Leigh!fic | Toxic (1/1) | Julian Vaisey/Penelope Clearwater
Title: Toxic (1/1)
Author: Leigh, aka leigh_adams
Characters: Julian Vaisey/Penelope Clearwater
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1, 215
Summary: She craved him. For as much as she cared about Cedric-and the security that came with him-she needed Julian to feel alive.
Author’s Notes: This was written as part of my 2010 Christmas drabble meme. My Sam, aka fiery_flamingo, gave me a choice of possible pairings and prompts, and since I've written Angie/Katie for her for the past two drabble memes, I chose the other option. She requested Julian/Penelope with the prompt, "If you walk away, I'll walk away." Julian is a semi-OC played by me at pinksheep_wench, and Penelope is based off Sam's characterization of her, and the lyrics within come from Hatefuck by The Bravery. Sam, this is really not what I think you wanted, but I hope you enjoy! Merry Christmas!
Penelope Clearwater was an upstanding, respectable citizen. She came from a wealthy, upper-class family-Muggles, of course, but respectable nonetheless. At Hogwarts, she'd quickly established herself as a true daughter of Ravenclaw by earning top marks in all her classes. When it came time for the OWLs, she's earned nine-one for each exam she'd taken. She'd earned prefect status, and it surprised no one when she was made Head Girl.
She summered in Majorca and spent Christmases with her family in Gstaad. And she didn't dally about with smugglers and potions dealers.
At least, that's what she told herself.
It was all Mandy's fault, really. If the little brunette hadn't stood her up at that one night at Pandora's Box, she would never have met him. Julian Vaisey, with his expertly tailored suits and darkly handsome looks-and he knew it. Because Mandy wasn't there to stop her, she'd fallen into bed with him within minutes of meeting him.
Lips slid against each other, trading passionate kisses as the sound of ripping fabric echoed through the empty flat. Hands gripped and teeth nipped, and his name fell from her lips when he dropped to his knees and pressed his tongue against her waiting heat.
If only she'd known how that night would change her life.
I will show no mercy for you
Her relationship with Julian wasn't healthy. It never had been. For all that she tried to say it was about the sex, it really wasn't. He was enigmatic and intriguing, an intellectual equal. She hadn't been able to mask her surprise when he'd interrupted her rant on Locke and his social contract with an opposing viewpoint shared by Thomas Hobbes.
They were well-matched in knowledge and passion. And it didn't hurt that the sex was fantastic.
She hadn't wanted to see the darker side of his world, and she knew that, if up to him, she never would have. But what had passed couldn't be undone, and she couldn’t not know that he was running illegal operations out of his nightclubs. Turning him in to the Ministry had been one of the hardest things she'd ever done.
Especially because she was falling in love with him.
Penelope still wasn't sure how he'd been acquitted, though she strongly suspected that he'd bribed several members of the jury. It wasn't as if she could ask him, after all. In the aftermath of the trial, Julian had made the status of their relationship clear.
Stay away… or else.
She'd tried. Merlin, had she tried. She'd gone on several dates; nice, normal men who didn't engage in illegal activities. But none of them could bring out the reaction that Julian could.
You have no mercy for me
Falling back into his bed had been easier than she'd imagined. Really, all it took was placing the two of them in the same space-any space-and the sparks were inevitable. She had let him take her against the wall of his office that first time together again; it had been wanton and heady, almost hedonistic the way they traded angry kisses and bruising touches. But no one could make her scream in pleasure the way he could.
Until Cedric.
Cedric was caring and kind; the anti-Julian in nearly every regard. And when Penelope was with him, it was easy to forget about Julian's drugging kisses, the passion he could coax from her body. So she stayed away, or tried to. Weeks passed without contact, and she thought that maybe, just maybe, she was getting over Julian Vaisey.
The sight of him in the society pages with Astoria Greengrass had sent her down a dark spiral. It's because she's Michael's little sister, she rationalized. That was it. She didn't want Astoria to get involved with someone like Julian. It was for her own good, really.
It would've been so much easier if she could bring herself to hate Astoria.
It all capitulated into one final-hopefully-meeting. She needed rid of Julian Vaisey once and for all. Cedric was good to her, he would never try to hurt her, and he was on the right side of the law. Continuing this… thing with her lover could only bring her more pain.
