Author's note

Thank you for dropping by. I hope you enjoy the story. Your reviews are welcomed and cherished, always ;)

CHAPTER 4

A MOTHER IN SEARCH

Ella squints at what she sees through the spyhole.

She knows the woman. Well, not really, but she has seen her before. And she believes she knows who this woman is.

Shifting her eyes to one side, Ella weights her options. If the woman is indeed who she believes her to be, it's quite unlikely that they will have a friendly encounter, no matter what has brought her here in the first place. That being said, it doesn't really take a genius to have a vague idea as to what it is that has brought her here.

She decides to ignore it and retreats to the living room. However, just as she turns on her heels, the woman knocks again, this time with less patience. That pulls her back to the spyhole against her will.

Under the layer of fine fabric artfully tailored into a fine robe is a blonde woman in her middle age, her face skinny, her eyes surrounded by large rounds of dark shades. Her short, nervous breaths can be clearly heard on the other side of the door.

She knocks, waits, and knocks again. It doesn't look like she'll be going away any time soon.

Ella strides into the kitchen. This morning Severus borrowed her silver knife to entertain himself by studying it and then left it on the dining table before he went out. Tucking it in her trousers' pocket, at a convenient drawing angle, she strides back to the door.

The woman still has not given up.

Carefully fixing herself at the doorway, placing one leg across the frame, ready to shut it in an instant should anything go wrong, she slightly swings the door ajar, just enough to reveal half of her face.

"How can I help you, Madam?"

The woman frowns at what she sees. After a brief pause, she says:

"I wish to see Severus."

The door opens slightly wider.

"Severus is out at the moment," says Ella. "But I can pass your words to him when he's back."

"When will he be back?"

"Well," Ella shrugs, "he said in half an hour but it's not certain."

"I can wait for him."

One half of Ella only wants to shut the door and leave her there waiting as she wishes, but the other half protests, and it wins. Tucking the silver knife more secured in her pocket, she swings the door properly open.

"Please come in, Madam," she gestures to the woman.

The moment her face is completely revealed, the woman stares at her dumbstruck. The next moment, the stare turns into a nasty glare.

Ella patiently waits for the long look attack to cease. At last, the woman walks in, not without eyeing her cautiously.

"Please take a seat, Madam. I'll make you some tea."

Leaving for the kitchen, Ella constantly looks back over her shoulder, her right hand rests firmly on the knife's handle. She proceeds to make the tea, keeping her face to the door's direction the whole time.

"Please have some tea, Madam. Severus should be home soon if nothing unexpected happens."

"You are living here?"

Ella pauses for a second, blinking at the guest. Then she puts an elbow on the chair's armrest and props her cheek on her fist:

"Yes. I'm staying here with him for the summer."

Without the slightest concern for politeness, her eyes roam Ella vigorously. And for some reason, Ella has forgot about her knife.

"Is there anything I can help you with while we are waiting for him?," she softly smiles.

"Is Draco here?," the woman hisses between her teeth.

"Draco? Are you referring to Mr Draco Malfoy who was a student in Severus' House?"

"Yes," the woman almost leaps out of her chair, "is he here?!"

"Please calm down, Madam," Ella lazily glances up at her. "Please sit down. First of all, may I ask who you are and why you are asking of Mr Malfoy?"

The woman darts her eyes at Ella dangerously. She casually takes a sip of tea:

"If we are going to talk, at least I should know who I am talking to."

"I'm his mother," the woman barks under her breath.

"Mrs Malfoy?"

"Yes. Is he here?!

"He used to be, but he's no longer here."

"Where is he?!," the woman springs to her feet and advances on Ella.

"Please sit down, Mrs Malfoy."

"TELL ME! WHERE IS HE? WHERE IS DRACO?"

Ella's hand jumps back to her knife, but the woman has not drawn her wand. She is just acting as if she wanted to grab Ella by her shirt.

"Mrs Malfoy," Ella shoots her a stern look in the eyes, "are we still having a civil conversation or are we going to fight now?"

"Where is Draco?!," she cries, totally ignoring everything else in the world.

"Calm down and I'll tell you."

Gasping with tears rolling down her cheeks, the woman retreats and throws herself back to her chair.

"First," says Ella, "let me assure you he is in good hands, safe and taken care of. However, I can't tell you his whereabouts on my own accord. You have given up your custody over him and now he has a new guardian. I must obtain his guardian's permission if I am to tell you more details about his current life. Because in the legal sense, you are no longer his mother."

That brings forth a loud, twisted sound, a mix of a cry and a shriek. Ella sighs:

"Your husband disowned him and forced you to do the same against your will, I assume?"

The woman's eyes snap up.

"Happens all the time," Ella shrugs. "Your family is not the only case I've heard of. Well, I think Severus is home."

As soon as she finishes her words, Severus appears and freezes at the living room's door.

