Author's Notes: This is a side piece to my ongoing fic Birds become Dragons, but it stands on its own and reads like a one-shot.
If you are not reading Birds become Dragons: it's an AU where the Malfoys raise Delphini, not the Rowles. Also, Scorpius is slightly older than in canon.
If you are reading Birds become Dragons, this parallels Ch39.
Just having due credit made clear: I was listening to Sons and Daughters, by Allman Brown feat. Liz Lawrence, and some lyrics ended up making it into the fic (because they're gorgeous).
This work was beta'd by the amazing Aya Diefair.
Prompts and challenges listed at the end.
Word count – 3,499 (I kid you not)
The Nurturing of a Flower
December 18th, 2010
They never told her of Molly Weasley's role in the Battle. She learnt of it anyway. Not from their mouths, not by their words, but from Hogwarts' books, by the victors' words, and there is little chance of a happy ending now, Lucius knows.
He sees Delphini leave in anger. He expects some sort of apocalyptic outburst of her magic, but it never comes. The star-child does not destroy them, she simply leaves in green flames that bring out her eyes.
So he turns to his flower-treasure. He holds her as she crumbles, steadying her against his chest. Within his chest an ache, the desire to rip open and take all the pain inside, keeping it away from her.
"I will bring her home," he whispers in her ear, while he allows her to reach the wooden floor, kneeling beside her so that he can sweep tears from her cheeks. He kisses her forehead, ever so lightly.
Narcissa does not answer him, she simply wraps her arms around his neck, hiding her porcelain face in the crook of his neck, where he can feel the path of her tears on his skin. So he encases her frame with his body, hushing her, cooing little sentences of nonsense and reassurance.
He holds her tight to his chest, like the moon in the arms of the sky. He will fortify her broken heart. He will keep her from harm. He will build a greenhouse around his flower, and keep the cold, the wind, the hail, all that the world decides to throw at her, out. He will take the impact her soft petals cannot withstand.
For even if he knows she can be a lioness, and fight for her pride as viciously as any mad witch, he also knows her true nature.
She is a flower.
Not a rose, like Bellatrix. She was a voluptuous dark red rose, alluring and covered with thorns. A flower all wish for and no one could touch. Only Death could pick that flower.
Not a thistle, like Andromeda. She was a little bold weed, growing sharper thorns in the face of adversity. Defiant, stubborn, never to be stepped on and smashed.
No, Narcissa is just that. A daffodil, a peaceful, beautiful, pure white daffodil by the water. A flower to be cared for, handled gently so as not to damage it.
He had kept her blooming by the river of death. He will keep her blooming through this, too. For now, he will keep her from wilting. Then, he will gather her petals and nurture his flower back to its former beauty.
The first night is the hardest. She refuses to take any potions that could help. She barely sleeps and when she does, she dreams. Nightmares are dreams, too, and he cannot do much more beyond holding her and soothing her back to sleep.
X
December 19th, 2010
"She will come home, my love," he whispers in her ear in the morning, "I will bring our sweet star of darkness back." He will whisper that sentence to her all day long, while trying to locate his niece. The girl is thirteen and has no place to go, she will come home. She must come home, right? She will not seek refuge in Muggle society. Any refuge she seeks within magical society will quickly reach him, he makes sure of it.
When the sun goes down again, Narcissa is staring absent-minded at the fireplace in the library. He whispers his promise in her ear, kisses her cheek, and tosses the powder in. He takes care to transfigure his features. He doesn't want Delphini to know he is chasing her. He doesn't want the world to know that she is out there alone. For the world would snuff out his star-child.
He looks everywhere. There are plenty of thirteen-year-old girls around, but none are her. He knows to not mind looks, Delphini is much too capable of morphing for that. He looks for her essence, for her darkness, for the way she carries herself. He never finds it. Or her.
He goes home and kisses the tears off his daffodil, promising, again and again, that he will bring her home.
She does not sleep at all that night, so he never has to quieten her screams or calm her soul-wrecking sobs. She lays on the bed, under the covers, unmoving. Eyes wide open but unseeing, her body resting, her mind running. He holds her to his chest through the night. The wind howls until the last star is gone and the sun returns.
Their star has not come home tonight.
