He remained quiet as she tucked the parchment away, resisting the urge to ask where she'd be taking it and who else would be seeing it. It was one thing for her to let the investigative team know that she had her suspicions about the culprits, but another to explain why. He didn't want anyone in the Ministry knowing that he'd defended her in the pawn shop, purchased jewelry to return to her, apparated her into a dark alleyway to protect them from the owner's thugs. It was embarrassing... and made him feel a little vulnerable. A little weak. He hated it.

At her question, he squirmed in his seat until he pulled his arm free from where he'd tucked it. Slowly and with great care he rose from the chair, coming to stand less an foot away from her. He looked at her wordlessly for a minute, and then reached down and begin unbuttoning his first from the neck down. He paused about halfway, enough to pull the fabric to one side of his shoulder completely. He exposed the skin there, putting on display the black marks that began at the top of his arm from under the fabric of the sleeve, across his shoulder and collarbone, and down he front of his chest. They stopped right above where the buttons began, which also happened to be where the pain ended.

"It knocked me out," he said seriously, quietly. "I haven't gone anywhere else, and nobody has any reason to go snooping. Make that clear to your people." Really, anything he wanted to hide he could get rid of before the Ministry came looking, but it was inconvenient and he didn't want to deal with that.

---

  

---

set by lady <3

Rowan's eyes followed him as he got up, and she put a hand out, about to encourage him to keep sitting until she saw the expression on his face. Devoid of any teasing or any sign that what was about to come out of his mouth was mocking in any way, Rowan stayed quiet. She was beginning to feel rather uneasy as he merely looked at her, contemplating something she couldn't understand.

For all the guesses in the world, Rowan was absolutely not prepared for what he started to do.

Her lips parted as a protest made its way out of her mouth, but any such objection died in her throat as her eyes caught the mark on his chest. As he revealed exactly what the cursed object had done, Rowan stared in horror - there was little else to do but stand there, with her mouth in a small 'o' as her gaze trailed the lines that marked him. It was the only thing that she could look at, as it spread across his chest, strands of black spidering out like black ink; the tendrils splintered off into such thin branches it eventually became hard to tell where the scar ended and where it began. And there was...what looked like a sinister glint to the scar; almost like the sheen of dull coal that she could see shimmering on top of the mark. "I'm so sorry..." She murmured, almost mesmerized by the mark the cursed dagger had made. It was only when she realized how close they were that she also found her hand outstretched, her fingers paused just between them as if they were about to reach out and brush against his scar.

Not only that, but she could see the scar marring the contours of what could only be a rather muscular figure, and she immediately withdrew her hand as if it had touched against an invisible iron. She could feel her cheeks burning. "I don't think... I mean that is I must take a look at the premises to ensure no lasting spells were cast on the building or any of it's rooms." The authority with which she attempted to speak had weakened, and she cleared her throat.

---

  

---

He wasn't ashamed or embarrassed by the scars; as a young boy he'd wished he had more, thinking it would make him look even more roguish or handsome. Part of him—maybe stupidly so—was convinced that the healers would be able to remove most of the discoloration, because he, Raphael Malfoy, could not possibly be left this scarred. It was hard to feel ugly in that moment, though, even with her staring in horror, because her hand had reached out between them and he could practically feel his skin tingling in the places he imagined her fingertips might land. When she withdrew her hand, the tingling ceased, but his heart continued to pound furiously against his chest.

It seemed she'd slipped, too. The authoritativeness was lost from her tone, giving him an opening. He leaned down just enough that he could use his height as an intimidation tactic while still being able to look her in the eye.

"If you need to look somewhere, I'll be the one taking you there," he said firmly, unwilling to budge on that front.

---

  

---

set by lady <3

Rowan withdrew, but only to the point where she leaned back slightly to meet his gaze with her own sudden glower as he towered over her. Honestly, just because he had an advantage of height over her didn't mean he had to go and try to intimidate her. Despite the fact that if he leaned over any further she would be forced to take a step back, Rowan corrected her posture, her jaw clenched; whatever had passed between them might as well have apparated away, for the twinge of annoyance she always seemed to feel when he was anywhere near her was back. "It's usually customary for residents of the house to do so." She bit out, all softness in her voice gone as well as she adjusted the bag on her shoulder.

She had a sudden overwhelming urge to hit him with it, but promptly got rid of this energy by spinning on her heel and marching to the cabinet, fishing another tube out of her bag to take the artifact with them. Levitating it into the pocket, she stoppered the container and put it in her bag as well. "Now if you're quite ready, please escort me upstairs."

---

  

---

Eyes narrowing, he gave her a sarcastic little smile and stepped to the side, purposefully angling himself away from her so she wouldn't see the grimace of pain that crossed his face as he did so. The last thing he wanted was to escort her around his home, playing tour guide while she looked for evidence that wasn't there. Wasn't the letter enough proof? Wasn't this room enough? Obviously he'd been unconscious long enough to lose sight of how far-reaching the damage could have been, but all she needed to do was figure out where all the servants were at the time he touched the dagger. He doubted she'd accept that, though.

