Full Summary: After the sudden death of her parents the then four-year-old Lilith went to live with her only living relatives. As she grew up beside her cousin it became obvious to her that appearances meant everything in the world her family belonged to, arranged marriages were commonplace, and her orphan status didn't change the fact that she had her own marriage approaching to a man she barely even knew let alone loved. As part of the Malfoy line though she listened to her uncle and soon found herself as bed fellow to a male that half the time wouldn't even look at her. DM/BZ BZ/OC

Disclaimer: All characters but for Lilith and her parents belong to J.K. Rowling, I'm just glad that she lets them come out to play from time to time! Any flaw in character or setting is entirely mine and I do hope you can forgive them for the sake of the story.

Prologue

Lucius slowly made his way into the study his niece was in with a few bags, she stood there a confused look on her tiny face as she clutched her stuffed dragon to her chest. The little girl was just so young, he was out of his element at the moment thinking this would have been easier for him had she been a boy… Boys didn't cry so easily in his experience. His Draco was only a few months older than her but still he'd never had to tell his boy that his parents were dead as he was about to have to do with the pixie of a girl.

The girl looked up at him blinking without a word; she looked so much like his baby sister when she was that age that he almost called his little Lilith, Naarai. It was an old tradition in their family to name daughters after angels, Lilith was the exception. Naarai had originally picked out Meldoy after the Arch of Music but that hope had been dashed when Abraxas pointed out that she was "of the devil" for being not on conceived but born out of wedlock.

"Uncle." That soft trusting voice stopped him mid-step with just one single word. "Yes baby?"

"I don't understand Uncle… Why aren't mommy and daddy here too?"

This beautiful little four-year-old was breaking him as no other ever had with that simple innocent question. Those soft blue eyes… 'Malfoy eyes.' He thought grimly as she blinked at him waiting for an answer to one of the hardest questions he'd been asked in his entire life. Lucius moved sitting down in a chair near her before he reached out and lifted her off the ground placing her on his knee. He gently smoothed her wild pale blonde locks out of her face. "Lili… Princess there was an accident and you are coming here to live. I'm sorry but mommy and daddy aren't coming." He told her softly.

"You mean just for now? They'll come get me later?" She asked him tears slowly filling her eyes as she looked up at him.

Lucius shook his head pain and loss tearing at him, "I'm sorry baby they can't come back."

"No… NO! You're lying!" She screamed at him as the tears finally broke free cascading down her face as she ran quickly from the room and him, no doubt on a search for her cousin.

"She's scared." He heard the voice before he saw her, his wife Narcissa had spoken in a soft tone of voice but her presence always seemed to make her heard. A second later she was walking into the room from the door that Lilith had so quickly run out of. Lucius looked at his wife watching her as she crossed the room to the snifter of Fire Whiskey on a table there. She pulled the crystal stopper out and turned over to glasses pouring a quarter of a glass for herself and a little more for her husband before putting that stopper back in the bottle. She turned both glasses in her hands as she made her way to her husband handing him one. "She probably went to Draco. You know those two have always been more best friends than cousins. Your sister's influence I presume." She said smiling sadly at the last comment.

"I can only assume so my dear." He said even though he knew his wife to be teasing him, "Draco will calm her down, he always has given time." He said with a sigh as he took a drink from the glass he'd been handed.

It was hours later that the elder Malfoy male made his way up the stairs, it was not only time for dinner but he wanted to make sure his son had had plenty of time to calm his slightly younger cousin. Lucius opened the door only to come to a halt seeing the two children curled together fast asleep on the bed.

Lili it seemed had cried herself to sleep whereas the tough guy "I'll take care of you" look on his sleeping son's face was neither a surprise nor was it scary. It was actually rather adorable on a child of four and Lucius knew at that moment how everything had gone between the two of them with just the look on his son's face. He shook his head leaving them there to sleep just as they were; his tiny niece and her fierce guardian.

~I'll protect you Lila… Promise.~

Draco