HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
So I guess you can guess what I did on the big old V-Day . LOL and I wouldn't have had it any other way! Seriously dudes... RADIO SILENCE. NOTHING on the past few chapters. Its crazy. I am writing this continuation for me yeah, but what do you guys think so far? Keep it constructive... Im freaking sensitive yeah but wow. LOL
Also ... come on... Snape ... totally will always be a big player in Narcissa's life.
Not sure when the next chapter is out. It is written but it is ROUGH. And a freakishly different Bella than everyone is used to... well sorta. I hope you Enjoy
~Snow
PS: HOLY COW if you haven't read Unholy Trinity : Serpent Spell by MademeCissy... I am freaking hooked. I am usually not down for a few things that go on in this story, So i speed read a bit, but let me just say. Chapter 20 or 40 and im reeling. Check it out.
Narcissa spent more time than she liked in that damned infirmary. It got to the point to where she threatened to hex Severus's balls off if he didn't let her leave the room. His soft, yet sad chuckle was like a salve to her split open heart. She was only happy it had stopped bleeding. When she waved her wand over her clothes she stood in a pair of faded jeans and a loose white button-down shirt with a pair of white sneakers on her feet. It was time to get out.
She walked the halls, and looked, finally LOOKED at the construction. Draco was right. There was a slow, but steady progression with the demolition and then rebuilding. She saw everyone, from all houses, and walks of life lifting a wand, and breaking their backs to help. She watched her son and Harry in the courtyard as she came up on the decimation, she stumbled through a little over a month ago. Her son, her never going to get my hands dirty son, stood with his lover, and pulled on ropes as Harry and Bella lifted the bolder up into the air. He held it steady with the strength of his back not the strength of his magic. If she had the where with all to remove her head from her rectum earlier, she would have noticed him becoming broader in the shoulders. It sure did explain why his hands felt rougher.
"Almost lads, Draco are you good?" asked her sister. She had to admit it was a roll she didn't think Bella would have been great at. Lead construction worker didn't ring right when it came to describing Bella. Draco nodded, sweat dripping down his brow, but it was Harry that slipped as he walked back the same measured lengths with Bella. The monstrous Bolder plummeted from the ground as Draco felt the rock slip and the ropes ripped through his hands as he screamed for Harry.
The boy was jerked out of the way by Bella, just as the boulder hovered feet from hitting the ground. Draco waved his rope burned hands but ran to Harry. Bella clapped the dark headed boy and chuckled.
"Almost became one with the ground, eh Harry?' Bella joked, but Harry was pale. The bolder slowly dropped to the ground and three people looked up and it was Draco who took a deep breath. Narcissa saw his mask slide over his face. She inwardly flinched but kept her own mask on her face. No matter how she had behaved lately she would not let her son intimidate her with his mask.
"Would you like an extra set of hands on this one?" Narcissa asked the trio. Draco walked to the small box to the side, like a toolbox, and opened it. He took a vial and sprinkled a little bit of the potion in his hands and rubbed them gently together. Narcissa walked closer to him but refrained from being in his personal place. She recognized dittany and murlap when she saw it. She reached out for his hands. It was automatic, but he pulled his hands away, back to work.
"Bella, I think we will need two people to hoist the boulder up with this one, Harry can you help me," Draco looked at Narcissa and nodded to Harry's open spot, "Alright guys, Bella on three. 1…2…3…" Narcissa lifted with her wand just as Bella lifted with hers. The boys heaved with the ropes, as they worked as a team to place one of the largest boulders back in it spot on the castle wall. When it was there Draco and Harry smiled at Bella and they all grinned at one of the biggest obstacles done.
Narcissa saw the trio and then smiled. She helped, but she felt she was no longer needed. She turned around, and then walked down the hall. She didn't know it, but her feet took her toward an office she had only been to once, but she was in no hurry to get there.
"Narcissa!" shouted Bella down the hall. Narcissa turned around and waited for her sister. They began to walk together. Narcissa knew where she wanted to go, and Bella just sped up to match Narcissa's steps seemingly wanting to spend time with her sister.
"He was happy to see you," Bella said to her sister. Narcissa took a deep breath, felt something in her guts uncoil slightly.
