Author's Note: This story begins during the Second year at Hogwarts, during the Chamber of Secrets and will continue as time goes on. This is my first Harry Potter fanfic and along with my friend, ElfFlame, we are writing a series of four stories, which begins with ElfFlame's story- True Revenge. All four of these stories are interrelated and for the best understanding of the characters as we see them, they should be read in conjunction to each other. As always, I own none of this wonderful world that JK Rowling has created.
Author's Note: At this point in time I would just like to say that in telling events of this story from Lucius Malfoy's point of view, I am merely showing his frame of mind. I do not in any way condone or promote the things he does.
Spoiler Warning: This story contains spoilers, both minor and major from all five Harry Potter books.
Wicked Lee: These chapters are getting much darker and harder to write, so it's good to hear that it made you emotional, it means I'm doing this right! As this chapter's title probably tells you, the next chapter is a doozy, so enjoy this respite while you can!
TavingtonRose: I'm glad you're still enjoying the story even though it's getting pretty dark, and will continue to do so for a little while longer. Here's another chapter for you to enjoy!
The Calm Before The Storm
Adriana began to wonder if Riddle had forgotten about her. It was now June and nothing had happened yet. She was going stir crazy on the property. She had very little communication with Severus for things were not going so well at Hogwarts at this time. Albus had "disappeared" from the school, and several of the teachers had been dismissed by Umbridge, who had effectively taken over Hogwarts.
Adriana hoped Renata was still being kept safe from harm up there, amidst all the turmoil. She wasn't too afraid for Albus, for he was quite capable of looking after himself. Besides, she had the feeling that he might not be too far from the school, if he was even outside of it at all.
Adriana learned second or third-hand from Alastor about the goings-on at Hogwarts. He was spending as much time with her as possible; keeping her company during this time. He acted as a post carrier for her, seeing as she could no longer send Hitchcock out for deliveries. He was a wonderful go-between for her, keeping her informed about Renata's latest developments or how Severus was doing under the strain of Umbridge.
Alastor was normally hard-headed, but now he was being really kind to Adriana. Alastor loved being allowed on the property, where he could keep a close eye on her. If any Death Eater tried anything against Adriana, he'd be there. They enjoyed bantering with one another. One afternoon, Alastor and Adriana sat on the porch sipping lemonade, discussing the impending war with Voldemort. Adriana explained to Alastor how he, Albus, and the other Order members would have to go outside of the Ministry to fight. She'd always hated Fudge, and perhaps that's why she felt he was being controlled by Voldemort already. "Don't you see? All of the things the Ministry is doing is just to keep up appearances. Do as little as they can to appease the masses, that way Riddle and the Death Eaters can take over as much of the Wizarding World as they can without anybody realizing it. And once the public does figure it out, the damage has been done, and it's far too late," Adriana said.
Alastor had always been a somewhat paranoid man, and found this theory much to his liking. Smiling, he replied, "Well, Addie, you may be onto something." Alastor slapped his knee excitedly, "I like it! I never liked that Fudge guy either. When all this is over, we need a new Minister." Both Adriana and Alastor agreed that Albus would make a much better Minister than Fudge.
A few weeks later, Adriana was expecting Alastor to visit for the day, but he never showed up. This concerned her, for Alastor wasn't the type to forget something like coming over to the property. She had no idea what had happened, for she didn't receive the Daily Prophet, and nobody in the Order came to speak to her. Several days later, Albus arrived at her house. Adriana was shocked, wasn't he still missing? Apparently not.
Albus explained to her everything that had happened a few days before. The Order had helped stop a break in at the Ministry of Magic. The Death Eaters, headed by Lucius, had tried to take a prophecy that would've aided Voldemort in his rise to power. Thankfully it had been unsuccessful, though not without at least one casualty. Albus took a deep breath, and paused before slowly explaining how Lucius and the Death Eaters were now in Azkaban prison.
Adriana's heart pounded. "Azkaban? Isn't that where all the dementors are? I haven't heard good things about those," She asked, her throat dry and raspy.
"The dementors have left Azkaban and gone to Voldemort's side," Albus replied, "The war has begun."
