Delicate (Caterina/Massimo)
Title: Delicate
Prompt: 09. Risk
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,369
Characters: Massimo Burke, Mafalda Hopkirk, Scorpius Malfoy, Caterina Burke
Summary: It's the final Quidditch match of the season, but Massimo stays in Ravenclaw Tower with a gift he bought in Hogsmeade.
Notes/Warnings: *hums* ASoIaF seriously poisoned my mind; this is mild incest.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling. But quite modified in most cases by their individual writers at Founders or my perception of them.
The table was loud at breakfast as it only got when a Quidditch match was going to take place. Massimo grinned along with his housemates and talked about the likelihood of them winning the match against Hufflepuff. Yes, the other team had good players (and one absolutely terrifying Beater), but eagles flew higher as Scorpius had been all too fond of saying since first year. It was easy to talk about Quidditch with them and make the predictions, especially since his sister was not at the table. She had never cared for the sport - it was too violent - and did not know as much about it as the others did. "You coming down to watch us roll over the badgers, Massimo?" Mafalda asked politely.
Massimo shook his head. "Sadly not, I've something else to get done today."
"Curse research I bet," Scorpius snorted, rolling his eyes. "Don't get why you want to take over that ratty old shop."
"Funny to hear that from a Malfoy, you've always been our best customers." Everyone else around the table chuckled, some more nervous than others. Massimo's fascination with cursed objects and curses in general was not unknown and it seemed to make them almost reluctant to cross him. Especially those who knew that he thought them on the same level as Muggles. "But no, nothing to do with curses. Homework." That earned him a murmur of sympathies and a few claps on the shoulder as his housemates started for the Quidditch Pitch. It was the final match of the season so almost the entire school would be down there and certainly all of Ravenclaw. Except for one.
Massimo slipped a hand into his robe pocket, smiling as he stood and started for the Common Room where the only other Ravenclaw who would miss the Quidditch game would be.
He did not even have to think to answer the question the door knocked asked him, so many years of doing so had made it more of a habit than anything else. Though it was always entertaining when others tried to get in. They actually had to think their way around the answers. Stepping in his eyes went to the fireplace. It burned merrily, sending off waves of heart that most people did not need. But the girl curled up on the chair in front of it did, even with the thick quilt she had tucked over her lap. He was glad to see that she was not taking any chances. Her health mattered more than anything.
Standing there in the doorway he waited until she noticed that she was no longer alone. "Mio forza," Caterina said at last, looking over the back of her chair at him, surprise in her eyes. "I thought you were going to watch the match with the others." As always when they were speaking, she had slipped into Italian.
"I decided I'd rather spend it with you," Massimo replied.
Her face broke into a beautiful smile and she held her arms up for him. "Then come sit with me."
As he always did, Massimo crossed the room to his sister. She was the older by nearly a year but she had always been so much smaller. He slid onto the chair, under the quilt she had lifted and allowed her to shift so that her back was to him and his arms encircled her easily. Fragile and delicate and so beautiful... "I have something for you," he whispered against her ear, pulling one of his arms back so that he could reach into his pocket. "No, close your eyes," he chided as she tried to turn. "It's a surprise."
"Alright," Caterina conceded, closing her eyes. "Even if it isn't my birthday."
"I saw it in Hogsmeade last weekend and got it for you since you couldn't go." It had been raining and cold, not the sort of weather that had ever been safe for Caterina to venture out in. Not only would the cold weaken her system, the road would turn to mud and make it more likely for her to slip and fall, hurting herself. He took one of her hands and pressed the gift into it. "Look, farfalla."
He may not have been able to see her reaction but he felt the slight tremble that ran through her and heard the delighted gasp. "Massimo, it's beautiful!" A small pendant in the shape of a butterfly, made of silver with wings of sapphire. He had meant to get her one for years now. "Put it on for me?"
"Of course." Massimo accepted the necklace back, brushing her hair out of the way before clasping it around her slender neck. He leaned forward to kiss that neck, smiling at the way she trembled. "Turn and let me see, Caterina." She obeyed, looking up at him shyly through her long lashes. "It suits you, farfalla." Butterfly. He had first called her that when they were both much younger. He had seen his first butterfly as it lay dying, wings torn by a strong breeze, and thought it so beautiful. She had fallen ill not long after as she sometimes did; as fragile and beautiful as the butterfly. Their mother had thought it adorable and their father had scoffed at such a silly name, but Caterina had loved it.