The only thing that I ask
But when his body pressed against hers, one hand lightly pinning her wrist against the wall, she found it hard to remember exactly what her argument was. He was so close she could feel the heat of his skin, the spice of his familiar cologne.
Once, the scent had clung to her skin after sex. It still had the ability to stir powerful memories.
"Does Diggory make you feel this way?" he murmured, hot breath tickling the shell of her ear. "Is it him you want? Or is it the illusion?"
Penny's breath came in ragged pants as she steeled herself against his words, against the want that coursed through her. "You shouldn't be with Astoria," she murmured, blue eyes flashing up at him. "She's too good for you."
"She isn't going to try and send me to Azkaban, unlike you."
She laughed at that, a small, half-crazed sound that escaped her lips. This was madness. "I hate you."
His lips curled, and he pulled back to look her in the eye. His green eyes were cool, devoid of emotion when he replied, "I feel nothing for you."
Her body sagged, partially in relief and partially in disappointment, when he suddenly released her wrist and pulled away. His words hurt her more than she cared to admit, and she tried to tell herself that it was for the best.
"Liar," she whispered, blinking back the moisture that had sprung to her eyes.
"You've called me as much in a court of law, Penelope," he replied without bothering to turn around. "I suppose you'll never know for certain."
But she wanted to know, dammit. She wanted him, despite her common sense and everything else that was screaming for her to leave Julian Vaisey and his philandering ways behind. Despite all that, the hurt and anger and desire that drowned out all else, she was still in love with him.
"I'll walk away if you do, too," she blurted out, barely able to force the words past her clogged throat. She pushed off the wall and moved closer to him, one hand reaching out for his own. "Julian…"
"You'll never walk away," Julian shot back, turning to face her. "Call me a liar, call me a thief, but I am no fool. The only foolish thing I did was letting you in."
Penelope opened her mouth to retort that he'd never let her in, but he stopped her with his words.
"I won't give up what I have on the off-chance that you might throw away your inhibitions and leave Diggory. If, by some miracle, you muster the courage to leave him, you'll always be torn by what might have been. And I'll not be made the villain in my own relationship."
He pulled his hand out of hers and stepped back, his face that familiar, closed-off mask she'd seen so many times. "I can't trust you, Penelope. And if I can't trust you, how could I ever love you?"
Love me mercilessly
Author: Leigh, aka leigh_adams
Characters: Julian Vaisey/Penelope Clearwater
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1, 215
Summary: She craved him. For as much as she cared about Cedric-and the security that came with him-she needed Julian to feel alive.
Author’s Notes: This was written as part of my 2010 Christmas drabble meme. My Sam, aka fiery_flamingo, gave me a choice of possible pairings and prompts, and since I've written Angie/Katie for her for the past two drabble memes, I chose the other option. She requested Julian/Penelope with the prompt, "If you walk away, I'll walk away." Julian is a semi-OC played by me at pinksheep_wench, and Penelope is based off Sam's characterization of her, and the lyrics within come from Hatefuck by The Bravery. Sam, this is really not what I think you wanted, but I hope you enjoy! Merry Christmas!
Penelope Clearwater was an upstanding, respectable citizen. She came from a wealthy, upper-class family-Muggles, of course, but respectable nonetheless. At Hogwarts, she'd quickly established herself as a true daughter of Ravenclaw by earning top marks in all her classes. When it came time for the OWLs, she's earned nine-one for each exam she'd taken. She'd earned prefect status, and it surprised no one when she was made Head Girl.
She summered in Majorca and spent Christmases with her family in Gstaad. And she didn't dally about with smugglers and potions dealers.
At least, that's what she told herself.
It was all Mandy's fault, really. If the little brunette hadn't stood her up at that one night at Pandora's Box, she would never have met him. Julian Vaisey, with his expertly tailored suits and darkly handsome looks-and he knew it. Because Mandy wasn't there to stop her, she'd fallen into bed with him within minutes of meeting him.
Lips slid against each other, trading passionate kisses as the sound of ripping fabric echoed through the empty flat. Hands gripped and teeth nipped, and his name fell from her lips when he dropped to his knees and pressed his tongue against her waiting heat.
If only she'd known how that night would change her life.
I will show no mercy for you
Her relationship with Julian wasn't healthy. It never had been. For all that she tried to say it was about the sex, it really wasn't. He was enigmatic and intriguing, an intellectual equal. She hadn't been able to mask her surprise when he'd interrupted her rant on Locke and his social contract with an opposing viewpoint shared by Thomas Hobbes.
