Author's Note: Part two of Dark Places. It's a Narcissa/Severus story
that will span a few chapters, but probably not many. I'm trying for
three, but it might be more.
The Particulars: It's a PG-13 because there is some violence, although not graphic violence, in the story. There are no real spoilers. The story is kind of taken out of time and there is no specific times mentioned in the story. The characters used (as well as the world) are not mine and belong to J.K. Rowling.
Dedications: Dedicated to Echo and her wonderful Narcissa story (Tomorrow Never Knows) that got me thinking about Narcissa enough that I had to write. I keep telling the girl she inspires me to write.I wasn't wrong. Also dedicated to Jasper, who came up with the idea of an all Narcissa all the time group!
Please email me if you want to put this or any of my stories on your website. I never say no, but I like knowing which sites are supporting my writing. Thanks!
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She felt broken in so many places. She honestly didn't think that Lucius knew the full impact of what he had done until after it was done. Her pale skin was paler with the loss of blood but contrasted with the dark purplish bruises that appeared in many shapes. She couldn't see out of one of her eyes. She felt warped.
He had gotten pretty bored with the physical stuff early on in the punishment, though. Then he turned to magic. She was bound and her wand was taken away. She almost summoned it to her, but in her delirium, she could no longer remember the elementary spell to do so. It wasn't long before she succumbed to the blissfulness of darkness.
It was when she awoke that she realized he didn't stop his torture just because she went to sleep. She had markings on her she didn't remember, but they hurt as much as the ones she did remember. She could hardly move about and was thankful that she found herself in her room, on her bed. She almost called for Filly before she realized that Filly wasn't there. She couldn't help the tears that spilled from her eyes, burning the cuts there.
"Now you just stay in bed tonight, Mrs. Malfoy," the doctor said as he finished seeing to the worst of the wounds. She briefly wondered why he hadn't healed her all the way, but she figured he had his orders. He was the kind of doctor that believed women couldn't figure out the stairs and who didn't ask questions when the husband wanted discreetness. She didn't even look at him. As far as she was concerned, he was part of the hell that living in this house brought her to.
When the doctor left, Lucius stood by the door to the room, silently watching her. She didn't even bother looking at him. What more could he do to her?
"I will be out tomorrow. You will need to get one of the house elves to see after you."
She tried to laugh, but she groaned in pain at the effort. "When did you.ever.take care.of me?" she rasped in between breaths.
He gave her a half smile. "I took care of you tonight. Gave you exactly what you needed. And wanted, apparently. You've known me long enough, Narcissa, to know what would happen if you ever defied me in the fashion that you did. I hope it was worth it."
It was, she thought to herself, although she didn't quite dare to say so out loud. But it was worth it. Although she would miss Filly, it was some comfort to know that the house elf would have her freedom and maybe even be living with Severus. She looked over to Lucius and he gave a mocking bow of his head before he left the room.
It was some time later when she came to consciousness again. It seemed that not only did she have enough fuel to reach her dark place easily, but it didn't want to let go of her. She was finding it harder and harder to come back to the real world, especially when it was filled with so much pain.
She rang the bell close to her bed and a little orange-y colored elf walked in. He looked kind of feral. His eyes were more slanted and they were a yellowish color. She didn't even know his name, but she didn't care.
"Bring my wand."
"I cannot," he said, showing a much more advanced understanding of the language. "The Master has forbidden me to do this."
She closed her eyes. What would he not have forbidden? Paper? An owl? Surely those things were out of her reach for now. And who would she write? Severus? He would likely charge in on his white, or black rather, horse and try to rescue her.
"Bring me water, then."
He bowed and left her. She watched him go as best as she could. She could try to send a floo, but again, who to?
Her wicked mind let her think of possibilities. What would her husband do if she were to get in touch with Harry Potter himself and ask for help. Surely the boy hated her husband as much as any who he had dealings with. She tried to pinpoint the exact look on Lucius' face when he learned of the whole thing. It would have made her giggle, if not for the pain in doing so.
She could contact Albus Dumbledore. He would storm in and whisk her away. She'd be under his protection then. He was a man that Lucius could not abide. She quickly ticked off in her mind the many times that Albus Dumbledore had gotten in the way of the plans of Voldemort or Lucius himself.
Filly would do what she could. Narcissa was aware that house elves had enormous power that they kept to themselves or to the service of their masters. It was a power that most did not understand. It didn't come from careful study of a wand, its movements, or words that needed pronouncing and inflection in a certain way. It was primal. Earthy. It was the essence of magic that even the most powerful of wizards barely tapped into with their book knowledge and wand waving. But she had just rescued Filly and would not ask her to put her life in danger again. Narcissa would fight to keep Filly safe, even if it meant never contacting her again.
She hadn't even noticed the cat-like house elf as he stood beside her bed with a glass of water, until she was sure he had been standing there for a while. She accepted the water and he watched her drink it slowly. He had a presence around him that was very unusual in a house elf. His clothing was conventional for an elf, but he was most certainly not conventional. Suddenly her curiosity was piqued.
"What is your name?"
"Feles," he replied and her eyebrow went up. "It means cat in Latin."
"Actually, it's more a translation for thief," she said in reply, semi- impressed.
"Yes," was all he said. The glint in his eyes made her realize that there might be something to that. She started to sense an ally in this one. In sudden gloom she thought of her last elf ally.
"He is very cross with you, Mistress. I have not seen him in such a state since Dobby was relieved of his position."
Narcissa watched the elf. "I suppose you are right. Maybe I should try a little harder and he'd actually kill me."
Feles looked at her with kind eyes. "You must not think that way, Mistress. You are not a quitter. If you were, you'd have quit him a long time ago. Beside," he said as he started to tuck her covers around her, "he would not kill you and you know that. All you would do is further inflame him, but you are worth more pleasure to him alive."
He was right, of course. It made her wonder just how long the elf had been in Lucius' employ and how much he had actually observed. She remembered, faintly, seeing an elf with this coloring, but she had never paid much attention. She grimaced when he tucked her too tightly in the bed.
"You must rest. You will be overcome with fever and it will be painful."
She nodded. "How did my husband ever allow for an intelligent house elf to enter this place?"
"The Master does not believe such a thing exists. I let him believe he is right. He is the Master, after all."
"Yes, he is," she said weakly. "Then.why show me?"
He paused his busy work of moving things within and without of her reach as needed and then resumed after a beat. "I do not know. Perhaps because of what you did for Filly."
She felt her eyes mist over and she was too weak to stop them. She silently cursed herself. She hated nothing more than to cry.
