#739 – Sick in Bed.

Narcissa stood over the stove, her wand moving the spoon around slowly. It should be ready any minute now. She had to repeatedly tell the House-Elves to leave her to it as they begged her to let them prepare it, begged her to go and relax herself. She sent the House-Elves to guard Lucius instead. To make sure that he stayed in bed, under no circumstances was he to get out.

Once the soup was ready, Narcissa headed up to the bedroom where Lucius was trying to struggle out of bed. The House-Elves were gathered around him trying to wrestle him back under the covers while ducking from his swipes. Narcissa placed the soup down on the bedside table before placing her wand into the water bowl that she had prepared earlier, cooling it. Once the water was a suitable temperature, she wrung the cloth out before approaching Lucius.

His blonde hair was heavy and stuck to his face with sweat but his eyes were wild as he tried repeatedly to get to his feet. Narcissa forced Lucius back into the bed with great effort and help from the House-Elves before tightening the blanket with a quick spell. Lucius looked at her a mixture of frustration, anger and exhaustion apparent on his face. He had been ill for a number of days, a sudden fever that struck him from nowhere. His body was weak, his mind as sharp as ever.

"Cissa, I need to be up." He grumbled as she placed the wet towel on his brow. "I can't just lie here all day." His eyes followed her hands as he shuddered at the cloth's touch.

"You can and you will." She said, sternly as she sat herself on her side of the bed. He had given up struggling against her, instead glaring at her. She levitated the bowl over towards her, lifting the spoon carefully before blowing on the soup to cool it.

"I hate soup." He grumbled, trying to turn his face away. Narcissa persisted, holding the spoon in front of his face.

"Don't be silly. I know it's your favourite." She brushed him off. Lucius turned his head away again from the spoon as though it was going to poison him. "Lucius." She chastised him. "I expect this from Draco. Not from you."

"Draco's two."

"Exactly." She sighed, remembering that it wouldn't be long before she had Draco to deal with also. She'd put Draco down for his nap around an hour ago, he'd be up soon. She felt like she had two children on her hands, and Draco was the easier to manage of the two. Lucius sighed and opened his mouth allowing Narcissa to feed him the soup that had been waiting on the spoon. Lucius frowned as it washed over his tongue.

"It's cold." He muttered.

"If you had eaten it straight away, it wouldn't be." She retorted. "All the more reason to eat this up before it goes cold as well." She moved another spoonful to his mouth. "Now open wide."

"I'm not a child." Lucius grumbled as he ate the second spoonful.

"Are you sure about that?" She smirked. Lucius tried to hide his smile as he moved himself up onto his elbows. Once he'd finished his soup, he pushed the blanket back. "And what do you think you're doing?"

"I feel a bit better after that." He tried. Narcissa stood up straight, looking at him warningly.

"You'll never get better if you don't rest Lucius."

"I've got things to do." He grumbled, trying to get passed her.

"Do you want our son to get sick?" She barked, losing her cool.

"What? No of course not, Cissa." He seemed bewildered.

"If you insist on walking around this house and spreading your germs, that'll be exactly what happens." Lucius sunk back into a sitting position in the bed. "That's what I thought."

"You drive a hard bargain Mrs Malfoy."

"So I've been told." She smiled, cooling the water in the bowl once more before soaking the towel in it. He let her apply it to his head with ease as she tucked the blankets in around him.

"You do realise the Elves would have done all of this." He informed her. "You should have taken a rest with Draco."

"I'm your wife. It's my job."

"You need your rest as well." He muttered. She could see that he was tiring, his eyelids growing heavy, his blinking increasing as he tried to keep himself awake.

"I'll rest once you're better." She told him as she poured out his medicine quickly so that he would take it before he slept. "Here, take this before you fall asleep."

"Why don't you sleep with me?" He asked her, looking at her space next to him.

"Draco will be awake soon, I'll have to see to him." Lucius frowned causing Narcissa to sigh. "I'll lie with you. But once Draco awakens, I'll have to see to him." She told him as she lay down in her usual space.

"You work too hard." He told her as she curled into the crook of his arm. She didn't close her eyes, scared that if she did she would fall into a deep slumber. Lucius' body was warm against her, his grip firm even though he was without his strength. It wasn't long before he started snoring quietly against her forehead. Narcissa allowed herself to relax against him, her body starting to slump after the busyness of the last few days. She could feel her eyelids getting heavier, her muscles starting to relax as she finally succumbed to her exhaustion.

Her eyes must have been closed for a mere moment before they flew open. The sound of crying filled her ears as she wrenched herself from Lucius' arms and threw herself from the bed. It was Draco and from the sound of his cries, he'd caught Lucius' bug.