The Plight- Malfoy x Reader

Dress Codes

I knocked on Lucius's office door.

"Come in," I heard him say.

I opened the door peaking my head in—he was sitting at his desk holding a glass of whiskey.

I slipped in, closing the door behind me with my back against it and stayed there—holding onto the door knob with my hands behind my back.

He watched me.

"You can make yourself comfortable, you know?" he said nodding to the seat in front of his desk.

I hesitated.

"I didn't know if you wanted to be alone. I...I just wanted to see if you were okay."

It had taken me 20 minutes of sitting in my room before I'd decided whether or not to disturb him after the balcony incident.

"That's my job, isn't it? To check in on you children," he said with humor taking a sip of his drink with his eyes on me.

"Well who checks on you?" I asked with a frown.

He gave a shrug, "I assume I'm much too old for those type of attentions."

"Too old for someone to inquire?" I asked softly, "Seems silly."

He laughed. "What makes you say that?"

"It's human nature to want—to need someone to care."

His smile faltered for a moment.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asked.

I looked over to his bar cart, "Do you have a prosecco?"

He gave me a pointed look.

"Let me rephrase. Something non-alchoholic."

I huffed with a slight grin.

"Sparkling water please," I said finally approaching his desk and sitting down in front of it.

A sparkling water appeared moments later.

"Thank you," I said grabbing it.

He nodded, taking another sip of his drink.

He placed the glass down, then tapped his fingers on the desk before looking to me.

"I'm sorry for what happened...with that man," he said, guilt hanging on the edges of his words.

"It's not like it's your fault," I told him, feeling the cold of the glass seep into my fingers.

A flicker of a pained smile crossed his face.

He shook his head a little, sitting back and turning his chair slightly, his gaze landed upon the grandfather clock on the wall. He starred at it as he said, "The name—the Malfoy name—should be enough. Enough to garner respect for you—here and out in the world. You should be able to exist, especially in your own home, without someone gawking or speaking to you in such a way. At the very least, I wanted to give you that and I—I thought it would be enough."

His words were heavy. Vulnerable. Pained.

"It's—you can't control people, Lucius. What they do—it's unavoidable," I said and his eyes slide back to mine.

"I just—" he said then huffed in anger, "If someone feels comfortable acting like that to you in front of even me— How have I done anything to help you?"

"I'm not so fragile, Lucius. That's just...the reality—"

"Not for us. Not for you. I refuse to accept that. All I've built—all of this—was to shield those I care for from the cruelties of the world. And where I couldn't completely shield you, I could give you a haven of some sort. Now...I'm at a loss. It's... frustrating."