Adriana's hands twisted in her lap. Why would Riddle want his people to go to prison? He couldn't use them if they were there. What had Lucius gotten himself into? Even though he'd left her, she found herself very concerned for Lucius' well being. Ever since Renata had gone to stay with Severus, Adriana had found her thoughts turning more and more to Lucius. She'd been able to focus on the baby so much, she'd almost forgotten how much she loved and missed him still.
Albus could see what Adriana was thinking and decided to start this off right, "Now Adriana, I must ask you not to go to Azkaban. It isn't safe there. Voldemort's coming after you, and that is one place he can easily get to."
"Of course not," Adriana said quickly, standing up and pacing the kitchen floor.
"Now, that needs to be an 'of course not' I'm really not thinking about it, not an 'of course not' but I'm really planning on going there in the back of my mind. All right?"
Adriana glared at Albus, "Yes, I'll stay away from there!"
"Good!" Albus wondered how long that would last, and when he would hear about her sneaking off to the prison.
"So, when do I get to come visit my daughter?" Adriana asked, changing the subject.
"Well, the students have all gone home for the holiday, so you can come up for a weekend sometime, whenever you want."
Adriana's lip began to quiver, "Only a weekend? I can only see her for two days?"
"Adriana," Albus said, sounding exasperated, "You know it's for the best. Even during the holidays, you can't be together for too long, it's too risky."
"I know," Adriana said, composing herself, "I just miss her so much. I'll be all right. It's ok."
Albus sighed and gave Adriana a hug. He'd forgotten to put his kid gloves on before coming over to her house. "Why don't you come up in a few weeks. Severus is staying there this year, it's not safe for too many people to be over here, so I insisted he stay at Hogwarts."
Adriana hated being reminded of what a danger she was to others now that Riddle was interested in her. "Thanks, I'd almost forgotten about being a danger to everybody I know, and even those I don't know! But that's really sweet of you to remind me!"
Albus knew it was time for him to leave, Adriana was being impossible right now. He told her he'd be in contact with her closer to when she came to visit, to work out all the details.
The weeks passed slowly as Adriana anticipated going to Hogwarts. Albus told her, via Alastor, that she was free to come the next weekend to visit Renata. Adriana packed a couple of bags with clothes and things she wanted to take with her.
On Friday afternoon, Adriana apparated to Hogsmeade, then walked up to the school. Severus was waiting with Renata in Albus' office for her. Adriana saw Renata for the first time in four months, and burst into tears. Severus put the baby in her arms, and Adriana hugged her tightly. Renata struggled in her mother's arms, began to shriek, and reached out for Severus to take her back. As she settled back into Severus' arms, Renata hid her face in his shoulder. Adriana felt sick to her stomach as she realized her daughter didn't know who she was. She was no more than a common stranger to Renata.
Adriana didn't want them to see her making a scene, and rushed out of the room, before sitting down on the stairs, burying her head on her knees, and weeping her heart out. Severus felt terrible, handed the baby to Albus, and followed after Adriana. Sitting down on the step next to her, he put his arms around her and hugged her comfortingly. "Just give her a little time, she'll warm up to you, she's a very loving girl," Severus said.
"You know my daughter better than I do!" Adriana said, her face still buried in her knees.
"We had no other choice. When the threat is gone, she'll come back to you, and you can get to know her again," Severus said, trying not to think about when that day might come.
Adriana went back into the office, and let Renata watch her for a while before approaching her again. Renata looked at her mother warily before allowing her to touch her again. She wouldn't allow Adriana to pick her up, always needing to be in Severus' arms when they were together.
That evening, after Renata had fallen asleep, Severus placed her in Adriana's arms, so she could finally hold her daughter without protest. Adriana couldn't get over how much bigger she was, she had to be three times the size she remembered her being. Renata could sit up by herself and was crawling now. She babbled endlessly to Severus as they played peek-a-boo together. Adriana had seen all of this that afternoon. Renata was clearly enamored with Severus, and he with her. She felt very much an outsider in this group.
Adriana held Renata for quite awhile before setting her down in her crib. Severus took her hand and gently led her out of the room so they could talk without waking the baby. Adriana had never been in the Slytherin common room before this visit, but made herself at home. She lay down on a green couch, staring at the ceiling, while Severus sat on a chair across from her, trying to think of things to say to her.
"When do you think Riddle will finally come for me?" Adriana asked, breaking the silence. "You used to be one of them. What's he like? Where do you think he is?"
