Chapter Ten: The Black House
Narcissa slowly made her way down the winding staircase of Malfoy Manor. She was seven and a half months pregnant and was already huge. She couldn't believe how much weight she had gained and she still had another month and a half left to go. As she reached the bottom of the steps, she felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen.
"Oh," she cried as she leaned over the railing to let the pain pass. Twinkle and Tally were immediately at her side offering their help. Narcissa accepted it and allowed them to escort her to the kitchen. She sat at the table and accepted some toast and coffee from Tally.
"Eat Mistress," she ordered. Narcissa pushed her plate away. She couldn't eat. She was so lonely. Lucius hadn't been slept home in a full month. He had begun coming home less and less to not at all since the kids returned to school. He would send owls assuring her that he was working, but she was no fool. She knew that he was having an affair. There was no other reason for him to stay away from home since the Dark Lord fell. She put her head in her hands and slowly began to cry. It was a truly heartfelt cry, a cry that she needed to let out.
She had not cried like this since the night she cried for Severus all those years ago. It had been the last time they were ever together; the night Hermione was conceived. That was the night that the thin line between love and hate was crossed between them. They fought…. like cats and dogs, like muggles. She repeatedly attacked him, striking him in his face and upper torso, kicking his legs and shins while he tried defending himself. She had been so angry; she felt so betrayed, so hurt. She wanted him, but he didn't want her, wouldn't take her away from Lucius. Then, when he could take no more of her assaults on him, he violently ripped her clothes from her body and threw her unto the bed before he slammed himself roughly into her. He made love to her in a way that he had never in the three and a half years that they had laid together. It had been so intense, extremely rough and raw, and full of so much passion and emotion. He fulfilled her long and very hard. She loved it. Loved the way he released his anger on her with his penis. She loved the way he nearly impaled her, ravished her, and made her screamed until she cried. He fucked her as hard as he could in every position that he knew for over two hours. She was sore, hoarse, bruised and dehydrated after having multiple orgasms back to back, and she loved every minute of it; loved the way his onyx eyes never left her sapphire ones. Somehow, she knew as her orgasms peaked, that he would never touch her again. He would never again take her to the brink of insanity; dangle her there while he drove her over the edge before bringing her back again. She knew she would never hold him, never touch him, never kiss him or cry in his arms again. She was so in love with him. She wanted to show him how much she loved him. She wanted to let him know how it would be every night or any time he wanted it if he just took what she was trying desperately to give him. After she had her fifth orgasm, Narcissa took the lead. She threw him on his back and attempted to straddle him. She failed on her first attempts due to sloppy, wet mess that was leaking down her thighs. Her hair was sticking to her head and she and Severus both were drenched in sweat, but still she straddled him, panting heavily, as she slowly rose then fell on his still rock-hard shaft. He had such a long tolerance to sex and could fuck for hours on end when he wanted to. That night he seemed to be in no hurry to stop and that encouraged her. Slowly she went up then down, up then down, up then down, loving the way his thick cock filled her completely. She loved the way he hissed each time she stroked him. She loved the way he sang her nickname 'Cissy' in between his moans. She loved the way he gripped her waist and urged himself deeper within her as he begun to lose control. He sat up, still planted deep inside her and pounded himself into her, harder and harder. She felt her toes begin to curl again. She felt herself shiver from the tingles that begun to spread throughout her body with the force of electricity volts. Her heart had begun to beat faster and faster, her head felt like it was spinning, the room was tilting sideways, she felt like she couldn't breathe and still Severus relentlessly stroked her, staring into her eyes the entire time. He kissed her neck and caressed her hard nipples while he steadily pounded into her. Then he lifted her and stood, while still inside her, and carried her to the nearest wall and pinned her against it. Holding her thighs up with his forearms, he began to hammer himself into her hard and fast. Narcissa eyes had rolled into the back of her head. Her mouth hung open. She was there, on the brink of insanity, where he got some sick sort of pleasure from bringing her to. She had begun clawing into his back, spluttering incoherent nothings, and gyrating fiercely against him. Her head was banging