Birdie

Chapter 12

Violet's PoV:

The addictive feeling of Draco's hand slinging lazily around my waist brought me back to what was happening. Although it was a touch solely to sell the lie that I was Draco's girlfriend, the contact offered a sense of security and protection. Whether that was intentional or not was beyond me.

"I didn't know you had a girlfriend..." Bellatrix's disturbingly sweet voice wrapped around Draco and me making it impossible to ignore. "Did you know, Lucius?"

Fuck.

It turns out it wasn't just us three.

Rustling came from one of the dingy corners of this haunting shop. I had only ever seen Lucius Malfoy in the paper when he was convicted and sent to Azkaban for some time. The striking resemblance to Draco was even more apparent upon seeing him in person. His hair was that same sand blonde shade that Draco possessed and their porcelain silver eyes were replicas of one another.

The serpent-like cane Draco's father held added even more to the sinister air he possessed and the way he commanded the room without uttering a single word. Whether he and Bellatrix had apparated here was a mystery. I was too focused on snogging this man's son to care about other noises.

"I was somewhat aware." The disdainful note in Lucius Malfoy's tone sent another chill shuddering down the line of my spine. Goosebumps plucked up the hairs on my arms adding fuel to my fear.

The hand at my waist stiffened and Draco's fingertips dug slightly into the silk of my dress that I was still wearing. I cursed my past self for choosing to wear high heels. If I had to run for my life I was screwed.

"Father." Draco's voice was a rehearsed greeting that conveyed as much emotion as a stranger would give a shopkeeper.

Lucius Malfoy's eyes set on his son. His irises' were swarmed with anything but the look of a nurturing father. When his eyes shifted to mine I was surprised to see that the look he had shared with Draco was now being shared with me.

If he really disrespected me as much as he had made apparent in his letter, how must he treat his only son?

Draco's father's stare at me was so cold and callous that I couldn't help being intimidated and moving my attention to something else. The only thing I wanted to look at in this bleak shop was Draco so I turned my eyes to him.

And I wish I hadn't.

Some part of me wished for Draco to seem at least a little bit happy to see his father after so many weeks of being at Hogwarts. I knew I would be over the moon to see mine. It was clear that they shared a very different relationship to what my father and I shared.

Although my dislike for Draco was still very present in every word we spoke to each other, it wasn't satisfying to watch this interaction between him and his stone-cold father. At least I knew where he got it from now. The segregation between them was unsettling and upsetting.

Lucius turned to Bellatrix with an unfeeling glance. "You are excused."

The words were reminiscent of a teacher dismissing a classroom. This collection of conversations and exchanges was so strange. It was like no one in this room knew each other except Draco and I.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and huffed as she skipped to the door. Over her shoulder before leaving she called, "You're no fun."

My body visibly relaxed at Bellatrix's departure. I wasn't nearly as scared of Draco's dad as I was of her.

Lucius paid no attention to Bellatrix's farewell and continued to fix his disapproving gaze on Draco and me. When his eyes fell on his son's hand on my waist his jaw clenched. That was enough of a sign telling Draco to stop touching me. His hand fell and so did most of my sanity. Draco's touch was the only thing keeping me pinned to the ground. I was sure of that.