Crossroads

Lucius returns to Malfoy Manor distraught, but determined. He sheds his mask and robes as he rushes to the receiving room then stands before the fireplace, waiting for the floo to activate. Narcissa sees him staring at the flames and understands at once what's happening. She disappears to get supplies.

Moments later, the floo bursts open, and a man in dark robes like the ones Lucius just discarded stumbles through. Lucius catches him before he hits the floor and lowers him onto his back.

The man's eyes are swollen shut, black crusted gunk oozing between the lids. His cheeks are also swollen. Teeth broken and missing. Bleeding gums visible through his torn lips.

"Oh god, Sev, I'm sorry," whispers Lucius and touches the slack open jaw, remembering the sound as the joint cracked under his heel.

The bloody tongue moves, and Lucius leans his head closer to hear the garbled words. They don't make sense.

"Lucius, I've got it," calls Narcissa, running back. "Gracious!"

She kneels next to Lucius with the kit as they call it. Sev has one at his home too for when the tables are turned. That should've been today, but the bastard…. Lucius washes the blood from Severus's gaping mouth then pours in the first of many potions, trying not to spill any.

"Shall I—"

"No," says Lucius quickly. Narcissa always offers to hold the bottles when she sees his hands shaking, and he always refuses. "I did this. I'll fix it."

After a minute, Severus starts to perk up and move his limbs. This means he's also starting to register the pain. But the pain potion comes last, as the fates have decided to mock them.

"It works so quickly," says Narcissa, surprised by the color returning to Severus's skin, despite the color still flowing out.

"Of course it does, who brewed it?" says Lucius. "He's refined it a dozen times."

"It's a shame his talents must be wasted like this."

Lucius snaps his head up. "It's no waste in the Dark Lord's service, Narcissa," he says fixing her with wide eyes.

Narcissa's eyes widen to match his. "You're right of course, my love."

Severus groans and shudders in Lucius's arms. "The next," says Lucius.

Narcissa hands him another bottle, and Lucius again carefully pours it between Severus's ruined lips. When the bottle is empty he puts it down and waits, holding the wheezing bloody lump of wizard against him.

"He's breathing better," notes Narcissa.

"'Cissa," Severus calls in a rasping voice and moves a hand toward her.

Narcissa takes the searching hand and adds gentle pressure. "I'm here, Severus. Lucius is as well."

The hand releases her to search for another. Lucius catches it and squeezes tightly. "Severus."

"Luc…" Severus squirms in his hold as though trying to get to him.

"Here, Sev," says Lucius, stilling him. "You're at the manor. We're fixing you up."

"Agk…eyes."

"I'll take care of them in a bit, just relax."

Severus coughs a bloody bolus, but then his breathing smooths out a bit more.

Narcissa hands Lucius a smaller bottle, and he pours its contents on Severus's face. It bubbles and hisses, and Severus writhes like he's on fire. Lucius holds him steady and has Narcissa pour the rest. He closes his eyes through heart-rending screams and focuses on the heart beating under his hand. Erratic, but strong. No sign of giving out. Severus, however, finally gives in to unconsciousness.

Lucius lays him down again to inspect the potions' progress. The surface wounds have healed substantially: the eyes less swollen and the bloody crust washed away, the mangled lips somewhat repaired, and the jaw back in alignment. The missing teeth will take a week to grow in, and the broken ones a bit longer to fall out and do the same. Unless Lucius removes them. He's reluctant to do it, even though it's for the best. No solid food for a while again.

Turning Severus on his side, he points his wand at his mouth and casts a tooth removal spell. The shards of teeth come out as though squeezed through the gums. Severus remains insensible, to Lucius's great relief.

After they've cleaned and healed Severus as best as they can and laid him in bed in the best guest room, Narcissa finally asks the dreaded question. "Lucius, what happened tonight?"

Though he'd prepared for it, the words still devastate, and Lucius struggles to maintain his composure as he answers. "I-I was…careless," he says. "I made an error the Dark Lord would've killed me for, and he…Sev, he…took the blame."

"Oh." Narcissa covers her mouth as she looks from the injured man on the bed to her husband sitting beside him perfectly well.

"I think he knew Sev was lying," continues Lucius, "and that's why…he m-made me do it."

Lucius folds in on himself, shaking and sobbing with no sound. Narcissa throws her arms around him. "Damn him, Lucius. Damn him to hell. Curse him. Not a lord but a monster."

Lucius grabs Narcissa's head and stops her mouth with his own. He kisses her desperately, taking what little succor her lips hold. "You damn us with those words," he whispers in her ear. "His spies are all over."

"I don't care," she says. "He's taken too much, and he'll take more. I won't stand for it any longer."

"We have our lives; let it be," says Lucius and kisses her again.

She turns her lips away. "We have not, and I will not."

Lucius shakes her, terror plain in his eyes. "You will do as I say."

"And you'll do as he says," says Narcissa. "Even that." She looks at the bed.

Lucius doesn't. "I only want you safe, 'Cissa."

She sneers at him. "I'll never be safe!"

He covers her mouth with his hand. "Softly. Softly please," he begs.

She shoves his hand away. "What if he tells you to kill me?" she whispers. "You can't save me if you won't save yourself." She runs her hands along his back. "Where is your spine?" she asks with urgency. "Are you a snake or a worm, my husband?"

Severus groans and twists on the bed.

Lucius puts his hands on his shoulders to still him. "Sev?"

"Luc…Lucius…"

"Take it easy, Sev. I'm right—"

"Not Lucius. Please… My Lord, please. Mercy…"

Lucius leans his head onto Severus's chest and begins to sob aloud.

"What a friend you have in him," says Narcissa. "He stands for you awake and pleads for you in his nightmares. If only he had such an ally."

"Narcissa, we walk a tightrope," says Lucius through heaving breaths. "I keep you sheltered from the worst. You can't understand."

"I may not fully understand, but that doesn't mean I will do nothing."

"You must do nothing, or we die," says Lucius. "There's nothing we can do."

"Look at your friend, Lucius. Look at what you were made to do."

Lucius looks at Severus's face still swollen and etched in pain.

"We're dead now," says Narcissa. "It's time we lived again."

Lucius rubs Severus's cheek and tries to sooth him. "I do want to live, Narcissa. I want life and not this mockery of it." He grimaces. "But I'm not strong… I fear pain. Loss. I can't lose you, and you're the first he'd take from me. You and Sev are all I have."

Narcissa shakes her head. She takes his hand and kisses it, then puts it on her belly.

Lucius gapes at her. "No."

"Yes," my love.

"Darling, no. No."

"Yes."

"We can't."

"We will."

"I will not bring a child into this world!" he shouts.

Severus jerks his arms over his face. Lucius eases them back down then turns pleading eyes to his wife.

Narcissa stares back at him with cold determination. "Then we must prepare the world for when he comes."

Lucius closes his eyes and remains silent for several minutes. When he opens them again he expects Narcissa to be gone, but she's still with him. He looks at her belly and presses his hand to it again. Then he looks down at Severus, whose eyes are now open and blearily searching.

"Child…'Cissa?"

Lucius takes Severus's hand and presses it to Narcissa's belly.

Severus smiles despite his obvious pain.

"Rest my friend," says Lucius, his voice soft, but filled with newfound strength. "We have plans to make when you're well."

Severus spreads a toothless grin as though he knows for what, and then his eyes slip closed again. Lucius leans an ear toward his fluttering lips and catches the word congrats.