"I am glad," Narcissa said softly, "He didn't say one word to me," Narcissa added as she swallowed her hurt.
"Well, you shut every person that gives a shit about you out of your life," Bella said but kept her head and shoulders high as Narcissa spun on her, "He is your fucking son. And you lay there and fell so far into your pain that you…" Bella reached out and stopped Narcissa. Narcissa pulled her arm from Bella's grasp.
"He felt he meant nothing to you, Cissy," Bella said softly.
Narcissa looked to the ceiling and took a breath. Tears fell even though she didn't want them too.
"Gods Bella, I was grieving!" Narcissa gritted as her arms folded over her abdomen, shielding her heart.
"And we have not?" Bella challenged.
"Watch it Bella…" Narcissa warned.
"What about Dan?' Bella asked and Narcissa recoiled as if she had been smacked across her mouth. Gods, Dan.
"Oh my god, Dan," Narcissa closed her eyes, and reached out for Bella.
"Cissy," Bella said softly as they sat on an alcove overhang, "He lost his daughter. He doesn't know where she is, and we all don't know where she is or what happened to her. Imagine if you lost Draco like that. How would you feel?" Bella asked Narcissa trying to put things into prospective.
"I would have no soul left," Narcissa whispered. He lost his wife, possibly the love of his life, and now his daughter was…
"Honestly, I think Dan might be the best person to talk to right now," Bella said nonchalantly and Narcissa blinked and looked at Bella.
"You have met Dan?" Narcissa asked and Bella's head bounced as she nodded. "When?" Narcissa asked. How could she have missed that?
"Andy…" Bella swallowed and sighed but kept her eyes up, but far away, "She brought him here, to the castle to see you," Bella shook her head, "But you were not available. So, she took him to McGonagall. I ran into them by accident as Fleur and I came around the corner," Bella pointed at the corner down the hall.
"He knew who we all were. He shook Fleur's hand as if she were a long-lost best friend, and he looked at me and then to Andy, 'This is the demented dark witch sister?' he asked. Andy smirked and nodded. But he looked at me," Bella swallowed, and a wetness came to her eyes, "He has her eyes, and it felt like I felt into them. He reached out to me, not to shake my hand, but put his hand on my shoulder. Andy had her wand out covertly. Then he told me welcome to the family. Cissy, who the fuck are these people?" Bella asked as she finally looked at Narcissa. Narcissa, chuckled and them sniffed.
"These people are the Grangers, and they are the best people you will ever meet," Narcissa smiled at her sister's expression.
"I get they are wonderful, but I am a scourge upon the land, Cissy. How can you just treat someone with such…" Bella blinked trying to find the word.
"Kindness?" Narcissa offered and Bella lit up and nodded. Narcissa sighed and smiled, "It is their way, just don't get on the wrong side of them," Narcissa said and watched as Bella rubbed her neck.
"I have nightmares of my throat in that damned mountain lions' jaws," Bella confessed. Narcissa felt the left side of her mouth curl up for a moment in an attempt to smile before she smiled. Her twin was gone. Narcissa's second animagus twin was missing and it tore at a piece of her. Narcissa looked down the hall, and her breathing became shallower. Bella reached out. Narcissa closed her eyes. She had to begin doing this on her own. She was alone, again, and she couldn't rely on Hermione any longer to take her pain or panic away.
"I'm ok," Narcissa said in a whisper, and took Bella's hand then found her sisters eyes, "Hermione isn't here," Narcissa said, and then let a tear flow down her cheek then she clenched her jaw stood firm but held Bella's hand, "Hermione is no longer here," Her voice was stronger firm.
"Cissy, you don't have to shut her out. She didn't leave you…" Bella tried to talk to her sister, but Narcissa threw her a glare, in was glacial. Bella sighed. Her sister was coming back to her, but it wasn't the woman she longed to see. She didn't want to see the cold, Pureblood Narcissa. She wanted Narcissa Black, Hermione Black's wife back.
"Come Bella. I have a request of the Headmistress, and I would like support to do so," Narcissa softened her eyes, "Please."
Bella nodded and then followed her sister to the headmistress's chamber. They arrived, but she wasn't sure of a password. And Bella walked up to the statue and breathed the password. Narcissa swallowed. It gutted her slightly. But just as Bella had said, everyone was grieving, and with Minerva McGonagall making her password to her office granddaughter spoke volumes to the woman's loss.
