Chapter 29.
With a small pop Dobby and Astrid apparated away, the sensation always made her feel a little sickly, but whilst nine months pregnant, it really made her feel sick. When they arrived at a destination of Dobby's choosing, Astrid fell to her knees on a wooden floor and heaved, emptying what little her stomach had in it.
"Is Miss Moody okay?" Dobby asked with a worried expression, Astrid nodded, closing her eyes as she wiped at her mouth with a sigh. Astrid looked around warily, and to her surprise found herself in the headmaster's office at Hogwarts. "Dobby, how did we get here? No one can apparate inside Hogwarts," Astrid breathed as she looked around the fascinating room. Every time she was in there, she found something new and exciting to look at. There was no sign of Umbridge.
"House elves employed by the school can apparate as they please, Dobby works here!" he exclaimed proudly. Astrid's attention was drawn by someone hastily descending one of the staircases that wrapped around the room. Astrid turned and to her surprise, spotted the familiar face of Albus Dumbledore.
"Professor Dumbledore, you're back!" Astrid coughed from the floor. Albus rushed over to the young professor, a worried look on his face, he stroked down her hair and touched upon her cheek.
"Oh my dear, you're safe," Dumbledore sighed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Dobby, what you have done tonight is beyond the duties I ask of you, you have my greatest thanks," Dumbledore addressed the elf.
"Can you walk? Let's get you somewhere more comfortable… the chair!" Dumbledore pulled the girl up to her feet and guided her over to a familiar love seat and seated her down carefully. Dumbledore looked horrified as he held onto the girls shoulders, she caught a look at her reflection in a small mirrored object on a side table near by and understood his concern. Astrid hadn't realised how terrible she looked, caked in dirt, her hair matted and filthy. Her arms and legs were scraped to the heavens, raw from her time in the cell, blood was smeared down her right leg, a large bloodies scrape upon her knee where she stumbled on the stairs.
"Phineas," Dumbledore addressed one of the many painting that lined his walls, "Please go wake Madam Pomfrey and Severus Snape, tell them they must come to my office immediately," and just like that off the portrait went, travelling through the other frames in the room.
"No, not Snape," Astrid spoke firmly.
"He is my most tr-"
"He was there, professor," Astrid interrupted abruptly, "at Malfoy Manor, he was there, he stood by whilst…." Astrid shuddered as images of Camille's lifeless body flashed through her mind… "I don't want to be in the same room as him professor," Astrid began to tear up.
"Astrid I need you to tell me everything that happened, do you know how long you've been missing? We searched for you,"
"But no one though to check Malfoy Manor? Surely you were told Albus… about Lucius at the Ministry… did no one think he would've taken me there?" Astrid didn't mean to sound ungrateful; she was in fact very grateful for her rescue, however she believed it came eight weeks too late. She wondered why it took so long, why she had to suffer in all that time, why Camille had to suffer.
"Malfoy Manor is a fortress, warded with most complex of spells, filled with death eaters, and-"
"Voldemort,"
"So you saw him?" Questioned Albus with a pitiful look. Astrid instantly burst into tears, her face screwing up, her body trembled.
"I d-did… h-he was closer than y-you are n-now Albus," Astrid choked out.
"He did not kill you, why?"
"H-he w-wanted me to j-join them, s-said I h-had to complete a t-t-t-task," Astrid sobbed, through her blurry tears she saw the office door open to her right.
"You summoned me, headmaster?" Severus Snape asked as he stepped into the room, his bored expression turned to shock at the sight of the grimy girl perched on the love seat. "Astrid," He exhaled.
"No, I don't want him here Albus!" Astrid sobbed, pointing her finger to the door, "Leave!" She hissed at the potions master.
"Headmaster, shall I fetch-" Snape started, ignoring Astrid's cry's.
"Pomfrey is on her way Severus," Dumbledore informed his most trusted.
"Albus p-please," Astrid begged through her cries, as she gripped her stomach with both hands, "He is not to be t-trusted!"
"I fear her time in captivity has affected her, I can fetch a potion that will calm her and ease the effects of her traumatic stress," Severus murmured.
"I am not traumatically stressed!" Astrid wailed as she doubled over, rubbing a hand on her stomach she inhaled and exhaled deeply. "H-he knew I was there… in the d-dungeon the entire time! H-he told no one!" Albus looked to Severus for answers.
