Red Rose: Part 4 (6th book spoilers!) By: Secret Beauty-SS-LM
4----Lucius placed a delicate kiss on his exhausted wife's forehead. After six
hours of labor, Narcissa had finally given birth to a healthy baby girl, whom they named Alaris
Gwendolyn Malfoy. Narcissa's midwife held the babe in her arms, cooing it. "I have a little girl,"
Narcissa smiled, exhausted. "Would you let Draco know I'm alright for me?"
"Yes. Of course," Lucius patted her hand and left the room. At the door he looked back. She was fast asleep.
Entering his den he stopped in the doorway. "Is she ok father?" Draco asked standing, wringing his
hands. It was obvious he had heard his mother's screams of pain and the crying of the new baby.
If this had happed years before he would have put a Silencing Charm on the door but now that
Draco was a Death Eater he would hear worse than what he just had. "Your mother would like to
inform you that she's fine. She's asleep now. You may see her when she wakes."
"Can I see my…"
"Sister,"
"Yes, sister," he smiled.
"Abigail," Lucius called for the midwife. "Yes sir?" She stood in the hall, drying her hands off on her
apron. "Bring me my daughter," it was different saying 'daughter', but he kind of liked it. But it
scared him, girls were much more sensitive. He couldn't be as harsh on Alaris as he had on Draco
or she would turn out like Bellatrix; and save Merlin she wouldn't turn out like her aunt! But treating
her different could make Draco jealous…Oh come off it, Lucius scolded himself. Draco just turned
sixteen, way past the age of sibling jealousy. In another year he would be a man, and treating him
like a man now would only get him used to it for when he had to be. "Hold her head," Lucius
cautioned as Draco gently took his new sister in his arms.
"Hello," Draco couldn't help but smile. "What did you name her?"
"Alaris," Lucius felt sentimental tears signal but he would not let them fall.
He blinked fiercely and continued to monitor his son. "Hello Alaris, I'm Draco," he grabbed a tiny finger
and shook carefully in introduction. "For Merlin's sake she can't understand you," Lucius said, really
angry at himself for getting emotional. He saw Draco's sudden change.
Lucius bit his tongue. How many things he had ruined for his son by 'correcting' him, trying to make him a man when he was
only five, ten, now sixteen. He suddenly wished he could change Draco's childhood. Right then
and there he vowed to raise Alaris different. He would give her hugs, tell her how wonderful her
drawings were, and (do his best) to laugh at her childish jokes. He would play hopscotch, do his
best to tolerate tea parties with her and her stuffed animals that he would buy for her whenever he
had the chance. "Dad, I didn't get to use the necklace yet. Some things came up and,"
"Not in front of your sister," Lucius hissed.
"What? She can't understand,"
"I don't care. Not in front of your sister I said," his eyes like ice.
"Sorry father," Draco kissed his sister on her head and gave her back to the mid wife. "This year you will go through what is planned, or
as soon as you can. Mr. Goyle placed a wardrobe in the hidden corridor where Potter and his ridiculous D.A. meetings took place. You
will let them through through there." He poured himself some brandy and took a seat in his chair by the fire
place. "Father,"
"Yes?" he didn't look up from the fire place ashes.
"Don't hate me for this but," he paused a bit.
"Well? What is it?"
"I love you," and with that he slowly left. Maybe, just maybe his father would reply.
What to say? Thank you? No that wouldn't sound right. That wasn't right. In a time when Draco needed to be
strong Lucius decided what to say, "I'm about to enter a very important meeting Draco." With that a
silent tear left Draco's eye and he left the room.
With the pause his father took he had hoped that he was going to say something other than he had a meeting. Was his father just saying
that to be strong for him so he could get through with what he had to do? Did his father really love him? But
as soon as that small sliver of hope of that being true took light, the light was extinguished. His
father has a whole different view of love. It wasn't the kind that Draco needed or wanted.
----"Mother?" Draco whispered into the master room. "Draco," she smiled turning over, still weak
and tired. "You can come in," she waved him in.
"How are you feeling?"
"Oh, tired. What a pain in the ass she was," she laughed. "You were only four hours. I think I like you a little more," she
wrapped her arm around him and gave him a friendly shake.
"You don't mean that mum,"
"Of course not. I would just rather have two even three hours of labor taken off," she smiled at him.
Draco loved spending time with his mum aloes out of the public eye. She had a true mother's love
for him. For the longest time (before he really took note of how his mum and dad acted in public)
he couldn't imagine how they got along. They were so different. But as a Golden Couple of
Society, they were a perfect match. His mum was good at acting and so was his dad. Lucius acted
like he cared what another was saying, and Narcissa became very cold and distant. One more than
one occasion he had accidentally heard what other bachelors of society thought of Narcissa.
'Smart, witty, I would mind being Lucius if I got to...,' he shook his head, having wished he never heard what they
really wanted to say.
"What?" Narcissa inquired when he shook.
