AN: Checked my stats page today and I've had visitors from as far as Argentina and India! Wow! Please R&R and as always Enjoy!
"How many times do I have to tell you?" Lucius snarled "Do not draw attention to yourself!"
Draco was slumped in a chair whilst Mink was tending to his injuries
"Just because Potter vouched for us, does not mean we are free to act as we wish! What were you doing? Talking of blood status openly? Showing off to pretty girls with dark magic?"
Lucius was towering over Draco, who was not paying much attention, Lucius threw himself into a chair angrily. Mink had finished cleaning Draco and applying potions and left silently. Draco turned to his father
"It was not my fault, they provoked me" He said
"You idiot! You should not have reacted! Do you not understand that I cannot constantly cover up for you?"
Draco buried his face in his hands
"I didn't mean to, I was just having a drink, and I saw her, if her friends had stayed away…"
"You would have had your way with her!?"
"Well I didn't! Did I? Her stupid friends came over, they insulted the family name and my integrity! So I called them filthy little mudbloods and then…watchmen, everywhere. I apparated as soon as I could"
"You should not have reacted! We are not free to discuss blood status like that openly anymore. You should have left the girl be and moved on!"
"You once told me that Malfoy's always get what they want! I think you've gone soft old man! And don't think that I didn't notice you've got yourself a little whore too!"
Lucius narrowed his eyes and gripped the arm of his seat tightly for a moment, so that he could compose himself once more.
"That is different" he said, anger still pulsing through his veins "If you intend on staying I suggest you go to your room, before I cause you some damaged a few potions won't be able to fix"
For a few moments Draco stayed put, challenging Lucius, pushing him to react. He knew his father had a temper, he had witnessed his father's rages his whole life, and he had never seen him look as dangerous as he did at that moment. He rose slowly from the chair and walked carefully to his room. His room was exactly as he had left it before he went travelling, a picture of his mother was on his bedside table, he picked it up and thought about how unexpected it was when he found out that she was leaving. He had heard them arguing for hours that night and then a door slammed, he assumed correctly that his father had stormed into the study, he heard his mother rush upstairs. She burst into his room, crying
"I am leaving your father, this is too much"
Draco had pleaded with her to stay, trying to convince her that Lucius would no longer be in a mood in the morning
"It is my decision to leave, not his" she told him "Help me pack"
Draco silently had helped his mother pack all of her things into a few trunks, he watched as she boarded the Knight bus. Draco had been furious at his father for letting her leave, even after receiving an owl from her telling him not to be. Draco only had the one picture of her, in a fit of rage, Lucius had destroyed all of the other ones in the manor, he had never shown any remorse for doing so and Draco never dared to ask him about it. Draco's mind turned towards the girl that had been with his father, he was sure that he recognised her from somewhere, her eyes were so familiar, she looked young, no older than himself, come to think of it, he was sure that he had seen her at school. Yes, he had seen her at school, he was sure of it, he'd seen her in the common room a few times. She was quiet so he never paid much attention to her.
Lucius remained in the drawing room, furious that his son had had the nerve to question him about Ebony in such a way, he was trying to calm down, knowing his rages often lasted days, he didn't want Ebony to see him in such a state. He breathed deeply and slowly, staring at the unlit fireplace for an hour before going upstairs. He heard music as he passed Ebony's room, he looked in, thinking that she was still awake, instead he realised that she had fallen asleep with the radio on, he turned it off and looked at Ebony. She was breathing lightly, one of her brown curls had fallen across her face, she looked so calm and at ease. Lucius sat himself in the armchair and watched her sleep, eventually falling asleep in the armchair.
