Hey everyone!
First of all sorry for the late updates. Life has gotten a little rougher for me and I am still writing but updates may be a little later than the 3rd and 18th but writing is one of the most normal things I have right now, so updates are still coming. I can also officially say that my birthday is next month.
Stay safe.
Lots of love,
LSH xxx
Love Strikes Twice- Part 16:
All eyes fell on Astoria as she was stood up and looking at Lucius with a face like thunder.
"Why do I get the feeling that everything that's happened to Draco since I last saw him at Hogwarts have something to do with you, Lucius?" she asked and Lucius looked at her.
"I have no idea what you are talking about Astoria," he said calmly as he looked at her. The last thing he needed to do was get on the wrong side of a half-Gaelic, half-French woman; Narcissa was fiery enough and she was half-French and half-English.
"Something happened and it was your fault and you won't admit it. It's probably the reason Draco is now laid in this hospital bed and living the way he is now," Astoria said, "don't you lie to me. I will find out the truth Lucius and if you have harmed Draco in any way then I will make sure justice is served."
Lucius looked at Matt,
"She cannot be allowed to speak to me like that surely?"
"She can if she thinks the patient is in danger from someone and you are avoiding answering Healer Greengrass's questions," Matt said as he watched Narcissa with her wand in her hand, no doubt ready to protect Draco if needed. He doubted Narcissa even knew the answers to Astoria's questions.
"Tell me what you did to Draco, Lucius, or I will use every power I possess to get your memories and Draco's to piece together what happened," Astoria said.
"What makes you think I did anything to my son? I love him!" Lucius said as he stood up and looked at Astoria but she didn't believe him. She'd never trusted Lucius and she sure as hell didn't trust him in that moment.
"Draco was never this engrossed in things that he wouldn't even go home to see his mother. He loves Narcissa more than anything in this world!" Astoria said, wand pointed at Lucius, "what did you do?!"
"I tortured him! I knew you could be seen as a weakness for Draco in the War and he had to focus on what the Dark Lord had planned for him," Lucius said, "he suffered greatly but his love for you was as strong as his love for Narcissa is. I got him to invite you to the Manor and then used Imperio to make him break up with you. I had to get you out of the way so Draco would focus on whatever the Dark Lord wanted him to do…"
Matt, Astoria and Narcissa soon had their wands all pointing at Lucius; the latter glaring at her husband.
"I couldn't have Draco distracted from the task in hand and that meant him breaking up with Astoria…" Lucius said before Narcissa shot a spell at her husband.
"Get out!" she hissed forcing Lucius back from Draco's bedside as Astoria shot a spell at Lucius sending him to the ground. Luckily all the rooms had soundproof walls so the arguing wouldn't be heard.
"YOUR OWN SON!" Astoria yelled at Lucius, "how could you?" she said, red sparks fizzing from the tip of her wand before she turned and saw Draco, somehow, still asleep. She hurried to his side and cast a bubblehead charm to make sure he stayed asleep as she held his hand, almost in tears about what had happened.
Narcissa had her wand pointed at Lucius.
"Dr. de Dupuis… I wish for my husband to be escorted from the room and banned from this hospital. He's not allowed near my son without supervision AND my permission," she said and Matt nodded before threatening Lucius with his wand and Lucius just walked out, knowing that there was little point in arguing.
Narcissa fell back into the chair, her Ebony wand clattering to the floor.
"Astoria… if I'd have known…"
"Everyone in this room was a pawn in Lucius' power games… Torturing Draco because he wouldn't break up with me… what did that do to his mind…?"
"He loved… loves you," Narcissa said softly as she looked at Astoria, "it's the reason we never seriously considered an arranged marriage for him. He was probably hoping you two would reunite and his deception wouldn't be discovered. You had his heart and he thought he'd lost you and that was it. Lucius… he caused this back when you were both 15," she sighed before she looked at Draco, "he has to know what Lucius did… where he can be monitored for any shock that could happen."
Astoria nodded before she looked up as she heard Matt's footsteps.
"Lucius is off hospital grounds and banned from setting foot here whilst Draco is here," he said before Astoria thanked him and left the women alone.
"Who's going to tell him?" Astoria asked Narcissa, resting a hand on the older witch's as her other held Draco's.
"You'll have to… I can't…" Narcissa said as she struggled to find her words as she looked at her son.
"As you wish Narcissa," Astoria said as she removed the bubblehead charm from Draco's head as he began to wake up.
She helped him to sit up and have a drink before she took his hand in hers, the other cupping his cheek.
"Dray… I need to tell you something and it's not easy to say," she said softly.
"You're crying Ria… what's happened?" Draco asked, instantly worrying about her.
"Your father… he… he tortured you as you refused to break up with me," she said softly, "then…" she took a deep breath, "because you wouldn't break up with me he used Imperio on you to force you to break up with me."
Draco looked blankly at her as he tried to process what she was saying.
"Do you remember breaking up with me?" Astoria asked, full well knowing if what Lucius said was true then he wouldn't. She watched as Draco thought carefully for a minute before he shook his head.
"No I don't. I never understood why you kept looking at me the way you did," Draco said as he looked at her before the tears began to fall, "I'd never have broken up with you. I loved you as much as I love my mother… I… I still do," he said before the tears before to fall, forcing Narcissa and Astoria to rush to comfort Draco, wondering how he'd ever recover from Lucius' betrayal.