When the witch looked up Narcissa thought the woman had aged decades in the weeks that Narcissa was a complete ass of the self-loathing and despair. But she would never admit it. Minerva stood in her surprise and came around the desk. Soft eyes clashed into Narcissa's broken blues and then the woman simply placed her arms around her, and they held each other, sharing the loss. But Narcissa had to break. It was too much, too fast. The older witch motioned for them to sit.
"How may I help you, Narcissa?" McGonagall asked softly. Narcissa looked around the room. It was similar to the one from the future just a little less lived in. She spied what she was looking for. She pointed to the dish and the Headmistress levitated it to their location. Narcissa pulled a memory from her decades ago.
"I was hoping, since I will be teaching here, if you could please allow me the honor of developing this space for…" Narcissa trailed off, but Minerva didn't miss the hand that rest on Narcissa's abdomen. Minerva tilted her head and dove into the memory. When she came out of the memory the woman sighed and nodded.
"I will see how we can accommodate," Minerva looked at Narcissa, "It was hers in the future, and now you want to make it yours. Why?" the old witch looked at her sharply, but Narcissa could see her concern. Narcissa looked to Bella. Then to Minerva.
"Many reasons, but mostly because it would make me feel close to her. That and in the future if I were to stay on campus it would be best to keep me away from the other children, so they can not hear," Narcissa said the last with a small smile. Bella touched her sisters' arm, and Minerva nodded.
"I will allow it, because I know when she comes back, she will need as much space as you to heal, and my Granddaughter will come back," The headmistress pointed her finger to the woman as if to punctuate her point. Narcissa swallowed and stood to leave.
"Thank you," she said but words shot to her before she could leave.
"You need time, take time, you need space take space, but do not shut us out any longer," Narcissa looked to the speaking witch, "We will help you heal, if you let us," Minerva picked up a document and began to read.
Narcissa knew she was dismissed, and she grasped Bella's hand and they walked down the staircase and emptied into the hallway. She exhaled a breath she didn't know she kept. She took Bella's arm and hooked through it as they strolled down the hall.
"Cissy, what was all of that about?" Bella asked, and Narcissa smiled but shook her head.
"I have to talk to Draco first," she said as she walked toward the married quarters, she grieved in. They stood before the portrait and Martin greeted them and Narcissa saw it in his pained eyes.
"Welcome back Narcissa," he smiled.
"Is Draco home?" she asked, and Martin shook his head. He doesn't stay here as often. I am sad to say, no one stays here often anymore, but I can see why," Martin told Narcissa sadly. Narcissa nodded and then turned around and went to the dungeons. Bella followed, but Narcissa turned to her.
"I don't need you to come with me this time. I'm just going to see Sev," Narcissa said, and saw Bella's shoulders drop. Narcissa took Bella's hand, "I think it is time to learn Bella. But I if you would love to help me after, could we have dinner together, you me, and Fleur?"
Bella's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and nodded. She turned from Narcissa. Narcissa was not sure what to do with her sister. She was so different, almost like a 7th year looking for approval and willing to jump and do anything and everything she could to get it. She would have to talk to Fleur about it. She turned and walked to the dungeons and before she knew it her feet took her to Severus's quarters, and she waited at the sneering portrait, and then it opened. She stepped through it. There was her best friend, hunched over the desk filling out paperwork. She sank into a chair in front of his desk and waited.
He finished and lifted what looked like forms up to dry and then set them aside. He looked at her. Her blue eyes bore into his black and beady ones. It was all they had to do. It was all she needed.
"Long few hours?" he asked as she sighed and tilted his head back staring at the ceiling. She swallowed and nodded.
"I think I have missed a lot in my unavailability," she growled to herself, then she sat up and looked at Severus Snape as he snorted, "How much have I royally screwed up?" she asked her friend. She watched as his eyes softened.
"Not much, but you and your son need to have words, and possibly a warded room, with fireproof walls," he grinned as she groaned.
"That bad?" she asked as she slumped.
