The Yule Ball

Maik put her arms around his neck, gladly returning his kiss and deciding that wow was the only word she could think of to describe it.

"Mr. Hubert, please," Elrohir pleaded. "Why can't you trust me?"

Descartes's eyes widened in surprise when Maik responded the way she did. A velish smile could be seen as he slipped his hand into her hair while the other caressed her cheek.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Mr. Celebrian, I trust no one except my beloved Selena and my children. I trust them in no one hands except my own. Do you know what happened last time I trusted someone besides them?" Darius asked without turning to face Elrohir. Tears had actually formed in his eyes. He was hurting his daughter doing this, but he could not loose her like he lost his beloved sister. To top it all, he was not going to let an aurora see him cry. No, he was stronger than that.

Maik smiled slightly and ran a hand through Descartes' hair and loving every single moment.

Elrohir rose to his feet, finally deciding to use the build he had inherited from his father to its full effect. "No, Mr. Hubert, I don't." He said in a fierce whisper. "But I know I love Sonia, and I will die before I let anything happen to her. My best friend died because I wasn't there for him. I won't let that happen again."

Darius spun around locking eyes with Elrohir. Something dangerous flashed in his even though he no longer cared the boy could see the tear paths stained down his cheeks and the fact his eyes were red. "That is the very thing that happened, Mr. Celebrian. My sister was killed because someone had told your boss, Mr. Fudge" he spat the name out with venom. "That she was a death eater. It was a complete lie. Want to know what happened? She was sentenced to Azkaban where she killed herself. I do not want my Sonia or Descartes to have anything to do with that corrupted ministry, but they are infactuated with you and your sister. Allowing you to at least see them should be enough."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Descartes finally pulled back for air. Panting he leaned into Maik's hand that was playing with his hair.

"Your sister's death was not my fault!" Elrohir cried, starting to lose his temper. "I serve justice, not Mr. Fudge! I am not the ministry! Nor should you blame me for its mistakes!" Elrohir glared down at Darius, now stretched to his full height. "I LOVE Sonia. And just seeing her just isn't good enough Darius."

Maik smiled at him, slowly bringing her breathing back to normal. "Wow." She whispered, running her fingers through his hair.

Darius growled low in his throat. "I forbid my daughter from seeing you. You are to have absolutely no contact with her. If the ministry wishes to contact her, they can send your sister or someone else. As of now you are trespassing. Get out of my house and of my property, now!" He seethed in a low, cool voice that resembled Severus Snape's to the 'T'.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Descartes inhaled deeply. "Yeah, wow." He whispers. "That was beyond words."

Elrohir glared at Darius in fury, his fists clenched as if he wanted nothing more than to send Darius flying across the room. "Sonia is of age." He snarled. "As am I. Let's see you try and stop me." With that he turned his back on Darius and stormed from the house, heading for his father's.

"Definately." Maik agreed, somewhat breathlessly.

Darius glared after Elrohir. With a grunt he stomped towards Sonia's room. He knocked twice before slinging the door open. His hardened face soften when he saw his daughter's form sitting on the window sill seat looking out at the figure of her ex-boyfriend. He could see her body shaking with her silent sobs. "Sonia, sweetie?" he whispers feeling his heart break.

"Go away, Father. I do not wish to see you. I want to be alone. Isn't taht what you want? me to be alone?"

This hurt so much it just made Darius snap. "Fine, you are not to leave this room unless to go into your personal bathroom. I will make sure you don't." He yelled before leaving with a slamming of her heavy bedroom door.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Descartes chuckled softly then winced. "Hmmm, that can't be good."

Elrohir stormed into his father's study without knocking, startling Artorius to his feet. "Elrohir? What's the matter?"
"He took her from me." Elrohir panted, his eyes threatening to overflow with tears. "Darius took her from me."

"What can't be good?" Maik asked

Sonia just stared out her window. . .even after Elrohir was long gone. Her mother had come in and tried to talk to her. Sonia just gave yes and no replies.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Descartes bit his lip. "I get this pain in my chest when my sister is in extreme pain."

Artorius walked quickly down the street, agerily going over what Elrohir had told him. Noone hurt his son like that and got away with it. He finally stopped at the Huberts' gate and jerked on the bell.

"You think she's in trouble?" Maik asked, worried something might have happened.

Darius sighed. He told the butler to have the gates opened and to escort Mr. Artorius in.

Within second, the butler opened the gates. "Please follow me sir."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Descartes sighs. "I hope not. Maybe I should go check it out."

Artorius nodded curtly to the butler and followed him in.

"Yeah, you probably should." Maik replied. "She might need you."

"I'll be back soon, Maik." Descartes says. "Maybe I will bring good news of your brother too."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The butler lead Artorius into Darius's study. ?Master Celebrain here, Lord Hubert."

Darius waved his hand dismissing the butler who left and shut the door behind him. Darius inaled slowly as if preparing for rigorous training. "Artorius, may I do anything to help you?"

"Hopfully." Maik said, hoping she didn't need to worry about Elrohir.

"You can start by adressing me as Mr. Celebrian." Artorius growled. "And then you can explain to me why my son is no longer allowed to court you daughter."

"You know very well, why,." Darius said plomping down into his chair and rubbing his temples. There was whiskey on his breath. He suddenly seemed thirty years older. "Or did he forget that little detail?"
*~*~*~*~*~*
Descartes rushed home. He was just in time to see Artorius be escorted in. His heart dropped. He dashed to his sister's room to find her sitting on her bed. She seemed so lifeless. This scared him.

"If I knew, would I bother to come here and ask you?" Artorius snapped.

Maik sighed and flopped down on the bed, bouncing on it slightly. She really hoped nothing serious had happened.

Darius motioned for Artorius to sit down. "Maybe I should start at the beginning?" he says softly, almost as if he was pained.

"Good idea." Artorius growled and took a seat.

"Your soon came to me asking to court my daughter. I already knew then that this would be bloody hell on both of them whether they knew it or not. I laid down a few rules such as not kissing my daughter unless it was infront of and my wife or you and your wife. Everything went smoothly until your son came here asking me to remove those rules. When I said no, he continued to push." Darius explains.