Hello Everyone,
I hope you are doing great. This chapter was a little difficult to write but I think it needed to happen. I also think I need some Dan and Bella time. Then Bella and Harry time. Basically BELLA TIME! I am not sure how ill do it, but I also need Fleur, Narcissa, and Bella to figure out this bond or Narcissa may just fall head over heels for Fleur! ARG! So... that was me pulling my hair out, screaming at myself about Narcissa's and Fleur's (cough/teardrop) relationship while writing this chapter. SOOO...MANY... OPTIONS! I dont think i am a great writer, but dang, i am having so much fun in the world I have twisted from the original series.
I have another HP idea with Hermione, but it puts her back in 4th year. YUP! Goblet of Fire baby! I loved that book. There was so much going on, so many things to twist. Give me time little loves, it might just be a freaking great idea, or a dud. Who knows. hehe Now... on to our tormented yet healing family.
Enjoy,
Snow
Her meeting with Draco did not happen for a few weeks, and as she stood in her recently decorated room, she looked at her closet and wondered what she should wear to dinner with her son and his husband. He said casual. She had to ask him if it was muggle casual, or wizarding casual. Narcissa looked over to the coin that held her message.
7:30 tonight
Dan's
Narcissa's nervousness wasn't just that she had to talk to her son about the child in her belly, but Dan as well. When Draco mentioned Dan on the coin her heart flew into her throat and her stomach dropped out to her feel. She lunged for the coin.
"What are you doing Mistress? You have to get going very soon," Dobby asked as he came into the room. Ever since the little elf learned of her pregnancy, he hovered about her like a mother hen. She had no doubts that he concealed himself and followed her everywhere. Dobby put down a dress he made for her. It was a vibrant yellow sleeveless muggle dress. He snapped his fingers, and a thick white belt, white wide brimmed hat, and a pair of white strap flats with a small barely there heel. Dobby saw the coin in her hand, and the look on her face.
"Mistress Cissa, it will be ok," Dobby came closer to Narcissa and the woman looked down into glassy wide eyes, and then looked to his tiny outstretched hand. Narcissa sighed and gave him the coin. Dobby smiled softly as she sat down.
"I can't to this Dobby," Narcissa looked up to her tiny friend as he walked closer to her and lifted her chin up.
"You are the strong one. You have saved me, and Ducky, and Miss Hermy, when she returns," Then Dobby took his hand back and looked at the floor as if he said too much, crossed over a line he never thought he could. Narcissa lifted his chin up.
"Give me the dress my friend," Narcissa said softly and her heart warmed as his wide smile shone on her like sunlight.
With the dress on, the shoes strapped onto her feet, Narcissa looked around, and tried to find what she was missing. She looked to Dobby, and he held out her wand, a small pouch of galleons and muggle money, and her coin. She narrowed her eyes and smiled at him.
"You are becoming very comfortable with your duties as of late, Dobby," She noted as she slid her wand into a dress pocket that Dobby devised for her then looked down to the elf who looked at the floor stubbing his toe on the carpet.
"Don't stop my friend. I think I like it, and I think I need all the help I can get," Narcissa smiled down to the elf, and his ears perked up like a puppy's. He hugged her legs to him as if her were a mere toddler, and she placed a hand on his head. She would forever be grateful for the little man that chose to continue to serve her. She turned and went to the fireplace and sounded her destination.
When she arrived, the living room was empty, but there was laughter from the kitchen. Narcissa looked at her watch, she was a little early, and she took deep, calming breaths. But they would not fill her chest. She took the coin out of her pocket and sent a message to the one person she knew would be able to help her the most in that moment. No more than a few flashes went by did the fireplace flare up and a blond dusted herself of ash, closely followed by a brunette. She swallowed as Fleur went to her and wrapped her up in her arms. Narcissa closed her eyes, inhaled, and found herself settle. Bella simply walked into the kitchen not giving a care in the world. Fleur broke away from Narcissa and slid a fly away hair behind her ear.
"It will be ok, mon amour. I will be right there with you," Fleur said to Narcissa and Narcissa nodded and took Fleur's hand with her own and walked to the kitchen.
There he was. He stood there laughing, loving, and being simply Dan. She saw Hermione in his eyes and heard her lover in his laugh. She swallowed, clenched Fleur's hand tightly. Then his eyes, those soulful brown eyes, found hers and all laughter stopped in the kitchen. It was silent. Narcissa knew there were people in the kitchen, she knew one of them was Draco, and Bella, but everyone else fizzled away. Her vision solely rests on Dan.