against the wall and she had wondered amidst her insanity, if he had remembered to cast the silencing spell. Her parents certainly were being entertained in the next room if he had not. Then he spoke to her, his deep baritone voice sending shivers down her spine, as he said five words that she thought she would never hear from his mouth. He had never said them to her before and she had never pushed it from him, though she was madly in love with him. "I love you Narcissa Black," he said and she felt his hot breath on her left ear. She felt herself tremble. He shifted his position and struck 'her spot' dead center. She shrieked. "I said, I love you Narcissa," he repeated, as he struck her spot again. She shrieked again, as she felt her body begin to vibrate. He struck her G spot again and again until she began to writhe against him. She completely lost control of herself and began thrashing wildly, shrieking like a banshee as her biggest orgasm of the night overcame her. Severus tolerance broke and he came with the force of a canon, shooting so much semen into her that it leaked from her, and down his shaft, blessing the room with the aroma of their love making. He lowered her legs and stared into her eyes. They were both breathing heavily, but neither of them broke eye contact. Then, without warning, he took her mouth in his and kissed her like his life depended on it. Her heart rejoiced. She thought, in that moment, that she had won; that she had finally convinced him to elope with her and never return to England. He kissed her with so much passion. She loved him, oh how she loved him. Then he pulled away from her. He walked to the other side of the room and began to gather up his clothes from the floor. She asked him what he was doing. He told her, as if it was nothing, that she had always known that she belonged to Lucius and nothing had changed the fact. He spoke to her as if she was a cheap whore and not Narcissa Black, the wealthy daughter of Orion and Talitha Black. He spoke to her as if they had not had a serious relationship for almost four years, in which she had stood by his side and rode for him, lied for him and even worst, killed for him. His coldness cut through her like a two-edged sword and in that moment, she hated everything about him. He dressed in silence as she cried on the bed, then left without a word; left without giving her any healing potion for the brutal love making that they'd just made, and more importantly, he left without giving her the contraption potion. He left her broken-hearted and crying with a broken pride in her bedroom of the Black House, with her parents in the next room. She hated him. Now, fifteen years later, she was crying the same way for the man that she didn't want to marry.
"Mistress please stop crying," squeaked Twinkle. "You is making Twinkle very sad. Twinkle isn't liking to see you cry so much."
After Narcissa composed herself, which took a while, she slowly stood with the help of her elves.
"I'm going to the Ministry," she told them. "The train will be here by six and I need a word with Lucius. Tally I want you to prepare that stew that Draco loves for dinner and Twinkle, I want you to come with me in the case that I need you."
Twinkle nodded and immediately ran forward to assist her master. She was too far along in her pregnancy to apparate so she headed for the floo network in the sitting room. Grabbing Twinkle's hand for support, she took a pinch of green powder that was kept on the mantelpiece and threw it into the crackling flames that were blazing within. They instantly turn a bright emerald green.
"The Department of Government Financing," she shouted as she stepped into the flames. With a swish, she was gone.
She arrived in the fireplace of the lobby on Lucius' Floor, as everyone called it. Lucius was and had always been extremely good with numbers. After finishing his Hogwarts education with stellar marks, he went on to become the Arithmetic Master. He had in the last twenty years managed to triple the already huge Malfoy Vault to its unprecedented unlimited spending state that it now had, by financing the wizarding world. He was now the head of thirteen offices within the ministry, the head of the school governors, and Chief Advisor of Gringotts Bank.
Narcissa sighed and slowly made her way to his office with Twinkle at her heels. She was greeted by several important figures on her way there including the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, who practically bowed down and kissed the hem of her dress. She heard his pockets jingling as he rose, and Narcissa knew that her husband had bribed him yet again, to do his bidding.
She shook her head, and continued on her journey to Lucius' office. She could have flooed directly into his office, but she knew that he would not appreciate it; so instead, she stood at his door and knocked like any other visitor.
The door opened on its own accord a moment later and she entered to find Lucius with his back to her, staring out the charmed imagery of outside London. He turned to face her.