"Headmaster the Dark Lord would have known his betrayer was present when she was taken there, I could not speak a word of it, so I asked the house elf Tilly to get word to Dobby instead," Severus explained, his voice full of exasperation, as if he felt he didn't need to explain his actions.
"You're a rotten bastard Severus," Astrid groaned.
Madam Pomfrey was next to enter the room, though with more urgency than Severus did.
"You summoned me headmaster?" She asked, her matron hat was on a little skewed, her eyes widened when she took in the sight of the girl before her. "Oh merlins beard, oh Astrid, oh look at you!" Madam Pomfrey gasped as she rushed over to the girl, crouching in front of her she held one hand to the girl's bump whilst the other rubbed her arm. "How are you feeling?" the matron asked as she looked over the girls scrapes and took in her dirty dishevelled appearance.
"Pain," Astrid wailed squeezing her eyes shut. As Madam Pomfrey opened her mouth to ask more questions, to try get to the bottom of the pain, a gush of clear liquid shot down Astrid's legs, soaking the loveseat and the wooden floor. Astrid gasped at the sensation, and covered her mouth in shock, was this really happening? Right now?
"Okay that's alright," Pomfrey rubbed Astrids arm comfortingly as she turned to the two men, "we need to get her to St Mungo's immediately, the baby is coming,"
"Impossible…" Snape sighed, he hated to be the barer of bad news, "they know she's escaped; they know she's close to her due date, they'll have Death Eaters posted at St Mungo's for the next week or two looking out for her,"
"Severus is right, they know it's the place she will go when it's time," Dumbledore sighed deeply. "We have what you need here in the infirmary do we not Madam Pomfrey?" Poppy stood defiantly as she faced off Dumbledore.
"We do Albus," Pomfrey huffed, "But she needed to go to St Mungo's for specialist delivery, her maledictus complicates matters, I cannot perform delivery here! She must go to St Mungo's!" Pomfrey pushed.
"I know Poppy, but we cannot risk it, we will do the best we can here, I'll send word to Molly Weasley, she can perhaps help, and of course Severus is on stand by with any potion needs," Dumbledore breathed. "A baby will be born in this castle today,"
When Albus sent word to Molly Weasley, he didn't count on her sending word to other Order members, including Astrids father. And now outside the infirmary a crowd had gathered awaiting news. Alastor Moody, Arthur Weasley, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks paced outside impatiently. They were joined by the newly recruited Minerva McGonagall.
Inside Astrid was laid on a bed heavily supported by practically all the pillows on the ward, she held Molly Weasleys hand hard as she concentrated on her breathing. Astrid's other hand rested on her chest. She didn't know what was the worse, the pain of the labour, or the pain in her chest as her heat beat fast and irregularly.
"You're doing so well dear, so well," Molly smiled through the pain of Astrid crushing her fingers. Madam Pomfrey lifted the blanket that covered Astrid's modesty, she was sat with her knees bent, her feet flat to the mattress.
"You're so close now Astrid," Madam Pomfrey told the girl, "Not long,"
"My chest," Astrid whimpered, "I'm really struggling… to breathe,"
"Severus another of that lung capacity potion, quick sticks!" Madam Pomfrey ordered. Severus was stood at the end of the ward, his arms crossed across his chest. He nodded dutifully and pulled the potion from a bag: a stash he had brought from the dungeons, containing every potion he thought Poppy might possibly need. He approached Astrid warily, the last time he administered her this she smacked him across the face.
"No!" Astrid shook her head, "Please I don't want… him here, Molly please," Astrid groaned. Molly understood her assignment, slipping her hand from Astrids she approached Snape and took the potion from him, and beckoned him to return to his spot out of the way. Molly pulled the stopper from the glass bottle and poured the blue liquid down Astrid's throat.
"There you go dear, you should feel your airways open up now, breath in, there you go," Molly spoke gently, setting down the empty bottle and returning to her seat next to the young woman.
"I'm going to pop out a second, to let your… supporters know how it's going," Pomfrey sighed as she wiped at her forehead. It had been over thirteen hours since Astrid's water had broken, and the woman hadn't had a break in that entire time. She passed Snape and made her way to the infirmary entrance, she opened the door, slipped through and closed it softly behind her. She'd barely stepped into the hallways when Alastor Moody pounced upon her.