X
December 20th, 2010
"I will bring her home," he whispers in her ear again, no longer promising that she will come, "I will bring her back to you." He kisses her eyelids, feeling the moisture there.
The water is rising and threatens to wash away his wife. He can see it in the way she curls her body and wrings her fingers. He can see it in the dark circles under her grey, haunted eyes. Blacks are wont to name their children after the night skies, and stars are wont to drift away from flowers. Narcissa is the exception. He hopes Delphini is too.
It's been too long already, he cannot stand the sight of her like this anymore. It's been twelve years since he saw her so worried, so broken, so unlike herself. He didn't change things then, but this time he will. He will go to Potter this time and ask for his help once more.
He is barely out of their chambers, making his way to the library, when he hears her wail. Not a sob, not a cry, but a soul crushing wail. He stands there listening. It's the same wailing, all over again. The way she did over two decades ago, when she lost child after child, all unborn. The way she did when they lost their blonde, pale, grey-eyed daughter that lived long enough for them to meet but whose lips were already blue when he held her. He will not allow the world to take this child too. Narcissa has lost enough.
He cannot leave her like this. He runs to her, propriety be damned. He comforts her as best he can, but he knows what must be done. Propriety and pride be damned, he'll plead with Potter.
The House-Elf comes at his beckoning and is gone mere seconds later. He uses the time to raise a vial of Dreamless Sleep to her lips. She takes it all, in a gulp. It should be enough to keep her asleep for the rest of the day, but he knows it won't when she still cries, silently, even after she's asleep.
Draco awaits him on the other side of the door. His hair is dishevelled, his clothes rumpled, his eyes swollen from lack of sleep. He probably looks a lot like that too.
"We need access to her trace. I'll go to the Ministry and talk to Potter about it."
It's a simple notice. Draco will not have it.
"I'll go. Astoria is with Scorpius, you need to stay with Mother," he runs his fingers through his hair, forcing his eyes to widen, "and I need to do something."
He watches his son walk towards the library and he's thankful. Going back to Narcissa, he sits on a chair by her side of the bed. The House-Elf is back to tell him that Auror Potter will be arriving after lunch. Not immediately. Lucius feels like kicking the creature across the room, but remembers his sleeping wife and decides against the racket it would make.
When Potter finally arrives, he brings Granger. There were times he would never allow any of her kind to even approach the wards, but she is too valuable now, she has done too much for them, for her. All three Malfoys stand composed once more. Not a hair out of place, even if their eyes are sunken and their faces gaunt with worry. He knows he must solve this quickly when he sees Narcissa wring her fingers in front of them.
Promise left in her ear once more, another tear kissed away, and he follows Potter and Granger into the flames. Delphini's trace puts her somewhere in Diagon Alley, but the place is so riddled with magic that the thing is befuddled and cannot pinpoint her.
Hidden in plain view. My smart, cunning child… Hiding in the crowd, under everyone's noses, using their magic to hide hers.
He is proud of her in that moment. And then realizes just how much harder this makes his task. Looking for a star amongst all the stars, in a moonless night, without a chart to guide him. He presses two fingers to the bridge of his nose, gathering himself in preparation for what's to come.
Potter comes up with this ludicrous idea of sending Teddy to find her. As if he would leave such an important matter to chance with a teenager. Except seeing him now could actually drive Delphini further away. So he agrees. They are cousins, after all. Hogwarts made friends of them too. Teddy may actually succeed in his mission.
But he still spends the rest of the day in Diagon Alley, transfigured once more. Transfigured several times actually, making sure not to be noticed as he walks up and down the street, in and out of shops, looking up at windows, inquiring at the Leaky Cauldron about new guests.
He never finds her. Never sees her. And then, for a fleeting moment, he catches a glimpse of silver hair and recognizes the feeling drifting past his body. She is here, her magic is too powerful to go unnoticed and he knows its signature. Others may not, but he raised that girl, he knows the blazing trail of her star.
"She is well," he whispers to Narcissa as he embraces her upon returning home, "and I will bring her home." And sees the haunting in her eyes fade, retreating just slightly, but retreating nonetheless.
She still needs Dreamless Sleep after the nightmare.
X
December 21st, 2010
This morning is easier.