"My God, Narcissa you're huge," he exclaimed as took her in. She did not respond but went to the sofa on the opposite side of the room and sat down. Lucius sat on the edge of his desk, facing her.
"How have you been Cissy," he asked. "I haven't seen you in a while."
"I know," Narcissa responded. "And how does it look like I've been?"
Lucius smirked. "Apart from the fact that you look like you're about to pop," he said coolly. "You look fine to me."
Narcissa felt like her heart was breaking. She didn't understand what was happening to them and why. She didn't understand what had gone so wrong between them in the last few months.
"So, you're not going to be there when this baby is born either," she asked him.
Lucius laughed. "Of course, I will." He declared.
"Will you," demanded Narcissa. "Because I've noticed a pattern, Lucius, you are never around when I start getting fat and ugly."
"That's absurd Narcissa, completely absurd."
"Is it?" she shouted. "Because you've been MIA three out of the three pregnancies I've had. You missed Draco's birth. You missed Hermione's birth. If you hadn't been God knows where, I wouldn't have been able to give her away."
Lucius stood. "Don't you dare blame your infidelities on my being away," he snared.
"Infidelities," repeated Narcissa. "I was not your wife when Severus and I were together."
"How do I know that," shouted Lucius. "You went through a hell of a lot of trouble to hide the fact that you had his child."
Narcissa slapped him. "Don't change this all around on me Lucius," she hissed. "You're the one who's being unfaithful. I've never been unfaithful to you even when I was sorely tempted to."
"Get out of my office," he screamed at her. "Or God help me woman."
Narcissa glared furiously at him before turning to the fireplace. "Your son will be home in a few hours. Please don't let him know that you no longer live at home. It would kill him." She took a pinch of powder and flooed home. As she landed in the fireplace of the manor, she felt another sharp pain go through her. She stumbled, and immediately the elves appeared and helped her over to the sofa.
"Rest Mistress," said Pax in his deep voice, as he handed her a glass of lemonade. "Rest yourself and let Pax massage your feet."
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On board the Hogwarts Express, Hermione sat staring out the window. It was snowing outside creating beautiful wintery scenery for them as they flew along. She was sharing a compartment with Pansy, who had quickly become a friend to her following her 14th birthday party. She had learned over the past three months that Pansy was smart, funny, and deviant. She knew a lot about purebloods traditions and had informed Hermione of some rather interesting ones. Pansy knew all about boys, her body and sex. Hermione found that therapy with Andromeda, which was going extremely well, and girl one on one with Pansy, was helping her tremendously and she felt that her old self was beginning to come back. Her nightmares were less frequent, and she hardly ever needed a calming potion. She was not yet comfortable talking about her trauma and still avoided the issue as much as she could and danced around the topic in her sessions with Andie. She still had flashbacks of what John did to her, but refused to share them with anyone. She couldn't. The most she could do was writing about it, and at times, that was too hard for her. She had returned to her full schedule the first of November however, and already she was the top of each. School was truly easy for her.
She sighed. She was happy it was the holidays. She really wanted to see Narcissa. She hadn't seen her since her birthday party. She wrote almost every day, and Hermione had gotten the vibe that all wasn't well with her birth mother. Sometimes her letters sounded as if she was lonely. She'd begun mentioning her servants, Twinkle and Tally as if they were the only friends that she had. Hermione wondered if everything was well in paradise.
"Hermione are you listening to me," asked Pansy.
"O err- no Pansy sorry," she said, turning her attention to back to her compartment buddy. "What were you saying?"
Pansy rolled her eyes. She did not like being ignored. "I said to see if you can come over to my place for a few days or I will see if I can come to yours."
"Malfoy Manor is hardly my place," said Hermione laughing. "My place would be Spinner's End, but the Professor decided to stay at Hogwarts and watch out for Black, so I'll spend the holidays over there."
"However, it goes, ask your mother can I come over or can you come to my house."
"I will, I will," huffed Hermione.