"I love it," she informed him, fingers touching it lightly. "You are so thoughtful." Her fingers went up to his face, stroking so softly against his skin, tracing his lips. "Skipping the Quidditch match to give me this and spend time with me... every girl should be so lucky."
"No," he disagreed, fingers sliding from her neck to the smooth skin of her arm and up to her hand, holding it to his mouth so that he could kiss each finger softly. Each brush brought another small tremble to Caterina's body. Not the sort that worried him, the sort that he had only begun seeing and feeling not quite a year ago when she had kissed him that first time, bringing dreams to life. "Only you should be."
She gave a small sigh, eyes drifting closed when his kisses moved to her palm. "Only I am." She fell silent until his breath grazed her wrist. "Massimo, mio farzo, you shouldn't do that here," her voice was a breath. It was nothing compared to what some of their housemates did in plain sight, but they both knew that they could not get away with what they could. No one else seemed to understand and they were not expected to. They were not of the same family, they had not seen all that had wracked Caterina's short life and how Massimo had been the only true constant. He knew her weaknesses, he knew her as no one else had or could.
"They are at the Quidditch game," Massimo reminded her, pressing his lips to the smooth, pale skin that covered the pulse point in her wrist. "No one else is here, farfalla, and this is as innocent as babes compared to what we've seen them do."
"We are not them. Quite above them."
Massimo sighed, but pulled his mouth away, not wanting to upset her. "We are. If you turn back around, then I will hold you as you read." That they had done so many times over the years that no one gave them a second look now. Much the same as when she slipped into his bed at night; a habit that had started at Hogwarts when she was afraid of her surroundings. It seemed as natural as breathing to them now... even if over half of them were fully aware of just how Massimo looked at Caterina. But she was shaking her head, lip caught between her teeth. "No? Then what do you want?"
The hand he was not holding came to his face and pulled it down to hers for a kiss that was as delicate and soft as she was. Massimo's eyes drifted shut, his hand going to the small of her back to support her as he returned the kiss, every bit as gentle as he always was, always would be, with her. His butterfly.
Prompt: 09. Risk
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,369
Characters: Massimo Burke, Mafalda Hopkirk, Scorpius Malfoy, Caterina Burke
Summary: It's the final Quidditch match of the season, but Massimo stays in Ravenclaw Tower with a gift he bought in Hogsmeade.
Notes/Warnings: *hums* ASoIaF seriously poisoned my mind; this is mild incest.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling. But quite modified in most cases by their individual writers at Founders or my perception of them.
The table was loud at breakfast as it only got when a Quidditch match was going to take place. Massimo grinned along with his housemates and talked about the likelihood of them winning the match against Hufflepuff. Yes, the other team had good players (and one absolutely terrifying Beater), but eagles flew higher as Scorpius had been all too fond of saying since first year. It was easy to talk about Quidditch with them and make the predictions, especially since his sister was not at the table. She had never cared for the sport - it was too violent - and did not know as much about it as the others did. "You coming down to watch us roll over the badgers, Massimo?" Mafalda asked politely.
Massimo shook his head. "Sadly not, I've something else to get done today."
"Curse research I bet," Scorpius snorted, rolling his eyes. "Don't get why you want to take over that ratty old shop."
"Funny to hear that from a Malfoy, you've always been our best customers." Everyone else around the table chuckled, some more nervous than others. Massimo's fascination with cursed objects and curses in general was not unknown and it seemed to make them almost reluctant to cross him. Especially those who knew that he thought them on the same level as Muggles. "But no, nothing to do with curses. Homework." That earned him a murmur of sympathies and a few claps on the shoulder as his housemates started for the Quidditch Pitch. It was the final match of the season so almost the entire school would be down there and certainly all of Ravenclaw. Except for one.
Massimo slipped a hand into his robe pocket, smiling as he stood and started for the Common Room where the only other Ravenclaw who would miss the Quidditch game would be.
He did not even have to think to answer the question the door knocked asked him, so many years of doing so had made it more of a habit than anything else. Though it was always entertaining when others tried to get in. They actually had to think their way around the answers. Stepping in his eyes went to the fireplace. It burned merrily, sending off waves of heart that most people did not need. But the girl curled up on the chair in front of it did, even with the thick quilt she had tucked over her lap. He was glad to see that she was not taking any chances. Her health mattered more than anything.
