Chapter 29: Fortuna Domesticum

            "Scourgify" said Molly Weasley to her kitchen in The Burrow. The dirty plates and crumbs vanished and everthing flew back into place. "That's better."

            "Ding dong" the clock in the kitchen chimed. The hands with the faces of her husband Arthur Weasley and her daughter-in-law Penelope Weasley swung around and pointed from "work" to "home". Molly noticed that Percy's still stayed at "Office"- that boy had always been a workaholic.

            "Mummy and grandpa will be home soon" she said to her first grandson, a little baby who had just learned to sit up. He was gurgling in a cot in the corner of the kitchen. As Molly spent most of her time in the kitchen, she found it convenient to set up the cot there where she could keep an eye on him. He already showed signs of magic and if left alone, was fond of turning his hair blue or levitating his toys out of the cot.

            Molly had been enraged at her son and daughter-in-law for having their baby in secret while away on "secret ministry business" in Europe, but as soon as young Nicholas Weasley was put in her arms last October, she had melted. Nobody even mentioned anything about his being conceived before the June wedding…boys would be boys she supposed…though she would have expected it of Bill,  Fred or George, certainly not Percy!

            It was Molly's favourite past time to take her grandson out in his pram to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade where he would be cooed over by various adoring witches. She could then say proudly, "Yes- that's my Percy's young'un. Beautiful isn't he…yes, that hair…takes after his mother." Then she would rattle off his achievements in eating, burping, sleeping and crawling like a machine.

            With a "crack", Arthur and Penelope apparated in her kitchen near the fireplace. The baby had learnt to recognize that sound and shrieked with joy.

            "Hello mum!" Penelope greeted her mother in law and immediately went over to the cot. "Hello Nicky! Was mummy's little boy good today?" She lifted the baby out of the cot and nuzzled him.

            "Oh he was good- drank every single drop of milk and didn't levitate too many toys out of his cot!" smiled Molly Weasley as she bustled around the kitchen, preparing dinner. "I still say breastfeeding is the best for a child, with your next you must take all the herbs I recommend to guarantee a good supply, dear."

With Bill, Charlie, and the twins moved out and Ginny at school, The Burrow was a far quieter place than before. Ron was staying with Parvati Patil for a few weeks while he trained for the English Quidditch league up in Manchester. He was the best young keeper they had seen in recent years.

            "What's for dinner, love?" asked Arthur, taking off his boots.

            "Macaroni and cheese. And don't you dare put those muddy boots on my clean kitchen floor before scraping the mud off them!" Arthur sighed and walked outside with his boots. He began to scrape them clean.

            Penelope Clearwater- now Mrs Penelope Weasley- carried the child out to watch Grandpa. The baby giggled. He was only about eight months old, but remarkably alert and strong for his age.

            "Hello Nicky!" said Arthur, scraping the mud off his boots. Arthur paused to take a furry toy chick out of his pocket and handed it to Nicholas who clutched at it and burbled. "Bought it for him during lunch hour in London."

 Penelope smiled at her father-in-law. "Oh dad, you'll spoil him! He's got tons of toys already!"

"But not a toy chick the last time I checked."

"I'm just going for the evening walk with Nicky, dad. Bye now."

"I'll let Molly know where you've taken him."

She liked spending time with the baby outdoors. The Burrow was set in acres of beautiful farmland. She really loved this child with all her heart, and was determined to provide him with a good home. Nobody could find a better place for a child to grow up than The Burrow, she thought gratefully.

He was such a sweet tempered child, although he had cried non-stop when they first received him in France from Hagrid. But he had gotten used to them soon enough. She was almost beginning to believe he was their own child- nobody suspected anything- after all, he had come five months after the wedding. Perhaps there had been a few winks and nudges, but Percy was too highly ranked in the Ministry these days for people to dare gossip much about him.

She swung the baby around and laughed. His hair was blonder than hers, but really, quite the same shade. She looked deep into his golden eyes and felt a twinge of memory that passed quickly. They were not her eyes or Percy's.

"Where do you come from, my little Nicky?" she whispered to him, as she kissed him hard and hugged him to her breast.

