Protected Ivory [2]

Two

"Ivy!" Draco exclaimed, running down the stairs and throwing his arms around me. "About time."

"You and I both know there is no way to stop Severus on a war path," I said, rolling my eyes as Lucius followed behind me with my trunk suspended in the air. "So many ingredients."

"Honestly, I think he punish was too light," Lucius growled, giving me a dark look. I cringed, not meeting his eyes. The way over here had been tense, despite my best efforts to lighten to mood. 

"I don't think I'm forgiven," I muttered after watching Lucius go up the stairs. I heard him set my trunk in my room, loudly, and then his study door slam shut. "Nope, definitely not forgiven."

Draco offered me a smiled, his blonde hair in desperate need of a trim. "He's really been grumpy since Severus told him what happened."

"I should go talk to him," I said, taking the stairs a few at a time before Draco could stop me. I paused at the door, not because I was leery of Lucius, but because his study brought back haunted memories. I shook my head and knocked on the door, but I didn't hear an answer. "Lucius, you're going to have to talk to me eventually."

"Come in," I heard him grunt after a few tense moments. I opened the door, surprised that it was fairly dark in his study. I blinked a few times to get my eyes adjusted, but they strayed to the spot I was dreading. The day bed, which sat near the wall, had been where I woke up, practically naked and scared, screaming for help. Narcissa had been the first one there, but Lucius had been right behind her.Him and I hadn't talked about it at all after I told him who was responsible. "I replaced it. It's a new one."

"Oh," I said, not really knowing what to say anymore. Suddenly, the reason I was there was lost to me.

"Ivy, I do have things to get done before Monday," he said, giving me his most non-interested look. I winced, that look usually saved for anyone outside family. Draco and I only saw it when we were in trouble.

"Why are you acting like this?" I asked, crossing my arms and looking at him imploringly. "You're being very short with me. Have I don't something?"

"Now that you mention it," he said, a dam seeming to burst in his eyes. "Maybe it was not telling any of us about Sirius Black. Or, maybe it was getting mauled by a werewolf. Or, better yet, maybe it was neglecting to tell us about your boyfriend. Or," he said, his face turning red as he was suddenly standing in front of me, "it's been a mix of everything."

"Lucius--"

"Did I say I was done?" I was startled, but I shook my head, not able to look away from him. He took a moment to get his emotions in check before speaking again. "It's been very hard on me, harder then I thought it would be."

"What's been harder on you?" I whispered, afraid to talk any louder. 

"I've always considered you a daughter, especially the last few years. It's just been getting hard, seeing all these bad things happen. First, hearing your screams that morning," he faltered, looking away. I had never seen Lucius this distraught over anything before. "Then, learning you had known about Sirius Black, I couldn't understand why you hadn't said anything. Then I realized it was because of what he must have said to you. Then, to hear how hurt you were by that Lupin."

"But, I'm still here," I protested, taking his hand without thinking. He seemed startled, but he didn't pull away. "I was confused about the things Sirius said to me, but I didn't mean anything by staying silent. When everything happened with Lucas, it made me think Black was right, about everything."

"When word reached us about the attack, and that you had been the one hurt, I thought my heart was going to break."

"Because there was a chance I was infected?" I asked, causing him to snort and roll his eyes.