Brand New Day

"Sorry," Cassie said with a snicker. "I had to."

"Yes, but once Draco tells Lucius..." Lyssa bit her lip and looked at Cassie.

"Sorry," Cassie said with a slight sigh. That was partly the reason she didn't like visiting the manor, because something always seemed to happen when she did something, when if she did that something anywear else it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference.

"It's fine," Lyssa said with a frown. "It's just you being you. I can't ask you to stop. That'd be wrong of me."

Not that long later Cassie spotted Lucius walking towards the pool. "You're dad's coming," Cassie said swimming off to the side of the pool.

Lyssa shoulders sank and she looked over at Lucius, wondering what would happen this time.

"Melyssa," Lucius said. "Meet me in my office, now." And he turned on his foot walking off.

Lyssa bit her lip as she nodded and slowly left the pool, going to get her towel so as to not drip everywhere, as that would only serve to make Lucius more angry.

"Sorry," Cassie said swimming over to the edge, pulling herself up onto it.

"Like I said before," Lyssa said, drying off with a towel which was charmed to instantly dry you off completely, "it's fine. It's you. I'll deal with it." She finished drying, grabbed her clothes and put them on, gave Cassie a nod, and headed to Lucius' office.

"Okay," Cassie said watching Lyssa worried. She slid back into the pool and continued swimming.

Lyssa reached the office to find the door closed. Expected or not, she knocked on the door.

"Enter," Lucius said, standing behind his desk.

Slowly, Lyssa opened the door and entered the study, looking at Lucius warily.

"Melyssa," Lucius said. "Were you not called in here last night for the exact same reason?" He asked her. "If you can not get your freind to behave herself she will leave, I will not have someone in my house being so blantantly disrespectful."

Lyssa bit her lip and wrung her hands together, avoiding looking at Lucius, as she didn't want to see his expression, even though looking away was something she'd gotten in trouble for the night before. "I did. And I know...I just....I can't make her stop. It's who she is."

"Look at me," Lucius snapped at her. Irritated that he had to go through that again, as he'd been certain he'd gotten the point the point across the night before. "Try harder," Lucius replied. "Unless you wish to spend the remainder of the holidays on your own."

Instinctively, Lyssa eyes flashed to Lucius for a moment before she was looking away again. "I can't," she said. "I really can't."

"Then go and tell her to pack her belongings, I am warning your Melyssa, she will not stay here if she does not behave."

"Father, please don't make her leave," Lyssa said, stilling looking away. "Please? I'm sorry that I can't control what she does, but I refuse to ask her to act like someone she's not just to please you!"

Lucius took a step forward and roughly grabbed Lyssa by the chin again. He held it up for a moment and her eyes flickered towards his though away the next moments. He let his hand drop, though only for a moment, the next moment bringing it up again and whacking her in the face. "Do not talk to me in such a tone," He snapped at her.

Lyssa was startled when Lucius grabbed her chin again, and so looked at him before immediately looking away again. She was relieved for a second when he let go swiftly, until she felt the slap across her face. Lyssa took a few steps back and stared at him, but didn't say anything.

Lucius dismissed Melyssa.

Lyssa left the study as quickly as she could without looking stupid and headed back to the pool where Cassie was, still in shock at Lucius.

"Are you okay?" Cassie asked Lyssa as the girl appeared. She frowned slightly at the red mark on her cheek.