"Hi, Sev," Ella glances up at him. "Mrs Malfoy wishes to see you."

"To what do I owe this honour, Narcissa?," he asks, his voice low and rough.

"Severus," the woman rises and approaches him, "please, let me see Draco. Please, Severus!"

With a cold glare, Severus calmly takes off his cloak:

"I'm afraid I'm not holding that power. No do you hold the right to demand it."

"Please, Severus!," she cries. "He forced me! You know I would never… ever…"

"What did he do to force you into it, Narcissa?," Severus barks. "What could have been able to rid you of your motherhood had you not given it up yourself?"

The woman drops her head and trembles in her sobs.

"You let your son be thrown out of the door and become an orphan, right under your watch. If you were not strong enough to protect him as you wished, well perhaps we can say he is in better hands now."

"Sev!," Ella whispers, tugging his sleeve. He shoots her a glare sideways.

A long silence goes by, the only sounds heard are the woman's sobs. Severus has settled in the couch, with Ella on his side. He props his cheek on his fist:

"How did you learn that he was here, Narcissa?"

"Kit," she answers in tears. "I have been sending seekers everywhere. Then I met Kit. He let me know."

"Under Veritaserum, I assume?," he sneers.

Narcissa raises her gaze to meet his, in silence.

"I'm sorry, Narcissa, but Draco is not in our custody and neither is he in yours, so I'm afraid none of us have any business discussing his whereabouts here."

"Severus!"

Ella almost jumps in surprise. The woman has thrown herself to her knees, begging at Severus' feet.

"I beg you, please… I'll do anything… Please let me know where Draco is… Severus… I beg you…"

"And what are you going to do after I let you know?"

"I just want to know… I just need to know…"

"Then it should suffice to know that he is now in the care of a guardian, safe and well and will receive the education he needs. That's all, Narcissa. I don't see why you need to know more."

Ella tugs his sleeve again. He sighs and wraps his arm around her back.

"Are you in contact with him, Severus?," the woman asks without looking up.

"What if I am and what if I'm not?"

"Could you please pass my letter to him? Please, I'll never forget your favour…"

Frowning at her, Severus sighs again. Then he says:

"You are free to leave it here. I'll ask him and his guardian's opinion as to whether they wish to receive it."

"Thank you, Severus!," the woman rises and cheers. "Thank you! I'll have it brought to you shortly!"

"Very well."

Without further pleasantries, the woman strides out of the room and to the door. Ella calls after her:

"And how can we reply to you, Mrs Malfoy?"

Glancing over her shoulder, she answers:

"I'll send you words together with the letter."

And she disappears. The next moment, Severus swiftly turns to Ella:

"Are you all right? Did anything happen before I got home?"

"I'm fine," Ella blinks, "Why? Nothing happened except she came and wanted to see you."

Letting out a sigh of relief, he looks her in the eyes:

"You opened the door for her?"

"Well," Ella shrugs. "apparently…"

"You shouldn't have done that, love," he groans and hugs her close. "She could have hurt you."

For some reason, that hits Ella with overwhelming sadness. She slides down the couch, lying on her side with her head on his lap.

"She looks desperate," she murmurs.

"Did you recognise her?"

"Of course I did."

"Then why on earth would you let her in?," he barks under his breath. "She is one of those witches who regard you and people like you as the scum of the earth, Ella. When circumstance allows she might very well conveniently hang you to rid the wizarding world of defective breeds!"

"But she didn't hurt me, you see…"

"No, not in my house. She didn't want to go on a suicide mission yet. The point still stands, however…"

"I could be in conflict with her on another day. Today she was a mother desperately searching for her son…"

"… whom she had disowned earlier."

"She was forced to do it," Ella murmurs extra softly.

"If I raise my wand at you and tell you to hurt Harry, will you comply?"

Ella sighs loudly.

"Exactly. No," says Severus.

"Okay, maybe she should have stood up to her husband, which she didn't… But still, she was worried to death about Draco…"

"Yes but that is not a good reason to put yourself at risk trying to comfort her."

Ella absently reaches the quilt with her toes and pulls it over herself. The silver knife falls loose from her pocket and drops to the floor.

"Hmm," Severus peers at her, "did that knife have a role to play in the story?"

"I just kept it in my pocket in case something happened," she flushes.

"To peel an apple and share it with her in case she was mean to you?"

Ella burst into laughter:

"That's a very nasty remark, Sev! But so hilarious!"

Chuckling, he bends forward to pick up the knife. His other hand gently rubs her waist:

"Don't do that again, love. A desperate mother can always wait at the door. Had said desperate mother decided to harm you, it couldn't have been reversed."

"I'm sorry," Ella murmurs.

"I didn't mean to criticise you. I only wanted to point out the risk."

"Uh huh…"

"Looks like Tristan is calling."

Ella tilts her head backwards to look to the fireplace's direction. The mirror on the mantle is flashing.