"Filly was special. What makes you think you will attain that level of special?" she asked. There was no contempt in her voice. Only curiosity.
"Oh, I do not aspire to such heights, Mistress. I am intelligent enough to have seen Filly for what she was. She loved you. Purely. And you love her as well. I can tell. That kind of relationship is not easily obtained in the atmosphere of Master and Slave, but even less easy in this house. Besides, you assume I wish to escape."
"You don't?" she asked, very surprised by this.
"No. Not currently."
Narcissa tried to maintain eye contact with him, tried to read him, but she felt her strength leaving her and she instead closed her eyes to it.
When she opened her eyes again, time had moved. She could feel it. The room was dark and her skin burned her. She tried to put her hand to her face, but her hands were tucked tightly into her blankets. The blankets were so heavy and she panted to bring new and clean breath to her lungs. Her lips were cracked and as she ran her tongue over them she could feel splits in the delicate curves. But relief was quick.
She drank thirstily of the cool water that touched her lips. When she was done, she opened her eyes to see the slightly glowing eyes of Feles. It wasn't long before she slipped back into her darkness.
At one point she awoke to a cool dampness on her forehead. She groaned. It was an uncomfortable feeling to have her body burn and her forehead damp. Some small gust was washing over her newly wet face and it made her shiver in a sudden cold. She opened her eyes and noticed Feles close to her. She didn't think, she just acted. She shoved the little beast as far from her as she could.
"That's cold!" she said, her voice cracking with disuse. Feles picked himself up, not displaying any emotion really and brought her a glass of water. She drank from it greedily until she didn't want anymore and then she knocked the glass out of his hand, the water spilling onto her. She tried to get out of bed but his hands pushed her down and it wasn't long before he had her tucked into the bed. In the back recesses of her fever hazed mind, she knew she was being a bitch, but she couldn't stop herself.
"Why do you bother?" she growled at the elf. "You won't help me when I really need it."
Feles seemed to ignore her, but she realized he was just waiting until she was comfortable before he addressed her. He got very close to her and his breath smelled of cinnamon. "I will help you. You just need to learn my limits." Those words swirled in her head until she passed out.
Narcissa had no idea how many days had passed before her fever had broke. She just knew that one morning she awoke and Lucius was moving about the bedroom, getting ready for work, presumably. Narcissa feigned sleep so as to not draw his attention. She heard a nasal voice that was somewhat familiar.
"Me can help Master."
"Stand out of my way you clumsy oaf," Lucius snarled and his had rose. An orange streak went through Narcissa's limited vision created by keeping her eyes slanted almost closed, but not quite. It was Feles. And he sounded just like any of the many house elves she had ever met.
"You just take care of her and make sure she stays in bed."
"Yes Master, yes. Feles will do this!"
"See that you do," Lucius said before leaving the room. It was a moment before the soft clicking of his boots was no longer heard. Narcissa opened her eyes and found Feles staring straight at her. She smiled a little.
"You look like you're feeling well, Mistress," he said and started to straighten up her bed and bring her things she needed.
"I am much better," she said. She remembered how she treated him and she felt bad. He had been trying to help her, but she didn't seem to be able to control herself. "About the other night," she started.
"It's alright. You were delirious with the fever."
Narcissa nodded. When she noticed that Feles was not tucking her hands into the bed, she lifted one to her head. Her wounds were nearly healed. She probably was still bruised, but that was pretty much the extent of the wounds. Her fingers touched her hair and noticed how matted it was.
"I need a shower."
"The Master says you are to stay in bed."
"He won't know," she implored, desperate for a shower.
"You know he would," Feles said quietly, avoiding her eyes. He was again right.
His words from the other night tumbled back to her as he remained busy around her bed. She needed to learn his limits. What limited him? Lucius. He was bound to do what Lucius said, but not bound to do what he didn't say.
"Feles, can you write?" she asked, hope sounding in her voice.
"Yes, I can," he said as a smile graced his lips. From the twinkle in his eyes, she suspected she was onto something.
"Will you compose a letter for me and send it off?"
"I will," he said.
For a moment it was like all joy was concentrated in her chest. She wanted to hug the elf, but she knew that would be far from proper.
With that question answered and a road laid before her, Narcissa was again stumped by the question of who to write to. Of course Severus was first in her mind, but to make such a bold action. She could not do something like that without making two decisions.
First, she needed to decide whether enough was enough to finally end her vow to Lucius. He had beaten her before, but this was beyond any of those times. Although her actions had been beyond any of her petty annoyances she had caused him in the past. And there was Draco to consider. Draco was fond of Severus, but she knew he was very loyal to his father. If given the choice, Narcissa was sure Draco would choose his father over Severus, but if the choice was his mother or his father, she didn't know what would happen. She didn't even know if she should make him choose. But one thing was certain to her, now. She could not go on like this. She never really thought of herself as a perpetual victim and she had often scorned people who allowed themselves to be that. But now, looking back on he life, she saw that she allowed not only Lucius to victimize her, but also her parents before him.
What would she really give up if she left? She looked around at her bed. This, for one. Maybe with Severus she could find the life she always had wanted. But the vow. What was she if not a woman who can keep her vows? But maybe not all vows were worth keeping. Was she not now being as much of a fool for keeping to this farce of a marriage as she would be if she were to flaunt the vows of a loving relationship? Although she knew full well what it meant to be married to Lucius, she didn't really have a choice in the matter. Her father saw to the marriage arrangements. She was never even consulted. She had known it would be that way, but that didn't make it right.
Secondly, she had to decide if all that she was about to do was worth it. She would loose her money, her station, and possibly her family. Her son may never wish to speak to her, or he may be happy to be rid of his harsh father. She suspected the former was more correct, but she knew Draco could put up walls as well. What would she gain, though? Love, freedom, respect, and passion. The thought gave her chills. It was worth it.
"Please gather what you need to write this letter," she said softly and Feles nodded, moving to comply instantly.
When everything was assembled and the door was firmly closed, Feles sat up on the bed to write.
"Realize," Feles said softly, "you cannot dictate this letter. It would be too much like you sending out a letter, which was strictly forbidden. You must trust me to write this letter." He looked at Narcissa for confirmation.
Reluctantly, she agreed.
"Who is it to?"
"Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts."
"Yes, I know him," he looked at Narcissa with a little worry. "Are you sure?"
She smiled a little. "Very."
He nodded, "Very well."
Feles started scribbling down the letter. Narcissa frowned, feeling a touch of helplessness. She wanted so badly to grab the quill and parchment, but she didn't. So far, Feles had shown great trust in her. She decided to do the same, no matter how hard it was to sit there and watch.