They were well-matched in knowledge and passion. And it didn't hurt that the sex was fantastic.
She hadn't wanted to see the darker side of his world, and she knew that, if up to him, she never would have. But what had passed couldn't be undone, and she couldn’t not know that he was running illegal operations out of his nightclubs. Turning him in to the Ministry had been one of the hardest things she'd ever done.
Especially because she was falling in love with him.
Penelope still wasn't sure how he'd been acquitted, though she strongly suspected that he'd bribed several members of the jury. It wasn't as if she could ask him, after all. In the aftermath of the trial, Julian had made the status of their relationship clear.
Stay away… or else.
She'd tried. Merlin, had she tried. She'd gone on several dates; nice, normal men who didn't engage in illegal activities. But none of them could bring out the reaction that Julian could.
You have no mercy for me
Falling back into his bed had been easier than she'd imagined. Really, all it took was placing the two of them in the same space-any space-and the sparks were inevitable. She had let him take her against the wall of his office that first time together again; it had been wanton and heady, almost hedonistic the way they traded angry kisses and bruising touches. But no one could make her scream in pleasure the way he could.
Until Cedric.
Cedric was caring and kind; the anti-Julian in nearly every regard. And when Penelope was with him, it was easy to forget about Julian's drugging kisses, the passion he could coax from her body. So she stayed away, or tried to. Weeks passed without contact, and she thought that maybe, just maybe, she was getting over Julian Vaisey.
The sight of him in the society pages with Astoria Greengrass had sent her down a dark spiral. It's because she's Michael's little sister, she rationalized. That was it. She didn't want Astoria to get involved with someone like Julian. It was for her own good, really.
It would've been so much easier if she could bring herself to hate Astoria.
It all capitulated into one final-hopefully-meeting. She needed rid of Julian Vaisey once and for all. Cedric was good to her, he would never try to hurt her, and he was on the right side of the law. Continuing this… thing with her lover could only bring her more pain.
The only thing that I ask
But when his body pressed against hers, one hand lightly pinning her wrist against the wall, she found it hard to remember exactly what her argument was. He was so close she could feel the heat of his skin, the spice of his familiar cologne.
Once, the scent had clung to her skin after sex. It still had the ability to stir powerful memories.
"Does Diggory make you feel this way?" he murmured, hot breath tickling the shell of her ear. "Is it him you want? Or is it the illusion?"
Penny's breath came in ragged pants as she steeled herself against his words, against the want that coursed through her. "You shouldn't be with Astoria," she murmured, blue eyes flashing up at him. "She's too good for you."
"She isn't going to try and send me to Azkaban, unlike you."
She laughed at that, a small, half-crazed sound that escaped her lips. This was madness. "I hate you."
His lips curled, and he pulled back to look her in the eye. His green eyes were cool, devoid of emotion when he replied, "I feel nothing for you."
Her body sagged, partially in relief and partially in disappointment, when he suddenly released her wrist and pulled away. His words hurt her more than she cared to admit, and she tried to tell herself that it was for the best.
"Liar," she whispered, blinking back the moisture that had sprung to her eyes.
"You've called me as much in a court of law, Penelope," he replied without bothering to turn around. "I suppose you'll never know for certain."
But she wanted to know, dammit. She wanted him, despite her common sense and everything else that was screaming for her to leave Julian Vaisey and his philandering ways behind. Despite all that, the hurt and anger and desire that drowned out all else, she was still in love with him.
"I'll walk away if you do, too," she blurted out, barely able to force the words past her clogged throat. She pushed off the wall and moved closer to him, one hand reaching out for his own. "Julian…"
"You'll never walk away," Julian shot back, turning to face her. "Call me a liar, call me a thief, but I am no fool. The only foolish thing I did was letting you in."
Penelope opened her mouth to retort that he'd never let her in, but he stopped her with his words.
"I won't give up what I have on the off-chance that you might throw away your inhibitions and leave Diggory. If, by some miracle, you muster the courage to leave him, you'll always be torn by what might have been. And I'll not be made the villain in my own relationship."
He pulled his hand out of hers and stepped back, his face that familiar, closed-off mask she'd seen so many times. "I can't trust you, Penelope. And if I can't trust you, how could I ever love you?"
Love me mercilessly