Petrichor

♡︎𝓽᭙ꫀꪀ𝓽ꪗ ᠻꪮꪊ𝘳♡︎

  The rain falls against the window as I sit on Cyrus's bed. Adelph is sitting behind me, braiding my hair. Draco, Blaise, and Ezra are sitting in front of the table as they all play cards and drink a little. Cyrus is standing in front of his customer as they talk about prices.

"What about that muggle drink, what is it called?"

The guy asks as he points to the clear liquid.

"Vodka, it's five and a half galleons."

Cyrus says.

"I will take three of that and a small bottle of fire whiskey."

The guys says as he grabs his wallet from his front pocket.

I stare at him from the bed. His eyes pierces into mine for a second while Cyrus isn't looking. He smiles, to which I just stare at blankly.

"Don't even think about it, it's his sister."

Draco says, his cold stare piercing the back of the customer's head.

"Sorry mate."

He says with a smile.

"That would be twenty two galleons, but since you looked at my sister, it would be twenty three."

Cyrus says as he hands the guy a bag full of alcohol.

"Fair and square, it was worth it."

He says.

"Twenty four, I'm not fucking around."

Cyrus says.

"Merlin, fine."

He says as he hands my brother twenty four galleons.

"It is pleasure doing business with you."

Cyrus says before showing the customer the door.

I turn towards Adelph as she secures my braid with a pink ribbon. She is awfully gentle with me lately. I don't mind it, it just feels like she is walking on eggshells around me.

"Do you like it?"

She asks as she shows me the end of the braids.

I nod as I fumble with the ends of the pink ribbon.

I see her mouth morph into a smile form the corner of my eye. Her hands lay on top of my head as she brings me closer to her. My body slides down as my back leans against her lower abdomen.

"I missed you."

She says as she rests her chin on top of my head.

I stare at the ribbon that I am fumbling with. I don't believe a thing she said, probably never will.

"I'm sorry for everything."

She says.

Cyrus walks up to his bed with two galleons in his  left hand. I take my hand out as he gives me the two galleons that he added to the price.

♡︎☔︎︎♡︎☔︎︎♡☔︎︎︎♡︎☔︎︎♡︎

I sit in between Cyrus and Draco as the house elves place our dinners onto the table. It is one of those fancy dinner nights, where my parents hosts a rather medium sized dinner. It's only Blaise, Ezra, Cyrus, Draco, Narcissa, my mum, my dad and I, nothing too big. Lucius Malfoy apparently had some business to attend to, so he couldn't make it.

"He's always owling someone."

Cyrus groans with annoyance as he watches our dad write a quick letter, probably to his assistant.

"Isn't it just work?"

Blaise who is next to Draco asks.

"He's fucking his assistant."

I say.

Draco stares at me as I stare at Blaise. The uncomfortable silence is interrupting when Cyrus lets his head down and laughs at my comment.

"It is true, very true."

Cyrus says in between his laughs.

"Cyrus, shhh."

Ezra says, trying to call a tipsy Cyrus down.

"Okay, shhh."

Cyrus says, placing his finger on his lips.

I roll my eyes as I begin to play around with the food on my plate. Tipsy Cyrus and my dad never mashed well together and never will. Tonight will be a shit show like most family dinners.

"Avaline, I have to leave in ten."

My dad says.

I sit back against my chair, staring at my dad and mum as I do so. In my hand is a fork that is stabbing a part of the steak. I eat it as I observe my mum and dad bicker in a whisper. Soon enough, I get bored, so I sit back up and play around with the food that is on the plate.

"Why do you have to leave?"

Cyrus asks, his voice telling dad that he knows something that mum doesn't.

"Cyrus, this is none of your business."

My dad says from across the table.

Here we go.

Cyrus stands up, causing everyone to pay attention to him.

"Why isn't it my business?"

Cyrus asks, loud and clear.

"It just isn't, son."

My dad says.

I continue to play around with the food that is on my plate as Cyrus and my dad bickers. It wasn't something out of the ordinary, it was just their dynamic.

"You are never home, even though you don't have that much work to stay all night."

Cyrus back.

"I do have work, you're a kid, you wouldn't know."

My dad argues back.

"You treat mum badly."

Cyrus states.

My dad keeps his mouth shut, but he is still sitting calmly, I can see it from the corner of my eyes.

"You never really raised us, especially Carmen."

Cyrus continues.

"I mean, at least I had mum, Carmen had nobody. The least you could have done was be there for her as her dad."

Cyrus says.

Hating that I am now suddenly involved, I keep quiet as I continue to play around with my food. My fork rocks back and forth against the baked potatoes as silence fills the room.

"You are the reason why I drink, dad."

Cyrus says.

Our dad sighs, tired of Cyrus. He stands up as he orders a house elf to grab him his work stuff.

"And you call me the alcoholic."

I mutter as I finally plop the potato into my mouth.

I look up and make eye contact with Cyrus as he stares at me. Narcissa and mum begins to make normal conversations, moving on from Cyrus's behavior.

"I didn't mean to drag you into that, it just kind of slipped out."

Cyrus says as he stares at me with concern.

"I know."

I say.

"Sorry about that, Carmen."

Cyrus apologizes.

I look down to my food as I shrug, showing that I am not that offended. I feel everybody except Narcissa and mum's eyes on me as I eat.