The Dragon and The Wolf

13

Ellie giggled as Sirius rushed around the kitchen trying to make sure that everything was set up just right.

"Dad! Stop worrying. Everything will be fine." Sirius frowned and shook his head.

"I haven't seen Cissa in years and now she is coming here because she wants to meet you and discuss your engagement with Draco." Ellie frowned and snarled her nose at him. She hated when he said engaged or the word engagement. It wasn't like either one of them had agreed to it. It was just forced on them without their consent.

Sirius gave Ellie a pointed look and pursed his lips together.

"Do not look at me like that young lady. Whether you like it or not you two are engaged and there is no way out of it." Ellie rolled her eyes.

The only way out of the engagement was if one of them were to find someone else that they wanted to marry. And Ellie hated the idea of marriage period,

"Harry and Ginny will be here shortly." Ellie inhaled a deep breath and tried her best not to roll her eyes. She hadn't spoken to Harry since she went off on him. But considering it somehow never happened because Sirius was here no, Ellie hadn't forgotten.

"I'm going to go and get dressed then." Ellie declared and before jumping down from the counter and rushing up the stairs.

Ellie flung the door open to her room and tilted her head at the emerald, green knee length, lace dress, with off the shoulders laced long sleeves. She frowned. Ellie had let Sirius pick out her outfit for tonight and she instantly regretted it.

It was formally and they had spent all day redoing the dining room and cooking and selecting wine. But Ellie hated the thought of having to wear another dress. They were uncomfortable and not practical to wear.

Ellie shook her head and struggled into the dress before she flicked her wand at her hair creating a low up do bun with a few curls that fell around her face.

Ellie knew that she had nothing to be nervous about. But there was still a pit forming in her stomach and all she wanted to do was run and hide.

"ELLIE?!" Ginny's voice carried all the way to her from the bottom of the stairs and Ellie groaned softly.

Ellie slid her feet into her simple silver heels and rushed out of her room and and took the stairs two at a time to get to the bottom quickly. Ginny giggled as she took in Ellie frazzled state. Ellie smiled at the cream-colored dress that Ginny wore and then her eyebrows drew together when she didn't see her brother.

"Where is Harry?" Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Still at work. Apparently, there was a problem with one of the death eaters that they were interrogating." Ellie's heart stopped for a fraction of a second and then she growled out a sigh. I don't have the time to worry about my brother and now I'm worried about both of them! Ginny linked her arm through Ellie's as she pulled her along to the dining room.

Ellie inhaled a sharp breath when she entered the room and Narcissa Malfoy stood next to Sirius smiling as they chatted softly among themselves. Ellie tried to turn and leave the room, but Ginny yanked her back toward her.

"Pup! Don't you look lovely." Ellie glared at Sirius. Knowing that he was going to draw attention to her. Narcissa shifted slightly and looked at Ellie as if she was sizing her up before she smiled sweetly at her.

"So, you're the potter that my son risked his life for." Ellie's mouth fell open as she tried to figure out what Narcissa meant. But Ginny just giggled next to her pulling her toward the table.

Ginny and Ellie sat down next to each other. Sirius and Narcissa sat down across from them.

They ate silently for a long time until Narcissa looked up at Ellie drawing her attention.

"Draco spoke of you often after the war." Ellie could feel her face flush at Narcissa's casual tone.

"Cissa can we not embarrass her?" Sirius tone was light, but Ellie knew that he was trying to help her.

"Forgive me. I just meant that he was fond of you. You gave him happy memories during a dark time." Ellie opened and closed her mouth trying to figure out what to say to her.

"He was easy to be around." She finally said. It was the safest thing that she could say. Sirius arched an eyebrow at her.

"Do you want children Eliza." Sirius spit the wine out of his mouth and gawked at Narcissa,

"Cissa! Isn't it a little early to be talking about such things?!" Narcissa and Ginny both laughed at the panicked look on Sirius's face. Ellie swallowed hard realizing that this was probably going to be the most embarrassing conversation that she had ever had in her entire life.

And that was saying something because she had to learn about the birds and bees from Remus and Sirius when she was fifteen. Ginny took Ellie's hand under table and gave it a gentle squeeze.