"I will bring her home," he promises, this time looking into her eyes, kissing her nose. She raises her hand to his cheek, caressing his stubble, and then nudges closer to him, burrowing her face in his chest. He burrows his in her silky hair.
He decides to give Teddy the entire day to try and succeed, instead of just a couple of hours. Actually, Draco brings the matter up, and although he disagrees vehemently, he concedes in the end. Because his flower asks him to, telling him that stars have to make their own paths.
"You will bring her home," she says, caressing his face again as he puts his arms around her, "to us."
His flower will not wilt now, he is sure of it. But he will be the walls to her heart for a little longer. Make sure the water does not rise.
Teddy writes to them. An owl that does not wait for an answer drops a small note.
"I promised not to disclose her location to you, but she is safe, warm, fed, and surrounded by new books already. I'll write to her every day and let you know if anything changes. I have a plan to get her home before Christmas.
I did not promise not to disclose her looks. She looks older, her hair is silver and blue, and she has brown eyes. Not sure that's useful, but I think it may mean something.
If she ever asks, deny everything. Or tell me so that I have time to run.
Teddy"
Narcissa, bless her, chuckles. Chuckles! A glint of happiness in her eyes, pushing the haunting further away. The smile remains in her face. Even Teddy is aware of the potential for wrath Delphini holds.
His first instinct is to leave and find her.
"No, Lucius, don't go. She needs time. She needs distance. Allow it for now, you can bring her home later. Tomorrow."
That assures him that his flower will not wilt, that the waters will not rise and take her. So he does not go. He also stops Draco from going. Astoria returns upstairs to inform her son that Delphini is alright. That she will be home for Christmas.
Lucius' chest aches at how little he has thought of Scorpius. The boy tries sending his Kneazle to bring her home. At dinner, his grandson has a grin no Malfoy should ever display in public. Like a cat that got the cream, like a boy that got a letter, he suspects.
Narcissa denies all potions that night. She sleeps peacefully in his arms through the night.
X
December 22nd, 2010
She is peaceful this morning too. Instead of the shadow that has lived there for days now, Lucius finds the light of hope in her grey eyes.
"Maybe she'll come home tonight," her voice is a murmur, as if mentioning it could condemn it not to pass.
"I'll bring her home," he whispers, looking her in the eye, smiling, "and today, I'll go and look for her, just to see how she is doing." He kisses her lips, lightly, cautiously, as one should kiss petals. He smiles into it when she kisses back, her lips soft, moist and needy.
"You will bring her home, to us."
He actually sees her today. A girl of about twenty, with brown eyes, and silver hair with blue tips. For a minute, he just takes in her sight. A girl lost between bookshelves. The silver hair is the same colour as his, and his son, and his grandson. He doesn't understand the blue in her hair until the light catches it. It's velvety and rich and that is when he sees it. The blue on the walls of Draco's room. Her first refuge in their house. His chest swells with pride once more. He is proud of his son this time. He should mention it someday. She combs a strand of hair with her fingers, like Narcissa does when she wears her hair down. Her eyes glance his way and he recognizes those too. Astoria's warm, kind brown.
He puts the book he holds back on its shelf and exits the bookshop. He wanders about for some time, until he sees the same girl leave with a new volume. He very carefully follows her at a distance, the stealth learned under the Dark Lord returning with ease, keeping his mind shielded just in case.
She walks into Ollivander's and he gulps. Why would Delphini go there? His heart starts to race, fearing the worst. Then movement catches his eye and he commands his heart to become steady once more. Her own Kneazle hopped on a windowsill upstairs, from where Delphini lifts it into her arms so that she can sit down.
My smart, cunning child…That is why her trace is so befuddled. The amount of magic within those walls alone is probably enough to conceal an Unforgivable.
There's a very painful pinch of worry in his mind at that, but he would rather not face that apocalyptic scenario just now. So he throws it off his mind.
He goes home and tells Narcissa about where Delphini is living. Then he tells her of how Delphini has subtly made herself closer to them. And he sees how it brings a smile to her not-so-wilting flower.
But as the day goes by and the night arrives, the glint of hope starts to fade. Their star has not come home tonight.
