By the next morning, Caelum was considerably better. He had slept most of the night, the fever was almost gone, and his coughing fits were few and far apart. He was smiling and laughing as Draco and Luna played with him.
"Draco," Luna said after breakfast. "I've been thinking. What happened yesterday was because Caelum was frustrated that we didn't understand what he wanted..."
"He's not going to learn to talk, Luna." Draco growled. "I mean, not any time soon." he amended when she looked at him curiously.
"Yes, but he does this when he wants you to pick him up." she held her arms out, opening and closing her hands as the baby did. "Maybe we can teach him some other signs to let us know what he wants."
Draco looked at Caelum and then at her. "Do you think that will work?"
"Caelum," the baby turned his head toward Luna. "Do you want a drink?" She held her curved hand near her mouth and tipped it like she was drinking from a cup. She repeated the motion several times. Caelum giggled and eventually repeated the sign. Luna handed him a bottle and both she and Draco praised the child like he had just won an Order of Merlin. He threw the bottle down and repeated the sign. Draco handed the bottle back to him. Caelum took a sip and then tried to stick the bottle in Luna's mouth.
She shook her head and said "No."
Caelum turned his head from side to side and laughed. He threw the bottle down again and repeated the sign. Luna handed it back to him.
Draco grinned at Luna. "He gets it." He pulled his son onto his lap.
Luna picked up the toy dragon and tickled the baby's tummy with it, making growling noises. Caelum squealed and grabbed at the dragon. Luna pulled the dragon away. Caelum wrapped his arms around himself like he was hugging something and tilted his head to one side. Luna repeated the gesture back at him.
"Does that mean you want your dragon?" Luna asked.
Caelum repeated the sign. Luna held out the dragon to him. He grabbed it, hugging it with his head tipped against the top of the dragon's head as he had mimicked.
"What if I want the dragon?" Luna repeated the sign.
Caelum laughed and pushed the dragon at her.
"You're a good boy to share." Draco kissed the top of the baby's head as Luna handed the dragon back.
There was a knock at the hallway door. Two raps, a pause, two more, another pause, and then three.
Draco shoved Caelum into Luna's arms, pointed at his bedroom, and jumped to his feet, wand ready. Luna scrambled to the other room, and Draco waited until the door closed before answering the other door.
"Draco, my sweet," Bellatrix cooed. "How is the baby?"
"Fine." Draco blocked the doorway so she couldn't come in. "Don't tell me you actually want to see him."
She smirked. "I came to fetch you for the Dark Lord. He wants to see you."
He sighed, stepping into the hall and closing the door behind him.
"How is the blood traitor doing with the child?" Bellarix asked. "She's not feeding him any of that everyone being equal tripe, is she?"
He gave her an annoyed look. "No, not that Caelum would understand any of it anyway. She tells him nursery rhymes and stories about animals. She's been really good with him. He's really taken to her. You know, since it's not like he has a mother."
Bella's eyes lit up. "Tell me, then. Is he catching up with other children? Does he show signs of intelligence?"
Draco glared at her. "He's catching up, slowly. The healers said it could take a few years, since he was so sick when he was born. But he's very intelligent. He's made up signals to tell us what he wants since he can't talk well enough to tell us."
"This is perfect, Draco." she looked up at him as they walked side by side down the corridor. "We can raise the next generation of the Dark Lord's followers to be loyal from the cradle. The blood traitor can take of him until he's old enough. Then we can start teaching him magic as soon as he can walk and talk." A deviously radiant smirk spread across her face. "Maybe one or two more."
Draco stopped walking. "You are out of your fucking mind! I am not having another child with you!"
Bellatrix shook her head, grasping a handful of the front of his robes. "Not me. Her. You said the blood traitor likes babies. Give her a couple of her own. We'll raise them to be the next generation of the Dark Lord's officers. And I won't have to be sidelined for nine months again."
"Leave me the fuck alone." he growled, yanking away from her and stomping down the hall angrily. "Why should I go breeding babies for you to present to the Dark Lord?"
Draco found himself pinned against the wall a heartbeat later.
"Because," Bellatrix cupped his cheek in one hand. "It's a good plan and you know it. Maybe you're not as loyal to the Dark Lord as you would have everyone believe." She began to trail her hand down his chest. "You know, I can put two people at once under the imperius curse." She leaned in closer. "I'll be glad to watch to make sure the deed is done." Her hand slipped past his waist and began to stroke him through his pants. "But she's so plain and dull. I'm sure she won't please you like I do. Maybe I'll just have to take care of that while she watches." She stood on her tiptoes to gently kiss his lips.
Draco broke the spell with a sound close to a roar, shoving his aunt against the far wall.