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            Back at Malfoy Manor, such scenes of domestic affection were rare. Narcissa Malfoy sat at one end of the grand dining table across from that of her husband. They had been served by house elves and were eating their supper in silence. Various portraits of long-deceased Malfoys postured about in grand robes, jewels sparkling on their throats and fingers.

            Narcissa herself was beautifully dressed, as her husband always wished her to be at the supper table. This time, she was a black silk gown and a necklace of opals and rubies. It was a recent gift from her husband, who had rewarded her for finding out the name of Draco's girlfriend. Lucius had become easy in his manner after that, more relaxed…even jovial. If it was even possible for Lucius to be jovial.

He seemed pleased that Draco had seen sense enough to choose a pureblooded girl and had even suggested to Narcissa that they have her over to stay. Only Draco's letters firmly refusing this arrangement had dissuaded him. Narcissa believed that Lucius had swallowed the whole plan and furthermore, that he would really leave the girl alone…for now. She had not communicated with Dumbledore or Snape since that time, there seemed nothing suspicious to report.

            There was, indeed, only one thing that weighed heavily on her mind. And that was the photograph she had taken of Draco, Hermione and Noel during the baby's Naming Ceremony. With a foolish grandmother's love, she had sneaked the photo and then hoarded it away, taking it out now and then to look at it and cry over it. But now, now that Lucius suspected something, it weighed in her heart like a stone. She had been waiting for a chance to get rid of it ever since he had found out. Tonight, her husband would be away on ministry business to France. Tonight, she had made up her mind to do it.

            Surprisingly, her husband's voice broke into her thoughts. He hardly spoke to her at meals.

            "Narcissa, I must say that my necklace looks superb on you."

            "Thank you Lucius. It is very beautiful."

            Her husband smiled. Lovingly? She thought. She hardly dared hope. It was not often he paid her lavish compliments these days.

            "My dear, it would please me greatly if you wore it all the time while I am in France. I would like to think of you wearing it."

            "All the time, Lucius? Even to bed?"

            "Especially to bed." He said with a smirk. "Even if it is the only thing you wear."

            Narcissa blushed. "If it pleases you."

            "It would."

            "Your carriage is ready, sir" said a house elf said timidly from a corner of the dining room.

            Lucius rose, his traveling cloak lined in scarlet silk swirled around him as he walked towards his wife. She rose from her seat. He kissed her, first softly, then harder.

            "Goodbye, Narcissa." He touched the necklace at her throat "remember to wear this, I like to think you are wearing my present and how you have helped me."

            His kiss was so hard she felt as if her lip had started to bruise. Lucius hadn't changed much.

            "I will Lucius. Have a safe journey and do owl me."

            "Of course."

            Lucius swept from the room, kicking the house-elf out of the way as he went. Narcissa saw him to the door and saw the carriage pull away. She breathed more easily now. His presence in the house always unnerved her these days, whatever his mood. She looked forward to long days of solitude and peace. She might even visit Draco again.

            In the carriage that bore the Malfoy crest, Lucius used his cane to tap on the glass that separated the passengers from the coach-man.

            "Yes sir?"

            "There has been a change of plans, Harris. We are not going to France."

            "Not going to France sir? Then where?"

            Lucius smiled. "To Switzerland."

            Back in Malfoy Manor, Narcissa dismissed the house elves for the night. She went to the bathroom and took off her black evening gown. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and contemplated taking off the necklace. It was very beautiful necklace she thought. She reached behind her neck to unhook it, but changed her mind at the last moment. If he wanted her to wear it, it was a small thing to do and it would be petty to resist. Narcissa had a long, relaxing bath and put on her dressing gown. Then she got into bed.

            No wait. She thought. I have something to do tonight…I must destroy the photograph. She actually sat for five minutes gathering the will to do it. It was her most treasured possession and she could hardly bear throwing it into the flames. But if Lucius should ever find it…Narcissa got up from the bed and opened her bedroom door. Malfoy Manor was deathly silent. She went down the grand staircase into the hallway and into the ground floor of the east wing of the house.