He began to talk to her, and she didn't know it, but she jumped nearly out of her skin. He paused, and his eyes softened, and he came to her slowly, hands out where she could see them, and then when he could reach out and touch Narcissa. Narcissa's breathing seized, her eyes jumped back and forth over his face, and then it happened. Dan Granger took Narcissa into his arms.
She broke like a crystal glass shattering on the floor. She wrapped her arms around his waist and sobbed into his shoulder. She felt him move her back and forth gently, and softly as if he were consoling a broken little girl. He shushed her, and his voice soothed a part of her she didn't realized she needed soothing.
"I'm sorry," she whispered into his chest. She felt him tighten his arms around her, pull her tightly to him shielding her from the world.
"I know, sweetheart. I know," he spoke softly in her ear. He slowly and gently extracted Narcissa from her death grip and looked into her eyes. His hand cupped her cheek and his thumb took a stray tear that slipped from her eyes, and then soothed the other eye from another flood.
"I wanted her to love, completely, foolishly, and with no regrets," his smile turned watery, "and you my dear… she loved you more than even those actions and words could describe," she lunged back into his arms, and he took her one more into the shelter of his embrace. She soon pulled away and ran her fingers under her eyes and tried to shove a smile on her face. Her skin was red and blotchy, her makeup ruined, but she felt better with Dan. She should have known he would love her. Then she looked around the kitchen and finally saw who was there. Andy, Bella, Fleur, Harry, Draco, Dan, and herself.
"How are we going to get a reservation for two more extra people?" Narcissa asked ever the pragmatist. Andy smiled and came over to woman, took her by the hand, and then opened the door to Dan's backyard.
"It called a Barbeque, and you are going to love it," Andromeda smiled at Narcissa's face.
"Are you going to expect me to eat with my fingers?" the blonde asked, and it was then laughter flowed around them.
Stomachs full, people plied with beer, the group decided it was perfect to simply sit out and watch the stars catching up, and purely being grateful. Narcissa looked around from where she sat on her lawn chair. Bella and Fleur huddled on a blanket under a tree whispering sweet nothings, or possibly plans. Draco and Harry sat at a table simply looking up, leaning into the other. Then there was Andromeda, who helped Dan take the leftovers, into the kitchen, and then helped with cleaning up the area. Narcissa watched as Dan and Andy walked toward her and sit in the available chairs near her. Narcissa's hand rest on her stomach. Not even a bump, not even a gain in weight in the two months she had been pregnant. She closed her eyes, and then felt eyes on her. She found them, two sets of eyes. One blue, the other nearly black. It was a connection, it was as if they were there to support her, in her time. She nodded and they slowly came over to the others.
"I have something I need to tell everyone but first," Narcissa turned to Draco, "I love you more than anything in this world, and I will always love you with everything that I have," Narcissa felt her breath slip from her lips, stutter past those barriers. Fleur stood behind her as well as Bella. And they placed a hand on her shoulder.
"There was powerful and ancient magic in regard to me and Hermione," Narcissa swallowed, and her eyes bore right into Draco's. She watched him shift, and his brow furrow and his head tilt. She stood up and went to her son. His blue eyes called to her, asked for her to stand. She took him into her arms. He hugged her back tightly.
"What's going on, Mother?" he asked confused, "What is wrong?" Narcissa shook her head.
"Nothing is wrong my Little lord," she whispered against his collar, "Hermione and I … We…" Narcissa swallowed, felt tears coming again.
"I will love you no matter what," Draco soothed his mother. She took a deep breath.
"I am with child, my love," she whispered it next to his ear so softly she felt his shudder. He jerked away from her so quickly one would have thought Narcissa was a hot coal. She looked into her son's eyes. Confusion, then nothing, then softness. She watched as a smile split his face in half. He moved so fast she yelped in surprise, and then let her go and looked at her.
"I'm going to be a brother?" he asked making sure he heard her right. She nodded, still unsure of his reaction, then he turned to everyone and shouted, "IM GOING TO BE A BROTHER!" he laughed giddily and hugged her once more. Then she was swamped and surrounded by arms, and lips, and smiles, and congratulations.
Finally, she broke free, elated her son took this far better than she thought he would. But Dan stood there, away from others. He stared at her. His face said nothing, his eyes gave nothing away, then he turned around and went into the house. Narcissa went to chase after him, but it was not Andy who stopped her, but Bella.
"This was a lot Cissy," she said softly, and then lowered her arm.
"Even though I think I still hate the bitch, but I am beginning to tolerate being in the same room with her once more, I have to agree for once with Bells here. That was a lot," Andy shrugged as Narcissa frowned at Andy's words. Bella shook her head with a small twist of a smile. It was Much better than they used to be. Narcissa looked between her sisters. She narrowed her eyes. She felt her ire rise, and her temper and patience fall short.