Standing there in the doorway he waited until she noticed that she was no longer alone. "Mio forza," Caterina said at last, looking over the back of her chair at him, surprise in her eyes. "I thought you were going to watch the match with the others." As always when they were speaking, she had slipped into Italian.
"I decided I'd rather spend it with you," Massimo replied.
Her face broke into a beautiful smile and she held her arms up for him. "Then come sit with me."
As he always did, Massimo crossed the room to his sister. She was the older by nearly a year but she had always been so much smaller. He slid onto the chair, under the quilt she had lifted and allowed her to shift so that her back was to him and his arms encircled her easily. Fragile and delicate and so beautiful... "I have something for you," he whispered against her ear, pulling one of his arms back so that he could reach into his pocket. "No, close your eyes," he chided as she tried to turn. "It's a surprise."
"Alright," Caterina conceded, closing her eyes. "Even if it isn't my birthday."
"I saw it in Hogsmeade last weekend and got it for you since you couldn't go." It had been raining and cold, not the sort of weather that had ever been safe for Caterina to venture out in. Not only would the cold weaken her system, the road would turn to mud and make it more likely for her to slip and fall, hurting herself. He took one of her hands and pressed the gift into it. "Look, farfalla."
He may not have been able to see her reaction but he felt the slight tremble that ran through her and heard the delighted gasp. "Massimo, it's beautiful!" A small pendant in the shape of a butterfly, made of silver with wings of sapphire. He had meant to get her one for years now. "Put it on for me?"
"Of course." Massimo accepted the necklace back, brushing her hair out of the way before clasping it around her slender neck. He leaned forward to kiss that neck, smiling at the way she trembled. "Turn and let me see, Caterina." She obeyed, looking up at him shyly through her long lashes. "It suits you, farfalla." Butterfly. He had first called her that when they were both much younger. He had seen his first butterfly as it lay dying, wings torn by a strong breeze, and thought it so beautiful. She had fallen ill not long after as she sometimes did; as fragile and beautiful as the butterfly. Their mother had thought it adorable and their father had scoffed at such a silly name, but Caterina had loved it.
"I love it," she informed him, fingers touching it lightly. "You are so thoughtful." Her fingers went up to his face, stroking so softly against his skin, tracing his lips. "Skipping the Quidditch match to give me this and spend time with me... every girl should be so lucky."
"No," he disagreed, fingers sliding from her neck to the smooth skin of her arm and up to her hand, holding it to his mouth so that he could kiss each finger softly. Each brush brought another small tremble to Caterina's body. Not the sort that worried him, the sort that he had only begun seeing and feeling not quite a year ago when she had kissed him that first time, bringing dreams to life. "Only you should be."
She gave a small sigh, eyes drifting closed when his kisses moved to her palm. "Only I am." She fell silent until his breath grazed her wrist. "Massimo, mio farzo, you shouldn't do that here," her voice was a breath. It was nothing compared to what some of their housemates did in plain sight, but they both knew that they could not get away with what they could. No one else seemed to understand and they were not expected to. They were not of the same family, they had not seen all that had wracked Caterina's short life and how Massimo had been the only true constant. He knew her weaknesses, he knew her as no one else had or could.
"They are at the Quidditch game," Massimo reminded her, pressing his lips to the smooth, pale skin that covered the pulse point in her wrist. "No one else is here, farfalla, and this is as innocent as babes compared to what we've seen them do."
"We are not them. Quite above them."
Massimo sighed, but pulled his mouth away, not wanting to upset her. "We are. If you turn back around, then I will hold you as you read." That they had done so many times over the years that no one gave them a second look now. Much the same as when she slipped into his bed at night; a habit that had started at Hogwarts when she was afraid of her surroundings. It seemed as natural as breathing to them now... even if over half of them were fully aware of just how Massimo looked at Caterina. But she was shaking her head, lip caught between her teeth. "No? Then what do you want?"
The hand he was not holding came to his face and pulled it down to hers for a kiss that was as delicate and soft as she was. Massimo's eyes drifted shut, his hand going to the small of her back to support her as he returned the kiss, every bit as gentle as he always was, always would be, with her. His butterfly.