The Lament's Of A Weak-Minded Child
Prologue
The night was dark. Not a single star or cloud could be found in the sky. All that could be heard was the screaming of a woman in pain.
Tonight, Pansy was giving birth to the first child conceived by Draco Malfoy and herself.
They had been trying to conceive for a very long time, and now it was finally happening. But Draco was worried. He should have felt excited, but all he felt was despair. Draco knew that it was going to be a very difficult birth. He had heard Pansy's screams of agony, her pleas for help, and her wish for relief. He wanted to help her, to make all her pain go away. But he knew that he could not do that. It seemed as though all would be lost because of the birth of one child.
~ ~ ~
"Push Pansy!" the auburn-haired Brittany instructed as Pansy gripped her hand tightly.
"I can't!" Pansy hissed through clenched teeth.
"What's happening to Pansy?" Laurietta asked in concern, smoothing Pansy's hair from her forehead. "Why won't the baby come out?"
"I don't know, Laurietta," Dr Finland replied, exhausted. "I believe that we will have to do surgery."
"But that can't be true! I thought that Pansy would have an easy birth!" Protested Laurietta, her blonde curls bouncing in indignation.
"Something has gone wrong. I can't tell you what, because I do not know, myself!"
"Have you told Mr Malfoy?"
"I was just about to. He will have to make a choice."
"What kind of choice?''
"Who he wants to live through this.''
"Don't tell me that's possible!" "Yes, Laurietta, it is possible. We have no other way.''
Laurietta gave one last look at Pansy before nodding. "But you must promise me, Dr. Finland, that Pansy will live through this."
"I cannot promise you what I don't know."
~ ~ ~
Draco Malfoy was pacing impatiently in the waiting room as he wondered what the results were. Would the baby be a boy or a girl? Judging by the intensity of Pansy's shrieks, he should be thinking about whether it would come out alive or not!
He remembered when Pansy told him that she was pregnant. He couldn't say that it was the best time of his life, but after contemplating the matter for several weeks, watching gifts of tiny clothes and pretty toys from friends and family pour into their home, he could easily say that he was looking forward to finally holding the new little life in his arms.
If someone had told him while he was still a sulky teenager that he would be anticipating the birth of his first child in a few years time, he would have laughed in their face and told them not to talk rubbish. For he did not expect to have children; they were nothing but trouble and a waste of money, time, and energy. He could be employed in better things, after all. And he was only marrying Pansy because of his father.
Draco was the only one that could uphold the Malfoy name and he was expected to do so. He didn't love Pansy, and Pansy didn't love him. That was no secret. The marriage was mostly built on duty and honour. And nobody had told him that a child would be needed.
But Draco had grown in his emotions. He still seemed cold and guarded to most people he met, but not as scornful and mean as before. The hard shell of hate that had been spun around him like a cocoon was falling away and leaving the raw vulnerable core. And all that because of a baby.
For the whole nine months, he had taken as much care of Pansy as it was in his ability to do, surprising even himself with his devotion. But the minuscule life that was steadily growing inside Pansy had also been made by him, and it was as much a part of his life as it was of Pansy's. And he decided that he would make this child's life as much unlike his own as was possible, without the dark secrets, the derision, the hurt.
He knew that fatherhood would be the biggest event that would ever happen during the long years of his existence, and that a whole heap of responsibility would be awarded to him when the child was born. But he didn't mind. He wanted responsibilities. And he wanted love. He had long ago understood that there could be no love between Pansy and himself, and the only thing left was their child. He would have to be the one the child loved the most, the one it would turn to for help, for love, for understanding. There was no one else who would do that.
As he paced, mulling this over in his mind, Dr Finland suddenly appeared right before his eyes. "Mr Malfoy," Dr Finland said in a serious voice. "We have important matters to discuss."
"What types of matters?" Draco asked, annoyed.
"Mrs Malfoy is having problems delivering the baby."
"And what does that mean?"
"She might not be able to give birth."
"What?! You're one of the best doctors in the wizarding world! Are you telling me that you cannot save my wife and child?"
"That is exactly what I am saying, Mr Malfoy." A silence reigned between the old weary doctor and the shocked Draco. "Don't you dare disappointment me Finland!" Draco managed to choke out. "I could have you killed!"
"Mr Malfoy, please keep your temper down."
"If my wife and child die, I will have your head on a platter, Finland," Draco warned.
Dr. Finland instantly paled. "I will do the best that I can, Mr Malfoy. That is all that I can guarantee."