He carefully re-buttoned his shirt as he made his way towards the door, not bothering to see if she was following. "Don't touch anything," he said sourly, pausing in the corridor that led to the foyer and the staircase.

---

  

---

set by lady <3

Yet again she fought to remain professional and not snap back at him that of course she wouldn't touch anything unless they both wanted to end up in St. Mungo's. It also occurred to her that as a professional onsite, her word would likely be headed if she made the recommendation for him to be seen at St. Mungo's for at least a night. Rowan could feel the corners of her mouth twitching at the potential of seeing the absolutely outraged look on his face if she did such a thing. Whether she would was honestly dependent upon how Malfoy behaved in the next little bit.

"You needn't tell me to go playing with objects that I clearly know nothing about." She said waspishly as they ascended the stairs. She kept a few paces behind him though, and her gaze skimmed over the contents of the corridor for anything that could be potentially dangerous or a result of the catastrophe that had wreaked havoc on the cottage.

---

The following 1 user Likes Rowan Yaxley's post:1 user Likes Rowan Yaxley's post
   Raphael Malfoy

---

The cottage in Cumbria was nothing compared to his parents' home in London, but this was his. His father had allowed him the space to live in and call his own since he'd retired from quidditch, and he was protective of it. Having her here had him on edge—and more more reasons than one. He didn't want her opinions on the wallpaper or the décor choices, and certainly didn't want her comments about the portraits of him and his family that lined the wall along the staircase. It would be best if she remained silent altogether.

But that was impossible, because this was Yaxley. As he led the way up the stairs he threw a glance over his shoulder, trying to gauge her expression. "I never know with you," he replied dryly, pausing as he came to the top step to give her a moment to catch up.

---

  

---

set by lady <3

Not for the last time that day, Rowan gritted her teeth and bit back another scathing response. He never knew with her? Honestly, he'd been the one to open a bloody threatening letter from someone he obviously had reason to be cautious of! To distract herself from his insufferable attitude, Rowan's gaze drifted to the walls of the staircase. Portraits of his family lined the crisp wallpaper, and Rowan found herself under the stern gaze of most of the members of the family. Though she'd only seen them either from far away or passing by, having their eyes on her - even if they were portraits - was...unsettling. She tried to avoid the gaze of one particular family member, and instead decided to focus merely on her feet.

Mercifully, they were at the top of the staircase, and Rowan was able to finally take her eyes off of her feet and focus in front of — "Oh —" She'd been so intent on not looking at the portraits that she'd reached the top only to nearly avoid colliding with Malfoy. "Sorry." She said automatically, momentarily forgetting she was supposed to be mad at him.

---

  

---

He never knew with her, and it seemed he had good reason; to his amusement she came to a sudden halt in front of him, the tip of shoes brushing against his, their bodies separated by mere inches. His eyebrows shot up as if to demonstrate his point, and at her sorry his neutral expression was broken by the half-smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Distracted?" he taunted, adding a little tut tut noise for added effect.

---

  

---

set by lady <3

And just like that, her resolve was back and her expression hardened immediately at the smirk on his face - as if he knew exactly what had caused the slight flush to rise in her cheeks. "Yes, I'm afraid you're blocking the way and I feel as if I'm about to fall down these stairs." She said, pushing the most pragmatic tone she could through her teeth. Her hand gripped the stair railing as she attempted to angle her shoulder away as if that would help. "If you could show me where to go, I would greatly appreciate it. I have a job to do, and I haven't got all day."

---

  

---

He didn't even try to hide his eyeroll. "Are you always so bossy with the victims of magical explosions whose houses you visit?" he asked, stepping aside to allow her to pass. Instead of walking in front of her this time he walked by her side, his gaze flickering between the different console tables they passed every now and then. There was always something on display, usually some family artefact that was protected glass, preventing any visitors from touching. There were also other things, though—smaller portraits of him as a child, a wedding photo of his mother and father, a long tapestry detailing the family tree hanging above one console instead of sitting atop it. They were little bits of his life that he doubted she would pay much attention to, and yet the idea of her doing just that sparked a panic in his chest.

"You're free to check through the doors if you'd like. Most are empty guest bedrooms and sitting rooms in this wing," he offered, continuing to walk. He knew she'd likely say no, although there was always the chance she'd want to. He still wasn't sure what she was looking for, but he wouldn't mind wandering the house in familiar patterns until she was satisfied.