"Narcissa, we went after you into those woods that first night when you walked from the infirmary and your magic blasted us back. We felt your loss, hell I still feel your loss deep in my guts, but your son is like you. He is a survivor. He has a future, and he so wanted you to be there for him," But Snape was cut off.
"It was only one month, Sev, not a goddamned year," she gritted, "Why can't he understand that?" she threw her hands into the air.
"If you were not pregnant would you be up and about trying to get your life together?" Severus Snape asked and knew he was walking a fine line with the woman before him.
"I don't know," she confessed, "Hell I don't even know if I am alive right now because I am having Hermione's child," whispered Narcissa, and she wiped her eyes refusing to shed more tears.
"Or she may still be alive," Severus countered.
Narcissa closed her eyes.
"Or she is dead, and we need to let her go," Narcissa softly spoke her decision to the space between herself and the potions master.
"Do you want to let her go?" the man asked with a bobble to his throat. Narcissa watched her friend. Sure enough, he mourned in his own way too. He loved her little witch too. She turned her head and looked to his fireplace. She lit the logs with a wave of her hand. She let the flames flicker and lick at the wood. She rubbed her fingertips together. She could never get over that part of her goblin trial. She sometimes felt prickles in her fingertips from those flames taking her skin from her bones.
"You went through decades waiting for her," Snape began then Narcissa rolled her eyes to his, "Why can't you wait longer? Your fate is written, who's to say this isn't one of those magical hiccups in your story?" Snape asked. Narcissa narrowed her eyes and sat up and leaned forward.
"Who are you and what have you done to my best friend?" she asked slowly.
"I am simply trying out optimism… I'm private mind you. These weaklings around here do not need to know I have a heart, Narcissa," he said with a small glint to his eyes. Narcissa let her eyes soften, and a corner of her mouth quirked up.
"I guess optimism in private is a place to start," Narcissa tried to joke and then sighed and leveled him with a tired, yet firm gaze, "No I don't want to give up. But we have no idea what happened." She told her friend but closed her eyes then heard his robe shuffle as he came to sit closer to her. She opened her eyes and he motioned to her. She furrowed her brow.
"This isn't memory diving Sev. Ill be able to see everything and feel it to. Are you going to be ok with that?" she asked as she clutched the arms of the chair.
"I should be asking you that question. Can you take seeing her again?" asked the black-haired man.
Narcissa swallowed. Her eyes grew wide, and she gnawed on her bottom lip and bounced her right leg. She nodded. He nodded. She dove.
She saw the Dark Lord, leveled a wand at her. She was living this through Severus's eyes. She wanted to lift her wand, but she couldn't then words and pain. Crucio, over and over. Questions about the wand. Then a flash of green. She closed her eyes. She looked down at her chest then to the Dark Lord. The monster before looked to his wand, sneered and then lifted his wand once more. The flash of green. She couldn't close her eyes. Her hand flew out and clutched a bag and then they were gone. She blinked. She looked down at the bag, and just could not stop blinking. She flew around. She looked, and she even checked the water in the boat house, but the little witch was not there. Narcissa felt her heart pound, her breathing practically stop and then kick into overdrive. The bag in her hands, it was Hermione's. She sprinted to the courtyard as fast as she could. The Crucio rendered her a stumbling fool. The only reason she was moving, Severus was moving, was to find Hermione, or…
She saw herself give the bag to herself. She saw the way the blood drained from her face, and the way she dropped the bag, and then she dropped to her knees. She reached out to her own shoulder only to have that shoulder jerk away from her. The amount of hurt that flooded her system jolted her from the memory.
She looked into Severus's eyes. He sighed, and looked away, a tear slid down his cheek. He pointed to the bag in the corner. Narcissa reached out for it, and the bag came to her hand. She reached into the bag, and found it charmed. She would have to go through it later.
"She saved you," Narcissa swallowed, and then smiled softly, "Damned Gryffindor," she croaked as the sobs threatened to escape her throat.
"Indeed," Severus commented as he reached over and took her hand. They sat and watched the flames. She would need to head to the infirmary, she couldn't go to her married quarters after all of that. But she would love nothing less than to spend time with her nearest and dearest friend.
When her sobs proved too powerful to conceal, he stood, elongated her chair, and sat with her. Held her in his arms. She let him. She finally let someone help her.