"Oh," he tried to think of something to say. "Just thinking about what you had to go through," he lied. She hugged him
closer. "I'm alright. Just think, you may have to go though this one day," Draco looked at her
incredulous. "Mum, I don't think that would be possible,"
"Not if you Aunt Bellatrix has anything to say about it in the next few years. She's already been working with a few other women to think
of a way to make men have the babies instead," she laughed at the look on Draco's face. "Don't worry. Even magic
can't touch certain parts of nature." With out knowing Draco was becoming tired and fell asleep
next to his mum.
----"Congratulations Lucius," the husky voice of Severus Snape said from the fire, though not
sounding moved. "You should think about settling down and having a few kids Sev," Lucius poked
fun, taking another swing of brandy. There was no response.
"But back to the subject," he set his brandy glass on the end table next to the chair. "I want you to do all that you can to help my son.
You owe me one and I ask that as repayment, you help Draco."
"I will do all that I possibly can. It's going to be difficult though. With the Headmaster around and Minerva is no better. None of the
teachers are any better! Half of them don't trust me as is."
"Do they have a reason to trust you Severus?"
"I just teach kids on how to survive being poisoned, bit by a werewolf and or vampire and even
prolong death. I can't think of a single reason why they can't trust me," came his sarcastic reply.
"No one stops being a Death Eater Severus," Lucius was about to pour himself more brandy then
though best not to. He would have a headache as is from the new baby, he didn't need a hangover.
"You'd be surprised," his eyes followed Lucius back to his chair.
"Good-night Severus," with that Lucius extinguished the fire. Groggily making his way down the hall, he enter the master suite to
find his son asleep by his mother. Unable to hold back the tears, he vowed that he would do all that
he could to help his son, his family. Grabbing an extra blanket out of the armoire, he settled down
in the chaise lounge in the corner of the room. Looking at the sight before him, he too, fell asleep.
----Waking up, Narcissa could tell it was still the middle of the night. Knowing tonight probably
wasn't the best night to go out, she ignored it. Slowly she scooted out of bed as to not disturb
Draco. He looked so peaceful. She knew she wouldn't see that for a long time. Grabbing a shawl
off of the coat hook she quietly closed the bedroom door and made her way out of the house.
--Slinking down the alleyways using the night to cover her, she made her way to the only person
she knew to turn to. Before she left she though about bring Bellatrix with her, but she knew how that
would go. 'Narcissa,' she would say in that horrid voice she would use when she wanted to prove a
point. 'You should be proud the Dark Lord has chosen you son! If I had a son I would be proud to
give him to the Dark Lord!' Narcissa partly knew because she heard it all before, but because she also
knew her sister really well. Andromeda's untimely death landed her with her cynical, sadistic sister.
Bellatrix made her cry so many times for her rudeness and self centeredness. Since that day she
vowed to be the best she could be. With a shake of her head, she put all self pity away as her
destination came into view.
A glow came from the curtained window, first green then white, then blue. He must be watching that muggle thing called a 'Tele'.
Hesitating at the door a moment, Narcissa knocked and withdrew her hand almost like she was going to run. Too late now, she
thought. The corner of the curtain covering the door window pulled back to reveal more black, not
even his eye was visible, and the door unlocked. "Narcissa?"
"Hello Severus."
"Come in," a puzzled look upon his face.
"Tea?" he offered.
"Yes, that would be very kind, thank you," she removed her shawl and draped it over the back of
his guest chair. "Is everything ok?" he asked pouring a cup of tea. Half of a sugar cube and a dash
of milk, not cream. He remembered from…He really didn't know how he remembered. "Thank
you," she said accepting the cup and saucer. Taking a sip he basked in the warmth, the night was
chilly. "Severus," she paused thinking of how to go about what she was about to say. "I need to ask
you a favor,"
"Oh? And what would that be?"
"Would you be willing to do an Unbreakable Vow?" She saw him blanch.
"Never mind, I'm sorry," she stood, grabbing her shawl.
"No, sit. Please," he motioned back to the chair. "I don't want you to feel pressured or anything. I'm
just…I'm desperate," she looked up at him, tear welling in her eyes. She looked away. She knew
that some men had a hard time dealing with crying women.
"Narcissa," he lifted her chin. "I'll do it," he reached over and took her hands in his one hand and pulled out wand. "How do you know
what it's for?" She asked, studying him. "Lucius and I had a long discussion. By the way congratulations
on your daughter," he did his best at a smile. "Thank you. You know," she slouched back, "you
should settle down and have kids of you own," once again, he made no response. "Let's do the
vow," charming his wand to perform the binding vow, he took her hands again. After all was done
Narcissa stood and hugged him. "Thank you. Thank you so much," she smiled teary eyed, but
feeling much better than she had in a long time. She knew she could trust Severus, she always
could. With that she took her leave.
Severus watched as the door closed behind her. What had he done? If he failed he would kill her. He couldn't live knowing that he killed
Narcissa. The only woman he had ever loved…
----Hoping her re-entering the manor would go unnoticed, she hung her shawl up and the lights
turned on. Startled she spun around and gasped. "My Lord!" She placed a hand to her chest to still
her beating heart. "Now that you've given birth we can go about this,"
"Go about wh…" But before she could finish the Dark Lord pulled out his wand and hit her with a curse. She screamed in pain a
collapsed to the floor, the sound of the frightened baby Alaris echoing her cry.
