AN: I do not own anything from Harry Potter, everything belongs to JK Rowling.
Narcissa looked at her son from across the large, ebony table. The great dining room was filled with only the sounds of forks clanking against fine, white china. Ever since the accident with the hippogriff, Draco was quieter around the manor. Christmas dinner was silent and filled with odd glares at eachother, not knowing what to do next. Not being able to handle the awkward stillness any longer Narcissa finally broke the silence, "how is your arm Draco?"
Draco gave a slight, prejudiced grin, "it was never really that injured mum. I just wanted that mudblood-loving fool to get fired. He doesn't know how to teach. He's a pathetic excuse for a professor."
Narcissa gave her son a sad smile. As much as she loathes that he is being taught such rubbish, she noticed how irritable he has been lately. His negativity has been wearing off on her and Lucius. She couldn't sleep. She was too busy thinking about Draco and what he said. She got up to go to the bathroom. When she walked down the darkened hallway, she heard faint scratching noises coming from Draco's room. She paused and nonverbally casted the lumos charm. The tip of her wand glowed. She walked toward Draco's bedroom door. As she got closer the scratching stopped, she waited before entering. He was out cold. She noticed something on his bed; it was parchment and a quill. Had he been writing? Narcissa picked up the parchment and read what was written.
December 25, 1993
Mum asked how my arm was. I wish she hadn't, but I told her the truth about it. She made me angry. The memory of it still irritates me. Stupid Potter. He gets so much damn attention and it's all for nothing! I'm a much better student, wizard, and seeker than him. Plus, my family has wealth and blood purity. I don't hang around blood traitors and mudbloods all day. Instead of wasting my time with such low people, I spend my time with proper wizards. Even though Pansy is annoying and looks like a pig she's still a pure blood. I'm just so sick of bloody Potter getting all the attention for no reason. I hate him.
Narcissa put the entry down. She had no idea that her son was feeling this. Her heart started to ache. She wanted her son to enjoy his time at Hogwarts, but he was so busy loathing that he couldn't do that. He goes back in a week and then what? He's still going to have a terrible time and that Potter boy will continue to antagonize him. She felt sorrow for her son. She only wants the best for him.
Two months after Draco went back to school, Narcissa decided to take a trip to Diagon Alley. Maybe if I bought something for him he'll cheer up a bit, she thought. Diagon Alley was as crowded as ever. Witches and wizards bumped into her while she tried to make her way through the busy street. All around her, people were apologizing and being pardoned. Normally she would make homemade sweets for her son, but she figured something expensive would do good. If she got him something he could show off, then he'll get more attention and not feel like that Potter boy's gets all the bloody attention. Who is he to put my son down when he's so glorified already? She wasn't sure what to get Draco, maybe new robes would be a good idea. Draco always wanted to look his best. Narcissa was walking towards a robe shop when she noticed a peculiar flyer from St. Mungos posted on the front window of Morgan and Burke's. It read, "Do you or a love one suffer from mental illness? St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries has opened a new ward on the fourth floor. We've hired the best trained psychologists from all over the world. So stop waiting around, the chance for happiness is here!" This was it, this was the answer to her problem. She decided to go to St. Mungo's and get more information about this new ward. She had to make sure her baby will be in perfect care. She apparated to a small store made of red bricks. She walked to the front window of the department store. The window acted as the barrier between the hospital and the muggle world. She walked through the window just like she would as a young student running to platform 9 3/4. In front of her stood a rather large building with an emblem of a wand crossed with a bone. Above it was "St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries". She walked through the front doors. The hospital had white tile flooring and off-white walls. She approached the witch at the front desk.
"Hello how may I help you," she asked with a smile.
Narcissa replied after a deep breath, "I was wondering if I could get some information on the new ward on the fourth floor?"
"Oh of course, we've been getting a lot of new patients since it has opened. If you would like, I can escort you there. Someone who has more information on the subject can help you when we get up there."
"Yes I would prefer that."
"Ok follow me please," Narcissa followed the receptionist down the hall and up the white staircase. They reached the fourth floor. There was a sign hanging in the hall that read "Spell Damage". The counter had a wizard who looked to be in his forties, who didn't look up from the papers he was writing. There were doors on each of the hallways. Patients were walking around the corridors. They did not look normal at all, but this was the spell damage floor after all. The receptionist led Narcissa through a door. The tile floor was now wood flooring and the walls were blue. There was another desk, this one rather large. There were files of paperwork and potions and even personal items that looked like they belonged to someone. A young woman, who probably just turned of age, noticed them walking in and greeted them. The receptionist turned to Narcissa, "this is Hailey, she's from America. She's our youngest counselor and one of our finest. I'll let her show you around," the receptionist walked away leaving Narcissa with the counselor.
"Hi I'm Hailey, might I ask your name and why you are here today?"
"Narcissa Malfoy and I'm here to get information about this place."
"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Malfoy," Hailey reached her hand out to shake Narcissa's, who looked taken aback. Hailey pulled her hand away in rejection and continued talking, "this whole floor is about caring for patients where spells have gone wrong. The locked up door that was on the east side is the Janus Thickey Ward. It's a long-term treatment facility to treat those whose brains were badly damaged. This ward is meant for patients with mental illness and other psychological problems such as anger and aggression. We teach the patients healthy coping skills and ways of thinking. Even though not all the treatment involves magic, it's mostly psychological."
Narcissa looked at a patient wearing baggy clothing. He looked like he had just woken up and not yet tended to his appearance, "why do some of the patients look weary?"
"Those are the inpatients. They stay in the ward until we discharge them. They have a strict dress code to prevent them from harming themselves or others. We also have an outpatient program that lets the patients come in the morning and leave after dinner. The outpatients must still have to follow the dress code. You can choose to be an outpatient, if you wish. If you meet certain requirements, then you must be inpatient until discharged. You could also choose to do outpatient after being discharged from inpatient."
Narcissa's mind was racing from all of the information. She took a deep breath and said, "look, my son hasn't been acting normal lately. He's only thirteen years old. I need to get him the best help possible."
"Ma'am, I can assure you that your son will be receiving fine treatment, the best even, and I'm not just saying that because this is the only mental ward in the magical world." She smiled at Narcissa who looked down at Hailey and sighed. "And Mrs. Malfoy, if you decide to put your son in this ward I will be sure to take care of him."
Narcissa nodded, "thank you for your time." She left St. Mungo's and apparated back to Malfoy Manor. She had a lot to discuss with Lucius when he got home.