"Yea and if I can come to your house we can have a good party in the room of requirement," said Pansy excitedly. "And I can have another go at that fine brother of yours."
"Pansy," squealed Hermione slapping her leg.
"Don't tell me that you're a virgin Hermione," she said jokingly. When Hermione didn't respond she said, "Seriously, you aren't a virgin are you?"
"No," said Hermione quietly. "I was raped over the summer." She did not know what made her confess to Pansy Parkinson what she couldn't tell bring herself to tell Harry. But she did. Pansy stared at her flabbergasted.
"Are you serious," she whispered, her eyes wide.
Hermione nodded. "By my adopted father," she said turning to look back out the window. "He attacked me, raped me, and then told me that I wasn't his daughter; that I was adopted."
Pansy flung her arms around Hermione. "I'm so sorry," she said, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "Is that how you found out Professor Snape was your father?"
Hermione nodded. "He saved me," she whispered. "Before he even knew I was his daughter, he saved me."
Pansy snorted. "You act like that is a big surprise."
Hermione turned to face her. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.
Pansy shrugged. "I mean everyone knows that Snape is overprotected of young girls."
Hermione stared. "I didn't know," she said.
"Well yeah because you were raised as a muggle," she declared. "But had you grown up as a pureblood you would have known. He is like all our godfather. He would kill my own father if he mistreated me," she declared. "You have the best father in the world," she said. "All the girls are secretly jealous."
Hermione laughed. "Snape to the rescue," she said. And they laughed. It was a good laugh and Hermione felt great knowing that she had just revealed the worst of herself to Pansy and she did not hold it against her. She did not turn away from her disgusted. She had embraced her. Then she had comforted her, and they laughed. In that moment Hermione knew that she would never look at Pansy Parkinson the same again. Draco joined them shortly afterwards and the three of them laughed and enjoyed their ride home.
All too soon they arrived at the train station. Hermione saw Narcissa standing in the crowd awaiting their arrival. She quickly made her way over to her mother. She was huge. She was past huge, she was gigantic. Hermione had to force herself not to stop and stare at the once petite woman. Narcissa smiled weakly at her, and gave her a quick sideways hug. She looked like she was in pain, Hermione noticed immediately.
"Are you okay," she asked her mother. Narcissa nodded. "Tell Draco to hurry so we can get back," she said. There's was no need to however because Draco had come at that second.
"Where's Father?" he demanded without even greeting is mother.
Narcissa sighed warily. "Your father had to work late tonight," she lied. "He should be home later."
Draco huffed. "So, when are you having this baby mother?" he asked taking her in, frowning deeper the more of her he saw. Narcissa sighed.
"My due date is the fourth of February." She said as she cast a charm on their trunks to make them feather light for them to be able to carry.
She led them out of King's Cross Station and across the street to the pub where they would be able to access the floo network, and floo home. Narcissa was hit with two more contractions on the short walk across the street. She was beginning to worry. She hoped she wasn't having labor contractions. It was still much too early. She was only thirty weeks pregnant. They entered the shop, and she wobbled across the room to the floo network.
"You go on first Draco," she told her son tiredly. He did. He turned to the blazing flames after taking a pinch of floo powder, "Malfoy Manor," he shouted after throwing the powder into the licking flames. He disappeared with a swish.
"Hermione, you next," she said, pushing her oldest child forward. Hermione took a pinch of the powder and imitated her younger brother. She arrived in the sitting room of Malfoy Manor a moment later.
Draco had already made his way to the kitchen where he was serving himself some hot tea. Hermione joined him. She poured herself a cold glass of pumpkin juice and took an apple from the fruit dish and began slicing it with a kitchen knife. Draco had decided on a tasty piece of lemon pie.
"I noticed Potty and Weasel weren't on the train home," said Draco turning to his sister. "It sucks that Potter has no family to go to and Weasley can't afford to travel back and forth," he joked nonchalantly. "I would hate to be them, wouldn't you?"
"It was nice of Ron to stay with Harry," said Hermione airily.
