Of Doves and Dragons

Chapter Eighteen: Delicate Affairs

"It was a lie when they smiled and said you won't feel a thing."

-My Chemical Romance, Disenchanted

They were both harshly pulled from their sleep by the slamming of the sliding doors thrusting open.

Draco groaned at the sound, his head throbbing from the swelling due to the Firewhiskey. Ember sat up immediately, her eyes wide and aware as Lucius stood in the doorway, looking at them disapprovingly.

Draco blearily blinked his eyes open once he felt Ember shift next to him and turned his eyes onto the intruder of their peaceful sleep. Shit. When he had given into sleep last night he paid no mind to the idea that his father could catch them in the morning.

Lucius pursed his lips at the couple. One of the house elves had informed him of their whereabouts when he had found their room empty. He walked into the room and casually grasped the bottle of Fergus's Firewhiskey and tisked, "If you were going to swipe some of my liquor you could have at least stolen some of the good stuff."

Ember gulped and wrung her hands together, very much not liking the way the morning was starting out. Was it even still morning? There were no windows in the parlor and she felt as if she had been sleeping for years.

Draco groaned again but noticed that his father was dressed in black robes that indicated that he was leaving the manor, "Do I need to come with you?"

He hadn't felt the strange pinch on his dark mark but knew that his father was going to the Dark Lord.

"No." He stated, and Draco felt himself relax further into his pillow at the wonderful news, "I'm here for Ember."

Like being doused in cold water, Draco flung up like a sentry on duty. "What do you mean, you're here for Ember?"

He looked over to the girl in question and could see the worry cloud over her eyes as she stared at his father.

"I have been requested to bring her."

"But I didn't feel anything!" Draco protested clambering up from the ground.

Lucius rolled his eyes, meticulously placing the Firewhiskey back on the bar, "That's because you are not invited."

"There is no way she is leaving without me. Invited or not, I'm going." Draco glared. Draco paced across the room, glaring indignantly.

"You are not." Lucius scowled, twirling his cane in his hand. "Now stop acting like a child."

"No!" Draco shouted, "He can't just request her without me!"

"You don't get a say!" Lucius roared.

Draco bristled, his nostrils flaring. Ember's eyes ran from one Malfoy to the other. The tension that was always between the two was bending in a way it usually didn't. Draco didn't usually outwardly oppose his father. It had never been worth the backlash. That was back when the consequences where childish, now they were life or death. She couldn't go to Voldemort without him. He wouldn't leave her alone to that fate, even if it meant staring the cold eyes of his father down.

Ember slowly got up to her feet. "It's okay," She spoke strongly, meeting her father-in-law's eyes over Draco's shoulder.

"No it's not!" Draco twisted to face her, eyes liquid skies before a storm.

She felt a sadness wash through her. Here he was, arguing with his father, trying to protect her. There was nothing that could protect them. He knew that better than anyone yet he was desperately sticking his neck out for her. She shook her head. It was black and white, there was no room for grey; it would only mean torment.