Author's Note: This takes place in between Chapters 2 and 3 of "The Bloody Babies" but after my side story "Cruel Reminder."
"What do you mean you lost another baby?" Druella asked her youngest daughter. "What did you do wrong this time?"
"The Healers don't know, Mother," Narcissa sighed, somehow managing to keep her composure.
"Well, there has to be something wrong with you," Druella insisted. "I had no problem with bearing children. I don't know what went wrong with my daughters. It's bad enough that Bella has not yet given me any grandchildren, but I was hoping that you wouldn't be such a disappointment."
Narcissa had to struggle to not cry in sorrow or to scream out in anger.
She still sometimes had nightmares of waking up in the middle of the night and realizing that she was bleeding.
And she still had in her mind the clear image of the tiny body that had been in all that blood, the body of what had been her developing baby.
At least with the miscarriage that had followed afterwards, Narcissa had not seen or heard anything drop to the floor. That was only a small comfort, however.
Narcissa didn't know why she had even bothered with telling her mother about this baby. Her mother had yet to speak a single word of sympathy.
Instead, her mother just saw her as being a huge disappointment.
"Now don't get me wrong," Druella spoke, interrupting Narcissa's thoughts. "I am proud of Bella for serving the Dark Lord. She is truly doing something great and noble. But the main duty of all Pureblood women is to continue the family line, something that both you and Bella have failed to do so far. We're going to die out one day if you don't have any children, Cissy."
"I know, Mother," Narcissa cried, "and believe me, I don't want that to happen anymore than you do."
"Then prove it to me," Druella hissed. "Give me my first grandchild and Lucius his first child. Give both the Blacks and the Malfoys the child that will continue both of our family lines. Do your duty as a Pureblood woman and count yourself fortunate that Lucius has not yet cast you aside for being such a disappointment."
"I'm trying, Mother," Narcissa snapped.
"Don't take that tone of voice with me," Druella snarled. "I believed that I did teach you how to have proper manners towards me. Can't you at least do that right?"
"Yes, Mother," Narcissa responded, her voice calmer now. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. I've just been going through a difficult time lately. Losing all those babies has taken its toll on me."
"That's perfectly understandable," Druella returned, her voice calmer now as well. "It always is sad, after all, when a Pureblood woman keeps on getting pregnant with babies that are clearly too weak to be born properly."
Narcissa had to struggle to not say anything. Instead, she tried to amuse herself with the thought that if her father-in-law didn't have such a low opinion of all women (including Pureblood women), he and her mother would be so perfect for each other.
That thought, however, failed to amuse her. Instead, it made her sad for both herself and Lucius and for what they had both had to endure growing up.
"Hopefully the next baby won't be defected in any way," Druella then spoke.
Oh yes, Abraxas Malfoy and Druella Black would be so perfect for each other.
"I hope so too, Mother," Narcissa said, her voice not betraying anything.
She most definitely was not going to tell her mother about her next pregnancy. In fact, she wasn't going to tell her mother that she had been pregnant until she had a living, breathing grandchild to offer.
If that ever happened.
Stop with that type of thinking, Narcissa scolded herself. You are going to be a mother one day.
But sometimes, it was hard to have much hope.
Especially after she had just had a conversation with someone like her mother.
Author's Note: I will be writing a story in which both Cygnus and Druella meet baby Draco.