"Yea I suppose," said Draco shrugging. "But then again, that's to be expected of a sidekick."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ron is not Harry's sidekick," she said chuckling a little.
Draco shrugged again. "Call him whatever you like, but I know a sidekick when I see one."
Narcissa wobbled into the kitchen. She looked extremely tired and in distressed. "Dinner should be ready soon," she said.
"Are you okay?" asked Hermione again. She pulled out a chair that was at the table. "You should sit down," she said. "You look tired.
At that moment Narcissa let out a terrible shriek, grabbed her stomach with one hand, and the kitchen countertop with the other.
"Oh my God," shrieked Draco pointing behind her. Hermione turned in the direction of his outstretched arm. Her heart dropped. There was a trail of blood coming from the sitting room through the dining and into the kitchen, stopping beneath Narcissa's robes.
Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh my, Narcissa you're bleeding."
Narcissa let out another shriek in response as a puddle of bloody water gushed from her. She shrieked again and so did Draco. Hermione froze. She knew what was happening but had no idea of what to do. Narcissa began screaming; blood was still pouring from her.
"We have to do something," yelled Hermione. "We have to get her to St. Mungo's,"
"And how are we going to do that?" shouted Draco as he knelt beside Narcissa.
Hermione wracked her brains. "We'll floo her, grab an arm," she said bending to catch Narcissa's upper arm. Draco did the same and the two of them hauled a screaming and bleeding Narcissa back to the fireplace in the sitting room. Draco took a pinch and threw it into the flames. The flames turned bright green. "The Black house" cried Draco as they stepped inside. They were gone before Hermione had a chance to ask him where they were going.
They landed in the tall fire place of a black room. The walls and ceiling were painted black and there was a black area rug made of lynx fur in the middle of the floor, which was black marble. There were portraits lining the walls and in every one of them was a frowning face scolding down at them. There were carved statues of serpents in all different shapes and sizes decorating the room. The room looked like it belonged to the supporters of the darkest arts.
"Draco why did you bring us here," demanded Hermione as Narcissa howled in pain again.
"My grandparents," shrugged Draco. "They will know what to do."
"What's going on in here," growled a low unfriendly voice. Hermione jumped. She turned to face a tall man with long wild black hair standing on a long walking staff. He was dressed in long black robes. He had his wand pointed directly at Hermione.
"Oh my," she squealed. Narcissa screamed again. "Daddy," she bellowed. The man focused his attention on Narcissa and immediately sprang into action.
"Where's your father boy," he barked at Draco as he began chanting a spell and waving his wand over Narcissa.
"He had to work Grandfather," muttered Draco as he pulled out his wand. "What should we do?"
"Get some Healers here now," screamed Grandfather. "She's hemorrhaging."
Draco threw a pinch of floo powder back into the fireplace and screamed "St. Mungo's," as he and Hermione stepped in.
Draco sprinted out of the fireplace with Hermione on his heels screaming "Help" at the top of his lungs. Heals head popped out of every room.
"Mister Malfoy," said one of them who obviously recognized that platinum blonde hair. "Can we help you Mister Malfoy?"
"My mother is hemorrhaging." He screamed. "She is at the Black House. She's pregnant."
The healer, whose name was Norman Novak ran behind the desk and began searching for Narcissa's information.
"Someone get in contact with Severus Snape," yelled Novak who was sending objects flying to a push cart near the floo network.
"Why do we need that bastard?" asked another Healer.
"Because you will not have a job tomorrow if you put any potion in her body that's not brewed by the Potion Master," said a man that Hermione knew to be Healer Parkinson.
"What's going on Draco," he asked.
"My mother's pregnant she's hemorrhaging," he said exasperatedly, "you're all wasting time."
"Listen Draco," said Healer Parkinson, "I want you to floo to the Ministry and alert your father. It will be quicker than owl."
Draco nodded.
"Miss Snape," said Parkinson addressing Hermione now. She looked up eagerly. "I want you to floo to Hogwarts and alert your father," he said. "He is the only potion master that the Malfoys trust.
