Draco Dormiens

Chapter One: Incito Gravida

5th of September, 1979

Even the bloody albino peacocks could breed!

Lucius Malfoy swore under his breath as he downed his third shot of firewhisky in the last fifteen minutes. He watched angrily as the strikingly majestic peacock strutted just outside the window of the drawing room with several pure white peachicks trotting along behind him merrily.

Nine years. That is how long he had been married to Narcissa and that is how long they had been trying to conceive an heir. He should have known that they would run in to problems by the fact that Bellatrix and Rodolphus had remained childless. Nine years ago he had left Hogwarts with his future mapped out. He would marry Narcissa, have two – maybe three- children and continue the work of the Dark Lord. However, when three years passed and they failed to conceive they had confided their difficulties in Lucius' father.

When they told him Abraxas Malfoy had nodded curtly and told them to keep their problems to themselves. They were not to tell anyone of their troubles lest they risk tarnishing the Black or Malfoy name. One of Lucius's fathers main concerns had been how their private difficulties confirmed the arguments of the pro-muggle blood traitors who believed that keeping blood lines pure led to in-breeding and infertility.

Instead of acknowledging defeat Lucius and Narcissa had been forced to put on nonchalant faces and act as though they were not yet ready for children. That they were enjoying each other's company far too much to want a child to distract them from each other. The truth, however, was a completely different matter entirely. After nine long years of trying every natural and home-based remedy to combat infertility and even scheduling sex into their daily routines, their relationship had become as taut as a bowstring. Their relationship was strained and unaffectionate. Every touch, every kiss, every suggestive look was a prelude to yet another attempt to conceive a child. Another scrap of evidence that they had failed at one of their most basic human functions.

This is why Lucius Malfoy had resolved to take drastic action. Ignoring his father's advice he had decided to confide in someone who he could not only trust, but someone who could help. Someone who could provide him with the single most effective, yet difficult to attain, item that would truly aid their cause.

There was a sharp rapping on the door of the drawing room pulling Lucius from his angry tipsy musings.

"Enter." He drawled, pleased that his voice remained steady despite the pleasant tingling of intoxication that was spreading through his limbs. The door opened and he grimaced as Severus Snape entered the room.

"Good morning Lucius." Severus Snape said with a curt nod.

"Please, sit." Lucius motioned at a chair on the opposite side of his desk, Severus crossed the room in a flurry of black robes and sunk down into the chair gracefully. The younger man cast a disparaging look at the open bottle of firewhisky and the shot glass but knew better than to say anything.

"Lucius... what can I do for you today?" Severus asked; always the one to get straight down to business. With the alcohol robbing him of some of the inhibitions that would have caused him to embellish his story, Lucius decided to follow Snape's lead and state the facts.

"Narcissa and I are having trouble conceiving." Lucius said, slightly slurring the t in the word trouble although he wasn't sure whether that was due to nerves or the firewhisky.

"Yes…?" Severus said, willing him to continue. The matter-of-fact response rankled Lucius.

"Yes what?" Lucius snapped. Snape shifted in his seat and broke eye contact with him.

"Nine years of marriage and still childless?" Snape said, his silken voice barely above a whisper. "Only a fool would not have come to that conclusion." Lucius Malfoy's lips peeled back in an animalistic snarl and Severus shrugged dismissively. "But that is neither here nor there. Tell me Lucius, how do you think I can help you?" Snape asked. Lucius spared another moment to glare at the other man before he sat back in his chair.

"We want to try the Incito Gravida potion." Lucius told him. It was their last hope. They had tried every possible charm known to Wizard-kind that would help them conceive. The reason they had not yet tried Incito Gravida was because Lucius and Narcissa were both well-below par with their potions ability and lacked the contacts that were necessary to source some of the more obscure ingredients.

"Very well." Severus replied with a quick nod. "Are you aware of the side effects and risk factors?"

"Increased risk of miscarriage, possible fetal deformities, increased risk of severe post-partum haemorrhaging, possible complication with birth, so on and so forth. Yes. We are aware of the risk factors but we have no other avenues left to explore." Lucius waved his hand dismissively as though swatting away an annoying fly. When Severus just sat there in silence Lucius shifted awkwardly in his seat and continued to talk, eager to fill a silence that was thick with the knowledge of his failure as a man. "We were hoping to start a course of the potion immediately."

"I am afraid that is impossible." Severus said appraisingly "The potion takes forty days to brew, one day for each week of pregnancy. On top of that it will probably take me at least a week, maybe two, to source all of the ingredients." Lucius would have sworn had propriety not dictated to the contrary. He was pleased that he could feel the effects of the firewhisky lessening slightly- just enough to allow him to retain some amount of social graces. "In addition," Severus continued, his tone and slightly downcast eyes betraying that their conversation was about to change direction, "Narcissa will need to begin taking the potion on the first day of her menstrual cycle… I take it that you are tracking her cycles?"

"Of course." Lucius said distractedly. For that matter Narcissa had begun to bleed that very morning. Unfortunately for them that meant that it may be at least another two cycles before they could begin taking the potion. "Let us know when you have all of the ingredients and then when you complete the potion." Lucius said. Severus got to his feet and turned on his heel before walking to the door.

"And Severus?" Lucius called out just before Severus shut the door behind him. "I trust that you will talk to no one of this conversation save Narcissa?" He saw Severus's head bob up and down in compliance before the door slammed behind him.

With a loud sigh Lucius Malfoy pulled out his wand and transfigured the empty crystal shotglass into a schooner and filled it with the amber-colored firewhisky. Seeing how that unpleasant business was now dealt with he was pleased that he could drown his sorrows in uninterrupted silence and sink into a blessed oblivion in which he did not feel like a complete and utter failure.

A/N: This was written for the "Pondering Parenthood" Challenge on the HPFC forum. The challenge was issued by Eirinn Croi. This story will contain ten chapters in total.