~ ~ ~
"It seems that while you were gone, Pansy was able to make one more push," Laurietta replied breathlessly.
"Was that enough?" Dr Finland asked, pulling another pair of gloves on.
"Enough to see the baby's head," answered Laurietta hopefully.
"Laurietta, do you honestly think that Pansy will live to have this baby?" The doctor frowned sceptically at the witch.
"Well, I hope so. I can't wish for bad things to happen."
"Yes, I understand what you mean. I, too, want Pansy to live. She's such a good girl."
"Pansy? A good girl?"
"She's good deep down in her heart, Laurietta. All you needed to do was get to know her," chided the doctor gently.
"I preferred not to."
The doctor heaved another sigh, more wearier than the last. "Stubborn to your death, aren't you Laurietta? Well, we can't bicker all day. We must try and deliver this baby before it's too late."
"Yes, I suppose so. Hopefully, the gods are in our favour." ~ ~ ~
"All you need to do is push one more time, Pansy, and the baby will be out," Dr. Finland said while calmly stroking the witch's hair.
"Will I die?" Pansy asked dazedly.
"No, Pansy. All you have to do is stay awake long enough to have the baby, and then everything will be OK."
"Is Draco here? I need to see him ... "
"Draco is outside the door. Relax Pansy. Everything will be all right. Now all you have to do is push and it will be over,'' Dr. Finland urged.
"Just push, Pansy. That's all you have to do," echoed Brittany, clasping Pansy's hand tighter. Pansy took a deep breath, pushed one last time, and the baby came out crying.
"It's alive!" Laurietta exclaimed joyfully.
"Alive?" Pansy repeated in an exhausted voice. "Is it finally over?"
"Yes, it's over, Pansy. I know that you will be a wonderful mother." Pansy smiled before sleep over took her. "Doctor, are you sure that it's all right to let her sleep?'' Brittany asked worriedly.
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"Because she might not wake up!" Dr. Finland instantly whirled around to Pansy and deposited the baby into Brittany's arms, placing one hand on Pansy's forehead and the other on her neck where her pulse ought to have been. But her eyes were closed, and her skin a deathly white.
The doctor hung his head and murmured, "She's cold. She's gone."
"No! This cannot be!" Brittany cried. "You were supposed to save her!"
"I did all that I could," protested Dr Finland, with bitterness apparent in his voice. "You should be grateful that the baby lived."
"How will you tell this to Draco?" inquired Laurietta, turning her head to the dark window so her own grief would not be noticed.
"The way that I told it to you - honestly."
~ ~ ~
Draco stared motionlessly at Dr. Finland before he finally spoke in a surprisingly calm tone. "I knew that this would happen. I knew it since the first day I married Pansy. I had a feeling that she couldn't have children, but I stayed with her only to please my father, everyone knows that.
"But I thought you loved her ... "
"I did love her! I loved her as a friend. We knew that we could never really be in love each other though."
The doctor sighed again. He seemed to be doing it a lot lately. "You are in grief, Mr Malfoy. But the pain will eventually recede."
"I have a daughter that will help me get out of it. I somewhat wanted a boy, but ... this will be my last child," Draco said with finality.
"Heir to the Malfoy name, I presume?"
"You presume correctly, doctor. I have enough sense to let a daughter take over; I won't try and have another child so that it can be a boy. I am happy with what I have."
"A wise decision, if I may say so. What will you name her?"
Draco thought a moment, trying to remember. "Medea Gertruedes Malfoy," he said after a moment's rumination.
"Very unique."
"Well, I want Medea to stand out from the rest. "
"That she will do," muttered the doctor to himself. Then louder, "Would you like to hold her?"
For the first time that night, Draco smiled. A genuine warm smile; one of the very few that he had ever divulged in his life. "I would love to. And I'll tell you something, doctor," he said, pausing. "If there's one thing that I will do as hard as I can, it is raise this child in a way as unlike my own upbringing as possible."
The doctor smiled too, placing the little girl in Draco's arms. "I am happy to hear that, Mr Malfoy."
"And so am I ... " whispered Draco, holding his child close to his chest, his eyes fixed on the single star that chose to come out into the inky sky that night.
It flashed red, blue, white, like a minuscule reusable firework, as though celebrating the birth of tiny Medea Gertruedes Malfoy, who reached a small pink hand upto the same star. And, as Draco eyes followed the little hand, it seemed to grasp the sparkling star in her fist and draw it down to her grey blanket, down to earth. ~~~~~
End Of Prologue
TBC.