When Feles was finally done with the letter, Narcissa asked to read it. For a moment, it looked like he was going to refuse, but then he handed the parchment over to her.
Professor Severus Snape,
I am writing on behalf of Narcissa Malfoy. She had been badly wounded about a week ago by her husband. This past week has been spent in a feverish state and she is now out of the danger point. Mr. Malfoy would not allow her to be magically healed and she had to suffer the painful experience as if she were muggle.
Now that she is well she is asking for you. I am writing to beseech you to rescue my Lady. She wants this as well. If you feel for her the way she feels for you, come to her before she does not survive this house. By the time you get this letter, the chances of Mr. Malfoy finding out about it are increased. He knows when my Lady's owl has left, so I am sending another. I believe he will find out soon enough though. The longer you wait, the more danger my Lady is in. When Mr. Malfoy comes home tonight, I will be forced to tell him that she is out of her fevered state, and he has been waiting for that with some impatience. I don't want to think about what could happen if you didn't come in time.
I will try to discreetly gather things for my Lady in the time it takes you to receive this letter and ready yourself for action. But once you are here, it would be unwise to stick around too long.
I will leave you to your work.
Feles
Narcissa felt her heart hammering in her chest. This was it. This was her escape. Finally she would be free. It was a feeling she always knew she wanted, but tried not to indulge in too much, as she never thought it would happen. She thrust the letter out to Feles, her eyes imploring him to hurry. He did.
Feles disappeared from the room and it seemed like hours before he returned. But return he did, with a bad of her things. He stuffed the bag under the bed and hid it with the coverlet that lay over the top of her. After that, all there was to do was wait.
Narcissa had become quite good at waiting over the last few years. But now, when the end of her wait was so close, she felt she couldn't sit still. She would fidget and cross and uncross her arms. She tried flexing her muscles so that they would not be stiff when Severus arrived. But soon she felt she was limber and ready. Yet, there was more time to wait.
Feles busied himself with bringing her tea and forcing her to eat something. He dressed her in a warm dressing gown and put wooly slippers beside the bed for her to slip into when the time came. Neither were sure if they would Apparate or fly, and Narcissa was grateful for the warm clothes in case it was flying. The last thing she needed was to catch a cold.
When five o'clock came around, Narcissa could not help but glance at the clock every five minutes or so. It had been hours since she had sent the letter. And now it was nearing the time when Lucius would come home. She prayed that he would work late, and even mentioned the possibility to Feles, who looked quite worried himself.
"No, I do not believe so. He has come home every night this last week at five-thirty on the nose. And the first thing he does is check in on you."
Narcissa felt fear creep into her body and move throughout. If Severus didn't hurry, she might never escape.
Five-fifteen came and went. Feles set about making the room clean. When he insisted she take off her warm dressing gown, Narcissa knew that Feles did not believe Severus was coming. But she did. She had to.
When the clock struck five-thirty, a door slammed closed downstairs. Narcissa's heart jumped up into her throat. She shared a look with Feles.
"No mention of it. I have been in and out of sleep and demanding my things, but you have not given them to me." Feles only nodded.
Heavy footsteps sounded outside her door and Narcissa tried to calm her pulse. Tomorrow. Severus would come for her tomorrow. But why hadn't he come for her today? She pushed thoughts of him out of her mind, for now she would need all her capacity to deal with her husband.
By the time the door was opened, Narcissa had managed to replace her panic with a cool and calmly serene looking Narcissa. She stared coolly at the door until realization hit her.
"Severus!" she gasped as he walked into the room. She had expected the broom or Apparation. She had not expected him to walk in.
He looked over her appearance, and Narcissa wished for the hundredth time that she had been allowed to take a shower at least. Severus hardly ever saw her less than composed. His eyes seemed to travel over her bruises and hurt places. His mouth was set in a grim line and he did not look pleased.
"Who is Feles?"
"I am Feles, sir," the house elf said, making himself known.
Severus stared at the house elf with a small amount of shock. It was uncommon to find a well educated house elf that could speak correctly and write anything, much less the kind of letter that Severus received. He was impressed.
"You are coming?"
"No, sir. I am still bound to this house."
"Not for long," Narcissa said, and she moved to grab for her slippers, but her bruised ribs made her settle back with a groan. Severus made his way towards her.
"My Lady, you need not free me. I did not do all of this for that reason."
"And why did you?" Severus asked.
Feles looked at Severus. "You are not the only person who loves this woman. And although our love for her is different, it is real." He looked to Narcissa. "She did me a great favor by taking my beloved away from here."
"Filly," Narcissa said softly.
Feles nodded. "Although I miss everyday I am not with her, I know she will be safe from the Master." Feles watched Narcissa a moment and then smiled. "I know I am not the only one who feels that way."
Narcissa smiled softly.
Severus cleared his throat. "Well, I think we should be going."
Sudden panic overcame Narcissa. What was she doing just sitting there, visiting, like she had all the time in the world? She tried to ease herself out of bed and as long as she didn't move too fast, she was fine. Feles grabbed her bag and eased her warm dressing gown back on her.
Quickly he ran a brush through her hair and tied a scarf around her head and ears. She was grateful because she was sure she couldn't have lifted her hands long enough to do it all herself.
Severus smiled at her a moment when their eyes touched and she felt full of joy, suddenly. That joy was short lived however when a door slammed downstairs. Fear flooded her face as she turned to the door. He was coming.
"Lucius," she said, barely a whisper.
"Time to go," Severus said as he came around to her and put his arm around her waist. He had her bag in his other hand and she realized he was about to go.
"No!" she said, coming away from him. He seemed startled and confused. She looked around wildly for a piece of clothing. She had to free Feles. Take him to Filly. She heard footsteps outside the door and Severus cast a spell, quickly, to keep the door barred.
"Hurry, Narcissa," he said softly but urgently.
"Mistress, you must go," Feles urged, not sure what she was doing.
She spied a glove on the table across the room. She headed towards it slowly. A pounding on the door made her stop in her tracks.
"Narcissa!" she heard Lucius bellow. She swallowed and keeping her eyes on the glove she made her way steadily to it. When she reached it, she heard Lucius put his shoulder to the door to open it. It stuck closed, but the sound jangled her nerves and nearly made her drop the glove. Slowly, she made her way over to Feles who was staring at her in wide-eyed wonder. Severus was urging her to hurry with his eyes.