"Well, the Dark Lord wants you at your most vulnerable point, so he's breaking you down right now. He's making you wait, driving you crazy, so you'll be more open to him when he finally does come for you. He's a purely evil man with no pity for anybody in his heart. He's very selfish and self-centred. And there's no way in hell I'm going to tell you where he is, so don't even bother asking," Severus smiled grimly at Adriana. "Does that answer your questions?"
"Yes, thank you," Adriana sighed. "So, you do know where he is?"
"Yes."
"And you're not going to tell me?"
"You'd only try to go after him, so no I won't."
"You suck, you know."
"I know, but thanks for reminding me."
Adriana smiled and sat up from the couch. Standing up and looking around the room, she asked Severus, "Which room was his?"
"Do you want me to show you?" He asked.
"Please?"
Severus silently stood up from the chair, took Adriana by the hand, and led her into the boy's dormitories. He took her to a room that was larger than she remembered the Gryffindor rooms being, but had five typical four poster beds set up at intervals. Severus went inside before Adriana and lit a lamp.
Adriana walked inside, feeling ghosts of the past all around her. "Which bed was his? Do you remember?" She asked. Severus told her that the house-elves changed the beds around each year, so his bed might not even be here, so Adriana walked to each one and put her hands around one of the posts. None of them felt to her as though Lucius had spent many of his Hogwarts nights in them. But as she walked around one of the headboards, she noticed something in the lower left-hand corner of the room. Walking over to the wall and kneeling down, she saw small letters scratched into the wood. "LM," they said. Adriana's heart fluttered as she traced a fingertip over the initials. Further exploration revealed more initials a short distance from the first set. "DM," and "JM," she read. Adriana sat down on the floor, with her back against the wall. She felt closer to Lucius being so near where Lucius had spent so much time in his youth. Severus told her he was going to check on Renata, but she was welcome to stay here as long as she wanted.
Adriana leaned her head against the wall, closed her eyes, and listened to the stories the ghosts of Slytherin past told her. Slowly opening her eyes, her gaze fell on the closest bed, which was only a couple of feet away from her. On the lower left-hand leg of the bed, she saw yet more initials, "TMR," Adriana whispered to herself, "Riddle," and jumped as the letters flashed at her in bright red light. Adriana looked around the room, was he watching her? No, she decided, it must be energy left over from when Riddle carved his initials in the bed. Still a little unsettled, Adriana stood up, and quickly left the room.
Severus was waiting for Adriana back in the common room, when she arrived. He'd set up a wizard's chess set, and hoped she'd play a game or two with him. Adriana knew how to play, but had never been very good at it, but agreed to play anyway. After an hour of playing, Severus had beaten her three times.
Seeing Adriana yawn, Severus insisted it was bedtime. He told Adriana that she was to sleep in his bed, so she could be closer to Renata. Adriana thanked Severus profusely while simultaneously insisting that they share the bed. Severus reluctantly followed her into his room. Adriana opened one of her bags and took out a red silk nightgown that barely went past mid-thigh. As she began taking her clothes off, Severus blushed, and turned around, to give her some privacy.
After a minute or so, Adriana got into bed and patted the space next to her for Severus to join her. Severus gazed at Adriana as she waited for him. For some reason, seeing her with clothes on, albeit very little clothes, was sexier than seeing her naked. He imagined slowly taking them off of her. His heart began to pound as the blood began to rush from his head and move further down his body. Severus didn't want to start this again, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to stop this time. Grabbing a blanket from a nearby chair, he told Adriana it was better if he slept on the couch after all, and wished her a goodnight before leaving quickly. Adriana fell asleep that night wondering what was wrong with Severus.
By the next morning, Renata was much more receptive to her mother. She allowed Adriana to hold her and give her her morning potion. Adriana's milk had dried up long ago, so she couldn't breast feed her during the visit. Renata allowed Adriana to carry her outside onto the school grounds, with Severus trailing closely behind them.
They spent the entire day outside, having taken a picnic lunch with them. Renata crawled around the Quidditch pitch as Severus and Adriana sat on a blanket, eating strawberries and cold fried chicken. They discussed the adorable things Renata was doing with each passing day. They watched as Renata continued to crawl away from them. Severus called out to her and she turned around to look at him. Realizing how far away she was from him, Renata began to wail. Severus stood up, ran over to her, and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her back to the blanket. Renata sat in his lap, playing with Severus' hands as he continued to talk to Adriana.