The night was dark. Not a single star or cloud could be found in the sky. All that could be heard was the screaming of a woman in pain.
Tonight, Pansy was giving birth to the first child conceived by Draco Malfoy and herself.
They had been trying to conceive for a very long time, and now it was finally happening. But Draco was worried. He should have felt excited, but all he felt was despair. Draco knew that it was going to be a very difficult birth. He had heard Pansy's screams of agony, her pleas for help, and her wish for relief. He wanted to help her, to make all her pain go away. But he knew that he could not do that. It seemed as though all would be lost because of the birth of one child.
~ ~ ~
"Push Pansy!" the auburn-haired Brittany instructed as Pansy gripped her hand tightly.
"I can't!" Pansy hissed through clenched teeth.
"What's happening to Pansy?" Laurietta asked in concern, smoothing Pansy's hair from her forehead. "Why won't the baby come out?"
"I don't know, Laurietta," Dr Finland replied, exhausted. "I believe that we will have to do surgery."
"But that can't be true! I thought that Pansy would have an easy birth!" Protested Laurietta, her blonde curls bouncing in indignation.
"Something has gone wrong. I can't tell you what, because I do not know, myself!"
"Have you told Mr Malfoy?"
"I was just about to. He will have to make a choice."
"What kind of choice?''
"Who he wants to live through this.''
"Don't tell me that's possible!" "Yes, Laurietta, it is possible. We have no other way.''
Laurietta gave one last look at Pansy before nodding. "But you must promise me, Dr. Finland, that Pansy will live through this."
"I cannot promise you what I don't know."
~ ~ ~
Draco Malfoy was pacing impatiently in the waiting room as he wondered what the results were. Would the baby be a boy or a girl? Judging by the intensity of Pansy's shrieks, he should be thinking about whether it would come out alive or not!
He remembered when Pansy told him that she was pregnant. He couldn't say that it was the best time of his life, but after contemplating the matter for several weeks, watching gifts of tiny clothes and pretty toys from friends and family pour into their home, he could easily say that he was looking forward to finally holding the new little life in his arms.
If someone had told him while he was still a sulky teenager that he would be anticipating the birth of his first child in a few years time, he would have laughed in their face and told them not to talk rubbish. For he did not expect to have children; they were nothing but trouble and a waste of money, time, and energy. He could be employed in better things, after all. And he was only marrying Pansy because of his father.
Draco was the only one that could uphold the Malfoy name and he was expected to do so. He didn't love Pansy, and Pansy didn't love him. That was no secret. The marriage was mostly built on duty and honour. And nobody had told him that a child would be needed.
But Draco had grown in his emotions. He still seemed cold and guarded to most people he met, but not as scornful and mean as before. The hard shell of hate that had been spun around him like a cocoon was falling away and leaving the raw vulnerable core. And all that because of a baby.
For the whole nine months, he had taken as much care of Pansy as it was in his ability to do, surprising even himself with his devotion. But the minuscule life that was steadily growing inside Pansy had also been made by him, and it was as much a part of his life as it was of Pansy's. And he decided that he would make this child's life as much unlike his own as was possible, without the dark secrets, the derision, the hurt.
He knew that fatherhood would be the biggest event that would ever happen during the long years of his existence, and that a whole heap of responsibility would be awarded to him when the child was born. But he didn't mind. He wanted responsibilities. And he wanted love. He had long ago understood that there could be no love between Pansy and himself, and the only thing left was their child. He would have to be the one the child loved the most, the one it would turn to for help, for love, for understanding. There was no one else who would do that.
As he paced, mulling this over in his mind, Dr Finland suddenly appeared right before his eyes. "Mr Malfoy," Dr Finland said in a serious voice. "We have important matters to discuss."
"What types of matters?" Draco asked, annoyed.
"Mrs Malfoy is having problems delivering the baby."
"And what does that mean?"
"She might not be able to give birth."
"What?! You're one of the best doctors in the wizarding world! Are you telling me that you cannot save my wife and child?"
"That is exactly what I am saying, Mr Malfoy." A silence reigned between the old weary doctor and the shocked Draco. "Don't you dare disappointment me Finland!" Draco managed to choke out. "I could have you killed!"
"Mr Malfoy, please keep your temper down."
"If my wife and child die, I will have your head on a platter, Finland," Draco warned.
Dr. Finland instantly paled. "I will do the best that I can, Mr Malfoy. That is all that I can guarantee."