When Narcissa reached the cat-like elf, she thrust the glove on his hand and grabbed him, holding her hand out to Severus. She heard the door splinter as it blew off it's hinges and she turned her head quickly to see Lucius, his eyes wide and dancing crazily. His wand was out. She felt Severus' hand clasp hers just as Lucius' wand was risen and words started flowing out of his mouth.
And then she was in Hogsmeade.
Narcissa panted as left over panic raced through her body, making her shiver. Severus smiled as he wrapped his arms around Narcissa, holding her to him. She leaned into him, letting him support her weight as she gathered strength from him. Her face was buried into his black robes and she felt for the first time like she was home.
They traveled to Hogwarts by coach. Feles was quiet the whole way, giving Narcissa an opportunity to focus totally on Severus. She snuggled close to him the whole way and they shared a pleasant ride without the need to say much of anything.
When they arrived at Hogwarts, Severus took them a back way to his suite. Feles followed them, carrying Narcissa's bag. At the door to Severus' suite he put his hand on her shoulder to stop her from going in. She looked back at him, her brows knitted in question. He smiled very sweetly to her and leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers. She shuddered in want for this man.
Gently, he lifted her in his arms, making her hiss slightly at the pain in her ribs, but she tried to keep it in, so that he wouldn't put her down. He looked at her apologetically, but he did not release her.
"Feles," he said and the house elf seemed to understand, going to the door and opening it. With a little smile passed from Severus to Narcissa, he carried her across the threshold. When they were inside, he leaned down and kissed her passionately and she responded in the like. She brought her hands up around his neck, pulling him as close as she could with her limited strength and she felt his weight shift as he closed the door with his foot.
"Feles!" Narcissa heard. She broke the kiss and looked over as Filly, looking happier and healthier than she had in the Malfoy manner, bounded over and nearly knocked the bigger elf off his feet. She covered his face in kisses and he hugged her, looking happy. Narcissa smiled at the charming picture it made.
"I'm starting to think you care more about the kissing house elves," Severus said huskily in her ear. She grinned and turned her attention back to him and him alone.
"I love you," she said softly and for the first time. The words had always been felt between the two of them, but she had never dared utter them while under the rule of Lucius Malfoy. And now she was free to say them. Free to do a hundred little things that before she would never have been free to do. She was free to kiss this man if she wanted to, and she did, placing the kiss on his jaw line. Severus gave a soft sigh but did nothing. He just let her look on him. She was free to look at him all she wanted, and she did just that, trying to memorize him with her eyes. She was free to love him and tell him so. "I love you," she said again.
He smiled to her and bowed his head down, touching her little nose to his bigger one. "And I have always loved you," he said softly.
They kissed again and this time the kiss lasted a long time, making Narcissa a little weak in the knees and she was glad that Severus was holding her.
After a while, he set her down on a chair, making her comfortable and bringing her things to sit beside her. She looked through them and found her wand and a cup from her favorite tea set. Just the cup. She smiled a little but she suddenly knew that she wouldn't want this reminder of her past. She looked over at Filly.
"Filly?" she asked and the little elf smiled at her, full of love for her former Mistress.
"Yes Miss Narcy?"
Narcissa patted her lap and the little elf's face split with a beautiful smile and her violet eyes shown tears as she scrambled over to Narcissa and carefully sat in her lap. She was now wearing a little cotton outfit, probably borrowed from another house elf, and she looked clean and happy.
Narcissa put her arms around the little elf and hugged her. Filly hugged her tightly, making Narcissa give a pained look but she said nothing to stop her. When they pulled away from the embrace, Narcissa presented the cup to her.
"I want you to have this," she said, placing the very expensive china in the hands of the house elf.
Filly's eyes were wide as she held the fragile piece of Narcissa's favorite tea set.
"Oh, Miss Narcy, me couldn't. Me couldn't!" she said as she tried to shove the cup back out at Narcissa.
"Filly," she said, her voice firm but not admonishing. "There are two things you must do for me. Please."
"Anything, Filly do anything!" Filly said, still offering the cup to Narcissa.
"First, take the tea cup." She smiled and pushed it gently back to the elf, who just sat blinking at it. "And second, call me Narcissa."
Filly looked up, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Really and truly? You would have me call you your name?" Narcissa nodded and the little elf sniffled. "Narcissa," she said, experimenting with the name.
Narcissa looked over at Feles, who was watching the scene with obvious happiness.
"What are your plans now, Feles?" she asked.
"My wish is to marry Filly and settle with a nice family."
"You still wish to serve as a house elf?" she said, confused.
"Yes. I enjoyed the work, and I am good at it. But it will be different. I will have Filly with me, and we will no longer be slaves, but servants. I have always wanted to be a servant."
Narcissa didn't understand, but she merely nodded. She couldn't grasp the thought of wanting to be a servant. "What family do you wish to serve?" she asked.
"Well," he smiled. "It would make my Filly so happy if she could serve the Snapes," he said with a grin.
Narcissa blinked in surprise. The Snapes. She looked at Severus as he just watched the scene from afar. Feles walked over to him and bowed his head.
"If you are of need of house elves, we would serve you faithfully for as long as you required," he said to Severus.
Severus looked at the top of the bowed head. He then looked at Narcissa with Filly still snuggled onto her lap. "I have just a need for two house elves, it appears. I will pay you and you will live here with.us," he said with an intense look at Narcissa. She flushed but smiled happily.
Filly clapped her hands and hugged Narcissa again. Narcissa smiled and realized that she had smiled more in the last few moments than she had the whole month.
Severus helped her to the bathroom, where Filly helped her bathe and wash her hair. When she was fresh, she joined Severus in his bed wearing a nightgown from her bag, not the least bit afraid. She knew that making love would be painful to her ribs, but she was willing to endure any pain to be with Severus. But it seemed he had other plans. When she got into bed, he pulled her to his chest, gently and wrapped his arms around her. She could feel the warmth of his bare chest and the fabric that concealed his lower parts. He placed a kiss on her forehead and bade her to sleep, holding her contentedly.
Narcissa sighed happily, snuggling up to his chest. She thought about Lucius and the anger he would feel, but she didn't feel afraid. She thought of Draco and how close she was to him this moment, and she hoped he would understand.
As sleep started to take her, Narcissa realized that tonight she would not escape to her dark place. It would be the first time that she consciously chose to not dwell in her pain and suffering. Instead, she felt herself slip into dreamland and she saw Severus and Draco. The two men she loved most in the world. But something didn't seem right. They were facing each other. Their wands were out. Draco's voice shattered the quiet of her dream as she saw with horror as light came from Draco's wand and shot Severus in the chest.
