Dahlia looked from Lucius to Madeira and back. As soon as she had figured out what had happened she broke out in laughter.
"So you think this is funny?" Malfoy hissed at Dahlia.
Dahlia was not able to reply to that since she couldn't stop laughing and only nodded while she clutched her stomach.
"I – I'm sorry Mister Malfoy. This is just a terrible mistake," Madeira said.
Lucius was a handsome man; there was no arguing that. Finding him naked in the shower however, had left her speechless, something that normally didn't happen to Madeira. The shame she felt was clearly visible on her face.
Lucius' eyes narrowed and he lifted his chin as he exhaled noisily through his nose. Just as he was about to stride out of the room, Dahlia stopped laughing and stopped him by putting both her hands on his bare chest.
"Lucius, listen…" she started but the menacing look in his eyes made her withdraw her hands. She had played with him but she had never forgotten that she was dealing with a powerful wizard. As soon as Dahlia's hands were gone, Lucius passed by and went into the bedroom where he started dressing himself.
"Dahlia, look, I'm terribly sorry. I thought it was you in the shower. I didn't think that he would still be here," Madeira explained.
"It's okay Madeira. It really is. I'll just go talk to him," Dahlia said. She smiled at her friend but she felt a knot forming in her stomach. After all, she had to come up with a very plausible explanation for what Madeira was doing here.
When Dahlia entered the bedroom, Lucius was nearly dressed, his back turned towards her.
"Lucius, listen to me," Dahlia started again but he quickly turned around.
"You are in no position to command what I can or cannot do," he hissed at her.
Dahlia realized that words alone weren't enough to soothe him. She walked to her bedside table, took her wand out of the top drawer and went to stand in the doorway, blocking the only exit.
As Lucius had finished dressing, he walked over to the doorway, determined that Dahlia would get out of his way. He was only a few paces from her when she suddenly raised her wand.
"Dahlia, I advice you to think carefully before you act. I'm at least twice as powerful as you are," Lucius sneered.
"I know but may I remind you that I have the upper hand here? Your cane containing your wand is still in the other room where you left it last night. I can hex you before you can lay a finger on me," she said.
Lucius said nothing but simply crossed his arms over his chest. In Dahlia's opinion, this was a good sign. His facial expression showed that he was still utterly annoyed but it looked like he was prepared to listen.
"Good. Thank you. Like Madeira tried to explain, this is all a big misunderstanding. This is not my apartment - it's hers. I only lived here for a week since my parents have some important visitors from abroad and they needed my room. Madeira has been living with my brother Raidon to give me some privacy," Dahlia explained in a soft tone so as not to anger him even more.
"I-I didn't know that Dahlia had a guest, Mister Malfoy," came Madeira's voice from the bathroom door.
Lucius spun around and looked intently at her through narrowed eyes. It was very impolite to interrupt someone but there was not much he could do - or at least not just now. Dahlia had a warning look in her eyes but Madeira new very well what she would say. She had spent her time in the bathroom thinking it over and over.
"I just stopped by to invite Dahlia for breakfast. But since I couldn't find her in bed and heard the water running, I thought that she was in the shower. You both have the same hair colour so it was a mistake easily made," Madeira continued nervously.
"And you always open the shower door when your friend is in there," Lucius remarked with a raised eyebrow.
"For Merlin's sake, Lucius, we're best friends. We don't have secrets towards each other," Dahlia spoke. She had lowered her wand but remained in the doorway.
"Well, if you ladies will excuse me now. I have a meeting coming up," Lucius said.
This time, Dahlia let him pass. He had listened to them and seemed to have bought their lie. She followed him into the living room where he had fetched his cane and gloves. He was about to reach the front door when Dahlia said: "Lucius, wait"
"What now?" he growled as he turned around to face her.
"Truce?" she asked as she reached out her hand.
Lucius looked at it like it was something he trod in but shook it - although he squeezed her hand a little harder than necessary.
"For now," he said and left with a dramatic sweep of his robes, slamming the door behind him.
Dahlia sighed heavily and jumped a bit when she felt Madeira's hand on her shoulder. She turned around and the friends looked into each other's eyes. They kept looking at each other and soon burst out in laughter.
"By Merlin, Dahlia. I didn't know you could lie so well and you were so brave to Lucius Malfoy!" Madeira said.
"Come, Madeira. I'll make you some breakfast and I'll tell you all you want to know," Dahlia said with a smile as she took her friend by the arm and went into the kitchen.
With a simple flick of a wand and a mumbled 'Reparo', Dahlia fixed the broken cup and quickly cleaned the spilled tea.
"Now tell me, Dahlia. I'm in agony here! How is to have sex with the great Mister Malfoy?" Madeira said as she gestured Dahlia to sit down in the chair opposite hers.
The two friends spent the next couple of hours chatting like typical girls. Every little detail was revealed; even the intertwined snakes on his lower back but Madeira had seen them for herself.
"Madeira, what were you actually doing here?" Dahlia asked after a while.
"Raidon had to get up early and he was so nice to wake me up as well. After he left, I couldn't sleep anymore and thought I'd invite you for breakfast. That wasn't a lie in fact," Madeira answered.
The girls decided to enjoy the rest of the day by spoiling themselves and planned to spend their time shopping. Before they could head off to Diagon Alley, Dahlia had to go home to change clothes and pick up some things.
Once outside, Lucius had disapperated from the building. He was utterly annoyed by the way Dahlia had treated him. She knew him, thus she ought to know that she had to pay him a bit more respect then she had just done. That friend of hers had at least enough brains to address him properly. He had recognized her from the evening before in The Three Broomsticks and knew that her family was of pure blood too.
He apperated just outside the gates of Malfoy Manor and strode up the driveway towards the entrance. Lucius wasn't surprised to find the house empty except for the house-elves. Draco was still at Hogwarts and Narcissa probably hadn't returned from her own nightly adventures.
Lucius helped himself to a glass of firewhiskey and sat down in his favourite armchair by the fire in the drawing room, his feet resting on a footstool and his eyes fixed on the flames that danced in the fireplace. He had nearly dozed off when he suddenly screamed in agony and clutched his arm as he swore under his breath.