Hermione nodded. Draco had already gone and Hermione did not waste time hanging about. She quickly flooed inside of Severus' private chambers. Her heart let out a sigh of relief to see him. He was nursing an alcoholic beverage, and wearing black slacks with a black button-down shirt. His shirt was unbuttoned revealing his very well define chest beneath.
"Hermione what are you doing here," he asked as he waved his wand. All his buttons instantly re buttoned. "What's going on?"
"Narcissa is hemorrhaging," she said breathlessly. "I think she's having the baby, there was so much blood. Draco took her to the Black House. Healers should be there now. Draco is looking for Lucius at the Ministry. Pansy's dad sent me to get you; he said the Malfoys won't take any potion that's not brewed by you."
Severus only hesitated for a moment as he seemed to take in everything Hermione had said. She had been speaking extremely fast. Then he waved his wand and summoned his potion kit and some ingredients. They came zooming toward him.
"Let's go," he said.
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Hermione landed back in the fire place of the Black House to find the sitting room deserted apart from two elves dressed in filthy rags, cleansing Narcissa's blood from the floor. Severus landed in the fireplace a moment after her and ran out of the room and around the corner. Hermione started forward, but was immediately stopped by someone grabbing her shoulder. She spun around. Apparently, the room wasn't deserted after all.
"What business do you have here," said a woman with salt and pepper hair. She glared at Hermione, taking in her facial features.
"You are a Black," said the old woman. "Are you Andromeda's daughter?"
This startled Hermione. "Do you mean Andromeda Tonks?" she asked.
The woman sneered. "I do not call my daughter by that filth's name," she spat. "That disgusting mudblood, who corrupted my sweet and innocent daughter."
Hermione shook her head. "No," she said. "No, I'm not Andromeda's daughter," she said. "I'm Narcissa's daughter. I'm Hermione. Hermione Snape."
The woman let out a bark like laughter, "I should have known," she said. "Cissy and Severus were very intimate back then. Well it's good you're a pureblood, I would have killed you if you were a mudblood. I do not care for half-bloods either; however, I would have allowed you to visit Cissy, if you were Andromeda's half-blood spawn."
"How is my mother," asked Hermione, deciding that she did not like this woman at all.
"I don't know," said the woman. "I haven't been up there. I'm waiting for my daughter, Andromeda. I'm Talitha Black, your grandmother, I suppose. Orion, my husband has gone to try and make amends with Andromeda. The healers were saying Cissy might not make it."
"WHAT," yelled Hermione as tears filled her eyes? "What do you mean?"
The woman studied Hermione. "Your mother might die today," she said coldly. "She'd lost a lot of blood by the time the healers got here. She's been non-responsive for the last ten minutes from what Heifer tells me,"
Hermione sprinted from the room, her heart pounding, in the directions of the noises she was beginning to hear. Narcissa couldn't be dying, she just couldn't. She just met her. She was just getting to know her. She couldn't lose her another mother.
Hermione turned down a hallway and in the first room on the right, she found them. Severus, Healer Parkinson, and Healer Novak were surrounded around Narcissa who they had laying on a hospital like bed in the middle of the room. This room, like the rest of the house had a black ceiling and walls and a black marble floor. It also was decorated with serpents. There was a ball of light floating above Narcissa's body. Hermione's stomach turned. Severus and the two healers were performing surgery on Narcissa. It was very cold in the room, and Hermione could feel the magic swirling around her in the air. She knew it was a powerful spell keeping the room disinfected; she could almost smell the sanitation swirling around the room.
Hermione looked around and gasped. Draco was sitting on a sofa that was pushed to the very back of the room out of the way of everyone. He looked inconsolable. His eyes were bloodshot and swollen. Tears were streaming down his face. He was cradling his arm and holding a pink bundle. Hermione quickly walked over to him. He was holding a baby. Hermione squealed.
"Oh my god! Is this her?" she asked extending her arms for the baby. Draco handed her over. She was beautiful with sky blue eyes and white blonde hair. She looked just like Lucius, whom Hermione noticed was still not present.