"Well it's a lot for me too," she gritted, and then threw her shoulders back, chin level with the ground, and walked into the house.
She didn't find him anywhere on the first floor, but she had a feeling she would be able to find him where her daughter slept. She went upstairs and went to the first door. Nope, just a spare bedroom. Then the second door, nope a master bedroom. Then Narcissa was met with two other doors. She opened the door and she took in the room Hermione grew up in. It was like her little witch. Clean, organized, but bursting with knowledge. The girl's walls were covered with bookshelves. However, there was no Dan. She stepped out and opened the other door. He stood there, his fingers brushing over books. He picked one up and then shook his head and placed it back. She walked to him and placed a hand on his shoulder causing him to jump. His eyes flew across her face, and then he turned back. She watched him pull a dark red book from the wall, and then opened it. His shoulders fell. He closed it and then turned toward her. He handed her the book.
"It is Hermione's baby album," he said softly, and then Narcissa opened it and she could not help the smile that slipped over her slips.
"Gods, she was so chunky," Narcissa chuckled and Dan laughed.
"Yes, right fat and happy baby. I came up here to give it to you, with a request," Dan said and then turned away and fingered all of those books. Narcissa looked to the shelf.
"Are they all Hermione's albums?" Narcissa asked and Dan nodded.
"Can you make copies of these and take them with you?" Dan asked and Narcissa hugged the book to her chest.
"Of course, but why was this your reaction to finding out you are going to be a grandfather? Its… different," Narcissa said carefully.
"I don't know where MY child is, and I just heard MY child is about to have a child of her own," he looked Narcissa straight in the eye, "I want my grandchild to know her mother," he said and then Narcissa watched the man swallow back tears, "I want my grandchild to know what she looked like, what she might have looked like because Hermione…" Dan stopped and he couldn't do it anymore. Narcissa rushed toward him. She held him.
"You want the baby to have mementos of her mother, a mother that might not come back," Narcissa said and Dan nodded and then he pulled away to look at Narcissa.
"Granddaughter?" Dan said softly with a goofy smile on his lips.
"Yes, I did some research. Same sex conception results in a girl. I had no idea until I began to read up on how this might have happened. Martin knew because the Martindirk's have knowledge about this topic," Narcissa smiled and took Dan's hands, "It doesn't matter, you will have a granddaughter."
Dan smiled, and then looked at the wall of books, and Narcissa smiled. She waved her wand, and then on the floor sat copies of the books. She shrank the copies, and she and Dan went downstairs and put them on the table near the fireplace.
"You alright?"
Dan spun around and smiled at the newest member of the family. He walked up the dark witch and put an arm around her shoulders. He watched her flinch but then settled into his half embrace. Bella looked between Narcissa and Dan, but Dan smiled and dragged her with him, arm around one of the most lethal witches to roam the world.
"Let me tell you of the time Hermione…" Dan began his story, but Narcissa lingered in the kitchen staring at the treasure trove of information she couldn't wait to glean through. Arms slipped around her middle and a cheek rest on her shoulder blade.
"We are here for you, mon amour," Fleur said softly, and Narcissa pat the woman's arms. There was a bark of laughter that both women recognized as Bella's.
"You can't hide from us little sister, we are here for you like Fleur said," Andy said as she walked into the kitchen. She looked at Fleur wrapped tightly around Narcissa, and an eyebrow slid up into her hairline.
"Now my pretties, what is your story? You are very comfortable with my grieving sister," Andy said to Fleur. Fleur went to slip away from Narcissa but Narcissa held her firm.
"Fleur was Hermione's first love, and if Fleur didn't find Bella, I believe she would have become ours," Narcissa said, and Fleur looked at the back of Narcissa's head as if she grew a new eyeball back there.
"You would have shared Hermione?" Andy scoffed.
"I would have loved her with everything. But Fleur would have been ours. In what capacity would that have been I don't know. But," Narcissa pulled Fleur to her side and looked down at her, stroked a hand over her arm, and softened her eyes, as blue gazed into blue, "But she found the other half of her universe in our sister, and I for one think she is brave, and amazing to take Bella and love her," Narcissa smiled, kissed Fleur's cheek just the side of Fleur's smiling lips and then looked to Andy. Andromeda smiled.
"I never would have thought you for a polyamorous type, but you certainly do love this woman here. I'm happy for you Cissy," Andy stood up and grabbed their hands, "But I'm glad you both only have your own mates. You must share the pretty girls Narcissa," Andy cackled similarly to that of Bella when she saw the looks on their faces.
Everyone joined the party. Everyone spoke of the future. By the time Narcissa arrived home, stripped every piece of cloth from her flesh and stood bare looking into the mirror, she felt for the first time that everything will be ok.