Severus told Adriana about the time he took Renata over to see Madam Pomfrey one evening when the baby wouldn't stop crying. He'd tried everything he could think of, but she cried for four hours straight. Gathering her up in a blanket, he smuggled her outside his room and up to Poppy. Severus smiled and shook his head as he recalled how within minutes, Renata had stopped crying after Poppy had taken the baby's socks off. It seemed that she had outgrown them and they were far too tight for her comfort. Renata had rewarded Poppy with a squeal and a smile that made her a new favourite among the many patients Poppy had tended to over the years, or so she'd told Severus.
Adriana delighted in hearing these precious stories. They would come to mean far much more to her than she could ever possibly realize at that moment.
The rest of the weekend passed much too quickly for Adriana, and soon she had pack her bags, say a tearful farewell to her daughter and friends. As soon as she'd left the school grounds, Adriana apparated back to her property, feeling sad and empty.
It took quite a while before Adriana felt better again. The sleepless nights returned, and she found herself wandering aimlessly around the house once again. Adriana felt completely cut off from all the people she cared about. Why was she being held in such confinement, when she hadn't done anything wrong?
The only bright moment over the next couple of months, came one morning in early September. An eagle owl from Malfoy Manor came to her property bearing a letter from Narcissa. Reading it, Adriana saw that she was invited to tea at the manor that afternoon. It had been such a long time since she'd seen Narcissa, and she wanted to see how she was doing with all of the latest developments with Lucius. Quickly writing a response, she attached it to the owl, and watched as it flew away.
Adriana spent the rest of the day looking forward to an afternoon away from the property. She changed into a simple white skirt and matching tank top. Walking outside, Adriana picked a bouquet of flowers as a gift for Narcissa, to thank her for the invitation. When she was ready, Adriana apparated to Malfoy Manor.
Calling at the gate, a house-elf went to get Narcissa. After several minutes, the gate opened, and Adriana walked inside. There was a long walk before she reached the front steps to the manor. Adriana walked up the stairs and approached the front door. After knocking, she stood for several minutes, waiting to be let in. As she heard the door knob turn, Adriana looked up to watch the door open...
Author's Note: At this point in time I would just like to say that in telling events of this story from Lucius Malfoy's point of view, I am merely showing his frame of mind. I do not in any way condone or promote the things he does.
Spoiler Warning: This story contains spoilers, both minor and major from all five Harry Potter books.
Wicked Lee: These chapters are getting much darker and harder to write, so it's good to hear that it made you emotional, it means I'm doing this right! As this chapter's title probably tells you, the next chapter is a doozy, so enjoy this respite while you can!
TavingtonRose: I'm glad you're still enjoying the story even though it's getting pretty dark, and will continue to do so for a little while longer. Here's another chapter for you to enjoy!
The Calm Before The Storm
Adriana began to wonder if Riddle had forgotten about her. It was now June and nothing had happened yet. She was going stir crazy on the property. She had very little communication with Severus for things were not going so well at Hogwarts at this time. Albus had "disappeared" from the school, and several of the teachers had been dismissed by Umbridge, who had effectively taken over Hogwarts.
Adriana hoped Renata was still being kept safe from harm up there, amidst all the turmoil. She wasn't too afraid for Albus, for he was quite capable of looking after himself. Besides, she had the feeling that he might not be too far from the school, if he was even outside of it at all.
Adriana learned second or third-hand from Alastor about the goings-on at Hogwarts. He was spending as much time with her as possible; keeping her company during this time. He acted as a post carrier for her, seeing as she could no longer send Hitchcock out for deliveries. He was a wonderful go-between for her, keeping her informed about Renata's latest developments or how Severus was doing under the strain of Umbridge.