"She's beautiful," exclaimed Hermione. "And perfectly healthy."
"Lucky for her," mumbled Draco. "Her twin can't say the same."
"What twin?" asked Hermione? "Where is she?"
"He," corrected Draco. "Didn't make it. He died in my arms after living for a minute and a half.
"Oh my god," exclaimed Hermione. "That's horrible."
"Mother's stopped breathing on her own. Severus and Danny keep bringing her back but she won't stabilize. Her body is not giving the blood replenishing potions time to work." He put his head in his hands. "Where is my father?" he asked aloud.
There," shouted Novak. "It's working."
Draco ran forward to the operating area. "Is she going to be okay?" he asked eagerly. "Is she going to live?"
Severus turned him away from the bed and walked him back over to Hermione and the baby. "Narcissa was sicker than anyone knew," he said quietly. "She had bad lungs. Her breathing for three took too much out of her. Her lungs collapsed. We stopped and healed her hemorrhage and replenished the blood she lost, but we haven't been able to get her to breathe on her own. If she doesn't start breathing on her own, she will die." Hermione let out a sob. The baby girl in her arms eyes was still open. She was staring at Hermione as if studying her. Hermione kissed her.
"Hello Isis," she whispered trying to control her sobbing. "I'm Hermione, your big sister." She looked up at Draco who was staring at Narcissa. "She's so big Draco." She said. "She doesn't look premature at all." Severus returned to the other healers and they began conversing in low tones.
Hermione took the baby whom she'd liked to call Isis over to where Narcissa was laying comfortably in a Queen Size bed. She loved magic. Narcissa had given birth, had surgery, gotten patched and cleaned up and place in a bigger and better bed all in an hour.
She sat on the edge of the bed beside Narcissa. She positioned Isis to where she would be able to see their mother.
"This is our mother," she told Isis. Her name is Narcissa Malfoy.
At that moment, the room door burst opened and Lucius entered. "What's going on here," he demanded of everyone in the room. "My secretary said that you," he shot at Draco. "Ran wildly about, on my floor of the Ministry, shouting of an emergency. Explain yourself."
Draco squared his shoulders.
"Mother has had the baby," he said.
"And that is an emergency because?" yelled Lucius.
Severus suddenly lunged at Lucius out of nowhere. "Narcissa almost died having your children," he screamed at him. "Where the hell were you?"
"Unhand me Severus," said Lucius, throwing Severus from him. "You must have lost your mind."
"Indeed, I have," sneered Severus as he glared Lucius in the eyes. "When I was summoned to save your wife's life. Where were you Lucius" he repeated. "And don't you even think about lying to me."
Lucius glowered. "How dare you question me." He snared. "You have no right to question anything I do."
"If you do not answer me in five seconds," warned Severus. "I will do a lot more than question you."
"I was with another woman," said Lucius jutting his chin out. "We went on a lovely date."
Severus stared at him. "Well I hope it was worth it," he said after a moment. "Your wife may have lost her life bearing your children while you were out being unfaithful."
Lucius laughed. "Well I assure you," he said quietly. "If Narcissa haddied, she would have had the one she trulywanted by her side with her."
Severus felt his temperature rising, a sure sign that he was furious. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean Lucius," he asked.
"Exactly how it sounded," said Lucius. "You're the one she wants, not me. What's it matters if I was here or not."
"It matters because she's your wife you moron," yelled Severus. "She's the mother of your heir, and she was giving birth to your twins. What the fuck is wrong with you."
"None of those things were of her choice," screamed Lucius who was red in the face. Severus had never seen him this way before. "I loved Narcissa for as long as I can remember. I knew my whole life that she would be my wife, and for a long as I can remember, she had a thing for you. The second that mudblood turned her back on you, there she was to pick up the fallen pieces."
"Don't you think it's kind of late to be playing the jealousy card," sneered Severus, his jaw clenched and his fist balled. "Narcissa loves you, any fool can see that."
"She loves what I can do for her," retorted Lucius. "She's in love with you and has always been."