---

  

---

set by lady <3

"Only those who seek to antagonize me when I'm only trying to do my job." She shot back at him with another contemptuous eye roll as he fell into step with her. Of course, the hallway was also quite lavish, decorated with side tables and mirrors - forget the fact that she'd forgotten to brush her hair that morning, which meant looking in the mirrors would only serve to remind her how out of place she was in a cottage like this. As they passed one side table, a picture caught her eye of a stern looking boy — obviously a younger Raphael Malfoy. There was little time to stay and focus on it, as much as she'd have liked to stop and tease him for being able to sit that long for a portrait.

Even so, a smile glanced across Rowan's face, and she turned slightly away from him to hide it. Thankfully he finally seemed to give her space to work, and she nodded. "Right, then." With a wave of her wand, all the doors down the hall fluttered open and Rowan began by going up to the first one - what looked like a sitting room - and began clockwise, raising her wand and muttering incantations under her breath. Soon after, though: "This room's clear." She said, before heading back out to start on the others.

---

  

---

”It seems I needn’t try too hard,” he observed. It seemed being in her presence was enough to bother her most times. Fortunately for him (but perhaps less so for her), he wasn’t put off by her attitude—in fact, it seemed to fuel him.

He rolled his eyes every time she announced another door was clear. How many would she have to go through before figuring out that the rest of the house had been untouched by the curse? Perhaps she’d simply wanted a reason to snoop. Seemed in character for her.

They came to the end of the hall quickly enough, the last door different from the others. Its handle was silver-toned rather than copper, and the chestnut wood was engraved with the Malfoy family crest instead of the standard decorative etchings that marked the others as guest rooms.

“No need to go in there,” he said in a low voice, his hand darting out to rest in the space behind her back, as if he was considering physically guiding her away, before changing his mind. “I’m sure that one’s safe.”

---

  

---

set by lady <3

The rest of the rooms proved to be curse free, but - and she wouldn't admit to him - there were a few tricky spells she had to cast in order to get rid of a few...things, hanging around in the air. The spells she'd cast had done the job so there was little point in attempting to explain it to him. What was done was done.

Once reached the last door, she noted the difference in this one with the other ones she'd approached. This one was much more ornate, but in a subtle way. The door knob was silver carved with filigree so delicate that Rowan was worried if she even touched it that it would fall off. His warning halted her in her tracks and she frowned. Not going in was certainly not an option, but she didn't want to be completely rude. Or at least more so than she had been previously.

There was something in his voice that made her turn around. "I have to check, it's not something I even have a choice over." She responded firmly, though she tried to leave any sort of indignation out of her voice. Why didn't he want her to go in there?

---

  

---

He gritted his teeth at her words, but surprised himself by saying nothing to dissuade her. He had nothing to hide, he knew; this was less about his own privacy and more about wanting to preserve what what left of propriety. But then again, they had been in far more compromising positions…

He caught her eye as he stepped past her to open the door, and kept her gaze as he pushed the chestnut door opened and stepped through the threshold.

The room was notably larger than the others. The walls were covered in silver, black, and green, alternating between detailed wallpapers and solid blocks of color. The furniture was chestnut to match the door, and the bed—well, it was large enough for three or four bodies despite the fact that only one ever slept beneath the jade duvet.

It might not have been identifiable as anyone specific’s, except for the paintings and portraits that lined the walls. Some looked more classic—some of famous moments in magical history painted in a Raphaelite style, while others depicted quidditch pitches and were enchanted to mimic the thrill of a heated game—but others were personal. One was similar to the ones on the staircase, only they depicted a late-teens Raphael surrounded by his three sisters. The last was of the family home in London, enchanted so the window periodically opened to reveal a figure that was similar to that of his mother.

“I keep enchantments placed on it. Should be safe from outside curses,“ he said quietly, his eyes still on her. He wanted to see the moment she realized she’d overstepped, at least by her standards.

---

  

---

set by lady <3

This room was larger than her entire living room. Rowan couldn't help but walk into it with a slightly stunned expression. It was - well, beautiful. The rich chestnut contrasted beautifully with the decor. She didn't need to glance at the portraits on the wall to know that this was his room - what he hadn't wanted her to go into in the first place. Her eyes skimmed over the bed, though noted the beautiful engravings on the furniture. So this is why he hadn't wanted her to go in there. As much as she wanted to tease him, the last they'd talked, she had refused to let him even walk her home.

"Smart," She commented absently, unaware this was likely the first time she had ever told him that. She was too distracted by finally seeing the decorations on the wall. She recognized the Raphaelite style paintings and stopped to marvel them before her eye caught the picture of him and his sisters. She didn't know them too well, but anyone would know they were Malfoy's just by looking at them. There was little time to look further, though, and she raised her wand, muttering under breath. Indeed there wasn't much that she could do, just as he said. But as she circled back around, she found herself pinned under his gaze and she lowered her wand slowly, feeling immediately uncomfortable. "Yes?" She inquired.

---

  

---