"No!" she screamed, waking.
The Particulars: It's a PG-13 because there is some violence, although not graphic violence, in the story. There are no real spoilers. The story is kind of taken out of time and there is no specific times mentioned in the story. The characters used (as well as the world) are not mine and belong to J.K. Rowling.
Dedications: Dedicated to Echo and her wonderful Narcissa story (Tomorrow Never Knows) that got me thinking about Narcissa enough that I had to write. I keep telling the girl she inspires me to write.I wasn't wrong. Also dedicated to Jasper, who came up with the idea of an all Narcissa all the time group!
Please email me if you want to put this or any of my stories on your website. I never say no, but I like knowing which sites are supporting my writing. Thanks!
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She felt broken in so many places. She honestly didn't think that Lucius knew the full impact of what he had done until after it was done. Her pale skin was paler with the loss of blood but contrasted with the dark purplish bruises that appeared in many shapes. She couldn't see out of one of her eyes. She felt warped.
He had gotten pretty bored with the physical stuff early on in the punishment, though. Then he turned to magic. She was bound and her wand was taken away. She almost summoned it to her, but in her delirium, she could no longer remember the elementary spell to do so. It wasn't long before she succumbed to the blissfulness of darkness.
It was when she awoke that she realized he didn't stop his torture just because she went to sleep. She had markings on her she didn't remember, but they hurt as much as the ones she did remember. She could hardly move about and was thankful that she found herself in her room, on her bed. She almost called for Filly before she realized that Filly wasn't there. She couldn't help the tears that spilled from her eyes, burning the cuts there.
"Now you just stay in bed tonight, Mrs. Malfoy," the doctor said as he finished seeing to the worst of the wounds. She briefly wondered why he hadn't healed her all the way, but she figured he had his orders. He was the kind of doctor that believed women couldn't figure out the stairs and who didn't ask questions when the husband wanted discreetness. She didn't even look at him. As far as she was concerned, he was part of the hell that living in this house brought her to.
When the doctor left, Lucius stood by the door to the room, silently watching her. She didn't even bother looking at him. What more could he do to her?
"I will be out tomorrow. You will need to get one of the house elves to see after you."
She tried to laugh, but she groaned in pain at the effort. "When did you.ever.take care.of me?" she rasped in between breaths.
He gave her a half smile. "I took care of you tonight. Gave you exactly what you needed. And wanted, apparently. You've known me long enough, Narcissa, to know what would happen if you ever defied me in the fashion that you did. I hope it was worth it."
It was, she thought to herself, although she didn't quite dare to say so out loud. But it was worth it. Although she would miss Filly, it was some comfort to know that the house elf would have her freedom and maybe even be living with Severus. She looked over to Lucius and he gave a mocking bow of his head before he left the room.
It was some time later when she came to consciousness again. It seemed that not only did she have enough fuel to reach her dark place easily, but it didn't want to let go of her. She was finding it harder and harder to come back to the real world, especially when it was filled with so much pain.
She rang the bell close to her bed and a little orange-y colored elf walked in. He looked kind of feral. His eyes were more slanted and they were a yellowish color. She didn't even know his name, but she didn't care.
"Bring my wand."
"I cannot," he said, showing a much more advanced understanding of the language. "The Master has forbidden me to do this."
She closed her eyes. What would he not have forbidden? Paper? An owl? Surely those things were out of her reach for now. And who would she write? Severus? He would likely charge in on his white, or black rather, horse and try to rescue her.
"Bring me water, then."
He bowed and left her. She watched him go as best as she could. She could try to send a floo, but again, who to?
Her wicked mind let her think of possibilities. What would her husband do if she were to get in touch with Harry Potter himself and ask for help. Surely the boy hated her husband as much as any who he had dealings with. She tried to pinpoint the exact look on Lucius' face when he learned of the whole thing. It would have made her giggle, if not for the pain in doing so.
She could contact Albus Dumbledore. He would storm in and whisk her away. She'd be under his protection then. He was a man that Lucius could not abide. She quickly ticked off in her mind the many times that Albus Dumbledore had gotten in the way of the plans of Voldemort or Lucius himself.
Filly would do what she could. Narcissa was aware that house elves had enormous power that they kept to themselves or to the service of their masters. It was a power that most did not understand. It didn't come from careful study of a wand, its movements, or words that needed pronouncing and inflection in a certain way. It was primal. Earthy. It was the essence of magic that even the most powerful of wizards barely tapped into with their book knowledge and wand waving. But she had just rescued Filly and would not ask her to put her life in danger again. Narcissa would fight to keep Filly safe, even if it meant never contacting her again.
She hadn't even noticed the cat-like house elf as he stood beside her bed with a glass of water, until she was sure he had been standing there for a while. She accepted the water and he watched her drink it slowly. He had a presence around him that was very unusual in a house elf. His clothing was conventional for an elf, but he was most certainly not conventional. Suddenly her curiosity was piqued.
"What is your name?"
"Feles," he replied and her eyebrow went up. "It means cat in Latin."
"Actually, it's more a translation for thief," she said in reply, semi- impressed.
"Yes," was all he said. The glint in his eyes made her realize that there might be something to that. She started to sense an ally in this one. In sudden gloom she thought of her last elf ally.
"He is very cross with you, Mistress. I have not seen him in such a state since Dobby was relieved of his position."
Narcissa watched the elf. "I suppose you are right. Maybe I should try a little harder and he'd actually kill me."
Feles looked at her with kind eyes. "You must not think that way, Mistress. You are not a quitter. If you were, you'd have quit him a long time ago. Beside," he said as he started to tuck her covers around her, "he would not kill you and you know that. All you would do is further inflame him, but you are worth more pleasure to him alive."
He was right, of course. It made her wonder just how long the elf had been in Lucius' employ and how much he had actually observed. She remembered, faintly, seeing an elf with this coloring, but she had never paid much attention. She grimaced when he tucked her too tightly in the bed.
"You must rest. You will be overcome with fever and it will be painful."
She nodded. "How did my husband ever allow for an intelligent house elf to enter this place?"
"The Master does not believe such a thing exists. I let him believe he is right. He is the Master, after all."
"Yes, he is," she said weakly. "Then.why show me?"
He paused his busy work of moving things within and without of her reach as needed and then resumed after a beat. "I do not know. Perhaps because of what you did for Filly."
She felt her eyes mist over and she was too weak to stop them. She silently cursed herself. She hated nothing more than to cry.
"Filly was special. What makes you think you will attain that level of special?" she asked. There was no contempt in her voice. Only curiosity.