Ebony awoke feeling refreshed the next morning, she stretched her arms and legs then sat up. She turned and noticed that Lucius was fast asleep in the armchair with is head resting against the side, he was snoring softly and his hair lay messily across his face, he was still fully dressed. Ebony decided whether or not to wake him, she decided to get changed first. She had pulled a black cotton dress over her head and went back to her bedroom, Lucius had not stirred and was still sleeping happily. Ebony sat opposite him on her bed for a while, Lucius groaned in his sleep and turned to face the other way, he groaned once more and his eyes flickered open
"Wakey, wakey sleeping beauty" whispered Ebony
Lucius flashed her a small smile
"Was I there all night?" he asked
"When I fell asleep you weren't there, but you were when I woke up, so I assume so, why were you there in the first place anyway?"
"I turned your radio off, and sat down to, well, watch you sleep"
Ebony raised an eyebrow at him
"You looked so calm, it was quite sweet really"
Ebony laughed
"Draco had angered me last night, watching you helped calm me down" he said honestly
"Oh"
"He acted stupidly and attracted the attention of watchmen"
"Do you think they'll come here?"
"No, no, from the sounds of it, they were looking to find someone doing something"
Breakfast was a quiet affair neither Draco nor Lucius would look at each other, as if both were ashamed of what had what had been said the night before, Lucius had got up to leave the table when Draco finally spoke
"You were right" he said, "I apologise for what I said last night"
"Very well, let us hope that words like that do not leave your mouth again"
Lucius went into his study and Ebony went to the library, she went through her pile of books, trying to find something to read. She settled on the book called 'The portrait of Dorian Gray'. She had loved the book from the moment she read it over a year ago. Ebony had curled up and was lost in the book completely when Draco had entered the library and sat on the sofa with her
"What's that?" he asked
"A book" she said, "it's good"
"Really?"
"Oh yes, I've been in Love with this story since I first read it"
Draco just looked blankly
"Here" Ebony said, thrusting the book into his hands "Read it yourself, it's very good"
"But, I thought you were reading it?"
"I've read it before, so many times, you should read it"
She got up from the sofa and walked to the door, she turned around and saw Draco was still just holding the book
"Trust me. It's good. Read it" she said before leaving.
Ebony wandered off to the study, Lucius looked as if he had been expecting her, she sat in the chair opposite him
"Not much to do today?" she asked
"Not really, I have an RSPV to write, I've been invited to a charity dinner next week, what do you think of it?"
"You should go, it will be good for you"
"You're sure of that?"
"Yes"
"And, you'll be okay without me"
"Go!"
"Okay, yes, I will go then"
Lucius hurriedly wrote out an RSPV and sent it then proceeded to read over a report on Goblin liaisons that he had to finish. Ebony was bored and had started to levitate objects on Lucius' desk. She had a stick of envelope wax hovering in front of her eyes, spinning slowly when Lucius distracted her
"Ebony, Ebony! I need that" He said
She had not noticed how it had kept moving out of his reach whenever he went to grab it
"Oh, sorry" she said and let it drop into his hand.
There was still tension between the two Malfoy men that evening, conversation was very forced, eventually they retired to the drawing room and Lucius summoned a bottle of firewhiskey.
"Have you seen your mother recently" Lucius asked coldly
"Yes, I stayed with her last week" Draco replied
"Is she well"
"She's doing great considering she's had to take a job at a muggle shop, she has a boyfriend too, his name is Patrick" Draco was trying to antagonise his father
Lucius nodded and asked nothing more of Narcissa. They drank in silence for a while, Lucius topped up anyone's glass when it seemed to be empty, once the first bottle was finished, the conversation went more naturally, Draco was talking about all of the places that he had been and girls that he had met. Ebony could feel herself getting drunk.
"You know what" She said "I'm gonna go to bed, before I get paralytic"
"Stay for one more drink!" Lucius said
"No, I don't think I should"
"But you must"
"FINE! One more, and that's it, I'm off"
Ebony downed her final drink in one go and stood up, Lucius stood up too. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to him, she was rigid with shock
"Good night" he said
"Good night, Lucius" She said back to him before going upstairs to change into a night gown and get into bed.
