatening shadow over where Louis sat shrinking on the bench.
"I just saw Hugo slink away from here like a kicked puppy." His voice was sharp, and Louis could feel its edges cutting into his skin. "I don't know exactly what the fuck is going on here, but I want you to cut it out. Hugo is your cousin, for fuck's sake. I don't care what you get up to in your house, but this ends now. Am I clear?"
Louis' eyes had dropped to his lap, and he waited a second to make sure Teddy was through. He could hear the harsh, fasts breaths from Teddy's nostrils, and when he didn't say anything more, Louis gave a solemn nod, his eyes staring hard at the fastenings on his trousers.
Teddy didn't move though, and the air around them crackled. Louis didn't look up, and he didn't dare move. He could feel Teddy's magic building, pressing in against him, and he wouldn't have been surprised if at any point Teddy started to paw at the ground, preparing to charge.
But nothing happened, and a minute later Teddy turned and walked back through the garden toward the house, leaving Louis alone by the pond.
As soon as the back door slammed shut, Louis wrapped his arms around his chest, grabbing onto each shoulder as he curled in on himself. He stayed outside a long time, staring unseeing into the pond and praying to feel warm.
oOoOoOo
"Listen, can we talk?"
Louis looked up from the table where Roxanne, Molly and Lucy were playing what felt like their hundredth game of Gobstones.
Teddy stood just inside the doorway, rocking back on his heels, his hands tucked into the front pockets of his denims. He looked almost… embarrassed, as though he was the one who had been scolded like a child for fucking around with his cousin the day before.
"Sure," Louis said, and followed Teddy out the back door of the house, letting it swing shut behind him.
Teddy leaned his forearms against the small fence Uncle Harry had built around the hedges and stared out into the garden. Not sure what else to do, Louis followed suit, trying to act calm even though his heart felt like it was trying to beat free from his chest.
"I talked to Hugo."
Louis' shoulders tensed, ratcheting up towards his ears before he relaxed enough to nod. He'd stayed out in the garden until after dark the night before, and when he woke up this morning Hugo had already left to play Quidditch with Albus, Fred and Lily. He had no idea what he might've said to Teddy.
"I'm sorry."
Louis turned to Teddy, surprised. He certainly hadn't expected that.
Teddy ran a hand through his hair, now back to its normal shade of blue.
"He told me it was just, you know, fucking around. I had thought… I was worried it was more to him, when I saw him yesterday." He gave Louis a sheepish smile. "Sorry if I was a bit harsh."
Louis nodded again, feeling completely off balance. He was glad to hear Hugo wasn't upset, though he'd suspected Teddy had had it all wrong. But now they were talking about Louis fucking his cousin again. Worse still, Teddy was making it out to be some typical adolescent drama.
Louis had the sudden urge to take off down the street and never look back.
"Your sister…"
Teddy's voice had lost the sheepish quality, and Louis' stomach twisted. If he didn't want to talk about Hugo, he really didn't want to talk about Dominique.
"Yeah, I know, she needs help," he said, and then laughed darkly. "Though I suppose that sounds like a joke coming from me."
They were quiet for a few minutes, and all Louis could think about was how much Teddy really knew. If Louis should say anything more. Try to explain. Though, in truth, Louis couldn't really do that himself.
Finally, Teddy broke the silence.
"You know, you might want to think about a relationship with someone you're not related to. Just for a bit of a change, I mean."
There was a trace of humour in Teddy's voice, and Louis laughed again. A little hysterically this time, because it was true, and how fucked up was that?
He ducked his head before he looked back up at Teddy. "Yeah?"
Teddy smiled, and it felt like a Niffler was suddenly rooting for gold in Louis' belly. "Yeah."
The backdoor banged open then and they both turned to see Dominique standing in the doorway, one hand on her hip, the other propped against the door. She glared at Louis and he met her eye squarely, his jaw tightening before he turned to Teddy with his most solemn expression. "Let's- Let's talk later, yeah?"
Teddy nodded, smiling again, and it felt like the giant weight that had taken up residence on Louis' chest finally relocated.
"Go on. I'll be around."
Louis held Teddy's gaze a moment longer before he nodded, and turned to follow his sister inside the house.
oOoOoOo
"What do you mean the bet is off?"
Dominique's voice was low, and more than vaguely threatening. Louis didn't think he'd ever seen her so hacked off. Then again, he didn't think she'd ever been so close to not getting what she wanted.
"I mean it's off. I'm not doing it anymore, and I think you should stop too. It's- It's not right."
Louis braced himself.
"You fucking hypocrite!" Dominique shrieked, and Louis silently thanked Merlin for the miracle of Silencing Charms. "You've been fucking Hugo for years and you have the nerve to get all high horse on me now?"
Louis' face flooded with heat. Even given how fucked up his relationship with Dominique was, talking to her about Hugo was a new level of humiliation.
"We were experimenting, Dominique; that's all. It shouldn't have gone on this long, but it's done now. Okay? And you know I can't tell you what to do, but you and Lily… You should stop too. It's not fair, to either of you."
Dominique looked apoplectic, but Louis refused to back down.
He'd talked things over with Hugo, and after inordinate amounts of stammering on his part, and an equal amount of laughing on Hugo's, he felt much better about the whole thing. Well, much less like drowning himself in the back pond, at least.