"Oh, I do not aspire to such heights, Mistress. I am intelligent enough to have seen Filly for what she was. She loved you. Purely. And you love her as well. I can tell. That kind of relationship is not easily obtained in the atmosphere of Master and Slave, but even less easy in this house. Besides, you assume I wish to escape."
"You don't?" she asked, very surprised by this.
"No. Not currently."
Narcissa tried to maintain eye contact with him, tried to read him, but she felt her strength leaving her and she instead closed her eyes to it.
When she opened her eyes again, time had moved. She could feel it. The room was dark and her skin burned her. She tried to put her hand to her face, but her hands were tucked tightly into her blankets. The blankets were so heavy and she panted to bring new and clean breath to her lungs. Her lips were cracked and as she ran her tongue over them she could feel splits in the delicate curves. But relief was quick.
She drank thirstily of the cool water that touched her lips. When she was done, she opened her eyes to see the slightly glowing eyes of Feles. It wasn't long before she slipped back into her darkness.
At one point she awoke to a cool dampness on her forehead. She groaned. It was an uncomfortable feeling to have her body burn and her forehead damp. Some small gust was washing over her newly wet face and it made her shiver in a sudden cold. She opened her eyes and noticed Feles close to her. She didn't think, she just acted. She shoved the little beast as far from her as she could.
"That's cold!" she said, her voice cracking with disuse. Feles picked himself up, not displaying any emotion really and brought her a glass of water. She drank from it greedily until she didn't want anymore and then she knocked the glass out of his hand, the water spilling onto her. She tried to get out of bed but his hands pushed her down and it wasn't long before he had her tucked into the bed. In the back recesses of her fever hazed mind, she knew she was being a bitch, but she couldn't stop herself.
"Why do you bother?" she growled at the elf. "You won't help me when I really need it."
Feles seemed to ignore her, but she realized he was just waiting until she was comfortable before he addressed her. He got very close to her and his breath smelled of cinnamon. "I will help you. You just need to learn my limits." Those words swirled in her head until she passed out.
Narcissa had no idea how many days had passed before her fever had broke. She just knew that one morning she awoke and Lucius was moving about the bedroom, getting ready for work, presumably. Narcissa feigned sleep so as to not draw his attention. She heard a nasal voice that was somewhat familiar.
"Me can help Master."
"Stand out of my way you clumsy oaf," Lucius snarled and his had rose. An orange streak went through Narcissa's limited vision created by keeping her eyes slanted almost closed, but not quite. It was Feles. And he sounded just like any of the many house elves she had ever met.
"You just take care of her and make sure she stays in bed."
"Yes Master, yes. Feles will do this!"
"See that you do," Lucius said before leaving the room. It was a moment before the soft clicking of his boots was no longer heard. Narcissa opened her eyes and found Feles staring straight at her. She smiled a little.
"You look like you're feeling well, Mistress," he said and started to straighten up her bed and bring her things she needed.
"I am much better," she said. She remembered how she treated him and she felt bad. He had been trying to help her, but she didn't seem to be able to control herself. "About the other night," she started.
"It's alright. You were delirious with the fever."
Narcissa nodded. When she noticed that Feles was not tucking her hands into the bed, she lifted one to her head. Her wounds were nearly healed. She probably was still bruised, but that was pretty much the extent of the wounds. Her fingers touched her hair and noticed how matted it was.
"I need a shower."
"The Master says you are to stay in bed."
"He won't know," she implored, desperate for a shower.
"You know he would," Feles said quietly, avoiding her eyes. He was again right.
His words from the other night tumbled back to her as he remained busy around her bed. She needed to learn his limits. What limited him? Lucius. He was bound to do what Lucius said, but not bound to do what he didn't say.
"Feles, can you write?" she asked, hope sounding in her voice.
"Yes, I can," he said as a smile graced his lips. From the twinkle in his eyes, she suspected she was onto something.
"Will you compose a letter for me and send it off?"
"I will," he said.
For a moment it was like all joy was concentrated in her chest. She wanted to hug the elf, but she knew that would be far from proper.
With that question answered and a road laid before her, Narcissa was again stumped by the question of who to write to. Of course Severus was first in her mind, but to make such a bold action. She could not do something like that without making two decisions.
First, she needed to decide whether enough was enough to finally end her vow to Lucius. He had beaten her before, but this was beyond any of those times. Although her actions had been beyond any of her petty annoyances she had caused him in the past. And there was Draco to consider. Draco was fond of Severus, but she knew he was very loyal to his father. If given the choice, Narcissa was sure Draco would choose his father over Severus, but if the choice was his mother or his father, she didn't know what would happen. She didn't even know if she should make him choose. But one thing was certain to her, now. She could not go on like this. She never really thought of herself as a perpetual victim and she had often scorned people who allowed themselves to be that. But now, looking back on he life, she saw that she allowed not only Lucius to victimize her, but also her parents before him.
What would she really give up if she left? She looked around at her bed. This, for one. Maybe with Severus she could find the life she always had wanted. But the vow. What was she if not a woman who can keep her vows? But maybe not all vows were worth keeping. Was she not now being as much of a fool for keeping to this farce of a marriage as she would be if she were to flaunt the vows of a loving relationship? Although she knew full well what it meant to be married to Lucius, she didn't really have a choice in the matter. Her father saw to the marriage arrangements. She was never even consulted. She had known it would be that way, but that didn't make it right.
Secondly, she had to decide if all that she was about to do was worth it. She would loose her money, her station, and possibly her family. Her son may never wish to speak to her, or he may be happy to be rid of his harsh father. She suspected the former was more correct, but she knew Draco could put up walls as well. What would she gain, though? Love, freedom, respect, and passion. The thought gave her chills. It was worth it.
"Please gather what you need to write this letter," she said softly and Feles nodded, moving to comply instantly.
When everything was assembled and the door was firmly closed, Feles sat up on the bed to write.
"Realize," Feles said softly, "you cannot dictate this letter. It would be too much like you sending out a letter, which was strictly forbidden. You must trust me to write this letter." He looked at Narcissa for confirmation.
Reluctantly, she agreed.
"Who is it to?"
"Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts."
"Yes, I know him," he looked at Narcissa with a little worry. "Are you sure?"
She smiled a little. "Very."
He nodded, "Very well."
Feles started scribbling down the letter. Narcissa frowned, feeling a touch of helplessness. She wanted so badly to grab the quill and parchment, but she didn't. So far, Feles had shown great trust in her. She decided to do the same, no matter how hard it was to sit there and watch.
