The Houses Competition
Ravenclaw
Charms
Standard
Next Gen & [Pairing type] Grandparent/Grandchild
2482 words
AN Warning for character death (both implied and shown) and discussion of medical issues.
Narcissa Malfoy blinked once. She blinked twice as the last twenty hours weighed down on her, the last nine months, if she was being truthful. Her daughter-in-law had fought hard, and the fruits of that labour lay resting in her arms while the happy couple slept.
With a gentle touch, Narcissa ran her finger down her grandson's profile, a perfect match to her dragon. Thinking of all the hardship that had been put on her son too young, she couldn't help but hope the next child in the family might have something different.
"May your life be ever joyful, little scorpion. May the sting of words and wand always protect you from the pain this world brings. May you always know the love of family." With a kiss, she sealed her hopes and dreams.
Unfortunately, such was not to be.
"Mum, we need you at St Mungo's," Draco's voice could be heard calling from the Floo one evening less than a month after her grandson's birth.
Narcissa did not rush to the fireplace. She just happened to be in the general vicinity of the entryway where the Floo was located.
"What's wrong?" she asked, Accio-ing over a pair of heels and mentally figured out which robe to put on in the stead of her nightclothes. Had something happened to Astoria? The poor girl had been having such a rough time since the birth. Narcissa hoped it wasn't anything serious. Perhaps, she should have her grandson over more often to give her a—.
"It's Scorp." Draco interrupted her musings. "He's with the healers now. Mum, we need you here, please."
Had any photos been taken that evening, the owner of the camera could have gotten quite a tidy sum of money for the rare image of Narcissa Malfoy in nightclothes, crystalline high heels, and hair all askew. Unfortunately, no such amateur photographer was anywhere near the fourth floor where the Malfoy family waited anxiously for news, too distraught to wait in the tearoom.
"What happened?" Narcissa asked immediately upon arrival. Astoria seemed to be crying her heart out into Draco's chest while her son was stone-faced, his arm draped around his wife.
"We went to check on Scorp tonight after we realized we hadn't heard him in a while." A deep, shuddering sigh racked through her son as he remembered the details of the evening. "H-He was blue, Mum, struggling to breathe, and we were oblivious. I tried Anapneo thinking he was choking on something, but it didn't work. It didn't work!" Draco's composure broke at that. Taking several deep breaths, he continued, "Daph says she remembers something similar happening to 'Ria when they were younger. W-We think he may have the same condition Astoria has."
Narcissa sat heavily in one of the uncomfortable chairs across from her son and daughter-in-law. "I thought he was checked for that at birth?" she asked in a desperate attempt to push away that possibility.
"They said that he wasn't showing any signs of it. Curses like this… they can show up at any time or not at all. With Astoria being the first in quite a few generations, however, they—we were hopeful that it would skip Scorpius altogether. Now though…" Draco trailed off.
Before Narcissa could respond, a man in lime-green healer robes came in.
"Malfoy family?"
In that moment, all that Narcissa thought she knew ended.
Two weeks later, Narcissa Malfoy, Matriarch of the Malfoy family and queen at every social event, traded in her high heels and stylish dress robes for… a new look.
"Really, Mum, you don't need to do this. Astoria and I can handle it," Draco tried to explain as Narcissa enlarged her wardrobe in one of the little family's spare bedrooms, right next door to the nursery. Inside were a dozen robes, each a rather unattractive shade of green.
"Nonsense, my dragon." Narcissa brushed him off. "Growing up, I always did fancy myself going into healing. This is just the push I needed to get started. Besides, it just makes sense for me to stay close where I can help out with my handsome grandson."
A faint cry from the next room briefly interrupted the conversation.
Once Narcissa had checked that all was well and the babe was happily playing with her long hair, Draco tried again.
"Look, it's not that Astoria and I don't appreciate your help, Mum, but surely you have better things to do than—"
"—Than help my grandson grow big and strong and learn everything I can to help make that a reality? No, I'm afraid that this quite trumps going to the Patils' latest dinner party, dear, and I'm sorry that I was a poor enough Mother that you would doubt my commitment."