She entered the music room where she was fond of playing the piano in the day. First walking to the fireplace, she conjured a small fire. This is where she would burn the photograph. Narcissa Malfoy turned and sat at the piano. Gently, she pressed the lowest note of the paino twice followed by the highest note of the piano twice (a combination which she was sure no one would ever play on the piano.) A small hole appeared on the marble mantelpiece between the head of two unicorns. She felt unnaturally flustered, the room seemed stuffy, she supposed she should get the house-elves to dust it tomorrow morning.

The photograph was hidden in the fireplace. Slightly giddy, she walked towards it. Why do I feel so breathless she thought? Must be my nerves! She took the photograph out from the fireplace and stared happily at the picture of Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger and the tiny baby Noel Malfoy. The parents kissed and lowered their eyes onto their child. Hermione, I know you must miss him so much she thought, with the sympathy of a woman who had been a mother herself.

She kissed the photo for the final time and lowered it to the flames. At that moment. The breathlessness she had been feeling since she had sat down at the piano became intense. She gasped for breath. It is the necklace! Lucius doesn't trust me! Narcissa's hands scrabbled at the clasp pf the necklace around her neck. But it was too late. Before her fingers could unhook the clasp, Narcissa had fallen petrified onto the floor, the photograph still clutched tightly in her hand.

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            Lucius received an urgent owl the next day while at the Locarno Schule in Switzerland. He was marching out of the school with one of its students when the eagle owl swooped down and deposite a latter sealed with the Malfoy family crest into his hands. Pansy's parents had given permission for her to be removed from school for a while. While unpleasant and snobbish, they were not Death Eaters and like most wizarding families, the Parkinsons were not immune to the threats of Lucius Malfoy.

            He scanned the letter quickly and his lips curled into the characteristic Malfoy smirk.

            "Oh dear, Narcissa. You must have been a very naughty girl."

            "Where are we going, Mr Malfoy?" asked Pansy in a haughty voice, putting up a brave front even though she really was confused and a little frightened. This strange friend of her parents had showed up with them and whipped her out of class. "You know I really shouldn't be missing too much school."

            Lucius didn't even turn to face her. "We are going to Malfoy Manor, and you might see your boyfriend again."

            Pansy looked confused. "Boyfriend? I don't have a boyfriend."

            "Don't bother lying," Malfoy said simply, summoning his carriage when they were out of sight of the school. "Draco is at Hogwarts, you two will have a lot catching up to do."

            "Draco?" asked Pansy curiously. "Who's he? And what's Hogwarts?"

            Lucius Malfoy turned around incredulously to face the girl. She couldn't be that stupid as to pretend to him she didn't know Draco and Hogwarts. He saw confusion in her eyes. He drew a deep breath and spoke slowly as if talking to an idiot… "Draco-Malfoy-is- my -son. He was at school with you in Hogwarts…till you were expelled for fighting with some girl."

            Pansy shook her head.

            "I think you have the wrong person, Mr Malfoy. I don't know a Draco Malfoy and I've never been to this Hogwarts place. I've been at Locarno Schule all my life."

            To her shock, Lucius Malfoy grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

            "Stop lying you little bitch!" he shouted.

            She screamed. "Let me go! I don't know you! I don't know who Draco bloody Malfoy is…or this Hogmods place!" There was genuine confusion in her eyes. "Please don't hurt me!" she ended whimpering. His vice-like grip on her shoulders was bruising her.

            Lucius whipped out his wand. "Do you want me to hex you, you foolish bitch?"

            Pansy screamed again. "What are you doing with that thing?"

            Lucius stared at her as if she had gone mad. "Do you know what this is?" he said to her shortly, showing her the wand.

            Pansy stared at it in fear. A strange look crossed her face. "It…it…it looks familiar…a cloud blocking me…." She looked up at Lucius and tears sprung into her eyes. "I…can't ….remember. Honestly. Please release me."

            Lucius loosened the grip on her shoulders and put his wand back. He was beginning to have an idea what had happened to Pansy Parkinson.

            Pansy was still sniffing. He handed her his handkerchief.

            "Stop sniveling and blow your nose. I'm not going to hurt you if you just do as your parents say and come with me."

There was mystery about all this…and he was going to find out exactly what it was when he got back to Malfoy Manor, no matter what it took. A grim expression settled onto Lucius' handsome features as he pushed the girl into the carriage and began the journey back to Malfoy Manor.

He would start his investigations with his traitorous wife.