Recovered Ivory [1]

Eight

"You drool," Draco grumbled as we made our way off the train. 

"I do not," I grumbled, rubbing my eyes. I hadn't had a good nights sleep since the night in the great hall. It was catching up with me, and I was looking forward to sleeping where I knew Sirius Black was no where near. "You snore."

"I do not," he exclaimed. "That was Blaise."

"You can't blame him for that," I protested, dragging my smaller trunk with me. "I was sitting right next to you, not him."

"I can't wait until we're in our own beds," Draco muttered as we passed through the barrier to the train station. 

"Me too," I sighed, blissfully. 

It had been a long and stressful week, everyone worrying and tittering over Harry. Ron was just being an arse all week because I had slept near Draco and Blaise. He didn't care Fred was there, he just cared about his own thoughts. I didn't even bother asking what they were doing for the holidays, because honestly I didn't care. My thoughts were spending the holidays with Narcissa and Lucius and attending the yearly ball. Severus hated it, but because I had attended since I was a small child, I couldn't not go now. 

"Happy to be going home?" Draco asked, throwing his arm around me. 

"Extremely," I exclaimed, feeling eyes on me. I glanced around and met Pansy's eyes. 

The boys didn't exactly get to enact their revenge on her the way they wanted, but Draco warned her that if she ever touched me again, he would never date her. It worked for a few weeks, but then she began to find ways to get to me without Draco finding out. I looked away and a shudder ran down my spine. 

"You alright?" he asked, looking back the way I had been. His face hardened. "Will she not learn?"

"Probably not," I sighed, as we passed through the doors. 

"Draco, Ivy," Narcissa said in her controlled way. She really was a warm person when it was just family, but in public she was completely different. "Now come, let's get going. There's a lot to do in two days."

"Is it too late to go back?" I whispered as the driver ushered us in the car. 

"Sadly," Draco sighed knowing all too well what awaited us for the next two days. Party planning without using magic.

"There is something I wanted to speak with you two about," she said once we were settled and driving. "Many of our guests have requested they be allowed to bring their children this year, as many are now thirteen and fourteen. Lucius and I could not find a valid reason to refuse them." My face froze in a petrified look, and she saw it. "Ivory, people see you with Draco at school all the time. It will not be strange for them to see you at the house. Your uncle is a family friend, which is the truth."

"I'm going to get beat up," I whispered, falling back into the seat with a thud. 

"What are you talking about?" she asked, righting her jacket. She obviously thought I was being dramatic. 

"Oh, a group of Slytherin girls cornered her and beat her up on her birthday," Draco said, so matter of fact it actually made Narcissa look at both of us. "All because I give her too much of my attention because she's my best friend."

She sighed and her face softened. "There's nothing I can do about it anymore. They have been allowed to come, and there's nothing else to it."

"At least Blaise will be there," I said, trying to sound cheerful about something. 

"That's the spirit," she said, grinning at me. "I've raised you better then that."

"You've raised me to be the strongest," I agreed, crossing my arms. "Sometimes I don't want to be the strongest though."