Alastor was normally hard-headed, but now he was being really kind to Adriana. Alastor loved being allowed on the property, where he could keep a close eye on her. If any Death Eater tried anything against Adriana, he'd be there. They enjoyed bantering with one another. One afternoon, Alastor and Adriana sat on the porch sipping lemonade, discussing the impending war with Voldemort. Adriana explained to Alastor how he, Albus, and the other Order members would have to go outside of the Ministry to fight. She'd always hated Fudge, and perhaps that's why she felt he was being controlled by Voldemort already. "Don't you see? All of the things the Ministry is doing is just to keep up appearances. Do as little as they can to appease the masses, that way Riddle and the Death Eaters can take over as much of the Wizarding World as they can without anybody realizing it. And once the public does figure it out, the damage has been done, and it's far too late," Adriana said.
Alastor had always been a somewhat paranoid man, and found this theory much to his liking. Smiling, he replied, "Well, Addie, you may be onto something." Alastor slapped his knee excitedly, "I like it! I never liked that Fudge guy either. When all this is over, we need a new Minister." Both Adriana and Alastor agreed that Albus would make a much better Minister than Fudge.
A few weeks later, Adriana was expecting Alastor to visit for the day, but he never showed up. This concerned her, for Alastor wasn't the type to forget something like coming over to the property. She had no idea what had happened, for she didn't receive the Daily Prophet, and nobody in the Order came to speak to her. Several days later, Albus arrived at her house. Adriana was shocked, wasn't he still missing? Apparently not.
Albus explained to her everything that had happened a few days before. The Order had helped stop a break in at the Ministry of Magic. The Death Eaters, headed by Lucius, had tried to take a prophecy that would've aided Voldemort in his rise to power. Thankfully it had been unsuccessful, though not without at least one casualty. Albus took a deep breath, and paused before slowly explaining how Lucius and the Death Eaters were now in Azkaban prison.
Adriana's heart pounded. "Azkaban? Isn't that where all the dementors are? I haven't heard good things about those," She asked, her throat dry and raspy.
"The dementors have left Azkaban and gone to Voldemort's side," Albus replied, "The war has begun."
Adriana's hands twisted in her lap. Why would Riddle want his people to go to prison? He couldn't use them if they were there. What had Lucius gotten himself into? Even though he'd left her, she found herself very concerned for Lucius' well being. Ever since Renata had gone to stay with Severus, Adriana had found her thoughts turning more and more to Lucius. She'd been able to focus on the baby so much, she'd almost forgotten how much she loved and missed him still.
Albus could see what Adriana was thinking and decided to start this off right, "Now Adriana, I must ask you not to go to Azkaban. It isn't safe there. Voldemort's coming after you, and that is one place he can easily get to."
"Of course not," Adriana said quickly, standing up and pacing the kitchen floor.
"Now, that needs to be an 'of course not' I'm really not thinking about it, not an 'of course not' but I'm really planning on going there in the back of my mind. All right?"
Adriana glared at Albus, "Yes, I'll stay away from there!"
"Good!" Albus wondered how long that would last, and when he would hear about her sneaking off to the prison.
"So, when do I get to come visit my daughter?" Adriana asked, changing the subject.
"Well, the students have all gone home for the holiday, so you can come up for a weekend sometime, whenever you want."
Adriana's lip began to quiver, "Only a weekend? I can only see her for two days?"
"Adriana," Albus said, sounding exasperated, "You know it's for the best. Even during the holidays, you can't be together for too long, it's too risky."
"I know," Adriana said, composing herself, "I just miss her so much. I'll be all right. It's ok."
Albus sighed and gave Adriana a hug. He'd forgotten to put his kid gloves on before coming over to her house. "Why don't you come up in a few weeks. Severus is staying there this year, it's not safe for too many people to be over here, so I insisted he stay at Hogwarts."
Adriana hated being reminded of what a danger she was to others now that Riddle was interested in her. "Thanks, I'd almost forgotten about being a danger to everybody I know, and even those I don't know! But that's really sweet of you to remind me!"
Albus knew it was time for him to leave, Adriana was being impossible right now. He told her he'd be in contact with her closer to when she came to visit, to work out all the details.
The weeks passed slowly as Adriana anticipated going to Hogwarts. Albus told her, via Alastor, that she was free to come the next weekend to visit Renata. Adriana packed a couple of bags with clothes and things she wanted to take with her.