When Feles was finally done with the letter, Narcissa asked to read it. For a moment, it looked like he was going to refuse, but then he handed the parchment over to her.
Professor Severus Snape,
I am writing on behalf of Narcissa Malfoy. She had been badly wounded about a week ago by her husband. This past week has been spent in a feverish state and she is now out of the danger point. Mr. Malfoy would not allow her to be magically healed and she had to suffer the painful experience as if she were muggle.
Now that she is well she is asking for you. I am writing to beseech you to rescue my Lady. She wants this as well. If you feel for her the way she feels for you, come to her before she does not survive this house. By the time you get this letter, the chances of Mr. Malfoy finding out about it are increased. He knows when my Lady's owl has left, so I am sending another. I believe he will find out soon enough though. The longer you wait, the more danger my Lady is in. When Mr. Malfoy comes home tonight, I will be forced to tell him that she is out of her fevered state, and he has been waiting for that with some impatience. I don't want to think about what could happen if you didn't come in time.
I will try to discreetly gather things for my Lady in the time it takes you to receive this letter and ready yourself for action. But once you are here, it would be unwise to stick around too long.
I will leave you to your work.
Feles
Narcissa felt her heart hammering in her chest. This was it. This was her escape. Finally she would be free. It was a feeling she always knew she wanted, but tried not to indulge in too much, as she never thought it would happen. She thrust the letter out to Feles, her eyes imploring him to hurry. He did.
Feles disappeared from the room and it seemed like hours before he returned. But return he did, with a bad of her things. He stuffed the bag under the bed and hid it with the coverlet that lay over the top of her. After that, all there was to do was wait.
Narcissa had become quite good at waiting over the last few years. But now, when the end of her wait was so close, she felt she couldn't sit still. She would fidget and cross and uncross her arms. She tried flexing her muscles so that they would not be stiff when Severus arrived. But soon she felt she was limber and ready. Yet, there was more time to wait.
Feles busied himself with bringing her tea and forcing her to eat something. He dressed her in a warm dressing gown and put wooly slippers beside the bed for her to slip into when the time came. Neither were sure if they would Apparate or fly, and Narcissa was grateful for the warm clothes in case it was flying. The last thing she needed was to catch a cold.
When five o'clock came around, Narcissa could not help but glance at the clock every five minutes or so. It had been hours since she had sent the letter. And now it was nearing the time when Lucius would come home. She prayed that he would work late, and even mentioned the possibility to Feles, who looked quite worried himself.
"No, I do not believe so. He has come home every night this last week at five-thirty on the nose. And the first thing he does is check in on you."
Narcissa felt fear creep into her body and move throughout. If Severus didn't hurry, she might never escape.
Five-fifteen came and went. Feles set about making the room clean. When he insisted she take off her warm dressing gown, Narcissa knew that Feles did not believe Severus was coming. But she did. She had to.
When the clock struck five-thirty, a door slammed closed downstairs. Narcissa's heart jumped up into her throat. She shared a look with Feles.
"No mention of it. I have been in and out of sleep and demanding my things, but you have not given them to me." Feles only nodded.
Heavy footsteps sounded outside her door and Narcissa tried to calm her pulse. Tomorrow. Severus would come for her tomorrow. But why hadn't he come for her today? She pushed thoughts of him out of her mind, for now she would need all her capacity to deal with her husband.
By the time the door was opened, Narcissa had managed to replace her panic with a cool and calmly serene looking Narcissa. She stared coolly at the door until realization hit her.
"Severus!" she gasped as he walked into the room. She had expected the broom or Apparation. She had not expected him to walk in.
He looked over her appearance, and Narcissa wished for the hundredth time that she had been allowed to take a shower at least. Severus hardly ever saw her less than composed. His eyes seemed to travel over her bruises and hurt places. His mouth was set in a grim line and he did not look pleased.
"Who is Feles?"
"I am Feles, sir," the house elf said, making himself known.
Severus stared at the house elf with a small amount of shock. It was uncommon to find a well educated house elf that could speak correctly and write anything, much less the kind of letter that Severus received. He was impressed.
"You are coming?"
"No, sir. I am still bound to this house."
"Not for long," Narcissa said, and she moved to grab for her slippers, but her bruised ribs made her settle back with a groan. Severus made his way towards her.
"My Lady, you need not free me. I did not do all of this for that reason."
"And why did you?" Severus asked.
Feles looked at Severus. "You are not the only person who loves this woman. And although our love for her is different, it is real." He looked to Narcissa. "She did me a great favor by taking my beloved away from here."
"Filly," Narcissa said softly.
Feles nodded. "Although I miss everyday I am not with her, I know she will be safe from the Master." Feles watched Narcissa a moment and then smiled. "I know I am not the only one who feels that way."
Narcissa smiled softly.
Severus cleared his throat. "Well, I think we should be going."
Sudden panic overcame Narcissa. What was she doing just sitting there, visiting, like she had all the time in the world? She tried to ease herself out of bed and as long as she didn't move too fast, she was fine. Feles grabbed her bag and eased her warm dressing gown back on her.
Quickly he ran a brush through her hair and tied a scarf around her head and ears. She was grateful because she was sure she couldn't have lifted her hands long enough to do it all herself.
Severus smiled at her a moment when their eyes touched and she felt full of joy, suddenly. That joy was short lived however when a door slammed downstairs. Fear flooded her face as she turned to the door. He was coming.
"Lucius," she said, barely a whisper.
"Time to go," Severus said as he came around to her and put his arm around her waist. He had her bag in his other hand and she realized he was about to go.
"No!" she said, coming away from him. He seemed startled and confused. She looked around wildly for a piece of clothing. She had to free Feles. Take him to Filly. She heard footsteps outside the door and Severus cast a spell, quickly, to keep the door barred.
"Hurry, Narcissa," he said softly but urgently.
"Mistress, you must go," Feles urged, not sure what she was doing.
She spied a glove on the table across the room. She headed towards it slowly. A pounding on the door made her stop in her tracks.
"Narcissa!" she heard Lucius bellow. She swallowed and keeping her eyes on the glove she made her way steadily to it. When she reached it, she heard Lucius put his shoulder to the door to open it. It stuck closed, but the sound jangled her nerves and nearly made her drop the glove. Slowly, she made her way over to Feles who was staring at her in wide-eyed wonder. Severus was urging her to hurry with his eyes.