Draco sighed. "It's not that. It's just… everything we've read on the issue says that there's not much that can be done, for good or for evil. I'd give up the family fortune if it would spare either Scorp or Astoria pain, but I just don't know what to do, Mum. I apologize for trying to push you away. I just…"
No one could say who instigated the resultant embrace, but for the two who understood something of the trials ahead, it felt quite healing indeed. For the one unaware, however, he was just happy to have lots of soft blond hair to cuddle and pull.
Scorp was excited. He was going on a trip out of the country!
"Come along, Scorpius. It's time to take your potion!" Grandmother's voice called out, making him scrunch up his nose. Okay, so maybe going on a trip had some downsides. From a crack in his blanket fort, Scorpius could just make out Grandmother's pretty green robes and the horribly yucky red stuff she carried.
Then she sat down on the bed, and Grandmother turned into Nana.
"I know it's not your favourite, Little Scorpion, but we can't go until you drink it down."
Grandmother was stern. She did what she had to do to keep him safe, and that was that. Grandmother called him Scorpius and expected him to be strong. Once they were alone, however, Grandmother became Nana. Nana also protected him and made him take yucky potions, but with Nana, he could sit on her lap and get a snuggle for being brave. Nana called him her Little Scorpion and played games with him when his body wasn't up for the usual games.
Scorp liked Grandmother. He loved Nana.
Slowly, the boy left his blanket fort.
"There's my little scorpion. Are you ready to take your potion so that we can go to Switzerland?"
Scorp crawled onto the bed, leaning into the safety of Nana's arms. Rather than answer, he just opened his mouth.
As always, the red potion tasted horrible, Scorp was glad that he could hide away from it in Nana's arms.
"Why're we going away, Nana?" he asked to get his mind off the medicine.
"We're just going to visit a friend of mine." Nana answered.
"Does he know lots about blood problems?" Most of Nana's friends seemed to know a lot about blood, but they mostly went to St Mungo's to see them.
Nana's shoulders shook. Her voice seemed sad as she answered, "Yes, he does know a bit about it. After we meet with him, we'll visit the Swiss Alps. How does that sound?"
Scorp didn't know what those were, but it sounded fun. "Yay! Bye, Mummy! Bye, Father!"
Narcissa watched on as Scorpius drew pictures in a sandbox, Healer Jason Fuchs surreptitiously casting spell after spell on the boy in order to learn more about his case. The specialist's frown was not encouraging.
"It may vell be something he received from his Mutter," the older man finally said. "However, it is not a problem vit the blood but vit the heart."
This was new. "Can you treat it?"
"I'm afraid this goes beyond the abilities of modern healing, Mrs Malfoy."
"You're not the first to tell me that."
"But all hope is not lost."
"I would appreciate it if you would spare me your platitudes, Healer."
"Ah, but vut if it veren't merely a platitude?"
"In my line of vurk, it's been found dat many vunderful things are possible using Mundane healing."
"Mundane? You mean Muggle?"
"Yas."
Before they could continue the discussion, Scorpius came over, pale and ever-so-slightly grey from the exertion. "Grandmother, come look; I made a scorpion!"
It was absurd. The very idea of putting Scorpius' life in the hands of Muggles was preposterous. Narcissa had heard enough of their healing methods to know that much. The very idea of cutting up her little scorpion in an effort to help him made her shudder. She couldn't do it. There was no point in even bringing up the idea to Draco.
Scorpius was at St Mungo's again. The grey that used to only exist after overexertion now permanently cast a shadow on the happy child. Narcissa watched on as healer after healer came in, cast useless spells, and walked out again, shaking their heads sadly. She watched as Scorpius tried to engage with the world, asking for stories or games, only to fall asleep before either could be completed.
This was no life for her little scorpion.
She pulled Draco aside, the words she spoke piercing her heart but needing to be said.
A week later, they took Scorpius home against the healers' advice.
"Nana, can you... tell me the... story of my birth? I love the blessing." Scorpius begged from his bed. Tomorrow, he would be delivered into the hands of Muggles for surgery. As much as Draco and Astoria wanted to be there for their son, they left the room, this particular story hard on all the adults present.