On Friday afternoon, Adriana apparated to Hogsmeade, then walked up to the school. Severus was waiting with Renata in Albus' office for her. Adriana saw Renata for the first time in four months, and burst into tears. Severus put the baby in her arms, and Adriana hugged her tightly. Renata struggled in her mother's arms, began to shriek, and reached out for Severus to take her back. As she settled back into Severus' arms, Renata hid her face in his shoulder. Adriana felt sick to her stomach as she realized her daughter didn't know who she was. She was no more than a common stranger to Renata.
Adriana didn't want them to see her making a scene, and rushed out of the room, before sitting down on the stairs, burying her head on her knees, and weeping her heart out. Severus felt terrible, handed the baby to Albus, and followed after Adriana. Sitting down on the step next to her, he put his arms around her and hugged her comfortingly. "Just give her a little time, she'll warm up to you, she's a very loving girl," Severus said.
"You know my daughter better than I do!" Adriana said, her face still buried in her knees.
"We had no other choice. When the threat is gone, she'll come back to you, and you can get to know her again," Severus said, trying not to think about when that day might come.
Adriana went back into the office, and let Renata watch her for a while before approaching her again. Renata looked at her mother warily before allowing her to touch her again. She wouldn't allow Adriana to pick her up, always needing to be in Severus' arms when they were together.
That evening, after Renata had fallen asleep, Severus placed her in Adriana's arms, so she could finally hold her daughter without protest. Adriana couldn't get over how much bigger she was, she had to be three times the size she remembered her being. Renata could sit up by herself and was crawling now. She babbled endlessly to Severus as they played peek-a-boo together. Adriana had seen all of this that afternoon. Renata was clearly enamored with Severus, and he with her. She felt very much an outsider in this group.
Adriana held Renata for quite awhile before setting her down in her crib. Severus took her hand and gently led her out of the room so they could talk without waking the baby. Adriana had never been in the Slytherin common room before this visit, but made herself at home. She lay down on a green couch, staring at the ceiling, while Severus sat on a chair across from her, trying to think of things to say to her.
"When do you think Riddle will finally come for me?" Adriana asked, breaking the silence. "You used to be one of them. What's he like? Where do you think he is?"
"Well, the Dark Lord wants you at your most vulnerable point, so he's breaking you down right now. He's making you wait, driving you crazy, so you'll be more open to him when he finally does come for you. He's a purely evil man with no pity for anybody in his heart. He's very selfish and self-centred. And there's no way in hell I'm going to tell you where he is, so don't even bother asking," Severus smiled grimly at Adriana. "Does that answer your questions?"
"Yes, thank you," Adriana sighed. "So, you do know where he is?"
"Yes."
"And you're not going to tell me?"
"You'd only try to go after him, so no I won't."
"You suck, you know."
"I know, but thanks for reminding me."
Adriana smiled and sat up from the couch. Standing up and looking around the room, she asked Severus, "Which room was his?"
"Do you want me to show you?" He asked.
"Please?"
Severus silently stood up from the chair, took Adriana by the hand, and led her into the boy's dormitories. He took her to a room that was larger than she remembered the Gryffindor rooms being, but had five typical four poster beds set up at intervals. Severus went inside before Adriana and lit a lamp.
Adriana walked inside, feeling ghosts of the past all around her. "Which bed was his? Do you remember?" She asked. Severus told her that the house-elves changed the beds around each year, so his bed might not even be here, so Adriana walked to each one and put her hands around one of the posts. None of them felt to her as though Lucius had spent many of his Hogwarts nights in them. But as she walked around one of the headboards, she noticed something in the lower left-hand corner of the room. Walking over to the wall and kneeling down, she saw small letters scratched into the wood. "LM," they said. Adriana's heart fluttered as she traced a fingertip over the initials. Further exploration revealed more initials a short distance from the first set. "DM," and "JM," she read. Adriana sat down on the floor, with her back against the wall. She felt closer to Lucius being so near where Lucius had spent so much time in his youth. Severus told her he was going to check on Renata, but she was welcome to stay here as long as she wanted.
Adriana leaned her head against the wall, closed her eyes, and listened to the stories the ghosts of Slytherin past told her. Slowly opening her eyes, her gaze fell on the closest bed, which was only a couple of feet away from her. On the lower left-hand leg of the bed, she saw yet more initials, "TMR," Adriana whispered to herself, "Riddle," and jumped as the letters flashed at her in bright red light. Adriana looked around the room, was he watching her? No, she decided, it must be energy left over from when Riddle carved his initials in the bed. Still a little unsettled, Adriana stood up, and quickly left the room.