Severus shook his head. "You're a fool Lucius Malfoy II," he said quietly. "You're convincing yourself to believe what you know is not true." He shook his head again. "You're obviously fucking some really good pussy."
Lucius nostrils flared. "It's funny how now suddenly you care so deeply for Narcissa," he said, still glaring in his best friend's eyes. "You certainly didn't all those years ago."
"Narcissa is my friend," said Severus. "And she is the mother of my only child. I care very deeply for her."
"Is that why I found her looking like you raped her, the morning of our engagement announcement?" yelled Lucius. "I was about to have you arrested but she assured me that it was consensual, that you guys got carried away saying goodbye. She was bruised in several places. You brutalized her, consensual or not; I saw it in her mind, so don't tell me how to treat her. I've never hurt her not physically at least."
"I was eighteen Lucius, and that was fifteen years ago," screamed Severus. "Get over it. Narcissa needs you."
"Where are the babies," asked Lucius. "Let me see my twins."
"It's just your daughter," snarled Severus. "Your son died right after he was born."
"What?" asked Lucius. "What are you saying?"
"Your son died," said Severus loudly. "Your daughter was taking all the nutrients from him in the womb. He wasn't strong enough to survive on his own, being premature."
Lucius spotted Hermione with the baby and came over to her. She handed her over without a word. Lucius stared down into his daughter's face.
"Oh wow," he said quietly, claiming the spot that Hermione had been utilizing. "What's her name?" he asked her.
"Err- Isis," said Hermione uncertainly.
"Hello Isis," whispered Lucius kissing her forehead. "I'm your father." He then looked over to his comatose wife. She had a magical oxygen machine attached to her that was pumping air into her lungs. Lucius eyes softened, as well as his heart. "I'm sorry I wasn't here Cissy," he said as he kissed her on the cheek. "You did a great job again baby."
Draco stood. "I hate you," she shot at his father. "I can't believe you're cheating on Mother. You don't even care that she can't breathe on her own. I fucking hate you," he screamed before storming from the room. Hermione, not knowing what else to do, followed her younger brother out. This had not been a good first day of the holidays.
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Hermione followed Draco out of the room with her heart full. She couldn't believe that just a few hours ago she had been laughing happily on the train. So much had happened since she arrived at King's Cross Station. She couldn't believe that Narcissa was fighting for her life. She couldn't believe that she was this close to losing her mother…again. Her hands were shaking horribly. She couldn't believe that Lucius was so heartless. That he didn't even care that she might not live much longer. Her father seemed far more concerned about her than he did. Her father. He didn't deny that he'd been brutal with Narcissa. She had no idea that Narcissa had been in love with Severus. She'd seen them together more than once and they didn't strike her as having any sexual attraction towards each other. She would have never expected them of having a kid if she wasn't the said kid. I guess Pansy's daddidstrike a chord at St. Mungo's, she thought. She was glad she had the choice to marry whomever she wished. She couldn't imagine being forced to marry someone that she didn't love. To be forced, literally or not, to bare the children of a man she did not love. If her mother was in love it the Potion Master, then secretly, Hermione was happy that she had the chance to be with the man she loved first, it seemed only fair.
Hermione followed Draco into the library on the second floor. She was not surprised to find the walls, ceiling and floor black. Every room they'd passed was decorated the same. She'd thought that they called it the Black House because Orion's surname was Black, but she was beginning to think they called it the Black House because it was indeed a black house.
She thought of her grandmother. The woman sent shivers down her spine. She certainly could understand now how Narcissa had two siblings that murdered multiple times. Talitha Black was in every sense a deranged and prejudice old woman who was formidable in her own way and should be greatly feared. She did not seem like the woman to cross. Hermione could not wait to leave. Orion too was frightening. Hermione now understood why Draco behaved the way he did; he was raised to. She slumped in the chair beside Draco who had summoned a bottle of firewhiskey. His hands were shaking as well and he was still crying. He poured himself a drink and Hermione one as well. Together they drank and cried out their sorrows.