When Narcissa reached the cat-like elf, she thrust the glove on his hand and grabbed him, holding her hand out to Severus. She heard the door splinter as it blew off it's hinges and she turned her head quickly to see Lucius, his eyes wide and dancing crazily. His wand was out. She felt Severus' hand clasp hers just as Lucius' wand was risen and words started flowing out of his mouth.
And then she was in Hogsmeade.
Narcissa panted as left over panic raced through her body, making her shiver. Severus smiled as he wrapped his arms around Narcissa, holding her to him. She leaned into him, letting him support her weight as she gathered strength from him. Her face was buried into his black robes and she felt for the first time like she was home.
They traveled to Hogwarts by coach. Feles was quiet the whole way, giving Narcissa an opportunity to focus totally on Severus. She snuggled close to him the whole way and they shared a pleasant ride without the need to say much of anything.
When they arrived at Hogwarts, Severus took them a back way to his suite. Feles followed them, carrying Narcissa's bag. At the door to Severus' suite he put his hand on her shoulder to stop her from going in. She looked back at him, her brows knitted in question. He smiled very sweetly to her and leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers. She shuddered in want for this man.
Gently, he lifted her in his arms, making her hiss slightly at the pain in her ribs, but she tried to keep it in, so that he wouldn't put her down. He looked at her apologetically, but he did not release her.
"Feles," he said and the house elf seemed to understand, going to the door and opening it. With a little smile passed from Severus to Narcissa, he carried her across the threshold. When they were inside, he leaned down and kissed her passionately and she responded in the like. She brought her hands up around his neck, pulling him as close as she could with her limited strength and she felt his weight shift as he closed the door with his foot.
"Feles!" Narcissa heard. She broke the kiss and looked over as Filly, looking happier and healthier than she had in the Malfoy manner, bounded over and nearly knocked the bigger elf off his feet. She covered his face in kisses and he hugged her, looking happy. Narcissa smiled at the charming picture it made.
"I'm starting to think you care more about the kissing house elves," Severus said huskily in her ear. She grinned and turned her attention back to him and him alone.
"I love you," she said softly and for the first time. The words had always been felt between the two of them, but she had never dared utter them while under the rule of Lucius Malfoy. And now she was free to say them. Free to do a hundred little things that before she would never have been free to do. She was free to kiss this man if she wanted to, and she did, placing the kiss on his jaw line. Severus gave a soft sigh but did nothing. He just let her look on him. She was free to look at him all she wanted, and she did just that, trying to memorize him with her eyes. She was free to love him and tell him so. "I love you," she said again.
He smiled to her and bowed his head down, touching her little nose to his bigger one. "And I have always loved you," he said softly.
They kissed again and this time the kiss lasted a long time, making Narcissa a little weak in the knees and she was glad that Severus was holding her.
After a while, he set her down on a chair, making her comfortable and bringing her things to sit beside her. She looked through them and found her wand and a cup from her favorite tea set. Just the cup. She smiled a little but she suddenly knew that she wouldn't want this reminder of her past. She looked over at Filly.
"Filly?" she asked and the little elf smiled at her, full of love for her former Mistress.
"Yes Miss Narcy?"
Narcissa patted her lap and the little elf's face split with a beautiful smile and her violet eyes shown tears as she scrambled over to Narcissa and carefully sat in her lap. She was now wearing a little cotton outfit, probably borrowed from another house elf, and she looked clean and happy.
Narcissa put her arms around the little elf and hugged her. Filly hugged her tightly, making Narcissa give a pained look but she said nothing to stop her. When they pulled away from the embrace, Narcissa presented the cup to her.
"I want you to have this," she said, placing the very expensive china in the hands of the house elf.
Filly's eyes were wide as she held the fragile piece of Narcissa's favorite tea set.
"Oh, Miss Narcy, me couldn't. Me couldn't!" she said as she tried to shove the cup back out at Narcissa.
"Filly," she said, her voice firm but not admonishing. "There are two things you must do for me. Please."
"Anything, Filly do anything!" Filly said, still offering the cup to Narcissa.
"First, take the tea cup." She smiled and pushed it gently back to the elf, who just sat blinking at it. "And second, call me Narcissa."
Filly looked up, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Really and truly? You would have me call you your name?" Narcissa nodded and the little elf sniffled. "Narcissa," she said, experimenting with the name.
Narcissa looked over at Feles, who was watching the scene with obvious happiness.
"What are your plans now, Feles?" she asked.
"My wish is to marry Filly and settle with a nice family."
"You still wish to serve as a house elf?" she said, confused.
"Yes. I enjoyed the work, and I am good at it. But it will be different. I will have Filly with me, and we will no longer be slaves, but servants. I have always wanted to be a servant."
Narcissa didn't understand, but she merely nodded. She couldn't grasp the thought of wanting to be a servant. "What family do you wish to serve?" she asked.
"Well," he smiled. "It would make my Filly so happy if she could serve the Snapes," he said with a grin.
Narcissa blinked in surprise. The Snapes. She looked at Severus as he just watched the scene from afar. Feles walked over to him and bowed his head.
"If you are of need of house elves, we would serve you faithfully for as long as you required," he said to Severus.
Severus looked at the top of the bowed head. He then looked at Narcissa with Filly still snuggled onto her lap. "I have just a need for two house elves, it appears. I will pay you and you will live here with.us," he said with an intense look at Narcissa. She flushed but smiled happily.
Filly clapped her hands and hugged Narcissa again. Narcissa smiled and realized that she had smiled more in the last few moments than she had the whole month.
Severus helped her to the bathroom, where Filly helped her bathe and wash her hair. When she was fresh, she joined Severus in his bed wearing a nightgown from her bag, not the least bit afraid. She knew that making love would be painful to her ribs, but she was willing to endure any pain to be with Severus. But it seemed he had other plans. When she got into bed, he pulled her to his chest, gently and wrapped his arms around her. She could feel the warmth of his bare chest and the fabric that concealed his lower parts. He placed a kiss on her forehead and bade her to sleep, holding her contentedly.
Narcissa sighed happily, snuggling up to his chest. She thought about Lucius and the anger he would feel, but she didn't feel afraid. She thought of Draco and how close she was to him this moment, and she hoped he would understand.
As sleep started to take her, Narcissa realized that tonight she would not escape to her dark place. It would be the first time that she consciously chose to not dwell in her pain and suffering. Instead, she felt herself slip into dreamland and she saw Severus and Draco. The two men she loved most in the world. But something didn't seem right. They were facing each other. Their wands were out. Draco's voice shattered the quiet of her dream as she saw with horror as light came from Draco's wand and shot Severus in the chest.
"No!" she screamed, waking.