Severus was waiting for Adriana back in the common room, when she arrived. He'd set up a wizard's chess set, and hoped she'd play a game or two with him. Adriana knew how to play, but had never been very good at it, but agreed to play anyway. After an hour of playing, Severus had beaten her three times.
Seeing Adriana yawn, Severus insisted it was bedtime. He told Adriana that she was to sleep in his bed, so she could be closer to Renata. Adriana thanked Severus profusely while simultaneously insisting that they share the bed. Severus reluctantly followed her into his room. Adriana opened one of her bags and took out a red silk nightgown that barely went past mid-thigh. As she began taking her clothes off, Severus blushed, and turned around, to give her some privacy.
After a minute or so, Adriana got into bed and patted the space next to her for Severus to join her. Severus gazed at Adriana as she waited for him. For some reason, seeing her with clothes on, albeit very little clothes, was sexier than seeing her naked. He imagined slowly taking them off of her. His heart began to pound as the blood began to rush from his head and move further down his body. Severus didn't want to start this again, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to stop this time. Grabbing a blanket from a nearby chair, he told Adriana it was better if he slept on the couch after all, and wished her a goodnight before leaving quickly. Adriana fell asleep that night wondering what was wrong with Severus.
By the next morning, Renata was much more receptive to her mother. She allowed Adriana to hold her and give her her morning potion. Adriana's milk had dried up long ago, so she couldn't breast feed her during the visit. Renata allowed Adriana to carry her outside onto the school grounds, with Severus trailing closely behind them.
They spent the entire day outside, having taken a picnic lunch with them. Renata crawled around the Quidditch pitch as Severus and Adriana sat on a blanket, eating strawberries and cold fried chicken. They discussed the adorable things Renata was doing with each passing day. They watched as Renata continued to crawl away from them. Severus called out to her and she turned around to look at him. Realizing how far away she was from him, Renata began to wail. Severus stood up, ran over to her, and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her back to the blanket. Renata sat in his lap, playing with Severus' hands as he continued to talk to Adriana.
Severus told Adriana about the time he took Renata over to see Madam Pomfrey one evening when the baby wouldn't stop crying. He'd tried everything he could think of, but she cried for four hours straight. Gathering her up in a blanket, he smuggled her outside his room and up to Poppy. Severus smiled and shook his head as he recalled how within minutes, Renata had stopped crying after Poppy had taken the baby's socks off. It seemed that she had outgrown them and they were far too tight for her comfort. Renata had rewarded Poppy with a squeal and a smile that made her a new favourite among the many patients Poppy had tended to over the years, or so she'd told Severus.
Adriana delighted in hearing these precious stories. They would come to mean far much more to her than she could ever possibly realize at that moment.
The rest of the weekend passed much too quickly for Adriana, and soon she had pack her bags, say a tearful farewell to her daughter and friends. As soon as she'd left the school grounds, Adriana apparated back to her property, feeling sad and empty.
It took quite a while before Adriana felt better again. The sleepless nights returned, and she found herself wandering aimlessly around the house once again. Adriana felt completely cut off from all the people she cared about. Why was she being held in such confinement, when she hadn't done anything wrong?
The only bright moment over the next couple of months, came one morning in early September. An eagle owl from Malfoy Manor came to her property bearing a letter from Narcissa. Reading it, Adriana saw that she was invited to tea at the manor that afternoon. It had been such a long time since she'd seen Narcissa, and she wanted to see how she was doing with all of the latest developments with Lucius. Quickly writing a response, she attached it to the owl, and watched as it flew away.
Adriana spent the rest of the day looking forward to an afternoon away from the property. She changed into a simple white skirt and matching tank top. Walking outside, Adriana picked a bouquet of flowers as a gift for Narcissa, to thank her for the invitation. When she was ready, Adriana apparated to Malfoy Manor.
Calling at the gate, a house-elf went to get Narcissa. After several minutes, the gate opened, and Adriana walked inside. There was a long walk before she reached the front steps to the manor. Adriana walked up the stairs and approached the front door. After knocking, she stood for several minutes, waiting to be let in. As she heard the door knob turn, Adriana looked up to watch the door open...