~ ~ ~
"It seems that while you were gone, Pansy was able to make one more push," Laurietta replied breathlessly.
"Was that enough?" Dr Finland asked, pulling another pair of gloves on.
"Enough to see the baby's head," answered Laurietta hopefully.
"Laurietta, do you honestly think that Pansy will live to have this baby?" The doctor frowned sceptically at the witch.
"Well, I hope so. I can't wish for bad things to happen."
"Yes, I understand what you mean. I, too, want Pansy to live. She's such a good girl."
"Pansy? A good girl?"
"She's good deep down in her heart, Laurietta. All you needed to do was get to know her," chided the doctor gently.
"I preferred not to."
The doctor heaved another sigh, more wearier than the last. "Stubborn to your death, aren't you Laurietta? Well, we can't bicker all day. We must try and deliver this baby before it's too late."
"Yes, I suppose so. Hopefully, the gods are in our favour." ~ ~ ~
"All you need to do is push one more time, Pansy, and the baby will be out," Dr. Finland said while calmly stroking the witch's hair.
"Will I die?" Pansy asked dazedly.
"No, Pansy. All you have to do is stay awake long enough to have the baby, and then everything will be OK."
"Is Draco here? I need to see him ... "
"Draco is outside the door. Relax Pansy. Everything will be all right. Now all you have to do is push and it will be over,'' Dr. Finland urged.
"Just push, Pansy. That's all you have to do," echoed Brittany, clasping Pansy's hand tighter. Pansy took a deep breath, pushed one last time, and the baby came out crying.
"It's alive!" Laurietta exclaimed joyfully.
"Alive?" Pansy repeated in an exhausted voice. "Is it finally over?"
"Yes, it's over, Pansy. I know that you will be a wonderful mother." Pansy smiled before sleep over took her. "Doctor, are you sure that it's all right to let her sleep?'' Brittany asked worriedly.
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"Because she might not wake up!" Dr. Finland instantly whirled around to Pansy and deposited the baby into Brittany's arms, placing one hand on Pansy's forehead and the other on her neck where her pulse ought to have been. But her eyes were closed, and her skin a deathly white.
The doctor hung his head and murmured, "She's cold. She's gone."
"No! This cannot be!" Brittany cried. "You were supposed to save her!"
"I did all that I could," protested Dr Finland, with bitterness apparent in his voice. "You should be grateful that the baby lived."
"How will you tell this to Draco?" inquired Laurietta, turning her head to the dark window so her own grief would not be noticed.
"The way that I told it to you - honestly."
~ ~ ~
Draco stared motionlessly at Dr. Finland before he finally spoke in a surprisingly calm tone. "I knew that this would happen. I knew it since the first day I married Pansy. I had a feeling that she couldn't have children, but I stayed with her only to please my father, everyone knows that.
"But I thought you loved her ... "
"I did love her! I loved her as a friend. We knew that we could never really be in love each other though."
The doctor sighed again. He seemed to be doing it a lot lately. "You are in grief, Mr Malfoy. But the pain will eventually recede."
"I have a daughter that will help me get out of it. I somewhat wanted a boy, but ... this will be my last child," Draco said with finality.
"Heir to the Malfoy name, I presume?"
"You presume correctly, doctor. I have enough sense to let a daughter take over; I won't try and have another child so that it can be a boy. I am happy with what I have."
"A wise decision, if I may say so. What will you name her?"
Draco thought a moment, trying to remember. "Medea Gertruedes Malfoy," he said after a moment's rumination.
"Very unique."
"Well, I want Medea to stand out from the rest. "
"That she will do," muttered the doctor to himself. Then louder, "Would you like to hold her?"
For the first time that night, Draco smiled. A genuine warm smile; one of the very few that he had ever divulged in his life. "I would love to. And I'll tell you something, doctor," he said, pausing. "If there's one thing that I will do as hard as I can, it is raise this child in a way as unlike my own upbringing as possible."
The doctor smiled too, placing the little girl in Draco's arms. "I am happy to hear that, Mr Malfoy."
"And so am I ... " whispered Draco, holding his child close to his chest, his eyes fixed on the single star that chose to come out into the inky sky that night.
It flashed red, blue, white, like a minuscule reusable firework, as though celebrating the birth of tiny Medea Gertruedes Malfoy, who reached a small pink hand upto the same star. And, as Draco eyes followed the little hand, it seemed to grasp the sparkling star in her fist and draw it down to her grey blanket, down to earth. ~~~~~
End Of Prologue
TBC.