"I will bring her home," it has become his promise and his prayer, "I will bring her back for you." And then he holds her tight in his arms. She sleeps through the night, but he can smell the sleeping potion on her breath, and feel her stir in her dreams as she mutters their niece's name.
X
December 23rd, 2010
"I will bring her home," he whispers in Narcissa's ear. He kisses that ear, but she simply nods. She is losing faith. He is losing faith.
Narcissa has lost enough, he remembers. He must bring Delphini back.
The coercion of stars is an impossible feat, he knows, but he gets up from bed and paces in his study, trying to find a way. He has given Teddy enough time, he decides, striding purposefully to the fireplace, tossing the Floo almost disdainfully. When he comes to the Leaky Cauldron, he is quick to hide and transfigure his features and his clothes. Then he makes his way to just outside Ollivander's.
She is reading by the window, seated on the sill, Kneazle on her lap. She looks peaceful, and that breaks his resolve. Merlin only knows what her reaction would be if she were to see him, but he suspects peaceful would not be it. He cannot risk exposing her in Diagon Alley, he cannot risk exposing them and their secret. Not when she is so gathered, so secure of her abilities. Not when she is so glaringly different from her parents. For he knows Wizarding Britain will see nothing but them should the truth ever become known.
He returns to the Manor, huffing his despair. He checks on Narcissa and finds her sobbing in her sleep. He kisses her forehead, caressing a couple of stray tresses away, and murmurs his promise once more, even if she cannot hear him.
His flower is restless through the night, crying in her sleep, pleading, begging. He holds her, murmuring loving nonsense that lulls her back to sleep again and again.
He has nightmares that night, too. He awakes sweating and shivering. The apocalyptic fantasies play themselves on his mind, time and time again. Delphini unleashing all her wrath on him, but most importantly, on her. On the flower turned lioness for her. On the one person that holds his heart, the one person ever capable of changing his mind. The Ministry unleashing all of its might on that almost-daughter of his, locking her away, giving her to the spectres.
He must bring her home. She is not safe outside the Manor. She is not safe without her family.
And Narcissa will not be the same if their precious girl never returns. The flower will wilt, and he will wilt with her.
X
December 24th, 2010
"I will bring her home."
"You will bring her home, to us."
They lay in each other's arms, promising and praying. He kisses her, hiding a lonely tear from her sight. He helps her up, and stands in the shower behind her, promising, while the running water hides her tears. He carries her back to their bedroom, drying her body and her hair with swift movements of his wand. He helps her dress. Whatever strength this flower still has is giving way to the rising waters. He can almost hear her stem shatter, so he holds her, fortifying her.
It's Christmas' Eve and their star has not returned. Don't the Muggles have some ludicrous tale involving a star for this time of the year? He is losing his mind, bit by bit, day by day, he realizes at last. Muggle tales. That's how far gone his mind is.
And it is reeling. Going round and round with possibilities that all lead to the same dead-end.
Then there's a shy, little knock on their door. Narcissa is quick to wipe her tears, as their grandson walks inside, holding a letter.
"Teddy wrote to me, Grandfather," he says, offering the parchment for them to read, "he says Delphini is ready to come home, that she only needs a little nudge. So I wrote a note to her to send with the chocolate Teddy wants us to give her, too. He says it's a bit of a bribe, but that it's important. Will you lend me your owl?"
The little boy becomes their saviour, Lucius realizes. He is the way in. For they are cousins too. And these very walls made friends of them far longer ago. He smiles, in a way a Malfoy should never smile publicly.
"I will bring her home," he tells Narcissa one last time. New tears are born in her eyes. Happy tears, grateful tears, that fall on Scorpius' silky hair as she holds him close, kissing the crown of his head.
"No need for it," comes Astoria's voice from the door, as her warm eyes smile has brightly as her lips, "Draco is gone already. Note and chocolate in hand. He said no owl would be trusted with this."
Lucius laughs, a couple of low resonating notes in his chest. He has failed, he will not bring her home, but she will come anyway.
It seems only stars can coerce each other to change paths. And come home.
His flower will bloom once more.
Author's Notes: Prompts and Challenges
Assignment #8: Potions Task One - The Wolfsbane Potion: Write a fic that spans a week.
365 Prompts Challenge: 119 Era - Next Gen
April's House Challenge: 46 Word - apocalyptic