"You are one sick fucking bitch." he snarled.
As he turned toward the drawing room, he caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye of his mother coming toward them, wand drawn. He wondered how much of that she had seen and heard.
"Draco," the Dark Lord addressed him as soon as he came into the room. "How is the child?"
Draco dropped to his knee in reverence. "He is recovering well, my lord."
Voldemort held out his hand, the sign for Draco to rise. "A routine childhood illness, then?"
"Yes, my lord." Draco nodded. "But I did call the healer to make certain. The child must be healthy to be your servant when he is older."
"Ah," Voldemort looked over his folded hands. "The child's health is recovering then?"
"Yes, my lord. He shows signs of great intelligence. Although he is still behind for his age physically, he is catching up. Perhaps if his mother had taken better care of herself, he would have been ahead of other children his age."
A voice behind him muttered "Wanker."
Draco hid his smirk, knowing that his message had been received.
"And Miss Lovegood? How is she doing with the child?" Voldemort looked over Draco's shoulder.
"Very well, my lord. She knows her place, and has been caring for the child in accordance to our wishes." Draco met Voldemort's eyes as they turned back to him.
He had just enough time to shield the same parts of his mind he always did, careful to show Voldemort the scene this morning of Caelum laughing and communicating with signs. He was so focused on making sure Voldemort saw that he was unaware until it was too late that he had left the scene with Bellatrix in the hallway exposed for Voldemort to see.
"How very interesting that concept is." Voldemort looked over his shoulder at Bellatrix again. "And how very bright your son does appear to be, Draco. Not that I would expect any less, of course, given your outstanding marks at Hogwarts." He looked around. "Narcissa, would you have that house elf fetch Miss Lovegood for me? I would like a word with her as well."
Draco clenched his jaw, waiting for Rinka to bring Luna.
"Good day, Lord Voldemort." she walked up to stand beside Draco as if that were her natural place.
"Miss Lovegood," the Dark Lord nodded. "You look quite well. I trust you have recovered from your illness?"
Luna looked over her shoulder and smiled at Narcissa. "Mrs. Malfoy was kind enough to bring some PepperUp potion to the nursery yesterday. I'm feeling quite like myself today."
Draco felt a grudging admiration for the girl beside him. She hadn't lied to the Dark Lord, but she hadn't contradicted Narcissa's story either. He knew what was coming next, but he had no way to warn her. He could only hope that his mother was right about Luna's occlumency skills.
Voldemort stared at her for a full minute. "Extraordinary." he said finally. "If I didn't know you were a Ravenclaw, I would swear there was nothing going on in your head at all. Who taught you occlumency, Miss Lovegood?"
"I taught myself." She answered.
"You must have an outstanding natural proclivity to be able to teach yourself so effectively." The Dark Lord turned his attention back to Draco. "This would be a great talent for my inner circle to have. Perhaps the plan discussed earlier does have some merit."
Draco forced himself to stay calm and show no reaction.
"We'll give the matter further consideration, but not at the moment. We have other plans to discuss at the present. Draco, escort Miss Lovegood back to the nursery, and then return to me. We shall have a luncheon meeting."
Draco led Luna back up to the nursery, cautioning her to keep the door locked, keep Rinka with her, and not to let anyone in other than him or his mother.
Narcissa excused herself to see to the luncheon preparations in the kitchen. She grabbed the nearest house elf and asked for parchment and a quill. She hastily scrawled a note and handed it to the elf.
"Take this to Severus Snape at Hogwarts. He should give you a potion to bring back. If not, he will tell you when he will have it ready. Make sure you return for it the moment it's finished."
"Rinka," Luna said to the little elf. "When Master Draco returns, I want you to take whatever food is left over from lunch to the dungeon."
Rinka looked like she might protest for a moment, but Luna reminded her "Master Draco said you could take the food to the prisoners that no one was going to eat."
Draco returned to the nursery after lunch. Caelum was asleep. Luna nodded to Rinka, who left with a fearful look at Draco.
He didn't notice, as he was busy silencing the door.
"Do you have any way to get in touch with Potter?" he whispered urgently.
"No," she told him. "I know how to contact the Order and the DA, but not Harry himself."
"Where the fuck is he?" Draco growled.
"No one knows. He's gone on some sort of task Dumbledore gave him." Luna tilted her head.
"I thought his fucking task was to kill the Dark Lord."
"I'm sure whatever he's doing must be related." Luna frowned.
"He needs to hurry up. Because he's the only one who can bring the Dark Lord down, and that's the only chance we have to get out of this." He stomped over to stare out the window.
"Get out of what, Draco?" she asked.
He just looked down at the garden below and never answered her.