But Louis had seen the way Dominique and Lily were together, and he couldn't imagine at least one of them not winding up hurt in the end.
"Fuck you," Dominique spat, her hands curling into fists at her sides. Her skin had turned blotchy and red, and Louis couldn't help think how much more furious she'd be if there was a mirror around.
"And what about your prize?" she asked. "Not interested in that either?" She narrowed her eyes. "You seemed pretty eager while you were watching James lick me off."
Given the current temperature of his face, Louis would bet his broom this conversation would prove fatal in the end, but he still refused to look away. Dominique had always been, well, Dominique. But Louis wanted something else now. Something more.
He pulled himself up and reached for a confidence he didn't entirely feel, bolstered by the flicker of hope beating in his chest.
"Well, you seemed so eager to put on a show, dear sister. Who was I to prove a poor audience?"
Dominique's jaw tightened, but Louis kept on.
"And, no, I'm not interested anymore. Like I said, it's off. All of it."
Dominique stared at him for another minute, her chest heaving, and then in a flash of movement she drew her wand and a Stinging Hex flew across the room.
Louis was quicker at Defence, though, always had been, and he blocked the hex an instant before it connected with his left shoulder. He stared at Dominique, her wand still tightly gripped in her hand, and kept his arm poised for another attack, both of them breathing hard.
After a moment she lowered her wand, still glaring, and a second later turned on her heel, cancelling the Silencing Charm as she went. The door to the attic slammed shut and Louis' Shield Charm dissolved in the air. He fell to his knees and took a deep breath.
oOoOoOo
"So, I talked to Dominique."
Louis took a seat on the sofa and had to bite his lip not to fidget the moment Teddy looked up. He had no idea how Teddy got on in the world; Louis was a complete mess every time Teddy turned those eyes on him. Surely, he wasn't the only one.
When Louis only continued to stare, Teddy reached for his wand and aimed it at the door to the sitting room, spelling it shut. After a beat he cast a Silencing Charm, too, and then turned to Louis expectantly.
Louis took a deep breath and met Teddy's eye.
"I told her I was done with… everything."
Louis hesitated, looking for clues as to how much more than that Teddy knew. Teddy's face betrayed nothing, however, and so Louis bravely forged on.
"I talked to Hugo, too, and we agreed it was time to stop. Past time, I know that," he added quickly. "And I told Dominique to stop things with- with Lily. I don't know if she'll listen, but I told her it wasn't fair."
"And the white powder she keeps in that necklace of hers?"
Louis mouth opened, startled. Maybe Teddy should've been an Auror after all; though Louis doubted Uncle Harry would be impressed with these particular findings.
"Don't look so surprised," Teddy laughed. He tucked his chin toward his chest as he smiled slyly at Louis. "I can be observant, you know."
Louis scrambled to recover, and he hoped to Merlin he wasn't already blushing. "I know that! And I've been after her to cut that shit out for years."
Teddy looked at him approvingly, and now Louis was definitely blushing. Goddamn Veela blood.
"Nice work, kid."
The smile that had threatened to break free dissolved in an instant, and Louis' heart sank nearly twice as fast. Kid? He'd really thought… But, of course, that was stupid, after everything. Louis silently cursed himself.
"Yeah. Thanks. I've got to…"
Louis stood to leave, but his wrist was caught before he could get far, and he turned right into another one of those hypnotising stares.
They looked at each other for a long moment before Teddy tugged on Louis' arm, pulling him forward until Louis had to brace his hand against the back of the sofa. Their faces were close now, and Louis could just make out the blue tint of Teddy's eyelashes.
"Did you know I call everybody kid?"
Teddy's breath felt warm against Louis' face, and he smelled of tea. Louis shook his head and Teddy nodded slightly in response.
"Drives my boss mad."
Louis blinked. He wasn't sure what to make of that. Did that mean-
Before he could wonder any more, Teddy's lips pressed against his, warm and soft, and it was like firecrackers went off in Louis' chest, little sparks of blue and red slicing him open from the inside.
His lips parted and Teddy slipped his tongue inside. It was slick and wet, and Louis couldn't help his moan as he dropped his knee to the sofa, pressing closer until he'd nearly crawled in Teddy's lap.
Teddy pulled back, chuckling, before he pressed another quick kiss to Louis' mouth.
"So," he started, and Louis couldn't imagine how stupid he must've look just then: grinning back at Teddy like he'd just cast a Lumos for the first time. "You think a fine, able-bodied Beauxbatons graduate like yourself might be interested in dinner, with, say… a promising young writer for the Quibbler?"
Teddy looked at him, and his expression was so earnest, so incredibly modest, it was almost stupid.
Louis leaned down and pressed his mouth to Teddy's. "I may be." He kissed him again. "First, though, let's see if we can rid you of this ‘kid' habit."
Teddy laughed, already pulling Louis closer, his arms wrapping around Louis' back as Louis' legs straddled his hips. He caught Louis' bottom lip between his teeth. "Deal"
Louis grinned. Now this was more his kind of wager.
~fin
Final A/N: The infamous line delivered by Sarah Michelle Gellar in Cruel Intentions is, "You can put it anywhere," which was adapted here to: "I'll even let you put it wherever you want."