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The sound of a door slamming echoed through the chamber. Tom Riddle continued scratching out revised orders for his faithfull inner circle of Death Eaters. He didn't concern himself with the slamming door, there were only three people who would enter his private rooms without being summoned, and only one would make enough noise to rival an enraged hippogriff. As the door to his study opened, he looked up under his lashes and smiled privately as his suspicions were confirmed.

He pretended to continue his work, instead he watched as his fourteen year old Goddaughter pilfered not only a glass of scotch but his cigarettes as well. He didn't look up as she flung herself unceremoniously into the chair across from his desk. After several minutes passed the scotch and cigarette finished, she leaned across his desk and placed the glass directly on top of his notes. Slowly he raised his head, his brown eyes tinged with crimson met her emerald and gold orbs. She held his gaze as she sank gracefully into the chair, and with a deep breath said, "I want his head, on a silver platter as a centerpiece at the dinner announcing my bonding."

"Ah, I take it your father visited today. Well, tell me what he's said that makes you ask for such a thing." He said with a small smirk. "He has refused to consider Severus' petition to bond me. He feels I would be better suited to Avery, or may the Gods forbid Mcnair." "Not to mention the fool is a spy, and honestly thinks he is getting away with it." "Which reminds me, the latest list of homes the ministry plans to raid over the next fortnight." She replied handing over a rather extensive list. He took the list, quickly scanning to make certain none of his inner circle were named and placed it with his notes. "Avery wouldn't be a bad chioce, but I understand your...hesitancy over Mcnair." He said, just to goad her a bit. Her only reply was a graceless snort following a raised eyebrow. Leaning back, he settled comfortably against the chair, and summoned his cigarettes from her hand. Or, rather tried to as she blocked the summoniong of the entire pack, allowing only one to float accross to him. A slight inclination of his head showed his aproval. A flick of her wand had the scotch sailing over to pour into his glass, and hers as well.

"Cecily won't approve your drinking, after all, you are very young according to her." He drawled contemplativly. "And you, dear uncle, should pay more attention to what occurs upstairs, Cecily left for France yesterday." She replied with a smirk. "So the domain of the young and ruthless has become a den of iniquity so soon?" He queried with a small smile. Knowing without a doubt that the suit of rooms on the third floor she shared with Severus and Lucius could most often be described as such, whether Cecily Malfoy was in residence or not. "Sev and I are thankfull that Luc has a affinity for charms, as we both enjoyed a quiet evening." She responded with a grin.

He sighed, "What do you propose Dorian, and keep in mind, as of right now Evan is the best source of information we have in the ministry." She swirled the scotch around the glass pensivly for a moment, before replying, "It wouldn't be that difficult to place someone under imperio and get the same information, and could handle the issue of Sev's initiation as well." He nodded slowly, thinking of the messages that could be sent. To have Evan Rossier killed, by a child not yet out of Hogwarts, would send a powerfull message indeed. It would easily cement the trio's place with in the ranks, and Dorians' position in paticular. "Send Lucius and Severus to me, within the hour, we will discuss it then. And before you begin pouting, I have other things to discuss with them, that you need not hear...yet." She scowled a moment before finishing her drink and with a nod of aknowledgement, she was gone.

She stepped through the door into the shared sitting room, and made straight for Luc's bedroom door. She reached for the knob, then remembered the rather nasty hex Sev had been hit with the last time Cissa had stayed overnight. Stepping to the right side of the door, she knocked loudly three times. Sure enough, she barely had time to draw back her hand before before several hexes were activated. A moment later a partialy clad, irritated Lucius Malfoy opened the door. "Afternoon, brother dear," she drawled. "I need to speak with you a moment, if you don't mind." With a nod he disappeared into his room. He returned wearing a shirt, and looking a bit more awake.

"What have you done this time baby snake?" He asked, resigned to covering for her, yet again. "I've done nothing, now go drag Sev out from under whatever rock he's crawled under while I get lunch from the elves." He watched a moment as she gave one of the elves instructions for their lunch, then turned away to find Sev.

Severus carefully doused the flames beneath his cauldron, and began cleaning up. Only to be distracted by the opening of the door. He looked up, fully expecting his girlfriend, ex-girlfriend, he reminded himself, instead he found her brother, his best friend Lucius Malfoy standing there. "I do hope you can explain Dorie's mood. The blonde drawled.

"What ever mood she is in is none of my concern." He said quietly. "What do you mean, none of your concern, you'll be bonded to her in two weeks. If anyone should be concerned with her mood it's you." Luc responded. With an exasperated sigh, Sev tossed the towel he was using to clean up his work room onto a table. "What I mean Lucius, is that Evan refused my petition, so I am no longer her boyfriend, and WILL NOT be bonded with her in two weeks. The best I can hope for at this point, is that she will manage to talk her father out of accepting any petitions untill her birthday. And even then I will still have to wait TWO BLOODY YEARS before I can petition her again." He snarled in iritation.

"No wonder she sent me to get you, she's ordering lunch, let us go and see what she has up her sleeve, shall we?" With that he left, Sev following silently in his wake.

Dorian looked up from fixing Cissa a cup of tea as they enered. She glanced at Sev, then looked at Luc, "He told you." Luc nodded, as he moved to wrap his arms around her.

"We will figure something out baby snake, I promise." He said as she snuggled against his chest with a contented sigh. She looked under his arm at Sev and said, "I already have, that's what I wanted to talk to the two of you about."

Once the four of them had taken the edge off their hunger Cissa spoke up. "So Dorie, what have you come up with?"

Carefully she wiped her mouth, then looked accross the table. "The Dark Lord wants to see the two you in about twenty minutes to discuss how best to handle this rather...irritating situation."

Sev's hand came down upon the table, causing the china to rattle ominously, "Irritating...irritating, I find this far more than irritating baby snake." He snarled. Cautiously, she got up, and went to kneel at his side. She shouldn't be doing this, it broke every pure-blood rule that had been drummed into her head since birth. His bonding petition had been rejected, he was a half-blood, but he was also the only person she wanted.

So she knelt, eyes on the floor, hands behind her back. A perfect submissive posture, she heard Cissa gasp to her left, but Luc shushed her quickly enough. She waited, it took a few seconds, though it felt like hours with the blood pounding in her ears, all the reasons she shouldn't be doing this running through her head like a snitch during a championship game, then his hand was stroking her hair. Another moment, and he was gently tugging at her hair, forcing her to look up at him. "You shouldn't be doing this." He said calmly. She smiled and glanced over at Luc, "I think this can stay between us, and perhaps after you speak with uncle it won't need to be." "We should be going Sev." Luc said, getting to his feet. Severus leaned down and kissed her forehead, "We will be back soon, and we will discuss your appalling breach of etiquite then." He said with a small smirk.