"Very well. Your mummy was in labour with you for quite a long time, little one, so long that we began to question whether you would ever come out." The hyperbole brought a grin and chuckle from her weak grandson. "When you were finally here with us, I thought my heart would just burst. Of course, your mum and father got to hold you first, but eventually, finally, I was allowed my turn. You take after your father so much, child. So much so, that on learning your name was Scorpius, I couldn't help but grant you a nickname just like I did your father at his birth. You became my little scorpion, and I offered this blessing over you. May your life be ever joyful, little scorpion. May the sting of words and wand always protect you from the pain this world brings. May you always know the love of family." A tear fell onto Scorpius' hand, the boy having fallen asleep before Narcissa could finish the blessing.
"My little scorpion. How I wish my dreams for you had come true."
"Perhaps they're truer than you expected, Mum." Draco's hand rested on her shoulder.
"He's the happiest little boy I know, in no small part due to your influence. Without your taking those classes, you know we would have had to move him to St Mungo's long ago. He loves having you near. Besides, you're the one who has been brave enough to seek treatments. You're the one who got stung time and time again by how hopeless magical healing was for his case, and you're the one who found out and shared with us the hope that Muggle medicine might accomplish what magical could not."
"And I'm the one who suggested we give him up to Muggles for healing that, at best, will leave him scarred. At worst…" That had been a harsh potion to swallow. That the time he spent in a Muggle institution meant the treatment's marks on his body would not be easily removed, only obscured by magic. The idea that he might… might pass so disfigured twisted Narcissa's heart greatly.
Draco had a different perspective to offer.
"At best, my baby boy will be able to run to his mother's arms without fear of getting tired or passing out. At best, he'll be able to sleep and wake up the next morning feeling refreshed. Who cares about the marks that bring such about? I need to thank you, Mum. Thank you for giving us this hope, this chance for him to not…"
Narcissa stood to hug her son. As happy as he was to have this chance for Scorpius, it came at another cost. Both Scorpius and his mother had gone in to seek treatment. For Scorpius, his prognosis was good, given he had this surgery. For Astoria, they had discovered just how bad off she was. Even taking magical interventions into account, the chances of her seeing her son through Hogwarts were slim to none.
A whimper from the bed caused them both to turn, but Scorpius continued to sleep soundly, and Narcissa put up the ward that would awaken her if something went wrong in the night.
"See you in the morning, Mum," Draco whispered before creeping out.
"Goodnight, my dragon," she whispered back.
"Good night, little scorpion." With gentle lips, she kissed the child's forehead.
Two decades later, Scorpius held tight to his grandmother's hand. The young man had grown up to be just as strong and cunning as the woman had hoped following the surgery that had saved his life. Together with his best friend, Albus Potter, the two had taken the British magical world by storm, advocating for better training for healers as well as greater understanding about areas where Muggles excelled.
Muggle therapy had helped both of Al's parents to move beyond the war.
Muggle surgery had saved Scorp's life.
And now was Scorpius' last chance to thank the woman who had done so much for him growing up.
Sky-blue eyes, clouded now with age, stared weakly into his own.
"I'm here, Nana. Your little scorpion is here."
"S-scorpion? I-I'm sorry. Sorry for the mark."
As his grandmother had aged, her guilt for his scars had meshed with self-hate for letting his father take the dark mark.
Scorpius wanted to explain once more that she had no reason to feel guilty, but it would waste time neither had left to give.
"I've used your blessing well, Nana. I'm pretty sure I made a dozen buffoons cry before leaving the Wizengamot today." If his words just happened to make them cry more out of sympathy to the cause than fear, the results were the same.
"My good little scorpion. Use that stinger to... protect yourself."
The ward keeping track of her heartbeat began to blink in warning, and the Muggle-style tube that delivered oxygen to the old woman glowed, signalling that less air was being breathed in.
Scorpius blinked away tears.
"Love you, Nana."
"Love you, Scorpion."
A kiss to the forehead mimicked those granted decades before, and then there was silence.