"Let me see her this instance Pomfrey or I swear I'll-"
"Alastor! I told you already! You can see her after, she is almost there now, I am monitoring everything, I fear having you there would only make her heart worse, not better!" Pomfrey scolded the man.
"Worse?! That's my child and my grandchild, I will be there Poppy so help me-" Alastor was cut off by Remus Lupin clasping his hand on his shoulder.
"Alastor, calm down, perhaps let the lady say what she came to say," Remus spoke calmly and with reason. Pomfrey knew there was a reason she liked him at his time at Hogwarts, he never made a fuss. Everyone turned to Madam Pomfrey now, ready for her update.
"She's doing well, she's really close, it won't be long at all, her heart isn't optimal right now, but her breathing is under control," Pomfrey informed the waiting friends and family. She didn't hesitate to slip back through the doors into the infirmary before she was hounded again.
"How are those contractions doing?" Poppy asked as she made her way back to the girl. Thankfully Molly had given Astrid a sponge bath in her early hours, cleaning all the dirt and grime from her skin and hair. But sweat now formed on her brow, dripping down her temples.
"Seconds apart Poppy, what's her dilation?" Molly asked. Pomfrey raised the blankets and popped her head under, having a look at the situation. She came back up and nodded at Mrs Weasley knowingly. Mrs Weasley took a deep breath and nodded back.
"Okay Astrid, you're fully dilated, your contractions are close, whenever you get the urge to push now, just push, okay? Push right through the contractions," Madam Pomfrey explained as she folded the blanket up over Astrid's stomach so that the girls completely nude bottom half was on display. Severus took it as an opportunity to turn around and head for the door, but Madam Pomfrey had other ideas.
"No Severus! You stay, I may need you to administer pain control potions," Madam Pomfrey sighed as she held onto Astrid's knees.
"No, tell him to go, I don't want him here-arghhhhh!" Astrid cried as she was hit with another contraction, this one was a big one, and instead of doubling over she decided to push down.
"That's it Astrid, keep pushing," said Madam Pomfrey.
"Good girl, keep going," Molly cooed supportively. Severus swallowed hard, his back was turned to the scene, but he didn't need to see it to know how much agony the girl was in. It worried him that any second now her heart could fail her. With a sigh he closed his eyes and played with his cuffs. Like that he waited, either for the cry of a baby, or the frantic calls of the matron.
At Malfoy Manor Lucius nursed a glass of fire whiskey in the drawing room, he was tired, broken, he had spent many an hour under the cruciatus curse that day, his Lord was very displeased with him. He accused him of helping Astrid escape, which he would have, given the opportunity, but in truth he had nothing to do with it. Dobby had everything to do with it, which pointed to the Order. He told his Lord this, but as Dobby used to belong to the Malfoy family, he got a second round of punishment.
He held the cold glass of whiskey to his pounding forehead when an owl arrived, tap-tap-tapping at the window. He recognised the black owl immediately… Severus. He was the last person he wanted to hear from. He blamed all his woes on that man. If only he had told him of the Dark Lords plans that evening, he could have prepared Astrid, coached her, things could have ended up different.
Lucius stood with a sigh and meandered over to the window, raising it the owl hopped in dropping a letter to the floor. Lucius sneered shooing the bird away before closing the window with a bang.
"What's that there?" Bellatrix asked from the doorway, a curious chuckle on her lips.
"None of your business Bella… Don't you have puppies to kill somewhere? Go take your foulness away from me," Lucius sneered as he picked up the letter and settled back into his arm chair. He broke the black wax seal of the parchment and pulled a small parchment from the envelope. Picking up his glass of firewhiskey his eyes read across words lazily at first, but then he read it again not once, twice but three times.
At 8:05pm on the tenth of September, a healthy baby girl by the name of Everly Winnifred Moody-Malfoy was born at a healthy seven pounds and two ounces. Both mother and baby are doing well.
SS
Dropping his glass to the floor with a shattering clang, he clasped his hand to his mouth, smiling through his fingers a tear escaped his eye, a tear of bliss.